Book Review: Green by Ted Dekker

I was eager to get my hands on a copy of Ted Dekker’s Green. I had devoured the first three books in the trilogy series and had the highest of hopes for this latest installment.


Considered “Book 0” in the series, I was a little confused at how this could be considered both the first and the last book. The book continues Thomas Hunter’s journey against the evil Horde, while we follow alongside the president day evil, trying to catch up with Thomas in the future.

As with the other 3 books, I loved the imagery Dekker paints for his reader. The literal translation of sin (via the Horde’s skin ailment) is a great reminder of just how horrible sin is. Like the Horde, we claim that we’re fine, yet our actions of trying to conceal our sin say differently.

I mostly liked this book, my only problem is with the ending. I can’t say too much without giving it away, but it just didn’t happen liked I wanted. That’s probably more a defect of my own rather than the book’s. For a fantasy novel, I wanted less of a realistic ending.

And you’ll have to email me if you’ve read it for an explanation – because realistic wouldn’t be the first word I’d use to describe the ending.

Confused yet?

Just go read the book so we can chat about it already!!

Festive Friday: Mamaw Bertie's Tea Cakes

After reposting the story of my Christmas cookie fiasco last year, I had a couple of requests for my cookie recipe. In the giving spirit of the Christmas season, I thought I’d oblige.


I figured out later why the cookies failed so miserably. About a month later, I signed up to bring biscuits to Sunday school. While baking them I noticed that they weren’t rising. They were fine (and edible) but they were just flat. Apparently I had been careless with my flour choices and hadn’t purchased self rising flower.

I’ve made a note on the recipe so you don’t repeat my mistake.

Mamaw Bertie's Tea Cakes
(Bertie was my Papaw's mom)

1 ½ cup sugar

½ cup lard

1 ½ tsp vanilla

½ cup butter

2 eggs

4 cups flour (self rising)

½ cup butter milk



Cream together sugar, butter and lard. Add eggs. Mix in vanilla and stir loosely. Add flour and butter milk. Chill overnight, then bake at 350 until your oven catches on fire done.

For the thumbprint version of the cookie, I just dabbed a spoonful of jam on top. Do so at your own risk.

California Day 4

Sorry to be dragging this vacation out.  Who knew I'd be so busy with other blog posts that I would still be blogging about my vacation almost a month later!!  I mostly want to blog it so I get my memories down before I forget them (some memories huh? :P).  But Jay got some awesome pictures on this trip that I also want to share with you.

Day 4 found us waking up in San Francisco - some earlier than others.

I was up around 4 or 5, worried about my half marathon training (or lack thereof).  I'd planned to at least do my long run on the trip (the race was only 2 weeks away) but it just wasn't working out.  I emailed Christie O.  with my concerns.  She reassured me that I would be ready for the race (then was surprised to find out how early I was up on vacation).

When Jay finally got out of bed around 7:30, we headed to the nearest cable car stop.  Tickets were $22 a piece!  I tried not to think about it - we watch our money 51 weeks of the year, I should be okay with spending it one week. 

"Hello tourists" the cable car driver greeted us. 

"Its the back pack isn't it, that's what gives us away?"

"Actually, the locals get on at the next stop."

We sat back and enjoyed our ride to no where.

Once the locals got on, the driver really started chatting.  He was asking some of the passengers what they thought about the health care plan - we were thankful he didn't ask us.  It was quite obvious that his political views were opposite ours.

We rode until the end of the line, got off, and got back in line for the return trip.

As we stood in line, a bossy guy (with no connection to the local transit) came and told us to scoot up in the line and that people were just trying to block us, etc.  I don't want to be judgmental and say he was homeless, but he certainly didn't appear to...um...okay so he looked homeless.

I just smiled and nodded, not sure how to react to a person telling me what to do that wasn't officially working for the cable cars.  I was wary of any good deeds.  This was California after all!

The guy behind us in line really didn't take to kindly to being bossed around.  Before I knew what was going on - a few "N" words had been thrown around and Mr. Bossy was threatening to "bitch slap" the yuppy giving him lip.

