Time at Home

People here really get a kick out of knowing that Martin does more than his share of the cooking. And how can it be that his wife doesn't make tortillas?
Well, I don't know what got into me today, but I made oatmeal bread (from More-With-Less), lasagna (with sausage that we brought back from the Mennonite colonies in Chihuahua, basil, thyme, oregano, and swiss chard from OUR GARDEN!!!) Jalapeno Jelly (recipe inside the box), and lemon bars (recipe below). Then I had so many egg whites that I decided to make an angel food cake (googled a recipe) and Martin brought home some delicious raisins plus the oven was still hot, so I made some oatmeal raisin cookies. I'm just finishing up making some yogurt (from Simply In Season with milk from the neighbor's cow). Trying to figure out who to call on skype while I tackle the leaning tower of dishes!


Lemon Bars
by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated
from Baking Illustrated
(America's Test Kitchen, 2004)
Makes 16 bars

Lemon bars are pretty easy to make, but that doesn't mean it's easy to get them just the way you want them. Whether from bakeries or home recipes, the crust is often quite soggy, and many versions are too sweet and lack true lemon flavor. The warm filling must be added to a warm crust. Start preparing the filling when the crust goes into the oven. Be sure to cool the bars completely before cutting them.


Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more to decorate the finished bars
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1-inch pieces

FOR THE LEMON FILLING
7 large egg yolks, plus 2 large eggs
1 cup plus 2
tablespoons granulated sugar
2/3 cup from 4 or 5 medium lemons, plus 1/4 cup finely grated zest
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Method
MAKE THE CRUST
1.Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fold two 16-inch pieces of foil or parchment paper lengthwise to measure 9 inches wide. Fit 1 sheet in the bottom of the greased pan, pushing it into the corners and up the sides of the pan (overhang will help in removal of baked bars). Fit the second sheet in the pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. Spray the sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a food processor and process briefly. Add the butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then process until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1-second pulses. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer over the entire pan bottom. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the crust until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

MAKE THE FILLING
1. In a medium non-reactive bowl, whisk together the yolks and whole eggs until combined, about 5 seconds. Add the granulated sugar and whisk until just combined, about 5 seconds. Add the lemon juice, zest, and salt; whisk until combined, about 5 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a medium non-reactive saucepan, add the butter pieces, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the curd thickens to a thin sauce-like consistency and registers 170°F (76°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour the curd through a single-mesh stainless steel strainer set over a clean non-reactive bowl. Stir in the heavy cream; pour the curd into the warm crust immediately.
2. Bake until the filling is shiny and opaque and the center 3 inches jiggle slightly when shaken, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil or parchment handles and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares, wiping the knife clean between cuts as necessary. Sieve confectioners' sugar over the bars, if desired.

Monday Morning

This moring on my run I prayed that God would melt the hard spots in my heart. I prayed for grace and patience to face the day.

On Monday evenings, the basketball team that I guess I´m still playing on (yes, there´s alot behind that!) has practice. I was very frustrated after the last practice (specifically about things the coach said to me) and as I ran through the mountains, tried to decide if I would go or not. And then who should I meet at the top of the hill but our coah! We ran together for a bit and chatted. He was supportive and said he hoped I could make it to practice....

God is always at work, eh?

THANKS MOM!

As those of you who know me know....I find mothering challenging. Oh yes, there are joyful parts too, and I try to write about, remember, and treasure those moments as well. In some recent email exchanges with my dear mother, she sent the following:



"Yes, I totally understand about being sensitive. It is difficult when you are doing all you think you possibly can and other people disappoint you. I've learned that this is when I have to release it to God and truly activate my faith that my value is not based on my success but on my relationship with God. To accept failure in humility but keep ones incredible identity as a beloved child of God is a challenging balance. Todays reading in the little book I have here by my desk quotes Helen Keller:

"I believe that life is given so we may grow in love, and I believe that God is in me as the sun is in the color and fragrance of a flower- the Light in my Darkness, the Voice in my Silence."

THANKS MOM!

Pictures from Isaiah´s Birthday in October

Speaking of birthdays, here (finally) are some pictures from Isaiah´s birthday party in October. First celebrating with the team, and then with more friends.....¡Felicidades Isaiah!

