The Whole Tooth

UPDATE: Surgery went well, Jay is home (at our house) resting. Hungry, can eat and drink in about 15 minutes. Making him some iced coffee and pumpkin pancakes with a side of Vicodin! Thanks for your prayers!

Pray for Jay tomorrow? Our oldest boy is having oral surgery in the morning. Four impacted wisdom teeth. He'll be staying with us for a day or two as he recovers for a little old-fashioned home care. Surgery is at 9:00 a.m. Thank you in advance! http://www.dentistkharbandrasantacruz.in/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/wisdom_teeth1.jpg

Testify! When I started my job, I didn't know anyone and I was nervous to be leaving behind a place where I knew everyone and had support close at hand. I was sitting at a table outside of an office filling out new hire paperwork when from behind the closed door I heard, "This is the air I breathe..." The message? God is never not here. It was like Jesus had taken the chair next to me and said, "I've been waiting for you to get here!"

Expected Grace

A few months ago I went out on a limb for something I wanted. I didn't get it. Denied. This morning I was ruminating on my way to work; why didn't I get it? I see no reason why this didn't work. Maybe I should go back and try again. Then the Holy Spirit dropped the answer into my heart...
"If you were to write the story of your life, its title would be, Living On Expected Grace."
Wow. Living on expected grace. Is that really what I am doing? Or rather, do I realize the difference between living on grace and living on expected grace. Do I expect good, glorious and anointed things? Am I so faith-driven that I can let go of the things I count as losses and thank God for expected grace? Do I live continuously excited and joyous about the days yet to come because I trust completely that unmerited favor is on its way?
The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I expect grace all the days of my life.
I am living with great expectations.

Testify! This year when we filed our income taxes we were hit with the news that we owed almost $2,000. Yikes! Well, yikes and ok because owing money indicates having made money. Not alot to complain about. Mac went to our tax guy a few days later and in doing Mac's returns, the guy realized that he hadn't claimed Mac's tuition as our dependent. He sent an addendum, the IRS said the first return was right, the Mr. called, the IRS reviewed the review of the addendum. Guess what? We recently got a check for $800 from the IRS. Which helped pay for new sewer pipes which have resulted in a dry basement. Which we didn't realize we needed to pay for when our taxes were first submitted. Had we received that money in the "right" timing, we would've spent it on a patio which would've had to be broken up for the sewer pipes. Hallelujah!
Image:http://throughanewlens.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/desert_flower-1.jpg

Help

I have a dear friend who has honored me with the opportunity to pray for a need in her life. God has impressed me along two lines, that He will provide and that while we wait I am to pray for her to be encouraged and sure that He will exceed her expectations. I'm asking you to claim the abundance of the Lord's provision for her with me. I'm also asking you do something very basic, remind yourself, the enemy and anyone else who runs across your blog that God is the keeper of His people. Please think about, no change that, please do one of these.

1. Post a link to your blog where you share the testimony of an answered prayer or
2. Share your testimony in the comment section on this blog any time or
3. Make the testimony of God's answer to your needs your Facebook status.

Here's the thing, I want a collection of testimonies. I want everything from the stunningly miraculous to the everyday hand of God. I want the internet flooded with Jesus. Make it a one-liner on the end of your blog posts, make it a top ten list, make it a daily Facebook status or change it every hour. The more testimonies in the most places is what we need. Let's encourage those who are waiting for their answers, let's catch the attention of the unbelievers and let's remind ourselves that we do not ask in vain.

Several years ago we returned from vacation in the middle of July, turned our air conditioning back on and ...nothing. The temps were in the 90s and our house had been shut tight for a week. One the one hand, we knew that people everywhere lived without air conditioning. On the other hand, it was dang hot!
I couldn't seem to let it go that I had a right to air conditioning. Not some kind of arrogant entitlement but a feeling that God had provided a house with central air and how dare that air conditioning not work for us. Silly or faith; you decide. So while Dean puttered and called people for advice and starting thumbing through the phone book for a heating and cooling company, I went into our bedroom, knelt down and put my hand over the air vent. You got it, I prayed over the air conditioning. Then I took silly faith a step farther...I told my family I had just laid hands on our air vents and it was just a matter of time until the cool was restored.
Silly faith is the best kind, that air kicked on within and hour and worked beautifully for the remainder of the time we lived that house. So often, we have not because we ask not.

