neverfindout.org

Quintessential Italy

This has always been one of my favorite pictures taken in Italy. I took this on my way to Mount Vesuvius.
I recently realized our new printer is also a scanner so presto scano. I can finally post it.

The woman was hanging wash and yelling down to someone walking in the street. Which to me is the quintessential Italian way! I don't think she was yelling at my for taking her picture though. I tried to be discreet.

Late Bloomer

I have always been a later bloomer. Somehow even at my age, I still keep finding areas of my life where I still haven't opened up or changed.

Recently, I was visiting a favorite creek and it was a very different experience than the last time I was there when I walked in the water in my socks. I found rest in this spot but was little a disappointed that I couldn't recreate the exhilarating romping good time I had years ago. It was a case of too tired, not enough time or extra socks.

I did catch this nice shot and it kind of reminded me of me. Seems to me, it is a late bloomer or to be more exact a late changer. Things change and some things stay the same or take longer to change that seems to be a fact of life. And everyone who knows me knows it took a long time to "change my name." I still seem to be a little green in some areas when it comes to be a wife. Sometime I look at my finger and see that wedding band and wonder "How did this happen?"
I think it will sink in eventually just as I am sure those green leaves will be changing colors.

The View

It started off as a drink of water and then grew into a flower. I was so intrigued by the view I ran for my camera and tried to recreate what I saw. I think I captured it well. I suppose it was a moment of seeing things from a different perspective and finding emerging beauty. Not only did I notice the flower but the lovely way the sun was reflecting in the water. In the end, I was glad I noticed and took the time to appreciate this wonderful glimpse.

Of New Jobs, Hard Things and Pumpkin Sorbet

New Job
Tomorrow it will be 1 month since I started my new job. It is going really well. There are definite difference but a lot of similarities too. I was well received and I like to think I jumped right in to the job. I have learned more about Excel in the last few weeks than I ever thought possible. I had no idea it could do some of the things it does and sometimes its capabilities scare me. What alarms me even more is how quick people are to say "Oh we could make an Excel spreadsheet and blah blah blah...." I am told it comes from being around so many DuPont chemical engineer types.

There is no denying that I am happy about the shorter work day and the shorter commute, but I do miss my old friends.

All in all I am happy that God has put me in this new place, I am being challenged and inspired.

Hard Things
Things like Excel can be daunting. There are plenty of other hard things I have had a hard time tackling and sometimes just been too afraid to tackle. Lately, I have found my self doing something I never thought could or would happen. And I am faced with the decision, loose hold of the wonder and amazement that I have actually mastered or overcome some hard thing or take it all for granted soon forgetting that once upon a time I couldn't do... Excel, pump my own gas and the list goes on of hard things... I am trying to hold on to that wonder - that sense of gratitude as I tackle new hard things.

Pumpkin Sorbet
Yes, its that time of year again. Time to experiment with sorbet recipes so I can try and recreate the frosty pumpkin pie without a crust I was blessed enough to partake of last fall. I have been making all kinds of sorbets this summer such as peach, plum, strawberry, and pear with Riesling. There is still no Pumpkin recipe out that satisfies me so I had to create a recipe based on a super easy peach recipe I found that doesn't require simple syrup -which is always the thing that holds me up.

Result: I am getting closer. Overall I am pleased with it but I will keep trying to perfect it.

Dancing Bride

So who knows where I have been for the last 2 months but to make up for being AWOL... have a look at this video - It might just turn your head!

Milestone Mileage

I have racked up a lot of miles in the last 3 months. So I was able to reach this Mileage Milestone a lot quicker than if I was commuting a reasonable distance to work.

It was with great excitement that I anticipated the turning of my mileage to 100,000. Really I am serious, I was like one on the edge of her seat! I had planned on you using me cell phone camera to document the event -because I forgot my camera.

Fortunately, Jeremy summer intern extraordinaire needed a ride to the mechanic. I asked him to bring his camera because by my calculations I knew we would be on route 476 when the "turn" took place. I was so thankful for his keen photography skill that caught this monumental occasion in a digital snapshot so that I can fondly look back to the day my dear Honda "Billy" turned 100,000 miles. Billy now has reached the point in its life where a $600+ timing belt is now right around the corner hence its name Billy short for "Responsibility" fulfills its name.
I am glad that not only did I have some to take the pictures but that I had someone there to celebrate with. Thanks Jeremy!

Hope on Youtube

It's amazing what you can do when you go get "help". So I have finally learned to post a youtube video! This is Marina Micalizzi and Kira Dutzmann performing at Project Dance NYC 2008 to Sara Groves' "It Might Be Hope."

I have been listening to Sara Groves for the last 2 weeks. This is the only video I found with the song I like. These 2 girls did a lovely job. (Though I have no idea who they are!) I find it somewhat ironic that they performed this 5 days before my wedding. Something I have been hoping for for a long time.

