20 posts tagged “adoption”

I saw a friend’s facebook status update.  She hates Mother’s Day because of the recent loss of her mother.  My heart went out to her.  I have grown to hate Mother’s Day, but for different reasons.

My hubby and I don’t have children and I learned over the years not to put myself through going to church on Mother’s and Father’s Days.  Generally speaking for a childless couple, church on those days is an exercise in innocent torture devices.  And since I’m no fan of silent unseen knives and daggers… I’ve learned to skip.

I remember walking in on a conversation that my Father-in-law was having with someone about Father’s Day at church.  He was griping that their church didn’t celebrate it much because it caused pain for infertile couples and he went on at length about how wrong that was.  He said being a father is something that should be celebrated and he didn’t know why that should be taken away from him just because some people are touchy.  He said he’d been a good father and he was proud of that.  And in his opinion this sensitivity thing had gone so far that it took the fun out of things for everyone.  I said nothing, just walked away as he continued to expound on the theme.  I suppose it was worth pointing out that one infertile couple in a congregation can ruin the celebration of Mother’s Day for everyone by being all selfish and thin skinned (providing the celebration has actually been tailored with any sensitivity whatsoever.)  It really is such an audacity to suggest that church should NOT be the place where one’s raw places are treated to a deluxe case of superiority and insensitivity.  And yes, he knew I was in the room observing the conversation.  And yes, he knew our situation.  And yes, he blithered on like a leaky faucet anyway.  (Emphatic Explicative!) 

Jesus said "Forgive them for they know not what they do."  But what about when they DO know what they are doing and do it anyway?  Still then?  (Yeah!)  There are aspects of this "follower of Jesus" thing is no walk in the park.  Good thing I don't have to do it by myself.

I’ve seen the outline for the service for Sunday.  I’ve been given the week off the worship team and I will be mercifully absent.  And I suspect there will be some other empty seats as well.  Hubby on the other hand, has to run sound and will attend despite what is planned.

I’m glad there is a Mother’s Day.  I wouldn’t want to dampen the joy for anyone because motherhood is indeed a cool thing.  All kinds of deserving (and undeserving) mammals get the singular pleasure of delivering a beautiful tiny helpless version of them (or die trying.)  And generally speaking, after the initial mess is over with, baby animals are really cool, especially baby humans.  There is so much destiny and purpose in each deep breath of life filling up those tiny lungs!  Yeah, there is definitely something about the little screamers!

And one day that will be me.  We have started the adoption process and it’s entirely possible that my children are already out there somewhere.  And if they are born, then they are already mine – whether or not I can hold them tonight.  But we are not far enough along in the process to have a referral so it’s still pretty hard to wrap my head around that at the moment.  We’re just in a weird in-between phase.  And maybe this will be my last year skipping the indecencies of a Sunday morning torture session.  And maybe not.

There will come a time when I’ll celebrate Mother’s Day with my children around me, grateful that finely there was an answer to a prayer I’ve prayed for nearly two decades.  But I’ll never celebrate without an eye out for those with tears in their eyes on that day.  And I’ll understand far too well why their spot at church may be empty on certain Sundays.  And I’ll add my own prayers to all of theirs in the hopes that God will give them the desires of their hearts.  Yes, my turn will come.  But I will never forget what it was like to be on the outside looking in.  Yes, for a long time, all Abraham had were the stars in a dark night sky.

My Mom called, wanted to know if I was sitting down.  I lied and said yes.  A friend of my Mom’s gave her a check for $2000 for our adoption fund.  She called me crying. 

Uh… 

Yeah

Stunned

Um…

Wow!

I just kept asking "are you kidding me?!" 

Really, are you kidding me?!!

She didn't sound like she was kidding.

Uh...

Thank You Jesus!

Backing up a little bit.  This morning I saw our adoption bank account balance which has swelled because our Federal Tax Return was deposited in there.  And the checks from the first fund raiser have not been processed yet so that money isn't even in there yet.  Can I just say that this is starting to look like one of the wildest rides of my life? 

Pardon me, I think I must go cry now.

Jesus, is this real?  I'm not dreaming this, right? 

Well, the big fundraiser weekend is over and I’m sitting at my desk feeling rather amazed about the whole thing! 

