Mommy's Little Sous Chef

Here's another one in the family who likes to, uhm, "cook" . Little Jackson just loves to help Mommy in the kitchen ... he he, well, help should be VERY broadly defined here. Actually, I was attempting to dress the little turkey and he ran away from me and tried to hide in the cabinet. I thought it'd make a cute picture so I stuck him back in there and snapped a shot real fast.

What is it about cooking?

Yesterday after church, I cooked up a storm and made lots so we'd have leftovers for our lunches for the next few days. I baked a ham, fried some squash and onions, cooked fresh green beans and corn-on-the-cob, and baked some home-made biscuits. What is it about cooking that makes ya feel good inside? I just love to cook. I guess it's the sense of accomplishment and knowing that your family's enjoying good food that doesn't have McD's name all over it; it has yours. :-) It's probably also the fact that you know you washed the dishes and the cooking utensils yourself, and they're CLEAN. I am more and more becoming an adversary of going out to eat because you're just not certain what you're getting and what hygienic measures were taken to ensure cleanliness in cooking. OK, that's rambling and I really don't have much of a point except to say that I love to cook for my family and friends.

I thought it'd be fun for folks to post some of the meals they make for their families often. You know how sometimes you get in a rut because hubby says he loves your this and that and the other, and you seem to start making those things a lot and don't try new things. Maybe I'm the only one who has that problem, but I thought if we all shared our favorite "stand-me-by" meals, everybody'd have a chance to expand their repertoire of family meals. Then if anybody sees one you'd like to make and need a recipe, you could ask for the recipe and that person could share. So here are some of mine: sauerkraut and sausage, shrimp pasta (with a creamy sauce I make myself), chicken enchiladas, Doritos taco salad, BBQ pork steaks, chicken pot pie, Swiss steak, corn casserole (a side dish, but a favorite around here), grilled chicken breasts, Aztec chicken, meatloaf, homemade veggie soup, homemade pizza. Those are just a few. I'll post more as I think of them if this post catches on.

Does anybody else ever watch the Food Network? I have learned sooooo many great techniques that has enhanced my cooking abilities. It's also good, clean television where you're not gonna' see filfth or hear trash. I especially enjoy watching Alton Brown. He's corny, but he's very knowledgeable and shares extremely useful info.

What's on the menu for tonight? Yummy marinated, grilled chicken salad with garlic bread.

DUH!!!

I just realized that my previous post was entitled "The Passion Play" and there's nothing in there about the actual play. I'll talk about the play this time, but I didn't want to name two of my posts about the play ... hence, "DUH!!!," as in how my brain feels at this moment. Oh, hold on just a sec. Baby's crying. ... (gone for more than a second) ... Speaking of "duh," my brilliant child just closed the door and locked himself in his room ... again. This is a new game we play and he cries every time. I thank the Good Lord that my baby brother did this very thing when we were little and my mom showed me how to use a teeny flat-head screwdriver to unlock the thing. Otherwise, my son probably wouldn't have a door to his room at this point, or at least a door knob.

So, anyway, the play was really good. The set was absolutely breathtaking and HUGE. When I first saw it as we took our seats inside the outdoor amphitheatre, I wondered how spectators could know where to look or if they'd get lost in the course of action because of how large the set was. Then I remembered that it would very soon be dark and they would, of course, use the lighting to direct the audience's attention. That's why the play is shown at night, which makes sense. Well, they started with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and ended with the ascension into Heaven. They chose, I felt, the most important happenings and really emphasized how it was the Jews themselves who were the ones to really push for Jesus' crucifixion. Maybe that's something we often forget, always thinking about Pontius Pilate and Herod being the ones to blame. It was His own countrymen, the very ones who were awaiting a Messiah, and the very ones who failed to recognize Him when He came. The play also emphasized that Judas really allowed himself to be deceived. He didn't realize he was handing Jesus over to His death but was told that He'd just be questioned. So sad. The resurrection scene was AWESOME. I don't know how in the world they got that light in the tomb so bright white. It was beautiful. And then when the angel was telling Mary that He wasn't there, the most amazing thing happened. Just overhead the amphitheatre was a shooting star. It was breathtaking. You could hear everyone gasp and "ooh" and "aah". Our God is so awesome.