Birthdays Celebrated AGAIN!

saturday afternoon our neighbor came over and wanted to talk. when she left, she said that she wanted to come over again on sunday, in the afternoon around 2pm, because she had something else she needed to talk to us about. something serious. we really needed to be sure we were home, because she really needed to talk to us. we assured her we would be home. our only plans were to go to mass at 9:30am and my basketball game at 6pm.

saturday evening a different neighbor came over and hung out for awhile. the SHE proceeded to ask if we would be home tomorrow in the afternoon because she wanted to come over again and talk. hmm.....i became suspicious. we certainly spend time talking to each other, but because both of them wanted to be SURE we would be home and because these are the same people that threw a surprise birthday party for us last year.

sunday morning i woke up at 7am to "las mananitas" the traditional birthday song. at first i didn't think anything about it. my birthday was last sunday and they play las mananitas on the loudspeaker every morning at 7am for someone's birthday. but as i lay in bed listening i realized that the music was extra loud. hmmm....someone is right outside our front door, playing las mananitas. and sure enough, we got up to find our neighbors with their boom box, lots of confetti, "curtains" made out of tissue paper hung over our door, hugs and well wishes for us. we pulled on an extra layer, martin made tea, and we all sat on our front porch for an hour chatting and listening to a whole cd of birthday songs. sweet. early. thoughtful.

so this afternoon we made sure we were home. and what do you know, around 4:30p.m., four families from the neighborhood showed up with chicken mole, rice, and tamales. they also brought two musicians with them who accompanied the meal playing on their acoustic guitars las manaitas (traditional birthday song) and other very romantic songs.








we ate, laughed, danced (yes, martin and i danced!) and had birthday cake. blew out the candles, took a bite and got icing all over our faces, and then kissed - to everyone's delight. i feel like we've finally got the steps down! it was another wonderful gift. good to be with friends. thanks be to god.

Pictures from Day of the Dead

i'm behind with posting pictures. here are some pictures from the beginning of novemeber. i think i tried to describe the day of the dead holiday last year - check out posts from november 2007 if you want more details. there's always google too :) or merideth or kiara's blogs.....their blog addresses are on the right side of the page.


8 foot tall skeleton all dressed up






display set up at church



the simple alter we made at home to remember oma (martin's mom) and bisabuela (my paternal grandmother.)
,

Liz's Service Worker Report

okay, so i'll post my report too. it's a piece of writing about what's been going on....and so easy to copy and paste....



Assignment-related:

1. For each group you have worked with, what activities have you carried out? What has resulted from those activities?
During this reporting period I started working with the people who built dry latrines in Chiaucingo earlier this year to help provide follow-up and feedback. Together, with representatives from each group, we meet once a week and talk about any dry latrine issues. The reps are visiting each person in their group weekly and then bring that information to the weekly meeting with me. A way to give follow-up and stay in touch. As a result, I have witnessed how a group of people can come together and support and encourage one another.

I have also been working with the preschool and primary school in Chiaucingo to get their dry latrines up and running correctly again. This process has been slower and so far I have seen few results outside of the talking at parent meetings.

I continue to meet with the Women's Sewing Group in Zacango. They have been busy in their cornfields these months, so our meetings are sporadic. The results are that we are continuing to make a work plan so they can plan their time and continue to figure out what they are going to make, what market to plug into and how to plug into it.

Finally, I continue to work in the office, maintaining contact with donors, organizing the requests for our technologies, and looking for was to fund these requests. The results are that reports are getting written and we have a plan of action for the rest of the requests for our technologies.

2. Is your work progressing as planned?
Overall, yes. The work with the preschool and primary schools in Chiaucingo is slow, as the teachers went on strike in October. There are many times when people can't attend meetings because they are busy in their cornfields. It's just that time of year.

3. Review a highlight or significant learning in this reporting period.
There are a number of natural leaders within the group of representative who meet in Chicaucingo. It is exciting to witness how they helping each other out, and supporting one another. It has been rewarding to participate in interactive, cooperative games and talk about what we are doing and why. (For example, how the community, their families, their children, grandchildren, and the environment benefit from the dry latrines.) It feels like they "get it" and show this through their participation in the meetings and also with the home visits that they make to each member of their group every week.

