Reflections from an Afternoon in the E.R.

I feel almost normal today. There's a little soreness and fatigue from the tension and tight muscles of yesterday, but nothing hurts this morning as I'm typing out my thoughts. Once again, I find myself so very grateful for my health and the opportunities of a new day.

How did I end up in the emergency room yesterday?

It's like this. As I was getting ready for my Monday morning Bible study, I bent over to pick something up off the floor and started having painful spasms in my abdomen. Something felt like it had popped or twisted. Strange. Since I no longer have an appendix, a gallbladder or a uterus, they couldn't be causing problems. Maybe, I thought to myself, it's just a twitch of some kind that will subside if I just go along with my plans.

I made it to the Bible study and even enjoyed lunch with great friends -- with occasional spasms and twitches still happening. As I drove around town running a few errands before heading back home (25 minutes away), the pain started getting worse and when I felt in my lower abdomen, something hard or tight was there. Immediately, flashes of Steve's emergency surgery last year for two strangulated hernias started whirling frighteningly through my mind. What if I drove all the way home and got WORSE -- an even longer distance away from Steve or any kind of help?

I reached Steve at work and described what was happening. He called our family doctor, who is 45 minutes away in Hartselle (I know, I know, we need to find one closer, but we've known and trusted this doctor for so many years now -- almost 40, in fact). The office said that he was about to leave for a meeting but could see me in the morning. They recommended that I go to Parkway Medical Center E.R. in Decatur -- the same place where Steve had gone when he had his emergency. So, I clutched the steering wheel and drove toward that destination. Even though Steve almost never has his cellphone handy while he's working, he promised to keep it close by.

When I walked in the door of the E.R., I was doubled over in pain. Tension and fear were "doing a number" on my body by this time. The process was quick. I was registered, through triage, and in a room in only about 15 minutes. Whew! Even though the visions of emergency surgery were still plaguing my thoughts, I was at least where Somebody could do Something, if Something indeed needed to be done.

What happened during the 3 hours that I was there?

Just as I got "situated" and was waiting to be seen about, my daughter Laura sent me a text saying that she'd been asked to write an article for a magazine and was sharing her excitement. When I texted back about where I was, she simply typed the word "praying." What peace for a Momma's heart.

From the first appearance of the nurse, I could feel myself getting calmer. With her trained hands, she began to pinpoint and help me define the source of my pain. And no, I'll go ahead and answer the question that my son succinctly texted to me hours later: "Was it just gas?" Mr. Compassion strikes again. No, gas was not involved.

After her preliminary exam, we both began to think it might be just a pulled muscle, but "the doctor would be in shortly, some tests would be run to rule out anything more significant, and we'd wait for the results." Yay. A plan.

Everyone I interacted with yesterday was wonderful. They were all -- from the doctor to the lab techs to the X-ray personnel --kind and competent. They reassured me that I had made the right decision to come and be checked out, and they were so very respectful of my fears and feelings. As my body relaxed, my pain subsided.

By the time the doctor came in to tell me that all test results were negative and to give me some instructions, etc., I was breathing easier and doing much better. I walked out of the E.R. in the upright position and called Steve to bring home Steak-Out for supper, because the kitchen was closed for the night. :)

What did God bring to my mind through this crisis?

I thought of two women in particular.

One was Ruth Cost, a dear friend and former prayer partner who died quite a few years ago. She was a nurse, a widow, a beloved member of the church we joined, and one of the first people we met when we moved to Hartselle in 1973. I remembered visiting her in the hospital after she'd had an extremely painful surgery that removed a section of one of her lungs. In the middle of horrible agony and in a semi-conscious state, she was STILL kind and considerate to every nurse and hospital staff member who came into her room. I was amazed that she was able to do that, but I knew it was the result of YEARS of conditioning and practice. It was her "default" manner of responding to whatever life threw her way. I wanted to be like Ruth Cost to each person who came into my cubicle yesterday. I tried hard. I did not want to be selfish, whiny and demanding. Oh, I realize that yesterday wasn't much of a test compared to what so many people face. Maybe it was just my chance to practice imitating Ruth and her unfailing kindness.

I also thought of Grannie, Steve's mom who died last July. She made many trips to the Emergency Room between 2002 and 2011. When she was feeling a lot of anxiety or pain, she must have felt very frightened and alone. I could understand a little more about why she felt the urgency to get to the E.R. As I did yesterday, she knew that once she arrived there would be people who could figure out what was wrong and "make it all better." I wish I had understood that more clearly before she died.

