Penelope Norton Richards

Our girlie is 3 months old tomorrow. It's incredible to think that such a short time ago, we had not yet met. And now we love her more than we thought possible.

4 months ago:

3 months ago:

And 2.5 months ago:

Getting to know another human being is absolutely astounding. How can we be so familiar with her noises, faces, little fingers and toes and still sometimes have no clue why she does what she does? We do know where her strong will came from (her mother). And her quiet fascination in observing everything around her (her father). But the sum of her parts are so much more than a 50/50 blend of us both. I still don't quite understand the math, but from 1 and 1 comes a 3rd. We are still in awe that she is her own person, perfectly known and loved before creation. If we know our daughter and delight in providing for her needs, how much more does our God do the same for her? And for us?

It's been impressed upon our hearts again and again these past few months that our time here is short. And precious. And that every moment spent distracted or wasted on something other than learning to know and love our God (and in turn, knowing and loving each other - each made in God's image) is its own tragedy.

With that mindset, each day - no matter how seemingly ordinary - is an adventure.

May that truth cry out to us in every moment, no matter how small. And may this be our family's identity for all of the years we are given.

//Photos by Megan Decker

Wonderful Things

3 more months (give or take) until we meet our little girl. And we absolutely cannot wait.

This sweet little thing has been stubbornly making her presence known since week 18, using the world's longest arms and legs (our doctor's words, not ours) to poke, punch and prod. All day. And all night.

Our excitement is so much more than the darling tiny girl clothes, and the adventurous nursery we have planned. Rather, it's trusting (believing) that this little soul is meant for us and for this time. We wonder what it is about us as parents that require this exact child, unique to all others throughout history. We can't wait to find out, although we're convinced it will take a lifetime to understand.

Finding ourselves wholly unfit and unprepared, our hope is in Grace that is sufficient for the work ahead.

"The Real Work"

It may be that when we no longer know what to do

we have come to our real work,

and that when we no longer know which way to go

we have come to our real journey.

The mind that is not baffled is not employed.

The impeded stream is the one that sings.

-Wendell Berry

(photo from an afternoon of getting together with one of my favorite favorites - Megan Decker)

Strangelove...

...Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love it All

2012 was the largest year yet, full of big BIG things. 
wonderful/demanding/expectant/frightening/industrious/heart-breaking/beautiful/cold/vibrant/quiet/ear-piercing/wild/breath-taking things.

Our hearts have shattered as they've doubled in size, all in moments filled with glory and wonder. We've rejoiced, mourned, laughed, wept, celebrated, endured, crashed and risen with so many others. The greatest joys and the greatest sorrows. We feel more mature than ever before. We feel more clueless then ever before.

It all came together in a moment last month, while a group of us were caroling at a nursing home. A resident's wife had called us in to sing to her brain damaged husband. We sang a few songs by his bedside, and it wasn't until we were almost done that I noticed his roommate in the corner. A man with pictures from the past covering every inch of the wall above his bed. A man who had no visitors. A man who was mouthing the words to every.single.song we were singing.

We are divinely created for this one exact place, this one exact time and these one exact people around us. Every person. Every. Single. Person. Each and every one we meet. Every story we share, every smile we give, every tear we cry and every song we sing - never ever wasted.

And we may never fully grasp how great a calling that is. God does give us moments of grace, where He pulls back the curtain that so often blinds our eyes, letting us see glimpses of just how connected we are (bound together with love). Love that moves mountains, breaks stone hearts, redeems the broken.

Which brings me back full circle. 2012 was hard for so many. Yes, we have had our own great sorrows, and so often we were called to mourn with others. Too often. A line from T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets goes round and round in my head: 'Human kind cannot bear very much reality'. 

But (by grace) more strong than the pull of despair was a call to hope. And love. We are preaching to ourselves and we are preaching to others. To everyone we touch. And Lord only knows how very many people that actually is. 

So I am excited for 2013, no matter how it hurts in the moment. We have a great, shining redemption that is already at work. And we already see it working. In the smallest moments and in the grandest ways: the times we spend together over good food and drink, the books we read, the friends we build, the random pictures we post and the statuses we 'like', the gardens we grow, the beauty our eyes learn to see. And the lonely men touched by Christmas carols. And in the sorrow we share with those around us.  

There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear.

I John 4:18

B

not in part but the whole

I'm blown away by how loving, awesome, powerful and personal our God is. The cup of wrath which was mine to drink was drained by Jesus Christ. Every bitter drop.


And He blesses us still more. This spring, I've discovered gardening and I couldn't be more obsessed. I love learning new skills, and so many great minds have been coaching me this season. My birthday present was 2 adirondack chairs, and we have coffee in them most every morning. I love things that grow, and I love having a place to sit and take it in. We've also decided that our back yard is the perfect place for an Easter egg hunt (for our future/Lord willing/sometime children).

