Tonight she helped lead worship for the students at church. Of all the things I will miss when she leaves, her beautiful harmonizing alto will be among them.

And really – when I see her leading the many to focus on The One – she could tell me she was going to drop out and dig ditches and I’d be just fine with it.

Maybe.

Well, not really.

But I do love to her my girls sing.

Speaking of music….we sang “Happy Birthday” to a certain 12-year-old this morning….but more on that later….

We could be the spokesfamily for air mattresses.  We have several Aerobeds and they are so handy for holiday visitors, hurricane company and sleepovers like Disciple Now.  We left three upstairs for the boys to use (in addition to Lois’ and Julia’s bunkeds) and inflated one in our room for Julia’s slumber.

We made waffles, sausage and pig candy (candied, spicy bacon) for breakfast Saturday.   There is no such thing as too much pork when boys are hungry.

And they’re always hungry!  We provide snacks and they bring some, too.   We’ve known some of these boys – like Billy (cap)-  since we joined the church in 2000.  It has really been fun to see them not only get older, but also mature.   No more rounded scissors in Sunday School, or melting popsicles in VBS.  Billy is off to the Citadel in the fall, and I know his parents are proud.

Nine pairs of “boy shoes” at the door.  Not a piece of glitter or a buckle in sight.

Lois (far right) and her group showed up in homemade tutu’s Sunday morning.  Why?  “Spirit!”  I don’t think they were talking about the holy one.

Hannah (glasses) with her group leader Kelly Sunday morning.  All the leaders study at Mary Hardin-Baylor University and drove to San Antonio for this opportunity.

The students – like Lois, Alex and Katie – were seated in the sanctuary Sunday before we more seasoned saints could hobble  in.

The shaved head of Brody Holloway, director and co-founder of Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters, where our students attended camp last year and will again this year.  Brody challenged us parents to be personally holy.  That phrase has been rolling around in my head all afternoon.  I expect it will be for awhile.  Might even dribble down to my heart.

Love these kids!  And no matter how old they get, they’ll always be kids to me.

The theme of the weekend was “Undistracted,” with our students urged to define and master those things which keep them from being whom and what God calls them to be.  I loved eavesdropping on their conversations, lessons and insights. I found the message quite personally relevant as I am (far too easily) distracted.

Guess I still have a lot to learn – especially from these students.

Ingredients are pretty simple:  A plump chicken; carrots, celery and onion; chicken stock and milk; minced garlic.  Also salt and pepper to taste, though if you use a package or two of chicken stock, you likely won’t need any salt.  Boil your chicken in a stock pot, covering it about 1″  with whatever proportion of prepared chicken stock and water you like.  I like about half/half.  Add a generous heaping spoonful of minced garlic.  Tastes about 45 minutes to boil a 5-lb. bird.

Chop your vegetables while the chicken is cooking.  Rough chop or mince, doesn’t much matter.  For this batch, I used 4 stalks of celery w/leaves, 3 handfuls of baby carrots and a very large onion.  There is no such thing as too much onion.

Once your chicken is cooked, remove it from the bubbling stock.  I place a grooved cutting board next to the pot and just sort of stab and sling the bird.  Run a slotted spoon through the stock a few times to ensure there are no stray chicken parts bobbing.   Add your vegetables to the stock, and simmer until soft.  The smaller the pieces, the quicker the cooking. You can pick your chicken off the bone while the vegetables cook.

Here’s the tricky/dangerous part.  I personally cannot stand chunky cooked carrots and celery.  They disturb me.  But I like the flavors in the soup.  So once they’re soft, begin removing the liquid in batches of 1.5 – 2 cups.  Liquefy in your blender, and pour into bowl.  When you put this bubbling liquid in your blender, it’s going to want to blow the hot stock up to your kitchen ceiling, scorching your face along the way.  No no no.  Hold your hand tightly over the top of the blender, using a dish towel to catch any stray flying dribbles.  Key word is “tightly.”  Don’t let it blow!  Take your time doing these small batches.  It’s worth it.

