The Lovely Wife

Boxes

2011-11-15T21:33:00.003-07:00

Im not sure which is worse working with people who have decided what box I belong in because of who I am married to or that my husband's profession leads people to draw the conclusions that they need to put me into such boxes.

Today at work, I mentioned that I wanted to watch a certain TV show. A co-worker replied "you watch that show?" When I explained that yes, I actually like this show and that it was a show that I enjoyed watching with my kids I got the reply "doesn't it have a gay character?" I replied yes, it does, in fact it has a couple of them. But life has gay people in it too. In fact some of my best friends are gay. There was a huge pause followed by "but isn't your husband a pastor". Yes he is. He is a pastor to ALL of God's children.

I must admit that this was not the first box that I was put in today. Earlier in the day, I was also told by someone that they have a problem with me because their mom is a "pastors-wife" and they just don't understand how I can have a full time career instead of supporting my husband full-time. I kindly explained that I had a career prior to my husband going to school and it was my career that allowed us to pay the bills while he attended seminary.

I support my husband and my family in all that they do but they do not define the whole of who I am.

Sing Me Home by Jodi Picoult

2011-07-31T18:12:00.002-06:00

I am a big Jodi Picoult fan. She always seems to pick a topic of controversy and makes you think, all the while giving you something enjoyable to read at the same time. I have yet to read a book written by her that I didn't like, granted I may not have "loved" all of her books but there definitely has not been one that I have not liked and thoroughly enjoyed while reading it. Sing Me Home was no different.

As usual, Jodi has done her research and done it well. The main character, Zoe is a musical therapist. I work in the medical field as well as teach piano on the side, I definitely LIKE Zoe's character. As Zoe deals with pregnancy, divorce, and then finding herself again with an opportunity for new love and for a new family you will find that through Jodi's dramatic and detailed writing you will be rooting for Zoe whether you want to or not.

That's not to dismiss any of the other characters. Sing Me Home is a book told in three voices, Zoe's, Zoe's ex-husband Max's, and the voice of Vanessa, a school counselor who we first meet at Zoe's baby shower. There are other minor characters who you will fall in love with as well, people like Zoe's mom Dara. There will be character's that you will just groan at like Pastor Clive. There are others that make you ache like Lucy, the teenager that is working with Zoe through music therapy. There isn't however one character who isn't needed or who you feel you didn't get enough information on. Through Jodi's writing you will feel like you are reading about people in your own community or people that you can, at the very least visualize in every setting.

Zoe's ex-husband is very real and the situation that we find him as an alcoholic trying to figure out what to do in life makes us wish that it really was just fiction. Unfortunately Jodi's writing is right on and reflects the thoughts of many in the world today.

Sing Me Home is ultimately a book of relationships and how we treat one another. The book being told from both sides of the story enables us to do just that, hear both sides of the story. Often in a controversial issue we have our own thoughts as to what is right or wrong. By having the story told from more than one perspective, Jodi makes us listen and actually hear the story from all sides. While you would really like to dislike one side or the other you find that you are unable to because as you listen to their stories you actually like all of the characters.

I applaud Jodi's work for she always takes a hot topic and makes you think all the while giving you something enjoyable to read and hopefully broaden your thinking, never telling her readers how to think.

Thank you Jodi for another great read.

National Lollipop Day!

2011-07-20T21:04:00.002-06:00

Today in honor of National Lollipop Day, we were all given Tootsie Pops at work.

The Legend of the Tootsie Pop Indian Wrapper ~ The Indian Wrapper legend has circulated for decades from generation to generation. The claim is that a Tootsie Pop wrapper with a picture of an Indian shooting an arrow at a star on it can be redeemed with Tootsie Roll Industries for a free bag of candy. 30% of the wrappers include the Indian figure.

Tootsie Roll Industries has received a steady stream of letters from consumers attempting to redeem their Indian wrappers since the 1930's (nearly all of the letter writers expect free Tootsie Pops in return), and they now process about 150 letters per week The company originally sent special letters expressing their regret to prize seekers, then in 1982 they created their "Legend of the Indian Wrapper" to accompany those letters with the hope that children's liking for a good story would help to assuage their disappointment." Some individual store managers took it upon themselves to redeem Indian-bearing wrappers for free Tootsie Pops, but the exchange was not sanctioned by the Tootsie Roll Company itself.

Today however, at work if your wrapper had an Indian shooting an arrow at a star you got to take it to the HR dept and redeem it for a real prize, a 10.00 gift card.

All those years as a kid as I watched my wrappers trying to get free a Tootsie Pop it always seemed like I had a wrapper that had an Indian but no one that would redeem it. Today I wasn't so lucky.

Oh well, I got a Tootsie Pop and I got one that was my favorite flavor too. Now to find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.
1 lick...
2 licks...
3 licks...
CRUNCH! Guess, I'll never know.

Needing direction

2011-07-16T16:30:00.003-06:00

Im in that in-between time.
A time in my life where one exchange kid (one that I have grown extremely attached to) has returned back to her own home country and the next kid has not yet arrived.

Add to that the fact that we have now lived in our new town 7 months and Im still trying to find out who to hang out with, where to hang out, and generally what I want to get involved in.

Ive mentioned to several members at church that if choir practice was held at a different time that that could be a viable option. Currently the choir meets prior to me getting home from work, I'm hopefully that in the near future that may change. I also have been approached to join Daughters of the King and am considering that idea.

The scrapbooking store down the street where I thought I could possible find a place to hang out and possible meet people to hang out with, has now closed.

I talked to one of the volunteers at the library and there wasn't a book group that fit my time schedule either.

Wondering how people who move often such as working military wives for example, handle moving especially if they don't live on base?

Rev has been great about hanging out with me but I'm sure that he didn't truly enjoy the trip to the antique store today and he enjoyed the novelty store even less. Thankfully he endured them both without complaint.

I Blame My Mother

2011-02-27T13:37:00.002-07:00

In the early days, my mother, Dr. Spock, and the editor of Parent's magazine all recommended reading to your child.

I didn't ever really take a lot of Dr. Spock's advice so I guess I can't really blame him.

I did read a lot of Parent magazine when my child was young so I guess it could be somewhat their responsibility.

My mother on the other hand encouraged reading in our home when I was growing up. My mom's purse was always big enough to carry a book and we were always encourage to never leave the house without a book ("you never know when you may have to wait and having something to read will come in handy" was a phrase we learned to live by.) I became an avid reader. I read all the time. I too never go anywhere without a book. Hence it must be my mother's fault.

When the kid was little we went to the library once a week for story hour and came home with a bag of 40 kid's book (40 was the limit) and we read every one during the week usually more than once.

When we wanted her to do something that she didn't want to do it became easy to convince her all we had to say was "I'll get you a new book if you do.." We rationalized this bribery with books was a good, educational thing.

Parents beware.

The kid now does not go anywhere without a book. She reads everywhere including in the car.

Unfortunately I believe that we may have created a monster.

There was a dance recently at school. The kid wasn't going to go until a Boy said, "if you go to the dance I'll buy you a book". Wow does he have her number. He was even smart about it and didn't provide the book until she showed up at the dance. I believe Boy is going to make a good parent at some point.

Meanwhile, I can see kid's future now and it is starting to scare me. Nine years down the road, her masters degree is complete and a young man turns to her and says "I'll buy you a book if you marry me."

Oh dear me, I must stop this cycle now! She must learn that there is more to the world than books.

There are diamonds after all.

A Nothern Light

2011-01-11T11:15:00.002-07:00

A Nothern Light -- by Jennifer Donnelly

Jennifer Donnelly does a wonderful job with this coming of age story set in the Adirondacks in 1906 about Mattie, a 16-year-old girl who on the one hand has made promises to her dying mother but on the other hand wants to follow her own dreams. Mattie is a talented writer who has ambitions of a higher education. Mattie is a wonderful character who you root for through every page. Mattie's family situation is not ideal, she lives on a rural farm in poverty taking care of her father and younger siblings. As the farm is failing Mattie takes a job at a summer resort in order to save money to help her family and ultimately help achieve her own dreams of education.

While working at the summer resort her story becomes intertwined with the real-life story of Grace Brown, a young woman who is found dead at the resort that Mattie is working at. Grace's beau is also missing and presumed dead. All of this forces Mattie to deal with yet another promise. It is through a packet of letters that Grace has given to Mattie with the promise that she will "burn them" that Mattie begins to find out who she is and what is really important. She also finds out more about Grace and what really happened.

While the book goes back and forth between Grace's letters and Mattie's life we see how Mattie deals with poverty, feminism, and racism. The author does a wonderful job with the language of the book and the description of the characters. You really feel like you are a part of the book and the early 1900's.

This was a book that I didn't want to put down, nor did I want to forget about either Grace Brown or Mattie. As a woman this book empowered me. I also found myself thinking of others who I felt would benefit from reading it. Definitely a pass on book.

Like A Fine Wine

2011-01-06T15:46:00.003-07:00

I now have proof, it is true, we do get better with age. When I graduated from college, I struggled to reach the minimum 50wpm on the exit typing test. Today, I took a timed typing test at a interview with a job placement agency. I easily got 53 wpm and ZERO errors. I was also given a spelling test, a computer literacy test, and a basic medical procedures test. I am happy to report that I scored well on all. Yep, even the spelling!

Even with my success on the recent tests, looking for a job is not my favorite task. That is probably why I tend to find a job I like and become like a piece of the furniture. I actually worked with one company/dr. for 13 years and would probably still be there had my husband not gone back to school which relocated us to another state.

While some say the "grass is always greener on the other side" I prefer to remember that the grass gets watered because of the pay check that I am receiving at this job, so why bother to look elsewhere? Currently though I have no paycheck with which to water the grass and I am hoping that doing well on the placement agencies tests will help to provide the nourishment the garden needs.

Tonight however, I am just happy to raise my glass in a toast to getting older and wiser.

What's For Dinner?

2011-01-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

My husband has a knack for preaching. Often people will ask "How does he get his sermons?" sometimes however it is pretty obvious.

Priests are a lot like writers. Writers often use those around them in their stories, I know this because a writer told me so when I was complaining about being used in one of my husbands sermons.

Today my husband gave an excellent and very informative sermon. As I sat in the congregation, listening to him preach, thinking "that's my husband", I was overwhelmed and very proud of the leader that he has become. What was even better was the fact that neither the kid nor myself were used in the sermon. The downside was that we will probably never be invited to another parishioner's home for dinner. Yep, that's right, he used a parishioner who had invited us to dinner in his sermon. Well actually he used a question that was asked by their college-aged kid which developed into a pretty good discussion at the table but either way, I see no dinner dates in our foreseeable future.

I might add that we have had dinner at the homes of 4-5 other parishioners and none of them have made it into a sermon (yet). Todd has given 4 sermons at this new parish and has already used parishioners in 2--Christmas Eve he used a question that was asked about insects in the hay of the manger and now today.

Someone today after church, asked me how I liked being a part of a larger church...looking at the numbers and knowing that as I pointed out in the beginning that writers use what is around them, I would say I like it quite well. Being a member of a larger church means that my husband has at least 100 other people to put into a sermon. Whether or not the interaction comes from a Men's Breakfast, a bible study group, a large altar guild, a choir, youth group, etc... or from a dinner party either way at least there are more people being used for sermon fodder.

Meanwhile at coffee hour I heard someone asked my hubby about confidentiality and dinner conversations....well it was good while it lasted and a good thing I like to cook.

New Home

2010-12-29T16:31:00.003-07:00

We are finally getting settled in our new home. Fortunately we were able to rent the home of a parishioner who is out of the area for awhile seeking medical treatment. They have a lovely home and we are settling in nicely.

The home has a wonderfully landscaped yard that I can hardly wait to see in the spring. It also has a creek that runs through the backyard. The first couple of weeks that we were here it did nothing but rain and the creek did nothing but rise. I was extremely worried that I was going to need to pack and move to higher ground or possibly find out the address of Noah and where the ark was being built. Then I found out from a neighbor that, no, I just needed to "put on your waders and rake out the leaves from the fence at the edge of the creek". Hello? I'm from Montana, I don't have any waders!

I however, went to the store (3 stores actually) before I found waders that I deemed fashionably acceptable, blue with white polka dots. I then went home and spent the better part of a light rainy afternoon raking leaves out of the fence line.

To my relief the water is now flowing freely into the neighbors yard at a rapid rate and I no longer feel the need to look up Noah in the white pages. However every day that it rains, which is about 5 out of 7, I look out the window and wonder if the creek is gonna rise. Hopefully it will stay at a manageable level.

Meanwhile everyone is beginning to find their way around town, locating the coffee house and of course finding out how to get to the mall. Next step...look for work. Wish me luck.

It Is Worth Every Penny!

2010-11-03T21:24:00.003-06:00

Rotary Jacket for being an exchange student.....$100.00

Price of sending a high school junior on a rotary exchange trip for a year.....a bunch.

Watching your daughter give a presentation about her year abroad......priceless.

It amazes me how much my daughter has grown. No, she hasn't gotten any taller. But her mind is broader. The world is big but now seems a little smaller since she has been to seven countries.

As I listen to her telling the Rotarians about her experience in Germany, and the friends she now has in so many different places and countries, I find that I am witnessing the glow that radiates from not only her face but her whole being. The electricity in her voice speaks volumes of how much this experience has meant to her.

I am so thankful that she was able to take advantage of this wonderful time. My only regret is that she can't do it every year.

How High Can You Count?

2010-11-01T11:43:00.002-06:00

When I was little, I learned to count on my fingers and toes and then in kindergarten we counted all sorts of objects. We learned to count not only by 1's but also by 2's, 5's, 10's, 20's, etc... We learned all the different ways to count to 100.

I know that they still do this in school because the little kids in our town love to share how they celebrated counting things on the 100th day of school.

Counting came in very handy when I was young and my father owned a restaurant and I got to run the cash register and had to count back change.

You are probably asking "Why is she telling me all of this?" Well, I'll tell you why.

I have recently decided that the only people who can count are those that are under the age of 10. I went to a grocery store which I shall not name, and my total was $57.56. I gave the cashier the following: 2-20's, 1-10's & 2-5's. The cashier looked at me with the blankest look I have ever seen and said the following "I'm not good at math."

Seriously, I couldn't make this crap up. I have a 5-year-old nephew who can figure out how much money I gave the clerk.

This is not the only time that I have dealt with financially challenged people. On more than one occasion I have been at a sporting event and have had to correct the high-school kid who has given me back more change than I was due and in two incidents I was given more money than I actually gave to begin with.

My problem is with the fact that a.) the cashier at the grocery store didn't even have to count me back change, his cash register would do it for him. He merely had to count the money that I had given him (It would have gone something like this: 20, 40, 50, 55, 60...ah, yes she gave me enough..right-0, lets put it now in the register.) b.) its not rocket science to count back change from a $2.50 hot dog.

