Chicken!

Garlic Rosemary Chicken

1 (5 pound) roasting chicken, skinned
2 (5 inch) rosemary sprigs
2 celery stalks with leaves, each cut into 4 pieces
2 small onions, quartered
16 garlic cloves
1 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
Rosemary sprigs (optional)
1 lemon, halved (optional)

Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken under cold water; pat dry.
Trim excess fat. Place 2 rosemary sprigs, celery, 4 onion wedges, and 4 garlic cloves in cavity of chicken, and tie legs together with twine. Place chicken, breast side up, in a 4-quart electric slow cooker; add remaining onion and garlic to cooker. Drizzle lemon juice over chicken; sprinkle with next 3 ingredients. Cover with lid; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat setting, and cook 6 hours or until chicken is tender. Discard rosemary. Serve chicken with vegetables and garlic. Garnish with additional rosemary sprigs and lemon halves, if desired.

What I do: My chicken is usually between 3 - 4 pounds and I don't remove the skin. I have used dried rosemary but do use a real lemon (as opposed to an artificial one; those are hard to juice).
I don't measure things unless I'm baking so I'm pretty sure I've never used 16 cloves of garlic. And I never have twine for the legs. I just tell that chicken to be a good little bird and keep her lugs tucked in. Also I have hurried the cooking process by cooking on high for 4 - 5 hours.
But this chicken turns out really well and somehow it even browns!

recipe from this book

Grateful

Sometimes no matter what my head knows and no matter how much I believe with all my heart that I will see Andrew again, the grief overwhelms me.
Certainly I do not grieve as those who have no hope, yet I do grieve as a mother who cannot see her young son. And for who knows how long.
I can have lots of good days and even good times when I think of Andrew and I can smile. Even though the "missing him" never lets up ~ it just doesn't. How could it when I always miss him? It's not like he's gone off to college or gotten married and moved away. (Not at 12.) Then I could call him and look forward to holiday breaks. There are no more real conversations between us. Only the ones in my heart. And they are a poor substitute.

I had such a beautiful time in Maryland. Our friends there and the body of Christ (new friends) at the church treated us exceptionally well.
I had my daughter with me and that helped me quite a bit, too. Before leaving home, and at the last minute, I decided to take my pillow as a "carry on." It was Andrew's pillow and I have been using it for months. I debated on whether I should take his robe with me. I always sleep with it. I did take it; I stuffed it in the pillowcase.

When I was speaking in Maryland, especially on Sunday morning when I was not so much sharing my story but teaching, I had a moment in which I felt I had "come home." It was like an inner sighing. I think that is what happens when we experience our spiritual gifting.

Tuesday on the flight home, the realization that I was returning home but there would not be Andrew there, washed over me. And the tears flowed. My daughter put her arm around me until I could control my tears.
Friday my husband had surgery to remove the rod from his leg and the last two pins (ski accident on 1/09). They called me back to the recovery room and it looked so much like an ER that my heart began to pound. And then I heard that awful beaping of the monitor. I remembered that sound and it brought back the anguish of Andrew's pain.

Saturday I ran in the Miles For Hope (brain cancer research) 5k. I saw posters honoring the survivors or memorializing those who did not survive. From what I could tell they were all adults. I did not make a poster for Andrew. I just felt it was too soon. I didn't want to "put him out there" in that way. And anyway we had the Team Andrew shirts. That felt right and it felt like enough for now.

Sunday I went to church with my oldest son. My daughter stayed home to assist her dad.
Through parts of the service I hung my head and hot tears landed on my linen skirt.
On the way home, we stopped at the gravesite and I dusted off the plastic name plate. It was broken in two places. (We have not yet ordered the permanent marker but feel that now is the time. It's been hard to think about that.)

Yesterday the tears would simply not stop for long. I asked God to please help me.

"Help me feel better. What's going on with me? Please help me."

I took my camera outside and took three pictures that mirrored my feelings ~ the purple flower with its blooms drooping, the crepe myrtle devoid of her lacy, pink blooms, the fallen tree grown too big for its container. Through tears I took pictures.
I debated on whether I should share my feelings here.

Grateful ~ Thank you for sending encouragement my way. Thank you for praying for me.

I am very grateful for you.

This song is soothing to me.

Andrew at 9 years old.

I just wanted to share a picture with you that I've never posted. Isn't my boy handsome? See that dimple on his right cheek? He has 3 freckles at the bottom curve of his left ear. They form a smile. I used to trace them and then kiss those freckles. Andrew and I called them "freckers." And almost every day I would tell him, "It's 'kiss the freckers day' and then you know what would happen. I often wonder what he will look like when finally I see him again in Heaven.

Grateful ~  "For I know that my Redeemer lives,

And He shall stand at last on the earth;

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I shall see God.." Job 19:25-26

This scripture has been going through my mind lately.

Needy

Today I am in need.

Grief overwhelms me and the tears don't stop for long.

When you pray today, please remember me.

Team Andrew and Miles For Hope

Saturday, 9/25, Team Andrew ran and biked in Miles For Hope...Moving Towards a Cure for Brain Tumors

Team Andrew shirts

Back of shirt with Andrew's Message

More pictures on See My Mom Run!

One Fine Man was unable to participate in Miles For Hope. He had surgery on his leg Friday. You may remember he had a ski accident on Jan. 1, 2009, in which he had a compound tib/fib fracture with skin grafts. Hopefully with the removal of the rod and pins, he will be able to run again.

2009 was a very rough year for us.

Sometimes "Life is hard. Always Look to Jesus."

We were blessed to have special family friends run and bike on Team Andrew.

To Baltimore and Back

The table where I was invited to sit and have tea.

Isn't it pretty?

Joan...Director of the Ladies' Ministry Board
~creator of the table~
Menu: tea, scones, chicken salad on croissants, fruit, assorted desserts including coconut creme pie



Joan made me another pie!



Sailing

My girl and me

Last Day in Maryland

We were well cared for, loved on and spoiled by my dear friends whose home we stayed in and by the wonderful people of Heritage Community Church in Severn, MD.

I spoke at the Ladies' Annual Tea on Saturday and partnered with the pastor in the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday services.

I'm including the link to the podcast (9/19) should you care to listen in.

http://www.heritagecommchurch.org/media/sermons

Home Again

Thanks for all the support and encouraging words. We return home today. What an outpouring of love and support my daughter and I have received. We've been spoiled.

We are blessed.

Get Ready, Get Set, Go!

I am getting ready and getting set to go! We leave for Maryland in a couple of days.

My girl and I are going together. She will sing and I will speak. (I'm singing, too.)

My girl and me...5/10

LaDon & Steve

We'll be staying with them. LaDon and I go waaaaay back. She and Steve are a great couple. Steve is the pastor of the church where I'll be speaking. He has invited me to speak with him in the Sunday a.m. services.

My boy, Avery and me...6/10

I'll be missing this boy while I'm gone.
And this man.

My One Fine Man and me...7/10



Sleepy Head Ted

 And this pup.

This boy I never leave behind because he is always in my heart. But I'm always missing him.

Andrew and his passion ~ skateboarding

Today marks nine months since Andrew left Earth for Heaven.

Nine Months.