What I Am Into - November 2011

Pardon the quiet around here. Between finishing up the Rod Verses series and preparing for the Christmas season, I've been feeling more than a little spent. I hope you'll forgive me, then, for ignoring the draft folder full of half-finished posts and instead taking a page out of the ever-lovely Megan at SortaCrunchy's blog today by sharing What I've Been Into this past month.


What I'm Into :: NOVEMBER 2011
On My Nightstand:

Fathermucker by Greg Olear. So far, a big disappointment. I was looking forward to reading this one but now I'm not even sure I'll finish it. Mostly because I despise books that make reference to pop culture. I don't want to read about Facebook or Dora or anything like that. I just don't.

Want to Read:

I have a fast-growing stack of books I intend to read as soon as I give up on Fathermucker. Piling up on various counters and bookshelves around here are:

• Half the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women by Carolyn James
• Inheritance: Book 4 of The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
• Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption by Katie Davis
• When Children Became People: The Birth of Childhood in Early Christianity by O. M. Bakke
• When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert

T.V. Show Worth Watching:

Once Upon a Time. You must watch this. From the beginning. Oh wow. I have not loved a show this much since the prematurely-ended piece of brilliance that was Firefly.

As an added bonus to an already incredible show, I saw part of it being filmed this summer. There's just something childishly awesome about being able to say, "that right there! I saw that exact scene being filmed!!!"

In My Kitchen:

Tonight we ate Rosemary Chicken. It was even more amazing than it looks, and that's saying a lot. Oh my. My mouth is already watering at the thought of the few potatoes and mushrooms I tucked away in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch.

Since I don't yet have a cast iron skillet (Christmas present, anyone??), I skipped the browning step. Instead, after the potatoes had boiled for a few minutes, I piled it all in a glass baking dish, poured the marinade on top, and baked it all for 45 minutes in the 450F oven. It could not have turned out any better. This will definitely become a new favourite in our frequent dinner rotation.

Next week will be the Christmas baking marathon, including white-chocolate-topped gingerbread cookies and white-chocolate cherry shortbread. Yum. Should be an interesting change to last year's spicy gingerbread cookies and lemon thumbprint cookies.

In My Ears:

While I usually listen to The Civil Wars and Rosewood's Diary, the end of November has brought with it my beloved Christmas music. Lots of old family favourites (including, yes, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, and Alabama) coupled with some newer favourites (Sufjan Stevens, Josh Groban, Sixpence None the Richer, and Weezer) and supplemented with various random Christmas songs I've stumbled upon over the years.

Items of Note:

• Twelve Causes for Christmas @ Joy in this Journey: "We are going to be the change we want to see, telling the stories of multiple organizations working on the same cause on the same day. We will highlight all the ways they work together where we can."
• A Quiet Advent @ Introverted Church: "Tomorrow I will post an article of mine that will kick off the series, and then each Sunday I will write a reflection on the Advent theme of the week. During the week we will hear from guest bloggers who are reflecting on Advent and what it would mean to celebrate this season in a quiet way. The Savior is coming, and let's meet him, even amidst the clamor of the cultural celebration, in the quiet of our hearts."
• Resources for the Season @ Internet Monk: "This afternoon I thought I would pass along some links that might be of help to you or to someone you care about during this Advent and Christmas season. Some provide daily readings, prayers, and other personal devotional materials. Other sites give ideas for creative ways of loving Christ and our neighbors during the holiday season."

Pinterest Finds:

Ah, Pinterest, how I love thee.

I cannot wait to make this cinnamon roll cake. I'm thinking breakfast treat. Maybe even tomorrow morning - happy first of December!

Let it go. I need this reminder as the demands of the Christmas season begin piling on.

Loving this Occupy Christmas idea, courtesy of Kristen at Rage Against the Minivan.

What I'm Looking Forward to in December:

Need it be said? With the Advent season in full swing and Christmas on its way, there is much to look forward to. In less than two weeks, we fly halfway across the country to spend a week with my parents and sisters. A few days after we arrive back home, we hop in the car for the 11 hour drive up to my in-laws' home for another week-long visit. Arriving back home in the new year, I anticipate spending January holed up in my house, recovering from all the Christmas excitement. Even still, I will seek to hold to last Advent's ideals: keeping Advent focused, simple, and intentional.

And with that, I bid good-bye to November and welcome December in all its celebratory glory.