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Maxwell 46: Relegating the Kids' Table to the Vestibule


Coconut Flan

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Happy National Reading Day to all US FJites!  It's also Dr Suess's birthday and I read today that several of his books  were being withdrawn from further publication because of stereotypes.  One of the books is If I Ran the Zoo which was one of our favorites when we were growing up.  It's got such wonderful, fantastic made-up animals in it.  It's also got a picture of two Africans drawn in a stereotypical manner which is not cool.  

Also I read the other day that they are going to make of film of Are You There God?  It's Me, Margaret.  

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On 2/15/2021 at 4:06 AM, allyisyourpally5 said:

Im

having vague recollections of them having Bible Time in public too - I’ve honestly got pictures in my head of them having it right in a hotel lobby and a restaurant (because they take pictures of that and nothing interesting). It must have been from when they were in the road, I know they usually slept in Uriah but I feel like on the odd occasion they had different accommodation. 
Im just picturing how I would react walking into a hotel lobby and being told to take a seat - and finding no seats, because the Maxwell family is using all of them for Bible time. Or better yet one spare in the middle!

This would be my actual reaction to encountering "Bible time" in public.

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Edited by Joe Pukepail
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I am going to nitpick:  

1.  "After our arctic blast, our temperatures skyrocketed 60 degrees warmer"  The sentence has no flow, it would flow more smoothly  to say:  "After the Arctic blast, our temperatures were in the 60's."  

2.  "Then, Christopher and crew took down my outdoor Christmas lights to bless me."  Again same critique:  "I was blessed to have Christopher and his family come over and take down my outdoor Christmas lights." 

Now I am going say something complimentary:  It's nice to Joshua wearing googles, gloves, and appropriate footwear.  

(I miss NR Anna's posts (differences in beliefs aside). I enjoy her writing style much more than I do Sarah's.

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1 hour ago, FloraKitty35 said:

(I miss NR Anna's posts (differences in beliefs aside). I enjoy her writing style much more than I do Sarah's.

I just thought of something. Was either Steve or Teri a physical sciences major (Chem, Physics)? Because they would have had it drilled into them in writing lab reports that the passive voice must be used. That's a hard habit to break and some people never do. The passive voice does have its purpose when it's necessary to separate the writer/reporter from the content, but in blog posts and most other writing you (the writer) want to establish a connection with the reader, and you do that by using the active voice.

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1 hour ago, Black Aliss said:

I just thought of something. Was either Steve or Teri a physical sciences major (Chem, Physics)? Because they would have had it drilled into them in writing lab reports that the passive voice must be used. That's a hard habit to break and some people never do. The passive voice does have its purpose when it's necessary to separate the writer/reporter from the content, but in blog posts and most other writing you (the writer) want to establish a connection with the reader, and you do that by using the active voice.

Good point. IIRC they met in a chemistry class, and I've always figured it was rather advanced, as Steve was an engineering major and it was college, after all.  So could be that Teri had a sciences goal, but also IIRC she married and didn't get her degree ... IIRC.

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3 hours ago, FloraKitty35 said:

I am going to nitpick:  

1.  "After our arctic blast, our temperatures skyrocketed 60 degrees warmer"  The sentence has no flow, it would flow more smoothly  to say:  "After the Arctic blast, our temperatures were in the 60's."  

2.  "Then, Christopher and crew took down my outdoor Christmas lights to bless me."  Again same critique:  "I was blessed to have Christopher and his family come over and take down my outdoor Christmas lights." 

Now I am going say something complimentary:  It's nice to Joshua wearing googles, gloves, and appropriate footwear.  

(I miss NR Anna's posts (differences in beliefs aside). I enjoy her writing style much more than I do Sarah's.

It is an awkward construction, but as someone who lives not too far from LVKS, I can testify that the temperatures did indeed 'skyrocket.'  The swing was 80 degrees in a week (-10/70).  I've lived in the midwest all my life, and that is really unusual.  In Topeka, it was a 90 degree swing.

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On 3/2/2021 at 12:35 AM, treemom said:

The person who loves hiking is Terri.  I’ve always been surprised she didn’t have to give it up like Pepsi.  For some reason, I remembered distinctly the posts about hiking St. Helen’s right before Christopher’s wedding to Anna.  It was mentioned then Terri was the one who loved hiking and I always wondered if she would lose it because it was an idol.

Outdoor exercise is good against depression. Maybe they think of it more as a "therapy" than a hobby,

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Shouldn't a kid with autism be homeschooled by a specialist?

