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Categories Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday: Friends, Family, and my Fellow

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The Fourth of July was funny this year, since it fell on a Thursday and I couldn’t get Friday off of work (I can’t take vacation until I’ve been with the County for 6 months–and my 6 month date was July 7).

It meant that last week I worked three days, had a day off, worked one day, and had the weekend.

Since it WAS the weekend after the fourth, my brother and sister-in-law and nieces were down in Lincoln and we girls had planned a shower for our sister-out-law-soon-to-be-sister-in-law (and vice versa).

Which meant I needed to fly (by car) up to Lincoln Friday after work, and come back in time for work on Monday.

My husband my busyness as an opportunity to visit his friend Dave in Colorado. Daniel left Wednesday evening and came back on Monday.

This week I’m thankful…

…for crafting with Ruth
Ruth is back in town from South Africa–and her travel with work is finally slowing down. We took the opportunity to get together Thursday afternoon for some sweet fellowship, some crafting (she finished a quilt top, I worked on a gift for my niece), and some food (another iteration of the Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry–this time with ground turkey. It was delicious.) God has been so gracious to give me a good friend here in Wichita–and to finally be giving her some relief from her travels.

…for fireworks with friends
A friend from our old Sunday School invited Daniel and I to do fireworks out at her house. Daniel, being gone, couldn’t go–but I brought Ruth along with me and we had a great time watching fireworks, catching up on Susanna’s life, and eating Susanna’s wonderful Toll House bars.

…for waiting Little Misses
When I arrived at my parents’ house at ten Friday evening, I found my sister and Little Miss in the driveway waiting. I got a hug from the Little Miss and went inside, where I was immediately handed Little Sis for our first face-to-face meeting. How delightful it was to see my little nieces and their parents.

Self portrait of myself and the not-too-happy Little Sis

Little Sis is less than happy to be taking a self-portrait with her Aunt Rebekah

…for breakfast with Daniel’s family
Saturday morning, I dropped by Daniel’s parents’ place for breakfast and good conversation with Rick and Paula and Daniel’s sisters. Before I left, Daniel’s niece (up in town for a shower for an aunt on the other side of the family) woke up and I got to snap a few photos and tuck her into her car seat.

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Miss H poses on a little stool at Grandma Garcia’s house

…for a fun-filled shower with extended family
It was fun, planning and having a shower for my current-sister-out-law, soon-to-be-sister-in-law (when she marries my brother in November). Even more fun was planning the shower with Joanna’s sister, my sister-in-law who is soon to be Joanna’s sister-out-law as well. (How’s that for fun?) I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome the second of the Brunk girls into our family. (Even if I couldn’t resist poking a little fun. We played a mad libs game from Pride and Prejudice, where Elizabeth tells her dad that she and Mr. Darcy are engaged. For the ending, we had Joanna’s father announce that Timothy was alright–and that he thinks he perhaps likes HER husband as much as he likes Debbie’s. Te-he!)

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Joanna poses with the beautiful cake her cousin made for her shower

…for hugs from old friends
I attended church with my family in the morning, at the church where I grew up. The last time I’d been there was when Daniel and I got married. While the congregation has had a lot of new people since I last attended, there were still a few faces I knew–and many of them came by to give hugs and catch up.

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The Little Miss puts “ovies” on her fingers at Val’s

…for the early return of my husband
By the time Monday rolled around, I was really missing Daniel. Since I’d moved to Wichita in January, there hadn’t been a day I hadn’t seen him until he left to visit Dave. Five days seemed a very long time. I expected Daniel back when I returned from work Monday evening, but was immensely pleased when I heard his key in the lock halfway through my lunch break on Monday. It was is so nice to have him back.

God has been so good to me to bless me with such rich gifts: friends, family, and my beloved. And, of course, there’s the friend who is with me whether in Wichita, in Lincoln, or wherever I go.

What a friend I have in Jesus.

Thank You, Lord, for giving me Him.

Categories Wedding

Wedding Whens and Wheres

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The first decision in planning a wedding is either when or where, depending on how long you intend your engagement to be and how tightly your ceremony and reception venues schedule.

Daniel and I decided our when when we decided to get married. We were searching for any way to get married before summer (of 2013) and arrived at Spring Break.

Even so, we did end up making some adjustments. Both of my sisters-in-law happened to be pregnant at the time, one due in April and the other in May–and we wanted them to be able to be there if at all possible. Having our wedding one Saturday before the first Saturday of Spring Break would give Debbie 3 weeks rather than 2 before her due date–which just might be the difference between them making it or not. Furthermore, the first Saturday of Spring Break happened to be my brother John’s anniversary–and Daniel’s nephew’s birthday. It would be better for us to get married the week before.

Lincoln Christian Fellowship

The church building I grew up in–for as long as I can remember, I attended the big white and red trimmed church out in Airpark

That set, we needed to determine our wheres.

