cousins greg and mary

I wanted to give a super-short update on Brad's cousins Mary and her hubby Greg. They brought one of their friends who is an archaeologist to the location where their house was and he brought screens and the such, I guess they sifted through and were able to find her wedding ring and a family heirloom locket which they were very excited to see. This is truly incredible...it's like finding a needle in a haystack, no?
There was a story on them in the local newspaper which you can read here .

today is NOT halloween!

just so you know today is not Halloween...it is my mother-in-law's birthday! she is coming over for dinner along with my parents, and obviously the kids and Brad and I will be here too. I have spent all day making food (of course in between scolding and cleaning poop off the floor) I made two different kinds of lasagna, homemade bread, a pie and a cake...it is some sort of insanity I must have reached. I am being an overachiever today, and I usually am not this way. Someone smack me. I guess it is also because the feeling of fall has finally set in. It is pretty chilly outside now, and the leaves are changing and because I do not use my oven in the summer (no ac....very hot!) because I don't desire to feel what hell could be like...that is why I am in full swing baking mode! It is also because this year for the first time in a while my kids are old enough to play by themselves for hours at a time while I can make things. Jackson is old enough to pour spices and some easier/lighter items as well. He loves to help, and I love to let him help. I guess I feel fall in my bones and am excited about where we are at. I love doing grown up stuff. I love my kids, but I do not want my entire image and life caught up completely in who they are...because as we all know one day they will get married, get jobs, have kids, or move to Alaska to fish...and I will still need to be content with who I am.
okay, now that was a tangent...anyway today is NOT Halloween! it is my mother-in-law's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUSAN!!!!

dude! where is my house?

Probably all of you have heard about the fires in CA lately. Brad's cousins live in Santa Clarita (Greg and Mary Smith) and just now are picking through the rubble from what was their home. Mary's sister, Brenda, who lives in Salem Oregon started this site for them called: dude! where is my house?
There is a three part video of them going back to their house and picking through the ashes to find glimpses of what they used to have. I will post the complication of the videos they have below which is about 3 minutes long. If you go to dude! where is my house? site you can see the extended versions, which are each about 8 min. long but are definitely worth it.
It is so amazing how our strength comes out when we are outwardly weak, when things go wrong and when we are challenged. I was incredibly blessed watching the heart that Greg and Mary show here in this clip and you can see it even better in the longer ones...they know where their identity is. Please pray for them, no matter how strong you are this would never be easy.

Greg and Mary- Santa Clarita Fire- (3 min. version):

PDX times

Like I said in my last entry, Brad and I went to Portland this weekend and had a great time. My mom watched the crazy baby monkeys back at home and we just had a take-it-easy time doing whatever we felt like doing. It was a much needed break. We drove up and the first thing we did was go to a Brandi Carlile concert. This was on our way to there...and our weekend away, or two days...however you want to look at it, it was pure fun.

Brad says he always likes to look at this church on his way up to PDX for classes

twice a week, so i took a picture.

After a wonderful dinner at PF Chang's...we are finally at the concert we were waiting to get to. It is the best concert I have ever been to, by far. Brandi Carlile is so beyond beyond. incredible.

Here we are a bit blurry, let's call it art.

This is Bipartisan Cafe...on stark, or something. It is way cool. in case you were wondering where Brain's fave coffee shop was...this is it! we liked it too. I especially loved this super neato mocha they made for me!! I have never had one with art on it before, this was amazing.

B and B...chit-a-chatting.

so, since we are done...let's keep moving.

here is the real deal flower power. ain't it neato? this is between the Hall's and the Bipartisan, in case you are interested in visiting.

Tony's sushi, I think that is what this place is called...way good anyway. I had the california rolls and the udon for under 6 dolla. yummy, YUMMY! The girl who waited on us had HUGE dreads!! They were so beyond cool. I am so glad I married a man who is not intimidated to take me to places like these...he doesn't really do sushi though, but they always have yakisoba or teriaki, or some such thing. that is what he gets.

B and b just out and around...i think i forgot to smile. it is hard to remember when you are trying to hold the camera far enough away to get both of us in.

here are Brian and Amy hall with their Montage "doggie bags", yes the place is way cool. It is a Cajun restaurant, and oh it is oh so spicy!