I am finding the need for hope and desire for it to be just outside my window or on the other end of the phone has not diminished now that I have a dear husband.

Our hopes change but the need for it doesn't.

P.S. Maybe now I can figure out how to post a video from the camera. You might get to see the Dancing Bride

Rumble Seats

Once upon a time we had a couple posters of antique cars hanging up in our cellar. One of them had a rumble seat. I always wanted to ride in a rumble seat. This spring I finally got the chance...

Isn't nice when these little childhood wishes come true?

Friday with Quilters

After I finally found the quilt shop I was looking for, I started to mill around looking for the piece of fabric I have pictured in my mind -a perfect shade of Robin's Egg Blue with speckles of brown.

Instead of found this lovely piece:

This might work but it is still not exactly what I am looking for. So I decided to only get a "Fat Quarter."

It was near to closing time and the shop owner and one of the workers started to pull out fabrics for a new sample quilt.

Now one of my most favorite things to do is pick out fabrics for a quilt. There is something so invigorating and artistical about pulling fabrics off shelves and out of boxes and saying: "Ohhhh yes they go together perfectly!" (And this is what I was hoping to do when I found the perfect Robin's Egg Blue)

And that's exactly what these 2 women were doing! So I subtly wiggled my way into the process and before long the 3 of use were pouring over bolts of fabric and experimenting with different ideas for the needed 6 fabrics for the quilt.

They listened to my opinion and ultimately choose 2 of the fabrics I pulled out. So I am anxious to stop by in the next week or so to see the completed project.

In the meantime, I might pull out my box fabrics and see what I have that matches my lovely blue and brown.

Since I got married...

Since I got married...

I have only made pancakes once, but I have used my new waffle maker multiple times.

I have doubled the amount of laundry I do, but I am fortunate Walter doesn't require ironed clothes for work.

I have racked up 2040 miles in 34 days driving 68 hours to and from work.

And after living in Pennsylvania for 4 years of college and almost 4 years in Wayne and Havertown, I have finally started to pump my own gas! Yes, I decided one day when I was on "E" and no where near a full service station that since I was a married woman I ought to learn to pump my own gas. And so I have.... since I got married.

Distilling Trust

I have spent much of the afternoon crafting cover letters and submitting resumes.
I could be wearing a T-Shirt that says:

“I rather be Blogging!”

I don't know where any of my applications will lead. I can tell you, I hope one will lead to a good paying job that only takes 20 minutes or less to get to rather than 60!

I am distilling what trust looks like after you get married. And I am finding that trust looks differently these days. I trust God through Walter and I trust Walter through God.

The Body of Christ ...in China

We have had Chinese University Professors visiting with us at the church. They have toured around all the historical sites while staying with Christian families and listening to lectures on Religious freedom in America and Christianity. I worked through the details of the schedule, making sure they had a place to sleep. Sure there were some snafus like I forgot to order them boxed lunches to take with them for their departure to the next city. So I ran to Wawa and ordered turkey hoagies... I got to sit in on one of the lectures with the pastor - which was really just stories of his recent experiences in China. I emailed him after everyone had left:

“I gotta tell you I was so blessed listening to what you had to say to the Chinese. It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture when you focus so much on the details: Plane departures, confirmation #s, hours in a day etc. The thought occurred to me that someday I will get to heaven and I will see the fruit of all those collective labors. I helped make your schedule so you could get to the place God planned you to be so you could plant a seed. So someday I will see the results of all the seeds planted from your seeds. So I may not be planting seeds myself but I have been getting the farmer to the field. It was good to see that with fresh eyes. The body of Christ at work….”

His response to me:

“This is what Jesus was talking about when He said that not even a cup of water given in His name will lose its reward! All of our collective efforts make His ministry here on earth possible. Every task matters. As Francis Schaeffer used to say, “There are no little people.”

So maybe it wasn't so much the pride of working for a prestigious man but the honor of working for a humble servant of God and knowing that's not my part in the body of Christ anymore that has me feeling weepy (coupled with moving away from my friends). What I do have to look forward to is all the eternal glories of all the people rescued into family of God because I helped one man get to China, France, Africa, Spain, Phoenix, Florida. And his work multiplies as each person he plants a seed with goes forward with their own new seeds.

And so I will miss being apart of something so big and glorious.

Confession, Mourning and Redemption

Last week I handed over the reigns. I will no longer be assistant to the senior pastor. I found this to be a challenging task. I guess I never realized how much I liked the power of working for a "prestigious" man. (Even though he is extremely humble.) I lost my power. I realized that I had had secret pride because of my position of power. Rarely, did I brag on my boss -but I liked the idea that I had boss I could brag on.


I repented of this pride.


Then, I started to mourn the prospect of leaving my job completely. Being uprooted from the place that has been my home, haven and occasional headache for the last 4 years. Not seeing the people who have poured into my life at work or being near to my friends and former roommates has been suffocating me.

I have been weepy for days.


