Local Eats - Sunchokes with Crimini Mushrooms

It's winter, and the veggies at the store seem to be coming from California more and more often.  Living in northwest Oregon, I prefer to buy foods grown in Oregon and Washington.  Enter in the sunchokes (aka Jerusalem artichokes) and mushrooms!

As a kid, when my mom made artichokes, I remember digging through the leaves with great anticipation for the best part of the artichoke: the heart.  What does that have to do with sunchokes?  Sunchokes taste a whole lot like the heart of an artichoke.  YUM.

I more or less used this recipe when cooking yesterday.  I only used olive oil, sunchokes, and crimini mushrooms though, and it was really good.

If you like artichoke hearts, you should really give it a try!  It's easy and delicious!

A Cactus Christmas

I've been gone for awhile because Matthew and I were in Arizona this year to celebrate Christmas with my family. We're back now, and I will share a few pictures with you for fun.

Another quilt!

Here's the quilt that I just finished for Matthew's first cousin once removed!  It's fun!  It's pink! :)

I link to the instructions in this post.

snapshot of a winter day

There's no time like winter to sew a quilt!  When finished, this quilt is going to go to a very lovely three-year-old on Matthew's side of the family.  I am hoping that she will get years of snuggles and cuddles under this colorful blanket.  It is really special, too, because the fabric for the blocks came from some of her old clothing that her mom saved.

This has been a cold, dry winter so far.  We have had no rain this month so far, but we have had an abundance of winter sunshine.  While most of our apartment does not get any direct sunlight this time of year, between 2pm and 3pm, if I open the blinds in the bedroom, I can see a patch of sunlight on the wall.  I love seeing light on walls.  During last summer, I would lie on the bed and lazily watch the shadows of the maple leaves dancing on our bedroom wall.  While there was no dancing on the wall today, I still welcome the light.

A partly cloudy winter day lends itself well to a spectacular winter sunset.  The photos speak for themselves!

The Obsession with "New"

In my experience, when there is a drive for toys, clothes, etc. to help families, there is often a mandate that donations be new items.  I understand that it is not as sacrificial or desirable to give someone else your worn out clothing or half-broken toys.  I also understand that people are requiring this out of a good heart because they feel like since they don't give used gifts to their own families and friends, why should other families have to get used gifts?

It's just that I think the question should be, "Why shouldn't I give already-been-loved gifts to my family and friends?"  The answer in our household is, "No reason.  Do it."

For this reason, it actually becomes a very odd experience to want to give items to people in need and to be told that I have to buy new items.  Here are some thoughts that end up going through my head:

"I rarely buy anything new... period."

"We can't always all have new things.  There is so much stuff already floating around needing a good home to use it up.  By always demanding new, we are effectively taking away at least some of ability for future generations to have the resources and ability to make their own new products."

"If I am buying something new, I feel led to research my item to buy something that was made in a way that tried to avoid harming the environment and did not exploit human workers."

"New things cost a lot.  If a family needs hand towels, why can't I buy a few adorable, gently-used towels at a thrift shop for way less money?  Then I can use the rest of the money to do more to help people out."

I love that people want to meet others' real needs, and if you have ever done so then awesome!  If done out of compassion and generosity, then your good heart is admirable.  I'm just saying: Here's for creating a culture that views used goods as valuable and equally awesome instead of "cheap" and of poor taste.  After all, I'm not too good for something someone else no longer wanted/needed... Are you?

Solar Lighting

While solar lighting doesn't make a lot of sense to me right now as I look outside at a gray, cloudy day, it does make all kinds of sense to people in sub-Saharan Africa.  This post talks about how much sense it makes when compared to the alternative -- often kerosene.  It also make sense because it can free up a significant portion of a person's income!

In case the term "solar light" is new to you, the light is simply a lamp that contains a rechargeable battery and is charged by a photovoltaic panel (like those you see on roofs, only little).

After considering the list of projects, Matthew and I found Solar Sister to be the one that most caught our attention (although there are a lot of other wonderful projects...)  What appealed to us was the fact that a donation would provide the means for a woman to gain income through the sales of these solar lights.  It reminded us of Kiva.  (Speaking of which, have you set up an account at www.kiva.org yet?  Because it's awesome.  Seriously.)

Legislation-palooza

Today when I got on the computer, I was immediately bombarded with news of some bills that made me go, "Cool!"  Now, maybe these bills aren't perfect, but they are all things I personally have been hoping that congress would do something about.

Here is a description of a bill that would protect farmers from the current ramifications of genetically engineered (GE) seed technology.  In short, patents have made it so that certain big corporations (*cough* Monsanto *cough*) have been able to commit what I consider heinous crimes against farmers.  For example, farmers who did not plant Monsanto's GE seeds can get sued for exorbitant amounts if some of that seed ends up in their supply when they save their seed at the end of the season.  (This happens when other farmers in the area have GE crops.  Cross-pollination occurs.)  Small farmers have been going bankrupt as a result.  I've been hoping for legislation to stop this.

Here is a description of a bill that would mandate that GE foods are labelled in stores.  Americans polled have said they'd like to know, and there are also health safety issues when people eat GE foods. For example, if you are allergic to a food, and you eat another food that has been given genes from the food you're allergic to, you might possibly have an allergic reaction to a food you'd normally be OK with.

Next is a bill that would help to prevent plants the have been engineered to produce substances (human or veterinary drugs, biologic, industrial, or research chemicals, or enzymes) from being able to let loose this new DNA into other crops or the wild.

Finally, here is a proposed constitutional amendment that would deny personhood to corporations.

Will any of these things pass? I have no clue. I do expect that they will be lobbied against with full force. They all involve corporations losing power and, consequentially, possibly money. However, what is good for corporations isn't necessarily what's good for the people of the US, and the government is supposed to do what's good and right for the people.

If you are interested in any of these issues, feel free to look up more about them and then maybe consider writing to your representatives in congress.

Bike excitement

Remember my grand adventure last month that involved me hauling a bazillion pounds of groceries on my back and handlebars?  I promised that I'd set up a rear cargo rack, and I did!  Well, Matthew and I did.  He helped.

