Sunday, November 7, 2010

Chapter 13: An apple a day

Last week I got a half a bushel of apples on clearance for $10 and decided it was time to make some apple butter. YUM. I found out recently that you just make it in your crock pot! Easy as apple pie. You DO have to make the apple sauce first, but that's no problem. Unless, of course, you don't have a food mill. I just assumed I'd be able to pick one up at our local wholesale kitchen store on Saturday morning. Not so much. They only had little tiny ones or big giant electric, restaurant style $300 versions. I can order one for fairly cheap online but the apples needed to be used now. I finally resigned myself to pealing a half a bushel of apples because you CAN make apple sauce without a food mill if you peal them first since the purpose of the mill is to separate the fruit from the skin. You just have to put them in the food processor or blender after they've softened up on the stove. I was saved only 4 apples in by a friend who had her grandmother's old Foley Food Mill and offered to let me borrow it. The old ones your grandma had work so much better than anything new, I swear. And I REALLY didn't want to peal 1/2 a bushel of apples.

So I have a crock pot full of apple sauce in the fridge waiting to start cooking tomorrow and turn into delicious apple butter. My house is going to smell DELICIOUS tomorrow! Then I'll can them and have lovely jars up on the shelf next to the strawberry jam I canned in the spring. Like Laura Ingalls Wilder. Cause I'm a pioneer girl.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Chapter 12: EUREKA!

Eureka Springs, that is.

Daniel and I have been saying for over a year that we wanted to make it up to Eureka Springs to poke around but just never got around to it. There was an Ozark Folk Festival this weekend and it was a pretty day so we headed up this afternoon for a quick visit.

Road Trip!!


The Hill Benders--Love that Bluegrass!

We wandered through the shops and when we came back by there was a drum circle! It was actually pretty cool. I might have to go to one in town one of these days


Everyone always says, "If you go to Eureka, you have to go to Geraldi's." So we did. It was pretty tasty. I would recommend it if you're in the area and wanting some pizza. Of course, they were closing up shop at 7pm like every place else, so you better get there early.



Friday, November 5, 2010

Chapter 11: The Opposite of a Jonah Day

 

I won this in an Ebay auction today.  First Edition, 39th Impression Anne of Green Gables.  I could sing for joy.  I had resigned myself to never being able to own an early edition Anne of Green Gables.  They usually go for several hundred dollars.  I paid $36.55.  My heart might explode with excitement when it comes in the mail.  Anne calls very bad days in which nothing seems to go right “Jonah Days."  Today was not that kind of day.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Chapter 10: Brings A Whole New Meaning to "Hotter than a whore in church"

For several weeks our pastor Robb has mentioned every Sunday that maybe it would be cool if everyone dressed like Bible characters or just anyone from church history on Halloween. At first it was "Wouldn't it be LAME if we did that?" And then "Wouldn't it be FUNNY if we did that?" And it finally ended up the week before Halloween with "OK, I can pretty much guarantee you a few extra jewels in your crown up in Heaven if you dress up next Sunday." Which is basically a dare. And I'm defenseless against a good dare.

So Daniel and I hemmed and hawed at the last minute trying to think up some funny costumes.

Daniel suggested I be a double rainbow, all the way.


Cause a rainbow is a Bible character.

But I didn't have anything to make a rainbow costume. Instead Daniel used an old tunic costume he had and I used a big pretty piece of fabric from Thailand, some Mardi Gras beads and the walking stick I bought for Daniel at my family reunion year before last and a pillow for a fake baby belly.

You see, we've been moving through Genesis this year in church. A few months ago we came to the the story of Judah and Tamar. Quick recap--Tamar marries Judah's son and he is struck down by God. So she marries her brother-in-law. He doesn't want to father a child with her like he's supposed to because it would be considered his dead brother's kid. When he is remiss in his duties, God also strikes him down. Judah sends Tamar away and promises she can marry the other brother when he grows up. But he breaks his promise. And Tamar pretends to be a prostitute and Judah helps her get into a family way when Judah comes to town. She hangs on to his staff (family reunion walking stick) and cord (Mardi Gras beads) to prove who her Baby Daddy is when she gets a big belly and everyone in town wants to do away with her what with her no-husband-having, person-growing situation. But she busts out Judah's belongings and he's all "Oh yah, my bad." The end.

Nice story, lots of lessons to be learned. By grown ups. In the sermon. For my part, it's my responsibility to write the Kids Church lesson plans. Riiiiiiiight. So Robb attempted to tell me right before this lesson came up how important it was for me to be planning my lessons on EXACTLY what we were studying in church each week. But he couldn't even keep a straight face through the first sentence. And the kids sang Father Abraham and glued macaroni to construction paper. Not really. I don't actually have them do macaroni crafts but I think maybe I should now that I mention it. hmmm

Anyway. In closing, the scenario Sunday morning went like this.

We were totally late for church and walked in the door in our super costumes just as Robb was saying that he really thought more people would come dressed up but no one did. Except for my friend Wendy who dressed up as Michelle Duggar and I didn't even get to see her. Boo. Enter us:

And cue the laughter. Someone asked if we were Mary and Joseph and, instead of answering, I glared around, shook my stick and beads, pointed to my belly and glared at Daniel. After a beat Robb yelled out "You're Judah and Tamar?!?!?" It was awesome.

And then all my Sunday school kids thought I was actually pregnant and kept asking me if I was having a boy baby or a girl baby. Less awesome.

But we ended the morning with my new favorite quote of all time coming from Robb.

"Nobody dresses up like a fake prostitute like you, Erin."

It's true.

Nobody does.