Irish Hills

Trials Turn To Gold

December 19th, 2007

Listening to Canon in D makes my soul feel comforted for a moment.

Right now, life is hard. Pieter and Rebekah are both sick with Strep Throat; Pieter being the worse of the two. Are more to fall prey to the grasps of this disease this very night?

Yes, it is *almost* a mere 5 days to Christmas. No, we have not finished all our Christmas shopping. Does that mean that everything will fall apart if we don’t have absolutely every gift under the Christmas tree come Christmas Day? No, it merely means that we will fall apart if we try to accomplish everything on the few hours of sleep that we have in our sleep bank and with bodies that are already frail and susceptible to sickness. Do without is my motto. There are already plenty of gifts to go under the tree.

Sometimes it gets very hard having to deal with all the illness and pressure at Christmas. I’m definitely asking why. Why do we have to get sick at Christmas of all times? Why do we have so many factions and conflicts during this time, too? Enough already!

Yeah, and what have I done to deserve these afflictions, God? But, what have we done to merit His grace? God sends these trials for our benefit and testing and bending of our wills. I know it’s easy to say that and a lot of the time not really mean it when you’re not the person hurting, but it is true. Blessed is the man who can say “give me more trials, Lord!” Because, these rocks and burdens that we now bear about with us are one day going to be turned to precious jewels and shining gold.

Anna

Posted in Family, Christian, Sickness | Comments Off

Die Daily

December 11th, 2007

Be killing sin or it will be killing you

My spin on John Owen’s quote owing to this diehard cold that seems to be possessing my body:

Be killing colds or they’ll be killing you

Oh, so quotable.

To the non-believer all the following will sound very strict, Puritan-like (which it is, is that a bad thing?) and ascetic. Keep a constant watch over my thought life? Ha! I’m only human, you know. I live a good life, I give my time to charitable organizations and the lusting, lying, blaspheming and coveting that goes on in my head hasn’t broken out in the open yet, so I’m good.

Don’t we know that the less we fight against sin the more entangled we become in it?

Don’t we know that the more we dull our minds by repeating sights and sounds the more easily our heart embraces the paraphernalia of this world, paraphernalia that longs to be possessed?

Don’t we know that the less vigilant we become about truly reading the Bible and earnestly praying to God the more vigilant we will have to become in our watch against sin?

Don’t we know how much it pains our Savior and grieves the Holy Spirit when we use that very grace poured out for the remission of our sins to excuse the actual engaging in of sin? Is Christ’s love a trinket or bauble to be bartered with?

Do we not know how useless our strivings will be against those outbreaks of troubling thought if we are only seeking to alleviate our guilty feelings and are not truly sorry for sin because it is displeasing to God?

Believer, be killing sin, both outward and inward, or it will be killing you! And read John Owen’s book.

Anna

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Christmas Bells!

December 7th, 2007

It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas! Not only around our house but over at our book sale page, where I’ve been busily adding a lot more titles, including Christmas ones.

Many of the ornaments on our tree.

Anna

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Past, Present and Future

December 6th, 2007

This is our non-traditional Christmas tree, because this year we monarchically decided to decorate our tree “old-fashioned”, thus striking down one of our beloved traditions of everyone hanging up their personal ornaments. The tree does look ravishing, however, and having a real tree is one tradition that will NEVER be changed.

Christmas time is a time of traditions. For many, traditions that cannot be crossed, even if they do seem a little “old”, “silly” or “impractical”; traditions they are and remain.

There is something special about traditions. In a country that has resigned many of its principles and protocol already, people are curiously stubborn about burying traditions of Christmas time, such as: stockings, Christmas cards, mistletoe *blush*, decorating inside and out with lights and greenery, gift giving, and the baking of delicious and delectable things. All of these are untouchable traditions; if these did not happen then it would not feel like Christmas and you would be viewed as the Grinch, or worse, Scrooge!

The following are some of our traditions that mean the most to me:

M&M Christmas tree; a cute little wall hanging in the shape of a Christmas tree with 25 pockets that we fill with M&Ms, one to be given out to each child every night after advent.

Cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning; oh, yum. We don’t have any fixed recipe but after discovering this recipe we are fully convinced of its practicality for the rest of the generations.

Paper snowflakes; I had a fun and wonderful time doing that with little boys this year and now our lovely snowflakes are decorating the window panes. You take a circle of paper, fold it in half, once, twice, thrice, *snip, snip!*, open it up and you have a beautiful snowflake. I used an exacto knife for mine, but I wouldn’t recommend that for your 5 year old.

Drawing names to see who gives what gift. Of course, Mom and Dad and relatives and friends give gifts to us, but in a family of 9 kids when everyone is giving everyone else a gift, that amounts of a veritable mountain of assorted presents under the tree, so we draw names instead, i.e. Willy got Pieter, Pieter got me, I got Ben.

