the curator ~ edition #22 [welcome, lindsay crandall]

That's a favorite back issue of The World of Interiors. I never subscribed, but I once loved to flip through its glossy pages at Bookstop. The above cover photograph is of Le Corbusier's last architectural project - Saint-Pierre Church in Firminy, France. I love how light shines through the walls like a constellation as the sun moves across the sky. I have that magazine sitting atop a bookshelf in our library/TV room because the stars are just so purty every time I walk by.

In fact, I'll be spending most of today (and tomorrow) in the library writing an article as my deadline is imminent. Before I start, though, I'll make a cup of tea and read the newest edition of The Curator to perk up my weary brain. I'm especially interested in this edition with a piece about the late author, John Updike, and my blog-friend Lindsay's first article! My editor/cyber-friend, Alissa, contributed as well - she's always a great read:

Where is the Cinema?
Some Cities and Films in 2008
by M. Leary
A look at cities in the films of 2008, and how they arm us with ways to look at our neighborhoods and daily routines in thoughtful ways.

So Much to Read:
Updike, Angstrom and Procrastination
by Matt Beck
John Updike, RIP: the legacy and oeuvre.

New Year, New York, New Art...
by Wayne Adams
The new year means new art in Chelsea, and a new opportunity to feel the pulse of the art world.

Operation NICE:
A Reminder that Niceness Counts
by Lindsay Crandall
Harnessing the web to promote civility and goodwill.

Magnificat:
Vivid Deconstruction
by Alissa Wilkinson
The intentional imperfections and brilliant life in painter Bruce Herman’s newest work.

34 things to do before i turn 35

[a "Love Grows" valentine from Bound Staff Press]

As usual, I was inspired by Nicole's blog, so here's my own list....

1. Be pregnant.
2. Learn to play guitar and piano.
3. Line-dry our laundry in the Spring Summer Autumn.
4. Take a road trip with Johnny to New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona (to visit my Mom-in-law), and Utah (to pick up a cedar chest that Johnny's Dad made, and to see his family's house).
5. Learn to embroider, crochet, and knit.
6. Sing in our Church's choir. Maybe.
7. Resume visiting the nursing home.
8. Write a creative nonfiction essay.
9. Finish reading the Bible from cover to cover. [I decided to use the REC Prayer Book lectionary instead]
10. Take a few music theory lessons via my husband. He says this needs to happen before I do #2. I married a teacher, after all.
11. Buy a "little black dress."
12. Find just the right Christ Pantocrator icon to hang above the fireplace, artwork to hang above the living room sofa, and something thrifted to hang above our bed.
13. Befriend more of our neighbors.
14. Learn to garden and compost.
15. Live a more handmade life.
16. Put down the MacBook and knock off an impressive amount of my to-read list.
17. Be healthy - able to enjoy a balanced, varied diet.
18. Dine at t'afia.
19. Write a poem.
20. Revisit Nashville to see Kierstin & Eli, and Katy; drink coffee at Crema and Ugly Mugs, shop at Pangaea, hike around Radnor Lake, and meet some new folks, I hope.
21. Host Sabbath feasts in our dining room.
22. Learn the art of trusting God when things don't make a lick of sense, [ongoing, of course, but I'm starting to get the hang of it]
23. and bid the bad habits of despair, anger, fear, and worry (among others) goodbye. [also ongoing, but improved]
24. Visit the Live Oak Friends Meeting Skyspace here in Houston (once it reopens),
25. and the Nasher in Dallas the next time we visit my parents, Christine, and Jenny.
26. Learn to make granola. And bread.
27. Pay Alissa a visit in New York and catch some good theater.
28. Hopefully attend the Glen though we may have to win the lottery first (maybe this can coincide this with #4). [can't do this year - next year!]
29. See the Marfa lights (all this traveling might be a little ambitious, but you never know. Oh, we need to visit Allison and Wayne in Missouri, too....).
30. Submit my writing to a few journals and such.
31. Learn more about photography.
32. Find back patio furniture and hang white twinkle lights & rice paper lanterns out there.
33. Take up writing letters to family and friends again.
34. Write a song with Johnny. His most recent one - "Light of the Gentiles" - is especially great. Amazing Indian percussion, too.

* Then make a new list of 35 things....

time for a new notebook

Today is much of the peaceful same. Cookies before breakfast, incense, tea; blah, blah. The past two days I've enjoyed an old favorite: fragrant Assam tea with a splash of almond milk. Of course, my former boss and friend recommended Teavana's white Ayurvedic chai mixed with my favorite black tea and he really shouldn't have done that! I'm not much of a mall-shopper, but there's a Teavana shop in the Galleria that's pretty fun to visit. Plus, we all know I'm the "Tea Lady." Now I can't stop thinking about Teavana.

