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| We're having a baby! You can check out the baby's myspace at www.myspace.com/babyhutchinson to see how the baby is progessing, and good stuff like that. We're really excited and can't wait for this, now that we now he or she is coming! | | |
| Over Christmas I spent some time listening to Rob Bell's series "Calling all Peacemakers". Got me thinking about a lot of stuff, particularly the way I live such a wasteful life. I use so much stuff, and don't think a thing about it most of the time. And I know it doesn't have to be this way. Check the series out at www.mhbcmi.org under listen. Its great stuff. Nick and I have been exploring things that are important to us in life a lot lately. Thinking about friends and family and where we live, and what we do, and yes, stuff we use. How we live. We've been really comptemplating some big changes, and could use some prayer as well. I know I'm being vague, but honestly, its all vague in our heads as well. Anyway, its good to talk. | | |
| Nick and I went to see The Pursuit of Happyness on Saturday afternoon. Well worth the ticket price. Great performances, a moving story, stuff like that. Something was really nagging me though. This man's pursuit of happiness was realized (probably not finally) when he got the job he wanted. I can certainly see some merit in that. He accomplished something he set out to do. He and his boy no longer had to sleep in homeless shelters or in train station bathrooms. Anyone would be happy about that, and rightly so. And, he worked really hard for what he had, so it wasn't a cheap happiness. I finally got it. What was really bothering me was that it made it seem like happiness was an ultimate goal. And you could attain it ultimately. Neither are really true. Now, for the sake of movie making, I understand why they didn't include hard times after he got the job. I get why they cut to some text saying that he made millions and avoided the struggles in life. It just frustrated me that it seemed like that was it. Get a good job (albeit work really hard for it) and you're set. I think that some days I forget that there really is more to it than that. I strive and strive for that "perfect" thing... job, relationship, house, whatever. And when I get what I want, it still doesn't satisfy. I mean, it might make me happy for a while, even for a long time. And it can be a source of happiness. But ultimately, there is still something missing. This could be due in part to the now generation. Having what you want, when you want it. If its not to be found here, its to be found someplace. And that messes you up a bit, I think. But I think what people are really looking for is more than something that can be attained. | | |
| yes, Aurora beat me to it. She was first to blog about the new word that we made up last night, to describe those gifts that are completely practical and useful, but pretty much the last thing you are going to get excited about finding under your tree. The Craptical gift. Sadly, I think I'm giving one this year, to my husband. Yikes! I hate that feeling, that waiting for the person to open a present, and then examining their face and words... did his tone indicate that he really loved it, or was just ok with it? Where does it rate on the all time scale of best gifts ever? Was it better than the gift he got last year?? And on and on.... The interesting thing is that I really stress about this. me. The girl who despises what Christmas has become (for the most part), the girl that didn't want a tree, and yes, the same girl that hopes to tell her children that Santa is not real (but don't ruin it for other kids). All of those anti-Santa Christmas sentiments, and I care about the craptical gift. Its amazing to me how much room there is between my ideals and my reality. I went with a bunch of people from church to see that movie, The Nativity Story on Sunday. One of the things that really stuck out for me was the gifts that the magi brought. Really pricey, really extravagant, but the way it was presented in the movie was so simple. They didn't worry about wrapping them (seriously, don't get me started on that! Again, with the anti-materialism that will spend hours worrying that the bow doesn't look right, and that I should have used better paper) and they didn't worry about how useful they were, or if the other was giving a better gift or what they would get back. It was just a gift. (True, filled with symbolism and importance, but just a gift, nonetheless). I don't know. Yes, it was a movie, and just a depiction of what could have happened, in a very traditional way, and we have no idea if they were really wrapped or not, but there was something about that scene that was incredibly moving to me. I think because those gifts were about worshipping the King. Not about the magi. And almost every gift I've ever given has been more about me than the person I give it to. | | |
| chocolate peppermint mousse pie... This went over well at Thanksgiving, so I thought I'd share this ludicriously simple recipe. This one is really simple.
1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust
2 boxes european milk chocolate mousse mix (Nestle makes a great one)
whole mix (follow directions on mousse package)
2 drops peppermint extract
2 candycanes
whipped cream (cool whip totally works for this one, but real is obviously better)
grind up one candy cane in a coffee grinder until its a fine powder
add the peppermint extract to the milk
mix milk and candy cane powder into mousse mix and blend according to directions
spoon into pie crust
add whipped cream over the top of the mousse
refridgerate at least one hour, but its fine overnight
before serving, grind up the second candy cane into chunks, and sprinkle on top to decorate.
Its pretty basic, but adding the peppermint to the milk made this thing amazing. | | |
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