You know how they say that if you play country music backwards you get your dog back, your wife back and your truck starts?
Friday night we went to a party. There were a lot of fun people there. Some people played cards, but clearly the draw of the evening was karaoke. It was a nice set-up. A sound system that sported two "real" microphones so that you (and everyone else!) could hear you sing!
Singing is like breathing for some people. They just have to do it. For some folks it should be more like coughing – they should try to control it in public. But, I digress. . .Even the worst singers were funny. And after awhile, you catch yourself singing along.
It was all going along fine. There were literally thousands of songs to choose from and most of the songs being played were 80's and 90's hits that everyone knew. People were tolerant. Ali and Curt worked their way through the entire "Grease" soundtrack while John waited patiently.
Then he got his revenge. He wanted to sing classic country. They started with Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." It was funny. Then they sang some Merle Haggard. Buck Owens. Glen Cambell and George Jones. I started to get misty eyed.
Looking back, I would call myself a Daddy's girl. I worshipped him. When he would come home after work and join us in the kitchen as my mom made dinner he always made me laugh. He sang all those old country songs, sometimes dancing with my mom while she laughed and protested. Sometimes he would dance with me and we would sing.
"Say hey, good lookin’. What ya got cookin’?
How’s about cooking somethin’ up with me?
Hey, sweet baby. Don’t you think maybe,
We can find us a brand new recipe? "
Before very long on Friday night I found myself standing in the yard crying.
It doesn't happen like that very often anymore. I'm used to it. Maybe it's that hearing one or two of those old songs is nostalgic. Hearing a dozen was just too much.
As Ali stood there with her arms around me the only thing thought sprinting through my head was that it's just not fair.
So, here's the real question: If you play country karaoke backwards, do you ever get your family back?
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thimbles and Feminine Hygiene
On my way out of town yesterday I saw a garage sale that looked promising. Garage sales just have a "feel" about them. . .you can usually tell from the car whether it's your kind of junk or not. This one was sending off good vibes so I stopped.
It was a garage sale from heaven. Actually, it was more of an estate sale. I immediately found a jar of old buttons that I snapped up for $3. (They usually go from $10-$20 per quart!) Right next to it was a jar full of thimbles. It was marked $20. I don't know a THING about thimbles, but Ali and I have been looking for something small to collect. Half the fun of going to a flea market or an antique store is looking for something in particular. We don't have space or much money so we were thinking about marbles. I asked the lady running the garage sale if she had marbles but she didn't. On a whim, I asked her if she would take $15 for the jar of thimbles. She said yes and a new collection on Hurd Avenue was born.
As it turns out, we got 122 thimbles.
It's funny how there are complete worlds existing inside other worlds that you don't know a thing about. You don't even notice. Of course there's a whole world of thimble collectors. There are associations, clubs, newsletters and books. That world is obvious, even if it revolves completely outside your atmosphere. What's less obvious are the stories that each thimble might be able to tell.
Some of the thimbles are political. There's the "Vote for George Wallace" (1968) and the "George White for Governor" (1930). Some of them are advertisements. "Use Voight's Flour" came from Grand Rapids, Michigan in the 1930's. There is one from the Salvation Army with the phone number A-9452. This was probably the number for an old magneto crank telephone that connected to party lines in a rural area.
It's kind of fun googling the advertisements to figure out the history of the product being sold to women in the 1930's and 40's. By far, my favorite thimble story thus far is this one for Sterizol.
The thimble itself says, "Sterizol, for personal hygiene."
Upon research I came up with this advertisement, aimed at women:
In case you can't read it, here is the transcription:
FEMININE HYGIENE
There is more to feminine hygiene than most women know. Upon it depends to a large extent beauty and daintiness as well as health. It should demand the attention of every woman every day for her to feel as bright, fresh and clean as she desires.
You will find Sterizol antiseptic one of the most convenient and economical preparations made for feminine hygiene. It is extremely effective, yet absolutely harmless and non-poisonious. Prescribed by many physicians, it is splendid for eliminating odors of all kinds. The $1.00 jar of Sterizol powder makes 40 pints of antiseptic (you add the water). For sale at your druggist, FREE BOOKLET will be sent you upon request. Describes in detail the use of Sterizol antiseptic in feminine hygiene and many other uses.
