Hello everyone out there in Blogger Land!
Last Sunday, I went to my usual church service and this one was pretty special. Instead of having a typical sermon, the pastor had people come up front and share their testimonies with Christ - using cardboard. It was a great way to see how people came to know Jesus. There were people who did drugs, abused alcohol, were atheists, were abused or raped, or had severe emotional issues. And their lives were turned around by Christ.
I couldn't help but see myself in some of the cardboard testimonies. I never abused drugs or anything of that sort but for me, I saw pride, spiritual atrophy, worry, etc. I realize that I need to get back on my walk with God. Here's something funny that transpired from this; one woman's cardboard read that she was a drug addict, attended the Woodstock concert, etc. and she flipped her board over to reveal that she had been saved by Christ. When my dad saw that she attended Woodstock, he gave her the "thumbs up," because he never went to Woodstock (he was too young to attend). At least he didn't stand up and sing "Freebird" by Lynard Skynard.
Getting to the point, Jesus loves us and can turn anyone around if we just came to Him and acknowledges Him as Savior. Just watching the service again on the website gets me a little weepy as these people share their testimonies and backgrounds. God is good! Here's a link to the service if you want to watch it. Let me know if it doesn't work.
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Where was I? Well...
I know this is a few days after the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks but I wanted to paint a picture of where I was and how I felt.
I remember waking up and getting ready for my morning classes at the local community college. I was 20 years old and a sophomore, hoping to transfer to San Diego State University in the spring of 2002. I packed my books and my dad gave me a lift to school. We turn on the radio and listen to our favorite morning radio show; nothing out of our ordinary schedule or routine. The moment we turn on the radio was when we heard the news. The one thing I remember the DJ saying was that Manhattan Island was covered in smoke and that two planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City.
I couldn't believe my ears. For one commercial jet to fly into a building would've been interpreted as a horrible accident either by the plane itself, the pilot, or both. For two planes to fly into both buildings was an act of war. Dad then dropped me off at school and I made my way into the school's cafeteria and student center to get breakfast. The televisions in the student center were never turned on even though they graced the area with their presence. On that fateful day, the televisions were turned on to almost every news network; CNN, Fox, MSNBC, CBS, etc. That's when I learned that there were two other planes that crashed. One plane crashed into the Pentagon and another crashed in Pennsylvania. As my eyes fixated on the blurry images of two smoking buildings, a woman standing next to me told me that her uncle worked at the Pentagon and she hoped that he would be all right. I secretly prayed for that woman's uncle in my head.
The incident certainly had an affect on the day's lessons. My physical anthropology instructor observed a moment of silence before class began. After classes, the news of this heinous attack was the talk of the community. All I wanted was to put my head in the sand and pretend that it didn't happen but I knew I couldn't do such a thing. At the time, I was struggling with my faith in God and this event didn't help anything. My heart was aching, not just for myself but for this great nation that had been hit by a sucker punch from terrorists. I remember the Sunday after the attacks. I went to church as usual to see how I could absolve my doubts and it was the very first and only time (so far) I had to sit in a plastic picnic chair in church as every seat was taken. There were no sermon programs available as they were all distributed to the throngs of church goers that attended services. I participated in the altar call and I could not recall the advice that the lady who prayed with me gave.
A few weeks later, I had strengthened and retained my faith in God and in Christ but I still felt angry for what had happened. Still, I felt that God would deal with those responsible and comfort those who have lost loved ones in the attack.
That was how I felt in a nutshell; a decade really blurred what went on but that's all that I can remember. Now I can tell you what went on during the Great Power Outage of September 8th, 2011 as San Diego County was without power for 8-15 hours during one of the hottest days of the year.
I was on the bus ride home from doing a little clothes shopping. I had bought a cute blouse on sale at JC Penney's and I had turned on my phone to check my Facebook status and sure enough, there were people posting on FB about a power outage in my area. I sighed and rolled my eyes, figuring this was the result of a screw up at San Diego Gas and Electric (or SDG&E for short). I get off at my stop and as I was about to cross the intersection near my neighborhood, I noticed that the stoplights were off. I get home and discovered that the air conditioner was no longer "whirring" and that the cable box, oven, microwave, and fridge were missing electricity to keep them running. I then decide to go to the store to pick up an issue of The San Diego Reader and all the fast food eateries and the Albertsons grocery store were all closed. I went home, did the crossword puzzle in the Reader as I am wont to do and went for a dip in the neighborhood pool (I live in a condo complex that has a rather nice pool). Well, the water was certainly warm and my neighbors gathered around, lamenting about their lack of electricity. One guy, who was playing with his kids in the pool, wondered how he would call his work the next day if there was no power. At this time, we didn't know when the power would be on. It could be either that evening or even the next evening.
