Black Bear Season: Listening to the New Album from Andrew Belle

Last Tuesday DH and I attended a listening party for the new album by Andrew Belle, Black Bear. The event was held at a gem of a restaurant called Ada Street and hosted by Vinyl Me, Please, a neat little music club start-up. We arrived early and sat in the bar enjoying specialty cocktails (non-alcoholic for me, of course) and tasty small plates prior to the event. What a cool venue. It is hidden away in a rather industrial area of the city, west of Goose Island. If you didn't know what you were looking for, you wouldn't know it was there. This was my first visit (DH had been before for a work event), and I'm already looking forward to going back.

But this isn't about food (necessarily), it's about the music. I don't remember exactly when or how I started listening to Andrew Belle, but it was probably 2-3 years ago, even before we attended the last Ten out of Tenn show in Chicago (a great collection of artists, you should check out all of them). That goes to say, I liked him first! Before all you hipsters ever saw his skinny jeans and swooped shaggy haircut. Or at least that's what I'm going to tell myself. I pride myself on liking the kind of music that never really goes mainstream or, if it does, I found it before they did. There was an interesting mix of people attending this event, including Andrew and his posse, and DH was not a little uncomfortable but I think the free beer helped him overcome his discomfort in being surrounded by too-tight pants and buffalo plaids. To be fair, I guess I should say the guests were of all ages and styles, not just the hipster variety.

We sat down at a picnic table in the outdoor area where the party was being held and promptly struck up conversation with the guy and gal sitting across from us (not a couple, just friends). The guy was a fan -- he brought his girl/friend along for the show. The gal was, ironically, daughter to two native Croatians and spent her summers there growing up. DH and I enjoyed sharing memories from our recent trip there. Such a small world connection.

By the time they started playing the album over the minute speaks arranged in two far corners of the patio, we were sweating in the 90-degree twilight and most of the attendees were a couple beers deep. The sound system was poor and the tunes difficult to hear. Bummer. I had waited all week to hear the album for the first time, resisting the various links posted on the web for opportunities to pre-listen. I really wanted to be impacted by this first full listen. I did download one song from NoiseTrade, and this only served to feed the excitement. By the end of the night, I had acquired a copy of the album (signed by AB, of course) and a first-hand explanation of the album title.

The theme "black bear" runs through the album and this concept carried special meaning for the artist as he wrote the songs during a time in his faith when he felt especially pursued by God. He was gracious enough to give me this answer when I asked. I didn't really comprehend the meaning so much until I mentioned it to DH (who is a hunter, and actually hunted black bear last fall during our trip to Montana). He told me that black bears relentlessly and silently stalk their prey prior to making a rush attack, which is almost always fatal. I think Andrew's metaphor is apt.

This is not to say that God is always silent or withdrawn, but that He is always present although sometimes we are (willfully) ignorant of His presence. He will "stalk" His children, even when they are running in the other direction, just as the shepherd tirelessly seeks a lone, lost sheep to carry it back to the flock (Luke 15:1-7). But what happens when the black bear attacks its prey? Inevitable death and consumption. When God "catches" the lost sinner, a death of self is required, repentance and spiritual renewal. It is not an exact metaphor, to be sure, but the imagery makes sense in my head. And it certainly adds value to the thoughtful lyrics and beautiful music of Belle's album.

Are you curious enough to listen now? Give it a shot, you can stream the entire album from the Paste magazine website. Enjoy!
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2013/08/album-stream-andrew-belle---black-bear.html

What's for Dinner: Taco Salad

I'll admit, I'm pretty proud of this one. For several reasons. This past weekend, DH and I went grocery shopping together for the first time in... years. Not because I don't like grocery shopping (I do) -- it's simply because we discovered in the first few years of marriage that it was one of those activities we couldn't do together. Brand preferences abound, arguments ensued. But, since it is one of those domestic tasks that DH actually enjoys accomplishing (and once I got over my own case of housewifely pride), he took over all grocery shopping a couple years ago. He really gets a kick out of finding the best deal. I'm not complaining.

I also happened to clean out our refrigerator on Saturday for the first time in.... wait, I don't want to tell you that. Let's just say it had been a while since the walls of that fridge saw bleach. Either way, thanks to this new-found nesting instinct I'm getting a lot accomplished around the house these days (and on this blog, if you haven't noticed)! So our sparkly clean fridge was ready to house the small assortment of carefully planned food items I picked out for this week's dinners. DH does the shopping but I still do the meal-planning (most days) and the goal is always healthy and tasty. Sometimes it's hard to get both. But this meal really worked!

