Weaving Glory out of Goofiness

I HAVE to share this with you, having found this in my archives.
Wynton Marsalis is an immaculate classically trained jazz trumpet player - absolutely mesmerising.

—

Wynton Marsalis Rescues a Song

Journalist David Hajdu recently told a memorable story about Wynton Marsalis, one of the most easily recognizable jazz musicians in our day and one of the premier jazz trumpeters of all time.

One night, Marsalis was playing with a small, little-known combo in a New York basement club. A few songs into their set, he walked to the front of the bandstand and began an unaccompanied solo of the 1930s ballad, “I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You.” Hajdu records that the audience became rapt as Marsalis’s trumpet virtually wept in despair, almost gasping at times with the pain in the music.

Stretching the mood taut, Marsalis came to the final phrase, with each note coming slower and slower, with longer and longer pauses between each one: “I… don’t… stand… a… ghost… of… a… chance”

Then someone’s cell phone went off. It began to chirp an absurd little tune. The audience broke up into titters, the man with the phone jumped up and fled into the hallway to take his call, and the spell was broken. “MAGIC—RUINED,” the journalist scratched into his notepad.

But then Marsalis played the cellphone melody note for note. He played it again, with different accents. He began to play with it, spinning out a rhapsody on the silly little tune, changing keys several times. The audience settled down, slowly realizing that they were hearing something altogether extraordinary. Around and around Marsalis played for several minutes, weaving glory out of goofiness. Finally, in a masterstroke, he wound down seamlessly to the last two notes of his previous song: “… with… you.” The audience exploded with applause.

The Manukau Big Soup Magic Recipe
 

Ingredients:

18,167L Water
333kg Vegetable stock powder
5000kg Peeled and chopped potatoes
1200kg Peeled and chopped onions
125kg Salt
25kg Curry powder
25kg Turmeric
25kg Paprika
60kg Tomato paste

Process:

1.   Pump 18,167 ltrs of water into tank
2.   Heat to at least 65 degrees Celsius
3.   Agitate slowly
4.   Drop 333kg of stock and stir until dissolved
5.   Drop salt, curry, turmeric, paprika stir to dissolve
6.   Put in chopped veggies, pour in tomato paste stir to disperse
7.   Allow to cook for several hours, stir briefly every 20 minutes
8.   Near end of cooking stir quickly
9.   Serve hot

http://www.loveyourneighbour.org.nz/?sid=5571
Made in the vat at Lion Nathan
http://www.loveyourneighbour.co.nz/?sid=5574 - Mark Beale, organiser

http://aholyexperience.com/2008/10/draw-god.html

Imitate the imitator - read in Ann’s blog of the boy copying the artist with the easel set up in front of a famous painting in a museum.

… “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (Paul in 1 Cor. 11:1). …

Our children imitate those they spend time with, are attached to, be it peers, parents, teachers, coaches, faith communities. …

I wonder what my children are copying from the life modelled in the daily gallery of my heart, this home? …

Draw God. Incarnate Jesus. Imitate His Spirit. …

God encourages us “to be holy even as I am holy”.

All Saints Day is 1 November

• Opportunity to remember your grandparents and those that went before you.
• What is your family’s Christian heritage?
• Chance to retell the family stories and oral traditions of your family (whanau).
• Better than Halloween!

http://livinglessons.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/thespiritoftiofernando.pdf - The Spirit of Tio Fernando by Janice Levy, picture book

- pdf includes lapbooking ideas, suitable for mini-unit study, for homeschoolers - home educators

~ Enjoy!

Mumrez Khan’s Lamb and Spinach Karahi curry

This is the recipe for Mumrez Khan’s Lamb and Spinach Karahi curry recipe from Rick Stein’s “Food Heroes” series. This is a tasty curry. Serves 4.

–

I’ve modified and simplified this in a much shorter timespan with: very little butter, 1 tsp of spices, no lamb, still the can of tomatoes, and sliced spinach - with a side of felafel. Not too hot for the children. And vegetarian.  ~johanna

–

The Ingredients

250g (9oz) Ghee/Clarified Butter
3 tablespoons Fresh Coriander (chopped)
65g (2 1/2oz) Garlic
1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric
1 tablespoon Red Chili Powder
350g (12oz) Fresh Spinach washed with large stalks removed
1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
4 medium sized Green Chillies with stalks removed
1 tablespoon Paprika
½ tablespoon Gharam Masala
550g (1 1/4lb) Onions Chopped
1 x 400g (140z) Can Chopped Toms
50g (2oz) Fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon Salt
900g (2lb) Boneless leg or shoulder of Lamb (1½ in) cubes
1 tablespoon Ground Coriander
120ml (4fl oz) water
A pinch of ground cumin and freshly ground black pepper to serve

How to Cook

1. Heat the ghee in a large, heavy based pan. Add the onions and cook over a medium heat, stirring now and then, for 20 minutes until they are soft and a light brown.

2. Put the tomatoes, water, ginger and garlic into a liquidizer and blend until smooth. Remove the fried onions with a slotted spoon, add them to the paste and blend briefly until smooth.

3. Return the puree to the ghee left in the pan and add the lamb and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, by which time the lamb will be half cooked and the sauce will be well reduced. Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, cumin, paprika and ground coriander and continue to cook for 30-45 minutes for shoulder or 45-1 hour for leg, until the lamb is tender, adding a little water now and then if the sauce starts to stick.

4. Meanwhile, put 175g (6oz) of the spinach leaves into a large pan and cook until it has wilted down into the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 minute, then transfer to the rinsed out liquidizer and blend to a smooth puree. Set aside. Rinse out the liquidiser again and add the green chillies and 2-3 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. Set aside.