I got out of the pool, showered, and sat in the living room where it was the coolest and finished reading Not Less than Gods by sci-fi writer Kage Baker (really cool Victorian steampunk stuff; check it out). In fact, I spent the ENTIRE evening finishing up the last 220 pages of that book. For dinner, we had leftover steak that was about medium rare. I had the gall to tell my parents that "this steak is kinda rare" during a power outage. They told me that this was not the time to complain about food; either I consume the meat or I don't. I decided to eat a little bit, accompanied by some potato chips.
About 9:25 in the evening, I finish my book and decided that, since there was nothing else to do, I should call it a day. I then took my alarm clock, glasses, and a bottle of water and headed downstairs to sleep on the couch in the living room where it was much cooler than the heat trap in my bedroom. I then laid down to rest, looking at the pitch darkness of the living room through my blurry, myopic eyes. I can't remember when I fell asleep but I do remember waking up and occasionally falling asleep until about 12:40 when I heard the whirring sound of the air conditioner come on simultaneously with the cable box, the oven, the microwave, and the downstairs night light in the dining room. The power finally came back on. I couldn't go back to sleep for another hour as I was just too wide awake from the "excitement" of getting electricity. This kind of stuff makes me thankful that I wasn't born two hundred years ago.
One of the causes of the blackout was a line running from Yuma, AZ got tripped as well as a line running from Northern California. Another cause was a screw up from a power technician in Yuma, AZ. As a result of the blackout, schools were closed Friday, which didn't effect me as I no longer attend school. You can google the whole thing for more info.
Today, I decided to finally watch the first four parts of the 1979 BBC miniseries Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy based on John LeCarre's spy novel of the same name after the DVDs from Blockbuster were collecting dust on my desk. I read the book and the film seems to reflect it very well. Alec Guinness shines as retired secret agent George Smiley and Michael Jayson shines as his fellow agent, Peter Guillam (he also looks quite handsome). Since my subscription plan allows me to keep two DVDs at a time, I have to turn in the first two DVDs of the series so that the third DVD (parts five and six) can be mailed to me. I am totally looking forward to the 2011 film version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (featuring Gary Oldman as George Smiley and Benedict Cumberbatch as Peter Guillam) which seems to get pushed back from month to month. Now, I have to wait until December to see it. Here's a clip from the 1979 miniseries featuring Peter Guillam (Michael Jayston) and George Smiley (Alec Guinness):
I remember waking up and getting ready for my morning classes at the local community college. I was 20 years old and a sophomore, hoping to transfer to San Diego State University in the spring of 2002. I packed my books and my dad gave me a lift to school. We turn on the radio and listen to our favorite morning radio show; nothing out of our ordinary schedule or routine. The moment we turn on the radio was when we heard the news. The one thing I remember the DJ saying was that Manhattan Island was covered in smoke and that two planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City.
I couldn't believe my ears. For one commercial jet to fly into a building would've been interpreted as a horrible accident either by the plane itself, the pilot, or both. For two planes to fly into both buildings was an act of war. Dad then dropped me off at school and I made my way into the school's cafeteria and student center to get breakfast. The televisions in the student center were never turned on even though they graced the area with their presence. On that fateful day, the televisions were turned on to almost every news network; CNN, Fox, MSNBC, CBS, etc. That's when I learned that there were two other planes that crashed. One plane crashed into the Pentagon and another crashed in Pennsylvania. As my eyes fixated on the blurry images of two smoking buildings, a woman standing next to me told me that her uncle worked at the Pentagon and she hoped that he would be all right. I secretly prayed for that woman's uncle in my head.
The incident certainly had an affect on the day's lessons. My physical anthropology instructor observed a moment of silence before class began. After classes, the news of this heinous attack was the talk of the community. All I wanted was to put my head in the sand and pretend that it didn't happen but I knew I couldn't do such a thing. At the time, I was struggling with my faith in God and this event didn't help anything. My heart was aching, not just for myself but for this great nation that had been hit by a sucker punch from terrorists. I remember the Sunday after the attacks. I went to church as usual to see how I could absolve my doubts and it was the very first and only time (so far) I had to sit in a plastic picnic chair in church as every seat was taken. There were no sermon programs available as they were all distributed to the throngs of church goers that attended services. I participated in the altar call and I could not recall the advice that the lady who prayed with me gave.
