Sunday, May 20, 2007

Notes on Young Grandparents

By the time I got to college, I realized that my family was young--my parents are both the eldest children of parents who married early in life (not unusual for their generation). In addition, my parents got married fairly young (also not unusual for their generation in the area they lived in) and the result is that I grew up with young grandparents. Actually, until I was about 10 it often seemed like I had three sets of parents instead of Grandparents. At the time I didn't always appreciated the relationship I had with my Grandparents, but in hind-sight I realize how special it is.



Almost every summer I went to spend at least a week with my Mother's parents. It was such an important tradition for me that the first summer I had my driver's license one of the things I was most excited about was getting to drive to my Grandparent's house all by myself--it was an hour away and my first big road trip without any parent along. As you can see from this picture, my love for traveling started early!







Sometime around 13 or 14 years old I took a trip across country with my Father's parents in their big 'ole Cadillac. It was so cool because it had cigarette lighters everywhere and Grandma and Grandpa had this little TV that plugged into them so I could watch TV as we drove. We drove to North Dakota and went through Glacier National Park on the way.













I'm blessed to be part of two fabulous families.



I love that my Dad's side of the family is big and rambunctious and fun--full of mixed up generations where nieces and nephews are older than their aunts and uncles. Great Job! Grandma and Grandpa B on raising up a terrific family.







I love that my Mom's side of the family is smaller and more intimate and still fun--and here too there is a little generation drama: my youngest cousins are close to the same ages as my sister's children. Great Job! Grandma and Grandpa F on raising up a fantastic family.



What brought on this contemplation of my young Grandparents? I've been guilty on more than one occasion of sharing the fun fact that my Mother's Mother was only 37 when I was born . I've recently been corrected on this fun fact--she in fact was 36, just a couple of months shy of 37 when I was born. Whenever I share this fact I get the same response: What? 37? She was so young. But this statement really hasn't hit home until just a few days ago when I realized that I am 34. My Grandmother was only 2 years older than I am right now when she was a Grandmother. Wow!!! I am approaching an age were, under different circumstances, I could have been a Grandmother. But I'm young. I don't feel old enough to be a Grandmother. And I bet they didn't feel old enough to be grandparents either--they still had their own children living at home for the first years of my life. In fact, my Dad's youngest sisters are only 7 and 9 years older than me and 15 years younger than my Dad. No wonder I had three sets of parents--they weren't really Grandparents yet.


So here's to my young Grandparents: Lloyd, Phyllis, Wayne, & Dorothy! I'm so privileged to know you and am blessed to be part the incredible families you have worked so hard to nuture and support. I am happy to have been born at the beginning of the grandchildren line up and I cherish the memories of time spent with you camping, cleaning, making lefsa, sewing, crocheting, traveling, picking up bales of hay, and the list goes on.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Long Time No Blog

So it's been a long time . . . I've been willing to tell ya, I've been wanting to tell ya, I've been waiting to tell ya . . . what's been going on in my life. My excuse? I have none. Except maybe that I work too much or my life is so jet set that I just don't have time to sit down and type for a few minutes and post a few pics. Well, I probably do work too much . . . which is a lifelong habit I'm trying to break (thanks, Dad & Mom, for instilling such a great work ethic), but I do have time to sit down and type a few words. So, I'm going to be a marathon blogger today in order to make up for lost time. So much has happened in the last two months. Of course, for those of you who read my sister's blog (click on Beckie's Blog on the list of Sites & Blogs I visit) most of what I'm catching up on will be old news, but for those that don't read hers--let me give you a bit of advice, save the best for last--read my version first, then read hers.

It seems with me the urge to write is feast or famine--here's the feast:) I'm enjoying it while it lasts. (BTW--grand prize for anyone who knows where the reference in the first line of the posting comes from).

The Mirage of Maturity

This year I turned 34. There's nothing special about 34. It's not an acceptable mid-life crisis year, your life insurance premium doesn't jump a bracket--in summation, your life doesn't suddenly get better or worse.


But sometimes I seem to be having an out of body experience--I look at myself in the mirror and think, "yep, she sure looks 34," but I don't feel like I thought I would feel at 34. I don't have it all together like I thought other people around me did when they were 34. This is a phenomen I've noticed as I get older--you're never where you think you're going to be when you get there.