THE STERIZOL CO., 152 Water St., Ossining, NY
The advertisement is from 1926. The Museum of Women's Health describes the ad and the product this way:
"Sterizol douche liquid, U.S.A., 1926
Sterizol contains in its name the condition it wanted to achieve, a sterilized vagina, just like a sterilized toilet seat, but which would help kill sperm. This ad appears on the page after the Marvel douche ad, and is from February 1926. Note that a woman can use Sterizol for other things, perhaps for cleaning the bathroom floor."
Who new so much information could come from a simple little thimble?
It was a garage sale from heaven. Actually, it was more of an estate sale. I immediately found a jar of old buttons that I snapped up for $3. (They usually go from $10-$20 per quart!) Right next to it was a jar full of thimbles. It was marked $20. I don't know a THING about thimbles, but Ali and I have been looking for something small to collect. Half the fun of going to a flea market or an antique store is looking for something in particular. We don't have space or much money so we were thinking about marbles. I asked the lady running the garage sale if she had marbles but she didn't. On a whim, I asked her if she would take $15 for the jar of thimbles. She said yes and a new collection on Hurd Avenue was born.
As it turns out, we got 122 thimbles.
It's funny how there are complete worlds existing inside other worlds that you don't know a thing about. You don't even notice. Of course there's a whole world of thimble collectors. There are associations, clubs, newsletters and books. That world is obvious, even if it revolves completely outside your atmosphere. What's less obvious are the stories that each thimble might be able to tell.
Some of the thimbles are political. There's the "Vote for George Wallace" (1968) and the "George White for Governor" (1930). Some of them are advertisements. "Use Voight's Flour" came from Grand Rapids, Michigan in the 1930's. There is one from the Salvation Army with the phone number A-9452. This was probably the number for an old magneto crank telephone that connected to party lines in a rural area.
It's kind of fun googling the advertisements to figure out the history of the product being sold to women in the 1930's and 40's. By far, my favorite thimble story thus far is this one for Sterizol.
The thimble itself says, "Sterizol, for personal hygiene."
Upon research I came up with this advertisement, aimed at women:
In case you can't read it, here is the transcription:
FEMININE HYGIENE
There is more to feminine hygiene than most women know. Upon it depends to a large extent beauty and daintiness as well as health. It should demand the attention of every woman every day for her to feel as bright, fresh and clean as she desires.
You will find Sterizol antiseptic one of the most convenient and economical preparations made for feminine hygiene. It is extremely effective, yet absolutely harmless and non-poisonious. Prescribed by many physicians, it is splendid for eliminating odors of all kinds. The $1.00 jar of Sterizol powder makes 40 pints of antiseptic (you add the water). For sale at your druggist, FREE BOOKLET will be sent you upon request. Describes in detail the use of Sterizol antiseptic in feminine hygiene and many other uses.
THE STERIZOL CO., 152 Water St., Ossining, NY
The advertisement is from 1926. The Museum of Women's Health describes the ad and the product this way:
"Sterizol douche liquid, U.S.A., 1926
Sterizol contains in its name the condition it wanted to achieve, a sterilized vagina, just like a sterilized toilet seat, but which would help kill sperm. This ad appears on the page after the Marvel douche ad, and is from February 1926. Note that a woman can use Sterizol for other things, perhaps for cleaning the bathroom floor."
Who new so much information could come from a simple little thimble?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Score!
Sunday afternoon we decided to make a trip to the monthly flea market in Tiffin. I love flea markets in the same way that I love garage sales. It's the thrill of the hunt.
I have no particular need for anything. It's just fun to pick through tables of mostly junk looking for something you just can't live without!
Here's what I came home with:
As a child I had something of an obsession with Bert and Ernie. . .go figure!
I also scored this:
One side of the box contains all the Muppet characters with the other side being only Animal! Love that!
With the economy going the way it is, these lunchboxes aren't just cute decorations in my kitchen. . .they are probably my retirement account!
**Happy Birthday Cindy**
I have no particular need for anything. It's just fun to pick through tables of mostly junk looking for something you just can't live without!
