The Last of the Summer: July and August 2021 Recaps
Photo by Abyan Athif
I have pretty much had to accept that this is not the life season for consistent blogging. Sometimes we choose the focus of our seasons, and sometimes, our seasons choose for us. Consistently, blogging has been in my planner and on my to do list, and yet, at the end of schoolwork and cooking meals and keeping up with all those little things that spring up that demand decisions, it is always what gets pushed. Rather than feeling guilty about that, I have just decided to embrace the life change for this season. With that said, one of the things I most like about this little blog have been monthly recaps. They are a way to reflect on time that moves much too fast otherwise, and I find myself looking back on them to remember a good recipe or check for when an impactful book hit my life. This post just so happens to be two months of recaps rolled into one.
God's Promises: God Begins the Work in Us and Will Complete It
Raùl had his citizenship interview at the end of July. He studied so hard and was so diligent in working every day! He passed the civics and writing portions, but he did not pass overall because his English proficiency wasn't up to snuff. To be fair, we weren't too clear on just how much of a proficiency he had to have. It's honestly still a bit murky, but we know he needs to be better equipped for extemporaneous conversation. He was disappointed, but I didn't experience even a moment of disappointment. It was recommended to us that we stay for his second and last chance so that Raúl could continue to be around English and could improve. His next interview is scheduled for October 26. In the meantime, he has been having lots of conversational practice with a lovely volunteer, my mom has studied with him for hours, and my aunt, who is experienced in teaching ESL, has been doing Zoom classes with him. I am so grateful for their help because I have such a hard time juggling my own schoolwork with helping him study. It's also a bit stressful for our marriage just from the standpoint of one more need that has to be addressed. He is improving! As he has thrown himself into learning, I have been reminded of my own early seasons of learning Spanish--over 10 years ago. At the beginning of the process, I would do the best that I could, but I was so slow. My brain would have to think in English and then translate word for word into Spanish. People who were so patient with me in listening made all the difference. In that season, a dear friend sat down with me and asked that we share our most pressing prayer requests to lift each other up. My request was that I would be able to learn Spanish, to think in Spanish, to flow in Spanish. It felt like such an unattainable thing at the time. My brain just couldn't keep up with my eagerness to communicate. Her request was for God to provide her with a husband. Little did either of us know that our prayer requests were already underway in God's workshop that very summer. In the lead up to and the aftermath of Raúl's citizenship test, I was reminded of a nerve-wracking test of my own when I was in college. In order to graduate, I had to pass a Spanish proficiency test. It was a phone interview. Speaking to new people on the phone is still a challenge and one in which I often have to ask people to repeat themselves because there are no visual cues through body language or context. I took the test in my junior year after several years of taking Spanish classes. I didn't get the score I needed in order to graduate. My proficiency was just below the requirement. I was devastated and felt at a loss for how I was ever going to be able to improve. I had just spent my whole summer in Honduras (the summer in which my friend asked me what to pray for). My professor suggested that I study abroad, but I had no money to do so. So, he suggested that I apply for a national scholarship. I was skeptical that I would be chosen from such a large pool of people, but I applied because I had nothing to lose. I was astounded when I found out that I had been selected. I was able to study for a month in Mexico with all of my expenses covered. It was a fantastic opportunity and experience that never would have happened if I would have passed on the first try. My second try at taking the proficiency exam, I passed and was able to graduate. While the continued need to study hard has been exhausting for Raúl and me, I am reminded that beautiful opportunities can arise from our most disappointing failures. Here is a verse that reminds me that this is so, and that He wastes nothing of our life:
And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. -- Philippians 1:6, Amplified Classic Version
And that perseverance in maturing us goes even for language learning.
Breathing Deeply: July 2021 Recap
As anxiety-filled as it was preparing for Raúl's citizenship test and completing another challenging course in my graduate studies, I found help moment-by-moment in breathing deeply. When I felt like I couldn't juggle one more thing, I would turn to what I have learned in class and begin to breathe deeply, slowing down chaotic thoughts and reminding myself of the gift it is to be a fragile human who isn't expected to carry it all.
