Oh the merriment

Via: From Paris to London

At this precise moment, there are flights taking off and landing at every imaginable location. In simply a matter of hours, my own flight will be departing from Austin and carrying me home. No matter how many times I take the trip, the wonder of flying never seems to fade. Christmas presents for my loved ones are perfectly packed (nestled between sweaters), schoolbooks and peppermint gum (for the altitude) are tucked away in my carry-on, . . . . now if only my mind and body would succumb to sleep. What comfort it brings to know within the time span of a day, I can find my way to family. Such merriment is my bedtime companion this evening, stirring me awake until my flight home!

A girl like me

Photo via: Classy in the City

A girl like me needs an umbrella like this.

The greatest gift

Photo via: Lenalampe

"I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don’t want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want every day to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift."

-- Shauna Niequist

Wintry supper: Cabbage lentil soup

Photo via: Lenalampe

Ingredients:

1 cup lentils, dry

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs of celery, diced

1/2 head of cabbage, sliced into 1 inch chunks

1/2 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. basil

1 tbsp. oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat and add 1/2 diced onion and 4 cloves minced garlic. Stir frequently to avoid burning. After 1-2 minutes have passed, add your 2 ribs diced celery and 2 diced carrots and cook for an addition 3-4 minutes. Once the onion is tender and/or translucent, add your 1 cup dry lentils, 4 cups vegetable broth, and 2 cups water. While the soup is coming to a boil, slice your 1/2 head of green cabbage into bite sized chunks and add to the pot. Add your remaining ingredients – 1 tbsp. basil, 1 tbsp. oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for about 30-40 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.

Recipe via: Clean Eating Chelsey

Current read

Photo via: La Cannella Frago 

Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum (2011) reflect on the state of the United States in That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behindin the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back and boldly state the following: “America plays a huge and, more often than not, constructive role in the world today. But that role depends on the country's social, political, and economic health. And America today is not healthy—economically or politically” (2011, p. xi). As the title suggests, the authors contend that the United States is failing to overcome the challenges of the current day. Should this pattern persist, the United States will no longer be recognized as a leader of nations. The revolution in information technology is identified as one of the four main challenges posed to the United States. The authors address this challenge and call for the revitalization of creative, critical thinking. In today’s altered world, there is a dire need for an education that inspires. According to Friedman and Mandelbaum (2011), the education system in the United States is in flux, continually changing in response to advances in technology. They contend that “the world increasingly will be divided between high-imagination-enabling counties, which encourage and enable the imagination and extras of their people, and low-imagination-enabling countries . . .” (2011, p. 138). American educators are thus posed with the challenge of inspiring imagination and teaching students to become workers in a world defined by the knowledge economy. In order to maintain its international competitiveness, the United States must be counted among the “high-imagination-enabling counties.” Such a feat, however, is not easily recognized.