James 2:23

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Image:http://www.davidpott.co.uk/art/wp-content/gallery/seascapes/whitby-friends-seascape.jpg

Favorites

1. Giant measuring cups that double as mixing bowls.
2. Speaking of mixing, my Kitchenaide stand mixer.
3. My camera that refuses to transfer my photographs. It's a complete mystery why but there are lots of great pics trapped inside the camera. Maybe it isn't my favorite.
4. My cement chickens. There is a picture of them...
5. Donny.
6. Autumn.
7. Fresh herbs.
8. Pasta.
9. Green Acres.
10. My farm table, of which I have a photograph...

Image:http://www.hermann-uwe.de/files/images/leave.preview.jpg

Photography

Frustration!

The Mr. bought me a new camera last Christmas and I have been determined to do a better job of taking pictures. And more or less, I've done a better job. I even started a daily pic blog stealing the idea from Kelly. That didn't last. Then I decided the better idea was to merge my own blog with pictures taken myself. So I started taking even more pictures. Specific pictures of an event or to illustrate a point. Pictures that inspired blogs or blogs that inspired pictures.

And just about the time I figured out my grand plan and captured a few charming photographs (for instance the bird perched on the head of my cement chicken-adorable); the transfer photograph to the computer part of the process went kaput.

I was using the actual Nikon transfer program that came with the camera. Then I tried to bypass the transfer program and transfer directly. I've tried everything I have ever heard of and it isn't working!! I'm sure my substantial ignorance isn't helping matters but why would it work before and suddenly not work? Ugh!

The Mr. can't figure it out. Daboyz can't figure it out. Donny has thrown up his paws.

So take my word for it; inside of my Nikon Coolpix L100, there lives a world of photographs.

In the meantime...

Image: http://www.mostphotos.com

Purging

I'm on a quick break from purging. Purging stuff, not food. In fact, if I purged food I wouldn't need to do the other purging. I am purging my dresser and closet of the clothing that I have outgrown. Yes, I've gained lots of weight. I've hung on to clothes for a while now hoping, praying to lose the weight. And I intend to lose the weight, but I'm still purging. I'd been dreading this (which is why I haven't done it) but now that I'm knee deep in size 10s, I feel strangely liberated.

Holding onto to my goal weight was never natural for me. I had to maintain about 1600 calories a day and be aware of food constantly. I was never near anorexia weight, I had an anorexia brain for sure. I don't regret that but I don't need to be that person any longer. I did need it, coming from morbid obesity and working through nursing school it was a part of a rebirthing of a me I could be proud of and I am glad I accomplished it. But now, I don't need it.

This has also been a day of God revealing his goodness to me. Because as I pick up the medium and too small clothing and try to let go of it, he doesn't accuse me of the fatness that prevents me wearing them. He tells me not to worry because I will be able to buy clothes again when the ones I now wear are too large. In other words, I am rid of the shackles of poverty. They stayed wrapped around my heart much longer than they did my bank account. If I get rid of something and need it...I'll be sorry. No more. If I lose weight and need a pair of jeans, I will be able to afford a pair of jeans. Let someone else be blessed with the ones I am discarding for now.

I don't like my weight. It's not ok aesthetically but it's really not ok for my health. I know what happened. A variety of life changes came upon me over the last year and a half and I fell off the wagon (and onto a pile of Lay's potato chips apparently.) I reverted to my old friend, food, to cope. But now I feel my body reacting with more than fat, I hurt in ways that point toward fibromyalgia. I don't sleep well. I have headaches all of the time. And of course, the weight brings about it's own toll on aching knees and sore feet and poor stamina.

Don't let this be a sad story though. It's just another season to learn and grow and I will walk through it all the better for God's loving hand guiding me. I'm not depressed, which itself is evidence of healing in my spirit. I am accepting of this person I now am and mature enough to see the signs of needed change.

So I purge with joy. Thankful for the season of size 10 when I needed it. Aware by the four garbage bags on their way to the Salvation Army that I have been well provided for, no reason to think I'll not be provided for in the future. Listening to my body and mind and the Holy Spirit who speaks into my thoughts, I will learn about this season.