It seems that once we let kids start using calculators in schools (and I agree they are easier and faster), the kids of today have started to forget how to count. I know that they can do it, its on that little building block that is now buried somewhere in the mess of all the other knowledge that we have piled on top of it. The question remains, how do we uncover that building block and show them that it is essential?

Football A Method To Teach Our Youth

2010-10-14T17:49:00.006-06:00

It seems that in this day and age the art programs in schools are always being cut. Sports programs on the other hand never seem to feel the sharp edge of the knife. Its my opinion that schools need both. Kids can learn so much from the arts as well as sports if they are given the right opportunity. The problem is that most of the time the emphasis is put on sports because it draws in money into the school and money after all is what is all about.

Sports can be limiting. Most teens who play sports don't get the opportunity to play again after high school unless they live in a city that has a recreational league. And lets face it you don't see many 80 year-old football players out there but I know several senior citizens that continue to sing in their church choir enriching the lives of many.

In my life time I have sat through more sporting events than I can count from baseball to hockey to volleyball to football and it always seems that the team that is having the winning season will have the most fans at the venue. Which brings me to what I don't like about sports; the emphasis is always on winning and not about how to play the game and being a good sport or even about letting everyone get a chance to play. I understand and appreciate what it means to watch and root for a winning team. If your team is 5-0 you will have a lot more fans in the stands than when your team is 0-5 but shouldn't we be sitting in the stands to cheer on our youth and as adults show them that it doesn't really matter if you win or loose but rather how you play the game and whether or not you have fun.

I realize that there is probably not a school administration around that feels the same way I do because they all seem to want a winning season so that the stands are packed and the coffers are full. But sometimes I like to sit back and wonder about what the world would be like if we weren't so fixated on always winning but rather building up one another instead.

Then there are times when I come across a sporting clip that gives me hope for the future. Such as this clip of the school in Snohomish Washington whose football team allows everyone to play, even Ike a down syndrome kid and he doesn't just warm the bench. He may not win a football scholarship but he and his team mates are learning about more than just the game. They are learning how you treat people and really isn't that what we should be teaching our kids--how to be great adults?

*note: the clip that I have posted is from 2009 but there is also a clip of the 2010 touchdown as well.

You Are Worth More Than Many Sparrows

2010-10-08T14:19:00.005-06:00

Its always fun to ask someone who likes to read "so, what are you reading now?" Discussing a book with someone is a good way to get to know a lot about someone. It is also a good way to find material for one of my favorite past times.

The Sparrow, written by Mary Doria Russell has become one of my favorite books and it came to me from a conversation with two people who read a wide variety of material. We happened to be talking over dinner about the books we were reading and one thing lead to another and when I left their home I ended up with a copy of The Sparrow tucked under my arm.

Sci-Fi books are not really the type of books that are at the top of my "My Must Read" list nor are Fantasy books but this one had me turning pages late into the night. The premise is that four Jesuit priests, an astronomer, a physician, her engineer husband, and a child prostitute turned computer expert have been sent to a newly discovered planet to try to contact a totally unknown species that has been found to exist.

The story takes place in the time span of 2019 to 2060 and is told from flashbacks from Emilio Sandoz one of the Jesuits and who happened to be the sole survivor of the mission and is currently on trial for things that have occurred while on the planet Rakhat.

The story is about more than discovering a new planet and the life there, it is about religion and what you do when your "perfect God" turns out to not be what you thought, but it is also about politics, and family.

The author does a suburb job of defining characters as well as creating a planet that even though it seems rather foreign can still be pictured quite well. The whole story could have been an extremely dark and dreary story had it not been for Ms. Russell's light way of bringing it all about and the wit of her pen makes it all very readable. In fact as I was nearing the end of the book I was getting sad that I only had a little bit of time left with Father Emilio. Turned out that there is a sequel and I am currently turning pages once again with Father Emilio and enjoying my time with him as we continue to delve a little deeper into politics, family, religion, and what do you do with it all when none of it seems to make sense.

I will warn you there are parts of the story that are hard to read but there are parts of Anne Frank's Diary that were hard to read too and I believe that I learned something about myself and the world from both reads.

Life Is About More Than Just You

2010-09-24T19:51:00.003-06:00

Homecoming as we explained it to our exchange student is when the alumni coming back to the school for a weekend and get together for a sports event.

Kudos to Ennis, a local high school for taking the opportunity to use their "Homecoming" week for someone else. The whole student body, staff, booster club, school board, and community got involved in raising money for an athlete, Jared Smith who doesn't even go to their school. Granted Smith was injured while playing against the Ennis team earlier this year but people get injured all the time, its part of the game.

However, sometimes we all need to learn that in the big picture, there is more out there than the rah rah rah of the game. Bake sales to raise dough, competition between grades to see who can raise the most money for someone less fortunate, 50/50 raffles that normal support the close-up which at this game will be going solely to the Smith family and everything else that the Ennis school and community did to support the Smith family shows true character and represents what sportsmanship is all about.

Way to go Ennis--you've taken an opportunity to teach your kids more about sports than wins and losses. Lets hope they learned something.

Jared Smith's story

How Can I Help You?

2010-09-21T17:56:00.003-06:00

WOW! I think I found my dream company.

I have bought several pairs of shoes from Zappos.com and have always had good results.

However, this time the shoes didn't fit. I needed to send them back.

No problem, Zappos pays for shipping both ways. I boxed the shoes up and put the return label on the box. When I requested the return label, I asked for in-store credit knowing that I wanted to exchange the shoes for the correct size.

I called Zappos customer service 3 days later to find out if the shoes had reached the warehouse so that I could do the swap.

Nope. No shoes in the warehouse.

I explained that I wanted to exchange the shoes for the right size. No problem, "we can do that without the shoes being in the warehouse". "what size did you need?" I was asked. I told her what size I needed.

Dang, they didn't have my size. But wait, "let me check and see if any other store has your size" SERIOUSLY...she was going to check other stores?!?! yep and she did, but they didn't have my size either. Apparently the shoe I chose was a discontinued shoe.

Bummer. Ok I needed to now check and see what shoe I wanted to switch for and call back.

Found replacement shoe and called back. Customer service rep that I talked with this time was again friendly and accommodating. In fact, she said that because I was exchanging the shoes they would send out my new shoes "next-day air".

Shoes were sent out yesterday, UPS guy left 'em at my door today.

Thanks Zappos for being so accommodating. You so exceeded my expectations for customer service.

where has all the time gone?

2010-09-08T16:06:00.003-06:00

Happy Anniversary!

Im not sure where all the time has gone. I don't really feel old enough to have been married for 20 years. But when I look back at all that has gone on over the last 20 years, I guess it is entirely possibly I just find it hard to believe.

If you had told me 20 years ago today that the man I was marrying would end up a priest and that I would be involved in search processes that would try my patience and my nerves and then proceeded to ask me if I still wanted to go through with the wedding I would have laughed thinking that you had the wrong couple. Knowing however that it is true, I might have pondered the question a bit and then proudly gone down that aisle.

What can I say......love is blind.

2010-09-07T20:58:00.002-06:00

For the next couple of weeks things are going to be incredibly busy at our house. Besides being in the middle of a search process, we are awaiting the arrival of our new foreign exchange student who will be living with us while we are here and possibly moving with us.

This weekend we get the opportunity to entertain a search committee that will be here to check us out and then in two weeks we will be flying out to another location for a formal interview with another church.

I think I have done all I can to prepare:

haircut....check.

wardrobe picked out....check.

mouth under control.....lets hope so.

nervous under control....not a chance.

Is It I Lord?

2010-07-26T11:45:00.004-06:00

Doubt is a terrible thing to have. It's even worse when it's not you but others that are making you doubt yourself.

I have been triaging patients as a medical assistant since 1987. I have worked in Family Practice, Sports Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and even briefly in Nephrology.

Mostly, I know I know my stuff. It is nice to know though that in times of doubt, which make me feel particularly vulnerable, that God looks out for me and sends someone with kind words who can remind that yes, I do indeed belong where I am.

LOVE--its complicated

2010-07-22T21:25:00.005-06:00

Here On Earth by Alice Hoffman is an Oprah's Book Club book. Let me start by saying that I usually do not read books from Oprah's list. They are usually just way too depressing. However, this was recommended to me by a good friend who usually has great reading taste so I decided that I would give it a try--as usual, I was not disappointed.

Ms. Hoffman spins an extremely complex tale of love. Love of all kinds; first love, friends, true love, family, young love, and sometimes those kinds of loves that are all consuming and even at times self-destructing.

March Murray, the main character returns with her teenage daughter to her small hometown in Massachusetts, after being gone for 19 years, for the funeral of her family's housekeeper and, basically, the only real mother that March has ever known. In returning to her past, March has to deal with her "first love" and maybe her only love -- Hollis, a boy she has loved since she first laid eyes on him at the age of 11. What Hollis and March experience is a love that is so strong that it consumes you. What March must find out is if she can survive it.

As you get familiar with Hollis and March, you will find yourself rooting for the Hollis that March sees, the Hollis that no one else knows. But at other times you will find yourself siding with March's daughter Gwen and her best friend Susie, in just wanting to kick Hollis' teeth in.

However, if you read this story carefully you can learn a lot about love, not through the story's main characters of March and Hollis, but from the slew of other characters that the author uses to gives us different views of love and what it really means to love and be loved. How would you deal with a lover's betrayal, domestic violence, a lover who doesn't return your love, a cheat? It's easy to say "I would do...." But when actually in the situation, sometimes love really is blind or maybe it just sees it differently. Ms. Hoffman does a great job of showing this through each and every one of her characters.

Sometimes it's hard to watch someone be involved in a self-destructive love. Your advice is neither taken nor wanted. This is also true of someone who is in love but refuses to really see what love is either because through their childhood they have watched love hurt someone close to them or they have been hurt by love themselves. By showing us love from so many angles and voices, Ms. Hoffman lets us see that there is something to be learned from many different encounters in love.

A book that can pull at your heart strings and still offer you the opportunity to step outside of yourself and examine how you view love and walk for a little while in someone else's shoes is well worth the read.

My only complaint is that the ending left you hanging slightly in regards to some of the characters. This is not entirely a bad thing though, as it gave me the opportunity to let my imagination explore where I wanted their love to take them.

Lost and Found

2010-07-21T19:33:00.003-06:00

This summer as I cut up fruit for salad I think back to my youth and remember all the times my dad stopped at the fruit stands in my home town. Cherries, apricots, and peaches were always family favorites. Apples were just to common to be a favorite. I also think back to all the wild asparagus that I picked as a kid along the edge of the neighboring orchard as well as all the apricots I picked from my grandpa's trees.

My memories then travel to the jam that my grandma made and all of the fruit that she used to can. I must admit that I have never canned fruit but I have made jam. In fact as I am writing this I am currently waiting for the jars of my strawberry-rhubarb jam to cool, (my grandma would be so proud).

Times change. My grandmother, now 90 years-old no longer makes me jam for Christmas presents. The apricot trees of my grandfather's yard are also gone. It seams, for me things aren't meant to stay the same, after all if they did life would get boring.

So as the Rev and I currently wait for search processes to happen and a call to be discerned, I cant help but wonder what next summer will bring. What fruits will be in my area? What will be easy to obtain and what will I be missing? What great changes are in store for my family?Time will tell, for now I must just be patient.

Its All About SOCCER!

2010-06-18T11:03:00.002-06:00

Today was a cold day in Hamburg.

We started out with a boat ride down the canal which was really pretty. Then we headed out to the "Public Viewing". No we did not go to a funeral. The Public Viewing is a HUGE area that has food tents set up from each of the countries participating in the World Cup as well as an enormous video screen for everyone to watch the game on.

Unfortunately it began to rain so instead we headed to a pub and watched the game from there.

After Germany lost and the rain stopped and the sun came back out we headed back to the Public Viewing area to take in all the booths. All I can say is this country is soccer-crazy! The people on the streets were wild even though they lost. I can't even begin to imagine what it would have been like had they won!

Next Stop

2010-06-17T12:35:00.002-06:00

We have arrived at our next destination--Hamburg! Our current exchange student is from here and his family has graciously offered to put us up for a couple of days and show us around. They are a delightful family and it has been fun to get to know them too.

Let me just start by saying that this is one BIG city.

We have gone to the harbour, seen a memorial to WWII, and have toured a beautiful church which included climbing 452 stairs to the top of their bell tower and because one of the workers there found out that Rev is a priest we got special treatment and were showed an underground secret tunnel that led out of the crypt. Bach's brother is buried in the crypt by the way) It was way cool. We have also been given a driving tour around town. WOW!

They have some beautiful parks and the waterfront is a sight to see with the sailboats and all. However, the drivers here are crazy and there are way too many of em. Those that are brave enough to ride their bikes must have nerves of steel as I watched them weave in and out of traffic like it was nothing.

Tomorrow we have a full packed day, should be fun.

Things I Learned Today:

2010-06-16T13:07:00.002-06:00

We went to the beach today and I have now come to the following conclusions:

1. Old, large men should NOT wear speedos!

2. Old, large women SHOULD wear their tops at all times!

3. Matching lace thong panties and bras can become a tanning suit on the beach if necessary and while you are tanning you can make out with your boyfriend while he gropes you. Again not recommended if you are old or large. Good thing I didn't know how to say "get a room" in German.

4. Mothers of children who were letting their kids run around on the beach naked need to be told about pedophiles. Seriously, there were kids ages 2-8 years-old that were running around on the beach naked and all I could think of was "don't you people know about the creepy old men that are out there?"

Oh, I also learned that the Baltic Sea is warmer than the Pacific Ocean, that the sand squeaks like it does at Cannon Beach, that the seafood here is great, and that the sail boats on the water are beautiful.

Germany

2010-06-16T02:14:00.003-06:00

We are back again at host family #2's house. This trip has been a whirlwind of new adventures, new tastes, new sites, and new friends.

It amazes me how different things are here but yet sometimes how much the same they feel. There is a lot of respect for the old, both in buildings and in people. The people have been very friendly, both those that we have been introduced to and those that we have encountered while being tourist in the small quaint cities.

Things are all so green and beautiful. Except for the asparagus which is in season right now and is white but tastes yummy! The people seem to take pride in their land. We meet a 70 year-old widow whose health is not that great but even he has a garden, 17 chickens, and rabbits. He has a special garden just for the rabbits. His vegetable garden is larger than my whole backyard. His flower garden is not as well tended due to his age and bad knees, but his roses were very pretty.

These are a few of my favorite things....

2010-06-12T14:35:00.002-06:00

We have been in Germany now for a total of 4 days, the first one doesn't really count since it was spent on the train. The rest of the days have been great.

