A Lesson in Home-making

Two posts in one day? Why ever would you do that? you ask?

Well… I learned an important lesson today, and I felt compelled to share it with you.

It all started when I signed my post “time to go make dinner” or some other lame food-related excuse for ending a blog post.

I began getting ingredients around to make meatloaf for Tyler. Not being a huge fan of meatloaf myself, I also started assembling a homemade spaghetti O’s soup for myself after having seen a picture of it in my America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Recipes Cookbook. So I turned the oven on for Tyler’s meatloaf.

The smoke detector works, in case you were wondering.

Huh? What??? Sorry, I can’t hear you, you’ll have to speak up.

I think I lost 70% of my hearing just trying to figure out how to turn the darn thing off.

And then turning it off again.

And again.

And again.

And finally figuring out how to take the battery out of the stupid thing.

Pardon my language.

*SIGH*

AND THEN, as if that wasn’t annoying enough, I dropped an egg!!! Icky bacterial sliminess all over the kitchen counter, down the cabinets and on the floor.

Really? *sigh*

AND THEN I ran out of Lysol wipes! Me and Lysol wipes are co-dependents. Lysol would go out of business if it weren’t for me and I would go out of my mind if it weren’t for Lysol wipes. It’s not that I’m officially OCD. Just about raw meat and egg.

Unless it’s egg in cookie dough or brownie batter. Sugar and chocolate magically melt the bacteria away.

*clearing throat*

Anyway… why am I covered in tomatoes, you ask?

Well, it could be because I decided to have a food fight with my imaginary friend George.

Or, it could be because I got sprayed by a skunk on my way out to get the mail today.

Or, it could be my new home remedy spa therapy I was reading about last week.

But, sad to say, it is none of those things. It is my dinner. My homemade spaghetti O goodness. “Pour the [boiling hot] soup in a blender to puree carrots, onion, and tomatoes.” 

Hmmm I think to myself.  This blender sure is awfully full. Maybe I better pulse it, just in case it ends up starting to come out.

“Start to come out”? Phh, yeah, right. Try EXPLODE. In .0001 seconds, my kitchen became a major disaster area spread 3 feet wide, 2 feet deep, and 5 feet high. My counters, cabinets, blender, wall, floor, picture frame, vase, knives, knife block, refridgerator, and clothing all became victims of this tragic disaster.

Oh, and my appetite, I might add. Because splashes of messy, chunky tomato soup were splattered everywhere, creepily reminiscient of (vomit) <— highlight between the parenthesis if you’re not planning on eating anytime soon.

So, after weeping and throwing things and calling in FEMA, I tended to my scalded hand and proceeded to clean things up.

Round Two.

Oh yesss, friends. There was a Round Two.

Round Two commenced with me pouring out half of the soup, clearing the counters of anything other than the blender, and placing a towel over the blender lid.

Repeat results in smaller scale.

*weeping*

Really???

So here I am… spaghetti-O-less and soggy and delirious.

*sigh*

I just don’t know what to do next… the cereal calls me from the pantry. My magical comfort food that soothes my every sorrow.

Will I ever finish the soup???

(*Deeper, news-reporter voice*) Will the tomatoes come out of my clothes?

Will I crack if Tyler comes home and asks me what I did all day?

Tune in again next time to find the answers to all these questions and more on

CHEYENNE’S HOMEMAKING DISASTERS!

Home Sweet Home

I am now several books into my reading list for 2011, and this past week I was reading a children’s book in which a pig could fly.

If you will recall, in my last post I politely dismissed myself from all internet participation with the parting words of, “Until pigs fly   wireless.” Well, the flying pig in my book must have been a sign, a special  message from cyberspace telling me I am missed among the masses, because Tyler exhausted his resources and found a Verison “Hot Spot” contraption that has renewed our connection to the outside world.

No more roughin’ it for me, folks. Other than the whole no-dishwasher-thing. Which really hasn’t been too bad.

Yet.

So now we are paying the same we used to with AT&T, instead of double that like Hughes Net was trying to charge us. Our internet is a little slower and doesn’t load video very well, but that’s what McDonald’s is for, right?