God reminded me that He has continued to grant me good health so that I can bring Him glory. He doesn't NEED me in order for His work to be done, but He's still choosing to use me. He still desires to hear "Yes, Lord" as my automatic response to His voice. Thank you, Father, for the precious gift of a new day.

Memorable Kitchens from our Ecuador Days

If a home is said to be a man's castle, then surely the kitchen must be the woman's ballroom. I know there are a lot of comments being made by house-hunters and real estate professionals nowadays that the kitchen is getting only passing attention because it's being used the least. Say it isn't so!! Ladies, for those of you who cook -- at least a few times a week -- wouldn't you say that you want your kitchen to reflect your style and your personality? Yes, it needs to be painted in a color you like, be arranged for optimum working, and have fun touches scattered throughout, but don't you see it as the "heart" of your home, the place where children gather to do homework and talk while you create tantalizing smells of delicious treats to come, where your husband comes in the back door and is immediately glad he's there, where company comes to enjoy your food but also your warm hospitality, where you experiment with new recipes and anticipate the people in your life who will appreciate them? Maybe I'm just sitting here whistling the tune of a long-ago generation, but for me the kitchens in the nests I've made with Steve have been of utmost importance.

Just last Friday I spent a happy day in my kitchen in our house near the river baking bread, polishing silver, arranging a buffet, putting a pot of soup on to simmer and arranging a yummy dessert on a platter because I was eagerly awaiting a group of great young couples from the church who were coming for a party. True bliss for me. Really.

As I hummed and bustled in my present kitchen, my mind drifted back to some very memorable kitchens I visited or worked in during the years Steve and I spent in Ecuador. I searched for some pictures that might give you a sense, or a "taste" if you will, that my inadequate words never could.

I have to laugh (to keep from crying) when I see this first kitchen below. The day after we arrived in the country I was left here with 2 plates, 2 forks, 2 knives, 2 glasses, 2 spoons, a small aluminum skillet and one saucepan. By the time this picture was made, I had begged and borrowed a few other cooking items from a fellow missionary (bless you, Peggy Mulkey) and was beginning to figure a couple of things out. Steve describes the first few meals I prepared in this apartment as reminding him of "the first year we were married." I was a novice cook in 1971, and I was back to being a novice cook at an altitude of 8500 ft. and using a gas stove again for the first time since our small trailer at Auburn. I was also re-learning (if I ever indeed learned in the first place) how to cook everything "from scratch." There were virtually NO convenience foods at the main grocery store in Cuenca, and it took me several weeks before I could pass the meat counter without gagging from the smell (I hate to admit that, but it's true). It would be another year before a sweet friend told me how to cook rice in a pressure cooker. Until then, mine was either gummy, the consistency of fine gravel, or we just skipped it altogether. We only lived here for a few months, but I guarantee we'll never forget it. I had truly not known what kind of living conditions to expect, and this was actually a very welcome sight.