Self-Development:

Reflect on your self-development goals and relationships during the reporting period. The following questions are intended to stir your imagination. Not all questions need to be responded to.

4. Regarding your self-development/learning goals for this year, how are you progressing? What have you learned that surprised you?
I continue to be challenged to maintain a healthy balance between work and home life, learning how much I can do, and what I need to say "no" to. Since my husband is working full time, that means I am supposed to work half time and be the primary caregiver to our two children. I really enjoy the work I am doing, both in the office and out in the communities. I see many ways to plug in. However, I need to first do what is best for my children. I am grateful for my teammates who are patient with me as I continue to discern how much I can actually do, and as I try to stick to my limits.

5. Review a personal highlight during this past reporting period.
During this reporting period, the Gro team has spent a significant amount of time talking and strategizing about our funding process and talking about how to involve the beneficiaries more. I'm excited about the coming months as we have come up with a new plan that is more in line with our philosophy of community development than the way we have been working this past year. Instead of MCCers filling out the applications for funding, representatives from each group will come to the office and we will work together to fill out the forms. At this point, this will primarily be my responsibility. I am grateful for such a supportive and encouraging team.

6. What have you struggled with and how are you responding to that?
I felt/feel caught up in the challenges of leadership transition. I spent a fair amount of time and energy on team dynamics and what I have called in the past "bridge work" during the month of August. I know that with time, ongoing communication and God's grace, we will continue to clarify what each other's expectations are and be a stronger, more coherent team in the end.

7. How do you encounter God in your assignment?
I have encountered God in the following ways: how our team pulled together during hard times in August - spending time talking to each other and showing each other that we care about one another. As a team, we are eating together once a week, having Bible Study together every week, and opening our weekly team meetings with a Biblically- based devotion/reflection. All of these are things I have wanted and worked for over the past 2 years. I give thanks to God for God's help, guidance and grace. And that I am here to be a part of this.

Martin's Service Worker Report

as i'm sure you are all aware, i, liz do the writing on this blog. i have martin's permission to post what he wrote and recently sent in to mcc - his service worker report. i don't know how interesting this is, but it's something from him, and work related. (verses my continual musings about my ongoing parenting struggles.)



Assignment-related:

1. For each group you have worked with, what activities have you carried out? What has resulted from those activities?
During this reporting period the main focus of my work was with the cistern project in Tecozajca and Rincón de Cozahuapa. The first and second groups in Tecozajca are finished. We are currently working with the third group. Altogether we are building 39 cisterns in Tecozajca and 20 cisterns in Rincón. The first group in Rincón is finished and the second group has started. The results have been great with both groups. They are working together and openly sharing information between the groups. They learned quickly and are working hard.

For the last two weeks of October, I worked full time on the house in Zacango for the new family. The result was that they could move straight into their house. There is still a fair amount of work to be done, but at least they had a place to land with a bathroom, electricity and stove when they arrived.

2. Is your work progressing as planned? Yes.

3. Review a highlight or significant learning in this reporting period.
A significant learning in this reporting period happened when we ran into problems with the cement that we bought for the cisterns in Tecozajca and Rincón. The brand we bought takes more than twice as long to set up as normal. Sometimes cheaper prices aren't the best thing. We tried to address the problem by buying an accelerant to add to the cement to make it set up faster, but this was unsuccessful. We therefore changed the process of what gets done each day to make the first day's pour of the floor earlier in the day so that there is more time for it to set up. This has been successsful in addressing the issue. So both communities are using the new process. We also made new cimbra (roof) panels for the molds which are heavier and stronger than the old ones. They seem to be working well.

We didn't build any bathrooms this quarter as we were waiting on funding.


Self-Development:

Reflect on your self-development goals and relationships during the reporting period. The following questions are intended to stir your imagination. Not all questions need to be responded to.

