In the Storm

currently | may 2016

celebrating Mothers. Our plan is for dinner out somewhere. I've received half of my Mother's Day gift from John and Jarrod and Jeff's gift to me is on it's way. They're beautiful and comfortable and will look awesome on a front porch. But, right now they're gracing our front lawn, under the gorgeous oak tree. 

graduating two high school Seniors this month. We joined a local homeschool organization, mostly, so the boys would be able to participate in a graduation ceremony and walk across the stage for their diploma. I'm glad we made that decision. We're gearing up for a day focused on John and Jarrod, the last of the grandchildren to graduate high school.

planning a graduation party for family and friends to gather and celebrate with John and Jarrod; one of those revolving parties with a come-when-you-can-between-this time and-that time. Pulled Pork sliders, deviled eggs, fruit and decadent fruit dip, homemade salsa and chips, etc.

ordering a photographer for a morning photo shoot of family pictures and Senior photos - the day of graduation. Call me crazy! And it is when all four of my children will be together in one place plus their kids, plus grandmother slash great grandmothers. I cannot pass up this opportunity for family pictures.

hosting a houseful of family around the boys' graduation. I absolutely cannot wait! I am seriously stoked at the idea of all my kids together, staying under one very small roof. We are going to be jam packed! It's gonna' be good. And crazy. Crazy good. Gotta' play Apples of Gold!

taking some days off soon to spend with family and to get done everything that needs done. As the Creator of the family, God's got this!

challenging each other to move more. Jeff, John, Jarrod and I have began a Bike, Walk/Run, Swim point challenge. Biking is worth 1 point per mile, Walk/Run is 5 points per mile, and Swimming is worth 10 points per mile. After day one, even though I swam and walked, Jeff still accumulated more points from walking then I did from Swimming and Walking. This is going to be a feisty, fierce competition. Jeff made me laugh the other night when he was walking to his truck, parked at the far edge of the parking lot at church, he zigged and zagged the whole way across the parking lot lane so he'd get more steps, thus more distance.

Purging and cleaning first, the den. The reason is twofold. One, because I'd like to begin using the den again as my card making and scrapbooking studio again and for creative endeavors, and two, we're going to need the space for sleeping when the kids come into town. While Jeff and I were away this past weekend the boys pulled everything out of the den that was on the floor. I mean everything! They vacuumed, and brought all the stuff into the living room so I could go through it all, purging it, or finding a place for it to go. Just not the floor. I'll have to tackle the closet too. Lots of purging will be happening in there.

Studying Children of the Day by Beth Moore with John and Jarrod. We are changing up who leads and directs the study each week. It's not just on me and gives the guys an opportunity to lead.

Bulleting. I recently ordered my first bullet journal. I read this and this post from Modern Mrs Darcy and this post from the Lazy Genius, who simplified the idea enough. The reason: I'm losing control of what needs to happen that I needed something to reign in the loss. I decided to begin bullet journaling. I need this simplicity. This beautiful book is what I'll be using to begin bullet journaling. Did you see it? Like I said. Beautiful.

Considering heavily ordering Essential Oils for chronic back pains, my joints and bones, muscle pains, and my immune system. I've taken notes for over a year, researched off and on, but I think I really need to take the plunge and - see. I've literally heard no negative results regarding essential oils. I think it might be worth the price.

Walking - like crazy! It's been months and months since my heart app read over 10,000 steps but with this family challenge we've begun, I'm hitting 10,000 steps again. I have to be purposeful about walking, but it's good - and painful with hips, knees, and low back flare-ups.

Project Life May 2016

Month 5 of my Project Life for 2016. Creating a two-page layout of our month is working out swimmingly. Overall, it isn't too taxing on time constraints and I still am able to cover the broad highlights of the month documenting most of the 'big stuff' of life. 

I am still creating simple and fairly clean pages with little embellishments but words on the page. Photos + Words and a touch of cohesiveness through digital products by Paislee Press, One Little Bird, Ali Edwards, and the 12 x 12 templates are Cathy Zielske. 

It was a fairly busy month:

I read 7 new books in the month of April. I am enjoying this endeavor greatly and have found some wonderful reads.

I began my 50 States 50 Recipes project with Alabama White Gold BBQ Sauce with Grilled Chicken. It was delicious.

A Journey Build Low Country Boil. Jeff and I attended a Friday evening Journey Build dinner where all the builders gathered to receive their team assignments and teams. Each team is responsible for project management from start to finish. It is a great way for the Worship Arts ministry to give their Journey Build volunteers ownership of the projects and work that need done. It was a great evening of fellowship, amazing food, delightful table decorations. I got to catch up with a dear sweet friend...it was so good...and we had excellent conversation at our dinner table.