After a few months in the first apartment, we were given permission to look for a more suitable place. As we were driving around, we spotted the "Se Arrienda" (For Rent) sign taped to the outside window of this 2nd floor apartment and hurriedly made arrangements to see it. In this picture, the landlady -- who spoke very good English and became a dear friend of ours -- was showing me the kitchen, and I was trying desperately to "act cool." It was completely unfurnished, not even any kitchen appliances, but I was so excited about the possibility of living there. I knew some negotiations would have to take place first, and I was holding my breath. The deal was made, and Steve and I had a great time getting it all set up. In the 2 1/2 more years in Cuenca, I prepared MANY meals in this kitchen for volunteers, for Ecuadorian friends, for fellow missionaries, for Quichua church planters, for our children who came to visit, and for our neighbors in the building. I have many great memories of this place.
We lived in Quito for a year and a half while Steve served as the administrator for the Ecuador Southern Baptist missionaries. This kitchen was in the little mission house where we lived that the International Mission Board had owned for over 30 years. I was very happy for the renovation that had taken place a few years earlier and was delighted with all of those cabinets. There were no dishwashers in any of these kitchens, but they all had double sinks -- much more important than you might realize until you only have a single sink.
Other very memorable kitchens were the ones that provided US with food and genuine hospitality. Below you will see Pastor Pablo's wife and daughters serving us some lunch before time to walk through the mud to the church building nearby. They were such beautiful people, all cleaned up for the service and for having company. We had only been in Ecuador a few weeks when we met them for the first time. They lived in the small town of Ducur.
Steve and I became good friends with my Spanish teacher, Rosana Cordoba, and her husband Diego. They invited us to spend the day with them at their "hacienda en el campo," (their retreat out in the country), and we had a ball that day. This kitchen was tiny, but we put a great meal together, laughed, and spoke Spanglish with them and with their 3 delightful children.
One "kitchen" I will never forget was actually an open fire with big boiling pots. I had just concluded an English class in the school in this tiny town of Huigra, and these women were preparing their specialty for me -- GUINEA PIG!!! Remember the missionary motto: "Where He leads me, I will follow. What they feed me, I will swallow." It really wasn't too bad. However, this particular time, I was served the head of the guinea pig with the mouth wide open on a big bed of rice, of course. Yikes!
I can't imagine what Steve and I would have done without Ed and Pat Delgado, the great friends we made in Cuenca. We met them one Sunday when we visited "Le Fe Iglesia Bautista" (Faith Baptist Church) and bonded almost immediately. Ed and Pat are the 2nd and 3rd people lined up on the left, and there I am in the middle with the red shirt. Steve is "up in the rafters" making the picture. They were so helpful serving as translators when our volunteers came in, and Pat even helped me start a weekly Bible study for English speakers in Cuenca. This occasion was Thanksgiving, 2003 or 2004. Pat, being from Ohio, always made a big deal out of this North American holiday, and we were so very grateful to be included.
This last kitchen was not in Ecuador but in Somerville, Alabama. I include it in this post because it will always have an enduring place in my heart. Christmas of 2004 Steve and I were able to come home for a visit and to spend the holidays with our family. The problem was that we had no "home base." We had sold our family home before we moved, so we didn't have a place to actually gather, spend time, and just be a family again. I guess a hotel room would have worked, but . . . . Our friends Dave and Debi Russell figured that out somehow. They were going to be in Arkansas for Christmas and offered us their home. They literally left the key under the mat and said "it's all yours." The children came in from miles away, and we all walked into this oasis decorated like something out of Southern Living magazine and felt completely welcome and loved. Allie was our only grandchild at the time, and we actually had a place to make memories (a.k.a. reindeer cookies).
Thanks for letting me share these memories. Maybe you understand a little more now about why my kitchen is such a big deal to me.

Can Real Men Enjoy Pretty Food?

Can Real Men Enjoy Pretty Food? That's the question that will be answered when my Silver Fox comes through the back door, tired and very hungry in about an hour. Notice that I deliberately didn't call this "Chick Food." Some very manly Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce should fill him right up (the ones pictured above are ready to go into the oven), and I just happen to think fresh spinach with strawberries, feta cheese crumbles and glazed pecans make a beautiful salad -- a feast for the eyes as well as for the taste buds. The "pink stuff" in the picture is homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing. Sure hope he gets here soon. I can hardly wait.

I happily confess that the recipes for the enchiladas and for the dressing come from links I found on Pinterest, but here they are for you to enjoy ASAP.

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce

10 soft taco shells

2 c. cooked shredded chicken

2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

2 c. chicken broth

1 c. sour cream

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.

2. Mix chicken and 1 c. cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do NOT bring to a boil. You don't want curdled sour cream.

5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 22 min. and then under high broil for 3 min. to brown the cheese.

Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

1 small shallot, minced

1/2 c. raspberry preserves

1/8 c. honey

1 t. dry mustard

1 t. salt

1/4 t. white pepper

1/2 c. white distilled vinegar

1/4 c. water

Put these ingredients into a blender or food processor and process until combined. Slowly add

1/3 c. olive oil

1/3 c. canola oil

Blend until well mixed. This dressing will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Nothing but the best for my man!!

Music and Art Day at Grandmomma's House

Today I had the opportunity to exercise two of my very favorite roles in life -- being a grandmother and being a music and art teacher. As those of you know who read my blog regularly, both of my daughters are homeschooling now. One daughter lives in Ft. Smith, AR -- sadly, much too far away to be able to make the kind of regular, consistent impact that I would dearly love to make. The other daughter lives in Huntsville -- still an hour away from my house, but definitely doable. The Huntsville daughter recently invited me to have her two oldest children one day every month for the purpose of teaching them music and art. Today was our first day. Maggie and Allie were eager students, ready to soak in whatever I wanted to share with them. And, I didn't want to miss a minute of this precious time I had to do what I love with two little girls who are so special in my life. The only slight educational challenge I had was how to engage an 11-year-old AND a 4 1/2-year-old at the same time. With a little extra planning everything worked out well.