Anyway, I jotted down this and that on the last page of my red Moleskine. One of my favorite simple pleasures is to crack open a brand new, blank notebook. It gives a girl hope, you know? I have a few notebooks stored up in my writing room, but this vintage bird design from Cavallini caught my eye:

[morning light]

It'll be perfect for all kinds of random thoughts, quotes, Bible verses, and notes for my next Curator article about Hotel San José. You know, a notebook much like Abigail Thomas's:

"Call it a diary--it is less imposing than a journal, which sounds like an end in itself. I steer clear of the word journal--and its spawn, the verb to journal, as in, 'I have been journaling all my life.' If I were to call my notebook a journal I would probably write with the notion that it be published someday, preferably posthumously, and people would marvel. This would make me self-conscious. I would be trying to perfect each sentence before its time. I prefer notes; if I clean it up too fast I lose the spark. Everything goes in: grocery lists, things to do (so I can scratch them off) random observations, knitting patterns, recipes, overheard dialogue, everything. A diary isn't sacred. Think of it as the written equivalent to singing in the shower. I don't care what I'm writing and I don't pay attention to language. A friend wanted to know what I was working on; she was reading the paper and I was writing in my diary. We were having coffee at Bread Alone.
'Nothing,' I said.
'It can't be nothing,' she said, assuming perhaps that writers were always doing something interesting. She leaned over and read, 'It is taking a long time to get my sandwich.'
Case closed."

Today's really a good day for me - thank You, Jesus - but we do have to stop by the doctor this afternoon for a lil' blood test. Nothing major (or exciting), but it should reveal helpful information. Thankfully, their office is very close by, as is Katy Budget Books. I believe people of any age deserve a treat after a doctor's visit, so we'll see what the $5.00 bill in my purse can buy. Hopefully, another book in Wendell Berry's Port William series.* From what I hear, I'll want to keep going and going after Nathan Coulter.

Either that or another copy of Peace Like a River. One of our pregnant friends is on limited mobility and goes through books like water. Who wouldn't want to read Peace Like a River?? I offered to lend her mine, but then I decided to write about L. Enger's book for The Curator (after the article due this week). Thus, I need another copy. It's time to check up on Jeremiah, Davy, Reuben, and Swede once again. Besides, our friend needs to own that book - it is simply that good.

* - [no Wendell Berry novels today, but I did find a hardback of Peace Like a River for $6.50 total. Beautiful, isn't it?]

come on over

[dining room]

Remember the project I mentioned? Well, the very kind Ana invited me and Johnny to share our home on her blog, Rearranged Design. I was flattered by the prospect since she features such beautiful homes on her blog, and because we're still in the midst of decorating.

So, I invite you to virtually visit our house and read a little about our decorating philosophy here.* We take it as extending a modern form of hospitality to those of you we haven't met (yet). Not a day goes by where we don't thank God for our peaceful home to fill with family, the cats, friends, and neighbors (and little Simmonses in our future). We surely wouldn't own this house if not for Johnny's Dad, John L. Simmons. We miss him every day, too.

Be sure to click here to tour all of the other homes. Don't you dare skip over this amazing loft. I dig lofts, and I love that Shauna & Stephen hung a porch swing near their bed - brilliant.

Thank you again, Ana!

* - [click our photos on Rearranged Design to see 'em a bit larger. Also, try to find Milo in three of the pictures - I didn't know he was a camera hog 'til now.]

chocolate chip cookies

I am utterly addicted to these cookies! For one thing, they contain very dark chocolate which is a requirement in my life. And they taste like "real cookies" - not yeast-free, I promise (I'm a horrible liar):

Chocolate Chip Cookies
[adapted from Christine's Nutty Coconut Cookies which she adapted from a Tropical Traditions recipe]

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine in a large bowl:

1/2 cup raw walnuts, mashed
1/2 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened cacao chips, mashed
3/4 cup erythritol
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup flax seed meal
Dash of Celtic sea salt

Stir all of that, then add:

1/2 cup roasted almond butter
3 heaping flatware tablespoons coconut oil

Mix everything together, then mix in 1/2 cup coconut flour.

Form the dough into one-inch balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 14-16 minutes (depending on your oven) until the tops are golden brown.

* Since these cookies are so wonderfully rich, I recommend a glass of Blue Diamond unsweetened almond milk + a few drops of vanilla stevia to wash 'em down. Or regular ole milk - whatever your body can handle. Thank God for creating nuts, cacao, coconut, and so on.

the curator ~ edition #21 [tgif]

[a tea light holder on an upstairs bookshelf ~ it looks lovely lit up at night]

I really do always have my nose stuck in a book, or a good online publication. Thank God it's Friday because we have a new edition of The Curator:

Notes From a Budget Truck
by Brian Watkins
Does a lack of belonging breed materialism which leads to neuroticism which leads to paranoia which leads to believing that this downward spiral of material obsession will continue and Steve Jobs will eventually create a troop of iPod robots so sleek and desirable that they will seduce us into being their slaves?

Virtuous Fun in the Films of Whit Stillman
by Rebecca Tirrell Talbot
The macabre side of human experience is fascinating, and there has been a strong run of artistic, bleak films lately. I propose, however, that it’s equally important to examine another side of life: experiences of virtue.

Classical What?!
by Kevin Gosa
I can think of only a few other fields where confusion ensues upon statement of profession: philosopher, geneticist, human rights advocate. Fortunately for those highly educated individuals who are also asked to explain their day-to-day dealings, they have either mental superiority or moral uprightness on their side. Classical saxophonists lose on both counts.

a good daily ritual

Daily Routines is a new favorite blog courtesy of my friend Allison. It's all about "how writers, artists, and other interesting people organize their days." God knows I have my own specific [neurotic] rituals to feed good writing or just day-to-day life. In my opinion, both circumstances must be as inspirational as possible with a healthy dose of structure.

