Name

In 1992 I was pregnant with my first baby.  Early in my pregnancy my son's father came home with an idea for a boy's name.  When I heard it I fell in love with it.  Once the ultrasound confirmed we were having a son, I was so excited.  People would ask if we had chosen a name and I would tell them what we had chosen.  More than once I'd get a strange look and then they would ask if I'd ever seen "Children of the Corn."

My son is named Malachai and I love the name.  It's Hebrew and means messenger.  I'm aware that in the Bible it is spelled Malachi but when I filled out the birth certificate I was sleep deprived .  I also just thought it looked better spelled that way. The worst part about the misspelling is that his name is often mispronounced "Ma-lah-chi".

I still haven't seen any of the "Children of the Corn" movies but I am aware of what the movies are about, so I understand why people would ask. I can't remember the last time I ran across a Jezebel, Salome or Judas.  These characters are notorious and have a negative image. No one wants a name with a negative image.

When I was pregnant with my second baby, my husband and I started with a list which we narrowed down systematically. Eventually, we came up with our choice.  We did debate with family members about a middle name and in the form of compromise ended up saddling my second born with two middle names.  It's done quite a bit but honestly, when was the last time you saw a form with space for two middle names!


A name is a very important intimate thing. Our parents take great thought and care when choosing one.  Our name belongs to us and is intimate. I'm Stacey Terrial by the way!

Macaroni and Cheese (Blackaroni)

This recipe is passed down from my Granny to my mother and then down to me.  It’s my go-to dish for potlucks.  It doubles easily and is very easy to make.  The secret ingredient that gives it that little tang is yellow mustard.
1 – 1lb box of elbow macaroni
8 oz – Sharp cheddar cheese
2 eggs
2 – 14oz cans evaporated milk
4 tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 tsp yellow mustard
salt
pepper
paprika

Directions
Cook elbows according to package directions so that they are al dente
Shred cheddar cheese while the elbows cook.
Drain elbows and mix with the butter to keep them from sticking.
In casserole dish mix together noodles, cans of evaporated milk, eggs, salt, pepper, cheese, and yellow mustard.  Add salt and pepper to taste. You can add bread crumbs on top if you prefer but I just sprinkle a little paprika sometimes.
Bake in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes until set in the center.
Bonus- this is also pretty much the same recipe I use for my squash casserole with the following changes
Replace elbows with yellow squash
Add one sweet onion - diced
Boil squash and onion together until squash is soft.
Mix all incredients together in a casserole and bake at 350 degrees until set.
Enjoy!

-Oops! I forgot the eggs.  I've edited the post to add them.

It's Not About Me

Our church has several worship bands and I have a favorite, who wouldn't, and one that is my least favorite.
When my favorite band is up front, I can't wait to start singing.  I find myself thinking, "I hope they sing (insert my favorite song).  However,  my least favorite band brings a frown to my face.  The instant I arrive in the sanctuary and see them on stage I'm disheartened.  My least favorite band plays a style of music I'm not too fond of.  They do play quite a few songs I like but because of the style of music, the songs aren't as familiar, it's either faster or slower than I'm used to.
The last time my least favorite band was up front and I actually found myself pouting.  After standing and listening to one song I next found myself having this little conversation in my head about how I just can't sing to THIS music..then the spirit..it had to be the Spirit whispered "It's not about you idiot"..Ok I added the idiot part.
I closed my eyes and asked God to forgive me for my surly attitude and began to sing..I sang to God.  In my out of tune voice I sang and praised and thanked God for the privilege to praise him.  Afterall, so manay of my brothers and sisters in Christ in other countries don't have the same privilege.

Ouch!

Do you remember "Home Improvement" starring Tim Allen?  That show had quite a bit of physical comedy...not like the tripping over a hassock like Dick Van Dyke but still some.  Tim seemed to always hit his head on something whenever he bent to pick something up.  Well last night, I went downstairs and my eyes hadn't quite adjusted to the dark.  I'm not sure why I didn't turn on the light but for some reason I didn't.  I bent over to touch the baseboard heater to see if the heat was on. On the way down I hit my nose on a dining room chair.  In my defense, my dining room configuration has changed for the holiday season so I wasn't expecting the chair to be where it was.  I smacked it hard but I don't think it's broken.  I do have a small red bump on the bridge of my nose and the worst thing about that is I wear glasses so it rubs that bump, but some Tylenol helps with that.  I've got to be more careful!
In other news the new year has begun so it's time to begin job hunting in earnest.  I do need to revamp the resume and I'm working toward a certification that I keep seeing as a requirement in a lot of job postings.

Sew Intimidated!

It’s named the Singer Confidence Quilter 7429. Confidence…yes that’s exactly what I need.

This is what I got for Christmas this year.  I asked for a sewing machine and that’s what I got. When I pulled it from the box I was instantly intimidated.  I mean just look at it.

Look at all the buttons…

Less buttons….

The machine I wanted (Singer Confidence Stylist 7467) was out of stock so instead of back-ordering the machine I wanted the seller sent this with a note that they were “upgrading” my machine.  So this machine isn’t as basic as I expected and so here it sits until I figure out what to do first…anyone have any suggestions?  Help!

The original plan was to start out with something simple like maybe a throw pillow and work my way up to the curtains I need to make for my office.  I just love this fabric and I have 6.5 yards of it ready to go.

I’ll admit it. I’m terrified of this machine.

Mama Love

There is nothing in this world that can compare to a mother’s love for her children and to those she loves like her own children.  Today I was browsing through blogs I subscribe to and came across this post by Ann Voskamp over at A Holy Experience.  As I read it I remembered my grandmother.  We all called her Granny.  She’s my mother’s mom.  We were blessed that she lived close by and was one of my best friends growing up.  She went home to heaven when I was just 18 and it’s disconcerting that many memories of her seem to be slipping away but this one is clear to me.  My mother was sick with pneumonia or some respiratory illness and 4 children to take care of.  She tried her best but the illness confined her to bed…One phone call was all it took and Granny, who didn’t have a car or even a driver’s license made it over the Cooper River to our house. There she stayed on the couch caring for Mama until she was well and making sure the four kids were bathed, fed, and got off to school.  Thank God for our wonderful Mamas!

A Wonderful Much Appreciated Surprise

As I do everyday when I pull my car into the driveway, I closed my eyes for a minute and whispered “God please give me patience and strength for whatever I find inside”. When I left in the morning there was a load of laundry in the dryer, a load in the washer , a few pots and pans on the stove, and dishes in the sink waiting to be rinsed and placed in the dishwasher. Up the back stairs to the kitchen door I go with my laptop bag dragging behind me and there through the window I see my husband, Mike, washing pots.  I quickly turn the knob and go inside.  I doff my coat and put my bags away and come back to the kitchen and grab my apron.  Now he’s finished the pots…they are stacked in the drainer and he’s now cleaning the stovetop.  At that moment I want to cry and throw my arms around his neck…call my sister-in-law and have her come get Samuel because I need some alone time with my husband, but hey it’s a school night and there is dinner to get….maybe later. It's not that Mike never helps around the house...he just hasn't lately because he has a job where he is on his feet for pretty much 8 hours and on top of that he has problems with his feet and the last thing he wants to do when he comes home is more standing.  Anyway, once the ceramic stovetop is polished he says…”It’s all yours” and gives me a quick kiss and heads for his recliner.  I feel loved!  But it was just a few dishes, right?