We began by filling a page with tempera paints of all colors in whatever random designs they chose. As you can tell in the photo above, Allie tends to be more deliberate and organized, while Maggie is exuberant and enthusiastic --always so pleased when she figures out a way to do her assignments and projects successfully. We laid these aside to dry -- you'll see the finished product later -- and then started on some music lessons. Who says you need fancy, expensive instruments to learn about rhythm?
We concentrated on quarter notes, eighth notes and quarter rests for this session (now better known as "walk," "running," and "shhhh.") A few spatulas and cookware made great percussion instruments, and music from The Lion King ("I Just Can't Wait to Be King") jazzed up our drills and patterns. They arranged and rearranged flashcards and made some great patterns of their own.
Then we headed to the piano. After all, what good is rhythm without some pitches and melodies? Here you see the sisters "making beautiful music together" playing a great duet on the black keys. We had fun lifting the lid to discover why some of the notes are low and some are high. Allie quickly learned "Old McDonald Had a Farm," and I'm sure Maggie will have it learned by next time as well.

We stopped for lunch and then started our study of today's artist -- Laurel Burch. We learned about her life, saw a video interview made the year before she died, and we found lots of examples of her work. It was then their turn to create a Fantastic Feline in the style of Laurel Burch. We started by drawing and then added color with oil pastels. Notice the intense concentration of both girls.

Just mention the name Laurel Burch now, and I'm sure they will be glad to tell you all about her. :) When our cats were done, we stopped for an ice cream break (Sorry, Julie, I could have said fruits and veggies, but it just wouldn't have been the truth. Maybe next time.)

We had just enough time left to finish our last project -- the one that started with the tempera paints. They were to create a stringed instrument using painted paper, strips of construction paper, buttons and sequins. Maggie decided hers was a ukelele, and Allie's is a violin. They look pretty pleased with the results, don't they?
The day flew by. There were just a few folks missing that would have made the day COMPLETE -- Granddaddy and the 7 other best grandchildren in the world. :) My mental wheels are spinning overtime coming up with more ideas for next month. I wonder if they'd enjoy Wayne Thiebaud and his awesome paintings of cakes, and we need to put some half notes in those rhythm patterns. . . . hmmmmmm. I hope THEY had a good time. This Grandmomma loved it.

Bread Bliss!

Oh, how I wish you were sitting at the kitchen table with me right now, smelling the tantalizing aroma and tasting a slice of warm homemade sourdough bread with a slight smear of real butter. Sister Schubert has NOTHING on me this morning -- well, except several million dollars $$$$. Oh well. Have I told you lately that we both graduated from Charles Henderson High School in Troy, AL, and that she was just a couple of years behind me? It's true. I know her parents and sisters, and we are all very proud of her success.

But, I digress.

It always gives me a huge Little-House-on-the-Prairie feeling when I bake bread, and even more so, when it actually turns out great. Through the inspiration of my Facebook friend, Martha Dunlap -- who also happens to be the former teacher of two of my children -- AND the great pictures and recipes now available through Pinterest, I decided to try my hand at making sourdough starter and giving this whole process a try.

First, I must say that sourdough starter is appropriately named. You need to really keep a tight lid on it because it smells VERY sour. However, what happens inside that container while it ferments makes a feast for the senses possible. Trust me.

Six days ago I began with the yeast, mashed potato flakes, sugar and warm water. I stirred it everyday, then on the 5th day, I fed it with more ingredients and took out a cup of "brew" to begin the bread-making. The picture above shows what I found when I walked into my kitchen this morning.

After a few minutes of kneading (I could just as easily and truthfully use the word NEEDING), the dough was pliable and elastic, so I divided it into halves and put it in greased loaf pans.
An hour or so of rising time later, those loaves looked like this. I drizzled them with melted butter and put them in a 350-degree oven.
Forty minutes later? Voila!
You didn't REALLY think I would wait until it cooled before I sampled it. Now did you?
I can't wait for Steve to get home tonight. He'll get out his favorite honey (the kind that comes in a jar, mind you) and be a happy man.

Are you inspired? Try it. You'll be glad . . . and so will all the folks who live in your house.

