Saltines and Quarantines

A joke for you: "What did the mayonnaise say to the refrigerator?".........

"Shut the door, I'm dressing!"

Bwah, ha ha. I was very sick the last 24 hours and that joke is one of the few lucid memories I have from reading a magazine during my quarantine to the couch.

Ever notice how some things sound great in theory, but once you experience them, you realize it wasn't all it's cracked up to be?

Take, for example, a sudden, contagious-though-not-life-threatening illness. Ok, so being sick isn't super-fun, but don't you ever think "Wouldn't it be nice if I was then forced to stay home and relax? No work, no cleaning, no errands, no cooking..." Well, in theory that sounds like it might have some perks, but in reality it STINKS. Being FORCED to stay home somehow takes the fun out of being there. And somehow Sprite and crackers don't add anything to the thrill.

Any other examples of things that you may build up in your head as greatness, only to find you were WAY off the mark?

Ah, the evening ritual-

(In repsonse to Elisa's most recent post.)
In a great effort to create some sort of routine for my days, I have been wrestling with the "evening ritual question" for a long time. My intentions: go to the gym before work so my evening will be wide open and I can slow-cook a casserole, thoughtfully chopping herbs while listening to "dance around the kitchen" music. My reality: when that alarm goes off in the morning, this seems like an absurd idea. The result: I go straight to the gym after work. My saving grace in this pattern is one essential, brilliant solution: THE SNACK.

THE SNACK, a favorite among the young and old alike, has evolved somewhat into a new staple for my energy, sanity, and in many ways, better nutrition and health. Eating a nourishing, high-protein snack (the protein component is essential) every few hours is key for me and my schedule- especially late in the afternoon (pre-workout) when you hit that slump and before you become so famished for dinner that you'd eat the rubber off the bottom of your crosstrainers.

Some current favorites of THE SNACK include:
An apple with peanut butter
String cheese and some blueberries
KASHI snack bars (especially the Chocolate Peanut)
Almonds and a banana
Smoothies (Yogurt&Fruit)
A whole wheat english muffin w/ turkey

As I look at those options, I am fully aware they don't sound as tempting as ice cream and Snickers, but I keep them around and have found that I have more sustained energy, and don't get those hunger pangs late in the day. I am on Week 5 of this method, and have noticed such a difference. Highly recommend it!! Who doesn't like snack time?

The buzz...

The Blanks Clan is doing great amid the chaos, as usual. This is the latest pic of the Beam kids (along with the Miller crew- they're pretty much one unit.) Can you believe how big they are? The top two are Ashlyn and Brenden, the little one of the far right is Meagan, and the bottom left cheezo with the pigtails is Kayden. They are hilarious. Loud, but hilarious. Here's a copy of Brenden's first poem from the 1st grade as proof for you skeptics: (spelling unchanged for authenticity purposes...)

What wode it be to be a pese of popcorn.
I will put butter on you.
I will eat you.
I will put cheese on you.
Don't you dare.

Speaking of popcorn, my parents bought a new trampoline over Labor Day and the result of all the little bodies bouncing through the air (with side-netting, of course) reminded me of one of those old air poppers. Does anyone even make those anymore?

Babylon

A bit on the serious side, but my thoughts today are more in keeping with the somber tone of this day in history, perhaps. We did a study in Daniel this summer with the youth staff, and in a recent meeting we were talking about the 3 possible scenarios that can happen when we go through "the fire." (Referencing the fiery furnace, parallelling life's trials.)

Scenario A: We can be delivered FROM the fire and the dividend is that our faith is BUILT. Scenario B: We can be delivered THROUGH the fire and the dividend is that our faith is REFINED.
Scenario C: We can delivered BY the fire straight into His arms, the dividend- our faith is PERFECTED.

I was thinking this morning about 9/11 and the reality of this Babylon that surrounds us- our culture- everything that tries to convince us that we really aren't captive. We're all in the fire at one time or another, and though you and I pray most often for Scenario A (who wants to go through a fire?), ANYof the 3 possible results are desirable outcomes. Remember there was a 4th in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God doesn't leave us in there alone. And one of my favorite additions- as if coming out of there without being incinerated wasn't enough, it's noted that they didn't even smell like smoke! (3:27). What an idea- to be so focused on the one leading us through life's fires, that no one would even be able to tell we were touched by the Babylon that tries to consume us. Hmm...

Tra la, I'm here!

SO- my roommate mentioned that she got caught up reading blog posts into the wee hours of the morning when she realized how much there was to read in catching up with old friends... so I looked around a little this morning. Folks, I'm out of the loop. It's official.

How about a story of the day?

So I pull up to the Sprint store, hoping this will be the last time in my life I have to go in there (complications...again-grr.), and as I'm walking towards the store, I hear someone honking their horn in the parking lot... loudly... and repeatedly. I think to myself, "Some psycho is really making a scene." As the honking continues (and I continue walking), I realize no one else is around- could the idiot be honking at ME? I glance over my shoulder to see a guy now jumping out of his truck and running towards a silver Honda which is driving through the parking lot. That's strange... I have a silver Honda that looks just like that one. Did you know a standard transmission vehicle gains momentum downhill at a surprising speed when you don't set the parking break?

So, Mr. Horn-Honking guy chases down my car, which rolls through 2 rows of cars, miraculously missing all other vehicles, with me in close pursuit. As I'm approaching the embarrassing scene, the guy grabs the spoiler on the back of my car and bears down in a weight-lifting competetition-sytle- manner and as his feet skid across the parking lot and he managed to stop my car as I jump in a set the brake. Oops. By this point another guy has come running to the car that I hadn't noticed, and I smile at everyone, thanking them for their help, grateful Mr. Horn-Honker was not a wee-little woman or small child.

While this was a first for me, I think it is a scenario that somewhat reflects my life when I get in too much of a hurry. I forget to set the parking break on my brain all the time. Too bad there's no one to chase me down in those instances and force me to slow down before I crash. (Ok, I have no idea what the metaphor is referring to, but it wrapped up the story nicely, didn't it?)