Here's what I came home with:
As a child I had something of an obsession with Bert and Ernie. . .go figure!
I also scored this:
One side of the box contains all the Muppet characters with the other side being only Animal! Love that!
With the economy going the way it is, these lunchboxes aren't just cute decorations in my kitchen. . .they are probably my retirement account!
**Happy Birthday Cindy**
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Major Surgery
Does everyone have a remnant from their childhood that helped ease pain, worry or fear?
Mine was my "flanket." I don't have it anymore. I suppose it slowly disintegrated in the washing machine over the years, eventually becoming just slivers and remnants of its origins. The flanket went everywhere with me. I held it in my right hand, with my left thumb in my mouth. My right index finger rubbed my right ear so that my flanket whispered gently across my cheek.
Ali's was Ashley. She is a stuffed bunny that her brother gave her when she was small. Unlike my flanket, Ashley survived childhood. That is, until yesterday morning. . .until Samson got ahold of her. It was close, but I think we saved her. . .
I don't often get to think of myself as a surgeon but desperate times call for desperate measures.
The operating room; pre-op
I don't know much about podiatry, but the patient was comfortable as I attempted to reinsert the stuffing that Sammy had so neatly eviscerated. I did my best to close up the new flaps that I made from complimentary skin colored materials.
Working quickly, I texted the family of the patient and told her that the surgery was going well. I sent a picture message to confirm the progress. The response from the family member was, "Sweet Angel!" I asked if she meant me or Ashley. . .and the response was silence. I asked again, this time a bit more forcefully. (Hello??? Me? or Ashley??) The only response was "LOL." I contemplated ending surgery then and there, but my reputation as a surgeon was in the balance so I elected to continue.
On to the otoplasty. This was a bit more difficult and time consuming because I had to fashion new stuffing where the old was irreparable. Quick thinking on my part came up with a plan and we moved forward.
This was a bit more tricky but no less successful.
Another pic of the patient, this time post-op generated this response – "O baby! Some bunny loves me!!" Again, my response was, "Her? or Me??" and the reply this time was "both!"
Good answer. . .because I'm the one with the needle!
A couple of hours later I got a panicky text message from Ali who was home for lunch. There was this picture:
with a message that read "Parts of Ashley got left bhind!"
I responded, "Where was it? What is it?"
The answer? "Upstairs. Part of her soul!!!"
No. . .there's no drama at our house. . .Why do you ask?
Mine was my "flanket." I don't have it anymore. I suppose it slowly disintegrated in the washing machine over the years, eventually becoming just slivers and remnants of its origins. The flanket went everywhere with me. I held it in my right hand, with my left thumb in my mouth. My right index finger rubbed my right ear so that my flanket whispered gently across my cheek.
Ali's was Ashley. She is a stuffed bunny that her brother gave her when she was small. Unlike my flanket, Ashley survived childhood. That is, until yesterday morning. . .until Samson got ahold of her. It was close, but I think we saved her. . .
I don't often get to think of myself as a surgeon but desperate times call for desperate measures.
The operating room; pre-op
I don't know much about podiatry, but the patient was comfortable as I attempted to reinsert the stuffing that Sammy had so neatly eviscerated. I did my best to close up the new flaps that I made from complimentary skin colored materials.
Working quickly, I texted the family of the patient and told her that the surgery was going well. I sent a picture message to confirm the progress. The response from the family member was, "Sweet Angel!" I asked if she meant me or Ashley. . .and the response was silence. I asked again, this time a bit more forcefully. (Hello??? Me? or Ashley??) The only response was "LOL." I contemplated ending surgery then and there, but my reputation as a surgeon was in the balance so I elected to continue.
On to the otoplasty. This was a bit more difficult and time consuming because I had to fashion new stuffing where the old was irreparable. Quick thinking on my part came up with a plan and we moved forward.
This was a bit more tricky but no less successful.
Another pic of the patient, this time post-op generated this response – "O baby! Some bunny loves me!!" Again, my response was, "Her? or Me??" and the reply this time was "both!"
Good answer. . .because I'm the one with the needle!