This was a learning experience for me, too.  At first I went to Fred Meyer to raid their biking section, and the only rear cargo rack that they had was this.  I naively assumed that since it was all they had, it must be decent.  No. False.  Bad.  It was a piece of garbage that only held value in being a great device to whack against your head after you realize what a stupid purchase it was.  While it does not say so, it doesn't fit all bikes, and even if it did fit mine, it would have been mostly hidden under the seat.  Fortunately, I returned it, and no great harm was done.

Next I used the powers of Amazon.com to find a good rear bike rack.  This is the one.  The reviews were super helpful, and it sounded perfect for me.  And it is.  The one thing I had to take care of was procuring little pieces of hardware because I don't have eyelets on my seat stays (gosh, I sound so knowledgeable).  I ended up going to a bike shop, explaining my problem, and they handed me what I needed (minus a few nuts that Matthew easily picked up at his work).  In retrospect, I probably could have asked them to help me find a cargo rack, but I still am happy that Amazon helped me know what I was getting through all of the good reviews.  Sometimes you just need to know something is good.

As you can see, the cargo rack was needed so that I could attach an egg crate to it.  I found this green crate at Goodwill for $2 (woo!), and then we bought some bungee cords to do some ninja stabilization moves.  And now it is stable.  And holding a heavy bag of groceries.  And my back doesn't hurt.

So there you have it.  Bike excitement.

What I'm thankful for...

Thanksgiving came and went, but I have really been feeling like a "thanksgiving" post would be good.  I give thanks because I'm grateful to God, and I give thanks because it is through finding pleasure in my life that I find contentment that helps me to not needlessly and tirelessly strive for more.


I am thankful for Matthew and I both finishing our Master's degrees last June.  What an exciting time!

I am thankful that Matthew got a job only a few months after graduation.  In fact, it was really a blessing to have a final summer break together even if it was spent somewhat in anticipation.

I am grateful that Matthew got a job in the Pacific Northwest, and even in Oregon.  We could have had to go much farther.

I am thankful that I lived in a place (Corvallis) that I loved enough to still sorely miss even after I have been away from it for almost three months.  I miss my friends there, but I also sincerely miss the town itself.  The streets, the parks, the co-op, the trees... everything.

I am grateful that I have had a chance to explore a new area.  It is pretty out here (once you ignore all the cars...), and it is truly a lovely place for being a suburb of a large city.  I think that since we live near a bunch of marshy areas we get a lot of wildlife that we didn't see in Corvallis.  I love seeing an occasional heron and huge flocks of ducks and geese.  I also really like the treefrogs that make their ridiculous croaking sounds outside of our windows.

I am thankful that I will be teaching at Portland Community College next term.  While I admittedly have the inward anxiety that I for some reason will not be able to handle things or do a "good enough" job, I mostly am excited to work with two classes of math students.

I am also grateful for all of the experiences that I have had that have helped prepare me to teach!

I am thankful that I got to see my parents and brother a fair amount last summer, and I am happy that we get to spend Christmas together this year.

I am thankful for always having more than enough of what I need.

I am thankful that God has given me a chance to experience more freedom and love as I continue to learn to be less selfish and to love others more.

I am grateful for public libraries and the Internet because I have had a chance to read so many interesting things and learn so much now that I'm not doing homework and studying all of the time.

I am thankful that our new apartment has big windows and more of them than a typical one-bedroom apartment... I love the natural light...

I am thankful for Facebook because it is taking time for me to meet people and get a support group up here, and I feel like I am blessed to have some support through that medium while I work and wait to see what friendships are waiting for me up here.

I am of course thankful for my dear husband who is a rock of support for me.  He celebrates for and with me, he loves me even (and maybe especially) when I'm being crazy or silly, he has been my biggest supporter as I change the very way we live as I work to live sustainably, he has learned that I can't talk when I'm crying, and he patiently waits until I can talk again... even when he's painfully unsure about why in the world I'm crying again.  While he has his own quirks and faults, he is the most patient, loving, and supportive man that I can imagine, and I'm grateful that every day he chooses to continue loving me.

Finally, I am thankful to God for blessing me more than I deserve, patiently dealing with me as I doubt and question and work to figure things out, and loving me with a love that I can't even really understand.

What's going on out there...

I've been reading and listening to some interesting things this week, so I thought I'd share some of them here.

First up is an article about how large multinational corporations are marketing their junk food products to new people... the poor and malnourished around the world.  It really does bother me that corporations are willing to grow at the expense of the health and well-being of people.  Want to know what you can do to help?  My personal method is to do my best to avoid products from large companies unless I figure out that they're a good company.  Every time I spend money, I view it as a vote in my mostly capitalistic economy.  If you want something else to do, I think that it might also be good to write to corporations to let them know how you feel and why you will not buy their product.

The next article discusses the future of global warming and some geoengineering ideas of how to combat it.  It really scares me to have humans try to play with the atmosphere, clouds, etc to try to affect our climate.  I totally understand why they are considering these ideas, and I respect them for acknowledging that this would be a last ditch attempt to buy more time for humanity to stop destroying our home (you know, Earth), but I think that such a large-scale action that cannot really be tested in advance could also be devastating.  The idea of temperatures rising 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the next 90 years is overwhelming, too.  I know I will only be around so long, but I'd really like for my children and grandchildren to be able to live a peaceful life and enjoy our beautiful planet.  (To Christians who believe that Jesus will return and make it all better before any of this happens, I must say this:  You don't know that.  We have no guarantee that we won't destroy much of our population in the years to come.  God loves us, but He certainly is not obligated to miraculously save us from our own selfish actions, right?)  Want to know what you can do?  Take some time to learn about what's going on.  Be willing to change yourself.  Be willing to speak out at the political level.  Again, vote with your money.  Learn to live differently, and pray that your life will positively affect others.