Return the now-vege’fied stock to the pot.  Boil your noodles in the stock.  How big a package?  Depends on how thick you like your soup.  I used a 1-lb. package of wide egg yolk noodles (my fave.)   Stir often while the noodles cook.  After the noodles are tender, add your picked chicken.  Pretty, no?

Last step:  Add milk.  For this batch, I used about 3 cups.  Taste for additional seasonings.  Garlic salt, maybe?

Mmmmmm, mmmmmm, good!  Hard to say exactly how much this recipe makes – maybe a gallon?  Hannah, Lois and I each enjoyed bowls straight from the pot, then I jarred four pint-sized lunch servings and  a single “I’m really hungry” quart.

Honestly, now – which would you rather have?!

Keith and I come from families that read constantly.  I remember Mom and Judy swapping grocery bags stuffed with books.  My mom always had a book going – in fact, several:  One each in or by her chair in the den, bedside, car, purse and yes, one in the bathroom.  No Christmas or birthday was complete without a new book.  Or two.  Or three.   My first external validation of childhood responsibility was acquiring a library card – from a Houston Book Mobile that camped in a grocery store parking lot, long before Meyer Branch Library was built.

Keith and I love to read.  Our 1992 “Three Wise Woodworths” Christmas card plus….

…the Christmas card insert.   I’ll bet I read “Muppets in my Neighborhood” to Rachel 500 times.

But over time, what do you do with books?  Swap them around, sure.  Sell an occasional load to Half Price Books, maybe.  Build/buy more shelves, assuredly.  I quit keeping any but the most rare of freshly-acquired books soon after we moved here, simply because our den and bedroom shelves overflowed.

Enter the e-Reader.

I am not a technological early adopter.  I love technology – when it works for me.  But I have no interest in being “first.”  I am more than willing for someone else to work out the bugs and let the price drop before I buy a new toy.

Keith is a technological early adopter.  The financial constraints of providing for a six-person family, however, mean that he can’t always “be first” as he usually was when he was single.  He has to weigh purchases with their value for six people, not just one.  But when he buys – wow, he knows what’s doing.   He’s been a forums user since the 90′s and scours scores of tech sites daily.   He is our family’s source for knowledge of all things that must boot.

Keith switched to an e-Reader – specifically, a Barnes & Noble Nook – about two years ago.  His motto:  “No more dead tree.”  He carries his scri-fi loaded Nook everywhere he might have a chance to read on it  He no longer buys – and very seldom reads – paper books.

I downloaded the Amazon Kindle, Nook, Borders Kobo and iBooks apps for my iPad last Christmas and slowly began to read e-Books, enticed by a great holiday sale at Borders.  I liked e-Reading fine, but still refused to chant “no dead tree.”  After a year of e-Reading mixed with paper reading, I can see advantages/disadvantages to each – especially since Lois, Hannah, Julia and my sister Judy got Nooks for Christmas this year.

Lois’ Nook on its charger amidst her desk clutter.  The best books I read this year were “Empire of the Summer Moon,” and “The Immortal Henrietta Lacks,” and I read them digitally.

Advantages to an e-Reader

1.  Portability.  You can carry multiple books with you easily.  When I traveled with “dead tree,” I always carried three books – the one I was currently reading, my next planned book and a third, just in case the “next planned” was a dog.  Now I just slip my iPad in my carry-on and I’m done.

2.  Ease of reading.  As I’ve – ummm, “matured” – I’ve noticed font sizes getting smaller.  Any decent e-reader allows font size change, brightness change (if back lit), etc.  One exception:  Most e-readers have small screens.  As Judy has pointed out – “I wish there was more on a page.”  Tablets have the bigger screens, but are also pricey.