A couple of hours later I got a panicky text message from Ali who was home for lunch. There was this picture:
with a message that read "Parts of Ashley got left bhind!"
I responded, "Where was it? What is it?"
The answer? "Upstairs. Part of her soul!!!"
No. . .there's no drama at our house. . .Why do you ask?
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Rest In Peace
I just found out that my grampa died. Ever since Gram died, Grampa has lived at a nursing home in Louisville. When my aunt Sharon called to tell me that Grampa was gone, the only thing I felt was confusion – mostly because I didn't have many other emotions surrounding his passing.
There are so many phrases that people fill the air with when someone dies. We want to be able to assign meaning to something that is beyond our control and usually, beyond our capability to understand so we say things like, "He's in a better place." "Her suffering is over." "God has another new angel today." What do those things really mean?
The only phrase that I can come up with that resonates at all with my Grampa's life, at least as I knew it, is "rest in peace."
My Grampa was a complicated man. When I was younger I heard stories from my father about how his father was gone for weeks at a time, driving truck all over the United States. My dad and his brothers were mostly raised by their mother. By the time I remember my grandfather, he and my father owned a moving company together in Lexington, KY. Grampa was gruff. Opinionated. Loud. Stubborn. Often angry.
When I was young I remember that on many rides home in the car, after spending an evening at Gram and Gramp's house, my mother would be unhappy. She disliked hearing my Grampa arguing politics with anyone who would listen. He was relentless in trying to pull you into "discussions" and giving you his perspective on whatever the topic was that evening.
I never felt particularly close to Gramp. His roughness scared me. There was an annual butchering day on the farm and every year Grampa would bring the cow tongue into the kitchen in a bucket full of blood. I was already unsettled from hearing the gunshots that put the cow down and then Grampa would insist that I touch the cow's tongue and feel the sandpapery taste buds.
As I got older, I got used to Grampa's abrasiveness. When Gramma would write me letters in college there would always be a paragraph or two in Grampa's thin, nearly unreadable writing. When I went to visit I would often hear the same stories that I had heard many times before. As he aged, this became more and more pronounced. He talked endlessly about routes he had taken across the US in his truck. About cafes, waitresses and weather patterns in any city you could name. What seemed superficial to us was simply his way of connecting.
Over the last few years I've learned things about my Grampa that explain a lot. Like most of us, events shaped and molded him in both positive and negative ways. As a young teen his father shot and killed himself. My Grampa was the one to find his body. Naturally, he grew up in many, many ways in that moment. Who helped him figure all those feelings out? Who mentored him and taught him how to handle anger and resentment and guilt and all the other feelings that come with suicide? I have no idea. Maybe no one.
I have no doubt that he loved my Gramma and their family, even if he didn't know how to to show it very well. For all the nagging, bellowing and bickering there were equal amounts of laughter and good natured ribbing. Even though it was never outwardly apparent, I'm also quite sure that he loved his grandkids and was quite proud of all of our accomplishments. The first thing he did when you went home to visit in the last few years was to show you pictures of the grand- and great-grandkids and tell you what they had been up to lately.
Perhaps the reason that the phrase "rest in peace" resonates for me is that the one word I would use to describe my grandfather was "restless." I have a particular aural memory of Gramp. Just as I regularly hear my Gramma's laughter, I can still hear the whispering sound my Grampa made with his hands. Even as he fell asleep in his big red leather chair in front of the television at night, he was restless. His index fingers circled is thumbs endlessly making the dry, hardworking skin of those two fingers create a whispering sound that only stopped when he was truly asleep. It's a sound I occasionally catch myself making when I am especially agitated.
From the time that my Grampa entered the nursing home after my Gramma's death in September, until just about a week ago, he never mentioned his wife to the staff at the home. They had been married 68 years. It was only in the last week, as he stopped eating and slipped closer and closer to death that he began to see her in his dreams.
He talked and perhaps she answered.
Rest in peace Grampa. I loved you.
This is the best picture of my grandparents that I have. It cracks me up to look at their color choices for a joint portrait. . .but it's a perfect reflection of their personalities! It's fitting that their funerals will be together. We're all going to Rice Lake, Wisconsin the last week of July to celebrate their lives and have something of a family reunion on the lake.