Yesterday 'twas:

-Opening all the window blinds,
-meds + a few vitamins,
-Enfusia yerba mate + rooibos vanilla tea (a great combo.),
-Japanese incense,
-breakfast on the couch while reading my favorite blogs,
-a few more vitamins,
-reading Genesis,
-writing in a red Moleskine,
-late morning prayer with my husband,
-baking nutty-chocolate coconut cookies (my yeast-free recipe coming soon),
-closing all the blinds,
-an evening walk around the neighborhood,
-dinner & LOST,
-African Nectar tea,
-Baby Silk lotion and pomegranate lip balm,
-and sleep.

Today:

-Opening all the window blinds,
-meds + a few vitamins,
-a load of dark laundry,
-Texas piñon coffee,
-more Japanese incense,
-breakfast & blogs,
-a few more vitamins,
-taking photos upstairs (for that project I mentioned),
-an eye doctor appt. to make sure pinkeye has gone bye-bye,
-reading Genesis,
-writing in the red notebook,
-evening prayer w/Johnny,
-closing the blinds,
-a walk,
-a long bath,
-dinner,
-African Nectar tea,
-hopefully reading Eventide near candles and the fireplace (or watching Wall-E),
-lotion & lip balm for my dry skin,
-and sleep.

Of course my daily rituals vary sometimes according to whimsy, but that's the gist of a good day or two. Also, I'm trying to heed St. Matthew's advice to not worry about tomorrow, so I've only been mapping out the present day in my Moleskine planner save for the upcoming doctor's appointment or coffee date that should be jotted down. Or even my Curator writing schedule, but my goal is to no longer frantically schedule each hour of the next day.

To give you a little taste of the Daily Routines blog, here's an excerpt from the C.S. Lewis entry - a kindred spirit, I do believe:

"We now settled into a routine which has ever since served in my mind as an archetype, so that what I still mean when I speak of a 'normal' day (and lament that normal days are so rare) is a day of the Bookham pattern. For if I could please myself I would always live as I lived there. I would choose always to breakfast at exactly eight and to be at my desk by nine, there to read or write till one. If a cup of good tea or coffee could be brought me about eleven, so much the better. .... The return from the walk, and the arrival of tea, should be exactly coincident, and not later than a quarter past four. Tea should be taken in solitude, as I took it as Bookham on those (happily numerous) occasions when Mrs. Kirkpatrick was out; the Knock himself disdained this meal. For eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably. Of course not all books are suitable for mealtime reading. It would be a kind of blasphemy to read poetry at table. What one wants is a gossipy, formless book which can be opened anywhere. ...."

almost and always, part 2

I have another musical recommendation for you ~ David Mead's Almost and Always, Part 2:

You're welcome & happy listening.

i am my mother's daughter

I've probably said this before, but it's highly funny to me that I enjoy browsing antique/thrift stores nowadays. My Mom used to drag me, my brother, and my Dad to antique store after antique store which I then likened to stabbing my eyes with a fork. I'm not sure when my opinion of thrifting changed, but it was probably when I lived in a studio apartment right around the corner from Empire Cafe and countless thrift stores and antique shops. It's one of the best corners in all of Houston.

So now, several years later, my vision for our home is a mixture of modern, vintage, handmade, and multicultural items. We love our West Elm and IKEA furniture, but we also love antiques courtesy of my Mom. She found the above pulpit in our entryway, a chair in the living room, a prayer bench in our bedroom, and a Rothko print in the library/TV room. She also scored a Moroccan wire tea light lantern - I selected it from amongst several fun things in "New Kitty Ann Land" which also serves as a guest bedroom. See, my Mom has always wanted her name to be Kitty Ann as opposed to Julie. "Old Kitty Ann Land" was in my parents' garage in Round Rock, TX, and it was fabulous - ask any of my friends who visited. Anyway, my zany Madre has rubbed off on me. I found the above hymnal rack in Gruene and as we purchased it I told Johnny, "I am so my Mother's daughter."

Props to Johnny for hanging the hymnal rack after patiently bearing with me. I had a hard time deciding where the heck it should go in the living room - long story. For some reason, I was drawn to an unconventional spot above the sofa; it works for me and complements the pulpit. As with any thrifted object, I love to imagine the story behind it. Which Church did this rack come from? Who placed hymnals in it each Sunday? Was the Church torn down? Was the congregation in Texas? Georgia? Methodist? Baptist? Etc.

One thing the rack holds is the latest Image journal which I've barely cracked into, but I did read a beautiful poem on page 100:

The Burned Butterfly
by Anya Silver

Thus this restless little butterfly of the memory
has its wings burned now and cannot fly.
-Teresa of Avila

Char my wings. Lord, singe
these cells of forewing, hindwing.
Blacken memory's sky blue
shimmer, its thousands of cells-
each startling pigment, each
dorsal and ventral venation-
the coppered glint of flight,
oh Lord. If prayer is forgetting,
let the colored dust of decades
rise in air, let me put away
all fluttered moments trapped
within my hair. These bodies
of memory - crippled, drab-
across the thirsty earth do blow.
I bring you, Lord, the rest
of it: my driving mind,
my flightless soul.


....I pinned the two postcards from Yard Dog to the inspiration wire. I like the reminder that "All Things Are Possible" here:



And Johnny Cash folk art here:



Lastly, I recommend Pandora's Andrew Bird radio if you're in need of good tunes.

