Things I Learned This Month | April 2019

After a brief hiatus, I'm back on track with sharing a list of some of the things I learned this month. I got the idea from Emily P. Freeman a year or two ago, and it's a simple practice that I really enjoy.

1. I learned all sorts of interesting things about T.J. Maxx.

I was curious about the store's name in Europe. Over here, it's called T.K. Maxx. But it's obviously the same store - it has the exact same branding and products. Turns out, when the company extended into the UK it didn't want to be confused with T.K. Hughes, another well-established brand. So in Europe it's T.K. Maxx. Further fun fact, T.J. Maxx and Marshall's are owned by the same parent company, TJX. What I could not discover is why the store is called T.J. Maxx in the first place. The internet has no conclusive evidence, so I suppose it shall remain a mystery.

2. "Critical thinking without hope is cynicism. But hope without critical thinking is naivete."

I heard Maria Popova say this in an interview with Krista Tippett on the show On Being, and it has really stuck with me.

3. A mantra for discerning a possible next right thing: Do what you know. Finish what you started. Use what you have. 

I got this one from Myquillen Smith during a bonus episode of Emily P. Freeman's podcast The Next Right Thing. 

4. The crepe man I remember from childhood has been there for 20 years.

Mom and I went to Heidelberg for my first visit since we moved in 2012. A highlight of the day was getting a crepe from the crepe man. (Did I think to ask his name? No.) He has a little stand in an alcove in the outside of the main church in Heidelberg, and when we lived in Heidelberg we would often get his crepes for lunch and eat them on the bridge. I was pleased to discover that they are still the best crepes that I have ever had. It was fun to visit with him a little bit and discover that this is an art that he has perfected over 20 years. Apparently once a French school group bought his crepes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner because they are so delicious.

Things I Learned This Month | February 2019

WOW this was a full month. I spent a whirlwind long weekend in New York for an event celebrating the mark of 100 days before Charlie's class graduates from West Point - one of the crazier good decisions I've made in the last few years. I'm so proud of my big little brother. And he got me flowers. Major brownie points.

I also got to meet the wonderful, beautiful Ellie, my best friend Liza's daughter. Also seeing Liza was super. She's a wonder woman - flew up to NY from SC solo with an eight-month-old.

Anyway. This monthly post has turned into an excuse to share the photos I would have written posts about if I had my life together, but the actual purpose is to share a handful of the things I learned this month with y'all. So. Without further ado, some things I learned this month.

1. Samin Nosrat, the author of the cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, had enrolled in a program to get her MFA in poetry when she learned that she had the opportunity to apprentice under a famous Italian cook in Florence. The rest is history. There's a strong connection between poetry and recipe writing, y'all - economy with words, vivid descriptions - I'm not even kidding.

2. Tossing a spoonful of baking soda into the cooking water for dried chick peas makes them heavenly. I got this tip from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, and those chick peas were melt-in-your-mouth tender. I never would have thought I'd get excited about a new method to cook dried beans, but I so am.

3. The Greatest Showman soundtrack is superb. I'm super late to the game, I know, and I still haven't seen the movie. But Charlie's pals played this music nonstop during the weekend I was at West Point, and I love it. I will forever associate "A Million Dreams" with a bunch of cadets singing their hearts out as they prepared a spectacular brunch for their dates and friends.

4. "Tradition is to communities what memory is to individuals." This is a quote from Irish poet John O'Donahue that has me thinking quite a bit.

5. There are lyrics to the traditional clock chime. You know, the chime that you think of when you think of Big Ben or any church tolling the hours. This one. The words inscribed on a plaque in the Big Ben clock room are:

All through this hour
Lord be my guide

That by Thy power

No foot shall slide.

I learned this from a recent episode of Emily P. Freeman's podcast, The Next Right Thing. Which, by the way, is one thing I look forward to every single week. She's actually the inspiration for my monthly practice of sharing what I've learned. 

Things I Learned This Month | January 2019

After a brief hiatus, we're back to things I learned this month! (The main reason this didn't happen in December is that my brain wanted to remember all the things I learned in 2018. Which was, frankly, overwhelming.)

There's a "magic" lipstick that looks bright green but turns red when applied. 