They also had a Sacred Arts Center, which was sooooo cool. The paintings in there were amazing and our tour guide's explanations were beautifully poignant. Brought tears to my eyes. One just gave me chillbumps and brought not just tears, but streaming tears. The title was "The Bridegroom Cometh". At first glance it appears to just be a lady reading her Bible at a table, but then, with a closer look, you begin to notice certain things that really make the painting so very touching. First thing you notice is that she's actually wearing a wedding dress and then the clock on the wall shows one minute 'til midnight. Her lamp on the table is full of oil and the wick is trimmed. The most moving aspect of the picture is that you notice her eyes are slightly turned toward a door and there's a hint of a smile forming on her face. HALLELUJAH, He's coming soon.

Love ya'll.

The Passion Play

First of all, it was a lovely day. Just a little warm but with cool, gentle breezes in mid-July, which was just great with me. I thanked the Lord all day for that blessing. We arrived in Eureka Springs earlier than we'd planned, around 11:30, and were worried about what we were going to do because the play didn't start until 8:30 p.m. The worry soon vanished because we learned there was plenty to do. We first boarded a trolley to see the New Holy Land Tour. What a phenomenal teaching ministry! The trolley enters in through the "Gates of Jerusalem" and takes the passengers to five different stops. On our first stop we met Isaiah the Prophet at the Wilderness Tabernacle. He taught us about the sacrifices of the Old Testament, the roles of the priest and the people, and the spiritual significance of it all. He was amazingly deep with his explanations and brought out many spiritual analogies that were just incredible. He ended with a plea to his audience to spend time alone with God--to unplug the phone, turn the TV and the computer off, go in a quiet place where you can't even hear if someone were to knock at the door and spend time "in" Him. I think you could've heard a pin drop even on the soft dirt we were standing on. He definitely touched several people there.

Next, we arrived at Bethlehem where we met Mary. She took us through the town and showed us the job of a carpenter and the duties of the women. We saw what the well would have been and she explained the importance and the use of the well. She showed us what the inn would've looked like and why it was God's loving decision not to allow them to stay there. We ended up in the stable and learned what a manger really was as she described the shepherds and the star overhead that night and the flood of angels in the sky the shepherds described to her. We ended up singing "Amazing Grace" together, and, again, many were touched.

Our third stop was at the Sea of Galilee where we met Simon Peter. He was a perfect depiction of the beloved disciple because, just like Peter, he was full of fire and a little crazy, but you could also discern a good heart. He talked about some of his experiences with Jesus and described when Jesus was arrested and the healing of the ear he'd cut off. Then he began to tell of the time when Jesus came to him on the sea walking on the water and as he did, a man dressed as Jesus came out on the "sea" there with the illusion that he really was walking on the water. He spoke to us in Aramaic and translated it to be a blessing to the people. Wow! This time, it wasn't so quiet among our group, but more of a rejoicing spirit.

After that, we traveled to Golgotha and the site of the Tomb where Mary Magdelene awaited our arrival. She explained the events after the resurrection and showed us the tomb. She talked about how she knew Him the moment He spoke to her and believed He had risen as He said He would. She left us exuberant to hear once more the story of His resurrection and ascension and the promise of His soon return.

On our last stop, we met John. He took us to the Upper Room where there was laid out a replica of what the Last Supper must have looked like. He told of Jesus humbling Himself as He washed all of their feet and the impression that left on them. He became somewhat distressed as he described Judas denying that it was he who would betray the Lord and then leaving to do that very thing. I think this was the last stop for that very reason. The ministry there wanted to emphasize that it's not a difficult thing to betray the Lord and easily disregard the guilt in our hearts, and this time, you could see a few tears on the faces of some of the people as they honestly examined their hearts.

I'll tell of some of the other presentations we experienced on another post. God bless.