There are so many phrases that people fill the air with when someone dies. We want to be able to assign meaning to something that is beyond our control and usually, beyond our capability to understand so we say things like, "He's in a better place." "Her suffering is over." "God has another new angel today." What do those things really mean?
The only phrase that I can come up with that resonates at all with my Grampa's life, at least as I knew it, is "rest in peace."
My Grampa was a complicated man. When I was younger I heard stories from my father about how his father was gone for weeks at a time, driving truck all over the United States. My dad and his brothers were mostly raised by their mother. By the time I remember my grandfather, he and my father owned a moving company together in Lexington, KY. Grampa was gruff. Opinionated. Loud. Stubborn. Often angry.
When I was young I remember that on many rides home in the car, after spending an evening at Gram and Gramp's house, my mother would be unhappy. She disliked hearing my Grampa arguing politics with anyone who would listen. He was relentless in trying to pull you into "discussions" and giving you his perspective on whatever the topic was that evening.
I never felt particularly close to Gramp. His roughness scared me. There was an annual butchering day on the farm and every year Grampa would bring the cow tongue into the kitchen in a bucket full of blood. I was already unsettled from hearing the gunshots that put the cow down and then Grampa would insist that I touch the cow's tongue and feel the sandpapery taste buds.
As I got older, I got used to Grampa's abrasiveness. When Gramma would write me letters in college there would always be a paragraph or two in Grampa's thin, nearly unreadable writing. When I went to visit I would often hear the same stories that I had heard many times before. As he aged, this became more and more pronounced. He talked endlessly about routes he had taken across the US in his truck. About cafes, waitresses and weather patterns in any city you could name. What seemed superficial to us was simply his way of connecting.
Over the last few years I've learned things about my Grampa that explain a lot. Like most of us, events shaped and molded him in both positive and negative ways. As a young teen his father shot and killed himself. My Grampa was the one to find his body. Naturally, he grew up in many, many ways in that moment. Who helped him figure all those feelings out? Who mentored him and taught him how to handle anger and resentment and guilt and all the other feelings that come with suicide? I have no idea. Maybe no one.
I have no doubt that he loved my Gramma and their family, even if he didn't know how to to show it very well. For all the nagging, bellowing and bickering there were equal amounts of laughter and good natured ribbing. Even though it was never outwardly apparent, I'm also quite sure that he loved his grandkids and was quite proud of all of our accomplishments. The first thing he did when you went home to visit in the last few years was to show you pictures of the grand- and great-grandkids and tell you what they had been up to lately.
Perhaps the reason that the phrase "rest in peace" resonates for me is that the one word I would use to describe my grandfather was "restless." I have a particular aural memory of Gramp. Just as I regularly hear my Gramma's laughter, I can still hear the whispering sound my Grampa made with his hands. Even as he fell asleep in his big red leather chair in front of the television at night, he was restless. His index fingers circled is thumbs endlessly making the dry, hardworking skin of those two fingers create a whispering sound that only stopped when he was truly asleep. It's a sound I occasionally catch myself making when I am especially agitated.
From the time that my Grampa entered the nursing home after my Gramma's death in September, until just about a week ago, he never mentioned his wife to the staff at the home. They had been married 68 years. It was only in the last week, as he stopped eating and slipped closer and closer to death that he began to see her in his dreams.
He talked and perhaps she answered.
Rest in peace Grampa. I loved you.
This is the best picture of my grandparents that I have. It cracks me up to look at their color choices for a joint portrait. . .but it's a perfect reflection of their personalities! It's fitting that their funerals will be together. We're all going to Rice Lake, Wisconsin the last week of July to celebrate their lives and have something of a family reunion on the lake.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Simplify
I read an interesting article the other day about simplifying your life. I don't really think my life is overly complicated but I'm always interested in the concept of living a life of more meaning, less stuff and fewer complications. All of these things resonate with my soul in a very deep place. To me, a simpler life means a life where I am able to get rid of many of the things that aren't all that fulfilling, and replace them with time and people that I love. It means getting rid of clutter so that I'm left with physical and emotional space that is peaceful and nourishing.
