See, I knew if I procrastinated long enough the music on here would come back into season.
Looking for a good read? Genesis 29-30 has caught my attention and ... there are some huge implications (for me, at least) in the story. I'm impressed, awed, sad, hopeful and even a bit confused by it.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Friday, December 05, 2008
Saturday, November 01, 2008
The Search
24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
That passage is from Ecclesiastes 2, and it seems fitting today. Things in my life have been pretty hectic over the past 6 months or so, and are about to get even crazier. As friends are suffering, as I seriously consider quitting my job (something I've never really done before), as I try to land a job I've been wanting for almost 2 years now, as Shaun is about to pursue a whole new career (one that requires much more schooling), as we try to fix up our home, as we continue to pray about/consider church planting, as we consider what, if any, role children will play in our home in the future... my prayers are becoming jumbled, my priorities are tumbling about and life seems topsy turvy at best. Yet through all this, my faith is finding its footing, my focus is sharpening, and I am finally beginning to see things differently. One thing I am realizing is that I am not satisfied with my work. Though it, too, applies, I am not speaking of my day job. What I do for the kingdom of God is insufficient. I am not sure how to MAKE the time to do the things I want to do, to be a worker for the Lord, but I pray fervently that I can be useful, that I can find ways to establish relationships with people outside my bubble.
So that's what I'm up to these days. You?
Also, I sure do LOVE Ecclesiastes
That passage is from Ecclesiastes 2, and it seems fitting today. Things in my life have been pretty hectic over the past 6 months or so, and are about to get even crazier. As friends are suffering, as I seriously consider quitting my job (something I've never really done before), as I try to land a job I've been wanting for almost 2 years now, as Shaun is about to pursue a whole new career (one that requires much more schooling), as we try to fix up our home, as we continue to pray about/consider church planting, as we consider what, if any, role children will play in our home in the future... my prayers are becoming jumbled, my priorities are tumbling about and life seems topsy turvy at best. Yet through all this, my faith is finding its footing, my focus is sharpening, and I am finally beginning to see things differently. One thing I am realizing is that I am not satisfied with my work. Though it, too, applies, I am not speaking of my day job. What I do for the kingdom of God is insufficient. I am not sure how to MAKE the time to do the things I want to do, to be a worker for the Lord, but I pray fervently that I can be useful, that I can find ways to establish relationships with people outside my bubble.
So that's what I'm up to these days. You?
Also, I sure do LOVE Ecclesiastes
Thursday, October 23, 2008
a few tidbits
1. My husband is an amazing gift from God.
2. My body doesn't bounce back from falling down the stairs as quickly/easily/painlessly as it used to.
3. I love people.
4. I adore conversations that learn me more stuff, grow my brain, my faith and my friendships.
5. I do NOT adore the fact that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to let some things go.
6. I am enamoured with Autumn.
7. I love my animals.
8. I love gardens
9. I love making things
10. I'd love to post better blogs (and not just "Blahgs" - good, one, Kerry!)
11. I want to do something with YOU! Yes, you! When are you available?
2. My body doesn't bounce back from falling down the stairs as quickly/easily/painlessly as it used to.
3. I love people.
4. I adore conversations that learn me more stuff, grow my brain, my faith and my friendships.
5. I do NOT adore the fact that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to let some things go.
6. I am enamoured with Autumn.
7. I love my animals.
8. I love gardens
9. I love making things
10. I'd love to post better blogs (and not just "Blahgs" - good, one, Kerry!)
11. I want to do something with YOU! Yes, you! When are you available?
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Ripples
So... I have gotten some news. It's good news. It has almost nothing to do with me, but still my world has been rocked. I feel as if my boat's about to tip, and it can go either way. Perhaps I need to channel my inner Peter.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Question Everything!!!
Man, I'm on a BloggerROLL! This is what, post 3 or 4 in just two days? Anyhow, I was just thinking about people we respect and how we react to them.
Let me back up just a tiny bit. I think that, as a society, and as "religious folk" in general, we are finally copping to our humanity - to our proclivity to make mistakes and behave rashly and not always have the answers. I love this. It's a very refreshing mindset. I'm not so sure, though, that the idea of that humanity has bled into how we view our "heroes." I have seen so many well-intentioned people take every single word and/or action taken by a person they respect and treat it as though it was sacred decree. They take on this ideal themselves in an attempt, I suppose to become a clone... or something.
Don't misunderstand - I'm not exempt from this. But I've been thinking a lot lately about how what I do affects others, and boy - there are quite a few things that I've done/said that I would HATE for someone to think I condone. This has served two purposes. I obviously need to be more intentional about what I do and say. It also reminds, me though, of something (I think) Paul said about questioning what was being taught - searching the scriptures to ascertain that what was being said/taught was, in fact, truth.
How questioning are we when it comes to a figure we respect. I can't help but draw some correlation between this and the upcoming elections here in the good ol' US of A. How much of what has been said by our favorite candidate have we just taken for truth? And how forgiving are we when these people say/do something they're not proud of?
I have very few answers, but I'm pretty sure if I were more questioning and prayerful I would be a whole lot better off.
Let me back up just a tiny bit. I think that, as a society, and as "religious folk" in general, we are finally copping to our humanity - to our proclivity to make mistakes and behave rashly and not always have the answers. I love this. It's a very refreshing mindset. I'm not so sure, though, that the idea of that humanity has bled into how we view our "heroes." I have seen so many well-intentioned people take every single word and/or action taken by a person they respect and treat it as though it was sacred decree. They take on this ideal themselves in an attempt, I suppose to become a clone... or something.
