Jovial July
July was mostly spent at home for me due to vehicle troubles. A lot of the choice to stay home instead of using public transportation to venture out had to do with trying to be financially wise. So, most of the trips that I made were just the necessary ones. The silver lining of all of that was that I did a lot of reading. And, I had a lot of time to adjust in being back to Honduras from the States.
July Reads:
:sharpen(0.5,0.5,true)/https://www.tlmtrading.com/static/media/catalog/product/4/1/41633.jpg)
Image from tlmtrading.com
1) Daring to Hope: Finding God's Goodness in the Broken and the Beautiful by Katie Davis Majors. This book was incredibly helpful for me in the season that I am in. I have spoken about this book in previous blogs, and with good reason. This book came along exactly when I needed it. The fact that Katie is a missionary and has served in a lot of the same (though decidedly more expansive and extreme capacities), it was encouraging to know that someone so "successful" in ministry struggles with a lot of the jadedness I've encountered. Her fight to maintain hope taught me how to better fight for my own.
Image from mprnews.org
2) The Story of Arthur Truluv by: Elizabeth Berg. This was a cathartic yet light-hearted read. I found this book on a book suggestion generator online, and I bought it because its central character is a man who is grieving after his wife dies. And one of the themes is community. There is some sexual contents in this book that I was not expecting and didn't know about when I bought it, but it's limited. The story is about an elderly gentleman, Arthur, who meets a troubled young lady by chance. They, along with Arthur's neighbor, Lucille, develop a sense of community and ultimately, family. The character of Arthur reminded me so much of my Granddad who recently passed away in terms of his mannerisms, thought process, and even what he eats, that it was cathartic to cry my way through it. The writing style is light and sunny, but the characters are developed and lovable.
Image from cokesbury.com
3) Emotionally Healthy Relationships Day by Day by Peter Scazzero. This book was actually part of the last Ladies' Bible Study set we were studying, but since I left for the States in the middle of the study, I finished this book on my own time. The other book that came with the study, which is more interactive and group-oriented, I think I will wait and do with Raúl. Like the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day book, this is a devotional aimed at making space of quiet with God and asking pinpointed questions to help in reflecting on relationships and ways that we can mature and be more loving and godly in our dealings with other people.
4) Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life around the Table with Recipes by Shauna Niequist. This is my third Shauna Niequist book, and I continue loving her style of writing. I wrote some about this book in my last blog. Each short chapter talks about themes in life from body image, community, and much more. Here writing is very personal, and I appreciate that this book also contains some of her recipes, as the central theme of the snippets of memoirs all relate to community, relationships, and the role that food has in those arenas. My only disappointment is that it doesn't have pictures to go with the recipes because I love colorful pictures of good food.
Good Eats:
1) Make-Ahead Smoothie Packets. I had wanted to start drinking smoothies that included greens for quite a long time, but every time I made a smoothie including greens, I just wasn't a fan of the texture. But, I have discovered the secret--when the ingredients are frozen, the texture is much more like a milkshake and so much better. My freeze-ahead smoothie packets include one banana, one cup of fresh greens (kale, spinach, or swiss chard), more fruit (grapes, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, whatever fruit is available that blends well), flax seeds, and chia seeds. When I make the actual smoothie, I add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of peanut butter, milk or water for liquid, and about a half of cup of plain yogurt. (I'd use Greek if it were readily available and not expensive here.) I top all of that off with some local honey for sweetness. I have been drinking these in the afternoon right about the time that afternoon sleepiness hits, and these give me an extra boost of energy.
2) Roasted Red Pepper Pesto. I whipped this up with a few substitutions in order to make a pasta and zoodle dish with roasted shrimp. It was very good. I love a good roasted red pepper. It adds good flavor to soups, salad dressings, and in this case, pesto. Pine nuts are incredibly expensive here, so I subbed pine nuts with cashews. I also added more garlic than this recipe calls for.
3) Pineapple Salsa. I can't tell if this was something that I really loved only for a moment and will hate later, but I am going to share anyway because it was good thrown in with some quinoa and baked fish. It was a concoction loosely based on a pineapple salsa recipe but mainly ended up coming together with what was on-hand. It was basically just some cubed pineapple (ripe and very sweet), diced tomatoes, red onion, fennel bulb, pomegranate seeds, chopped mint leaves, lime juice, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt.
