Community Brew | Community Around the Table

Like everyone else did about a year ago, I'm finally reading Shauna Niequist's Bread & Wine.   It's definitely different than any other book I've ever read & I wasn't really sure how I was going to like it.  But I've found myself underlining parts, & reading other parts out loud to Grayson.  Last night I followed Grayson around Home Depot & found boxes to sit on to read while he was getting what we needed.  

This book has been everywhere with me the last week or so.  I've found myself always making sure it's in my purse when I go to work, though that makes no sense.  Never once have I found a reason to read at work.  (Okay, at my old job when the power went out or the fire alarm went off, which seemed to happen frequently, I would read.  But never at my current job.)

I'm still only about halfway through (probably because of all the stopping to underline or read out loud...) but I've already made one of the recipes (more on that later this week) & have plans for many more.  

But it's about so much more than the recipe.  Shauna isn't even a "recipe girl," so clearly it's about more than the food.  She starts off by noting how many stories in the Bible are set around a table.  Jesus was very much a part of the community He lived in.  He shared meals with people.  He was a part of nourishing not just their bodies, but their souls.  There's something intimate about sitting around the table with a group of people, and Shauna captures that so well in the book.  

As I started reading this book, I started to think about the meals that stand out the most to me & why. The first that came to mind was our rehearsal dinner.  At that long table of family that night, I was very aware that there will probably never be another time when all of our family & closest friends are in the same room together.  There will never be another time when everyone we love most shares a meal together.

I'd dreamed about this food since we first tasted it months ago.  And my mother-in-law did such a beautiful job with the decorations.  Everything was perfect.  But it wasn't about the great food or gorgeous setting; it was about the people gathered around the table.

Another "meal" that stands out to me is from college.  When I lived in a townhouse we affectionately called "Ruby Holler," we always had people over.  Especially Thursday nights.  Thursdays were about friends, pajamas, Grey's Anatomy, The Office (which we recorded upstairs on a VCR while we watched Grey's downstairs...), Betty Crocker Cookie Brownies, hot chocolate, & coffee.  There's nothing at all fancy about that, but those are some of my favorite college memories.  I loved living there because our living room was pretty big so there was always room, & friends were always welcome.

When I was a kid, blackberries would grow in the woods at my grandparents' house.  Every summer, my Papa would take us to pick blackberries.  We would sit at barstools at the counter & snack on them while he made blackberry cobbler.  There is never ever a time when I put a blackberry in my mouth that I don't immediately think of him.

I love how taste is a sense that so easily reminds of times we've shared with the people we love.  These are just a few of the stories of meals that come to mind.  There are many more, & many more waiting to be made

P.S. Linking up today at Community Brew [Wetherills Say I Do + Oh Simple Thoughts]

Summer Reading List

Actually, this is a little more of a January-now list because I don't think I've written about anything I've read this year...

The Mark of the Lion series [A Voice in the Wind + An Echo in the Darkness + As Sure As the Dawn] by Francine Rivers | I finished up 2013/started 2014 with these, but I have to group them all together because when you read them, you can't pause between books.  As soon as you close one, you'll be dying to open the next.  I love Francine & some of my favorite books are ones that she has written, but these stand above the rest.  The story begins with the destruction of Jerusalem in 79 AD & throughout all three books you fall in love with the main characters & see how it might have been for some believers in the early church.

Love Does by Bob Goff | I picked this one up at work when it was on sale for $5, mostly because it has a pretty cover, & sometimes, you can judge a book by its cover.  It was a quick, easy read, & I loved that each chapter was its own story.  Lots of it I read out loud to Grayson, or to my mom over the phone.  Bob is hysterically funny & manages to see God's love in every one of these stories.  When you read his explanation of how God's love was shown through each one, it completely makes sense, but many of them I never would have seen myself.  He really teaches that God's love is so evident in every part of our lives, but we have to have our eyes open to it.

Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle | Always an easy read.  I love Melanie's podcast, skim her blog on occasion, & can't ever not read her books.  I read her first one, Sparkly Green Earrings last year.  I actually liked it better than Antelope, which surprised me since it's on motherhood, & Antelope is on marriage, which I know a little more about.  She's a natural storyteller, & many of her stories are easy to relate to.

Dwelling Place by Elizabeth Musser | I had never heard of Elizabeth Musser, but came across the prequel to this book, Swan House, on Amazon last summer for less than $1 & it sounded good (this was really the book that got me back into reading.  More on that in a minute).  Several of her books are set in Atlanta, which is what originally drew me to them.  I love that I have been to many of the places where the main characters go.  This one was just as good as the first, & I loved seeing the characters that I fell in love with in Swan House all-grown-up in this book.  (Also, you should read her book, The Sweetest Thing...one of my all-time favorites.)