That's a little confusing.


Here's an example. I remember walking to school when I was 9 or 10 thinking about what my life was going to be like in the year 2000. I was in awe of the fact that I would be 27 in the year 2000. I remember thinking that I would surely be married and have a career and children and you get the picture--everything Barbie promised me I could have with her pink suit and her little Barbie Briefcase. Of course, my life hasn't been like that at all, which I'm okay with. I'm on a great adventure that has led me all over the world and currently has me living in Southwest Washington. I love my life most days. But at 27, 28, 29 or now 34, I still haven't "got it all together." I still don't know all the answers. And now I'm looking at friends and family in their 40's & 50's and thinking, "Man, they sure have arrived. I hope I've arrived when I get to their age." But I know, due to this phenomenon, I won't think I'll have arrived when I get there.



It's like those mirages you see when you're driving down an asphault road on a hot day--it looks like there's water over the road in the distance. Until you get there. And you realize that there never was water over the road. It was the heat waves from the sun playing tricks on your eyes (at least that's what I think it is, but I'm no scientist). When your 10 looking at 27 the Mirage of Maturity makes you think 27 is it--you'll be satisfied and happy and you'll have life figured out. But when you get to 27, you realize it was a mirage. While you may be satisfied and happy, you won't have life figured out and there will be just as much to learn as there was at 10. So, you look toward 34 and again you see the water over the road and think, "I'll have it together by then." But now I've reached 34 and again there is no water over the road.


I don't mean to sound discontent because I'm not, but there are things about my life I'd like to change or improve. Which is why I think I continue to look toward the Mirage, continue to look toward those older than me and let myself think, "They surely have it all together." Because it gives me hope, to move one day closer to 40, one day closer to figuring out life's secrets, one day closer to a new, improved Ang. Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision the people cast off restraint (or are discouraged), but blessed is he who keeps the law" (ESV). The Mirage of Maturity is the vision that keeps me from getting discouraged and helps keep me focused on the possiblities of what my life can be, spurring me on toward a future that's as bright or brighter than today.

Rosemary Garlic Chicken Jerky


So my mother has opened this shop in Zillah, WA called "Kate's Kitchen: Meals for Families on the Go". It's a place where you can come and make one meal or 12. All the ingredients are there for you, chopped up, ready to measure out and put in the freezable container. Then the choice is yours--you can take them home and freeze them for another day, or you can take them home and make them that night. It's a great invention for those of us who are too busy to shop and chop, as my Mom's website says (www.katesmealsonthego.com).




Last time Beckie and I went home, we brought back 4 meals (two Mom donated, two we purchased). The first one we ate was the Island Pork Chops. The flavor of the sauce was great--a little spicy, a little sweet. Unfortunately, I didn't have the presence of mind to take a picture of that meal.



However, last night we had some friends over for dinner and it was so simple. We just popped the Rosemary Garlic Chicken in the oven--no chopping, no shopping, no measuring--and let it cook covered for just shy of two hours (exact time was hard to tell due to an accidental oven being turned off mis-hap) and then uncovered it for the last 10 minutes. I confess that when I uncovered the chicken and potatoes, I was skeptical. The steam escaping from the pan smelled fantastic, but the chicken looked white and pasty, and definitely unflavorful; however, after 10 minutes of being uncovered the chicken browned right up and the meal got rave reviews from all partakers. Both the chicken and the potatoes tasted wonderful.


Mom also includes a side of bread with her meals--and so we took the frozen breadsticks out of the freezer, put them on a cookie sheet, brushed a little melted butter on them and placed them in the oven along with the chicken for the last 10 minutes to brown them up. What a wonderful addition to such a simple, but tasty and elegant meal.



The picture was taken today, when I warmed up the last piece of chicken in the microwave with a baked potato. It was just as good the second time, even though I left it in the microwave a little too long and turned it into Rosemary Garlic Chicken jerky.



Okay, so the end of the commercial is near, but one last thing. If you live anywhere near Zillah, WA (and if you do, you know who you are) then I'd suggest dropping by Kate's Kitchen and picking up a meal or two. It's easy, it's fun, and it's delicious.