Tradition!!

People have asked if I've been sick since I haven't posted anything in over two weeks. No, I've been fine ... just enjoyed a "last of summer break" routine. Kinda of a "blah"-ger these last few weeks.
Last night was a "girls night out" and it was scheduled at the perfect time ... my last evening before heading back to work. What a great way to celebrate the end of my summer break.
Fiddler on the Roof was a special treat. I've seen the movie many times and know several of the songs by heart ... but it was something about seeing it LIVE ... and something about seeing it at a different season of life and relating to it in a different way. It is the story of survival, through tradition and JOYfulness, in a life of uncertainty ... it is the story of a father's attempt to maintain his family and religious traditions while outside influences invade their lives. Even though the story takes place more than a century earlier ... it is relevant to the same issues and choices today.
I got home at midnight and it was hard to face a first day on a new job with so little sleep ... but I knew I was backed with prayer and support from family and friends to help me get through the day. AND it was a great first day! I think I need more "girls nights out" and definitely need to go to more plays/musicals!

Serve Us or Service?

Sometimes summer can put churches in an attendance slump ... vacations and sunshine can beckon us away from consistent attendance. Not so at Tigard Christian Church ... this summer our focus has been on a "portrait of a disciple" ... serving like Jesus.
Yesterday we utilized what we have taken into our hearts and shared it with our community. Following our worship service approx. 175-200 people from our congregation spent the afternoon cleaning the Templeton grounds and building, preparing it for the opening of school. We pulled weeds, spread barkdust, washed windows, painted the entry sign, powerwashed sidewalks and the building, picked up trash, etc. And when we left there was a noticeable difference made not only physically to the building but in our hearts. It was a day for building community within our body -- for working alongside someone you may not know or rarely get to talk to ... a time to just have fun together. It was a day to realize how much we want to serve and love on our community. It was a day to get out of our pew and into our community as a conduit for God's love.
Our pastor, Steve shared that Dave Thomas (Wendys) had an MBA ... Mop Bucket Attitude ... what a great illustration on what it means to be a servant.

P.S. A special round of "gratitude"... and applause to our extremely organized Regional Ministry Team ... for all your passion, hard work, and attention to details!

More Finds

Today I was scheduled to report for Jury duty in our county. I left nearly an hour before I was expected to sign in. I took the back roads, got lost due to road detours, went the wrong way down a one-way street : ( , and forgot to put the parking sign in my car before I left the parking garage. To top it off my shoes set off the security alarms. The least I can say is that I was stressed and a few minutes late. I am just not familiar with this part of the county and NEVER travel there! What a frustrating morning ...
After the orientation and spending another hour reading it was announced that we were all excused due to changes in the four trials scheduled for the day. I was happy ... it was nice to return to my summer break schedule and not have to worry about returning next week.

As I left, I decided to spend some time shopping, taking advantage of the opportunity to browse through a few stores in the area that I never get a chance to shop in. I went through Craft Warehouse and then over to the Cornell Goodwill. Wow! I hit the jackpot again this week ... just what I was looking for ... a Black & Decker rice/veggie steamer. Ours went out this spring after more than 10 years use and Matt let us use his -- a "loaner." The one I bought today is in new condition and I'm wondering if it was ever used. I also found two sweaters, one from Banana Republic, and more glassware. I love it when I find deals : )
Even though the day started out harried and stressful I returned home happy and content!

Photo Album Warning!

I am probably writing this to Baby Boomers or to those who may have inherited magnetic photo albums from relatives from that generation . I found a little history on these albums from the internet ...
"These were made from a thick paper stock and coated with glue strips. There was a Mylar plastic covering both sides of this stock and it was claimed that this was a good way to preserve photographs. After being on the market for about fifteen years, conservators recognized that the glue being used had a very high acidic content. So much so, that after only ten to fifteen years in storage, new photographs were starting to show signs of deterioration. The acid was eating through the backs of the photographs and the Mylar was sealing in the acidic fumes causing a deterioration on the image side as well."
My summer project during the heat wave has been to scan hundreds of photos from our first year of marriage. We put them in magnetic photo albums during the 70's and I could not believe the damage ... many were permanently adhered to the album page and could not be removed without ruining them. Several were discolored from years in this type of album. What a mess! I tried using every method possible for removing them in one piece.
I have been working for days ... scanning, color correcting, cropping to save the best parts of the pictures ... and I only have 92 finished : ( It's very sad to see such a special time in life ... ruined.
Anyway, if you have precious memories stored in this type of album, find time to archive them before they are permanently damaged. It will be a good investment!