Don't misunderstand - I'm not exempt from this. But I've been thinking a lot lately about how what I do affects others, and boy - there are quite a few things that I've done/said that I would HATE for someone to think I condone. This has served two purposes. I obviously need to be more intentional about what I do and say. It also reminds, me though, of something (I think) Paul said about questioning what was being taught - searching the scriptures to ascertain that what was being said/taught was, in fact, truth.
How questioning are we when it comes to a figure we respect. I can't help but draw some correlation between this and the upcoming elections here in the good ol' US of A. How much of what has been said by our favorite candidate have we just taken for truth? And how forgiving are we when these people say/do something they're not proud of?
I have very few answers, but I'm pretty sure if I were more questioning and prayerful I would be a whole lot better off.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Mornings
Seems that most people tend to hate them. I only half hate them. I hate being forced out of my bed. I hate feeling rushed. I hate feeling tired. I hate driving 40 minutes to work. That said, reaaaally early morning is my favorite time of day. Bum deal is - I rarely get the chance to ENJOY the morning... there are times I try, but the choice to get up early enough to "enjoy" the morning comes at the sacrifice of much needed sleep. Those 45 or 60 minutes of early morning bliss are not nearly worth the 9-10 hours spent tired and grouchy at work.
My usual morning routine:
5:30am - alarm sounds, I groan and begin trying to stumble to the other side of the room to turn it off - or turn it to the radio. Sometimes I don't have that much energy and just fumble for things to throw at said alarm clock.
5:45am - pester husband about getting up in order to keep myself from falling back asleep myself because I'm still in bed (not such a good choice, eh?)
6am - finally mangaged to drag myself out of bed around the same time Goose manages to drag Shaun out of bed.
6:05am still stumbling around trying to figure out what I'm going to wear - and by the way, where the heck did all my clothes go? Hey I should check out the weather forecast on Fox 12 Oregon. What else is going on in the world of news?...
6:15 - abort clothes finding mission, drag self away from gruesome - or goofy - news story and toss my yawning tookus in the shower
6:30 am - drat. forgot to get a towel. "SHAUNNNNNNNNNNNN please bring me a towel!"
6:35am - still no more awake, but must snap out of warm shower reverie to actually find some decent work clothes.
6:55am - okay, found some clothes. make-up? Nah... not necessary... I'll put some on if I have time in the car. Hey what's on the news now?
7:12am - yikes, it's already past 7?! I need breakfast. What about lunch? Oh man, there's nothing quick and easy! Shaun, what are you taking? You can have last night's leftovers. Hey, what should I take out for dinner tonight? Chicken? No, just had chicken. OOh I could take out the carne asada and we can have fajitas for dinner! Do we have all the fixings? I guess I could pick up a bell pepper or two on my way home from work. Oh, did you pick up the hay for Beesley? And deposit your check? And we need some more milk, too, huh?
7:28 am - GOOD GRAVY! It's almost 7:30!!! I haven't had breakfast. I don't have lunch. Need shoes. Where's my phone? Okay, I'm outta here.
7:29am - SHAUNNNNN where did you put my car keys?!?!?!
7:32am - zooming out of the driveway, berating myself for not getting more done this morning.
This morning it went something like this:
6am: subtle sounds from outside waking me up... it's birds! and squirrels... and sunlight!
6:15am: finally get up, grab some cheerios (actually i think these're called Scooters) and watch the news
6:30am - wander around house trying to figure out what to do with all my free time! Pack a lunch, sit out on the deck and pray and "be"
7am - hop in the shower
7:30 - again left with the dilemma of what to do with all this time! Curl up on the couch with a good book
7:50 - well, I guess I could start heading to work now... I DO start at 8.
7:53 am - Okay, I'm at work. No kids yet... spend some time reorganizing my shelves and planning our writing activities for the day.
And wouldn't you know that my day was SOOOO much easier, mentally and emotionally! Man I need to find a job closer to my house!
My usual morning routine:
5:30am - alarm sounds, I groan and begin trying to stumble to the other side of the room to turn it off - or turn it to the radio. Sometimes I don't have that much energy and just fumble for things to throw at said alarm clock.
5:45am - pester husband about getting up in order to keep myself from falling back asleep myself because I'm still in bed (not such a good choice, eh?)
6am - finally mangaged to drag myself out of bed around the same time Goose manages to drag Shaun out of bed.
6:05am still stumbling around trying to figure out what I'm going to wear - and by the way, where the heck did all my clothes go? Hey I should check out the weather forecast on Fox 12 Oregon. What else is going on in the world of news?...
6:15 - abort clothes finding mission, drag self away from gruesome - or goofy - news story and toss my yawning tookus in the shower
6:30 am - drat. forgot to get a towel. "SHAUNNNNNNNNNNNN please bring me a towel!"
6:35am - still no more awake, but must snap out of warm shower reverie to actually find some decent work clothes.
6:55am - okay, found some clothes. make-up? Nah... not necessary... I'll put some on if I have time in the car. Hey what's on the news now?