One weekend we headed south to my Mom's for our annual Spring clean-up. Mom lives on an acre of land and each year all of us kids, and this year a slew of grandkids showed up, to clean up the property and the house. It was hard work but good camaraderie.

We gifted a neighbor couple a date night (with money envelope) and kid sitting. We gave them 6 hours and Jeff, John, and Jarrod had a ball! It was a great afternoon and evening.

We celebrated Joan's birthday at Red Lobster and she enjoyed receiving her gift.

The boys and I began a new Bible study, Children of the Day by Beth Moore.

Jeff and I, on the last day of the month headed to Landrum, South Carolina and the Red Horse Inn for an early anniversary weekend (separate post soon!). 

50 States 50 Recipes | Alabama

I have begun my newest cooking project 50 States, 50 Recipes in which I research those iconic recipes each of the fifty states are often known for, such as, Key Lime Pie from Florida, Kentucky's Hot Browns, or Alaska's King Salmon...I'm perusing Pinterest, favorite recipe blogs, and pulling out my dusty cookbooks and adding those state recipes to our monthly menu, cooking up the new fare, and serving them for my families meal or even as a small group dessert. I haven't given myself a time limit, like all 50 states in a year, but, I wouldn't be surprised if it takes just about that to eat through all 50 states tastes. I already have three states recipes selected for the month of May. But, today I begin with...

 

First up, I baptized some chicken, as the tale goes, in an Alabama White Gold BBQ Sauce. I was inspired to create this tangy, peppery, non-tomato based sauce from quite a few different recipes I scoped out on the internet using the original Alabama White BBQ Sauce as a basic recipe. Alabama White BBQ Sauce is an iconic northern Alabama staple for various barbecue meats including chicken and pork, created in Decatur, Alabama by Big Bob Gibson's BBQ in 1925. Normally, a tangy BBQ sauce is not our families favorite but after one taste of the mouth-watering, basted-with-white gold BBQ sauce-grilled chicken, we were hooked. Super moist, smokey chicken grilled slow and steady, which we smothered in the sauce at the table. Delicious!

 

Alabama White Gold BBQ Sauce

 

2 Cups Mayonnaise (Duke's is best)

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly grated, or prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 clove garlic, minced

Whisk all ingredients together.

Use with Grilled Chicken: Pour half of the mixture over thawed chicken and marinade for 2-3 hours. Reserve remaining sauce. Grill chicken slowly, basting with marinade. Serve with remaining sauce. Store remaining in refrigerator.

 

 

 Alabama  |  Alaska  |  Arizona  |  Arkansas  |  California  |  Colorado  |  Connecticut  |  Delaware  |  Florida  |  Georgia  |  Hawaii  |  Idaho  |  Illinois  |  Indiana  |  Iowa  |  Kansas  |  Kentucky  |  Louisiana  |  Maine  |  Maryland  |  Massachusetts  |  Michigan  |  Minnesota  |  Mississippi  |  Missouri  |  Montana  |  Nebraska  |  Nevada  |  New Hampshire  |  New Jersey  |  New Mexico  |  New York  |  North Carolina  |  North Dakota  |  Ohio  |  Oklahoma  |  Oregon  |  Pennsylvania  |  Rhode Island  |  South Carolina  |  South Dakota  |  Tennessee  Texas  |  Utah  |  Vermont  |  Virginia  |  Washington  |  West Virginia  |  Wisconsin  |  Wyoming     

Short Essay Series From A to Z | A is for Altocumulus

Altocumulus. That unusual sounding word is a cloud genre. It's a type of cloud, people. Surprisingly, as a meteorologist who has beheld breathtaking, jaw-dropping skies over the thirty-plus-years of looking up, this whitish, often greyish from self-shadowing, bundle of clouds, or rolls of clouds, like the rollers on a conveyor belt, remains my all-time favorite cloud. Most often altocumulus is formed by the rise of an expanding layer of air at the border of a rising zone of air. But, sometimes it becomes. It becomes altocumulus when it is transformed from the spreading out of the low cloud cumulus that has risen to middle level heights but encounters air that is no longer -  rising, so it needs to spread out into the form of altocumulus. Or, when it becomes altocumulus from a dissipating cumulunimbus, a thunderstorm cloud. Altocumulus clouds are a middle level cloud with heights ranging from 6,500 feet to 18, 500 feet (some textbooks, some teachings, have noted middle level clouds, in particularly altocumulus, can be observed even higher, up to 23,500).