P.S. ~ My Mom offered to cross-stitch this sampler for us, and teach me how! She tells me she did a lot of cross-stitching when I was in her belly. I'm excited to learn.

inaugural musings

Though we voted otherwise, Johnny and I are praying for President Obama as we believe it is right to do. Our ideal presidential candidate is a long time coming, so we pray for that, too.

As I sit here watching the inauguration, I pray words from the The Book of Common Prayer that my husband posted on his facebook:

"O Lord, our heavenly Father, the high and mighty Ruler of the universe, who dost from Thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth; most heartily we beseech Thee, with Thy favour to behold and bless Thy servant Barack, our President, our Senate and Representatives in Congress assembled, and all others in authority; and so replenish them with the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, that they may always incline to Thy will, and walk in Thy way. Endue them plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant them in health and prosperity long to live; and finally, after this life, to attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

On a different note, I liked the inclusion of a poet in the inauguration ceremony. And I was impressed with President Obama's musical choices: Aretha Franklin and Yo-Yo Ma & Co.. Soulful, and beautiful. As Kierstin pointed out, Aretha's hat was pretty awesome.

wise men & incense

I'll be distracting myself this week by snapping a few pictures of our house for an upcoming project. Today I tried to capture the dining room and decided to try again tomorrow. I noticed that wise man on the entry closet doorknob and thought he made a nice shot, too. Not a perfect photograph, but I love the natural light in our home - it's a great comfort. And since we're still in the season of Epiphany, wise men and incense seem appropriate. I've been burning sticks from Shoyeido after seeing Nicole's thrifted incense house. Now that is a perfect photograph.

Our table and chairs remind me, we should have friends over for dinner soon. That would be another healthy distraction, I think. In fact, I just discovered that a blog-friend lives in the Houston area, and her husband and mine share a mutual musical friend. If my health will cooperate just a little bit more, that sounds like a grand time (if it does to them). Plus, she and I could gush over Peace Like a River while our husbands talk music.

We're overdue on having a lot of friends over, actually - better get to it.

hotel san josé 2009

I’m not sure exactly how to describe our Austin adventure, so I’ll just do my best. It was both fun and miserable. How’s that for an anniversary trip? It was fun being with my favorite person, of course, and sleeping over at Hotel San José. The weather was gorgeous. We listened to a fascinating podcast in the car: The Treatment with director Darren Aronofsky and now we both really want to see The Wrestler. The mega-Whole Foods's salad bar did not disappoint; I ate a lot of sweet red pepper hummus. Clay Pit served some of the best Indian food we’ve ever had (I enjoyed a Chilean merlot). Back at the hotel, we stopped by the wine bar for a glass of some merlot I couldn’t pronounce, took it back to our room, and curled up on the soft bed. I drank the wine and nibbled a Scharffen Berger dark chocolate nibby bar (62%). Johnny took sips of whiskey from his black-leather flask.

The next day, we walked down S. Congress to pop into Yard Dog just to be near Jon Langford's art. One of these days we’re gonna have to throw down for a small portrait of Johnny Cash. On the way to Uncommon Objects, we were confronted by an eager collegiate Greenpeace advocate. I can’t tell you how reluctantly I shook her hand and introduced myself. I do believe in caring for the earth, but not quite in the manner that Greenpeace endorses, and don’t even get Johnny started. However, the college girl was really cute - so intense and all - and we were polite. We told her what we agreed upon which she liked, but also what we objected to and well, she didn’t like that at all. As we walked away, I told Johnny that we traumatized that young lady's worldview.

Why was I miserable? As I ate all of that delectable food, it became apparent that I’m not done fighting my yeast overgrowth yet. Actually, I had a few clues before our trip, but I looked at our anniversary feasts as my “last meals”, at least for awhile. So, along with yeast die-off, my eyes misbehaved the entire trip before we figured out it was pinkeye. I looked sort of haggard the whole time - I couldn't use concealer to cover dark circles or anything. On top of that, my doctor is still trying to figure out the balance of my thyroid and adrenal functions which is tricky because they’re a close-knit, glandular team. All in all, I was not feeling well. It was pretty disappointing, to say the least.

Our last fun stop was my beloved BookPeople, but mid-browsing, I had to take a vintage armchair and just sit. I’d already scored Nathan Coulter (for me) and a Theodore Roosevelt book on sale (for Johnny), so I was good to go. But I knew then and there that our plans to visit the Tea Embassy would have to wait until next time and man, I hated that. I so wanted to try the C.S. Lewis blend. It's OK, though - I had a cup of African Nectar tea at BookPeople that was to-die-for.

Look, I will not be defensive about my health treatment. Dr. Sheridan (at the Hotze clinic) is excellent. He’s helped many people and some of those folks are friends of ours; not random wackos. Some healed quickly, and some recovered more slowly - every person is a unique creation. I’ve received extra advice from knowledgeable, über-healthy friends and changed up my regimen. We’ve gathered wisdom from other good friends and family. Even before all this, I went to my old round of doctors who were kind, but clueless. At least now I’m talking with people who know what’s going on inside my body. There’s not an overnight cure for systemic diseases, but there’s no need to give up. I think, too, it’s important to understand that God is doing this His way. I don’t know why and it may be a mystery all my days. Yet who is able to heal if not God? And do I expect to follow Jesus without suffering? After all, He was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” However, my predicament is not mere torture. Just the other day I re-read a quote by Thomas Merton while perusing goodreads:

“....it is of the very essence of Christianity to face suffering and death not because they are good, not because they have meaning, but because the resurrection of Jesus has robbed them of their meaning.”