4) Chipotle-Style Burritos. This was what I decided to make for a Saturday small group meal. I made 30 burritos along with a salad and a carrot slaw. I didn't follow these recipes to a T, but pretty close. And they make for great leftovers. The trick for making these really good is whipping up a chipotle mayo (I made it with canned chiles in adobo salsa) and an avocado dressing as dipping sauces.
5) Eggs Benedict. I still haven't made this. I'd been wanting to try it since I watched Runaway Bride, and she makes eggs all those different ways. I finally tried this on my first wedding anniversary at a nice brunch out. Hollandaise sauce is so good, and it's now on my list of things I need to master. And, Eggs Benedict is now one of my favorite ways to eat eggs.
What I've Watched:
1) Jurassic World 2. It seemed like this movie wasn't as widely accepted as the first, but I enjoyed it. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are as charming as ever. And, while the crazy twist was unexpected, I didn't mind it. I enjoyed the tie-ins to the original movies, and I'm interested to see where the story goes from here with all of the new circumstances.
2) Antman and the Wasp. I've seen a lot of reviews that said that this movie was the perfect, feel-good antidote for Marvel fans after the events of Infinity War, and I couldn't agree more. I hadn't seen the first Ant Man, but that didn't matter going into it. It was funny and entertaining, but it also provided a snippet of new information in relation to the events of Infinity War that I'm sure all fans were craving. Worth seeing.
3) Somebody Feed Phil Season 2. This is the second time I'm mentioning this show on this blog, but it's with reason. Phil is incredibly charming, and this show is a great blend of visual beauty in the worldwide sites Phil visits and quirky humanity and, of course, delicious-looking, creative-sounding food. This season, it features visits to Venice, Copenhagen, Dublin, and more. It's a show I'd recommend to anyone. It's on Netflix.
4) Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee New 2018: Freshly Brewed. This show is Jerry Seinfeld's chat show, and the title states exactly what it is. What the title can't say is how interesting it is to hear Jerry's explanations for picking certain cars based on the guest's personality or how unique some of the coffee shops are or how interesting some of the conversations are in just a span of fifteen to twenty minutes. There are five collections on Netflix. Some of my favorites are Jimmy Fallon, Trevor Noah, Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner, Michael Richards, and Dana Carvey. The new season features people like the late Jerry Lewis, Kate McKinnon, Zach Galifianakis, Dave Chappelle, and Ellen DeGeneres among others. Be advised, there is some language.
Little Life Joys:
1) Small Group. What started as a small group aimed at discipling some of the existing people in our community has bloomed into a local youth group. I have been both surprised and blessed to see how the group is growing with neighborhood teenagers, and we're trying to be mindful of how to steward the ministry and relational opportunities we have.
2) HIIT exercise videos. I have gotten back into exercising after all that time in the States. In the past, running has really been my go-to, but having a flat place to run here means getting up at 5am when it's still dark in order to avoid the high school boys watching me run laps. (The soccer field is the high school's.) And, to be honest, I just haven't been able to convince myself to do that. Rather than continuing in a cycle of failure and disappointment, I've just started a plan of strength exercises and High Intensity Interval Training. My High Intensity Interval Training is done through YouTube videos, and my favorite channels for those videos are Millionaire Hoy and HASFit.
Overall, this month was sunny and rainy in the right spots, and home was mostly a surprising refuge instead of a stifling prison (mostly anyway). I do look forward to more connection and action next month though. As you may be reading this, I am actually working at a children's camp for the children of missionaries. A new experience with a whole new set of people. But, the perfect place to serve in the summer. I hope your summer is full of your own new adventures, sweet fruits, and mountains climbed.
July Reads:
Image from tlmtrading.com
1) Daring to Hope: Finding God's Goodness in the Broken and the Beautiful by Katie Davis Majors. This book was incredibly helpful for me in the season that I am in. I have spoken about this book in previous blogs, and with good reason. This book came along exactly when I needed it. The fact that Katie is a missionary and has served in a lot of the same (though decidedly more expansive and extreme capacities), it was encouraging to know that someone so "successful" in ministry struggles with a lot of the jadedness I've encountered. Her fight to maintain hope taught me how to better fight for my own.
Image from mprnews.org
2) The Story of Arthur Truluv by: Elizabeth Berg. This was a cathartic yet light-hearted read. I found this book on a book suggestion generator online, and I bought it because its central character is a man who is grieving after his wife dies. And one of the themes is community. There is some sexual contents in this book that I was not expecting and didn't know about when I bought it, but it's limited. The story is about an elderly gentleman, Arthur, who meets a troubled young lady by chance. They, along with Arthur's neighbor, Lucille, develop a sense of community and ultimately, family. The character of Arthur reminded me so much of my Granddad who recently passed away in terms of his mannerisms, thought process, and even what he eats, that it was cathartic to cry my way through it. The writing style is light and sunny, but the characters are developed and lovable.