It's all about spending time doing what's important to me.
Ali and I have had a lot of conversations about this. She also has a very deep need to take care of herself and her psyche. Although we enjoy doing different activities, both of us HAVE to carve out times and spaces to do self care.
She loves puzzles, genealogy and games. I knit, bake and meditate.
This weekend we spent time with someone who reinforced the importance of self-care and simplifying in a very real way. We watched someone we both care for running down a road towards self destruction. We felt helpless and sad. But, we were also reminded how important it is to live a life that is full of positive people, energy and love.
Achieving balance isn't always easy.
There are a lot of books and experts to tell us how to simplify. Basically, it boils down to this: identify what's most important to you in your life and them eliminate everything else. How we get there is the hard part.
One tip for simplifying was to make a list of the four or five most important things in your life. The things that matter MOST.
MY LIST OF MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
1. A healthy and honest relationship with my partner.
2. Quiet and introspection – time for the Holy to break into my spirit.
3. Family and friends to share life with.
4. Creativity and the time and space to express it in lots of ways.
5. New life to be brought into old life on a constant basis.
The trick then becomes to evaluate my commitments to bring them in line with what I value and need. I have to look at everything from work, to hobbies and how I spend my free time and see if these things fit my list. And then eliminate (or at least, control) those things that don't. It seems overwhelming at first.
The article said to start by dropping just one commitment. Find one thing that you do, that you dread. Something that takes up time but doesn't give much return on your energy. Something that you do every day, every week or every month that you really don't want to do. Then, take action and get it off your plate. It may be a task on your "to do" list or it may be a situation that drains your spirit.
Letting go of this thing, whatever it is, may be difficult. To actually call or email someone and tell them that you just don't have the time or the energy anymore isn't for the faint hearted or for the "people pleaser." But, I imagine that it's quite freeing.
What might it be like to drop all commitments that don't contribute to your list of most important things?? Energizing and relieving are words that spring to mind.
This isn't a post to a blog that I take lightly. I've written before that the way I spend my days is the way I spend my life. I doubt I'll arrive at the end of my life wishing I had watched yet another re-run of "Law and Order: SVU." I will, however, wish that I had spent more time in conversation with my partner. I will wish that I had watched more sunsets and I will regret that I hadn't been a better listener.
So, today I will fulfill a commitment for the last time. Then I will write a letter and explain why I can't do it anymore. I will say that my decision is good for my soul and good for my life.
I'll let you know how it goes.
It's all about spending time doing what's important to me.
Ali and I have had a lot of conversations about this. She also has a very deep need to take care of herself and her psyche. Although we enjoy doing different activities, both of us HAVE to carve out times and spaces to do self care.
She loves puzzles, genealogy and games. I knit, bake and meditate.
This weekend we spent time with someone who reinforced the importance of self-care and simplifying in a very real way. We watched someone we both care for running down a road towards self destruction. We felt helpless and sad. But, we were also reminded how important it is to live a life that is full of positive people, energy and love.
Achieving balance isn't always easy.
There are a lot of books and experts to tell us how to simplify. Basically, it boils down to this: identify what's most important to you in your life and them eliminate everything else. How we get there is the hard part.
One tip for simplifying was to make a list of the four or five most important things in your life. The things that matter MOST.
MY LIST OF MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
1. A healthy and honest relationship with my partner.
2. Quiet and introspection – time for the Holy to break into my spirit.
3. Family and friends to share life with.
4. Creativity and the time and space to express it in lots of ways.
5. New life to be brought into old life on a constant basis.
The trick then becomes to evaluate my commitments to bring them in line with what I value and need. I have to look at everything from work, to hobbies and how I spend my free time and see if these things fit my list. And then eliminate (or at least, control) those things that don't. It seems overwhelming at first.
The article said to start by dropping just one commitment. Find one thing that you do, that you dread. Something that takes up time but doesn't give much return on your energy. Something that you do every day, every week or every month that you really don't want to do. Then, take action and get it off your plate. It may be a task on your "to do" list or it may be a situation that drains your spirit.