So tonight's dinner incorporated not only a healthy dose of fresh veggies, but also a little bit of leftovers magic. Last night's dinner was Grilled Sausage Hoagies with Sauteed Red Peppers & Onions and Summer Corn Salad (with a few tweaks). I used fresh corn for the recipe (how could you not in the middle of summer!) -- a quick steam in the microwave makes for fast and easy cooking. And fresh just tastes better. I chopped up onions, red peppers and celery to toss with the corn. I then stowed away half of the mixed in tupperware for what would become a portion of tonight's taco salad. The remaining mixture was the perfect amount to serve two for the Corn Salad (note: I left out the feta cheese, it really didn't need it, although it probably would have tasted good).

Tonight when I got home from work, my first task was to prepare the yummy Mexican-cuisine-inspired dressing for the salad. This is the recipe I started with, but ended up adjusting it a little bit based on my available ingredients. Here's what I ended up with:

Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette

• 3 T lime juice (about 1.5 limes)
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce + 1/2 T sauce (find it in the Hispanic food aisle at the grocery store)
• 1 1/2 tsp honey 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/4 tsp onion powder 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1/3 cup water 
• 1 T sugar  
• 1 T chopped cilantro 

Mix all ingredients together in a blender and add water or sugar to taste (will tone down spiciness if it's got too much heat) 

I was hoping to have some leftover of this dressing to use another night, but we liked it so much we used it all up! My lettuce mix included chopped Romaine hearts (I cheated and bought the bagged version), my corn-onion-celery-red pepper mix from last night's dinner, fresh chopped cilantro, 1 diced tomato and half a cucumber, diced. Lots of good veggies! I also dished out a separate portion of this salad mix into a tupperware for my lunch tomorrow... aren't I great at planning ahead? ;)

For the protein, I sauteed half a pound of ground beef with a fancy taco mix DH picked up at Whole Foods. I don't remember the brand name, but you mix it with 1/3 cup of beer -- great flavor! I tossed in a can of black beans at the end to prevent overcooking. Each element of the salad was "self serve" at the table and we topped it off with a handful of crushed Trader Joe's Soy & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips. I meant to add a little shredded cheese on top as well, but forgot. It didn't really need it. You know how I know this dinner was a success? DH went for seconds. :) This recipe is definitely a keeper. And I would use this dressing on just about any salad or maybe as a marinade -- it's the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.

Enjoy!

23 weeks, 4 days

For anyone who's wondering about the bump...

(taken in the bathroom at work... classy, I know)

Also,  spent nearly two hours deep cleaning our refrigerator today... nesting anyone?

Are Christians Called to Have Great Sex?

Yep, I said it -- the "s" word: SEX. Why are we so afraid to talk about it? There is most definitely a time and place to discuss sexual intimacy (the dinner table is probably not the ideal place), so I figure that's exactly what blogs are for. It should not be so taboo that honest questions are going unanswered and young Christian women and men are suffering from lack of spiritual encouragement in this regard. The question here is not about pre-marital sex -- I believe the boundaries presented by the Bible are pretty clear about God's intent for when sex should take place (Matt. 15:19, Heb 13:4, 1 Cor. 7:2). What I'm talking about here is what happens after the vows have been taken.

A few weeks ago, I read this article (Christians Are Not Called to Have Amazing Sex) from Relevant magazine, and my response was "Right on!". Last Friday, however, I attended a women-only seminar called "The Passion Pursuit: What Kind of Love Are You Making?", hosted by the founders of Authentic Intimacy, where some different ideas were presented. Dr. Juli Slattery and Linda Dillow of Authentic Intimacy spoke to 75 women for about 2 hours on Christian marriage, sex and what God intends for us as wives. I wouldn't say it was revolutionary, per se, but it certainly made me think about how we represent sex in our modern Christian culture, and what we really should be living out in our marriage and, therefore, saying to future generations.

Their overarching message centered around the idea that God does intend for us to enjoy sexual intimacy with our husbands, and not just "endure it" as a wifely duty or bypass efforts to improve sexual relations because "it's not really that important". This falls somewhere in between the purity ring approach -- in which sexual expectations are placed upon a pedestal (from which they will ultimately fall) for all "good" Christian girls and boys -- and the gnostic approach, in which the importance of sexual relations is denied, dubbed as outside the realm of Christian pursuits or "lesser" in the marriage relationship (this article seems to come from that perspective: No Need for Nooners). Following either path too far will ultimately lead to idolatry of one sort or another. God created us as both physical and spiritual creatures (and Christ is both fully God and fully man), and His intent is to redeem us fully. He never said sex wasn't part of the equation.

Obviously marriage is about more than sex. I think the article from Relevant magazine makes a good point in that regard. And we certainly shouldn't give up on marriage simply because making it "good" takes work. Sex is also an integral part of the marital relationship that is used in the Bible as a type of Christ's relationship with His bride, the Church. In Ephesians 5:31, Paul addresses this mysterious connection of "two becoming one". As with Christ and His beloved, making the relationship work requires sacrifice and persistence. Sometimes even in the face of rejection. The marriage relationship, including sex, is a means of grace given by God to His people for mutual sanctification as well as His glory. We know that, in the meantime, sin will get in the way, just like with everything else. But this doesn't mean that we should settle for second best. I believe God really does want us to pursue the best marriage (and sex) that we can -- for His glory and for our enjoyment.