Pearsons and Their Blogs

I know our family is a little bit on the weird side -- always have been, surely always will be. How many Moms do you know who stay in touch with what their children might be thinking by reading their blogs? We don't call each other all that much. They are just TOO busy. I'll occasionally get texts from them. Laura will call every few weeks, and we'll chat for a half hour. Matt calls every couple of days during his five-minute drive home from his office. Julie? Well, most of the time, Julie has no earthly idea where her phone even IS. Julie lives the closest, but even she lives an hour away. The others are in Arkansas. See why I'm glad they all blog?

Now, by reading my blog you may already know more than you ever wanted or needed to know about Pearsons and how they think. But, just in case you're still a little more curious, I'd love to point you to the blogs of my brilliant children (you KNEW I'd say that). :)

Going in birth order:

Laura's blog is found at http://bloomingbaggetts.blogspot.com It is based on the "bloom where you're planted" idea since she and her family have moved 12 times in 13 years. She put her blog aside for awhile but has recently resurrected it and has some wonderful new entries.

Matt uses his blog to give the members of his congregation some extra thoughts to ponder between his Sunday sermons. Sometimes he recommends books or articles. Other times he just shares his heart. Find it at http://theheartofpastormatt.wordpress.com

Julie focuses mainly on the daily operations of her growing family, which currently consists of 2 parents and 5 children. Hers can be accessed at http://housefulofrodgers.blogspot.com

Allow me to recommend just one more. Danny Franks is not a Pearson by birth, but he did marry my cousin, so we do think of him as "family." (He is the son-in-law of Reitzel and Ginger Murphy, in case you happen to live in Athens and know them). He is the Campus Pastor for the Brier Creek Campus at Summit church in Raleigh-Durham, N.C. You will be highly entertained by Danny's blog and his insights into how we can make our churches more attractive to unchurched people. His is called "Connective Tissue" and can be found at http://dannyfranks.wordpress.com

Happy reading, everyone!

Facebook Prayer Meetings

I've attended countless Wednesday night prayer meetings in my 61 years. Some were mostly Bible studies or devotional times with a little prayer thrown in for good measure. Some were all-out worship services. Some became Children's Choir programs or times for Missions Recognitions. A few were times when we broke into small groups and earnestly agonized in prayer over some very specific issues and requests. Most, however, consisted of a time where a long list of prayer requests became much, much longer with everyone mentioning every sick person that they knew with both slight ("Uncle Harvey's bunions" or "Aunt Myrtle's hangnail") and serious illnesses. My mother said that she was even in a prayer service once when someone asked for prayer for a person on a SOAP OPERA who had an illness (purely fictional, but the person making the request was obviously so caught up in the drama that it had become real to her). Rarely did the list include people who were unsaved and for whom someone was diligently and consistently sharing Christ. Even more scarce were times when people shared honestly and transparently about needs in their lives that weren't related to health issues. I guess we just thought those things were too personal, and we certainly didn't want to be gossiped about, all in the name of "sharing prayer requests."

Now, Facebook has come on the scene. Prayer requests are typed daily, shared by many, and include all kinds of problems and issues. Some are urgent and have quick conclusions. Some are gut-wrenching and ongoing for months. Some are answered miraculously, while some are answered in unexpected and unwanted ways. Still others appear to go completely unanswered -- although we KNOW that isn't truly the case. In other words, God continues to say "Yes," "No," or "Wait," just as He has since the beginning of time. But, somehow, in the Facebook format, we have become more open with our daily struggles and challenges. One person is taking a test in school that day. Another is getting on a plane for business or for pleasure. Yet another is worried about some lab work that the doctor has ordered. A young Mom has a sick child. An older adult has an aging parent who is beginning to forget and decline. A man and woman fear that they might lose their jobs. A wife has a fuss with her husband before he leaves the house that morning. A couple is in the process of adopting a child, as another couple wonders how the bills are going to get paid. A young single is lonely. Many are recently divorced and searching for answers. Even more are worried about their spouse, their job, their own health, their children, or their grandchildren. ALL OF US have "stuff" going on in our lives. Happily, some have received wonderful blessings and just want us to rejoice with them and give thanks to God along with them. It's fun to share in those times, isn't it?

Through this avenue of Facebook, we can choose to "throw it out there for all 650 of our closest friends" to read and share responses, we can send private messages to just certain "friends" that we trust most, or we can just read about the needs of others and decide privately how we will respond to their urgent petitions and requests for our prayers.