This is me with my "doggie bag", it is a giraffe...a tad taller than me. I think that they are not super concerned with the environment, but it is pretty fun to try and fit this bad boy in a vehicle of any sort, shape or size!!

Back at the Hall's now...still with the giraffe.

and then we went home...very late that night, but Brad had to write a paper for monday.

this weekend

I want to put pics up, but for now...let me just say Brad and I had the most superbest fun weekend!! Yay. We took off up to Portland for two days and my mom watched the little ones. (yay for her!!!) We were able to go to a concert, drink a crazy cool coffee at "the bipartisan cafe" and stay with our buddies Brian and Amy Hall. (in their super amazing home!!) We also waled around in Powell's and also the Hawthorne dist...and just had fun together. I will post pictures tomorrow...it would take to long right now, and it must be past my bedtime.
ps..and we are excited to announce we are currently ALMOST completely caught up with "the office" so soon we will be right with the rest of you. please, don't ruin it for us. thanks yo.

MORE-with-Less: a world community cookbook

More-With-Less

I know that a kick is a kick, but as far as kicks go...I really hope this one lasts. I just got my "More-with-Less" A World Community Cookbook in the mail that I ordered from amazon.com. written by Doris Janzen Longacre.
I am amazed at the information in this book, so I'll tell you about it, because that is what I do!

It begins by explaining what less with more actually is, that it is not about not enjoying what we eat, it is not about starving or being less creative with our meals. It IS about "simplifying [our] meals in order to reduce food expenditures...while in no way depraved of tasty, nutritious food" (p.12). The author goes through a list of reasons this should be done, including topics such as: World Shortages, North America: Five times as Much, Overspending Money, Overeating Calories, Overeating Protein, Overeating Sugar (my HUGE downfall), Overeating Processed Foods, and Over complicating our Lives.

I was amazed at how much information was in these sections which I had not fully thought about, but that I completely see the point of. I love America, I love the beauty of it all and the incredible people and diversity in our country...I do not love our need to enjoy the richness of it all and expect "someone else" to do something about the world's poverty. It is easy to continue on just buying things at the expense of others when you do not know what you are doing, and who it affects, but when you do know...well, that then is another story. I used to think that what I did with my money, my time and my donations really did not have a big affect on anyone but my family and I. Now I have just figured out that what I do does impact, it does change others, and that I can choose to have a positive impact on others, and not live in luxury at their expense.

Today as I was reading the reasons to change what we eat, and how to do "more-with-less" and in reading I realized something that bothered me. In the Overeating Sugar section, where the author writes about how, " much of the land used for sugar beets and cane could produce crops far more beneficial to a hungry world. Sugar provides calories, not a smidgen of protein, vitamins, or minerals"(p.17). This immediately made me picture the times of kings and queens where the royal family would be sitting in a huge elegant dining hall and the people they were serving were rioting outside their castle walls because they were not receiving the foods that they needed in order to survive. I have also heard of feasts that the wealthy had where they would cause themselves to puke up what they had eaten in order to continue on eating the delicacies of the festival. Ahhhhh! This picture happened many times throughout history because the people with less are the easiest to ignore, and it is happening now as well. We as Americans are the wealthy, even if we only have enough food to eat and a place to sleep...we are the wealthy! This is a blessing that I feel was given to us for a reason, and that reason is not to see how much we ourselves can indulge, but what impact we can have on the people around us who do not have. I realized that I need to look out of my castle walls, and reach out to the people that are hungry, week and just need something, anything. Yes, you can see...conviction has captured me, and I am oh, so thankful. Guilt is rotten but conviction....that is one of the huge blessings of having a functioning conscience.

I realize that helping those who lack is not a "calling" or a gift, or a different way of "spiritualizing" it away so that we can continue to do nothing about it....it is what we are told we need to do. It seems Jesus made it all SUPER clear in Matthew 25: 31-46...when he talks of those who actually knew Him...read it, I guess I see it pretty much as life and death, it is what we will do if we really do follow what he is asking of us...I guess unless we long to hear the: "depart from me! for you do not know me". This is not religious, it is not pious...it is obedience, and that is what God is continually working with me on OBEDIENCE.

