A New Map of the World

Roasted Tomato Soup.

2012-01-25T18:34:00.003-05:00

I am in LOVE with this soup. I haven't even finished the leftovers and I want to make more.

It really is THAT good.

Black*Eiffel is the genius behind it. I was intrigued when I read that it included Truvia. When had it last week and were a bit apprehensive about making something where an ingredient has to roast for an hour, especially because it was later when we got home, but it was so worth it.

Another note, purchase fresh thyme and basil. Some recipes you can skimp and use dried. Not here.
An additional perk - the smell of roasted garlic, oh it was so good and made our mouth water before we even had the chance to take a bite.

Here is the recipe

1 ½ lbs Roma Tomatoes – cut in half

5 T extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion – diced

4 garlic cloves –minced

1 T fresh thyme – finely chopped

28 oz diced tomatoes

2 tea dried basis

3 tea (4 packets) Truvia

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup fresh basil – chopped

2 oz cream cheese at room temperature

Salt & ground pepper as needed

Preheat oven to 375. Place cut tomatoes and garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 T of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour.

When the tomatoes are almost done, heat remaining oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 5 minutes (until the onion is translucent). Add the diced tomatoes, thyme, dried basil and Truvia. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1o minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour the chicken broth, roasted tomatoes and garlic into the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low, simmer, covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add fresh basil and simmer another 10 minutes.

Carefully pour the soup into a blender. Add half of the cream cheese with each batch (it should take you two). Blend until smooth. Pour back into the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes then serve.

We served it with sour cream on top and it was to die for. If you make this let me know what you use to spice it up! I am intrigued. This is definitely going on the regular rotation and was worth every moment it took to prep and wait for it.

Do you have any soups you cannot live through the winter without?

A New Home

2012-01-23T13:53:00.002-05:00

Some exciting news -- over the weekend D closed on a house! We've been looking since early summer and finally found one we both really loved. It is exciting. We went over and popped the champagne we've been holding onto since New Years. His kids came over and we ate pizza on the floor.

It was built in the 1920's. It is still downtown which D and I wanted. It is close to work, to the shops and restaurants we love, on a very quiet street. It has two stories, three bedrooms, and one bathrooms. The garage outside will give D the space for his wood shop and I've already claimed a space in the basement for my creative nook!

Now comes the task of making it ours! Someone was there bright and early Saturday to take off the dingy old stain on the hardwood and put down a fresh new coat. We went with a natural stain that really shows off the wood and lightens up the rooms.

Beyond that we will be repainting, pulling out some old cabinets, redoing a downstairs office area. There is a very old, somewhat unstable, "modified" garage in the backyard we are debating what to do with. At some point we might tear it down and start again.

In the backyard is room for a garden. There might even be enough space on the front porch for a swing! I will keep you updated on the renovation. More "before" photos coming soon!

Envelope Cash System

2012-01-11T17:39:00.001-05:00

I've been on the cash system for a while. It is preferable for me because seeing the dollars leave my wallet and knowing that is all the money I have until payday makes me really conscious about what I buy.

in use

It's been harder to do since I moved back to CO. I will admit being able to use cash for all my expenses (minus bills) was easier. So it's an adjustment, but I still have no new credit card debt and am able to live comfortably and grow my savings.

Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs had a template for a cash envelope insert. She even provides a free download for the envelope template, allowing you to use whatever paper you want to.

To get started with the envelopes, here is what I did:

Start with the amount you take home each paycheck.
Divide your bills into what paycheck they come out of.
Deduct those bills from your starting amount (#1).
Figure how much you need for gas, food and any fun money you want. The "fun amount" needs to be realistic, but it also needs to allow you to save and get out of debt (or whatever your financial goal is). Ask: what can you do each money that doesn't cost money? Where do you excessively spend money that you can cut back? For me, that was eating out. Cooking at home is cheaper, healthier and has become somewhat of a social thing for me.
Take that amount (#4) away from your remaining funds.
The rest goes into savings.

I move the savings amount immediately after I get paid. I have also started leaving a "cushion" of fun money in my checking account for internet purchases, where I need a credit card number. But I do not transfer funds to my checking unless it is to pay bills. So if (hypothetically) I have $60 a week for food/fun and I use that all up by Tuesday, then it is going to be a sparse week until the next paycheck.

