As often happens with bloggers, I have been remiss in updating. Just for good measure, my reasoning is sound. I was hoping to get something resolved and then write an informative, educational post about the process of resolving it. However, the thing is, as yet, unresolved, and so thus, no post. But it doesn't really matter, because here I am now!

Here's something I've been thinking about lately: I would liked to be more mindful of my actions.

mindful: bearing in mind; attentive to, regardful, observant
(Thank you, Google search.)

Addendum from an article my dad sent me:
"Mindfulness is a mental faculty, like intuition or musical ability. It reminds you of what you didn't know you had forgotten, and wakes you when you didn't realize you were sleeping -- or daydreaming.

Mindfulness points out what ordinarily escapes conscious attention, what's hidden in plain view -- what we've overlooked or forgotten because it doesn't fit our interpretations, or pertain to our goals, or because it makes us feel uncomfortable.

Mindfulness does its work before intellect and emotion have had a chance to bring their judgments, interpretations, names, categorizations, or biases to bear on perception. It feels light and nimble, and comes in a flash -- out of the corner of the eye -- as if with a sideways glance, without grasping or looking directly.

Why bother cultivating mindfulness? Among its many welcome side effects are deep serenity and a patient, tolerant understanding of others, but it is worthwhile in itself for reasons that must be experienced to be appreciated. In a word, it awakens us.

Without mindfulness, we function as if on autopilot, only partially aware of who we really are or what we're doing."
Source

That awareness and lack of autopilot is what I think I'm craving.

Last night at the Bible study Hubby and I have been going to we talked about the desire of so many in the Scriptures to SEE Jesus and how we, as His modern-day disciples, must BE that face to the world. It of course made me think of all the days I have spent in an unnecessary funk, the times I have snapped at people and decidedly NOT been the face of Jesus. But it also made me think of all the times I have done things that may have caused others to think they were seeing the face of Jesus without my even realizing it.

Now, I think there is a lot to be said for doing good in the world without hoping for any recognition or credit, but that's not exactly what I'm talking about.

Here's an example: A few weekends ago, Hubby and I went to a very poverty-stricken small town and helped the young adult group from church lead a day-long sports camp. I was in charge of herding around a group of 1st and 2nd graders all day. I had a good time, and I think they had a good time, but I honestly was mostly concerned with getting them to the next activity, helping them get water, counting heads, and leading chants. I didn't give much thought to sharing Jesus with them, nor did I expend much mental or emotional effort on realizing that what I was doing was, in the best essence, sharing it regardless of whether I specifically mentioned Him or not.

At the end of the day, others who had been involved with the camp spoke of the sweet thoughts they had had about what this day would mean in the lives of these kids, and what it must have felt like for them to experience the love, joy, and even just FUN that we brought for the day.

I had none of these epiphanies throughout the day, and I wish I had. I wish I had taken some moments to note the kids' smiles, to say a quick prayer for whatever I might have been imparting to them, to realize that I WAS showing the face of Jesus by being there with them.

When we do objectively "good" things, I think it is possible to show the face of Jesus without realizing it. And I think if He is truly in is, we will do so often, because His love will simply exude.

But I want to pay attention to what I do. I want to realize that He is acting through me (when He is), and I want to be thankful for it.

I want to be mindful.

It was both terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time, which I feel like big decisions should be.

Hubby and I have had a futon that was graciously passed on to us by his parents acting as our couch. It served us well, but a week or so ago I had a stomach bug and spent an entire Saturday on it, at which point I realized that it really just wasn't that comfortable. This spurred me to order a memory foam mattress pad and a new microsuede cover for it from overstock.com. (I haven't put them on yet, so I can't vouch for their quality yet....another post, maybe!) However, it also spurred me to begin in earnest my search for furniture to add to what we have to really make our apartment feel like a home.

This wasn't the first time we had given furniture a shot. We've checked out one first-hand furniture store together (and I've been to another alone), and we decided we were not fans of the atmosphere in them. The sellers tend to be too pushy, not giving us enough time "alone" with the furniture to really examine it and make a decision. Plus, it's so tough to know what is really good quality and what isn't. We have a set budget to spend on furniture and decor for the apartment (which is a definite boon to the shopping process, by the way), which seemed to shrink in the face of some of the high-end, first-hand furniture options, yet we were unimpressed by the quality it seemed we could buy for less.

