The Swaddling Cloth

Christmas Greetings! It's a quiet morning here in Austin, Texas. I am preparing some pecan tassies to deliver to my husband's co-workers later in the day and the air is full of anticipation for tonight's meal and gift opening. (Yes, we open gifts under the tree on the 24th, per family tradition relating to our mixed heritage of Swedes, Germans and Danes).

As you know I love reading the account of Jesus' birth every year. I especially love Luke's detailed account. He states in Chapter 1 Verse 3 how he took extreme care and investigated each detail, handling the text with meaningful and orderly arrangement. Those attention to details tend to accompany someone with the skill set of a physician. Luke was also educated in Greek culture and as the original text indicates wrote the book in the Classical Greek language.

Let me take a side step here and mention something that caught my attention when I was reading an article about Jesus' birth. It stated that the swaddling cloth mentioned in Luke chapter 2, verse 7 and 12 was a foreshadow of the event of Jesus' death and burial. I thought this interesting and decided to research a little more into this claim. There are many events where prophetic events can have two meanings in the Bible. I could see how this could be true but I couldn't take it at face value. I had to see what the Greek word Luke used for 'cloth' was in this passage. Something I think Luke would have done.

The Newborn King By: Waiting For The World

I'm glad I did. The term Luke chose and undoubtedly chose, in my mind, due to his historian's skeptical eye, was 'SPARGANOO'. This word means to CLOTHE in strips of cloth. Burial 'clothes' uses different terms entirely. 'ENTULISSO' and 'SINDON' refer to the wrapping of a body for burial.

Some state that 'Sparganoo' could still lend to the meaning of grave clothes meant for burial. I tend to disagree with this statement due to the fact the custom of wrapping newborns was detailed as a normal part of the birth process in an Old Testament passage referring to the detailed procedure of newborn care including, wrapping a baby in cloths. Ezekiel 16:4. (The Hebrew term for swaddling in this passage is Chothemeth , it is feminine (to close-up, to seal) connotes security. (NOTE: This particular verse is referring to the city of Jerusalem and used to make a point.)

I'm not sure the extent of Luke's experience in his occupation but I would assume he had working knowledge of the customs surrounding child birth.  I also have to take into consideration Luke's pointed effort to make it very clear in the beginning of his historical account that he took great pains to ensure the validity of the writing so Theophilus (to whom he wrote) may know with CERTAINTY the things he was taught.

It was a known custom for NEWBORN babies to be swaddled in cloths in the past and most people practice this in the present.

For instance, Luke used the term 'Entulisso and 'Sindon' when he wrote about Jesus' death and burial in Chapter 23, verse 50. Why wouldn't he have used these terms in Verse 7 and 12?

I love the specific details God gave the shepherds through His Angel. "Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for ALL people. TODAY in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

It says the Shepherd's HURRIED off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger after hearing this news. (In the same day or within a few days of hearing the news, I do know it was within the first 8 days of Jesus birth that the Shepherds found him. Luke 2:21)

When they saw Him, they spread the word concerning what they had been told about this child and all who heard it were amazed.

I just have to take Luke's statement at its' beautiful, simplistic, accurate value. The Savior of the world was wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

To God be the Glory this Christmas Season!

Reading For Thought:

Were Jesus' Swaddling Clothes Actually Grave Clothes?

What does it mean that Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes?

Interesting: According to Midrash,  the cloths could be a foreshadow of his burial. (Myrrh, a spice is used as an anointing for burial and was given to Jesus at His birth.) I may have missed the deeper meaning. I got the peshat (simple) but not the pesher (deeper) til now. (2-12-18). I'll have to make sure by asking someone educated in this area...

My Holiday Bete Noire

Ahh, Christmas Carols. Some love them, some love to hate them. Some are superb others absurd. They are overplayed, re-made, re-mixed and regurgitated every year. There is one Christmas Carol in particular that fits all of the above descriptions and grates on my nerves no matter which way the spin doctors of Christmas music try to polish the message.

It brings the sarcastic Scrooge out in me and my verbal rants spew their dissatisfaction on the piece every time I hear it. When the offending carol plays on the radio it has caused me to fly down the stairs at lighting speed to mute the clatter, with my family's eyes opened wide asking, "what is the matter?"

"Oh, I'm glad you asked, for I'm willing to share why The Little Drummer Boy is the bane of my Christmas Holiday.

My Sentiments Exactly

First, this whole song is an anachronism of great error.  Do you remember a drummer boy in the account of Jesus' birth?

Of course, I know one can write any scenario they want in the great realm of music creativity. We have a gamut of imaginary carols in the whole Holiday music library; Rudolph, Santa, Frosty the Snowman but the Little Drummer Boy sneaks his way into the Greatest Story Ever Told and it chaps my hide.

Let's just be frank here and talk about reality. I'll set the scene just to give a proper backdrop. Mary and Joseph have a baby, they are new parents, sleep is high on their priority list. The new schedule of having a newborn demands, feeding, bathing, hushing, burping and when the sweet baby is finally asleep the parents sigh in relief and are ready for bed themselves.

Along comes the Little Drummer Boy and rat-a-tat-tats his way into their life as a gift. Come on, no parent in their right mind would nod in approval as it says Mary does in the song. If I was Mary I would tell Joseph to go find out what all that racket was and shut it up as quick as possible.

And when Joseph found out the source of the headache creating 'pa rum pum pum pum' pulse beat, he'd be a smart husband and father to pay the poor boy off and tell him to scram.

Now that the anachronism part of the song lyrics are explained let's get to the actual song. I've about had it after the first chorus of 'pa rum pum pum pum.' What kind of writer makes you listen to that over and over again?

How about throwing in a few, 'da, da da dats', or 'crash, bang booms' for the variety!

OK, I've said my two cents, I've got it out of my system. I hope you can laugh at my little Holiday Carol 'bete noire'. Heck, maybe you've got your own Christmas song pet peeve and can relate.  I'd love to here about them.

I'll end this blog post with a little Drum Punchline

What Did You Make For The Holiday?