I would also recommend looking into balance transfers with a period of no interest. I did this with my car repair bills and am paying it down slowly over the course of the interest free period. I know Mr. Ramsey often says to start paying off your smallest debt and move up. For me, it was more cost effective to leave the smaller debt (with no interest) and pay off the bigger debt first (evil student loans!).

By doing the cash system completely - with envelopes for groceries, gas, eating out, clothes, gifts, etc. - and leaving your card at home it really does cut down on the urge to cheat. I didn't used to have a card with me, so if I didn't have cash it did not get purchased. For people who have trouble spending this really helps.

via

The other thing I like to do is to list where my money goes. If I didn't keep track I would get to the end of the month and be able to identify about a third of what I spent money on. I would recommend keeping receipts and creating a log book (that's what I do). Over time I realized I was still spending a lot on eating out and asked a friend to teach me how to cook so I could stay in and save more. I started entertaining in my home, which is cheaper all around, quieter and more intimate.

In the end I think it's good to do things to motivate/reward yourself. I added an envelope for big purchases (like a new camera or a vacation or even just a book fund) and when those funds reach a certain point go spend. Having to save up and wait for big ticket items really makes me evaluate if I truly want it and if it was really worth it after that much time and energy to save up for it.

We live in an instant gratification society and with the cash envelope, save up system it forces us to be patient and helps us realize that maybe we really didn't need it anyway. If you have any questions let me know, I'd love to share what I've learned over the last four years of doing this.

What budgeting tips have you found that really work for you?

Birthday Breakfast

2012-01-10T13:23:00.001-05:00

Today is my love's birthday. I took him to breakfast at Chick-fil-A before work.

I am tremendously blessed by this man. Everyday I discover more reasons to love and respect him.

I am grateful for D. Grateful for the ways he makes my life richer, better. I love the future I see before us, for where we want to go.

Before D I am exposed, open, vulnerable, real, accepted, seen, encouraged, loved. And he is the same before me. It is humbling to be completely real before another person, and when that gift is reciprocated it is the greatest freedom in the world.

I have fallen in love with my best friend. And with him I know the best in yet to come.

Happy Birthday my love!

Gratitude

2012-01-06T17:43:00.002-05:00

Parade Magazine ran an article about gratitude last weekend. It was a good reminder as the new year starts to focus on the positive, to be thankful for what is around you. The author of the piece noted that the process of writing thank you notes changed their perception and actually the gesture of gratitude came back to him.

It is too easy to get caught up in the negative, in what is going wrong, in what we don't have. But what if we chose to look the other way - to what we can have?

Here are their four simple steps for expressing gratitude:

GRAB A PEN AND PAPER.
Refrain from sending an email. Handwritten notes feel special, almost like the person is there with you. I use plain off-white cards that have my name printed on the front and my name and address on the envelope.

BE SPECIFIC.
Perhaps start by thanking the people who just gave you holiday presents. Open with “Dear So-and-So,” identify the gift (“the red and white tie”), and say one sincere thing about why you like it (“It’s a perfect match for my blue suit”).

DIG INTO THE PAST.
After thanking your close friends and family, write to people who helped you at critical moments. I reached out to the doctor whose operation cured my pain, and to another doctor who told me I needed to stop drinking.

KEEP IT SHORT.
Your message doesn’t need to be long and eloquent—my cards are small, with room for only three or four sentences. By sticking to a few lines, you keep the focus on your thank-you and on the other person’s kindness.

(Parade Magazine)

Whatever the reason stop and notice what there is to be thankful for and write it down.

THXTHXTHX is a thank you note a day about whatever the author encounters. Some times it is directed to a person, other times it's for an event. It's entertaining if nothing else.

Here is one of my favs from THXTHXTHX.

Gratitude - let me know how it goes.

Baked Salmon

2012-01-04T10:33:00.001-05:00

For New Years my love and I wanted to make something special. D loves salmon, but we don't get it very often. We found a tasty marinade online and set it to soak.

Then D started to feel icky, so we let the fish sit overnight, cooking it the next night when my dear friend P was here. It was a-m-a-z-i-n-g! From now on we are going to let our fish marinade overnight. It really brought out the garlic and basil.

