Tuesday, July 30, 2013

From the Kitchen: Dill Potato Salad

Easy summer potato salad.  
(Really... it is so easy I made it twice during the week of the 4th of July.)

Ingredients: (serves 4)

5-6 medium red skin potatoes
handful of fresh dill, minced
two stalks of celery, diced
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
lemon juice

Combine sour cream/mayo/mustard together. Set aside.

Boil whole potatoes until fork-tender. Then, even though they are hot potatoes, immediately drain them and diced them up (Grandma C says act fast because this is the only way it should be done). In a medium bowl, toss potatoes with the rest of the ingredients until all combined.  Chill for 2-4 hours. Serve.  
See all the goodness of dill, potato, and celery?
Even the beans want in on this action.
Very little mayo was harmed in the making of this
salad due to Grandma C's secret of using the
starchiness of the hot potato. 

Look for other great salads at the Summer Salad Swap:

Summer Salad Swap

Friday, July 26, 2013

Creativity // the circle

What does creativity mean to me?

Creativity: where something new or valuable is created.
After studying Genesis this past year, it is clear that our Creator is the ultimate source of creativity.  What a valuable world He has given us to see and explore!

How do we stay creative?  Who do we draw inspiration from?

Let me talk about the creative nature of my other half: Keith's creativity is obvious... he's a musician.  His brain is always (always!) filled with music. He writes music, thinks about music, designs shows around music.  It is the avenue of creativity that God has gifted him with.  And we are blessed that he earns his living through the gift of music.

Keith gave me an opportunity to stay creative by graciously asking me to coach the colorguard at his high school during the winter/indoor season. This was an awesome way to exercise the (minor) abilities God has given me in music, staging, dance, and writing flag work (oh, yeah, hair and make-up, too). Plus I really loved working with the high school girls every week.

All that being said, my field is math.  Math is super-creative if you don't let the rules bog you down too much.  My thinking involves angles, proof, shapes, logic, Venn-diagrams, equations, theory, and statistics. All the pieces have to fit. It is the creativity that is within completing an incomplete puzzle.

The imaginative-genius in Keith and the puzzle-maker in me makes for a pretty creative life together, whereby every project, every trip, every meal, every joke, every festival, etc. is certainly something new and something of value.

What is a creative part of me that I don't share much on our blog?


I really like to paint.  I like to paint walls in my house or even walls in other people's houses. I like to paint all sorts of things: picture frames, lamps, fireplaces, and chairs.  But I really get a kick out of painting on canvas.

There are paintings that I've painted that hang in my mom's house, in my dad's house, in my sister-in-law's house, in my brothers' apartment, and yes, in our home, too.  It may seem like a family affair... and maybe that's just because my mom has always encouraged my artsy side. My supportive family actually requests paintings from me. So I happily indulge them.  But painting on canvas takes inspiration, time and energy... all of which are often in limited supply.

(Note: it's not quite all in the family -- I remembered that my 10th grade social studies teacher actually bought a painting of mine.)

Linking up with other lovely and creative ladies:

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Little loves

I can't help thinking fondly of the little loves God has given me... my godchildren, Larkyn and James.  Love them! And so thankful that I got to spend time with each of them in the past week.  What a summer treat!

James  (7 months)
During a visit at Geneva-on-the-Lake last weekend, James made an appearance.  This was James's first time on the 'Strip'. I could tell by his smile that he loved meeting Keith, as well as Howard and Suzie.  He got to see a beautiful sunset. He also enjoyed waiting for Capo's pizza and trying some mint chocolate ice cream. (You are welcome!) Mama Carrie posted much better photos of James's Lake Erie Adventures on facebook, but for now you can look at the adorable-ness here:
Keith with little love, James.

Larkyn  (27 months... am I just supposed to say 2 years now?)
Breakfast with Stacie this month was an adventure to the Scioto Mile with Larkyn.  Mama Stacie has a wonderful post of our picnic breakfast last week.  (Her photos are much better than mine... so please take a look!) Larkyn is so fun to be with and is learning everything with such interest.  I am in love with how she currently says my name, "Hi, Ju- wee!"
Little love, Larkyn, with a fancy necklace.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

In the Comics...