I am looking at my hands as I type the words for this blog and my dorsum looks a twin to a plucked chickens skin. My knuckles are creased and each appendage has differing nail lengths. I'd say they have seen a swab bucket or two in their lifetime. Part of me thinks I should tend to them a little more often than I do but to be honest that's low on my priority list.

We think it's important to work with your hands here at the Brown house. Whether it is getting them dirty working in the yard, preparing food in the kitchen, repairing parts on a vehicle, fixing used and abused household apparatuses; rough and tumbled hands are esteemed.

We used our hands this Holiday to create some fun decorations to help fill time but also satiate a need to make something beautiful. It was a healthy collaboration between heart and hands.

Festive Pine Cone Holiday Craft

Photo By: Alexandra Brown

Please enjoy this simple craft in your own home, made by your own hands. Put your own twist on it and see what transpires.

We made two types: A frosted snow and a sparkle, glisten style pine cone. A materials list for both types is listed below.

Materials List

• Small, Medium and Large Pine Cones
• White Acrylic Paint
• Paint Brush
• Glue
• Glitter
• Epsom Salts
• Bowl with Lid
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun and Glue
• Newspaper

Directions: Frosted Snow Pine Cone

Protect your work surface with newspaper. Fill large bowl with about 1/2 Cup to 1 Cup of Epsom Salts. Paint tips of pine cone with white acrylic paint. Let dry. Apply glue over painted tips of pine cone, place the pine cone in the Epsom Salts bowl, place lid on top and shake. Remove lid, before removing pine cone, shake inside the bowl to remove loose salts. Set on newspaper to dry.

Directions: Sparkle and Glisten Pine Cone

Protect work surface with newspaper. Fill large bowl with glitter. (Have fun, choose any color you wish, we loved how silver looked.) Paint tips of pine cone and place inside bowl of glitter, apply lid to bowl and shake. Before removing pine cone, shake it gently inside the bowl to remove excess glitter. Lay on newspaper to dry.

Optional: Once your pine cones have dried. You can help secure the application by spray painting a satin lacquer on them OR you can just let them be. 

You can also spruce them up with bows and holly or just let them show off on their own. 

See the below pictures of where our pine cone craft took us. 

Photo By: Alexandra Brown

Photo By: Alexandra Brown

Photo By: Alexandra Brown

We hope your heart and hands create a beautiful array! 

Happy Crafting!

Remember all those bottle caps I've been saving for a crafting day escapade (archived blog post)... the craft epiphany finally made its' debut in the form of a Christmas Wreath.

YES, I'm proud!

Wreath Made and Photo By:
Chandra Brown

Let's Be Clear About Fresh Water

Have you ever had a moment when reading articles on a subject, something just doesn't sit right with you, so you read them again and stop to think about why they rubbed you the wrong way. Most of the time you can let it go and move on but this particular statement keeps nudging me in the side. It will even creep into my thoughts in order to spur me on in researching why I don't like it. So here goes my little rant on why the statement, 'fresh water is finite' irritated me enough to write about it.

First, I must clarify a few things to help give context to my reasoning on this issue. Let's start with the definition of finite.

Finite: Having limits or bounds. Synonyms: limited, determinate, fixed, restricted. "There is a finite amount of water in the system."

On the surface, the statement, 'fresh water is finite' is true. So why did these articles irritate me when they were discussing this fact.  After researching the water cycle and other science related facts about water, it hit me, it wasn't the actual statement that irritated me it was the context the statement was being used in.

Many articles subtly discussed the issue as if the last drop of fresh water was literally at the end of the barrel and mankind was on the brink of extinction. Some even vaguely mentioned population control as being a solution to our water problem. Others were a little less dramatic but used an emotional based slant for their argument to save the world. I smelled an agenda at hand by using a surface truth to manipulate an outcome.  See this article for reference. Note: I do not reject the problem solving needed in order for civilization to be responsible users of natural resources, I can just do without the fear mongering and half-truths which make you feel bad about using what God created for our benefit. I like to remind readers that God made it very clear He RENEWS (this word connotes an ongoing process) the earth, something we should rejoice in and give due respect to.

Setting agendas and politics aside, let me explain why I call it a surface truth. I call it a surface truth because there is more to the story that goes beyond finite boundaries and shows a miraculous truth so encompassing we should sit in awe of it. It's simple in it's beauty, complex in its' vast details, it is observable and plain to see, so reliable yet we can easily loose our focus on the entire truth and just focus on the surface truth which tends to lead to stagnation.

Fresh water is limited but God made a water cycle so intricate it is renewed daily, monthly, yearly. In fact, it has kept decades and centuries of populations going despite its' mis-use and abuse. I always take a stance towards being responsible and smart with what God has given us, we should always be mindful of the errors finite humans tend to succumb to concerning the natural resources God provides without fail.

Notice how I said finite humans. Water may have finite attributes but God designed and provided the water system to produce exactly what is needed in the past, present and future. An infinite God made this 'finite' system work the way He did with precision and as God tends to do, with an element of need, so the finite humans will learn to trust and follow His ways. It really is a beautiful picture of His amazing love and mercy for humankind.

I have to go off on a tangent here. When I observe the many ways in which God's system delivers fresh water to the earth I am awed by the beauty He made sure to work into His plan. Look at the many ways he shows His glory; vapor, mist, rain, sleet, snow and ice through the processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation and transpiration where the water goes through a filtration process and comes out clean every time.  I also think of Romans 1:19-20, which states God's truth is plain for all to see through what He made, yet this is suppressed and ignored (my translation). In our day and age of Science and Nature worship, the water cycle has been one of those truths that has begun to be mishandled for ulterior purposes.

Since propaganda has its' grip on the definition of water I'd like to extend what I think of as a less muddled, closer to the whole truth definition of water.  I hope this makes things clear.

Fresh water in its pre-determined quota is infinitely renewable (despite the plethora of variances it experiences through its cycle). Fresh water is a miracle.

The definition of the word miracle according to the WWW is, "an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs." Maybe it's a stretch to some people to call fresh water a miracle but I'll let you be the judge of that. Read this well written description of the water cycle by Jeannette Walls from her book Half Broke Horses, a memoir of her families life as Ranchers (Ranchers tend to know how nature works) and you make the call.

