Thursday, November 29, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Strangely beautiful
The moon was gorgeous tonight. It looked like a pale, golden half-wheel of cheese laid out on the black tablecloth expanse of the sky. Lately the moon has been bright and clear white, so its appearance tonight was something of a surprise.
Another surprising aspect of the night landscape was fog. As I drove home from Target (where else?), the fog grew thicker and thicker. By the time I was a few blocks from home, I could barely see past the front of the car. I almost felt as if I was driving through heavy smoke. It was very disorienting and I can only imagine how much more foggy it must be a few miles west of my home where the suburbs give way to open countryside.
Another surprising aspect of the night landscape was fog. As I drove home from Target (where else?), the fog grew thicker and thicker. By the time I was a few blocks from home, I could barely see past the front of the car. I almost felt as if I was driving through heavy smoke. It was very disorienting and I can only imagine how much more foggy it must be a few miles west of my home where the suburbs give way to open countryside.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
I love a challenge
Well most of the time I love a challenge.
I talked with my mom this evening. She was trying to remember a poem about Thanksgiving by Robert Louis Stevenson. I couldn't think of any RLS poems, so I turned to my best friend, Google.
And came up empty. : (
As I was talking with my mom, I was also diligently searching the depths of the internet. Finally she told me to not waste any more time trying to find the elusive poem. But I couldn't give up. I did stop looking for the poem for the rest of our conversation, but a few hours later, I decided to give it one more try.
Jackpot! I found the poem -- but it wasn't written by Robert Louis Stevenson. The poem my mother was trying to remember was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Hey, they both have three names, so at least she got that part right.
I talked with my mom this evening. She was trying to remember a poem about Thanksgiving by Robert Louis Stevenson. I couldn't think of any RLS poems, so I turned to my best friend, Google.
And came up empty. : (
As I was talking with my mom, I was also diligently searching the depths of the internet. Finally she told me to not waste any more time trying to find the elusive poem. But I couldn't give up. I did stop looking for the poem for the rest of our conversation, but a few hours later, I decided to give it one more try.
Jackpot! I found the poem -- but it wasn't written by Robert Louis Stevenson. The poem my mother was trying to remember was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Hey, they both have three names, so at least she got that part right.
For each new morning Thanksgiving prayer
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
I like this little poem -- poemlet? poemlette? Yet it somehow seems unfinished to me. As I read the poem I feel like it needs one more line. So, with apologies to RWE, I would add the line:
We give Thee thanks.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Is it really possible . . .
. . . that next Thursday is Thanksgiving and my 32nd wedding anniversary?
On our 10th wedding anniversary (also on Thanksgiving Day that year), G and I announced that we were expecting baby #3. I was more than a little surprised by my parents' less than enthusiastic response. I almost wondered if they had suddenly become ardent supporters of Zero Population Growth and were upset that we going to "overpopulate" the world. Later on my mom told me that she and my father weren't sure if G and I were all that excited about adding one more to our family, so they didn't know if they should make a big fuss.
Well, baby #3 turned 21 earlier this year, and aside from my father persisting in calling her Susie for the first couple months of her life, I think everyone (even her oldest sister who didn't want another baby and definitely didn't want another sister) would agree that M has been a lively addition to our family.
I'm looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with my family. E and N will come from Virginia, stopping in West Lafayette on their way to pick up M. My mom will throw out all the stops to make a memorable meal, even though her dietary restrictions mean that she probably shouldn't eat half of what she's fixing. If we're lucky, we might get to see my cousins and their children, and we will all walk around the block to visit with 94-year old GAR.
I hope we'll have good weather -- for driving, for the runners in our family, and for the outdoor family photos I plan to take in the hopes of getting a good picture to enclose in our Christmas cards.
With all of the changes in our family this year, I didn't know if we would be able to gather in Decatur again, all eight of us around my grandparents table in my parents' home. But by God's mercy and grace, it looks like it will happen.
I can hardly wait. : )
On our 10th wedding anniversary (also on Thanksgiving Day that year), G and I announced that we were expecting baby #3. I was more than a little surprised by my parents' less than enthusiastic response. I almost wondered if they had suddenly become ardent supporters of Zero Population Growth and were upset that we going to "overpopulate" the world. Later on my mom told me that she and my father weren't sure if G and I were all that excited about adding one more to our family, so they didn't know if they should make a big fuss.
Well, baby #3 turned 21 earlier this year, and aside from my father persisting in calling her Susie for the first couple months of her life, I think everyone (even her oldest sister who didn't want another baby and definitely didn't want another sister) would agree that M has been a lively addition to our family.
