Oye, so behind...

The last few days have made it a challenge to keep up with my 365 Celebrations challenge! But, better late than never eh? ;-) So, in honour of yesterday's "Name Yourself Day"... just call me "LATE"!

Seriously though, I did think about names for myself yesterday. While I will go to the grave with the frustration of people mispronouncing my name, I do like my name and it's uniqueness. I wouldn't change it. The occassion did give me the opportunity to dream about what I'd call our 2nd child if we ever have one though. I saw the name "Zac" or "Zachary" the other day and thought it would be funny to name our son that (again should we ever have one... no, I am not pregnant). After all, our daughter's name starts with an "A" and if we have another he/she will be our last so naming them with a "Z" would be funny. A complete family from "A" to "Z"! ;-)

What did you do to celebrate yesterday?

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Today's holidays of choice were: Golfer's Day (appropriate since the Masters is on in Augusta); National Siblings Day; National Cinnamon Crescent Day. I choose to celebrate "National Siblings Day" by bragging on my own siblings -- my two amazing bros! I have no idea if they will read this, but that's not the point. I adore my brothers and am so proud of both of them and the men they have become. Both are in full-time ministry, both have amazing, gorgeous, intelligent and devoted wives, and both have the cutest little boys on the earth. Between then I have five adorable nephews and a little niece on the way! Whoo hoo! So here's to my bros, Drew & Colin, and their families! Cheers to my nerds. I am so proud of you both!


What did you do to celebrate today?

Tomorrow: Cheese Fondue Day; Eighttrack Tape Day; Barbershop Quartet Day; National Submarine Day

You say Potato

Yesterday was National Empanada Day... a day I would have gladly celebrated with a fabulous recipe from my years in Ecuador, if it were not for the house guests we had, the cold bug that robbed both my daughter and I of sleep, and the sudden hospitalization of my mother-in-law all in one day! As a result, instead of trying my hand at making yummy empanada de carne, I wiped noses, made beds, worried and hung by the phone and wondered how our life had gone from "boring" to "chaotic" overnight. (Again a less on "control.")

Regardless of how spectacularly unfestive or un-celebratory our day was, I did think about how the empanada is really a world-wide food. While in Ecuador and in most Latin American countries it's called an empanada (stuffed bread or pastry), the Asian cultures have their versions of it in the form of spring rolls, pao, or post-stickers. Then there are India's samosas, Jamaica's patties, American fried pies, English cornish pasties, Italy's calzones, etc. All in all.. YUM! ;-)

What did you do to celebrate yesterday?

Today: Name Yourself Day; Winston Churchill Day; National Chinese Almond Cookie Day

My Favourite Recipe

Today's celebration of choice? National Coffee Cake Day! I had planned on making my favourite coffee cake recipe in honour of the day, but as I said in a post a few days ago, my hubby beat me to it! So, as we savour the last crumb of cake from the amazing job he did, I decided the best way to celebrate today was by sharing the recipe with you! This recipe is a family favourite, passed on to me by my mom, who got it from a friend off the mission field! Full of memories, full of flavour, and full of the good things that make cakes like this so good... calories! :-) Enjoy:

Strussel Coffee Cake

1. Beat together: 1 egg, 1/3 cup butter or magarine, and 1 cup of sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together: 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt.
3. Mix dry ingredients, along with 1 cup of milk, alternately with the egg mixture until well blended. (Optional: add frozen blueberries before pouring into pan.)
4. Pour into a 9x9 (for a thicker cake) or 9x13 (for a thinner version) greased pan.
5. Top with a crumbly mixture of the following: 1/2 c chopped nuts, 1/3 c brown sugar, 1/4 c flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 3 Tbsp melted butter (mix until crumbly).
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for aprox 60 mins (for 9x9 pan) or 30 mins (for 9x13 pan) or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

What did you do to celebrate today?

Tomorrow: All is Ours Day; Draw a Picture of a Bird Day; National Empanada Day

Epitaph Day

Yesterday was "epitaph day." Sounds kind of morbid, I know. I wasn't really sure how to "celebrate" this day. It's not the kind of day that makes you break out the baloons and streamers, ya know?

Instead, this day gave me pause to sit and reflect on what an epitaph really is, and what I hope mine will say. After all, an epitaph is the last thing anyone writes about you. It reflects the life you lived and how those around you felt about you. It sums up, in a few words, what kind of life you lived.

This thought really made me stop and take stock of my life now. If I was to die today, what would my hubby and family write on my grave stone? Would I be happy with what they would right? And if not, what do I want it to say? And how do I need to change how I'm living to ensure it says what I want it to say?

Good food for thought.

What do you want your epitaph to say?

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What did you do to celebrate yesterday?

Today: No Housework Day; World Health Day; National Coffee Cake Day

Creating a new holiday...

I wasn't sure what I would choose to celebrate today given the choices, and went to bed last night deliberating on my options:

"Dyngus Day" (which is a tradition in Poland where the men throw water at the women on the Monday following Easter) sounded like it would be fun... NOT!