A few weeks later, I had strengthened and retained my faith in God and in Christ but I still felt angry for what had happened. Still, I felt that God would deal with those responsible and comfort those who have lost loved ones in the attack.
That was how I felt in a nutshell; a decade really blurred what went on but that's all that I can remember. Now I can tell you what went on during the Great Power Outage of September 8th, 2011 as San Diego County was without power for 8-15 hours during one of the hottest days of the year.
I was on the bus ride home from doing a little clothes shopping. I had bought a cute blouse on sale at JC Penney's and I had turned on my phone to check my Facebook status and sure enough, there were people posting on FB about a power outage in my area. I sighed and rolled my eyes, figuring this was the result of a screw up at San Diego Gas and Electric (or SDG&E for short). I get off at my stop and as I was about to cross the intersection near my neighborhood, I noticed that the stoplights were off. I get home and discovered that the air conditioner was no longer "whirring" and that the cable box, oven, microwave, and fridge were missing electricity to keep them running. I then decide to go to the store to pick up an issue of The San Diego Reader and all the fast food eateries and the Albertsons grocery store were all closed. I went home, did the crossword puzzle in the Reader as I am wont to do and went for a dip in the neighborhood pool (I live in a condo complex that has a rather nice pool). Well, the water was certainly warm and my neighbors gathered around, lamenting about their lack of electricity. One guy, who was playing with his kids in the pool, wondered how he would call his work the next day if there was no power. At this time, we didn't know when the power would be on. It could be either that evening or even the next evening.
I got out of the pool, showered, and sat in the living room where it was the coolest and finished reading Not Less than Gods by sci-fi writer Kage Baker (really cool Victorian steampunk stuff; check it out). In fact, I spent the ENTIRE evening finishing up the last 220 pages of that book. For dinner, we had leftover steak that was about medium rare. I had the gall to tell my parents that "this steak is kinda rare" during a power outage. They told me that this was not the time to complain about food; either I consume the meat or I don't. I decided to eat a little bit, accompanied by some potato chips.
About 9:25 in the evening, I finish my book and decided that, since there was nothing else to do, I should call it a day. I then took my alarm clock, glasses, and a bottle of water and headed downstairs to sleep on the couch in the living room where it was much cooler than the heat trap in my bedroom. I then laid down to rest, looking at the pitch darkness of the living room through my blurry, myopic eyes. I can't remember when I fell asleep but I do remember waking up and occasionally falling asleep until about 12:40 when I heard the whirring sound of the air conditioner come on simultaneously with the cable box, the oven, the microwave, and the downstairs night light in the dining room. The power finally came back on. I couldn't go back to sleep for another hour as I was just too wide awake from the "excitement" of getting electricity. This kind of stuff makes me thankful that I wasn't born two hundred years ago.
One of the causes of the blackout was a line running from Yuma, AZ got tripped as well as a line running from Northern California. Another cause was a screw up from a power technician in Yuma, AZ. As a result of the blackout, schools were closed Friday, which didn't effect me as I no longer attend school. You can google the whole thing for more info.
Today, I decided to finally watch the first four parts of the 1979 BBC miniseries Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy based on John LeCarre's spy novel of the same name after the DVDs from Blockbuster were collecting dust on my desk. I read the book and the film seems to reflect it very well. Alec Guinness shines as retired secret agent George Smiley and Michael Jayson shines as his fellow agent, Peter Guillam (he also looks quite handsome). Since my subscription plan allows me to keep two DVDs at a time, I have to turn in the first two DVDs of the series so that the third DVD (parts five and six) can be mailed to me. I am totally looking forward to the 2011 film version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (featuring Gary Oldman as George Smiley and Benedict Cumberbatch as Peter Guillam) which seems to get pushed back from month to month. Now, I have to wait until December to see it. Here's a clip from the 1979 miniseries featuring Peter Guillam (Michael Jayston) and George Smiley (Alec Guinness):
And here's the trailer for the 2011 film which is NOW slated to come out in December instead of September, which makes me sigh in frustration.
