food – Page 5 – Salvaged Faith

An Interview with RevGals

Posted on May 21, 20091 Comment

These questions were posted this week as a part of the Monday Meet-N-Greet. I know – I’m late. Oh well!

1. Where do you blog? Here! and at http://www.kenoticwords.blogspot.com/

2. What are your favorite non-revgal blog pal blogs? United Methodeviations, Bread & Honey

3. What gives you joy? Being on a porch with good friends and family talking about life. Baptizing a child. Singing a favorite hymn. Sleeping next to my husband.

4. What is your favorite sound? My cats purring.

5. What do you hope to hear once you enter the pearly gates? This is a really hard question. In part because I don’t know that the pearly gates is that great of a metaphor for what awaits us. For me, this question is about what would I want to be able to hear that I can’t already hear/know here on earth… I can already hear God saying that I am loved… so I guess I would want to be able to hear all of the intangible things that we can’t understand about one another. I would like to be able to hear a smile.

6. You have up to 15 words, what would you put on your tombstone? She lived her whole life with her whole self and loved everyone she met.

7. Write the first sentence of your own great American novel. Today I planted the very first seed…

8. What color do you prefer your pen? Black

9. What magazines do you subscribe too? None at the moment. But I sometimes buy “Everday Food” and used to get “Utne Reader”

10. What is something you want to achieve in this decade? I want to have a child in this decade (if we are thinking 2000-2010)… and the time is quickly slipping away.

11. Why are you cool? Because I like to wear heels with my jeans, I listen to space rock (Incubus), watch the Daily Show, study the perichoretic nature of God, and because I’m probably the youngest pastor in a 50 mile radius (if not wider) of where I live.

12. What is one of your favorite memories? having my husband wipe away the tears of joy from my eyes with my grandma’s handkerchief during our wedding ceremony.

13. Anything else you’ve always wanted to be asked? What is a metaphor/image for your ministry? Despite being an itinerant United Methodist pastor… my deepest metaphor for ministry is that of a gardener or farmer – putting deep roots into the ground and tending the spot that you are given – taking care of the land and the soil and freely giving the fruits of the labor away to those who need them the most.

ancestors and language

Posted on May 20, 2009Leave a comment

Part of the reason I have been conspicuously absent lately is that I was getting ready for and now being invigorated by the Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa pageant and Houby Days.

I was invited to be a judge at this year’s competition and I was honored to do so. For those of you who aren’t aware – I was Iowa’s first ever (official) Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa and was sandwiched between two amazing women who not only represented Iowa, but were also national queens. So, this was a great chance to reconnect with something I have been away from for oh, about 7 years, but it also was a good opportunity to get back in Czech Village after all of the flooding last spring that devasted the Avenue.

Can I just say first of all how much I love kolaches?! I had 3 by the time it was 10am. Seriously – they are good… go get yourself one!

The only disappointment for me that day was that I did not have a kroj to wear. Kroje are the traditional costumes worn for festivals and special occasions and I have one that I wore as the Czech Princess in high school and then another I wore as Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa. (you can’t see it in this picture – but I’m third from the left… pictured with the other contestants in Wilbur, NE at Nationals and our “little sisters”).

Unfortunately, neither of them fit. And I haven’t had enough time to do the proper alterations. And I need to find the time to get it done – it just wasn’t going to be in this last month. So, I was kroj-less.

BUT – with all that went on, with all the beautiful kroje worn by men and women all day long, I really wanted to think about making another one. One that more accurately represents where I am now, as a married woman, and as someone who also wants to learn more about her history.

I was so inspired in fact by this weekend that I’m looking into taking a Czech language class this summer (although right now, it appears the class is full) AND I immediately hopped online to do research about my ancestors. I have discovered that unlike what I previously thought, my ancestors on both sides (at least the ones I have found information for) are from Bohemia, not Bohemia and Moravia (although there is a Moravia connection there also). I have even discovered a few little villages where some of family is from!!! From another woman’s family tree (if we are indeed connected like it appears) the Benes family that I am descended from has roots in Krasolesi, Bohemia – a village kind of half-way between Prague and Brno. On the Ziskovsky side, Cathrina Toman was born in Litomysl, Bohemia – with her father being from Jevisovice in current South Moravia.

I am sooooooo interested in finding more about these people and where they lived and what the local kroj are like. I would love to design one that represents a married woman’s kroj for that area.

The Very First Dawson Garden

Posted on May 6, 2009Leave a comment

My first vegetable garden has officially been planted!!!

I’m following some square foot gardening principles, although I didn’t build a box or put 6 inches of dirt on top of the dirt that is already there. And my squares are 2×2…

Farthest back on the left is carrots. Then in the next square is lettuce and some banana pepper plants. More banana peppers in the third square, then tomatoes in the final 1 1/2.

On the right side, the first half square is empty and the other half is turnips. Then I’ve got a full square of cucumbers. Next is 1/2 square yellow squash, 1/2 square zucchini. And finally the last square and a half are green peppers.