What I Watched:
1) The Tomorrow War. In this movie, I learned that Chris Pratt makes pretty much anything worth watching. The writing in this movie felt pretty lacking, but the aliens were really cool, and what can I say? Chris Pratt is always so charismatic. I have seen Betty Gilpin in some interviews before, and she is really funny. I wish they would have given her more to do. J. K. Simmons with his pandemic beard and jacked up muscles was a highlight. The premise of the movie is that people from future return to the past to recruit soldiers to fight an alien invasion. Chris Pratt gets drafted, action and plot twists ensue. If you're up for an action-packed thriller and you don't mind suspending your belief a bit, it's a fun watch. Word has it that it's getting a sequel.
2) Black Widow. My family and I went to see this one at a drive-in movie theater we had never been to before. I kind of wish I could have seen it in a conventional theater because standing under a little metal roof in the pouring rain and trying to hear muffled dialogue from a radio speaker does not make for a great viewing experience. With that said, this movie was kind of a letdown. I think part of me was really hoping for some way that Black Widow's origin story could circle back to her somehow being revived after the Soul Stone sacrifice. It just didn't feel as high stakes as I thought it would, and the family dynamic scenes that were hyped in the trailers really didn't expand a whole lot beyond what was shown in the trailers. With that said, Florence Pugh was amazing. She and David Harbour were the highlights of the whole movie for me. While Scarlett Johansson was solid as always, this movie just didn't feel like the sendoff I was hoping for.
3) Loki. In the past MCU movies, Loki has probably been my least favorite character. It was just hard to find anything redeeming about him, and he seemed pretty shallow and one-dimensional. This Marvel Disney+ show was the one I was probably looking forward to the least, but boy, did it prove me wrong! It has been the best MCU show so far. It is incredibly visually interesting. It has such rich and fun characters. And, this show truly provided a solid character arc of growth for Loki. Owen Wilson's character is funny and charming, and Sophia di Martino's Sylvie is the perfect foil for Loki's usual conniving antics. Lastly, this show was the one that moved the overarching story of the MCU forward the most. The show picks up on Loki's story from where he grabbed the tesseract and escaped in the events of Avengers Endgame.
4) Ted Lasso. Our family are big fans of the show, Scrubs, which was the brainchild of Bill Lawrence, so I always suspected that we would like Ted Lasso since it is a Bill Lawrence show. My suspicions were confirmed when I watched two episodes on a plane ride. The show was so heartfelt, charming, funny, and positive without feeling sappy or cliché. Since we have been in the US, we have had a chance to watch the first season and the second season episodes as they become available. It has become a new family favorite. Set in England, the show follows Ted Lasso, an American football coach who is recruited to become the head coach of a premier English soccer team even though he knows nothing about soccer. Ted is upbeat and incredibly positive while still being pretty self-aware and down-to-earth. The whole cast of characters are so endearing that I cannot pick a favorite. Once again, this is an ensemble cast that you can tell has great chemistry on and off-screen. Be advised that it does have some strong language and occasionally sexually suggestive material.
5) The Banker. This movie was incredibly educational and impactful though there was some controversy surrounding the real-life subjects. Based on a true story, The Banker follows two black businessmen in the 1950s as they build a banking and real estate empire by using a white man as their front guy. It's a good watch for helping to understand how systemic racism impacted economic opportunities and contributed to ongoing, unfair hurdles for the African American community in furthering their livelihoods and families.
What I Ate:
1) Larb Moo (Thai Pork Lettuce Cups) with Peanut Sauce and Thai Slaw. Initially, my dad was skeptical that lettuce wraps could make for a substantial meal, but this meal proved to be convincing.
I used this recipe for the pork used in the lettuce wraps:
https://www.recipetineats.com/thai-chicken-lettuce-cups-larb-gai-laab-gai/
For the Thai-style slaw, we used chopped green and purple cabbage, shredded carrots, chopped red bell pepper, chopped green onions and cilantro, and chopped peanuts with a dressing made of sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, sriracha, fresh grated garlic and ginger, and salt.
For the peanut sauce, we used creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sriracha, lime juice, and freshly grated ginger and garlic.
