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Categories Recap

Recap (7/13/2013)

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Books added to my TBR list:

  • The Duet by Robert Elmer (reviewed by Barbara H.)
    A not-so-retired Dutch Reformed farmer develops an attraction for his granddaughter’s new piano teacher: a widowed college professor. The two are worlds apart practically and theologically–so the inevitable sparks fly. Sounds like fun–and since I’m always up for a good theological argument, I have high hopes for that part of their relationship. We’ll see :-)

Videos Watched:

  • Room 8 (linked to from 22 Words)

    The film-makers wer given a nondescript dialogue and a challenge: imagine a film. This winning entry is amazing.
Categories Book Reviews

Book Review: “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand

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When we were looking for a book to read for the new bookclub a few friends were forming, I suggested Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. I had to look up the description of the book in order to suggest it, since I didn’t have any idea what the actual content of the book was.

I just remember Amy declaring that it was going to be the best book she’d read in 2012-despite having read it at the very beginning of the year. And I remember Carrie reading it and loving it. And Janet. It ended up on both of the Lisas’ (Lisa Writes and Lisa Notes) lists of best books read in 2011. Barbara said it was excellent. In other words, almost every blogger I know and respect absolutely loved this book.

Now I know why.

So that you’re not as clueless as I was when I suggested this book to my club friends, I’ll give you a bit of a summary before I start raving. Unbroken tells the true story of Louie Zamperini, a neighborhood rascal turned Olympic runner turned B-24 bomber turned castaway turned POW turned alcoholic turned… This man’s life is astounding. After every section, I kept expecting this to be the end of the story, but it kept going. When Louie almost breaks the 4 minute mile, I think that he’s reached the pinnacle of his life…but his story has only just begun. When he survives for what seems like forever on a raft in the Pacific Ocean without food, I think he’s reached the height of human endurance…but his trial has only just begun. When he survives the terrible existence of being an undocumented Japanese POW, I think that his troubles are finally over…but he will now find himself battling with his worst foe yet. The subtitle of this volume is absolutely right. This is “a World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption.”

In no particular order, here are a few (not all) the reasons why this book is one of the best books I’ve ever read–and why it’ll be tough for us to beat it as a book club read:

  1. It’s an absolutely riveting story of an endlessly fascinating man
  2. The author does a wonderful job of weaving together historical details, human details, quotes from endless interviews, and memorabilia to make a compelling book that’s difficult to put down.
  3. It highlights the Pacific theater of World War II–a fascinating but often-glossed-over side of WWII
  4. It is rich with thematic elements–sibling relationships, teamwork, mind over matter, human dignity, the ethics of war. (Not that the author tries to propagandize. She doesn’t opine on the topics, it’s just that the story raises questions ripe for reflection or book club discussion.)
  5. God “accidentally” shows up. This is not a religious work and the author doesn’t even appear that curious about religion, much less be a fan of spiritual things, but she can’t help but report what happened. And the truth is that the story of Louie Zamperini’s life isn’t complete without the God who saved him from his worst enemy yet.

I’ve done a terrible job of summing up this book–and a similarly terrible job of expressing why I loved it so much.

But please, forgive the poor ramblings of a woman who can’t quite figure out how to put things into words–and pick up a copy of Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken. You will not be disappointed.

Rating:5 Stars
Category:History/Biography
Synopsis:The overwhelmingly powerful, fantastically told story of Louis Zamperini’s life as an Olympian, an airman, a castaway, a POW, an alcoholic, and a redeemed man.
Recommendation: As Carrie put it: “So why, exactly, are you still sitting here?” Buy it, borrow it, steal it*; but READ it.

*That’s an expression. Please don’t actually steal this book. Whoever you stole it from will never forgive you.

Categories Work

Liar, liar, pants on FI-AR

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As a dietitian, I have a few hard measures, but the majority of the data I collect and analyze comes from self-report.

I can weigh and measure a child. I can poke their finger to determine what their hemoglobin is. I can observe whether the child is drinking out of a bottle in my office–and sometimes whether they’re drinking water, milk, or juice.

