How I See The World by Junior Journalist June

Dinner With the Fans

New Toys!

Thank you ,Jennifer, for my new pals/playthings.  They make me laugh, as you do too.  We always have such a good time together.

The mouse takes a bow before he does a backwards flip (in a circle, no less).  The bug (aka June Bug) shuffles as she walks.  They are too cute. 

Seen and Duly Noted

Farm to Table

Imagine a meal where you knew exactly where your food originated:  not what grocery store sold it or what truck delivered it, but who grew it and where and how it was grown.

Imagine that the meal was farm-cooked meal while a local band played and you drank locally-brewed beer.  Imagine the following  (cue stomach growling):

• Appetizers:
• Cheddar pretzel bites with jalapeno mustard made with local honey and farm grown jalapenos  
• Fresh veggies and Feta Dip using farm-grown herbs
• Soup:  Hearty Tuscan Harvest Soup where the kale, chard, herbs and carrots came from a local farm 
• Salad:  Butternut Beet Poetry Salad with Asian Greens, beets, butternut squash and herbs from a neighborhood farm 
• Main Course:
• Grilled Sirloin with Roasted Carrots from Ozark Natural Beef and said local farm 
• Homegrown Veggie Hash made with eggplant, carrots, herbs, onions, peppers from the farm and potatoes from Homegrown Food
• Dessert:  Roast-It-Yourself S'mores with Askinosie Chocolate and homemade marshmallows

Imagine visiting that farm and seeing the care and the effort and the concern that went into growing and preparing the food.

Imagine that the animals are treated ethically and the vegetables are grown without herbicides or pesticides and that the run-off water does not pollute the soil or the groundwater around it.

Imagine that chickens and children run and play in the garden patches and smell the herbs and see the progression of the seeds to buds to flowers to food.

Imagine that the setting was lovely, the event was just downright fun, the food was great, the mosquitos held off, the rain didn't fall and the temperatures were that of early fall.

Imagine that such a place is here in Springfield, MO, just minutes away from where you live.  Urban Roots Farm, one of the local vendors at the Greater Springfield Farmer's Market, hosted such a dinner last Friday night. 

In a neighborhood just on the outskirts of the downtown area, we met Melissa and Adam Millsap, family and farmers and urban pioneers.  We toured their farm, learned of their passion for healthy food and healthy families, met new friends and relaxed with one of the best meals in town. 

Imagine that we all ate that way all the time: pesticide-free, locally grown food, well-prepared meals with friends, fun, and music. 

Imagine it.  Do it.  Go to your local farmer's market this weekend and support your friends and neighbors, your local farmers.  Your body will thank you for it.

Take It To The Lord In Prayer

Fretting is not my friend.

She woke me up in the middle of the night, presenting me with a package of nagging worry.  Something for me to fret over, rehearse again and again, incidents to pick apart.  The worry kept me company for far too long.

I slowly began to pray, remembering Ken's sermon Sunday morning--about the thirst of the Israelites in the desert.  About their worry and fearfulness.  About Moses' trust in the Lord and his striking of the rock.  About the gushing forth of the waters.  With halting words, I prayed.  And I finally returned to sleep. 
Trust is hard for me.  I know it's hard for everyone else.  But that's a thin comfort.

In the shower this morning, I began my obsessive thoughts again.  Again.  Again. 

Through a heaven-sent turn in my thoughts, my mind began to focus on the warm water, the feel of the soap on my skin, on the quiet around me.  And I was thankful.  God reminded me of the power of thankfulness and of our inherent need to give God thanks.  I indeed have much for which to be thankful.

Sitting on the couch to begin my quiet time, my tears began to flow and the old hymn "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" came to me.  The old stanzas and the refrains of my childhood echoed in my head.  And I was comforted. 

God presented me with another gift during my morning time of quiet--a prayer written by David Adam and found in the little book "Through the Year with St. Columba; A Celtic Prayer for Each Week." 

It reads:

Circle me O God,
Keep hope within
Keep despair without
Circle me O God,
Keep peace within
Keep turmoil out
Circle me O God,
Keep strength within
Keep weakness out.

Amen

Amen, amen, amen.

In case you're curious about the hymn, the words are:

1. What a friend we have in Jesus, 
 all our sins and griefs to bear! 
 What a privilege to carry 
 everything to God in prayer! 
 O what peace we often forfeit,
 O what needless pain we bear, 
 all because we do not carry 
 everything to God in prayer. 

2. Have we trials and temptations? 
 Is there trouble anywhere? 
 We should never be discouraged; 
 take it to the Lord in prayer. 
 Can we find a friend so faithful 
 who will all our sorrows share? 
 Jesus knows our every weakness; 
 take it to the Lord in prayer. 

3. Are we weak and heavy laden, 
 cumbered with a load of care? 
 Precious Savior, still our refuge; 
 take it to the Lord in prayer. 
 Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? 
 Take it to the Lord in prayer! 
 In his arms he'll take and shield thee; 
 thou wilt find a solace there.

Text: Joseph M. Scriven, 1820-1886
Music: Charles C. Converse, 1832-1918
Tune: CONVERSE, Meter: 87.87 D

Another Way

We have odd lighting in our kitchen.  Dab smack in the middle of the ceiling is a bank of fluorescent lights....big....bulky....ugly. 

A friend who is a lighting designer drew some lovely plans for a complete re-design of the kitchen lighting.  A couple of electricians looked at the plans and gave me bids...

for $2000 or more!

I'm all for home improvement, but I quickly decided to go another route.  The current lighting was adequate, just ugly. 

Paint is cheap.  And easy.  And fun.

So here's what I did instead. 

I Can't Believe This Is Happening To Me

Guess What Kind of Weather We've Been Having

Addictions

Confession is good for the soul.  Some addictions may not be so good, but hey, sometimes I can't help myself.