We served it with mixed veggies and rolls, paired with some chardonnay. A very tasty New Years treat.

Taken from All Recipes:

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons light olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 (6 ounce) fillets salmon

Directions

In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal. Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

A look towards 2012

2012-01-02T11:56:00.003-05:00

Looking back over the last few years it is hard to connect where I was to where I am. I have written off my 26th year all together, there is not much there that is good or worth remembering. 2011 started off incredibly difficult but, by the end, was overflowing with blessings and joy. As the year went on it was as if I shed the things that were hindering me, the anchors around my feet that kept me tethered in fear, and found a place to be still, rest and flourish.

Looking towards 2012 I want this rejuvenation and growth to continue. For the first time in a long time I feel unencumbered and free - it's incredible.

With what is behind and what is to come in mind I jotted down what I hope to get out of this year:

- Be thankful: tell others what they have done in my life.
- Focus on the little things: little joys, victories, moments of quiet, discoveries.
- Focus more: stop multitasking, stop procrastinating, & kick fear to the curb!
- Be consistent: with friends, goals, relationships and love.
- Creativity: do it, learn it, pursue it, embrace it.

Here's to love, to growing more with my best friend, to merging life with my confidant, fellow adventurer, love - my DD.

Here's to increased family, to the kids, new adventures, new friendships to be formed, memories to be made.

Here's to leaving the past behind - letting go of old hurts, embracing current joys, realizing that each painful situation leads to growth and opportunity.

Here's to honesty, with myself and others, in who I am, in how I feel, in how life can be better lived between us.

Here is 2012 - and all that it holds.

Pearl Harbor

2011-12-07T15:27:00.001-05:00

Remember today

Remember those who gave their lives. Remember those who sacrificed. Remember the more than 2,000 American soldiers lost their lives in an attack that took only two hours.

As the Greatest Generation slowly passes on we lose the perspective they hold. The war that changed so much, for which nothing was the same, that affected generations and still lingers... The war that we have lost the impact from, a war that perhaps defines sacrifice and unity and perseverance... It comes back to an action - a surprise assault on a Sunday morning that changed everything.

I don't know how to process. I think it should be deliberated and thought over. But take time today to remember those who died, those who served, those who were called and all that came after this attack. And as the Greatest Generation fades from us, let the lessons they helped mark on our memories never be left behind.

Love Roots Photography

2011-12-05T17:11:00.001-05:00

My friend Abby runs Love Roots Photography. She is amazing photographer, fantastic at capturing those special moments and getting people's personalities to come out in a print.

In the month of December she is donating 10% per session to Restore Innocence.

If you live in The Springs area and need photos - contact Abby and help girls coming out of trafficking at the same time!

My Reading List

2011-11-18T11:23:00.000-05:00

1) Committed. A follow-up to Eat, Pray, Love. but this time Gilbert is in love. After her fiance is denied entry into the U.S. they are forced to spend time in SE Asia while his status gets sorted out. With marriage an option looming before them, Gilbert is forced to re-examine her views of marriage, and till death do them part. She looks at the cultures they are in, examining the history, idea, mentality of marriage and tries to come to a conclusion. There is a very intriguing look at marriage in the United States (and western Europe) and how it went from a legal to a religious and back again institution.

A very lovely read. It is a very excellent follow-up to Eat, Pray, Love that loses none of the charm of the original. Gilbert has a way of looking at things that is unique and charming. I feel like I am talking to a good friend wrestling with her thoughts on marriage and life.

2) The Wild Things. Eggers takes on the classic childhood story (one of my favorites!) of Max and his adventure with The Wild Things. Deepening character development and bringing us closer to the monsters he interacts with, Eggers retains the childlike quality of the original story. I read it basically in one night, an easy read, a good book when you don't want to have to focus.

3) No Pity is a view inside the Independent Living movement. I am reading it for work, trying to learn more about people with disabilities and their struggle for equal rights. It is a helpful read for anyone who does not know that much about the Disability Rights Movement or has very little interaction with people with disabilities. It has shown me a lot, and has made me examine the misnomers, questions and fears I hold.