It wasn’t that hard to decide on Lincoln as our wedding location. Both of our parents live in Lincoln–and since much of my extended family and friends live north of Lincoln and many of Daniel’s extended family and friends live south of Lincoln, it made Lincoln a good central location.

Our next consideration was whether to get married at my parents’ church, at Daniel’s parents’ church, or somewhere else entirely.

Daniel was pretty open to going somewhere else entirely, but frugality and sentimentality won the day.

I practically grew up at 4111 NW 44th Street. I attended services and midweek Bible Studies at Rejoice in the Lord Church every week from the time I was born until Rejoice in the Lord closed its doors when I was eleven. Rejoice gave the building to Lincoln Christian Fellowship, who rented it to a little school (which I attended for a year) in the couple of years before LCFs congregation moved out there. My family, of course, transitioned straight from Rejoice in the Lord to Lincoln Christian Fellowship with barely a hiccup.

Lincoln Christian Fellowship Sign

Back when this was Rejoice in the Lord, I remember running endless circles with one of my hands around this sign’s posts

I was in that building at least once a week (but more often 3 or 4 times a week) up to age 22 when I moved away from Lincoln.

You could say there’s some history between me and there.

I called the pastor, asked about availability on March 9th, about cost to rent the building.

It was free on both counts, for me.

We took it.

Daniel and I say our vows

Daniel and I say our vows–under the same cross that saw me baptized and under which I took my first communion
Categories WIC

WICbits: What is WIC?

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Whenever I tell someone where I work, I get a half dozen questions ranging from “What’s that?” to “My friend was telling me that she saw a liquor store that accepts WIC. What exactly does WIC give people?”

Since I happen to like my job–and I know that lots of people have questions about it, I figured I would answer some of the most frequently answered questions here, on my blog.

WHAT is WIC?
WIC, more properly titled the “Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children”, is a federal nutrition program administered by state and local agencies.

WHAT does WIC do?
WIC provides 1) nutrition education, 2) food packages, and 3) referrals.

What does “Food Packages” means?
Our “food packages” are specially tailored for different times of life and try to target the most vital nutrient needs in these different times of life. For example, for children our standard packages include a fruit and vegetable voucher (for a certain dollar amount worth of any vegetable except white potatoes), a certain amount of milk (whole if under age 2, reduced- or low-fat otherwise), eggs, beans or peanut butter, 100% fruit juice, whole grains, and breakfast cereal. These foods specifically work to meet children’s protein, calcium, iron, and vitamin needs. Clients can purchase only WIC approved items. They may not purchase candy, pop, cigarettes, alcohol, or potato chips with their WIC package. Neither can they purchase TV dinners or macaroni and cheese. They get exactly what is on their checks (or card, if they live in a state who uses electronic debit-type cards for food packages), nothing more.

WHO is eligible for WIC?
In order to be eligible for WIC, one must meet the following criterion:

  1. Meet categorical criterion: be a pregnant woman, a post-partum woman no less than 6 months after delivery, a breastfeeding woman up to one year after delivery, an infant (age 0-12 months), or a child (age 1-5 years)
  2. Meet income qualifications: have a household income within 185% of the federal poverty line
  3. Meet residency requirements: be a resident of the state in which the program is administered
  4. Have a nutritional risk

What is nutrition risk?
WIC has specific risk codes which professionals assign to applicants based on a diet questionnaire and client interview. These codes have different levels of severity, which help to prioritize eligible applicants should there be a waiting list for available WIC funds. Examples of risk codes include overweight or obesity, inadequate weight gain during a pregnancy, inadequate vitamin supplementation, or improperly diluted formula. Because the majority of women, infants, and children in the United States are at nutritional risk, we do also have a code for “Presumed nutrition risk” if a specific risk cannot be found. This is the lowest priority code, and honestly, I don’t know that I’ve ever used it. Applicants always have at least one clear nutrition risk.

HOW can you, being a fiscal conservative, justify working for a government program like WIC?
Actually, there aren’t a lot of government programs quite like WIC. Unlike most other government “welfare” programs, WIC isn’t an entitlement program. In other words, just because someone is eligible for WIC doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed WIC. WIC’s funding is not guaranteed by the federal government. WIC has to reapply for funding every year–which means they need to continually provide proof that their program is actually accomplishing something. And accomplish something we do. A number of studies show that for every dollar spent on WIC, as much as 3 dollars is saved in Medicaid spending. WICs targeted nutrition education and food packages means healthier kids–and less government spending on health care. I can justify working for WIC because I know that WIC is ultimately reducing government expenditures.

Categories Recap

Recap (7/6/2013)

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Videos Watched:

  • Your Life in Jelly Beans (linked to from all over)

    A very interesting visual of how we spend the days of our lives.

