Eyes, Ears, Mouth, and Nose~~October

It's All Hallow's Eve which means the end of another month. As promised, I've fully immersed myself into everything fall (though the weather is still, still, still kind of warm). Here's where my eyes, ears, mouth, and nose have been this October:

The new Mumford and Sons album has satisfied me and I've also been enjoying a self-curated "Lady C's autumnawesome" playlist on Spotify. Parenthood is very emotional this season, but I can't stop watching. The writers and actors have a way of making everyday life so special. Tia and Tamera are back on their reality TV show, which I just find so funny and sweet...though my sister and I are not twins, a lot of the things we do remind us of them. Kindred spirits, indeed. And Tia and Tamera is not a trashy, life-sucking reality TV show either. Lost , season 2 continues to be the boyfriend's and my favorite weekend veg-of-choice. We were also able to agree on a movie recently: Ocean's Eleven, a crowd pleaser for both sexes!

In the kitchen, there has been an explosion of apple and pumpkin EVERYTHING. I love, love, love cooking with these ingredients. They are so versatile. As far as pumpkinning goes, there's been: at least four batches of these pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bars, and a pumpkin infused simple syrup for my coffee (recipe soon!). A trip to the apple orchard a few weeks ago brought my culinary creativity to apple land. I bought 40 pounds of apples and have made LOTS of apple crisp and chunky applesauce. I threw some apples into a pork roast the other day too, which was pretty tasty. I've also been really into chilli this month. I think I've made at least four batches of that as well (one of which was intensely spicy). Keep in mind that I cook on a daily basis for my families, so not all of this good-wholesome-fat food is going to me.

The wardrobe has taken a slight turn toward cozy. We've had a handful of days that have called for sweaters, boots, or scarves. I'm enjoying my red linen pants because they're light-weight for this temperamental weather, while still providing a very autumn-inspired style. I have to say that I love rocking the upscale soccer mom look (yoga pants, posh shirt-and-scarf, running shoes, and great hair and makeup) when it's cool out and I have a lot to accomplish.

Lastly, I've been preparing for my very own Happiness Project. I'm pleased to announce that it starts tomorrow!

Happy Halloween, everyone.

He doesn't work that way.

Two days ago, something kind of difficult happened. The sun and heat came back, in full-force. I mean not to complain with this post. I'm rather attempting to share the extent to which weather affects my mood and the process I'm going through to suck it up and be grateful anyway.

Sometime around the third week of September or so, I loose my patience for summer. I believe I thoroughly expressed that here. I know that living in LA means unpredictable weather day-to-day, but pretty predictable seasons. For instance, it rained last week. Hooray! But it's totally still summer weather on the whole. Here's the breakdown: we do not have a winter. Spring lasts from around the beginning of February to the middle of June. Summer arrives pretty much on time, at it's equinox and lasts until the end of September or October. And fall is from November-January. I'm no meteorologist, but I do believe this to be a pretty accurate summary of Southern California's seasons.

So tell me: why can't I just deal with the heat like a grown up? Well, I jokingly shared with everyone on Sunday, as the 90s re-emerged:

"I was so grateful for the rain and cool weather last week. I felt so happy! I kept saying, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you!', and forgive me if I'm wrong, but I thought God might just reward Southern California for my gratitude."

The thing is, he doesn't work that way.

Who am I to spend so much energy complaining about such a temperamental thing as the weather? The God of the universe is taking care of thousands, nay millions of his children in my very area who have great and real needs. I do not mean to suggest that our tedious prayers bother God or waste his time, nor do I mean to say that prayer can't change something as expansive as the weather. What I AM saying is this:

God has been very patiently been teaching me over the past few months what it means to be a real grown up.

Go to work and stick out all 8-9 hours a day because you need to.

Submit to authority. It's good for you.

Stop complaining (about the weather).

He is patient and I am fickle, OH so fickle. So rather than harping upon my bad mood (which really only makes a bad mood worse, wouldn't you say?), I must choose gratitude.

Thank you, Lord for air conditioning. Thank you for a job that doesn't require me to be outside unless I want to be. Thank you for a few extra weeks to figure out my central heating and cold shower situation at home. Thank you for teaching me to be an adult and for doing so without being condescending or condemning. Thank you that you do work that way.

Oktoberfest Pumkin Muffins

Here's the situation: It's pouring rain, I got done with work early, and I am CRAFTING AND BAKING AND WATCHING PERSUASION. On a day like today, I am so thrilled to have time for hobbies. Thank you, kind Lord.

Out of my (half) day off, I've created a recipe to share. These are healthy pumpkin muffins that are smelling up my kitchen right now so lovingly. They are missing lots of the fat and high-glycemic-index sugars of other muffins and they'll make for great breakfasts!