But the majority of my information comes from parents themselves.

Before they come to visit me, they have to fill out a diet questionnaire that attempts to ascertain health and dietary patterns. Once they’re in my office, I interview the parents for additional information.

I rarely have any way of corroborating whether the story the parents are telling me is true or not.

I *do* happen to know that at least some of my client’s parents lie to me though.

Probably the most frequent example of a client lying is when the health interview reads that “no one in the household smokes”–but the diet questionnaire I’m reviewing reeks of smoke so badly I’m having coughing fits in my office trying to prep for the interview.

Then, there are the lies that are evident to anyone who is thinking.

How many hours a day does your child spend actively playing? the questionnaire asks.

“18 hours/day,” a parent replies.

If so, he’s getting far too little sleep, I want to point out.

But my favorite lies of all are the kind that the child contradicts.

Like the time when I had a picture-perfect diet questionnaire in front of me. According to the questionnaire, my client drinks 2 cups of whole milk (great, since he’s one), 4 oz of diluted 100% fruit juice, and several glasses of water in a day.

I asked mom to describe what her son eats in a typical day–and then I probed deeper. “And what does he usually drink?” I asked.

Big brother (age 6) answered, “Mmm…pop, Koolaid, Gatorade, juice…”

Mom was quick to cover, insisting that she only gave her one year old SPRITE, not the BAD kinds of soda with CAFFEINE in them. And Gatorade is only if they’re outside. And…

Yeah.

In other words, you lied.

Liar, liar, pants on FI-AR.

Then there’s the ones you wish had a little shame and would at least try to be embarrassed about SOMETHING. But that’s a WHOLE ‘nother story.

Categories Everyday Life

No, it’s NOT okay

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The Bubblicious bubble gum with its bright pink wrapper and bubble letters was too great a temptation.

I grabbed it from the supermarket checkout line, hid it in my pocket.

Mom discovered my theft before we made it to the car. She turned around, marched me back into the store where I was to return the item, apologize, and pay for it.

The shop lady was nice, trying to be kind.

“It’s okay,” she said.

“No, it is NOT okay,” my mother replied.

It was an offense, a punishable offense. Shoplifting, theft. Whatever you call it, it’s a crime. It’s not okay.

I think of my childhood shoplifting when a mortified child returns to my room with a plastic carrot in hand.

“I’m sorry I took your carrot,” says the mouth hidden in her chest.

I resist the urge to tell her that it’s okay.

It isn’t okay.

I tell her I forgive her. I thank her for returning it.

I’m glad there are still mothers like mine, who agree that it’s not okay.

There is hope yet for this next generation–some kids are still learning not to steal, some kids are still learning to confess their wrongdoings.

And I will do my part. I will condemn the behavior and give grace to the child. I will offer forgiveness without sweeping sin under the rug.

Inasmuch as I can, I will help these children learn law AND grace.

Categories Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday: Friends, Family, and my Fellow

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Thankful Thursday banner

The Fourth of July was funny this year, since it fell on a Thursday and I couldn’t get Friday off of work (I can’t take vacation until I’ve been with the County for 6 months–and my 6 month date was July 7).

It meant that last week I worked three days, had a day off, worked one day, and had the weekend.

Since it WAS the weekend after the fourth, my brother and sister-in-law and nieces were down in Lincoln and we girls had planned a shower for our sister-out-law-soon-to-be-sister-in-law (and vice versa).

Which meant I needed to fly (by car) up to Lincoln Friday after work, and come back in time for work on Monday.

My husband my busyness as an opportunity to visit his friend Dave in Colorado. Daniel left Wednesday evening and came back on Monday.

This week I’m thankful…

…for crafting with Ruth
Ruth is back in town from South Africa–and her travel with work is finally slowing down. We took the opportunity to get together Thursday afternoon for some sweet fellowship, some crafting (she finished a quilt top, I worked on a gift for my niece), and some food (another iteration of the Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry–this time with ground turkey. It was delicious.) God has been so gracious to give me a good friend here in Wichita–and to finally be giving her some relief from her travels.