I'm looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with my family. E and N will come from Virginia, stopping in West Lafayette on their way to pick up M. My mom will throw out all the stops to make a memorable meal, even though her dietary restrictions mean that she probably shouldn't eat half of what she's fixing. If we're lucky, we might get to see my cousins and their children, and we will all walk around the block to visit with 94-year old GAR.
I hope we'll have good weather -- for driving, for the runners in our family, and for the outdoor family photos I plan to take in the hopes of getting a good picture to enclose in our Christmas cards.
With all of the changes in our family this year, I didn't know if we would be able to gather in Decatur again, all eight of us around my grandparents table in my parents' home. But by God's mercy and grace, it looks like it will happen.
I can hardly wait. : )
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Saturday, November 10, 2012
A less than great day
I had to get up early this morning to make muffins for brunch at my small group leader's home. When the alarm on my cell phone went off, I adjusted it for another 30 minutes of much-needed sleep. Amazingly, I did get out of bed when the alarm went off the second time.
The muffin recipe came together easily and in no time at all, I popped them in the oven to bake. My "oven" sometimes takes longer to bake than a normal oven would, so I wasn't in a hurry to take the muffins out when the 20 minute bake time was up. However, when I did look at them, I was unpleasantly surprised.
The muffins were really flat. In fact, they didn't look like they had risen much at all. Arrrgh. They also were still doughy in the center, so I left them in to bake for 5 more minutes -- knowing that the extra baking time wasn't going to make any real difference. I checked the expiration date on my baking powder and confirmed that it was expired. : /
So besides wasting my time and baking ingredients, now I had to find time to run to the bakery and get a coffee cake to take to brunch . . . and I still needed to take a shower.
Fast forward: brunch was nice -- good food and great conversation. I learned some very interesting information about my fellow group members.
After brunch I had planned to run errands; I had a few coupons I wanted to take advantage of and HELLO, I needed to buy baking powder. I was about a quarter of the way to my first stop when I realized that I needed to go to the bathroom. Not wanting to turn around and go home, I tried to convince myself that the mild discomfort I was experiencing was no big deal, and I could find a restroom at the store. It only took a few moments for me to realize that my optimistic plan was not going to work. I reluctantly turned the car around and headed home.
Soon my annoyance at having to alter my plans turned into absolute panic as I began to be afraid that I wouldn't make it home before I had a very unfortunate accident. I had serious stomach cramps and I hate, hate, hate stomach cramps. Ever since the birth of my first child, I have said that I would go through labor and delivery many times over rather than have to deal with stomach cramps. Ugh.
Fortunately I made it home okay, but the relief I had hoped for didn't materialize. Even after I used the bathroom (several times) I still was extremely uncomfortable and didn't feel as if I could venture too far away from la toilette. Setting my plans for the rest of the day aside, I turned on my electric blanket and climbed into bed. Three hours and a few bathroom breaks later, I got up and decided to see if I could still salvage some of my plans. Sadly, the answer was "no."
I'm hoping tomorrow will be a better day.
The muffin recipe came together easily and in no time at all, I popped them in the oven to bake. My "oven" sometimes takes longer to bake than a normal oven would, so I wasn't in a hurry to take the muffins out when the 20 minute bake time was up. However, when I did look at them, I was unpleasantly surprised.
The muffins were really flat. In fact, they didn't look like they had risen much at all. Arrrgh. They also were still doughy in the center, so I left them in to bake for 5 more minutes -- knowing that the extra baking time wasn't going to make any real difference. I checked the expiration date on my baking powder and confirmed that it was expired. : /
So besides wasting my time and baking ingredients, now I had to find time to run to the bakery and get a coffee cake to take to brunch . . . and I still needed to take a shower.
Fast forward: brunch was nice -- good food and great conversation. I learned some very interesting information about my fellow group members.
After brunch I had planned to run errands; I had a few coupons I wanted to take advantage of and HELLO, I needed to buy baking powder. I was about a quarter of the way to my first stop when I realized that I needed to go to the bathroom. Not wanting to turn around and go home, I tried to convince myself that the mild discomfort I was experiencing was no big deal, and I could find a restroom at the store. It only took a few moments for me to realize that my optimistic plan was not going to work. I reluctantly turned the car around and headed home.
Soon my annoyance at having to alter my plans turned into absolute panic as I began to be afraid that I wouldn't make it home before I had a very unfortunate accident. I had serious stomach cramps and I hate, hate, hate stomach cramps. Ever since the birth of my first child, I have said that I would go through labor and delivery many times over rather than have to deal with stomach cramps. Ugh.