Letting go of this thing, whatever it is, may be difficult. To actually call or email someone and tell them that you just don't have the time or the energy anymore isn't for the faint hearted or for the "people pleaser." But, I imagine that it's quite freeing.
What might it be like to drop all commitments that don't contribute to your list of most important things?? Energizing and relieving are words that spring to mind.
This isn't a post to a blog that I take lightly. I've written before that the way I spend my days is the way I spend my life. I doubt I'll arrive at the end of my life wishing I had watched yet another re-run of "Law and Order: SVU." I will, however, wish that I had spent more time in conversation with my partner. I will wish that I had watched more sunsets and I will regret that I hadn't been a better listener.
So, today I will fulfill a commitment for the last time. Then I will write a letter and explain why I can't do it anymore. I will say that my decision is good for my soul and good for my life.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Friday, June 20, 2008
A Motley Crew of Losers
I've been reading "King David: The Real Life of the Man Who Ruled Israel" by Jonathan Kirsch. David was called "a man after God's own heart" but most of David's story is one of deceit, violence, lies and lust. How do these two extremes come out of just one man?
I'm completely fascinated by this book and with the character of David. There are two different versions of David's life story in the Bible. The book of Samuel gives an "adults only" R-rated version while the book of Chronicles gives the children's Sunday School version. Which one is true? Real? Honest?
Of course they both are. It's perfectly human to present only the side we want others to see at any given moment isn't it?
I think my very favorite thing about reading this book, and about reading the Bible, is that I see so much of myself in its stories and characters. The Bible is full of such a motley crew of losers that I'm surprised that God was able to use them to get anything done.
A few examples:
Noah – He’s drunk and naked, lying in his tent; furious that his son walks in and sees him. We all know the story of the ark and the animals two by two – literally saving the world.
Abraham – He can’t keep his hands off his wife’s servant. Then he sacrifices her honor to save himself. Real nice. But God made him the father of a nation that eventually produced Jesus.
Jacob – He is one of my favorite characters. He’s wiley. He wheels and deals, conning people out of everything he wants, from inheritance to blessing to women. Yet he earned God’s favor and sired the Twelve Tribes of Israel – God’s chosen people.
Moses – He’s cranky and stubborn. He’s even sassy enough to argue with God face to face and live to tell about it.
It’s all there: Samson who is so vain it cost him his life; David who is so lusty he commits murder to have the woman he’s become obsessed with; Solomon who is the modern definition of conspicuous consumption; Jonah who paid a strange price for what was out and out racism; Thomas who makes my doubts seem honest and transparent; Paul, who was such a boring preacher that he put a guy to sleep with his sermon. The poor kid fell backwards out an upstairs window, landed on his head and died.
I could keep going, but you get the point. Every single one of these people is flawed. But every single one of them went on to be used in God's ongoing story of love and transformation.
Mistakes made in our past can seem crippling. Sometimes we might even wonder if a past event has ruined our future. But based on this list of characters, I’m convinced that God never, ever sees it that way.
If our mistakes have the unintended side effect of softening our hearts; if situations and circumstances and choices in our history can prepare us to become humble and prayerful in the future – then even mistakes are redeemed. We are just joining the ranks of God’s long, long list of characters – replete with scoundrels, scallywags and people just being people.
I look at my life, and perhaps you look at yours, and wonder how we got to the place we are. I wonder how, like David, my life can be both so complex and yet so simple; how the holy and the unholy can continue to coexist and how the ideal and the reality can be at peace with one another.
Maybe author Kirsch offers at least part of an answer as he studies King David. After all, the Bible itself tells us that David was "a man after God's own heart."
I'm completely fascinated by this book and with the character of David. There are two different versions of David's life story in the Bible. The book of Samuel gives an "adults only" R-rated version while the book of Chronicles gives the children's Sunday School version. Which one is true? Real? Honest?
Of course they both are. It's perfectly human to present only the side we want others to see at any given moment isn't it?
I think my very favorite thing about reading this book, and about reading the Bible, is that I see so much of myself in its stories and characters. The Bible is full of such a motley crew of losers that I'm surprised that God was able to use them to get anything done.