Up next is a video of a young man speaking about how he was raised by a lesbian couple.  When I was adamantly against the legalization of gay marriage, I was asked why it mattered if a homosexual couple had the same legal rights as a heterosexual couple.  The reason that I was taught to give was that adopted babies wouldn't be given as good of a home to live in.  Now I just don't think this argument is fair, and I don't think it should be used.  I do think that children should having loving relationships with both men and women (opinion, not fact), but I think that a homosexual couple could ensure that this happens through extended family, church family, and other groups.  I know that not everybody out there agrees with me, and I think that everybody has the right to their own opinion, and they should vote for what they believe is right.  I just encourage people to think about their decision and be open to listening to God even if it might mean changing.  At this point in my life, I feel strongly that I need to support homosexual couples in their endeavor to be accepted in society.  I tend to believe that in 100 (or fewer) years, people will look back and view the efforts to prevent gay marriage similarly to how most of us view the efforts to prevent interracial marriage (which was also justified using the Bible).

Speaking of interracial marriage... Here we have an example of a church who still struggles to accept that it is truly alright.  If this isn't a humbling example of why we should keep our heart open to change, I don't know what is.  What comes to mind is: Live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God...  (Micah 6:8 for those of you who are amazed that I'd come up with something so lovely on my own... I didn't!)

I will leave you with a really neat story about a man who, to me, seemed to follow the teachings and show the love of Jesus.  I have no clue whether or not the man was intending to do so, but my heart tells me that God was in the details.

Crafting!

Knit headband.  Now I can stay warm without
abandoning my standard ponytail.

Lamp before-ish!  (I added the blue ribbon
on the top and the bottom before I took the
picture... oops.)

Lamp after!  Some glue, some yarn, and some
crocheted circles (or closed disks, to those
of you who like to keep your mathematical
definitions straight...), and you have a super
cute lamp!

OWL PURSE!  Wicked awesome.

The pattern for the knit headband can be found here.  I made my owl by making up a pattern after admiring the owl purse found here.  If you aren't comfortable making up your own pattern, you can buy a pattern at that site.

Massage Giveaway... just in time for the Holidays!

*NOTE*:  December 10th through 12th you may comment each day for an entry into the giveaway.  If you have not given a Christmas story or tradition yet, you may still provide one for an extra entry.

This is a giveaway for one of the following three things: one 60 minute Shiatsu massage, one 60 minute Swedish massage, or two Reflexology massages.  The massage of your choice will be provided by my friend's new business, GivingTree Massage, LLC in Corvallis, Oregon.  The massage therapist, Robert White, received his license this past year, and he is committed to providing a comfortable, peaceful experience  to all of his clients.  As he was getting hours of practice to get his license, I received a massage; I can attest that he was professional, and the massage felt great! :)

If you would like to win a massage at GivingTree Massage, please leave a comment with your email address on this post by December 12th!  For TWO entries into the giveaway, include a short (or long!) description about a favorite holiday tradition that you have.  I will only use your email address to contact you to let you know you have won.  On December 12th (*Edit*: December 13th.  You may enter all the way through the 12th), I will use a random number generator to choose a winner.  At that point I will contact the winner so that I know which massage choice he/she wants and a mailing address so that I can send out the gift certificate!  (*Note*: If you don't want to leave your email address and you have a way to contact me, just leave a comment below and just make sure that I know who you are!)

If all of this massage stuff sounds amazing, then you can consider buying a massage gift certificate at GivingTree Massage through me from now until December 15th.  Robert has given me some discounted rates to offer to those who are interested:

$45 for a sixty minute massage (either Shiatsu or Swedish)  (usually $60)

$25 for a Reflexology massage (usually $35)

$12.00 for a Chair massage (usually $15)

If you are interested in this offer, leave a comment with your email and a statement of your interest in purchasing a massage (or contact me with another method if you can/want to), and we can work out the details.  If you comment and buy a massage before December 12th, you will be given THREE entries in the giveaway!


Please let me know if you have any questions!  I haven't done a giveaway before, so I am hoping that things are clear.

To contact Robert directly, please call him at 541-760-7239 or email him at GivingTreemassage.rw@gmail.com.  Even after this promotion ends, he'd be happy to let you know what his rates and specials are!

Daily Decisions: Banking

When Matthew moved up to Beaverton for his six month internship right before we got married, he got an account at Washington Mutual (now Chase).  The reason for this was that he knew he'd be coming back to Corvallis for another few years, and after that he didn't know where he'd be.  I was added onto this account after we got married, and we still have it open.

However... There are a lot of good reasons to support local banking instead of big banks, and a local credit union is a terrific way to accomplish that task.  After moving to the Hillsboro area, we started an account at a credit union in our area.  We have started switching everything over to that account so that we can close our Chase account once we're sure everything has cleared from our checking account.

Coincidentally, there is a current movement to leave big banks and to join credit unions that I didn't know about until after we made the switch.

Especially with the ability to use the ATM pretty much anywhere, I feel like we have no need for a large bank.  Switching is truly an easy way for us to take away support from the banks that operate like those that we had to bail out a few years ago.

Want to know an added benefit?  We found a checking account that offers a 2% interest rate as long as we satisfy a few requirements like using online banking, having a direct deposit occur once per period, and using our debit card for a point-of-sale transaction 12 times per period (good thing I can only carry so many groceries at a time on my bike!).  Two-percent is much better than the rates out there for savings accounts that we've seen, and even if we don't satisfy the requirements one period, the interest earned that period is the same as we were earning at Chase in our savings account.

Yay credit unions!

Honey Honey

For those of you who enjoy honey and hope to get all of the nutritional benefits it can offer, I suggest reading this over at Eat Drink Better.  The article they are using as a source is found here if you tend to like to read things from the original source.

In short, honey is being ultra-filtered to remove the pollen so that the source is hidden, but this process removes the health benefits of the honey.  It also technically makes the product no longer "honey" as defined by the FDA.  Unfortunately, not much is being done to test and regulate this, so it's up to the consumer!  You might want to buy honey from a co-op, farmers' market, or natural foods store as these honeys tested well for having the appropriate amount of pollen.

Slippers for the feeties

Look at those warm feet!  Give me the correctly sized crochet hook, and I will whip up these guys in two days!  I apparently will also add an extra band and a crocheted "button" (most visible and better looking in person than in the photo) for more pizzazz (and to make up for the fact that the slippers were just really long thanks to my husband's size 11 or 12 feet.)

In case you are interested in making these, I will let you know that I actually had to play with the pattern a bit because Matthew's feet are kind of wide.  I added an extra round to the bottoms.  This created minor adjustments in the number of stitches the rest of the way.  I also added extra rows on the tops of the slippers so that there would be maximal foot coverage.

