Who do you trust?

The thought occured to me yesterday that I regularly trust people that I don't know. People in the service industry are generally at the top of the list. We eat food from restaurants, take our car to the repairman, and have dental work done. You get my point right? Well, I don't know any of these people but I've put myself in their care. Not only do I put myself in their hands, but also my children. Sometimes I check them out in advance, sometimes not. This thought was heavy on my mind yesterday as I was hanging about 35 or 40 feet in the air with this bunch of children (and some adults) holding me by a rope.

Here's the story. A wonderful homeschooling friend set up a fun filled day of activities at a local camp. The staff was great! The grounds were amazing, and the trees were really high! These kids you see had to climb a 40 foot tree, maneuver onto a platform and glide down a zip line. They were fearless! They trusted that their parents wouldn't let them do anything that would hurt them. You can watch IJ and JJ enjoying their ride.

So how did I end up 35 feet in the air? Peer pressure and the desire for a little fun. I stepped outside my box when I let them put that harness on and pull me waaaay up in the air. This was not for the zip line, but for a contraption they call a swing. I swung alright, back and forth over and over again. Can you see it? I know you don't believe me, so I made sure there was video.

This experience really got me thinking about trust, who do I trust and why. I trust my husband, my mom, and some close friends. This trust has been built over time because they have shown themselves trustworthy. However, there is no one as trustworthy as my Heavenly Father. The writer tells us in Proverbs 3: 5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

I trusted Clay and Kim, the couple who run the high ropes course, whom I met just hours before they strapped me into that contraption. I even trusted the kids to stop pulling me higher when I said so. We all go through life trusting faceless people and casual acquantances on a regular basis yet hesitate when it's time to trust the one who has proven himself over and over again. So as you go through your day, take a look at who you trust and how that compares to the way you trust the one who should have all your heart.

Patio Gardening

Upon retiring, nearly 3 years ago, my mom became interested in gardening. She has helped some friends who purchased a 20 acre farm, is working at a local gardening co-op and is also working diligently on a



church charity garden. I have said for several years that I would love to have a garden, however since we live in an apartment I didn't really think it was possible. Not enough space or light were the general reasons. Well, mom proved me wrong. Last year during her visit she and the boys planted vegetables in pots and my little men grew tomatoes (red and yellow), red and yellow bell peppers, and organic salad greens. This was so much easier than I ever imagined. So during this years trip she bought an upside down patio garden for the boys to grow their vegetables as well as planting more items in the pots. I am so excited to see the bounty.



So, what have we planted this year? In the upside down planter we have beefsteak tomatoes, homestead tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, green bell peppers and yellow straight neck squash. On top are the herbs, basil and rosemary. I plan to add at least 2 more herbs. This planter is great because it allows you to plant a variety of vegetables in a small space and it looks really pretty. Mom purchased it from Sam's Club.


In the first pot is lemon balm, which I chose because it smells absolutely wonderful. I didn't know at the time that it shouldn't be planted with anything else because it spreads alot. I'm looking forward to using it for tea. The next 2 pots contain green bean plants. Each pot has 3 plants, so I'm hoping we have a great yield. The last two are organic salad greens. These seeds were donated by a friend of my mom's who runs a gardening co-op back home. I will keep you posted on how our patio garden is going. If you have some tips for me please let me know. I'm just developing my green thumb and learning in the process.

Great Visit

You know what they say, all good things must come to an end. Mom was here for 2 wonderful weeks. We were able to do quite a bit while she was here. Shopping is always high priority, so we did a little of that. On her first Saturday evening we went to an outdoor concert where we enjoyed singing along to some wonderful music. On her birthday we went to my friend Jane's house. We also did a little house shopping. Did I mention that Mom is falling in love with this wonderful southern city? I would be beyond ecstatic if she decides to make the move. One of my favorite activities was our trip to a local historical site where we watched rifle and cooking demonstrations set during the 1845 Mexican-American conflict.

