Wordless Wednesday
Month: March 2011
Tasty Tuesday–O’Charley’s
Did you know that children eat free at O’Charley’s? It was news to me!
Turkey wanted to go someplace he’d never been for his birthday dinner, so I came up with some options for him, and showed him the various menus. He picked O’Charley’s because they have both mini corn dogs and fried shrimp on the children’s menu, and these are two of his favorite “eating out” meals. It had been a very long time since I’d been to O’Charley’s, so I was looking forward to it as well (especially those delicious rolls!).
After we were seated, Turkey started looking over the children’s menu. All of the sudden, he says to me, “This isn’t going to cost as much as I thought.” I thought that was kind of a weird statement, so I asked him what he meant. It was then that he showed me those beautiful words on the back of his menu: “kids eat free.” And a generous kids eat free, at that–two children per paying adult, instead of the usual one. That ratio worked out well for our family!
Yes, you do have to pay for children’s drinks. But even after all four of them got something, that was only $8 total, which is a lot better than the usual $16-20 we’d pay for all of their meals at any other chain restaurant! (Not that they’re not worth it–I just love saving money!)
So, the children enjoyed their meals, the adults also enjoyed the selections, and who can complain about the final bill? Plus, we had a coupon for a free appetizer for “liking” them on Facebook, and they let us use that, too! Definitely a place we’ll go back to in the future, whenever our budget might allow!
All About Beer
We went for a tour at the Budweiser brewery in St. Louis this weekend, and we learned more about beer than I ever thought possible! If you click on the pictures, you can get a “sample” of all that we saw and learned.
The Ingredients:
The Process:
Book Review–“Mine is the Night”
I have been anxiously awaiting the sequel to Liz Curtis Higgs’s Here Burns My Candle for the past year. I was fortunate enough to receive a review copy of Mine is the Night from WaterBrook Press, and I couldn’t wait to get started!
As always, Higgs does an excellent job of setting a well-known Bible story (Ruth and Naomi this time) in 18th century Scotland. Her attention to detail, from the dialogue, (written with Scottish inflection), to the clothing, to the setting, to actual Scottish history (the Jacobite uprising) is amazing. You really start to feel as though you are there when reading one of her novels.
Her attention to detail in remaining faithful to the Biblical account is also outstanding. While Biblical fiction is one of my favorite genres of novel, I’m always a little nervous that the author hasn’t done his or her research, or taken too many liberties with the story, or added details that may actually contradict with the Bible. I never have that problem with a Liz Curtis Higgs novel, however! I will say that she has me returning to my Bible over and over again, wondering if “that was really in the story”–even for stories I thought I knew really well. But the answer is always yes–that did happen! I’m not saying that the story of Ruth was actually set in 16th century Scotland, (this is classified as fiction, after all), but when it comes to the important details of the story and the characters, it remains faithful to Scripture, which is a must for me.
I thought this book was a bit stronger than the first of the two-part series. I was able to “get into” the sequel must faster–maybe because I was already familiar with the characters, or maybe because the sequel deals more directly with the Bible story, whereas the first book dealt more with back story that isn’t in the Bible. Overall, I will admit that I still like the “Lowlands of Scotland” series better–while I loved the characterizations of Ruth and Naomi, there was something about the story of Jacob and his family that was so beautiful and moving, I can’t imagine ever liking another book (or books) better.
Where Do Lutherans Fit?
I personally have some pretty strong opinions on the Lutheran church (imagine that!). For example, I believe that the confessional Lutheran church fits in the group of ancient church bodies, along with the Orthodox and Catholic churches. After all, when Martin Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation, he didn’t set out to create a new church; rather he wanted to fix what was broken in the old church. And since we still use his writings as guidelines, and his writings were inspired by an understanding that was getting back to the original church, doesn’t it stand to reason that we are still one of the ancient churches?
It has recently come to my attention, though, that the other ancient church bodies don’t see us that way. It’s not a total surprise to me–I think it’s more their vehemence that has caught me off guard. But I’ve read more and more that suggests that people who belong to the “original” ancient churches view us as interlopers, people who could not possibly understand the history they have. It doesn’t matter that we share their liturgy, their liturgical year, their respect of the early church fathers, and so on. All that matters to them is that some of our key writings come from a man who lived “only” 500 years ago, so what could we possibly know of history?
And then there are other Protestant denominations. They might consider “us” to be one of “them,” but then again, because of our historic liturgy, our adherence to a liturgical year, and our view of the Sacraments, they don’t really “get” us. And frankly, I don’t really get them, either, because they’ve thrown away history in an attempt to *not* be Catholic.
I know it doesn’t really matter. Who cares how Orthodox, or Catholics, or Baptists, or whoever, view us? But whenever I come across discussions like this, I have the unsettling feeling that I don’t really fit in. I see myself as part of an ancient church body, but there are others who turn up their nose at that, and claim that I can’t possibly be. And then there are others who look at my views on the Lord’s Supper, my love of the liturgy, and think that I’m bordering pretty close to those “unchristian” Catholics. I guess it’s hard for Lutherans to properly fit in with other denominations in these kinds of discussions, because we manage to have the best of both worlds!
I Have Called You By Name
The one thing that kept bothering me most during this painful process was not knowing who this baby was; not being able to give him or her a name. Until a friend suggested that we do just that–give the baby a name.
Sounds obvious, right? But in my grief, I kept getting hung up on the fact that we didn’t know if we were having a boy or a girl, so how could we possibly give the baby a name? But, my friend suggested that we give the baby a name that could have gone either way–and I instantly knew who this baby was.