…for fireworks with friends
A friend from our old Sunday School invited Daniel and I to do fireworks out at her house. Daniel, being gone, couldn’t go–but I brought Ruth along with me and we had a great time watching fireworks, catching up on Susanna’s life, and eating Susanna’s wonderful Toll House bars.

…for waiting Little Misses
When I arrived at my parents’ house at ten Friday evening, I found my sister and Little Miss in the driveway waiting. I got a hug from the Little Miss and went inside, where I was immediately handed Little Sis for our first face-to-face meeting. How delightful it was to see my little nieces and their parents.

Self portrait of myself and the not-too-happy Little Sis

Little Sis is less than happy to be taking a self-portrait with her Aunt Rebekah

…for breakfast with Daniel’s family
Saturday morning, I dropped by Daniel’s parents’ place for breakfast and good conversation with Rick and Paula and Daniel’s sisters. Before I left, Daniel’s niece (up in town for a shower for an aunt on the other side of the family) woke up and I got to snap a few photos and tuck her into her car seat.

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Miss H poses on a little stool at Grandma Garcia’s house

…for a fun-filled shower with extended family
It was fun, planning and having a shower for my current-sister-out-law, soon-to-be-sister-in-law (when she marries my brother in November). Even more fun was planning the shower with Joanna’s sister, my sister-in-law who is soon to be Joanna’s sister-out-law as well. (How’s that for fun?) I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome the second of the Brunk girls into our family. (Even if I couldn’t resist poking a little fun. We played a mad libs game from Pride and Prejudice, where Elizabeth tells her dad that she and Mr. Darcy are engaged. For the ending, we had Joanna’s father announce that Timothy was alright–and that he thinks he perhaps likes HER husband as much as he likes Debbie’s. Te-he!)

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Joanna poses with the beautiful cake her cousin made for her shower

…for hugs from old friends
I attended church with my family in the morning, at the church where I grew up. The last time I’d been there was when Daniel and I got married. While the congregation has had a lot of new people since I last attended, there were still a few faces I knew–and many of them came by to give hugs and catch up.

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The Little Miss puts “ovies” on her fingers at Val’s

…for the early return of my husband
By the time Monday rolled around, I was really missing Daniel. Since I’d moved to Wichita in January, there hadn’t been a day I hadn’t seen him until he left to visit Dave. Five days seemed a very long time. I expected Daniel back when I returned from work Monday evening, but was immensely pleased when I heard his key in the lock halfway through my lunch break on Monday. It was is so nice to have him back.

God has been so good to me to bless me with such rich gifts: friends, family, and my beloved. And, of course, there’s the friend who is with me whether in Wichita, in Lincoln, or wherever I go.

What a friend I have in Jesus.

Thank You, Lord, for giving me Him.

Categories Wedding

Wedding Whens and Wheres

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The first decision in planning a wedding is either when or where, depending on how long you intend your engagement to be and how tightly your ceremony and reception venues schedule.

Daniel and I decided our when when we decided to get married. We were searching for any way to get married before summer (of 2013) and arrived at Spring Break.

Even so, we did end up making some adjustments. Both of my sisters-in-law happened to be pregnant at the time, one due in April and the other in May–and we wanted them to be able to be there if at all possible. Having our wedding one Saturday before the first Saturday of Spring Break would give Debbie 3 weeks rather than 2 before her due date–which just might be the difference between them making it or not. Furthermore, the first Saturday of Spring Break happened to be my brother John’s anniversary–and Daniel’s nephew’s birthday. It would be better for us to get married the week before.

Lincoln Christian Fellowship

The church building I grew up in–for as long as I can remember, I attended the big white and red trimmed church out in Airpark

That set, we needed to determine our wheres.

It wasn’t that hard to decide on Lincoln as our wedding location. Both of our parents live in Lincoln–and since much of my extended family and friends live north of Lincoln and many of Daniel’s extended family and friends live south of Lincoln, it made Lincoln a good central location.

Our next consideration was whether to get married at my parents’ church, at Daniel’s parents’ church, or somewhere else entirely.

Daniel was pretty open to going somewhere else entirely, but frugality and sentimentality won the day.

