God Is in the Details

God is in the details.

I tried to find out who said this first.  But I don't think anyone knows for sure.    It's possible the first memorable utterance of these words was spoken thusly: "God is in the detail." Supposedly it's more about how you should pay attention to your work and do it well, down to the last detail...maybe because God is watching.

And then what?

Thou shalt be rewarded in heaven?

I interpret this phrase in a slightly different way, I think.

When I look at the details of God's creation, I get what I think is a tiny, tiny hint of what heaven is all about.  And I think that's why God wants me to notice them.

Last night, I was watching the movie "God's Not Dead" on television.  I'm sure you've heard of it.  It got a good rating from Christian groups.  If you are an atheist, you probably didn't like it, or didn't watch it, or felt uncomfortable about it.

I happen to think it made some good points.  See, when I look at creation, especially here in the UP, I have to see intelligence and not chance.  It makes no sense to me otherwise.  What else but God could be so immense and so very, very small all at the same time?

Yesterday we went for a drive through the forest.....I know....surprising, huh?  It was a little rainy, a little cold, and most of the fauna were snuggled away in their warm places.

or could be a hobbit...not sure

 The flora, however, gave an outstanding show.  The colors of autumn are just getting started, with a splash here and there.

SPLASH!

What was especially beautiful was the subtle light through the big trees along Robbins Pond Road. I recommend you drive there sometime.  Big red pines in their straight long lines:

looks inviting, huh?

the almost-sunny light from above, the ethereal lightening of mist in the interior.  I can't describe it correctly.

so I'll just show you

It was quiet and magic.  Not magic.  It was, as always, a gentle nudge from God.  It's the same thing I do when I create something in my shop that I think is especially pretty or unique.  I nudge my husband to see if he has noticed.  Is God looking for compliments like I sometimes do?  I think it's more like the nudge you give your children when you are traveling, and their heads are down, playing their videos or electronic games, and you want them to notice something in the landscape.  Not because you are looking to get anything from it, but because you want to make sure they don't miss out.

Monet understood

God doesn't want us to miss out on heaven.  So he shows us glimpses, every day and every day, to remind us to stay on the road, to lift our heads from our games and work and distractions and just SEE...

I hope you get it.  Because think this picture is beautiful.

The UP is a miraculous place. Because the glimspes come often.  In big nudges,

I know...

details

the trail less traveled

and tiny ones.

I have no idea what plant this is, but I've never seen leaves do this before

I hope you like lichen....

lots of details

...every day and every day.  Ironically, today as I type this, God is speaking, not in a still small voice, but it a noisy, big wind, with lots of rain. Those little details require a lot of water to grow, I guess.

Amen, God.  

Amen.  

Have You Ever??? Part 2

Have you ever seen such a beautiful sunrise?
Have you ever seen such a beautiful sunset?

Funny, it is, how people around here continue to ask each other that question.

Because the answer is yes and yes, and yes yet again.

I honestly don't know what it is.  Something about the local climate.  But I have never seen such beautiful skies.  It's not just sunrise or sunset, east and west.  Sometimes when it's sunset, the most beautiful place in the sky will be in the north, or the south or some imtermediate spot.  Sometimes it's neither sunrise or sunset and the moisture, I guess, in the sky makes it turn pink.  Strangely beautiful Pepto-Bismol pink.  Sometimes the sky glows so very very Pepto that it wakes me up early as it washes the greige walls of my bedroom into a magenta pink. Looks like a color that ought not to exist in nature, yet, there it is. I have taken so many pictures out my front and back windows, and Bob has done the same.  And it's funny how my camera can't quite do the colors justice most of the time.  I don't know why that is.  Rods and Cones, I suppose. I have good color sensitivity.  So if I edit my shots at all, it's so I can remember exactly what it looked like.  I know it's hard to believe, unless you've seen it.  But it really is THIS:

these pictures...

are somewhat chronological...

taken over the last year.

You'll start to notice a pattern...

of front yard....

random taken-from-the-road shots....

and backyard shots.

Okay...done captioning....just enjoy!

Pretty amazing, huh?

Thanks, God! I'm watching!

Amen

A Little or a Lot...A Recipe, and a Common Theme in Life

I think I made up a recipe.

