Monday, September 26, 2011

Perfect Moment Monday -- Brewing Masters

What the heck is this?
No matter what it looks like, just know that it's Perfect!
Each week I participate in Perfect Moment Monday, sponsored by the blog, WriteMindOpenHeart.com According to Lavender Luz, "Perfect Moment Monday" is about noticing a perfect moment rather than creating one. Perfect Moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between." And so, here is a Perfect Moment for this week.

Me the Happy Brewer!
Pictured above is one of our first two cases of home brewed beer! We brewed a Pale Ale and a Scottish Red Ale as part of the Home Beer Brewing course that we are taking while here in PA.

Tom and David check the alcohol content of the new beer.
No, it's not an official class, but we did have homework (including reading our Home Brew manual and collecting and washing brown bottles -- which required some beer drinking). Tough, I know, but in a couple of weeks we will know the results of our efforts. I can't wait for the first official taste!

We met some awesome people who also brewed their own batches of beer, and the instructor of this course, is, well...he's quite adorable. Our instructor David B. is SO passionate about brewing beer and the science behind it. He refers to the fermenting beer as a living organism and "liquid happiness!" His face lights up whenever he is brewing beer or teaching something about the process. He LOVES to brew beer! It's quite admirable.

Sanitizing the bottles and then hanging them
to dry on the bottle tree.
The bottled "liquid loveliness" is ready to sit for two weeks
prior to our first tasting. I can hardly wait!
When I told Tom how impressed I was by David's passion, he said, "Honey, that's the way you are about yoga!" Yes. That's true. I just didn't realize it was so obvious to other people.

The great thing is that we have our recipes, the equipment and the experience to brew more. In fact, we may make it a life-long hobby.

It kinda makes you want to come visit us, doesn't it?

Spending this time with Tom doing something this fun was PERFECT!

If you'd like to check out more Perfect Moment Mondays go to WriteMindOpenHeart.com by clicking here.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Perfect Moment Monday -- Miracles DO Happen

James, Ryan, and Bryce with their blond friend, Jackson in church.
Each week I participate in Perfect Moment Monday, sponsored by the blog, WriteMindOpenHeart.com According to Lavender Luz, "Perfect Moment Monday" is about noticing a perfect moment rather than creating one. Perfect Moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between." And so, here is a Perfect Moment for this week.

Since moving to PA, we have started going to church at the chapel on post. You won't believe this, but I am part of the Praise and Worship team that sings uplifting songs prior to the service each Sunday. I have met some of the most wonderful people in this group, including a sophomore whose name is Sara. She is a bright young woman with an outgoing personality, an absolutely beautiful voice and a heart of gold.

A couple of weeks ago, she told me she had invited James to church, who unlike his brothers, had not chosen to attend church each Sunday. She was singing a solo and wanted him to come listen.

When the Praise and Worship team met to practice prior to Sunday School, Sara told me she was very nervous about singing her solo in church, but what helped her find her strength was knowing that she was singing this song for James to help him open his heart. As she explained this to me, tears filled my eyes. I was so touched that she cared so much for him (miracle #1).

Sara and I stood next to each other during Praise and Worship and I smiled as I saw James come into the church and sit by his brothers, Ryan and Bryce (miracle #2). They all three smiled, sang along and even got their entire pew moving left and right to the music. They were having fun...in church (miracle #3).

At the offering, Sara and Dan, her accompanist, came back out to set up for her solo. The music started and the entire church was silenced and in awe of this beautiful soul singing out to every person who has lost their way...but especially to James.

Here are the lyrics to the song, "Cry Out for Jesus" that Sara sang this morning:
To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains

Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

Chorus


There is hope for the helpless

Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on

They lost all of their faith and love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains

You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

Chorus


When your lonely (when you're lonely)

And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who suffers from being alone

Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

Chorus
Before she had finished, I had tears in my eyes. My heart was happy and sad all at once. I prayed that James' heart would open, and I realized that my heart was opening too, and that my heart had been sad. Sad about his sadness, grief over losing his father, loss on so many levels, and just having to experience things that nobody his age should have to face.