I got off work Friday and went straight over to the church to get started wrapping up details.  I decorated sugar cookies and worked on displays in the fellowship hall.  There were a number of friends there working on pulling together the donations for a huge yard sale.  They worked until late and it was fun to have their company in the fellowship hall as we worked.  My in-laws arrived from Indiana and even though they looked quite tired, Hubby’s mom helped set out jewelry boxes and a variety of other things.  Hubby and his dad went off to bring us some ice cream and we sat for a while with the marvelous flavors they brought from a new ice cream shop in town.  Yummm...  I worked for a bit longer and then we sent the in-laws to my parent’s home for the night. 

Saturday morning I took my time getting going because I was tired from a long week of preparation.  Hubby’s mom arrived and started to help me finish up some chocolate and put together the last of the displays in the fellowship hall.  Hubby’s dad and hubby spent most of the day working on a few things around the house, including a new faucet in the bathroom and a new valve on the water heater and the window air conditioner installed.  Hubby and father-in-law went for Sub sandwiches for dinner and as we were finishing up my parents arrived with the fruit and vegetables.  The Mothers put out the chocolate as I showed them where it went and we put out all the other munchies as well.  As we were finishing up the food displays and lighting candles, the first guests started to arrive.  And at 7:00 when the fund raiser was officially starting, there were maybe 4 or 5 guests.  After a while though, the numbers started to swell and we had a crowd. 

A friend of mine is a professional violinist and she brought along a friend who plays harp and they played music for the event and really did a lovely job!  What a blessing they are and a beautiful addition to the evening!

At about 8:00 we showed the video that I made a while back giving some of our history in this journey toward parenthood.  I watched people watching the video and was blessed by how people allowed themselves to connect emotionally with it.  I think it is a lot to swallow in the five minutes of the video since it represents an often painful journey, but at least it is mercifully short.  I found myself comforting my friends who were moved by my story.  How’s that for a strange twist?!

The Art

I had small tables with a jewelry and artwork of a variety of media.  I also had a table where I had old jewelry that was significantly reduced in price.  The SALE table.  That may well have been the hit of the evening.  Most of the time there were ladies huddled around that table trying things on and giving each other feedback.  It was fun to interact with the people the same way I did when I had the gallery.  I could help them choose things that looked good on them, and make suggestions on things they should try on.  It was a very interesting evening and I really enjoyed interacting with “clientele” again.  And I saw quite a bit of that jewelry Sunday morning in church – which was a delightful surprise in some cases because I did not take care of the money so I had no idea who had purchased what.  I really enjoyed that.

The Chocolate

We had a whole table of just chocolate.  I had made twelve kinds of truffles and caramels and my Mom brought another three kinds in addition to the cookies that both of us made.  And because there were so many choices, people may have been a little overwhelmed.  So I found them gathered around the table making recommendations to each other on which ones “you just have to try!”  I heard special compliments on the lemon truffle and the marzipan which was a favorite of quite a few folks.  Surprisingly, the dark chocolate truffle with cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne pepper was a favorite for quite a few people.  I was very surprised by that but it is a completely unique flavor to an American palette.  And of course the South American dulce de leche cashew was widely favored.  Yummmmm!   My very favorite truffle of them all (a Hazelnut crème) never actually made it to the table though we did use it in the assortments that we made.  And a friend of mine later remarked that the chocolate wasn’t like home-made chocolate, it was like a cute boutique chocolate – “you know, the good stuff.”  That was a really sweet compliment and it felt really good to hear that. 

Before the event we made plates that had one of each kind of chocolate.  We carefully wrapped them up and set them aside for people who had ordered via email.  I’ll be mailing these out this week to friends, plus we sent some via family members.  It will be fun to hear how these go over with those who receive them over the next few days or so.

At the end of “Art & Chocolate” I went to my dad who had been manning the check out station.  I asked him about the total and he had me guess.  My guess was low.  Hubby had a number in his mind that he was hoping for.  And when my Dad showed him the figure, it was double what hubby had hoped for!  Yeah, talk about dropping my chin to the floor.  My response was “holy cow!” but we quickly changed it to “hallelujah!”  It had been a small and very casual crowd, they were comfortable and enjoyed each other’s company.  And they blessed us WAY beyond our expectations!  I have not seen the checks, and I don’t know who gave what.  My dad took care of all of that.  But it really packs a bunch when you see a big figure and know it translates into being that much closer to bringing our children home.  What an amazing thing is unfolding in my life!