I thought that was pretty good, but Johnny does it one better:

“Suffering does have meaning for the Christian because he/she partakes in the sufferings of Christ. The resurrection actually gives our suffering meaning - it gives us hope!”

Even after realizing that I'm not done yet, I do believe I'll be healed. Call me crazy, but I do. When I really think about it, my perception of time is hilarious in comparison to God's. You might recall that I was feeling better back in November. What happened, you ask? I probably overdid all the “normal food.” I should’ve gone with one treat per day vs. big meals, but I don’t regret it. When you go through a slow health treatment like this, you can almost cower in fear regarding every single thing you put in your mouth. I think it was good for me to step outside the lines in faith, enjoy some of my favorite eats, and celebrate a glimpse of things to come.

For now, I need to slow back down and recognize the bounty of a yeast-free diet. I’ll bake Christine’s nutty coconut cookies (with Sweet-n-Natural), cinnamon-roasted apples, Indian food recipes with coconut milk, and chicken tagine with chickpeas (scroll down - thanks, Alina). Besides, coconut cream hot chocolate tastes amazing lately as well as rooibos vanilla tea. When I stop and think of how many people are starving in this world, I simply cannot complain about a restricted menu. Maybe I can't make every single recipe from Orangette or 101 Cookbooks, but I have plenty of goodness to eat and drink.

I need to resume the art of waiting, too. I must admit that my attitude has been dark and gloomy since we arrived home. I’m bone-weary from suffering, and I still think my lot is ironic since I have the pain threshold of a gnat. But my husband is the stronger half - always encouraging, speaking truthfulness, and gently pushing me forward. We have a strange faith that my healing is for sure slow, but not at a dead end. He hopes for the both of us when I just can’t. I hug certain Bible stories close - saints who waited and waited, they were mocked, but then God blessed them beyond their wildest dreams.

Anyway, now it’s time for our 2009 photos of Hotel San José - a true sanctuary for us. The peace there is very healing. We love our honeymoon location - The Gruene Apple - but our taste has changed somewhat during the past six years. One of these anniversaries we might spend two nights at the San José and drive to The Gristmill for dinner (it’s not that far). We’re never ready to check out at noon:



[right outside our door]

[signs that room #12 was meant just for us: a big rice paper lantern, Shoyeido incense in the mini bar, an Elvis poster, and an Eames rocking chair....]



[....I really wanted to smuggle the rocking chair home. We made use of the iHome and Johnny’s iPod during breakfast and listened to Aradhna's “Amrit Vani” ("Immortal Word"), one of our current favorite songs.]

[we like these colorful "hippie blankets" (the San José's name, not ours) so much that we purchased a twin-size (only $22) to use as a throw in the living room]

[we also paid for a bar of the same heavenly soap that's in each bathroom. I wish you could smell it - scented with essential oils, strong on the peppermint. Oh, and I always snatch the San José notepad, but I’m pretty sure it’s legal to do so.]

[there's always a poem tacked next to the sink to read while brushing your teeth. This year we had "Tulsa" by David Berman.]

[breakfast via room service]

[my bento box: grapefruit juice, plain yogurt, granola, berries, and Jo's coffee]

[to see a few more of our photos from Austin, click here]

You know what? I love this place so much that I'll write about it for The Curator in a few weeks - the history and such. It should be a good read, I hope.

the curator ~ edition #20 [sweet land]

[young Inge]

For this new edition of The Curator, I had the pleasure of writing about one of my all-time favorite movies, Sweet Land:

Letter to a Young Poet
by Daniel Nayeri
So vast was my fanboy admiration of Billy Collins when I was in college, so unencumbered by facts my ambition, and so shameless my neophytic insolence, that I wrote the Poet Laureate of United States - Billy Collins - a poem.

Financial Frenzy:
Don DeLillo’s Cosmopolis
by Alisa Harris
The novel is about a suicidal, mad pursuit of knowledge - about the desire for immortality through information - and the crash that follows. It is one of those prescient books that resonates more today, with our own financial titans falling, than when it was written in 2003.

Sweet Land:
the Waltz of Olaf and Inge
by Jenni Simmons
Love your spouse, work hard on your sweet land, befriend your neighbor, and spin a good tale.

If you haven't seen Sweet Land, you really should add it to your Netflix queue ASAP. I'm now proud to own this lovely film to watch again and again and again. A good love story that even my husband can stomach (and admire) is hard to come by.

[old Inge; I love her glasses. Both photos courtesy of the official Sweet Land web site.]

gruene in pictures

My eyes are starting to look better, thank the good Lord. I'm not a big antibiotic/steroid fan, but eye drops and ointments will do just fine for the likes of conjunctivitis. Gee whiz.

Even so, I'm taking the easy way out and posting my favorite photos from Gruene with only a few words. Tomorrow, this weekend, or Monday I'll post the Austin pics and more thoughts of mine though they're somewhat bewildering.... Our anniversary trip was celebratory and very special, but oh so paradoxical. Such is life, right?