A friend of mine visiting from North Africa brought me a stick, because apparently it's all the rage there. I was seriously skeptical until we tried it - and it worked. I did some googling, and different sources say different things about the magic. The Daily Mail says that the lipstick reacts to your skin's pH level to turn just the right shade of red. Into the Gloss says that it contains a dye called Red 27 which is colorless when dissolved in a waterless base, but which turns red upon contact with moisture. Either way, it's fun to apply lipstick that looks like it should belong to Elphaba and turns out to be as full of pizazz as Galinda.

Coffee does have its uses.

If you know me at all in real life, you know that I drink tea by the gallon and avoid coffee as if it were drinkable mud. I just don't like the taste. But on some days, it is a valid option to functioning like a normal human. I got up at 3:30 am to take a friend to the airport, and after I dropped her off, I had several hours to kill before going to work. So I hied me to Starbucks, got myself a grande Americano that I doctored liberally with cinnamon, cocoa powder, cream, and sugar, and took my medicine while doing my devotions and lesson planning. It worked: I stayed functional until my classes ended and then went home to take a nap. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I really enjoy the enforced contemplation of MRIs and acupuncture. 

I've been having mild, ongoing ankle issues that are exceptionally difficult to diagnose. As a result, I've spent awhile lying in dark rooms with lots of banging (MRI) and pins sticking in my ankle (acupuncture). I thought I'd chafe at the empty time, but instead I've found myself actually looking forward to it. For once I have an excuse to lie on my back and do nothing except daydream and pray. It's strangely rejuvenating. Silver linings, and all that.

Sometimes you have to learn by doing.

My church is piloting a translation ministry - the dream is to provide simultaneous translation of each evening service from German into English. When I was asked to participate, part of me thought, "I have no idea how to do this." A bigger part of me thought, "I'll never know how unless I try." I got to do a run-through while we tested technology during a service last week, and I actually really enjoyed it. Though, arbitrarily, my brain decided to fly through the sermon (the difficult part) with barely a hitch, and stumble haltingly through the announcements (the easy part). Lesson learned: concentrate just as much on the easy parts instead of assuming that since they're simpler they require less attention.

Rachel Huffington's Ultimate Ginger Cookies are every bit as amazing as they look in her pictures. 

I've been wanting to try these cookies ever since I realized they call for a full 3/4 cup of minced fresh ginger, and they did not disappoint. They smell heavenly, the texture is everything I wanted it to be, and the sharp kick of ginger is a perfect companion to a cup of tea. Also, they are good with peanut butter. But then, I think that just about anything is good with peanut butter.

What I Learned {Last} Month | November 2018

I seem to have developed a habit of writing these posts a couple of days late. Well, c'est la vie. 

Without further delay, here's the November edition of what I learned this month, inspired by Emily P. Freeman's regular practice.

Anne Bogel, (aka the Modern Mrs. Darcy) has a degree in Christian education. 

Bogel is best known for her blog, Modern Mrs. Darcy, and her podcast, What Should I Read Next. I've enjoyed her work for ages - thanks to her my to-be-read list is massively long. While I knew that she had a German minor, I had no idea that she had a degree in Christian education. You learn something new every day if you're lucky.

I crave a multi-generational friend-group.

Last year I almost exclusively spent time with peers, which had me feeling a little off-kilter. So this year I decided to join a women's Bible study group, of which I am by far the youngest member, and to help lead my church youth group. So far, so good, but I recently started feeling off-kilter again. I'd swung too far in the other direction and was craving some solid time with peers! Y'all, we all need people from various generations in our lives. I'm currently working out how to cultivate friendships across generations while also doing all the things necessary for life. Figuring out a social life can be challenging!

Turning the heel of a sock is not nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be. 

I knit my first sock last month, due to an impulse-buy of a sock-knitting kit at Aldi. I've knit off and on for years, but never attempted socks, due to the notorious difficulty of turning heels. But thanks to this YouTube tutorial, I got through without a hitch.

There was, in fact, turkey at the first Thanksgiving. I quote William Bradford:

"All ye somer ther was no want. And now begane to come in store of foule, as winter appoached, of which this place did abound when they came first. . .besids water foule, ther was a great store of wild Turkies." 