Daily Decisions: Hand washing vs. Dishwasher washing

Perhaps as you go about your journey to save electricity and water you have asked yourself which one is better.

I recently watched a (corny) video from PGE where they tested and compared energy consumption done by a few different types of hand washing and a few different types of dishwashers.  As a note, they didn't discuss the amount of water used, which is an important factor to consider.  You also can't tell how full they fill the dishwasher which is clearly a large factor as far as energy and water efficiency go.  It's also challenging to factor in the environmental costs of creating and shipping a dishwasher in the first place!

I currently only hand wash items that can't go in the dishwasher, and I will wait until I get a stack to do these dishes.  The way I currently do the rest of the dishes is by running a (very full) dishwasher on light wash instead of normal wash.  I get away with using light wash by pre-rinsing all the dishes.  I don't use extra water to do this, though.  We put dishes that need rinsing in the sink, and they get water in them as we wash our hands/produce/etc over them.  Then  I use the scrubby brush to brush the food out.  We also, of course, air dry the dishes instead of drying them with heat.  We also try to minimize the number of dishes that we use.  For example, his mug for his morning coffee becomes my mug for water or tea during the day.  This all takes a bit more effort than just using whatever dishes we want to or running water whenever it's convenient for us, but it becomes routine, and it's really not that challenging in my opinion.

Personally, I think that video makes one thing clear: By being conscious of the energy and water you are using, you will save a ton when compared to taking the resources for granted.  It's very challenging (at least for me) to know what "the best" way to do some things is, and I think that it's OK to just be thoughtful and do our best!

Crochet hooks

Look!  Pretty crochet hooks!  I learned how to crochet on a few hooks I got from Goodwill, but I've been unable to do a few projects because I had the wrong size hooks.  Here is D through K as found used on Ebay.  Yay!  My husband shall (hopefully) have slippers for his feeties this winter!

I just thought I'd share since I'm excited about them. :)

Angrrrrrrrrrrrr

In church recently, the pastor has been talking about emotions that get in the way of having peaceful, strong relationships with each other.  An interesting take on these emotions is that they generally result from a debt-debtor dynamic in the relationship.  For example, the emotion of the week is currently anger, and anger often results from a "you owe me" feeling.

I appreciate the chance to think about anger because it's something I feel fairly often, and I know that it's an emotion that can (and does) easily cause me to hurt people.  While I am not as explosive as I was as a teen, I find that when I am angry now, I do one of two things.  If I'm angry at you and I don't feel comfortable expressing that to you, I will likely keep my anger in and stew about the situation.  If I do feel comfortable expressing it to you (this would be you, dearest husband Matthew), then I am likely to express it through grouchiness, a bit of nastiness, and maybe an insult or two for good measure.

Neither of those reactions are particularly good because in one case, I am harming the relationship by holding onto really negative feelings.  In the other, I hurt Matthew through my words.

The pastor at our church talked about how in his experience (and through the verses Ephesians 4:31-32), he thinks that the answer to our anger lies in forgiveness.  I would add to this a healthy dose of compassion and understanding.  By forgiveness, he meant that we should figure out what we thought the person owed us, and then to consciously decide to cancel this debt.  This makes sense in my circumstances because my anger often stems from when I think people owe me respect, consideration, time, or thoughtfulness.  While someone may have legitimately wronged me, it is my choice to hang on to the anger.  The compassion and understanding come in because the action that caused anger may very well have been done without any intention of harm, or I may have misinterpreted an action or some words.

My anger for Matthew is generally spurred by the silly things.  I think that this is probably fairly typical for a married couple.  You might call the feeling "annoyance", but I think that it's a form of anger for me, at least.  He'll do little things in a way that seems totally wrong/illogical to me.  I can't even think of a specific example right now.  However, this little thing happening in a way that I don't want or expect, and I can be set off.  The thing is, though, that Matthew usually isn't even doing anything wrong, and I know that.  While some of the problems he could prevent by being more careful and thoughtful, many times I'm just expecting unreasonable things from him.  I think that another group of people who might experience our anger similarly is children.  I know that I'm going to get angry at my kids when I have them because I'm kind of a human being.  However, I think that it's good for me to start thinking about what should cause anger and what shouldn't.  For example, while a child might not always listen to me, I shouldn't automatically become angry.  Perhaps the child has a reason for not listening.  Perhaps I am expecting more from the child than he/she is able to handle.  While I'm not saying that I won't expect my kids to listen to me, I think that I will bear the responsibility of trying to fully understand each situation and not wrongfully accusing a child of being willfully disobedient.

I'm not going to say that I'm the best at forgiving people for things that they said or did.  I tend to replay conversations and events over and over in my head, and I can work up a good amount of anger doing this.  Even after realizing that I need to let things go, I can still try to pick things apart again later.  It's something I work on.

One thing that came up was the idea of reconciliation versus forgiveness without reconciliation.  I think that reconciliation is optimal, but I think that forgiveness can happen without reconciliation.  Sometimes I hold onto something little for so long, it's probably not even good to broach the subject any more because what is past is past, so I just need to forgive the person and move on.  However, sometimes I think it is totally appropriate to respectfully talk to a person about a problem in the hopes of coming to a reasonable agreement.  I personally think that this has to happen to keep a marriage as healthy as possible.  To me, it goes along with the vital need for open, respectful communication about pretty much everything.  Sometimes an agreement won't be met, and then the choice of forgiveness should be made.  Sometimes an agreement will happen, and forgiveness naturally occurs.

The pastor emphasized Ephesians 4:31 as it says to "get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior."  As such, he made it seem like the emotion of anger was to generally be avoided.  Maybe I misunderstood his intention though because I'm sure that he knows that Jesus expressed anger.  In fact, earlier in Ephesians 4, Paul writes that in our anger we should not sin.  Based on this, and the fact that verse 31 talks about "evil behavior", I feel fairly confident that we should not try to quell all anger but rather bear the responsibility for our actions and treatment of people.

