nothing much to say, here's a recipe

Seems like the only things going on around here are just daily enough that there's not much to remark upon. Rob and I are praying that God would bring us family friends with kids Blake's age to cultivate deeper relationships with. Rob's work was just bought out by Oracle, which likely doesn't threaten his job itself, but it could dramatically change the culture of the company (which is currently well-loved) to something profoundly more bureaucratic. The house is coming along rapidly, and I'm getting annoyed by all the decisions I have to pretend to care far more about than I actually do. Then Rob will make a design decision and tell me about it, and I'll promptly change it.

I guess I had it coming to have it all foisted upon me, but that doesn't mean I'm very happy about it!

Ok, I'm kind of happy about it. I love control! But I'm still nervous that we'll break a lot of dishes on these granite counters that everyone seems to think are so special. And I'm hoping that all the decisions I'm making come together into a cohesive vision of a house that doesn't look like a blind person chose the counters/cabinets/tile/floors. Regardless of how it looks, the sheer space will be transformative, and I cannot WAIT to have more than two or three guests at a time. I'm already planning parties with a friend for whom parties are a specialty... she has way better ideas than I do. I'd make a casserole and put out a six-pack, she has thematic food and drink, decorations, and goodie bags.

I've hit a fall-to-winter wall that's had me either fully ill or borderline ill for weeks now. I can't decide if it's the transition in weather, poor sleep, or a child that probably brings home every bug known to man (tsk, public schools...), but I'm ready to feel well again. Making comfort food is only helping a little bit, but I'm not certain I'll still be able to button my pants in another month!

Comfort Corn Chowder

• 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 cups diced cooked potatoes
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (this is about the ONLY thing I'll put cream of anything soup into anymore)
• 2 1/2 cups of milk
• salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp of each)

Cook onions in bacon fat until translucent. Put everything but the bacon into a pot and heat through, but do not boil. Serve with crumbled bacon (and make sure a touch of the bacon fat makes its way in there too, when you dump in the onions), crusty bread, and good beer.