Café of Life. (30 days of thankfulness - day 17)

What would we do without our beloved chiropractors Autumn and Tom Gore at Café of Life?  Well for starters, I'd probably have chronic pain in my spine at my epidural injection site.  And I might be walking with a limp from all the days carrying a heavy baby and all the contorted sleepless nights.  Instead, we walk straight and tall and our bodies radiate strength and life.  I didn't always believe in chiropractic care, but Autumn won me over and now we send everyone we can their way.

When I was pregnant, we had planned on Autumn being my birth doula unless my baby came on the 4th of July weekend when Autumn was going to be out of town on a previously scheduled trip. As much as we tried to make sure my birth happen while she was in town (haha), it happened at the tail end of her trip on July 9th.  I tried my best for a natural birth without her, but the misalignment of my pelvis would not allow my baby to come through, and I ended up with a C-section.  If I had let Autumn adjust me while I was pregnant, I'm very confident I wouldn't have ended up with that C-section.  But at the time, I had been so conditioned to think chiropractors didn't really do anything worthwhile and that I could handle it on my own.  I'm sure there was some fear involved too.  If God gives us another baby at some point, I am not birthing that baby without Autumn's presence.  Our entire family gets adjusted every week; Luci Belle since birth. 

Being at Café of Life is a breath of fresh air in my day.  It's like a nucleus of peace in the middle of crazy Dallas.  During open adjusting hours, the lobby is filled a myriad of kids playing together, pregnant mamas, and men and women of all ages waiting patiently.  I always run into friends.  Of all the times I've been to Café of Life, I've never heard someone complain about waiting or act irritated with another person.  There's just something about their practice that imparts peace.  And I love that when I leave, my hair always smells like the sweet incense they burn.

We love you, Autumn, Tom, and Gale!  Thank you for taking such wonderful care of our family.

~ ~ ~

During the month of November, I'm practicing "30 days of thankfulness" - will you join me?  Use your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to voice your thankfulness for something every day in November.  My hope is that this daily routine will create in me a heart of thankfulness and gratitude, no matter the day or month or situation.

Gran. (30 days of thankfulness - day 16)

Today is the 90th birthday of Steven's "Gran," Jewell Bailey. Gran has lived in a small town in North Carolina her whole life, raised many children and now has a slew of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  We're thankful that our daughter got to meet Gran, her only living great-grandparent, last year.

You can't help but love her.  I hope I'm this energetic and sassy when I'm 90! 

We thought we'd celebrate Gran's long life by sharing her famous pound cake recipe - the best pound cake you'll ever eat, hands down.  It has a scrumptious crust on the outside that you'll definitely want to peel off and sneak when no one's looking.

Here are a few words about the recipe from my husband...

Growing up, my "Gran" would fill her little North Carolina home with the aroma of pound cake.  My Papa's favorite part was the crust which is also mine to this day.  We weren't allowed to be loud or jump up and down when the pound cake was cooking, or it might make it fall.  Fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and a hot cup of coffee are the perfect companions to enjoying this cake.  I practiced many times my junior year in college and failed on numerous occassions until I perfected the recipe.

Gran's Pound Cake

3 cups flour (sift, then measure)

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

2 sticks butter (room temp)

1 cup sour cream

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Grease and flour a tube pan.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix together dry ingredients.  In a mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add 1 egg at a time.  Don't overmix.  Add a little of the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl, then some sour cream, then the dry...until it's all incorporated.  Last, add the vanilla.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Add a sheet of foil over the top at the end to prevent burning.

Enjoy with a steaming cup of tea or coffee, and top it with fresh whipped cream and strawberries. 

Perfection.

~ ~ ~

During the month of November, I'm practicing "30 days of thankfulness" - will you join me?  Use your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to voice your thankfulness for something every day in November.  My hope is that this daily routine will create in me a heart of thankfulness and gratitude, no matter the day or month or situation.

Fall is here. (30 days of thankfulness - day 15)

So thankful fall has finally, really come to Dallas.  We're soaking it up!

~ ~ ~

During the month of November, I'm practicing "30 days of thankfulness" - will you join me?  Use your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to voice your thankfulness for something every day in November.  My hope is that this daily routine will create in me a heart of thankfulness and gratitude, no matter the day or month or situation.

My Swiss pen pal. (30 days of thankfulness - day 14)

In a small village in the canton of Argovia in Switzerland, there lives a woman named Monica.  One day, I received an email from her through my blog, out of the blue, in which she introduced herself. She found me by researching Jeremy Casella's music, then made her way to Kierstin Casella's blog, then to mine.  I'm so glad she did! 

In that first email, Monica said, "I decided to follow Jesus in 1994, and sisters like you inspire me to love my Lord more every day and to explore the beauty and adventure of faith, life, friendship, nature and art."

Although her native tongue is German, I knew right away that we spoke the same language.  Monica is a creative, artistic, sensitive soul who loves reading, writing, music, poetry, painting, her garden, and her husband Ralph, who she's been married to since 1999.  She works as a copy editor for a big Swiss newspaper.

I love hearing about Monica's faith through the perspective of her unique European culture and traditions.  Our lives are so different, yet we understand each other so well.  Her words have encouraged me time and time again.   You should hear how poetically and eloquently she writes...and she translates every email into English!

Monica and I have never met in person, but you can be sure that when we do, it will be a sweet day.  There will surely be lots of shared cappuccinos and laughter and walks through the city and countryside.  Until then, we'll continue being kindred spirits across the miles. 

I thank God for you, Monica!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from Monica's world. 

A lovely Swiss cottage in the snow...

One of her glorious cappuccinos, "served with strawberries au gratin and much love on a Saturday afternoon"...