We spent the first real day in Rostock touring around, the second day we spent touring Gustrow (where Cece has lived with her second host family), and today we spent the day in Schwerin.

We have toured quite a few churches and let me just say they are AMAZING! The detail is absolutely breath-taking. We have also seen two castles that are also beautiful. The gardens in the area are also amazing. Everyone seems to have a garden. And when you go to someone's home it seems the thing to do is to take a bouquet of flowers to your host. There are fresh cut flowers all over the place.

We have gotten to have real German beer, schnitzel (though no noodles), bratwurst, and strudel with vanilla sauce and ice (YUM!) Im not sure why Julie Andrew's didn't include vanilla sauce in her song of favorite things, maybe its just a given. Either way, its on my list.

Champagne, Nuts, and Menus

2010-06-10T13:20:00.003-06:00

So how is my trip going, you ask. Well let me tell you. It started out with being redirected to Helena from Bozeman but it got WAY better from that.

We flew from Helena to Minneapolis (one of us in first class and one of us in coach) and then on the flight from Minneapolis to Amsterdam we were greeted with champagne, menus and warm roasted nuts as we both took our seats in First Class. Let me tell you if you are going to travel for 8hr in the air, First Class is the only way to go.

Once we arrived in Amsterdam we then got to take a 6hr train ride into Germany. We arrived at Cece's home very tired. We did get to see a lot of country-side (when we weren't sleeping). It is a beautiful area.

Today we spent the day in a wonderful old seaside town of Rostock.

And so it begins....

2010-06-08T04:28:00.002-06:00

Neither the Rev nor I have traveled stand-by before. Last night at 10 we were wondering about this plan when we received a call that said "your standby flight is over-sold, you should try to fly out of airport B instead". Thanks Tanya for watching our backs on this one.

We are planner people. We like lists. We like to know what is going to happen. Rev in particular is not crazy about airports anyway and with him not being a night person it just wasn't pretty.

Plan B has been put into affect. Our car has a home for the 2 weeks while we are in Germany. We will deal with how we get it back later. One step at a time.

Germany via Amsterdam here we come. Wish us luck. I hope they speak English at the train station in Amsterdam--I only brought a German phrase book with us.

What Goes Around Comes Around

2010-05-20T16:36:00.003-06:00

I love kids. I don't really think that I could be a classroom teacher but I love to work with them one-on-one and help them develop their love for music. This year has been a great year for my "piano studio". I have had as many as 17 students and truth be told if I were asked if there was a kid that was my "favorite" I would be hard pressed to narrow it down to one. Likewise, if I were asked if there was a kid that I would rather not teach, I would have to say "no". I enjoy each and every one of them even the ones that are challenging or fail to practice as much as I would like.

This year was probably the best and the hardest recital that I have ever had. I have enough kids now (some that have been playing long enough that their songs are actually fairly long and complex) that my recitals actually last a significant amount of time. It's great to hear the progress that they have made over the years and it is even better to see them accomplish goals that they have started to set for themselves within their music rather than something I have told them that they need to do.

The recital this year was hard because I long to continue to be involved in their lives and I know that with my husband looking for a new call that means that this very well may be the last year that I teach these wonderful kids.

One mom doesn't refer to it as piano lessons, she refers to it as her child's special time with the lovely wife cause she knows her kids and I talk about more than just piano. I know about the 4-H chickens and which little chicks died and how they are getting bigger. I know about the sibling rivalries that go on in the home. Which kids feel that their parents "ditch" them because they are the oldest. I have kids that when they started taking lessons from me wouldn't talk to me but now I have to remind them that we need to get through lessons too. Then there are the ones who didn't want to come to lessons but when I told them that next week would be our last lesson they responded with "oh bummer" cause they actually have found that they like playing piano. Those half-hour lessons are special times for me as well. I am glad that each and every parent allows me to share in the life of these awesome kids.

I now know how the retiring teacher feels who gets all the parents wanting him/her to teach just one more year. Its a little bitter-sweet but it is great to be loved.

Youth Group Approved

2010-05-13T19:03:00.002-06:00

I chose to review Revolve because I am the wife of an Episcopal priest, I am a youth leader, and the mother of a 16-year old daughter. However once I got the Biblezine I wasn't sure I was qualified to really review this adequately. This is geared for teens and I obviously am no longer a teen. I did the only thing I knew to do, I enlisted the help of my youth group girls.

Amid much giggling and discussion it was agreed that this Biblezine is definitely something that their friends and classmates could benefit from. They liked the stories and the way it was laid out and they enjoyed taking the quizzes together. Do I think it would encourage them to actually "read" the bible sections or would they just read the articles? I would have to say I think that teens would just read the articles but since the articles also give reference to specific bible verses I do think that it could act as an empowering tool to help them defend their faith and maybe even in some way evangelize to others.

The girls aged 13-15, enjoyed the book and if by chance they may have gained some insight into some bible verses by taking the quizzes then I believe we may have found a way to begin their thirst for knowledge of the bible. It also provides them with another way to have a copy of the new testament in their possession and I can't see anything negative with that.

I received Revolve from Thomas Nelson Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Kids

2010-05-09T17:39:00.004-06:00

I have had 5 exchange students and one child of my own. This Mother's day as I sit and reflect on my kids and all that they mean to me and the things that I have learned from them, I would have to say that I have great kids and have learned a lot from them.

My oldest "daughter" and I used to shop together A LOT and spent a lot of time together going for walks and cooking together in the kitchen. She is wise beyond her years and a delight to be around. When the Kid was getting ready to embark on her own exchange trip the eldest gave me a lot of advice. I'm glad she did. But mostly I'm glad that we have had the talks that we have had this year. We still have a great relationship and count each other as family. Several of my other daughters and I continue to email back and forth and call as well which has also meant a great deal this year, especially with the Kid being over-seas.

I have my first "son" who has been with us for almost 5 months while my daughter has been away in Germany and some things at home have changed with having a son in the house. I am not talking about the fact that we took down all the foo-foo stuff in the Kid's room so that it would look more gender neutral either. For instance, nobody seems to want to watch Desperate Housewives with me. On this account my daughter needs to come home soon before I can't get caught back up. The family Netflix queue now has a lot more blood-n-guts movies than it did before, (thank goodness for the "instant queue" which is all full of romantic comedies and stuff only the Kid and I would like).

Somethings it seems remain the same no matter what gender kid we put in our home. All kids in our home like to stay up late and prefer to sleep past 10am. They all like to eat, preferably non-stop. Every kid we have had in our home also takes his/her make-up off one eye at a time, preferable with eye make-up remover. Alcohol stings (our son found this out when I was not home to show him where the make-up remover was).

Each kid, no matter male or female, country of origin, exchange kid or home grown, they have all brought something special and unique to our home. I like being a mother. I hope that they are half as proud to call me mom as I am to be their mom.

Learning.

2010-05-03T15:22:00.003-06:00

Through the ups and downs of life I have always been told that it is a learning experience. You never go through something without growing! What you learn may not be huge or extremely significant but each event is an opportunity to enrich your life in some way.

As we travel through this new experience I am trying to figure out what I am learning:

1. That as I get older, I deal with moving much better than when I was younger.

2. My daughter deals with the idea of moving as a teenager the same way I did at her age and it is not pretty. I guess what goes around comes around.

3. Sometimes you find friends in the most unlikely people when going through adversity.

4. Those who you thought might be the first to offer support, might not know how.

5. It is hard to find out that you were wrong about people while at other times it is enlightening.

6. My mother is right, you don't lose your friends unless you choose too. You just take them with you where ever you go.

Im sure I am learning a lot more but it will be more evident as I continue to grow through this journey.

note: I have always wanted to be 5'7" but I guess thats probably the one type of growth that I wont get through this. Is 2" really too much to ask?

Anybody else laughing?

2010-05-01T20:07:00.005-06:00

Its never good to say out loud that you will "never" do something. All it does is give God comic guidance.

I know this for a fact. I tend to do it often. I apparently like to provide God's entertainment on a regular basis. Most recently I said "I would never put my teenager in 3 high schools in 3 years as" my parents did.

Apparently my own daughter will be in 3 high schools in as many years. However, one was of her own choosing (she chose to be an exchange student in Germany).

Yes, that means that The Rev is seeking a new call and since the kid is currently attending school in Germany we got to break this news to her via phone.

Opportunities abound for all. Meanwhile I trust that God, while Im sure he is entertained by all of this, has a plan and it will all become increasingly evident in the months to come. I would like to ask that His plan come with a map or a road atlas but Im not sure that God will provide me with one. So meanwhile I will continue to do the best that I can to stay on course and take my daughter through the round-abouts and speed-bumps of life in the most fun way that I possibly can and try to keep the vehicle out of the ditch. (Note to the Kid--think driving in Belize)

Jesus Took 5 Loaves And 2 Fishes And......

2010-05-01T18:49:00.006-06:00

When our two churches began discussions on merging I actually thought that the smallest of the two churches would inspire the larger in its Christian growth because I saw the bible studies that the smaller church attended and admired their spirit.

The two churches are yoked. In my mind that means that the two work together.

The smaller church has decided that it no longer wants to attempt to merge which means that after 2010 the churches will no longer have enough money to budget for a salary. Thus The Rev has started the great search for a new call.

I can't say that I am not disappointed by everything that is going on. I love the churches here and we love being involved in the Ruby Valley. Its hard to watch something that you have been pouring your heart and soul into for the past 6 years not be able to continue.

But then maybe I've got it all wrong.

Recently I have watched the larger church gain a greater sense of Christianity. I have watched them grow spiritually and it has been good to see. Through this all the larger church has gained many strong spiritual lay leaders and a better sense of who they are and where they want to be. The larger church now has a bible study on Sunday mornings as well as a book group that is currently studying the women of the bible (they've even invited our Methodist neighbors to join us for the study.)

Funny how God works.

Sports

2010-04-10T18:38:00.002-06:00

Recently the following comment was directed at me: "I didn't realize that you were such a sports enthusiast". I just want to clear some things up.

FOOTBALL: My mom will tell you that I started rooting for the Chicago Bears at the age of 3 with my dad. In reality, my love of the game probably began when I started attending our local high school football games at the age of 13. My brother played trombone in the Golden Apple Marching Band and my family didn't miss a home football game. As I transitioned from jr high to high school I simply continued to attend, fulfilling my high school duty. As an adult I regularly attend the local high school football games, rarely missing a game (after all my daughter is in the pep band). My love of football still continues through to college games and right on through to the pros. Hello, I married a high school football referee and have celebrated many anniversaries at high school games that he was working.

BASKETBALL: First of all I prefer girls ball to boys. I can handle high school b-ball, but really prefer college ball. I can't stand pro basketball, there is just simply too much testosterone on the court to really call it a game. Its more of a "look at how great I am sport". College and high school still know how to play as team making it more enjoyable to watch.

HOCKEY: How did my parents celebrate Easter this year? They were at a hockey game. Yep, I grew up on hockey. We were at the rink every weekend all winter long. Hockey was big in my home town. Most of the boys that I knew began playing hockey early on and continued through till high school. As a kid, all I ever wanted was to be able to snow plow the way Tyler Fitzgerald and Greg Fletcher did, some how my figure skates just wouldn't produce the amount of snow off the ice that those two boys could. I longed to stop in front of the two of them just one weekend and cover them from their waist to their toes in snow the way they did to me and my friends so many times. Not being able to snow plow did not deter my love for the game. I love the fast pace, the hard hitting, the sound of the sticks hitting the puck and the sound of the puck as it soars through the net. If you need to understand the game better take a look at this web site, if nothing else it will give you a smile.

BASEBALL: I know it is America's pastime but for me I can take or leave it. I do however like the Little League World Series and College World Series but other than that if there is nothing else to fill the time than ok.

SOCCER: Don't really understand all the rules but it can be fun to watch.

VOLLEYBALL: one of the only sports I have any experience playing. I enjoy watching it and I love cheering for my daughter and her team.

RUGBY: I have absolutely NO idea how that game works but it is a hoot to watch.

OLYMPICS: I rarely miss an event. I love to watch it all both summer and winter.

GOLF, BOWLING, NASCAR, POOL, TENNIS: These 5 sports are all great for one thing...sleeping.

I don't play any sports other than the occasional game with the family. But I did grow up with sports and yeah, I pretty much like most all sports to some degree if that makes me a "sports enthusiast" than I will wear the label proudly.

Jesus Land

2010-04-05T20:57:00.002-06:00

Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres

I'm not a big memoir book person but this book was loaned to me and since I will read just about anything at this point in my life that I don't have to buy myself, well... what can I say, I read it.

Did I enjoy it? Not particularly. But not because it wasn't well written. Mostly because Julia and her brother's story is a hard one to hear. Unfortunately it is a tale that is still relevant in society today, 20+yrs post Julia having lived through it.

Julia's story begins with the adoption of David at the age of 3. David and Julia are the same age, do everything together, and consider themselves "twins". There is only one problem, Julia is white and David is black. The two have had to learn to deal with more than their fare share. Besides racism the two have to deal with an abusive father, a mother who is more involved with her church's missionaries than her own children, and society that sees only the "upstanding" religious parents that were kind enough to adopt a young black child.

David and Julia are ultimately sent to Escuela Caribe, a reform school which is ran by New Horizon's Youth Ministries in the Dominican Republic where their abuse continues. Sadly the school still exists today.

I am not only amazed by the cruelty that parents would put their children through but the fact that they would justify it by using Jesus' name makes me sick.

Julia doesn't write the book with a "gee aren't you sorry for me" attitude but rather with the sole direction of sharing the love for her brother and how no matter how bad things got nothing was able to deter or destroy the love for her brother.

I am a mother and I know that racism and child abuse still exist, I've worked with it in my job and I have seen the effects on children in my area. In an interview with Julia she was asked "what advice she would give someone who was struggling to deal with their own upbringing". Part of her answer included the following: "If you don't stand up for yourself, no one else will. And always stay true to your own values, no matter how disorienting or overwhelming the forces around you. Adolescence is just a blip in the span of a lifetime. Your future is wide open. Use it wisely."

The story is ultimately well written and overall an ordeal that I hope no one that I know ever has to goes through.

Whats In A Name?

2010-03-15T14:04:00.006-06:00

Baby Blues is one of my favorite comic strips and one in particular has been hanging on our fridge since October 23, 2005. It shows Zoe and her mom (Wanda) walking home. In the first frame two of Zoe's friends are running by while one shouts "hi Zoe, hi Zoe's mom!" In the second frame as Zoe and her mom walks by two of her classmates one of them says to the other, "there goes Zoe and Zoe's mom". In the third frame three kids on the playground shout out "Hi Zoe's mom", "hi Zoe's mom", and once again "hi Zoe's mom". In the fourth and final frame Zoe looks up at her mom and says "Isn't it GREAT when everybody knows your name?"

