What's Happening
When it comes to sourdough, I prefer chaos.
Zucchini Brownies
GF and DF. They do contain eggs. :-)
This recipe was copied from a page in our little black family cookbook where it was inscribed in a child’s handwriting, weathered with chocolate.
Mix:
2 cups rice flour
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Cream together:
1/2 cupt soft butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
Fold in:
2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips
Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.
Delicious especially after being refrigerated overnight. Serve as is or with a zingy raspberry sauce made with frozen berries picked from your grandpa’s patch last summer.
Last Saturday afternoon I spent a few hours holding a camera in the back of a pickup truck.
I had a moment of realization: “I am willingly being incredibly helpful, I feel like the token girl who is enabling a project that may not be worth my own investment of valuable time and life right now, what a decision to spend my sunny afternoon here.”
At the end of this session, I was already generally indignant when I read a section of John MacArthur’s commentary on 1 Corinthians that struck me as silly. I got a little mad—then over the next few days I returned to my reaction and realized there are other approaches to engaging with content I disagree with which would probably be healthier and more helpful for me and all the other people involved. I want to learn more about that.
Then my parents showed me this music:
The past few weekends have left me burnt out. On Tuesday, I found a book called Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski on my shelf.
“So how much rest is “adequate”?
Science says: 42 percent. That’s the percentage of time your body and brain need you to spend resting. It’s about ten hours out of every twenty-four. It doesn’t have to be every day; it can average out over a week or a month or more. But yeah. That much.
“That’s ridiculous! I don’t have that kind of time!” you might protest—and we remind you that we predicted you might feel that way, back at the start of the chapter.
We’re not saying you should take 42 percent of your time to rest; we’re saying if you don’t take the 42 percent, the 42 percent will take you. It will grab you by the face, shove you to the ground, put its foot on your chest, and declare itself the victor.”
― Emily Nagoski, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
On Wednesday evening I made (accidentally dairy-free) chicken alfredo and had the immense honor of seeing friends and holding their new baby. Then was an evening on the porch with artists. It was special.
On Thursday evening I held a test screening party to watch the latest version of Flora with some members of the cast and crew.
Well. I started to receive replies: most folks wouldn’t be able to come because they were out of state, out of town, had had a baby… so I baked zucchini brownies and we waited to see if anyone would show up. I was prepared to take a nap if no one came.
And you know what? A little group arrived, and it was perfect. I think providential.
We ate treats on mismatched tea saucers. No one was poisoned. We watched the short film once, discussed it, then watched it again and wrote down constructive criticism. I am thankful for how it all happened.
On Saturday (Lord willing) I will hold a rehearsal with the actors of a short film we plan to film in April. Rehearsal—especially leading rehearsals—makes me nervous, as does trying to direct actors. But I am looking forward to creativity with friends.
“Struggle can increase creativity and learning, strengthen your capacity to cope with greater difficulties in the future, and empower you to continue working toward goals that matter to you.”
― Emily Nagoski, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
I’m also thinking about the practical ways communities can care for each other, how much who I am has been shaped by being cared for by church communities, and that we’re all paying it forward. At some points, we need a lot of help from other people, at other points we are in positions of being able to help other people. We all flow in and out of these states many times through the courses of our lives.
A Quote:
“but BEing time is never wasted time. When we are BEing, not only are we collaborating with chronological time, but we are touching on kairos, and are freed from the normal restrictions of time.”
― Madeleine L'Engle, Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art