Way back in 2008 I blogged a series called green about envy. On the last day I revealed a notebook I used for a gratefulness journal. Oh the joys of a Sharpie gliding across the lush pages of a snazzy journal.

Origami made by my son. The green swan used to be an envious ugly duckling.

Way back a long time ago before that I learned the meaning of the word unabridged. I felt gypped. How could anyone dare defile the original intent of the precious words of an author? That very day I went to the library and looked for the unabridged version of ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott. From that day forward I accepted no substitutes. Being that Alcott ranked number one, at the time, in my long ‘favorite authors’ list I diligently read every book in the library by this esteemed woman.

During that stint of Alcott immersion a practice found in the life of the character named Jo stuck with me. I tucked it away and kept it for the ‘someday’ when I would be married and have children of my own.

That journal I started in 2008 got about half way full. I put it away, for a time. Last year, as family and friends, we began writing what we are thankful for on the wall in our home. Then around the beginning of December I ran across this glass-half-full journal. As I thumbed through the pages I saw sweet Jo at her writing desk and the images of the tucked away practice returned to my mind as the first time I read about it.

SPOILER ALERT! (If you have not had the joy of reading Little Women and Little Men then you might want to wait to read the rest of this post. Really, I don’t mind. This post can wait for you to get done reading the gems. If you have an e-reader you can get the books here free: ManyBooks.net)

Jo March married the good Professor Bhaer, much to my chagrin; I wanted her to be with the passionate Teddy. She inherited her Aunt’s big old house, Plumfield. She and the professor started a school. Every so often Jo sits down with a journal and writes down admirable things she sees in her pupils. She then finds a quiet moment to share these observations with the young ones to encourage them.

I wanted to start doing that with my family. So I re-purposed the rest of those snazzy pages and started right away. I write down what I admire about my husband and my children. Then I read aloud to each one individually what my own hand has written, from my heart to theirs. The reminders help me appreciate each one. They feel good as I choose to see the good, and in turn tell them about it. I write with green ink, my favorite color for my favorite people.

Secretly, I hope to be able to do this, also, for the Lifetime Dreamers. Someday.

I keep cactus plants on my porch. It would seem this one bloomed just in time to watch the full moon rise this 7th night of the month. This is the first bloom we have seen on it since I brought home this fuzzy, bullet-shaped, stump three years ago.

See how the flower faces the moon? Pure mystifying beauty!

The wall started white. A blank canvas beckoned.

A tree emerged. A tree to carve our thanks upon. A tree like the one of our Lord. For we know that giving thanks often follows sacrifice.

We mark the entrance to our home with thanks to Him. The rebellious act of scribbling on the wall redeemed by His grace in an act of penitence. Our sin redeemed by His love. Our hearts purified as we enter His gates with thanksgiving.

The first thanks: books, snakes, my children, and three prayers.

Thanks grew as a tree does. Friends coming and going added their thanks to ours. Thanks given in community ministers grace to the givers. Some approach the wall with timidity and say with their mouths, “I feel uncomfortable writing on the wall.” Yes, breaking from the routine to say thanks can make one uneasy. Facing the wall and taking action does not come easy to all. Others grab up a marking tool and jump up and down in front of the opportunity before them. “How many can I do?” They beg to pour out permanent thanks. Not surprisingly the youngest ones, and the ones with childlike hearts, are most prompt to spill out heartfelt thanks. Shorter lives make for longer thanksgiving. How can that be when longer lives have had more time to be filled with blessing? I must decrease and become like my short ones so that He might increase.

Love, the word most often inscribed by many hands and hearts. Unintentional, yet we know Who intended it. The One who first wrote love on our hearts.

Family, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, and friends follow as the most common thanks. Unity, the graffiti of gratitude.

Thankfulness taught while kneeling down by modeling and molding, we write then we pray.

My top three favorite ones:

Tyler told me the two figures he drew are himself and God, and that God is the bigger one.

In red letters across the truck of the tree a child thanks God for The Cross. Amen.

And a final look at the whole wall on this Thanksgiving Day. If you come to our home, please add your thanks to this gratitude collection.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving” (Psalm 100:4)

It’s called ‘Huminta al Horno’. Here it is pictured fresh out of the oven. It’s a dense, moist, corn bread wrapped in corn husks. Two types of humintas exist in Bolivia, baked and boiled. I prefer baked.

