52 of 52

If you're a child of Bob Lepine, and if Tim Keller has a new book out, you can be pretty sure about what you're recieving for Christmas. I really loved this book, which is about social justice, and I hope everybody reads it.

51 of 52

This makes only the second book that Katie, Elliott, John, and I all read for 52 in 52 this year (the first being Wesley Hill's Washed and Waiting). It's an interesting story about love, depression, art, and the things that makes life worth living.

50 of 52

I read this, a slightly expanded version of a commencement address that Ann Patchett gave at her alma mater, Sarah Lawrence, yesterday while we drove from Georgia to Arkansas. I liked it, and was glad I took the suggestion from Katie and Elliott.

49 of 52

This is the book for our upcoming book club meeting. I probably wouldn't have read it, otherwise -- I had read the author's article in Atlantic Monthly this summer, and kind of thought I had heard all there was. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, the internet shortens our attention span, blah blah blah." --but I'm so glad I read it. The basic premise is that the technologies we use actually alter the physiology of our brains, and the regular use of the internet is causing us to lose some of the brain-strengths we had gained from the technology of the book.

After reading it, I kind of want to give a copy to every person I know.

48 of 52

I guess it's true that during Christmas break, all I want to read are murder mysteries. (Number 1 of my 52, read during the end of last Christmas break, was also a Miss Marple.) I didn't want to include this in my 52, because it's really nothing more than escape reading, but time is getting short. And to be honest, it's still the case that all I want to do when it's cold and grey outside is make myself a hot chocolate and curl up with Miss Marple.


Hot Chocolate

Combine
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
2 scant Tbs sugar
pinch of salt
drop of vanilla
1 cup whole milk

in a small saucepan on the stove. Whisk until combined, and heat to desired temperature.

I like to then add a splash of coffee and/or a drop of starbuck's peppermint syrup. And I like to top it with marshmallows.

It's extremely decadent and may be the reason that at almost 6 months pregnant I already look more like 8 months. But I don't care.

upland

You know how in some movies, like Capote or Frozen River, they'll open with a sweeping shot of a barren, flat, wintry landscape, just to set the tone?

That's where I live now. In case you were wondering.

Also: Jack thinks he has grayed as much in this first semester at Taylor as Obama did in his first year in office.

I think you get the point.


Some mornings, even though the night before you made granola and quiche lorraine, you still feel a need to make banana crumb muffins. I can't explain it.



Here is Mom's granola recipe. It's great with a little Brown Cow Maple Cream Top yogurt.

Yummy Granola

3 cups rolled oats

¼ cup sesame seeds

½ cup chopped almonds

½ cup chopped pecans

¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

½ cup coconut

1 t. cinnamon

¼ t. nutmeg

1/8 t. salt



1/3 cup, plus 1 T. maple syrup or honey

1/3 cup, plus 1 T. coconut oil or butter

1 t. vanilla



Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix liquid ingredients in small bowl. Pour wet over dry and mix well. Spread onto a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Bake at 325 for about 30 minutes, stirring every 12 minutes.


Cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Makes about 6 cups.

class party

Last night we had our students and some of their friends over for a party to celebrate the end of the semester and to watch the short films that the students created in my class this year. The semester went by quickly!

Also, I bought some meijer brand peppermint oreos for the party, but we have a whole carton left over, and I can't stop eating them.

rehearsal dinner Rosie

47 of 52

This was a book I picked up off my parents' shelves while home this weekend for my cousin Tricia's wedding. I'd been wanting to read it since it was published in September. Wesley and I were acquaintances in highschool or early college. His book, subtitled "Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality," is wonderful; painfully honest, kind and gracious towards the fundamentalist traditions in which he was raised, and full of heart. He is a good writer, a good thinker, and most of all, he is a brother who is fighting for sanctification. Reading about his struggles encouraged me to be less passive in my own growth in sanctification.

first snow

and the new coat and hat from MaeMae and Papa.




Rosie thought the snow was sand. And she felt a little scared by how cold it was. We came inside and had hot chocolate to warm up.