7:12am - yikes, it's already past 7?! I need breakfast. What about lunch? Oh man, there's nothing quick and easy! Shaun, what are you taking? You can have last night's leftovers. Hey, what should I take out for dinner tonight? Chicken? No, just had chicken. OOh I could take out the carne asada and we can have fajitas for dinner! Do we have all the fixings? I guess I could pick up a bell pepper or two on my way home from work. Oh, did you pick up the hay for Beesley? And deposit your check? And we need some more milk, too, huh?
7:28 am - GOOD GRAVY! It's almost 7:30!!! I haven't had breakfast. I don't have lunch. Need shoes. Where's my phone? Okay, I'm outta here.
7:29am - SHAUNNNNN where did you put my car keys?!?!?!
7:32am - zooming out of the driveway, berating myself for not getting more done this morning.
This morning it went something like this:
6am: subtle sounds from outside waking me up... it's birds! and squirrels... and sunlight!
6:15am: finally get up, grab some cheerios (actually i think these're called Scooters) and watch the news
6:30am - wander around house trying to figure out what to do with all my free time! Pack a lunch, sit out on the deck and pray and "be"
7am - hop in the shower
7:30 - again left with the dilemma of what to do with all this time! Curl up on the couch with a good book
7:50 - well, I guess I could start heading to work now... I DO start at 8.
7:53 am - Okay, I'm at work. No kids yet... spend some time reorganizing my shelves and planning our writing activities for the day.
And wouldn't you know that my day was SOOOO much easier, mentally and emotionally! Man I need to find a job closer to my house!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Why I love my job...
So, it's been a while. Again. I had such high hopes of actually keeping this thing more current. Bah. Anyhow, June is gone, and I feel weird about it. On one hand I'm thinking - HOLY COW (not the gold one - he wasn't very holy, though, was he?) It's already JULY?!?! On the other hand, I can't believe it's ONLY July 1st. A lot of things happened for me in June. I went on vacation! Almost a real-honest-to-goodness vacation! I spent a week in Colorado visiting parents and extended parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and friends of old - or rather friends of young, since I haven't seen most of these people since I was itty bitty. This trip was kind of a big deal, as Shaun and I really struck out "on our own" - sort of. We got up around the spine of dawn (even earlier than the crack of dawn), packed up our bags, hoofed to the bus stop, got off, hoofed it to the MAX and rode to the airport. Once we landed in Denver, we decided there had to be a better deal than our $200 shuttle to my parents' house. And after a few trips to the car rental places we hopped in our 2007 Dodge Caliber and putt putted our way to Pueblo (on a funny side side note, our rental car was initially supposed to be a Michael Scott Sebring convertable!).
Yipes - this is getting long! Basically the trip was nice... we made it back and the only tears shed were mine as we were leaving our dog at the vet for boarding while we were gone.
So I had a nice week-long paid vacation, got back, swapped classrooms at school, had our graduation, tore down the classroom we just moved, and then set up my very own elementary Summer Camp Classroom. It was crazy and busy and hectic and a LOT of work, but it was fun. By the next Monday I was ready to start my new summer position! The first two weeks of summer camp were AWESOME!!!
Also in June:
-visit from in-laws. Fun but trying
-almost throwing away of thousands of dollars!!!
-paid off the car!!!!! We managed to only make TWO payments - one monthly and one for the remainder of the balance! WHOO HOO
-paid off all credit cards
-put more toward the principles of student loans and mortgage!
-broke again - but RELIEVED
-first off-site field trip... FUN with Few exceptions
-babysitting
-more babysitting
It's just seemed like a FULL month... but a happy month.
So... on to the ORIGINAL purpose of this post....
I am running a summer camp for 5-10 year olds. It is awesome. I truly love this age group, and being able to finally run it MY way, only MY way... and also get paid for all the work I'm actually doing. Perfection. That's cool. OF course there are "those" kids. Those who are just a bit more frivilous with your nerves. You know who I'm talking about. We've all seen them. Even the other children are aware - and know how to deal with it for the most part. And of course, it's the kid that's in attendence every day, all day... Then you meet the parents and are like "OH" and bob your head in understanding. Well, we've got that kid. And have done remarkably well so far this summer. Yesterday he was sitting at the art table drawing one of his Chinese Egyptian structures, singing that same line from the one church hymn that's always stuck in his head. At the other end of the table, I was sitting with his antithesis. One of the sweetest, gentlest, most personable, mellow kids I know. And this kid looks at me and says
"He should be on that one, you know, um, American Idol. Because then he would be... somewhere else. And not, you know... here."
That was some quick cheek-biting-hold-it-in-get-outta-there-QUICK-before-you-laugh-in-their-face...
And man - are these kids funny! They bring so much laughter and joy to my day... every day.
I really am going to need to start looking for another job after summer, but this age group is my proverbial cup of tea.
Yikes.
Well, this quick anectodal post has gone on loooooooooong enough.
ciao
Yipes - this is getting long! Basically the trip was nice... we made it back and the only tears shed were mine as we were leaving our dog at the vet for boarding while we were gone.
So I had a nice week-long paid vacation, got back, swapped classrooms at school, had our graduation, tore down the classroom we just moved, and then set up my very own elementary Summer Camp Classroom. It was crazy and busy and hectic and a LOT of work, but it was fun. By the next Monday I was ready to start my new summer position! The first two weeks of summer camp were AWESOME!!!
Also in June:
-visit from in-laws. Fun but trying
-almost throwing away of thousands of dollars!!!
-paid off the car!!!!! We managed to only make TWO payments - one monthly and one for the remainder of the balance! WHOO HOO
-paid off all credit cards
-put more toward the principles of student loans and mortgage!