Freefall to Fly by Rebekah Lyons | Rachel gifted this book to me on the day of our shop opening, & I couldn't wait to start it.  I've just realized over the past few years that I really like a good memoir.  Rebekah does an excellent job of telling her story about finding meaning in every part of life.  At the end, I felt changed.  I felt better for it.  I don't really know a good way to describe this book, but just know that you should read it.

The Giver by Lois Lowry | An old favorite from middle school, I decided to re-read before the movie comes out (though from the looks of the trailer, the movie hardly resembles the book).  I loved this one when we had to read it in school, & probably loved it more now because I understood more of it that I probably didn't really pick up on as a kid.  It's a short book, easily read in a few days, but is one that sticks with you.  Set in the future in a society that longs to protect its people.  They see no color, feel no pain, make no choices...& find out whether a life without pain is really a life at all.

Currently: Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist

On deck: Let's All Be Brave by Annie Downs

Last summer with Swan House, I really started voraciously reading like I did as a kid.  Through high school & college, there just wasn't time for that & I hadn't really gotten back to it since then.  But I'm glad to be back to the always-have-to-have-a-book-with-me lifestyle.  I bought a Kindle last summer & have read 22 books since then (not all Kindle, but most).  This is how I like to picture myself.

  [source]

What are you reading?  Any books I should add to my list?

Liebster Award

One of my favorite new blog friends, Martha Kate, nominated me for a Liebster Award!  I didn't know blog awards were still a thing that people did, so this was a surprise!  And this one is fun, because it comes with some questions.

Every nominee tells 11 things about herself, & answers 11 questions from the blogger that nominated her, then leaves 11 questions for the next nominees to answer.  So, here goes.

Eleven Facts About Me:

1 | I love the beach but I don't really like having sand on me & I don't like getting in the ocean.  I like it mostly for photographing :)

2 | I prefer binging on TV shows over watching movies.  I usually can't stay awake for a whole movie, but watching episode after episode of a show I love, I feel like I "reset" every hour.

3 | I like to write & type.  Sometimes I write lists just for the fun of writing them.  And I'm frequently complimented on my speedy typing.

4 | Over the last year, I've developed a slight addiction to Spider Solitaire.  I don't usually get into games on my phone, but I usually have to play at least one game of Spider Solitaire a day.

5 | I called myself a recreational coffee drinker until Grayson & I got married.  When coffee was made for me every morning, I might as well drink it!

6 | I love decorating.  I wouldn't really say I have a style necessarily, I just do what I like.  Grayson says his style is "rustic modern, aka Crate & Barrel, aka more than we can currently afford."  I'd agree with that one.

7 | I love Rifle Paper Co.  She is my design hero.

8 | I'm from the South but I hate sweet tea & Coke.

9 | My all-time favorite TV show is Friends, & I try to watch the whole series through once a year.  Most anything reminds me of something from Friends, & I can quote more of it than is really called for.  Before we got married, I made Grayson start watching them.  We got through almost the whole series pre-wedding, & finished the rest afterwards.

10 | When I was a kid, I had a Fonzie poster in my room, & recently got excited when I saw there are 25 episodes of Happy Days on Hulu.

11 | I prefer fruit over chocolate any day.

Questions from Martha Kate:

1 | What is in your coffee cup?  Coffee, with a new creamer I'm in love with: brown sugar cinnamon.

2 | What is your favorite book you've ever read?  My answer to this changes, & I could never pick just one.  Some favorites: Christy by Catherine Marshall, And the Shofar Blew & the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers, The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser. 

3 | Are you a dog or cat person?  I wouldn't say I'm really much of an animal person.  I like my cat.  And I like to look at other animals, & I like to pet them on my terms, but I do not like being licked & jumped on.

4 | Where do you find blog inspiration?  Other bloggers, books, etc.

5 | What is your go-to recipe?  Usually some kind of pasta with some veggies thrown in, & I think tomatoes are always a good idea.

6 | What is your favorite TV show?  See #9 above.

7 | Do you prefer a date night at home or going out on a date?  A little bit of both.  I like to go out for dinner, but then I'd rather just come home & watch a movie than go to the theater.  If the after-dinner plans involve something other than the theater, I'd usually pick that.  Grayson just loves going to movies & I don't love it so much because it's always cold, I don't like not being able to talk, & I fall asleep.