3.  Familiarity.  My kids have always lived in a digital world.  They are more comfortable with electronics than other media.  Rachel bought her own Nook a few months ago and has more than doubled the amount of time she reads for pleasure.  We’re hoping an e-Reader will do the same for Julia, who seldom reads for fun unless goaded.

“The Magic Tree House” reads better digitally, I’m told…..

4.  Convenience.  Want that book?  Just log in and download it from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.  No wasting gas driving to a b&m (bricks and mortar) store, or waiting on UPS to deliver the box.

5.  Storage.   Look around.  Enough said.

Advantages to “Dead Tree”

1.  Personalization.  An inscribed bo0k means something – at least to me.  I don’t think an Amazon gift card for a Kindle book is nearly as personal as an inscribed tome.  More practical, yes, but not as personal.

I find it difficult to give away any book my mom inscribed to me.  Ridiculous, because she was more than pen and ink.  But still difficult.  I met author Robert Massie at a luncheon this fall.  He inscribed a copy of his new “Catherine the Great” to Julia.  After I read it, I’ll place that “dead tree” copy in her room.  She’ll appreciate it one day.  I hope.

2.  Ease of sharing.  Amazon plus Barnes and Noble have very limited sharing ability.  99.99% of the time, if you bought the book, it can only be read via the device associated with your account.  You can’t – as I have done for so many years – throw that book in a closet for your next trip to Houston to hand off to your sister.

3.  Annotating.  You can digitally annotate, but my fat fingers don’t like tiny keyboards.  It’s easier for me to grab a yellow highlighter and a pen to mark up whatever devotional our Wednesday night bible class is studying.

4.  Better choices in the public library.  At least in San Antonio, the digital choices are slim compared to paper.  And who has time to drive to the library?  I just don’t.  I grew up an avid library user (both public and school) but found that after I had kids, I simply did not have time to work in non-essential car trips, or patience for one more due date.  Sounds whiny, but true.

Neutral Factors

1.  Cost.  Sure, there’s an entry cost to e-Readers, but devices have gotten much cheaper – and prices continue to fall.  I don’t think entry cost is significant any longer if you’re buying an e-Reader.  Now if you’re buying a tablet with e-Reader apps – that’s different.  Tablets definitely carry a significant entry cost.  Also, the cost of e-books versus paper books has narrowed to about $1 for new releases.  Of course, used paper books and/or late release paperbacks are cheaper.   Commensurately, late release paperback prices for e-Readers  are lower, too.  I know there are a million variables, and I am generally pretty frugal with entertainment money and – ceteris parabis – I think the costs are closing in on “equal” for most purchases.

As part of cost…..if you lose a paperback book, it’s usually an annoyance, but not a big deal.  I’ve left them on the bus, at the doctor’s office, etc.  Irritating, but not devastating.  If I lost my iPad, I’d be crushed.  Crippled.  Inconsolable.  In addition to being without my best friend, it’d cost $500+ to replace it.  So I do not carry my iPad on the bus, where I none-too-gently sling around my “blue bag.”  If/when I see a killer deal on Nooks, I think I’ll get myself one strictly as my “leave the house” reader.  I tend to take care of my possessions and wouldn’t plan to lose it or break it, but if I did, I wouldn’t tear my clothes and cover myself in ashes like I would if it were my iPad.

My “bus bag, ” souvenir of working the 1992 Republican Convention.  It will wear out one day (as the numerous small holes enlarge) but in the meantime, it carries my lunch, an umbrella and my current “bus book.”  I have an entire section of a wall unit crammed with a diminishing supply of paperbacks ($.50@) and hard backs ($1@) we bought in April at the NEISD used book sale.  We’ve gone every year but I wonder if we’ll go in 2012?  I kind of doubt it.

2.  Inventory.  If it’s new, a classic or sold well in the last 50 years, chances are there’s an e-version.

I hope your 2012 is filled with life, laughter and lots of good books – however you read them.

My sister Judy (pictured), my brilliant niece Sarah and I did quite a bit of thizzzz.  We are always ready to settle down for long winter’s naps.