5. When the lamb is cooked, there should be a layer of ghee floating on the top of the curry. You can either skim it off or leave it there, whichever you prefer (LEAVE IT). Then stir in the spinach puree and the remaining spinach leaves and cook for 2 minutes. 

–

Suggestions for new parents

After Baby is Born

1.    After 4-6 weeks the answerphone message went: “Thank you for calling Mark and Johanna. We’re probably attending to Grace right now. Please ring back in 10 minutes or leave a message after the beep.”

2.    Keep all ‘proof of purchase’ barcodes. You never know when a free or cheap ‘something’ might be offered in baby books like “little Treasures” or in promotional material.

3.    Here is one way to set up baby’s clothing drawers:
Top Drawer 1. Nappies and liners.
2. Current age group or sized clothing eg. 0-3 months.
3. –6 mths.               
4. Woollies.
5. -12 mths.              
Bottom drawer 6. 18+ months.
Leave the woollies drawer at #4. When most of the 0-3 mth clothing is too small, put that drawer to the bottom and bring the other drawers up to the next space.

4.    Write the sizings of the clothing on the top lip of the drawer.
0-3      / 000     / 62 cm          / 6 kg
3-6      / 00     / 68 cm          / 8 kg
6-12     / 0     / 80 cm          / 10 kg

5.    Don’t rely on the stated sizing of clothing. Measure against your baby and against other brands. Then put in the appropriate drawer.

6.    Another [smaller] set of drawers may be set up like:
Top 1. Booties, sox, mittens.     
2. Off-season current-sized clothing.
3. Sheets, wraps.                           
4. Cloths, bibs.
5. Hats, beanies, bonnets.          
Bottom 6. Clothes too small, not wanted.

 (c) Johanna Whittaker, May 1998, six months after my first child was born.

Based on a True Story - James Choung

- A fresh new way to understand the Christian faith
- A handy, bite-sized booklet that Christians can give to their friends

Everybody likes a good story. Especially if it’s based on true, real-life events.
But what kind of story is compelling enough to transform your life?
Can a story be powerful enough to change the whole world?

• Diagram and Outline of the 4 circles with a Kingdom perspective
• ‘Christianity Today’ full article with pics (1.45Mb) or
  4 page CT article
• A different interview with James Choung
• Choung’s Blog - http://www.jameschoung.net/2007/09/17/the-big-story/
  http://www.jameschoung.net/
  http://www.jameschoung.net/2008/06/27/in-christianity-today/#more-118
• Audio –
• Video + Sequel –

Not the 4 Laws or Bridge to Life, but the 4 Wheels.

Chocolate Mug Cake

- submitted by Michelle, MOPS graduate (MPL)

1 Coffee Mug (or 1 cup pyrex jug)
4 tablespoons flour (that’s plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
Nuts (optional)
Small splash of vanilla

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 2.5-3 minutes on high.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed!
Allow to cool a couple of minutes, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

EAT! (this can serve 4 if you want to share!)

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

–

My G10 made this - yum! Her first chocolate cake she’s baked. Both the chn got excited about it. Took some pics.

This cake is just the ticket for making when unexpected visitors turn up!! 
~ johanna

Suggestions for new parents

When Baby is Born – first four weeks

1.    Have a soft cloth beanie for straight after delivery.

2.    Don’t push your darling little bundle of delight on to anyone else. Grandmas seem to be the exception, but older men and singles especially – ask first and invite them if they’d like to hold your baby.

3.    Most baby gifts come in the month after baby is born.

4.    Have a blackboard that you put outside the main entrance for those first 3-6 weeks – “Mother and baby are sleeping. Please leave a note or come back in an hour. Thanks.”

5.    Do NOT be afraid or too polite to ask any of your visitors to leave or to help you with a job, like hanging up the washing or tidying a room.

6.    Especially in the first 6-8 weeks, have a list of little chores to do for visitors who come for more than half an hour. [We’re serious!]

7.    Invest in an answerphone, so you can hear the messages left. This saves you having to rush to the phone when bathing, dressing, feeding baby or when sleeping or too knackered!.

8.    Our answerphone message in the first month went: “We have a baby girl called G…., born on Saturday 13 December. Please leave your name and number after the beep and we’ll get back to you. Bye.”

9.    Sticky tape greetings cards onto baby’s room door.

10.  Nappy liners [1-3] make useful reuseable washcloths.

11.  A basket on top of baby’s clothes drawers holds together: creams, lotions, scissors or snips [to cut clothing labels], Pamol [paracetamol], Infacol [for colic], pen, gift record book, hair brush, talc, cotton buds.

12.  Extras for your baby’s room may include: musical cube or mobile [if you like Brahms’ Lullaby]; black, white, and red shapes or toys for newborns; draped string to hang cards on.

13.  Tick ‘yes’ for all free samples of products.

(c) Johanna Whittaker, May 1998, six months after my first child was born.

…more on mothers…

What is interesting to read in the newspaper?

• a threat in your area which eventually hurts no-one;
• something that causes a few deaths just down the road from you; or
• hearing of 100s and 1000s being killed somewhere else in the world?

This article:  Not very interesting talks of the people killed in Haiti’s recent hurricances and the lack of media interest. (Please click on links and read)

What about Christian Indians being killed in the east India state of Orissa. What motivates us to care (a bit)? Check out: Worse than ever. More background and comment here: Terror in Orissa. 

Or have we been anaesthetised by seeing endless hours of violence and death on television?

I hope and pray that love and compassion will well up in our collective inner beings - and be moved to more than read and pray but to do what it takes to make a change and bring mercy and justice to the “poor, widows, and orphans”.

Shalom