I have almost always worked in a meaningful job. Either working with children in some capacity on in my present job at the church. I may end up working in a "secular" job and not able to contribute to the cause for Christ as I have been. But God has reminded me of the fact that where ever I end up working in the next few weeks or months I have a special reward waiting for me someday. And maybe my contributions will just be different in a new place.

I'll post the specific of the "redemption" separately.

Salmon Cakes

One day my old roommates were busy in the kitchen mixing up a bowlful of pink meat. "What are you making?" "Salmon cakes. Do you want one?" one said. "Sure I'll try one." I replied and proceeded to eat the most delectable seafood dish ever! It was like a little piece of heaven in my mouth! They quickly came the house favorite and the "one" dish I could rely one to make for company.

But salmon in a pouch (that's what we used) is not that cheap. Walter and I wanted to make up a batch for lunches this week. We saw that the canned salmon was on sale half the price for twice the amount of meat in a pouch. SO we bought 4 cans!

I opened one can and it was all watery and then I saw its spine and I about hurled. This explains the tapered shape of the can. This also explains what the can means when its says "Traditional Style." They cut up a fish and stick the whole slice of fish in a can! I was completely grossed out. Walter had to pick out the bones. We now have a ton of them in the frig. but the joy of eating them has been diminished by the intimate knowledge we had of the fish before he got crumbled up and mixed in with eggs and mayo.

I'm happy to post the recipe if someone asks... just whatever you do buy the salmon in a pouch unless you have a thing for fish bones...
It may be a while before I feel an urge to make them again

Honeymoon Highlights

We went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Asheville, North Carolina. We enjoyed ourselves. I of course loved all the streams and creeks in the Smoky Mountain National Park. I think Walter liked the cable TV best!

This is about the only way I can get Walter to have his picture taken. He is so stubborn!









This is the bear we saw. That was the coolest thing that we saw. I real live bear in the woods... you don't get any wilder than that for this suburban girl!










Then there was the Biltmore Estate... which brought grandeur to a whole new level for me. What an incredible construction!

Wedding Pictures

Here is Carrie my life long friend and her daughter Riely. Riely did actually manage to make it down the aisle despite being an unpredictably 16 month old!

There I am in the grass looking pensive...

Carrie and I are in the Prayer Garden. The was really perfect - because it was overcast we weren't squinting at the sun!

Daddy's Little Girl Dance - only we danced to Moonlight Serenade because whenever I hear that song I think of all the times I danced on my daddy's toes as a little girl.

My mom took all these pictures. Hopefully when I get the professional ones back I can post some. We are really excited to see what the pink tree photos end up looking like. The photographer laid on the ground and looked up and Walter and I with the pink petals all around. I think it will turn out really cool I just hope our faces end up looking good too!

Peach Cookies

These Delectable Morsels where provided for the shower by my cousin Lorraine. She is famous for making these lovely Italian Cookies and thanks to the wonders of the Internet I found a nice story and recipe that I can paste - here.

The recipe looks pretty similar to how I have heard Lorraine explain them. Someday maybe I will try them.

My Shower

I need to play a little catch up because important events have happened... very blog worthy events and I have just not had the time or energy or Internet connection. So....

On March 1, my mom and friend Carrie hosted my Bridal Shower at a Tea Room. It was an absolutely lovely day. It was everything I could have ever hoped for in a Bridal Shower - there were NO corny games!

We had tea, finger sandwiches and little pastries. There was lovely music playing in the background and all my female family and friends were gathered together. What made it even more special for me is that everyone was asked to where a hat. (Because I collect hats and love to wear them.) So it was fun to see everyone in hats. Some where old some were new some where borrowed. Everyone seem to enjoy themselves - even those who are in general Bridal-Showered-Out!

I arrived in a green hat - because it was cold out that day.

This me, my matron of honor Carrie and my mom. I am in the hat Walter's mom sent for me.

Mom and here good friend Dianne. I came home exhausted. I couldn't believe how tired I was but I was so happy. I talked about how wonderful my shower was for days!

Some of the other really special things that happened during the shower...

My friend Nancy came all the way down from Hoboken!

My aunt Roz gave me a pin cushion that belonged to Grandmom Mary. She is my cousin's other Grandma but she was like my own too. I loved her dearly. So it is nice to have something of hers to remind of her spunky practical ways.

And cousin Lorraine made peach cookies... more on them next

Die Hard Dancing

They might eat me for lunch if they find out this picture is now on my blog. Let's hope they don't see it...right away. Thanks to Monica, Joe, Lauren, Kat, and Don they were my die hard dancing buddies at my April 26th wedding. When everyone else had left and the tables had been cleared the DJ was still playing. So we danced and danced till I finally told them I couldn't dance anymore and let them go home!

More to come on the wedding -for those too curious to wait - in a few simple words: elegant, perfect weather, pink trees, pink flowers, lovely people and a wonderful husband for the new Mrs. Higgins.