4. Regarding your self-development/learning goals for this year, how are you progressing? What have you learned that surprised you?
I continue to feel more comfortable communicating in Spanish - some due to better communication skills on my part and some due to continued patience on the part of the people with whom I work.

5. Review a personal highlight during this past reporting period.
I have really enjoyed working on the house in Zacango for Bruce and Jaime. Designing the dry latrine/shower room and the kitchen, implementing the changes and working with two local builders, Hilario and Luis has been exciting.

6. What have you struggled with and how are you responding to that?
I have struggled with allergies and mold in my house. When I am sick, it is hard to work. I tried painting a sealer coat on the roof. It doesn´t seem to have helped much. I am thinking about scrubbing and repainting the interior walls. Its always a challenge to know how much work to put into a rental home. Justify funds and finding the time to do the work is a challenge as well.

Forgiveness

"forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a permanent attitude" -mlk jr.



it felt love
how
did the rose
ever open its heart

and give to this world
all its
beauty?

it felt the encouragement of light
against its
being,

otherwise,
we all remain

too

frightened.

- Hafiz


distractible or perceptive: helping them hear our instructions.
"we are able to process your call. we just don't feel like it."
-Ziggy
(from "raising your spirited child)

"we do our best and ask for forgiveness."
-jen chappell-deckert


have mercy on me, o god, according to your unfailing love,
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
-psalm 151:1,2


another weekend came and went. boys are in bed. martin is finishing the dishes. there were many wonderful times. there were many challenging times. as i reflect back, there are many words i used that were probably too harsh, my tone of voice could have been kinder, gentler. and patience, oh how i continue to pray for enough patience for this journey. i end the day asking for forgiveness.
i'll try again tomorrow.



coming home from town the other day - the boys on their bikes and me on foot. they rode ahead a ways and then stopped to wait for me. when i caught up with them, isaiah was reading to micah. just another one of the many, many joyful moments i want to remember.

Birthdays Celebrated

thanks so much to everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes and calls. i kidnapped martin martin thursday morning - he wasn't too please at first, saying "but i have to go to work..."
well i had this all arranged with the rest of the team and we had his work responsibilities covered. (mine too.) our dear teammates merideth and kiara agreed to take care of micah and isaiah while we went away on our birthday adventure for 5 days and 4 nights!!! and since you all know our dear boys, you KNOW what an absolutely INCREDIBLE gift this was!!!

so we drove to mexico city in one of our mcc vehicles, because there was some furniture and a solar system that we wanted to bring back for the new family that arrived this month. we left the truck in mexico city and took a bus to amecameca, in the state of puebla.
never heard of amecameca? (but it sure is fun to say). this town is the key staging point for an izta climb. here's what the guidebook says:
Popo & Izta: An Explosive Duo
Legend has it that Pop was a warrior who fell in love with Izta, the emperor's daughter. As the story goes, Izta died of grief
while Popo was away at war. Upon his return, he created the two mountains, laid her body on one and stood holding her funeral torch on the other. With some imagination, Izta does resemble a woman lying on her back. From the Mexico City side, you can, when the sky is clear, make out four peaks form left to right: La Cabeza (head), El Pecho (breast), Las Rodillas (knees) and Los Pies (feet).
Popocatepetl (po-po-ka-teh-pet-l), Nahuatl for 'Smoking Mountain' is Mexico's second highest peak. This volcano last exploded in december 2005 - so it's closed to hikers. Iztaccihuatl (iss-ta-see-wat-l), Sleeping Woman, is Mexico's third-highest peak. Craterless and dormant and open for hiking. So that's what we did for two days. It was awesome, cold, exhilarating and just wonderful to be together. We hiked up to Izta's feet which we figured was about 14,300 ft. Each day we took a little bus the base of the mountain, hike all day, and then hitch a ride back to Amecameca.
So Martin spent his 50th birthday in the mountains hiking.



white mountain rose


(i'm posing as the "sleeping woman" - izta - the mountain we were climbing)

martin in front of (a picture of) the volcano popocatepetl. (it was SO cloudy while we were there. we had to use other people's photos....)

it was COLD!