Gives new meaning to the mascot of my beloved state of birth: Cornhusker. You peel back the husks trying not to burn your fingers in your haste to get the delectable goodness to your mouth. The huminta is the size of my hand.

I couldn’t tell you how to make them but I can tell you how to eat them and how they taste. The main ingredients are white corn meal, a salty-melty-white-hard cheese made locally, and aniseed. Hardy, sweet, filling, and just plain good.

Ingredients:

• 1 – 2 cups ice
• 1/2 cup double strength coffee or espresso
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 -2 Tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 Tablespoon flavored syrup (or use flavored coffee)
• opt. whipped cream

Instructions:

• Brew the coffee
• Chill or freeze coffee (ice trays work well)
• Blend all but ice and whipped cream for 20 seconds
• Add ice
• Blend until slushy
• Put in cup and add whipped cream

Tips

Stronger Flavor: minimum ice, brew stronger coffee

Sweeter Flavor: more sugar or flavored syrup

Decaffeinated: Brew decaffeinated coffee

Why two straws?

1. Sweetheart sharing
2. Bigger gulps
3. Scooping slush
4. Cool pictures
5. Fanciness

Enjoy!

A missionary fresh on the field orders soup. The waiter brings her soup. She looks at the soup and calls for the waiter to return. “Waiter,” she says, “Look at my soup! There’s a fly in it!” The waiter picks up her spoon, scoops the fly out and tosses it over his shoulder. Same missionary gal a year later orders soup. The waiter brings her soup. She looks at the soup, decides not to bother the waiter, picks up her spoon, scoops the fly out and tosses it over her shoulder. Same missionary, third year on the mission field now, orders soup. The waiter brings her soup. She looks at the soup and calls for the waiter to return. “Waiter,” she says, “Look at my soup! Where is my fly?” – Favorite missionary joke ever.

One of the marks of each region of Bolivia is a traditional plate of food prepared in a certain way and served just so. Most of the foods in the following list come from the Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and Potosí regions. Following the list is a little ‘yapa’ (kinda like saying a baker’s dozen) of Bolivian culture.

10. Manjar Blanco – A dessert served in Santa Cruz. In a small dish long, thick strips of salty, white goat cheese (called Mennonite cheese) are accompanied by sweet, crystallized dollops of dulce de leche (a caramel flavored milk based candy).

9. Sopa de Mani – Peanut soup. Served hot with a chunk of steak on the bone in a yellow, peanut cream broth. Sprinkled with shoestring potatoes and a bit of fresh parsley.

8. Pacumutu del Churrasquerria Tunari – Large medallions of steak skewered with red peppers, green peppers, onions, bacon and sausage grilled to perfection. The name of the food is simply ‘pacumutu’. The restaurant that makes it best is Churrasquerria Tunari.

7. Arroz con queso – Rice with cheese. The cheese is white and salty. It gets stringy when melted into the hot rice.

6. Sushi from Brazilian Coffee – My first taste of sushi was right here in Cochabamba at the Japanese restaurant called Brazilian Coffee.

5. Majadito – A Santa Cruz dish of seasoned rice mixed with charque (beef jerky) and topped with a fried egg and a couple strips of fried plantain.

4. Silpancho – A Cochabamba dish of flattened, breaded, chicken-fried steak served over white rice and fried potatoes, topped with a fried egg, finely diced onions, tomatoes and spicy pepper.

3. Chirimoya, frambruesa, mango, achachairu, y muchas otras frutas frescas – Custard apple, raspberries, mango, lychee fruit, and bunches of other fresh fruit.

2. Salteña – A mid morning snack of Cochabamba. A baked shell made of corn flour. Inside chicken or meat, vegetables, a raisin, an olive, a boiled quail egg and broth.

1. K’alaphurka – Stone soup from Potosí. Served as breakfast or a mid morning snack. A volcanic rock which has been heated int he oven is placed at the bottom of the bowl. The soup is made of deep fried pork bits and a spicy creamy corn broth. The soup is poured over the rock and it boils the whole time you are eating it!

