The Paper of Record (at least for me)

I am just now realizing how much the last several years of reading The Economist has shaped my thinking. On a fundamental level I'm most shaped by Stanley Hauerwas, Cornel West, and Wendell Berry but in terms of pragmatics-how specific policies and choices effect the world we live in today-I am profoundly shaped by the free market views of The Economist. They often times choose the hard unpopular answer because it is true in the aggregate i.e. globalization specifically U.S. outsourcing helps more than it hurts.
I for one do not believe we are a truly polarized country. We are not 50-50 but rather 10-80-10. The 80 is where most of us live. There is a range of beliefs within that, but at the end of the day most Americans want to know what is going to help me and and the people I care about the most. In my cynical moments, I call these people the adults. These are most of the people we know and both parties are full of them from top to the bottom. The Republicans have many: Dole, Gingrich, Brooks, (the late) Buckley, H.W. Bush to name a very few. And so do the Democrats. Unfortunately both parties most public face is the 10% on either end which constitute the children, those who are true believers in their ideologies and that the other party is just evil most obvious examples Michael Moore and Bill O'Reilly. But these people are not the ones who get things done.
Nothing brings out the child like a single party government. This is the single most important reason why I have not been a passionate supporter of Barak Obama. I do not trust congressional Democrats. I am particularly worried about the "Lou Dobbs Democrats" those who honestly think that globalization and immigration hurt the economy. This is a tenuous time for the world economy and our leaders need to learn how to ride out a necessary contraction and introduce necessary regulation without resorting in fear to protectionism. Remember the stock market crash didn't cause the Depression as much as the fed and the Smoot-Hawley Tarif did.
If McCain had run as an adult I would be voting him for these reasons: Obama is wrong about ethanol and McCain is right (corn ethanol is bad, sugar ethanol is a viable alternative the US needs to end its import duty on Brazilian sugar ethanol), McCain knows that while imperfect free trade has been the single most effective anti-poverty program in history, and I will admire to the end of my life his lead on normalization of US relations with Vietnam. I can not imagine the courage that took both personally and professionally, but largely thanks to this, Vietnam is well on its way to being a middle class country. But he didn't run this way. He made decisions hastily and was angry at the press for not giving him a free ride.
Yes, McCain was wrong about the war. But, Obama is wrong about most foreign policy as well, and his Zionism worries me. I am angry about the fact that Obama is not using his massive lead in the polls to come out against Proposition 8 in California. Secular recognition of gay marriage is the single most important Civil Rights issue of our time. If Obama really wants to be a transformational leader, there is no better place for someone who wants to be a moderate pragmatic leader to shape policy. He should not let the children on either the left or the right control the debate.
I say on Tuesday vote Obama. Then bring back the real McCain as leader of the opposition. We need real conservatives back in government.

But don't take my word for it check out the paper of record.
http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12516666

P.S. So this started as a post just meant to link to the Economist and then I started writing. My biggest concern with trying to express my views in writing is tone. Please, don't interpret anything I say as being shrill or petty. I honestly don't mean it to be. If you have any questions or thoughts, please put them in comments. We are all better when there is open debate. My hope is that the Republicans will be forced to reassess and come back somewhat similar to the British Tories. Pro environment, pro-market, skeptical of too much government and pro-family. Jindal in 2012 baby!

We love our friends...and our porch

We love when Cory comes to visit! We gave Cory a tour of midtown and consumed 4 bottles of wine... yes it's true. It was so nice out that we used our back porch, which I've been wanting to do for awhile.

This meal combined all of my favorite foods: caprese salad, green beans, sweet potato and crasin salad, and feta & salmon over spinach with vinagrette, and red wine. Matt and I have been eating on our porch all the time now. We've been seeing more of our neighbors and they've given me some gardening tips.

Urban Farm Co-op

Friends of ours from work run a neighborhood farm co-op in the middle of our city neighborhood as part of a larger non-profit. It's called Joshua Farm and they employ neighborhood youth to garden with older residents and supply inexpensive organic produce to families that otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it. Matt and I decided to support them this year instead of being part of our garden at work since our plants didn't do so well. We purchased a full share, which is a whole lot of fruit and veggies delivered to us from May to October! We're excited to can and make some sauces so look out for some new recipes. Check out the organization: http://www.joshuagroup.org/farm1.htm

Fine Dining- It's All Relative

Two of our favorite residents from the home are Louis and Mary Leedy. They are both MR and had a hard, to say the least, childhood. I've learned a lot from them while working at Paxton Ministries. They asked Matt and I several times when we were going to have them over for dinner. When we invited them this converstation ensued, in my attempt to cook something special for them.