This was my usual view of the kids this week – the backs and sides of heads clustered around whatever iPod, DSi, Nook, Android, iPhone, etc. was handy.  Laura – age eight – picked up Rachel’s Android tablet for the first time and had pulled up Netflix in moments.  They all amaze me.

And now we’re on countdown for the happiest of birthday parties.

Merry Christmas!

Lean to the left!  Julia is front and center.  She thought her placement was because she was not as tall as some of the other performers, but Rachel assured her only the good dancers made the front row.

This was the last elementary school play for Keith and me, having attended our first in 1996 enduring enjoying kindergartener Rachel belting out “Baby Beluga, Under the Sea.”  More memorable Woodworth moments on stage included Lois-the-sheep “molting” while white cotton balls slowly loosened from her shower cap, Hannah-the-Greek Goddness singing a duet of “Greece is the Word,” and Rachel portraying a sausage in a play (whose name escapes me) about food products.  Seldom had I seen pork played to that depth.

We’re entering a season of “lasts” and “firsts” at home.  “Last” school play.  “First” child” preparing to leave for college.  “Last” child in the children’s ministry at church.  “First” summer we could just stop somewhere on the way home from work if we wanted to.  “Last” Sister’s Day coming up where all four girls will be home.  “First” year of serious boyfriends.  And the beat goes on.

The chorus struck a chord with me:

Desert sands that spin and blow

Distant stars that gleam and glow

Desert midnight

Camels lie sleeping

Silver moon shines bright

Desert midnight

Silent sands keeping

Watch all through the night

I think those “desert sands that spin and glow” are the sands of time, swirling more and more quickly.

I’m watching.  Some days for the first time, and some days for the last.  But I’m watching.

Boys and girls – put your hands in your laps and read along very quietly with me.  Try sounding out each word.  Raise your hand if you need help.

Illustrator Lois is known for her anime talent.

When Julia starts Middle School next year, it will be our first time since 1996 not to have a child (or two or three) in an Elementary grade.

Julia and I attended the Electives Fair a few weeks ago.  The idea of her choosing a few of her own classes is very strange to her.

Rachel-the-Shopper has found far more of Julia’s “cute” clothes than I have.

Julia has enjoyed  consistently excellent teachers in Elementary School.  We will always be grateful to them.

“Awesome big sister…”  Now whom could that be?!

Believe it or not, the Middle School administration says the biggest fear of new students is working the locks on their lockers.

“Shout” is such an ugly word.  I would have preferred her to use “reminding.”  DID YOU HEAR THAT, RACHEL WYOMING?  I SAID “REMINDING!!”

Yes, we will!

Visiting out-of-town family included two members of the “Marie Club” – my sister Judith Marie and her granddaughter Laura Marie – pictured with our Hannah Marie.  When Hannah and her Scout troop enjoyed Disney World over spring break, she shopped for several (Aristocats) Marie gifts for Laura.

Great nephew James will start kinder next year.  Rachel adores him,   I took him, Laura, Julia and Hannah to play miniature golf Friday and let me tell you, I was ready for nap when we got home.  In fact – Judy and I napped together off and on all weekend, much to the amusement of indelicate spouses and children who muttered such gems as, “We’ll get you both rocking chairs for Christmas next year,” and “Soon it will be time for your medications.”  They better be more respectful or we’ll whack them with our canes.

Keith bought an electric turkey fryer this year, retiring the cauldron, broomstick and rope required in past years to cook the big birds.  Everyone agreed:  Best turkey he’s done.  Very moist, and the actual cooking is a lot less dangerous.  Our lunch for 18 included two fried turkeys, a smoked turkey (gift) and a ham – and we didn’t have an obscene amount of meat left by the weekend.  I used the scraps of the ham in a pot of pintos last night, and made a casserole with the last of the turkey today.