The holiday baking. Sugar cookies, gingerbread men, bon-bons, puppy chow, accompanied by eggnog, or, for those who are more sophisticated, eggnog lattes. Surprisingly, we have done little baking this season, even though it is the 6th of December, as we are engaged in bitter battles against persistent colds, but I think that we will be making some cookies later today.

Christmas time is already a crazy time, though, so you want to be careful not to be towed into celebrating someone else’s traditions, but at the same time, maintain that Christmas mood and cheer, and an open house and arms for those spirits whose homes do not possess a large number of roaring indians to brighten the atmosphere when it is foggy and gloomy outside.

What a wonderful time to try and instill into their hearts some of the joy that the whole world must have felt when Christ revealed Himself to its darkness. Imagine turning off all the lights in your house (it helps if you live in the middle of nowhere) and all the machines, sitting still for a moment to soak in the silence and darkness, then lighting one single candle. Your eyes will be immediately drawn to that pinpoint of light and the darkness shrieks away! It can do no other. Though, really, Jesus was more that just a weak, little candle; we are the candles, He was more like a glorious, all-victorious, burning, all-consuming sun in the sky. Just look at the difference between the world pre and post Christ’s life on earth. You can’t deny that there is a difference. It isn’t the effect of evolution, because the world was getting more and more degenerate, it’s the effect of God.

When I celebrate Christmas, I’m not only celebrating the fact that 2000 years ago my Lord came to the earth and loosed the bonds of death and sin, I’m celebrating my hope and knowledge that the world is getting better and that Jesus Christ is certainly coming back to reign triumphantly in a world that will be in submission to Him and Him only. The joy of Christmas isn’t only a past joy that seems far-off to most people, but it is past, present and future.

Anna

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Running the Race Alone

October 4th, 2007

I think that it has been long enough since I posted last; the pear tart is quite eaten up and I have made a few other desserts since, including a most delicious apple galette which tempted my lips to partake of a second piece! *gasp* ‘Tis mostly worked off now.

The fall weather is deliciously stimulating; tumbling winds pluck wine red leaves from out the trees to fall to their decay and demise underneath my foot as I trod the old paths outside. Monumental clouds wander to and fro in the sky, temperamentally bumping into each other; then they kiss violently and fix our laughing faces raptly on their blundering attempts to express love with lusty, forceful words.

From the early morning when the stage was being set, to late this afternoon when the ensemble was complete, God’s hand was set upon orchestrating a melodious production with a grand finale this evening; the last act now being played out to a tune similar to the 1812 overture. Rare beauty.

I am blessed and enviable, for God has graced my life with steadfast friends and family. Far too many times, I have tried to grow from the weed I am into a blossoming flower, scorning advice, neglecting helping hands, as a lone ranger, a pioneer, with just a bible or sundry books in my lap to guide me, little realizing how crucial all members of the body of Christ are. Only when my parched ground is watered with words of compassion and the weeds are painfully pulled from my garden by stubborn, sympathetic hands, do I somewhat comprehend the utter importance of sharing my burdens with others.

No, I will not and do not expect them to live my faith for me, or run my race, but as I grow into a more mature Christian, my peripheral vision has expanded somewhat to include the fellow participants in pursuit of the same eternal acquisition; a prize and goal set and already purchased before the beginning of the ancients by the shed blood of the lamb. There is no escaping my predestination; it is already playing out before my very eyes.

Each member of my church and family has been specifically put here to influence me in their own diverse way. Were they all the same I would not grow in specific areas, or see all things as I ought, but as it is, each quiet demeanor or sunny, smiling face rises up when I need them most and do their ordained duty in ministering, whether they know it or not, to my spiritual needs at that moment. Would that it did not take bitter trials to acknowledge, against my pride, that God never called us to run the race alone.

Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Anna

Posted in Family, Christian, Photos | 4 Comments »

A Fallish Dish

September 20th, 2007

Pear Crisp from Cook’s Illustrated magazine;

Makes 6 servings. My rating: 5 stars

Pear Crisp

3/4 cup coarsely chopped nuts (unsalted almonds or pecans)
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
3 pounds ripe but firm Bartlett pears, 6-7 medium (not too ripe or the crisp will be watery)

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Process nuts, flour, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in food processor until nuts are finely chopped. Drizzle butter over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles crumble wet sand, pausing halfway through to scrape down sides and bottom of workbowl. Set aside while preparing fruit.

2. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and pinch of salt together in a large bowl. Peel pears, then half and core each one. Cut each half into 4 wedges and then cut each in half crosswise. Gently toss pears with sugar mixture and transfer to 8-inch square baking dish.

3. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit, breaking up any large chunks. Bake until fruit is bubbling around edges and topping is deep golden brown, 27-32 minutes. Cool on wire rack until warm, at least 15 minutes, and serve.

