A Beautiful Love Story - Part Three

Part Three (read part one or part two).

"Sit down, my friend, sit down and eat. We are pleased that you honour us with your presence."

Rebekah's father motioned for their guest, the servant of their relative Abraham, to take a seat at the table. Laban hovered around, his face full of curiosity. At this point, Rebekah realized they all were itching to know just what this man was sent for but decorum insisted proper hospitality before questions. Therefore, they were all surprised when the man refused to eat until he had told the reason for his mission.

"My master Abraham is growing old and he called me to him one day and bade me go to his people to look for a wife for his son Isaac," he explained. He went on to tell them of his masters great wealth and prosperity adding that Isaac was his only son, born to him when he was old. He was a blessing from God, the man declared.

He set out immediately to obey his master. Taking ten of his masters camels and a few servants, he travelled with haste for days, not taking much time to rest. It was obviously very important that he fulfil his masters command, thought Rebekah. Not often does one have a reason to travel at such a speed. This only proved to strengthen her awe and curiosity.

The servant continued. "I came to the well at evening time. No one was there at the present so I prayed in my heart that the woman God desired for my masters' son would act accordingly: I would ask for a drink from her pitcher and she would give me one and offer to give my many camels water as well. No sooner that I finished this thought than here came this young woman down the hill."

All eyes shifted momentarily to Rebekah. On any other occasion she might have felt awkward, but not at this moment. Hearing this stranger say her very actions before she did them in this way was unnerving to say the least, and yet she was not disturbed as much as enthralled. What manner of incident is this? She wondered. Is this from God?

The servant went on to relate the rest of what took place. He added finally, "Please tell me whether you will deal favourably with me or not so that I may know what to do."

The room grew silent.

Bethuel rubbed his bearded chin, Laban stared at the table in thought, and her mother stood by the counter behind her as still as stone. What was to happen now? She mused.

After a while, her father cleared his throat. "It seems that we can speak neither good or bad on this subject seeing that it is evidently of the Lord." Laban seemed to recover from his reverie. He looked at his father and nodded. "Here is my daughter. Take her, as the LORD has spoken, for your master's son."

Suddenly Rebekah's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't think. Everything had happened so fast. What was her father thinking? Questions not even fully formed bounced around in her mind.

Despite her apparent listless manner, the servant started praising God and clapping his hands together in relief. Rebekah hardly noticed the man's exit and quick return. She also didn't notice the great chests of treasures he began to lay before her father and mother and brother. Had she been aware she would have seen the slight sadness in her parents eyes and then the interest in her brother's eyes at the treasure before him.

A few moments passed and finally she deemed it time enough that she might excuse herself. She moved slowly down the halls toward her room, not even hearing her servants' questions as she walked passed. Approaching her window seat, she sat and stared at the moon outside.

One thought finally managed to make itself comprehensible.

...So this is my fate?...


Part Four (ending) coming soon...

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A Beautiful Love Story - Part Two

Part Two (click here for part one).

The sun was starting to droop in the sky when Rebekah finished her sewing and began to attend to the last chores of the day. Her father had bought material for the dress she was making just for her on his last trip, which wasn't something he did very often. The material was beautiful, and of a shade rarely used due to its expense but here it was, ready for her to wear to some special gathering. She couldn't wait and felt very satisfied with the outcome.

The servants were busy cooking and doing other necessary chores, but she couldn't find her mother anywhere. She asked the trusted head servant if she had seen her mother and found that she was out in the garden. Rebekah decided to go ahead and fetch the water for the night and then go to see if her mother needed assistance.

Once again she lifted the pitcher to her shoulder and left through the kitchen door, grabbing a shawl on the way. The day had been warm but with the lowering of the sun, it would soon grow chilly. Before long her father and brother would be finishing their work and returning home. Then they would sit down to a delicious meal and afterwards her father would read to them as he always did.

She reached the well, this time alone, and proceeded to fill the pitcher. After lowering the bucket back down into the well, Rebekah lifted the jug to her shoulder and started back up the hill. Suddenly, to her surprise, a man came running up to her looking dusty and weary. He stopped before her and bowed.

"Could I have a drink from your pitcher, please?" He said.