The crowd thinned out and I started packing up the artwork and jewelry.  And the Mothers worked on the leftover chocolates, putting them out on plates in nice assortments and my Father-in-law carefully wrapped each one in plastic wrap.  We had 25 or so of these assortments prepared after the event.  So we gained permission and made a quick announcement in church Sunday morning that they would be available in the fellowship hall.  Well after the service let out, Hubby’s Mom and I quickly sold those plates to the crowd of people that were sucked in like magnets.  As people shoved cash my direction and wrote checks, it was another overwhelming moment for the weekend.  Some dear folks were just too late and it was gone.  People wrote checks for more than the chocolate, and some wrote checks without even taking any chocolate.  A friend looked me in the eye and asked me how I was doing.  I told her I was going to go home and bawl because I was overwhelmed.  She hugged me tight as I tried to pull myself together. 

After church, and after the chocolate blitz we went to my favorite place for lunch.  And then home where I folded my tired bod into my bed and vanished from consciousness until someone gently shook me and said it was time.  The in-laws, hubby and I drove up to my parents home, planted ourselves around the kitchen table and enjoyed leftovers from the event.  Fresh fruit (including kumquats – which I really like) and fresh vegetables.  We popped some of the lady finger popcorn that my in-laws buy and yes… we shared a plate of chocolates.  Yummm!  Still good!  We talked and played Rook (an ethnic Mennonite card game) into the night.

I’m humbled and amazed.  Really!  I’m trying to take lots of photographs and write it all down.  I can’t trust my memory to keep it.  Our children need to know how much anticipation and generosity went into bringing them home.  If they can understand the miracle that brings them to us at some point in their lives... well, that will indeed be a beautiful thing!  For now I’m struggling to get my own mind around it.  Humbled.  And Amazed.

What does one have to do with the other?  This weekend someone handed me an envelope of signed photographs for our silent auction adoption fund raiser coming up in June.  Kelly Clarkson, Reba McEntire and Toby Keith are the three photos with big splashy signatures.  I have no idea what this sort of thing is worth but I appreciate the gift!  Now I need to put them somewhere where they won’t get bent… or forgotten.  Hmmm…

Well, I love creating big events.  I really enjoy the challenge of creating a celebration that people will enjoy.  I haven’t done this since the Katrina Benefit concert and I’m feeling all kinds of insecurities with this one.  I don’t mind raising money for any good cause – but when the money goes to benefit me, (well, our adoption) suddenly I’m all bashful.  I’ve been just thinking of these events as a way to share the joy of this adoption with our friends and family, I just have to stay focused on that.

I’ve really been through the ringer with this event though, so many fears and insecurities have really been playing leap frog through my head.  What if the (name of family from church) family shows up with their (I can’t remember how many) unfettered children?  They’d make short work of a bunch of dainty chocolate, those kids have skills!  And there is that dear sweet man that puts away a whole huge portion of desert in the time it takes him to walk from the buffet back to his table.  Then it’s time to go back and fill that empty plate.  Suddenly I’m frightened of a grown man and little grabby children!?!  THEY should be afraid of ME!  LOL!

On the flip side, I’m terrified that my mother may be right.  Oh, she says I’ve made waaaay too much.  And she doesn’t like the flavors I made and on and on.  Hubby thinks people may treat the truffles like M&M’s.  I even fear that there is a chance that we went to all this trouble for a very small crowd.  But I’ve made flavors that I think are really really good, so if there are lots and lots of leftovers I’ll just pretend I’m a member of the above mentioned family.  And then I’ll pack up a bunch up to give away to people I like.

The in-laws are coming, the in-laws are coming.  Yeah, the same father-in-law who wants to ask the owner of the gallery why that painting isn’t $8 instead of $4000.  He’s an adorable sweet little man, but “Art & Chocolate” isn’t exactly his thing.  And Hubby’s Mom will be a big help with food and clean up.  And when the event is over, I’ll be vanishing to nap for a nice long while and leaving the in-laws for Hubby to entertain.  That will be lovely.