To top it all off, I get to spend my life with this guy - he finds time to be wonderful even while juggling 60+  hour work weeks and his MBA at Chicago Booth. Plus, he is a big dork with me :)


My sin (oh the bliss of this glorious thought!)
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord O my soul.


B

love these girls

(at an incredible production of 'Aida' at Chicago's Lyric)

nothing quite like a real book

I won't deny the convenience of a Kindle. Particularly when traveling..

But I'm a romantic at heart, and I'm in love with real books. Kindles can't beat the real thing - the way paper warps as it ages, dust covers, the smell, the texture of excellent binding, the sound books make when you slam them shut, etc



Reading (good) books makes us human.
And real books can be shared with our children, and our children's children; a tool of hope for future generations. And that is why real books always win.

At least in my book :)

B

potato leek soup

With the craziness of a fabulous Christmas over, we're ready for a season of rest; and so we've been hunkering down for a nice and long cozy winter. I've found myself wondering if winter is not too unlike the Sabbath of seasons. Spring brings energy with its brighter days, new life to flora & fauna and the work of planting. Summer is for traveling, celebrating, filling our schedules to the brim and staying up much too late. We harvest, bustle about and feast in the Fall. And then comes Winter - with its dark days, quiet snow and frozen ground. Perhaps I can grow to appreciate the rest and waiting. And perhaps, Lord willing, I will use this quiet season for spiritual and imaginative refreshment.

So yes, this southern girl still finds cold weather disgusting, but she's realized that a fresh perspective helps a bit.

But on to my point :)

I have the perfect winter soup recipe. In fact, the conclusions above were reached while I prepared this fabulous Potato Leek Soup (found on a friend's pinterest board, where everything she pins looks so tempting).Simple ingredients, minimal fussing and incredibly filling - that's my kind of meal. The biggest hassle is cleaning and prepping the leeks, but I've discovered a technique that makes everything easier. The leeks I find out here are always so filthy with mud and sand. But look at this easy (and beautiful, I think) way of cleaning them:

Maybe everyone else has always cleaned their leeks this way, and I'm just late to the party....either way, I'm super glad to finally know better.

As mentioned, this soup is so simple (and affordable!). The leeks are sauteed with butter and salt; potatoes, water, thyme, chili pepper and bay leaves are added; simmer for 20 minutes or so; stir/blend/emulsify to your texture preference. And that's it!

I'd recommend adding more potatoes to increase the soup's thickness. Also, blending the soup gave it a wonderful velvety texture. We sliced up a crusty loaf of bread and paired it with a bit of sherry. It was a wonderful, simple and cozy dinner. 

Perfect for a calm, restful and reflective winter night.

B

get thee to an anthropologie

Run (don't walk) to your nearest Anthropologie. Don't have one close by? Check it out online.

There's one 5 minutes from my house, and I'm forever window shopping and getting ideas....but hardly ever able to afford anything. Even when it's on sale. But right now you can get an extra 50% off of everything already on sale - in stores and online.

Which is how I afforded this (for $25!!):

And this set (for $5!!):

And several other things that I can't reveal before Christmas :)

I just love a good great sale.

B

purple closet

We're converting one of our bedrooms into a library. We're then converting said bedroom's closet into a study (where the computer, office supplies, stationary, etc lives). I love that we can just close the closet doors when we don't need to be on the computer - out of sight, out of mind. Which really is a wonderful thing because I am too distracted by technology.

Because of my flair for the dramatic, we're painting the closet deep purple.... Lavender Suede, to be precise (doesn't that sound perfect?). And my dear, sweet sister Marge is helping me paint. She is the best!

The color is much more rich and dark in person. We're only one coat in and already I can see places where the paint is showing true to color. 

Paint makes me so happy.

B

Approach my soul, the mercy seat...

where Holy One and helpless meet...



....I must. I will. I do believe, Oh God.

B

disgustingly delicious

When I was younger, my little brothers and I had a favorite phrase: ‘disgustingly delicious’. We would say it really loud and be SUPER awkward about it, usually when something tasty but mushy was served for dinner. Or when we made our own crazy concoctions in the kitchen (think peanut butter, butter, bacon and cheese sandwiches). “Mmmmm, this is DISGUSTINGLY delicious” or “Hey look how disgustingly delicious this looks!”  Please, don’t judge – we also wore black dress socks with sneakers and threw tantrums because we weren’t allowed to watch Power Rangers.

Yeah…..that’s not helping our case now, is it?

