The Color Green

So this past week I had to drive six hours (well, seven, including the delays at the borders) one way through Canada and New York for a business trip. The drive through southern Ontario and western New York is very similar to the drive back to my hometown of Champaign, Illinois, the drive back to my alma mater of Purdue, and similar to the drive to Waterloo, Iowa, where I interned with John Deere. During my time in Iowa, I often listened to the music of Rich Mullins on my way in to work. Most folks know of Rich Mullins as the 1980's version of Chris Tomlin, writing praise anthems sung often, maybe too often, in modern churches. But some of his other works are simply sublime - "52:10", a piano driven song with the words from the verse from Isaiah, and "Creed", the Apostle's Creed set to the sounds of the hammer dulcimer. On our way back, on the 401 in Canada, my iPod shuffled to another one of my favorite Rich Mullins songs, "The Color Green." The lyrics of the chorus are as follows:

Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands
Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land
Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made
Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise

As we made our way towards London, the wind was working its way through bountiful corn fields in a wave of green. In Michigan, the corn isn't looking quite as bountiful, thanks to the cool, wet weather of this past June. But that same weather is responsible for the bountiful blueberry, cherry, and apple crops from Michigan farmers. It reminds me of God's provision for us. The conditions may not be right for God to provide for us this season in the same way he provided for us last season - but, praise be to God, those same conditions will allow God to provide for us a different bounty - one that will sustain us. May our hearts, like those fields, be filled with praise.

Cruisin'

Today is the Woodward Dream Cruise, the annual celebration of classic cars. It's a polarizing event for many Detroiters. Many folks love taking their classic car out to cruise Woodward on a beautiful day in August. Others hate the traffic, the difficulty in getting across town during the cruise, and how it has morphed into a week long event, to the point that you can see folks sitting in their lawn chairs on a Monday evening, watching a few classic cars amongst the normal rush hour traffic. Many even schedule their vacations around the cruise.

Personally, I'm a little torn by the cruise. I love the democracy of it - how anyone with any car can cruise Woodward, from a Model T to a 48 Dodge to a 57 Chevy to a 79 Chevette. And I've got to appreciate anything that causes folks to come from out of state to visit Detroit and help support our economy. But I haven't gone to the cruise proper for a few years, and I won't be going this year. Breathing in the exhaust fumes from many cars built before emissions standards isn't my favorite. And even though I work for an auto maker, I'm not really in to the classic car scene. I think classic cars are cool, but I couldn't look at a Bel Air and tell you the model year.

If you enjoy the cruise, you've got a beautiful day for it - but if you don't enjoy the cruise, you've got a beautiful day to enjoy all of the other great things Detroit has to offer!

Breakfast for dinner, anyone?

We had some friends over for dinner last weekend, and one remarked that one thing she missed about being single was that she could simply eat cereal for dinner, not sure whether or not she just meant that it's a lot less work (though her husband usually cooks) or she just likes cereal that much :).  But I can certainly sympathize with the idea of keeping it simple, because even though I do like cooking, I can now appreciate now that I'm married that it takes much more energy to plan ahead for meals, shop for the ingredients (luckily the hubs is great about runs to the store since he gets home from work earlier than I do) and pull something together after being tired after a full day of work - and I don't even claim to do this every night of the week.  All this and we don't even have kids yet, yikes. 

 

I usually make a mess in the kitchen, don't adhere to recipes down to the letter, and agree with many shortcut tactics a la Rachael Ray (who Grandma Smith thinks I look like, how funny is that??), so if you have ideas for good meals that can be made quickly and with only a few ingredients, send them my way (thanks Liz for posting the recipe for roasted shrimp & broccoli, I've made it twice now!).  But my partner is happy stay out of my way in the kitchen, clean up afterwards, and is not hard to please with meals, thank goodness.  I don't even think he minded last night that I served up a veggie brunch-like meal, consisting of a mostly egg-white frittata (finished product pictured) and rounded off our plates with some artichoke hearts w/ dill, chunks of honeydew melon and sprouted wheat bread topped with honey.  I had brunch, I mean dinner, on the table in under 30 minutes, tasty treat! 

Fear the fro, again

It's no secret that my favorite former player of the Detroit Pistons was Ben Wallace, but now heeee's baaaaack!  Yes, we'll take him, injuries and all, and invite him back into the paint to wreak havoc on our opponents.  Welcome home, Big Ben!

Like a sister

What does that expression "like a sister" really mean, anyway?  Well, I can definitely say that my sister Aimee's best friend Patricia fits that bill.  They've been tight since meeting on the playground in the 5th grade, and she was a permanent fixture at our parents house, holidays, family gatherings and pretty much any occasion where good eats were readily available (you'd be surprised how much that tiny girl can eat! :).   Smart as a whip, entertaining and with an unmistakable hearty laugh, she is always fun to be around.   She recently accepted a teaching job in Maryland, and left yesterday to start that new chapter in her life.  We're proud of her and wish her the best, but our karoake showdowns will not be the same unless she can be here to participate.  Aimee misses you already, Trish!


 

Summer eating

I don't think I'm alone in marking so many highlights of the summer around food.  Trying new restaurants, celebrating special events (like my dad's birthday yesterday, which we celebrated Sunday, and our 10-"monthiversary" today) and writing random food thoughts on one's own blog :).  My whole family is making the trek to Chicago this weekend to celebrate my brother-in-law's (40th, ahem) birthday, and of course the main celebration will take place over - you got it, lots of food. 
 
Our friend's birthday was this past weekend and her mother who was in town commented that the Michigan economy didn't seem so depressed because every place they went to eat around town here had a wait for a table!  But, in fact, the 'for sale' signs on homes and the many shuttered small businesses tell a different tale.  There are certainly things we can all do to help out, and the media outlets have been touting this profound statistic in recent months:

"According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture, if each family in Michigan started spending $10 per week of their grocery bill on Michigan products, we would keep more than $37 million in Michigan, EACH WEEK."
 
I've noticed that all of the groceries that we regularly frequent, particularly Whole Foods & Nino Salvaggio's, have increased their marketing of products grown in Michigan, and for good cause, I say.  So give up a few Starbucks lattes this week and buy some products locally, like these candy-like rainier cherries that I packed in my lunch today that we picked up from Eastern Market the weekend before last.  I think we could all use a summer boost!
 
P.S.  Happy anniversary, Mr. & Mrs. Mac - hope you are having a special meal of your own to celebrate!

Making the right connection

Those who know me well know that I am a big believer in making connections, and while I am lucky to have met a ton of people through my job, volunteer involvement, church and friends, I don't think that it's having a fat Rolodex that matters - it matters if you can make good on those connections when you see a need.  Some people are great at this, regardless of whether you need to hire a DJ or a landscaper, get a restaurant recommendation or find a job; there's always someone who knows someone who can help you!  Certainly in a weak economy, these connections become all the more important, and hey, who couldn't use some extra good karma these days?
 
Just this morning I reached out to two friends and asked if they'd be willing to help another two friends of mine (on two different matters), and they both replied right away no problem they would do what they could to make something happen - and these favors would benefit people they've never met, mind you!  So I feel lucky to know all of you (and not just have you in my list of contacts!), and be a part of a generous community of friends who are often willing to lend a hand to others.
 
P.S.  If you have a specific need right now, don't hesitate to ask.  Even random requests are welcome (though I fear I may be opening the door wide open with that statement :).  No guarantees on positive results, but I will always try my best!