My flour tortilla tutorial

After mixing the very warm water in with the shortening, flour and salt. I roll the dough on to a floured surface and cut it into 16 pieces. I usually make a kind of fat "snake" and cut it into pieces.











Roll one piece out on the floured surface.












This is about as hot the griddle is. The heat is important. Too hot, they burn. Too cool and they turn into crackers. I usually have to play with it the whole time.














It gets covered with little bubbles
















When there are bubbles all over, I flip it over. Sometimes I'll get one giant bubble. I just poke it with a knife.














This is what it looks like after I turn it over. I leave it for just under a minute, depending on the heat.









Here's the pile of delicious, finished tortillas!
YUM!

Awww, our new computer "wall-paper"

This morning when I opened the computer, I found that Will had changed the wall-paper to this. Two peas in a pod, huh? Will and his daddy. *smile*

Mongoose of will vs. cobra of feeling

Decisions, decisions. Having decisions to make implies uncertainty and sometimes insecurity and instability.

A couple of weeks ago I was listening to a program on the radio and the men were discussing the decisions now facing college graduates. Decisions that previous generations never faced. Because of all of them, many were in therapy or at least needing to see a psychologist. Decisions about work. What kind of work, where, with whom, for how long. Previous generations chose a profession and stuck with it. This one will do many things, for one thing because they CAN do just about anything that they want. Both men and women. Lifestyle choices face them. Of course, for our Christian kids, we hope some of those decisions are moot points, but the choice of when to get married and who to marry and how do you decide face our children, too. The discussion resonated with me because I can see that struggle in my own children and their friends.

Then Sunday I was reading Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard and he describes this same condition calling it "modernity". He says because we've given up commitment to ritual and personal relations that we're left having to sort of "invent the wheel" with new decisions.

In the

modern condition, feeling will come to exercise almost total mastery over the individual. This is because people in that condition will have to constantly decide what they want to do and feeling will be all they have to go on. People are overwhelmed with decisions and can only make those decisions on the basis of feelings.

Willard goes on to talk about this same feeling of overwhelming decision making felt by Tolstoy, contrasted with what he saw in the life of the peasant who had

solid tradition of faith and community that provided a ritual form of life-and death. The result was that they knew what was good to do without regard to their feelings. Individuals in their roles knew without thinking about it what to do with their minutes, hours, and days. The overall order in which they lived usually gave them great strength and inner freedom derived from their sense of place and direction.

In conclusion he says,

Self-control is the steady capacity to direct yourself to accomplish what you have chosen or decided to do and be, even though you 'don't feel like it'. The mongoose of a disciplined will under God and good is the only match for the cobra of feeling.

We need to pray that our children will have their roots in the knowledge of God and what it means to glorify him and enjoy him, so that HE will be their guide during this awesome stage of decision making. Strong families and solid teaching in the church will anchor them, helping them to do what's right even when they FEEL like doing something else!

I feel so rich!

After looking and not finding the small packages of Scottish Oats in the grocery store where I usually got it, I ordered 25 pounds from Bob's Red Mill. It came last week. (See date on bag!)




I figured it would not be good to just store it in the paper bag, even though we do eat it up very fast. So I filled 13+ bags that can be vacuum sealed.

Now we have enough oats to last us until... maybe summer?

I made oatcakes last week that turned out delicious and lasted only a few days.

Think I'll make some more today.

Recipe:
1 1/2 c. oats, 1/2 flour 1/2 t. sugar, 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 t. baking powder, 1/4 c. butter . Cut together like for a pie crust, slowly add 1/2 c. hot water. Roll out about 1/4 in. or less (depending on how thick you like them) on a floured surface. Cut in triangles or with a cutter. Bake in 325 degree oven about 25 minutes. Cool on rack. They are delicious with cream cheese, cheese, butter and jam...anything you'd put on a cracker. And so healthy. All that oatmeal! Boy, am I rich!

Like a bridegroom

Is the sun. If I didn't know the Creator, I would be a sun-worshiper. I love the sunshine! I can't stay in bed after the sun has risen. I sit in a certain spot in my living room in the morning just to catch those first rays of the rising sun on my face. In winter I sit in the sunshine on the floor and read. I have energy. It makes me smile.

Yesterday was in the 50's and I went on a long walk in the sun. Lots of people had the same idea, and all were cheery. Everyone smiled and said hello or commented on the beautiful day.

I'm so thankful for these breaks from winter's icy grip! We had three wonderful sunny, "warm" days this week.

However, this morning we are setting our jaws, gritting our teeth and bracing ourselves for another icy onslaught. High's in the teens, winds 37 mph and snow, come Saturday night through Monday or Tuesday. sigh. Oh, well, it's STILL January. And we may get another break in ten days or so...

To make up for it, maybe, my hibiscus has a flower this morning! *smile*

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his
handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals
knowledge.
In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom
leaving his chanber, and , like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

It's happened!

(Typing as I watch the final prayer of the ceremony.)
This last prayer has a great ending, using verses, hymns and poetry!

I took a photo off TV obviously, but I figure I have an actual record.

It's been fun watching the daughters. I think it's Malia who has such fun with her camera. Snapping photos through that concert and through out the ceremony today.

The OPPD (electric company) guys came to the door this morning about 9:30 and said they were going to turn off the electricity for about a half hour. Ach, I couldn't believe it! What a day to turn everything off. And with no warning! But they got it back on and I got the TV back and computers reset, so didn't miss too much.

Bush must be sooo relieved!

Will texted me from the ceremony, "I'm there." There's probably a lot of dancin' going on down there. Now for a day of parties. The staff ball isn't until tomorrow, so Will will still be in Washington for that.

I've enjoyed the ceremony, seeing all these former leaders together, listening to more good prayers and speeches and watching people.

Now I guess I'd better do what he said and get off the couch and get some work done!! Like get groceries.

Homemade Oatcakes

You can tell I must not have much to do, here I am writing again.

It is a miserable, dark, cold cheerless day. But Denny's home, so we went out for lunch at Panera. So while we were out, I went to the store and found Bob's Red Mill Scottish Oats, finally. I just ordered 20 pounds online because I couldn't find them. They are oats just like we got in Scotland, not rolled like we have here.

So it cheered me considerably to try my hand at oatcakes. I LOVE oatcakes, with butter, cheese, cream cheese, raspberry jam, even plain with scotch broth. They turned out crispy and delicious! I think I would use a little more salt than the recipe called for and maybe no sugar. But they were so easy. Now I know that that 20 pounds is going to last even less time than usual!