Come to think of it, I have conservative Mennonite family members who may feel a little uncomfortable with this event.  I make my living selling things like jewelry – which is something they don’t wear because of their scriptural convictions.  And their church doesn’t allow musical instruments and we’ll have a violin and harp duo there.  I am free to create my work outside their realm, indeed I feel that I have a scriptural mandate to release the beauty of God in the earth.  I happen to do that through jewelry and I have no apologies for anyone on that.

So even with all my insecurities and fears, I am going to make it through this event.  It was great to read R.G. Ryan’s post this morning and it really helped me to kick in some perspective.  I AM GOING (pant!) to MAKE IT (pant pant!) through (pant, pant!) this event!  It’s Art & Chocolate – what’s not to love?!  And if it is horrible, I’ll go home and take a pain pill and go to bed.  And then it really will be sweet.

With a nod to R.G. Ryan’s “Toxic Thought” post this morning, here is a fresh perspective.  You see, the truth of this event is simple.  I’m an artistically gifted individual.  Don’t worry – that’s not as arrogant as it sounds.  Cause I know that this gift did not come from me so I can’t take the credit.  We ARE ALL GIFTED in some way or another as God chooses.  I happen to be able to create art and people don’t seem to have any problem buying it up.  I happen to love sharing really marvelous chocolate, and I know that sometimes people really don’t mind buying that either.  (At least I don’t mind shelling out big bucks for the good stuff.)  And when it came time to celebrate the fact that it seems that God is FINALLY going to allow us to become a family – well – what better way to celebrate than to share a bit of who we are with our friends and family?  So yeah, I’ve had a real time of it with this event.  I’ve been very insecure and afraid at times.  But that doesn’t change the pure and simple truth of the purpose of the evening.  We are going to be who we are and share ourselves with our friends and family as they share in the process of bringing home our children.  And I think that’s cool.  No matter how freaked out I am about it. 

I am soooo tired and the pain killers I took earlier didn’t even phase the back pain.  I know I was supposed to be pacing myself but I guess that didn't work out so good.  I am working at bringing together details for our fund raiser this Saturday evening.  I’ve got more work to do between now and then and I really hope I can get it all done.  I’ll have help the night of the event and that is great.  My in-laws will arrive Friday night.  So on top of everything else we need to get the house looking good enough for guests.  I know that the event will be fun and we’ll enjoy ourselves.  And it should be fun to see how people respond to the chocolate we’ve worked so hard on.  And I know that afterwards I’m going to be really really tired.  But we’ll have guests, even after the party is over.  And Sunday afternoon when I’d like to sleep for four hours to recover from this incredibly long week?  We’ll still have guests.  I have thought about it.  And it’s just going to have to be ok for me to not play the hostess this time.  I am not happy about it.  But I’m thinking that’s just going to have to be the way it is this time.  I'm not built for marathons.  Who am I kidding?  I'm not even built for a good sprint.

Last week sure had some ups and downs.  I had one really difficult day with my Mom and I was pretty furious this morning, but in spite of all that it was really a lovely week.

I spent the day with my Mom on Thursday which was a really mixed bag.  We got a lot of chocolate made for the fund raiser but it wasn’t much fun as she nailed me at every turn with the different things she did not approve of.  So most of the flavors I’ll be serving have not passed the Mother Darling taste test.  Oh well.  Guess my guests will have to find a way to muddle through in spite of the chocolate horrors I’ll be serving.  I’ll spare you the run down of the “bland” and “yuck” and “you’ve got to be kidding me” flavors.  She did like the marzipan (the one formula I did not make.)  I’ll post photos of the finished kinds when I get a moment.  I already had a back ache and spending the day with her just made the pain radiate a little lower than usual.  Poor hubby got to hear all about it when I got home. 