I've started a Facebook Prayer Request Journal. In it, I write down the needs that I read about that are ongoing and for which I can intercede over time. If someone sends out a quick, immediate request, I try my best to stop right then and lift the request to God on their behalf. I have also made a promise to myself that I will not type that I am praying for someone or some issue unless I am genuinely doing so. That's what I would want from someone else. Wouldn't you?

We ARE assured in Scripture that we can bring EVERY request to God, and I, for one, am glad that social media in the form of Facebook can be used to share our needs with others. Not just bunions and hang nails, and not always (but sometimes) a scary cancer diagnosis, but the real tugs in our hearts and the tears rolling down our cheeks.

Not all of my Facebook friends are Christians, though the majority are. I'm very glad that I don't have to wait until Wednesday nights, and I don't have to go to a specific place at a scheduled time in order to ask my brothers and sisters in Christ to join me in "making my requests known to God." And, yes, I recognize that Facebook has also been abused and used poorly for bad purposes. I, however, continue to see it as a positive tool, and I look forward to honoring prayer requests and sharing my own in the days ahead.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. . . . And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Phillippians 4: 6-7, 19.

Grudging, but Genuine Admiration

First for the Disclaimers:

1. I am an Auburn graduate and ardent fan. So is my husband, and so are 2 of our children. Our first idyllic year of marriage was happily spent as students at Auburn.

2. I love sunsets because they are filled with so much orange and blue.

3. When our children were small, we taught them (against the valiant efforts of many fellow church members) that Santa Claus wouldn't come if they said, "R___ T___." They believed it.

4. My husband, who was very carefully trained by his daddy, was once quoted as saying (back during the Cold War, mind you): "If Alabama played Russia, I'd be for Russia."

5. I have many relatives who are Bama fans -- including a brother and a nephew with engineering degrees from UA and a cousin who is a former Crimsonette.

6. During a summer long ago, a college student named Les Fowler took piano lessons from me while he was on break from school. He was on the Bama football roster, but his room in the athletic dorm was decorated in orange and blue in deference to his parents, both Auburn pharmacists. Les went on to become Dr. Les Fowler, the orthopedic specialist who was on the sidelines of Bama games for many seasons.

7. Another former piano student was Tommy Barkley, now Dr. Tom Barkley, who was the drum major for the Million Dollar Band.

8. My beloved piano teacher at Samford, Dr. Betty Sue Shepherd, was a UA graduate, and in my opinion, there was no better person OR pianist in the world.

9. There are many people for whom I have utmost respect who are graduates of UA.

10. Still, if you ever hear the words "R___ T___" come out of my mouth, you will know I am unconscious or deathly ill. And, if I am given anything with a hounds tooth pattern, I can tell you up front that it WILL be re-gifted. :)

BUT -- and these are VERY BIG BUTS

The University of Alabama football team and coaches deserved that crystal football they won last night. Their defense shut out the #1 team in the nation, and their offense rolled up many, many yards.

I am very happy for UA's place kicker. He had to overcome some terrible humiliation from his performance on November 5th, and his smiles last night lit up the Superdome.

I am pleased for the people of Tuscaloosa who suffered such losses last spring. They deserve this time of joy.

I am proud for Carson Tinker and his parents, Carlton and Debbie. Carson was a young boy and his parents were much-admired and appreciated members of Central Baptist Church in Decatur during the years that Steve and I were there. They are quality people.

Alabama football players left no doubt in anyone's mind last night that they were this year's best college team. Congratulations, Bama.

Good Gifts

Gifts received and some still waiting to be delivered.
Seth and Luke working hard on paintings to give their parents for Christmas. They spent a weekend with us in early December, and I took them to a Kids Art Camp, which they loved.
Penelope happily showing off the ladybug/flower painting she got from Grandmomma (me) while Nathan, Maggie and Luke looked on.

In my opinion this Christmas will go down in our family history as a Year of Very Good Gifts. It just seemed as if there was a lot of care, deliberation, and forethought given to the special items that were exchanged during these holidays. It was NOT a year of Big Money gifts. As a matter of fact, I don't anticipate that we will ever have a year where that will be the case. But, I think I'm more impressed than ever by the creativity of my daughters and daughter-in-law, and I'm pleased by the love that they shared with each other and with Steve and me.