A few Sundays ago this was in the funnies:

Where you go, I go... always.
I was surprised to see "our" verse, or at least reference to it.  What a delightful reminder that God's Word speaks to us even in the most unsuspecting of places!  And, of course, it made me think of the love that Keith and I have been blessed with is only through His grace and design.  We are so thankful for that.

The apple of my eye
Ever wonder where some other common phrases may have come from?  How about looking in the Bible?

Pretty neat, huh? 

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Arts Festival

Downtown on the Riverfront
The Columbus Arts Festival rounded out our weekend of enjoying festivals in June (June 8th and 9th). This extravaganza of art filled six streets and two parks including the newly reenergized Scioto Mile and Bicentennial Park.  And boy, was there energy! With so much to see, we had to take two days to take it in.

Meeting up with Colleen

Glass arts, ceramic arts, painting, photography, sculpture, oil crayon, metal works, digital arts, fiber art, jewelry... it was all there! Booth after booth of artist, who, from my humble opinion, had spent hours and hours of heartfelt time dedicated to his trade.  Or perhaps it was just a hobby that God had developed into a passion and a career.  I don't know each artist's story but I am in awe of what they are able to do.  (I heard a report that 270 artists were accepted to have a booth this year.)


Roaming the art.
Face painting, music, dancing, silouhettes, demonstrations at the Cultural Arts Center, and hands-on-art activities were available for the kids.  Plus the fun of playing in the fountains at Bicentennial Park couldn't be beat.


Love this sign:
Wiggly Children Accepted.
On Saturday night, we were joined by another art fan- our friend Colleen, as well as my brother, Ross, who just likes to keep busy. Colleen and I have been to the Arts Festival together before, when it was relocated near Columbus State for a year. It was a pleasure to roam the booths and streets with both of them this year.  Ross is not into "posed" photos... but I love taking photos of him anyway.  Always interesting.

What will next year's festival hold? Check it out.  Columbus Arts Festival 2014

The standard Ross-photo-bomb.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Park Street Festival

Festival: an event ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community. Summertime loves to celebrate every aspect of every community. There are even websites with listings of fun Ohio festivals.  Here's a great one: Ohio Festival Schedule 2013

And here's a view of our first 2013 festival on June 7th...

A bicycle ride for two? Yes. To a land flowing with glorious food trucks? Yes, again.  And top it off with a street concert? Now it's getting serious.  

Welcome to Park Street Festival: the city's kick-off to summer.  
Summer Lovin'
Bicycles in place. Food trucks, here we come!
About to excite our taste buds at Tatoheads.
Oh, so exciting!
 Poutine fries (topped with gravy and cheese curds) are delicious.
Our friend on the drumset for the Popbillies!
http://popbillies.com/media.cfm
I had the most wonderful carrot cake cupcake from a food truck at Park Street Festival. No other cupcake will ever do... it was just too good. Side story: My cousin just wrapped up working on the set of "Draft Day" in Cleveland. On one day of filming, Jennifer Gardner had a cupcake truck come to the set one day while filming. This was the same company!  A brother and sister team...one bus in Cleveland, one in Columbus.  http://mobilecupcakery.com/
Sweet! The Mobile Cupcakery

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Love that Flag

Our Duty to Our Flag
By Edgar Guest

Less hate and greed

Is what we need
And more of service true;
More men to love
The flag above
And keep it first in view.

Less boast and brag
About the flag,
More faith in what it means;
More heads erect,
More self-respect,
Less talk of war machines.

The time to fight
To keep it bright
Is not along the way,
Nor 'cross the foam,
But here at home
Within ourselves — today.

'Tis we must love
That flag above
With all our might and main;
For from our hands,
Not distant lands,
Shall come dishonor's stain.

If that flag be
Dishonored, we
Have done it, not the foe;
If it shall fall
We first of all
Shall be to strike a blow.