I say, "I think," because I think it's hard to totally create a new recipe, especially with common ingredients.  Somewhere, someone has already thought of it.  And to tell the truth, this recipe is inspired by several recipes I've enjoyed in the past, like our family's perennial favorite, "Chicken and Goop" which tastes much better than it sounds. It is also the result of the fact that our fairly small nearby co-op grocery store IS fairly small, and therefore one learns to adapt recipes to fit what is likely to be available on any given day. That being said, I really like this recipe.  It is spicy, yet fresh tasting.  It makes great leftovers the next day.  It is adaptable.  Bob and I happen to love the heat, but you can change it to be very mild very easily.

So without further ado....

I just realized I don't have a name for it.

So I guess it's Spicy Creamy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Stuff.  Shortened to "Chicken Stuff" around our house (so as not to be confused with ""Chicken Goop."

I used to make Chicken Enchilada Lasagne, and this recipe is a lot like that, only much quicker to make.  I like quick during the summer when we aren't home in the evening until fairly late, especially if there are birds or other fauna or flora that jump out and pose for us on the way home from work.

He was hiding something behind his bale.  I don't want to know.

I hope you will understand this when I say George probably stopped somewhere for a grasshopper.

She meets us at the same spot often....I think she likes me.

Sometimes your chin just gets an itch

Not likely to jump out at us, but you get the idea

Anyway.

For this recipe, you will need:

6 boneless chicken breasts, (This is actually a double recipe, I would say, but we like it, so we make enough for leftovers. You'll see it's very easy to cut it in half.).

12 small corn tortillas (either white or yellow is fine...choose what you like the most!)

1/2 bag of cole slaw cabbage mix (without dressing)

big pinch of salt
little pinch of sugar

1-2 tbsp. mayo (I like to use as little as possible)

2 tsp lime juice

2 tsp. cumin or more
1 tbsp. chili powder or more

2 packages cream cheese

2 cups of shedded cheese (mexican blend, or whatever you like)

1/3 cup chicken broth (I mix a little instant bouillon in some warm water)

Secret ingredient:  Mrs. Renfro's Hot Jalepeno Green Salsa (don't be afraid!)

1 margarita (optional) on ice or blended (totallly optional)

Preheat oven to 400.

Put cabbage slaw in a medium bowl.

Probably not a half bag.  I should have made more for the leftovers. 

 Toss with a big pinch of salt and set aside.

Cut chicken into inch (or thereabouts) cubes.

Spray an iron skillet with non-stick spray and heat to medium high heat.  Add chicken, sprinkle (liberally) with cumin and chili powder.

 (I'm going to say this once more, at least:  Please do what I do and adapt this recipe however you'd like. I have truthfully never measured my spices, but I think my estimates are fairly close, if you like medium heat.  If you don't like medium hot in terms of salsa or something similar, cut back.  I am a medium hot girl.  Bob is a through the roof hot guy.)

While chicken starts to cook, add mayo, lime juice (if you don't have lime juice, margarita mix works, too...don't ask me how I know this), and a tiny pinch of sugar to cabbage mix.  Toss to coat and set aside.

Meanwhile, toss your chicken a few times until is is cooked through and smells yummy. Sitr in the chicken broth.

It will steam your glasses up so you don't notice the picture is blurry

Add the cream cheese in chunks, reduce heat to medium low and stir as it melts.

You could probably do this with one package of cream cheese.  But I wouldn't. 

With your other hand, put several (or lots of) tortillas on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven for five minutes.

Add the secret ingredient.  I have added as little as two tablespoons of salsa (barely noticeable) to a half cup (makes my nose run, but I don't care).  Or add a little and taste as you go.  Be careful, because it's a slow heat.

Strange focus on this picture.  Mrs. Refro should thank me for the product endorsement. 

Bring the creamy yumminess to a boil. That's it.  Remember to take the tortillas out of the oven.

Serving suggestion.  Layer in this order:   Tortilla.

 Yummy chicken stuff.

 Cheese,

a little or a lot

Slaw.

you might be too hungry to be neat, too

 Repeat if you want for a higher stack, or just make two so you don't have come back later.

I had leftover olives in the fridge

I hope you like it.  If you don't, feel free to make up your own recipe based on it (a little or a lot).

Happy Monday!