Peacefully purging...

Image: http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com

Genesis 8:20-22

And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Autumn & Weekend Stuff

1. Ordered a barn coat & mocs from L.L. Bean.
2. Going to get an orangy rug for the bathroom for fall.
3. Also going to get pumpkin spice candles for the bathroom.
4. So glad it's the weekend, you don't even know!
5. Got a Scentsy plug-in last Christmas from the MIL and despite my doubts, I love it. Ordered some Autumn scent fragrance bars and a second plug-in.
6. Gonna bring out the Autumn/Halloween decorations today.
7. Today's agenda-closet cleanout. No happy exclamation point.
8. I see a fire or two in our evenings.
9. Have to make oatmeal scotchies for a co-worker. I'm taking orders now?
10. Happy Autumn Saturday!

Hot Mess Martha Cookies

This evening I made "Martha Stewart Oatmeal Lace Cookies." Or as I like to call them, "Hot Mess Cookies." Actually, I initially called them something else but I'm a bit calmer about the whole thing now.
The recipe is basically an oatmeal cookie minus the flour recipe, the intent being crisp, flat, lacey cookies. I followed the directions, baked and vee-o-la...hot mess cookies. I mean, I even had the requisite parchment paper! Do you realize how astounding it is that I both have and used parchment paper? This is true progress for me. And basically the 9 cookies lovingly measured (yes...MEASURED!) onto the parchment melded into one giant hot mess of a cookie that became one with the parchment paper. It was like those dot candies that you peel off and no one seems to mind that you always eat a little bit of paper? Except this was quite a lot of paper stuck to very sweet oatmeal. Not sure in exactly what part of the world this is a delicacy but I have confirmed that it is not Dearborn, Michigan.
So I took a pic and texted it to my mom with my original name for them.
Having a pot (because Martha explicitly instructed me to use a pot) of hot mess batter, I figured I may as well try again. So I added more oatmeal to thicken the mess up, parchment in place, measured one table spoon each, three inches apart, flatten with the back of a spoon this time only putting six cookies on the cookie sheet, cook for 15 minutes and and and and...
Vee-o-la! Slight less hot mess. Cookies one and two did not successfully part with the parchment but cookies four through six (six cookies per batch, ridiculous) were quite cookie like. Let's recap: Batch one is one giant paper hot mess cookie. I did scrape it and eat it. I did.
Batch two, cookies one and two did not part from the parchment successfully. Cookies three through six were delivered to the cooling rack without incident.
Lessons learned: Fewer cookies per batch, more oatmeal for a thicker batter, remove parchment from cookie sheet and cool parchment paper with cookies on cooling rack, move cooled parchment paper onto counter and gently spatula cookies back onto cooling rack to complete cooling process. Which brings to the present...
Batch number three, six cookies baking. Hear dinger and think, "That was a fast 15 minutes!" Walk to oven and the timer says 10 minutes remaining. Wonder briefly what the dinger was and return to computer so as not to miss a detail of the riveting saga of these cookies.
Hear dinger and return to oven only then remembering you had put tea into the microwave and that was the original dinger. Tea now cold. Reset timer on microwave, remove hot mess batch three. Gingerly lift parchment paper from cookie sheet and place on cooling rack. Put honey in tea. Scrape another bite of hot mess paper cookies off parchment paper and feel slightly nauseated. Call Jay to bring over Crave Case because you need to eat something substantial. Think that you should throw batch one away and stop scraping them off and eating them. Think very carefully, don't be rash.
Decide that with batch three and all six cookie parchment paper resections complete without any complications you are in the home stretch.
Decide you hate these cookies and will never make them again. And you also hate Martha Stewart because she probably did this on purpose. Not really.
Sip your tea, load the dishwasher, and light a candle instead of cursing the cookie darkness.

http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/pub/ms_living/1991//la_0791_lace_cookie_l.jpg