We were also united in our desire to model gratitude for our children and to reinforce the idea that giving is fun, too, and not just getting. A former student and current Facebook friend Beth Southern Carter had posted that she always makes sure her children GIVE gifts before they RECEIVE any, and I thought that was a wonderful practice. We did that this year with very positive results. Also, Laura, Matt and Julie decided that they would exchange FAMILY gifts, rather than just trying to buy a toy for every child. Another meaningful and inspiring idea.

Julie painted a colorful quote for each of her siblings' families -- "Do Something Amazing Today." What great words to have hanging in a prominent spot and what a motivating challenge.

Katie (Matt's wife) gave Seeds of Praise CDs to the other families -- the wonderful new tool that is available for helping children memorize Scripture verses through music.

Laura based her gifts on the book "Every Day is a Holiday" and chose a random holiday within each month of the year and bought fun things to be used for celebrating that day.

Julie and Brian gave Steve and me a set of Lincoln Logs. Yes, Lincoln Logs. But her explanation was so touching. She said that she remembered having fun playing with Lincoln Logs when she was a little girl visiting Steve's parents' house, and she wanted her children to have the same kind of experiences at our house. (This, of course, was particularly poignant since Steve's mom died this past year).

Laura and David gave me some beautiful earrings. For one thing, I know she had observed that I was wearing the same couple of pairs over and over, but she also said, "I knew green was your favorite color, so when I saw those I thought you'd like them." She also gave me a book called "Grace for the Good Girl -- letting go of the try-hard life" by Emily Freeman. Is this a daughter who knows her Momma or what? They gave Steve some wonderful gift certificates for his new computer and for his Kindle.

Matt and Katie "knew us well" with their gift certificates for my Nook Color and for Steve, the Bass Pro Shop. Yay! Happy future shopping/browsing for both of us.

Steve took to heart all of the suggestions my Facebook friends made and then decided to give me a generous amount of money so I could select my own gift. Again, he "knows me well." I love anticipating things AND having some input into anything that involves me. He accomplished his goal in fine style.

My brother created a pictorial calendar with all of the family birthdays and anniversaries clearly recorded -- a testimony to his thoughtfulness, his creative skill, his attention to detail and a large amount of his time.

I had a lot of fun giving gifts this year. For much of the past year, I've been taking painting classes with mostly fun, whimsical subjects, so I painted pictures for each grandchild, for each daughter and daughter-in-law, and for my sister in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I'm not trying to be the next Grandma Moses or anything, but it felt so good to give these people something that I had done with my own hands.

And, there was one more project that Steve had been urging me to finish for quite a long time. His mother's death and the fact that my own Dad is now 84 years old spurred me to finally get it done. I made a CD of 15 piano arrangements of my favorite hymns and worship songs and did it with my Dad in mind. He, after all, paid for all those years of piano lessons and college tuition. Maybe he deserved a little token of my appreciation. Once more, giving that gift felt very good.

I'm glad we had an occasion to think/plan/create and enjoy giving of ourselves this year, and I suspect the Pearson women are already scouting out ideas for next year.

Steve, hon, don't worry. I still remember the avocado green blender that you gave me the first Christmas after we got married. It will always have a special place in our family history, too. :)

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:11

"Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow." James 1:17

Good-bye, Casserole Season. Hello, Steamed Veggies.

Just how many 9" x 13" casserole dishes does a girl need in her kitchen? Well, if you were trained in the culinary arts by Mildred Rose Collier (my sweet Momma), the answer has to be "just one more." In our family, a casserole was defined as any pleasing combination of favorite ingredients. Most of the time our casseroles were topped with cheese and/or crushed Ritz crackers, and they almost always contained cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, cream cheese, butter, mayo, or cream of chicken soup. On a few rare occasions, all of the above were in the same low-cal (yeah, right) dish. And, there were a few that leaned toward the dessert variety, such as sweet potato casserole with the requisite topping of miniature marshmallows.

Casserole season never really ends at my house, but it has its peak between mid-November and early January every year. During those weeks, we invariably have hashbrown casserole, green bean casserole, squash casserole, Poulet de Normandy casserole, pineapple/cheese casserole, broccoli/rice casserole and breakfast casserole . . . and not just ONCE. My son Matt so associates casseroles with me that he once used a casserole dish for his visual in a Mother's Day children's sermon he shared. I believe he mentioned the regularity of tuna noodle casserole when he was growing up, but I promise we didn't have it nearly as much as he perceived.