-broke again - but RELIEVED
-first off-site field trip... FUN with Few exceptions
-babysitting
-more babysitting
It's just seemed like a FULL month... but a happy month.
So... on to the ORIGINAL purpose of this post....
I am running a summer camp for 5-10 year olds. It is awesome. I truly love this age group, and being able to finally run it MY way, only MY way... and also get paid for all the work I'm actually doing. Perfection. That's cool. OF course there are "those" kids. Those who are just a bit more frivilous with your nerves. You know who I'm talking about. We've all seen them. Even the other children are aware - and know how to deal with it for the most part. And of course, it's the kid that's in attendence every day, all day... Then you meet the parents and are like "OH" and bob your head in understanding. Well, we've got that kid. And have done remarkably well so far this summer. Yesterday he was sitting at the art table drawing one of his Chinese Egyptian structures, singing that same line from the one church hymn that's always stuck in his head. At the other end of the table, I was sitting with his antithesis. One of the sweetest, gentlest, most personable, mellow kids I know. And this kid looks at me and says
"He should be on that one, you know, um, American Idol. Because then he would be... somewhere else. And not, you know... here."
That was some quick cheek-biting-hold-it-in-get-outta-there-QUICK-before-you-laugh-in-their-face...
And man - are these kids funny! They bring so much laughter and joy to my day... every day.
I really am going to need to start looking for another job after summer, but this age group is my proverbial cup of tea.
Yikes.
Well, this quick anectodal post has gone on loooooooooong enough.
ciao
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Fright Night
Alright, so it was mere hours ago that I posted the whole "I don't have time for this" blog, and here I am again. I'm babysitting for a family from our school (ie: they're RICH) and it's been pretty fun. I'll be here all weekend, and I'm cool with that. He's a doctor and they have a nice big three level house overlooking what I think is Tryon Creek State Park. Tons of windows, beautiful view, etc. Currently the kids are asleep, it's dark, it's pouring rain plus thunder and lightning. Now, usually I love these kinds of storms. It smells heavenly, the temperature is just right, and it really is beautiful. But in this huge foreign house with so many windows next to the woods... I'm hearing coyotes howling and I'm having freak flashbacks to all those horrible scary movies I used to love watching.
I'm scared. Yep, I'll admit it. I'm a frightened babysitter.
It's so eerily quiet in here it's like I can hear each and every raindrop hit the floor.
Help me!
I'm scared. Yep, I'll admit it. I'm a frightened babysitter.
It's so eerily quiet in here it's like I can hear each and every raindrop hit the floor.
Help me!
I know, I know...
I'm SO not good at keeping this thing updated. No internet at home and a crazy schedule of working, getting enough play time in for the pooch who has to stay home while we're working, getting enough play time for our bunny who has to stay in her cage whenever pooch is loose, trying to get all my ducks in a row for my new position this summer, trying to work on our major fixer upper house, taking on odd jobs to earn enough mool-ah to afford fixing up our fixer upper, and still attempting to create the "village" I would like to have established before I decide to bring a mini bi-ped into our life... all makes for abandoned blogs. I'm trying though - my next goal is to replace my holiday music. This is not something that will happen today; I have the time, but not the nose - I'm at the library, and the guy next to me seems to have confused the "water" and "cologne" shower heads this morning. It's been just a few minutes and my head is about to explode.
So I'll see ya'll when I see you.
Sarah C., I'm not sure you get around to my blog anymore, but I wanted to let you know that we sure do miss you an awful lot!
So I'll see ya'll when I see you.
Sarah C., I'm not sure you get around to my blog anymore, but I wanted to let you know that we sure do miss you an awful lot!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Psychology of Citrus?
Okay, so the title may be a bit deceptive, but bear with me. My mother is a notorious forwarder. She forwards any and everything that comes through her email. At the risk of her reading this and being offended, I usually delete them. I am NOT a fan of the forward. Occasionally I'll indulge (or, more likely, accidentally open it while going straight from one message to another) and sometimes they are amusing/thought provoking. Today I accidentally opened one called "I chose pineapple." Weird. But I did, in fact, indulge. You were instructed to choose one fruit from a list and then scroll down and it explained what that fruit said about your personality. This is what mine said:
MANGO - A mango lover is a personality to reckoned with; quite often, you are a person who has quite fixed ideas, and influencing you is not an easy task. You tend to be an extremist with strong likes and dislikes, and at times even like to control a situation.. You enjoy getting involved in something that presents mental challenge.. Strong as you may be, you are like a kitten when you are with your partner. You accommodate the love of your life, and make up for all the strong will elsewhere!
hmmm.... some good points, and actually pretty true, although I realized that there are a lot of people in my life that wouldn't necessarily know that about me. Am I hiding? Lying? Changing? Reading waaaaay too much into a dumb little forward?
Interesting. Also interesting: mango varieties. Turpentine?! Pope? Irwin? Julie? Jeannete? Sensation? (I want one of THOSE!)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Additions to our family
Meet Max!
He's a 7 year old who may have been around the block a time or two, but that's about it. With only 53000 miles under his timing belt, this guy still has lots to give and we are more than pleased to be on the receiving end!
Goodbye nasty Berretta - you were never even good enough for a name of your own. Max will not leak and mold on us; he'll blink on command, and he even lets me inside via EACH AND EVERY DOOR! You will not be missed. I appreciate your dedication the past two year, but enough is enough.