Chocolate is my drug of choice.  See the serious look on my face.  Don't ever disturb me while I'm opening a candy bar.

I blame Ken for this addiction.  He introduced me to the gateway drug, episode 1.  Now I need a daily fix.  Thankfully, we're only in Season 2 so I'll have plenty to watch for a while.

Good films are a habit.  Most weekends, and when I need a fix, some weeknights, you'll find me at the Moxie, a great non-profit movie house where the options are plentiful and popcorn is great.  Concessions (not that they are that important!) include fresh baked cookies, the usual suspects of candy, a glass of wine or beer.  Friends frequently show up and movie discussions add to the experience.  Come down.  Check it out. 

Since I was a child, I have needed to create:  to draw, sew or paint, make a quilt, knit something, build a doll house out of a shoe box, create a goofy concoction in the kitchen, paint a wall, re-arrange furniture.  Now, I'm passing this love along to the Weebles, aka, the grandgirls.  We like to make things together.  I'm so blessed to have a studio where I paint and make collages.  It fills me up.

I'm addicted to my family.  I need time with them.  I can be myself with them.  I am loved.  I am thankful for each and every member of my family.

I need my church and at least a weekly fix of corporate worship.  Christ Episcopal has been family to me, to us.  They've loved us, prayed for us, cried with us, rejoiced with us.  I love them.  I need them.  I'm grateful for them.  Come visit us and feel the welcome.

Prayer time, each day, throughout the day, quenches my thirst for God and my need for time with the holy.  I use the liturgy from the Associates handbook for the Iona Community, the Book of Common Prayer, and of course, the Bible.  I pray.  I meditate.  I am quiet.  Sometimes, I even listen to God.  

Quiet time feeds me and challenges me and reminds me that I belong to God and not to myself.  I hear the word of God, and frankly, sometimes all I hear is silence.  But God is there.  Even in the silences. 

What do you need to be the person you are or want to be?

Happy Birthday Matt!

For days now, she's planned and purchased.  She's consulted and she's cooked.  She enlisted her dear friend Sarah, and her Mom to help prepare a special meal. 

The menu?

• steamed asparagus with prosciutto ham
• shish-kebabs of chicken and beef, peppers and onions
• spinach salad with mandarin oranges and dried cranberries
• yorkshire pudding
• apple crisp

This was her first big dinner party and she filled it with love, care, and carefulness.

Happy Birthday Matt.  You're a lucky man.

Daily Dose of Art

I need exposure to some sort of beauty everyday....the natural world around me, the work of another artist, a beautiful photograph on someone's blog, or a well-prepared meal.

As part of my art therapy, I subscribe to POSTCARD from PROVENCE, the website of Julian Merrow-Smith where he posts his daily paintings of his world in Provence.  Subscribe too and you'll be glad you did.  He will transport you to a world of ripening figs, sunny fields of lavendar, local fruit and vegetables, glasses of wine, luscious landscapes. 

I also take note of works of public art, whether here in Springfield or wherever my travels may take me.

We found this delightful sculpture in a tiny, tiny town called Burgobenbach.  The sculpture rested just outside the church doors, on the church steps.  I've never seen anything like it before, certainly not near a church.  It makes one want to come inside and see what's on the inside of the church.

Heard In A Conversation

"hotter than the hinges of hell."

Love it.

This One's For You...

Jennifer.

You know who you are.  But let me introduce her to the rest of you.  And tell you why I'm mentioning her and her work.

The "her" is Jennifer Baker, Ph.D. who wears many hats, all in the service of healthy family relationships, especially marriages.  Jennifer is responsible for Operation Us, a project begun at Forest Institute with a 2006 Healthy Marriage Demonstration Grant received from the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance.

In partnership with Ozarks Marriage Matters, the Pregnancy Care Center and ADsmith Communications, Forest Institute began offering relationship education in a 29-county area of SW Missouri. The federal funds allowed Operation Us to offer relationship education workshops to teens, single adults and adult couples at prices that were remarkably affordable. Forest Institute partnered with over 70 organizations during the 5 years of this grant and, in conjunction with these partners, was able to provide relationship education to more than 14,000 individuals.

So, what does this have to do with me?

• Jennifer, I'm proud to say, is one of my closest friends and I follow her work with great interest.
• As a happily married person of 35 years and the mother of a married person, I take a great interest in building and maintaining a healthy, committed relationships.
• While in Germany (yes, I've worked in another Germany post), we witnessed a most interesting wedding ceremony.  And how does this relate to the work of Operation Us?

I believe that all good marriages live and thrive only in community:  our extended family, our church, our neighborhood, our social network.  I'm not a psychologist or social scientist but I do know that statement to be true.  And watching this wedding, I saw the power of a community in action.

The groom is a firefighter.  As he and his bride exited the church, they processed through a fire hose tunnel, held aloft by his friends and colleagues.  They were there to greet the couple and to join in their fun and their joy. 

The bride had her friends and colleagues their too (but we we not sure of her profession).  As soon as the couple made it through the fire hose tunnel and greeted the local captain of the firefighters and got his blessing, the bride had to cut her way through an interwoven gauze barrier.  One friend handed her a pair of scissors, while the others jiggled and juggled the woven barrier, all in great fun.

Getting through the barrier wasn't easy, but it was fun, for the couple and for their friends. 

Pretty much like marriage. 

Junior Photographers

Sometimes, I let the grandgirls take some photos with the camera.  It makes them feel big and the results are usually funny, sometimes insightful.

Here are June's results:

And here's the world from Christa's perspective:

I still catch my fingers in the frame! 

Notice the chewed off nose and ears.  The evidence of a lot of love.

Christa's first abstract photo.  This shows all the signs of an artistic genius.