I neeeeeed

There is a certain breed of people in the world, of which I am not one. People who need to be needed. I mostly want to be left alone.
People who love to do and to serve and sometimes, to be depended on. Like every other potential personality trait, this one can go awry. Under the Holy Spirit's influence, these people are servants. They really are the hands and feet of Jesus. They find their life's purpose and identity in doing for others. On the other hand, without the Lord's guidance, this can become an issue of control. The motivation isn't to serve others but to make others completely dependent on them.
So I need some advice. When someone willingly takes over a task that you could do but doesn't do it well; how do you take it back? In my life there is a person who walks that line between servant and control freak and leans toward the latter when they are challenged. They do a few things that could rightfully be considered my responsibility. I never asked this person to do these tasks, they took them over before we met and things have remained status quo. However, things are not always done the correct way and often there are errors. I am willing, able and ready to step back in and relieve them of the job. But they get defensive, loud and sometimes even start to cry. This makes many people back away and try to soothe the person just to stop the firestorm. And the cycle continues.
I believe that God has called some people to need to be needed. But how do you firmly and gracefully say, "Thanks, but I just don't need you."?

Chuck

So. Jay's Chucks needed to be chucked and he needs a new pair. I tell him I think I have some rewards $$ on my Famous Footwear rewards card. Turns out I had a $25 off reward! I offer it to him. He goes to the website to order his new Chucks and sees there is a buy one/get one half off deal going on. Mac needs running shoes and finding the size 14/15 he wears is usually an online only opportunity. So we order the running shoes and the Chucks.

And this is math according to Jay...

Chucks originally $44 with $25 off makes them $19. BUT! there was half off the cheaper pair (Size 14 running shoes are substantially more than $44.) So they were only $22 in the first place leaving me owing him $3.00.

Yeah. Nice try Jaybird.

Loverly Monday Morning

Ahh, the weekend is over! Every third week I pray for a fast weekend and I look forward to my day off on Monday. The Mr. took a vacation day (he has tried to take as many vacation days on my Mondays off as possible.) He's still asleep and I'm enjoying the cool air and of course my friend Joe. First load of laundry is laudercizing (I stoled that from Trish.) On today's schedule is Beef Stroganoff for dinner. I've never made it but I've been recipe surfing on the web and thought, that looks purty good! Looks fairly simple. I asked the men if if sounded good to them and Mac said, "I'd eat the crap out of that." That's what I'm going to name my cookbook.
I'd Eat The Crap Out Of That. I hope the Pioneerwoman doesn't steal it.
Speaking of the ever charming Mackenzie, his girlfriend of 2 years, Lexi, has moved in with my sister Amy and her husband. Lexi had been living with her dad but he's moving and the Rennies generously opened up their spare room to her. They even painted the room to suit her fancy! Lexi is a girly girly girl so we bought a pale pink and green shabby chic set from the Target. She is so excited and thankful and so are we. However, Target only had one of the shams to her green & pink quilt set so if you run across another one, let me know!
I'll leave you with a thought I just gleaned from a sermon broadcast I watched this morning from California. "The world is always gambling for what you already have in righteousness." He gave the example of the stock market. It's a gamble, you put money in and hope that it will increase. Only in righteousness, in God's promises, is there a sure thing. For example, tithing, offering and sowing into the lives of others. How profound is that? He went on to speak about every good thing the world pursues by hoping for the best has a God's way method in the Word that makes it a sure thing in him. I'm going to be meditating on that for a long while. And I am inspired to dig into the Old Testament as an Autumn study.
I'm going to enjoy my second cup of coffee on the back porch so I'll say good bye for now. I'm going to spend some time with Jesus reflecting on the things I don't have to gamble on because He already made the way through righteousness. Train up your children in the way they should go, God will not give you more than you can bear, the children of the righteous will be blessed, honor your father and mother, love one another...
Amen.

Psalm 9:20
Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men.

1. I don't want to go to work, my everything hurts.
2. Please Lord, let this be a relatively quiet weekend with enough staff!
3. So thankful for my family.
4. I did a bit of yard clean-up yesterday, hence number one I'm sure.
5. The day after getting my hairs did means a very bad hair day. Don't want to wash it yet and my girl Monnika feels super deep conditioning is just the thing so I'm rocking the too soft flat head.
6. Inherited my mom's apple peeler/corer/slicer. Miraculous!
7. Can't decide if I want to repot my ferns to bring in or let them die. The Bostons ferns are obnoxiously large and the asparagus fern looks like it might shed during the winter months. Hmmm.
8. I'm drawn to ornamental pepper plants at the Westborn Market. I didn't buy one but all signs point to me going back to get one.
9. Can any one tell me where I put all my Autumn decorations last year?
10. Got to get going. Hope your Saturday is lovely and mine is short.