Her lovely flower garden...

Her parents' Christmas tree...with real lit candles on it.  Below is a stable handmade by her father many years ago...

The view from one of her boating trips...

And just another breathtaking winter day in Switzerland...

You know you want a Swiss pen pal now.  But mine's taken!

~ ~ ~

During the month of November, I'm practicing "30 days of thankfulness" - will you join me?  Use your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to voice your thankfulness for something every day in November.  My hope is that this daily routine will create in me a heart of thankfulness and gratitude, no matter the day or month or situation.

Mary Oliver. (30 days of thankfulness - day 13)

I was reminded of this wonderful Mary Oliver quote by my blog friend and kindred spirit, Linda.  I'm thankful for Mary Oliver's way of wordsmithing - just what my soul needs to understand. 

This quote goes hand in hand with everything I'm learning in my current study of the book of Genesis.  As a believer in Christ, I can and should think about the beauty God created and be grateful.  He could have made it only functional, but He didn't.  He made it beautiful, too.

~ ~ ~

During the month of November, I'm practicing "30 days of thankfulness" - will you join me?  Use your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to voice your thankfulness for something every day in November.  My hope is that this daily routine will create in me a heart of thankfulness and gratitude, no matter the day or month or situation.

Lifelong friends. (30 days of thankfulness - day 12)

I've been given the gift of several friends I know will be there for life.  Today, I am specifically thinking about Christy and Angela, my dear college friends from Belmont.  We've been friends ever since the day we met - the first day of freshman year when their rooms were decorated in life-size cardboard cutouts of country music stars, and mine was blasting with gangsta rap and D.C. Talk.  They both still live in the Nashville area, and not a day goes by that I don't wish we lived close again. 

Here we are last year in Nashville with all our babies...

And here we are in college, when overalls were obviously in fashion because we wore them every single day...

I could fill a book with the memories I have with these two women.  Practically peeing on ourselves with laughter?  Check.  Loving each other unconditionally?  Check.  Friends for life?  Check.

~ ~ ~

During the month of November, I'm practicing "30 days of thankfulness" - will you join me?  Use your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to voice your thankfulness for something every day in November.  My hope is that this daily routine will create in me a heart of thankfulness and gratitude, no matter the day or month or situation.

Sabbath. (30 days of thankfulness - day 11)

"If busyness can become a kind of violence, we do not have to stretch our perception very far to see that Sabbath time – effortless, nourishing rest – can invite a healing of this violence. When we consecrate a time to listen to the still, small voices, we remember the root of inner wisdom that makes work fruitful. We remember from where we are most deeply nourished, and see more clearly the shape and texture of the people and things before us." ~ Wayne Muller

How thankful I am for Sundays - our Sabbath, our family time together.  The book Sabbath by Wayne Muller changed me, and now I must have our quiet, laid-back Sundays to remember who I am, who we are together.

We've now enacted a rule of no TV, DVDs, iPads, or any other form of visual entertainment on the Sabbath.  After fielding about 55 requests from our two-year-old of, "Mommy?  Can I watch sump'in?" I think she's finally catching on that the TV goes night-night on the Sabbath.

There is so much more I want to do as a family to embrace this special time of the week, but at least it's a start.

As I said in an earlier post about Sabbath, "The point is taking my hand off the plow, knowing I can't do it all. Knowing that God can and will work through me, that His strength will be the life that courses through my veins. And that by keeping my focus on the rhythms He gave us in this world, I can truly find rest."

Tonight we ended our Sabbath with a candelit meal that my husband prepared - buttery spaghetti squash smothered in savory meat and mushroom sauce with crusty bread.  It was perfect.

~ ~ ~

During the month of November, I'm practicing "30 days of thankfulness" - will you join me?  Use your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to voice your thankfulness for something every day in November.  My hope is that this daily routine will create in me a heart of thankfulness and gratitude, no matter the day or month or situation.

You are precious. (30 days of thankfulness - day 10)

Dear Ramona,

I admit I was quite hurried when I saw you sitting on a bench in front of the downtown library, holding a crushed, bent-open book in both your hands while you read aloud to yourself.  As I slowly pulled my car to the curb in front of you, I could see you were trembling.

I approached you selfishly, wanting to "get rid of" more of the "homeless bags" in my car by giving you more than one, so I wouldn't have to stop so many times.  I rolled down the passenger's side window and asked timidly, "Excuse me, do you need some food?"  You answered, "Yes," and hurried over to the curb.  I handed you a bag and asked if you had anyone else you wanted to give a second bag to.  You shook your head and answered very definitely, "No." 

I asked your name, and you told me it was Ramona.  I admit I probably wouldn't have thought to ask you that simple, seemingly obvious question if it hadn't been for my friend Kyle who talks with homeless folks much more often than I, and she told me it was a good thing to do.  She said you probably don't get asked your name very often.

I hope when you found this note in your bag that it meant something to you, that it made you smile.

When I passed by the downtown library again a few days ago, you weren't there.  I'm not sure if we'll meet again, but I hope through our very short encounter and hopefully future ones, God teaches me what it's like to be humble.  Because right now, the truth is I'm just thankful my life isn't sitting on park benches in front of libraries alone.

Whether you know it or not, Ramona, you are made in the image of God, and you are precious.  There is hope for both of us.  And that is something that draws us together.

Sincerely,

Christine

~ ~ ~

During the month of November, I'm practicing "30 days of thankfulness" - will you join me?  Use your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to voice your thankfulness for something every day in November.  My hope is that this daily routine will create in me a heart of thankfulness and gratitude, no matter the day or month or situation.