Something old, Something new....

Old traditions can make wonderful new hobbies.

As some of you know, I've taken up cake baking. I do it from scratch; no box mixes for me, I do the whole shebang, icing included! And I love it. I started it as a way to save money...and It has turned out into quite an expirience.

I had the privilage of marrying a wonderful man who's mother was a professional cake decorator in her past (as well as a professional seamstress, but thats another blog!!). She had taught some Wilton Cake Decorating Classes in her past, so she helps me out with icing the cake, and we both do decorations. But I bake.

The first big cake we did was my wedding cake. It was a three tier cake, 3 different flavours. it was fantastic! I did a chocolate, strawberry, and white cake....and found the best chocolate and strawberry cake recipies known to....me. I progressed to doing cakes from different pan molds, and did a cute dinosaur for my sons birthday (see prior post). my newest accomplishment...my second wedding cake. Some friends asked me to do the cake, and I agreed. we had a blast. It was awesome. I know, I have a lot of growing to do in my technique and baking...but for the second biggest project i've ever done, I think it went well. I baked, and made the icing; my mother in law iced, and we both decorated.

I learned one thing in this venture. Weddings, birthdays, and BIRTHdays......they are the little blurbs of joy in an otherwise very stressful, very exhasuting world. For me, expiriencing moments of complete non worry. living in the present, no concern of future, do dwelling in past...just the enjoyment of a beautiful, tasty cake...it's such a rarity...I completely enjoyed the exhaustion of today. :)

Odd Fondness...

So, earlier this summer a spider moved in.
Well, she didnt move into our home, she moved into our hallway, and established a web above our storage unit.
every night, she would build a beautiful web, and catch bugs. every morning...she was hiding in a corner, waiting for night.
She didnt bother us, and I decided to let her stay.
The entire summer has gone by; she got larger and larger, and her web got larger, but she stayed above our storage unit; when we opened the door, it did not alter her web (she had not attached any part of it to the door or anything) and she didnt drop down below the web to bother us, and so we ignored her. Every now and again though, we took pleasure in watching her do her thing, and got to show my son how spiders do thier thing. We developed a fondness for the spider. She never invaded on our storage unit space, just stayed right above it; every night, doing her thing...every morning, gone.

Well, she got pretty darn big. I was getting scared, and was thinking about 'reliving' her of her position. but I decided to wait a bit more. Recently, we looked for her in the evening....and she wasnt there. Well, she wasnt on her web. she was curled up, underneath the eaves of our storage unit, where the door opened. It was very hard for her to move(she was REALLY FAT by this time)...and she looked very uncomfortable.

Tonight, we saw that she had moved, and had created a very large egg sac on the outside side of the unit, where the door does not open.

My husband and I decided to look her up; if she was any threat, we would destroy the eggs. We found out she was a '"barn spider"; perfectly harmless, they actually used a barn spider as one of the main characters in 'Charolette's Web. (In reflecting on the book, after seeing her egg sac, I can understand how the pig must have felt carrying it in her mouth....it is a LARGE egg sac!)

We decided we will let them live. We've gotten very fond of the spider. We may relocate the egg sac, to a safer place, but not destroy them.

Its odd how things grow on you. :)

Converting

So, today I was thinking about converting to Islam. I read an article on CNN.com; it was about a former agnostic that had converted. She said something that really struck a chord with me. She said that after she converted (non pressured, by her own reading and research) she was sitting with another Muslim friend (who was wearing the hijab) at a diner or something, having tea. An individual came up, and saw her with her friend; he greated her friend with the formal Islamic greeting, and looked at her and said "hey, whats up?". She said she took offense to that, becasue the individual did not greet her with the formal greeting, even though she was a Muslim too...then she realized, he could not tell becuase of her appearance. That was the point she decided to wear the hijab.
It got me to thinking.

Okay, honestly, I dont want to convert to Islam. I am strong and sound in my faith, and yet, it got me thinking. When people pass me on the street, what do they see? Does my appearance portray an individual strong in thier Christian faith....or am I dismisssed like "everyone else"? Outside of words, professed belief....what sets Christians apart? I am wondering, is there any way to "make a statement....without saying a word"?

As I write this, a verse pops into my head. "Man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart".

I dont need to wear a hijab, or a bracelet, or anything to profess my faith. I can if I want to (and, I think I will make an honest effort to revamp my closet to express more clearly a woman of modesty) but my heart is what matters.

I'm sure if I get my heart straight, everything else will take care of itself.

:)

strange...

anyways, so its been forever since I blogged. A LOT has happened....I have wanted to blog a lot, but mostly complaints. I cant say I have much to complain about now, which is good. God is good, all the time...and all the time, God is good!! Many changes are a'comin for our family, all of them good. Even when things dont seem to be very good....things are better than what they could be.

So, tonight, my dear husband has put on Netflix some oriental superhero movies.

Its amazing how bonding changes over time....for those who know us, who would'vd thought this is great bonding for us?

I love blogging....but now, I love my husband more. :) so, I guess I'm off to a night of possibly rediculous, possibly funny, very silly non english superhero movies.

I guess everyone needs a superhero, eh?

First days...

It's my son's first day of second grade tomorrow. It's kind of exciting. During worship tonight, he expressed his excited anticipation, and nervouseness about starting second grade. I was about to blow it off as whatever, things will be fine....then I remembered...This is a big deal! Well, in his world it is.
It's amazing how much I've forgotten about being young. I remember, I used to be soo excited; as I got older, excitement was replaced with nervousness so bad, I go nauseous. First days are such a big deal...

I remember last year, and the year before...he's growing up soo fast. I look at him, and reflect on how much older he looks... I guess, when they are babies, you forget they are babies, untill they get older. I think its the unfortunate plight of older (and only) children. They're often expected to act so much more 'grown up' than they really are....and I am guilty of treating my son as a little adult, and neglecting the fact that he was just a baby...

This year will be so much different for him. He's got glasses now, and reads better. I'm hoping his world contains much happiness for him this year. He's made some friends, and seems to be settling into life as an older brother.

I'm so excited for him. I hope I can sleep tonight..... :)

Feet...

My feet hurt.
Im not sure why, but they do. I've a feeling its because of my shoes; but really?? That and the fact i've been on them for most of the evening.
Its amazing how something so natural as standing can cause such pain!!

I've been wishing that Icould find shoes that it dosent hurt to stand in. But I think it may be a lost cause.

I dont like my feet, either. They are not pretty. they are functional, and thats about it. I envy those with naturally beautiful feet. Even when I "pretty-fy" them...they look short and stubby, but are suprizingly large for how tall I am.
Either way. I need to accept my feet, because I intend to start belly dancing soon and they dance barefoot.

....Maybe i should work harder to ensure they are "pretty-fied".

My daughter is going to have beautiful feet. They are shaped like her fathers (who, by the way, has very pretty man feet) and are slender. and long. But she looks like she's going to be tall. My son has pretty good feet too. very sturdy, well shaped feet. Nice arches. He'll be a good athlete....once he starts.
Mine are just ...odd.

oh well.

Letters...

Lately I've been recieving letters from friends.
Not the e-mail, or facebook posts; but old fashioned, hand written letters.
It's like christmas every day I get one, and I realize how thankful I am for friends.

I dont write back to often. Actually, I think I've written back once. I tell myself, I'm just so busy....but that reasoning falls to the ground, when realize the friends that write me are busier than I.

It makes me grateful; realizing that people are taking time out for me.
Makes me realize, how much I dont take time for others, even though I tell myself that I do.

I have some pretty wonderful friends. :)