Friday's Child

I'm feeling rested this morning and the pain is less. If I'm not markedly better Monday I'll go to the doctor. Off today and working this weekend. On today's schedule, getting my hairs did and bringing my plants inside before a sneaky overnight freeze gets 'em. The question is, where to put them all? I'll need to re-pot a few. That should be the day for me.
Autumn is definitely settling in to our neck of the woods and I'm happy to welcome it. I spent some time with the L.L. Bean catalog and think I'll treat myself to a few items, a jacket and shoes to be exact. I might just break with tradition and order them now so when it's really cold, blowy and wet I'll be ready as opposed to running to Target in the cold, blowy wetness to get what I need. I was going to order a few fleece pull-overs as well but those are cheaper at Old Navy. A pair of jeans and a few bags of Gold Toe socks and I should be good to go! Oh, and I need underwear but I'll spare you the details.
Time for me to get this day started, finish my coffee and hop in a hot shower. Enjoy this beautiful Autumn day wherever you are!

Back to Work

Feeling on the better side today. When I first awakened I thought I'd call in again but by the time I've had my coffee now and moved around a bit, I'm feeling like I am ready for work. Still those aching muscles...what in the world? I slept really well again which is so strange. I usually don't sleep well but the last two nights I have been wonderfully rested. Which is part of why I'm pushing myself to go to work, I need to save those call-in days for when I'm sick enough to not be able to get out of bed. Sick days are definitely more "fun" when you're hunkered in during a snowy freezing winter day. Who wants to lay on a couch during nice weather?
So it's time for me to hop into the shower and get moving. Thanks for your prayers and well wishes. The worst pain remains between my shoulder blades and in my right knee.
And don't say fibromyalgia!

A Trailer and A Heating Pad

I'm home with muscles aches. I started last week with aching knees, blamed it on weight and a change in the weather. Right knee quite a lot worse than the left. Then a few days ago, sore neck. I attributed that to sleeping wrong and needing new pillows. Got the new pillows but several days later my neck hurts as much as ever and it is radiating down my shoulder and into my shoulder blades and upper arm.
Yesterday it seemed I was aching all over. Then I thought, hey! Maybe my Vitamin D level is low. About a year and a half ago I had some bad muscle pain and it turned out to be Vitamin D. A few months of supplements and I was good as new. So I started back to taking Vitamin D. But this morning I was so sore when I woke up I didn't feel like hauling myself downstairs into the shower. So I crept out of bed and walked around like Quasi Modo for a bit before I surrendered to the couch and a heating pad which I'm moving from aching spot to aching spot...knees, back, neck, other knee, arm...
Yes I have tried Motrin which takes the edge off but doesn't ever seems to completely get rid of it. In fact, it's worse day by day. Yes, I've made sure to drink lots of water. I'm eating healthy. Getting rest, stretching (of course, only the stretching when I started hurting.) Last night I slept really well and I was sure when the alarm went off that I'd be feeling better. And I was, until I stretched my arm out to shut off the alarm. Ouch.
So here I am watching The Long Long Trailer on my DVR and drinking my coffee from a semi-reclined position. Heating pad is currently under my left knee. It was on top of my left knee but the underside was still sore.
I'm hoping that a few days of the Vitamin D and some heating pad therapy will give me some relief. I wish I was tired so I could nap the day away but I'm not at all. I'm sure a hot shower would help but the idea of getting off the sofa is a little overwhelming right now so I suppose I'll pace myself.
If you have any ideas, let me know. I'm ready to try anything!

My Mom's BFF

My mom pointed me in the direction of a blog that has become a daily stop for me. It's not a Christian Woman's Devotional, so I liked it very much...wink. It's the Pioneerwoman. The author is Ree Drummond and it's all about home with a twist of all kinds of other goodies I love. Her writing is fun and although it's not in the inspirational category as we often identify it, I find inspiration there just about daily.