So for those reasons, among others, we turned to exploring second-hand options around town. The non-profit I work for runs a thrift store, which we've explored (and donated to!) a few times, as does Habitat for Humanity (the Re-Store). The ReStore in particular, though, just kind of depresses me. I think it's great for actual building supplies, but maybe not the best for furniture. But a google search (are you noticing a theme in how I discover things I do?) yielded a few furniture CONSIGNMENT shops in Huntsville!

Now, I LOVE consignment shops when it comes to clothes. There are two within walking distance of my Louisville home, and when I am there I can never resist taking a spin through both. I tend to wear name brand clothes, but only because I have bought them at a consignment shop! So imagine my excitement at the thought of consigned FURNITURE. We've found that these shops fit the bill exactly for us: good quality furniture that is often in a bit better shape than thrift store furniture at less-than-retail prices. Cha-ching.

We together have been to each of the two we found at least once, and with me working half days throughout June, I had decided that I was going to devote some afternoons to checking them frequently, as items come in and out often. So Tuesday, my first half day, I optimistically headed out to Whitesburg Dr., thinking, "Maybe I will walk in and there will just be the perfect couch."

Well.

There was.

It was a very nice couch, and I talked to the clerk a bit, but then left and went across the street to Goodwill. While there, I realized that I would be sad if I came back in awhile and "my" couch was gone. So I went back and put it on hold.

Tuesday night, I did some research online to try to do a sanity check about the couch. I found this really helpful article about buying a sofa from Good Housekeeping. I also, of course, found drastically differing opinions on various forums about the particular brand of couch I was pondering. (Some people raved about it, while others denounced it. It happens.) I measured my space, tried to remember the exact color from the crummy cell phone picture I snuck in the store, and literally laid awake thinking about the couch.

Yesterday I called ahead to try to bargain. The clerk was very polite but very firm on the price, not even willing to give me a deal if I paid cash, which most places will. (The couch had already been marked down once for being on the floor for 30+ days, as is the custom with consignment.) However, she did give me some more info about the couch that further solidified my interest in it. Hardwood frame, high-density foam cushions, 6 years old with another predicted 15-20 years of life. I tried not to be too excited on the phone, but I did let her know I was still interested in keeping it on hold.

I also was able to speak with the director of our thrift store about furniture in general. Did you know that some furniture stores charge upwards of $200 PLUS a percentage of the item for delivery? It was good to have some perspective on that.

I went in later that day armed with my measuring tape and list of specs to check for. The clerk did come over to me, but definitely gave me my space to examine the couch, which pleased me. After bouncing around a bit, lifting the legs, feeling underneath, and looking closely at the back (which is the first thing one sees when entering our home), I was sold but nervous. However, I bravely proceeded to hand over my credit card and schedule a delivery time! As I said before, it is great when making a big purchase to know your budget. It is a nice feeling to know that, while something is a large expense, you have been saving and planning for it.

So that was that. I think it's important with decisions to know you have done your research. Even though this all conspired within two days, I felt like I had read, seen, and talked about it enough that I was convinced this was a good choice and not frivolous or a passing whim. And I rested much easier last night.

More on the delivery process and maybe some pictures yet to come! Stay tuned.

I had the idea awhile back that when I was in control of my own groceries and had a home where I woke up every morning and made and drank my own coffee I wanted to try to make some sort of vanilla-y milk for it.

I LOVE French vanilla creamer, but "creamer" freaks me out a little bit. I don't really know what I'm drinking, and probably don't really WANT to know. But I've had to admit to myself that sugar and half and half don't quite make the creamy, sweet cup of coffee that creamer does and that I love. I was planning to try just swirling some vanilla extract into some half and half and seeing how it did, but I thought better of it and headed to the internet.

A quick google search for "how to make vanilla creamer" turned up beaucoup de results. Apparently I am not the first to have this idea! I went with this recipe from eHow.

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Here are the ingredients. Simple enough, right?! (Side note: this picture could just about be an ad for Target's Market Pantry brand, eh?)

The sweetened condensed milk was delightfully goopy as I poured it into the container. eHow instructs one to "Scrape the can with a rubber spatula to get out all of that precious, sweet, sticky stuff that will make your coffee sooo much better." Ooookay.
<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xXE3bTRRRcE/TAWigv9PwHI/AAAAAAAAACE/EgzvaLc4Ov4/s200/Vanilla+Creamer+004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477963205278941298" />

When I added the milk (I chose to use 2%, for some semblance of healthfulness), it kind of just sat on top of the sweetened condensed milk goop.
<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xXE3bTRRRcE/TAWi7q770CI/AAAAAAAAACM/0iQ29HXg_0s/s200/Vanilla+Creamer+007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477963667787730978" />

So then you're supposed to shake it. (It's important to have a container with a tight-fitting lid.) I look retarded in the pictures where I am shaking the container, so I'll just leave this step to your imagination.

