Snapshots and Snippets

Ice Cream:  I love ice cream in all forms…in a dish, cone, between bananas, topped with stuff, by itself, blended, in a cake, etc.  I LOVE IT!  Now, I would have said before that Graeter’s is some of the finest ice cream…but after this weekend, I must say that Jeni’s Ice Cream is the best I’ve had.  You can find it in Columbus!  Jeff and I were there over the weekend and went there TWICE because it was so amazing.  My first round was one of their seasonal flavors…Goat Cheese with roasted red cherries.  Oh. My. Gosh.  Better than great.  The second time I had the salted caramel which is one of their signature flavors and it is fabulous, too.  Jeff had the seasonal Riesling Poached Pear the first time visiting, and on his second visit he had the Cherry Lambic (AMAZING) and Lemon with Blueberry.  Needless to say, we will be going back there AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!  It’s necessary to go back there when they change up their seasonal flavors, that’s for sure.  Wow…so good…

Iced Tea:  In the summer, there is nothing better than iced tea (mixed with lemonade for me).  When it’s all hot and humid outside, it just cools you down like nothing else can.  We’ve tried to cut down on soda and make more iced tea at home, so we always have some in the fridge.  And if you haven’t already tried it, you must try the Tazo Passion Fruit tea with lemonade.  You can get it from Starbucks, or just make it yourself.  GREAT!

Ice Wine:  I am not the biggest fan of wine overall…it’s just not my thing.  I might have a glass of a sweet white every once in a while, but given the choice I would much rather have a fruity mixed drink.  :)  However, ice wine is a completely different thing.  You can read about the process here.  Basically, it’s the sweetest kind of dessert wine you could ever have…which makes it perfect for me.  It’s like NECTAR!  SO YUMMY!  You must try it if you’ve never had the pleasure.

Intuition:  I follow my gut most of the time, and most of the time it steers me right.  I have a pretty strong intuition…I think part of it is a spiritual gift and part of it is a personality trait.  I trust my intuition, because even if I don’t listen, it seems to be that I should have listened.  Jeff has learned that my intuition is pretty strong, too…especially when it comes to BIG decisions.  I prayerfully consider what my gut is telling me when those big decisions are involved, though…because I figure any gift given to me by God (in whatever form) needs to be partnered with God to be operating the way it should.

Identity:  My identity is important to me…it’s ever-changing, I think…although the fundamentals are the same.  But I believe it’s important to know who you are and what you’re all about in order to have a full and balanced life.

I am firstly, a child of God…this is the foundation of my identity.  Everything else in my life is centered around this fact.  I am a wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend…in other words, I am relational and those I am in relationship with are important to me.  And lastly…I am a singer…I am happy when I’m singing…and it is my #1 spiritual gift.  Without that creative outlet, I would be a completely different person.