I got a bit of a shocker this morning when I realized that another event had been scheduled in the fellowship hall for the night of our fund raiser this Saturday.  The church secretary made a mistake and both of us planned to use the kitchen and fellowship hall area.  The church secretary never said she was sorry, only that she hated that it happened.  I have struggled at other times to know how to deal with her so this didn’t really help.  Well, I didn’t get much out of the sermon as I tried to think through our options.  After the service the lady from the other event and I got together and walked around the building considering our options.  We had finally come to the conclusion that they’d just have their event in a private home until her husband showed up and said no way, they were having it at church.  Oh well.  So on the day that we’re throwing this huge party, the kitchen is going to be in use from about 3:00 – 6:30 and then their mess will get cleaned up somewhere around 8:00.  And we are supposed to work around that for our 7:00 – 9:00 event.  I was furious when I found out because I had this carefully planned out and had reserved the kitchen and fellowship hall both Friday and Saturday all day long.  We had both done exactly what we were supposed to do in reserving the date with the secretary.  Only this time it just didn’t take.  I was not mean or rude to anyone, but neither was I fake-nice about how I felt about the situation.

Hubby and I had a delightful dinner at one of my favorite local places Friday night.  We ended up having one of the most interesting conversations ever and it was a lovely “date.”  I’m happy to be married to a guy who is so good at talking with me about important things.  I am crazy about him.

Saturday I finished up a wedding cake and BL and I delivered it to a picturesque barn on a lake.  It was one of those hip trendy not-really-a-barn-at-all kind of barns.  Everything was wrapped in tulle and Christmas lights with a pristine hardwood floor.  LOL!  The cake turned out beautifully and I’ll post photos when I get the time.

In other news.  I’m in the process of handing my Cake Decorating job over to a teen who will graduate from High School this Summer.  Yeah, I’m almost 40 and pretty darn good at the whole cake decorating gig.  And I’m passing the – uh – decorating bag – to a teen!  Does that seem strange to anyone besides me?  She’s a beautiful girl with a delightful disposition and I think it will be good for everyone.  She can’t do what I can but she’s a teen and everyone has to start somewhere.  We’ve been working on a strangled shoe string with BL refusing to order the needed supplies so I’ve really nailed her hide a few times this week when I didn’t have the stuff I needed to do the work.  I’m hoping to be able to leave the new girl with the equipment to do the job.  On the other hand.  It is just not my problem. 

Saturday evening we spent with some friends and had a very nice time.  I had no idea that one couple has one adopted child.  They had worked at an adoption from Bolivia and something happened and it didn’t work out.  So they put their name on a domestic list while they were considering their options and *poof!* they got a domestic assignment.  So instead of a little brown boy, he’s pastel.  Then they had a pregnancy that actually went to full term and the little boy acquired a matching sister.  Lovely family.  I knew they were older than most parents but had no idea what their story was.

After lunch this afternoon with friends, we sat around and talked at length about things like pacifism, politics and a variety of other faith and praxis issues.  Very interesting and engaging conversation though I fear that we may have freaked out the turkey farmer who was listening.  He’s such a darling creature and I adore him, but I can only imagine what he thought of the conversation. 

Looking forward to this week will involve finishing up lots and lots of details for the big “Art & Chocolate” event Saturday.  I’ll be wrapping up the work on the art I’ll have for sale.  And of course there is the chocolate to finish up.  There are tons of details and things to iron out so it’s going to be a very busy week.  Hubby’s parents will show up late Friday to help out, so that adds a certain amount of additional work to get the house ready for guests in addition to everything else.  I hope I can get all the needed details rounded up.  I wish I knew how many people to plan for.  I guess we’ll find out soon enough. 

And finally (insert trumpet blast here) I’m going to start a new business.  I’ve got an appointment to take work to a gallery in H’burg that has been a very profitable venue for me in the past.  That will be good.  I decided to pass on the local farmer’s market since they’d only allow the soap that I make and not the jewelry.  And there is a marvelous little boutique in H’burg that I’ll try out as well.  I think my more expensive work will be a lovely fit there.  So I’m going to start getting my work out there and see how people respond and take it as it comes.  There are lots of local and regional venues to choose from, it’s only a matter of time.  I’m pretty excited about that though.  And I’m blessed to have a hubby who is willing to see me give this a shot again.  It really is time.

I’m working on fund raising events for April, May and June here in Virginia.  There will be one in July in Indiana as well.  We chose to do three because I love planning events, we think bringing home our kids is a really big deal, (LOL!) and it gives people options for their calendar and interests.

Plans for the “Art & Chocolate” event are coming along. 