Ree loves loves loves her husband and kids. She loves her home, simplicity and a smattering of the good life here and there to keep it interesting. I've purchased her cookbook for my mom as well as a bottle of her recommended Sugar Lemon body wash because according to my mother, Ree is her BFF. I'm not entirely sure Ree would confirm the relationship but so far, from recipes to her favorite lipstick (Maybelline, $5.04 @ Target), she gets it right in my book pretty much all the time.

Her blog has recipes which are consistently good and photos of her home and decorating projects. Oh, and did I mention she lives on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma? For no other reason, the cowboys and chaps are worth a daily look-see! She's also a fantastic photographer and some day when I'm feeling particularly inspired, I might actually read her how-to tips. In the meantime, I just look at the pictures and ooh and ahh.

So there's my tip for the day, go visit the Pioneer Woman. Tell her that her BFF Pat sent you.

Fed Up!

Warning, whiny butt post to ensue...
I worked today and that's fine. It's part of my job, take my turn covering the holidays. Fine. However, there were four people given vacation time (not by me) and then a volunteering of my staff to assist another department for an hour (not by me) and some very sick patients admitted to the hospital (not by me.) What I'm saying to you, is that I am downright fed up with working short-staffed due to actions taken not by me.
Then after leaving, I get a message...an afternoon shift staff did not show up. Why? Because he states he was not supposed to even be on the schedule. An error apparently. And guess what? That's right, not by me.
It's not the working on a holiday that I'm whining about. But much like working on a weekend, I am eternally aggravated by errors and short-sightedness by people who don't actually work the holidays or weekends themselves. On bad days like today, it feels very much like perhaps it's not such an important matter to do things correctly if the person doing them won't pay the consequences for a job not well done.
In truth, I don't think that. But right now, today, as I have tried to stretch people farther than they can stretch to cover holes that shouldn't have been there, I'm pouty whiny sorry for myself. So I'm venting. This is a conversation that needs to be had, but I need to do it with wisdom and graciousness and not whiny butt anger. I'll hold my peace until I get there.
In the meantime, I'm going to stew for a bit and then have some diet 7-UP/cranberry juice cocktail and trial to unfurl my eyebrows.
Harumph.

Labor Day, Comfort Food, Etc.

Good morning! Getting ready to go labor on this Labor day, I'm working. Hoping for a quiet and maybe even a short day but there are no guarantees, I'm on 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. My parents are having a fish fry so if all goes well, I'll make it there in time for dinner.
The Mr. is spending a little time with his parents and daboyz are probably going to sleep much of the day away. Jay had rather a rotten week at work last week so he's been thankful for a long weekend and praying for a better week ahead.
I made greens for work and a giant pot cooks down to approximately a tablespoon full. I guess that is what comes of a recipe that starts with "get a mess of greens." Maybe I underestimated the volume of a mess. Although you could still call what I created a mess. I'm taking in my tablespoonful of greens and will deal with the mockery. I also made a delicious pan of banana bread so if people aren't nice to me, I won't share that!
Speaking of goodies, I made a loaf of apricot walnut for my mom, craisin raisin nut for Dean's parents and 2 loaves of a new experiment of mine-trail mix bread. I may have overcooked it, it seems a little dry. But such is the way of experiments. I took a basic quick bread and zested a large orange and then juiced it to divide between two pans. Then I added a bag equally divided between the two of Target brand trail mix (cranberry/pecan/white chocolate.) It tastes good, could use some tweaking but worth making again. The banana bread was a recipe from allrecipes.com (cathy's banana bread) however, halfway in I realized I didn't have enough sour cream. So I dumped in a 6 ounce container of pineapple greek yogurt and added an extra banana. It is delicious! It makes a 9x11 pan. I'm keeping half for the family and taking half to work.
Finally, I made crumbly lemon squares from the Pioneerwoman blog. I usually make classic lemon squares with a cream cheese based crust and powdered sugar on top. These are heartier. Oats in the crust and then sprinkling the crust mix on top as well. The lemon layer is a can of sweetened condensed milk whisked with the zest and juice of two lemons (I added extra zest, only the zest of one lemon was required in the recipe.) They are wonderful. Not the more delicate version I'm used to so it's a matter of taste. Jay preferred them because he liked the crumbly top and felt they were more substantial.
A bit pot of chicken and noodles and a pot roast yesterday rounded out a weekend of baking and comfort food. Speaking of comfort food, we got a fire pit and enjoyed the cool evenings around a fire making s'more. Too much more comfort and I'm never going to be able to snap my jeans!
Well, better get myself in gear and face the workday. Maybe the sooner I get there, the sooner I can come home? Wherever you are today, have a wonderful day!