Then on Sunday, my birthday, we went to "magical" Tepotzlan, close to Mexico City and spent the night in a gorgeous hotel. Again, here's what the guidebook says: "Posada del Tepozteco - This gorgeous hotel was built as a hillside hacienda in the 1930s. It features lovely, well-manicured ground, two solar-heated pools, 20 well-done rooms, and terraces with spectacular views surveying the town. The airy suites com wtih private spa baths....." This hotel is the "author's choice" and it was marvelous! Like nothing we have ever done before. Very relaxing, beautiful, delicious food, and the chance to be together and relax.....












On Monday we drove into Cuernavaca to buy the solar system and drive home.

All in all, it was a fantastic birthday celebration...and a second honeymoon :)

Haven't eaten any birthday cake. yet.
Great trip.

Work Update

I stayed up till midnight last night finishing a progress report for the Canadian Embassy. I don't often hear the church bells chime out that hour but last night I did, determined to get the report in on time.

The Canadian Embassy is helping fund a 59 cistern project in two communities 2 hours from where we live. The project is going very, very well.

I've copied and pasted some of what I wrote, for those interested in a work update. The questions were in Spanish, so I didn't include them here. Martin has been working on this project.


"Health Project - Cement Cisterns to Capture Rainwater" has been a success. There is a serious lack of water in this particular region, and since water is such a vital part of life, there is a high demand for this type of collection and storage system. Fondó Canada donated money for 22 cisterns. Mennonite Central Committee donated money for 22 cisterns. The municipal president donated money for 15 cisterns. With this mix of funds, we are able to build 59 cisterns in two communities over a period of three months, benefitting 371 people plus one primary school.

We are pleased to report that we are ahead of schedule with this project. Participation by the beneficiaries has been excellent. There are always extra workers in each group. The next group in line comes early to learn the construction process and people from the previous group often continuing working with the following group to help out. There has been great community spirit in both Tecozajca and Rincon de Cozahuapa. 26 of the 39 cisterns have been completed in Tecozajca and 12 of the 20 cisterns have been completed in Rincon de Cozahuapa.

The first difficulty has been with the quality of the sand that has been delivered. We took the lower of three bids and tried a new supplier for sand. The contractor showed us a sample of the sand that he would deliver (it was fine, clean and just what we wanted) before we accepted his bid. Unfortunately, he delivered dirty sand that was full of rocks to the communities. We have talked to him several times about this problem, but nothing has changed. Because we aren't always in the community when the sand is delivered, we asked the community representative to refuse the sand if it wasn't a good enough quality. But that hasn't happened either. Since there are so many rocks in the sand and the quality isn't improving, we have adjusted the formula of the cement mix to match the materials at hand. This means that we put in less gravel to adjust for not having pure sand. We haven't had any major problems so far, though none of the cisterns are full of water yet. We will have to wait until they are full of water to really find out if they turned out alright. They look great now, but the real test will be when they are full of water. If they do leak, which is highly unlikely, we can paint the inside with a sealant. We will certainly NOT work with this sand supplier again.

The second challenge has been with the cement. Again, we accepted a lower bid for cement and ended up buying a brand we had never used before "Apasco". The supplier assured us that it was of equal quality. Our experience has been that this brand of cement sets up VERY slowly. We tried to buy an accelerant, but that did not work. So therefore we have changed the process of what we do each day to allow for more time for the floor to dry before we start the walls. This has been successful and the solution actually came from community members during a commentary process that we have after building a cistern. After we finish a cistern, we facilitate a group meeting to talk together about the problems we encountered. This solution came from the community during one of these meetings. In terms of team building, the community was very successful at working through the "challenge".

For each cistern built, there are 10 to 12 men from the community working together. For every day that the men are working, there are 2 to 3 women cooking two meals a day for all of them.

For this particular project, the women have not played a major part of the decision making process, nor have they participated directly in the meetings. This is an area that we are continuing to work on. In other group situations we have had more success with participation and building leadership skills among the women. In these particular communities, the "traditional gender roles" seem to be well set and thus the men do the building and the women do the cooking.

In terms of protecting the environment, the cisterns help reduce the problems that a of lack of water creates.