Fellowshipping with the Saints

Brother Phillip and Sister Annette Deitz from Collinsville, AL, were here on vacation last week. They stayed with us for a week and we had such a blessed time of friendship and fun. Megan, their 11-year-old little girl came with them, excuse me, their 11-year-old "preteen". She instists on being referred to as a preteen, not a kid, so we try to remember to do so. :-)

We toured the Laura Ingalls Wilder home in Mansfield, MO, which is only 45 minutes from our house. We learned a lot about the rapid changes in that time period after Laura and Almanzo moved to Missouri. The Victorian period and the pioneer age seemed to clash some between mother and her daughter, Rose. The story is that Rose went to school in New Orleans and soon after wrote several books and used some of the earnings to have built a modern home for her mother and father. They actually had electricity more than a decade before anyone else in the area did! Laura and Almanzo lived there for about seven years, but after Rose began traveling again, they both promptly moved back to the farm house. They said they appreciated the gift, and it was beautiful, but it wasn't their speed. Funny how people have changed over the years, huh? Laura, who died in '50 something never owned a TV. Said she just didn't care for one.

We then had lunch at Seymour, MO, only a few miles west of Mansfield. This is part of Missouri Amish country. Our server at the restaurant told us how to find an Amish farm with an old-timey general store. After 30 minutes and way too much very expensive gas usage :-*, we found the farm and spent a while in the store. Megan found a cute Amish doll and Brother Phillip bought an Amish-style hat. The women, of course, were more frugal and didn't spend any money. (Do any of you other ladies have the struggle of being the more frugal of the marriage partnership? It can be rough.) Anyway, back to the story. Jackson became very fussy (probably because there wasn't any air conditioning in the store, of course), so I took him out to the car to wait for the Deitzes to finish. While sitting out there in my modern luxury, I looked around and noticed several fascinating things, but there was one that almost urked me enough to make an idiot of myself with uncalled-for comment--don't worry; I resisted. Anyway, three young ladies had returned from town in a buggy. First thing I noticed is that they weren't wearing shoes, which may be their perogative. That, actually, wasn't the problem. It was the horse. They unhitched this haggard-looking, worn-down, gaunt old stallion that was just heaving for breath. Its nostrils were flaring and its ribs were very visible. It was a pitiful sight. I thought at first that maybe they couldn't afford to have a good horse and felt sorry for them. But what I saw next was just nearly nauseating. I look over in the pen and saw five or six huge, beautiful, healthy steeds and an Amish guy throwing hay to them over the fence for their supper. They were probably Tennessee Walkers and they were just gorgeous. I want to know why those girls weren't allowed to take one of those horses instead. It's not like they carry a cell phone in case the prehistoric grandpa horse gave up the ghost on their way back from town. And, of course, they live way out in the boondocks if something ever did happen. Just pushed 2 or 3 of my buttons!

Anyway, what an experience! I did enjoy the day, though.

We also went to Eureka Springs, AR, last weekend to see the Passion Play there, which none of us had ever seen before. I'll have to tell all about that in another post. It was simply amazing. I encourage anyone who hasn't been to try to go to this one. I'm still gleaning off some of the presentations we saw. I mean, there were things shared there that would PREACH. And just to put it out there, anyone who receives ministerial income can see the play and take the New Holy Land Tour for free along with his/her spouse.

Sleigh Ride

And here are our family Christmas pictures. The photographer sure earned her wages that day.

Here's our little Action Jackson. He's taking a nap right now, (whew! finally) so I thought I'd get back on here and try to figure out more about this blogging business. It's fun.

So this is his first birthday party. He didn't get so messy like most kids. I think it's because he doesn't get a lot of sugar (he doesn't need more energy, that's for certain; he has his own natural high--no sugar needed). Anyway, the cake just didn't interest him too much. But the gifts ... now there's HIS "icing on the cake". :-)

new blog--pardon the mess

I just recently discovered this intriguing world of web blogging. It's so good to see friends on here I haven't seen in such a long time. Marsha, Becki, Sis. Smith, Grayson, and others I hope to find, hello. It seems ages since I've seen or talked to you all.

After checking out several of your blogs, I thought I'd try my own. Having trouble with a few things, but I might get it straightened out after reading a little more about it. Becki, where did you get the beautiful template? Going to try to upload a photo of our family so you can all see our son, Jackson Kenley. He's a doll, but don't let looks fool you--he's a handful. Has his daddy's stubborn streak--ok, it probably comes a little from me, as well, but you all know Anthony.

God bless. Love ya'll.