John Donne and Cinnamon Rolls

Papa turned 89 this past month! 

He has so many stories to tell and we love listening to them every time.

We had angel food cake with homemade brown sugar frosting and pecans.

I took a picture to prove to Phoebe that Harrison does indeed do kitchen work sometimes. He helped me make cinnamon rolls on this particular evening. Although I was so disappointed that they didn't turn out very well. Not a good dough and way too much sweetness.

But they looked delicious.

We spring forward an hour this weekend. Aren't we going to cancel that stupid time change thing at all!? It absolutely drives me crazy that we switch times twice a year. It makes no sense! And it drives families with babies and littles to the brink ~ to the brink, I tell you! Stop this madness!

Phoebe comes home about every other weekend and we love having her home. We watched the first Godfather with her, and she insists we must finish them. So we've watched II, and III will be watched next time.

Jonathan has been learning country swing dance (they made him go; but he found it stretched him, so he went back) and eating out with friends and climbing foothills to watch the sunrise. His residency also keeps him busy over there in Boise!

Lanaya Elizabeth is knitting up a storm! Always new patterns and new sweaters and her pictures are always lovely. 

Instagram: 

lanayaelizabethknits

Facebook: Lanaya Elizabeth Gonzalez

What should we call this cat? She looks like a shag carpet to me, with her orange and black fur.... Her brother is shaggy black like Rochester, so I call him Jr. 

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I've had Harrison memorizing this sonnet by John Donne: Death, Be Not Proud. 

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee 

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;

        A friend from college who was right around our age passed away a few weeks ago. I didn't know her well, but I knew her family and her husband & his family (our preacher's wife is twin to the husband). It was a bittersweet time going to the visitation. Hard to see the sadness, but we visited with so many college friends -- it was a mini reunion and joyful in that regard for many of us. She was a Christian and so we know the end will be joyful for all of us.

One short sleep past, we wake eternally 

And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

 

Phillip's Birthday and Cold Snow

We've had another cold spell and winter storm and powdery snow covering the ground. But we should be above freezing for the rest of the coming week, so all the snow should melt and perhaps that'll be the end of harsh winter weather. It's not so much the cold as it is the prairie wind ......

For Phillip's birthday, we went to Hermann for hanging out and lunch and coffee shop. It was a fun time!

Boston Cream Pie, per usual! He's 51 this year. I never have the right candles....

The kind of arctic, blowy snow that can be swept off the porch. 

At home Sunday morning watching church while we eat lunch. We "attended" church with Lanaya Elizabeth and Jon at Eagle Christian Church in Boise.

Settlers of Catan with Phoebe when she was home one afternoon. I think Harrison won.

Jon and Harrison went shooting some day before Jon left for Boise.

Picture of my breakfast to go along with a post about a book about cooking.

I've started reading An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler. Kind of a delightful book on cooking which has been recommended by many in my circle. Whenever I hear enticing recommendations, I add the book to my Goodreads account so I won't forget. This is the kind of book to read slowly and attempt her counsels as you cook your usual meals. 

"When you find yourself tasting your water, you are doing the most important thing you ever can as a cook: the only way to make anything you're cooking taste good, whether it's water or something more substantial, is to make sure all its parts taste good along the way.... You don't need to know what it's supposed to taste like: what anything is supposed to taste like, at any point in its cooking, is good. This is as true for water as for other ingredients." ~ chapter 1, An Everlasting Meal

 

Harrison preached at the Farber Presbyterian Church last Sunday, so Phillip and I joined him and enjoyed it very much. It's a neat little congregation in a small town. I believe Phillip's first preaching experience was at the Christian Church in Farber. 

A podcast I've heard lately that I thought had great things to say: "God's Solution for Anxiety and Biblical vs Christian Counseling" with Johnny Ardavanis on Culture Apothecary. It's probably especially helpful for those who are often in counseling situations, like those in ministry.