The Beatles

I am a little unclear on why exactly iTunes is not featuring The Beatles. Something about Paul McCartney not agreeing with some of the contract details of iTunes...(?) Anyway, as I live in such an instant gratification world, I hop onto iTunes to download some of my favorites that have been floating through my head as I paint- only to be disappointed to find nothing with the group together. Also as I hummed and sparsely sang some of the words to Eleanor Rigby, I discovered that Dirk is not familiar with that song... We sang it in music class in 4th grade. Wonder if that would be done today... Hmmm, for some reason I highly doubt it.

Songs I want to hear over and over again lately:

-A Day In the Life

-Michelle (my Belle....)

-Blackbird

-Strawberry Fields Forever

-When I'm Sixty-Four

-Martha My Dear

while i am waiting for Apple to get it together, I am happily painting and creating to my new (as in the past year and a half) favorite favorite singer: Joanna Newsom. Her harp, flighty youthful notes make me dance and lose inhibitions and I sing Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie at the top of my lungs.

listen to her song THE SPROUT & THE BEAN:

Yahoo, Don't Quit Your Day Job

seems like they would be found on the Onion, but these are actual news stories. Are Yahoo and Fox news cousins or dysfunctional brother and sister? If so, I wonder which one is the girl and which one is the boy. I think Yahoo would be the girl...

Anway, this just in:

Study shows life was tough for ancient Egyptians (really, I thought it was a cakewalk)

Police investigate teen party, find nothing but RootBeer (apparently Good Morning America ran this story, too. glad I don't already watch that show, otherwise this would be one reason to quit)

Uncertain Economy Awaits Next President (Uncertain economy? No, I am perfectly fine with my sub-prime loan that ended in foreclosure while pumping $5/gal. gas into my car. My $600 stimulus check will take care of everything ObamaHilaryMcCain!)

Sourdough Bread

Made some sourdough bread yesterday from my dad's cherished sourdoug starter. I grew up with my dad keeping a blue vintage mason jar on top of the fridge filled with bubbly sour smelling sourdough starter. I remember people from his work and friends of the family pinning for a cup or so of his vintage batch he'd had for 10+ years. What old yeast!

It wasn't "sour" enough, but I may try and add some more sugar to the starter next time for the yeast to " eat". It turned out sumptuous, though, if I do say so myself. Next time I will definitely roll pesto into the center. Can't wait.

I will keep trying to perfect it! Let me know if you have any special bread recipes~

Sourdough Bread Recipe
3¼ hours 2½ hours prep 2 loaves
1
cup sourdough starter
6
cups all-purpose flour
1 (1/4
ounce) package active dry yeast
1 1/2
cups water
3
tablespoons sugar
3
tablespoons butter
1
teaspoon salt

cornmeal
Bring sourdough starter to room temperature.
In a large mixing bowl combine 2-1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast; set aside.
In a saucepan heat and stir water, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm (120-130 deg.) and butter almost melts.
Add to flour mixture.
Add sourdough starter.
Beat with until mixed and smooth, scraping bowl.
Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
On a lightly floured surface knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.
Shape into a ball.
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.
Cover and let rise until doubled.
Punch dough down.
Turn out on a lightly floured surface.
Divide in half.
Cover and let rise for 10 minutes.
Lightly grease a large baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.
Shape each half of the dough into a ball, place on baking sheet, flatten to about a 6-inch circle.
With a sharp knife make crisscross slashes, 1/4 inch deep, on the top of the loaves.
Cover and let rise 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375-deg.
After heated place bread in oven and steam.
Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes, or till bread tests done.
Cool on a wire rack.

egotistical blogging? or art forms?

so I was just sitting here with my cup of coffee and a book. typing out some interesting passages to share with a friend via a message.
i thought about some words a person told me about the self importance of the whole blogosphere- myspace, facebook, blogger, etc. He said these are all ways to show our egotistical need to be validated and affirmed. (maybe not his words exactly, but to that effect)
then yesterday as i sat reading this wonderful book called In His Presence, I thought, this author's words could very well be in blog form and be obtaining just the same effect on me. I was encouraged by this writer's words, whether it was on paper pages or web pages. if he shared his thoughts on the internet, would that mean he is automatically buying into the self-importance of elevation of self? i think not.
to me it is the intent that may be key. why is one blogging, writing, creating, sharing about "oneself" on the internet? to some, it may very well be to gain affirmation from the general public (after all, don't we do that anyway when we leave the door to our house in today's latest styles, name drop literary geniuses that have "inspired" us, and listen to New Music Tuesday's on the Mountain?) and to others, it may be to INSPIRE, ENCOURAGE, CONVICT, CONNECT and confess. there are quite a few blogs and thoughts and myspaces that have left me encouraged and lend me to think about the divine and how He is at work in my life. some others have only left me with a feeling of ignorance and confusion as their words puff up like balloons.

as i wrote to my friend today;
"Whatever it is, surely art involves creativity and originality. Whatever form art takes, it gives outward expression to what otherwise would remain locked in the mind, unshared. One individual personality has definite or special talent for expressing in some medium..."
-p.14 Hidden Art by Edith Schaeffer

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men"
Colossians 3:23

boulangerie dans afrique

in bobo-dioulasso

transcendence and eminence

reed laughed for the first time yesterday.
we spent time having other friend's babies' at our house, requiring a minimal amount of dust and dander on the floor to create the best crawling around environment..
having people over is always such a wonderful way to connect and meet in the midst of busy lives. coffee shops can only offer so much that make a person reveal their "trueness".
one couple who lives down the street is home on furlow from Indonesia. they have been a ray of sunlight to us, and a social outlet now that I am home with little public access like being in downtown. they are simple in the way they live and laid back in the things they expect socially. yet completely aware and focused as to why they are here (on Earth) and what their purpose is as parents. i enjoy talking about baking bread with Christy and learning about the villages in Indonesia.
one of dirk's college friends stopped by with his little boy and though the conversation had sprinklings of college reminiscence, the majority of the talk focused around the boys at their feet. they seemed to have a peace and calmness about them, that I wonder if the same was true for them back in the day- maybe so, just a different kind of calm? maybe more authentic now?
another couple left a few hours ago, and it's always interesting to meet the "new bf". he talked sports with dirk and made some passionate 80's references...all after boldly professing that ministry professions are highly overrated and overpaid amongst other accusations. the pastor books on the shelf seemed to trigger the conversation- which is interesting, because in my mind, that would be the sure thing to KEEP me from entering that conversation. anway, after hearing more about his "story", I understood where the anger and bluntness came from. the words didn't hurt or cause discomfort, just made for an interesting night.
Throughout all of the social interactions, it has been nice to watch what makes one anxious, calm, understanding of others and so on. Sometimes I find that I have so little in common with the person in front or beside me, but Christ unifies in that He is the same Saviour to them as to me. It has been a stretching experience for me to enjoy the company of others who I might not align myself with: politically, religiously, morally, socially or the like. It is necessary, I believe to be in the midst of others that are different (after all, no one is JUST like you, are they?) and be able to appreciate or consider what makes them tick, what makes them embittered, what makes them smile. After all, Jesus sat amongst the multitudes- that of which none were like him in any way shape or form. Did he yearn for someone- just one like minded person to shoot the breeze with? Dirk calls it "transcendence and eminence"- which I think sounds good. I need to be stretched to listen to the person in front of me that enjoys show tunes and Nascar. Why? Not so I can expand my friendship repertoire, but so I can show Christ's love and model that by knowing or understanding this person more than trying to make myself understood by others..