When I was teaching high school meteorology, for a homeschool cooperative the textbook we used, an older edition of, The Atmosphere, had a chapter on clouds, in edition, within the laboratory portion of the class I taught cloud identification because I was teaching my students how to observe the weather. I encouraged my students to look up each time they went outside in order to observe the sky. Even if there are no clouds in the sky, and the sky is a crisp, sharp, uncontaminated blue, I can see God through the window of the sky. For it is God who directs the matters of the sky. It is God who says altocumulus stratiformis expand across the sky like a field covered in prickly cotton bulbs. It is God who says to altocumulus castellanus man your turrets, stand tall, ready your battlements. Looking up as I walk outside, after all these years as a meteorologist, is ingrained, ineradicable, and automatic. While discussing clouds I always shared with my students, "Mrs. Bowers favorite cloud is altocumulus." With each power point slide of the uniqueness of altocumulus, discussing the various species and subspecies of altocumulus, without using 'technical terms' like the altocumulus floccus, I was sharing the beauty of altocumulus through the eyes of Mrs. Bowers, through my own eyes.

Altocumulus floccus is simply gorgeous! Oh, and I always sneaked in a bonus questions on the Chapter 5 exam on cloud identification (1 bonus point): Name Mrs. Bowers favorite cloud.

I always could tell who is listening:) 

Photo Source

and altocumulus standing lenticular (which is altocumulus lenticularis, but I learned it in weather observing school as altocumulus standing lenticular, because it looks like it is standing, or suspended in the sky, and used the abbrevation ACSL when reporting in my weather observation), 

Altocumulus translucidus

and Altocumulus castellanus with turrets or battlements amidst a chaotic sky.

and the expansive field of Altocumulus stratiformis.

I cannot say why altocumulus is my favorite cloud. Just that it is. When I walk outside and look up and the sky is filled with a layer of altocumulus I smile. I smile the smile of a blessed woman. I believe without a doubt that God presented that sky just for me. So I might gaze upon the glory of God. 

(All photos above, except where sourced are my own, taken in Savannah, Georgia.)

children of the day

Tucked in First Thessalonians chapter 5 is the words "You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness." Children of the day are "...sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. (vs. 8) Children of the day "...encourage one another and build one another up (vs. 11). Children of the day "...live in peace with one another (vs.13), ...encourage the disheartened, help the weak, patient with everyone (vs 14), and...always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else (vs 15). Children of the day rejoice always (vs 16), pray continually (vs 17), and give thanks in all circumstances (vs 18).

The boys and I are into our latest Beth Moore Bible study, Children of the Day, an in-depth study on 1 & 2 Thessalonians. This is our, count 'em, 8th study by Beth Moore. I am not boasting, except boasting in the Lord. John, Jarrod, and I. My 12th grade sons and their mom, doing a Bible study together. When asked, of my sons, if, after graduation, which is just around the corner by the way (May 21), they wanted to continue doing Bible study together (because they'll be graduated and all, moving on to other things), both echoed emphatically, "Ah, NO!" Like - how could you even suggest such a thing, Mom?

I'm sooo glad. 

It's our special time together.

I'm assured of my adult sons being in the Word of God daily.

I get to hear their growth in the knowledge of the Word.

I can still disciple and mentor.

At a time when homeschooling is ending for me, for the boys, I still have that connection of schooling; Impacting their life, in a small way. I've been struggling with this impending change, moving on from homeschooling my sons. I've been doing this thing since 7th grade, and while their Senior year has been at Point University I haven't wanted to let go. It has been so good for me, for the boys.

As we delve deeper into this study I'm wondering if this study is going to be a game-changer - a life-change study. Aren't all Bible studies supposed to change our life? I think they are supposed to and I believe they do in so many ways - if we apply them to our lives. I do not believe, if we commit ourselves to the study of God's Word, we are not affected change. But. This study. Life-changing (and we are only beginning week 3)!

a little bit of Tucker and Silas

So. I adore this family. Maggie just recently resigned as children's pastor so she can be with these little guys more - not really less responsibility for her because, well - they're twins! I love how they DO things, like camping, even though these guys are only one year old. 

Can Tucker be anymore of a charmer?

I won't tell you that Silas is my favorite. I'm not allowed to pick favorites. But, Silas, man, he touches the heart strings big-time!

I love these everyday photos. Catching life happening.

I mean, come on. Those sweet little hands. And the idea that Silas is into holding his Momma's hand right now. Precious.

Seriously, beautiful family.

One of my favorite pages of the bunch.

I've been pretty quiet making my own family pages but pages for this sweet family I've been rockin' them out. They've already received their gift and I'm just adding to it. Not sure how long I'll keep making pages. I suppose at some point I'll have to say enough, but I'm loving the size, 8 x 8 and they are super quick pages, and it's recording memories for four of my favorite people. I'm still working out my One Little Word 2016 - GIVE.

All the digital products are: Ali Edwards, One Little Bird, and Paislee Press.