Mr. Bossy was quite ammused when the Yuppy family had to ditch their newly purchased Starbucks coffees.  Once they were on the cable car, Mr. Bossy went behind them and picked them up off the street - to drink them no doubt.  But when he noticed that Jay and I notice, he mumbles something about having to pick up after the Yuppies. 

The ride back, comparitively, was quiet.  We hopped off the cable car and hoofed it to pier 33 for our Alcatraz tour.

I can't remember the name, but when I was younger I read a fictional book about Alcatraz.  Since then, I've been facinated with it.

As our ferry unloaded onto "the rock", they told us that we had just missed a guided talk about escape attempts.  We bought a site map and headed up towards the prison itself.  On our way, we passed the tour and decided to join it already in progress.

An older gentleman was the guide, and told a story about the only (disputed) escape attempt.  The one that the Clint Eastwood movie was based on.

No bodies were found, just the personal effects and homemade rafts.  The guide suggested that while it was possible that the prisoners really escaped, it wasn't probably.

"Those guys would have been in their late 70s early 80s today.  I can't help but wonder, when I look out at the crowd and see white haired gentleman, if one of those guys would think it was clever to come back and visit their old home."

"Or I suppose" he said taking his hat off to scratch his head, revealing his white hair "it would be even more clever to come back and get a job here, giving talks about escape attempts..."

Once inside, the tour was self guided (notice my kickin headset?)

Some of the cells were open, others set up as they would have been when the prison was open, others just had the permenant fixtures.

I'm glad Jay thought of using the black & white feature on his camera.  These pictures turned out especially good.

We moved on to the rec yard - it was a little surreal thinking that we were walking were there worst of the worst went to "play".  How many fights had broken out over something petty here?  How would it feel for your face to get touched by the wind or the sun, after being locked up in one of those tiny little cells. 

Please don't think I'm a bleeding heart - guilty people deserve to be punished.  Its just all so touristy now, I was trying to picture how it would have been.

This picture is me on the guest side of the visitors glass.  I was surprised that alcatraz prisoners actually were allowed guests.

The tour took up a good part of the morning, then it was time to head back to the hotel and check out.  By the time we did it was around 2 and I was starving.  I had heard my Cali friends (which you'll meet if I ever make it to day 6) rave about In and Out burger, so I told Jay we had to stop there for lunch.

Dude that waited on us looked remarkable like Kenan Thompson in the movie Good Burger.  So much so that all I said was "dude looks like..." and Jay said "yeah I know."  I desperately wanted to get a camera phone picture of him, but I wasn't sure how that would go over if we got caught.  I mean, is looking like Kenan a good thing? 

(PS - the burgers were really all that and a basket of fries!)

From there we hopped a double decker, open topped bus for a tour of the rest of the City.  If we would have had the time, this could have been an all day adventure itself.  As it was, we were due to check in our Napa B&B that evening and were more selected when using our "on and off" privilages.

Our first venture off the bus was in Chinatown.  I wasn't really impressed, but then again we probably didn't allow ourselves enough time to take it all in.

We made a stop in Union Square because I saw the big H&M sign.  I had heard they were a good discount store and I wanted to check it out.

I was sorely disappointed.  In my world $30 for a sweater isn't discount.

We got back on and continued our tour.  As we went through the Haight/Ashbury district, we saw a huge Goodwill store and decided to go in and take a peak around.  This time, we weren't disappointed.  I ended up getting a cute pair of gap skinny jeans and a pair of banana republic dress pants for $5.  Jay carefully selected two old school t-shirts with local logos.

He probably could have stayed there all night, but we had a bus to catch and it was getting dark. We ended up waiting over 20 minutes for the bus to pick us up, and with each passing moment I grew more and more antsy.

No, you may not run across the street to use the bathroom.

But I gotta go!

No, I'm not risking it.

You're not the boss of me.

I said no!

Okay so that's now how the conversation really went down, but pretty close.  I was too scared to let Jay leave my site.  Even more scared at the prospect of missing possibly the last tour bus through the area.

