TEA CHESTS

Do any of you have tea chests? Worth it? Not? I don't know that it would work with my favorite teas because I'm guessing you would need tea that is sealed in pouches to keep the flavors from mingling....but it is nice to think of an organized way to store tea. LOL

Sunday

~Chapel things

~Buy Jamin new running shoes to alleviate shin splints

~Lunch

~I had to buy Arielle a skirt...she HATES wearing new clothes....she has ONE dress that she insists on wearing all the time...but I told her it would not work for the Nutcracker or the Christmas play next Sunday. She was a good sport. She had a shirt that is darling; we ran to Target and found a little black skirt. She was sweet. Turns out it is so hot in the civic auditorium that she COULD have worn her summer dress. ::snort:: (Notice Stacia's head in the corner of the 2nd picture...she shows up and preen whenever the camera is out. LOL)

~Arielle, Nolan, Jared and I usher for our city's production of The Nutrcacker. It was AWESOME. Many of the stars were homeschoolers and they all did an awesome job.

~After The Nutcracker we stopped by Target to buy baby gifts for two staff members who are registered with Target Baby service. THEN those who were there wanted to do their Christmas shopping - so we did.

~I used my LAST Taylors of Harrogate vanilla tea yesterday...so I ordered a box here....and then had to add 6 little tea pots. Don't you think it would be fun to have individual pots at a tea party? They were really cheap - $3.95 each.... Arielle really wants to have a tea party and she smiled her shy smile at me and I was a goner....maybe I'll wrap them and put them in her stocking or something. ::snort::

~It turns out the thing that one of my friends wanted at Target wasn't in the store...so I ordered online...but I found great little containers for staff/teacher etc Christmas gifts.....all in all a productive day.

~We're watching "Racing Stripes", better go join the children.

Curry Chicken Salad

*I typed this up for our next produce co-op newsletter (lots of fresh produce in this one). It is always a hit....and I thought I'd post it here for those who aren't on SHS or whatever. Thanks Kristine for this recipe; it's been a favorite for several years now....I served it at Bre's graduation reception. {g}

1 ½ C veganaise (mayo)
2 T lemon juice
2 ½ T soy sauce (Dr. B’s or whatever)
1 rounded T of curry
1 T dried minced onion (I always just chop up onion)
1 T chutney
3 C diced cooked chicken
1 ½ C chopped Celery
6 oz can water chestnuts, drained
2 C seedless grapes (less is fine)
1 1/2 - 2 C pineapple chunks
½ C slivered almonds, toasted (I don’t toast)

Combine veganaise, lemon juice, soy sauce, curry powder, onion, and chutney. Toss with remaining ingredients, except almonds. Refrigerate overnight. Sprinkle with almonds.

De’s notes ~ play with it. I have never used water chestnuts or chutney in this, but everyone always asks for the recipe. This is really good in filo shells or small pie crusts for a tea. I also love it on rolls for a quick lunch.

Tea Time

(I can't post many pictures because I can only post ones from folks who have previously agreed to let me post their photos on the blog....)

Last year I began an "annual Christmas Tea" for ladies of all ages at the chapel. This is a RELAXED time. We have a multi-generational group and I really enjoyed hearing some of our oldest ladies share their earliest Christmas memories last year.

This year we only had 7 signed up, so I switched the location from the chapel's fellowship hall to our home. What a blessed time. There is something "relaxing" about a group meeting in a home. I love having people over, so this was an added bonus for me. It was also MUCH easier to simply take things out and decorate, rather than try to make the barn of a fellowship hall feel "cozy" - haul all my things there, etc. I wanted to use REAL china this year and it is MUCH easier to do that in the home. On a side note, Father Jim told me that if I use my china and such to entertain for chapel groups Mike can count it as "pro gear" in our next move. ::snort::

We ended up with 14 women (young and old). It was fun. I was most pleased with the way my centerpiece came together. I bought 5 votive cups of different heights, wrapped a pine garland around them and threw in some pine cones. (Can't figure out this photo editor program to lighten).

I did ask several of our native Texans how to spell y'all or ya' ll.....wow....Darshia - you are RIGHT - there are varied opinions on this one. It was fun to discuss.

Mom, the little ones used the set of pink tea cups you sent....