It’s not a huge assortment, but it’s a start. I might pick up some seeds for the other 1/2 square later.

distracted

Posted on April 25, 2009Leave a comment

This morning I have spent three and a half hours in front of my computer attempting to work on my sermon. So far I have nothing but a title, but I have accomplished such other things as:

found an excellent debt reduction calculator for excel as I think about whether or not I can manage a car payment right now (since I’m not sure if I will ever see my car again and I can’t drive my dad’s forever)

explored various contextual interpretations of the NT passages on “homosexuality” including Romans 1:18-32 and 1 Cor 6:9 in response to a discussion I had with a congregation member on Thursday night.

thought about a recent challenge to eat vegan until dinnertime but then thought about how much I like eggs or cereal and milk for breakfast… still thinking about soy milk and cereal and found some interesting recipies for french toast. Wondering if eating vegetarian before dinner might work too? Or trying just one meal a day to start with?

fruits and veggies

Posted on April 1, 2009Leave a comment

I’m getting pretty excited about planting a garden this year. I have a bunch of ideas and know that I’ll need to get started soon. There is a spot in the yard that I really want to use – but it will take a bit of work to get it started.

This week, I’m going to get some seeds and starting soil for the plants that need to begin early. I’m looking forward to fresh veggies and fruits straight from the garden – and for getting a bit dirty =)

recovery

Posted on March 15, 20091 Comment

I’m home from my surgery (finally) and recovering VERY slowly. It’s not so much the pain that’s getting to me – it’s the digestion. I mean, I’ve heard about taking baby steps… but this feels like micro baby steps.

When my gall bladder was removed laproscopically, they also discovered some stones in my bile duct, so I had another procedure later that day endoscopically to remove them. I have felt really good for the most part, with the exception of occasionally being sick to my stomach. I’m realizing that I just have to really take it slow introducing food back into my system and that I overdid it yesterday. So today, I’m focusing on clear foods, well spaced out, and we’ll see if everything does what it’s supposed to!

I’m PRAYING that within a few weeks, everything will be back to normal. I’m quite jealous of all of the people who told me they could eat cheeseburgers that afternoon after surgery. But with the second procedure, my whole system is rebelling and needs some time to heal. I just have to be patient!

sigh of relief

Posted on March 10, 2009Leave a comment

Today was my BoOM continuance examination. In 2007 I was commissioned as a probationary (now provisional) elder and so last year and this year, I meet with my examination team to be continued in the process. THIS DECEMBER I will submit my papers for ordination.

I wasn’t too worried about the whole process, and really, was more looking forward to being in Des Moines for the day and getting out of town AND getting to spend some time with two blessed, smart, amazing women in ministry.

I headed out at 9am – had my examination (which went fine!) and then got to go shopping. I used a gift card we had from Pottery Barn (thanks Anna!) and sampled the tea at Teavana. I got my oil in the car changed! I dropped off resources at the Iowa Religoius Media Services office. I had a white chocolate mocha at Starbucks. I found an amazing jade green top at Banana Republic.

And then I headed BACK to the interview sight to meet Anna and Paula for dinner. We thought it was pretty amazing that we all got scheduled on the same day and spent a lot of time praying for and sharing with one another before today. And then we had some AMAZING Thai food and FANTASTIC conversation at a great place in Des Moines called Cool Basil. Yum.

The only downside of the whole day was the heavy rain the whole way home. Rain + poor car lights + stupid steering column = a LONG drive home.

accountable.

Posted on February 26, 20092 Comments

So. I’m going back and forth over whether or not to post what my lenten discipline will be. I was all for it, and then I got to thinking about the whole “do it in secret” call of Matthew’s gospel… the appointed reading for Ash Wednesday.

At the same time however, discipline needs accountability. With no one else to check in on me, or watch over my shoulder and gently nudge… “hey katie…” will I keep with it?

Also… I’m only like 75% about what my actual lenten discipline will be. I like to abstain from one thing and take on one thing – and I can’t figure out what I’m going to take on. (which is kind of important, since, um, Lent started today)

So. I need the push to make a decision and having to post it and then follow through before heading to bed for the evening is important.

1) I will be abstaining from meat for Lent. This is something that I have done in the past, and now is a good time for my body to also be abstaining from the extra fats due to my upcoming surgery. Meat is a really tough thing for me because my families are such big meat eaters. Even in meals at home with Brandon, meat is always center stage. So having to think about other cooking options for myself, or eating less at a meal really is not a natural step for me. Everytime that I eat, I will be recalling this commitment to God I have made. And I love to eat. Meals now become this prayerful time of communion, rather than a hurry up and cook up some boring chicken and rice-a-roni. Not to mention the benefits on the planet (which God calls us to take care of) that a vegetarian diet entails.

2) My prayer life has been suffering lately. I’m just going to be honest. I have really struggled with what I need to boost that prayer life. Do I need to keep a prayer journal before bedtime? Maybe use art as an expression of prayer (like Jan Richardson) to try something new? I have a beautiful handmade paper journal that I haven’t used yet (thanks Jill!) and I’m going to bust it out this Lenten season. I’ll have it beside my bed with some colored pencils and chalk… and then maybe I can do both!