People with disabilities are a minority group in this country, one that anyone can join at any time. It is one that many people will as they age, and so we need to learn what we can and come to see that having a disability should not be met with pity or be turned into a heroes cause, but realize they are people who don't see their disabilities as something to make them stand out, but that they see as something that is part of who they are. They can live, work and play in our communities - as equals, asking nothing but the chance to be seen as equal and able.

What are you currently reading? Anything you'd like to recommend?

More than Rhetoric

2011-11-11T16:37:00.001-05:00

Today is Veterans Day. There are many of us who don't think twice about the freedoms we take for granted. Many will wave a flag, stand during the 7th inning stretch and never understand (or care) why.

I remember last year D and I just happened to be downtown for the Veterans Day parade. We wandered down the street watching cars go by, floats, and the occasional CAP outfit. I had never really thought about this day, it was for wars fought long ago, a Great War already forgotten. But was is it today?

This town has one of the biggest military concentrations in the U.S., until I came back from DC I didn't realize that. I also didn't really know anyone minus a few guys from college, and a few retired Army men, who was in the military. We were not a military family.

Now things are different. A dear friend's husband is in Afghanistan, someone close to me was in Iraq for a year, I have listened to wives of service men share what their lives are like. I am dating a vet.

I have also lived in a country where freedom was not guaranteed. There is a lot you cannot say or do in Rwanda. Freedom of speech, to protest, to debate, to assemble, to live without fear did not exist. The police ruled and people just simply disappeared. You could not criticize the president - nuh uh!

Our freedom is not guaranteed. The freedom we have to say what we want, to criticize our government, to call for change, to write what we can - came at a price, and it is not guaranteed. Maybe if that reality set in we would be more supportive of those who fight daily (in the US and abroad) to keep those freedoms in place.

Support Our Troops - what does that mean?

There is a commercial that plays in my head - a member of the military walks through the airport, unnoticed, just another person. The someone starts to applaud them. They stand and actively thank the person for their service. Then another. And another. Soon applause has filled the terminal and, for a moment, the military member is recognized.

People who choose to serve don't do it for the attention, they do it for a calling. And they don't serve alone. Their families, friends and communities should serve with them. The military wife is one of the hardest roles in our country. Being with D has allowed me to see the immense pride and responsibility many in our military hold to their positions. To them, the ceremony that many of us just do holds great importance.

I think it's time that we started looking at the people in the military and stopped seeing them as a mass - they are individual people, not to be used for political gain or to be discriminated against. There is respect to be held in their position. Just as we should uphold police, firemen, teachers, etc. to a higher calling, so should we thank our service men and women for making our daily life possible.

Thank you D for what you did for our country. Thank you for serving, for being a servant, for showing me what being a member of the military truly means. I am indebted to you.

Support Our Veterans!

2011-11-09T10:30:00.000-05:00

With Friday being Veterans Day I wanted to reprint a list Parade had in their Sunday issue on ways to help our vets (and their families) this year.

D is a vet, and my cousin's husband is in Afghanistan. It is important that we support the men and women who serve, they gave/give us the right to many freedoms we take for granted - including the freedom to reject them. Think about freedom tomorrow and what it has cost to get and maintain it. I've been in countries where what we take for granted isn't possible - and maybe if we had to live without our freedoms we would start to appreciate them better.

Maybe we should start tying yellow ribbons on the trees again so we all understand and come to stand behind those who are serving and those supporting them from far away.

Thank you to those who have served, to those who gave and went before. Thank you to your families and all you've had to endure. Thank you.

11 Ways to Help Veterans on 11-11-11

1. Give shelter

Homes for Our Troops constructs houses for severely injured veterans who served after 9/11. Donate equipment or help build a home. homesforourtroops.org

2. Offer a vet a ride

The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) provides free transportation to men and women unable to travel to VA medical facilities on their own. You can volunteer to drive a DAV van for those in need. dav.org/volunteers

3. Provide foster care for a pet

Take in the dog or cat of a deployed soldier or a wounded veteran while he or she is on duty or receiving VA medical treatment. guardianangelsforsoldierspet.org