Peace out
Meet Goose!
He is a one and a half year old chocolate lab/pit bull mix and is one stout bundle of lovin'. Still a puppy at heart, this little guy loves to run and fetch and even go down the slides at the park. He will happily climb into your lap, even if he doesn't exactly fit, and his facial expressions are the shiz. That's right, I say the shiz.
Neither of those photos are actual pictures of our new friends, but as close as I could find in like .084628 seconds on google.
So, hopefully this will quell all those baby-seekers for a while. In the last two months we have purchased a house, a new car and now have a puppy (not to mention the rabbit) to take care of. So do me a solid and SHUT IT about the babies! All in good time my friends all in good time.
Oh, and did I mention YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!??? I am so excited for all this newness in my life. A little apprehensive - it's all happening so fast! But excited.
Anyone want to help me train the dog?
He's a 7 year old who may have been around the block a time or two, but that's about it. With only 53000 miles under his timing belt, this guy still has lots to give and we are more than pleased to be on the receiving end!
Goodbye nasty Berretta - you were never even good enough for a name of your own. Max will not leak and mold on us; he'll blink on command, and he even lets me inside via EACH AND EVERY DOOR! You will not be missed. I appreciate your dedication the past two year, but enough is enough.
Peace out
Meet Goose!
He is a one and a half year old chocolate lab/pit bull mix and is one stout bundle of lovin'. Still a puppy at heart, this little guy loves to run and fetch and even go down the slides at the park. He will happily climb into your lap, even if he doesn't exactly fit, and his facial expressions are the shiz. That's right, I say the shiz.
Neither of those photos are actual pictures of our new friends, but as close as I could find in like .084628 seconds on google.
So, hopefully this will quell all those baby-seekers for a while. In the last two months we have purchased a house, a new car and now have a puppy (not to mention the rabbit) to take care of. So do me a solid and SHUT IT about the babies! All in good time my friends all in good time.
Oh, and did I mention YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!??? I am so excited for all this newness in my life. A little apprehensive - it's all happening so fast! But excited.
Anyone want to help me train the dog?
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
My New Favorite Joke:
Rene Descartes walks into a bar and sits down.
The bartender sees him and says "Hey Rene! How's it goin' man? Can I get you a beer?"
"I think not" replies Rene, and then he disappears.
HA!!!
A little pretentious I suppose, but MAN it's funny!
Also, my elation at the return of my dearly beloved comedy mockumentary on Thursday is surpassed only by ... well, NOTHING!!! I'm so stoked!
The bartender sees him and says "Hey Rene! How's it goin' man? Can I get you a beer?"
"I think not" replies Rene, and then he disappears.
HA!!!
A little pretentious I suppose, but MAN it's funny!
Also, my elation at the return of my dearly beloved comedy mockumentary on Thursday is surpassed only by ... well, NOTHING!!! I'm so stoked!
Friday, April 04, 2008
All My Life...
Music is POWERFUL! Okay, so that's pretty much a given, but WOW! I am currently slaving away at work - it's 4:20 (yeah, yeah, I know), I've been here since 7am and I'll be here for hours to come. This has been the norm for the past few days, and is especially difficult after a nearly sleepless night. Everyone else has gone home for the weekend, so my exhaustion is only magnified by the lonely silence. In an attempt to remedy this, I go in search of that old internet radio that got me through numerous term papers in college (launchcast). Things are a little different, but my own personalized station is still there! Cool. It's been interesting to see what my favorite music was at the time, as well as Launchcast's recommendations based on what I told them I liked. I was a weird kid. Still am, I suppose, but I digress.
All of a sudden I'm feeling incredibly nostalgic, visiting memories of days long ago, filled with a pleasant mix of emotions - contentment and exicement, joy and anxiety, anticipation and comfort. Ah, young love.
But wait. Why am I thinking about this now?
It took me a while to realize that it was KC & JoJo serenading me with a song that was once on the "repeat 1" mode of my boom box for days, maybe even weeks at a time. A song I'd fall asleep listening to; the song I just knew was written for "us." All of those emotions rushing over me just because of that song? Amazing. Even more amazing is that now, with the song long over, the butterflies in my stomach are still very much a-fluttering.
Don't misunderstand - this is no long lost lover I desperately want back. The "romance" fizzled quickly. Well, I guess it never really existed in the first place. We were friends before and great friends afterwards, but the experience itself was a nice one. I suppose that's why this particular song was always so powerful; it fit our relationship before, during and after the whole "dating" fiasco.
hmmm... this is leading me down a path full of romantic musical memories, pleasant and otherwise, and again leading me to say - music is POWERFUL!!!
In light of that, I think I'll leave my cheery Christmas music up on here just a little bit longer!
All of a sudden I'm feeling incredibly nostalgic, visiting memories of days long ago, filled with a pleasant mix of emotions - contentment and exicement, joy and anxiety, anticipation and comfort. Ah, young love.
But wait. Why am I thinking about this now?
It took me a while to realize that it was KC & JoJo serenading me with a song that was once on the "repeat 1" mode of my boom box for days, maybe even weeks at a time. A song I'd fall asleep listening to; the song I just knew was written for "us." All of those emotions rushing over me just because of that song? Amazing. Even more amazing is that now, with the song long over, the butterflies in my stomach are still very much a-fluttering.