Recipes Tried:

  • Herbed Ricotta Gnocchi with Quick Tomato Sauce (from Serious Eats)
    A delicious meatless meal that, according to my husband, is “surprisingly filling; one bowl was almost too much.” I’m thrilled to have found a meatless meal with such staying power–and that’s as delicious as this is. I’ll be making it again–maybe trying out some different herbs and sauces with the basic gnocchi recipe.

  • Cherry Tomato and Green Bean Salad with Herbed Breadcrumbs (from Serious Eats)
    I thought this was pretty good, Daniel thought the green beans were undercooked. Then again, I really like green beans, and, having grown up snitching raw beans while stemming, I enjoy them raw. I may try it one more time, cooking the beans a bit more just to see if it improves Daniel’s opinion of them.

Nutrition News:

  • The More you Sleep the Less you Eat (HT: LifeHacker)
    In a controlled study at University of Pennsylvania’s sleep lab, scientists discovered that individuals who were in bed only 4 hours a night eat an average of 30% more calories per day compared to individuals who were in bed 10 hours a night. Low-sleep individuals ate an average of 550 calories during the hours between 10 pm and 4 am, when the control group was sleeping. This is an interesting study, but I’m wishing they had used a 7 or 8 hour

Projects Done:

  • US Map Jigsaw Puzzle (from Mr. Printables)
    The Little Miss and her new puzzle
    The little Miss just celebrated her second birthday–and came down to Lincoln for the weekend following the fourth. I went up to Lincoln for the weekend following the fourth, so I whipped up a gift for her. I have a B&W laser printer, so I printed the states and colored them with permanent markers before pasting them to sturdy cardboard and cutting out the pieces. Then, because I don’t like to do anything by halves, I created a tray for the pieces and mod-podged the whole thing to make it more durable. The Little Miss seemed to like it.

Categories Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday: Freedom

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Today we celebrate America’s freedom, beginning with the writing of the Declaration of Independence, fought for through a bloody war, and maintained by the watchfulness of America’s citizenry.

But I also celebrate (may I do so every day) my freedom, beginning when God purposed my salvation before the foundation of the world, bought through the bloodied Son of God upon the cross, and maintained by the same Son, who holds me eternally in His grasp.

Whatever my status is on this earth, I shall ever be free.

For he whom the Son sets free is free indeed. (John 8:36)

This week I’m thankful for freedom…

…to sit with friends and enjoy a book discussion while a wild storm rages outside

…to go to my old Sunday School’s after-church potluck (even though Daniel and I have joined a new Sunday School)

…to listen to worship music on Pandora over my lunch break and to sing along

…to post a snippet of a post a day late and call it good

Categories Everyday Life

A (Third) Naming Exercise

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The strange names just keep coming in my doors here at WIC–which means the naming exercises are continuing too.

A popular naming scheme is to name your child after something related to their conception. Just think of the 5 Ws and an H and get started.

When
Autumn (for a June baby)
Christmas
Dawn
Dusk
Eve
June (for a March baby)
Holiday
Independence
Millenium (Milly for short)
Sunday (Sunny for short)

Where
Austin
Boston
Chevy
Dodge
Houston
London
Mercedes
Paris
Texas

Who
(Yes, I know, this is a boring one that’s old as mud. Naming a child after his dad or granddad is nothing new. But it’s still a possibility. And it doesn’t have to just be a Junior. Consider naming your child after the person who introduced you to your baby’s daddy, or after the waitress at the restaurant where you had dinner before your baby was conceived. Did it happen during a football game? Commemorate the moment by naming your child after the MVP. Remember too, that last names make great first names–and you can always switch a letter or two to make it unique.)

How
Whoopi

I think you get the idea… :-)

Please note that all names are fictionalized. Any resemblance with actual WIC client names is entirely accidental. :-)

Categories Recap

Recap (6/29/2013)

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Books added to my TBR list:

  • The Beast In The Garden: The True Story Of A Predator’s Deadly Return To Suburban America. by David Baron (reviewed by Instapundit)
    The story of cougars. No, not older women chasing younger men–Mountain lions. Once hunted almost to extinction, they are now making their way back into our towns–with potentially dangerous implications. According to Reynolds (the Instapundit), this is “nonfiction, but it reads like a thriller novel.”

Stuff I’ve Read:

  • 4 Subtle Changes in the English Language from Mental_Floss
    1. From infinitive to participle
    2. From present to progressive
    3. From ought to have to
    4. Increase in the “got” passive

    Not all of these changes are bad–but a few make me wonder. Why do we use the passive voice more often now? Does this indicate a lack of self-efficacy? Do *I* use the passive voice more frequently? Perhaps it’s time for another thought experiment.