As of August 31st, I am one year older. I am now the big three-oh, "dirty thirty," etc. Yes, I am 30 years old but I feel like I'm 21 (I know people twice my age who feel 21). Here are some pictures from my birthday dinner at Hooley's, an Irish themed restaurant in La Mesa, CA (there's also one in Rancho San Diego).
I'm modeling a bracelet I got from my cousin as my mom hands me a bag of stuff she got me (left).
I smile for the camera before reading a card.
Cute shirt alert! It didn't fit but I'm keeping it so I can lose weight to fit into it.
A picture of me reading my birthday card.
God bless and Godspeed. Fin.
P.S. Take a look at a cheesy fanfiction series written by me featuring the characters of Jane Eyre and monsters and stuff. Go here.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Playing catch up
I'm falling behind on my Jane Eyre-zombie fanfiction series (as well as my novel outlining) as I was busy the last two weeks. Hopefully, I'll finish the first chapter/episode this week.
About a week and a half ago, Dad and I headed to the annual Wings over Gillespie air show at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, CA. To know more about this little airport, go to the Wikipedia article here. Basically, they had some really cool flyovers with WWII and Vietnam era military aircraft. One of my favorites was the B-17 flying fortress. I even got to "tour" one. The guy ahead of us in the tour used to be an actual WWII B-17 pilot who wanted to sit in the cockpit for old times' sake. According to his wife, he was in college at the time and didn't want to join the army for that reason so after he graduated, he joined the Air Force and flew the B-17. After they helped him out of the plane, I thanked him for his service to this great nation of ours. These are a few of the pictures that I took of the B-17.
A couple of days ago, I made my annual pilgrimage to the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, CA. I had a blast and I'm going back on the 14th for the "Taste of the Fair." As long as I don't eat too much, I should be okay. However, I could not pass up taking a picture of a fast food kiosk (one of many) at this year's fair. And it's there EVERY YEAR.
I'm trying hard not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the name of the kiosk. It also gives everyone the impression that most Americans are fat (and that is true, unfortunately). You do have to admit that the "Stuffie Pocket" sounds good. There's also tons of deep fried delicacies such as fried oreos, frogs' legs, ice cream, bacon, Kool-Aid, butter, etc. It's a heart attack just waiting to happen. I tried the frogs' legs one year and they tasted really weird. I also sampled the oreos and the ice cream last year and they were quite good but too sweet. One year, the fair offered, and I kid you not, FRIED RATTLESNAKE. Yes, you heard me, FRIED RATTLESNAKE. More specifically, it was fried Western Diamondback. Dad and I had some that year and it tasted like shrimp without the seafood flavor. I liked it but my dad thought it wasn't that big of a deal.
I went for a 4-5 mile walk this afternoon and on the way home, I spotted this little critter crawling on a wooden fence.
It's amazing how God creates animals. It pays to stop and see the beauty in God's creation, especially to take a picture of this caterpillar crawling along a wooden fence. It's as if someone painted this little guy in those patterns. Sooner or later, it will blossom into a beautiful butterfly.
I am now reading George Eliot's Middlemarch. I'm up to the point where Fred Vincy is trying to get himself out of debt and Dorothea's conversation with Will Ladislaw, Mr. Casaubon's cousin. It's a great read and I'm looking forward to reading further into it.
It's time to brush my teeth and head to bed. Fin.
About a week and a half ago, Dad and I headed to the annual Wings over Gillespie air show at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, CA. To know more about this little airport, go to the Wikipedia article here. Basically, they had some really cool flyovers with WWII and Vietnam era military aircraft. One of my favorites was the B-17 flying fortress. I even got to "tour" one. The guy ahead of us in the tour used to be an actual WWII B-17 pilot who wanted to sit in the cockpit for old times' sake. According to his wife, he was in college at the time and didn't want to join the army for that reason so after he graduated, he joined the Air Force and flew the B-17. After they helped him out of the plane, I thanked him for his service to this great nation of ours. These are a few of the pictures that I took of the B-17.
A couple of days ago, I made my annual pilgrimage to the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, CA. I had a blast and I'm going back on the 14th for the "Taste of the Fair." As long as I don't eat too much, I should be okay. However, I could not pass up taking a picture of a fast food kiosk (one of many) at this year's fair. And it's there EVERY YEAR.