Anyway, I know it is hard to read something like this...well, really know that it is hard to write something you are feeling convicted about because you fear the readers to assume that you are saying you have it together, or that you are trying to get them to do it, or the grand 'ol one "preachy". At this point though, I am beyond worried about what people will think, I figure if you really know me, you'll know what I am like. So, just know, this is my conviction...not yours, unless you feel it should be and then, well it is yours too. right?

So yeah....that is probably the most conviction anyone has gotten from a cookbook....but there you have it... I'm fully convicted.
oh...and about this same type of thing...you gotta read Paris' latest blog entry: March

pick your poison: tv or books

TV.BOOK.TV.BOOK.TV. BOOK. TV. BOOK. TV. BOOK. TV. BOOK. TV. BOOK. TV. BOOK. TV. BOOK.

The votes are in it seems that right now it is 50/5o! 3 votes for good books, and 3 for good TV. I think it may be due to the fall, when all the good TV starts up again, and to sitting by warm fires and loving the sedentaryness of it all as rain falls and just does not stop. Honestly I chose TV, but it seems that it depends on my mood what I would have chose. I like TV after a day of craziness, and then after a little brain veg, I do like to dive into a great book. It all depends though. Brad and I have recently really (and I do mean REALLY) gotten into The Office. Oh, wow. People have been telling me to watch it for a while, but I am always hesitant to start a series half way into it, but we have rented the past seasons and are currently working on season three....so we are almost caught up. YAY for the office. I also am very impatiently awaiting the new season of "Lost".

Books, those are a little more complicated. I enjoy fiction, and non...but lately I have only had the patience for fiction and dumb novels. I read the entire 4 books of "The sisterhood of the traveling pants" (yes, there are four...i know you didn't know that). I have also read "'Tis a gift to be simple" , which is AMAZinG. I also read the "A Name of Her Own"and "Every Fixed Star", (from the Tender Ties Historical Series) by Jane Kirkpatrick, about the pioneer days (a good read, mostly for women though since it is about kids and family...not that men wouldn't be interested, but it seems she writes for women). Oh, if you seriously like a good mystery book, you gotta read an Inspector Montalbano book, I read the Voice of the Violin (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries) by Andrea Camilleri(written in italian and translated into English) ...those are way cool. I really enjoy foreign stuff...I love middle eastern/european...latin american books. I really like Jhumpa Lahiri, she wrote "The Namesake" and " The Interpreter of Maladies"...they are both really good.

ps. i took absolutely NONE of these pictures, but because I really love colors and pictures...i always have to find something fun to put on my posts. Thanks for your votes!!!

Brandi Carlile, in the Ballroom, with the guitar...

Does this bring back CLUE memories?!?I am really excited!! I have been planing to go to the Brandi Carlile concert for a while....and it is this Thursday. She amazes me every time I listen to her...the ruggedness of her voice and and just the simple words are incredibly beautiful. My mom is watching the boys and we are going to stay with some friends in PDX. The next day we are going to take it easy and hang out around Portland, probably visit Powell's bookstore, and a coffee shop or two.
Brandi Carlile

It is fun as the boys have gotten a little older we have chances to go away and just be together.

Last weekend my mom watched the boys and we went to Salem, to dinner and to the coffee house cafe, which is one of the places where Brad and I used to hang out pre-kid days. They had live music that night and it was actually really amazing.

I like looking forward to these things we get to do together and it is so fun when we get to go out on our dates. Life is so good.

music player on sidebar!!