In fact, I realized that I actually think that anger and discontent can be a good and healthy thing.  I think that it is good to get angry when people are being wronged.  I wrote a post last year about how I was angry as Wisconsin stripped their unions of their rights and power.  I thought of this as I considered this week's emphasis on anger, and I do not think that my anger was wrong.  In fact, I think that I had an appropriate response to my anger: Writing a blog post to express myself.  I honestly believe that it is appropriate to feel discontent and angry when people are being wronged, but we must always remain conscious of our actions.  If we use Paul's writings to justify complacency and lack of emotion for our fellow human beings, then I think we are missing the point.

I'd love to hear any other thoughts about anger that you might have!

The Grand Adventures of Karen

*Note* All pictures were taken in the safety of the living room.  No Karens were biking around with a camera in one hand (and unchanging scenery) in the making of this blog post.  Faces were recreated for the benefit of the reader.

This is my face when heading out on some errands.
Note the jaunty look with the stylin' helmet.

This is my face when I watched a woman park in
a 5-minute book drop off spot at the library.  Only she
missed the parking spot and ended up parked mostly on
the sidewalk.  Seriously...?

This is my face as a giant oak leaf attacks my face
briefly as I bike down the path away from the library.
*Note*  This is not a real oak leaf.  No oak leaves
were harmed in the making of this blog post.

This is my face as I leave the grocery store with 19 pounds
of groceries on my back and another pound hanging on my arm.

What the...?  Who knows why I have this face.

It should be noted that my pants are not being
caught in the chains of my bike anymore.  Why not?
Fabric scraps, a button, and a chunk of elastic that
was used to package a duffel bag we bought a couple years
ago.  About 15 minutes of sewing later, and now I be STYLIN'!
  Also, do you see the stained patches on my knee?  That is how
 you distinguish me from the other people
 in Hillsboro.  "Who's that ragamuffin over
there.... Must be KAREN!"

I hope that you have enjoyed the great adventures of Karen.  I was thinking today while riding my bike that I really do enjoy biking and walking over driving because when I drive now, I realize I am missing out on things.  The exercise is an obvious plus to biking (I got in 6 miles yesterday and about 9 miles today), but I also notice more about what's going on around me when I'm biking.  I can notice birds and people, and I can smile at people walking by.  It was actually really comical when the oak leaf attacked my face today.  As soon as it fell off, I couldn't keep from laughing.  Part of this post is also to let people know that if you want to haul stuff while biking, it might take some forethought.  I actually am in the process of getting and setting up a rear cargo rack with a basket so as to be able to carry groceries without carrying a heavy backpack on my back.  Pictures to come.  There are also bike trailers for things and for children, and there are bike seats for kids, too.  Just yesterday, I was admiring a bike seat for small children because it allows the kid to sit between you and the handlebars.

I hope that you have received some bike inspiration!   Have a wonderful autumn day!

The Occupy movement... money... life... and stuff

Unless I have written a post that I have forgotten about, I think that so far I have not said anything about the Occupy movement sweeping the nation.  I have mixed feelings about the movement.  I am so happy that people are able and willing to assemble to express their dissatisfaction about a system that has failed them (or not them, but people they know).  I am concerned that the movement has no clear direction and will thus fizzle out without causing change.  When doing a sit-in type protest, it seems like it is vital to have a list of demands.  With that, I actually really want to talk about the reactions to the movement that I have heard.  Not that this is a new thing to hear, but one recurring response is essentially the thought that the people participating in the movement are freeloaders who need to go get a job, any job, and stop trying to get pity.

It breaks my heart to hear people speak about the jobless, homeless, and penniless (especially when including debt like student loans) in this way.  It ignores the elephant in the room:  The way our system currently works does not give the same opportunity to every American in the room.  What's more, our system is not fair.

I can go on and on about what is unfair about our system.  It includes the fact that we bail out big banks while still foreclosing on peoples' home.  It includes the fact that not all public schools are created equal, and the richer your area is, the nicer the public school probably is.  It includes that fact that our government's decisions are being affected by the people with the most money more than those with no money.

I am an example of our unfair system.  My mom stayed at home with me and she and my dad both gave me a jump start in my education; I could even read before kindergarten thanks to my parents dedication to reading to and with me.  My parents also had enough money to give me a chance to be involved in sports and other activities through my K-12 education.  Being educated themselves, they helped me to value learning and education.  My dad, being a high school counselor, helped me prepare for college when I was in elementary school by teaching me to save my money and do my best in school.  Not only that, but by luck of the draw, my very genetics allowed me to get straight A's in high school.  Add the activities I participated in (thanks to my parents' ability to make sure I had transportation) and the fact that I happened to be in a small school, and I was a great candidate for scholarships.  I took my eighteen years of privilege to OSU, and I worked hard, and I got enough scholarships to live on each year as long as I lived frugally (which my parents also taught me to do).  I also finished needing summer jobs before the economic crash, so I could earn money each summer.  We also believe that possibly the only reason Matthew has a job now is that (through his own story of privilege) he had an internship at the company that hired him.  Matthew was applying to entry-level positions and never receiving a response despite his grades and internship experience.

I've had people tell me I've done a good job and that I have earned my achievement, and yes, I have worked hard.  However, it's just not fair.  What about the people who could have found stability if born into the same privilege?  What about the simple truth that I would almost certainly not be this well off if I hadn't been a product of all those factors that had absolutely nothing to do with my choices?

So, to me, it goes beyond asking for our system to be fixed of its glaring faults.  It's about being humble about my position of power and compassionate to those who have need, not from fault of their own, but because of circumstances out of their control.

I had three things that I was looking forward to as we exited college: starting a family, buying a house (and more importantly, some land), and having more money to give away.

We've always agreed as a couple that tithing (the literal 10%) is something we should do but should not ever be the end of our giving.  Even throughout college, we had a few extra good things that we made sure to support, but I felt that as we entered the middle class, we'd have a chance to do more.  Immediately upon Matthew starting work, though, I realized that it can take some time to save up for a down payment for a home.  While we don't need a house right away (or technically ever), I think it makes sense for us to own, and as quickly as possible, because I want to make good use of the space through gardening, storing food, maybe having chickens, allowing kids a space to run free and learn about the land, etc.  The "as quickly as possible" part comes from the fact that every month we are shelling out $770 in rent, and while some of that would be going to property taxes and the like, I'd say at least $500 a month is really going toward nothing.  I'd rather be using this money to pay off the house.