That whole testimony doesn't sit well with me, I can't put my finger on why.

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@freejugar, nope. Many autistic kids are homeschooled because the public school system failed then, and their parents do a better job. Parents (usually) know their kids really well, respect their limits, and do curriculum based on the kids interests, which is very rare in public or private schools. Autistic kids often do better in very quiet, calm environments, where they are most comfortable, and that’s at home. They also aren’t bothered there by having to learn the stupid ‘social skills’ curriculum like making eye contact or smiling ‘appropriately’. Best of all, they are protected from the abuses of Applied Behavior Analysis, the predominant way of teaching autistic kids in the US, which is just like dog training, except - nope, it really is just like dog training. Homeschooling isn’t for everyone of course but for disabled kids it’s usually done out of desperation and necessity, not religious beliefs.

But omfg, an autistic kid whose brain happens to latch on to *the Moodys* as a special interest? Excuse me while I vomit. Poor, poor kid.

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@anachronistic, a friend’s autistic teen is thriving on distance learning right now. I’ve heard that many people on the spectrum become attached to a specific interest and see many other issues through its lens. If this child is thriving while seeing the world through a Moody lens, then great—but it makes me wonder about all the great books she’s shielded from because they’re not “Christian” enough.

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Who would have thought we’d be reading a sentence like this on the Maxwells‘ blog?

it was so much fun it didn’t feel like schoolwork.

Wow. Since when is it okay to have - dare I say the f-word? - fun in Maxhell?

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New post from Terri— freeze meals to bring to people who are sick/in need. Specifically mentions soup and I don’t get that at all because most of their soup recipes have been leftover stock with a big bag of frozen Costco veggies which isn’t appetizing at all. She doesn’t bother sending sides. 

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On 3/2/2021 at 4:38 PM, PennySycamore said:

Happy National Reading Day to all US FJites!  It's also Dr Suess's birthday and I read today that several of his books  were being withdrawn from further publication because of stereotypes.  One of the books is If I Ran the Zoo which was one of our favorites when we were growing up.  It's got such wonderful, fantastic made-up animals in it.  It's also got a picture of two Africans drawn in a stereotypical manner which is not cool.  

Also I read the other day that they are going to make of film of Are You There God?  It's Me, Margaret.  

If I Ran the Zoo was my absolute favorite and one I still regularly quote at work.  I agree that the depiction is terrible, but the rest of the book isn't so why they can't just redo that one page I have no idea.

I don't think I'd want to see that movie, given how important AYTGIMM was to me growing up.  Such a coming of age novel for so many of us, I can imagine it's going to be impossible to resonate correctly with most movie goers.

12 minutes ago, fundiewatch said:

New post from Terri— freeze meals to bring to people who are sick/in need. Specifically mentions soup and I don’t get that at all because most of their soup recipes have been leftover stock with a big bag of frozen Costco veggies which isn’t appetizing at all. She doesn’t bother sending sides. 

I don't know, homemade stock is wonderful and I'd rather eat soup than just about anything.  Depending on the veg she puts in this would be something I'd appreciate.

When my mom was sick so many people brought us full meals and casseroles and such...being such a picky eater I was thrilled when someone would bring something simple like chicken soup that I could eat.

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I don’t disagree with wonderful homemade soup— their “dump” together recipes always seemed like food poisoning waiting to happen. Weird mixtures of old stuff. 

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Just now, fundiewatch said:

I don’t disagree with wonderful homemade soup— their “dump” together recipes always seemed like food poisoning waiting to happen. Weird mixtures of old stuff. 

Dump certainly is a very appetizing word!  :)  and gotcha, I haven't read those recipes...I'm just a huge fan of simple soups.  And hungry atm.

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I'm not a soup fan at all.  Maybe its because growing up my mom couldn't make a soup to save her life, too much liquid that had no flavor and not enough substance.  And I wouldn't eat anything that would come out of Teri's kitchen.

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1 minute ago, SPHASH said:

I'm not a soup fan at all.  Maybe its because growing up my mom couldn't make a soup to save her life, too much liquid that had no flavor and not enough substance.  And I wouldn't eat anything that would come out of Teri's kitchen.

My daughter loves my homemade soups so much it's all she wants every birthday.  I try to get her to go out to eat, but no....mommy in the kitchen over a stove is preferable to a lovely restaurant where you don't have to do the dishes.  Of course she has a summer birthday, who doesn't want to heat the house with four kinds of homemade soup during the hottest part of the year?

Seriously - I really should have had her in winter.  