"Go For Broke Day" is all about taking risks and frankly, we are already on a risky adventure as we wait for an open door in ministry.

"Raisin and Spice Day" sounded good only to me ... hubby and daughter not so much.

And "Caramel Day" well, no thanks. I'm not into caramel.

This morning, however, I awoke to the sounds of my daughter playing happily in the living room, the smell of coffee brewing, and the clattering of bowls and baking pans in the kitchen. My hubby, the gem of a man I married 12+ years ago, got up with our toddler when she woke at 6:30 a.m., and proceeded to bake a coffee cake (from scratch, with real butter and crushed pecans) using a recipe he knows I love. He is amazing. It was amazing. And he's never baked before!

What followed then, was a wonderful day of spontaneity. We showered and packed a lunch while our daughter napped this morning. Then we packed up the car and headed into the city to enjoy some fun at the aquarium. Following two hours of staring at fishes (all she could handle given the short attention span of a 17 month old), we enjoyed some popcorn, fed the ducks, and then tucked our little girl in her car seat for a nap as we slowly crusied our way home. (Oh, and we stopped at a local Japanese favorite too to pick up dinner!) A good time was had by all as we enjoyed our family monday, and the best part --- I didn't have to cook at all! ;-)

So today we started a new holiday tradition for our family. An Easter Monday full of family time, adventures out and good food!

What did you do today?

Tomorrow: Plan Your Epitaph Day; Sorry Charlie Day; National Caramel Popcorn Day

Singin' the Bleus

It's Easter Sunday! He is risen! (Check out my previous post for my all-time favourite Easter song ...)

As we celebrate the most significant day in all of human history, we also mark this occasion by getting together with the inlaws for dinner. Tonight we'll be singin' the bleus as we celebrate the other holiday today -- Chicken Cordon Bleu Day! On the menu for us tonight:

Chicken Cordon Bleu served on a bed of Wild Rice & topped with a shallot cream sauce
Steamed Asapargus drizzled with butter & lemon juice
Spinach salad with cranberries, mandarin oranges &almonds
Crescent Rolls (courtesy of the Dough-Boy)
and Strawberry Shortcake

What are you doing to celebrate today?

Tomorrow: Go For Broke Day; Dyngus Day; National Raisin and Spice Bar Day; National Caramel Day

Was It A Morning Like This?

Was it a morning like this
When the Son still hid from Jerusalem?
And Mary rose from her bed
To tend the Lord She thought was dead

What is a morning like this,
When Mary walked down from Jerusalem?
And two angels stood at the tomb,
Bearers of news she would hear soon.

Did the grass sing?
Did the earth rejoice
To feel you again?
Over and over like a
Trumpet underground,
Did the earth seem to pound:
“He is risen”

over and over
in a never ending round
“He is risen, alleluia, alleluia!”

Was it an morning like this,
When Peter and John from Jerusalem?
And as they raced for the tomb,
Beneath their feet was there a tune?

Was it a morning like this,
When my Lord looked out
On Jerusalem?

Droolling Allowed

In celebration of my all-time favourite, mouth-watering, rich n' creamy dessert of choice -- the Chocolate Mousse -- I leave you to drool over the following images:

What did you do to celebrate today?

Tomorrow: Easter Sunday - HE IS RISEN!; Hug a Newsman Day; Walk Around Things Day; Chicken Cordon Bleu Day; National Baked Ham with Pineapple Day

Hot Crossed Buns

The weather today seemed fitting given that it's Good Friday. As I sit here typing the wind is howling and the rain is pouring down. I often wonder what the day of the crucifixion was like, and imagine it being a day like we are having today. Heaven weeped that day, and I would guess the weather mirrored that.

But in the midst of the gloom of the day today was a sweetness in our home as the house filled with the aroma of freshly baked hot crossed buns. (No, I didn't bake them...). The warmth and sweetness of these buns a direct contrast to the sourness and coldness of the day outside. It seemed to represent the hope that we know exists in what otherwise would seem like a truly gloomy Friday. Hope that, while Friday looks bleak, Sunday is coming!

I am continually thankful that the story didn't end with that gloomy day on the cross. For in the sadness of that day, lingered a hope that there was something big coming! Praise God!

As we look toward the hope of Sunday, I close with a personal favourite:



What did you do to celebrate today?

Tomorrow: Tweed Day; National Chocolate Mousse Day

Mouth Watering...

Today's chosen day of celebration - Sourdough Bread Day - made me think about and crave only one thing. This.


It is really the only way I truly enjoy sourdough bread. Too bad I didn't have an opportunity to get out and enjoy a clubhouse sandwiche today... ;-(

What did you do to celebrate today?

Tomorrow: 1st and most importantly -- Good Friday; National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day; National Walk to Work Day; Reconciliation Day; Hot Cross Bun Day