Friday and Saturday, June 12th and 13th, join me as I join with Christian Homeschoolers of Idaho State for their 2009 state convention.  It will be my pleasure and privilege to speak 7 different times over the weekend on 7 different topics.  I’ll be covering everything from Raising Extraordinary Boys to Becoming a Mother of Impact.  Perhaps you live in the area or don’t live in the area   and would like to join us – simply go to www.CHOIS.org for all the details and to sign up.  It’s just a few short weeks away!

If I cross your mind this morning, please pray for me, as today I’ll be sharing at the leader’s luncheon of SCOPE.  This will be my first encounter with the folks involved with SCOPE and I’m really looking forward to it!  I always enjoy connecting with those who serve the home education community.  Their jobs are often tedious and they’re often tireless in their endeavors to encourage parents who are doing their best to raise the next generation.  I happen to believe passionately in homeschooling because I’ve watched it work so well, for so many different kinds of people, time and again.

Plato says there are really only two important questions in society: who gets to teach the children, and what do we get to teach them. Hmm. 

What a powerful role we parents can play in the future of our nation and the nations of the earth.  Thanks for your prayers!

My husband is Italian.  He loves everything pasta.  Anything pasta!  He’s taught me to love pasta too, over the last 30 years of being together.  Most  of my pasta dish creations  have a red sauce base, but recently Gregory’s been pondering a new sauce recipe.  So…one day our 14-year old son took notes while Daddy dreamed of this new taste sensation he was craving and listed, out loud, what it must contain.  A few nights ago, Seth and Gregory chopped everything, I cooked everything and I have to say it was one of the best pasta meals I’ve ever tasted.  It beat ANY restaurant pasta, period.  I thought I’d share it with you.  (It was so beautiful, it begged to be photographed!)

Pasta Primavera with tail-on shrimp

In a stockpot, cook 1 pound of your favorite good-quality Italian-made pasta.  I used a short, stubby style, but you can use whatever form you like. Penne, spaghetti, macaroni, whatever your preference.  Don’t overcook!  Mushy pasta ruins your dish, so follow the package directions and cook only until al dente’ but not chewy-raw.  You’ll get the hang of it after you’ve cooked a few hundred pounds! haaaaaa….take it from one who knows :-0

While my pasta is cooking (I ALWAYS set a timer so I don’t forget it!), I throw about 3/4 of a cup of olive oil and 8-10 garlic cloves, crushed, in my largest, wide and deep fry pan.  Simmer this on med-high, stirring, until garlic is lightly golden (careful! burns quick!)

Pour in 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay), 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1/4 cup dry, crushed basil leaves, 2 tablespoons butter and stir, still simmering…

To this, add 1 cup thinly-sliced fresh brown mushrooms, 1 cup thinly-sliced summer squash and a bag (probably about 12-16 oz.-didn’t record it!) frozen, raw, tail-on medium shrimp and simmer, stirring, lid on and off for about 5 minutes.

To this, add 2 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves, 1/3 cup capers, 1 can thinly-sliced black olives, 1 cup quartered artichoke hearts, and 1/2 cup powdered parmesan cheese.  Stir and simmer.

At this point if it looks too dry, you can add more of any of the liquids to taste.  That’s the thing about pasta sauces, it’s all about tasting, experimenting and creating the flavor YOU like!  It’s not rocket science, so don’t be intimidated.

If your shrimp are plump and pink (like the photo) and the veggies are cooked (NOT DEAD!), it’s done!  Just stir in 3 diced, fresh tomatoes, sprinkle some more parmesan over all, stir in your drained pasta and let it sit 3-5 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper, stir again and serve, sprinkling each serving with more parmesan!

I so enjoy crusty sourdough bread and a salad with this type of meal. Mmmmm…..

This is one of those dishes that is so forgiving.  Don’t have artichoke hearts?  No worries.  Wanna add asparagus?  Go for it, stirring in at the same time you add the shrimp.  You’ll notice that I began with the longest-cooking veggies and ended with those only needed a quick-cook time.  The sauce ingredients are all necessary, but the veggies and shrimp are simply included based on preference.

HAVE FUN.  DO chop EVERYTHING ahead of time.  It eliminates stress and overcooking any one item.  Let me know how it goes…bon appetit’!

One of our favorite simple pleasures this spring/almost summer has been soft-serve yogurt.  These stores are popping up absolutely everywhere.  You’ll find 6-8 different flavors – always changing and including everything from peanut butter and cookies ‘n cream to tart strawberry – it’s self-serve soft yogurt plus a buffet of self-serve toppings.  (tastes are FREE)There are about a zillion choices – gummy worms and crushed Snicker bars to fresh, diced strawberries and plump blueberries.  You pay about $.39 an ounce minus the weight of your container.  Ours averages 2.50-3.50 a person depending on what we put on top, but while our third-born son was here, he managed to rack up a dish that cost us $8.91 – ha!  I told him I’d pay for anything he ate since I’m no longer feeding him everyday! hahahah.  He tried EVERY flavor and topped it with an assortment of oddities.  Great summer night fun…

 We dropped our kids at the airport.  It’s always a long ride home after saying “good-bye”.  I miss seeing Jared and Heather’s shoes and other stuff sprinkled here and there around the house   I delight to fight their shirt stains and fold their laundry.  Big kids’ messes are a blessing to have at my house!  ANYTIME!!! I’m sad to see them gone… The 24-7 video game station.  All normal video game time restrictions are null and void when big brothers visit.  It’s open season for Game Cube and Super Nintendo.  Vacations are soooo much fun for everyone!  We’ll pack it all up and store it for next time…

Baseballs, basketballs, sneakers…

READY for action!  The living room will be tidied up and clutter-free for now.  Boo-hoo.

  Electric guitar and amp, ready for jamming night or day.  I LOVE hearing my boys play music and melodies of any kind…

Spontaneous baseball tossing, chiding each other, double-dares…boys are awesome. Love, love, love having my kids come home…miss you J and Heather!

As I headed out for my daily walk/jog today, I pondered that it’s Memorial Day, a day to remember those who died in our nation’s service. I pondered my freedom to walk where I like, stop when I want, enjoying the liberty purchased for me by those who gave their lives in bloody battles over the centuries.  I’m sobered, humbled, thankful and yet, sensing such trouble at the door of our nation.  A friend sent me the following article and I wanted to share it with you.  It seemed appropriate for today…

FAITH UNDER FIRE
Home: No place for Bible study
County demands pastor spend thousands on ‘Major Use’ permit to host friends

By Drew Zahn
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

A  San Diego pastor and his wife claim they were interrogated by a county official and warned they will face escalating fines if they continue to hold Bible studies in their home.

The couple, whose names are being withheld until a demand letter can be filed on their behalf, told their attorney a county government employee knocked on their door on Good Friday, asking a litany of questions about their Tuesday night Bible studies, which are attended by approximately 15 people.

“Do you have a regular weekly meeting in your home? Do you sing? Do you say ‘amen’?” the official reportedly asked. “Do you say, ‘Praise the Lord’?”

The pastor’s wife answered yes.

She says she was then told, however, that she must stop holding “religious assemblies” until she and her husband obtain a Major Use Permit from the county, a permit that often involves traffic and environmental studies, compliance with parking and sidewalk regulations and costs that top tens of thousands of dollars…(to read the complete article go to the link below) 

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=98895

You can see the sure signs of VIP HOUSEGUESTS-our newly-married Jared and Heather, which puts a very big smile on everyone’s face around here.  Big brother is here to wrestle his younger siblings, play video games for hours and In-N Out burger runs abound!

I have the privilege of morning coffee buddies for bagels and brew…my chance to enjoy my girl!…then later, it’s off to the pool to chill and soak up the sun ’til we’re thoroughly baked, starved and ready for Daddy’s barbecue delights.  Burgers, Tri-Tip, Pork Loin…mmmm. Below you can see big brother plunging an anonymous brother under the water just for fun…Yep, this momma is one happy girl allll weekend long!