[the view from our balcony ~ a Gruene, TX sunset]

:: We walked to The Gristmill for dinner:

Me - bacon-wrapped steak, jalapeño-pinto beans, "Gruene beans", and Coppola merlot.
Johnny - salad, a ribeye on the bone, mashed potatoes from scratch, and a Tito's vodka martini.
Oh, and we sipped complimentary Ste. Genevieve wine in our room prior to dinner.

[my breakfast - a biscuit + honey, coffee, bacon and sausage, cinnamon-roasted apples, strawberries; and Johnny and I split this homemade cinnamon roll]

[dorky fun in the general store. You know Johnny loves me if he let me snap this photo. I, for one, think he's rocking the cowboy hat.]

[I'm helpless to spinning racks of gaudy glasses]

:: Johnny also picked up some amaretto fudge at the general store - his ritual every year.

[then on to antique-shopping]

[I fell in love with the salt bowl on the left, but the price tag was too high]

[green glass-light on the wooden floor caught my eye]

[I also fell in love with these cute Pyrex dishes. The price tags were better, but not for all three pieces I found here and there. So, I purchased the round covered dish with this same pattern, a wire egg-spoon to hang by the kitchen sink, and a wooden hymnal rack to hang in the living room - to hold my many periodicals (a photo of the last item coming soon). I really showed a lot of restraint.]

johnny & jenni

We're back home and we had a great time, but I managed to come down with pinkeye in both eyes. I'm feeling pretty blue about my ogre-looking appearance, not to mention the discomfort - boo hoo. Once I'm feeling better, I'll post some photos and thoughts from our trip. For now, aren't these lovey-dovey items from Etsy pretty cute?

[custom heart sampler by Miniature Rhino]

[custom wedding plaque by rae dunn]

I think we need one (or both) hanging in our casa ...

an anniversary e-card

A short interruption in my blog break to say....

Happy 6 years, Sweets! Here's 'til we're old and gray and bouncing grandkids on our knees. I love this life with you, for better or for worse; in sickness and in health. While we try to figure out "our song", remember - we decided that Peter Gabriel will always be "our dating music", and Fleetwood Mac's "Songbird" is "my song" when I think of you.... "I love you, I love you, I love you, like never before."









[the best wedding cake EVER]





[all photos by YiMay Yang]

the curator ~ edition #19 [and 6 years for the simmonses!]

We started the day with Enfusia yerba mate, piñon incense, and "quiet Bible time", as we've been calling it. Johnny took the sunny breakfast nook, and I curled up in my favorite spot of the couch under a blanket. The house was silent save for the coffee maker percolating tea and the wind chime on our back porch.

I love to read great books and there is nothing wrong with that, but lately I've felt that I need to "up" my Scripture-reading (again). At a friend's urging, I re-read Hebrews 11 though I had trouble getting past the first few poetic verses:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."
[vs. 1-3]

So, I keep re-reading the whole amazing chapter. With a tip from my husband, I've also been reading a Proverb a day. As of next week, I intend to read the Bible starting from the beginning like the Good Book it is. It was meant to be read that way, anyway ~ one big, beautiful story of redemption from cover to cover.

As a writer, it's actually important for me to read everything I can get my hands on - books, periodicals, essays, short stories, poems - to improve my work. But it's a deception to believe that those sources are more inspiring or relevant to my life. You just can't beat the very Word of God; well-written all the same, not surprisingly.

... Why look what we have here - a new edition of The Curator, a great way to spend this next part of the day:

All the Sad Young Literary Men
by Peter Jackson
Gessen's novel steps into three lives, watches them passively, and steps back out with only slightly abated passivity. Resent it as I do, Gessen’s book resonates somewhere with me.

The Art of Inspiration in the Crescent City
by Jay Urban
New Orleans lives and still breathes. It stays up all night dancing. It best showcases the problems and hopes most relevant to the United States today, and despite how old it sometimes look, it constantly stays young at heart.

Same Old Story
by Jenna St. Hilaire
It’s a very idiosyncratic thing, this compulsion to revisit a story so often in close succession. It isn’t systematic, it’s the impelling of magnetic force - a desire, almost a need, to imprint the very words into my mind, absorbing their content into heart and being.

And with that, I'm taking a lil' blog break until next week. Johnny and I leave on Sunday to celebrate 6 years of wedded bliss in Gruene and Austin! I can't think of any other way I'd have wanted to spend the past 6 years. Johnny is a handsome, talented, very-smart nutcase and I'm so glad he's all mine. He for sure makes me a better woman, thank God.

From our happy day on January 11, 2003:

[photo by YiMay Yang]

From last year's anniversary celebration:

[The Gruene Apple bed & breakfast. Photo by yours truly.]

[Hotel San José. Photo by yours truly.]

See y'all sometime next week!

more goethe

Happy Epiphany, y'all! We took down our Christmas decor yesterday, but we left wise men hanging from various doorknobs and the star made of twigs in the dining room to enjoy throughout this season. I'll be burning frankincense, too.

So, I really don't know that much about Goethe at all (perhaps I should?), but I keep finding that his simple piece of advice is like some kind of natural antidepressant for me, and helps my brain get going when I have an article to write.

Today:

A little song ~ "1234" by Feist (from The Reminder).