Videos Watched:

  • A History of the Bathing Suit: Who says it has to be itsy-bitsy? (linked to by Challies)
  • It’s NOT about the nail
    Happy Food folk showed us this. Hilarious.
Categories Politics

Liberty and License

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He was riding a bright blue crotch-rocket, slowed down to change into the lane behind the police car.

He wore a white t-shirt, black athletic shorts, tennis shoes, no helmet covering his just-beginning-to-grey hair.

I winced as I imagined his legs pulpy from road rash, as I thought of his wife grieving because a traumatic brain injury left her husband a man she didn’t recognize.

I’ve seen the after-effects of motorcycle accidents when the motorcyclist was taking all the precautions. Seeing a biker *not* taking the precautions is excruciating for me.

I want to say something, wish there were some way to let bikers know what kind of risks they’re taking when they dress so inappropriately. But I fear the backlash.

“You just want to take away my liberty,” they might say. “It’s a free state.”

And so it is. There are no laws in Kansas requiring helmets for motorcyclists. Kansas law dictates neither your headwear nor your clothing for riding a motorcycle. You may ride however you wish.

And I rejoice that the state is not infringing upon your liberties.

But I truly wish that you would not take your liberty as a license to take risks that can cause you and your family such pain. I wish that you would use your liberty to ride safely and joyfully.

I don’t want to take away your fun–I want you and your family to enjoy long, productive, healthy lives free from harm.

That’s why I wince, that’s why I cringe, that why (on emotional days) I tear up when I see you riding bare-headed, bare-armed, bare-legged. Because I want your liberty to produce life rather than destruction.

Categories Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday: Commentary Free

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Some weeks I have an abundance of commentary on each item of thankfulness. This week, I have just a list. Little things and big things I’m thankful to God for this week.

This week I’m thankful for…

…a client I really enjoyed talking to

…the UPS man’s “Have a Good Afternoon” as he dropped my package at the door

…a compliment from a coworker

…bookish conversation at Happy Food

…a tear-free trip driving Daniel’s stick

…an electric sander and companionable silence

…a quarter steer gone to slaughter

…the word choose

…GIMP and the multiply mode bucket fill

…a wake up call from my husband

…a lump of sugar in my coffee

…a multi-tool that allows me to ride to the rescue

…women who are starting to feel like friends

…crazy dance stations on some sort of app that my husband has

…a box fan in our bedroom for those uber-hot nights

…the ripening tomato on the vine out back (I might finally be a gardener!)

…blown kisses from a 3 year old (I have the best life!)

Categories Everyday Life

A Day of Rest

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This last weekend was a busy one.

We had a friend over Friday night for dinner–and then I went out to clean the garage so Daniel and he could have guy time. When I was done, I was exhausted and covered with grime, but glad that the garage was not only walkable but could actually contain a car if we so desired.

Saturday, we were having an older couple over for dinner–actually, the wife was the Realtor who sold Daniel our house. So, of course, I was determined that the house must look as if someone has actually done something with it since she last saw it. I scraped the old medical stickers from the front door, cleaned both the screen door and the real door, took down the cobwebs from the front porch, swept the front porch… I tidied the dining room and living room, did a superficial dusting and a more complete sweeping and dust mopping… I scrubbed the bathroom–shower surround, tub, sink, commode, and floor. I finally got ALL the dishes washed and dried and put away. And then I made a roast chicken and roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes and a salad.

When they left, we rushed off to help a friend move. There were plenty of people there to help, so it wasn’t like it took forever–but it was more heavy lifting and stair climbing.

Sunday morning, I was coughing up loogies that looked like scrambled eggs from free-range chickens, only with streaks of blood throughout. The cold I’d been nursing since Friday was out in full force–and I did not at all feel rested.

At the last minute, we decided to skip church. Daniel really felt that I needed a day of rest–and that church would not be that day of rest*.

I took off my church shoes and climbed back into bed–where I slept until almost noon. I read a bit from Unbroken (which I’m reading for our new book club–it’s Ah-mazing!)

Daniel and I pulled some spaghetti sauce from the freezer and had lunch–then I piddled on the computer, virtually trying new exterior paint colors on our house (one of those projects that we’ve thought about but not too seriously yet.)

Daniel pulled me from the computer midway through the afternoon and brought me to the living room, where we sang a half an hour worth of hymns, spent some time in prayer, and then read and discussed several more pages from Martin Luther’s Bondage of the Will.

Then it was back to the computer, this time Daniel’s laptop, to play with colors more while half-watching The Adjustment Bureau (which turned out to be rather a chick-flick for all of it’s “action” aspects.)

It was wonderful.

A day of rest.

*Please note that we believe firmly in the importance of involvement in the local church. We do not make a practice of skipping church. This was a special case and an exception to our regular practice. Even when it is not particularly restful, we do not believe that one should forsake the “assembling of ourselves together, as is the habit of some” (Heb 10:25 NKJV).