When I was finished, I stuck it in the fridge until this morning! I couldn't wait to get up and have my cup of coffee.

The verdict? It didn't make the coffee as sweet as store-bought creamer, which is some of what I was looking for, and I think it could use more vanilla (even though while making it I thought a tablespoon sounded like a ridiculously large amount). However, in my second cup of coffee, I added a packet of Splenda, and that did the trick. Plus, adding some more vanilla would be easy enough. Overall, I think this is pretty tasty, but maybe not exactly a substitute for the Coffee Mate stuff. I'll definitely finish out my container, though!

Hubby and I went to a wedding last night, and the pastor told an anecdote about Barbara Bush who, by the way, I used to call at the White House every night in 1991 from my plastic toy phone. (Did anyone else have one of these?)

Anywho, purportedly Barbara and George were visiting home (Texas) and stopped at a gas station, where Barbara proceeded to jump out of the presidential limo and give this guy a big hug. When she got back in, George asked, "Who was that?" Barbara explained that he was Walter, whom she used to date. George said, "What if you had married Walter? Instead, you are married to me, and I'm the president of the United States!" To which Barbara replied, "Oh, George, if I had married Walter he would have been president of the United States!"

The pastor's point was that in marriage, we should build each other up and push each other to new heights. But I think it can also be aptly interpreted as a classic "you go girl." Anyone with me?

Have any of you read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series? I love those books, but I have to say I was pretty disappointed in the end of the last book, which concluded "pants = love." Uh, okay? I thought it was a lame, inconclusive ending. But for me, I think the word "pants" could be replaced with another word: food!

It's mostly my dad's fault (and the occasional emotional fallout from my love of food is a whole separate post).

Growing up, my dad always got up early to cook me breakfast on special days, even early morning swim meet days when I wasn't really in the mood to eat a heavy breakfast of eggs and bacon. My dad is NOT a morning person, so I knew how much it meant that he was up early to cook. And when I went away to school, it was usually my dad who cooked the "welcome home Laura" special meal, often grilled flank steak, sesame noodles, and green beans.

Thus, when I'm trying to cook a lot of the recipes that I associate fondly with home, it's my dad that I contact. When confronted recently with a pork loin, aka a lump of meat, I asked my dad for advice. He sent me a recipe from epicurious.com saying, "This is sort of like how I sometimes prepare pork loin." Thanks for the specificity, Daddy! But he has a good way in the kitchen. One of the best tips he's given me was that, if you need something to thaw more quickly, put it on an overturned metal cookie sheet or cake pan. The metal conducts the cold away from the thawing item, making it thaw faster. When it's Sunday night and you want to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies but you never took the butter out of the freezer, this trick makes it possible to have the cookies done in a reasonable time frame! You should all try it.

I really love playing hostess. Conveniently, the organization I work for runs these programs called Parent Parties, which are a parent education program in local low-income schools. Their motto is "No more meetings for us; let's have a party!" So in my role as office assistant, I often get to go help set up for the parties. Yesterday I was gleefully arranging cookies on a platter, and I commented that need some of my friends to start getting married so I can host showers! One of the party coordinators commented that she had noticed I seem to love throwing parties, and I commented that I got it from my dad.

She was surprised by that, but it's true! Not much says love to me like segments of a peeled orange arranged around the edge of a plate with a crustless sandwich in the middle.

My dad is big on presentation, though it's often in a goofy way. One year, Mississippi State was in a bowl game, and he decided that we just HAD to tailgate, though we were at home in Louisville, Kentucky. And of course, tailgating comes with very specific guidelines, including cheap beer and cocktail weenies. And the cocktail weenies just had to have toothpicks, so we bought a silly Santa Claus toothpick holder and set everything out nicely on the counter on various platters and in various bowls. Then we set up the mini-Weber grill in the driveway, folded down the tailgate of his truck, and proceeded to have a good time, aka freeze our butts off because it was December.

But that's where I come from. I haven't had much chance to entertain yet, but when I do, nothing pleases me more than having the exact right dish on which to present something, and doing it in a way that makes it fun. I love putting my time into not only the food itself but the way it's displayed. So if I ever present you with a plate with an olive smiley face, you ought to know that it's love. :-)