Anyway, all that is to say…

I HAVE RETURNED!!!

And so I sit here on our couch in OUR living room of OUR HOUSE, basking in the sunlight pouring in through OUR window, gazing every so often at OUR trees and the beautiful shadows they cast on the otherwise sparkly snow in OUR yard.

*sigh*

Can you tell I am happy and at home here??? Because in case you missed that, I AM.

Please pardon a little nostalgia for a short bit while I gush over our cozy little home. First-time home-buyers, remember.

*clearing throat*

A house is so significant because it represents so many different things in life. First, because it’s a major purchase. You don’t spend that many thousands of dollars every day (At least I don’t, but I don’t know about you). It’s a pretty big deal.

It represents planting roots, establishing (semi)permanence in a community where you plan to live and work and grow.

And then I think about the memories that will be shared here. The joy, work, growth, love and healing that will all take place inside these walls. So much potential lies in what we make of this house.

My tendency is to get caught up in the aesthetics of the house. Straightening this, hiding away that, purchasing another thing to tie the room together. While all of that is fine to put effort into, my prayer is that I never neglect the purpose God has for the house in place of the appearance.

It’s the age-old Mary vs Martha mentality that really can be applied to any area of life.

I can go to church, and participate in every activity and volunteer for multiple church needs, but still not be accomplishing God’s purpose for me in the church. Sometimes it’s actually harder to be a brother or sister in Christ to an individual in need than it is to lead a group of enthusiastic youth in worship. It can require un-planned time, emotional vulnerablity, and honesty — none of which are easy to give.

I can get my morning routine down to a solid 30-minutes —  makeup on, hair in place, and finished with jewelry. But –

If I am constantly checking myself out in the mirror throughout the day, instead of checking that my attitude is reflecting Christ.

If I am more concerned that every outfit I own makes me look fat instead of concerned for my friend who is telling me about her recent struggles.

If I am more worried about what the weather will do to my hair than how homeless people will stay warm tonight –

I am missing so much of God’s purpose for me.

Likewise, I can miss seeing God’s purpose for me when I am too focused on maintaining an appearance of control and order and kindness: When I ask Tyler about his day, but don’t actually listen to his answer. When I tell someone I’ll pray for them, but hardly give a thought to their request again. When I let timidity rule my life because I am afraid of changing the dynamics of that relationship.

I really could go on and on, as I really have already done. But all of this is to say that as much of a blessing as this house is to us, my hope is that it would be a blessing to others as well.

Kind of sounds like a carte blanche invitation doesn’t it? Why not? Party at our place!!!  If you can make it over here and out by the time Tyler gets home…

No? Oh, well, okay, maybe some other time. Meanwhile I will just post a few pictures I’ve been getting hounded for…

OUR House

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OUR Kitchen

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OUR Living Room

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OUR Bedroom

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A picture from OUR Front Yard 

*happy sigh*

Alright… time to go make dinner.

Moving

Hello, friends! It’s been a while, eh?

I write this as I sit on our mattress, the single comfortable possession still sitting in our apartment. This little dwelling place is otherwise empty and cold, and the moving truck awaits us outside as we prepare to load our final things for the move! It’s going to be a busy day!!!

Great news, right?

It is great news… but I hesitate to admit to you that moving to the sticks is not conducive to blog-writing. Or blog-reading. Or facebooking or emailing or internet-surfing.

*Sigh*

So, until wireless reaches the far corners of Michigan, my blogging days will be suspended. Don’t you worry though, I promise to document every ridiculous, clumsy event that happens to me between now and then.

Man, I feel like I know how the pioneers felt as they headed out west and into the Great Unknown.

Thank you for your dedicated readership! Until pigs fly wireless!!!

A Special Bulletin

We interrupt this broadcasting for a special bulletin.

Beginning Tuesday, February 1st, we are disconnecting our internet indefinitely. All future important messages will hereby be transmitted via telepathy until internet is restored to this computer through our new location. Voices in your head may or may not be related to the content that would otherwise be posted on this blog.

Over and out.