We had a cookie exchange and an ornament exchange. Last year I was questioned about the appropriateness of "stealing" gifts...so we didn't. THIS year I told them that I don't care any longer what they think of me....basically they KNOW me NOW. ::snort:: We did "Dirty Santa" as Aaryn called it. It was fun. I began by saying the youngest could go first (which is a disadvantage) but there was some talk about the age thing....then I said the earliest Christmas memory....but the age thing again....then we went by date of birthday....everyone with a birthday on the 1st of a month....this meant I (at 24) was LAST. I was tempted to steal some of the cute ones but just couldn't.....and THIS is the ornament I got - the last one on the table. It's PERFECT!!! It'll remind me of our school this year and TX and the fun group of ladies.

The only drawback was that Arielle was the only girl her age in attendance. She's asked if we can have another tea with some girls her age. That will be next on the agenda..... She told me that she thought it was boring but then had a really good time. I asked what made the difference and she said, ::snort:: ::gasp:: :::hiccup::: "I realized playing with candle wax is a lot of fun!" Oh my.....

My friend, Debbie, stealing a snowman.....this is the one I mention often with the two boys who we went swimming with weekly over the summer.....and the one who "forces" me to go to lunch with her monthly while Mike is gone. The one who says I MUST read the Stephanie Plum mystery series....Doesn't she have a great smile?

THE GREAT CANTALOUPE CHALLENGE

(not sure where this post went....)

Yesterday, at co-op we had 13 shares. This made dividing a few of the veggies difficult. I decided to take 1 share of some of the veggies instead of 2 shares. I subbed for items of like value from the "extra" basket. I ended up taking more cantaloupe and pineapple.

At dinner, I mentioned that when Josiah was Jared's age he used to eat an entire melon at one sitting. I commented to Jared that we'd know he was a man when he could keep up with Josiah in cantaloupe consumption.

At the END of dinner, Josiah thumped Jared and said "C'mon, let's go!" Here's the show....

Magic
Jamin

The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and crystal balls; are these one and the same? Are they completely different? If they’re different, where’s the line that separates ‘innocent magic’ from the point that is disturbing?


First, I believe it is important to define what magic is in context to writing. In a book, like The Lord of the Rings, magic is simply a way of expressing laws and authority in a make-believe world. “Other evils there are that may come; for Sauron is himself but a servant or emissary.” The Return of The King, p190. Gandalf said this when he was discussing Middle Earth’s arch enemy.


C.S Lewis, in The Chronicles of Narnia, also seems to understand magic as a natural thing that can be used or abused, under an authority. “I see what you are. You a little, peddling Magician who works by rules and books. There is no real Magic in your blood and heart.” Queen Jadis, The Magician’s Nephew, p83.


In these contexts, I believe that magic is positive reinforcement to the text. But not every writer puts magic in the same context. Magic takes its first step towards being immoral –or disturbing- when the story it is set in has no God-figure or sense of supreme existence. Magic, a person’s own resourcefulness or inner strengths, becomes the authority and supremely the god-figure of the make-believe world. Authority, in our world or in a fairy tale, turns corrupt when there is nothing to keep man and his corrupt nature in check.


Magic, whether good or bad, has the potential of radically affecting the text of a book. The way it is employed is only as good or bad as the theme of the work. Magic can be used to convey a worldview, add flash to the text with powerful characters, and make the reader more engrossed. After all, with magic anything is possible.


However, if a writer has no intention of conveying a worldview, he should abstain from magic, in my opinion. The only other time you can use magic without conveying a worldview is to spice up a book with action in a new dimension. This is an unsuitable use for magic, since when it is used in this way the writer has no imagination to convey except their version of what they’ve seen in the movie theaters.


In this context, magic is relied on too heavily to ‘spice up’ a document. Using magic too much in this sense is not immoral, but it enriches nothing and if it does convey a message, it usually conveys a bad one, such as “Believe in yourself.” Magic butchered in this way is like using a cocktail glass for changing oil in a car.


Magic is as good or bad as the theme of a work. It has the potential of enriching a document, or degrading it to the extent that it relies on action scenes. It’s important when evaluating a book in context to magic that we don’t become so engrossed in magic that we either overlook a Godly worldview, or see magic as the ultimate evil of the text. Magic is only a vehicle for the theme. You wouldn’t say a hammer was destructive if you knew it was being used to make a nuclear warhead.

*A project that Jamin's been working on in his spare time...defining for himself the proper use of magic in a work of fiction.

QUICK COOKING QUESTION

When a can of fruit is weighed, do they count the juice? In other words I'm using fresh pineapple....recipe calls for 16 oz of pineapple (drain well).....16 oz of fresh pineapple is about 3 C - seems a bit much....Kristine - it's your curry chicken salad.....