You'll need:
3 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1/2 t. cloves
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 c. raw sugar
1/2 c. agave nectar
3/4 c. cinnamon applesauce (I made mine from scratch so it's chunky, but premade works too, of course.)
4 eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. maple extract
1and1/2 c. buttermilk

Mix first 8 ingredients, set aside. Mix next 7 ingredients, sifting soda and spices. Add dry to wet and mix 'til well-combined. Add buttermilk. Pour into greased or paper-lined muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. Yield: 2(large)-3(smaller) dozen. (If making smaller muffins, bake for 15 min.)

Enjoy!

Recipe developed from Ellie Krieger's recipe here.

Gifts, of the Spiritual Nature

I've taken a handful of spiritual gifts tests in my life. And whenever asked on ministry applications or whatnot to list my spiritual gifts, I've always listed encouragement and prayer. I used to be really good about writing notes of encouragement to people and I used to be really diligent about prayer.

I still strive to be this way...

But since college or so, prayer has taken a lot more effort. And I haven't made encouraging note-writing a weekly discipline or anything. I never considered the fact that my spiritual gifts may have changed.

For my weekly discipleship group, we were instructed to take a spiritual gifts inventory. Sitting on my couch yesterday afternoon, feeling less than joyful due to an extreme lack of sleep at the Jr. High all-nighter the evening before, I didn't expect much. I expected to get my homework assignment done and to perhaps receive confirmation that I'm an encourager and prayer-warrior. But once I started answering questions, I realized that my difficulty in prayer might actually point to a deeper discovery.

Prayer, along with evangelism and manual labor (ha!) were among my lowest scores.

I didn't know writing was considered a spiritual gift, but in this particular inventory, it was included. And it was my primary gift! In second, came a tie between a few gifts: exhortation, arts & crafts, vocal music, and hospitality.

So, while I know this doesn't mean I should stop trying to pray and evangelize so hard, I am more convinced that I should consider where my spiritual energy is going. Because if these gifts really do speak truth about my skills set (and they do), then maybe I should be investing more energy into serving God and his church through writing, exhorting, crafting, singing, and hosting. What does it look like to write for the betterment of the body of Christ? My mind feels a little narrow on the topic, but the wheels are beginning to turn. Thank you, Lord, for this discovery.

Eyes, ears, mouth, and nose~~September

In my Eyes, ears, mouth, and nose series, I'll be sharing the things I'm into every month. What am I consuming? What trends have captivated me? What new things have I learned from all sorts of media feeds? So here are where my eyes, ears, mouth, and nose were in September:

If you've never met me, you should know this: September is my least favorite month of the year. So I am happy (nearly thrilled) that October has finally arrived. Everything surrounding us in September tells us that times are shifting, new activities are starting, and the school year calendar is beginning. But the weather (at least here in LA) is hotter than ever. August and September are the height of summer and there are moments that feel exhausting and...I just think Greenday said it best with "wake me up when September ends". So because of September and all its warm baggage, my wardrobe has been a little lacking this month. I mean, I'm still wearing clothes (very much so). But I'm growing tired of my normal summer ensemble of skirts, tanks, and sandals. What you'll usually see me in these days is just that, though I did buy my first ever pair of skinny jeans (major step!) for when the weather changes. I've taken a new (again) liking to my Birkenstocks and ever since my marvelous boyfriend gifted me with brand new Rainbows, my feet have been pretty happy in one or the other of my arch-supported pairs.

I have been listening to the Lumineers (since I'll be seeing them live in concert this weekend!), Ingrid Michaelson-a faithful standby, and a lot of pop. It's great for driving but terrible for falling asleep...the genre that won't get out of your head. I've been watching Gilmore Girls DVDs (currently roaming through season 6), Parenthood (it's back!), Lost, and a couple Wes Anderson films. The boyfriend is to thank for the latter two. He really does enrich my media knowledge.

I am into cooking baby food, since niecey just started solids. It doesn't take much skill to boil/steam/blend fruits and veggies though, so I've also been into some grown up foods. Among recently concocted recipes: potato pancakes with homemade applesauce, pumpkin pie, chicken pot pie, and many creative pasta creations. I'm thanking the Lord for AC as I turn on the oven and fall-fake-it. Soon, very soon, the weather will reflect my culinary longings.

I'm reading "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and "The Happiness Project". With it, I'm starting my own happiness project! This has been exciting.

My eyes, ears, mouth, and nose are super excited for fall to finally, actually arrive (though you better believe I had a little celebration on September 21st). Because they will be into autumn pallets, warm beverages, pies, and everything cozy by the end of this month!

Making home.

I recently told someone--"When I get home from work, I don't feel like doing anything remotely domestic." Maybe this is why my cottage is often such a mess.

However on a good day, when I get home, I do still want to pour myself into a domestic activity...because I am a homemaker. And even though being a nanny is very similar to being one's own homemaker, there are great differences between the kinds of domesticity that take place at work versus in my own home.

