London

Barbara is saying that she and Dean might have to go back to London for the spring semester of 2009. And I am trying to convince myself that I don't need to go too. The thought of another couple of weeks there is just floating around in my head and coming up to the surface every few minutes. What a city! The push of the crowds in Piccadilly Circus, the escalators in the Tube stops, the West End theatres, the queues at the box offices, the fish and chips at Rock and Sole Plaice, the tree-lined squares and parks, the massive, curving white buildings on Regent Street, the ice cream shops in Leicester Square, the hushed and dignified shopping at Fortnum and Mason, the opulence of Harrod's, and the delights of taking tea!

If B&D go back, I will probably start saving my money to make another trip. But I think I should take someone with me who has never been there, just because I think I owe it to all those in my circle. That leaves out everyone in my immediate family. And Lynne says she can't go this year; her family is going to Costa Rica in February. So I've set my sights on my friend Sharon Schuh Holden, my traveling buddy and college sorority sister from Louisville. The assault will begin as soon as I get word from Barbara about their plans. Oh, to cross the pond once more!

You Say Cicadas, I Say Locusts

Whatever you call them, they are a nuisance! My friend Joan wrote a blog entry about her encounters with them at Kelley Ridge (hilarious! Read it here: http://www.xorph.com/mom/) and I was listening to the din in our front yard through closed windows while I read! The nonstop, deafening buzzing gives our old Abby-girl the creeps when I take her out; she cowers and looks quite nervous. Does her "number" and wants to come back in fast.

Mike nearly filled our little garbage dumpster with shed exoskeletons and carcasses from under trees in our yard. It was so heavy that I couldn't move it to the street for pickup. And there is a distinctive bitter smell of decay in the backyard from the dead bugs in the grass.

How long will these guys hang around?

Harvard Commencement

Four hundred years of tradition, church bells pealing, ushers in morning coats, crimson banners rippling in the breeze, the Mayor of Middlesex County calling the festivities to order, and Karen and I in our seats by 7:15 a.m. for Morning Exercises that started at 9:30! Dave invited me to be there as his guest to see him in his scarlet gown and funny little black velvet hat, as he was awarded his diploma. He is now "Dr. Dave", thank you very much, and a biostatistician like no other. Thus ends four years of hard work and little sleep, although he still seems to be working hard on a paper for publication, so I guess it never really ends. Movers arrive the last week in June. I'm counting the days.

Hannah is here...

and I am overcome with awe and wonder at the goodness and generosity of God! What a tiny, beautiful little thing she is! Her parents are enjoying every minute of the journey the three of them have begun, even the icky parts. Kevin said, " I love changing her diapers! I'm not neutral about it, I love doing it!" When I asked him why he loves it, he said, "Because she's my daughter!" I love holding her, gazing into those dark blue eyes, steady as they can be, telling her how much her Ronie loves her. Her Papi is smitten; he's walking around like a teenager with a first crush, repeating her name every few minutes. Can't wait till we get to visit her again!

My First Cookbook

It was called Mary Alden's Cookbook for Children, published in 1955, and I learned to cook by following its picture instructions. My favorite recipe was for "Eskimo Cookies", made from butter, powdered sugar, oats, and cocoa. Made into balls, rolled in powdered sugar, and chilled, well, there's no way to describe their deliciousness!

I also remember baking cakes, cornbread, and cookies, all from scratch. Egg salad sandwiches, cut into thirds diagonally, just seemed like the perfect lunch. Breakfast items included pancakes, puffed eggs with cheese sauce, and the "reddy grapefruit", a neatly-cut half topped with a maraschino cherry. And the "snuggled franks with cheese"! I can still taste those bacon-wrapped juicy, cheesy dogs! The tuna casserole and meatloaf recipes gave me confidence to fix supper for our family, even when I was ten years old.

But the best part might well have been the diplomas, one to be awarded upon providing evidence of being able to return the kitchen to its spanky-clean state (the "Clean Kitchen Cook Diploma"), and the second upon preparing every recipe in the book (the "Super Cook Diploma").

I have no idea what became of that little book, which had such an impact on my childhood. But thanks to eBay, I have a copy once again! I'm currently bidding on a couple more, so that I can share those recipes with my grandchildren one of these days. And I want to be able to put a copy in the kitchens of each of my grown-up children for those little grandbabies to use and enjoy as I did.

A Life Ends Too Early

Hannah Landers died this week. She is the seventeen-year-old daughter of our church administrator, Richard Landers, and she was fatally injured in a one-car accident. She was the driver. A passenger was killed as well, and two others were hurt.

I never met Hannah, but I've learned a bit about her this week. She was beautiful, intelligent, and funny. She was a fierce friend, willing to share the griefs and sorrows of others. A missions-minded young adult, she was planning to attend Queens College in the fall. Her life touched many youth and adults, a number of whom are sharing their memories of Hannah on the local newspaper's website. It breaks my heart to read them.

But the thing I'll remember most about Hannah is that she has given gifts of life to an unknown number of people. She was an organ donor. And someone in Cleveland now has Hannah's heart beating in his or her chest! Praise God for the generosity and selflessness of this amazing young woman!

Her parents and her younger sister Emma are the focus of the prayers of friends and family as they struggle to deal with their loss. I am among them.

Taking the Plunge!

After months of urgings from my friend Joan and my daughters, I'm jumping into the world of blogging... I guess the impending state of grandmotherhood has pushed me into reflection in a way nothing else could do. These days there's a heightened sense of wonder, blessing, amazement, legacy that surrounds me as I go through my routine. So it seems fitting that it's a good time to begin to record some of the thoughts that I find floating through my head.

My children! What an incredible group of young adults they are! Six unique, beautiful, intelligent, gifted, funny, accomplished, loving, Christ-followers. For my birthday they gave me a gorgeous, huge, framed art piece that quotes III John 4: "I have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in the truth." Absolutely the best birthday present ever!

I just spent a week in Santa Fe NM with Kristen and Karen, and then a week in Orlando with Kevin and his tennis teams. A mom shouldn't have so much fun! And the food! Amazing southwestern cuisine in Santa Fe! Blue corn tortillas, red and green chiles, a cooking class at the Santa Fe School of Cooking (see picture). Chicken stuffed with goat cheese and peppers in a raspberry chipotle sauce, jicama slaw, and roasted butternut squash with potatoes, caramelized onions, and garlic.


The food in Orlando wasn't so exciting, but that was my own fault, because I was the chef! The Tigers were quite appreciative, though, and ate like it was haute cuisine!

I'm happy about starting on this particular journey, although writing is like pulling teeth to me... not at all pleasant and actually pretty painful at times... I'll give it my best and hope occasionally to record something worthy of reading. This is enough for today...