So, as we start making more money, I immediately start feeling like we need to make sure that we are saving a fair amount which terrifies me.  I am horrified about always feeling like I need something and, as a result, never giving as much as I can.  From what I have experienced, it seems that no matter how rich people are, they seem to always feel the need to hang onto their money.  People making $20,000 say that if they made even just $50,000, they could give more away.  People making $50,000 say that if they made $100,000, they'd give more away.  If we all do this, it's no wonder that there's a lack of "giving away" in this world.   Financially, and for the lifestyle we live, I still believe it makes sense to aim to own a house.  In the long run, this type of purchase can actually free up more money.

Before I fell asleep last night, I made a decision to remain open to giving freely even while we are saving for a home.  I have a couple specific things I plan to do, and the rest I hope to remain sensitive to.

May God poke me with a big stick if I ever lose passion for doing my part in this earth and instead gain interest in my own first-world wants.  If God seems to be holding off on poking me, it might be because He's hoping one of you will.  Please do!

Fall is in the air (and the food)

I love this time of year.  I love the colors on the trees, the rain, the frost, and the nippy mornings.  With the coming of fall, our diet changes as summer fruits and vegetables go out of season.

One of my favorite fall treats is slow cooker spiced apples.  I just cut up a bunch of apples into thin slices and toss them into the slow cooker with some cinnamon (and sometimes some nutmeg, too).  Just cook on low until the apples reach the consistency you desire.  I usually eat these with my oatmeal, but they are wonderful plain, too.  I will probably raise my young children to believe that these are dessert.

Here's some other food.

Vegetarian shepherd's pie.  REALLY GOOD.  Recipe here.
  I mostly followed the recipe, I think.  I did add carrots, though

Chard.  Looks like Christmas, no?  I think I prefer kale to chard.

This bread is stinking amazing.  I don't have white flour so I
 used half whole wheat flour and half whole wheat pastry flour.
The bread has great texture and great crust.  It's a little salty for
our tastes, so I'm going to add less salt next time.

The argument matters

I recently wrote a post about abortion, and since then I have been considering the stereotypical pro-life voice and why it makes me want to fight against it even when I think we agree that part of our well-wishes for the world include the wish that that there weren't abortions.  I have realized that, oddly enough, it is the way that logic is used to support the pro-life cause that is one of the biggest reasons that I felt like I couldn't support it.  I'll give you some examples that you almost undoubtedly have heard before.

"Life begins at conception."
This is certainly a valid viewpoint.  Certainly we can all recognize that a human life begins somewhere.  It is the use of the Bible to back this assumption that bothers me.  I don't think that there is any verse in the Bible to back this up.  I once had a person tell me that "God told us that He knit us together in the womb", and this was part of his/her rationale for the biblical support of a fetus being a human being.  From what I can tell, there are a few errors in that logic.  First, the verse in the Bible that he/she was referring to was Psalm 139:13 where the psalmist (David, in this case) told God, "For your created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."  So, this is not God speaking, but David.  Of course, if one believes that what David was saying was inspired, inerrant truth from God, then the point still stands.  (However, I request that you read Psalm 139:21-22 and ask if the same logic can be used to say that God wants us to hate our enemies.)  Regardless of whether this was God's inspiration or simply David's poetic devotion to God, this verse says absolutely nothing about when God starts knitting us. It is still an unjustified claim that it is at conception when this process begins.

"Abortion is MURDER!!!"
This is of course assuming the first point, that life begins at conception (or at least by the time you realize you're pregnant.)  Of course, I'm not going to bother with discussing the point that murder is wrong.  However, I think that the question, "What is murder?" has been left unanswered or is incomplete, and this is fundamental here.  I think that the Christians saying this would probably answer that murder is the killing of an (innocent) human being.  (Tell me if I'm wrong!)  I add innocent because the pro-life camp generally tends to be for capital punishment (justified by the Old Testament stonings, or at least that was how I justified it in my past).  From what the Bible relates to us, God told Israel to go into nations and kill all men, women (including the pregnant ones), and children (including infants).  I think that infants are generally considered fairly innocent, so is God now commanding Israel to commit murder?   What about soldiers killing civilians (again including pregnant women and infants) in wars?  By supporting any war, are we supporting murder?  Perhaps at this point we redefine murder to be illegal killing or killing with malice aforethought, but then we've now defined murder to not include most abortions.  I suppose there is an occasional women who has malice aforethought when having an abortion, but as far as I know, most are just scared and concerned about the implications of bringing a baby into the world.

"If you believe in legalized abortion, you are going against God/are not Christian/are for murder/etc!"
I personally have never had anybody explain to me why followers of Jesus are required by the Bible to push for their own morals to become state/federal law.  I mean, I think we are all glad that we don't have some laws about morality so that we can stand together as a nation in the support of people not shooting people and not stealing others' possessions.  However, I have not yet heard, or found for myself, biblical justification for being mandated to regulate people at all (especially those outside of the Christian church).  Feel free to point me to a verse if you think that it provides the mandate to regulate.

It is funny for me to write this post since I have actually proclaimed all of these italicized things with righteous certainty at some point in my life.  I knew I was right and that I had God on my side, and it was a powerful feeling.  It was also really nice to feel like I could have all of the answers.  Doubt and ambiguity lead to some serious wrestling, and it's not always easy.

I write this post mostly to those of you who feel like I do: Concerned about women, concerned about babies, but also put-off by the pro-life arguments including the ones I listed, and many others, that we hear over and over.  I am personally worried that these arguments that we hear are doing damage as they frustrate people and damage the credibility of a legitimate cause.  For what it's worth, I personally feel like abortion, like miscarriage, is not the way God wishes for a pregnancy to be ended.  I believe that regulation for abortions should be on the political table; however, I think it is equally important to consider the underlying causes of these abortions so that we can serve women in a way that prevents unwanted pregnancies and supports and enables women once they become pregnant.  In the end, I can't find a verse in the Bible that tells us not to have abortions, and I certainly can't find a verse that tells us that we have to regulate abortion.  It is through various teachings about love, life, and helping those around us that in my heart I reach my conclusions about abortion.  It's subjective, but most of the decisions we make in life really are.  I'm doing my best.

