Chocolate Zucchini Cake

The garden is in full bloom, and Dad keeps bringing in mammoth-sized zucchinis and insists we do something with them.  Since the neighbors don't want any more, we've been forced to dig through recipes trying to find something to use them in.  I'm not much of a veggie person, but that's the beauty of this cake....all you taste is its chocolaty goodness!

Halt, Sniff, and Whiff!

I really don't understand how we're already down to the last few days of July.  As someone so depressingly reminded me yesterday, summer is almost over, and winter is well on its way.  Not only is summer beginning to come to an end, we're also well past the half-way mark of 2011.  Remember me saying how time flies and how it's ridiculously unmanageable?  Guess what - that's still true.

I was walking around the yard this week (and somehow succeeded in not melting my face off) when I noticed that I missed out on seeing some of the flowers bloom, whether it was because I was out of town or just too lazy to go outside.  So of course, I ran inside and grabbed my camera so I could capture what was left.

So just in case you haven't had time to halt and inhale the hibiscus, cease and sniff the snapdragons, or stop to smell the roses...take a couple of minutes to do just that and read some whispers from His Word as well.  After all, He created this all for your enjoyment!

Mommy's Minestrone Soup

Well, here goes my first cooking post. Again, I warn you, I'm not the world's best cook/baker. But my mother has some pretty serious skills, and I sometimes listen and manage to create something edible. For example, I have mastered the art of making this soup, so I've decided to share its deliciousness with you!

Sink or Swim

I was only half paying attention while I was washing some raspberries today (if it was up to me, I'd eat them straight out of the container, but my mother has a hissy-fit when I do that.) It was only after I got over the amusing plopping noise they made when I threw them into the glass that I realized not all of them were sinking to the bottom.

So naturally, I started a conversation with myself about why some of them were floating and some of them were sinking.  (It honestly doesn't take much to entertain me.)  Those little guys at the top weren't going to let themselves be submerged.  They were fighting for life, for air, for an escape.  They had two choices: sink or swim.  They chose the latter.

I've been wrestling with a lot of contradicting thoughts over the past few weeks, and I've been jotting them down in my journal whenever a new one comes to mind....

A(n In)Formal Introduction...

I've been sitting behind my computer staring at a blank screen for the past half hour....watching the little vertical bar blink away its steady rhythm.

      "You need to have some sort of welcome post, Tara."

       Yes, self, I realize this. But every time I write a paragraph, I reread it, scoff at myself, then quickly delete it.

(I'll try to keep my conversations with myself at a minimum...no guarantees though.)

I suppose there's no other option than for me to conform to the generic "first post" topics.  So let's keep this as pain-free as possible.

My name is Tara.
I'm ridiculously tall for a female, I love God and, to the best of my abilities, let it show through my words and actions.
I originally created this blog as an outlet where my poems, lyrics, and thoughts could be read.  Then, I changed my mind and thought of using this as a public journal for my walk through the books of the Bible.  Not long after that idea surfaced, I was going to post my pictures on here in hopes of turning it into a mini portfolio.

That's when I decided on its title: The Balancing Act.

I've been somewhat labeled as a "Jack-of-All-Trades".  I'm a photographer, a pianist, a writer, a teacher, a singer, a sewer, an editor, a guitarist, and a couple of other random things that might surprise you.

So how do you balance having enough time to practice songs for church while making sure you prepare lessons for your piano students, sew that dress you were planning on wearing to the wedding you have to photograph this weekend, and edit that article for your internship when all you really want to do is sit down and write about what God is moving in your heart?

bal·ance/ˈbaləns/

• (n) An even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.

• (v) To keep or put something in a steady position so that it does not fall.

Do me a favor....read this and just meditate on it for a couple of minutes.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

"There is a time for everything,

  and a season for every activity under the heavens:

     a time to be born and a time to die,

     a time to plant and a time to uproot,

     a time to kill and a time to heal,

     a time to tear down and a time to build,

     a time to weep and a time to laugh,

     a time to mourn and a time to dance,

     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

     a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

     a time to search and a time to give up,

     a time to keep and a time to throw away,

     a time to tear and a time to mend,

     a time to be silent and a time to speak,

     a time to love and a time to hate,

     a time for war and a time for peace."

Time is a funny thing.  I'm still learning how to manage it, and I have a feeling it's not going to be something I'll perfect in the near future.  But that doesn't mean I'm going to let it get the best of me.  So be prepared to read about life, love, cooking, photography, and music within these "walls" if you will.  (And please, bare with me on those cooking entries, because heaven knows that's not my forte.)

Here's to starting this journey together!