Well, Zoe's mom, I know the feeling.

My parents put a lot of thought into my name. When I was born my parents wanted something original. They decided to name me after my dad. Not many girls can actually say that they are named after their dad. I like the fact that I am named after my dad, its unusual but really cool.

When I would tell people that I was named after my dad, people's first reaction would be to say "oh its too bad he didn't have a son". Let me make this clear, he did, my older brother is named after both our grandfathers.

Besides the name on my birth certificate I have several family nicknames that have been given to me over the years. Most family nicknames have been given through familiarity, love, and usually some silly circumstance. All have a story (no I'm not going to share) and most thankfully, I have outgrown.

Also when I was little I was "Kenny's little sister", but since there are several years difference in our ages by the time I was in Jr. High and High School I was back to being referred to by my own name again.

Other people who don't know me well, have also taken to shortening my name. I am not sure where that came from but it happens. It does seem rather odd though when someone who is not a close personal friend takes the liberty to assume that they know me well enough to shorten my name.

When I had my daughter, I got another name, I became "the kid's mom". The new name didn't really bother me. Unlike some of the names that my brother bestowed upon me in my youth, "mom" was a title that I wore proudly.

As I have gotten older and my daughter's friends have gotten comfortable using my first name I once again thought I had my name back. Until the other day.

The other day another adult actually introduced me as "The Episcopal Priest's Wife"! Now I will admit that is a new one, I guess that will be just one more name for my book.

So why is it that when a kid gives you a title like "the kid's mom" its not so bad? But when you are given the title by an adult such as "the husband's wife" it feels like a loss of identity? After all they both are really part of who I am. In fact "beloved wife and mother" is quite a compliment on a tombstone. It says a lot about the person who is buried there.

However, I am still very much alive and I think I would still like to be introduced by my name or at the very least, "this is the Episcopal priest's wife, The Lovely Wife".

The Stars Must All Be Aligned Just Right!

2010-03-11T19:44:00.005-07:00

Some weeks you just can't ask for things to go any better. This was one of those weeks. Every time I turned around something was going they way I wanted it to.

Not only did our "Women Of The Bible" bible study start off on good start, but our Youth Group had some great discussions about how the Lords Prayer effects their daily lives. Then the continued study group on Tuesday nights has been studying Jonah and when we met on Tuesday we had a great group with some good discussions as well not to mention some really good soup.

Due to meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday I didn't have to cook. Better yet, we were sent home with the extras from the Wednesday meeting so we had leftovers on Thursday so once again I didn't have to cook.

Wednesday, our DirectTV was hooked up and our new 32"HDTV, that miraculously appeared in our house, now has a great picture!

My work week ends on Thursday and that means that I have a standing lunch date with my good friend. We both agreed today that it is the favorite part of our week and someething we both look forward to. For me it was the capper to my week. There is nothing like having a great week only to end it with a great lunch date.

Now on to the weekend.

What Cats Do When They Are Lonely

2010-03-05T18:40:00.003-07:00

Since we had to put one of our two cats to sleep, the other cat has become quite clingy. She now wants to be on my lap all the time.

Today she was sitting on my lap while I was reading. Of course the laptop was resting next to me in the open position should I need to check the status of my facebook or email at any moment. (Heaven forbid I should miss something.)

However, every time I got up from my seat, thus moving the cat, she went and sat on the computer. She has tried to empty my cache, and has attemptted to take several facebook quizes.

The last time I left and came back she opened up a whole new tab and had a guilty look on her face. Im concerned the cat may be addicted to the internet. I just hope she isn't surfing "kitty porn".

Pass the Salad

2010-02-09T14:22:00.003-07:00

I feel it is important to let The Kid have an input on what goes on in our family. That does not mean that she gets to set her bed time, her curfew, or what chores she does. It also does not mean that she gets to decide what kind of house we live in or what kind of vehicle we drive.

When she was little we had a rule about eating, "you have to try everything before saying you don't like it". For the most part this worked fairly well. She was probably the only 3-year-old who knew that she liked stuffed mushrooms or who ate asparagus off the other kids plates at day-care and when she ate at a friends house she continued to at least try everything.

She, like most little kids though, was not big on vegetables. We learned which ones she would eat and usually served those or raw carrots as an alternative. Like most little kids, she didn't care if what she was eating was healthy, or full of sugar and fat only that it tasted good.

The other day I spoke with The Kid via phone. She had two sentences for me:

1. "when I come home we are eating more healthy". and

2. "American's eat way too much fat".

I tried to tell her the above when I was attending Weight Watchers but apparently it didn't really sink in.

The Kid states that she has actually lost weight since being over-seas and is enjoying eating more healthy. Guess I didn't have to worry about her eating too much German chocolate.

After little consideration, I think this is a ruling I can let her change in our house when she returns.

The Long Way Home

2010-02-05T07:41:00.002-07:00

The Long Way Home (Homelanders series) By Andrew Klavan

Let me start out by saying that I have received this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review of the book.

When I got the book, I was worried about reading a book that was a second in a series without having read the first, however Mr. Klavan ties the books so well together that you immediately know what is going on and never feel like you've missed a thing.

The book starts out with Charlie West, who has been accused of belonging to a terrorist group, killing his friend, and has escaped from prison and is now trying to get back to his home town to clear his name.

In the process he is also trying to figure out who he can trust, who the "good guys" are and who the "bad guys" are.

This book is easy to read and fast paced. Because of the excitement that it generates it becomes very challenging to put down. My only complaint is with some of the conversations between Charlie and his friends from school who choose to help him. A lot of the conversations seem flat and not like anything my own 16yr old would say. But seeing how mostly Charlie works alone it was pretty insignificant.

Having a teenager, I appreciated the interaction with Charlie and the adults that he encounters, especially his Karate teacher and his history teacher. I think all kids at some point wonder about who the "good guys" are and encounter someone who challenges what they know is right. I also think that it is good for kids to have someone other than their parents that they can go to to help them wade through how to figure out who is good, who is bad, and how to verbally express it. While Charlie may be on the run, he is never truly alone. I applaud Mr. Klavan for showing that side of life.

This book is labeled "Young Adult" but I really feel that any age, male or female will enjoy this book. I can't wait for Book Three.

The Power Of One by Bryce Courtenay

2010-02-02T19:31:00.002-07:00

"Racism does not diminish with brains. It's a disease, a sickness. It may incubate in ignorance, but it doesn't necessarily disappear with the gaining of wisdom" page 456

In 1939, in South Africa, when you are white, speak the wrong language, English, and were suckled by a nanny of the wrong color, black, you learn a lot about racism the hard way. This is how life began for a young boy who names himself Peekay.

Peekay survives abandonment and endures humiliation because he has a goal; he wants to become welterweight champion of the world.

He learns at a very young age that one person can make a difference. As we travel through Peekay's life we meet the people who, one at time, help to shape him and enable him to be a strong enough person to change things for those around him. Peekay, maybe because of his upbringing or his youth is unbiased to those who take an interest in him, he is helped by a Boer, a German professor, a librarian, a Jewish teacher, and a great Zulu medicine man among others.

The writing is done so well that no matter if the setting is a boarding school, an African mountain side, a local prison, a mine, or a boxing ring you are able to see and smell the surroundings you are reading about. Likewise, the characters are so well defined that you know right away which ones you like and which ones you dislike. Which ones you cry for and which ones you will be rooting for.

The outcome may not always be what you want but the story weaves a tale that you will not forget. It will leave you hungering for more and asking questions about Africa, World War II, and yourself that you had not thought of before. The theme of one person being able to make a difference comes through loud and clear and makes you want to be a better person.

Some words are universal.

2010-02-02T14:04:00.003-07:00

Let me start by saying that I embarrass easily. In high school my friends thought it was great fun to see how many shades of red they could get me to turn.

As an adult, I still embarrass easily.

Last night while watching TV with one of our foreign exchange students a commercial came on that my son wasn't understanding. No problem, right? wrong.

"I don't understand, what does that mean?" he asked. I got real quiet while I tried to think of a delicate way to explain "erectile dysfunction" while I wished that the Rev was home.

Thankfully the word Viagra came across the screen. "Ah, I understand" he said with a smile and a blush.

"Good", I replied. Im glad somethings explain themselves.

Village living

2010-01-30T08:31:00.004-07:00

Living in a small town has its advantages. It also has it disadvantages. Sometimes they are one and the same.

Last night the boys went to the basketball game and then texted us and asked if it was ok if they went to a friends house until curfew. We said sure "why not" have fun, be home by curfew.

Shortly after the game I got a call from a concerned parent. "Do you know your boys left with so and so and were going to a different house?" I replied that they told me that they went to a friends house. The concerned parent thought otherwise.

Rev called the boys on the cellphone. After getting through some language barriers we were able to verify their location. Verified how they got there. Unsure as to how they are going to get home but we were assured that they will be home by curfew. No problem.

When dealing with kids with language barriers it never hurts to double check to make sure that we understood everything correctly and vise versa. Glad to know that everything was as we thought. We could now go to bed and sleep easy.

I have always agreed that it takes a village to raise a child but it is also good to know that you can trust your kiddos too.

ta, ta, ta-ah, ta

2010-01-25T19:59:00.003-07:00

In my spare time I like to teach piano.

I have students of all ages and abilities. I have learned that each kid is unique and while some are challenging in a certain ways, others push my limits in different directions. I can honestly say that there is not a single student that I dont enjoy teaching.

Depending on each kids ability or age, makes a difference as to how I go about teaching them.

My youngest student is 5-years-old.

At school she is busy learning how to add, read, and spell her name. Then she comes to piano lessons and I give her another "alphabet" as well as a different way to count; a quarter note which gets one count= ta, a half note which gets two counts= ta-ah, a dotted-half note gets three counts= ta-ah, ah, and a whole note gets four counts= ta-ah, ah, ah.

Today when she came to lessons she brought me a song that she wrote for me. I have kids that have colored me pictures, brought me presents, flowers, and other things but never a song. I opened up the page that she presented me with and saw a whole bunch of notes. "can you play it for me?" I asked "no" she replied, "I just wrote it".

The song goes something like this: Ta, ta-ah, ta, ta, ta, ta-ah, ta-ah, ta, ta, ta, ta-ah for over 30 notes. I know cause she sang it for me.

I can't wait till we learn to put notes on the staff. The songs that I will get from this student will then go to another level.

2010

2010-01-24T15:40:00.003-07:00

2010 will be an interesting year for both our church family and my personal family.

In our home, with the two foreign exchange students that we have, we are blending the cultures of Germany, Columbia and America.

When our daughter returns from being an exchange student at the end of June, we will be faced with the challenge of learning and appreciating the strengths that she has acquired while abroad. She most likely will not be the same little girl that we sent to Europe. Our little girl will have changed and grown, though hopefully not too much.

In our church life, we will be merging two congregations into one family unit. Somethings will get left behind. Others will take center stage.

The abundance that we will be creating with the two congregations as one is slightly overwhelming and my mind wanders in so many directions at the things that we can accomplish and the people that we can reach.

I dont set New Year's resolutions but if I was going to pick something to try to accomplish this year it would be to continue to see the abundance and good in both my home life and my church life, at all times. Combining talents and strengths together is not always easy but when looked at from on top of the mountain of abundance it seems a whole lot easier.

Epiphany and Youth Group

2010-01-04T21:39:00.003-07:00

Last night our little town had 7 Magi strolling the streets, following golden stars. While they weren't the original Magi the baby still had to be located and since the sky was cloudy the stars were obtained from businesses, homes, and other locations by singing the first verse of "We Three Kings". It was chilly out and Im not sure our exchange student from Columbia thought wandering around town at night was a good idea but he survived.

The kids had a great time finding the stars and when they got back to the house we re-read the story of the Magi and discussed the ins and outs of the story and the whys and hows as well as the similarities from other stories and the connections to other stories.

The goal was to know more of the story of the Magi and I think we definitely achieved that. Hopefully next year they will remember it.

It Happened In Italy

2009-12-12T17:49:00.003-07:00

I love reading books about the Holocaust. That particular time period fascinates me. Thus when I got the opportunity to review It Happened In Italy, a book by Elizabeth Bettina which is a story about one woman's discovery about internment camps in Italy, I jumped at it.

If you enjoy the history of the Holocaust and reading about World War II, this is probably not the book for you. However, if you enjoy reading about travel, Italy, tourism, the Vatican, or personal recounts of people's vacations, then this may just be the book for you.

I was very disappointed that more stories of the Jewish peoples, as well as the Italian stories of how it all came together, really seemed to take a backseat to Ms. Bettina's travel log. The book was supposed to be based on the heroic acts of Giovanni Palatucci, the Italian official who hid these Jews in Italy, an act for which he died in Dachau. I was hoping to finally get to hear about an area that cared more about people than their religion and what I really got was a lot of "I" statements.

The sad part is that if a seasoned author had helped Ms. Bettina write this book my review may sound totally different. The idea was good and one that there is not enough written about.

Happiness

2009-11-22T21:35:00.004-07:00

Dolly Parton was raised in a one room cabin with 11 siblings. They were "dirt poor", yet she continues to says: "I still close my eyes and go home--I can always draw from that".

When Dolly was little her parents made all of the gifts that the kids received. Things like corn cob dolls were a wonderful treasure. Dolly's mom would take the kids into the woods with their corn dolls for tea parties and they would peel back moss and drape it over a rock to use this as their table and table cloth. In a recent interview Ms. Parton said that she has yet to see a carpet as beautiful as those tablecloths.

Its no wonder that The Parton kids had great imaginations it is really all they could afford. All of the 12 kids were given strong roots and the ability to become their own person. They were taught from the basics and given values from their pentecostal parents. Dolly is one of the most honored people in country music and not just for her acting and singing but for her role as a cultural ambassador, philanthropist and lifelong advocate of education.

Dolly also has only been married once, she has had the same husband since 1966.

Why do I bring this all up? Because it seems that a lot of people measure their happiness by how many toys they have, how much money they make, or whether or not they are able to keep up with the Jones's.

I think it is important for people to realize that happiness is handmade right along with the gifts and memories that you can make with your family.

If you stop looking for that better toy, that job that makes more money, or the house that is bigger than someone else's and instead look at what you really have. You might find that your true happiness has been with you all a long and that you too can close your eyes and draw from that.

2009-11-12T09:59:00.002-07:00

While we were in seminary we made many good friends who we have kept in contact with now that we have left "The Block" and are all off to our own churches. One of these dear friends is now an Air Force Chaplain and is currently stationed over seas.