Every year news stories crop up about how there really wasn't turkey at the first Thanksgiving. Those journalists are not doing their research.

I cannot define pie.

I'm not talking about the numeral here. I'm talking about the dessert. Pie isn't a thing in Germany, so when I had some friends over for pumpkin pie last week, they were all quite intrigued. Being German, they hadn't ever had pie, and being German, they wanted a definition. It was entertaining: as I started to slice the pie they all gathered around and started peppering me with questions.

"How is it different than Kuchen [German torte]?"

"Well, it has a crust."

"Is the crust always the same?"

"No..."

"Is the filling always a similar consistency?"

"No..."

"Doesn't it sometimes have a top crust?"

"Yes, but it doesn't have to..."

"Is it always sweet?"

"No..."

"Is quiche a pie?"

"Yes? No? Sort of?"

Eventually they gave up trying to get a definition out of me and simply contented themselves with the goodness that is pumpkin pie.

According to the dictionary, a pie is "a baked dish of fruit, or meat and vegetables, typically with a top and base of pastry," but that doesn't quite seem to capture the essence of pie. Help!

Things I Learned {Last} Month | October 2018

Some months get a little crazy, and October was one of those for me - filled to the brim. Which is why October's "Things I Learned This Month" is coming two days into November. Welcome to my life. :D

Anyhoo, I enjoy this monthly summary way too much to let it slide, so I'm embracing the "better late than never" motto this month.

Prickly pear is pink and beautiful and yummy and - surprise! - prickly. I found one of these at a market, and since I'd seen them growing from cacti at the Cinque Terre in Italy, I bought one to try. It was delicious, but I had to pull some stickers out of my fingers from incautious handling (beware the black spots - they have tiny prickles). 

Pumpkin puree is super easy to make at home. Chop your pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, roast for about an hour, and slide off the skin and mash the flesh. You don't even need a blender or potato masher. A fork works fine. I don't think I'm ever going back to canned pumpkin puree.

Homemade chai masala is also super easy. I read an Indian cookbook from cover to cover this month, and I've been enjoying experimenting with the recipes in it. My favorite so far is the homemade chai spice blend. I finally bit the bullet and bought some cardamom and mixed up the spices for myself. Throw a spoonful in to steep with a mug of strong tea (hello, PG Tips), and add sweeting and milk as desired. Way better than Starbucks.

Basic chai masala:

5 T powdered ginger
2.5 T cinnamon
2.5 T cloves
1.5 T black pepper
1.5 T cardamom

The three oldest heads of state are Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed of Malaysia (93 years), Queen Elizabeth II (92 years), and President Beji Cald Essebsi of Tunisia (91 years). Random facts learned in conversation with my Tunisian flatmate.

October 28th was Czechoslovakia's 100th birthday. Sort of. But the confusing thing is that Czechoslovakia no longer exists. It's the Czech Republic/Czechia and Slovakia now, and those have only been around in their current forms since 1993. So I wasn't quite sure who to wish "happy birthday!" So I decided on "Huzzah for 100 years not under Hapsburg rule!" We happened to be in Prague on that day, and we enjoyed a brief fireworks show in the rain.

{Czech pubs have great names.}

Basic Czech comfort food: potatoes, sauerkraut, and ham. Preferably all mashed together as street food. This was really, really good.

Medieval artists may not have had ultrasounds, but that didn't keep them from imagining babies in mothers' wombs. I found this marvelous painting of Elizabeth greeting Mary in St. Agnes' Convent in Prague, and I absolutely love it.

In the fall, I tend to listen to albums, not playlists. Spring and summer are for lots of artists, lots of albums, and lots of playlists. In the fall, my listening slows down and lingers. I still listen to a decent amount of playlists, but if I cut them out entirely it wouldn't change my fall listening rhythms much. My go-to fall albums are Sleeping at Last's Atlas: Year One and Atlas: Year Two, the soundtrack for Cider House Rules (a movie I've never seen, but I love the music), and James Taylor's October Road. And if I could only listen to October Road all fall, I'd be perfectly content. This album is the sound of my childhood, of Appalachian fall colors, of cosy afternoons studying and cooking and walking Fritz through fields ready for harvest.