The Pioneer Woman's Crumbly Lemon Squares Recipe!

Hebrews 13:15
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

My Life in 10

1. Headache-hormones-I enjoy being girl.
2. Cool breezes, mmmmm. Even makes coffee taste better.
3. Got a new work bag at Target for $12 and I'm very excited!
4. Almost due for new eye glasses and for the first time in my life, I am going to spend the extra money and get a pair I like instead of taking the freebie/insurance ones and look like Dorothy Hamel. And for the third time we will ask the eternal question; do I need readers yet?
5. Had an incredibly busy day yesterday but got a lot done for Mac and Lexi so it's all good.
6. Speaking of the Mac, he got 100% on his first pharmacology quiz and will take the nursing entrance exam on October 4!
7. Jay has requested lemon bars, I'm on it. His favorite!
8. For some reason when the seasons change, I look around my house and realize all over again how much I love it. Why is that?
9. My hair is just barely long enough for a stub of a pony tail that looks ridiculous. Therefore I am wearing my hair in a pony tail every day.
10. I need a new tea pot, the handle broke off of mine. Can't find one I want because basically, I don't know what I want.

Green & Stretchy

I'm working on Labor Day and like hospitals everywhere, we are planning a potluck. If we must work, we will at least eat our way through the day. This job has really stretched me, sometimes to the point of being pretty sure I was going to snap. I left a Monday through Friday hourly position for a salary job that requires 60 hours a week of responsibility and rotating weekends. I went from being in charge of my shift and my team to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a bunch of direct reports. I had mastered my domain, a 38 bed unit. Now there are days when I am the only administrator in a 100 bed hospital. Strreetttcchhhh!
I've had to step up my game in a lot of areas which I expected. Learned lots of new stuff, also expected. Make mistakes along the way, guaranteed. But one of the most surprising lessons has been the part not where I work harder or take on greater responsibilities. I've also learned a lesson or two about boundaries.
For instance, I'm on 24 hour call and have to carry a Blackberry. For the longest time every time that phone rang I'd grab it on the first ring and then do my darndest to solve the problem on the other end of the line. Three years later, that's not how I handle it. After I get home, the Blackberry goes to voice mail. I retrieve my messages immediately after they are received and then I decide if the matter needs my immediate attention. For a while I would return every call, now the staff knows my expectations. No detailed message, no call back. Do NOT leave me a "Call us back." and expect me to call you back. My time, my life are important too. I get to decide how much of myself to share. And I'm comfortable drawing those lines. It doesn't mean I don't do my job, it means I will be the one to dictate how I do it.
I've also stretched by learning to do the things that go against my personality without resenting it. Salary means from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., I'm the supervisor. So if I've been there eight hours at 4:00 but there's something going on, I'm there for the duration. That used to make me nuts. I'd clench my jaw and watch the clock and be aggravated for the rest of the evening. Not any more. I recognize the perks as well as the demands so on those late days, I just make myself a cup of tea and take a deep breath and move on.
But maybe all of the stretching and learning can be expressed in the most recent challenge. I work in Detroit, in a predominantly black area with a predominantly African American staff. I have been awarded an honorary black card in case you're wondering. Back to Labor Day and our potluck. My assignment? Greens. Seriously, greens. My first question was, what exactly is a green?
The old un-stretched me might have been silly enough to ask for a different assignment, something familiar. This one? I had one of the staff call his Granny and put her on speaker phone and I got her recipe for greens. I'm not promising anything, but I'm stretching again.
Did you know the more you stretch, the less you ache?
It's about more than muscles, it's about life.