sketch

Have you ever been to Sketch Burger, my Philly Friends? DJ and I were debating on where we should have dinner in Leotah's Place yesterday and decided on this joint. Our friend sitting nearby had never been, so I am going to tout its awesomeness.

First, it has great food, not just burgers.

Second, it has yummy deserts and ice cream. DJ and I have our favorite milkshake there: coconut & peanut butter!

Third, they have many vegan/vegetarian options. No really they do, even their treats!

Fourth, you get to decorate the place with your sketches. Here is mine from last year that is still on display by the drink fridge.

yes we came here for our anniversary

So needless to say, you should check this place out. End of plug.

bravery

I want to explain how wonderful my husband is...

We live in a building with 6 apartments and the one below us was vacant for about a month. Last week a guy moved in and that stirred up things a little bit. Mainly, two mice decided that they would move from the now occupied kitchen to our kitchen. We tightened ship and made sure that all of our food was in containers, but they did not get the hint. This is where the heroism comes in.  He and I both love and hate to use glue traps. They are the most effective way of catching, but do not kill the mice. DJ disposed of the glue trapped mice with bravery. I am thankful every day that I married this man, and this was just another reason to remind me of that fact. 


update: DJ disposed of another mouse today. Seriously, this man is wonderful. Thank you, DJ, for these three glorious years!

pinch pot

At Circle of Hope, we often create things together in solidarity, in worship, and in joyful expression.  This season is Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit filled the members of the early church. Here is how one member named Luke described it in the book of Acts:

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.


We created pinch pots two weeks ago out of clay. They were fired in a kiln and this week we placed a lit candle in them to give to another person. We were passing the flame onto someone else. I'd like to think that it represented how the early church received this gift and freely passed it to others so that everyone could have the Holy Spirit.


Here is the pinch pot that I received:

Sometimes I feel like the art that we do can be cheesy, but this spoke to me. I love how the point of this art direction was not to make something to take home for ourselves. The point was to make something with our hands to give away.

ted

I am not sure why I have not heard about TED before but I want to know about it now. Here is TED's mission:

Spreading ideas.

We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we're building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other. This site, launched April 2007, is an ever-evolving work in progress, and you're an important part of it. Have an idea? We want to hear from you.

Today I stumbled across this video on Netflix. This talk is not only informative, it is life changing. You should watch it, really do it...

new year...and?

So the holidays are over and the getting back to business has set in. I went through a lot over the short break from Philly life.

DJ and I are always learning from riding together in a car. It is a tight space where one person must be in control of where both are going. The problem is that both of us don't like driving or have an opinion about the other's driving. It gets very intense and I cannot run away from the situation like I usually do when a conflict arises. We have come a long way, but when emotions run high, it never fails that I cry at some point.

I also got sick with something that I haven't had for years...pink eye! Yes, pink eye. I caught it from a friend of my sisters who is staying at my mother's house. I contracted it in my left eye and treated it with homeopathic eye drops. After 3 days it had gone away and I thought I was in the clear. Nope. Two days later I felt the itch in my right eye and woke up the next day with a crusty eye. This time I treated it with antibiotic drops from the clinic. Did the trick (I hope!)

I have a few things to be excited about in the new year. My younger brothers are both going to have babies. I have already started making quilts! Also DJ got some beer making supplies for Christmas. I can't wait to see what he brews up.