"Sometimes over supper, when Jim got home after a storm, the kids would describe their escapades in the water and mud, and Jim would recount his vast store of water lore and water history. Once the world was nothing but water, he explained, and you wouldn't think it to look at us, but human beings were mostly water. The miraculous thing about water, he said, was that it never came to an end. All the water on the earth had been here since the beginning of time, it had just moved around rivers and lakes and oceans to clouds and rain and puddles and then sunk through the soil to underground streams, to springs, and wells, where it got drunk by people and animals and went back to rivers and lakes and oceans.

The water you kids were playing in, he said, had probably been to Africa and the North Pole. Genghis khan or Saint Peter or even Jesus himself might have drunk it. Cleopatra might have bathed in it. Crazy Horse might have watered his pony with it. Sometimes water was liquid. Sometimes it was rock hard-ice. Sometimes it was soft-snow. Sometimes it was visible but weightless- clouds. And sometimes it was completely invisible-vapor- floating up into the sky like the souls of dead people. There was nothing like water in the world, Jim said. It made the desert bloom but also turned rich bottom land into swamp. Without it we'd die, but it could also kill us, and that was why we loved it, even craved it, but also feared it. Never take water for granted, Jim said. Always cherish it. Always beware of it."

Further Reading on Water

Green Builders Journal, Water-An Infinite Or Finite Resource? by Herb Gardner

Science in the Bible: The Water Cycle by Cheri Fields

Psalms 135:7

Ecclesiastes 1:7

Ecclesiastes 11:3a

Amos 9:6b

Jeremiah 10:13

Isaiah 55:8-11

Job 36:27-28

Job 37: 16

Job 38:16

Genesis 1:1

Remember how I mentioned humans were finite? Take this into consideration, our infinite God who designed the water cycle for beneficial purposes also designed humans for a purpose. Can you guess what that purpose is? If you read my blog, the word relationship may be a clue, a relationship with eternal benefits.

THIS IS AWESOME. GOD'S PEOPLE (ISRAEL) USING HIS RESOURCE WISELY!
Must Read: Let There Be Water

Bathroom Update: Lighting and Mirrors

I'm sure every homeowner has a to-do or wish list for their home. Whether it is maintenance, re-model or high design, it takes perseverance to see the goal through. My blog post, How to Strip and Paint Your Bathroom Vanity has received the most hits over my years of writing on the fly. It was one of those Summer pet projects that helped keep a stay at home mom busy and handy woman skills from getting rusty.

I mentioned removing 'Hollywood lights' in that post because they are a design and fashion no-no. I laugh because I lived with them for five more years after giving that little tidbit of advice. I feel a bit of a hypocrite living so long with the outdated lighting eyesore. I never fail to recommend, first thing and without any doubt to my staging clients to remove these fashions relics before going on market. 

I'll confess, over the years I've thought of ways to break that darn light so I could get a new one but I'm not really the type to manipulate the situation to get my way unless there seems to be a perfect opportunity for the situation to be dealt with in a logical manner, so I used my birthday as my persuasion tool to pitch the idea of ridding the distasteful lighting bar to my husband. We both live under the 'if it isn't broke, don't fix it' standard but alas, my duplicity had to come to an end. 

I said, "I don't need to go out for my birthday or even have a party or a gift, I just want that flagrant lighting that blights my view gone." This proposition made sense, I told my husband what I wanted and he delivered, easy-peasy for both parties. I think I like this particular type of persuasion and keep this notion ready for future birthdays.

The Update

The fact is, our master bathroom needs a total overhaul. Until that happens I updated using a new wall paint, mirrors and a brushed nickel towel bar and ring. I also re-caulked the shower, tub and sink vanity to help give a clean, fresh look sans mildew.

BEFORE
By: Chandra Brown

AFTER:UPDATE
By: Chandra Brown

The current trends are calling for contemporary modes. So I changed the paint from the outdated blue hue to a classic grey. I removed the builder grade, original mirror that had de-silvered edges and installed in-expensive, thick, natural, wood toned framed mirrors with grey undertones. The brushed nickel towel bar and ring defines the transitional style which helps mix the contemporary with traditional.

I didn't change the chocolate brown vanity cabinets I originally did five years ago. They still look great...

We decided to wait on the sink vanity faucets for budgetary purposes and yes, the ones we have in place are also a design and fashion no-no. 

Let's just say next years birthday persuasion will be announced with anticipated gusto unless a mysterious calamity befalls the faucets before then. (He He!)

P.S.

I did re-purpose those old Hollywood light bulbs in the new lighting bar. 

Home School Seventh Grade

Last year gave us a variety of obstacles to overcome. Learning curves, growth spurts, health dilemmas all crammed into the schedule along with academic pursuits.  Sixth grade, the year can be summed up in two words; boot camp. It did some butt kicking and yes, as I posted in the early part of our home school adventure (5th grade), we had some bruises to show for it. A great military hero helps us put 6th grade into perspective, "The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat." Marcinko, Rogue Warrior.  Goes along with that wonderfully true phrase, "no pain, no gain."

The sixth grade year put us through its training and toughened us up a bit. The effects were resounding to the point it made us re-work our strategy and make some well-planned changes for a smooth transition into the next year.

So here we are 7th grade, we have an idea of what you want and expect from us. We re-vamped our school room for operational success. We took extreme measures with our organizational tools, scouted the academic territory and came back with some helpful intel. Added a well-planned recreation outlet to de-stress and started off this year strong.

Off Topic But Still Relates 

There are some interesting topics I run across in our homeschooling adventure. I always wonder if others 'see' the same things I do or what their perspective is on these issues.

Entertainment: Reading Lists

I have noticed the reading lists for kids slant towards the topics of death and spiritism. Both of these highlighted in a manner that puts them in the realm of mysticism. These topics are breached earlier and earlier in curricula. Read Lee Duigon's findings on a few books that are popular material being pushed in the entertainment industry and some in schools.

It is so important in this day and age for parents to be aware of what their child reads and be there to teach as they maneuver through heavy material.

