Pork Carnitas for Crockpot

Pork (any where from 1lb to 4 lbs have worked well)
1 bunch Cilantro
½ Red onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
A sprinkle Garlic salt
A dash Oregano
16 oz jar of Salsa
Splash of Olive oil

1) Pour olive oil in crock pot. Add ½ chopped red onion and minced garlic. Put meat on top. Tear cilantro on top of meat (or use scissors to snip leafy ends of cilantro; some steams are ok). Sprinkle all with garlic salt and oregano. Pour salsa over everything; add ½ bottle of water. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve in tortillas and with chips, salsa, sour cream and humus.

A New Beginning

This video is neat to watch. While I don't agree with everything, I enjoyed watching it and was touched by the ladies' interaction.

C.S. Lewis' Top 10

In 1962, The Christian Century magazine published C.S. Lewis’s answer to the question, “What books did most to shape your vocational attitude and your philosophy of life?” Here is C.S. Lewis’s list of his top ten books, not including the Bible.

1. Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women, by George MacDonald

2. The Everlasting Man, by G. K. Chesterton

3. The Aeneid, by Virgil

4. The Temple, by George Herbert

5. The Prelude, by William Wordsworth

6. The Idea of the Holy, by Rudolf Otto

7. The Consolation of Philosophy, by Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius

8. The Life of Samuel Johnson, by James Boswell

9. Descent into Hell, by Charles Williams

10. Theism and Humanism, by Arthur James Balfour

The Longest Spring

"7Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold the Judge is standing at the door! 10My brethren, take the propbhets, who spke in the name of the Lord, as an example of sufering and patience. 11Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord - that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. 12But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes be "Yes" and your "No", "No", lest you fall into judgement. 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms? 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayers of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."

from James 5

Hoeing

by John Updike

I sometimes fear the younger generation will be deprived
of the pleasures of hoeing;
there is no knowing
how many souls have been formed by this simple exercise.

The dry earth like a great scab breaks, revealing
moist-dark loam--
the pea-root's home,
a fertile wound perpetually healing.

How neatly the green weeds go under!
The blade chops the earth new.
Ignorant the wise boy who
has never performed this simple, stupid, and useful wonder.

Information for the Playbill

Murdered to Death
by Peter Gordon
April 7th, 8th, 9th
7pm at All Souls Christian Church


Role: Elizabeth Hartley-Trumpington

Previous roles include minor parts in home school productions, the stage manager in The Importance of Being Ernest produced by Blue Milk Productions, and 'Hermia' in A Midsummer Night's Dream performed for Trinity Fest 2005 during which I met my future husband.

Thanks to my family for all the dinner conversations when nobody could get a word in edgewise; for the lovely, I say the lovely Foghorn Leghorn comments; and for champagne on Christmas Eve. Thanks to our director and assistant director for all the time they put into this play. Thanks to my husband, who encourages me in everything I do and for fighting the occasional dragon I bring home to dinner.

Other items: Christ said that we must become like little children. In play acting we are those little children and play games for our parents to laugh at. The Lord loves to tell stories and we imitate Him as we act out His world. We love the world and the silly things in it, like kangaroos and palm trees and French accents and knitting. He made it all and it is good.

Home decorating update

Our living room as of January 2011. Pictures on the wall make such a difference!


South West living room wall. New loveseat and I moved my desk to the living room for more sun light while I work.


From the living room looking at the front door


Another view of the front door and dining room


Bathroom - new shevles from Ikea!


Bedroom


Bedroom - other side

Autumn 2010

Lydia and Hannah joined me for lunch at Smokey Mountain Pizzeria!



Jesse decorating my birthday cake.

Fall SRO Ball 2010

My and my cousin. Ain't he great?



I was the only Callihan girl at the dance so I had my two brothers all to myself.

Nieuwsma Flowers

Liz dried all the flowers that Luke gave her when they were courting and engaged. I arranged them for her and sent them to her in Oregon for her birthday.



These are more various flowers from other occasions and people.

Doughnuts with Maple Frosting - Sept 2010

Family Fun

Oma, Aunt Molly and Uncle JJ came for a visit in September!

Felicity and Tovia


Add River


It's a party with everyone here!


Flying River-Boy!