Hello all again!! I just posted my music player to the sidebar on my blog page! I know some of you anti-myspace will be super pleased with this. I will keep it updated. Yah, so check them out ya'll...enjoy.
You should just be able to click on the song you want to hear and when it is highlighted click on the center circle button for it to begin. I did not want to set it up to play automatically because that can be very annoying.
(if the music player is confusing, or does not work right let me know!!)

cat bibs (blog action blog)

I will warn you this blog is going to be a bit silly, but also serious...if you get queasy look in the seat in front of you and you will find a bag in which you may eject your vomit, please hold on to that bag and a stewardess will be there shortly to collect it, she will listen for your hacking and know when you are done.

uh..yah. Well, this blog should in no way evoke those kinds of feelings, it should evoke some sort of feelings though. I know by now that some people are born, or made into animal people, and others really do not seem to care about animals or what happens to them a whole lot. I am no doubt an animal lover, I mostly like to own the furry kinds, but perhaps someday some feathered or scaled as well. This is a side-note, so try to follow...last night I was driving home from Eugene and it was so foggy that I (and all other intelligent, non-invinsible vehicles...) was driving 40mph on I-5, let's just say I usually go faster. I pulled off of the freeway and was heading towards Lebanon when I saw a little bunny (I know...wild rabbit...but whatever!) just sitting exactly in the middle of the off-ramp. I had no time to react other than to try to not run directly over it with my tires, so less than a second later there was a bonk, or a thump, or whatever. You cannot understand the feeling I felt, unless you yourself are an animal lover... I felt like an assassin. What if this little creature was still suffering and I couldn't go back down as it was a one way ramp, plus it was night and I get scared at night. What if it had babies to take care of?? What if...AHHHHHHHHHHH! So, I don't need to tell you that I cried as this was MY FIRST encounter with road kill. I have not even been in a vehicle that has hit an animal, ever! So, for all you animal people out there I just had to let you know that I do feel horrible, and I wish that it could have been avoided.

So, that had little, or nothing to do with my action blog except that it was about animals.

Here begins my real blog:

Our cat spider is in the habit of catching, and therefore torturing and eventually slowly killing birds. At first it actually impressed me, but as she has continually honed her skills it is now possibly too overwhelming for me to even talk about. She is a KILLER! She brings home at least one a day, and also she has brought in dead bats, many dead moles (of all sizes) and many mice as well. Let's just say she is really good at hunting. This was actually not really bothering me until recently, before she would just kill them and leave it at that, now in the last week she has left three bird heads on my porch. Yes, she completely removed the head, and the rest of the limbs were scattered about...just so we would know that she was an incredible huntress...well, more like a complete SAVAGE!
This is really getting disgusting to me, and I know it can't be good for the bird population either. Or does it even matter?? (I will answer this question in a little bit) She goes over to our neighbors house, since they love birds and have several bird feeders and other wonderful bird accessories...she lurks and then snatches them. The next door neighbor lady (who is also our pastor's wife) tells me she has come to spray Spider with a hose, but that "the cat" does not care. Our pastor's wife several times has refered to the approaching Spider, as SATAN or the ENEMY. I am really beginning to agree with her after the recent three be headings in one week.

Well, so my solution...or the solution I am VERY seriously considering is a cat bib. My mail carrier informed me of these one day as a half dead bird lay in front of me and I was trying to keep the kids inside the house, the yowling cat away so she would not completely destroy this bird, and she was trying to hand me my junk mail. I looked them up online, and although weird, I think that a cat bib is the solution for us. It's been scientifically proven to stop cats from catching birds! How much better can it get than that!?
The FAQ page answers many questions you may have. But if you question is why does it really matter, here is a quote from the site:

Your cat may be killing more birds than you think. Five, or even ten, birds
a year doesn't sound like much, but consider that there are 60 million cats in
America - many of which are hunting every day. Conservatively, it is estimated
4.4 million birds are killed by cats in America every day. That's less than one
bird for every 12 cats! If your cat is a hunter, then your cat is part of the
problem.

So, anyway...check it out...it may sound silly, I KNOW they look silly...but HEY, this blog is about how to do something good for ourselves and the wildlife, right?

On an environmental note, I have learned that if something gets to me, if something affects me either emotionally or literally does affect me than I am much more likely to care enough to change my habits in order to satisfy the "greater good". If this blog does not apply, weather you think the bibs are silly, you don't own a cat or you really like to see birds killed...that is fine! But I challenge you to find something beneficial to the environment, that you have been even-sorta-thinking about changing and CHANGE IT! It helps me if I research online and see just how much damage my slight convenience is bringing others, and even myself. There you have it, go be a move and a shaker! Find your own thing that you think is important and JUST DO IT! (after all today is blog action day right!?!?).

pick your poison:Chocolate vs. Coffee

chocolate, coffee, chocolate, coffee, chocolate, coffee, chocolate, coffee, chocolate, coffee, chocolate...

