We started our biweekly Bible study tonight. It was a lesson in how to study the Bible. All was fine until the woman teaching the class said to get up half an hour early to have time to study. My first thought was, “seriously?? I have to get up at 5 just to get myself and my son ready for school! You want me to get up even earlier???” Luckily, I kept my mouth shut until the logical side of my brain kicked in. My alarm is almost always set at 5:00 (or 4:45 in real life). I typically hit my snooze alarm 2-3 times. Right there I have 18-27 minutes. My excuse is that I like to gradually wake up (a true statement) and that I use the last 9 minutes to plan my day (also true). However, I could accomplish the same gradual wake up and day planning in the shower. Having my clothes set out the night before would buy me another 5 minutes. Fixing lunches the night before…another 5-10 minutes. So…just by making minor changes in my morning and evening routines, I will have the extra 30 minutes in the morning to study without setting my alarm for 4:30. I can do that! Thanks, Sandi for teaching the class tonight. I’m sorry the impulsive side of my brain almost exploded when you said to get up early. It is a great idea, especially since morning is the only quiet, alone time I have all day. I think I’ll try it tomorrow. Time to go set out my clothes and make some lunches…

What I found on my walk today…

This was one of six trees I saw on the side of the road today. It was trash day, but none of the trees got picked up–all were left lying in the street.

Dinner with the family…day 3

Black Beans and Rice with Fried Plantains

I made black beans with rice and fried plantains for dinner tonight. I was using a recipe given to me by a friend from Colombia. It was good, but needed more spices and flavor. I was not sure if we were ever going to get enough salt. The recipe was not the problem–it was me rushing around this morning. Next time…salt in the beans when cooking, spices on the meat I threw in, and salt in the rice water. The plantains were different. I was expecting a banana flavor, but they tasted more like potatoes. Perhaps it is an acquired taste. I think the next time I fix them it will be easier to separate the taste from the look. It’s crazy how strong our perceptions are and how they affect our likes and dislikes–food or otherwise.