like charlie

"Charlie Brown, you're the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy's right. Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest."

- Linus Van Pelt

Perhaps it's the fact that it's dark around here at 4 pm... 

or that it's raining... 

and cold... 

but not snowing.

Or that our parish group is talking about "Advent Conspiracy"...

and I love decorating for Christmas...

but my Santa decorations are an ironic backdrop for that discussion.  

Maybe it's that so many of my friends are in...

or moving to... 

Seattle.

Maybe it's because I'm comparing myself to people...

who are brilliantly successful in their work...

or living in beautifully clean houses...

or writing witty stories.

Whatever the reason... 

I'm feeling like the "Charlie Browniest" today.  

Where's Lucy's psychiatrist stand when you need it?

:) MamaToo

how much is that doggy in the window

Some people are dog folks, some are cat people.  I've mentioned before on this blog that most of our friends and neighbors are the latter, though some have dogs, too.  We're probably best considered "dog" people, but we haven't had a dog since Obi-1 was a baby.  As much as I'd like a pet, it hasn't really fit into our lifestyle. :)

However, the boys are getting older and they are lobbying for a pet.  They have joined together to ask for a dog, cat, or dinosaur.  Mostly they'd like a dinosaur, but we've explained that those are sort of hard to find.  So, they wait and ask and wait some more.

In the meantime, Obi-2 has taken to pretending he's a puppy.  It's not constant, but it's been consistent over the past month.  From time to time, he'll just announce, "I'm a puppy!" and then all must address him as "puppy" instead of his given name.  He'll run around, wag his little hiney, and "arf" happily. He's not only a puppy at home, but also in his little preschool program, church, and sometimes the grocery store.

The beautiful thing is, he is a very obedient puppy.  Perhaps even more so than the 2-year-old boy who lives here!  I can simply say, "come here, sit, and stay," and he does right away.  He's been trained not to bark, and understands that no puppies are allowed in Mama & Daddy's bed.  He eats with a fork and spoon, and uses the bathroom (mostly) independently.  There is no water dish to trip over, no midnight walks in the rain, and no carrying little baggies every time we're outside.  

I'd say we have the best little pet ever.

it's a conspiracy, part III

Advent - a time of expectation and preparation.

We expect... that God will faithfully deliver us the slavery and despair we experience... that a ruler will be sent to govern the world with justice and peace... that we will receive a gift we could never imagine or reciprocate... that God will be with us.

We prepare... recognizing the ways our hearts and lives long for change... raising hope in our home, neighborhoods, and world... living generously and acknowledging the source of all we have been given.

I'm in a bible study with some women from my neighborhood. What a blessing that has been in and of itself! Our current book is by Beth Moore, and this week part of our homework studied the Greek word that is translated to "thanks" in several passages. Parts of the definition from Strong's Concordance gave us pause. It was interesting to discuss and consider how "thanks" might be more than our own uses of the word...

Transliteration: charis
Definitions: 1) grace 1a) that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech 2) good will, loving-kindness, favour 2a) of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues 3) what is due to grace 3a) the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace 3b) the token or proof of grace, benefit 3b1) a gift of grace 3b2) benefit, bounty 4) thanks, (for benefits, services, favours), recompense, reward

In many ways, the marketing world we're witnessing this weekend has it right: Thanksgiving is the best kick-off to Christmas. Beyond the 4 AM sales and piles of catalogs, there is this truth: we begin Advent with recognition (and celebration!) of all we have. We have an opportunity to pause in thanks, praise, and fellowship. We can be openly grateful. We are invited to enjoy the people and things in our lives. We can see the painful in the midst of the joy. We can feast!

This year, our family is taking several practical steps to expect and prepare a celebration of God's arrival into humanity. To begin with, we'll be asking 'round the Thanksgiving table to hear proofs of grace received by each person. Like the pilgrims, some stories are not so much about bounty as survival. Other stories will reflect an amazing season of harvest. In each reflection, we can choose to hear God's grace, mercy, and provision.

As the weeks progress, I'll be sharing some of our practical Advent ideas here as well. I'm sure I'll be checking out Shannon and many other WFMW folks for their ideas! In the meantime, what works for me is simply this: pause, revel, and enjoy the grace and abundance God has offered!

healthful snacking

We try to eat rather healthfully around here.

Some friends and family think I'm a little too stringent with the kids' diets. Who's to say? My opinion, is that healthfully can be loosely translated to mean

NO SNACKING ON BUTTER!





And now, a word from our should-be sponsors at Cooking Light. :)

american dream

I declare: I have a business.

Now I am - officially - a business owner. The logical next question is probably, "What do you do, MamaToo?"

I may buy a Mac. Yes, indeed - I may buy an iMac, and it will be a business expense.

Now you're puzzled, right? Well, it turns out that Mr. Kenobi and I put a lot of thought into purchasing a new home computer. You may recall that this decision is moving from "nice" to "necessary" at lighting speed.

We have also put slightly more thought, over the years, into what exactly I do. From time to time, I am paid for various "consulting" skills. In addition, I have various "community" involvements that may require my professional skills from time to time. All of this has generally fallen under the useful label of "MamaToo's Consulting."

This all worked awkwardly, with me serving as a personal 1099 employee for a few people and collecting about enough to hire a cleaning lady or get a pedicure a couple times a year. Let's be clear: I do not tend to do enough work, nor make enough money, to consider myself part of the American Dream of entrepreneurship. I do, however, use my little office space and computer and various materials for different projects that can be (and sometimes are) billed.