Worrying about our armed forces takes on a whole new meaning when you have friend that is over there serving. I know that as a Chaplain he is doing a lot of praying and ministering to those that are deeply affected by losing their comrades. I worry not only for our troops safety but also about who is ministering to the Chaplains. I believe that everyone has a tough job and hope and pray that the Chaplains find time to get renewed.

One of the areas, besides prayer, that we have found that we can be of help to the Chaplains is to ship out sample-size toiletries for their transient ministries for the soldiers who are waiting for their luggage.

To help with this our two churches recently contacted a local hotel and asked if we could purchase cases of their "hotel-sized" shampoo and soaps. The small, local hotel went one better and said that if we bought a case they would also purchase a case for us. As my daughter would say WooHoo! We have 3 cases on order.

Look out Chaplains here comes some supplies! Know that we at home are thinking about you and our troops.

Halloween

2009-10-26T10:12:00.002-06:00

"Its not cold enough to feel like Halloween" was the reply that came from Germany when we asked the kid how it felt to be spending this spook filled holiday in a foreign land.

Apparently not only is it not cold enough, but there will be no trick or treating, no costumes, no bobbing for apples, and NO "The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" on TV. Typically Halloween is not observed in Germany as it is in America.

I am asked all the time how my kid is adapting to being away from home. I am proud to say that she is always sharing our culture with her family as well as learning about theirs. We sent Halloween Oreos, you know the ones with the orange frosting, they were a big hit with the kid but not so much with the natives. They cant seem to get past the fact that they are black and ORANGE.

Apparently she has shared enough about our spook filled holiday that they too want to enjoy a bit of the fun cause they have this week off for "holiday". What can I say, my kid is a mover and shaker. I always knew she would change the world, she started by changing mine.

Representation!

2009-09-16T15:42:00.006-06:00

When someone important comes to town, especially if they have done something wonderful, it is best to greet them with a little reception.

Take Dorothy for instance, when she arrived in Munchkinland everyone was thrilled and excited. They greeted her with song and dance. Yes she was important, she after all had just dropped her house down on the Wicked Witch.

Everyone in Munchkinland came out and if you were invited to participate you definitely showed up wearing your finest knickers.

The PB (presiding bishop) will be at our diocesan convention next weekend. I would say she qualifies as someone of importance. A reception for "clergy and retired clergy" has been set up. Unfortunately the rev will miss the reception for the clergy (he has a prior engagement). Knowing the great importance that this event plays I have volunteered (along with our youth delegate) to go in his place. We would like to represent the clergy of our church since he is not able to be there.

We would wear our finest knickers and sing our greeting song:
We represent the Father Todd Guild
The Father Todd Guild, the Father Todd Guild
And in the name of the Father Todd Guild
We wish to welcome you to Montana Land!

However, the rev says we are not allowed to go in his place. I ask you what kind of society doesn't allow representation for all of its people? We are just trying to represent the Rev and our church and graciously welcome a very important person that has come to spend some time with us.

The mayor and the coroner were present when Dorothy showed up, why even the The Lollipop Guild and the Lullaby league were both represented when Dorothy's house fell from the sky. I really see no difference.

How Do You Know If You've Done Your Job Well?

2009-09-14T17:26:00.003-06:00

What happens when you do your job well? You might get a raise or maybe even a promotion.

As a parent if you do your job well, you end up with kids you are really proud of. And as they mature into great adults and get married and have kids of their own you then get promoted and end up as "Grand"parent. Then the benefits get even better.

As an employee we all want to do our best, but what happens if we work a little too hard at our job?

As a parent you still end up with kids that you are proud to call your own. You brag about their accomplishments and do whatever it takes to help them continually succeed. You might even agree to send them to Europe as an exchange student.

But BEWARE if you have worked hard at your job, you may never hear from said child again. In fact when you finally call the kid after they have been gone from your home for 5 weeks (4 of which have been spent in Europe) you may actually hear your kid say "Mom, I can't talk right now, I have a friend over"

What happens when the work we do is not recognized? Some people find another job.

Some people act out at work.

Yes, I speak from experience. I like to think that we did a good job raising our daughter. We have always tried to provider her with the tools that she would need for success. Given her the ability to not rely on us but to rely on her faith and her own abilities. She is a wonderful young person, one who I love to be around (most of the time I mean she is a teenager), and one who I love to watch as she interacts with others. She is tenacious, funny, and bright.

I miss her.
I hope someday she decides that she would like to hear our voices again.

But until then I vow not to sit by the phone and wait but rather I plan on spending my time plotting for when she comes home and all the joy that I will have short-sheeting her bed, making her least-favorite dishes, thinking up chores that she wont like, etc....

If anyone has any suggestions to add to my list, please know that I am open to suggestions.

Travel Karma

2009-08-07T17:16:00.002-06:00

On our way to my families house two weeks ago we had a problem with our muffler and had to find a shop that would re-attach that for us.

Then on our way home from camp we rode the bus home. We had to stop for 45min on the freeway while we waited for a car accident to clear and then 30min after that while filling the bus with gas we noticed that the bus was leaking oil. The bus driver called the mechanic who advised putting in some oil and then "keeping an eye" on it.

We put in the oil and then started off down the road. 30 min later we found ourselves on the side of the road once again talking to the mechanic as the bus driver noticed that we were blowing white smoke out of the rear of the bus. It was deemed that a replacement bus would need to be sent for us. 4hrs later the replacement bus arrived and we were once again on the road.

When we got outside of Butte I called The Rev to let him know where we were and so that he could come and meet the bus at the next stop. He went out to get into the car and noticed that our tire was FLAT! After borrowing a car from the neighbor he was on the road to get us. What usually takes 5hrs to get home took us 10!

This weekend we found ourselves once again on the road to my families house. Last night we pulled over for gas 30mi outside of Missoula and noticed that the car was smoking slightly. Why is the car smoking? We had just had our oil changed and the mechanic forgot to replace the oil cap so we had oil all over under the hood. Luckily 2qts of oil and duct tape and we made it to Missoula were we could purchase a new cap.

Then on the road this afternoon we once again got stuck on the freeway behind a roll-over accident. Can you say DeJaVu?

I am hoping over the last two weeks of traveling that I have exhausted all of my families bad karma for the year and that The Kid will be able to get to Germany without any problems and also get home without any glitches as well.

New Perspective

2009-07-16T19:25:00.002-06:00

Over the last 4 years we have hosted exchange students and the one question that all of them ask that always makes us laugh is "how will I find you at the airport".

Let me explain that our students fly into either one of two airports, Butte or Bozeman. Butte has one gate and Bozeman has 6 gates. Each airport has one central baggage pick-up and usually there is only one flight coming in at a time. Locating someone is usually not a problem.

I however, am no longer laughing. The Kid will be flying into the Berlin airport which Im sure is slightly bigger than either Butte or Bozeman and probably even has signage on how to get to baggage claim area.

Now my question is HOW WILL THE KID FIND HER HOST FAMILY?

I'm now looking at things from a whole different perspective.

The Kid Needs To Go When?

2009-07-15T17:31:00.004-06:00

I have decided that Rotary International needs to have a support group for parents of kids who are being sent abroad or at the very least a handbook on how to deal with the stress of getting everything ready at the last minute.

Our first problem was that we were accepted as an International Exchange student 4 months past the deadline. Ok I now understand why there is a deadline.

The second problem is a trickle down affect off of the first. We are scrambling like mad to get all our information in order, clothes bought, tickets purchased, travel insurance bought, presents for the family picked up and all the other stuff that needs to be arranged and oh yeah it all has to fit into how many suitcases?

Thankfully The Kid is not a clothes hog so there really shouldn't be too much problem other than convincing her that some of her books need to stay behind. The problem with the clothes is the fact that she is picky and hard to fit. I finished the online ordering last night. Confirmation says that they should arrive between the 22-24 (we leave town the 23). UUuuugh!

Our third problem arose when we found out that her school needs to know what classes that her High School here wants her to take in Germany. Frantically called the school only to find out that the school's counselor is off for the summer! Called her at home and am waiting for a call back.

It turns out that our paperwork is still somewhere in the air or in a mail courier's bag between here and Germany. In that paperwork is the exact time that The Kid needs to be in Germany but it also has our new child's information in it as well. At this point we know we are getting a student but that is all we know. Hopefully the pigeon will get here soon with the information.

Meanwhile I look out my windows and see the beautiful mountains, watch the wonderful birds flying around, and all the wonderful things in my world and realize that my God created all of this in 6 days, surely He can help us to accomplish all that we need to get done in the two weeks that we have.

MY GOD IS BIGGER THAN MY STRESS!

The kids new village is calling or rather emailing...

2009-07-14T09:10:00.002-06:00

We have heard from the kid's new village! They have emailed us and seem really excited to be getting our daughter and who can blame them she is turning into such a wonderful young lady.

I have decided that this is the best time to send her to Germany; boys have started calling our house (which is driving her dad nuts), she is starting to get interested in clothes and high heels which means make-up can't be far behind.

We have picked the perfect village to send her to(like we really got to choose); there are only 150 people there. She thought the little SW MT town of 700 was small...just wait till she arrives in Boitin Germany.

Thankful they all speak English, though the mom admits that she does not speak it very well.

She will get to ride the bus for an hour to a school of 500 kids. Time there to study more German! Hopefully her new younger brother (age 14) will also be able to help her learn the language quickly and keep her out of trouble.

The Web--Not All Its Cracked Up To Be.

2009-07-09T14:56:00.003-06:00

I used to think that the web was a glorious thing. You could find anything you wanted and get information on anything out there.

That is until I started trying to get information on Boitin Germany!

This is the town/village that our daughter will be calling home for the next year and we would like to know a little bit more about the area. What better way than searching the web. Not so much in this case. We will have to wait for reports back from the host family with answers to our questions via email. I suppose that is better than snail mail but at this point Im impatient.

Lets hope they answer quickly.

Little things=Joy

2009-06-26T13:24:00.003-06:00

My favorite quote from The Jerk is as follows:
Steve Martin: The new phone book is here!! The new phone book is here!!
Mr. Artunian: I wish I could get that excited over nothing.
Steve: Nothing! Are you kidding? Page 73...Johnson. Mavin. R. I'm SOMEBODY now! Millions of people look at this book everyday. This is the kind of spontaneous publicity, your name in print, that makes people. Im in print. Things are going to start happening to me now.

When I was in sixth grade I sat across from Jeff Jones. Jeff was probably the biggest Steve Martin fan I have ever known. He also is the one who introduced me to The Jerk and the above quote. It is one that has always stuck in my head. I love Steve Martin, probably not as much as Jeff but still I have become quite the fan thanks to that initial introduction.

Today I received the new Janet Evanovich book in the mail. Yes number 15 is now in my hands and I, like Steve Martin began jumping around the office. "the new book is here, the new book is here!"

My name will not be in print, I will not be getting free publicity, and things probably wont start happening to me now that I have the book, but hey, lets face it when the phone book comes out those things don't happen to me either but it doesn't stop me from dancing around my living room shouting to my husband that the new phone book is here. Its the little things in life that give me joy.

Bears, Oh my!

2009-06-25T11:26:00.001-06:00

My daughter recently went camping in Yellowstone. We warned her to look out for bears. What was I thinking, I should have just gotten her this Smith and Wesson Survival kit.

The following was taken from "10 things that will not end well" By Cracked.com:

Close Range Bear Survival Kit from Smith & Wesson

The Thing:

After some rather extensive research, the folks at Smith & Wesson discovered that most bears prefer to do their attacking at close range. How close? Well, the kit contains a short barrel revolver because "[a] longer barrel would make it more difficult to use in such a confined place and at point blank range, accuracy isn't that much of an issue."

But don't let the size fool you. The gun is so powerful that they claim merely firing it on the range will make your hand sore. Just make sure to find a range where they let you walk up within a few feet of the target, and pretend that it's attacking you.

Why It Will End Badly:

The product description readily admits that by the time you get your gun out of your rubber ducky colored lunchbox, the bear's going to be so close that gangland execution is your only option. Just make sure to aim carefully as the bear makes a crunchy pretzel sound with whichever of your extremities it has in its mouth.

The kit also includes a whistle, some mylar blankets and a saw. We have to assume that you amputate your gnawed off limbs with the saw because you just fought a grizzly bear at close range with a pistol and a whistle, and you use the blanket to stay warm as you wait for help while slowly bleeding to death. Most helpful of all, while you wait, you can read the book that comes with the kit: Bear Attacks of the Century and think to yourself "Man, my bear totally did that to me too."

On second thought maybe I should just be glad that she is a bright teenager and also didn't encounter any bears.

Spring Reading--one week to go

2009-06-17T09:55:00.004-06:00

The last week of the Spring Reading and I am out of books! Yes I did it, I have read all the books that I put on my list.

I was worried that I had too many books on the list at the beginning but clearly I was wrong. I have read all of the book that I put on the list plus I added 2 and there is still one week left to go.

Yeah Me!!

I must admit that I didn't write reviews for all of them. The last 5 are still rambling around in my head.

I will try to write some short reviews for them and post them up.

Congrats to all the rest of the "spring readers" for all the reading that was accomplished. Librarians, publishers, and authors around the world are very proud.

Dadadum Charge!

2009-06-14T17:03:00.002-06:00

Normally at church we have "Ms. Emily".

Ms. Emily is a lovely little electronic hymnal that for all practical purposes works great. However we also have a beautiful pipe organ in one of the two churches that my husband serves and it is a shame that we don't have an organist to play it on a regular basis.

Luckily for us, during the tourist season the opera house is open and the person who usually plays for the shows has been known to come and play for us as well. It is a real treat.

This year one of our favorite organists is back in town. He is a great person and has become a friend of the congregation. This will be his third year playing with us and it is definitely good to have him back in our midst.

The only bad thing about having a real organist again as opposed to "Ms Emily" is that they are just that, real. Not only do we have to adjust to the human quality but I have to adjust to having someone around to harass me. I guess the later is good cause he harasses just about everybody..all in a good way.

There are things that Ms. Emily can't do that our real organist can do such as play the doxology. When we use Ms. Emily we have to sing it acappella.

Today however was a perfect example of getting used to the human quality. When our summer organist is not playing for us he has been known to play for the Detroit Red Wings as well as for the Fox Theater with the Roxettes. Today the doxology went rather quickly and you could almost here the crowd in the background shout "CHARGE" when we were done.

Im sure as the summer goes on Detroit will get used to the fact that the Stanley Cup will reside with the Pens and we will get used to the qualities of a "real" organist (at least for a little while).

Bouncey, Bouncey, Bouncey....

2009-06-09T17:20:00.003-06:00

Babies Bounce.

Rubber Balls Bounce.

Sadly, computers don't bounce.

I was sitting in the recliner with the laptop in my lap when I heard the hubby come home. Knowing that we would have groceries to unload I gently sat the plugged-in laptop to the side and lowered the foot portion on the recliner.