I can only speak from my experience, these are books I have personally run into either in the school curricula or recommended for kids and have found material that is not age appropriate or needs to be handled with wisdom as your child reads them. (Maybe substitute out and find an alternative to read as an option.)

Book 1: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
This book was required reading in Fourth grade at my daughter's public school. It is a World War II historical fiction based in Copenhagen. It depicts the life of one family dealing with separation, death and the fear that encompasses this time in history.

History is a great teaching tool, the realities of it are topics you can't dance around. It is what it is.  Children should know the truth of History. Use wisdom for your child's capacity to deal with emotional content.

My daughter felt very depressed reading this book. I also read it along with her and was uncomfortable with their focus on death.

Book 2: Paper Towns by John Green
We encountered this book this Summer. I read the summary for the book, the movie and reviews from actual readers. It was given high marks in the literary execution. We had issues with the promotion of teen sex, actions without consequences, suicide and revenge.

Life is filled with people who wrong and are wronged, yes, we can deal with it in humorous, creative ways. Life is what it is, filled with a wide range of human actions and reaction. Use wisdom for your child's capacity to deal with more adult issues involving emotional content that distracts from an academic pursuit of excellence.

I could list more books, but will refrain.

Dallas Museum of Art
Chandra and Alex
Photo: By Nathan Brown

The Question

Our family is asked quit a bit when we will be putting our daughter back in school. Or if she will be going back for high school with an air of 'won't she be missing out on life if we don't' let her go to 'school' for high school.

Read those sentences again....

My daughter IS IN school. She has a social life too, a healthy one!

I would like to clear up any misconceptions out there in the world. We know our lifestyle is different, we understand that our choice is not mainstream, we just ask for a little more respect when phrasing your question to us.

Sometimes the question is just plain curiosity but other times it is couched in thinking that somehow we are the problem, had to step out of the crowd to re-group and when we got a firm grasp of whatever it was we were lacking we'd re-enter 'normal' procedure and re-enroll our daughter to the system. We know this is not really intended but the implication comes off quite clear. I am here to say the box was meant to be stepped outside of for our family and it works for us.

For those that wonder, we do ask our daughter if she wants to re-enter the public school system at the end of every school year. We keep things open around here, we aren't totalitarian barbarians.

Her decision counts and she has chosen to HOME SCHOOL.

We appreciate it when someone doesn't ask us 'the question' but instead asks, like they do any other student, "How was your school year, are you ready for the next?"

Maybe next time someone asks when I'll be putting my daughter back in school, I'll ask when are you home schooling?


P.S.
What is it with me and bees at the beginning of the school year?  YES, I got stung by another bee today. OUCH!

Feria: Free Day

Today my sweet neighbors reminded me of what wonderful people living in a community can do for each other. They showed up at my door with gift bag in hand and wished me well on my 'free day'.  I pulled the paper tissue from the top of the bag and curiously peered inside. Stacked neatly, next to each other were bottles of beer. The labels cleverly chosen, each one a small portrayal of yours truly. A delicious chocolate brownie accompanied the arrangement with a humorous card that read, "Beer is the Answer" and when you opened it, the catch line said, "Who the hell cares what's the question."

The biggest smile spread across my face. I immediately thought of my neighbors and was thankful for their well thought out gift. I was flooded with amiable warmth thinking of their efforts to tell me they remembered my birthday.

Note: In Ancient Roman culture, Free Days, called Ferias in Latin, are days in which the people (even the slaves) were not obligated to work. These days were usually national holidays set legally by the State. Not so different than what we do now except, I think birthdays are personal holidays and should be implemented by families under the 'free day' idea.

In the celebratory spirit of free days, friendship and beer I'll dot this page with poetry and proverb for your pleasure.

Feria

Free Day

It's your fixed date holiday

and only comes once a year.

So tell your job to hit the bricks,

you're playing hooky, go grab a beer;

put your feet up, relax

and indulge in something fun

declare your own personal holiday

your free day has begun.

Make this standard practice and celebrate to the full,

Your birthday should be enjoyable

and that my friend is no bull!

By: Chandra Brown

Barley Pop

Hot Summer day

cold aluminum can

Pop the top

Lips open wide

Taste buds sing

Quench body drought

By: Chandra Brown

Drinking a Blue Moon and toasting to my sweet neighbor friends.. Thanks for making my free day memorable.

Service Design: Refreshed Business Tools for the Modern Age

"Modernism...means integrity, it means honesty, it means the absence of sentimentality, and the absence of nostalgia." Paul Rand, IBM logo creator. Design Thinking edited by Thomas Lockwood.

I am currently furthering my education in the business realm by reading about the new approach to the modern business model through advanced systems called Service Design.

Eads Bridge

Service Design in a nutshell is common sense strategies applied to the internal and external systems of a business model by tapping into experience and manipulating outcomes through creativity with the end goal of a refined, fluid, cohesive environment.

After reading my third book on the subject, it is interesting to see the modern world of business put its definition for success on the docket. The Design aspect of business is putting its stamp on our technological age yet I find myself still looking back to some of those tried and true methods the Agricultural and Industrial Ages have stamped on the pages of business.

When I read about Service Design I can't help but think of Lee Iacocca, business guru for Ford and Chrysler or Zig Ziglar, the quintessential motivational genius or Leonardo DaVinci, the all-encompassing man who defined the Renaissance.

I'll add a little to my running definition by saying Service design is a culmination of the successful thinking style from many ages applied to our current technological age.

When I think of the whole of service design I can't help but remember the well known, culturally encompassing Golden Rule. A basic principle to ensure success and best described by Matthew 7:2, "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." In fact, all I kept thinking about was how the Bible states the tenants of Service Design. Colossians 3:12-14, Ephesians 4:25 and practically the entire book of Proverbs. The Golden Rule and many of the wise teachings listed here involve a strong human element which effects us all, the element of emotion and handling that emotion correctly.

I used Paul Rand's quote for a catalyst for this blog entry. His quote is used (by Marc Gobe author of chapter 10, Design Thinking page 110. Chapter 10 is about emotional branding.) in context of past business models and paradigms, namely, the Industrial Age with the 'production model and the effect it had on consumerism and how it created subservient masses that could easily be manipulated and consumption habits regulated to fit a business production model.'. I thought about his words for a while. Do you agree with his quote in the context used?