Don't misunderstand - this is no long lost lover I desperately want back. The "romance" fizzled quickly. Well, I guess it never really existed in the first place. We were friends before and great friends afterwards, but the experience itself was a nice one. I suppose that's why this particular song was always so powerful; it fit our relationship before, during and after the whole "dating" fiasco.
hmmm... this is leading me down a path full of romantic musical memories, pleasant and otherwise, and again leading me to say - music is POWERFUL!!!
In light of that, I think I'll leave my cheery Christmas music up on here just a little bit longer!
Monday, March 10, 2008
A bit of Boggerific Housekeeping
I would like to create a witty and clever post that will keep all who are reading on the edge of their seats and simultaneously rolling on the floor laughing. Unless, of course you're reading this on a chair that is afloat in a sea of hot lava.
But alas, I have not the time (or talent) to do that. So I'll resort to some cool things you should know.
1. Of all the "beef" a parent could have with their child's preschool, the fact that they're feeding your kid FRESH FRUITS and VEGETABLES should NOT be one of them!!!
2. Do you like to read? Do you appreciate immensely clever literature? If so, you should check out Jasper Fforde's (yeah, he's the guy who wrote The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy) Thursday Next series a shot! It took me a little bit to get into it, but by the 2nd book, I was more than hooked and I am SOOOO glad I kept reading, because it keeps getting better and better and better and better!
3. Be nice to the earth. Forget about Al Gore or polar ice caps or peanut butter covered platypuses - or whatever the latest craze is... and just be kind to the earth. I'm not very good at this, but I'm working on it. Canvas shopping bags are so much more comfortable to carry, and kind. All-natural cleaners smell better, are fun to make, and even fun to use (especially if you made them yourself) and are kind. Composting is intriguing - I'm learning more about it and getting ready to make my own! - and is kind. Gardening is cool - and kind. Recycling can be kind of a pain, but it DOES cut down on trash, which cuts down on our trash BILL! and it's kind. I've got some pretty awesome literature (and recipes) about natural cleaners and it's awesome! Maybe you want to have a cleaner-making party with me sometime? Let me know - it would be fun!
6. Be kind to each other. This is what I'm REALLY working on. Being ACTIVELY kind to others is a challenge, and I am a bit shy and have a hard time sticking my neck out there to be kind to others. But I'm working on it!
What are you up to these days?
But alas, I have not the time (or talent) to do that. So I'll resort to some cool things you should know.
1. Of all the "beef" a parent could have with their child's preschool, the fact that they're feeding your kid FRESH FRUITS and VEGETABLES should NOT be one of them!!!
2. Do you like to read? Do you appreciate immensely clever literature? If so, you should check out Jasper Fforde's (yeah, he's the guy who wrote The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy) Thursday Next series a shot! It took me a little bit to get into it, but by the 2nd book, I was more than hooked and I am SOOOO glad I kept reading, because it keeps getting better and better and better and better!
3. Be nice to the earth. Forget about Al Gore or polar ice caps or peanut butter covered platypuses - or whatever the latest craze is... and just be kind to the earth. I'm not very good at this, but I'm working on it. Canvas shopping bags are so much more comfortable to carry, and kind. All-natural cleaners smell better, are fun to make, and even fun to use (especially if you made them yourself) and are kind. Composting is intriguing - I'm learning more about it and getting ready to make my own! - and is kind. Gardening is cool - and kind. Recycling can be kind of a pain, but it DOES cut down on trash, which cuts down on our trash BILL! and it's kind. I've got some pretty awesome literature (and recipes) about natural cleaners and it's awesome! Maybe you want to have a cleaner-making party with me sometime? Let me know - it would be fun!
6. Be kind to each other. This is what I'm REALLY working on. Being ACTIVELY kind to others is a challenge, and I am a bit shy and have a hard time sticking my neck out there to be kind to others. But I'm working on it!
What are you up to these days?
Thursday, March 06, 2008
My Own Personal Weirdness..
Or is it weirdth? I don't know. What I DO know is however you say it, I have a lot of it. Whilst perusing an old blog, I found a short list of some of my quirks. So, you think you want to know more about me? No? Too bad. Here goes:
1. I hate grates. and holes. anything you can potentially fall down, be sucked into, or see a creepy clown through. I avoid them at all costs... and my dearest friends know this and avoid them, too (unless they're just trying to be mean). If at any time you and I are walking somewhere together and I suddenly shudder and give a small gasp, it's probably because you just stepped on one and I'm afraid for your life.
2. I pick my food apart. It's weird, I know... but I do. Though I am getting better at keeping it mostly at home.
3. I do strange things when I drive through a yellow light. It all began as a joke. I would make fun of my step-dad's scrape-the-roof tactic, but then i did it so much it just became habit. It somehow evolved during a roadtrip that involved 3 college roommates driving a maroon mini-van from pdx to tacoma to pueble, co... it's now a weird combination of slaps and hits and snaps and scrapes. (although this is happening less frequently)
4. I despise talking on the phone. This is true whether it's the pizza delivery guy or my mother. I just hate it. The only time I voluntarily talk on the phone is when I'm driving and am falling asleep. It's about the only thing that effectively keeps me awake.
5. I say "hum-diddy" when someone coughs. i try to say it quietly enough so that noone hears me, but...
6. I punch my right shoulder when I shudder - or I get someone else to do it for me.
7. I've never seen any Star Wars... and everyone tells me they're so good and i have to watch them... but I don't - and have no desire to, quite frankly.