A good poem ~ I read two this sunny-blue morning: "Eremite" and "Idiot Psalms" by Scott Cairns (from the January 2009 issue of Poetry magazine).

A fine picture ~

[the calendar above my desk, by Nikki McClure]

A few reasonable words spoken ~ I whispered these bits of prayer and Scripture in a quiet house with a mug of coffee nearby:

"I praise Thee for the life that stirs within me:
I praise Thee for the bright and beautiful world into which I go:
I praise Thee for earth and sea and sky, for scudding cloud and singing bird:
I praise Thee for the work Thou hast given me to do:
I praise Thee for all that Thou hast given me to fill my leisure hours:
I praise Thee for my friends:
I praise Thee for music and books and good company and all pure pleasures....

Let the Spirit of Him whose life was the light of men rule within my heart till eventide."

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
[Jeremiah 29:11]

And I couldn't help but remember this quote by C.S. Lewis:

"I seemed to hear God saying, 'Put down your gun and we'll talk.'"

I can't tell you how often I need to put down my gun lately, and how the mercy of God is palpable. Yes, it is.

Time to finish that Curator article now. Be sure to hear, read, view, and speak beauty, truth, and goodness all around you, ok?

pioneer

Taking Goethe's advice today to help fuel the writing process:

A little song ~ "Pioneering" by The Innocence Mission (from Street Map).

A good poem ~ I've posted it before, but Alissa reminded me how good Wendell Berry's "How To Be a Poet" really is.

A fine picture ~

[Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth]

A few reasonable words spoken, again prompted by the wisdom of John Ballie ~

"Beyond all I give Thee devout and humble thanks for the great gift of Jesus Christ, the Pioneer of our faith. I praise Thee that Thou hast caused me to be born in an age and in a land which have known His name...."

A good day to you and yours. If y'all happen to take Goethe's advice as well, please share your choosings.

the perfect quote

I'm finally upstairs at my desk, trying to get started. But of course, I checked facebook first like the addict I am. I read the perfect quote on my friend Allison's wall which I copied to an index card. I hope she won't mind me sharing it with y'all:

"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, speak a few reasonable words."

-Goethe.

these are healing today

["SING." by rae dunn]

+ Bright blue sky and sun.

+ A long hug from Johnny. Then he made me laugh.

+ Replenishing lip balm w/pomegranate oil....

+ Weleda wild rose intensive eye cream....

+ Vanilla chai lotion (God help my parched skin).

+ Another prayer from John Ballie's diary ~ better words than I could ever muster this morning.

+ Breakfast: scrambled eggs, an orange, three coconut flour chai cookies (ahem), and Texas piñon coffee.

+ Pouring a steaming cup for my husband.

+ Laundry tumbling and drying with method water lily + aloe.

+ Listening to Street Map.

+ shanna murray's photostream.

+ A new issue of Books & Culture to read.

+ The house smelling of coffee.

+ A snail mail package ready to go. There's even paper doilies inside.

+ Still not feeling well and going on a lack of sleep, yet hopeful in the possibility that God will drop a well-written article into my lap upstairs. Please?

+ The natural light in the house, and the shadows.

+ More possibility: The Glen Workshop 2009. Will this be my year, Allison??

+ A walk around the 'hood later on.

+ And an Epsom salt bath, and hopefully more sleep.

coconut flour chai cookies

For all of my health woes, I'm thankful to have somehow acquired too much yeast in my system. Why in God's name, you ask? Well, I'm grateful for the introduction to so many yummy coconut products because as Johnny says, I am "coconutty." While progressing slowly health-wise, I've truly enjoyed coconut cream, coconut milk, dried coconut, coconut oil, and coconut flour. And God knows I love tea. So I'm happy to share my favorite yeast-free dessert thus far:

Coconut Flour Chai Cookies

1 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (in my opinion, you should always use extra cinnamon)
1/2 cup Sweet-n-Natural
3/4 cup coconut oil
2 black chai tea bags steeped in 1/2 cup boiling water, cooled (today, I used Tazo organic chai)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. In a separate bowl mix coconut oil, chai tea, eggs, vanilla, and stevia. Blend in the dry ingredients. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or greased with coconut oil).

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a plate. Best kept in the fridge.

* I recommend serving these alongside a cup of tea such as Yogi chai redbush or a nice Assam. Really any good tea will do. Now I'm off to do some menu-planning via Super Natural Cooking. I'm thinking Muhammara-Slathered Kabobs, Crema de Guacamole, or Chunky Lentil Soup....

P.S. ~ If you like these chai cookies, take a peek at Christine's Nutty Coconut Cookie recipe. I need to bake those ASAP, too.

the curator ~ edition #18 [top 10's]

Today we have The Curator's take on year's end "top 10" lists. I think such lists are fun to read - don't you?

Top Ten TV Shows
by Kevin Gosa

Tech Top Ten
by Ty Fujimura

Ten Favorite Recordings from 2008
(Give or Take Fifteen)
by Jeffrey Overstreet

Top Ten Reasons Real Books
Are Better Than e-Books
by Christy Tennant

Top Ten Reasons to Love Snail Mail
by Jenni Simmons

Top Ten Movies
by Alissa Wilkinson

good words

Johnny and I slept in very late. I considered waking a few hours earlier, but as Harley curled up to my back, I thought otherwise and shut my eyes. When we did finally wake, I made Texas piñon coffee for the both of us; a bowl of stinky Fancy Feast for Harley. I've decided that using the coffee grinder makes for a much better brew. Johnny and I can't get enough of Texas piñon coffee lately, perfect for a tired morning. And we can't thank our brother-in-law, Laurence, enough. He sure knows his way around coffee.