Last night I stumbled upon this website, and I read a bunch of what they have on their website.  Gosh, I love that they make it clear that their genuine interest is in respecting and valuing women as well as babies.  Their target group is college-aged women since apparently that is a the group in which about half of US abortions occur, and I was filled with joy when their methods to help prevent these abortions was to empower women to be able to have their child and stay in school.  They also graciously acknowledge that most women really don't want to have an abortion, but the women also don't want to drop out of college, and women tend to think one or the other needs to happen.  It just thrills me that this organization works to help people in a way that does not condemn or judge them but rather gives women a new perspective about their worth and their ability to raise a child and not spend the rest of their lives in poverty.

Food... Food... Food...

Just when I have it all figured out... Somehow our needs change again.  


Despite eating the same types of meals we have been eating for awhile and eating our normal assortment of snacks (homemade granola bars, crackers, quick breads along with peanuts, sunflower seeds, raisins...), suddenly we're both starving.  I've lost another five pounds since coming here despite eating more than I was in Corvallis, and Matthew is just hungry all the time.  His poor skinny body is probably too little to allow him to lose five pounds.  *sighs*

I think that part of it is that we are up earlier, and I think I'm a bit more active than I was.  I also have been playing a smidgen with what we eat.  I watched the documentary Forks over Knives, and I was impressed by what scientists found out about the relationship between animal products and human diseases (primarily cancer).  After learning about dairy and how it's not necessarily as amazing as we're taught that it is (I think that the large dairy farming businesses manage to find a way to influence our government's food recommendations...).  Add to that the fact that organic milk is expensive compared to plant foods, and I hate using milk cartons... and I suddenly felt motivated to not eat as much dairy.  We've been using homemade oat milk instead of cow milk, we traded cream cheese for a homemade bean spread, and I started making fewer recipes with cheese.

The verdict?  I think we can drink less milk, although I don't think we will give it up completely.  Bean spread is actually more delicious and substantial than cream cheese, so it's totally a winner.  (Yay!  One less plastic container!)  We both miss cheese a lot.  Thinking back, I'm realizing that most of my dinners in the past had some cheese involved, so now I will just consciously throw in some cheese in our diet to keep up morale.

It's funny how much milk products mean to us!  When we pretty much gave up meat (and I honestly can't remember the last time I bought any... I think it was last winter or spring), it happened really naturally, and we pretty quickly settled into a mostly-vegetarian cuisine.  Fortunately, dairy products aren't nearly as destructive to the environment as meat products.  I was mostly interested in optimizing our health (and our budget), and I think that what will work best for us right now is to limit our dairy intake but not remove it completely.  On the plus side, there really are also studies (not done by the dairy industry) showing that milk also does some good things for the body.  For us, it's time to not fret about it and just eat it in moderation.

I also have been mostly giving up cookies.  I still make them for Matthew, but I realized that I felt addicted to them, and I don't like feeling that way.  I use organic unrefined sugar which is a step up from the refined sugars, and I use about 3/4 to 1 cup per batch (we used to eat one batch a week), so it's really not a horrible amount of added sugar.  However, for now I'm just eating a couple of cookies when they come out of the oven, and the rest of the week I satiate my sweet tooth by eating a little bowl of oatmeal with some peanut butter and dark chocolate chips on top.  Yes, I measure out a portion of chocolate chips each week so that I know how much I'm eating. :)

That all being said... The next change I need to make is to keep us from feeling hungry most of the day.  We're just kind of hungry people these days.  I think what might work best for us is having four meals each day.  Breakfast at 7:30am, elevensies (!!) at 11am, lunch around 2pm, and dinner around 6pm.  I think that 7:30 to noon and noon to 5:30 is just too long for us to go without filling our bellies.  Instead, we both go through periods where we are really hungry but we've already eaten our snacks for the day.  I'm thinking that veggie and/or bean quesadillas will be my first attempt at solving this problem.  Since it's winter veggie season, perhaps sweet potato quesadillas are in order?  Once a week I can make tortillas and then immediately turn them into quesadillas and then we can just reheat them as we go.

As a final comment, I just want to say that it is totally true that if junk food isn't in the house, than you can't eat it.  I'm not trying to lose weight, but I can't imagine having done so if I had unlimited calorie-filled prepared food lying around the house.  The reason that this post exists is because none of our food has preservatives in them, so I have to make only as much as we are going to eat each week.  The current problem is that what was enough in the past just isn't right now.  What a weird problem in our country, no?

Daily Decisions - Clothing

Goal: Reduce clothing waste
Problem:  Inevitably, socks get holes.
Solution:  Darn those socks!  Actually, I don't think I'm technically "darning" our socks, but I'm taking a needle and thread to them.  If it's a nice clean hole without much wear around it, usually a lasting fix is to just sew it up.  I'm finding that some of my socks are so threadbare at the point that as soon as I sew one hole, a new one rips right next to it.  I'm going to take one of my most beat up socks and start using it to make patches.  The ball and heel wear out while there is still so much good fabric elsewhere!  Doing this I think that I can get our socks to last a good, long time.

Reaching for life

Spinach plant at 9am

Spinach plant at 3pm

Grow, little guy, grow! :)

A challenge for Christians

The rest of you are welcomed to join us, but you probably will find that you don't have the same problem. ;)

When I get all gung ho about Jesus in high school, I find myself split between my "Christian friends" and my "non-Christian or people-who-call-themselves-Christian-but-I-don't-consider-real-Christian friends".  I spend most of my time with my "Christian friends", but I make sure to be self-sacrificing and spend time with the other group too.  After all, Jesus loves those sinners.  Perhaps if I spend one more lunch period with them, they too shall be saved.  What kind of Christian would I be if I didn't sacrifice my time to try to save these people?  I just make sure to interject and let them know when they are saying or doing ungodly things so that they can become more aware of how wicked they are.  Plus, I don't want to stand for wickedness myself!  I must say something!  I am offended when they reject my faith.

Now in college, I start out spending time with different types of people, but I quickly wind up having almost a purely Christian social group.  I have my Christian roommate, my boyfriend's Christian co-op, my Campus Crusades Bible study...  Now I can pray for all these poor people in my dorm and classes who are off getting drunk on Thursday instead of worshiping Jesus!