He tried to calm me by telling me that it was just a bunch of pot heads.  And if anything pot makes you more mild and calm, so no one would bother us.  (Excluding of course those offering us a toke.)

When the bus finally arrived, we had it to ourselves.  I was cold, but we sat up top any way because the Golden Gate bridge was next on our journey.

Its very difficult to photograph at night.  On a moving bus.

Sorry.

Then it was back to our car (heat on full blast) with Napa ahead of us.

After an exhausting day, it was very nice to check into the B&B and find this...

Along with a bottle of champagne and classical music waiting for us.

Shrinkaversary - Week 5

My first non weigh-in, Weigh-in Wednesday and I just couldn’t resist getting on the scales. After all its habit. I’m pleased to report that nothing scary happened over Thanksgiving – my WEEK of eating whatever I want and not exercising. I only gained a pound, which I’m attributing to daily fluctuations and the lack of good tasting water at our Thanksgiving celebration location. (I drank a ton of diet sodas in that 3 day period.)


We started our “heavy” weight training yesterday, and I’m pleased with the results. The idea is to get heavy enough that you get to failure in 8-10 reps (3 sets). Some of the weights were more challenging than others, and we let our fear of muscle soreness hold us back a little. I’m making notes on my worksheet (yes, I’m a big enough of a dork to take a binder into the weight room). I’ll keep the same weight on the exercises that made me sore, and increase in the areas where I can’t feel the burn this morning!

How’d you do? Post your weekly victories (and challenges) and link up over at the Sisterhood.

As for the globetrotting – I’m at 73 miles for the challenge.

Okay now that’s out of the way, I want to brag for a moment. Jay and I got our electric bill yesterday and take a wild guess how much it was…











$38!!!

We are that cheap green.

Okay so we are also blessed to be renting a very energy efficient home. One thing we’ll miss about the rental when we move at the first of the year.

Dusting off that old Christmas decoration...

you know, the one that's put up every year? 

Its time to break out that "stop being a brat Brooke - you're incredibly blessed" blog from a couple of years ago.

This time, my tears were warranted.  All of my Christmas ornaments suffered some mildew damage from their storage in the crawl space this summer - including the antique glass bulbs that belonged to my beloved great-grandmother and two of our "first Christmas" ornaments.

Most everything is salvagable, but I cried last night as Jay tried to wash off the first Christmas ornaments, only to declare them done for.

So, as I've done every year, its time to look back on Christmas past...to remind me that decorations, even those with sentimental value, at the end of the day are just stuff. 

This Christmas season, more than usual, I have been overcome with this heavy feeling of guilt. Not for something that I have done wrong, or for something that I should have done but didn’t. It’s a sense of guilt that comes from the great blessings that I have in my life, and even more so a sense of guilt for not always recognizing those blessings.


For example, as I walk out of the store with my arms full of packages – well thought out presents, for recipients who already have more than they could ever need – how could I walk past the bell ringer without dropping a little something in the bucket for those that might not otherwise have life’s necessities? Or while I’m out on the day after Thanksgiving trying to grab up those great deals, the clerk at the Dollar general asks me if I would like to donate a toy for Toys for Tots. After spending what felt like $100 in gas to hit every end of the county, how can I say “no” to paying $2 so a child can have a new toy this Christmas?

Two weekends ago, Jay and I put up my Christmas tree, and once again I did a great job of overlooking how blessed that I am. I put the tree together (purchased on sale last year after Christmas for a very good price) but wasn’t pleased with how it fluffed. I noticed too many bare spots on the tree that I just couldn’t seem to cover up by moving the branches around.

For what I’m sure seemed like an eternity to Jay, I cried and considered not having a tree if that “pathetic” thing was the best I could do. From there I slid into self pity mode. Poor me, I never have anything new. I buy everything on sale. When will I ever be able to have anything nice?

Having no experience with how to deal with the fit of a 2 year old, he ignored me and tried to fluff the tree as best he could. When I finally decided to snap out of it, we put the decorations on the tree. We started with the regular bulbs – antique glass ornaments that were my great-grandmother’s. Then we added the Hallmark ornaments that I have received as gifts over the years, and finished with the tree topper that my mom gave me the first Christmas that I moved out on my own.