Like a rock being shot from a 5-year-old's slingshot the laptop flew from its location next to me and landed with a thud onto the hard wood floor.

After hauling in the groceries I called my friend the local computer expert and explained that I now had just a white screen and asked if there was anything I could do.

"Not to worry" he informed me. My computer was just "hung up". We tried several things and unfortunately the computer is still hung up.

I personally think it is suffering from "shaken computer syndrome" or "SCS" and is in a permanent vegetative state. This is a very rare condition for a MAC. Most of the time you see "SCS" with PCs after a frustrated user has had all that they can handle and the text support team in India has not been able to help them. That is when the PC user results to shaking the computer in hopes of making the connection work better.

Alas either way. I have decided to order a new Mac and let the old one rest in peace. My new Macbook Pro should be here any day now and is coming with a free Ipod touch. Woohoo.

The Apple people must have heard about my poor little laptop and felt sorry for me and are running this really cool special just for me. Isn't that nice of them? Thanks Apple.

Shhh...honey your snoring!

2009-05-29T14:41:00.000-06:00

This morning at 5am, it started.

At first I thought it was raining outside.

Then the sound got louder....I tapped my hubby...."shh your snoring"

Ok so I knew my sweetness wasn't snoring and that instead it was the sweet sound of the first cattle drive of the summer coming down main street. Yep, right down main street which is also the highway.

When we first moved here we thought that the cattle drives were cool and fun to watch. Now I just wish they were a little quieter when I am trying to sleep.

When we are driving through them (not with them) I still like to look at all the cows and enjoy seeing the babies. It almost makes me wish I had a horse and could ride along. Then I remember what time in the morning they start and all I want to do is snuggle deep within my blankets and go back to sleep. Move em at night and Im your gal.

Note to those who are walking downtown today: beware while crossing the street.

One Hour of Pain

2009-05-24T20:32:00.003-06:00

To many, Memorial Day is a day to take flowers up to the cemetery in an effort to remember loved ones who are no longer with us.

To the retail world it is a another opportunity to offer an exciting sale.

I have to admit that this year I am grateful for the annual Memorial day sale. It turns out that the kid is in need of many new things in her wardrobe prior to going to Germany for the year.

Let me say that the kid hates to shop. This is probably the most puzzling thing for me. As a kid my earliest and most fun memory of my mom is of riding the escalator at the clothing store in my home town. So when I take my kid shopping it just doesn't make sense to me that she doesn't enjoy this activity or look forward to it.

Looking forward to it or not it has to be done and it is best just to find a way to make it work for everyone involved.

We decided to break down the items that she needs and get them in several small shopping trips instead of one large trip. Im not sure if this is such a good idea because I think it means that I get to have several trips with a grumpy child instead of just one. Is one hour of pain several times better than several hours all at once?

We went to two stores and were able to get the items that we were searching for without too much attitude. She even managed to be supportive while I tried on some clothes.

She may not like shopping but I think she is beginning to realize that growing up means that you can't wear the samething for ever. Which means SHOPPING and you might as well make the best of it.

I can actually say we had a good time and no ones life was in danger hopefully the next trips will go as smoothly as this one.

Warning

2009-05-22T16:33:00.002-06:00

Now that the warm weather is here there are a couple of things that you should remember.

1. If you are wearing sandals your toenails look prettier with a coat of nail polish.

2. When wearing shorts for the first time it is best not to scare the world with your ghostly white legs. Start out in the privacy of your own backyard.

3. Remember when working in the yard (or if you happen to be a construction worker and are working on a roof) it is best not to forget to put sunscreen on your ears. Burnt ears hurt.

4. If you are hiking watch for ticks (right kid?) and if you happen to sit down on the trail for a break watch out that you dont sit down on an ants nest. Trust me you will regret it.

5. Remember that sunscreen and bug repellent are your friends. If God wanted you to be red and itchy from bug bites he would have made you that way to begin with.

These are my warm weather suggestions. You can follow them or while taking a hike without your sunscreen you can take a break and sit down in the middle of an ants nest and end up with a sunburn and ant bites just dont come complaining to me.

Beads, Pretty Beads, and Prayers

2009-05-14T08:38:00.003-06:00

Who says I didn't learn anything useful while my husband was attending seminary?

One year while at seminary during Lent I took on the discipline of doing the Anglican Rosary. Through Lent I found it a very calming discipline but didn't really care for the exact prayers that were in the booklet that came with my rosary beads. Thanks to one of my husbands classmates and one of their professors I was able to write my own rosary using prayers from the prayer book that reflected more of what I needed. It was a good Lenten year for me.

Why, you might ask, am I telling you all of this. Well, my rosary prayer became important to me in times of stress. When my life is stressful I usually know it because I can't sleep. This happened when we were in seminary towards the end. The stress of seminary ending and not knowing where we were going to be going. With seminary ending that meant we had to be out of the dorms and again not knowing where we were going was a TAD stressful. As the sleepless nights began, my hubby's classmate suggested that I try using my rosary at bedtime. Woohoo! I was finally able to sleep.

Lately I have once again not been able to sleep. There is nothing like being awake at 2:30 only to finally fall back to sleep after hearing the kid's alarm go off at 6am. Needless to say this week I have been a little tired and have had meetings every night.

Last night I got out the rosary. I slept much better. Did wake up twice but both times the rosary had slipped out of my hand. Picked the beads back up and was out like a light.

Not sure what is keeping me from sleeping, just glad the lessons that I learned from seminary still work.

Size Doesn't Matter

2009-05-13T11:18:00.002-06:00

Think back. Remember when your children were too small to bathe in the tub so you gave them a bath in the kitchen sink? Then when they did get big enough to graduate to the tub you didn't turn your back for a second cause they were so small you could lose them in the tub? Or how about how when your kid was little you used to put 2-3 kids in the bath at the same time with room to spare? It saved on water and moped your floor at the same time.

Well last night my daughter decided to prove that she is no longer that small.

While I was working on the computer I heard a weird sound from the bathroom. I went to investigate.

I found my daughter in the tub with her head up one end of the shower wall and her feet about halfway up the other wall. Apparently the noise I had heard was her slipping in the tub. Luckily she is fine. She did dislodge the faucet slightly but was able to put it back, lets hope it holds for awhile.

Nothing like seeing your child literally hanging outside of the tub to reassure you that she is growing up. Gives you a new perspective to see your child sprawled out in the tub looking like Goldilocks in Baby Bear's bed.

She is definitely not my baby anymore. At least not in size.
So go ahead grow-up, prove it even if you have to (but please be careful). Cause in my heart you will always be my baby.

While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky

2009-05-12T20:32:00.000-06:00

The premise: Molly and Robin Snow, sisters who are incredibly close yet incredibly different, are in the prime of life. Robin has always been the hardworking star, an elite marathoner in peak condition even training for the upcoming Olympic trials. She relies on Molly in countless ways, though Molly must also maintain long hours at the family business, a plant and tree nursery. When Robin suffers a massive heart attack, the roles are reversed, and Molly finds herself having to be the one in the spotlight, speaking up on behalf of her sister. Though the doctors don't expect Robin to recover, her mother is not willing to accept such a grim prognosis. As she tries to deny Robin's fate, the discovery of a lifetime of secrets comes tumbling forward.

Ms. Delinsky does a great job with a delicate subject. She develops her characters well and shows the family conflict with the dilemma of having a loved-one on life support as well as dealing with the secrets that emerge from Robin's closet as they try to do what is best for Robin. Myself, as a daughter and sister-in-law I could fully imagine what Molly and her family must have been going through. How do you know what someone so young would want, and how do you deal with the grief. It also gave me a chance to ponder things I had not quite gotten around to thinking about.

I discovered Molly and Robin's grandmother having Alzheimer's and the way the family reacts to her and her "sprites" made me really ponder our elderly and my close relationship with my own grandparents as well. It also gave the book another dimension that without it would really have been lacking.

I don't have a sister but it has been my observation that sisters have one of the most interesting relationships in the family dynamic. They love each other beyond belief, would do anything for one another but in most families there also comes a level of rivalry as well. This fictional family is no different. Through the whole book it is very apparent that Molly is Robin's champion. She does everything for Robin and as Robin lays in the hospital it is Molly who tries to put forth "what Robin would want".

Molly as the younger sister deals with growing up, a lot of guilt and basically learns her way through the entire novel. (For example on page 211)David smiled sadly. "that's the dilemma with family. When it comes to our parents, we're always children. At what point do we grow up? They raise us to function as individuals, but when do they allow us to act independently?" Its hard to get someone to take you seriously when they still view you as a child.

You may have heard the old saying that "life is like an onion; it has many layers", well so does this book. The relationship between mothers and daughters, a grandmother and granddaughter, brother and sister, husband and wife are all very different layers that ultimately make up the whole. How do each learn to deal with letting go and when to do so? Just because someone isn't capable of carrying on a conversation with you does that mean that the love stops? Do you stop sitting by their bed or visiting and talking with them?

Ultimately during the hard times it is then that we need our families and close friends nearby. The ones that will point out what we are doing right or wrong and help to be our guide.

Overall the book raises some good questions about the secrets we keep in our life, our families, how the past affects our futures, how what we say or what we don't say can leave us hurting years down the road. Face it we all have secrets in the closets but isn't it better when the secrets are out in the open and we know what we are dealing with?

grab a potato peeler

2009-05-06T15:07:00.002-06:00

What do you do when you have done your job as a farmer so well that you have more crops then your planned for? When it will cost you more to harvest those extra crops, ship them to the processing plant, and pay to have them processed than you will gross on the product?

Well you could just bury the crop and get on with your next planting or you could take the opportunity to bless the communities around you.

Fortunately for me I live in a community near a farmer who has a heart and a surplus of potatoes. This farmer had a great year. He harvested his expected amount which he sent off to the processing plant in Idaho for processing and to be sold, however he also had 21 tons of surplus potatoes that he has been giving away in the neighboring communities.

I am now in pocession of two wonderful bags of great tasting red spuds.
Thanks Farmer Guy.

Tuesday Teaser (a day late)

2009-05-06T15:01:00.002-06:00

I thought that since I was doing the "Spring Reading Thing" I would also try to do the "Teaser Tuesday" that Miz B and Kim have been kind enough to introduce me to.

Here is the way it works: you get a sneak peak into what Im reading by viewing 2 sentences from my current book. The deal is you are to let the book fall open and then pick two sentences somewhere between line 7 and 12 on that page.

This week's teaser comes from the book While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky, page 150:

The problem, Molly realized, was her guilt. Robin could have none of this. Even if they inserted a tube straight to her stomach, she couldn't enjoy food.

The book Borrower by Alice Mattison

2009-05-02T20:11:00.002-06:00

A novel about two women who meet at the playground when Deborah loans Toby a book called Trolley Girl. That is about as good as it gets.

The book is a book inside a book which causes a lot of confusion going back and forth between present day and the past. Through the whole book you follow the mundane lives of the two women through just about everything and all of their adult lives.

I was expecting to find a book full of friendship and the joy of two of women who were sharing their lives. Instead I found two characters who were whining and dull and without depth or passion. I also found the plot challenging to keep up with. One minute you are dealing with a certain time frame and the next instant you are 10 years ahead without any warning. Then out-of-the-blue a character from the borrowed book ends up in the present without any explanation.

I spent 277 pages waiting to get to page 278 so that I could start a different book. If you still feel that you need to read this book, I would recommend borrowing it from the library.

AWOL

2009-04-30T11:07:00.003-06:00

Ok technically the Rev is not AWOL, I know where he is and when he will be back and yes both the Bishop and I have approved these little jaunts but he was gone last week, was home for Sunday and Monday and has been gone ever since to Omaha.

A wise person once told me that you need to be gone for someone to miss you. Rev, you can come home your absence has been felt. We miss you.

I recently asked an Army wife how she handles having her hubby gone for 6weeks at a time. She said that the family dog helps fills up the empty space in the bed.

Eureka...that's it. I need to get a dog.

There is a great Neufundlander up in VC that maybe would like to come home with me. hmmmm... come to think about it though I think the Neufi might take up more room in the bed than the Rev. Rev is shaped more like a doberman or a greyhound, sleek and lean.

Good thing Rev will be home soon, I don't think our marriage or the cats would survive a dog.

Tuesday Teaser

2009-04-28T17:11:00.002-06:00

I thought that since I was doing the "Spring Reading Thing" I would also try to do the "Teaser Tuesday" that Miz B and Kim have been kind enough to introduce me to.

Here is the way it works: you get a sneak peak into what Im reading by viewing 2 sentences from my current book. The deal is you are to let the book fall open and then pick two sentences somewhere between line 7 and 12 on that page.

This week's teaser comes from the book The Book Borrower by Alice Mattison, page 120.

By the way, said Gregory, I know perfectly well what you've been up to all this time, and I think it's truly stupid. Just thought you ought to know.

The Noticer By Andy Andrews

2009-04-27T09:00:00.002-06:00

"Sometimes all a person needs is a little perspective."

Perspective is defined as a specific point of view in understanding or judging things or events, esp. one that shows them in their true relations to one another. For example I have a friend whose kids are always borrowing her work gloves. On the one hand this is good because they are doing work, however the gloves need to be returned so that she can use them. To ensure that her gloves were returned she wrote three letters "MOM" on the fingers of her gloves so that when her kids were wearing the gloves they would look down and remember that they were wearing mom's gloves. One day as she was wearing the gloves her youngest child said "mom, why do your gloves say WOW". Its all in how you look at things. From his view point the gloves said "wow" when from were she stood they said "mom".

In The Noticer, Andy Andrews does a fabulous job of dealing with perspective and a different way of thinking. We are introduced to a character who is a simple old man in which Mr. Andrews shows us more than one way to look at a situation that his other characters are dealing with. The main character Jones, "not Mr. Jones, just Jones" is a wonderful character and has you constantly thinking. The best part about Jones is that you start to think outside of your little circle. He is the character that asks the tough questions. He also seems to know just when the next person that he is dealing with is close to or at rock bottom and will be willing to listen to those questions and see how they apply to their lives.

Some of the draw back to the book is that you get involved in the characters lives and then never get the follow through, it is all left up to your imagination as to what they did with their perspective which is both good and sometimes lonely when you want to know more about those characters lives. All of the characters are well developed and as you read the book you can actually picture them and in some cases pick them out in your own community.

When you finish the book you will be challenged to look at the mother's gloves differently: do they say "mom", the woman who gave birth to a child or do they say "wow" someone loaned me a pair of gloves that I should take care of and return better than I got them.

Missing

2009-04-25T09:35:00.002-06:00

Rev has been gone since Thurs to Great Falls for a meeting for church.