4. Record a war story

Do you know an old soldier with tales from the front lines? The Library of Congress wants to hear his voice. Go to the website below for tips on conducting an interview or to request a field kit, including biographical data and release forms. loc.gov/vets

5. Put those old cell phones to good use

Instead of stashing your used phones in the junk drawer, ship them to Cell Phones for Soldiers. For each one donated, the organization will pay for an hour of talk time for troops overseas. cellphonesforsoldiers.com

6. Donate used DVDs

Drop off movies or television shows at your local VA facility, or mail them to DVDs4Vets, a national organization that distributes them where needed. dvds4vets.org

7. Cut coupons

Have some expired coupons lying around? Military families can use them for up to six months past their end date. coupsfortroops.com

8. Contribute to a holiday drive

Operation Gratitude’s annual campaign collects clothing, food, and more and packs it in gift boxes for service members. Pitch in by offering up items; local residents can sort them on-site. operationgratitude.com/volunteer

9. Post a care package

site

Through the organization Kitchen Table Gang, hospitalized veterans and troops abroad can receive personalized parcels containing everything from candy to board games. Get a service member’s address from KTG, bundle up items with a note of thanks, and send them off. soldierpackages.org

10. Share your expertise

MilServe connects volunteers with vets in many areas: financial counseling or legal services; job search guidance; even carpentry, for building wheelchair ramps. milserve.org

11. Support Big Brothers Big Sisters

The national organization has a special Military Mentoring program for children with parents in the armed forces. The group carefully pairs kids with adults serving in the military, as well as with veterans and civilians. bbbs.org

(from Parade)

Can you think of any others? How do you support our troops and their families?

~

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Jon Thanks the Troops in Kandahar

www.thedailyshow.com

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Recipe Monday

2011-11-07T13:15:00.002-05:00

link

So instead of doing a recipe today, I am going to discuss a different way of cooking.

It's called a smoker - and I used it last night for the first time.

It's works off of wood chips (that you buy at the store) and slow cooks the food to give it a mesquite taste. There is a coil in the bottom that heats up the wood, which in turn helps to heat the canister and slow cook whatever you put inside.

We did chicken. The smoker makes the skin tough so we took it off and just ate the meat, which is better for you anyway.

It took about half an hour for the smoker to heat up, and once it did we left the chicken smoke for about 3 hours before putting it in the oven to finish. There is a pan in the bottom for water, so the meat doesn't dry out - we added water and a bit of white wine. We just put the chicken in plain and it came out very tasty.

Served with baked beans, potato salad and rolls it was a nice break from oven baked chicken. It gave us a "grilled" taste without D having to stand outside and freeze. Once you put the lid on you can leave it be, with very little supervision, until the food is done.

Next time we might do ribs. I also wanted to try the chicken with a rub on it.

You can get smokers at your local hardware store.

G-R-A-C-E

2011-11-04T09:07:00.000-04:00

Recently Tim Dalrymple spoke with Tim Goeglein, who served as Deputy Director of the Office of Public Liaison for seven years under George W. Bush. He recently published a book entitled, The Man in the Middle.

Too often, as the interview (found here) points out, we tend to throw out everything about Bush and forget that there was more to his presidency than war. Working in Washington towards the end of his tenure, I got to see what effect his policies at home and abroad were having on the development world - and they were good. For too long Christian NGOs were denied a place because of their faith stance, Mr. Bush got roasted for trying to give them an equal playing field. If people cared to look at those in poverty Bush's policies eventually trickled down to, they would find that things improved greatly under his presidency.

I am going to state the obvious and say that there is nothing Mr. Bush could have done to be accepted. Our country and our media will never give a Republican president a fair shot. As evidenced, by the fact that things that he was blasted for Mr. Obama is given a free pass on. It's pathetic. And I can only hope that history comes to see Mr. Bush in a different light, a fair one, that looks beyond what bias and short-sightedness have chosen to condemn him for.

That being said, I was drawn to the Dalrymple interview because I read this story. I think it defines more of what the Bush presidency stood for, and the heart of the man who people are too quick to mock for being "simple" and "folksy." Trust me when I say - very few other men would have had this response to what Goeglein did. And I can only hope that perhaps Bush's leadership will someday be extolled because to hear those who worked for him speak, he knew how to care for, edify and motivate his staff.

