Springtime on the Chute

SPRINGTIME ON THE CHUTE (and tequila)

chute  

/SHo͞ot/

Noun A sloping channel or slide for conveying things to a lower level. In other words, it's a creek, a ditch, a drain...whatever. It's interesting and kind of pretty, in a Louisiana kind of way. I'm sure in the summer it will be a haven for skeeters and such, but for now, we're enjoying it. There's lots of interesting wildlife here. Birds I'm not familiar with, and weeds and wildflowers galore. I have no idea what kind of bird this little dude is. He's quite vocal and hangs out on the ground. If you are a bird person, please let me know! He's driving Daisy crazy! LOL A few more views of the chute and birds below... I think these are Sandpipers. Maybe? Some kind of tall white water bird shown below. Like I said...I really need a bird person to help me identify all these birds! In the afternoons and evenings we love to hang out on our patio and enjoy the nature show!   This past weekend was chilly, but we didn't let it keep us inside. We grilled out, then huddled under blankets and relaxed. We made THE MOST DELICIOUS grilled chicken on Friday night, then for Cinco de Mayo, we used the same marinade recipe and grilled flank steak. SO GOOD! We served the flank steak with a black bean and corn salsa. Oh, and did I mention the marinade recipe contains tequila? Oh yeah. We've also discovered Mission Artisanal Tortillas in Flax and Blue Corn. So much better than a plane old flour tortilla!  So, by special request, here is the marinade recipe and the salsa recipe as well. Note: We cut the recipe in half for the chicken breasts, since we just had two. We followed the recipe for the flank steak.  Tequila Marinade  1/2 cup clear tequila Juice of 2 large lemons, freshly squeezed (look for Meyer lemons, they're awesome) 1/4 cup orange juice 1 tsp. chili powder 1 seeded and diced jalapeno 3-4 cloves garlic minced 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes Mix all ingredients together. Place meat in ziploc bag or shallow baking dish and marinate for at least 6 hours in your refrigerator. Make sure the meat is well coated with the marinade. Preheat your grill, and prepare the grate with oil, so the chicken or steak won't stick. Grill chicken until golden about ten minutes per side, depending on your grill and the size of the chicken. Grill flank steak on HIGH for 7 minutes on one side, 5 minutes on the other side. Then remove from the grill, tent with aluminum foil and let the meat rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice and serve with tortillas and Black Bean and Corn Salsa. Black Bean and Corn Salsa 1 can drained and rinsed black beans 1 can Mexicorn, drained 1 can RoTel tomatoes drained (I use the original style) 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil Juice of one large lime 1/4 cup clear tequila 1 tsp. cumin 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (optional) 1 avocado sliced or chopped. Mix all ingredients together, and chill in refrigerator for several hours before serving. Enjoy!

TRUSTING GOD...AND COMFORT ZONES

So here I am...in Egypt. Not really. But it feels like it at times. Away from my family. Away from my friends. Away from the job I loved. Away from the place that I knew as "home". Out of my comfort zone. It's been an adjustment.
Adjusting to my new house has been interesting. I keep losing stuff that I unpacked when I was in an exhausted daze. I'll remember where something was in the old house, but have absolutely no clue where it is in our new house. I can't remember what I got rid of, and what I kept. Seriously. I was in a daze. Try moving two weeks before Christmas. I do not recommend it to anyone! Ever!
Adjusting to my new city has been an adventure. It's been fun trying new restaurants, new shops, new grocery stores.I'm starting to learn my way around, finding shortcuts and different routes around town. I just keep wishing my "old" friends were here to experience it all with me.
Adjusting to a new church is difficult. We were already searching for a new church home before we moved. We just hadn't landed anywhere, so we were in a state of "church limbo" for awhile. We've visited two churches here, and think we've finally found a church we'll be able to call home. It's close to our neighborhood, so I hope I can be as involved there as I used to be at FBC, back in the day. We've joined a class that we like, so we will be moving our letter there in a few weeks.
I've joined Bible Study Fellowship. The study this year has been on Genesis, and oh my goodness, it's just what I needed. God has spoken to me so loudly and clearly. The verse (Genesis 26:3) in the photo above literally brought me to my knees when I read it. God gave me His confirmation that we are right where He wants us to be.  I don't know why. It really doesn't matter. It's out of my comfort zone, but we're here. Together. Just one more leg in our journey. We've now moved 13 times in our almost 31 years of marriage. We were just blessed to take a nice long pit stop in Texarkana for 18 of those years. I've also learned in Genesis how Joseph endured incredible hardship and pain, but never lost his faith, keeping his focus on God. He looked for God, and trusted God in his circumstances, never allowing himself to have a pity party. (I've lost count of how many pity parties I've had) So, like Joseph, I'm going to bloom where I'm planted and try to be a blessing to others.
So I have a new view. A fresh new life. Winter is over, Spring is here..
Now go and bloom where you're planted!