We’ll be serving chocolate, fruits and vegetables and Colombian coffee at the event so come prepared to enjoy an array of flavors.  I’ve been working on some formulas for truffles and chocolates.  I stumbled across some “dulce de leche” which is a South American milk based caramel.  I’ll pair that with cashews and chocolate.  Another is a vanilla truffle that starts with steeping a vanilla bean in heavy cream for a while until the flavor develops.  The cream is used in a ganache that becomes the filling of a decadent truffle.  While imitation vanilla can be overbearing and overly sweet, the real thing is delicate and earthy and I love it!  Earl Grey is my favorite tea and I’ve been exploring a way to make an Earl Grey truffle that I think will be quite good.  I’m going to try a blueberry truffle idea later on today if I get the time.  And the marzipan that a friend made is divine!  I tried a bit of the marzipan with some of the chocolate that it will be dipped in and I nearly melted on the spot.  It was sooo good.  I’m also in love with the chocolate cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne pepper truffle that I made.  I haven’t found anyone else that likes the idea yet, so I may be the only one eating those.  I guess I’d better make a big batch then.  LOL!  I’ve been enjoying the creative process of exploring flavor, texture and color combinations.  It’s outside my usual media but I love it.  And since I got pretty good at making chocolate years ago in the family business, I have the skills.  Chocolate and art are a few of our favorite things and this April 19^th event is our opportunity to share them with you.

I’m also working at putting together a collection of artwork that will be for sale at the event.  I’m planning to share a variety of media and proceeds from all purchases will benefit our adoption fund. 

• First and foremost there will be jewelry.  Lots of jewelry.  Mostly pearls, natural stones, Swarovski crystals, sterling silver and seed beads.  There will also be some hand made polymer clay beads in the collection.  This is all hand made artisan one-of-a-kind jewelry.
• I’d designed a line of cards from my watercolor and mixed media work.  These cards double as a display for a pair of matching earrings.  The combination of a pretty card, a fragment of poetry and a pair of earrings in an envelope make a beautiful gift for a friend.
• I’ll bring a collection of soaps.  Again, it is outside my usual media but it has been fun to toy with the combination of color, texture and fragrance.  And it’s great fun to have an exotic soap in the bath each morning plus they make marvelous little gifts any time you need a small token of appreciation.
• Recently I’ve explored a photography project in Staunton, Virginia.  I’ve taken photographs of local architecture with a specific focus on the letters of the alphabet.  These black and white photographs can then be arranged in words for a creative accent to the home.  I have about 100 photographs in the architectural series as well as a home series that were all taken inside my home, mostly in my kitchen.  I will bring examples of each letter to the event and guests can place orders for the letter combinations they would like. 
• Some of you have seen my line of watercolors with poems that I’ve written over the years and I’ll be offering this collection for sale at the event as well.  They are colorful, vibrant and heart felt.
• And if I get some time, I’ll package up some hand made polymer clay beads I’ve made and offer them for sale as well.

Once this Art & Chocolate event is over, I’ll be working full tilt on the Benefit Concert that we have scheduled for one month later.  I’m hoping that the details can come together in the short amount of time I’ll have to focus on it.  It will be a casual evening of music and entertainment that will be very diverse and interesting.

Our June fund raiser will be a Silent Auction.  This will be my chance to get out a bunch of odds and ends in my collection of artwork.  I’ve pieced many quilt tops over the years and Hubby’s Mom and Grandma’s are working very hard to see that some of these quilts are assembled and hand quilted in time for this auction.  These quilts are each in a variety of wall hanging sizes.  I’m really looking forward to seeing how they turn out.  I’ll also be bringing out oil paintings, pen and ink drawings, pencil drawings as well as leftovers from my season of working in art glass.  And of course there will be more jewelry and possibly some beads.  It is hard to tell what all else will turn up for this auction, but the evening will be very interesting. 

Would you like to help with our Silent Auction?  If you have something of value that you no longer need (no clothing please) please let us know.  I’m really curious to see how this event goes.  I’ve seen these done in the past and they can be very interesting and fun. 

Well, that about does it for my update.  I’ve got some work to do so I’d better get back at it.  It will be a very busy three or four months with these fund raisers, working at the adoption paper work, working and our various commitments.  It’s going to be fun.  Thanks all! 