Reprinted from Patheos.com:

You had your own experience of sin and grace when a reporter discovered that some words in unpaid pieces you wrote for a newspaper had been taken from other sources. You describe this in your book without flinching. What happened? How does someone in the White House, especially someone as savvy as yourself, start down that road? And how did the President respond when this came to his attention?

Goeglein: I’m pleased to be asked about this. Proverbs is correct: Pride goes before the fall. But in the words of T. S. Eliot, “humility is endless.”

In my time in the White House, I was becoming a very prideful person. This pride and vanity extended to plagiarizing columns for my hometown newspaper. I was not writing about politics, but about many other things that interested me. Pride takes many forms, and one of them is always wanting to be the brightest guy, the one with something interesting to say. I began plagiarizing these columns. I knew what I was doing, and I knew it was wrong.

One morning I came to work at the White House and when I opened my email I found a reporter asking whether this was true that I had plagiarized these columns. I literally fell to the side of my desk. I prayed, “Oh God, oh God.” I knew right away that the world as I had known it was over on that day. I felt, as I say in The Man in the Middle, that my world was collapsing. By return email, I told the reporter that it was entirely true, and I was guilty as charged. I had no one to blame but myself.

There are, in this world, two kinds of crises. One is where it’s beyond your control, and another is where you’re directly responsible. I was directly responsible, without excuse. I inflicted, as a result of my own sin, shame and embarrassment on the President, and on my colleagues and mentors. I had violated everything I believed in, and was a hypocrite to my wife and children and family. Categorically. So I resigned from the White House that day. That was on a Friday.

On a Monday, I came back to the White House to begin clearing out my desk and taking the pictures off the walls. I received a call from Josh Bolton, who had become a friend from the first Bush campaign when we met in Austin, Texas. Josh was now the Chief of Staff, and he said he wanted to see me. I presumed that would be the proverbial “woodshed” moment, which I thoroughly deserved.

The first thing he asked me was, “How are your wife and boys doing?” Then he extended to me his forgiveness. I was genuinely shocked and deeply moved by this. We spent a considerable amount of time together, and before I departed his office he said, “By the way, the boss wants to see you.”

So surely this, I thought, would be the woodshed moment, and again I completely deserved it. I expected other people to be there, but when I got to the Oval Office the only other person there was the executive assistant. I thought I must have come on the wrong day—but the President called me in. I thought: This is going to be really bad. I went in and closed the door.

I turned to him to apologize, but barely got the words out before he looked me in the eyes and said, “Tim, I forgive you.” To say I was stunned would be an understatement. I tried again to apologize, but he wouldn’t let me. He said, “Tim, I’ve known grace and mercy in my life. I’m extending it to you. You’re forgiven.”

I said, “You should have thrown me into Pennsylvania Avenue.” Again he said, “My friend, you’re forgiven. We can talk about all of this, or we can talk about the last eight years.”

I turned to sit on the couch in the Oval Office, but he directed me to the seat of honor beneath the portrait of Washington, where Heads of State sit. I sat there, and he and I had a conversation about two remarkable presidential campaigns, and what was at that point about seven-and-a-half years in the White House. I was by then one of the longest serving aides to the President. We embraced, and I thought this was the last time I would see George W. Bush. As I turned to head out, though, he said, “I want you to bring your wife and boys here, so I can tell them what a great job you’ve done.”

I was stunned and speechless. The leader of the free world, the most powerful man on earth, wanted to affirm me before my wife and children. Sure enough, my wife and boys came, the President gave them a great amount of time in the Oval Office and gave them gifts. We were invited back to the White House as a family on subsequent occasions. We were there at Andrews Air Force Base for his departure. I’ve seen the President a number of times in Texas and he’s never mentioned it again. So, in my mind, George W. Bush is and was grace personified.

So to go back to your earlier question about compassion: I was the wounded man on the side of the highway. I was totally and completely guilty and undeserving of the President’s forgiveness, and yet he gave it to me without reservation. He extended grace to me at the lowest point in my life.

Read the whole interview here, buy the book here.

Was there ever a time when you were given grace at work? How about a time you felt like it was not given when it should have been? How would you react if you found out an employee had done something like this?

Fear...