Anyways, I haven’t thought about that phrase for years but last night it sprang uninvited to my mind. Why? Because I made macaroni and cheese for a company pot-luck lunch. And why did that particular childhood phrase seem so appropriate? Because I used 3 sticks of butter, 3 cups of half & half, ¼ gallon of whole milk and 4lbs of cheese.  

And it was  – truly – disgustingly delicious. It was the most creamy, decadent and tasty thing I’ve eaten all year.  It also made me feel very conflicted: did I want to dress up and eat it off of fine china or put on sweat pants and eat from a bowl with a giant spoon?

We’re typically very healthy eaters, so I like to think that indulging every so often is ok. No joke, I would live off of celery year-round if it allowed me to splurge like this. And I know this is a heavily biased post, but I work with food scientists and flavorists and they also highly approved. This dish leaves you feeling fat, dumb and happy.

I’m kind of a mac n’ cheese genius. Then again, everything's delicious with enough butter and cheese. 

B

my big little brother

This is my big little brother. He's tied for 1st place in the coolest little brother contest, and he's a Marine.

He's twice as big as me, which is why he's my big little brother.  And he drives a really big armored vehicle.

In the deserts of Afghanistan.

He shoots one of these:

And while he stays very busy, he still finds time to ponder the good things in life.

So while the "99%" are busy having sex on sidewalks:

and crapping on cop cars:

my big little brother got himself a job. And works hard for his paycheck. And sacrifices everything on a daily basis. He's a self-made man, just like the rest of his group:

So blessed to have a family that labors sacrificially for the good, as best as they are able and of their own volition. 

Virtue over folly.

B

kitchen decoration

I'm getting awfully excited about our library (post with pictures to come), but today I'm thinking about the kitchen.

Because our cupboard space is somewhat limited, I've had to be creative with storage solutions. And I want my kitchen to look fancy pants too, as I expect to spend more and more time there as the years progress. So space saving and darling - is that too much to ask?

I've taken a leaf out of Smitten Kitchen's book and put all of my spices on display. The glass jars are a perfect fit on the super cheap ribba shelf. A few rows of spice shelves saves me a ton of cupboard space. And it looks really nice too.

I'm also growing fresh herbs. See?

I realize my dill in particular is looking a little sad, but that's mostly because I accidentally squished him :(

There's still a lot of empty wall space, so I'm trying to decide what else to put up. I have so many ideas for the rest of the house – the kitchen’s been overlooked. There are these 2 etsy posters I’ve had my eye on:

but I can't make up my mind....

I guess I'll go poke around pinterest for more ideas :)

B

"180" the movie

'What do you know about Adolf Hitler?'

'How do you feel about abortion?'

'It's not something I've really thought about much...."

*contains images that may be disturbing*

B

propaganda machine

I've not paid much attention to the Republican debates. My research is done and I already know who's getting my vote. Why watch talking points and snarky one-liners when the candidates' records should speak for themselves? It only encourages my bent toward cynicism. Politics should stem from principles and good ideas, and there's just far too little of that left.

Rick Perry's campaign ad left me feeling a touch patronized. Although it's exactly a sign of the times. Want people to vote? Donate money? Give a darn? Then you need to find the perfect balance of edgy camera angles, hipster filters, evocative music, and film speed in double-time followed immediately by a slow motion zoom of something depressing.
And I'm not saying there's only one guilty party - can you imagine distilling everything you believe to be right, noble, true and just into the single phrase of 'Change we can believe in'? Are millions able to mindlessly chant and slap on matching bumper stickers? Yes. Was it all too easy to never actually stop and consider what exactly any of that meant? Again, yes.


It brought 2 things to my mind: Mark Twain's Innocents Abroad and the Soviet Russia Political Art exhibit currently at Chicago Booth. One hilariously satirizes our country's guilt in putting sentimentality over reason. The other, the power of propaganda.

Gloom and doom aside, the video would make one helluva movie trailer.

B

disgusting day

Today's forecast has a high of 60 F. Cloudy. Chance of rain. 'Unseasonably cool' the weather report says.

I'd be in a better mood if today were only a fluke. But it's not, because we live in Chicagoland. It's only downhill from here - a straight nosedive into 6 months of winter. Grey slushy snow, fingers that never warm up, cloudy skies, icy sidewalks....Grrr I might just move to Australia.

So in an attempt to put a positive spin on this situation, I'm wearing my favorite corduroy pants (in stable brown). And I'm planning a fabulous menu: Roasted Garlic Soup with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes. Think 50 cloves of garlic, onions, thyme, a splash of heavy cream and a touch of fresh lemon.

Give garlic a try. How could anything this lovely not be incredibly delish?