Me: So, Mary what do you and Louis want for dinner?
Mary- Pork 'n Beans
Me: Hmm.. what else do you like? I can make anything (overstatment perhaps)
Mary- Hot Dogs
Me: Is there anything else you both like? Something special?
Mary- Beans
Me (grudingly): Okay

Later, I asked Louis and his response was... Pork 'n Beans. We're having them over tonight. I made sure to get the nitrate free hot dogs. I love how sure they were of their favorite meal. And how sure Louis is of the "mansion he'll get when he meets the Lord in heaven."

Company & Crafts

Megan and Emily, two of my good friends from high school came to Harrisburg! We love having company, especially when it's friends I've known forever. We got up early and went to the Broad Street Market for some fresh veggies, ginger and other miscellaneous goods for dinner. Below, you can see an expanded version of a More with Less stir fry recipe.

I think I go a little over the top sometimes, and make people, even best friends a little uneasy with my anal entertaining tendencies. I asked Matt to shove chop sticks into the napkin rings ha. Megan and Em made me laugh at myself, which is part of the reason I love them so much. We paired the stirfry with a Black Tower reisling For dessert, we picked up some all natural delights from our favorite stand in the market, the Luna Cafe. The date apricot cumb cake and brazil nut cookie with strawberry puree were good.

We thought we knew how to whisk the authentic green tea powder Matt's brother Adam sent us from Japan. Thanks Adam! Below, you can see me attempting to whisk. Let's just say, we'll give it another try. I found a independent jewelry store I love in Harrisburg and picked up some beads. Below is a sample of their merchandise and the earrings I made. I'm not a huge dream catcher fan, but I thought they went well together. Meg and Em have been introduced to the world of jewelry making. After making one pair, we got in the car and they bought their own tools and supplies: http://www.pinkandie.com/. The lovely owner convinced me to sell items on Etsy.
More to come. We're very excited for their next visit.

Climbnasium

I finally used the climbing harness gave me for Christmas last year. We recently canceled our membership to Planet Fitness and joined the Climbnasium. It's a restored barn outside of Harrisburg. http://www.climbnasium.net/Welcome.html

Matt has been climbing since he was 10. Last night was the first time I've climbed since 2002. Needless to say, I had a lot to learn or re-learn. After saying that I was a climbing instructor at a small camp and demonstrating that I could tie in, I forgot how to do the belay test. It was a bit embarrassing but they were nice about it.

I remember climbing being about rushing to the top, much like the way I approach other sports like running or swimming. Matt showed me how to solve bouldering routes and a couple new techniques. It was fun to watch him in his element and work together to find out what works for each of us. It helps to climb with someone you trust, especially when you're ready to come down.

My hands are very sore and I have a couple bruises, but I keep thinking of things I could have done different and what I want to try the next time we go. I like climbing because it's a individual goal but you can do it together. Also, what really made it fun for me was that I had to work with the conditions. It's different every time.

New York, Old Friends

...And cheesy titles. I had off the last two days and went to visit my family in Philly before NYC. Everytime I see my two nieces they are more fun. Zady didn't know I was coming and the face she made when she saw me will warm my heart all week. After I told Zady she was a cutie patootie (i don't know where that came from?) she called Uncle Matt and said, "I'm a cutey patootie. Good luck on your interview. Love."

Cory and I went to visit Quinn in New York City on Wednesday because we all, surprisingly, had off. Quinn and her husband are friends from college and currently live a couple blocks from Times Square. As we pulled out of the lincoln tunnel and on to 42nd street I was blinded by flashing lights, scrolling news and crazy drivers. I was thankful for everyone else I wasn't driving. I couldn't handle the sensory overload. p.s. Cory is a badass driver. Also she told off the parking guy who was super shady.

After eating a delicious homemade mexican soup called Sole, ee went out to the "Pig & Whistle" for drinks and sat below a framed photo of Hillary looking pretty plastered. The next day we went to Ess-a-Bagel, an authentic new york jewish bagel shop owned by a man Quinn and Joe refer to as "Uncle Bill." I have to say it was the best bagel I've ever had.

We walked around downtown and looked at purse knock off's... which I bartered down $20. It's all I had.

I attempted to do Cory's make-up in Sephora and only did one half of her face. If it's possible to make someone so darn beautiful look ridiculous, I did. We went to a couple shops and ended up being personally escorted to a nail salon by a sandwich board ad person. We got manicures and pedicures. As we were walking back to Quinn's apartment, Cory had a craving for Falafel. We were running late to get back to Cory's work appt later that night, so Quinn ran around the block and bought us Falafels and we did a drive by exchange.


We were looping around NYC for about 20 minutes following the signs for the Lincoln Tunnel, shoving Falafels in our faces. I asked Cory, "What is Falafel?" She said, "I dunno, but it's good."

There's nothing like old friends.

Surprise!

It's official, Matt is the best husband in the world. I came in from work and there was a pitcher full of beautiful tulips on our table!!

