Yummy

This evening I baked "The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie." The recipe courtesy of Kim. Now she says she got the recipe from an online friend but my rule is: if I don't know your friend, it's your recipe.

It's a good thing they turned out. I've been having a problem baking. Cookies turn out more like scones so I threatened to swear off baking if these did not turn out well. No problem. They are DELICIOUS. The magic is the sea salt.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2C minus 2Tbs cake flour
1 2/3C all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp coarse salt (or sea salt)
2 ½ sticks unsalted butter
1 ¼ C light brown sugar
1C plus 2 Tbs sugar
2 Large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ c bittersweet chocolate (or any kind of chocolate chips that you like)*

Directions
Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and coarse salt into bowl and set aside.
Using mixer, cream butter and sugars until very light (5 min).
Add eggs (1 at a time), mixing well after each addition.
Stir in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Drop chocolate pieces in and then press plastic wrap against dough.
Refrigerate 24-36 hours. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. (A couple of hours works.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, roll into balls and sprinkle lightly with coarse/sea salt.
Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown (for my oven 12-13 minutes).

I used my silpat. This is a kitchen tool I cannot live without. Never a burned cookie, biscuit, or even veggies ever again.

Be Careful What You Say

Due to Kim A.s influence I've decided to published my list of things to do. Hers was 101 in 2010 but I'm modifying and taking a look at what to do for the final third of my life.

The first third (0-25/30 years old) is the beginning. Learning how to live, how to be a family girl, get an education – academic and the work related learning progression so you can be a functioning citizen as in get-a-job. Many find a life partner. I did married him at 23 years old. Too young, but so far it's working out okay. Many start a family. I did, all three were born before I was thirty. Too young and if I had to do it over again I would do it the same way just 3 years later.

The second third (+/- 30-60 years old) is the living of life. We built our family. Training and teaching the three to be productive, contributing members of society. We had a lot of fun along the way. Careers were built, a future and a hope. We lived like it really mattered. Sharing Christ in so many different ways. Bringing meals to sick families. Taking care of children (sometimes adult children) so parents could have break. Listening to hurting people, sometimes helping, sometimes just listening. Building baseball parks, teaching VBS, helping pregnant women, cleaning others houses and cars, moving young families into their new home, hosting dinner parties, knowing and loving our neighbors, sewing dance costumes, baking cookies, serving classroom teachers. Essentially living life in the 20^th century with the end purpose of knowing that living and being while honoring God would/could/might result in His glory.

The final third (+/- 60 – ? years old) is the reflective time of life. There are still retirement plans to contribute to, but leading the way is now that 2^nd third group of people's responsibility. Advice and counsel is the primary function. This can go easy or hard. If you think you are still cool you're not. If you think the polite attentiveness in conversation from those younger is agreement/understanding/awe, it's not. They could learn it the easy way—ask, but they won't. The world is brand new to them and we learn from history that we do not learn from history.

Well, many years ago I heard a preacher end his sermon by saying something like, almost all people start with passion, enthusiam and energy. Most do not finish well. And then he charged us to finish well. Throughout my life these words have come back to mind and I have lived my life differently because I wanted to finish well.

To that end here's my list of what is left to do. (BTW I am NOT yet 60 yo.) I will periodically update my achievements, possibly add to the list but my intention is to make public what I think I should do with the purpose of not letting the time slip away.

Mastery

1. Find, execute, enjoy the ultimate chocolate chip cookie

2. Learn embroidered smocking and make 3 matching dresses

3. Take watercolor painting class

4. Resume gardening; learn potted techniques for current region

5. Annually read 10 books on a variety of subjects (spiritual growth, fiction, current management strategies, biographies, etc.)

6. Learn wine (history, vintages, regions, taste)

7. Participate in a book club (possibly on line)

8. Maintain at least a cursory knowledge of internet technology advancements (for example Twitter)

9. Daily walk 2 miles

Legacy

10. Catalog “best” recipes

11. Create silhouettes of grandchildren

12. Participate in local community service projects/ministries

13. Weekly post on blog about subjects of a “timeless” nature

14. Continue to downsize/eliminate possessions

15. Participate in a Bible study

16. Write a letter a week

17. Create “I've Been There” book with notes and impressions

Beauty

18. Climb Diamondhead

19. Watch the big surf on the North Shore

20. Visit Bishop Museum

21. Swim in the ocean at night (again)

22, Swim one mile in one session (resting between laps is allowed)

23. Travel to San Antonio, TX

24. Travel to SD to see Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills

25. Annually attend 2 live music performances (I'd like one to be Paul McCartney, but who knows)

26. Annual day of solitude for reflection, peace of mind, renewal with God

27. Annually spend a retreat weekend or day with close friends

28.Travel to South America (Peru, Argentina or Chile are the preferred locations)

So ...

Everybody's blogging again. Now that I use an RSS service I get the updates regularly and I like it. (Thanks Kim!)

Photos make it more interesting. But there will be none on this post.