Things I Learned This Month | September 2018

I have a confession: I have been resenting the onset of fall. Usually I welcome the advent of sweater weather, but this year I clung to the last remnants of summer. Now that it's October, fall and I have made our peace and I'm enjoying bundling, but it's a struggle. As is usual with the close of a month, I'm sharing a few things I learned during September - mostly ordinary, some extraordinary.

{Also, I had the chance to write a guest post for The Write 100 Challenge last month. Check it out here.}

1. All the chicken things. I listened to The Lazy Genius Cooks Chicken a few days ago. Its a 40+ minute episode on all the different cuts of chicken and different things to do with them. I'm now dying to try change-your-life chicken. Also braising.

2. Pumpkin soup, which I already loved, is ratcheted up a notch when you add ginger, garlic, curry, and coconut milk. Yum. I'm so not a pumpkin spice latte person (hello tea-drinker), but I live on pumpkin soup in the fall.

3. Scrubbing the kitchen floor is THE BEST feeling. I moved back into my Munich apartment this month. Last year when I moved in, there were already people here, so I couldn't do a real deep clean. But this year I had the apartment to myself for a few weeks, and I attacked that kitchen. It probably hadn't been properly cleaned in five years. The final step was the floor. I got down on my hands and knees with two buckets of water, a scrub brush, and a rag and SCRUBBED that floor. End result, a job well done and a kitchen that feels clean for the first time since I moved here.

4. There is a tool to get at those pernicious weeds that root themselves in cracks in the driveway. It's a speed weeder and it is a beautiful creation. (Also it has a red handle. Score.) I found this randomly in a hardware store and bought it on a whim. This thing works wonders. You still have to apply a lot of elbow grease, but it's actually effectively applied elbow grease. My usual experience is huffing and puffing and straining and failing to get the roots of those weeds. This thing is easy on the wrist (directs force through the shoulder) AND gets the roots. Beautiful.

5. Dordrecht might be Holland's best-kept secret. My parents and I found this little gem of a town on a fluke and absolutely loved our stay there. I'm hoping to do an actual post on it eventually, but let's just say it has antique/junk shops galore, terrific seafood, idyllic canals, and a nature reserve where you can kayak. And everyone is incredibly friendly. Basically it's the perfect weekend getaway.

6. The Cinque Terre is one of my favorite places on earth. I knew this already, but I forgot how much I loved it in the 7 or 8 years since I've been there. I went this weekend with friends and fell in love with it all over again. There is nothing better than hiking hard along the Italian coast all day and then diving into the Mediterranean to refresh.

7. That word translated "angels" in Psalm 8? It's actually a word almost exclusively used for God. The word "angels" is actually 'elohiym. That word shows up 2,606 times in the Old Testament, and it's translated "God" 2,346 times, "god" 244 times, and then miscellaneous other things like "angels" the remaining 16 times. I could write a whole post on why this is awesome, but I'll content myself by suggesting that you go listen to Marty Goetz's song inspired by this Psalm. It pulls out the link to Christ as the Son of Man in such a cool way.

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor."

Things I Learned This Month | August 2018

As usual, as the month winds down, I'm sharing some of the things I've learned this month. There are some heftier ones that deserve their own posts, but for now here are some fun discoveries.

1. Brits don't use the term "sassy." I spent last week at a church retreat, and I spent a lot of time playing pool with a nine-year-old Englishman named Judah. At first I was so abysmal that trash talking was pointless, but as I got better, he got more smart-alecky. At one point I commented that he was getting quite sassy. He looked at me and asked: "Wot's sass?" After some failed attempts to describe what I meant (apparently the Brits don't have smart-alecks), I hunted for his parents to get a translation. "Oh! You mean he's been lippy. Does he need discipline for giving you lip?"

2. I am Matthew Crawley. (Insert laughter emojis here.) Mom and I have been rewatching the first two seasons of Downton, so I took an online quiz to find out which character I am. I would have been surprised, but the hilarious thing is that I took a similar quiz on a different website around 5 years ago and got the same result. Make of that what you will.