I practically grew up at 4111 NW 44th Street. I attended services and midweek Bible Studies at Rejoice in the Lord Church every week from the time I was born until Rejoice in the Lord closed its doors when I was eleven. Rejoice gave the building to Lincoln Christian Fellowship, who rented it to a little school (which I attended for a year) in the couple of years before LCFs congregation moved out there. My family, of course, transitioned straight from Rejoice in the Lord to Lincoln Christian Fellowship with barely a hiccup.

Lincoln Christian Fellowship Sign

Back when this was Rejoice in the Lord, I remember running endless circles with one of my hands around this sign’s posts

I was in that building at least once a week (but more often 3 or 4 times a week) up to age 22 when I moved away from Lincoln.

You could say there’s some history between me and there.

I called the pastor, asked about availability on March 9th, about cost to rent the building.

It was free on both counts, for me.

We took it.

Daniel and I say our vows

Daniel and I say our vows–under the same cross that saw me baptized and under which I took my first communion
Categories WIC

WICbits: What is WIC?

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Whenever I tell someone where I work, I get a half dozen questions ranging from “What’s that?” to “My friend was telling me that she saw a liquor store that accepts WIC. What exactly does WIC give people?”

Since I happen to like my job–and I know that lots of people have questions about it, I figured I would answer some of the most frequently answered questions here, on my blog.

WHAT is WIC?
WIC, more properly titled the “Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children”, is a federal nutrition program administered by state and local agencies.

WHAT does WIC do?
WIC provides 1) nutrition education, 2) food packages, and 3) referrals.

What does “Food Packages” means?
Our “food packages” are specially tailored for different times of life and try to target the most vital nutrient needs in these different times of life. For example, for children our standard packages include a fruit and vegetable voucher (for a certain dollar amount worth of any vegetable except white potatoes), a certain amount of milk (whole if under age 2, reduced- or low-fat otherwise), eggs, beans or peanut butter, 100% fruit juice, whole grains, and breakfast cereal. These foods specifically work to meet children’s protein, calcium, iron, and vitamin needs. Clients can purchase only WIC approved items. They may not purchase candy, pop, cigarettes, alcohol, or potato chips with their WIC package. Neither can they purchase TV dinners or macaroni and cheese. They get exactly what is on their checks (or card, if they live in a state who uses electronic debit-type cards for food packages), nothing more.

WHO is eligible for WIC?
In order to be eligible for WIC, one must meet the following criterion:

  1. Meet categorical criterion: be a pregnant woman, a post-partum woman no less than 6 months after delivery, a breastfeeding woman up to one year after delivery, an infant (age 0-12 months), or a child (age 1-5 years)
  2. Meet income qualifications: have a household income within 185% of the federal poverty line
  3. Meet residency requirements: be a resident of the state in which the program is administered
  4. Have a nutritional risk

What is nutrition risk?
WIC has specific risk codes which professionals assign to applicants based on a diet questionnaire and client interview. These codes have different levels of severity, which help to prioritize eligible applicants should there be a waiting list for available WIC funds. Examples of risk codes include overweight or obesity, inadequate weight gain during a pregnancy, inadequate vitamin supplementation, or improperly diluted formula. Because the majority of women, infants, and children in the United States are at nutritional risk, we do also have a code for “Presumed nutrition risk” if a specific risk cannot be found. This is the lowest priority code, and honestly, I don’t know that I’ve ever used it. Applicants always have at least one clear nutrition risk.

HOW can you, being a fiscal conservative, justify working for a government program like WIC?
Actually, there aren’t a lot of government programs quite like WIC. Unlike most other government “welfare” programs, WIC isn’t an entitlement program. In other words, just because someone is eligible for WIC doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed WIC. WIC’s funding is not guaranteed by the federal government. WIC has to reapply for funding every year–which means they need to continually provide proof that their program is actually accomplishing something. And accomplish something we do. A number of studies show that for every dollar spent on WIC, as much as 3 dollars is saved in Medicaid spending. WICs targeted nutrition education and food packages means healthier kids–and less government spending on health care. I can justify working for WIC because I know that WIC is ultimately reducing government expenditures.