It is Friday evening, yes. But I am absolutely doing laundry and baking brownies exactly the way I want tonight. There is something truly refreshing about doing activities like laundry or cooking that I do every day in other homes for myself. I have my own standards for the ingredients that go into my food...for the level of "clean" that pleases me...for how my home should feel and function. And if you're new to my definition of homemaking, allow me to explain.

I believe homemakers are a distinct breed of women (no, men are not excluded, but I side with the persuasion that *women belong in the kitchen*...I say this loosely, yet with conviction, so cringe if you must...perhaps a whole post on this thought is necessary). Human beings need home and woman-begins need to create home. This takes on thousands of forms. But my main agenda in this arena has to do with disassembling American society's typical definition of homemaking. A stay-at-home mom is certainly a homemaker, but who says a 22 year old unmarried woman cannot be? Homemaking includes the family, but I believe just as the word "home" is a flexible one, homemaking should also be a flexible term.

I make my home.

When I was 14 and moving into my new bedroom in the front of the house, choosing the colors and decorations that suited me at the time, hanging photos of my best friends, and every once in a while utilizing the new lock on my door, I was making a home.

When I was 18 and moving into a dorm room for the first time with two strangers, buying my bedding and coffee grounds with my own money, learning how to use my laptop and printer, and getting to know the girls on my hall, I was making a home.

When I was 20 and moving into my first apartment, trying to buy decorations on a $40 budget, learning how to cook without following recipes, and having friends over to "my own place" for the first time, I was making a home.

And now that I'm back at home, living in my parent's back cottage, I strive to be hospitable. I strive to be both a good daughter and tenant. I strive to come home and keep house even when I'm exhausted from keeping others' houses...because home is important. Everyday, I am making my home and I welcome the many, many definitions of "homemaking" that my life will yet encompass.

My Happiness Project~~Part I

Last week I finally purchased "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. I've read her stuff for months in GoodHousekeeping and have perused the book the last few times I've visited a bookstore. I was wondering if I should honestly trust a book on happiness that wasn't coming from a Biblical background, but concluded that I can be discerning enough to know when the answer is actually Jesus (rather than whatever turns up on these pages). And I also believe that God can redeem all things and teach me valuable lessons even through people who aren't professing Christians.

Well, I'm just now (like right now) starting my own happiness project. The first steps are to ask myself the following questions, so I thought I'd make a post out of the task. These questions are designed to help me understand the resolutions I want to make to basically become a happier person. And in an attempt to not make this a book review or "plot" summary, I'm simply going to dive in. (In other words, if you're curious about the book itself, click here.)

The questions are: What makes you feel good? What gives you joy, energy, fun? What makes you feel bad? What brings you anger, guilt, boredom, dread? What makes you feel right? What values do you want your life to reflect? How can you build an atmosphere of growth—where you learn, explore, build, teach, help?

What makes you feel good? What gives you joy, energy, fun?

I feel good when my areas and home are organized and free of excess clutter. I feel better prepared for the day when I've gotten enough sleep and allowed myself time and space to wake up slowly. I feel good when I've eaten enough fruits and vegetables and found some way to move that day (others may call this exercise). I feel joy when I'm engaged in a free-flowing interaction (be it a conversation, hang-out, or gathering) with people who know and understand me well. I am energized by purposeful periods of rest that include time in the Word, time for creativity, and reflection on the past day or week. I have fun when I'm physically comfortable (free or distracted from pain) and have a plan...when I am: surrounded by someone(s) who loves me, laughing, or experiencing rich and cultural things.

What makes you feel bad? What brings you anger, guilt, boredom, dread?

I feel bad when I am misunderstood. I get angry when people in my life are hurting or hurt me. Guilt sets in when I fall into bad patterns of sin that I am really ready to be done with. I feel dread when there is no variety in my routine or when I have nothing to which I can look forward. I feel bad when I haven't had enough sleep or time to myself and I feel frustrated when time is wasted. I don't enjoy winging it unless I'm on a road trip or am in a particularly spontaneous mood. I feel terrible when an entire day goes by without meaningful thought, conversation, physical contact, or affection from another person. I feel bad when it seems that I'm in something alone. I hate being emotionally inconsistent...and I do not like the fact that my list of negatives is so long.

What makes you feel right? What values do you want your life to reflect?

I feel right when I am on-track in my relationship with Christ. This includes being in tune to his plan of grace for my life. I want my life to reflect the values of good listening, compassion, service, care, confidence, and gratitude. I feel right when I am both pouring into someone's life and being poured into by someone older than myself.

How can you build an atmosphere of growth-where you learn, explore, build, teach, help?

I can build an atmosphere of growth by reading more and using my free time with purpose. I can plan excursions and events for myself that foster a spirit of adventure and joy. I can get serious about physical health and the connection it has to my mood and disposition. I can make sure I keep healthy margins for myself in regards to the number and quality of activities/ministries in which I'm involved. I should be able to give the best of myself and if I cannot, should consider dropping the activity.

I'm excited to read this book and to plan my happiness project. I will document when I can and hopefully inspire others to seek happiness more seriously too!