It was a real chore to get all the presents – purchased and wrapped in a timely fashion – under the tree. There just wasn’t enough room for them. As I stepped back and looked at the finished product, I realized just how much I had taken for granted.

I was lying on my bed in a pair of $150 designer track pants crying because I didn’t own anything nice. Mind you I didn’t pay $150 for them, but they are “nice” to say the very least. As I was pouting in my room, my wonderful boyfriend was looking after the tree, trying to fix it to make me happy. I remember 2 years ago putting up my Christmas tree all by myself and how sad that it made me that I didn’t have a significant other to share the season with.

Of course I’m blessed, not only to have such a wonderful heirloom from my great-grandmother, but I was also blessed enough to have her in my life for over twenty years. Not many people have that opportunity. And finally, the presents crowded under the tree. How could I not see how well I have it? To be able to buy my family exactly what they want, something I know that they will be thrilled to have…

These epiphanies usually go as quickly as they come, so it wasn’t until this weekend that I had another bout with thankfulness. Friday night was the City’s Christmas party…excuse me “Employee Appreciation Dinner”. The dress code was casual, but I love dressing up and took this as an opportunity to do so. Digging through my things, I found a silver sparkly halter top with a shrug that a friend had given me.

I like to pretend that she outgrew it; realistically I just think that she isn’t the type to wear something like that more than once or twice. While I should be thankful that I have a friend as giving as she is, but realistically I was more excited at the thought of being able to fit into one of her shirts. While I could have passed the shirt off as one that I had purchased new on my own, I took more pride in the fact that I was wearing a shirt formerly owned by someone who resembles a stick insect. (I say that in the most loving, jealous way possible!) Rather than setting for “thanks”, whenever anyone complimented me on my shirt I was proud to let them know exactly where I got it!!

My church has what they call “The Christmas Store” where people in our community who are less fortunate can come and get food, clothing, hygiene items, and toys for Christmas. Saturday morning around 9 o’clock I headed over to wrap the Christmas toys – items with gift tags “To: Billy From: Mom and Dad”.

It made me thankful that the Christmas my family was in need, there were people that surrounded us with love and helped us out.

People from my father’s workplace, our church, and our extended family, brought truckloads of food and toys so that we wouldn’t do without on Christmas, not to mention the house payments and electric bills covered by these same people who loved us. I felt ashamed that I knew of that Christmas, but remember nothing of it myself. Thankfully my mom assured me that I have a very good reason for not remembering – I was only 1 ½!

My 4 year old sister and I were blessed that year with gifts, but were too young to understand that the real blessing was the people around us that were so caring. I would be irresponsible for me, now that I’m in a position to help, if I didn’t pass these blessings along.

As I got ready Saturday evening, I was reminded of another blessing in my life – my parents, and my maternal grandparents are all still living and in good health. As I dressed in my black pants and dark sweater to go the funeral home for a coworker, I had to take a moment to thank God for my family’s health – something I continually take for granted.

Just yesterday I was annoyed with my mother for making me even more late for work, ringing my doorbell at 7:59 to drop off homemade fudge and cookies. Just as I was about to electronically comment on how annoying it was, I noticed a friend’s comments on her mother’s deathiversary. How many people out there would love to be late for work because their mothers showed up on their doorsteps, much less baring homemade goodies?!

So let me take this opportunity to say a big MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and prayers that God will bless your life as much as he has blessed mine!

A new year, a new house!

Remember on Wednesday I mentioned being thankful for a new opportunity in my life?

Jay and I are buying a house!! 

I didn't want to say anything until we passed some of the paperwork hurdles.  Looks like we're past most of them and enough in the clear that I wanted to share it with you guys. 

The previous owners have done some major work on the house, so we're hoping that with a few exceptions our work will be mostly cleaning, painting, and wall paper stripping.

So my "to do" list has changed. Gone are the weeding the flower bed and fixing up the guest room items.  Now its packing, cleaning, and moving. 

