the word "machina" is cut into this rusty piece of metal.
machina (muh-keen-ah) was the name given to the ministry/community we were apart of in charlotte.
this piece of metal came from a burn barrel we had at our old house.
we didn't want to let go of the machina carved into the barrel so jeremiah cut it out.
now it sits on our back porch here in amelia and is one of selva's chosen nap spots.

charlotte has been on my mind lately.
it hit pretty clearly the other day that the time we had there is over.
i didn't think i would ever really miss charlotte but i kind of did the other day.
i mostly miss my friends and the time we shared there together.
most of us don't even call the queen city home anymore.
we have all spread out over the east coast.
it was pretty cool to see how the Lord brought us together for a period of time and then spread most of us apart within months of each other.
jeremiah and i believe that we will share life together like we did in charlotte with some of these dear friends again.

mom all snuggled up.

the apheresis machine. 

it was designed fifty some years ago by a man whose son died of leukemia.

mom's life saving blood stem cells!

the other day my mom did a pretty cool thing.

she donated her blood stem cells to someone she does not know.

mom was registered with Be the Match Registry and was recently contacted by them when they found she was a match for a 67-year-old man suffering from CLL leukemia.

mom donated her blood stem cells (the same cells that can be donated from bone marrow) through a process called apheresis.

we won't know how the transplant went for the man for a few months. 

registering on the list is easy as pie!

you can simply sign up on Be the Match and they will send you a kit with four q-tips. 

you simply swab your mouth with the q-tips and mail them back.

why not sign up today?

you could help save a life like my mom!

it finally snowed!

it was wake's first snow.

as seen in the last picture, he loved it! 

and he loved eating it as well.

unsweetened applesauce from smitten kitchen.

the other week i had an overflow of apples from dumpster diving.

so what better thing to do than to make applesauce?

i used this recipe from smitten kitchen.

in place of lemon peel i used orange peel and i did not puree the finished product.

it was delightfully sweet even though no sugar was added and it was oh so easy to make. 

i highly recommend this recipe for kids and adults alike!

this past weekend, wake and i went to chapel hill to visit some of my dearest friends!

we camped over at the miller house which is a lovely log cabin style home out in the country.

we did lots of cooking and eating and chatting and laughing.

we also went to one of my most favorite restaurants, milltown, in carrboro.

how i miss the sights and sounds of chapel hill!

and how i miss my dear friends' sweet faces even more!

A new favorite blog: Zero Waste Home. 

Check it out for some good ideas on how to reduce waste in your home. 

homemade pasta from martha.

the other day i made my first batch of homemade pasta.

i received a set of 3 pasta attachments for my kitchen aid mixer at christmas and i have been wanting to try them out. 

the pasta was surprisingly easy to make. 

i used martha stewart's recipe for fresh lasagna noodles.

i did substitute one cup semolina flour for one cup of the AP flour. 

a sweet little package from a sweet friend. 

sit with me and tell me once again
of the story that's been told us
of the power that will hold us
of the beauty, of the beauty
why it matters

speak to me until I understand
why our thinking and creating
why our efforts of narrating
about the beauty, of the beauty
and why it matters

.sara groves. 

cranberry banana bread from my new roots.

cranberry banana bread.

one of the fun things about dumpster diving is figuring out what to do with what you find.

this bread is a result of some ugly looking bananas and a stash of cranberries. 

i used the recipe from my new roots blog.

i did not add any nuts or chocolate (although the next time i plan on doing so!).

instead of spelt flour, i used whole wheat flour.

and, of course, i added a cup of fresh cranberries. 

it's best served warm. 

and is great with a cup of coffee!