Jacob's feast...

Jacob is 18 and he's still hanging around at home.  Not that he's very happy about it, but that's just how things are working out for him, so far.  Do you remember how you felt when you were 18 and ready to get on with your life?  I'm so glad that I'm past that.  He's doing really well with trying to be patient and waiting on the Lord.  Contrary to what the shirt may say, he does have a job and a car- just no money and he's not in a band.  Jacob has great social skills.  He's personable and makes people feel like family.  He's been known to mooch meals off some of the older ladies at church- which they just love.  He's usually not so subtle in the asking department, "Some of your shepherd's pie would taste real good on, say, Monday."  Something very satisfying about cooking for an appreciative and hungry young man.  And he'll pay them back with some yard work or moving something heavy.  If I've been busy for more than a few days, he'll stop me and say, "Mom, it's been awhile since you've talked with me."  Capable of saying what he's thinking. Jacob's a very good thinker- quick.  After Bible study, he'll slide in next to me on the pew and say, "and what about... and did you think... and doesn't that sound like..."  He's always been very creative.  He's been collecting items for his own forge.  An anvil is sitting around here, somewhere.  He's been hiring the small ones to clean out a corner of the barn to set up shop.  Jacob's an incredibly dear young man... and we love him to pieces.

Jacob has always been a huge fan of red meat.  I don't think that in all the years we've been celebrating our feasts that he has ever served anything but red meat.  What a guy!  He made cheese steak sandwiches and seasoned fries. His flank steak was cooked to perfection- melted in your mouth.  (He used to have a crush on Rachel Ray.  He was pretty disgusted when she got married. But she certainly scored points with him on her directions for cooking the steak.  His appetizer was a really pretty fruit salad.  Jacob's gifts were plastic candy canes that were filled with different candies- chocolates, Skittles, Runts, Gobstoppers and Sixlets.  Jacob has always had a phenomenal sweet tooth.  There was coffee cake for dessert and Jones Soda to drink.  The table was gorgeous with fresh cut pine, white twinkle lights, and hurricane lamps.  Shiniest crystal I ever saw in this house.  He had little red bead wreaths with gingham bows and fresh red and green apples nestled in the pine.  We had a lovely evening.

pucker up, baby!