Photo by Evan Wise.2) Quinoa Tabbouleh. Quinoa generally does not excite me, but for some reason, I tend to have it around more so than bulgur wheat. This salad was such a hit with my family even though I forgot to add feta cheese to it. Feta would make it better, but it's still great without it. Here is one of the recipes I used for reference:
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/quinoa-tabbouleh-395939
What I Read:
1) That Sounds Fun: The Joys of Being an Amateur, the Power of Falling in Love, and Why You Need a Hobby by Annie F. Downs. I first became acquainted with Annie F. Downs as a result of her podcast, That Sounds Fun. Since then, I have read a few of her books, and I find her style to be refreshingly transparent and easy to read. She is just as charismatic and friendly on the page as she is in her podcast episodes. While the title reads as a self-help book, this book is actually a collection of essays and reflections about a multitude of topics and life experiences that Annie learned from or that helped her grow. There is a bit of an underlying thread that holds all of the narratives together, and she finished the book in the midst of the pandemic, which she references with authenticity. I like her humor, and I also loved reading about how she came to build her business of having a podcast. It's a fun and heartfelt read.
2) Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny. This book is probably my favorite Louise Penny novel so far. It has so many layers that have their own separate casts of characters, but the emotions and the lessons are woven together into one cohesive work. This book draws from the previous novel, The Brutal Telling, by calling into question whether the convicted murderer from the prior mystery is indeed guilty. While Inspector Gamache's sidekick, Jean Guy Beauvior re-opens that case in Three Pines with fresh eyes, Inspector Gamache is taking some off after a harrowing trauma that caused the losses of many of his team. While he is processing through this stakeout gone wrong, he is sucked into a mystery that draws from unanswered questions in Quebec's history. While Penny jumps among these three separate stories, she finds ways to let circumstances lead characters to growth and resolution. Be advised that it has strong language, but it's really exquisitely written.
Photo by Thomas Thompson
God's Promises: Those We Have Loved and Served Will Be Our Pride and Joy
On September 3, I celebrated 10 years of being a missionary and living in Honduras. I recently had to do a trauma inventory for my latest class, and as I thought back over the last 10 years, I was astonished by all that I have been through. Extortion attempts. Being robbed. Lots of secondhand trauma. Serious illnesses. Ministry upheavals. Losses of loved ones. The list could go on. Yet, in the last couple of weeks, I have also been blessed by some resounding voices who have also affirmed my time as a missionary. "Who knows where I would be if I hadn't met you? I wouldn't know Jesus." "You and Raúl offer real community, a refuge we haven't found anywhere else." "You have shown me what the love of God looks like." "God led us to you when we had lost our way." As self-serving as it may seem to mention those comments, they have been the shot in the arm that have carried me as sometimes the last 10 years haven't always felt worth it. The pain has sometimes been intense, and I don't know that I have always done a good job of processing all that I have been through. But, when I think of these sweet ones who I treasure so much, I know Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 to be true:
For what will be our confident hope, our exhilarating joy, or our wonderful trophy that we will boast in before our Lord Jesus at his appearing? It is you! Yes, you are our glorious pride and joy!
Other translations use the word crown instead of trophy, which I think is a lovely image of how those we have loved adorn our lives, making them brighter.
The truth of the matter is that the lasting relationships I have built over the last 10 years have given so much more to me than I ever could have offered to them. And, even if there is boasting, it more so looks like sharing a glance with God as if to say, "Can you believe how amazing and special these people are who You created? I can't believe I get the privilege of being part of their lives and stories."
Photo by Matt Walsh
Embracing Questions: August 2021 Recap
The only certain thing about this season has been uncertainty. This extra time in the States was unexpected, and I have found myself reminding my planner brain that I can't live holding my breath. You'd think I'd know that by now since we are in our second year of a pandemic that has turned our once seemingly-stable world upside-down, but I still find myself wanting to act like this time somehow doesn't count. The truth of the matter is that even in the waiting, even in the unsure next steps, life is still happening. Growth is still happening. Nothing is wasted. I would rather be mindful of it and intentional with it than to feel regret that I didn't embrace it as it was happening. As much as I have wanted this time to unveil answers to questions I have about what is going to happen next with Raúl's citizenship, my schooling, missions work, and the like, answers have mostly been elusive, and I find the Lord asking me once again, if I can just be and make peace with the questions. He will let me know what I need to know when I need to know it. Until then, all of this time, however much it may feel like limbo, is a gift worth treasuring.