We went to look at houses yesterday and the 3 story home on Green Street we loved just sold. There is another one that they are rennovating with a roof deck and built in wine cooler.

White Walls

I love putting things on the wall that are meaningful to us. Above is a quilt made by Matt's Aunt Patty and below are two of our favorite cards from the wedding in navy blue frames. We keep on bouncing new ideas around. New places to move, new career plans, etc. I tend to be a forward facing gal and crave change. At the same time, we're newlyweds and it wouldn't hurt to enjoy where we're at now and relax. Perhaps.

Experiments in the Kitchen

Matt and I had a very lovely, relaxing Valentine's Day. I had off so I spent most of the day outside walking, catching up on phone calls and cooking a delicious feast.

Above is a photo of the first course:
heart shaped oatmeal rolls with dipping sauce and below, butternut squash soup below.

The main course was one of Matt's favorite dishes: angel hair pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, baby zucchini, roasted chicken, fresh Parmesan cheese and basil pesto.

We drank a bottle of Chianti from Matt's Uncle that we saved for a special occasion. He gave it to us with the wine rack he made us as a wedding present.

Matt was very happy with the book I got him. He's been wanting to read it for awhile: Eugene Peterson's -The Jesus Way.

Below, you can see a photo of the jewelry from the last post.

Valentine's Day Came Early

Matt surprised me with an early gift for Valentine's Day from
Ten Thousand Villages. This opal and pearl set is from Peru.

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/.

Philadelphia

I have been thoroughly scolded for the lack of posts. My apologies. We've been pretty busy and when I say busy, I mean lazy. This past weekend we had a superbowl party at our house and I drove to Philadelphia for my best friend Megan's 25th birthday bash. Megan has recently been in 5 weddings, including mine, and it was especially fun chatting with her other married friends. Many of them have already bought houses and all of them already sent out their thank you notes, oops.

In other news, we found some fun frames and have started to collect photos for our staircase gallery. We're driving to Philly again this weekend for my Grandmother's birthday, who wants cash for more sessions with her personal trainer!! Yes, my grandmother...

Last weekend, I met up with my oldest friend Lynda. We hunted deals at the Main Line Closet, http://www.jlphiladelphia.org/?nd=closet. Most of my friends have moved back to the Philadelphia area from their post college adventures. Matt and I are thinking of moving to Philly, VT, NY and perhaps Boston.

Life Plans

Matt and I have been looking at some homes in midtown & downtown Harrisburg. We are also thinking of moving and changing our lives drastically. We shall see.

http://www.greenstreetproperties.net/house1.html This is our favorite because it's the perfect mixture of old and new. Perhaps I shouldn't be advertising it eh?

I think only 3 or 4 people know about this blog, but I apologize for the lack of posts. Matt and I drove to Philly to celebrate my sister's birthday. I made homemade bread and 2 trays of whole wheat lasagna. Evy, my niece, giggled for the first time! It was well worth the trip. In other news, I am now officially Sarah Bruemmer Lyke. I said goodbye to Sarah Louise.

The List

We made our own categories and picked our favorite choice. It's like a Best Of List with only one vote and/or option. Lucky you!

Sadly, in Harrisburg the Olive Garden was picked as Harrisburg's best place for fine dining. We think it's unfortunate that many people eat at chain restaurants instead of venturing downtown. There are many locally owned, extremely reasonable restaurants to choose from.

BRUNCH ($$$)
Mangia Qui
http://www.mangiaqui.com/
Mangia Qui is our favorite brunch location. All of their food is done perfectly. I recommend the Asparagus Tomato Timbale or any of their Eggs Benedict variations. Try their delcious fresh juice bellini's too. Mangia Qui also has Harrisburg's only authentic tappas bar and a good but more expensive dinner menu. Outdoor seating with views of the Capitol also make this especially fun in the warmer months.

BREAKFAST ($)
Roxy's Cafe
Located on the corner of 3rd and State Street, this restaurant offers a lively atmosphere and views of the Capitol. It is always packed but the food is cheap and always tasty.

MEXICAN LUNCH ($)
Neato Burrito
If you're hungry and enjoy creating your own selections, Neato Burrito offers a plethora of options. The only downside, in my opinion, is the staff is a bit arrogant when you create a "bad" burrito. http://www.neatoburrito.com/

SANDWICHES ($)
Cafe Fresco
Cafe Fresco uses fresh ingredients to create some of our favorite sandwiches. The smoked turkey and brie is wonderful.
http://www.frescocentercity.com/

PIZZA ($)
Mercado's Pizza
Located on 3rd or 17th street, Mercado's has some of the best pizza ever.