I agree wholeheartedly with the first two declarations. Yes, indeed we should strive for those virtues. My question lies in why the absence of sentiment and nostalgia, two icons of what makes us human and can drive our decision making process to do the things we do, be the people we are and act upon those opinions, beliefs, attitudes and feelings that have some root in the past.

We can not be so ready to throw out the past and what it has to offer in terms of emotional branding. One of the tenets of the new marketing age is creating a brand message that incorporates meeting unmet emotional needs. This type of marketing can also fall easily into a model that manipulates the masses that supports production.

What I'm trying to get at is the human emotion spectrum is quite broad. Manipulation of this for business purposes on any level can be a Pandora's box. I think there is more of a common thread between the Industrial Age and Technological Age than this quote and context may not have realized and missed.

Here is an example from a more nostalgic time in business history to express my point, we can't forget our past, use it to build for the future. The Industrial Age did meet the 'emotional' needs of consumers for their time in history. (For instance; trust is a very important human emotion, especially in business. ) (Note: The Industrial Age is fraught with business problems just as our Technological Age will find it's own to worry about in the course of history).

Andrew Carnegie was contracted to build The Eads Bridge using his new, innovative product steel, there was speculation by the public whether this new concept for structures would be safe. Carnegie was brilliant in his solution to combat the mistrust towards the launch of his vision. He used an emotional context found in the form of societal gossip which had no scientific bearing to solidify trust in something scientifically proven and firm, his product. He used an 'old wives tale' involving an elephant and the factor of trust. It was said and believed, that an elephant wouldn't cross an unsafe structure. So Carnegie with his brilliant marketing mind, appealed to the emotional needs of the masses on bridge opening day with an honest to goodness, 12,000 pound elephant who strode past the threshold and over the bridge with not a even a slight vibration from the structure. The biggest emotion in successful business enterprise, trust was sealed with the public and they were ready to move on to bigger things, like skyscrapers.

Apple Computer Prototype

There is so much more to say about the 'emotional' element of business. I'll end it here with a question, can you name a modern business that has similarities to what Carnegie accomplished? I sure can.

This Texas based company sure does use nostalgia to promote its product.
TASTY! My local grocery store can't keep it on the shelves.
Yes, I think of my hometown with longing to be there with the good memories and people by just looking at the label and when I drink the well crafted liquid inside it comforts my sentimental side. AHHH!

My Stoic Cherokee

"Sometimes you have to treat yourself to the niceties in life."  Chandra Brown

Our family recently toured The Dallas Art Museum where we were all inspired by various pieces of work through many genres and periods. It was amusing to listen to why my husband liked a particular painting that I secretly found pleasing as well. As he described why he liked it, I found myself nodding in agreement and when he finished his last thought on the matter, the exact thought he was saying splurged out of my mouth about the piece too. It was one of those art pieces you wish you could take home with you because it jumped off the wall, said something to our souls that we both understood.

My husband and I have dreamily said we would buy a piece of property just for the Art value. Meaning, the wall space is what is important to us. There are pieces of art we have stacked in closets and against walls in our house, Art that needs to be framed and put in its' proper place. Art that tells a story or evokes an emotion or conveys a message. We want our walls to tell tales that provoke thought and enhance conversation.

Alas, life gets in the way of day dreaming and our gallery is in need of some help.

The Brown house is not run like your typical household; time takes you on its path and before you know it, those typical things that families tend to do to remember each other have missed their mark on the calendar. Namely, family photos. The last one we have was taken five years ago. I felt a slight pang of guilt for this neglect in memory compiling. The pang didn't last long when I saw an old friend post her artistic skills depicting two sisters in a portrait. This got my cogwheels moving and I knew I needed a portrait of my daughter to fill in my memory void.

Photo By: Nathan Brown

What makes this artistic adventure so special comes from the details involved. The original photo taken for this portrait of my daughter was clicked by my husband as we sat outside on our deck enjoying the Texas weather. We were discussing family history and the fact Cherokee blood ran in the Brown's veins. My daughter was playing with feathers she found in the yard and created the hairpiece and out of some wild fluke she let us put braids in her hair. I giggled at how cute our little squaw looked  and asked if anyone has ever seen a blond Native American before?

We told her how most antique Native American portraits hardly ever showcased a smiling figure, most were serious and it was rare that the photo was ever taken due to some superstitions.  We told her to strike her best rendition of how a distant family member in the tribe may have looked posing for a photograph. Her gaze and stature displayed in that quick photo, taken in a second that afternoon caused us to remember a not too distant past while living in the moment of family storytelling and play.

My husband and I didn't know how much that photo would grow on us over the following months. We captured more than just an image, we captured a story in that photo. The more we look at it, the more of our daughter's strong character and personality emote off the page. If one can capture a part of a personality in one pose, my husband did in this photo.  Strong and stoic, grace under pressure, all which lend meaning to her name; Alexandra.

Graphite Art By: Brook Burnaugh

I wanted to make that photo memorable, something that would last. Something that wouldn't be deleted or lost in an archive. So I contacted Brooke Burnaugh, a very talented artist who lives near us to commission the portrait that would become a working part of our 'walls filled with art' day dream.  I loved the fact she was local, talented and would be adding her style and artistic gift to a part of our life that has the most meaning.  Art should make you feel, should be lasting and make you want to keep coming back to look at it again and again, and this portrait of our daughter encompasses all of that.

If one can hit the art jackpot, I just did.

Flying By Faith

Our family has a deep respect for those who sacrifice and serve in the military. We especially love it when we happen upon a World War II Veteran and are able to thank them personally.

We've had a few great opportunities to do this, while checking out at a Costco in Colorado my husband noticed an elderly man wearing a cap stating he served in WWII, he made a bee line for the gentleman before he exited the building to make sure he shook his hand and thanked him.

I recently had a client who won a Purple Heart in World War II and I made sure and brought my daughter to my last meeting with him to make sure she was able to hear his story and meet a real life hero.

