I received some very thoughtful and nice gifts for Christmas, however, you are looking at my favorite...and to make it even nicer, it came from my favorite people...my children. Along with a very cool rubber spatula (and not your ordinary rubber spatula, but a metal-feel-so-balanced-and-cool spatula), along with a gorgeous table cloth, all from William Sonoma.

I love cookbooks. I read them like other people read novels. They relax me, motivate me, intrigue me, and make me better at something I already love doing.

I saw the movie Julie and Julia with my friend, Julie Locke. I found it sweet, kind of silly, definitely not a "deep thinking" movie, but overall, very enjoyable. What I loved most was the way the two couples in the movie really did love and respect each other. I also loved the passion by which Julia Child tackled the man dominated field of "fine chefs" with such humor and childlike excitement.

It inspired me.

I'm not a French cook. I'm certainly no chef. I'm "southern" in my cooking roots, for some reason with no obvious explanation. However, I'm determined to tackle this cook book with the seriousness it deserves.

I'm not silly enough to tell you, as "Julie" in the movie did, that I'm going to tackle the 500 + recipes in a one year period. I'm not even going to guarantee I'll cook EVERY recipe in the book. I will, however, post a picture when I conquer something from this beautiful volume.

So, my friends, on with new adventures in 2010.

New challenges, deeper relationships, longer times to sit and chat with a friend, greater passion for God, and genuine love for man.

Blessings and Bon Appetit!

Christmas Eve Eve

Husband and I FINALLY had a spare minute and a spare dime to go do some Christmas shopping last night...

We left fairly early after work, grabbed a bite of dinner together while compiling the "list", and then took off to conquer the whole "kit n caboodle" in one night.

Turning into Fig Garden Village, a very nice shopping center with what you would probably consider fairly "high end" stores, we headed to our destination store within the Village...

Husband stopped the car to let me out while he went and parked and there was a CRAZY COMMOTION with strange noises and sounds that just didn't match the location. There was yelling, and a kind of scuffle of feet and banging of pans, more yelling and ladies screaming. We had pulled over in front of a William Sonoma store, and two men were robbing the store while I and several others were standing there.

No weapons, just the element of surprise and very fast tennis shoes!

I told Lex that "those two guys are robbing the store" and he put the car in park (in the middle of the parking lot) and took off after them hot on the heels of another customer who actually pushed one of them down. However, the store clerk told them to let the guys go...I'm sure they didn't want customers getting hurt on their account!

It was quite a sight to witness, and actually made me very sad. They were stealing big copper pots, which can be sold for quite a lot of $$. (the Copper is very valuable)

I wondered how desperate you have to be to steal from a store that is set within a large village with no easy escape. I wondered if he needed diapers, or formula, or food or rent money. Husband tried to convince me that he was just a smart thief, knew what to steal for a quick sale, and just wanted it for drugs. Somehow, that was supposed to make me feel better about him...

But it didn't.

Blessings.

Kitchen Restrictions

Looking at the number of things I'm slated to cook and bake for in the next two weeks, I'm here to say that if I ever win the lottery, I'm going to gut my house except for bedrooms and bathrooms and make one HUGE kitchen.

I found this lovely little kitchen online with multiple stoves, ovens, and even refrigerators! I'm drooling at the amount of space this kitchen has to work in.

My kitchen is tiny. Itty Bitty. So small you have to step out to change your mind.

That's o.k. I'm managing in spite of my restrictions.

Hmmm...I wonder if you have to buy a ticket to win?

Blessings.

Already?!

August, 2006, driving my girl to Abilene, Texas to attend ACU, I remember crying . . . often. I remember saying things like, "isn't this exciting?! what an adventure you are on. God is certainly leading you somewhere...isn't this exciting?"

It's all I knew to say, because the future felt more uncertain than ever before. It's in those times you either crack, or buckle down and acknowledge your dependence on God, the Creator, the Almighty all knowing Father.

Today, daughter finished her "final finals" for her undergraduate study. She will Student Teach next semester, but no more classes will be taken!

Now, this doesn't mean she won't decide to tackle the "graduate" work...in fact, we're trying to slip this information gently, in little bits and pieces, to her Daddy, who really just wants her home!

However, from the first moment in the first class of her Freshman year at ACU, she has worked, studied, laughed, played, prayed, and loved her experience on full octane. My daughter really doesn't do much of anything "half-way", and in keeping with her usual nature, she tackled ACU with the same "gusto".

I'm having trouble believing she is so close to graduation, but my heart is full and overflowing with gratitude for such a gracious God who has kept her safe, secure, and successful in this important adventure.

So, my sweet daughter...congratulations! I'm not at all surprised that you not only did it, but you did it with such grace and Godly character.

The children who will have you as their teacher are blessed, indeed!

Women Drivers

I'm going to say something that will probably ignite some folks to defend, object, get angry...so, let me say right off the bat, I'm sorry if I upset, but here goes.

Men are typically better drivers than women.

Now, before you get all upset at me, let me explain what I mean.

Men aren't typically good multi taskers...(boy, the generalizations are flying here, folks!) Men focus on one thing at a time. They concentrate on that and get it done. Am I not fairly correct about that?

Women, on the other hand, are second nature multi taskers. We really can do and think and converse all at the same time.

HOWEVER, when it comes to driving, that gets us in trouble.

I've been paying attention to this fact just lately, and I'll tell you why in a moment...but, when driving, women are talking, singing, texting, drinking coffee, comforting a child in the back seat, putting on lip gloss...and the list goes on. If we could figure out a way to iron while driving, I'm convinced we'd do that, too.

So, the other day, while sitting at a red light, I wasn't surprised that it was a woman who rear ended me. As I looked back, her head popped up like she was as shocked as I that she had just hit me.

We pulled over to a parking lot, she got out and started talking a hundred miles a minute, apologizing, explaining, justifying, telling me how late she was, and so on, and so on. She never stopped talking...or looking for her information (license and registration)...she just kept talking, and looking through her millions of papers floating in her car...talking and looking...

I was actually leaned against my car, arms folded, resting, breathing for her because she hadn't taken a breath in about 5 full minutes, saying, "it's o.k. Just relax. It's o.k." She was a mess.

My car is fine...tiny scratch. Fortunately, she was driving a very tiny convertible BMW that actually slid under my car. She was in much worse shape than I...in so many ways!

She finally said, "I can't find my information. Can I give you my card? It has all ways you can get hold of me."

She gave me her card. Worship leader, Inspirational speaker, Singer...

I thanked her and as she confessed she had been reaching for a tissue when she hit me she said..."I started praying as soon as I hit you. USUALLY, when this happens, people get out and start yelling at me."

I turned my head like a confused puppy and quietly said "USUALLY? How often does this happen?"

But she didn't hear me. She was still talking...

Blessings.