Rebekah quickly lowered the pitcher and said, "Of course."

While the man drank his fill, she looked around and noticed the man's camels up the hill a little way. There were a good many which caused her to think he was a man of great wealth, but judging by the attire, he was most likely a servant of the man of wealth. His clothes were as good as a servant of high position would wear, albeit a bit dirty from travel, but she noticed certain elements that made her realize the man was from Canaan. Surely he is not a Canaanite, she thought. At least he didn't look like the Canaanites she had seen.

He sighed and smiled. "Thank you very much."

Rebekah smiled back. "Here I'll water your camels as well."

She ran back to the well and began filling the water troughs that encircled the well with water. There were ten camels in all, and since camels can drink a great deal of water, she took a good while finishing the job.

He rummaged through one of the packs on the camels backs and came up with three pieces of beautiful jewelry. To her surprise. He gave them to her and said, "Tell me, who's daughter are you? And do you have room in your house for a stranger, and food for his camels?"

Still curious, Rebekah said, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor. Yes, we have plenty of room, and feed for your camels." Housing unknown guests was something many of the people did since the nearest inn was miles away. Besides, common courtesy demanded it, and if it didn't, her brother Laban would. He was always eager to hear news of the outside world that might benefit them in some way.

The man gave a sudden laugh of relief and said, "Praise the God of my master Abraham who has led me to my master's own people."

Rebekah started and suddenly realized that he was speaking of their relative, Abraham in Canaan. She had often heard of him spoken of by her father as a man of great wealth and greatly blessed by the LORD. Never had she seen him but hearing the news that his very own servant was here seeking shelter made her see just how big this news was. Without another word, she dropped her pitcher and ran for home. Her father! She had to tell her father!

Part three coming soon...

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A Beautiful Love Story - Part One

Here's a little story I've written. I have split it into four parts, this is part one. Part two, three, and four, will follow soon.

Rebekah awoke like she did every morning, to the beginning rays of the sun peaking in her window. Was it morning already? she asked herself. Pulling herself up from her pallet she methodically dressed and started the morning chores that must be done before breakfast. She found her mother in the kitchen already hard at work. She would soon help her but first she needed to go down to the well to retrieve water. Lifting the empty water pitcher to her shoulder, she set off for the well down the hill.

The morning was crisp and beautiful, causing her to smile despite the prospect of a busy day. Her gait was steady and she listened to the birds singing their songs in the trees above. The path she followed was an old one, worn down by the many years of being tread upon. She had walked it all her life, as did many before her. It was her lot in life, she thought fondly, and then absent-mindedly, was that all she was allotted?

A few of the young women from the surrounding homes were already there. She waved to a friend and muttered good morning to a couple of others. Abigail, her childhood friend, was coming down the hill a few feet away and she called to her. Abigail waved back in reply and met her at the well. The two young women hugged each other and talked about everyday things. While Rebekah was filling her pitcher, Abigail suddenly asked her: "Did you hear about Hannah?"

Rebekah gave her an inquisitive look while lowering the bucket back into the well.

"Her father has promised her to Reuel, son of Rueben ben-Jair."

Rebekah raised her eyebrows. "I've never thought of those two together before. What does she feel on the matter?"

Abigail squinted in the bright morning sun. "I can't say for sure, but at least she will not want for anything. The family is a wealthy one, as you know. I might even think better off than her own."

"Hmm, that's good for her." Rebekah turned thoughtful.

Abigail moved over to pour the contents of the now full bucket into her pitcher. "What are you thinking, Rebekah?"

"I was just thinking how nice it would be to marry a man who loved you before you married, not just after time had passed."

Abigail smiled. "You mean like your parents. Well, sometimes it works that way, and then sometimes you just have to be happy with what your father chooses for you."

Rebekah laughed. "That's easy for you to say after your father promised you to Yusef. I know how you've liked him since you were a child, you can't make me think otherwise."

Abigail blushed. "What about you? Has your father turned his mind to such arrangements?"

"If he has, he hasn't brought it to my attention. But Laban, on the other hand, has other ideas."

Abigail twisted her face. "Your brother will have you married to an old man; rich and old."