I'm trying hard not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the name of the kiosk. It also gives everyone the impression that most Americans are fat (and that is true, unfortunately). You do have to admit that the "Stuffie Pocket" sounds good. There's also tons of deep fried delicacies such as fried oreos, frogs' legs, ice cream, bacon, Kool-Aid, butter, etc. It's a heart attack just waiting to happen. I tried the frogs' legs one year and they tasted really weird. I also sampled the oreos and the ice cream last year and they were quite good but too sweet. One year, the fair offered, and I kid you not, FRIED RATTLESNAKE. Yes, you heard me, FRIED RATTLESNAKE. More specifically, it was fried Western Diamondback. Dad and I had some that year and it tasted like shrimp without the seafood flavor. I liked it but my dad thought it wasn't that big of a deal.
I went for a 4-5 mile walk this afternoon and on the way home, I spotted this little critter crawling on a wooden fence.
It's amazing how God creates animals. It pays to stop and see the beauty in God's creation, especially to take a picture of this caterpillar crawling along a wooden fence. It's as if someone painted this little guy in those patterns. Sooner or later, it will blossom into a beautiful butterfly.
I am now reading George Eliot's Middlemarch. I'm up to the point where Fred Vincy is trying to get himself out of debt and Dorothea's conversation with Will Ladislaw, Mr. Casaubon's cousin. It's a great read and I'm looking forward to reading further into it.
It's time to brush my teeth and head to bed. Fin.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Some brief thoughts
First of all, I believe that every one of us should take some time to pray for the families of the natural disasters that have hit the Midwest, especially the tornados that have hit Joplin, MO. I had spoken with a couple of individuals a few days ago who were from St. Louis but had relatives and friends living in Joplin. Pray that those affected find hope, healing, and love during their time of hardship. Through Christ Jesus, we will always be resilient.
"Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared." - Proverbs 3:23-26
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:27
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you." - Isaiah 54:10.
Well, I've got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I've lost interest in writing the Jane Eyre fanfic, titled Velociraptor in the Closet, for Fanfiction.net. The good news is that I am thinking about a better fanfiction series, perhaps a weekly serial of sorts. The premise is that Jane and Edward Rochester, now married, start a zombie/monster killing business. It's got love, gore, humor, and everything in between. I was inspired by the whole mashup subgenre of classic literature as well as my own geekified imagination. I am considering writing an "episode" where Jane and Edward travel to Transylvania to encounter spooky stuff in the castle of Vlad the Impaler.
This evening after work, I encountered a furry little creature crawling along the ground. It was a caterpillar that was trying to get up over the curb near a bus stop so I helped the little guy and he wandered around a trash can before going back into the direction of the bus parking zone. For some reason, I felt compelled to watch him and make sure he didn't get run over as he inched across the "street" to the other side. I got him to crawl on my shoe a couple of times (and he ended up on my leg; see pic below) and placed him in a nearby bush with a tree so he didn't get squished by incoming buses. He had all sorts of fun crawling on the vegetation and that's when we parted ways. Somehow, this incident reminded me of God watching over us as I was watching that little hairy caterpillar.
"Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared." - Proverbs 3:23-26
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:27
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you." - Isaiah 54:10.
Well, I've got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I've lost interest in writing the Jane Eyre fanfic, titled Velociraptor in the Closet, for Fanfiction.net. The good news is that I am thinking about a better fanfiction series, perhaps a weekly serial of sorts. The premise is that Jane and Edward Rochester, now married, start a zombie/monster killing business. It's got love, gore, humor, and everything in between. I was inspired by the whole mashup subgenre of classic literature as well as my own geekified imagination. I am considering writing an "episode" where Jane and Edward travel to Transylvania to encounter spooky stuff in the castle of Vlad the Impaler.
This evening after work, I encountered a furry little creature crawling along the ground. It was a caterpillar that was trying to get up over the curb near a bus stop so I helped the little guy and he wandered around a trash can before going back into the direction of the bus parking zone. For some reason, I felt compelled to watch him and make sure he didn't get run over as he inched across the "street" to the other side. I got him to crawl on my shoe a couple of times (and he ended up on my leg; see pic below) and placed him in a nearby bush with a tree so he didn't get squished by incoming buses. He had all sorts of fun crawling on the vegetation and that's when we parted ways. Somehow, this incident reminded me of God watching over us as I was watching that little hairy caterpillar.
Cute little fella, isn't he?
Anyhoo, I'm off to bed. Fin.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
The smell of fresh banana bread is intoxicating...