At the end of the day (or in the middle of the afternoon, if that's your preference), we need to remember both sides of the story. In this life, we will never achieve physical perfection and that includes the physical relationship with our husband/wife. But God is the Great Physician, and this means He has given us healing in every area of life -- including the sexual realm. We too often think of this as a past time too "earthy" for God's intervention. But isn't He the one who came up with it? To reject His intent for sex would be to deny the efficacy of His all-encompassing grace. Putting "good sex" on a pedestal in the bedroom is not going to fix the way our modern Christian culture addresses sex, but I think the first step is recognizing that God's purpose should come first: in sex, in marriage, in life.

Fall Fashion - Blueberry+Wine

The inspiration for this outfit is definitely the gorgeous multi-colored scarf from World Market. I'm loving the combination of burnt orange, magenta, pink and that rich, royal blue (I'm calling it blueberry). Wine or "oxblood" is a popular color choice for this upcoming season, and I'm already envisioning ways to add it to my wardrobe. I do have a pair of non-maternity fuschia skinny pants that may also work with this outfit, but I'll admit that the stretch-panel maternity pants have definitely been more comfortable lately.... not sure if I want to get too used to those! I love that the model in those pants is wearing 4" heels -- that's pretty much not gonna happen for me, so let's bring on the flats! The belt may or may not be comfortable, but I thought it would be a fun accessory to tie in the colors. It is elastic, so could work down the line as well....

So, here's the breakdown:

Pink, Blue and Brown Striped Chevron Scarf - World Market $7.48
Open-Front Cropped Cardi (alpaca) -  Old Navy $9.97
Leather Ballet Flats (cognac) - Gap $39.95
Pure Body Tank (bright powder blue) - Gap $14.95
Women's Skinny Elastic Belt (razzamataz) - Old Navy $9.97
5-Pocket Skinny Leg Maternity Pants (wine tasting) - Motherhood Maternity $44.98

Old Navy is my standby for inexpensive seasonal pieces that will last 6-12 months, and I don't mind replacing them in a year or so because they're cheap to begin with. World Market has a great selection of cute accessories and jewelry, and they're pretty nicely crafted for a low cost. I've purchased most of my maternity apparel thus far from Motherhood and Gap, and I'm really liking the fit so far. The Gap fit is very true to size (maybe even a little large due to vanity-sizing?) and the styles, though limited, are classic. Motherhood is by the same makers as Pea in the Pod (Destination maternity) and they offer a wide range of trendy options with generous maternity fits, also at a reasonable price.

Next up in the maternity fashion series: wedding/event apparel!

Birthday Memories

Well, here we are, another month of the summer has flown by, and it's the beginning of August: one of my favorite months of the year! Not only is my birthday this month (18th), it is also DH's birthday (17th...yes, our birthdays are one day apart) AND our anniversary (30th)! After 5 years of marital bliss, I still haven't decided if this was good planning or a bad idea, but it does seem to result in some pretty fun/creative gifts. Last year we were blessed to be able to travel thanks to some generous gifting in August. I gave DH a hunting trip in Montana and we spent 5 thrilling days in mountain country. I rode a horse every day for at least 3 hours and my bum has never been so sore, but it was exhilerating! Our lodgings and hunting guide were at Broken Arrow Lodge & Outfitters.

Then, in November, we took an 11-day trip to Croatia. It was incredible. We had seen the country featured on one of our favorite travel TV shows (Anthony Bourdain) and immediately knew it was on our list of places to visit. We also knew we wanted to start trying for a baby in 2013 and this trip was sort of our "last hurrah" (our last big trip was our honeymoon in Ireland, also a wonderful place). We didn't really know what to expect from Croatia except that it looked beautiful and exotic on TV, the food sounded great and the culture varied. And this was all that we came to experience. Our tour with Gate1Travel included an itinerary from northern Croatia (Opatija) through several cities down to Dubrovnik on the southern coast, and up again to the capitol of Zagreb, then a couple days in Slovenia. We got to see just about every corner of the country who landscapes are vast and varied, from green, misty mountains to rocky beaches, wide plain lands and deep forests. It was right out of a Tolkien story (and yes, I was reading The Hobbit throughout out trip). It was a wonderful adventure for both of us, and we have memories from this trip that will last a life time.

I have tons photos that I still love sorting through from this time, and several that I would like to paint. I'll share just a few...







Even though it's just the beginning of August, Fall is already on my mind -- and these are my beautiful memories from around this time last year!