3. Brian Jacques' Redwall books bear returning to. I loved these books as a kid, and I picked up Lord Brocktree, one of my favorites, on a whim for the first time in six or seven years. I was surprised by how compelling, well-written, and well-characterized it is. These books are going to remain favorites for a long time. 

4. The story behind MLKJ's name: "In 1934, and African American pastor from Georgia made the trip of a lifetime, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, through the gates of Gibraltar, and across the Mediterranean Sea to the Holy Land. After this pilgrimage, he traveled to Berlin, attending an international conference of Baptist pastors. While in Germany, this man - who was named Michael King - became so impressed with what he learned about the reformer Martin Luther that he decided to do something dramatic. He offered the ultimate tribute to the man's memory by changing his own name to Martin Luther King. His 5-year-old son was also named Michael - and to the son's dying day his closest relatives would still call him Mike - but not long after the boy's father changed his own name, he decided to change his son's name too, and Michael King Jr. became known to the world as Martin Luther King Jr." (from an article by Eric Metaxas ) 

5. Dorothy Sayers, mystery author, theologian, and apologist, masterminded one of Guinness' most renowned ad campaigns. Mystery writing was Sayers' side job: in the 1920s she was a copywriter at an ad agency. Guinness requested that their ad campaign not mention beer (vulgar and not family-friendly) and emphasize the health qualities of Guinness. The result:

Things I Learned This Month | July 2018

It's still July?

Normally at the end of the month I think "How can the month be over already?"

That is so not where I am right now. This month has been so jam-packed with good things that I have trouble believing it was just a month.

I spent two weeks in Switzerland with my dad's extended family, five days in Malaga with a dear MK friend from college, and the rest of the time hanging out with family at home, talking on the phone with friends, and trying to get through Brothers Karamazov. July has been so great, but I'm kind of ready for August.

As per usual, I'm following Emily Freeman's lead to share a handful of the things I learned this month.

1. Cowbell is a very different instrument from what we hear in the classic SNL skit. We went to a folk festival in Wengen, the tiny Swiss town that we stayed in, and their troupe of cowbell wielders was quite impressive. I can't describe it in words, but here's a youtube video of the same performance from several years ago.

2. Songs are great conversation starters. While I was in Malaga, my friend Karis and I took turns sharing songs with each other - and each new song usually sparked a 10 minute conversation.

3. On the Enneagram, I'm Type 3 Wing 2. What does that mean? I really don't know. For now it's just an interesting fact I can pull out at parties. I plan to do some more investigating to see how this information can be of practical use. (FYI I've never figured out my Meyers-Briggs type, and I'm Hufflepuff. There. All personality bases covered.)

4. A calling is something that follows you anywhere. So often I can think of "calling" and "career" as synonymous, but that's not the case. Someone recently said that a calling is something that would be manifested even in a concentration camp. That's been interesting to think about as I consider what the Lord is leading me to after my second year in Germany.

5. I'm a fan of Spain. Malaga, at least. I've not been anywhere else in Spain, though I'm dreaming of doing part of the Camino del Santiago with a friend next year. At first it felt very Italian to me - similar Mediterranean cultures - but the longer I was there the more distinctive Spain felt. There's a lot of Moroccan influence on the southern coast of Spain, which added a really cool flavor to the art and architecture. And there is some amazing pottery. Not to mention beaches with crystal-clear water. And fresh salmon. Who knew? Apparently they try to come through the strait of Gibraltar, which makes them easy to catch. 

6. War and Peace  is a musical. Except that the title of the musical is Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. That's quite a mouthful! I haven't had the chance to listen to the whole thing, but from the two songs I've heard I'm intrigued.

7. There is so much cool symbolism tied to pomegranates. I really love pomegranates. Eating a pomegranate is like consuming rubies. For fun I decided to look up their symbolism on my way back from Spain.

• Pomegranates featured prominently in the decor of the temple that Solomon built.
• In many different cultures, pomegranates symbolize life, fertility, abundance, and rebirth (think the myth of Persephone). 
• In Jewish traditions, the pomegranate calyx is the "model" for a crown. 
• In Christian art, broken or bursting pomegranates often symbolize the fullness of Jesus' suffering and resurrection.
• In the Eastern Orthodox church, the pomegranate is used in a dish that symbolizes the sweetness of the kingdom of heaven. 