The ladies of the sites cooking guild were preparing lunch while we watched. Spinach salad, asparagus stew with bacon and fresh bread were on the menu. Everything was made authentically over an open fire in the cookhouse. I spoke with the ladies extensively and learned when they meet to practice recipes. I was invited to watch them at their twice monthly meetings, and perhaps join the guild in the future when a spot opens up.

Here are the boys outside the cookhouse. Below is a gentleman doing some woodworking. I never did find out what he was making, but he sure did have some sharp tools. This was a really great local treasure. It just further solidifies my belief that learning happens all the time...even when you're on spring break. I will share more about Moms visit in the next post.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mothers birthday. Age has never been a big deal in our family. Getting older means you're still alive and that there is still work to be done. God has blessed my mom to reach 67 years of age and to be in good health. I'm happy she's here with us to celebrate.

Mom enjoys spending time with my friend Jane, so we went to her house for lunch today. I love eating at Jane's house. We were treated to a tasty traditional Korean soup whose name I cannot spell, but it was wonderful. Of course there was gim bop, which is rice and seaweed, vegetable pancakes and the most wonderful red pepper sauce that we ate with leaves of nappa cabbage. We were very happy indeed at the end of this meal. Jane is a wonderful friend and homeschooling mama whom I love dearly. Thanks for lunch Jane!

We had a family celebration this evening, going out to dinner and returning home to sing happy birthday and enjoy dessert. Ok, I know this post is not supposed to be about my food, but these cupcakes turned out really well. I gave mom my cupcake book and told her to pick what she wanted. She chose Banana Split cupcakes. These are very moist and flavorful, packed with lots of fruit flavor. There's banana, pineapple, strawberry and chocolate. How could you possible go wrong? And did I mention that they are also vegan? Just be sure not to salivate all over your computer.

Currently the birthday girl is having an Uno tournament with her grandsons and looking forward to another week in the sunny south-east.

She's Here!

My mom has come for a visit! Can you tell I'm excited? I love my mother so much. She is one of my best friends and we have so much in common. She arrived yesterday and will be with us for two whole weeks. IJ and JJ have been counting down for the past two weeks and are thrilled that Granny is finally here.

Mom and I both enjoy cooking so you can guess what we did today. Dinner was delicious, nutritious and shared with good company. We had roasted root vegetables, a mixture of collard, mustard and turnip greens and cornbread. I used to think I didn't like root vegetables, but I've changed my mind. These were absolutely wonderful! We included butternut squash, rutabega, turnips, onions and beets. This is wonderfully easy to make.

Roasted Root Vegetables
2 beets
1 rutabega
1 butternut squash
1-2 small turnips
1 large onion

Wrap beets individually in foil - do not peel or cut
Place in 400 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hour (depending upon size)

Peel and cut vegetables into 2 inch chunks.
Place all vegetables together in large mixing bowl.
Drizzle with 2 T of olive oil
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Mix to coat all vegetables

When beets are nearly done, place other vegetables on a foil lined cookie sheet and place in oven for 35-45 minutes, until tender when pierced with fork.

When beets are done, allow them to cool slightly before peeling and cutting into wedges. Do not mix the beets in with other vegetables as they will transfer their color and everthing will be "beet red". Enjoy!

Sushi Saturday

Vegetable sushi is one of my favorite things to eat. For years I would purchase it as a special treat. However, like with most things I decided to try it at home because it can get really expensive to feed a husband and two growing, always eating boys. So, for about the last 4 years I've been making sushi and improving upon the technique as I go. I'm no expert, but I do a pretty good job if I do say so myself.

As you may have guessed, we had sushi for dinner on Saturday (Sunday too). Usually I just make rolls (maki sushi), but this time I tried something a little different. Nigiri-sushi is the oval shaped sushi that usually has a nice raw piece of fish sitting on top. Needless to say there was no raw fish served here, although if you don't look too hard it may look a little like salmon.