Rebekah just laughed. After a few more words, the two friends parted ways. They would possibly meet again later that evening to retrieve the water for the night.

Walking back up the hill, Rebekah thought about what her friend had said. How much longer would she be living here? Would her father really marry her off to some rich man? No, she smiled to herself, her father wanted more for her than just wealth. Then she remembered what Abigail had said about Laban. She was right, she knew. Laban loved her like a brother would but he always did have a love of wealth. His business methods had caused her father to gain more acclaim in his circles but then again she had never felt her father needed any help gaining respect from the townspeople.

She entered the kitchen door and immediately set to work helping with breakfast. But her thoughts were still on her and her friends conversation.

Part two coming soon...

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In My Backyard - Issue #10 - Garter Snake

Hi, and welcome to the tenth issue of In My Backyard. Each of these I post are inspired by actual events and findings and therefore are sometimes a bit difficult to come by. The winter months especially are difficult having little to no "animal life" cross my path, except for pets, of course. I'm never truly at a loss though, for even in the most lean months there are always some bit of nature to find.

With the warmer weather I've had an abundance of encounters in which I could use to write about but they are limited since I always try to present at least a few of my own pictures. There are a some though that I have posted and not been able to acquire my own pictures. I end up getting them from Wikipedia. It goes against my first inclinations but... sometimes I have to go with it.

I have chosen this months animal to be the Garter Snake. In the warmer months we have these buddies, maybe not aplenty, but more prevalent than some other creatures. The pictures you see, those that don't have any other attribution, are of a friendly little snake we suspect has been around our house for a few years now. It was found last year in a bag of plant soil. I was lifting it to move to another spot when I saw a slender rope-like body. It was shocking, but soon all of us were hovering around to get a closer look.

It just so happens that this one came to visit a few days ago when Mum and I were about to go shopping. On my way out to the vehicle, the neighbor's dog started barking suddenly. The poor little snake wasn't too fond of her and I managed to get her out of the way and grab the camera to snap a few shots.

I found that the Garter snake is one of the most widely distributed species of reptile ranging from the Alaskan Panhandle to Central America. Also it is the only snake found in Alaska. Which is reasonable since they are heterothermic, which means they depend upon a means of heating themselves that is outside of their body. That is why they are known for sitting on rocks to bask in the sun. I happen to know a few people that do that. (Hee hee!)

The diet of the garter snake is quite varied. Basically you can sum it up to  whatever they can overpower. We happen to know personally that they like frogs and toads, but slugs, earthworms, and rodents are among their list of foods as well.

Notice the pattern and colors. There is the typical black with yellow stripes, but in this one you can see smudges of red along with even black dots. Not many of the Garter snakes we see around here have red on them so this one is kind of special. We wondered if the red color is something they get as they grow and shed skin.

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Now here is something you may not know. In fact, I just found out about it myself. Garter snakes are supposedly nonvenomous, but they really have a mild neurotoxic venom they most likely use to tranquillize their prey. The teeth that injects this venom is found further back in the mouth and is really only best utilized through chewing, or gnawing. So if you pick one up and it bites, just don't let it chew. ;)

But really, humans won't die when injected with their venom. Thankfully. We have enough trouble with Copperheads and the occasional Cottonmouth or Rattler, we don't need deadly Garter snakes. It is fascinating though, how God gave even the "harmless" snakes a means of ensuring the capture of their prey.

And that does it. Thanks for reading. I hope you've enjoyed this issue and will return for more next month around this time.

What will I write about next?...

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Culinary Chronicles - Kale Chips

Have you ever had kale? Do you know what it is? No, it's not collard greens (blech!) but a delicious, sturdy, leafy plant in the broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts family.

I was introduced to it through a salad my grandmother made. It was covered in olive oil and sunflower seeds; I loved it! But unfortunately, some of my family didn't care for how priggly it was so it wasn't used as much in our salads.

Then, a few months ago, I was reading a tweet by Bethany Hamilton about kale chips, and previously my Mum had said she found a recipe. So I was like, "Well, if that's not a sign, I don't know what is." So we put "fresh kale" on our grocery list. Since then, kale chips are fixed at least twice a week in our home. They're so delicious! When baked, they become crispy like a potato chip, only slightly more fragile, but so good. Needless to say, a fresh batch of these don't last long around here. To emphasize that, it took me 3-4 tries before I could get a good picture of them baked, it went so fast. Whoo!