When Sara ended her beautiful song, the congregation clapped, and James was the only person to stand up as a standing ovation for Sara -- and he didn't care at all that he was the only person standing. I was sitting behind him and as he sat back down, I noticed James was crying. Perhaps his heart had opened, possibly a little bit but maybe even a lot (miracle #4). Ryan was sitting beside James and he was crying too. I moved up next to James and hugged him, both of us crying.

Sara's beautiful voice cut through all of the layers of grief and emotions and reached out to us and to all of the other people in the church (miracle #5). It was absolutely beautiful.

It took me several minutes to find my composure. I couldn't believe so many emotions came pouring out. Even typing this now, I am teary-eyed by the memory.

I am so very touched and moved by what happened today. WOW! Miracles DO happen.

Perfect...

If you'd like to check out more Perfect Moment Mondays go to WriteMindOpenHeart.com by clicking here.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Perfect Moment Monday -- The Big Apple!

Strawberry Fields in Central Park -- a dedication to John Lennon.
We took the boys to Strawberry Fields to mark the third
anniversary of the death of their father (my ex-husband), who
loved that era of music. The boys sat on a bench listening
to a great musician playing Lennon's music, and had a
few minutes to remember their Dad.
Each week I participate in Perfect Moment Monday, sponsored by the blog, WriteMindOpenHeart.com According to Lavender Luz, "Perfect Moment Monday" is about noticing a perfect moment rather than creating one. Perfect Moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between." And so, here is a Perfect Moment for this week.

Over Labor Day weekend, we took the train to New York City and visited Tom's brother, Mike, and his family. Their family is VERY accommodating (and appreciated for being so). Even though they live in a two bedroom apartment on the east side of Central Park, they invited us to stay with them. With all four kids (our three and their one) sprawled out in the living room, and Tom and I in KK's room, we felt quite welcomed, if not a bit cozy.

The famous Nathan's Hot Dogs was our
first stop at Coney Island.
Friday we had great weather and spent the day at Coney Island. No trip to Coney Island would be complete without stopping at Nathan's. My question, "Hey -- where is the vegetarian hot dog???"

We hung out on the beach and relaxed. Tom and the kids got into the water (which had been quite stirred up from Hurricane Irene), and amongst all of these already perfect moments, KK asked me to show her some yoga poses.

Authentic Chinese restaurant in Chinatown
where they hand pull the noodles. Shown
above is the cook throwing the dough,
preparing it for hand-pulling. Delicious!!
We spent at least 30-minutes doing yoga poses together -- experimenting, playing, enjoying our time on the beach. She gave me some tips and showed me some of her own "poses" from her extensive gymnastics background. I felt like I was 12-years old again! It was a great bonding moment for me and my niece. Perfect!!!

Saturday we walked through Central Park and made our way to Hell's Kitchen to find the delicious sushi restaurant we visited last year. Lo and behold...it was all boarded up! So we went to another sushi restaurant just down the street and found a new favorite.

That night Chinatown offered some great shopping and bargaining. KK had previously learned about an authentic Chinese restaurant that hand-pulls the noodles...so we checked it out. We were all amazed that there was a open doorway into the kitchen and we could watch the cook preparing (slamming the dough down onto the counter) the noodles for our delicious meals.

The next morning a walk in a park near Mike and Holly's house was so beautiful and peaceful. It's amazing how the city can be SO loud and within a couple of steps be so quiet and peaceful.

Sunday's excursion was to Times Square (for some more bargain shopping), a Broadway musical, The Addams Family, and dinner at Patsy's to celebrate James' 16th birthday. Do I really have a kid that is 16 years old???

The only caption needed: DELICIOUS!!!
Monday we headed back to Penn Station to get back on the train to head home. The train was very relaxing and provided a great atmosphere for studying, reading, sleeping and relaxing.

The entire weekend was FULL of Perfect Moments!

Here are some additional photos from our trip:

A statue of Peter Pan in a nearby park.

Tom and Holly enjoying our walk.

Boys sleeping on air mattresses in the living room.
We had awesome accommodations and enjoyed (and appreciated) GREAT hospitality.



A quick lunch at Nathan's at Coney Island before hitting the beach.
If you'd like to check out more Perfect Moment Mondays go to WriteMindOpenHeart.com by clicking here.