J. and I had such a good, laid-back time with our friends last night. I snacked on hummus and mint chip coconut milk ice cream and things; and we imbibed merlot and eggnog (me), spiced rum (Amy), and Irish whiskey (Johnny and Ryan). We watched a concert Amy recorded for me: Sigur Rós at MoMA. We played the Wii. I sucked at virtual bowling just as much as real life bowling when I worked at a Church day camp (those kids were better than me). But I have to say, the Wii was pretty fun. Oh, and we made plans to have an Easter vigil party at the Simmons' casa with champagne on the menu.

The highlight of New Year's Eve was Izzy's request that I join her Mom for bedtime prayers. Her baby brother, Elliot, crawled around the living room floor near Ryan and Johnny. The rest of us walked back to Izzy's bedroom; butterflies hanging from the ceiling. Is there anything cuter than kids in pajamas? Izzy, Athan, and Ian sat on the bed swinging their legs. Amy and I took the floor.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

[also, is there anything cuter than kids Crossing themselves?]

Amy prayed, then asked what each of her children wanted to pray for. Izzy made sure I could put in a request, too. Then Amy said what she was thankful for, followed by the kids. I wish I could remember their words verbatim, but Athan was grateful for the mint chip ice cream and [gluten-free] brownies at our little party. Ian was thankful - and visibly excited - about the fireworks going on outside. I then received enthusiastic hugs from all three at the same time.

Amy tucked Athan and Ian into their beds while Izzy asked me to pray for her slumber. Humbled, I asked God to place His angels around her bed and guard her sleepy dreams. I pulled a pretty quilt right under Izzy's chin with a silly joke and made her laugh. She used to crawl around my apartment floor as a baby; my how she's grown into such an artistic, beautiful little girl.

After chatting with her parents - some of our favorite people - and feeling pretty good from whiskey and the last sip of eggnog, Johnny and I drove home weary and happy and crashed into bed, muttering our own bedtime prayers.

A brand new year is very good for my psyche, filling me with hope of what might come our way. I say this after a pretty dark week. God help me, I'm a moody soul and my health is still not quite right. I'm for sure healed - this time last year I was much worse off. The Lord has brought me so, so far and I'm forever grateful. But my doctor is still trying to balance my hormones, God bless him. Our bodies are marvelous, interesting creations. Too much or too little hormones can really wreak havoc. Presently, I have painful joints and sore muscles feeling a bit elderly vs. a frisky 34 years old. However, this may not be a bad thing; it may be more progress in disguise. Not only is there much less yeast in my system (yeast toxins block our hormone receptors), but I've also been taking excellent vitamins and supplements lately, so it may very well be that since my body is functioning better, I don't need so many hormones after all. I'd love that.

We shall see, but man, I am not patient. I'm ready to put the last piece of my health puzzle together and move on. I'm more than ready to tuck my own kiddos into bed upstairs. Sometimes my heart aches more than my joints, filled with shameful questions and anger toward God as if I know more than He does. As if my sense of timing is better than His. And sadly, I often take out my immature frustration on my sweet, very-patient husband - for certain the better half. I thank God often that I get to watch Johnny be the man he is every day. I learn so much that I can't even tell you.

I'm thankful for a book I purchased with some Christmas money: A Diary of Private Prayer by John Ballie. I knew I had to own this little tome of wisdom after reading several excerpts on Margie Haack's blog. It was one of those books that called out, "You need me - buy me." It contains beautiful prayers for every morning and evening of a whole month, to be used over and over in any given year. Today's morning prayer was lovely, but as I looked through the book at the tail end of 2008, the following jumped out at me.

From the evening of day 30:

"....I praise Thy name for the gift of Thy holy apostle, Saint Paul. I thank Thee for the zeal with which Thou didst endow him to carry to our western race the lamp of truth which Thou hadst lately lit in an eastern land.

Saint Paul said, 'Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.'

O God, incline my heart to follow in this way."

From the morning of day 31:

"Forbid, O Lord God, that my thoughts to-day should be wholly occupied with the world's passing show. Seeing that in Thy lovingkindness Thou hast given me the power to lift my mind to the contemplation of things unseen and eternal, forbid that I should remain content with the things of sense and time."

From the evening of day 31:

"O Thou who art the Lord of the night as of the day and to whose will all the stars are obedient, in this hour of darkness I too would submit my will to Thine.

From the stirrings of self-will within my heart:
From cowardly avoidance of necessary duty:
From rebellious shrinking from necessary suffering:
From discontentment with my lot:
From jealousy of those whose lot is easier:
From thinking lightly of the one talent Thou hast given me, because Thou hast not given me five or ten:
From uncreaturely pride;
From undisciplined thought:
From unwillingness to learn and unreadiness to serve:
O God, set me free."

If I keep praying such thoughts, this year will be something else.

Lastly, Sandra McCracken posted a great poem by Wendell Berry and interesting info. about the hymn, "Amazing Grace", on her blog. Both are worth your while this January 1st of 2009.