8 | What is your love story?  Grayson & I met at our church where there was a great Young Singles department.  We were acquaintances for about 9 months, then Grayson sneakily asked me on a date (I didn't know it was a date).  At dinner that night I couldn't believe I'd never known this guy really.  From then on, it was kind of a whirlwind.  We were engaged 3 months later, & married 4 months after that.

9 | What is your favorite restaurant?  Blueline Pizza or Sushi Confidential

10 | Instagram or Twitter?  Instagram.  I have both, but hardly ever look at Twitter, but I love Instagram.

11 | Are you a night owl or morning person?  I was always a night owl.  Even as a baby/kid, as long as no one tried to make me go to sleep, I was happy. 

Questions for Nominees

1 | What is your current song/album on repeat?

2 | What is your favorite spare time activity?

3 | What is your breakfast food of choice?

4 | What movie could you watch over & over?

5 | Where is your favorite place you've traveled to?

6 | If you could go anywhere, where would it be?

7 | If you could have coffee with any author, who would it be?

8 | What is your favorite dessert?

9 | Describe your perfect weekend plans.

10 | What is your favorite outfit?

11 | What is your most-used app?

Nominees

Rachel of Raving & Raveling

Caitlin of For Such A Time As This

Amy of Lovely Does It

All In All

A couple weeks ago, my friend Chloe e-mailed me about doing a custom order for her, & I loved her vision for it.  She wanted a print for her kitchen with the words "child of weakness, watch & pray // find in Me thine all in all," from "Jesus Paid It All."

Custom orders are usually some of my favorites, but especially this one.  a) I love that song, & b) Chloe is one of my dearest friends from eight (wow, that long?) summers ago when we did children's ministry in San Antonio.

Here's a little flashback for your viewing pleasure.

So, this is her order in process.  Now is done, shipped, complete, the end.

Then today, she posted this photo on Instagram of the print in her house.  Next to the Willow Tree Angel of the mom & dad with a baby.  I was in my car by myself right after I'd seen this picture & just started thinking about that image.

A newborn baby is completely dependent on her parents.  She doesn't know any other way of life.  She relies on them for nourishment, love, care, comfort...literally everything.  But what about grown ups?  No matter what age I get to, I will still need my parents.  I don't need them for food, shelter, or clothing.  But I need the relationships that I have with them, & always will.

I've never really thought before about how amazing it is that God is both of those.  He is a parent to us as if we were still newborns.  We can fully depend on Him for our every need.  And He wants us to!  But He's not just that.  He's also the Father seeking relationship.  He longs to know His children, & to be known by them.  He wants us to delight in His presence, to enjoy spending time with Him, & to talk to Him because we want to, not just because we need to.  He fills every need we have, & is the only one that can be all.  What a beautiful picture.

Californiversary

One year ago we packed up & left on our cross-country move to California!  I was dreading that drive, but it was actually pretty fun!  By the time we got in the car, there was nothing else to worry about.  Everything was going to be packed by movers.  We had an apartment lined up.  After months of planning & a very stressful last week in Georgia, we finally just had to get in the car & drive.  

I really can't believe it's been a whole year of adventures already.  It feels like it's just been a few months really.

California Observations:

• Central AC is not just something everyone has like in Georgia, land of humidity.
• Grits are a luxury that California has yet to embrace.  I've only found one store that carries them & a box is about $5!
• I always loved rain.  But when it rains here, I am borderline giddy because I can count the number of times that has happened this year on one hand.
• Most fruits & veggies are in season pretty much year-round!
• Unfortunately, it's pretty typical to get behind someone on the highway who is going at least 10 under the speed limit.  
• Chick-fil-A, also a luxury.  We are lucky to live in the area where there actually are 3.  There are a couple in southern California, but other than that, I think they're just in the Bay Area.  However, not 1 of those 3 is anywhere convenient.  We only go to that area if we're going to Chick.  I'd like to be consulted before the next one is built.
• Good reusable bags are always appreciated, because you pay for bags at any store here.  I get compliments on my big monogrammed chevron one almost every time I shop!
• Laundry rooms, also a luxury.  When we were apartment shopping before we moved, I think we found ONE complex with a washer/dryer in unit.  So at the old apartment we had a shared laundry facility that was 68 steps from my door.  Yes, I counted.  Lugging heavy baskets of laundry up & down stairs & down the sidewalk was not my favorite.  At the new townhouse we also have a shared room, but it's close & only shared between a few people, so it's not bad.
• You can pretty much wear all your favorite clothes year-round.  It's always cool in the morning & at night, but warm during the day.  Seasonal wardrobes are no more!  (However, this also means a lot more clothes to wash in aforementioned shared laundry room.)
• People love Costco.  I mean, really love it.  Every time we go it's like a circus.  Parking spaces are hard to come by & I feel like I enter panic mode just walking through the doors.  We weren't thinking & went on July 3rd...big mistake.  I thought I was going to die.
• Almost every restaurant has outdoor seating (complete with heaters & sometimes blankets!) because the weather is so nice year-round.
• People bring their animals everywhere.  To the point where most downtown stores have water bowls for them out on the sidewalk.  I love my cat.  But I can certainly go to the grocery store without her.  I even saw a woman with her parrot at Target once.  #separationanxiety?
• People say In-N-Out is the Chick-fil-A of the west coast.  I would not go quite that far, but it is really good...definitely not typical fast food.  The first time we went, our conclusion was this: "it's really good, but I wouldn't crave it or anything."  That has proved to be false.  Sometimes I just want an In-N-Out burger & fries.
• Silicon Valley is first in free trials of services.  We love Google Shopping!