Our friends John and Linda – with whom we always do Thanksgiving – get two airmen trainees from Lackland each year, as do Keith and I.  So we enjoy the company of four airmen, all of whom – as six-year-old Hannah too-loudly commented in 2002 – are “good eaters.”  (l-r) Brandon from Kentucky, Ally from Arizona and Melissa from Missouri – all members of the Clean Plate Club.  Brandon asked, “Are we going to have pie?  I really like pie.”  What kind, I responded.  “Any kind!”  He had his choice of three chocolate, two pecan, two chess and two pumpkin – covered in foil behind him.

I gave the airmen my little Olympus to use during the day so they can take pictures of themselves.  Before Keith and John return them to base, I collect email addresses – parents, girlfriends, teachers, siblings, whomever – and push out a link to an online album.   Moms love it.  We got this lovely note back from the mother of Andrew (West Virginia):  “Thank you for the pictures.  They are our first photos of him since he left where we can actually see how he’s doing. How can we ever thank you enough for opening your home and sharing it with Andrew and the others.  It’s our first Thanksgiving apart and it was so much easier knowing he was with a family who would make him a part of their Thanksgiving.  When he called he was so excited and extremely thankful to have a day off base.”  Very kind, but really – John, Linda, Keith and I love hosting them.  Judy noticed an interesting trait all four shared and in retrospect, it’s been true every year – these kids want to not only serve our country, but also to improve themselves.   They know the military will provide opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them.  They’re strong, smart and hard-working with an eye on whom and what they might become.  They want to improve their chances of success.   And they’re not “occupying” anything except a bunk until 4 a.m.

Friday’s Thanksgiving decorations had to make way for a Christmas tree yesterday, plus holiday Fiestaware.  My Christmas CD’s are now in my iTunes, so I’ll be humming with Trans-Siberian in the kitchen next time I dock my iPhone in its speakers.  In the meantime, I’ll just chair dance with this favorite while I think about going back to work tomorrow.

179 shoe boxes breaks down to:

179 shoe boxes also means at minimum (usually more than):

537 rubber bands

1074 small toys, brushes, etc.

179 toothbrushes/ toothpaste

358 bagged clothing items – T-shirts, socks, undies, caps, etc.

179 decks of cards

179 foldable bags of some sort – mesh backpack or whatever

716 pencils

179 sharpeners

179 erasers

358 pens

179 boxes of crayons

1074 plastic zipping bags

4,296 bagged pieces of non-chocolate candy and gum

….plus innumerable small “fill in the holes” tops, magnifying glasses, hair barrettes, temporary tattoos, etc.

179 shoe boxes also means:  The chance to catch up with great friends like Renee and her kiddos Allison and Arthur.  They’ve helped pack for years – this year, 21 boxes. Renee also put out the word to some media buds, which is how we got the KSAT interview last week and now…..

……Operation Christmas Child is going to be featured on our local Fox affiliate “Daytime at 9″ TV program Wednesday, 11/16. Fox’s Juan Pardo (shown “mike’ing me up”) came to our house Saturday to talk to me as their “Woman of the Week,” and also to….

…..film us completing a few shoe boxes.  This publicity is great, and I love it but it’s not about “me.”  It’s about Operation Christmas Child.  I hope that comes through in the interview.  This is not false modesty, or some cute little ploy to have my friends pile on compliments.  I know myself.  I’m not some super woman with a perfect spirit and a heart always focused on God.   Operation Christmas Child has long outgrown “me” anyway.   There’s no way, no how I could do this without good friends who donate so much time, money and materials – and by the way, several of them have explicitly told me not to mention their names. They’re not looking for glory. They know what they’ve done.  Anyway, I am thrilled with this publicity – for the ministry, not for myself.  You can bet, though, that I’m going to watch “Daytime at 9″ on Wednesday, 11/16!  Oh, yeah!   

179 shoe boxes means filling the entire back of  Keith’s two-rows-of-seats-folded down Expedition, plus (not shown) the back of my mini-van.