Image from cokesbury.com
3) Emotionally Healthy Relationships Day by Day by Peter Scazzero. This book was actually part of the last Ladies' Bible Study set we were studying, but since I left for the States in the middle of the study, I finished this book on my own time. The other book that came with the study, which is more interactive and group-oriented, I think I will wait and do with Raúl. Like the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day book, this is a devotional aimed at making space of quiet with God and asking pinpointed questions to help in reflecting on relationships and ways that we can mature and be more loving and godly in our dealings with other people.
4) Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life around the Table with Recipes by Shauna Niequist. This is my third Shauna Niequist book, and I continue loving her style of writing. I wrote some about this book in my last blog. Each short chapter talks about themes in life from body image, community, and much more. Here writing is very personal, and I appreciate that this book also contains some of her recipes, as the central theme of the snippets of memoirs all relate to community, relationships, and the role that food has in those arenas. My only disappointment is that it doesn't have pictures to go with the recipes because I love colorful pictures of good food.
Good Eats:
1) Make-Ahead Smoothie Packets. I had wanted to start drinking smoothies that included greens for quite a long time, but every time I made a smoothie including greens, I just wasn't a fan of the texture. But, I have discovered the secret--when the ingredients are frozen, the texture is much more like a milkshake and so much better. My freeze-ahead smoothie packets include one banana, one cup of fresh greens (kale, spinach, or swiss chard), more fruit (grapes, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, whatever fruit is available that blends well), flax seeds, and chia seeds. When I make the actual smoothie, I add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of peanut butter, milk or water for liquid, and about a half of cup of plain yogurt. (I'd use Greek if it were readily available and not expensive here.) I top all of that off with some local honey for sweetness. I have been drinking these in the afternoon right about the time that afternoon sleepiness hits, and these give me an extra boost of energy.
2) Roasted Red Pepper Pesto. I whipped this up with a few substitutions in order to make a pasta and zoodle dish with roasted shrimp. It was very good. I love a good roasted red pepper. It adds good flavor to soups, salad dressings, and in this case, pesto. Pine nuts are incredibly expensive here, so I subbed pine nuts with cashews. I also added more garlic than this recipe calls for.
3) Pineapple Salsa. I can't tell if this was something that I really loved only for a moment and will hate later, but I am going to share anyway because it was good thrown in with some quinoa and baked fish. It was a concoction loosely based on a pineapple salsa recipe but mainly ended up coming together with what was on-hand. It was basically just some cubed pineapple (ripe and very sweet), diced tomatoes, red onion, fennel bulb, pomegranate seeds, chopped mint leaves, lime juice, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt.
4) Chipotle-Style Burritos. This was what I decided to make for a Saturday small group meal. I made 30 burritos along with a salad and a carrot slaw. I didn't follow these recipes to a T, but pretty close. And they make for great leftovers. The trick for making these really good is whipping up a chipotle mayo (I made it with canned chiles in adobo salsa) and an avocado dressing as dipping sauces.
5) Eggs Benedict. I still haven't made this. I'd been wanting to try it since I watched Runaway Bride, and she makes eggs all those different ways. I finally tried this on my first wedding anniversary at a nice brunch out. Hollandaise sauce is so good, and it's now on my list of things I need to master. And, Eggs Benedict is now one of my favorite ways to eat eggs.
What I've Watched:
1) Jurassic World 2. It seemed like this movie wasn't as widely accepted as the first, but I enjoyed it. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are as charming as ever. And, while the crazy twist was unexpected, I didn't mind it. I enjoyed the tie-ins to the original movies, and I'm interested to see where the story goes from here with all of the new circumstances.
2) Antman and the Wasp. I've seen a lot of reviews that said that this movie was the perfect, feel-good antidote for Marvel fans after the events of Infinity War, and I couldn't agree more. I hadn't seen the first Ant Man, but that didn't matter going into it. It was funny and entertaining, but it also provided a snippet of new information in relation to the events of Infinity War that I'm sure all fans were craving. Worth seeing.