I'm working on my list "The Final Third" -- things I want to accomplish in this final third of my life (a modification of Kim's 101 in 2010. Thanks again). I will be publishing this in the next few days mostly as a means to hold myself accountable--I desire to finish well. So, no flogging me or reminding, or "helping" me in ANY way. Thank you.

Also I like the idea of writing my reflections -- for me a better way of describing journaling. Anymore that's all anybody wants from me --reflections. I think that means I'm not in it any more, but I once was. As hard as it is to admit I think that's true. Also I'm ready to pass the baton.

To those 30-somethings in my life: It's your turn to make it better.

Tats

Okay. In general I'm not a fan of tattoos. Reason: They are PERMANENT.

Some things are cute/good/regrettable/fun for the moment and then ... the rest of your life.

So ... Mark and I have a day off from helping the Young family here in Oauha. So we enjoy a coffee almost at sunrise, along walk along the shore of Kailua with engaged conversation (okay, I admit this one requires the suspension of reality for those married more that 10 years, but really--it happened). We walk around the town, book store (purchase Heroes for the grandchildren), more coffee, chatting the locals and then, then I decided to shake it up a bit. I say to Mr. Conservative (the love of my life since 1963) " Let's get matching tattoos to celebrate 35 years of wedded bliss." I'm sooooooooo expecting a big, fat, NO. Instead, I get "Let's do it. How about ....." Well, I now am caught off guard (hello, 35 years of this guy STILL continues to hold out on me).

In the end we decide (after a beer and 2 glasses of pinot grigio for me) to get a small heart on our ring fingers.

Apparently there is an etiqitte to tattoos. The tattoo is supposed to face out to the world (think FTW --sorry) but I wanted this to be personal so the heart faces my eyes. "I love you."

Seemed like a good idea at the time. Then a friend commented on FB that older fingers, arthritic ones that can't continue to wear the wedding ring this might be a good idea. Now if I had not posted a picture I would think this was good idea, BUT my fingers are not that old or arthritic so I'm too sure how to take this comment. My thought was when I need to be the church lady I will just put my wedding ring on and bam! conservative again.

All that really matters is that my biker babe (with a small heart tattoo on his left ring finger) is MY babe for then, for now, forever. Because really, what woman will want him now that I have his ring finger tattooed?

(sorry for this miss-spellings--I cannot get spell check to work and I don't remember how to spell correctly.)

Anniversaries

May/June seem to be the months of celebration for marriage. It is true that in USA that births are at the peak in August/September (do the math), but it is unknown to me if May/June are the peak wedding months (and I'm unwilling to do the necessary research). So many of my friends are celebrating marriages of duration -- how can it be that I can easily list 20-25 peers with marriages of 25+ years. It is AMAZING.

My marriage began June 7, 1975, it was the 2nd weekend after college (I wish I could lead you to believe it was high school--every year counts!!!) graduation that Mark and I pledged our troth. (Look that one up).

Thirty-five years is a long time. I remember when I thought 25 YEARS was old. Lots has happened since that night to remember.

Three children, now a blessing to behold. All three have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (all I ever really wanted). A re-location to mid-America, a tad of an adjustment for this rocker chick, but one of the best decisions we made.

Lots of life ... lessons, ballet, wrestling, Pioneer Girls/Boys, cello, piano, basketball, softball, etc.

Domestication--although I knew how to cook I needed to learn what family life was all about. Canned ravioli, green beans and white bread resulted in the praise, "You are a good cooker." Not by my standards.

Camping. Good Lord, camping. The last tent camping experience was 4th of July in the Rocky Mountains--it snowed that day. Yes, snow. I announced I was done with this pleasure in this lifetime. (Although I have camped since then --NM with LOTS of Corona--I reluctantly say I hope I never see a tent again--only because that usually means I will).

The good life.

What matters now? Tan feet. A good Pinot Noir. Sunrise--yes, rise. A shared life with the one you love even if the Pacific Ocean and half the continental USA are currently between you.

God is good and He continues to bless me, abundantly, beyond what I can imagine or even believe.

Ciao

In 2 1/2 hours we depart the homestead for paradise. Korea has been a mixed blessing. I am not yet able to write a post that accurately describes my feelings, impressions and beliefs about this 2 month sojourn. I do not have words to express the deep emotions -- emotions of love, isolation, faith, service, hardship, and joy. But they will come.

On to the North Shore. Aloha.

I STILL Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

"I hungered for a spectacular life of extraordinary triumphs, and I don't think I understood anything really about obedience or humility in terms of this sort of life. The idea for me was to be exceptional, to be great."

"Generally when people spoke to me they had something to say to me and it was about my work. And that meant it was about my mind--this genderless and oversensuous mind. I didn't realize this immediately. I've never realized anything immediately in my life. But in truth, my life had changed. Personhood had come at last. The goal of my life had been obtained."

"I don't belong anywhere. I don't come from any particular milieu. No group embraced my family."

Quotes from the Anne Rice memoir, Called Out of Darkness, A Spiritual Confession.

It is worthy to note that oversensuous AND personhood are words not recognized by spell check.

I REALLY don't belong.