AMERICAN ($$$)
The Firehouse
The atmopshere of this rennovated fire house makes dining at the Firehouse an experience. The food selection is mouth watering. I recommend their mojhitos. http://www.thefirehouserestaurant.com/

ITALIAN ($$)
The Zephyr
We like to eat in the outdoor courtyard, as the bright red interior walls and black booths can be a bit alarming. Their homemade sangria and pastsa dishes are good. Order the woodsmen and their cheesy bread. http://www.thezephyrexpress.com/

JAPANESE($$)
Fuji Do
Shady looking from the outside, Fuji Do's is actually a very fun dining exeperience. It is located on Paxton Street across the street from the entrance ramp to 83. When you walk in they will wash your hands with a warm cloth and immediately give you cucumber salad. You can watch them make the sushi. The sake and sapora are good, but the sushi is what brings us back. I recommend getting "Rock'n Roll" and an order of miso soup.

MEXICAN DINNER ($$)
Herby's
This is by far the best mexican I have eaten in Harrisburg. Their food doesn't leave you feeling like you ate a bucket of grease and the food is authentic as is the interier and much of their clientle.

MIDDLE EASTERN ($$)
2nd Street Kabobs
Family owned and fairly new, 2nd Street Kabob is a unique restaurant. The owner will greet you himself and bring out the strongest coffee you will ever taste. Also, their menu options are very flexible and he brought us several free extras for us to try. I recommend sitting outside, because the interior is a awful peach color. www.dineoutharrisburg.com/2nd-street-kabob/

VIETNAMESE ($$)
Vietnamese Garden
This restaurant was a first date for Matt and I, paired with a movie at the Midtown Cinema (which is next door). They serve vietnamese coffee, scrumptous spring rolls and many reasonably priced, fresh dishes.

BREW PUB ($$)
Appalachian Brewing Company
belgian's upstairs abbey bar http://www.abcbrew.com/

WINE BAR ($$$)
The Red Door
This is where Matt propsed to me! I really enjoy their changing wine selection. They usually have good Montepulciano. http://www.reddoorwinebar.com/

IRISH BAR ($$)
McGrath's
We love their salmon fish and chips, i tend to get quite tispy whenever I'm at McGrath's. http://www.mcgrathspub.net/

FOOTBALL BAR ($)
Midtown Tavern
They have a huge screen to watch football and a very lively crowd to fight with. They have some Troegg's that we like and the traditional tavern fare. www.dineindie.com/MidtownTavern

Our Home

I thought I'd post some photos of our first apartment.
The living room.

The futon is very comfortable and open for visitors!

Kitchen

Matt's family usually has Chili on Christmas Eve. This year, his family came to our apartment and Matt made Chili for everyone. If you are wondering what his apron says: "One Good Man." Its from a local tea store called One Good Woman. http://www.onegoodwoman.com/. It's a bit pricy but if you can think of a tea flavor you want to try, this is the place to find it. My favorite selection is their hibicus mint tea and matcha green tea powder. You can purchase two times the amount of matcha green tea for the same price at Trader Joe's, which I hear is opening a branch in Harrisburg.

The dining room, set with the Lyke family holiday tablecloth and Matt's grandmother's dishes.

I love being a part of family traditions.

Above are some of the flowers Matt surprised me with for my birthday and below, breakfast in bed. What a guy.

Favorites from St. Thomas

Free milkshakes
Havana Blue Snapper
St. John

Snorkeling Reef
Sea Kayaking in the Bay
Sunset at Magen's Bay

Creative Outlets

We received so many cookbooks that I keep finding excuses to entertain. So far, we've had people over for hot buttered rum and appetizers, burritos and margaritas, chili night, and home made soup and rasberry salad. Tonight is guy's night at Appalachian Brewing Company so I'm having some lovely gals over for homemade pizza and crafts. I promised to save him some BBQ chicken pizza.

I like to experiment with crafts and fool around with various art forms: jewelry making, painting, furniture decorating, mosaics, photography. Tonight, I'd like to paint some picture frames to make a display for our staircase. I'm thinking a warm gold or apricot color to compliment the red and yellow in the living room. We'd like to put pictures of family and friends in the frames along with some the "artsy" cards we got for the wedding. Here's an example of what I'm thinking. Minus the trophies. I'll post the final project.



Painting is one of those things that I missed when I was living in a one room apartment. Now that we have more room and a basement, I'd like to start painting again. My sister and I worked at an inner-city camp together in Philadelphia. Here's a painting of one of my favorite kids, Natisha. All the neighborhood kids called her "big baby", even though we tried to discourage it. We found out later that they had a good reason. Her parents told us she was old enough for the camp, but she was only 3 years old. She had eyes that were far too sad for her age.


My job is emotionally draining a lot of the time. Using my hands and being creative recharges my soul. I would write more about my job, but I promised myself I wouldn't use this blog to pour out my frustrations. We'll see how long that lasts. Matt and I went for a walk outside over our lunch break.

Wedding Shots

Matt's extended family (most of them)


out front of the church


the toast





The wedding party


State Street


My immediate family



The flower girls