2011-10-28T14:57:00.000-04:00

So a question lingers in my mind from a discussion at work: What would you do if you weren't afraid?

Fear.

I hate that word - I hate how crippling it is, I hate how it can strike even the most assured person and leave them cowering in the corner. And as horrible as fear is, how we react to it is worse.

Whether it is fear in our lives, in our careers, or in relationships, fear has this uncanny ability to bring us to a halt and make us unrecognizable to ourselves.

What would I do if I wasn't afraid? To answer that question one has to be willing to say what they are afraid of. I am afraid of failure. I am afraid of not succeeding. I fear that I will give my all to something and we will have to close the doors. I fear disappointing other people, I fear disappointing you. In that fear, parts of me remain hidden.

I hide behind the lie that I don't know how to get there. If I wanted something bad enough I would figure out how to get it. So then that leads to another lie - maybe I don't really want it.

Facing fear meaning facing what we are afraid of and the lies we use to mask them. Only then can we realize how small and trivial and self-perpetuating fear is and move beyond it what we really want to do.

So... What would you do if you weren't afraid?

Dear Online Friend...

2011-10-13T21:20:00.000-04:00

So I saw this video and was amazed. It is the story of online love. It forces the question of really how well do we know each other? This boy falls in love with a girl through her photos and her songs and her words - and later starts to realize how false it all is. This is not You've Got Mail, but something more real life.

It is true that too often who we claim to be online is not true. This internet thing, the instant access on Facebook is good, but too often it lends itself to fantasy. We are playing something like "The Sims" online and assume that those we are talking to are really who they say they are. There is a level of vulnerability online, which is something I don't understand. People online reveal things they don't tell their best friend to someone they barely know. Why?

Is it easier? Is it that we are too busy to sit down with someone real and so we will open up, almost instantly sometimes, with someone we really barely know? It is so prevalent, let's be honest. I will admit I've fallen for someone online, someone "I thought I knew" who was nothing like it. And looking back things that didn't add up seem to obvious, but at the time I did not connect.

I am intrigued to see the film, and will save ultimate judgment for that, but in the meantime, watch this 20/20 episode.

link: http://abc.go.com/watch/2020/SH559026/VD55141498/2020-828-dear-beautiful

Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T11:42:00.005-04:00

Creativity lost a genius yesterday. Steve Jobs was a rare one who can come into an arena and change it permanently. Our culture (and our world) have been changed due to the work of Apple and Pixar. He was a greatly talented man and leader who overcame adversity and the statue quo to achieve something amazing.

I saw this commercial, never aired from Apple, and I think it just encompasses so much of what Steve Jobs stood for in all of his endeavors.

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. ... If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on." (Steve Jobs)

Language.

2011-09-01T11:21:00.001-04:00

I was talking to my boss yesterday and we got talking about language. She mentioned something about keeping the person first. Brilliant!

Stop defining people by what is easy to cling to and start defining them by their humanity. Maybe if we could remember that in our core we are all God created individuals and start with that, some of the prejudice, hatred and fear would dissipate.

Misty Blue

2011-08-23T09:48:00.000-04:00

This has got to be one of the coolest routines of all time.

Why, oh why, can't I dance?

Mad Men

2011-07-12T11:49:00.001-04:00

Elsie at A Beautiful Mess, recently did a post on 10 Things she loved from Mad Men. I have to admit I love that time period, the dresses, the way people interacted. Not such a fan of how women were treated or restricted, but if we could have moved beyond that and kept the glam from that time - I would have been in heaven. And with a Mad Men clothing line appearing in August at Banana Republic I can barely wait

Here are some shots from Elsie's post:

Empty the Tank...

2011-07-05T13:40:00.000-04:00

~~

I watched this again today.

It has got to be one of the greatest presentations on a person's career and life. It is beautiful and clever and funny. It shows what the power of song can do toa person, and how they can impact a life and speak to a generation.

It's legacy and the ability to touch each other.

I want to be known for emptying my tank in my relationships, in my life, in each encounter I pursue.
I want someone to say about me someday - she emptied the tank for what she loved.

What do you want your legacy to be?

