Electrical Adventures

So it's starting to get chilly in the mornings and I took this photo to document it.

 Also as promised I have a photo of my pie from the Chili and Pie Night two weeks ago. Alas I forgot to snap the photo until after the judges had tried a piece (and the cool whip had melted).

Caramel Apple Pecan Pie

Probably because of appearance, my pie did not win 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. Next time I will chill it longer before putting the cool whip on. However, I did get some rave reviews. A few people told me it was their favorite and one told me it was the best pie they had ever tasted, so maybe I'll try again with the same recipe next year. 

The day before pie night our electricity suddenly sputtered and went out. 

Thursday night and all day Friday we had no electricity until Saturday morning when an electrician was able to replace this wire. Thankfully, the wire did not cause a fire when it burnt up. Our only casualties were the milk that soured in the fridge and the banana ice-cream that melted in the freezer. Thankfully we have a gas stove and gas heated water heater!

The Sunday after the electricity adventure and Pie night we enjoyed a fun board game with Duane Wulf. And Monday morning, I got to help butcher hogs again. I always help with the skinning. (skip the next three photos if you don't want to see.)

Keni and I posing with the bacon.

The butchering site.

Also, I got a new pair of glasses. My other ones were loosing their antireflectant coating and now that I have new ones, I can't believe how bad the old ones were. 

If You Should Ever Doubt

If you should ever doubt

A God created man,

If you should ever question

Design by sovereign plan,

If you should ever wonder 

How heaven came to be,

If people tell you always,

“It’s all evolved, you see,”

Then ask yourself some questions

And gaze up at the stars,

And learn about this world

From mustard seeds to Mars.

And you will find that somehow

As you learn these things to love

That mustard seeds of faith

Can grow to reach the stars above.

In my last post, I asked my readers to comment. However, I have been informed from those who attempted that their comments would not go through. I tried to fix this, but have not been able to, so my apologies.

October Weekend

Eating a corn dog in the Magdalena Plaza. 

On Friday, Miguel and I went to see the stands in the plaza that were still there from the festival a week before. We bought some churros (similar to cinnamon and sugar covered donuts) and a corn dog. The stands were full of purses, bags, clothing, hats, statues, vases, blankets, toys, and lots of kitchen and household items. Each vendor had their specialties. Some of the items were cheaply made such as plastic kitchen items, toys, and some of the clothing. Others were high quality and some even handmade, such as painted pottery, grinding stones, and some kitchen items and clothes. We purchased a couple clay coffee mugs and a hat. There were also carnival rides and many, many food stands. The food stands were selling tacos, churros, fruit, deserts, pizza, drinks, and "Gorditas" which are like fat tortillas and can be filled with Nutella, cream cheese, goat-milk caramel and other delicious fillings. It is always an interesting experience!

Me sporting Miguel's hat from the ranch. "Rancho Agua Viva" means Living Water Ranch.

On Saturday, Miguel and I went out to CVE to work in the garden patch he's been cleaning up. We planted some corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers. We'll have to see how they do! 

Sunday afternoon as I drove home from church on one of the routes, we crossed the river and their were lots of these yellow wildflowers growing by it. So I stopped and picked some to put in the vase on my piano. Only one older lady and I were still in the vehicle, and she was telling me about when she and her husband used to grow their own corn and beans when they lived in the mountains. They would eat the harvest, so she never needed to buy food from the store until she moved to where she lives now. Miguel and I take her to church nearly every Sunday. She loves plants and flowers and grows them in buckets in her yard. She is so sweet and I am blessed to know her.

Stay tuned as this weekend is our annual Chili and Pie Competition! Hopefully I will have a few photos to share.

Questions without Answers

Questions without answers,

I bring them all to Thee

And lay them down before Thy feet;

I know my wisdom’s not complete,

So Thy dear name I now repeat,

Oh Lord of majesty!

Questions without answers,

The why, the when, the how

The path before me gives me fear,

But I will trust that Thou art near

To help me on and wipe each tear.

Before Thy throne I bow.

Questions without answers,

Hold me to Thy breast.

I am helpless to perform.

Please work Thy will in me, O Lord,

And lead me to Thy heaven home

Where in Thy arms I’ll rest.

written March 2013

Also, I have a request for any of you who read this blog. Because I don't know who reads it, I often feel as though I am writing for 5 people or so. So could you please drop a comment below to let me know. Thanks!

Kitchen Events and the October Festival

Upon arriving back to work after vacation, I kept busy freezing bananas from a very generous banana donation from a local grocery store. 

And making banana popsicles.

A couple views from my work in the kitchen. 

Above writing down my food order.

Below, checking what's needed in the fridge.

A couple weeks ago, Bertha gave me a tortilla making lesson.  

Tortillas have four ingredients: flour, lard, salt, and water (or milk.)

You mix the flour and salt and taste to see if it has the right amount. Then you mix in the lard. You add the water and knead. Once the dough is well kneaded, you rub lard on your hands and form balls out of the dough. You let the balls of tortilla dough set for about 20 min. and then you begin making the tortillas. Bertha had brought her electric tortilla press, which was awesome, but I also tried to make some by hand. 

These two were made by hand. I made both of them. The top one turned out very well. Alas I was not able to replicate it with all the others I made. 

The finished product. And goodbye diet for the day! :)

Banana ice-cream. With the abundant supply of frozen donated bananas, I have enjoyed being creative. If you slice the bananas into chunks and blend in a high quality blender, you can get creamy, delicious ice-cream with only one ingredient - bananas. Or you can add peanut butter which makes a delicious peanut butter banana ice-cream.

Part of my banana ice-cream cake. :)

Another hike up Cross Mountain and this time we took Balto along!

Hurricane Lorena swept up the coast a week or so ago and blessed us with torrents of rain for a few days.

Practice pie for our Chili and Pie night competition, coming up in a couple weeks. 

Shhhh! I'll share the details later...

A poster I'm working on for a mentoring group starting with the teenage girls this week. 

The first week of October is always a bustling time in Magdalena. October 4th is the Day of San Francisco de Asisi, Magdalena's patron saint. And people come from all over to set up booths and to celebrate. Many make pilgrimages to fulfill pledges to San Francisco. 

The church

The grass to the left of the church is filled with tents where visitors stay.

Food booths lining the streets.

Lots of merchandise.

And crowds. 

(This is at 8 AM!)

Last but not least, your poem for the next couple weeks!

Imagine the Moment 

Dust is collecting and curtains are fading.

Children are starving and robbers invading.

The years roll by swiftly and yet slowly wending

And we are forgetting the place where we’re heading

It’s heaven! It’s home! The ladder is ending.

We’ll no longer roam. Our judgment is pending.

And what gives me purpose and what gives me love?

That I will meet Jesus and you there above!

While chore lists are lengthening and dishes are piling

Groceries need bought and the taxes need filing.

Weeks of hard working for weeks of vacation.

The first day of school and so soon graduation.

It’s heaven! It’s home! Just look into my eyes.

Imagine the moment we meet in the skies.

The temporal thrown back and eternity clear.

We’ll shout through our crying, “Dear friend, we are here.”

It's so easy to get caught up in life, but may we always long for the moment when we can stand side by side before God's throne!

God bless!