8. I've never seen any Indiana Jones. Or James Bond. Yep
9. I have to sleep on all four sides of my body before going to sleep. It's become a strange ritual... at night I crawl into bed and lay on my right side... I chat with Shaun for a bit, then when I actually become sleepy rotate onto my back and do a few breathing exercises and try to really relax. Then when I'm ready to sleep I rotate over onto my left side and curl into the fetal position. Then, just before I doze off to la-la land, I make a final rotation onto my stomach. Some nights that's the end... I don't know what I do once I'm asleep - and I can't tell you how I wake up - except annoyed (i hate alarm clocks). Other nights I'll go through that a few times.
10. Sometimes I brush my teeth in the shower.
11. Brushing my teeth is a very satisfying sensation.
12. I love mail. Any mail. Bill, junk mail, magazines - though I don't always like what it MEANS (ie - I owe lots of money to lots of people), I absolutely positively ell-oh-vee-ee getting mail. Personal cards and letters are just THAT much more special.
13. I find joy in words. Big ones, small ones, silly ones, mean ones, nonsensical ones... words are just so freakin cool. Except one word. There's one word that I just don't like. It's not the MEANING of the word as much as the SOUND of it. It's just harsh and icky sounding. And no, I'm not going to tell you what it is.
14. I have too many opinions.
15. I love watermellon. and okra. and pasta. and growing things. and writing things down - notes, cards, lists, whatever. Don't mistake that to mean I'm organized, please! Far from it.
And.......... I'm done for now.
1. I hate grates. and holes. anything you can potentially fall down, be sucked into, or see a creepy clown through. I avoid them at all costs... and my dearest friends know this and avoid them, too (unless they're just trying to be mean). If at any time you and I are walking somewhere together and I suddenly shudder and give a small gasp, it's probably because you just stepped on one and I'm afraid for your life.
2. I pick my food apart. It's weird, I know... but I do. Though I am getting better at keeping it mostly at home.
3. I do strange things when I drive through a yellow light. It all began as a joke. I would make fun of my step-dad's scrape-the-roof tactic, but then i did it so much it just became habit. It somehow evolved during a roadtrip that involved 3 college roommates driving a maroon mini-van from pdx to tacoma to pueble, co... it's now a weird combination of slaps and hits and snaps and scrapes. (although this is happening less frequently)
4. I despise talking on the phone. This is true whether it's the pizza delivery guy or my mother. I just hate it. The only time I voluntarily talk on the phone is when I'm driving and am falling asleep. It's about the only thing that effectively keeps me awake.
5. I say "hum-diddy" when someone coughs. i try to say it quietly enough so that noone hears me, but...
6. I punch my right shoulder when I shudder - or I get someone else to do it for me.
7. I've never seen any Star Wars... and everyone tells me they're so good and i have to watch them... but I don't - and have no desire to, quite frankly.
8. I've never seen any Indiana Jones. Or James Bond. Yep
9. I have to sleep on all four sides of my body before going to sleep. It's become a strange ritual... at night I crawl into bed and lay on my right side... I chat with Shaun for a bit, then when I actually become sleepy rotate onto my back and do a few breathing exercises and try to really relax. Then when I'm ready to sleep I rotate over onto my left side and curl into the fetal position. Then, just before I doze off to la-la land, I make a final rotation onto my stomach. Some nights that's the end... I don't know what I do once I'm asleep - and I can't tell you how I wake up - except annoyed (i hate alarm clocks). Other nights I'll go through that a few times.
10. Sometimes I brush my teeth in the shower.
11. Brushing my teeth is a very satisfying sensation.
12. I love mail. Any mail. Bill, junk mail, magazines - though I don't always like what it MEANS (ie - I owe lots of money to lots of people), I absolutely positively ell-oh-vee-ee getting mail. Personal cards and letters are just THAT much more special.
13. I find joy in words. Big ones, small ones, silly ones, mean ones, nonsensical ones... words are just so freakin cool. Except one word. There's one word that I just don't like. It's not the MEANING of the word as much as the SOUND of it. It's just harsh and icky sounding. And no, I'm not going to tell you what it is.
14. I have too many opinions.
15. I love watermellon. and okra. and pasta. and growing things. and writing things down - notes, cards, lists, whatever. Don't mistake that to mean I'm organized, please! Far from it.
And.......... I'm done for now.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Official!!!
It's official!
It's ours!
We OWN a house!
Whoa!
It's itty bitty
It's a corner lot
It's a little shabby
The outside paint color is a cross between sea foam, booger, and radioactive ooze
It's still at least 40 minutes from my work,
and
IT'S OURS
and
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh yeah, and we're broke. Like, really.
But we have a house!
It's ours!
We OWN a house!
Whoa!
It's itty bitty
It's a corner lot
It's a little shabby
The outside paint color is a cross between sea foam, booger, and radioactive ooze
It's still at least 40 minutes from my work,
and
IT'S OURS
and
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh yeah, and we're broke. Like, really.
But we have a house!
Friday, February 08, 2008
The Kindness of Not-quite Strangers
So, I promise you I'll blog more about the topic of my last post. I actually have one started on my computer at home that is likely waaaay more than you'd like to know. But for now I am at work and am simply astounded by the kindesses shown to me recently. Here are some things for which I am IMMENSELY grateful:
1. Boxes. I am amazed at how much "stuff" we have managed to accumulate in just a few short years. It's simply astounding. Thus, we need boxes to (in a timely and safe manner) move said stuff into the house. Shaun talked about going to neighborhood stores, a co-worker suggested the 50 cent boxes at a nearby copy store, I procrastinated. Finally I made one short request in our communication log at work, and was bombarded with boxes! Boxes from the janitor-angel, boxes from my boss (along with handy-dandy biodegradable packing peanuts!)... boxes galore! It's been great!