For my co-workers on Easter, I baked my "world famous" banana bread. Not just any banana bread but my delicious, sweet, tasty blueberry banana bread. And yes, I have a recipe.
Shannon’s Very Blueberry Banana Bread
(adapted from a Bisquick recipe)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 and ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
½ teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
2 and 1/3 cups Bisquick baking mix (preferrably the heart healthy brand)
½ cup sugar
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 mini container of applesauce
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease bottom of loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches. Stir all ingredients (except brown sugar) in pan with fork until moistened; beat vigorously 1 minute. Sprinkle on brown sugar but do not stir it in. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife or metal spatula around sides of loaf to loosen; remove from pan. If loaf sticks to pan, press gently on sides of loaf with knife or spatula. This recipe makes one loaf.
High altitude: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients in bowl. Decrease baking mix to 2 cups and sugar to 2/3 cup. Add 1/4 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour. Pour batter into pan. Bake 60 minutes.
A quick FYI about the bananas: make sure that they are super duper ripe or it will be hard to mash them.
On an unrelated note, Holy Week draws to a close as we observe the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For those who are Christian, Jesus' death and ressurection is a form of life insurance. Jesus paid our premiums with His Life so that we are insured with God in Heaven.
Shannon’s Very Blueberry Banana Bread
(adapted from a Bisquick recipe)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 and ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
½ teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
2 and 1/3 cups Bisquick baking mix (preferrably the heart healthy brand)
½ cup sugar
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 mini container of applesauce
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease bottom of loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches. Stir all ingredients (except brown sugar) in pan with fork until moistened; beat vigorously 1 minute. Sprinkle on brown sugar but do not stir it in. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife or metal spatula around sides of loaf to loosen; remove from pan. If loaf sticks to pan, press gently on sides of loaf with knife or spatula. This recipe makes one loaf.
High altitude: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients in bowl. Decrease baking mix to 2 cups and sugar to 2/3 cup. Add 1/4 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour. Pour batter into pan. Bake 60 minutes.
A quick FYI about the bananas: make sure that they are super duper ripe or it will be hard to mash them.
On an unrelated note, Holy Week draws to a close as we observe the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For those who are Christian, Jesus' death and ressurection is a form of life insurance. Jesus paid our premiums with His Life so that we are insured with God in Heaven.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
Blessed is the name of the Lord :)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Fashion, writing, biking......oh my!
I just saw Coco Before Chanel; it's a good movie but it has a small problem with continuity. Still, it's interesting to see how Coco got to be where she was; the woman was pretty much a self-made individual, who did have a little financial help from a couple of boyfriends here and there. This woman literally went from rags to riches and, according to the DVD commentary, she was a feminist of sorts; working in a field that was dominated by men.
I have decided on a way to get started on my novel; little baby steps. I am going to do one character sketch a day until I've got everyone written down and then I'll go back and add other minor details. Not sure how to do character sketches for novels but I'll figure out how to do it.
Today, I went back to Mission Beach to rent a bike. This time, I rode for a little longer. I almost quit going up the second leg up to Law St. in Pacific Beach but I had more time on my rental agreement thingy (I had rented the bike for 2 hours) so I pushed myself to go up to Law St. I finished my ride in 90 minutes and the lady at the bike rental place wanted to know if I was interested in finishing out the remainder of the 2 hr. rental and I told her that I was simply too tired and worn out, which is true. However, I felt incredibly energized that I decided to walk home from the trolley station instead of taking the bus. I was about five minutes into the walk when my neighbor saw me walking and offered me a ride home. I usually don't decline generosity so I accepted the offer and got a free ride home. Maybe it was God's way of telling me that I've had enough exercise for one day. During the 90 min. bike ride, I kept myself pumped up by listening to "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas on repeat on my Android phone.
I also found out today that flexing my big right toe hurts. I'm not in agony or anything and I can walk okay but the pain, which is very mild, has been around for at least a week. When I was riding the rental bike, there were times that I had to stop using my tippy toes and putting pressure on my big toe stung a little. When the pain started, I chalked it up to just being sore and not drinking enough water. Turns out, it might be due to the shoes I'm wearing. My right shoe seems to press against my toe. It's not bad that I have to forsake any physical activity but if it goes on for another week, I might see a doctor about it.
That's it for now. I've got to wake up early for work. Fin.