Weigh-in Wednesday & Thursday's Ten - Thanksgiving Style

Today we're continuing the Sisterhood Shrink-a-versary celebration as well as starting our Thanksgiving a day early!!

First off to the scales - this will be my 2nd to last time weighing because I'm starting a new fitness venture.  A friend of mine (you know the one that gets an idea and the next thing you know I'm running a half marathon?) has been reading up on weight training and the benefits of high weight, low rep.

Since February of this year, I've been doing a class twice a week with low weight, high reps.  Yesterday, she and I skipped class to familiarize ourselves with the weights machines, and different exercises.  Starting next week instead of doing squats with two 10 pound dumbells - we'll be squatting 60 pounds with a barbell.

The hope is that we'll build muscle, which in turn will burn up all of our fat in order to fuel itself.  With the weights program we're doing, we know that its quite possible we'll gain weight.  She's as neurotic as me, so keep ourselves from going crazy we're not going to step on the scales.

I'm going to have Jay take a "before" picture of me in a tiny little outfit to track my progress, as well as trying on my skinny jeans weekly.  They fit me almost perfectly now, so I'll be able to judge by them if I'm shrinking or not.   I'll also know if they get too snug that I'm letting fat creep back on and I need to change up something.

I'm excited to get started and you'd better believe I'm still going to be reporting in on Wednesday even if I'm not officially "weighing-in".

Now to what I'm thankful for:

1) New opportunities

I hate to sound so vague, but I'm trying not to get too excited until I know for sure its a solid thing.  I'll post more when I know more.

2) Acheiving goals

Just in case you missed it - I ran a half marathon last weekend!!

3) Setting new goals

This year, when writing my New Year's resolutions - I know they won't just be empty hopes and dreams.  Last year I told myself I was going to lose weight and get more healthy, and here I am!

4) Christmas with my family!!

When Jay and I got married, we decided that holidays would be rotated yearly - one year we'd do Thanksgiving with his family and Christmas with mine, then the next we'd do Thanksgiving with mine and Christmas with his.

Last year, I asked for Christmas with my family (just to get things started) because it was the Little Man's first Christmas.  Which meant this year it was Jay's turn to have Christmas with his family.  I've been bummed about it, whenever I think of Christmas.

Earlier this week, Jay asked how I would feel about switching it up.  His alma mater is playing a big game the day after Thanksgiving and he wants to go.  So this year we're doing Thanksgiving with his family (since OU is just an hour away) and I get Christmas with my family again!!

5) My brother-in-law

Now, if my family is reading this they might be offended - but they know I'm thankful for them.  Its easy and trite to say we're thankful for our families.

But I'm truly blessed to have a great brother-in-law.  He was one of those people who didn't think I could/should be able to run a half, but was one of the most proud of me for actually doing it.

6) My job

Also a little trite, but I don't care.  I have a secure job with great benefits.  Two things that bring me much peace of mind - and is much needed considering Jay is self employed!  Not to mention the free gym access!

7) The Blog-o-sphere

I have met so many wonderful people through the bloggy world.  I've grown as a person and a writer because of you.

8) My type A personality

I'm good with money.  I'm good at meal planning.  I'm good at keeping track of all the bills.  My need to have everything just so might drive Jay crazy sometimes, but it keeps our household running smoothly.  And I get a high off marking that last thing off my check list.

*note to self, write out Thanksgiving packing list*

9) The Sisterhood

This past week was the 1 year anniversary of the start of the sisterhood.  I haven't been with them since the beginning, but I can promise that if I never found them I'd have given up on weight loss.

10) Hobbies

I love reading, hiking, running and get to do them all on a regular basis.  Trust me, I understand that each of these is its own blessing. 

There are many, even in this country, that don't have the ablity to read.  Then there are people like my father who just doesn't enjoy it.  Not to mention all you moms without the time. 

I'm blessed to live in an area surrounded by great hiking trails.  And am blessed to be healthy enough that I can hike and run no problem!


What about you, what are you thankful for this week?  Are you thankful for how you did on the scales?  Talk to me.