Right now I am full of Jeff's finest crepes--he made them for dinner tonight. We got two new crepe pans when we were in France, and I like crepes again! Jeff's 15 year old crepe pan gave the crepes a subtle but disgusting PAN flavor that nobody but bloodhound tongued-Shaina could taste. It was the taste of 15 years of Pam cooking spray and crumbling first-generation Teflon coating. I had a crepe from that aged pan back when I was nauseous and pregnant between Rose and Amber, and that old pan flavor has grossed me out for the five years since then. I didn't even know it was the actual pan that was making the crepes taste weird until I had a bite of Jeff's crepe in Paris and I actually LIKED it. That made me realize that old nonstick pans are grosser than I thought.
It is not possible to find a quality flat, low-rimmed crepe pan in the USA for less than a small fortune, if at all--I have looked. So while we were in Paris, we went to Carrefour (European big box store comparable to Walmart, but better because France somehow makes even a Walmart-ish store seem classy--must be the enormous fancy cheese section and fresh baguettes). At Carrefour we picked up two affordable Tefal crepe pans--one medium sized, one large. They are amazing.
Well, we chucked the old pan in the bin at long last the minute we got home from Paris, and I like crepes again!!! So Jeff has started making them on Sundays. YUM--everyone likes them, they are filling, Jeff enjoys making them,, and I don't have to cook! I call that a quadruple win.
Thursday was our first sunny day in WEEKS and it was beautiful, shining off of the bright snow. The forecast called for another winter storm advisory starting Thursday night. We haven't seen the grass in over a month--it has been freezing and covered in snow and ice all year! It has been a new experience for this Tennessee-raised girl living with this much snow and winter weather.
On Thursday in the car Amber and I listened to The Piano Guys' latest album while we drove through the frozen, bright white landscape to Julia's house [I teach her weekly homeschool reading and writing lesson]. The snow coated the hills and every snowy lump had an edge of white-gold sunlight on one side and a bluish shadow on the other. The snow transformed the familiar scenery into something completely new--glittering, and exciting. I haven't driven out into the country on a sunny day since the first snow fell, so the view of the sun-on-snow and the whiteness of the usually drab brown hills was breathtaking. Beautiful music plus sparkling scenery lifted my spirits and made my heart happy. It was an uplifting drive, and I found myself feeling glad to have that 40 minutes round trip to listen to beautiful music and drink in the visual beauty. I felt calm and centered when it was over.
While I was making lunch on Thursday, Amber said "payer, Mommy, payer!" So we folded our arms and I said a prayer for the food. One of the things I said in the prayer was "thank thee for this sunny day before the next storm." When I said those words aloud, the symbolism in them hit me. All in about five seconds as I paused before finishing my prayer, I had three shades of thoughts flood my mind simultaneously: I realized how very blessed I am right now. Then with a pang, I thought "I wonder what the next life storm will be." And right on the heels of that pang, I thought how important it is to appreciate the sun while it shines, so to speak. Not only how important it is, but how possible it is to appreciate the sun while it shines, or the goodness happening in the moment.
Regardless of upcoming storms, past problems, or current issues, it really is possible to feel happy and find goodness in the middle of it all. Goal: enjoy the sun while it shines!
Now, for the January catch-up pictures--full of sunshine (the symbolic kind):
Rose lost her last middle top tooth and she lisps in the cutest way now.
Sometimes you just can't wait for clothes.
We passed around a low-key exhausting cold for the last two weeks of January. That means lots of movies, snuggling, and sleep. When Jay was home sick, he facilitated Amber's first viewing of Star Wars episode IV.
Sick Amby was sad but I loved holding her limp sleepy squishy self.
The icicles got pretty big.
Rose adores having fluffy curly hair the day after braids. She was a halo of happy radiance on Monday when we did her hair after her Sunday braided hairdo. She told me that the kids in her class at school said "nice hair!"
Jay and Rose had their first-ever piano recital on January 28th. It was an ensemble piano recital, with four pianos set up and two kids per piano. It was a lot of fun, and Jay and Rose did great!
Amber wants to be like her big sibs so badly. One day she took the timer down to the piano, plinked and pounded around for a while, then brought it back and promptly started unloading the silverware from the dishwasher. She watches Jay and Rose practice piano and do chores every day, then copies them.
THOSE FACES!
Right before Grama Meri went home after watching the kids while Jeff and I were in France last month.
Rose drew this picture at church last Sunday, and I loved it so much.
Got the cart stuck in the snow for the millionth time this winter...
Amber practically skinned me alive when she suddenly developed an interest in brushing my hair--in the same spot, over and over and over. My scalp was rawand my ears were on fire for two entire days after my junior beautician was finished with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment