Our Journey -- Goodbye, Purple

Purple wasn't just a color.  It wasn't just a scripted word on the side of a truck. It was much more than that.  And now it's gone.

Let me back up a few days to last weekend, when Fernando drove Arctek Purple out west to South Dakota and NCAA women's basketball, and I drove my sweet old BMW south to a little town in southern Illinois to present two workshops at a homeschool convention.  I so badly wanted to spend the time with Fernando, knowing it may be his last trip with Purple.  But, he was working with his bosses and there was no room for me, and I was speaking at the convention, and plans were plans so we drove our separate ways.

My view from the road (I was stopped due to an accident).

The Lord had plans for me in Salem, and He gave me the words and the wisdom to share with moms and dads homeschooling struggling learners.  I was blessed to be there, and when the day ended I left with a full heart knowing I was useful--my ever-longing desire.

Opening session of the southern Illinois homeschool convention.

I arrived home late Saturday night, Fernando arrived home even later that night, and we slept in, missing church but catching up on sleep and each other.

Comfort means peeking out and seeing Purple parked in our driveway awaiting the next job.

My hopes to accompany Fernando that afternoon on his last scheduled job with Purple were squashed when he received a request for his picture in order to create IDed credentials for the job.  Security was tighter; I wouldn't get credentials.  There was no last trip for me.

So, Fernando drove off on Sunday, east this time to Indianapolis, and I stayed behind and waited.  His "probationary period" had ended, and permanent employment looked promising, but you know me--I'm the Show me girl, the skeptic who doesn't believe until she sees, and Fernando has become that way as well these past few years.  We would both have to wait this time.

Fernando came back late, late Monday night, then on Tuesday, proceeded to work on one of the wings of the satellite dish which had an issue.  Talk went back and forth about driving Purple to North Carolina to the dish manufacturer for diagnosis and repair; Purple didn't have any jobs scheduled until later in May so there would be enough time to do this.

Fernando also sent an FYI text to his bosses that he was scheduled for jury duty next week, just in case a repair trip might be considered.  Then, Fernando ran an errand and came home in what I thought was enough time to have completed it.  But not.

He had gotten a call from S., who wanted him to drive Purple this week to NC--best to get it taken care of before the schedule became busy.  Within an hour, Fernando had cleared out his stuff, gotten Purple ready to fly, so to speak, and was ready to get on the road.

Being who I am, I took a few last pictures of the truck; I asked Fernando to take one of me with her--she was, after all, the vehicle through which I had my first paying job (besides my photography) in a long time.  Yeah, pardon that pun!

Fernando climbed up into the driver's seat, I snapped a picture, and he looked down and said, "Don't cry."

He never says that to me.  But he knew what Purple meant to me--secure and steady--and as long as she was in our driveway, we had income, and I was secure and steady.

I laughed and responded, "Yeah, I'll cry after I'm inside.  It's okay."

And he drove away.

Once more, I stood on the edge of the abyss, that dark unknown.  Where trust had run ahead to dream of plans and adventures in future months, trust now backed my heart way down, to today.  Just today.  Trust Him for today.

We've had quite the journey, and I would never have believed you if you had come to me three years ago and told me this is where we'd be today.

Just when I was breathing fully again, I now stand here at the dark edge, neither ready nor willing to stand here.  Yet stand I must, because forward is the only way.  Because there is not a place I'll go where He hasn't already stood.

For right now, though, tears.  Just a few, choked up, then swallowed, knowing He is in control, He holds my future, He knows the way, and He holds me.  Though I won't wallow in fear, or panic, and though I will trust, knowing that He'll plant me again in another place and He'll let my roots run deep and my tree grow tall, for right now, this moment, I just need to be.

I stumbled across this song a few weeks ago; it touched me then, and it's my heart-cry today.

Second snow of today, this cold April day.

Back to life,
Christine

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The Last Days of March in Photos

As March marched toward its last day (couldn't resist that), I waved goodbye to Fernando, who headed west to South Dakota, and I began a week full of activity.  It was good to be home for a solid length of time, to stay in one place, to be there, all there, as my guys came in and out and lived their lives and shared them with me.

Fernando left for South Dakota.

Right off the bat, in a raid on my freezer to figure out what to cook, I found the carcass from our Thanksgiving turkey--my mom had given it to me to throw in the freezer since we were leaving the next day for California to be with Fernando's family at his aunt's death.  The carcass came out, along with fixings for that day's meal.

Thanksgiving turkey carcass, simmering on the stove overnight.

I cut up the turkey and strained the broth, to be turned into turkey and gravy for Hawaiian haystacks (I think I'll post that recipe soon).

It has been invigorating to be in the kitchen cooking again, and I made another family favorite last week--Tortellini and Spinach Soup.

I spent a chilly, hand-numbing afternoon at the Morton Arboretum with a sweet young lady friend, walking, spotting signs of spring, stopping, taking pictures, talking.  I love that Miss S loves "going deep" in our conversations; we fall into it naturally, and even though we talk about lighthearted subjects too, we have some intense conversations--discussing, sharing opinions, being open and honest, affirming.

Soon this field will be covered with daffodils!

It snowed one afternoon.  I guess March is going out like a lion.

I tried taking a selfie to show off my new glasses.  I love my guys.

More baking ensued, with two new recipes to be blogged soon--Irish soda bread, and honey-cinnamon butter.  Comfort food, indeed!

Ice cream--eaten from the carton--was also on the end-of-March agenda; a Friday night, missing Fernando but still comfortable and at peace at home.  The carton called my name, and I answered.  There wasn't much left, anyway.

Danny made an "appointment" to get his hair cut; I hope he pays me!

Yet another new recipe, thanks to Miss S and her family--beef stroganoff.  Hoo-boy, those mushrooms!  I loved it.  Half the guys picked them out, so this will be a meal for Fernando and me; they'll have to fend for themselves the next time I make it.

Thomas took my picture on Easter Sunday, and I texted it to Fernando, who was still covering NCAA women's basketball in South Dakota.  We shared a casual Easter afternoon with Dad and Mom, minus Fernando and Jake, who had to work, plus my brother Jeff.

The end of March turned into New Recipe Month, with the addition of these lemon cheesecake crumb bars for Easter dessert.  If you love lemon half as much as I do, you'll love these.  Yeah, the recipe will come soon!

Random picture of a trip to Trader Joe's for fruit, veggies, and a few other items...

Another random picture, this time of my parents' family room as I waited for them to return so I could act as Computer Tech Girl for them.  I love knowing just enough to be able to solve computer problems for them.  It makes me feel smart.

Finally, Danny and I brought the Suburban in to the shop to see if they could fix the driver's seat.  I hadn't driven it in months, because the seat got stuck in the far back position and wouldn't move forward.  Thus, I couldn't reach the pedals, and couldn't drive it.  #shortpeopleproblems

I had to drive the BMW exclusively.  Woo-hoo!

Lo and behold, the technician removed "items" from the track of the seat, and it miraculously works again.  We elected not to have the passenger airbag serviced, since the car is so old.  We like to call that warning light in the photo the Don't drive with beachballs warning light.  It's still lit, and I think of sun, sand, and waves crashing on the shore whenever I turn on the ignition.

That's our end of March, and we now wait for warmer weather (still not happening yet--how about 50s even?) and look ahead to what God has in store for us for April.  But that's a post for tomorrow.


Back to life,
Christine

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Bay Seasoned Brown Rice Pilaf

This is one of my favorite side dishes!  It's simple to make, tastes amazing, accompanies pretty much any main dish I make, and every one of my guys loves it.  Bam!

I'm a big fan of pre-assembly.  I mix my rices (brown and wild), salt, and bay leaves in one prep bowl, then chicken broth (or water/chicken bouillon) in another.  Then all I have to do is sauté the onion, add the rice, and add the water/stock.  Bring it all to a boil and let it simmer for 45 minutes.  Easy.

One note:  Don't substitute white rice.  Since it cooks faster, the wild rice won't have a chance to cook and will end up crunchy.  Brown rice is healthier, anyway, so use it!

Ingredients waiting on the onion to be sauteed.

Heating up.

Bring to boil, then simmer.

For church meals, I put this in my slow cooker and keep on warm.

Bay-Seasoned Brown Rice Pilaf
Serves 6-8 (guys!)
Halve the recipe for a smaller amount.  Keeps in fridge nicely.

1 tablespoon butter (I just use a small glob)
1/4 cup chopped onion (I finely dice it to "hide" it from the onion-haters)

2 cups brown rice
6 tablespoons wild rice
1 teaspoon sea salt (less if you're using strong stock or bouillon)
4-6 bay leaves (depends on size of leaves and how strong a bay flavor you like)

4 1/2 cups water (add chicken bouillon) or chicken/beef stock

In a three-quart saucepan, sauté the onion in the butter just until it starts to brown.  Add the rice, wild rice, sea salt, and bay leaves; stir.  Add the water/stock.  Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.  Don't lift the lid during cooking time!

Fluff with fork; put lid back on and wait five minutes or so before serving.

Back to life,
Christine

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Homemade Pasta

There is no comparison.  None whatsoever.  Fresh pasta is amazing.

Fresh homemade ravioli.

It's not that hard to make, either, if you have an hour or so.  Once you make it a time or two, an hour is all you need for fresh spaghetti, linguine, or other noodle.  I find that if I halve the recipe, I've got enough pasta for fettuccine (my preferred cut for my hand-crank pasta machine) for our weekly Pasta Day, which happens to be on Friday.

Ravioli, filled with ricotta/mozzarella mixture.

My photos are of our New Year's ravioli dinner, which my mom and I slaved over--mostly because I added too much water to the recipe, and we ended up with a ton of pasta dough!  We worked all afternoon making these, and ended up freezing some plus cranking out some plain fettuccine as well.

The quickest recipe is for plain pasta noodles, whatever cut you desire.  I favor fettuccine, since my hand-crank pasta machine's setting for spaghetti usually produces a mess, and the fettuccine width is the only other width available.  I'm going to try a special rolling pin with grooves for some other cuts; I'll update this when that happens.

For now, here is my recipe.

Homemade Pasta

2 cups semolina flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
~1 cup cold water

Make in a Bosch Universal Mixer or other stand mixer (instructions are for the Bosch).

Mix the two flours and the salt together in mixer bowl.  Insert the bread dough hook and turn on speed 1.  Add in the eggs and evoo, and--while continuing to mix--pour in the cold water in a stream.  As the mixer works harder to mix, turn it up to speed 3 and continue to mix until a ball of dough forms.  Add cold water or flour as needed 3-5 minutes.  You should have a soft, smooth ball of dough.

Turn out dough onto floured surface and cover with a towel.  Let rest five minutes.  Break off a piece of dough, about the size of a half-cup measure and dust with flour.  It's now ready to be shaped using your pasta machine; follow your pasta machine instructions for shaping into lasagna noodles, spaghetti/fettuccine, etc.


Storing and Cooking Fresh Pasta
I've done all of these with wonderful success!

For immediate use.

Bring a pot of water to a boil; add your pasta noodles with a teaspoon or so of salt (this enhances the flavor, do not omit it!!).  Boil 3-7 minutes or so, depending on the width and thickness of your pasta, and how al dente you like it.  Test it early and add boiling time as needed.  Drain in a colander; drizzle with evoo and toss to prevent sticking.

Drying.

Use a pasta drying rack to dry your noodles; simply drape them over the rods and let dry 24 hours or so.  Store in a cool, dry place in airtight bags or containers.

Freezing.

Lay your noodles out, curling/folding them back and forth so they'll fit in a freezer bag.  Or you can coil them, too.  The idea is to not have them in a messy, congealed pile that will cook into a gooey mass.  It is key that you quickly dredge each pasta sheet in flour before you cut it into noodles; this will prevent sticking even if you end up with a pile of pasta in your freezer bag.  Put your freshly cut noodles into a freezer bag, then simply freeze.  These can go straight from the freezer into boiling water, or you can let them sit in your fridge to thaw first.

Whole-wheat spaghetti.

Back to life,
Christine

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Unexpected

Life takes unexpected turns every now and again.  Last week, I expected to spend the week with the guys, cooking for them and getting stuff done at home while Fernando drove up to Grand Rapids, Michigan to cover a college hockey tournament.  I drove up to a women's Bible study on Wednesday night, and just before leaving home, I received a text:   

I have shivers & a mild fever...flu?? 

Knowing Fernando had planned on driving up to Grand Rapids super early on Friday morning, and knowing that those plans may have just changed, I drove home in logistics mode.  I can't help it; my mind just goes there--if he has the flu, will he be able to do the job?  Could I possibly drive him there?  Could he go a day early to get a full night's rest at a hotel?  Would I be involved in this trip?  Yeah, all that and more for the 30-minute drive.  I wish I could turn it off, but alas...

Sure enough, he was feverish, sweaty, then chilled and shivering.  Flat on his back--fortunately all night--then through the first part of Thursday morning.  When he got the okay to get a hotel for Thursday night, I threw some clothes in my bag and was ready to go (I'm getting to be an expert at this!!).

We got a hotel about eight miles from the arena where Fernando would be working, and he got a good night of sleep.  He was still chilled, then feverish, in the morning, but we made it to the arena and he used all his strength to get the truck set up and ready for transmitting the games that would be played throughout the afternoon and evening.

We grabbed lunch at a nearby Buffalo Wild Wings (my first time there--should I have a bucket list for these things??  I hardly eat out anywhere...) and got back to the truck for the first transmission of several on Friday; WCHA (Western Collegiate Hockey Association) tournament was what he was covering this weekend.

Buses would pull up and let out players or cheerleaders or band members, and the band from Michigan Tech was the most colorful and unique.  I'm not sure if those were regulation uniforms (one tuba player was shirtless--interesting!), but they certainly were memorable!

Fernando worked, I read, or took pictures, or worked crossword puzzles, or took phone calls...

My view of the parking lot out the front window of Arctek Purple.

We got a ride (thanks, Gressler!!) to the Holiday Inn in downtown Grand Rapids, and we slept in the next morning.  Fernando's fever broke, and he was ready for a Saturday of work.

In both the hotels here, the tap water was, um, brown.  Yes.  We brought in bottled water, and I had a nice mug of tea and a good read while Fernando showered and got ready.

Since we checked out of the hotel that morning, we had to lug all our stuff back to the truck--one mile away:  Fernando had his roller suitcase, a backpack with computer, and his C-PAP.  I rolled my suitcase, along with my camera bag, my computer bag, and oh, of course--my purse (it's the tiniest thing, but I felt every ounce).  Downtown Grand Rapids was so pretty!  We stopped on the bridge so I could take a cell phone picture--the most I could manage with all my stuff.

After unloading everything into the truck, we walked halfway back to the hotel to go to Panera so Fernando could get some breakfast.  We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast/lunch there, while hordes of high schoolers invaded (they were in town for a competition for some college scholarship program).

 Me at Panera.  Yes, I drank coffee.

I brought Bella with me, so we stopped along the way back to the truck so I could take some proper pictures.

The B.O.B. -- Big Old Building.

Here's a sight I don't normally see:  the front of the arena!

Van Andel Arena.

Van Andel Arena, with window reflections.

We spent a boring Saturday afternoon--boring is good as it means no issues with the transmission--and when Fernando got the Good Night from the production truck, he was out and disconnecting cables, stowing the antenna, and packing up for the trip home.  I do what I can, while staying out of his way--moving suitcases from the front to the side so they can be loaded in the back, cleaning up stuff lying around, maybe putting his computer away.

I stared at the passenger seat which Fernando turns around to face the interior of the truck so I'm not staring out of the front window with my back to him.  He turns it around each time, and he turns it back.  He "showed" me how to do it a few times, and I've tried it, but I could never get it turned around.  I guess there's a lever there somewhere, but it just never worked for me.  Dense woman.

This time, I figured I'd try again.  Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle, and guess what?  I got that thing turned around frontward!  I was tickled, and felt quite accomplished.  When Fernando had a break and I knew I wouldn't be interrupting him, I showed him.  One fist bump later, we finished packing up.

Fernando started to crash after everything was ready to go, so he asked me to drive him home.  He dozed on and off on the trip home, then focused on staying awake for the remainder of the trip.  I was so happy to have been useful, to Fernando, to Arctek, really.  Being useful is somewhat archaic, but not to me.  It's who I am.

I'm glad I got to be me last week.


Back to life,
Christine

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