What I Watched:
1) The Movies That Made Us. The second season of this show covers how Back to the Future, Pretty Woman, Forrest Gump, and Jurassic Park were made. I love this show because movie making is such a collaborative effort. No other medium requires such a wide set of seemingly unrelated talents to coincide and work together to make a cohesive work. So much kismet goes into developing these films that become so well-known in pop culture. The smallest decisions make crazy, unexpected differences. Sometimes, cutting edge technology is developed for a film, and it shapes the future of special effects. Sometimes, one pioneering person who believes in a story fights for years to get a script made into a movie. Sometimes, a no-name actor becomes the charm that pushes a movie over the edge. My favorite glimmers in these episodes were how Forrest Gump's iconic voice was developed, just how hard Michael J. Fox worked in Back to the Future, how a free-wheeling computer programmer changed CGI as we know it for Jurassic Park, and how important casting can be for movie-making magic.
What I Read:
1) The Hangman by Louise Penny. This book is short and has all of the interesting writing and plot development that Penny's books usually do but in a much shorter format. This is a novella that follows a mystery that takes place in Three Pines. A man is found hanging by a jogger, but while it appears to be a suicide, is it really? A cast of possible suspects emerge from the woodworks, but it takes digging beneath the surface to find the truth. If you just want a quick taste of Louise Penny or a short mystery to get lost in, this is a good book. It also continues the ongoing overarching threads that Louise Penny is constantly weaving as character development.
2) Eat a Peach: A Memoir by David Chang and Gabe Ulla. It is no secret that I like to cook, and I love to delve into the world of restaurants and professional chefs. Cooking is so creative and such an art form that attracts a motley crew of minds. I first came across David Chang via the Chef Show on Netflix. Then I watched his own special on Netflix called Ugly Delicious. The first episode of the second season was particularly poignant as David pondered his upcoming adventure into fatherhood. I loved reading this book. (It does have spicy language, be advised.) David's explorations of his bipolar symptoms, the way he launched his restaurant Momofuku, and the lessons he learned along the way was humanizing and fascinating. His thoughts about cooking and how tradition can be honored and challenged were so much fun for me to read. If you like the cooking and restaurant world, or if mental health is of interest, this is a good book to check out.
3) A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny. This book was another good read from Louise Penny that left me wanting to read more to find out what happens next. Penny writes a compact mystery per book, but she also leaves longer-running stories in play, giving clues with each novel. In this book, a woman is found dead in the garden of a popular Three Pines community member. No one seems to remember seeing her, and everyone is shocked to learn of her past and mysterious ties to the community. Questions about whether people can really change are woven into intricate descriptions of artwork and inspiration. Come for the puzzle of the unknown woman. Stay for the character development and plot twists of beloved characters like the Morrows, Jean Guy Beauvior, and Inspector Gamache himself.
What I Ate:
1) Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packs. Summer cooking means grilling and using the fire pit. We make foil packets when we go camping, and though we didn't go camping this year, this meal was reminiscent of our previous family summers. Here is the recipe:
https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/foil-pack-philly-cheesesteak-dinners/
We actually used strips of skirt steak rather than ground beef.
2) Zucchini Corn Chowder. My parents' garden was quite prolific in the zucchini department, so this soup was a great idea. Here is the recipe I used:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/creamy-corn-zucchini-and-bacon-chowder/
I used different cheeses than what's in the recipe, but as always, I'm always drawing from what's available.