On May 18, 2009, MSNBC Reported that U.S. Pentagon briefings no longer quote the Bible…

Under Bush, cover pages of daily intelligence report included verses

• {excerpt of full article}WASHINGTON – The Pentagon said Monday it no longer includes a Bible quote on the cover page of daily intelligence briefings it sends to the White House as was practice during the Bush administration.
• On Thursday, April 10, 2003, for example, the report quoted the book of Psalms — “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him…. To deliver their soul from death.” — and featured pictures of the statue of Saddam Hussein being pulled down and celebrating crowds in Baghdad.
• “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand,” read the cover quote two weeks earlier, on March 31, above a picture of a U.S. tank driving through the desert, according to the magazine, which obtained copies of the documents. {entire article can be found on MSNBC.msn.com}

Interesting.

I find it difficult, if not impossible, to address such a scoundrel as Barack Hussein Obama II as the, cough, sputter, choke…”pppPresident of the United States of America.”  How far this nation has fallen, even to the abyss of morality by electing such a depraved individual.  Adding to the myriad of offenses he is aggressively and publicly committing against God and our great nation, he has persisted in removing various restraints imposed upon the legalized abortion-on-demand industry that existed under the honorable President Ronald Reagan and the Honorable President George W. Bush.  Monday afternoon as I scanned the front-page of the Sacramento Bee, citing his Sunday speech at the University of Notre Dame graduation ceremony (the word “oxymoron” comes to mind – Obama speaking at the national Catholic Notre Dame University?!), I felt like I was on another planet. 

• Addressing the {abortion} issue head-on at the University of Notre Dame, one of the leading Catholic universities, Obama told graduates on Sunday that while the two sides may never agree on the issue, there is some common ground.
• “We can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make, with both moral and spiritual dimensions,” (oh what compassionate thoughts, I am so moved…but what about THE BABIES?!?!)  Obama told the university’s 2,900 graduates.
• Obama called for “open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words” in the public debate over the {abortion} issue, arguing that there was no reason to reduce the other side to caricatures. (What on God’s green earth is this psycho-babble all about??? Just spin to soften the blow on murder?  A smoke-screen to shroud the visual reality of broken, butchered, blood-bathed babies in back rooms of Planned Parenthood? Sounds like something the Nazi’s leader, Adolph Hitler, might have said.  Sickens me to hear such deceptive purring from this slick dude…) 

The question is: What were all you naive, celebrity-dazed and shallow evangelicals thinking when you X-ed the box next to his name on your voting ballot????  SHAME ON YOU!!!  SHAME ON ALL OF US – WE’RE ALL GUILTY.

WE MUST WAKE UP, CHURCH IN AMERICA!

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is  a reproach to any people.

My calendar notes this day as ARMED FORCES DAY here in the United States of America.  Our family watched a documentary this week pertaining to World War II, focusing on major players Franklin D. Roosevelt-US, Winston Churchill-UK, Adolph Hitler-Germany, and Joseph Stalin-USSR.  I was deeply moved, impacted and sobered by the details of the war, the horrific and unimaginable war crimes by Stalin…the depravity of the human heart displayed during this time.  Wikipedia says,

“The war involved the mobilization of over 100 million military personnel, making it the most widespread war in history. In a state of “total war”, the major participants placed their complete economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Over seventy million people, the majority of whom were civilians, were killed, making it the deadliest conflict in human history.”

When history comes to life through these documentaries, my life is forever altered.  The privilege of being born in America becomes all the more real to me.  Our children’s godly worldview takes shape and the futility of men’s wisdom is revealed.  For the most part I have to admit that I hate many modern television shows, but historical documentaries have changed my life.  Seriously.  I thank God for the sacrifice of human life that was made for my liberty.  I sorrow for the families of fathers, sons, nephews, uncles, and brothers lost during the war through service to our country.  I’m thankful and when ever I see someone wearing a military uniform, a hat with a Veteran’s of Foreign Wars insignia, etc., I stop to say “thank you for serving our country and keeping us free.”

WHILE I’M BLOGGING , I HAVE TO MENTION…

…Today also happens to be our Benjamin’s 23rd birthday.  Ben is an absolute treasure, has a heart of gold and makes the world a better place everywhere he goes just by being who God made him to be.  His love for God, God’s Word, God’s kingdom and his tender and compassionate heart for people is a credit to the grace of our God.  Daddy and I are so proud of you, son, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! The best is yet to come!