SparkPeople.com

While vacationing at Wallowa Sharon told us of a online site, SparkPeople.com that helps you manage a healthy lifestyle. It tracks your food, exercise, water consumption, weight, etc. Each day I receive emails with great tips, recipes and encouragement to help keep me motivated. I have loved using this tool and have been very successful. Many times I will change my mind about a food I am reaching for when I realize I would have to record it on my Nutrition Tracker. On days when I feel lazy and need a nudge to go for a walk or workout with Wii Fit I am reminded that I can add this to my Fitness Tracker for the day. Give this site a try and see what you think! Let me know how it works for you.
Today I enjoyed the best lunch idea using a recipe they emailed to me:
Greek Hummus Wrap
INGREDIENTS
1 Best Life Flatout Bread Multi-Grain w/Flax
1/4 cup Athenos Reduced Fat Feta Cheese w Basil/Tomato
1/4 cup onions, raw, sliced
1/4 cup red peppers, raw, sliced
1.4 cup diced cucumbers
2 leaves of romaine lettuce
4 T Atheno's Roasted Garlic Hummus
DIRECTIONS
Makes 1 Greek hummus wrap
Spread 4 T of hummus on the bread. Sprinkle a 1/4 cup of feta on top of the hummus. Add all of the veggies. Roll the bread in a burrito style and enjoy!
Number of Servings: 1
Nutritional Info
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 295.2
Total Fat: 14.2g
Total Carbs: 31.5g
Dietary Fiber: 11.7mg
Protein: 21.1g

Good Goodwill-ing

While running errands this morning I thought I would stop in and check out Goodwill. It's been quite a while since I've dropped in and Thrifty Decor Chick always inspires me on her blog with her incredible finds.
The mornings there are much quieter than when I usually go so it was nice to leisurely look at everything. What great finds ... a Barbie camping chair for Calleigh, a beautiful dark red ceramic platter, a serving dish for crackers (October Cookie Day is coming up!), 2 pillows I have had my eye on @ Target (they are in brand-new condition) and a few pieces of glassware. I was tickled to discover these hidden treasures.
When I went to check out the clerk said I had a birthday discount I could use ... 25% off and when I told her my birth year she said I also qualified for another 10% because Wednesday is Senior Discount Day ... I know ... sad to say that I qualify BUT, I'll take it. I saved more than 8 bucks today on these great finds : ) Gotta love it!

Farmer's Market

Saturday morning we woke up to a long to-do list but all that had to be put on hold. I have wanted to go to the Beaverton Farmer's Market all summer but some other priority always "bumped" it off the calendar. I am so glad we made the time to go ... what a fun experience! Walt was kind of dragging his heels but once he got there he was "sold" on the whole idea.
We weren't prepared for how crowded it was on such a hot day. We found parking a few blocks away and even in the crowd we saw familiar faces. It was fun to catch up with a former principal and her husband. She had some great suggestions for where the best deals were on flowers. I couldn't believe it ... the huge paper-wrapped beauties were only $10 ... yes, just ten dollars!!! We picked up some great produce and sampled some wonderful treats from several booths.
If you've never experienced the Farmer's Market, I would encourage you to go. I know I will be back again before the end of summer. Next time I'm going to bring my appetite and buy some of the tempting food items. Yum

The Official 2009 Wallowa Group Photo

Here it is folks ... the official 2009 Wallowa group photo. Can't believe we squeezed everyone in. Ten people had to be photoshopped in as there were several early departures. The picture was also complicated by the fact that half the group is in the shade and the other half in full sun. It came out quite well despite the odds : ) and I did learn many new techniques in using Photoshop Elements.
Next year ... let's make it easy. How about setting a time to meet for our annual picture before Friday down at the Day Picnic Area?!?!?!? LOL It would be great to get everyone in the "original" photo.
What a great memory of such a fun week together!