Thursday night I was so tired I slept pretty well. However last night I woke up multiple times, rolled over and was surprised to find my king sized bed contained only me and my two cats. Then it dawned on me, oh yeah, Rev is away.

Thank goodness he will be back tonight. He will be home for three nights then gone for three nights. Hopefully I will fare better then than now.

UUUUGH!

2009-04-23T14:11:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I spent 4 1/2 hrs on the phone with tech support. Mind you I only work 6 1/2hrs a day.

The two guys that I dealt with were quite nice but the first guy I think needs to find a different job. Though in India Im not sure that there are any other jobs besides tech support. After 3 1/2 hours and multiple times hearing him say "this is too tough", with a heavy Indian accent, he transferred me to a level 2 tech who solved my problem in an hour. At least we were not paying by the hour.

Today my desk is piled with today's work and yesterday's work since the whole time that I was on the phone with them they had control of my computer and I accomplished zip.

Im not sure which is worse, not being able to work all day or having twice as much work on my desk today.

And of course my boss can't read an invoice and has questions that I have no time to answer.

Teaser Tuesday

2009-04-22T08:38:00.002-06:00

I thought that since I was doing the "Spring Reading Thing" I would also try to do the "Teaser Tuesday" that Miz B and Kim have been kind enough to introduce me to.

Here is the way it works: you get a sneak peak into what Im reading by viewing 2 sentences from my current book. The deal is you are to let the book fall open and then pick two sentences somewhere between line 7 and 12 on that page.

This week's teaser comes from the book The Noticer, by Andy Andrews page 48:

Walker glanced at the old man, disgusted, and said, "Why on earth would you tell me that?"
"I just think it's amazing," Jones answered, looking straight ahead, "that a person could lose everything, chasing nothing."

Surprise

2009-04-20T09:43:00.002-06:00

We watched 3 movies this weekend. All picked out by the Rev.

Usually this is a scary thing. The Kid and I decided long ago that we would not watch more than one Rev picked movie at a time. But since he is going to be gone so much this month we decided that we would endure several of his picks in a row and then we could sit back and watch what we wanted while we is gone.

He doesn't always pick the best movies however the last three were enjoyable by all.

We watched: End Of The Spear, The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, and Magnificent Seven.

If you haven't seen any of them, I would recommend all of them. This however does not mean that we will change our minds and let the Rev go back to picking movies again unsupervised. That's like letting the kid loose in the VC candy store with our credit card....a bad idea.

Blood Orange by Drusilla Campbell

2009-04-20T08:47:00.003-06:00

I enjoyed this book immensely. The book starts off with the abduction of Bailey, the special needs child of Dana and David. Dana and David each feel responsible for the abduction and when Dana realizes that she may have "unwittingly had a part in the abduction" things really start to get intense. But the story is about more than a child being abducted. I found this book to be more about learning to deal with what life has given you and how to forgive and how nobody is perfect rather than just a simple abduction.

Each character in the book is faced with forgiveness on some level: The priest deals with forgiveness in many different ways but how does a priest deal when it affects her own family and the ones she cares about the most? David a high priced defense attorney and his associates also deal with forgiveness as they defend a man accused of murdering a child. Dana deals with forgiveness on many levels, with her marriage, her best friend, her child, her past, and ultimately her self.

The characters were well written and really come to life. The priest is a little over-the-top but it works and helps to get the point across that I believe Ms. Campbell was trying to make with forgiveness, past actions, and how to step back and assess the future.

I would definitely recommend taking the time to read this book.

The Great Eight by Scott Hamilton

2009-04-14T12:00:00.006-06:00

Scott Hamilton is one of my favorite skaters, he always had a smile on his face, a great attitude, and he always seemed to tell it like it was. When I was a teenager he was someone I looked up to and I never missed the opportunity to watch him skate. So when I saw the book, The Great Eight: How to Be Happy (Even When You Have Every Reason to be Miserable) I was intrigued. I could think of no other athlete that had such a "happy" reputation that would be better at writing a book with this title.

The book is filled with basic truths of "how to be happy". As I read the book, I found myself being more drawn to Scott's life rather than the "great eight". Not because the "great eight" aren't important but rather because they are things that we have all heard before but this time they are being said rather with a different twist. Scott relates all eight of them to his life and how he has dealt with the difficulties that he has faced, his illnesses (both as a child as well as an adult), his skating, and his family.

He begins the book by explaining why eight and not some other number. If you remember right skaters used to be judged on how well they did compulsory figures; the figure eight. He gives several other reasons why he likes this number over others as well but the main one that resonates through the book comes back to the compulsory figures.

There are times in the book that I did end up feeling a little left out, like when some of the skating names of old went over my head, people that according to the author have had long and great careers because of how they have handled their own success and the words of wisdom that they gave that attributed to Scott's happiness.

Overall it was an enjoyable read but if you are looking for a self-help book on happiness or a book that encourages Christianity you might be disappointed. I read the book because of the author and enjoyed what I read and even came a way with a fresh look at some tired old strategies. I enjoyed his open and fresh outlook that was told from the heart.

Tuesday Teaser

2009-04-14T10:22:00.003-06:00

I thought that since I was doing the "Spring Reading Thing" I would also try to do the "Teaser Tuesday" that Miz B and Kim have been kind enough to introduce me to.

Here is the way it works: you get a sneak peak into what Im reading by viewing 2 sentences from my current book. The deal is you are to let the book fall open and then pick two sentences somewhere between line 7 and 12 on that page.

This week's teaser comes from the book Blood Orange by Drusilla Campbell, page 144:

As Dana turned to go back into the kitchen, Bender said, "Your husband, when they get the guy, he gonna be his lawyer?"
Dana took a second to untangle Bender's syntax.

Kids 3?---Parents 0

2009-04-13T14:14:00.006-06:00

Here is the new Sprint commercial:

Why, you may ask is this blog-worthy?

The commercial in-and-of-itself is really not so note worthy. However the conversation that ensued in my home with The Kid is crying to be blogged.

As our regular scheduled programing had been interrupted with commercials I heard my daughter reply: "I guess I would be in the 26th percentile". (at this point if you haven't watched the clip you need to or this will make no sense.)

It took it a minute to register and then I proceeded to explain that, yeah I didn't really see the point to Twittering. I have Facebook and my blog site and that's enough for me.

I did however point out that one of my best friends is under the impression that we should begin twittering now before our kids do so that we can say we did it first and that this time (unlike Facebook and Myspace) they are copying us instead of the other way around, in fact maybe even stalking us.

My daughter leaned back in the rocking chair with a thoughtful expression on her face and went "twitter, twitter, twitter. There I twittered".

Well, I guess there is no point in twittering now, The Kid has already done it.

"18 Freakin' Pages"

2009-04-09T21:10:00.003-06:00

Today when we got home from Maundy Thursday service we checked our answering machine and got some good news, some bad news, and some news that makes me go "hmmm".

The good news: The kid has been accepted by the local Rotary Youth Exchange to be an exchange student to Germany for next school year.

The bad news: She has to fill out an 18 page application, get a health exam, dental exam, school transcript, and form filled out by her school "representative" all which was due January 1, 2009. Yeah we are getting all this late.

The news that makes me go "hmm...": the fact that my daughter will be going clear across the world for a year and the only contact that I will have will be via email and phone. She will be living with strangers and I will have to trust that she will be ok and make choices that are grown-up and best for her.

Applying is one thing, being is accepted is a whole different thing.

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

2009-04-08T20:06:00.005-06:00

Bruno is a 9-year-old boy whose father is the Commandant at "Out-With". Shmuel is a 9-year-old boy who lives on the other side of the fence in his striped pajamas. Bruno, who has recently moved to "Out-With" since his father has gotten promoted, misses his friends from back in Berlin and doesn't understand why there are all those people on the other side of the fence. Bruno, who would like to be an explorer when he grows up decides to go exploring one day and he finds Shmuel sitting by the fence. They begin talking every day, sharing stories and of Bruno bringing snacks for Shmuel. Theirs is an odd friendship formed of one child who somewhat understands what is going on within the fence, the other not even realizing that he has been moved to Poland.

This book takes a unique look at a very frightening time period through the naive eyes of child. Mr. Boyne does a great job of making you re-think how a child looks at his/her environment. The fact that as a child your world revolves around what you are told by your parents and the rules and regulations that your parents set for you. Bruno is very good at letting us know what those rules are that have been set for him which allows us to feel what it is like to once again be 9-years-old and lonely and want to spend the day in our pajamas but know that it is against the rules.

Through Bruno's friendship with Shmuel I felt an array of emotions; humor, horror, anger, and ultimately sadness. Bruno and Shmuel's last days together have a sweet sadness about them. I am glad that I got to share in Bruno and Shmuel's story and hope that I never feel the feeling of being on the wrong side of the fence.

Tuesday Teaser

2009-04-07T14:12:00.004-06:00

I thought that since I was doing the "Spring Reading Thing" I would also try to do the "Teaser Tuesday" that Miz B and Kim have been kind enough to introduce me to.

Here is the way it works: you get a sneak peak into what Im reading by viewing 2 sentences from my current book. The deal is you are to let the book fall open and then pick two sentences somewhere between line 7 and 12 on that page.

This week's teaser comes from the book The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne page 30:

"What sorta place is this?"
"I'm not sure," said Bruno, sticking as close to the truth as possible. "But it is not as nice as home, I do know that much."

Swim To Me by Betsy Carter

2009-04-07T09:08:00.003-06:00

Betsy Carter tells a wonderful tale that starts with the line "She was two years old when her mother dropped her into the shallow end of the lake..." and from that beginning we enjoy a new "ugly duckling" story.

Delores is a 17-year-old girl from the Bronx, who is not the prettiest, nor is she the most popular however she is an excellent swimmer. The water is where she feels most comfortable. As her family falls apart (her dad takes off, her mother takes two jobs to make ends-meet) Delores takes a job at Weeki Wachee Springs in Tampa, Fla. as a mermaid.

Delores bloom in a different environment and we see her grow through the experience. How she reacts to those around her, never loosing her sweetness is a wonderful quality that is given to this character. Thelma, the manager of the Weeki Wachee is always looking out for Delores but we never really get to experience Thelma as much as I would have liked. There was always a hint at an extension to some of the other characters but it was never followed through leaving you only with the story of Delores and her family which is a thread that is stitched through the whole story and never once unravels.

I find that most people could relate to Delores and her family on some level, most of us deep down are a little lost and just want to fit in. Whether it be in our own families or the environment that we are functioning in. I think that Ms. Carter shows us that really we all do fit in and after going through scrapes and bruises we find out who we are and where we fit in best and that it all can work.

I definitely enjoyed escaping to the sights of Florida when we were dealing with snow and cold temperatures here. Made me long to go and sit on the beach with the beautiful water and sunshine.

Family

2009-04-01T12:45:00.002-06:00

Ever since I graduated from high school, my folks and I have not lived closer than 3hrs driving distance apart. Usually more. My parents and I are quite close so being far apart has always been a challenge.

When Rev and I lived in Chicago and were finishing up seminary the hope was to get closer to our families and "home". We are now 8hr from my folks and 11hrs from the Rev's folks. Still a long distance but doable.

My parents are actually taking vacation and heading here for a week. I am so excited. However, there are several things that I wish were different: I wish the weather was better (it is snowy and cold here but hey it is spring in Montana), I wish I could take more time off work to spend with them, I wish more of the tourist sites were open, etc...But as my mom always says "It will be what it will be". I have definitely scheduled shopping time with my mom and grand-daughter time with pappa so all is good.

Meanwhile they will be here today...actually in like 3hrs. :)! I guess the house is as clean as it is going to get--Nothing says clean like company.

Tuesday Teaser

2009-03-31T17:14:00.002-06:00

I thought that since I was doing the "Spring Reading Thing" I would also try to do the "Teaser Tuesday" that Miz B and Kim have been kind enough to introduce me to.

Here is the way it works: you get a sneak peak into what Im reading by viewing 2 sentences from my current book. The deal is you are to let the book fall open and then pick two sentences somewhere between line 7 and 12 on that page.

Currently I am reading Swim To Me by Betsy Carter, so from page 105:

How about if every night, we use one of your girls in full mermaid regalia to deliver the weather report? I know what you're thinking--believe me, we've covered the bases on this--mermaids can't stand up in their tales, right? No problema.

Sorry I know that was three sentences but two is really hard and "No problema" really finished it out. To find out how it is not a problem you will have to pick up a copy.

What Is In A Name?

2009-03-30T19:38:00.002-06:00

The name of my blog came from the fact that so many priests call their spouses "their lovely wife". "my lovely wife will be providing coffee hour this morning"......"my lovely wife will be hosting the women's luncheon this month"......"my lovely wife and I recently ___________"......you get the idea.

This weekend at camp, Julie the site manager and I were talking. Julie reads Father John's blog (a priest from our diocese) and was excited to find out that his wife had a blog and would be coming to camp for Wormen's Retreat and Quilting weekend.

I was excited to find out that another friend would be attending the weekend but I was even more shocked to find out that she had a blog. I got to asking Julie how she found the blog and she told me that she found the link on John's blog.

This led to the discussion that I too had a blog. "really, what is your blog site?" asked Julie.

I replied "lovelywife".

The room filled with silence.

It was then that we realized that the blog that she had been reading was MINE!!

Sunday worship

2009-03-29T16:52:00.003-06:00

Worship at camp is always an experience that fills my heart to the brim.

This weekend was no different. PattiAnn did a great job tying in (no-pun intended) all that the quilting had accomplished through the weekend.

It is funny though, being away from a service that is being officiated by my husband made me appreciate all that he does and all that he is really good at.

I love the way he educates through his sermons and ties it all in to the lessons. I missed the way he makes me look at things differently and challenges me to see things that I hadn't seen before.

I enjoyed camp service and all that I received through being there and part of that is realizing what I have at home. Education, service, rejuvenation, relaxation, and spiritual fulfillment are all obtained through my experience this weekend and they were all good.

The Bear Went Over The Mountain....

2009-03-29T16:31:00.004-06:00

My first night at camp, I remembered that there usually was a bear in the summertime at camp. Remembering that it is still basically wintertime I reassured myself that he/she was still probably hibernating.

My second day at camp two college aged kids who have worked at camp for many years stopped by to help with some maintenance at camp as well as do some fishing while they were on spring break. I think they really just came to play at camp but who could blame them and they did do some work while they were there so hey.

The next day the college kids came in after a morning of exploring and checking out camp and informed Julie, the camp site manager that they had found "fresh bear poo". And where did they find this poo? Over by the girls' cabins. And where was I sleeping? Yep, over in the girls' cabins.

I had mentioned earlier to Julie that with all the vegetable waste that they needed a compost pile but she simply replied that "no compost piles out here were nothing but bear smorgasbords"

Last night as I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, all I could think of was "God please do not let me be bear fodder, God please do not let me be bear fodder".