I have been working this week on building a video to show Sunday in church about our adoption.  It’s a big undertaking.  Just five minutes of music and photography could take me two weeks solid.  But I don't have two weeks.  There are so many details to creating something like this that it is pretty amazing.  I’ve been working on it solid most of the week.  Thursday evening hubby came in and flipped on the tv and I didn’t get much done after that.  I sent him to bed really early and stayed up till 2 am working on the video.  I was toasted the next morning when I tried to get out of bed, but in a small house, distractions like that can be really hard to get away from.  Yesterday I told him before he got home that I needed to be able to work on the video straight through the evening.  He was really good about it and went into the bedroom with the other laptop and M*A*S*H DVD’s turned down really low.  I was able to really get a lot done and I was really grateful that he was willing to do that. 

I have most of the photography and graphics done.  Tonight I’ll be working at putting the visual and audio elements together.  I’m really hoping and praying that I can make something that will communicate what needs to be communicated.  I have a friend who is the media person for a huge organization who has offered to view it and critique it so that I know that it communicates what I want it to.  That’s really important.  With something as personal as talking about our journey with infertility and our choice to adopt – it’s really important that it doesn’t come off whiney, or soaked in self pity while still showing the truth of these years.  There have been some dark seasons!  So I’m really hoping I can get it all pulled together and looking great for Sunday.  Yesterday I tested the first segment on the church projection computer and it is really wild to see something like that projected on a really huge screen.  I liked it.  I liked it very much!  And I’m pleased with how it is going so far.

I will have it done in time for Church on Sunday and then we can use it at fund raisers and other events along the way.  I think we will be really glad we have it.  Once it’s done. 

Yeah.  Once it is done.

Earl grey

I’m planning the Chocolate for a fund raiser coming up next month.  Since we are adopting from Colombia I’ve used the flag colors of red, blue and yellow as an inspiration for the colors and flavors for the chocolate.  And I’ve looked to South American deserts for inspiration for these truffles. 

Here are the twelve flavors I’ve got in mind at the moment:

They are:

White chocolate lemon ganache molded in dark chocolate garnished in yellow.  I may put some gold leaf in this one for the fun of it.  I happen to already have it so it would be no big deal but I think it would look amazing.

Dark chocolate black raspberry ganache molded in milk choc and wrapped in red foil

White chocolate blueberry ganache dipped in milk chocolate with blue garnish

Vanilla truffle (the cream for the ganache is infused with a South American vanilla bean until the flavor is full tilt rich orchid goodness) in dark chocolate garnished in white.  I can’t wait to try this one but I only have one vanilla bean and since they are rather expensive I don’t think I’m going to get a trial run on this one.  I hope I get it right.

Chocolate truffles

White chocolate cranberry almond in white chocolate garnished with red.  Hubby hates this one but I think it’s pretty good and it’s a good texture contrast to the others and the only one coated in white chocolate.

Marzipan (a personal favorite) dipped in milk chocolate garnished with almond

Earl Grey truffle (I can’t wait to try this one!) in milk and wrapped in silver foil.  (Ok, it’s not the least bit South American, this one is all about me!)

Hot red peppers

A red hot South American chocolate flavor:  Dark chocolate ganache with cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne pepper in dark chocolate with tiny red rose medallion garnish. (I’ve already tried this one and love, Love, LOVE it!)

Pecan praline in milk ganache with a pecan half garnish.  This sounds divine and easy to make.  Maybe I’ll get time for a trial run this week.

Dulce de Leche (a South American milk based caramel) cashew in dark or milk (Have not decided) chocolate.  Sounds good.  Don’t know whether to make my own or buy it online.  If I made it I’d never know if I got an authentic end product.  Hmmm… undecided.

Hazelnut truffle in dark chocolate wrapped in blue foil.

A dark chocolate, blue and white layered peppermint with snowflake garnish.  Coooool!

I’m looking forward to it.  I think it will be a feast for the eyes as well as for the taste buds.  I’ve done some serious chocolate making years ago so this is a real flash from the past.  I hope the old skills are still in there as far as dipping and handling the chocolate.  I hope so anyway.  It certainly will be a nice change from what I’m usually doing these days!