Make sure to take time to thank someone who has served or is serving this Memorial Day in honor of those who have sacrificed for our country. This National Holiday always make me think of my Grandpa Jack. I wrote about him previously and he certainly was an entertaining figure, a family legend we all end up talking about with a gleam in our eye.

So here is the finger-biting account of the night it took a community acting together to help save Jack from a perilous disaster.

Jack Koch with his 2 eldest sons, Jim and Bill

Jack seemed to run on his own clock. You would often here the double tap honk of his car horn announcing it was time to go while long goodbyes were dolled out by others. He was a speed demon, peddle to the metal kind of guy, even when others didn't feel the need to rush.

Jack liked the draw of adventure, he grew up rollerskating the hills of Seattle Washington, daring his friends to enter haunted houses, riding Harley Davidson motorcycles and flying airplanes. It seems Jack looked for the fun in life, caution was cast to the wind more than a few times in his lifetime. We all liked to tease that Jack scared his own guardian angels on a regular basis.

One fateful September night in 1949 Jack not only scared his guardian angels, he, and I quote from the newspaper article, "scared the wits out of Osceola" (a small town in Wisconsin).  Jack was enjoying his latest pastime, flying his small prop plane, putting in air time hopping from small town to small town that dotted the countryside. Jack must have forgotten to wind his clock correctly because he miscalculated daylight time and arrived in the town as the sun was setting and the landing strip had no landing lights installed.

How does a pilot get the help he needs when there is no radio contact and he is literally flying by the seat of his pants? Well, Jack was a smart whippersnapper, he had crazy wit at his side not to mention guardian angels that were in dire need of a break when the thought to incessantly buzz the town square where business keepers were locking up for the night may get him the attention he needed.

As miracles often happen, the right people at the right time noticed and heard the low flying distress call  as Jack repeatedly passed back and forth like an annoying fly. Enter good Dr. Simenstad who was also the Secretary of the State Aeronautics Commission and an experienced pilot who knew exactly what his fellow flier needed. He promptly gathered available townsfolk who owned cars and lead them like gang busters to the airport landing strip where he lined them up opposite each other down the strip, told them to flick on their headlights and create their own landing lights.

Needless to say Jack landed with a "sigh of relief"gave his guardian angels a much needed break, thanked God for a community that was alert and ready to act in a critical situation and called it a good day.

Ahh, Grandpa Jack, you've been gone for some time now, but you are a legend that still lives in our families' heart!

Jock Koch's Memory of Service in the Armed Forces

1949 Newspaper Article by: Linda Jensen Gordon

Synopsis No More

Thinking seems to be disjointed in this day and age of industrialism, technology inspired- consumer oriented, go-go paced lifestyle. It's a world of people wearing many hats. These hats are usually displayed with pride and one defines their life by them. We tend to see people by the hat they like showing the most. In our categorized system of dealing with life, we tend to leave out the space needed for nuances. How do we define our closest friends or loved ones to others? We usually start off by telling the unknowing soul about their work status, sometimes but not always followed by their domestic status. Does anyone else in this wide world see a problem with this?

Rene Magritte; Self Portrait, Son of Man
Also known as Faceless Business Man in a Bowler Hat

Why do we allow ourselves to be defined by these industrial terms, display ourselves as a marketed product with images to be sold for acceptance? When did human virtues, character and quality take a back seat to these definitions? Shouldn't it be the other way around?

I hear people describe themselves all to often like a synopsis for a movie. "Hi, my name is Joe, I work for Dell as a computer analyst and I enjoy riding bicycles." The only information I gleaned from this is what Joe likes to do, not the why or where the inspiration comes from for his life decisions or why these experiences shape Joe into who he is. This quick definition is good for resumes and that's about it, so why do people seem to heavily rely on this 'pat and dry' method in relationships? Come on Joe, I know you're not as boring as you made yourself sound, will the real Joe please step forward? Maybe Joe doesn't even know who that is?

This type of interaction is all too common in our society. Stop and think about it, how many people do you really know? I don't mean the amount of people, such as how many friends on Facebook you've accumulated, I don't mean what they do for most of their time during the day but what makes up their passions for doing what they do. This usually involves multi-dimensional experiences that have meaning and usually involves one or more other individuals. There are stories to be told here. Are we that disinterested in others or so self preoccupied the norm is to readily accept the edit and cut-out short answer a person gives as a new term for relationship? Not only that, are we so pounded and conformed into functional cogs in the wheel we ourselves don't even know how to articulate who we are to others?

I find myself caught in this crazy thinking web and like an insect struggling to free myself from this entanglement it seems to take all the energy I have to cut free. The impending doom of this unnatural relational cycle grates at the very gut of my being. We are not put on this earth to pass each other on the road with little signs stating a few words that supposedly describe your entire being, say nice to know you and keep going on our way. We need to stop, look at these pathetic signs, look the traveler in the eye and say, I've read your synopsis, but now lets sit down on the by way for a foot rest and tell me who you really are and not be afraid to tell the story. (and I want the good, the bad the ugly, it all mixes to make us who we are).

There is accountability, responsibility, community in this act of quiet listening and telling of personal stories. It makes us human, in fact, I believe it makes us want to be the best we can be. It is looking at a person in the flesh but seeing character, passion, emotion; the make-up of a soul, the true person.

The hardest part is this act takes vulnerability and the chance of running into someone along the path who is still pre-occupied with self interests and doesn't understand the art of relationship. This shouldn't stop us from trying to see people for who they really are, these bumps give us opportunity to forgive, to teach, to be an example.

I've recently experienced a little more depth in a relationship because the individual stepped outside their comfort zone and started to tell more of their story. It has been WONDERFUL for me.

If you take anything from this post, please take this: Talking about your story to those you trust is like rain in the desert. It is not selfish or prideful but a sharing and giving that is unique and can only come from you.

Note:
These thoughts are inspired by the recent reading of "The Art of the Commonplace, Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry."

Where have you been all my life Wendell?