I don't often draw, but I decided I needed a pomegranate on my wall, so I pulled out my old colored pencils to meet that need.

Things I Learned This Month | June 2018

June is ending, which means we're halfway through 2018! (Crazy.) As per usual, today I'm sharing a list of some of the things I learned this month.

1. I learned how to use real ink in my fountain pen! I've had the pen for just over a year now - it was a graduation present - and I've been using disposable ink cartridges. Earlier this month a friend of a friend came to visit. It turns out she loves fountain pens, and we talked shop for a bit. A few weeks later a package arrived in the mail - a bottle of Majestic Blue ink and a converter so I can use it. I'm still blown away by the thoughtfulness of the gift and excited to be progressing further into the world of fountain pens.

2. Uganda is made up of 54 tribes and 40 languages. A Ugandan woman who goes to my parents' church told us about her homeland during a church picnic. I was flabbergasted by the vast range of cultures encompassed in this one country.

3. Captain Cook's goal was to discover a vast continent that people were convinced existed in the Pacific. It is amazing to me that even in the late 1700s we still didn't know what was out there.

4. 2 c heavy cream + 1 can sweetened condensed milk + toppings of choice = no-churn homemade ice cream. Guys. This stuff is amazing. I made one batch of rocky road and one batch of cinnamon, and it tasted better than store-bought ice cream. You whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks, then drizzle in the condensed milk with the mixer on low, then fold in the toppings. Stick it in a loaf pan and freeze for 5-6 hours and hey presto! deliciously creamy ice cream. I want to try infusing the cream with Earl Grey the next time I experiment.

5. Yogurt is a terrific substitute for oil in homemade brownies. What do you do when you have a craving for brownies and no oil in the house? The internet told me to use yogurt, so I gave it a go. Result: the fudgiest, yummiest brownies I've ever made.

6. Germany is the fourth defending champion to be eliminated from the Group Stage at the World Cup in the last five tournaments. Germany is going home from the World Cup without progressing for the first time in World Cup history. My mind is kind of blown - and not in a good way. I honestly can't imagine a World Cup without Germany.

7. I've been wasting my money on face cleansers. When we went to London early this month, I forgot about the low liquid allowance for carryon baggage, and I therefore had to toss my face wash and face moisturizer. Rather than using extremely harsh hotel soap, I just washed my face with warm water and a washcloth. My skin was so happy with this setup that I've been doing it all month. It actually improved! No more purchasing fancy facial cleansers for me!

8. Protestants and Roman Catholics speak the same language, but we have different dialects. I heard this on a podcast recently, and I love this way of articulating the truth that we share the same faith in spite of significant doctrinal differences.

9. There's an important difference between comfort and encouragement. Last month I mentioned how informative and cathartic it's been to read Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds. There's a lot of good stuff in there, and one thing that stood out to me is a distinction they made between comfort and encouragement.

"Comfort doesn’t change the situation itself, nor can it take away the pain, but it relays the message that someone cares and understands. Comfort validates grief and gives permission for the grieving process, or mourning, to take place. For example, when a person walks up to a widow standing by her husband’s casket and puts an arm around her shoulder, that gesture, with or without words, is comforting. It can’t bring the husband back to life or stop the tears or the pain, but it lets the widow know her grief is accepted and understood. She’s not alone in her sorrow. . . .Unfortunately, in our very efforts to help another person “feel better,” it’s easy to confuse comfort with encouragement and end up giving neither. Encouragement is an attempt to change the griever’s perspective. It may be a reminder to look at the bright side of a situation instead of the loss or to think about a past success and presume this present situation will turn out just as well. Obviously there’s a time for both comfort and encouragement, but what happens when the two are confused? If the grieving widow is told that it’s a good thing at least her husband had a substantial life insurance policy, how does she feel? Neither comforted nor encouraged! . . .When encouragement is given before comfort, the subtle or not so subtle message is, “Buck up, you shouldn’t feel so low.” It becomes a shame message rather than an encouragement. In fact, offering encouragement—no matter how well meant—when comfort is needed is another common way that permission to grieve is taken away."