Categories Recap

Recap (7/6/2013)

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Videos Watched:

  • Your Life in Jelly Beans (linked to from all over)

    A very interesting visual of how we spend the days of our lives.

Recipes Tried:

  • Herbed Ricotta Gnocchi with Quick Tomato Sauce (from Serious Eats)
    A delicious meatless meal that, according to my husband, is “surprisingly filling; one bowl was almost too much.” I’m thrilled to have found a meatless meal with such staying power–and that’s as delicious as this is. I’ll be making it again–maybe trying out some different herbs and sauces with the basic gnocchi recipe.

  • Cherry Tomato and Green Bean Salad with Herbed Breadcrumbs (from Serious Eats)
    I thought this was pretty good, Daniel thought the green beans were undercooked. Then again, I really like green beans, and, having grown up snitching raw beans while stemming, I enjoy them raw. I may try it one more time, cooking the beans a bit more just to see if it improves Daniel’s opinion of them.

Nutrition News:

  • The More you Sleep the Less you Eat (HT: LifeHacker)
    In a controlled study at University of Pennsylvania’s sleep lab, scientists discovered that individuals who were in bed only 4 hours a night eat an average of 30% more calories per day compared to individuals who were in bed 10 hours a night. Low-sleep individuals ate an average of 550 calories during the hours between 10 pm and 4 am, when the control group was sleeping. This is an interesting study, but I’m wishing they had used a 7 or 8 hour

Projects Done:

  • US Map Jigsaw Puzzle (from Mr. Printables)
    The Little Miss and her new puzzle
    The little Miss just celebrated her second birthday–and came down to Lincoln for the weekend following the fourth. I went up to Lincoln for the weekend following the fourth, so I whipped up a gift for her. I have a B&W laser printer, so I printed the states and colored them with permanent markers before pasting them to sturdy cardboard and cutting out the pieces. Then, because I don’t like to do anything by halves, I created a tray for the pieces and mod-podged the whole thing to make it more durable. The Little Miss seemed to like it.

Categories Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday: Freedom

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Today we celebrate America’s freedom, beginning with the writing of the Declaration of Independence, fought for through a bloody war, and maintained by the watchfulness of America’s citizenry.

But I also celebrate (may I do so every day) my freedom, beginning when God purposed my salvation before the foundation of the world, bought through the bloodied Son of God upon the cross, and maintained by the same Son, who holds me eternally in His grasp.

Whatever my status is on this earth, I shall ever be free.

For he whom the Son sets free is free indeed. (John 8:36)

This week I’m thankful for freedom…

…to sit with friends and enjoy a book discussion while a wild storm rages outside

…to go to my old Sunday School’s after-church potluck (even though Daniel and I have joined a new Sunday School)

…to listen to worship music on Pandora over my lunch break and to sing along

…to post a snippet of a post a day late and call it good

Categories Everyday Life

A (Third) Naming Exercise

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The strange names just keep coming in my doors here at WIC–which means the naming exercises are continuing too.

A popular naming scheme is to name your child after something related to their conception. Just think of the 5 Ws and an H and get started.

When
Autumn (for a June baby)
Christmas
Dawn
Dusk
Eve
June (for a March baby)
Holiday
Independence
Millenium (Milly for short)
Sunday (Sunny for short)

Where
Austin
Boston
Chevy
Dodge
Houston
London
Mercedes
Paris
Texas

Who
(Yes, I know, this is a boring one that’s old as mud. Naming a child after his dad or granddad is nothing new. But it’s still a possibility. And it doesn’t have to just be a Junior. Consider naming your child after the person who introduced you to your baby’s daddy, or after the waitress at the restaurant where you had dinner before your baby was conceived. Did it happen during a football game? Commemorate the moment by naming your child after the MVP. Remember too, that last names make great first names–and you can always switch a letter or two to make it unique.)

How
Whoopi

I think you get the idea… :-)

Please note that all names are fictionalized. Any resemblance with actual WIC client names is entirely accidental. :-)