Jesse.
Yes, I’m using the masculine spelling. I’m not really sure why. Maybe because deep down, I knew we were having a boy, after all. Maybe because Moose so desperately wanted this to be a “boy baby.” Maybe because the meaning is so appropriate to what we felt when we first found out we were expecting: “gift.” Or maybe because the name Jesse did actually come up when we were beginning our initial discussion of possible boy names.
It doesn’t really matter which spelling we use, or if the baby was a boy or girl, though. What matters is that our baby now has a name, which is a comfort to all of us. And, bittersweetly, every year during Advent when we set up our Jesse tree, we will remember this baby, and he or she, even though no longer with us, will still be a part of our Christmas preparations.
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob,
He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1
Family Traditions–St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day falls in my top five favorite holidays, (which also include Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July), which is weird, since I’m not even Irish. But I’ve always loved it–the wearing o’ the green, corned beef and cabbage, adding an O’ to my last name, everything. It’s just so much fun! And so, we’ve put together a set of traditions for St. Patrick’s Day that the children have come to look forward to on a yearly basis. (Actually, I’ve made such a big deal of it in the past, Turkey was genuinely surprised to find that Moose still had to go to school–he seemed to think it was a national holiday. I had to tell him, “Only if you live in Ireland!”)
We start every St. Patrick’s Day with a bowl of Lucky Charms. I know, not really Irish, but how can you pass up the leprechaun on the box? This year, we also had green applesauce with lunch. Moose has really been interested in colored applesauce this year, since they have it at school occasionally, and I always have plenty of food coloring on hand…
We usually read a story about St. Patrick (fact or fiction) at some point. Since St. Patrick does make an appearance on our church year calendar, it seems appropriate to learn about him, even if the actual details of his life seem to be a bit sketchy. In the past, we’ve just read a short story out of a bigger anthology, but this year, I picked up a book specifically about St. Patrick, both the truth and the legend. It also goes into the ways St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated, as well as some symbols of Ireland.
I also considered getting the Tommie dePaola St. Patrick book, but it seemed a little bit too Catholic for us. Yes, I know the actual Patrick was Catholic. But there was something about the artwork, or the emphasis on his sainthood, or something, that didn’t set quite right with me at this point. Maybe when the children are a little older, though, because it does seem like a good book.
We also do fun things like leprechaun coloring sheets, or shamrock mazes, or word searches, of coloring the Irish flag, or something to that effect. I’m glad that Turkey and Bunny haven’t decided that they’re “too old” for stuff like that yet, and they really seem to enjoy doing it every year.
Of course, we always have a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dinner. And by traditional, I mean a traditional American St. Patrick’s Day dinner–corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, roasted potatoes, Guinness to drink (for the adults), and Guinness cake (for everyone) for dessert. One of these years, maybe I’ll try to make a traditional Irish St. Patrick’s Day meal, (although I’m not entirely sure what that would be!), but we all love the corned beef so much, and this is the only time of year I make it, so maybe not!
Sláinte!
Quote of the Day
Since it’s St. Paddy’s Day, and also since you don’t get much more Irish than Gerald O’Hara in Gone With the Wind:
“Do you stand there, Scarlett O’Hara, and tell me that Tara–that land–doesn’t amount to anything?…Land is the only thing in the world that amounts to anything,” he shouted, his thick, short arms making wide gestures of indignation,” for ’tis the only thing in this world that lasts, and don’t you be forgetting it! ‘Tis the only thing worth working for, worth fighting for — worth dying for.”
“Oh, Pa,” she said disgustedly, “you talk like an Irishman!”
“Have I ever been ashamed of it? No, ’tis proud I am. And don’t be forgetting that you are half Irish, Miss! And to anyone with a drop of Irish blood in them the land they live on is like their mother.”
St. Patrick and other missionaries
Today is St. Patrick’s Day, so wear green or get pinched.  You may recall my crusade to use this day to honor ALL missionaries. Those of us of European descent had ancestors who also were brought to faith by missionaries no less than our fellow Christians in Africa, Asia, South America, and the rest of the world.  So lift a glass to St. Patrick who brought the faith to Ireland.  And lift a glass to St. Augustine of Canterbury who converted the English.  And lift another glass to St. Boniface who converted the Germans by cutting down the Tree of Thor without getting hammered.  You might get hammered if you lift a glass to all of the missionaries who deserve our thanks.  Those would include St. William Carey of India, St. James Hudson Taylor of China, St. Jim Elliot of Bolivia, and many more, including those who are bringing the gospel to people all over the world today.
Name the missionaries you know and support, and let us all pray for them today.
via St. Patrick and other missionaries | Cranach: The Blog of Veith.
Loss
Four previous pregnancies, and I’ve never had a miscarriage before.
It sucks.
One thing I have learned, though, is how many other people have suffered the same thing. I guess it’s just not something generally talked about–I know I wouldn’t want to remember or talk through this ordeal, unless I thought it might be of some comfort to someone else struggling. But once people know that you’re a member of the “club,” too, they open up and share their stories. And it is comforting, if also depressing, to know others have walked the same path.
The thing that bothers me most is that we didn’t make it far enough to know who this little person was. How can you give a child a name if you don’t even know its gender? So I guess we will always remember this baby simply as “Baby.”
This has also been particularly bothersome to Turkey. But we talked about it, and decided that even if we don’t know who Baby was, God does, and has given him or her the name he or she was supposed to have. And there’s some comfort in that. He has a reason for everything, after all, even when we can’t see it, and He knows all, when we don’t even have a clue.
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.