Anna

Posted in Recipes, cooking | No Comments »

Perversity

September 20th, 2007

Come thunder, rain, lightening, wind, clouds! Blow hard and batter down the dust, revive our wilted spirits, slake our thirst for storms.

These elements inexorably create a desire to light a flame, brew a cup and nestle in a downy blanket with a sizable volume. Of a sudden, these sublime pictures of warmth will dot various positions all over the house, some portraits larger than others, but the certainty of everyone assuming like posture is assured.

While in search of stimulating reading material last evening, my fingers ran across a book of poetry by one Wilfred Owen, and the pages fell open to this poem that caught at my mind:

Perversity

We all love more the Passed and the To Be
Than actual time, and far things more than near.
Perverse we all are somehow; calling dear
Rather the rare than fair. But as for me,
How singluar and sad that I should see
More loveliness in Grecian marbles clear
Than modern flesh, to beauty insincere;
Less glory in a man than any tree.

I fall in love with children, elfin fair;
Portraits; dark ladies in dark tales antique;
Or instantaneous faces passed in streets.
I know the dim old gods that never were,
Better than men. One friend I love unique,
But now, thou canst not dream I love thee, Keats!

We all love more the Passed and To Be than actual time…

Anna

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Summing it Up

September 11th, 2007

Account of my life at the moment:

Dancing and singing to I Need a Hero; I need a hero, hum hum, I’m holding out for a hero til the end of the night…

Giggling myself to sleep at 11 p.m. then waking up at the ludicrous hour of 5 am. Life is hard, but it gets better when you have a cinnamon roll for breakfast.

Agonizing over clothing choices at Nordstroms… er, did I really want that one, maybe I would have been happier with that one!

Being the referee for the little boys during their clamorous, brawling arguements and lego wars.

Cleaning of dish after dish that keep on appearing in the sink. I feel I’m trying to do one of Hercule’s tasks.

Nursing whacked fingers and hurt feelings.

Closing all the windows around the house several hours after the air conditioner has already been running.

Alternating between reading Persuasion and watching the movie.

Puzzling out how to multiply a three digit number by another three digit number with one little boy, then figuring out how to do fraction problems with another.

There are many more little things to list. If I had my camera I would post pictures, since a picture is worth a thousand words, but somebody took it with them on a trip without any regard as to how that would affect me, so, here I am writing up a photoless post.

Anna

Posted in Family, cleaning, cooking | 3 Comments »

Today’s Report

September 6th, 2007

Deary Mommy and children,

Life is going great without you (please don’t take that as a hint to stay away forever, though), the children are genuinely happy after the facts of school, chores, and discipline have been swallowed by all parties involved.

I shook the children out of their beds this morning and fed them their rationed bowl of gruel (granola) with a spoonful of castor oil to dampen their appetites afterwards and set them to work reading good, wholesome books to educate their little minds. A general appetite was felt around noon so I produced the cold remains of leftover stew, and, of course, that, I knew, was not enough to keep them working unflaggingly until supper in the evening, so I tided them over with some hard crusts of bread (lemon baby bundt cakes).

Many chores were accomplished this afternoon; the sorting through, and disposing of many unwholesome videos that can only have a degenerative effect upon the young minds of the children, and the replacement of the hot water heater which I suppose was necessary. I do not see the benefit in giving the children hot baths, but the procurement of hot water for the washing of dishes is only sanitary.

Well, after a most nutritious dinner of plain noodles (with a little homemade marinara sauce spooned atop) and water, the children were ready for their evening exercises of jumping jacks, and then to bed! But, before I turned out the light, one of the children asked me the queerest question. He wanted to know which of these three things I would choose if I had the choice;

1. Great riches
2. Handsome man
3. Wisdom

I did not know how to answer the little rapscallion, but rather gave him a sound smack and made him lie down in his bed.

I do hope that tomorrow commences as well as today did.

Anna

Posted in Family, cleaning, cooking | 3 Comments »

Bike Riding

August 25th, 2007

One of the highlights of my trip (aside from actually going, spending time with Mom and Ben, dipping my toes in the cold water and eating tasty food) was coasting a bike along the bike paths in Monterey and around Pacific Point. I easily outstripped Mom and kept pace with Ben, though, I let him stay in the front, so he could lead the way. It was so delightful, I know what I’m doing next time in Monterey.

The bikes that we rented were called “coasters” and they were interesting to look at with white wall tires and wide handlebars. They truly did coast.

We’re starting out.

Our motorcade. He’s pretty cute.

Two on a bench.

Falling into the ocean!

Our bike ride was fun, but we were ready for lunch at Bubba Gump’s afterwards!

Anna

Posted in Family, Photos, Adventure | No Comments »

Irish Hills

Trials Turn To Gold

Die Daily

Christmas Bells!

Past, Present and Future

Running the Race Alone

A Fallish Dish

Perversity

Summing it Up

Today’s Report

Bike Riding

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