• Blueline Pizza - Campbell, CA | Hands down, best pizza I've ever had.  Get the deep dish & put honey on the crust when you get there.
• Sushi Confidential - Campbell, CA | This made me a believer in sushi.
• Boudin SF | Sort of like a Panera or Atlanta Bread Company.  I love their butternut squash soup in a bread bowl.
• Peet's Coffee | I was skeptical at first, but now I love their iced vanilla latte or iced coconut latte.
• Penny Ice Creamery - Santa Cruz, CA | Best ice cream ever.  My favorites: brown butter spiced pecan, strawberry pink peppercorn, peaches & cream.
• Big Basin Cafe - Saratoga, CA | Great homemade pies!  My favorite is strawberry rhubarb.
• Vella Creamery - Sonoma, CA | They let you try any cheese you want & what you buy really isn't any more than you'd pay at the grocery store.  Our favorite is the dry jack.
• Noah's Bagels | Best breakfast bagel sandwiches!

Always Different, Never Changing

I can vividly remember driving down the road when we first moved to California & wondering if I would ever get used to seeing the mountains all around us.  And I remember thinking then that I hoped I wouldn't.

A year later, I'm not.  I am still in awe of the fact that I can drive down the road just to go do normal errands, & I see mountains on every side.

Last week Grayson's dad apologized to us that we are tour guides for all our family that comes out here.  That we see the same things over & over.  But we can't get enough.  I can't spend too many hours on the Pacific Coast Highway, or walking through the redwoods.  If I get to a point where I've had enough, then something is wrong.

We just had to pull off the road driving home one night last week.

How can you grow tired of that?  Even the views from the same places over & over look different each time.  I tell Grayson all the time that one of my favorite things about living here is how the mountains change colors.  They look different in the morning than in the evening, in the fog or the sunshine, in the winter or in the summer.  The mountains don't change, but when the conditions around them do, we view them differently.

This is how I feel about Jesus.  The Gospel doesn't change.  It's been the same, & will remain the same, for all eternity.  But even though it's the same every time, it never grows old because we view it differently at every age, in every season of life.  I want the Gospel to be like the mountains.  I don't want to get over it.  I don't want to get too used to it.  I want to always appreciate how it looks in every season of my life.  I want to be aware that it is new each day.  I want to be awe of it every day.

The Gospel, the Gospel
She's good & She's true
She costs quite a fortune
to make all things new.
So breathe in with faith,
& out with His peace.
May the Gospel of Jesus
wash over me.

Weekend Update

1. THIS sky on the way home from the grocery store the other night.  It's seriously rained maybe 5 times in the last year.  And most of those you couldn't even consider a rain, but more of a sprinkle.  We got about a 3-drop sprinkle Saturday night & then still got this beautiful rainbow!

2. I can get tired of cooking every night, but when our stuff has all been scattered between 2 places without the ability to cook, I started missing it.  So Saturday we finally moved over enough cookware to feel like we could make dinner.  Grayson made this great pasta that we love for dinner & I made blackberry cobbler for dessert.

3. I've had this idea in my mind for months now & we finally have a patio with a table & chairs & I just need these to be out there.  I haven't bought any yet, but I'm on the search for the best succulents.

4. Seeley is loving the new house.  She races up the stairs like she's on a mission, & then strolls down them.  She lays completely flat on the cold tile or hardwood floors.  And she likes to peek through the stairs when she thinks we can't see her.

Now off to pack more from the old apartment.  These little trips with just a carload are nice...but I'm ready to have all my stuff in one place.  I feel like we're just living in a mess & that stresses me out.