This past holiday season was no exception. However, I did slip a few new ones in on my family this year and even used a different shaped cooking apparatus -- a crockpot.

Just as with 9" x 13" dishes, how many crockpots does a cook need? Well, I currently have three, and "I'm not afraid to use them." :) Two dishes in particular that were big hits were Crockpot Mashed Potatoes (after all, who wants to be mashing potatoes when it's time to have fun with the grandkids and start pouring juice into their sippie cups?) and Crockpot Corn. Here are those recipes:

CROCKPOT MASHED POTATOES

5 lbs. red potatoes, peeled and cut in cubes

1 T. minced garlic or to taste

3 cubes chicken b0uillon

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream

1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter, softened

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook the potatoes, garlic and b0uillon in boiling, lightly-salted water for about 15 minutes or until tender but firm. Drain, reserving water. In a bowl, mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding water as necessary for desired consistency.

Transfer the potato mixture to a crockpot, cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours, adding butter, salt and pepper just before serving. 8 servings.

CROCKPOT CORN

1 (15-oz.) can kernel corn, drained

2 (15-oz.) cans cream-style corn

1 (8-0z.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter

1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chilies, drained

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low until well-heated, about 3 hours. Makes 10 servings.

Tonight we're getting our veggies in steamed form in honor of our January healthy-eating resolutions. It's also soup weather, though, so those crockpots will be getting lots of use this winter. Maybe I'll share my Chicken Chili Success soon.

Lessons to Remember from 2011

(These doors lead to the old sanctuary of the church that Steve and I joined about a year ago. It also represents the spot where my parents married on June 19, 1949. They wanted to be the first couple married in the new church, but the building wasn't quite finished when their wedding day rolled around. Not to be outdone, they just stood in this doorway to speak their vows, and their names were put in the cornerstone, fulfilling their wishes to be "the first.")

Today is just weird around here. The USA (a.k.a. the college football world and the Rose Parade committee) has chosen to celebrate New Year's Day on January SECOND. What's up with that? My husband is back at work while some big bowl games are on TV. We ate black-eyed peas yesterday -- certainly couldn't risk changing THAT tradition -- but the rest of the world appears to be off work and is busy consuming chips and various dips. I have gotten a good start on my 2012 Bible reading plan, and I have started filling in my shiny new calendar, but, other than that, it's a quiet, non-celebratory day around this house.

I always enjoy reflecting and planning at this time every year. It is easy to pick out BIG, significant events for our family in 2011. Baby Samuel Pearson Rodgers was born on June 18, and Steve's mom Mary Nell Pearson died on July 27. We escaped the effects of the April 27th tornados with only the inconvenience of 4 days without electricity. We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary on March 20. I started going to painting classes and learned a great new creative outlet. Steve cut down on his work schedule, providing himself with more free time for visiting grands and for pursuing his many non-veterinary interests. I started singing in the choir at First Baptist, Athens, and we both made many new friends within our church family. Each of the children and grandchildren grew a year older, as well as a year more precious to us. We were blessed with healthy reports from medical tests and doctors' visits (Praise the LORD!).

2011 was filled with blessings but also with frustrations, hurts, challenges and deep concerns. But, as in every previous year of my life, God has kept every one of His promises, and He's been faithful, loving and merciful.

About mid-way through 2011, Steve and I made a list of lessons we had learned -- some "the hard way" -- in very recent years, with the idea that we wanted to KEEP these lessons learned and to continue to be reminded of the negative consequences of allowing the lessons to come un-learned.

If you are smart enough to learn lessons just by hearing about them from someone else, then maybe this list can prevent some heartache and regret in your life. If you are (sadly) like me, stubborn and bull-headed, then I just hope your path to learning your own lessons won't be too painful.

1. Attitude is everything. Happiness and contentment are choices that we make.

2. Friendships provide perspective. Spend more time with friends.

3. People (grandchildren) are watching. Don't just be saved. Act saved and continue to live out your faith as long as you have the physical/mental capacity to do so. Intentionally allow God to influence your daily life.

4. Have a life. Stay interested and interesting. Keep learning new things.

5. Being proactive about health is a good thing. Medicine/doctors/hospitals can be dangerous. Make choices that will minimize the need for them.

6. Go ahead NOW and forgive anyone who has ever wronged you. Deal with anger and get over it.

7. Be generous.

8. Be grateful.

9. Be thoughtful.

10. Laugh at every opportunity. It feels so good.