In high school and college, I am offended by the swear words people say.  I am appalled by the girls' clothing.  I am shocked by pre-marital sex.  I am trying to keep myself from being contaminated by all of the horrible sin around me.  I am distressed when I must argue with yet another person about why my views about religion, abortion, homosexuality, politics, etc are Bible-based and thus correct!

I am telling Jesus that He made a mistake when He broke bread with sinners.  I am telling Him that they are too offensive.  I am telling Him that He should be trying to reason with them about truth instead of leading them there with love.  I am a Pharisee asking, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" because even when I am around sinners, my attitude is not that of respect and unconditional love.  Jesus seems comfortable with these people.  He fits in without being aloof.  He is respected and loved.  He meets needs without making demands of people.

Jesus answered me, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."

Here's the challenge, Christians:  Go through your Facebook friends and figure our what percentage of them are Christians.  What about your in-person friends?  What would you guess the percentage to be?  When you do spend time with your "non-Christian" friends, are you being their friend and meeting their needs, or is your only thought to chalk up another tally mark on your personal chalkboard for Jesus.  What actions show God's love?  What can you do to share the compassion, care and understanding of Jesus?

If you are like me during high school and college, you might be legitimately uncertain of how to act around people who don't know share your faith.  It took me years during college to change my very attitudes so that I could be graceful around people I didn't agree with.  In grad school, a few of my closest friends were lovely people that do not choose to follow Jesus.  They are still my friends even after moving away from them.  With these friends, I feel like I finally did a decent job of loving them and sharing my life and faith while remaining respectful of their right to choose their beliefs.  Here are some of the things I ran through my head to make sure that I remained Christian-but-not-obnoxiously-so:

• To be friends with anybody, I have to be able to give grace when I find I disagree.  I do this for my Christian friends, so I can do this for my non-Christian friends.
• I can acknowledge a person's opinions and beliefs without agreeing with them.  I appreciate it when others do the same for me.
•  I can also share countering beliefs... when appropriate.  I don't always have to make sure that people realize that I disagree with them.
• Loving someone doesn't mean interjecting "Jesus" into as many conversations as possible.
• It is OK to accept love and support from non-Christians.  

OK non-Christian friends... I've left you out for too long.  Thank you for being patient with me as I have stumbled in learning about how to be a Christian and a good friend.  Thank you for not abandoning me if/when I was obnoxious.  Thank you for listening to my beliefs and considering them (and not thinking I'm crazy for loving and following a man who lived, died and came back from the grave over 2000 years ago...).  Please feel free to talk to me any time about questions and thoughts about faith... even if you're telling me that you don't agree with me.  

Birdie pillow

You know what makes me happy?  Sweet little colorful birdies. Very happy indeed.  Can't you hear their hand-stitched beaks shyly peeping?

You might not realize it, but you've seen this pillow before.

Like here.  See that burgandy pillow there?   That is what has been birdified.  (The birdie pillow really is just a sham I made for the burgandy pillow.)  The pillow actually has a snowman on the other side.  The snowman gets to cuddle with the loveseat for all but two months of the year.  At some point early in our marriage, we kind of thought that we would be navy, burgandy, forest green type people.  Now I am realizing that those colors were really representing what I thought I wanted (don't they just seem like blissful middle class colors?).  However, I'm really attracted to brighter colors, and I really love having a handmade look in the home.  I have also learned that I prefer not to have much of a color scheme.  I like having things work well together, but I don't like being confined to specific colors.  A pillow full of colorful birds is perfect for me.

Do you have a color scheme in your living room?  What is it?

A quilt

 I finished a quilt yesterday!  Since I have time these days, I figured I'd make a small-ish quilt for when we have kids.  I made it small enough for a baby to play on, a toddler/young child to sleep under, and an older child to adult to wrap around them.  I think it will be easy to find used baby blankets, but I wanted to make something special that will last and be usable for a long time.  So, here you are, Not-Yet-Existent Child!

If you are interested, I used these instructions only without the gathering. I just cut out 4" squares.

This is a good project for small scraps, too.  The squares don't take too much of any fabric.  I used some scraps of my own, and I also used some given to me by a friend's mom who quilts for charities.  (Thank you!)  For the off-white borders and the blue binding/backing, I needed a fair amount of fabric, so I got a couple of sheets from Goodwill.  I had a bag of batting that was supposed to be used by a friend but ended up not being used, so I didn't have to go out and find that this time.  Hooray!

An apple a day...

 ... and we might be able to eat all of these apples before spring!

 Yesterday we went to an apple festival, and they had u-pick apples. We picked about 92 pounds of gala, jonagold, and empire apples.  That's kind of a lot of apples.  Jack Johnson and I sorted them today into "need to be eaten right away", "need to eat fairly soon", and "to be stored" piles.  (Well, at least Jack Johnson serenaded me while I sorted.  It's what he does.)  I am going to try storing these apples in our outdoor shed so that they can stay cool.  I used tissue paper and made layers of apples to separate the ones that will be stored the longest.  You just can't have over 90 pounds of apples without being concerned about chaos.  Apples can rot, and they can then cause each other to rot, so I expect to keep checking on them this fall and winter.  What will I do if they seem to start going bad?  Applesauce.  Giant jars of applesauce.  When playing with 90 pounds of food, one should always have a contingency plan!

I think this concludes the u-pick season for us, too.  We have frozen strawberries, blueberries, marionberries, boysenberries, blackberries, zucchini, tomatoes and pears.  I have also canned 14 quarts each of tomatoes and pears.  I missed peach season this year, which is unfortunate, but I think I got everything else I aimed for at the beginning of summer!  I'm hoping to buy a lot less produce this winter, and, as a result, require a lot less fuel for our food needs to be met.  Plus, I've shelled out a bunch of money to a lot of wonderful farmers.  It feels good.  What's exciting to me is that this is also my first year of intentionally "putting up food", and it went so well.  I'm excited to see how long it takes for us to eat all of what we stored, and I look forward to doing even more next year!

See the "ugly spots"?  They're beautiful to me
because they indicate the lack of chemicals used
on the fruit!  Yay!