Where it is really cool to feed a deer out of your hand, it is not so cool to find a bear and feed him your hand.

Camp and Learning

2009-03-28T13:41:00.003-06:00

I have been at camp now for 3 days and 2 nights.

I have done little quilting. I have however done some cutting and some pinning. I have mostly done a lot of cooking and cleaning.

I am happy to say that I have been helping the site manager, Julie in the kitchen and am happy as a clam. Well maybe not as happy as the clams that were in the fettucini the first night we got here but well...

I have also taken some "me time" down by the lake. It has been a little chilly but not nearly as cold as it could have been. It actually is beautiful here. The lake is clear and the skies have been so-so and we are above 30 degrees, can't really complain.

Last night after cleaning up dinner dishes, momma deer and her 3 babies came through camp. I got the privelege of feeding her left-over rolls. She actually ate them right out of my hand. Tentatively but trusting. It all makes me remember that God created everything and it is our responsibility to take care of it. That includes taking care of ourselves and taking care of camp too so that when we need it, it will be here for us.

Thank you Julie for taking care of me and letting me be me.

Camp.....

2009-03-25T12:44:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow I leave for camp.
I love camp.

Usually I am at camp for "Family Camp" or "Clergy Retreat" both are very different. Family Camp is in July so the weather is great and we get to enjoy all that the lake and the outdoors has to offer. Clergy Retreat is right after Easter so the weather is very unpredictable but still the quiet of camp is always enjoyable.

This time I am going up for "Quilting Camp". It has been snowing so there will probably be no outside campfires or roasting of marshmallows. The agenda is to make quilts for the kids of "Grace Camp". Grace camp is a camp for kids who have either one or both parents in prison. The kids love getting the quilts as it is a reminder that they can take with them of a place where they are loved unconditional and have experience God. Hopefully it is a place where they can let go of the anger and hurt and realize that they are a worthy individual.

I don't really quilt but am hoping to learn. Although,I am a little apprehensive about starting quilting. This could become an addiction for me like scrapbooking or another hobby that I somehow have to find time and room for in my home and schedule. The worst that could happen is that I don't like it and then I spend the time talking with God.

Either way it is a win, win. I will also get to experience camp in another season which is very exciting. What will camp hold for me? Only God knows. Im sure it will be beautiful.

Teaser Tuesday

2009-03-24T13:14:00.007-06:00

I thought that since I was doing the "Spring Reading Thing" I would also try to do the "Teaser Tuesday" that Miz B and Kim have been kind enough to introduce me to.

Here is the way it works: you get a sneak peak into what Im reading by viewing 2 sentence from my current book. The deal is you are to let the book fall open and then pick two sentences somewhere between line 7 and 12 on that page.

Currently I am reading "Handle With Care" By Jodi Picoult. I love this author and was thrilled to start my spring reading off with this book. So here you go, teaser time:

"What did they do, wait at the courthouse to see what was coming up on the docket? Anyone who read this article--and who wouldn't? It was the local paper--would think I was in this for the cash."
Page 215

I think that was three sentences but I really felt you needed all three.

The review will be coming soon.

Computer Causes Moms Heart To Skip A Beat

2009-03-21T13:37:00.004-06:00

As a mom it is one of my duties (and one that I enjoy) to be proud of my kid.

This weekend my daughter was competing at FCCLA State. She was competing in a team competition (her and another girl, both sophomores) in the senior division of illustrated talk. They had chosen the topic of heart disease and titled their talk "don't let your heart skip a beat".

Rev and I watched a "dress rehearsal" and I was really impressed with the fact that they started with a short skit, had a lot of research and had it all illustrated through a power-point demonstration. Let me just say that power-point is something that I do not normally enjoy. However all the kids that used it did a great job and only used it as illustration, and it only added to their talks and did not deter from it.

The kid and her friend were real excited and I was excited for them. We thought that they had a great chance at state.

Last year she qualified for Nationals and had a great time and learned a lot. It shows this year.

Both FCCLA and a program called UpwardBound have taught my kid a lot over the last 2 years.

This year at state, her and her partner ran into a snag. Just as they went to advance the power-point program the computer shut down. It took 5min to re-boot the computer and begin the power-point. They are only given 5 min to set up prior to starting, thus this extra time could have cost them dearly. However the kid said it was no big deal and the best thing that they could do was to remain calm so that judges could see that they were prepared. Her partner, having never been to state was nervous enough already without this glitch so it was probably good that they were a team and could use each other's strengths.

Despite the glitch with the computer, they scored a bronze and are quite pleased and already talking about next year.

Meanwhile, one of the kid's friends was running for State President. She didn't get President but got secretary. The kid rallied and told her friend a story that was told at opening ceremonies but relating it to her friend instead. Apparently, it went over well and all were laughing.

This all makes me realize that 1. my kid is well prepared. 2. my kid pays attention 3. she is there for those around her and 4. she is growing up way to fast.

In their talk they discuss all of the causes of heart disease, the things you can do to decrease your risk, etc.. I however realized that my heart skips a beat for other reasons too: fear, pride, love, excitement, sometimes just being a mom. This week my heart has skip several beats due to these reasons, but mainly just from pride and being a mom.

Kid Im proud of who you have been, who you are, and who you are becoming. YOU ROCK MY WORLD.

Book Review: Handle With Care

2009-03-21T13:08:00.007-06:00

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

"Being a parent wasn't just about bearing a child. It was about bearing witness to its life".

To what lengths are parents willing to go to provide for their children? Would parents really consider suing an OB who is also their best friend for "wrongful birth"? Is that something caring parents really could do? I believe so.

Having a child with a disability is a hard thing and when you reach rock bottom, be it financial, physical, or emotional when a rope ladder is lowered into your pit of despair how many of us wouldn't grab for that lifeline? Providing a better life is what we all want for our children. Sometimes however we forget to examine all the consequences of taking the first step up the ladder. We need to look around, because there also may be a tunnel out of the pit that will lead us to higher ground.

If you have read any of Ms Picoult's novels you know that her books are normally told from more than one point of view. This book is no different. This story, pulls strongly at a mothers heartstrings from the very beginning when we realize that one point of view is being told by a mother who is giving birth to a child that she knows is being born with not one broken bone but seven and by the time delivery would be complete there would be more breaks and more complications for her new baby daughter, Willow.

We also hear from the father who loves his family, all of them, his wife and both of his daughters. He views his job as protector and provider but doesn't want to allow himself to admit that due to his child's disability he really can't be effective at either. There are times, as I read his view point that I got the feeling he just didn't understand what was trying to be accomplished for Willow.

The older sister, Amelia also gets to give her point of view. She is the sister who feels helpless, unable to fix her sister in any way. She is also the one who really slips under the radar of the family. She goes through unnoticed. Ms. Picoult has done a wonderful job of showing how a sibling of a disabled child feels. They love their sibling but they also want to make things better and cant. They also want the time and attention that is lavished on the sibling. We see everything so clearly through Amelia, almost better than through mom or dad.

Piper is the OB and best friend of the mom, Charlotte. Her point of view has a feeling of loss, betrayal, and fear. I found myself feeling sorriest for Piper. Maybe that is because as an adult we can all relate to the loss and betrayal of a friend. Maybe not quiet in the same way but betrayal is betrayal. Through that betrayal we end up questioning everything we do from getting dressed to the type color of paint we may choose to repaint our kitchen. Piper is no different.

The lawyer, Marin who happens to be searching for her birth mom, is our last point of view. Here is a character that is struggling with the fact that she was unwanted and thus given away at birth and now must deal with the wrongful birth suit where parents are willing to say that they wish that their child had never been born. Unfortunately she is the only character that I felt I really didn't get drawn into. As a lawyer, her character was well done. Like any lawyer you don't always like what they have to tell you and Marin is no different.

It is amazing to me how a family can go in to see a lawyer for one thing and come out with a seed planted for a whole different garden that would change the way they would view their life. A garden that would bloom and encourage them to pick a fight. Each of them in their own way. I found myself having a difficult time putting down this book, always wanting to see what the next chapter/point of view would bring.

The outcome, like most Jodi Picoult books doesn't end the way you would expect it to, it has that Picoult twist that we have all come to love and expect. And once again I was caught of guard and didn't see it coming till the very end.

Spring

2009-03-19T20:13:00.011-06:00

Yes, spring is here. At least that is what the calendar says. It is also what my friend at Callapidder says. She is kicking off spring with her spring reading challenge.

Since here in SW Montana, spring can be rather unpredictable, we are known to get snow into June, I can think of no better way to spend my spring time than reading and scrapping. So here is my spring reading list:

The Great Eight by Scott Hamilton
Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
Private Justice by Terri Blackstock
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
Blood Orange by Drusilla Campbell
Swim To Me by Betsy Carter
While my Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
The Book Borrower by Alice Mattison
Shadow of Doubt by Terri Blackstock

Then I happened to have two other older Nicholas Sparks books that I wasn't sure if I wanted to add or not. I haven't read them yet and I was just given them by a friend so if I manage to make it through all of the above I will begin on those next.
That would be like one book per week. Doesn't sound bad when you put it that way. Then of course there is reality.

Stay tuned, I plan on reviewing each book when I am done (no guarantees though). Hang in there with me and lets see how this goes.

If your visiting from Katrina's blog--good luck with your spring reading list and thanks for stopping by. Please visit again to offer encouragement and let me know what you think of the books Ive been reading and how your books are going for you, after all we are all in this together.

1 Potato 2 Potato 3 Potato More...

2009-03-18T21:20:00.003-06:00

I have become a member of Facebook. Rev still refuses.

I have decided it is addictive. It is like crack for adults.

I can't seem to stop checking out what my friends from long-ago are doing and taking the time to catch up on what has happened in our lives.

I also enjoy keeping track of all my friends from the days when my husband was in seminary. It is strange how in three years you become very close to people and then get dispersed all over the US. Facebook has allowed me to keep track of what is going on in everyone's lives.

I also like the games. I have my own football team (made up of only my female friends), I have my own garden, my own blue cove, my own candy shop, and my own pet.

I am a little distressed with the fact however, that Facebook does not encourage better table manners. Today I had a potato thrown at me through the application of SuperPoke on Facebook. This bothers me for two reason. 1. the person who threw it at me is a pastor of a church in Willmette, Illinois. and 2. I thought that this pastor had better manners than to play with his food.

All I can say is when someone throws you a potato, make french fries.

This One is for Alan and the Gang in Australia

2009-03-16T12:52:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was a looong day.

Im not sure the general population understands the duties of a priest on a Sunday. Especially if the priest is a type "A" personality like the Rev. He goes to the church usually at least 1hr prior to service in order to make sure that every thing is in order; the heat is on, the altar is set (our altar guild will take care of putting everything away), putting out the ordos and then of course ringing the bell to make sure that the lovely wife who is next door putting on her make-up or brushing her teeth gets to church on time.

Then there is the greeting of everyone as they get to church, church service, greeting people as they leave church for coffee hour, running adult discussion groups after church, mingling during coffee hour, and then of course preparing for the next service which for my Rev includes packing everything up into the car to transport it to the next congregation and doing it all over again. This last part includes trying to get the Lovely Wife to leave one church so that we can make it to the next church in time to start the process all over again.

At the second church since we are ALWAYS early, I tend to start the coffee and make sure everything is set up for coffee hour.

After we get home from the second service, usually between 1:30 and 2 we get to eat and rest before either there is a vestry meeting, a nursing home service, an adult education session, or youth group.

This Sunday however the rev was teaching "Safeguarding God's Children" after the second service. It has been 3yrs since I attended this session and now that I am a Youth Group leader all the leaders are attending together. After that we had a meeting of the youth group leaders. All of this meant that we were not going to get home until at least 5:30. (Bonus Rev took me out for a quick lunch prior to the meeting. Yeah.)

Then there was the adult education at the first church at 6:30. I got asked several times if I would be attending. It was really hard to tell people that after being at church from 9-5, I was really sorry but I needed to be home for awhile with my daughter.

I was worried how it would look. I try really hard to support The Rev in all that he does but I just couldn't do one more church related activity. The Rev was really understanding.

Apparently I was missed, but like the Rev says, if I am always there they can't really miss me. So maybe it is good for them to not have me there ALL the time. Ill be there next time.

What Are You Reading And Why?

2009-03-12T11:18:00.008-06:00

I have several blogger friends that do book reviews and book give-a-ways, in fact if you haven't been to Callapidderdays then I suggest you go and check it out. She has an awesome book give-away going on right now. I have finally decided "Why not?"

Let me set the record straight, I have not figured out how to do the book give-a-way yet but I am working on that.

So basically I will have to start with the book review. Hang in there with me as this is all new to me. I do love to read, thanks to my mom and I never go anywhere without a book, for that matter neither does The Kid.

I do read basically for my own enjoyment. I like to read books that often challenge what I am thinking but sometimes I like to read something that just takes me somewhere else.

I currently am reading Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish.

The premise seems simple: Annie Freeman has died and has sent a package to Katie, Annie's oldest and dearest friend. The package contains the following: red high top sneakers filled with Annie's ashes, a list of "pallbearers"(Katie, Marie, Laura, Jill, and Rebecca), and instructions and destinations for a traveling funeral that will take the pallbearers from California to Manhattan, from Florida to Seattle.

This however is not simply 5 girlfriends getting together to bury their good friend.

The pallbearers are Annie's closest and most important girlfriends who do not really know each other but have each had an impact on Annie's life and now Annie wants to share the most important places of her life with these women. (In the instructions Annie lets the women know why each destination is important and why she has sent them there.) At each locale they will spread a little bit of Annie but more importantly they will get a little bit of themselves back with each mile that they travel.

This unlikely group of women will share memories of the spontaneous, free-spirited woman that has brought them together and they will embrace those long-buried secrets that have been the turning points in their own lives. They will learn to rejoice, dance, dream, and live once again like the powerful women that they are and see the wonderful that is in their daily lives.

As women we get so wrapped up in the daily life of work, running a home, and our families that often times we forget that what we do is awesome and that the world around us is fascinating. This book takes the time to show us that everyone of us has those qualities and even the most mundane area around us has something fascinating and wonderful to behold.

Friendship is a wonderful thing. I truly believe that women could not survive without our friends. I have lived in several locations and I know that in each and every location there was a Rachel, Katie, Marie, Laura, Jill, or a Rebecca that got me through more than one life changing event.

It has been said that funerals are for the living. This funeral was definitely for the living but Im not sure that Annie didn't get quite a bit out of the planning of it as well. I like to think that she was with the girls each and every leg of their journey and enjoyed their banter and experiences.

That having been said, who would you invite on your traveling funeral and where would you send them?