179 shoe boxes means lots of unloading in the church parking lot.

179 shoe boxes means a good start in one of five San Antonio collection centers.    Find your nearest collection center here.

Rod  – our missions minister – used one of our boxes as an aid this morning, encouraging families to support Operation Christmas Child.  There’s still plenty of time to make a box!  Or two!  See the packing guidelines here.

So 179 shoe boxes means all kinds of things, depending on your perspective.

The perspective I care about – that my WOW class cares about – that Renee and many other friends care about – is detailed in Matthew 19:13 and James 1:27 .

Christmas morning – when we are assembling our breakfast tacos and wading through a small mountain of wrapping paper – we’ll take a minute and thank God for the opportunity to share with 179 children “somewhere.”  It’s likely they’ve never gotten a gift before.  It’s very likely they’ll use their plastic shoe boxes to carry water.  It’s almost certain it’s the only “thing” they’ll get for Christmas.

So the boxes matter.

Know what I mean?

KSAT reporter David Sears came to our house today to learn about the boxes.  “It’s so easy!”  Yes, David, it is!  Anyone can do a box.  Watch the video here.

WE had boxes to show him because the fabulous ladies of the Women on Wednesday class I attend came over last night for pizza and packing.

Oh, the bagging!  So much bagging.  Friends (l-r) Dorothy, Johnnie and Dana started with the candy, which I don’t buy until after Halloween.  Gotta be half-price.

Johnnie displays a good candy bag.  No chocolate.  Air squeezed out.  Nice variety.  Just one handful, so it can be shoved into crevices or laid flat on top of a nearly-complete box.

New friend Kendra – who is legally blind – also bagged candy.  I often have “reasons” I can’t do things for others.  Such good, good “reasons.”  Right?

Friends Dorothy and Lori bagged T-shirts to start.  An old friend sent us 100+ new – though unusable – shirts from school sporting events.  They’ll be prized elsewhere.  Kudos to my friend Lisa in Houston, who used her HEB employee discount to buy us ALL the bags we needed – plus extra!  Hundreds of bags which I’ve always had to buy previously.  Lisa, virtual hugs to you for all the boxes that arrived at my desk through the year.

We used what will likely be the last supply of hand-knitted caps from Keith’s mom.  Julia found one she really liked and asked to keep it.  Julia did much of the organizing of the stuff for the boxes.  I don’t mean she sort of delicately placed one little thing here, and one thing there, isn’t that precious?  I mean she dumped material in tubs by major category, then arranged the tubs, thinking workflow of the room.  She explained it all to me, and I agreed with what she did.  This is sooooo my child!

Friends Sarah and Jenae bagged bandanas.  The bandanas are really colorful, and lay nice and flat.   Every cloth item is bagged to squeeze out air, keep it clean and make the bag part of the gift.

I think friend Roxanne packed almost all of the boxes we did last night for kiddos aged 2 – 4.  That’s a tough age for which to pack.  She’s holding the identifier we put in each box – a 4″ x 6″ picture made from a PowerPoint that tells the child who sent the box and the city in which they live.  This isn’t ego.    It’s joy for the child to know this.

Packing Mania.  Walk around the room – get a picture, shirt, bag, cards, toothbrush, toothpaste, crayons, pencils, toys – then bring the box over for labeling, banding and stacking.  Notice Lois is filling a clear plastic shoebox.   That’s the only kind we use.  And not the Dollar Store variety, but instead the good ones from Costco, Sams or the Container Store.  The most commonly-observed use of the shoebox is to haul water.  Cardboard won’t haul water.  And neither will ulta-cheap, wobby plastic.

The young legs of Hannah and her friend L ran boxes downstairs as they were finished.  In recent years, I’ve understood what my mom used to tell me, “Your legs are younger than mine.”

One hundred and thirty Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are stacked on the dining room table now – the same number we completed last year.  But we’re not finished.

Stay tuned!  More to come…..