A couple weeks ago, my dear friend Auntie Em recommended I start my own business. She thought I could consolidate the various skills & projects under a single business name, creating a little less confusion at year-end. The business also creates a nice place for "business expenses." Even though there's not much income, it would create an easier way of tracking that around tax time. Since we are buying a computer, and it will be used for this consulting/product making stuff, maybe it will fall into such category.

So, I looked into starting a business. It turns out that there is nothing - nothing - required to file, pay, or do in order to start my own business. I can choose a business name, and pay to register that, but if I keep my own name I don't have to register anything. I simply pay the appropriate taxes at the end of the year, and enjoy business ownership in the meantime. Beauty, mate.

Back to your question: "But WHAT do you do, MamaToo?!" Here's a small list:

1. Marketing Consulting, part I: offering insight & advice to questions about marketing one's business (I know, it's a bit ironic that I'm not doing so for my business.)



2. Marketing Consulting, part II: designing, writing, editing, or producing various print materials



3. Making arrangements for a company holiday party



4. Assembling a mail-merge label list for mom's real estate business



5. Sewing baby slings, complete with illustrated instructions



6. Creating Year Planner calendars, which are probably most useful for busy moms/women



7. Web development (very simple) for a few different small businesses



8. Sewing & teaching others how to make a "Quillow"



9. Creating curriculum for church nursery ministry



10. Blogging (not sure if I want to call this a business skill, but there is potential...)

Okay, that's not an exhaustive list, but it's a little exhausting to look at it and try to figure out the answer to our question. What title, or category, contains this list, and the rest of my potentially billable "work?" I've mostly viewed some of this stuff under the category of "keeping my resume current." Perhaps that's all there is, or maybe consolidating it in one place will bring something else. I'm not sure what God might bring in my path, but this does appear to be a pretty clean and easy step forward.

Let's just say that for now, this - my - business includes some of the things I do. And, like many of you, I'm a Mama, too! :)

pie crust

It's that time of year, again... but then, when isn't it a good time for pies?

The very first thing I learned to bake on my own was pie crust. My grandmother, Mamie, taught me her recipe, and together we made a banana-cream pie (my dad's favorite). Since that day many years ago, I've made countless pies.

Today I made several crusts. We will enjoy one of them in a quiche this evening, but the rest will go into apple, pumpkin, and pecan desserts later this week. Yum! My grandma's recipe used lard, and many recipes I've tried since use shortening. However, my favorite recipe is found in Nourishing Traditions, and I'm sharing it here since many of you have asked for it in person!

Flaky Pie Crust
1 1/3 C unbleached white flour
pinch of sea salt
pinch of stevia powder (or 1 tsp sugar)
1/2 C butter, frozen, cut into chunks
2 egg yolks
3 rounded Tblsp cold water
Stevia is a natural, highly potent sweetener (I know - I'd never heard of sweetener in pie crust, but it's delicious!). Anyway, I've noted a substitution, in case you can't find stevia.

1. In a food processor (a wonderful machine!), sift together the flour, salt, and stevia.
2. Distribute butter over the dry ingredients, and pulse until it's broken into pea-sized pieces and mixed through.
3. Beat egg yolks and dribble over the flour mixture, then pulse a few times to mix in.
4. Have water ready, then turn on processor and slowly dribble in the water. Stop processor as soon as water is added, then turn crust onto waxed paper or lightly floured surface.
5. Form into a ball and flatten into a 1-inch disk. Refrigerate until ready to use, then roll out on a lightly floured surface or pastry cloth.

This crust rolls out wonderfully, so if you like super-thin, flaky crusts like I do, you won't be disappointed. It makes enough for about 1 large single-layer pie with lattice top, or 1 regular-sized double-layer (i.e. apple) pie.

enjoy!
-MamaToo

to honor a veteran

I posted this in September about flying our flag. It is a good reminder for Veterans' Day. Our country now has veterans from every generation of adults... We have much (and many) to be grateful for.

In particular, I just want to say how proud I am of my brother. He is currently serving in Iraq, which I wrote about in that post. He was already a veteran of foreign wars before this tour, which makes him one of many veterans who are currently serving in dangerous places and away from families and comforts. I hope and pray he will return home soon. In the meantime, our flag flies - to honor him & the others who join him as veterans.

My mom gave me a t-shirt that many people are wearing in my hometown. It has this to say:

Because of a Soldier

Because of a soldier

I display this yellow ribbon

It says nothing about my political views.

Brave men and women volunteer

to come to our aid in time of need,

answering the call of duty, no matter what it may be.

This ribbon tells them and the world that I salute

a soldier's courage and commitment

and will support them... in any way that I can.

If you happen to disagree, you have that right -

love,
MamaToo

it's a conspiracy, part II

Thanks for your ongoing conversation and thoughts on Advent. This is Wednesday, which means I'll share what "Works for Me." Shannon asked us writers to do things a little backwards this week... instead of sharing a tip, we're asking a question. So, here's mine...

How do you prepare for Christmas?

Specifically, how does your preparation support your values for the holiday? Do you have any special tradition that helps you or the kids focus? Do you start on a certain day, or follow any special timeline? Do you eliminate or add anything during this season?

I'm eager to hear. And, without breaking the rules, I want to share a link to an idea that has our community thinking about this question: www.adventconspiracy.org.

it's a conspiracy

We sense something is amiss. Something does not feel right. Everywhere you look it's "Christmas" season in full swing. Or is it? My earlier post got many of you commenting your own observations and frustrations. There is something not-quite-right about the season ahead.

This post begins a several-part series about advent. I'll share information & ideas from our home and community later. For now, I want to share a few questions from our hearts...

What holiday(s) do you celebrate?

How?

Why?