The yapa… When you are finished eating you politely say to the others at the table, “Provecho” or, “Buen provecho.” To which the others respond, “Gracias.” The literal translation for this usage of the word ‘provecho’ is: may your food digest well.

You can put a smile on my face by treating me to any of the foods on my list. My mouth is watering just writing about it. Oh, I forgot about Yuca Frita… yummy!

*** Next list: 10 People Who Changed My Life***

 “Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.” – Jim Elliot, missionary martyr to Ecuador

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

When I was a small child people asked me what I wanted to be. I told them, “Famous.” Later I added a farmer’s wife and someone who travels the world. I consider DaRonn a spiritual farmer and together we have traveled a bunch. We’re not through yet, either.

A list of my 10 most favorite spots in the world, so far.

10. Standley’s Chasm – West of Alice Springs in Australia. As a foreign exchange student fresh out of high school I explored this beautiful reserve along with other kids from our group. Not many other tourists were there that day. The mystery of the native land and the formation of the chasm took my breath away.

9. The Old Market – Omaha, Nebraska. The Antiquarium, cobblestone roads, nook and cranny coffee shops, contemporary musicians and artists, the slides, tall old brick walls, and the reminiscence of my new-found teenage independence behind the wheel of my convertible.

8. Colorado – Skiing by moonlight as a seven-year-old girl, long winding drives, my first glimpses of the gentle giants, gondola rides, our honeymoon, and my tan corduroy cap.

7. Walking a dirt path under the African sun – The expanse stretching out to the left, right, behind and before rolled dusty golden swirling steamy with the cerulean sky.  Grass huts with smokey stems dropped strewn across the grass plains like dried sycamore figs. As our deep, dark brown and sunburned peach elbows interlocked Flora smiled and spoke to me of her beloved land which shall ever hold me in her heart.

6. At an airport people watching – Some of my most inspired writing takes place during this very act.

5. In cool water swimming – Not just splashing around, rather the athletic activity of swimming happens to be the only sport I enjoy doing. Love it.

4. Salar de Uyuni – I visited the world’s largest salt flat twice. Happens to be right here in good old Bolivia.  Can’t wait to go again. You know you can see Chile from there? And petrified mummies on the side of a volcano? And flamingos? And the most exotic landscape on the face of the planet… you’ll think you are in another world.

3. Summit of Mt. Tunari – The rigors and glories of climbing to the summit of a mountain transcend the capacity of printed words to express its fullness.

2. Oceanside beaches – With my family as an 11-year-old child I took my first airplane ride for a historical site seeing trip in the Maryland and D.C. area in the States. As a teenager I swam in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. I discovered I was pregnant with my first child on the Costa Rica shoreline. To celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary we watched beautiful couples dancing the tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For our 12th wedding anniversary we walked the ruins of Machu Picchu after a spin through Lima, Peru. Someday I would like to see come European seasides.

1. In my husband’s arms – As prompted by a survey floating around the internet a while back I asked my children a series of questions. When I asked Raimy, “Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?” She replied, “Into bed with Papa.”  Yep.

*** Next list: 10 Tastiest Foods in Bolivia ***

In Cochabamba, the city of Eternal Spring, Fall comes and goes unnoticed when the world celebrates the resurrection of Christ. So we have a pretend Autumn when the months start to end in brrrrr. Our luck this year brought early rains which usually don’t start until our Summer comes in November. Our September Spring chilled off a bit and put me in the mood to celebrate Northern Autumn.

While in the States I visited my favorite bean shop in the whole wide world. Spice Merchant in Wichita, Kansas has never failed me. I found a new decaf flavor: Pumpkin Spice. Whence first I laid my eyes on it I knew I had to have a party.

This week my coffee loving friends gathered around the fresh brew and the Autumny yumminess they graciously brought to share. I opted for an evening party so the house felt more cozy with candles and low light. Knowing the theme a few of the gals even dressed in warm Autumn colors. What a night! The kids buzzed around indoors and out. The conversation rivaled the treats with a tantalizing nature. My heart swelled with the goodness all around.

Even though in all that fun I forgot to snap a few pics I do have a nice fallish one to share. My daughter Gabrielle and I just happened to be both wearing orange to a different party not long ago. A clown there gave her an orange heart shaped balloon. A perfect photo op if I do say so myself.

Happy Autumn my friends!