All in the name of WINGS!

Chicken wings and me just do not get along! Sounds crazy, but it is the truth! The ONLY reason I deal with them is b/c Ty loves them so much! Let me explain. I bake EVERYTHING! Any kind of meat that can be cooked, I put it in my oven. (For health reasons)The only time we eat something fried, which is once or twice a year, is fried catfish. (Or unless we are in the states straying away from our 9 month diet overseas)
Anyway, the other day, I was cooking this disasterous meal...how can it be so bad if Im just putting it in the oven? That too, I will explain. Ty is a simple man. Easygoing, loves everything I prepare, never complains, loves leftovers, the whole nine....but when it comes to his wings, they have to be PERFECT! Just the right amount of crisp, the perfect shade of brown, with a zest to go right along with it. So of course, wanting him to love every meal I make, I try to perfect it as much as I can. Well, every single time, I am almost cursing the creation of chicken! Ty never knows it, but behind the scenes, in my kitchen, its a true battle. Mind you, overseas, we dont have all the extra gadgets that we take for granted in the States, such as the BROIL dial.
Going back to his picky tendencies towards wings, the crispyness of it-that is. Ok, the first part of the meal is pretty simple. Put it in the oven and let it bake. Well, after so long, I have to start the hard part. I have to transport the wings from the dish onto another one. Let it bake for a little bit longer. Once they have started to create their own juices, I have to again, transport the wings onto another baking dish. (And yes, to answer any 'obvious' questions, I do use oven mits, I do use a fork, spatuala, etc....)
As I am turning over each and every wing, my fingers are dang near going through second degree burns. After baking in the dishes, I then put them in foil, inspecting every single one of them before placing them back in the oven. If you are a cook, you know some parts of the chicken can tend to get 'slimy' (Ty's word) from the juices (or like I like to call it, tender)......ok, I will fast forward....at the end of it all, my fingers are burnt up, Im mad at myself b/c I am mad at some lifeless chicken wings, and also b/c I let my sister, Halana hear me sound defeated by a simple dinner....After I 'get it together' I inspect every piece of chicken to make sure its the perfect kind of crispy and that it does not have any kind of fat on it (another pet peeve of his), etc, etc...
When Ty gets home, VOILA! He is grinning from ear to ear and the first bite, I stand there holding my breath hoping that it has passed the test of his tastebuds. As I see that contagious smile spread across his face, I think 'YES! I did it!!!' He confirms that they are 'PERFECT' (his words to be exact) and I walk back into the battlefield and smile my 'victory smile'.
But never, not once, does he know how much I HATE baking those darn wings. Its my little secret b/c I know if he knew, he would tell me to not even go through all the trouble of doing it. But, Ive learned that loving somebody is not supposed to be convenient. You can get burned sometimes, you can dread going through it, but if that person is worth it, you will find ways to get it done, regardless. Of course, Im still trying to master those wings without all the drama, but until then, Ill just keep my water on cold and my stick of butter on the counter.

God-dance

From the beginning of our relationship, it was understood that I LOVE to dance, HAVE to dance, and to not take that away from me. Ty understood how important that was to me, so he makes it a point to take me out to dance every so often or we just dance on our terrace, living room, wherever- just so I can get it out of my system! I remember one day while we were out dancing, I was grooving and doing my thing and it seemed as if Ty couldnt keep up (this is my version of the story). I ignored the first few times he through my rhythm off, but that fourth time, I had to do something. 'Either just stand there and watch me or do it like this!' is what I thought, but of course I didnt say that. I just grabbed his hands and led him in the direction I wanted to go and the motions I was trying to do. At first, he ignored my gesture and kept doing his own thing, but I was persistent and determined to 'two step' a couple of more hours that night, so I wasnt trying to turn it into a debate. Eventually, he caught on to what I was doing and surrendered his feet to me. As soon as he did that, it made the rhythm so much more smooth because he allowed me to take the lead. No more stepping on my feet or bumping me in the wrong direction or me rolling my eyes on the inside! lol As I had that funny moment today, 'GUIDANCE' popped in my mind.
When I meditated on the word guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesnt flow with the music, and everything is pretty uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. Its as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word guidance. When I saw "G", I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i"."God", "u" and "i" dance. God, you and I dance. Even after a simple memory of my husband and I, God still has a way of tugging at me and showing me things in the spiritual. During this moment in my life, I really am experiencing this dance with God, especially as it relates to Ty and I trying for a baby. Im not looking to ovulation kits, ovulation watches, special 'vitamins', etc. I know God is about to twirl me around and knock me off of my feet! And with that thought, I became willing to let God take the lead!

Happy New Year!

Ah! It is a new year! For some, it means starting over from scratch, wiping the slate clean- basically redeeming themselves from a whole year of mess ups, screw ups, disappointments, etc. I find that New Years day is much like every day of the week for me, of course without all of the fireworks, champagne, tons of phone calls and mass texts, however its parallel in the sense of having a fresh new start! Everyday I wake up, I ask for a renewal of my mind and forgiveness for my sins for the day before and possibly the ones I would make on that very day. I was talking to someone I hold very near and dear to my heart and they said that in 2009, they want a relationship with God. It made my heart smile b/c if you know this person, you would know it took a lot for them to say this! So, I was so pleased and my spirit was just a dancing! lol But it made me think about all of those who feel like they have to wait for the 'perfect' time to surrender their lives to Christ or the perfect situation. To be honest, any time is perfect to give your life to Him. We can always make up excuses or say, 'tomorrow is the day' but unfortunately, tomorrow isnt always promised. When you feel like God is tugging at your heart, dont put it off, accept it right then and everyday you can feel like its 'New Years' and be just as excited about the start of a new day! You can create your own 'fireworks' in the midst of your prayer time, your own memories when forming a relationship with God, and definitely a life of fulfillment and rewards! So, enjoy this great New Year, but dont forget about every new DAY you have been given a chance to be a friend of Gods! Love you!