Beautiful potatoes

We'll cozy ourselves away and feast. We'll pull out the quilts and invite the cats to cuddle. And we'll rest in the quiet that comes with early sundowns.

Perhaps I shall survive the cold.

B

families are the best

Got to spend time with some of these fabulous people last weekend. Missing: one brother by name of Miles Eugene.

Tom hasn't quite mastered the art of fitting in (seriously - who stays in the exact same pose for a silly picture?!?). But we like him just the same.

Happy Monday.

B

the whistle-blower

While most everyone (including me) has been watching this clip from Jon Stewart's The Daily Show, I thought I'd pass it along for my not so Facebook savvy readers.

I realize that may only be a few of you, but it shouldn't be missed. Chuckles all around.

Stewart hits home with spot-on analysis - cheers to Crazy Uncle Ron!
He's not unelectable if people vote for him.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Indecision 2012 - Corn Polled Edition - Ron Paul & the Top Tier
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Also, while we're loving on technology (because I got fancy and inserted a video):
check out spotify.com . I do believe it's a game changer.

B

afternoon escape

Let's talk exercise.

I've been trying to force myself to run for 10+ years and have never (ever) gotten the hang of it.  That natural 'high' and sense of accomplishment people claim they get after pounding the pavement? Garbage. I refuse to believe that anyone actually enjoys running. No matter how long, how paced, how well-practiced my run is, I hate every single, stupid second.

So what's a girl (who loves cooking with heavy cream and butter WAY too much) to do? Force herself to try any and every other form of exercise that comes her way. It was an exhausting and depressing endeavor until things drastically changed five months ago.

I've now permanently hung up (burned) my gym shoes, shorts and t-shirts. Now all I need is a towel, bottle of water, and just enough clothing to stay decent. What happened? I joined a Bikram yoga studio.

(Quick overview of Bikram--it's always the same 26 poses done in 90 minutes in a 105F heated room.  Humidity is usually somewhere between 35-50%. There are also periods of total stillness while your body re-energizes for the next posture. You've heard that variety is the spice of the exercising life, that you should always keep your body guessing by changing your workouts. Bikram takes the opposite approach - your body will constantly change so the practice needs to stay the same.)

I love it, so SO much!

Well, actually I hated it the first time so much I felt like crying. And I hated it the second time...and third time. And then - overnight - everything changed. My attitude, my energy level and my body completely rewired itself. A switch was flipped somewhere.

My instructors call Bikram a 'moving meditation', but that doesn't mean levitating or 'ohm-ing' the mind into oblivion. What it does mean is using every last drop of concentration in holding postures, keeping your balance and (above all) maintaining a steady breath. The benefits: cardio, strength training, core building, balance, flexibility, improvement of breath, metabolism booster, cold-killer, depression buster, etc etc.

(plus you get a hot bod just like this. tattoos not included)

Give it a good 3-4 tries before you decide whether or not you like it. Is it necessarily for everyone? Probably not; but I do know that my body responds very well (and very quickly) to yoga.

What I really want to try next is this:

Crazy, huh? But I'd give it a spin.

B

my new 'Type A' personality

We're so thankful for our new house. It's been officially ours for 3 months now, and the longer we stay the more we love it.

I'd be posting pictures all over the place if we weren't so far behind in getting everything put together. We are notorious procrastinators, especially when it comes to cleaning and organizing.

Which is why I'm on a mission to become OCD about all things clean and organized. I realize that this is a huge change (for the both of us), but I'm really excited about the possibilities. I actually get quite giddy when thinking about a future when someone asking to 'stop over' doesn’t send me into a panic. And as with all big projects, certain tools are helpful. 

This is where I share what I’ve found to be invaluable in my quest for clean.

Method's Lavender All Purpose spray. Smells wonderful and is the perfect clean and green cleaner.

Scotch's Fur Fighter sweeper. With so many animals, fur is our #1 problem. This has replaceable felt-like sheets that grab fur like no other. Ever try to sweep up cat hair with a regular broom and have the fuzz fly everywhere or get stuck on the broom bristles? Never a problem with this baby.

A well stocked and organized cleaning caddy (doesn't hurt if it's super cute too). Ours is stocked with non-harsh, environmental friendly, no-animal testing products.

The best in class, dreamy Dyson dc28 Animal Vacuum. This thing is a beast and has been on our wish-list for a very long time. And it's now ours, after help from a wonderful anniversary gift and some bartering at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I've never been more disgusted yet satisfied as I was when emptying out the collected dirt/fur after one round of vacuuming.   

I'm sure once we get this under our belts, a baby's going to show up and we'll have to start all over again from square one. Or learn to deal until they're out of the house...

Does anyone ever really get this down perfectly?

B