The nutritional benefits alone are worthy of them becoming a part of your diet. Very high in beta carotene, and vitamin C, they also provide that important vitamin K that is sometimes more difficult to get. Plus it is rich in calcium and contains anti-cancer properties. During World War II, people were encouraged to grow and eat lots of kale because it provided important nutrients missing from their diet due to rationing. Isn't that interesting?

Also I read, at some point in Scotland's history, they considered it a staple to their diet, even going so far as to have created an idiom. When someone felt ill and didn't want to eat they'd say that person was "off his kail". Different spelling, of course, but that's to be expected.

So now that you know how good it is for you, would like to know the recipe? Here it is:

 Kale Chips recipe

Ingredients:

• 1-2 bunches of kale (depending on the size of the bunch and how many you're fixing this for)
• olive oil
• salt 
• seasonings of your choice

First, wash the kale and lay out to dry. This is the most important step. If the kale is not mostly-to-completely dry it won't hold the oil. Lately its been warmer and the kale has been drying a lot faster, which is good when I end up washing it late and needing to bake it not long after. *wry smile*

Here I have the kale spaced apart a good deal but only because it was a small head. I end up packing them in close most of the time and they still dry. It all depends upon the temperature and humidity level.

After the kale is dry, shred into bite-sized pieces, being sure to leave out the hard, thick stems. They don't ever bake well.

Using a gallon-sized, resealable bag, load about 2-3 handfuls of kale shreds into the bag and pour the olive oil on top. How much is hard to say. Just keep in mind that you don't want it dripping in olive oil but you do want each leaf to have some evenly distributed on it. Shake the bag until you get that even distribution.

Then dump onto a parchment covered pan. Season with salt and any other desirable seasoning. Personally, my favourite is salt and smoked paprika. Too delicious!

Bake at 275 degrees for 10 minutes, stir the kale around a little, then bake for another 10 minutes. If the kale is still a bit soft, leave it in for as long as it needs, just remember to keep an eye on it.

Now you have a wonderful snack! Make sure you get some before they're all gone; you are the cook, you deserve some reward.

And that does it. One kale recipe as promised. I hope you enjoyed the post, and if you have any questions (or if you see I have left anything out) leave me a comment below and I'll get back to you promptly.

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What I'm Doing and My Plans

My cutie-pie, Lizzie Beth. She was helping me take photos of my latest project.

Its sometimes difficult to find the right way to start a blog post. I've heard it said that the hardest thing for a writer is staring at that blank page. Though I can't say I always have that problem, its definitely something I can relate to. Sometimes its just a matter of getting your thoughts organized. I seem to have a time doing that lately.

At first it was blogging and my other writing that I tried to juggle, and its not like it was too much, though I may have made a harder process of it than it was. Now that I've become a writer at Crochet Spot I've been doing some adjusting: writing an original pattern once a week, understanding the HTML. Its been really good for me so far, having a deadline that's not just of my own making, and having incentive to create my own patterns. I'm really grateful for this chance. To tell you the truth, I never dreamed that I would be given the chance to do what I love for some place other than my own blog. It's also nice to have some extra money on hand, though living at home doesn't demand a lot of expenses. Plugging away at my writing is slow going and only now has my experiences offered a small financial benefit. I anticipate the day I can get my own stories published, it seems something so far away since I have been wanting this for so long.

But back to my latest. Since starting to work for Crochet Spot I've had to work with HTML, and though I have a nodding acquaintance with it, I've never had the chance to use it. I fear I'm becoming somewhat of a nuisance to Rachel, the founder of Crochet Spot, who has been so patient in assisting me with it. I've never considered myself a slow learner, but there's just so much about HTML I can't grasp.

Actually, I've been wondering some of these things before having to come upon them. What I want in a blog is something that reflects me in all my random-retro-colorful style, with buttons and pages that look like something right out of my scrapbook. And that's essentially it, I want to set up my blog like I would a scrapbook page. The only problem is, I don't really know where to start.