The polls are closed, chocolate and coffee have proven to be equally addictive, or at least they are so for the six people who cast their vote on my blog. The results were 50% for chocolate and 50% for coffee, I knew chocolate was just as good of a poison as coffee even though Brad assured me that coffee would rock the vote for sure. I will keep doing these pick your poison polls because I think they are fun, if you have an idea for one that you would like me to do, "comment it to me" and I will set it up!!

Just keep in mind that here, much more than it would in an electoral voting system...your vote does count!!!

So as always... REMEMBER TO VOTE!!

ps. i love these pics, but i didn't take any of them. bummer.

called by name

I posted a new song up on myspace. I know several of you HATE myspace...but it is really good for music stuff! Anyway, here are the lyrics:

You are love
You are light
You are Great

You are glorious and majestic
Your righteousness endures always

Awake- be the nations
Arise all peoples and lands

Let our voices together
bring out the dawn
You have gathered us up
now we rejoice

You called us by name
so we came to praise

Alive-be His children
Fire- to this generation

Hear your children cry out
all over the earth
We'll wait for your glory
to come flood this place

You called us by name
and we came here to praise

You called me by name
so I came here to praise you


OKAY....so go give it a listen!!! at http://www.myspace.com/bethanycanfield
fun stuff yo!! GoD IS gOOd.

in rainbows

I downloaded the new RADIOHEAD album today. I have been hearing about it for days (at least two!) and I just really wanted it. It is amazing to me that a band could have the confidence to do what they did.
For those who do not know, they released their album in download for only on their website. They requested that people pay not what "they thought is was worth" as some reporters have said but all it said was "it's up to you". So I paid one pound and didn't worry too much about the logistics of what "it's up to you" really means. Because I have an overly developed sense of honesty, or justice or something...I did not want to do anything dishonest by them, and yet I still feel guilty if I really think about it. But they asked right!? I know that I could have not paid anything, well actually I know that some people probably have not payed anything...there is no way I would could have done that, but sometimes I wish I could.
Anyway, the album is paying right now...it is beautiful, I love it. The melodies and tunes are just incredible, their beats are entrancing...I am so glad they did not say I had to pay "what I thought it was worth", I wouldn't have been able to handle that! How much would that be? How could I know if I was jipping them? ahhhhh!

So, Here's to RADIOHEAD!!! I am amazed by them right now...maybe that is exactly what they wanted. You check it out and you'll be amazed too!! And please DO tell me what you paid!!!
Check it out at Radiohead!!

my blog action blog....

hey...I think this blog action thingy will be pretty fun. Pay attention I will have a good one to wright about...just interesting mostly, if you like cats, birds or hate both it will be interesting. you'll know on blog action day... it is on the 15th of October. Here is what is on the site about the whole deal-i-o, yo!:

Post on October 15th relating to the environmentThe best way to participate is to post on your blog something that relates to the environment. Your post can be about anything to do with the environment. So you could write a post which is offtopic for your blog OR relate the environment back to your topic in some way.

For example, if you had a blog about programming and technology, you could write about applications used for the environment, how to make your office more sustainable, how to stop wasting paper, why technology will save the environment, or just write about an environmental issue which has nothing to do with programming!

As another example, if you wrote about restaurants, you could write about kitchen practices that make for a more environmentally friendly workplace, food packaging, produce made from sustainable farming or any of a multitude of topics.

What works best is to keep writing as you normally would. Your audience reads your blog for a reason, you don't need to suddenly change your voice, style or emphasis. Simply find an angle on your regular postings which relates to the environment.

Our aim is to get people thinking, discussing, questioning and talking about the environment, from every angle, niche, viewpoint and personality.
Don't forget to register your blog.

Peace out and KEEP POSTING PEOPLES!!!