Mother's Day

Well, another marketed Holiday is upon us and I am not prepared, per my usual Holiday habit. I really don't like these regulated, consumer oriented, go out and buy things because it's on a calendar celebrations. Although, I will admit, this upcoming one makes me want to milk it a little.  So I will, in the form of a slightly peevish poem (to come later) but first, I want to turn my thoughts from the marketing aspect and focus on the real important stuff, the people and why we celebrate Mother's Day.

Mom, Mother, Mum, Mommy. These are some of the endearments we use to beckon the one with whom we are timelessly attached too our entire lives.  We come up with variations in our endearments that have meaning and depth. I teasingly call my Mom, 'Mudder'. It's a fun story on how we decided to call her by her 'Mom' nickname. It involves family story telling and a piece of a cake but that is another story for another blog post.

The picture posted is of my beautiful Mom, but oh, she is so much more than her apparent good looks. This woman is multi-dimensional and a ton o' fun packed into her 5' 4" frame. There is never a dull moment when in the presence of 'Susie-Q' Debee. Growing up with her always had a laugh or an adventure twist that made for some wonderful memories.

Highschool Graduation Photo: Susie Koch

I dedicate the following true words about Mothers Day to this iconic woman who keeps on her toes, works whirls around the young folk, still brings home the bacon, fries it up too, jumps out of airplanes for the hell of it and whose firecracker wit is all her own. I just have to stop, stare at her picture and the thought spills out of me, "What a WOMAN!" 

Mother's Day

If you have a child, every day is Mother's Day

You don't ever get a break

It is the real, full time job, twenty-four-seven reality

and it's not always a piece of cake.

It takes a strong willed woman

to take the challenge in stride

this job isn't for pansies, the weak or unqualified.

Too many dreamers step up to this role

uneducated about its' requirements

they find themselves enrolled in boot camp

that reorganizes their sentiment.

Every woman should know the truth,

the required self sacrifice

Honest details discussed between

Mother and Daughter should suffice.

If oral history is passed down and

potential Mothers are in the know

when blessing happen in their life

they'll be prepared and ready to go.

It's proven if you work hard and 

apply the lessons you have gleaned

the rewards keep multiplying in ways

you couldn't have dreamed.

The day in May to honor Mom

is great for showing your heart

so pamper, spoil and hug them

it's a good place to start.

Don't forget to tell them that you love them

the other three hundred and sixty- four days

It will only cause Mom to beam with pride

at the sound of her child's praise.

Chandra Brown

OH YA, My Mom's THE WOMAN! 

Beet Kvass And A Toast To Health

I don't know how changes work in your family but breaking out of habits sometimes requires going back to old traditions for mine.

My family has been making changes over the past few years in the field of health that covers a broad spectrum in living. We've combatted mold in our house by gutting the entire HVAC system and installing a new, better engineered system. We've tossed all our chemical filled cleaning agents and exchanged them with enviro-friendly products. I buy organic meat and produce and have even started my own garden. It's been a fun, interesting process educating ourselves on the why's and how to's of accomplishing a better lifestyle.

Although the changes have been good, we still run into health dilemmas. It seems a constant battle trying to be healthy in this day and age of modern industrial living. Our bodies take on a lot of stress  through outside stimuli in the form of chemical soup concoctions found in our air, water, food and pharmaceutical systems. Our mechanized culture adds to this onslaught of stress through technological demands that go against our natural make up. Sitting at desks in front of computers, radiation emanating from cell phones etc. are just a few examples.

When you take time to really look at modern life it really seems like a Sci-Fi novel found its way off the page into reality. I've been trying to slough off this toxic lifestyle for over a decade and it has been a challenge that has made me encounter spiritual, relational, political and cultural questions that leave me with answers I don't like especially for our future generations.

Before I go off on another tangent, I'd better get to the point of this post. Breaking out of a mold you've been conditioned to sometimes requires taking a step backwards (or maybe it is really forward's but we've been so conditioned to a way of thought we think it is backwards).

Farmer's Market
By: Crystl
'Beautiful Beets'

Food for thought:

My husband and I owned a restaurant in our not to distant past. During that time you have been trained to handle food with protocols for health safety. God forbid you fail a health inspection, it'll sink your business and fast. This is all important and good, sick people due to food born illness is not a goal in any business venture.

Refrigeration, shelf life and proper cleansing protocols have been the tools of choice to combat the food born illness issue. This is necessary with the way our food system is set-up using processed foods trucked in from far away etc.

I noticed a good paradigm shift recently in my household regarding food and its preparation and storage. With all the reading and educating I've been doing I always seemed to stop myself from trying those old ways of preserving and the process of fermentation just scared the bajeebee's out of my husband, "You're going to leave that out on the counter for how many days," he'd ask. I don't blame him, we ran a restaurant where leaving food out meant waste and money lost.

Yes, there is an art to these old ways. When reading the recipes for sprouting or fermenting, you have to know what you are doing, know the source of your ingredients and it takes fine tuned real food that isn't contaminated. It sometimes feels like a highly intricate chemistry class experiment. If done correctly the process makes some amazing, flavorful, health boosting food you can't find anywhere else.

So, I decided to celebrate the old ways by making a time-tested traditional drink with health benefits galore from a country my ancestors once lived in.  Somehow, I just want to toast to my health when I drink my home-brewed Beet Kvass. Ahh, yes! It is a fitting thing to do. Say it with me!

Будем здоровы! [vashee zda-ró-vye] – Your health


Beet Kvass Recipe: For 2- Enough to toast to and enough to make you want more


2 organic beets (peeled and diced into chunks)

1 TBSP Himalayan Salt

Filtered Water

*1/4 Cup Whey

Glass Jar with lid

Small mixing bowl


Place beet chunks in bottom of glass jar. Mix salt, whey and 1-2 cups filtered water in small mixing bowl. Pour over the beets. Fill the glass jar with filtered water to within an inch of the top. Seal tightly with a lid and place on your counter, out of direct sunlight for 2-3 days to ferment. After fermentation place in the fridge. You can use the beets again for another fermentation process or chop up in a salad or use as a garnish.