Fortunately I made it home okay, but the relief I had hoped for didn't materialize. Even after I used the bathroom (several times) I still was extremely uncomfortable and didn't feel as if I could venture too far away from la toilette. Setting my plans for the rest of the day aside, I turned on my electric blanket and climbed into bed. Three hours and a few bathroom breaks later, I got up and decided to see if I could still salvage some of my plans. Sadly, the answer was "no."
I'm hoping tomorrow will be a better day.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Not quite the apocalypse . . . yet
Disappointment. I guess that best explains what I'm feeling right now.
Deep disappointment -- the kind of disappointment my mother must have felt when she discovered that I hadn't done something that she had asked me to do, something important she was counting on me to do, and something that I had earnestly promised her that I would do.
I feel like we all had the responsibility to do something hugely important today. Something that perhaps wasn't easy to do, but something that was vitally necessary for the long-term good of our country.
And we didn't do it. When we needed to choose sacrifice, we were weak and we chose comfort. When we needed to look to the future and deny our need for instant gratification, we foolishly chose to close our eyes to the stark reality and instead clung stubbornly to our me first, hands out mentality.
Though this Scripture was written long ago, it is as true today as it was then.
Deep disappointment -- the kind of disappointment my mother must have felt when she discovered that I hadn't done something that she had asked me to do, something important she was counting on me to do, and something that I had earnestly promised her that I would do.
I feel like we all had the responsibility to do something hugely important today. Something that perhaps wasn't easy to do, but something that was vitally necessary for the long-term good of our country.
And we didn't do it. When we needed to choose sacrifice, we were weak and we chose comfort. When we needed to look to the future and deny our need for instant gratification, we foolishly chose to close our eyes to the stark reality and instead clung stubbornly to our me first, hands out mentality.
Though this Scripture was written long ago, it is as true today as it was then.
15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord
your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His
statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that
I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore
choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:15-20 NKJV
May God have mercy on our souls.
May God have mercy on our souls.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Music Monday
I got to see K tonight. She took the train out so she could drive the Civic back into the city. She's borrowing our car to take to Minneapolis on Friday for a long weekend to scope out potential places to live if she moves there.
Thursday is K's 25th birthday, so I'm glad I got to see her now -- on Thursday she will be working during the day and teaching at Harold Washington in the evening. We had a little time to talk before she had to get back to the city and I was able to give her an early birthday present.
I love My Girl and I love my girl, K. Any time I get to spend with her (or my other girls) is truly like sunshine on a cloudy day. : )
Thursday is K's 25th birthday, so I'm glad I got to see her now -- on Thursday she will be working during the day and teaching at Harold Washington in the evening. We had a little time to talk before she had to get back to the city and I was able to give her an early birthday present.
I love My Girl and I love my girl, K. Any time I get to spend with her (or my other girls) is truly like sunshine on a cloudy day. : )
Saturday, November 3, 2012
But I'm not ready to wear shoes!
It's November. Where did the first ten months of the year go?
I actually like November. I got married in November; my second child was born in November, and Thanksgiving is in November -- all events and occasions to celebrate and enjoy.
What I don't like about November is the weather. The blue sky days of October are past; November's skies are often gray and gloomy. The chance for a warm day (over 50 degrees) is pretty slim. Almost all of the trees have lost their leaves, and the ones that remain are dull and brown. Really about the only color one can count on in November comes from containers of hardy mums and the few pumpkins and gourds that manage to survive after Halloween.
Tonight I went shopping at Target (where else?) and got more than a few odd looks from people as I walked around the store in my soccer slides, sans socks. At least my toenails are painted an appropriately fall-themed orangey bronze. I know I should surrender and start wearing real shoes with socks, but I can't quite give up the hope that the weather won't be so cold and the sun will shine warmly enough for me to pretend that winter's not right around the corner.
I actually like November. I got married in November; my second child was born in November, and Thanksgiving is in November -- all events and occasions to celebrate and enjoy.
What I don't like about November is the weather. The blue sky days of October are past; November's skies are often gray and gloomy. The chance for a warm day (over 50 degrees) is pretty slim. Almost all of the trees have lost their leaves, and the ones that remain are dull and brown. Really about the only color one can count on in November comes from containers of hardy mums and the few pumpkins and gourds that manage to survive after Halloween.
Tonight I went shopping at Target (where else?) and got more than a few odd looks from people as I walked around the store in my soccer slides, sans socks. At least my toenails are painted an appropriately fall-themed orangey bronze. I know I should surrender and start wearing real shoes with socks, but I can't quite give up the hope that the weather won't be so cold and the sun will shine warmly enough for me to pretend that winter's not right around the corner.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
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