Felicity and Aunt Kate


Felicity and Oma


At Uncle Jesse and Aunt Kate's house watching Lady and the Tramp

Cooking in my home

Julia Child's Haricots Verts a la Provencale, or Green Beans with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Herbs







It was so tasty!



and went really well with Julia Child's Poulet Roti, or Roast Chicken






Cranberry and White Chip cookies for my niece Sophia Ruth's baby shower - August 2010



Gumbo







My husband took this one

Tuesday Bookgroup

What we've read:

Sept. 2009 - Flannery O'Conner short stories

Oct - I Serve: A Novel of the Black Prince Roseanne Lortz

Nov - In Defense of Food Michael Pollock

Dec -

Jan 2010 - Bucer's meeting for planning next few books

Feb - Til We Have Faces C.S.Lewis

March - The Moonstone Wilkie Collins

April -

May - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society Mary Ann Shaffer

June - The Scarlet Pimpernel Baroness Orczy

July -

Aug - The Supper of the Lamb Robert Farrar Capon

Sept - The Number One Ladies Detective Agency Alexander McCall Smith

Oct - The Book Thief Markus Zusak

Nov - Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science Atul Gawande

Dec - Christmas Stories

Jan 2011 - The Hiding Place Corrie ten Boom

Feb - The Blue Castle L.M. Montgomery

March - Choosing Rest Sally Breedlove

April - Buffalo Coat Carol Ryrie Brink

May - The Man in the Brown Suit Agatha Christie

June - Social night :)

July - Endurance: An Epic Polar Adventure by F. A. Worsley or The Endurance: Shakelton's Legendary Antartic Expediton by Caroline Alexander

August - 84 Charing Cross Road

September -

October - The Help Kathryn Stockett

November - One Thousand Gifts

December - movie night! watched 'The Help'

January 2012 - Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen

February - Unbroken Laura Hillenbrand

March - continued Unbroken and the WWII theme

April - For the Life of the World

May - Master and Commander

June -

July -

August -



Next up ...


Other Suggestions:
Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God
To Kill A Mockingbird
The Name of the Rose
The Yearling

House Summer 2010

Living Room corner South East



Living Room corner South West



From the living room looking towards the front door



From the front door looking towards the living room

Bedroom Update

While I haven't been able to check off my earlier list on account of our budget tightening, I have improved the room.

Two weeks ago we were in Grants Pass and bought picture frames for our wedding photos. After all, it's only been three years since the actual wedding. I hung a large one over my tall dresser and three were put over Jesse's shorter and wider dresser. I think it really helped the room feel fuller and "lived in".

My other accomplishment has been keeping the bed made! Such a difference.

I'm looking at this on Craigslist. Perfect in everyway, except a tad big. Oh, and their a pair! Love it!

I inherited a bed frame from my great-grandmother. The headboard is rather large and I've been trying to decide what to put over it.



I like the use of the 3 frames over the headboard in this picture (from google images).


Love the lamps in this one!!


This one give a feel for our bedroom, lots of dark rich wood. The headboard is even taller. I'm almost ready to opt out of anything above it.

We'll see.

Bedroom Makeover

I've decided that our bedroom is an important room of the house. Statistically we will spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping so the room we sleep in ought to welcome us in. The marriage bed is in many ways the binding of the marriage and that too should be welcoming. Our room should be inviting at night when we want to rest and sleep and also a place to welcome in the day the next morning.

My room doesn't look like it's important. There are piles of towels (I'm hoping for another shelf in my bathroom soon), a sewing machine and it's related accoutrements, a rocking chair that the Christmas tree edged out of the living room, etc.

I'm beginning a project today and this post seals the bargain. I aim to remake my bedroom so that it reflects my feelings towards it in a positive manner (it currently reflect my negative feelings, I guess).

TO DO:
Paint wife's dresser light blue
Paint husband's dresser deep blue/purple
Purchase taller nightstands and bed side lamps (our current lamps shine into our eyes when reading in bed)
Hang new curtain rods


*more to come latter! Off to the thrift store.

Newest Nieuwsma Cider Punch

In honor of Benjamin and Kate, as prepared for their Moscow Wedding Reception.

makes 5 quarts of cider punch

Heat over medium heat in a large sauce pan until sugar is dissolved:
2 C sugar
2 C cider
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp allspice

Remove from heat and add:
6 oz orange juice concentrate
1 gal cider

Chill. Add 2 quarts ginger ale just before you serve it.

Advent, Week 1

Creation Week
Since this is the beginning of the church year, oh best beloved, it is fitting to begin with Creation. We set up our Christmas tree to remember those two trees, the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We put white twinkle lights on it to make it beautiful. We also decorate our house in honor of what is coming, Christmas. A wreath on the door, Christmas trinkets and nick-nacks, plaid tablecloths and holly berry dishes.

Readings:
Advent Calendar, a poem by Rowam Williams
The Best Christmas Pagent Ever, a short story by Barbar Robinson

Scripture:
Read through Creation story