Not long ago I noticed the "Edit HTML" button in my template options and I realized that I could get more (how much, I don't know) out this blog/template than I thought available on Blogspot. But where do I find all this paraphernalia that describes me, and secondly, how do I get it into the HTML?! Questions, questions, questions! Sounds like hours of research. But that's what the internet is for, isn't it? I just so happens, there are a dozen other things demanding hours of research, not to mention the hours of research my story writing needs. This brings me to another question: how do you balance all the things you need to do? We have a horrible problem around here of having too much to do and no time to do it in.

As for my blog plans, I'll hopefully be able to figure it out soon. Maybe I'll spend a post detailing exactly what I want. Sound boring? Hmm...

Speaking of future posts, I still have two more "Culinary Chronicles" I've promised but haven't written yet. On Kale Chips and Ginger Tea. I've finally got the pictures so I'll try to do them soon. Until then, I hope you enjoy browsing the contents of my blog. Make sure and leave me a message on what you think about it. And if you can tell me anything regarding the subject I have been speaking of (HTML) then I would love for you to tell me.

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Culinary Chronicles - Mexican: Stir Fried Nopales

As I have said before, having an International Farmers Market open up nearby has been the making of us. We've discovered fresh produce in a whole new way and we are totally inspired. One item in particular, that I never thought I'd buy, is nopales, or cactus. Have you ever had nopales before? Does it sound a little too adventuresome? I'd encourage you to consider otherwise. It really is a delicious food when prepared right.

Before buying the produce, I looked online for the proper way to prepare and cook them. I found a few YouTube videos that gave me the general idea and some recipes that sounded good. My first recipe with them was a simple dish, Fried Nopales. I chopped some fresh onion and garlic and put them all in a skillet. Unfortunately I cooked them too long and the result was a strong, sort of sour flavor. Its hard to describe.

The first thing you'll notice when preparing nopales is that they secrete a thick goo. At first this may seem unappetizing but don't worry, there's a way to handle that. My second recipe was to boil the nopales. The goo reacts with the water and causes a foam. I drained the foam, and water, and refilled the pan to reboil. I did this a handful of times and I had a sort of green bean-tasting dish, very bland compared to the last one.

My third recipe I tried was a keeper though, and that is the one I will share with you today. But first, lets cover how to prepare the nopales. Making sure it is prepared right is crucial to the 'safety' of your guests. Stickers can be very uncomfortable, I am told.

Preparing Nopales

Choose pads that are about a handbreadth in length and width. Any larger and they won't be quite as tender, plus they have bigger stickers.

Step 1: Wash the cactus pads.

Step 2: CAREFULLY, using a sharp knife, cut off the base of the nopales and trim around the whole pad, making it easier to remove the stickers on the outside.

 Step 3: Scrape off spines and stickers on both sides and then lay pad aside.

Step 4: Rinse all the pads in cool water, rubbing gently to make sure all the stickers have been removed.

Step 5: Chop pads into small chunks or as desired.

Now you are ready to cook!

Stir-Fried Nopales Recipe

Ingredients:

• 8 nopales (cactus pads) about a handbreadth in length and width
• 6-10 green onions
• one bunch garlic cloves
• 2 bell peppers (in the picture below you'll notice I used mini peppers)
• 4 tomatoes (I used Roma)
• fresh cilantro
• coconut oil
• red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper

Serves 8

Add a little coconut oil (or any cooking oil) to a medium sized skillet and turn on a low heat. Once the oil is hot enough for sautéing add the chopped nopales and a little salt. Stir it around real well and by now the nopales should be secreting more of its goo. Put a lid on the skillet and cook until all the goo is gone, (10-15 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cut the remaining vegetables and set aside. 

This is what your nopales should look like when all the goo is gone.

Now add onions and garlic and mix in. Cook for 5 minutes with the lid off.

Add peppers, salt and coarse ground peppercorns, and cook another 5 minutes.

Lastly, add chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and 2-3 tbsp of red wine vinegar. Cook for a few more minutes.

Now you have a delicious side to go with burritos, enchiladas, and anything else.


I hope you like this recipe and if you have any questions, just leave me a comment and I'll get back to you.

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