Filling the Gap: Food

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“Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” -- Robert Fulghum

Oh, this worries me! I am so not perfect. There are so many issues I struggle with that I wish my daughter could avoid somehow.

So I’m starting a new series of letters to fill the gap. Things I want my two-year-old to know that she won’t pick up by watching me…

And in honor of Scribbit’s June Write Away contest, we’re starting on the topic of FOOD.

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Dear Esmé,

FOOD is not a four-letter word. It may make all my clothes shrink, but it is not in itself evil.

And that maxim, “Eat to live, don’t live to eat”? It goes only so far. There is more to life than food, but food can add a lot to life. The flavors, textures, smells…

I’m an all-or-nothing person when it comes to food. I've been that way since I was about 11. The weight is either coming on or going off. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There is a happy medium, though I haven’t found it yet.

My first memories are of food. Green guavas, ripe jackfruit, and egg curry in Bangladesh.

Food transports me in time.

• Mulberries, rainbow sherbet, and corn dogs (and sunshine): summer camp.
• Alfalfa sprouts (and imagination): Swiss Family Robinson.
• Hot chocolate and oranges (and anticipation): Christmas morning.
• Lentil soup and cinnamon rolls (and candlelight): Friday nights.
• Fried potatoes (and extra place settings): Lunch after church.
• Biscuits and gravy (and bleary-eyed dorm students): High school cafeteria on Friday mornings.

Food transports me in space.

• Dahl (and traffic pandemonium): India
• Smelly cheese (and lush green meadows): Switzerland
• Potjiekos (and cooking fires): South Africa
• Bread and chips (and balmy nights): Malawi
• Habaneras (and blistering hands): Belize

Food and family go together. Food, place, and time are the main topics of discussion when we plan a family event. Our spouses complain that we don’t get to do anything at our reunions because we’re either eating or preparing the next meal. But we're together!

Food conveys hospitality. When you have enough food on hand to feed your guest for the next decade, he is sure to feel welcome.

Food is humbling. When your host offers you lukewarm tea and biscuits as you sit on the only chair in his hut, surrounded by his large family, you’ll feel a connection unlike any other. And you'll feel blessed.

There is something magical about sipping cinnamon hot chocolate while watching the sunrise. Sitting down as a family to a colorful, hearty plate of food. Snitching a too-hot cookie from the pan. Drinking ice-cold lemonade after a jog. Stealing ripe juicy berries while picking in the patch.

Food is meant to be savored and enjoyed. It’s not simply a tool to maintain health.

Esmé, as I watch your love affair with fudgsicles and ketchup, I see you’ve got this figured out. You eat what you love. When you’ve had enough, you walk away. Or dance, or tiptoe.

I’m scared to death of messing things up with my example.

Live, laugh, and love, even when it comes to food. Enjoy the variety God has gifted you with. And I’ll try harder to join you.

Love,

Mommy

Thursday 13 - Refrigerator Selections

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We had internet failure yesterday - the internet service provider said this morning that they were waiting for snow shoes so they could figure out what the problem was! So we're back online now. If we have time, we'll put up Wednesday's posts backdated...

For today's Thursday 13, here is a list of 13 things I've taken out of the refrigerator to eat. It is SO easy to open!

1. Raw eggs
2. Hot sauce
3. Sparkling apple juice
4. Cheese cubes
5. Leftover pasta
6. Leftover rice
7. Broccoli
8. Red bell pepper
9. Soy sauce
10. Whipped cream
11. Ketchup
12. Carob chips
13. Monster energy drink

Just checking out what looks good...Ahh! Monster drink! It promises lots of energy! Just what I need...
Cold rice, anyone? It's really good! Promise! Just open it for me and I'll show you...
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More Thursday 13 participants can be found here.
Thanks to Samulli for the Thursday 13 header.
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Shop online at Amazon.com, eBay, and more and support our Zimbabwean orphans! A percentage of all purchases through The Link Mosaic charity mall during the month of March will be donated to our orphans.

Party Time!

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Here it is as promised - the exciting story of my very first birthday party, right here in Mozambique. It started out with the delivery of 35 live chickens for a BBQ here at Daddy's shop in Machava.


I am going to break all blogging rules and post LOTS of photos, though we've made them small so hopefully they will load okay on your computer. I left out the chicken guts ones in case I have any sensitive viewers . . .


Guests
Including Ouma and Oupa and my cousins and the expat Maranatha team, all the Maranatha shop workers were there, so there were about 80 people total. Here I am making the rounds.


Here I am visiting with Jorge (the shop supervisor) and some of the other shop workers.




I am with Ms. Cathrine, talking on her phone. I like to play with her.

This is Uncle David.


And my cousin Marquelle.


And my Auntie Susan.


Food
There was lots of food, from BBQ chicken to veggie crumbed schnitzels, mixed vegetables, a rice dish, mealie pap, fresh bread, cabbage salad, and sodas. And there was lots of peach cake - Mommy baked for two days straight - with custard for dessert, but I didn't get to try any of that.


I decided to help the cooks dish out the food.


I ate some of the veggie crumbed schnitzels.


Here are some of the workers eating.


This is me with Daddy getting into my cupcake and candle. I couldn't blow out the candle because it was too windy to light it.


Entertainment
For entertainment, we brought out my skateboard. Some of the guys decided to try it out. Some of them did okay.


Some of them didn't do so well.


Then I got on and whizzed by everybody. I am a pro, you know.


I am starting down the ramp in front of the shop.



Going faster. And faster. And faster. This is starting to get scary!


I didn't fall though. Daddy got me at the bottom. I did it three times. I am good!


Then I did my stand-up routine for everybody.


Then everyone else got to play tug-o-war. I wanted to play, but Daddy thought I might get stepped on so moved me out of the way . . .



By this time I was really tired, so we went home.

Birthday Cake
After I had a long nap, my cousins came over for supper. Here I am getting ready to blow out my candle on my carrot cake. There was no wind to help me this time, though, so Daddy helped out.


I DID get to eat some of the carrot cake. It had raisins, too, so it was VERY healthy . . .


Here are my cousins and me behind the cake. Don't I look much older than before?


Presents
Mommy says birthdays aren't about getting presents, but presents sure are a lot of fun. After supper, I opened my presents. I wanted to play with each one and had to be coaxed to open the next one. Stacker cups are cool!


Here I am showing my cousin Janelle my garden counting book. This came from several people - Auntie Barbara gave Mommy the material, Mommy cut and basted it together, and Ouma sewed it up.


This is a pretty doll blanket Marquelle knit for my doll.



There's got to be some way to put this swimming suit on! I tried over the head and over the feet, and it doesn't seem to work any way I try!


And this pretty dress just doesn't seem to fit right. Maybe I need to lose some weight or get my head tucked.

Now shoes I can handle, though.

Videos

Wow, what a fun day I had! Mommy took lots of video, so she will have to get some software to edit it one of these days and make a cool memory video for me. In the meantime, we are posting two videos for good measure.

The first is of the shop guys singing Happy Birthday to me. The second is of me skateboarding down the shop ramp.