So far with this project, there have been two main lesson learned. First, we learned that we only have one local supplier whom we can count on to deliver quality materials, though we have to pay more. We tried a new, local sand supplier and were dissappointed. Next time we will go with the higher price and the quality is worth it.

The second lesson learned was with the brand of cement that we purchased. We won't buy "Apasco" again, but we actually came up with a better building process. For example, after pouring the top of the cistern in place, the molds are removed and moved to the new site where they are set in place. Then the floor is poured at 6 a.m. the next day. With the old process, the 1st day ended up being a 12 hour day and the 2nd day was a 4 hour day. The new process moves some of the work from the 1st day to the 2nd day. The 1st cistern is still a 3-day process, but the rest of the cisterns only take 2 days to build, so we are more efficient. This process works particularly well for a large project such as this one. We plan is to continue using this new process during future building projects.


Again, we are pleased to report that there has been great community spirit and the beneficiaries are really working together and eagerly contributing to this project in both Tecozajca and Rincon de Cozahuapa. 26 of the 39 cisterns have been completed in Tecozajca and 12 of the 20 cisterns have been completed in Rincon de Cozahuapa. We are ahead of schedule and are pleased with the way this project is progressing.

In conclusion, this project has been a big success. People are working together and putting in more time then we asked them too. The community is really working together. So far, we are exceeding our goals. We need to continue to work at having greater participation from the women in the community and figure out how they can be included more in the meetings and decision making processes.

Inspiring Quote

thanks mer for posting this on YOUR blog. i love this quote. always wonderful to read it again. and again....and again. so for those of you who read my blog but not merideth's (sister mccer here in oli), here it is.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
A return to love - Marianne Williamson

3 Readings

I think I'll just ramble on a bit.
First, thanks to friends who commented on a blog I wrote awhile ago questioning why being a mother is so hard for me sometimes. It's always helpful to share the struggles with a broader community. Since that post, I must say that I'm feeling better about my role as a mother. The other day I wanted to talk "strategy" with Martin. He reminded me that I have a lot of experience working with young children- "you know how to do this," he said. At the time it hurt my feelings, but later I realized it was the kick in the butt that I needed. So I'm trying to walk around being more confident in myself as a mother. Living into this role with confidence. As Gandhi said "we must be the change we wish to see."
So for now, I'm not trying to come up with a plan or strategize, but LIVE the way I want to LIVE. BE the mother I want to BE.
Still hard.
But easier too.

And this morning 3 readings showed up together. The first one is from Jan Richardson's "Sacred Journeys"
The Biblical text for this week is Luke 13:10-17 where Jesus heals the bent-over woman on the sabbath.
"......The story of Jesus' encounter with the bent-over woman is dramatic not only because of the healing that comes to the woman but also the healing that comes to the community. the community also receives Jesus' freeing touch as it begins to learn about the care God calls us to have for one another. With Jesus' touch of the woman's body, with her song of praise, and with the community's rejoicing, this story challenges us to consider how we participate in the diminishment of those around us and how we must provide the conditions for healing - physical, emotional, economic, relational - to happen for us all."

and "Discovering what constricts us may provide clues to how others are constricted / and how we may share in keeping both them and ourselves bent over."

This was/is powerful for me right now as I'm continuing to figure out how to balance work and home and to enjoy both.

I'm also reading "The Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne. And feeling challenged. And thinking about how much confidence it takes to live as an "ordinary radical".

And finally, from "Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim"
..."Fill up all that is lacking in me, so that I may be your humble servant, a co-creator in your endless drama of creation."

THIS INCLUDES MY KIDS!

Oct 31, 2008

At our team supper we had:
1. Ojos de tigre (tiger eyes)
2. Dedos de bruja (witch fingers)
3. Unas de diablo (devil fingernails)
4. Sangre de calavera (skeleton blood)

and for dessert we had:
5. Pelon de leon (lion fur)

The picture - our center piece - the boys and I made ghost name tags.

1. candied carrots (from Isaiah's new cookbook)
2. breaded zucchini sticks (from Isaiaha's new cookbook)
3. honey baked lentils
4. yogurt with cucumbers and dill (from our garden)
5. shortbread with peaches and cream