Beet Kvass on the Counter
Photo by: Chandra Brown

* I took 1/2 a pint of Organic, Plain Yogurt and placed it in a thin, clean dish cloth (washed with no perfumes, chemicals or dyes) and cinched the top of the dishcloth with a rubber band, hung it from my cabinet knob with a stainless steel bowl beneath the 'yogurt bag' and let gravity do the work of pulling the whey from the yogurt. 
Yes, I let it sit on my counter for 1 full day in order to render as much whey as I could. 

Making Whey
Photo by: Chandra Brown

Note: If you do not have whey or want to make whey, double the salt to help in the fermentation process. Allow longer time sitting on the counter for best results.

Note: Don't throw away the left over yogurt, it has now become cream cheese. It was extremely tasty. My daughter used some of it to make a desert topping.

Fun Beet Kvass Articles:
The Miracle of Russia
Beet Kvass by Hidden Pond

What fermented foods have you made?

The Wicked Deviled Egg

'Wicked in Waiting'
Photo by: stephendepolo

You started off as the epitome of a good egg; hard boiled, firm and strong. Then you split in two showing your true inner self. You mixed company with your crumbled yellow yolk and it was not good company. You let the red onion overly influence you with its feisty, mean ways and the garlic permeated you through and through. On the outside you looked creamy, delicious; dare I say, even angelic. You sat there with your smooth texture tempting me to come and taste. I gave in, sinking my teeth into the soft, supple, slick white and my teeth felt like they were gently being set on a cloud as they sunk in the whipped, creamy, yellow middle. My tongue swirled your tasty goodness in my mouth savoring every last ingredient before giving heed to the throat begging for its turn, then I swallowed.

Yes, you satisfied my taste buds, then your wickedness, your duality presented itself deep within me. I could hear your evil cackling laughter down in my gut at your success into duping another fool into your vehement torture. You were no ordinary deviled egg, you were wicked in waiting and you unleashed your true inner self on my digestive system.

I will never trust again.


NOTE: Here's hoping you have better luck with Easter Dinner appetizers than I do. I love deviled eggs but this past experience has caused me to question every one I see; somehow I find my forgiveness for food is blind and I will try these tantalizing amuse-gueules again and again. I just can't seem to stay away, that past batch was bad but I'm not going to let it spoil deviled eggs for me.

What are some of your favorite deviled egg recipes?

Conk Fruit Exploration

Mushrooms on the Trail
Photos by: Chandra Brown

It's always interesting walking the 360 Trail. The terrain always gives up its secrets but you have to go at different times of the year to see all that it has to offer.  These glorious mushroom varieties were all taken at different times of the year.  It's said that one sign of a healthy forest is by the mushroom population.

We noticed many polypore mushrooms growing on the fallen trees. Their job is to help in the decay process, balancing the carbon cycle in the ecology of the forest.  Mushrooms are fascinating subject matter. I could spend hours studying their ornate growing patterns. Their dual function of helping in the death process for trees and their life giving properties for human ailments adds to their interesting complex nature. They bring balance to the forest and human ecosystem.

Look at this wonderful list of nutrients mushrooms provide: "Mushrooms are rich in B vitamins such as riboflavin, folate, thiamine, pantothenic acid, and niacin. They are also the only vegan, non-fortified dietary source of vitamin D. Mushrooms also provide several minerals that may be difficult to obtain in the diet, such as selenium, potassium, copper, iron, and phosphorus."


They taste great too! 

I have always loved sautéd mushrooms on my cheeseburger, and tell my daughter and husband to save their mushrooms for me when we eat a meal that adds them as an ingredient.

I'm not confident enough to forage in the wild for mushrooms just yet, picking a poisonous one scares the bajeebees out of me. For now I'll admire them from afar while in the wild and stick to buying them at the store for consumption. I may try to grow some from a kit, as a fun solution to my mushroom habit.

Natures' Instrument

Mom: " What did you think of our adventure on the 360 trail this year Alex?"

Alex: "It was pretty good, I saw some cool stuff, things got real when we got to the water."

Mom: "Yes, I heard the rushing water and the sound made me want to find where it was coming from so I could see what was making that loud noise. I knew in the back of my head large rocks had to be ahead in order to make that sound. Amazing how the terrain is like an instrument and the water plays off of it making a distinct sound. What name would you give Natures' Instrument or what instrument you know of would be the closest to a river bed and water?"

Alex: "Hmmm… (thinking)…. it sounds like the Spacedrum.

Mom: "Most people haven't heard of the Spacedrum, but you are right. I do think the space drum sounds like small water droplets running over rocks but also sounds like those small water droplets collect into a bigger cohesive sound like water rushing down a river filled with many rocks. How would you describe the space drums sound?"

Alex: "Well it sounds natural, it reminds me of caves, crystals and waterfalls."

Mom: " Yes, when you hear one played the high timbre gives a glass clinking sounds that would remind you of crystal and the water reflecting light also gives definition to the look of water. Can a look  be defined by sound?"

Alex: "Yes, this happens to me all the time. When I draw, sometimes the sound in the music inspires me to draw a certain picture."

Mom: "Interesting! Art, nature and music all have a certain relational aspect. I would love to see more of your drawing inspired by music. Sometimes nature inspires me to write and the sound of certain music calms or excites me. I think creativity has inner and outer levels, wavelengths and stimuli that can be individually interpreted, yet have meaning others can imprint their creativity on as well. Any thoughts on this?"

Alex: "Yes, We both see the river with scientific eyes that make us think of natural laws but we also see the river with artistic eyes that makes us think of beauty. One thing I noticed was the deception water conveys with depth. When we walk the river bed when it's dry, we are on solid, flat ground, once it fills with rain it shows that certain parts of the bed are deep and can cover your head even though you can see the bottom clearly. Adding the element of water changed the entire river bed canvas."

Mom: "I love being in nature, one thing I like about hiking a flowing river path is I tend to lose track of time and don't feel the need to be anywhere else but where I am at. Noticing all the different aspects of the terrain and how it interplays with you in the mix tends to make me think of God, who created it all for our good and pleasure.  I love that we noticed the sound nature makes this time on our adventure."

Enjoy this 'Spacedrum' Solo (technically called a Hang, pronounced Hung) by Yuki Koshimoto

Can you hear the 'water droplets' converge into a river in this song?
I can!