3) Somebody Feed Phil Season 2. This is the second time I'm mentioning this show on this blog, but it's with reason. Phil is incredibly charming, and this show is a great blend of visual beauty in the worldwide sites Phil visits and quirky humanity and, of course, delicious-looking, creative-sounding food. This season, it features visits to Venice, Copenhagen, Dublin, and more. It's a show I'd recommend to anyone. It's on Netflix.
4) Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee New 2018: Freshly Brewed. This show is Jerry Seinfeld's chat show, and the title states exactly what it is. What the title can't say is how interesting it is to hear Jerry's explanations for picking certain cars based on the guest's personality or how unique some of the coffee shops are or how interesting some of the conversations are in just a span of fifteen to twenty minutes. There are five collections on Netflix. Some of my favorites are Jimmy Fallon, Trevor Noah, Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner, Michael Richards, and Dana Carvey. The new season features people like the late Jerry Lewis, Kate McKinnon, Zach Galifianakis, Dave Chappelle, and Ellen DeGeneres among others. Be advised, there is some language.
Little Life Joys:
1) Small Group. What started as a small group aimed at discipling some of the existing people in our community has bloomed into a local youth group. I have been both surprised and blessed to see how the group is growing with neighborhood teenagers, and we're trying to be mindful of how to steward the ministry and relational opportunities we have.
2) HIIT exercise videos. I have gotten back into exercising after all that time in the States. In the past, running has really been my go-to, but having a flat place to run here means getting up at 5am when it's still dark in order to avoid the high school boys watching me run laps. (The soccer field is the high school's.) And, to be honest, I just haven't been able to convince myself to do that. Rather than continuing in a cycle of failure and disappointment, I've just started a plan of strength exercises and High Intensity Interval Training. My High Intensity Interval Training is done through YouTube videos, and my favorite channels for those videos are Millionaire Hoy and HASFit.
Overall, this month was sunny and rainy in the right spots, and home was mostly a surprising refuge instead of a stifling prison (mostly anyway). I do look forward to more connection and action next month though. As you may be reading this, I am actually working at a children's camp for the children of missionaries. A new experience with a whole new set of people. But, the perfect place to serve in the summer. I hope your summer is full of your own new adventures, sweet fruits, and mountains climbed.
Hello how are you?
ReplyDeleteMy name is Emilio, I am a Spanish boy and I live in a town near Madrid. I am a person very interested in knowing things related to the culture, the way of life of the inhabitants of our planet, the fauna, the flora and the landscapes of all the countries of the world etc., in summary, I am a person who enjoys traveling , learning and respecting the diversity of people from all over the world.
I love to travel and know all the aspects mentioned in person, but unfortunately, since this is very expensive and my purchasing power is quite small, I came up with a way to travel with imagination to all corners of our planet. A few years ago I started a collection of stamps since this activity allows me to know in an original way some aspects such as fauna, flora, characters, monuments, etc. of all countries. As unfortunately, every day it is more difficult to get stamps, some time ago I started another collection in which my goal would be to get at least one letter from each country and territory with postal autonomy in the world. This modest objective is feasible to achieve in most countries, but unfortunately it is impossible to achieve in other different territories for several reasons, either because they are countries at war, either because they are countries with extreme poverty, they are territories with small population or because any reason, their postal system is not working properly.
For all this I would like to ask you a small favor:
Would you be so kind as to send me a letter by traditional mail from Honduras? I understand perfectly that you think your blog is not the right place to ask this, and even, it is very probably that you will ignore my letter, but I would like to draw your attention about the difficulty that I have in receiving a letter from that country, besides, I do not know anyone or where to write in Honduras in order to increase my collection. A letter for me is like a small souvenir, it's as if I had visited that country with my imagination and at the same time, the arrival of the letters from a country is a sign of peace and normality and an original way of promoting a country in the world. My postal address is as follows:
Emilio Fernandez Esteban
Calle Valencia, 39
28903 Getafe (Madrid)
Spain
I would also like to invite you to visit my blog: http://cartasenmibuzon.blogspot.com there, if you wish you can take a look at my collection and in this way understand in a more graphic way why I make this request.
Finally, I would like to thank you for the attention given to this letter, and whether you can help me or not, I send my sincere wishes for peace, health and happiness for you, your family and all your loved ones.
Sincerely
Emilio Fernandez
Emilio,
DeleteI am surprised that you found my little blog, and I don't mind your request. I have actually never sent a letter from Honduras, but I will see what I can do for your unique project.
Dear Sarah, thank you very much for sending me an answer so kind, I will wait for your letter with a lot of illusion.
DeleteA hug from Spain
Emilio Fernandez