The orange is thinly sliced carrots that I simmered in a vegetable broth and soy sauce mixture. The maki has cucumber and avocadoes. Yum! All food has some history to it, and as we have continued learning about Japan, it seemed fitting to explore the origins of its most well-known food. Sushi was not a planned menu item. It came about as a result of resourcefulness and adaptation. Fish and rice are both a major part of the Japanese diet, and both are very plentiful. Years ago, in order to preserve fish it was heavily salted and storage was inside mounds of cooked rice. It was kept this way for a year, so you can imagine that the rice became...you guessed it, the rice became sour and was thrown out. Over the years storage time was cut and the rice was not discarded, but eaten along with the fish. Eventually they reached the point of using fresh fish and adding vinegar to make sour rice. The boys thought that was an interesting bit of information.

Before you ask I will just tell you that yes, the boys like sushi. In fact they really love it as much as J and I do. Can't you tell?

If you've never tried sushi before, then decide to be a little adventurous. Many supermarkets have sushi bars right inside the store. Watch them make it, pick up a pack to take home and let me know how much you enjoyed it.

I will not try to give a recipe for making sushi, however there are some really good ones online. There are even videos on youtube that show the process. I also came across a really good cookbook titled Vegetarian Sushi that is worth checking out.

Konichiwa!

Hello from Japan...well it's really our dining area. However, for the past week it has been converted into our version of a Japanese room. There is so much to share about this learning experience. First, let me say that our theme is honor...showing kindness and respect to others because we are all made in God's image (Genesis 1:27). Yes, we are all made in God's image, even though at times we don't look like it! We have spent a good bit of time training ourselves to look for God in others. In doing this we are learning to treat people well, whether we think they deserve it or not. An amazing example of this was found in reading a biography of Mother Teresa. What an awesome woman of character. She always taught her fellow nuns to look for Jesus in everyone they met and to care for them as though caring for Jesus himself. Wow!

Ok, back to Japan. Last week was spent identifying and making a map of Japan, making the Japanese flag, and learning about Japanese culture. Clothing, homes, and of course food were all a part of the fun. We even picked up a few Japanese words in the process.

Me, wearing the closest thing I could get to a kimono. I borrowed this cute dress from a Vietnamese friend. It does have an obi (the belt that goes around the kimono) but you can't see it on this picture. JJ decided that he wanted to dress like Rick Flair (the wrestler) that day. Behind us is the Japanese screen JJ painted and on the floor our straw tatami mats. Ok, they're really sheets but they worked for our purposes.

Our tokonoma, a japanese style raised alcove featuring scrolls, flowers, candles and the boys names in japanese characters. No, we didn't do those. I purchased these last fall in anticipation of this unit.

Most of our meals and schoolwork have been in our newly remodeled room. I was surprised at how easily we adapted. We have eaten dumpling soup (these were really Korean, but very close) dumplings and rice, soba noodles and edemame and udon noodles, all using chopsticks. I think the boys are really good at it after so much practice. We even ate our spaghetti with chopsticks! In fact I think the eating was their favorite part. IJ commented on how cool it is that it's not bad manners to shovel food into your mouth in Japan. Spoken like a true boy.

While the whole week has been full of fun and learning, the most fun was the sumo wrestling matches the boys engaged in. Sumo is the national sport of Japan. It was really interesting to learn about these heavyweight wrestlers and even more fun to watch the boys imitate them. Did you know that these guys have to weigh at least 250 pounds? We found a couple of videos on youtube that showed them training and eating. Can you guess what they do after eating a heavy meal? Yes, they take long naps. Aah, what a life. Take a look at our version of sumo wrestling-african american style.

We will continue our exploration into "the Land of the Rising Sun" with a Japanese tea ceremony, ikabana (Japanese flower arranging) learning about the life of a samurai, and a new year celebration.