2. My husband. The moving expert. Seriously. We don't close until the 20th, and he's already on a schedule. Yesterday we packed the spare room closet. Today we'll pack 2 bookshelves, our knick-knack shelves and their corresponding knick-knacks. Tomorrow is the storage closet and half of our dishes. Once our life is packed and we get the keys, each evening we'll move another part of our life. It's a little anal, but it keeps the sanity, and I appreciate that SO much right now!
3. Cashed in favors! My wonderful moving expert aquired his wonderful moving skills by helping many people move many times. And these wonderful friends of ours are now more than willing to return the favor. It's especially wonderful because I would never ask.
4. Free Stuff! At the house we are without stove/oven, fridge, dishwasher, washer or dryer. A (wonderful amazing kind wonderful) man who rents space in the warehouse where Shaun works offered to us a range and dishwasher. In working order, for nothing in return!!! We're getting his Mom's old fridge, too. So now all we'll have to buy are a washer and dryer!
5. MORE free stuff! There have been some unusual occurances in our lives over the last two weeks that have lead to some unusual activity on our phone bill. We usually come in WAAAAAAAY below the 500 minutes on our phone plan (somewhere between 200-300 is normal for us). But with my step-dad going to Korea for a year, my mom's been a bit lonely, leading to more frequent and lengthy calls (which is great! i love talking to my mom - it just requires lots of minutes), and the whole house-buying process (calls to family and friends to keep everyone posted, calls to our realtor, calls to the mortgage guy, the inspector guy, etc. etc. etc.) we were over limit. Well, almost. By the time I even thought to check, we had used 499 minutes. Yeah, that left one minute for 17 days! And in those 17 days we had a house to finish buying! Shaun called the phone company today with a last-ditch plea to add a few minutes JUST this month for less than the 40-cent-a-minute-overage-fee.
And guess what? Because we've been such good customers, they gave us 200 extra minutes PER LINE than can even be rolled over for three months!
There's more, but this is already waaaaaaaay longer than anticipated and I need to get back to work.
Bottom line: God is good and I thank him for using these wonderful people to bless us!
1. Boxes. I am amazed at how much "stuff" we have managed to accumulate in just a few short years. It's simply astounding. Thus, we need boxes to (in a timely and safe manner) move said stuff into the house. Shaun talked about going to neighborhood stores, a co-worker suggested the 50 cent boxes at a nearby copy store, I procrastinated. Finally I made one short request in our communication log at work, and was bombarded with boxes! Boxes from the janitor-angel, boxes from my boss (along with handy-dandy biodegradable packing peanuts!)... boxes galore! It's been great!
2. My husband. The moving expert. Seriously. We don't close until the 20th, and he's already on a schedule. Yesterday we packed the spare room closet. Today we'll pack 2 bookshelves, our knick-knack shelves and their corresponding knick-knacks. Tomorrow is the storage closet and half of our dishes. Once our life is packed and we get the keys, each evening we'll move another part of our life. It's a little anal, but it keeps the sanity, and I appreciate that SO much right now!
3. Cashed in favors! My wonderful moving expert aquired his wonderful moving skills by helping many people move many times. And these wonderful friends of ours are now more than willing to return the favor. It's especially wonderful because I would never ask.
4. Free Stuff! At the house we are without stove/oven, fridge, dishwasher, washer or dryer. A (wonderful amazing kind wonderful) man who rents space in the warehouse where Shaun works offered to us a range and dishwasher. In working order, for nothing in return!!! We're getting his Mom's old fridge, too. So now all we'll have to buy are a washer and dryer!
5. MORE free stuff! There have been some unusual occurances in our lives over the last two weeks that have lead to some unusual activity on our phone bill. We usually come in WAAAAAAAY below the 500 minutes on our phone plan (somewhere between 200-300 is normal for us). But with my step-dad going to Korea for a year, my mom's been a bit lonely, leading to more frequent and lengthy calls (which is great! i love talking to my mom - it just requires lots of minutes), and the whole house-buying process (calls to family and friends to keep everyone posted, calls to our realtor, calls to the mortgage guy, the inspector guy, etc. etc. etc.) we were over limit. Well, almost. By the time I even thought to check, we had used 499 minutes. Yeah, that left one minute for 17 days! And in those 17 days we had a house to finish buying! Shaun called the phone company today with a last-ditch plea to add a few minutes JUST this month for less than the 40-cent-a-minute-overage-fee.
And guess what? Because we've been such good customers, they gave us 200 extra minutes PER LINE than can even be rolled over for three months!
There's more, but this is already waaaaaaaay longer than anticipated and I need to get back to work.
Bottom line: God is good and I thank him for using these wonderful people to bless us!
Monday, January 28, 2008
#90
So, how was your weekend? Mine was pretty nice. It has even been extended due to some fluffy cold white stuff that has been falling from the sky. What did I do with this nice weekend, you ask? Well, not too terribly much. Caught up on some reading, starting working on a new hat, and watched the 5th season of 3rd Rock from the Sun. Oh yeah, and I bought a house.
!
!
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