Hot cross buns!

Well not exactly, but don't they look YUMMMY?

I was so excited when I pulled these out of the oven. I was so proud of myself – I baked bread!
Some of you chefs are thinking "duh!!" But I've got reason to celebrate; a) the buns taste delicious b) the kitchen is not exactly my preffered place of choice c) and most importantly, baking buns used to be a family tradition.
Mum baked bread when I was a kid. We never spent money on bread because there was always home baked bread. The whiff of yeast and flour would fill the house and when the buns were ready mmm mmm! they smelled super delicious. She would glaze them over with some blue band to make them shine and voila!! (big sigh)
Special memories!

On this day 12/27/11, I was able to relive those memories - over 15 years later (that was the last time I baked bread).

You rock mum!!
Thank you for teaching me and giving me the book of recipes. It’s old and falling apart but it works wonders still.

Happy New Year!

Blessings abound and "Santa" came early

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5 – 6

The Message puts it this way: - Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.
God continues to brim our cup over. On our journey so far, He has made the paths straight and our feet have fallen in good places.

Lost, alone and frightened on the highway

My second stint behind the wheel in this wonderful country had me helplessly lost on the highway, in a stalled car(out of gas/fuel), facing 40 degree temperatures, with a phone out of battery charge at 3:00 am in the morning. I prayed desperately. I sat there bewildered with God as my only hope but even He seemed to have forsaken me (or so I thought). A few cars whizzed past with such energy and speed, I could feel the car shake.

Zooming in

Today I will zoom in on what’s been cooking in my neck of the woods.
God has been good! But then again, what’s new with that? – It’s His nature.
It’s just over 3 months since we relocated to the US and look what He has done.

In sickness.

I'm uncertain of how to say it so I have put it all here and for once I give you a job - sort it out, I hope you walk away with something to muse on.

Dad told us during one of those famous family meetings that marriage was an incredibly difficult institution. He said it with a pained look that I will always remember, as though he was spitting nails. I freaked out! There was something about his facial expression that made those words ring. Something about the way he said it made me think there were events in marriage he couldn’t sufficiently dilute into words for us. Oh! But I was just a little girl, my mind couldn’t wrap around extremely intense matters. I thought, “If you and mom handled it this well, then what’s to fear?” When the day rolled around, I vowed to respect my husband; To honor and love him through sickness, holocaust, hurricane and what not. I was going to face the world with my bestest friend. There was one slight problem though, I didn’t fully grasp the concept of “sickness”. It floated like an imaginary balloon. Now, through the years, it has become a reality – sickness will visit your marriage literally and figuratively.

Miss Delight

She’s a DELIGHT - my Amani!
In all of 16 months on this planet, she’s garnered more nick names than I have had my entire life; Ama, Baby girl, Bubbles, Juju (say it fast, as if you are stammering to say juice). “Juju” rules courtesy of big brother Mich. He tells us it means cute in her language.
She communicates with sentences too complex for me to decipher but her brother assures us that he knows her codes, so I worry not.

I. You. We – This is our life line.

 This box rules my life.

I’m hooked, it’s hooked; on my belt, attached to my head, in my hand, my pocket, my bag - We are one!

I hate sleep! I get insomniac anxiety - the unbearable separation for hours.

I keep it under my pillow, next to my bed. I reach for it before I say “good morning!” and after I say “good night!”