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I don't mind soup, but the idea of just dumping a bunch of crap together because it's easy isn't soup to me. It's a quick, use what you got, meal. Which has its place. Personally though, I don't think that place is being taken to someone else in need.

I'm not a stranger to taking meals to sick people, or people who just had babies, or have been through tough times & just need a good meal that doesn't come from a drive thru. Typically, I ask what they like. They may not be in a place to say some specific dish, but you can usually get ideas straight from the source. "We really like Mexican around here". "Haven't had pizza in a while". "I am craving vegetables". 

Pre making what amounts to left over soup & keeping it in the freezer seems lazy & of the least effort possible to "bless" someone. 

 

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I wouldn't eat that soup. It's not pickiness, it's the leftover ingredients that have been frozen + thawed + potentially not eaten straightaway + thawed frozen veg that has then been refrozen. 

Food poisoning is something you just don't need when you're already under the weather. 

Bringing food to someone ill is a lovely gesture but it's not just the food itself, it's the message - "I care enough about you to make you something nutritious, that's how much I want you to feel better". 

Teri is saying "I don't care for you enough to deviate one iota from my fridge door polishing and ceiling fan cleaning schedule. Priorities eh. Here's a bag of dodgy crap I pre-made with no one specific in mind". 

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Her soup did not look appetizing in that photo. The broth seemed way too clear and way too many green beans for me. I'd say thank you, then stash it in the fridge until it meets the garbage disposable. 

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1 minute ago, bertnee said:

Her soup did not look appetizing in that photo. The broth seemed way too clear and way too many green beans for me. I'd say thank you, then stash it in the fridge until it meets the garbage disposable. 

Dumping in frozen veggies will never seem like good homemade soup! I take a LOT of shortcuts in the kitchen but even I think the Maxwells phone it in. They should have highlighted Mary’s amazing homemade rolls and linked that recipe. Maybe I should see if they want me to take over the blog. I have nothing going on. 

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I love soup but that photo couldn't possibly make it look more unappetizing if it tried. Just some thin brownish broth with frozen veg dumped in? And potatoes, which freeze horribly? Where's the protein? Why is there an oil slick floating on top? It looks like something even the orphans in workhouse would pass on. "Please sir, I don't want some more." Why is everything the Maxes do so low-effort and unimaginative?

I'm not big on meal prepping but I do batch cook soups and stews to freeze for an easy meal. The soups I make are hearty and varied. Lots of vegetarian soups with beans as the protein. Non-vegetarian soups as well. I freeze them in reusable quart-size silicone bags so they can be easily defrosted on a whim. I must have about 5 varieties in my freezers right now. They look good, they taste good and throw in a side salad and you feel full and satisfied when you eat them.

But then, this is the Maxwells, who I'm sure view food as a necessity only and not something to be enjoyed, so they keep things strictly utilitarian, lest their appetites develop an appetite. 

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I agree that her soup doesn't look good. However, I really like and agree with her idea about putting stuff in the freezer. I am a huge fan of my deep freezer and usually have lasagnas and other things available in the freezer. I have definitely utilized my freezer to help others. While I would love to make meals specifically for people this is just not always possible. Sometimes I last minute want to send something over to someone and having a ready made meal in my freezer helps make it possible. Now, I never pretend I just made it. I'll say, "hey I know you are having a rough time. I have a lasagna in my freezer I'd love to send over. You can keep it frozen and bake it when you want it. " I have also found people are more likely to accept it as they know I am not putting myself out too much. 

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@HerNameIsBuffy, I had the same thoughts about the troubling picture in If I Ran the Zoo.  Just delete that image.  

This month on TCM, they are showing some classic films that have troubling elements to them and discuss why they are problematic.  Jacqueline Stewart, a black woman is one of the TCM hosts (Silent Sundays at midnight) and  she talked about how the film Gone With the wind glorifies the antebellum South, including lying about slavery,  but the strongest characters are women and the strongest of those is Mammy.  Later on this month, they'll discuss how Native Americans are portrayed in film, yellowface in film and particularly Mickey Rooney's unfortunate portrayal of Holly Golightly's Japanese neighbor,  and how lesbianism was dealt with in The Children'a Hour.  

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I love soup but what's the purpose of the post? If you have a freezer full of meals why wouldn't you share one of those? Why would you feel the need to cook a different meal just to give away?

Teri makes it sound like she doesn't want to share the good meals for the Maxwell family members with "strangers":

"There is a wonderful solution. It is meals I keep in the freezer not for our family to eat, but to take to others."

 

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