3) Spicy Ranch Chicken Salad. This salad was really good. I love using cabbage in a chopped salad rather than lettuce because it holds up to heartier toppings and dressings. It was quick, easy, fresh, and filling. Here is the recipe:
https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/chopped-chicken-cabbage-salad/
4) Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Zucchini. Seriously, guys, we had so much zucchini. So, I made this zucchini recipe. The filling was mainly just the chopped up, scooped out zucchini, cooked chicken breast, buffalo chicken, mozzarella cheese, and some spices. You could also add cream cheese or Ranch dressing. We did add a drizzle more of hot sauce and Blue cheese on top. Here is a recipe for reference:
https://thebestketorecipes.com/buffalo-chicken-zucchini-boats/
Photo by Fran Jacquier
5) Chocolate Zucchini Bread. Usually, we just make normal zucchini bread around this joint, but I felt like doing something different with our overabundance. Here is the recipe I use because for baking, I actually do stick to a recipe. Chemistry and all that.
https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/chocolate-zucchini-bread/
6) Pan con Tomate. Given that my parents had a great tomato crop this year, this has become my new obsession. You must have good bread for this. You're average, run of the mill, over-processed sliced bread in a bag is going to make this less awesome. This is so simple and delicious that I have made it over and over. Be advised, it will give you garlic breath. You simply grate a tomato and grate a couple of cloves of garlic (less or more to your liking). Add some salt and black pepper (freshly ground is best). Then add a couple of dashes of olive oil, and I like a dash or two of white balsamic vinegar. Mix well and spoon onto bread. You can heat it, or eat it cold, or at room temperature. I like it when the bread is warm, and the tomato mixture is at room temperature.
7) Fasolakia. This was a great way to use up some more vegetables. I added chicken which is probably inauthentic but made it more of a vegetable stew. It was so good. Fresh herbs like dill really put it over the top. I also used roasted cherry tomatoes instead of just diced tomatoes. It made for a nice touch. Here is the recipe:
https://themodernproper.com/fasolakia
Photo by Nikke'ta Snowden
8) Feta Cheese Mashed Potatoes. These are the mashed potatoes that get made in our family for every special occasion. Here is the recipe:
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/feta-cheese-mashed-potatoes/
9) Ribeye Steaks. One of my mom's favorite foods is steak. So, since it was her birthday in August, I wanted to make her a special meal. I had never made steaks this way, but they turned out so good. I marinated the steaks overnight with something similar to this recipe:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/143809/best-steak-marinade-in-existence/
I cooked the steaks this way:
https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/butter-basted-rib-eye-steaks
I did however follow a tip in one of the comments by making a compound butter with garlic and herbs and slathering it on top of the steak instead of basting it with liquid butter.
Photo by Lore Schodts
10) Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Cupcakes. We have two people in my family who have Celiac's are a gluten sensitivity, so while gluten-free cooking and baking isn't my usual, I like to expand my horizons to love my people well. To be honest, most of my experiences with gluten-free baking have been overly processed stuff from grocery stores, and it just wasn't great. This recipe was awesome. I couldn't tell any difference between these cupcakes and other other cupcakes. Here is the recipe I used:
https://dinnerthendessert.com/gluten-free-salted-caramel-cupcakes/#wprm-recipe-container-10586
Here is where I cheated because I was tired:
I used caramel ice cream topping instead for the buttercream icing, and I didn't make the additional caramel sauce. They were still great though I was lazy. For my own personal preference, I might have made the icing less sweet, but to each their own because I generally don't like buttercream icing.
I hope each of you enjoyed your summer. It sure flew by for me. I am excited to be in the US for the beginnings of fall. It has been so many years since I got to see the leaves change and feel that subtle change of crispness in the air. It reminds me of walking out onto the soccer field for a game or going for a brisk walk in downtown Lewisburg or the excitement of a new school year. Whatever is coming, it feels like a season of both accelerated learning and a time to let go of preconceived notions, overjammed to do lists, and unrealistic expectations. We've all had a couple of hard years now. If we wait for things to be normal or better, we may be waiting forever. This is the only time we will be the age we are. That's not to say that I think we should live recklessly. I think it means that we should live intentionally, learning to enjoy even the moments that feel most trivial. Try the new recipe. Sit on your porch to drink your coffee and feel the chilly edge in the air. Let yourself off the hook for not being as productive as you want to be. Find your creative outlet again. Try even though you might fail. Develop a hobby you may not be good at. Don't take time with your loved ones for granted. Our lives have always been quite fleeting; we've just never had that reality hover so close as we do now. May it shape us for the better.
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