Thursday, January 2, 2020

Really Random Thursday, 1/2/20


It's a new year. It's debatable whether it's a new decade or not--someone gently corrected my instagram post about it being a new decade, saying the new decade doesn't start until 2021. Agree or disagree?

The other day I found a couple of flashdrives that belonged to my father. Curious, I plugged them into the computer and opened them up.

My father was a minister for much of his life. His first church was in Los Angeles, City Terrace to be exact, and we lived in Downey. Much of the church congregation was Hispanic, so when it was time for church dinners, Mexican food it was. My father learned how to make some awesome enchiladas and tacos, and he made them many times over the years.

When I was small, we moved to Enid, Oklahoma, where we lived until I completed fourth grade.
I have the best memories of Oklahoma. I loved our home, and remember it seeming large, although I'm sure if I saw it now it would seem quite small.

It had a great porch, although interestingly I don't remember any of us ever sitting on it. I would love to have a porch like this now.
When we moved to Enid, this was the church where my father pastored. Later, a new church was constructed.
When we moved to Phoenix right before I started fifth grade, my parents were "church planters"--they started a new congregation in Phoenix. We didn't have a building, so the fledgling congregation met in a variety of places--first our own living room, then the Phoenix Rescue Mission, a bank hospitality room, and finally the congregation was large enough to purchase this model home that had been abandoned when the builder ran out of money. We added a steeple and this was the church for quite a few years--the living room became the sanctuary and the bedrooms became the Sunday School rooms.
I found this picture of my mother, brother and me (in the yellow dress, in case you were wondering...) along with some members of our small congregation.
Eventually there was enough money to begin a building project for a proper church. My grandfather, who was a finish carpenter by trade, helped with some of the building project. He was a kind and gentle man, and I loved him so much.

I wish I had pictures of the church in Seattle, where we moved just prior to my junior year in high school. It was the church where Mark and I were married.

It was a fun trip down memory lane to find these pictures.

Now that it is the beginning of January, are you planning to change your eating habits?

I would be remiss if I didn't include this interesting tidbit of information (Mark was reading "Facts to Make You More Intelligent" out loud to me last night). If you decide to go on the Oreo diet, "...researchers at Utah State University in 2017 conducted tests to determine the ideal length of time you should let your cookie soak in milk. Their findings? Four seconds." And now you know.

After writing yesterday about trying not to reach for my iPhone every time I have a few spare minutes, remember these days?
 Mark made sure I read this...

On New Year's Eve, we always have dinner with friends at a local Chinese restaurant. Then Mark and I drive out to where Aaron and Christa are celebrating and spending the night with friends--a very fun tradition three families have each year--lots of good food, games, fireworks and friendship. All of the kids have a friend about their same age. Except Ella. And she isn't really old enough to make it all the way til midnight. So we pick her up and bring her home for the night.

But before we leave, we always grab a couple of "New Year's cookies" (as we have grown up calling them--think fritters with apples or raisins, deep fat fried, and then rolled in sugar or glaze. SOOOO good, especially when they are still fresh.
Jane thought there needed to be a picture of me in this first post of the new decade. I mostly avoid pictures if I can. But she was insistent, so here you go.
Happy 2020!

5 comments:

05 08
Robby said... #

Happy 2020! What a fun find of those pictures. I'm also going to go on record as saying that the perfect amount of time to dunk an Oreo is a very personal matter. And now.. I wanta fritter.

FlourishingPalms said... #

I love knowing about your background. Such an interesting way to grow up. That old church, in Enid, looks exactly like the Ohio church I was baptized in. It was my grandparent's church, and even now hasn't changed a bit! (I always thought I'd make a good pastor's wife, but certainly that didn't happen!) No dieting here. We already eat healthily, and I’m still making fresh-pressed green veggie juice for us every day. I sure like your family tradition of "New Year’s cookies" like that! I could make that my own tradition if there was a place around here where they could be bought. Gosh, I'd be happy making Krispy Kreme donuts a NYE midnight tradition, but even getting those is a 43 mile drive! Guess I'll just keep going to bed at 10 pm. Have a happy 2020, Cindy!

Farm Quilter said... #

How interesting to move from state to state!! So different from my "story"...same house from 8 months old until I was 20, same city until I was 50! I love Brian Crane's comic strip...I had one of his children in my class the first year I taught...either his mother or wife has to be a quilter!! Then you had to go and ask about my diet, as I'm eating a delicious homemade cinnamon roll!!

Anorina @SameliasMum said... #

Happy 2020 xxx

Anne / Springleaf Studios said... #

It was fun to see a little of your early church life. I didn't realize you lived in so many places. Happy 2020!!! PS check your comments . . . I think you have a scam one.