I have decided on a way to get started on my novel; little baby steps. I am going to do one character sketch a day until I've got everyone written down and then I'll go back and add other minor details. Not sure how to do character sketches for novels but I'll figure out how to do it.
Today, I went back to Mission Beach to rent a bike. This time, I rode for a little longer. I almost quit going up the second leg up to Law St. in Pacific Beach but I had more time on my rental agreement thingy (I had rented the bike for 2 hours) so I pushed myself to go up to Law St. I finished my ride in 90 minutes and the lady at the bike rental place wanted to know if I was interested in finishing out the remainder of the 2 hr. rental and I told her that I was simply too tired and worn out, which is true. However, I felt incredibly energized that I decided to walk home from the trolley station instead of taking the bus. I was about five minutes into the walk when my neighbor saw me walking and offered me a ride home. I usually don't decline generosity so I accepted the offer and got a free ride home. Maybe it was God's way of telling me that I've had enough exercise for one day. During the 90 min. bike ride, I kept myself pumped up by listening to "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas on repeat on my Android phone.
I also found out today that flexing my big right toe hurts. I'm not in agony or anything and I can walk okay but the pain, which is very mild, has been around for at least a week. When I was riding the rental bike, there were times that I had to stop using my tippy toes and putting pressure on my big toe stung a little. When the pain started, I chalked it up to just being sore and not drinking enough water. Turns out, it might be due to the shoes I'm wearing. My right shoe seems to press against my toe. It's not bad that I have to forsake any physical activity but if it goes on for another week, I might see a doctor about it.
That's it for now. I've got to wake up early for work. Fin.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Civil War geneology and a beachside bike ride
Tomorrow will be the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War, a conflict that lasted about four years but has so much history and background on it. It is significant because we, as a nation, could have possibly been divided into two different nations. It is significant to me because, about a few years back, some of my dad's relatives had mailed us some geneology information. Apparently, one of our ancestors on the side of my paternal grandmother had fought in the Civil War for the Union. His name was Joseph McCracken, the son of an Irish immigrant, Solomon, and his American-born wife, Esther. He was the youngest of Solomon and Esther's children. Unfortunately, Solomon died in 1850, shortly after sailing to California for the gold rush from the East Coast (they sailed around South America and up along the Pacific shoreline). Anyway, Joseph enlisted in the Union army in 1864 when he was about 20 or so. According to the information that was sent to me, my ancestor was in the Iowa Infantry, Co. E, 15th. I did a little research on the Internet and I was able to find out more information about where he was stationed: GAR POST 80, Red Cloud, Webster County Nebraska. Now this is some interesting stuff. It's really cool to know what your relatives did a century and a half ago. I really wish I had pictures of Joseph McCracken in his uniform; that would've been interesting.
Today, I went on a 90 minute bike ride along the Mission Beach boardwalk. It was a lot of fun and I wish I had the time and the money to do it all day. I rented a bike, rode up from Mission Beach to the start of Pacific Beach, past the Crystal Pier and the lifeguard tower, turned around, and rode back to the end of Mission Beach. I contemplated riding the bike to nearby Ocean Beach but it was too far and I'd have to ride on city streets. I then turned around and made a grueling bike ride back to the lifeguard tower near PB because going that way is the "uphill" part. The downhill part is fun and riding back "down" makes me feel as if I were flying. With the wind in my face, a beautiful blue sky with small patches of clouds, pelicans flying in formation, I thanked the Lord for this beautiful day that He had made.
Well, it's almost 10 after 11 p.m. this evening. Time to retire. Fin.
Today, I went on a 90 minute bike ride along the Mission Beach boardwalk. It was a lot of fun and I wish I had the time and the money to do it all day. I rented a bike, rode up from Mission Beach to the start of Pacific Beach, past the Crystal Pier and the lifeguard tower, turned around, and rode back to the end of Mission Beach. I contemplated riding the bike to nearby Ocean Beach but it was too far and I'd have to ride on city streets. I then turned around and made a grueling bike ride back to the lifeguard tower near PB because going that way is the "uphill" part. The downhill part is fun and riding back "down" makes me feel as if I were flying. With the wind in my face, a beautiful blue sky with small patches of clouds, pelicans flying in formation, I thanked the Lord for this beautiful day that He had made.
Well, it's almost 10 after 11 p.m. this evening. Time to retire. Fin.
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