Dear Tonia

I love growing old with you.

Happy Birthday!

Filed under: Love

Lent

Our team recently returned from Africa and have been sharing their stories about delivering fresh water wells to Kenya. With the Lent season upon us, and with this subject obviously close to my heart, I hope you might join me for 40 Days of Water.

bloodwatermission.com/40days

Filed under: Africa, Lent, Water

The Oscars Recap

• Ben Stiller channeling Joaquin Phoenix was brilliant.

• I thought Hugh Jackman did a great job.

• Thoroughly enjoyed the way they introduced the major actor/actress awards with the previous winners.

• Heath Ledger absolutely deserved that award.

• Man on Wire was deserving as well.

• Wall-E was one of the most deserving movies of the night.

• I wondered again why they don’t give more awards to kid actors.

• Last years Best Song was better IMHO, but the music in Slumdog sounds wonderful.

• I have a hard time believing that Slumdog Millionaire is that amazing, but I’ll no doubt be watching it very soon.

• Boom Goes The Dynamite. (Reference)

Filed under: Movies

The Oscars

True to form, I haven’t seen a single movie up for Best Picture tonight. However, different than most years, I have actually heard of every single one of them. And with the exception of The Reader I’m looking forward to watching them all very soon.

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Slumdog Millionaire
• Frost/Nixon
• The Reader
• Milk

Other movies you’ll hear about tonight that are on my to-see list are:

• Doubt
• Changling
• Revolutionary Road
• The Westler

Other movies you’ll hear about tonight that I’ve already seen and recommend:

• Man On Wire
• The Visitor
• The Dark Knight
• In Bruges
• Wall-E

What are your picks tonight?

Filed under: Movies

Fresh

Hope you enjoy your weekend as much as I enjoy this outstanding cover of a song we all grew up with!

Fresh — Kay Pettigrew

ht

Filed under: Music

Soccer Savant

So I posted this video of Tanner playing soccer for the first time at 4 years old and thought he was quite the stud (still do actually).

Then today I see this video of Madin Mohammed, a 6 year old soccer savant.

Are you kidding me? He’s already got a scholarship by the French Football Federation.

*On a related note, Tanner is having his first ever basketball game tonight.

Filed under: Soccer

Recipe of the Day

I had this for the first time yesterday for lunch and it was incredible!

Spicy Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

Ingredients
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 TBSP oil
• 3 chicken breasts, cubed or shredded
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1-2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups half-and-half cream or milk
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 (14 oz) can cream-style corn
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
• Salt (to taste)
• Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
• Tabasco sauce (to taste)

Directions
1. 
Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.

2. 
Add in chicken, onion and jalapeno peppers; cook stirring until chicken is no longer pink (adding in the garlic and cumin the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time).

3. 
Add in broth; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

4. 
Reduce heat to low then stir in cream, shredded cheese, cream-style corn, green chilies and diced tomatoes; cook stirring until the cheese has melted and all ingredients are heated through (about 2-3 minutes).

5. 
Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste.

6. 
Ladle into bowls then sprinkle with more shredded cheese.

Filed under: Food, Recipes

In Honor of Lincoln

Happy 200th Birthday President Lincoln. You’d be happy to know that I plan on reading a book about your administration later this year.

Fun Facts About Pennies & Coins:

» According to a 2006 Coinstar study, almost two-thirds of Americans (63 percent) still feel the penny should be retained as an important symbol of American culture, history and the economy.

» According to a Coinstar study, two-thirds (66%) of Americans say they tend to accumulate loose change. And of those who accumulate change, 32 percent say they are recycling or cashing in their change more now than a year ago.

» Coinstar asked Americans which group of well-known figures beyond presidents they’d like to see on a U.S. coin. The poll revealed that more than 25 percent of Americans rank Notable Scientists and Inventors as their top choice.

» According to the Coinstar National Currency Poll, 81 percent of Americans said that they don’t feel guilty about having change sitting around, not being put to use. However, 78 percent of poll respondents said they would make more of an effort to put coins back into circulation if they knew it would reduce environmental impacts.

» The Lincoln cent was the first U.S. circulating coin to bear a president’s image.

» Forty-two percent of the change you get back every day is handed out in pennies.

» A penny stays in circulation for 30 years.

» It costs the U.S. government 1.2 cents to make a 1-cent penny.

» According to Coinstar there’s more than $10 billion in loose change hiding in homes across the U.S., which is roughly $90 per household!

ht

Filed under: Abraham Lincoln

Sometimes, Yes

In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter?

Filed under: Deep Thoughts

Coming Soon

After the Super Bowl we have a lag in the sports world. But that’s simply the calm before the storm. With every March we enter the greatest month of sports period.

MLB Spring Training
February 25 — April 4

World Baseball Classic
March 5 — March 19

March Madness
March 19 — April 6

The Masters
April 6 — 12

Filed under: Sports