Squash-ed Soup

2011-07-01T14:47:00.001-04:00

The other night I decide to try a squash soup recipe form one Mr. Alton Brown. For those of you who unfamiliar with Mr. Brown, he is a the host of Good Eats on Food Network, a chef who blends food & science.

Having purchased two butternut squashes at the store, I set to cutting them up. The recipe calls for 2" squares. I did the best I could, but they all came out a bit unique.

Brush them with butter, salt and white pepper and bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes until the flesh is soft and tender, and the outside comes off easily.

You might want to have a pair of tongue or a fork handy after you take them out of the oven to help you get the outside off. The recipe calls for you to put the chunks into a large pot with three (we ended up using four) cups of vegetable (or chicken) broth. Get to a gentle simmer and then use a stick blender to mash the squash.

This didn't work too well. I will admit I didn't have a stick blender and so used a hand-mixer. Next time, I would put the chunks into a blender with a 1/4 - 1.3 cup of broth and blend until smooth.

Separating the chucks took forever! So if ther are two of you, one could separate while the other blended. Once done, mix the squash/broth with heavy cream (I used half & half) and the remaining ingredients. I started with the three cups of broth and then added more until it wasn't too thick anymore. Let simmer for a few minutes.

To complement with soup, I made a veggie sandwich and served them together. It was amazing!

Here is the whole recipe:

Ingredients

6 cups (about 2 large squash) seeded 2-inch wide chunks butternut squash
Melted butter, for brushing
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon minced ginger
4 ounces heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Brush the flesh of the squash with a little butter and season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper. On a sheet pan lay the squash flesh side up. Roast for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the flesh is nice and soft.
Scoop the flesh from the skin into a pot and add the stock, honey, and ginger. Bring to a simmer and puree using a stick blender. Stir in the heavy cream and return to a low simmer. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

courtesy of the food network.com

Veggies and Summer Time

2011-06-27T11:16:00.000-04:00

I am learning more and more about cooking. I keep trying some good recipes and remembering at the end I wanted to take a photo! But I hope to get better as time goes on...

On Friday my cousin came over and we made California Grilled Veggie Sandwiches.

Start with an assortment of veggies: red bell pepper, zucchini, red onion, & yellow squash. Slice and grill. If you are fortunate enough to have one of those grill baskets you can slice the veggies down to sandwich size and grill them. We sliced them length wise and cut them up after they were grilled and that worked well too.

We added tomatoes and substituted white onions for the red ones.

The mayo is amazing (mayo, garlic & lime juice) especially with fresh lime juice. I used it all weekend for a chicken wrap and a hamburger - a nice change to a classic condiment.

We didn't have feta, so we substituted blue cheese instead. It was extremely good and added some deep flavor in with the veggies. After grilling the bread on the grill, letting the cheese melt slightly, we put it all together and paired it with a salad and some margaritas!

A nice warm summer evening treat! It was very good and filling without being heavy. If you wanted, you could easily add grilled chicken or even tuna to the sandwich. But the veggies tasted delicious on their own, avocado would be another excellent addition.

Here is the recipe, originally from All Recipes:

Ingredients

1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 cup olive oil
1 cup sliced red bell peppers
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (or blue cheese, cheddar, whatever you like...)

Directions

In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Preheat the grill for high heat.
Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.
Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches.

Be Yourself

2011-06-24T16:52:00.002-04:00

Often we want to be somewhere other than where we are, or even to be someone other than who we are. We tend to compare ourselves constantly with others and wonder why we are not as rich, as intelligent, as simple, as generous, or as saintly as they are. Such comparisons make us feel guilty, ashamed, or jealous. It is very important to realize that our vocation is hidden in where we are and who we are. We are unique human beings, each with a call to realize in life what nobody else can, and to realize it in the concrete context of the here and now. We will never find our vocations by trying to figure out whether we are better or worse than others. We are good enough to do what we are called to do. Be yourself! (Henri Nouwen)

Gardening

2011-05-25T11:45:00.001-04:00

Planted my garden over the weekend. It's my second year doing one. After digging up the old dirt and adding some new soil and compost, I planted a variety of veggies - carrots, peas, pumpkins, spinach, squash, radishes, tomatoes and peppers.

The rain in CO this week has helped a lot. Hope to see some growth soon.