A few examples:
Noah – He’s drunk and naked, lying in his tent; furious that his son walks in and sees him. We all know the story of the ark and the animals two by two – literally saving the world.
Abraham – He can’t keep his hands off his wife’s servant. Then he sacrifices her honor to save himself. Real nice. But God made him the father of a nation that eventually produced Jesus.
Jacob – He is one of my favorite characters. He’s wiley. He wheels and deals, conning people out of everything he wants, from inheritance to blessing to women. Yet he earned God’s favor and sired the Twelve Tribes of Israel – God’s chosen people.
Moses – He’s cranky and stubborn. He’s even sassy enough to argue with God face to face and live to tell about it.
It’s all there: Samson who is so vain it cost him his life; David who is so lusty he commits murder to have the woman he’s become obsessed with; Solomon who is the modern definition of conspicuous consumption; Jonah who paid a strange price for what was out and out racism; Thomas who makes my doubts seem honest and transparent; Paul, who was such a boring preacher that he put a guy to sleep with his sermon. The poor kid fell backwards out an upstairs window, landed on his head and died.
I could keep going, but you get the point. Every single one of these people is flawed. But every single one of them went on to be used in God's ongoing story of love and transformation.
Mistakes made in our past can seem crippling. Sometimes we might even wonder if a past event has ruined our future. But based on this list of characters, I’m convinced that God never, ever sees it that way.
If our mistakes have the unintended side effect of softening our hearts; if situations and circumstances and choices in our history can prepare us to become humble and prayerful in the future – then even mistakes are redeemed. We are just joining the ranks of God’s long, long list of characters – replete with scoundrels, scallywags and people just being people.
I look at my life, and perhaps you look at yours, and wonder how we got to the place we are. I wonder how, like David, my life can be both so complex and yet so simple; how the holy and the unholy can continue to coexist and how the ideal and the reality can be at peace with one another.
Maybe author Kirsch offers at least part of an answer as he studies King David. After all, the Bible itself tells us that David was "a man after God's own heart."
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Laundry Adventures
My great laundry detergent adventure began with a trip to the grocery store. I needed Fels Naptha soap, Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and 20 Mule Team Borax. The only grocery store in Bluffton had all of it so it can't be very difficult to find.
Here's my cost analysis:
The box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda cost $2.59. One box will yield seven batches of detergent.
The 20 Mule Team Borax was $3.69. To make seven batches you will only need half a box. This brings the cost of the borax to $1.85.
Each bar of Fels Naptha soap was $1.29. Multiply this times seven bars and you have a cost of $9.03.
One cup will do a load of laundry. Each recipe yields about 4 gallons, so you get 64 loads of clean laundry. Multiply that by seven batches and you get 448 loads of laundry for $13.47. That's a cost per load of 4 cents.
Tide Ultra Liquid comes in a bottle that will do 32 loads. You would need 14 bottles to do the same amount of laundry. The price per bottle is $11.92 so total cost would be $166.88. That makes a cost per load of 37.25 cents.
If you wash one load of laundry a day, the homemade detergent will cost $14.60 per year. Tide would come to $135.96 per year. Thus, a total savings of $121.36 per year would come with the homemade detergent.
PROS
Cost
It's fun to make something yourself. You get to feel smart and thrifty at the same time.
The homemade detergent is FAR more eco-friendly than its commercial counterparts. There are no phosphates in this detergent. Commercial detergents also contain petroleum based ingredients. The homemade does not.
You can use whatever bar of soap you have on hand. Fels Naptha is just good at getting stains out of textiles.
I've done two loads of laundry with the new stuff and I think the laundry is cleaner and much brighter.
It stores well.
I'm not throwing 14 big plastic Tide bottles into the landfill every year.
CONS
Storage. Four gallons at a time is a lot if you have a small space for your laundry. However, it can be poured into other containers.
Time. I'm not sure this is a con because it only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. Probably shorter time than driving to the store and standing in line.
Scent. I'm a big one for things smelling "clean." This doesn't really have the detergent smell that I'm used to. The Fels Naptha smells kind of lemony. I added orange essential oil so now it smells citrusy.
The "texture" of the homemade soap is kind of strange. It turns from a liquid to a semi-solid, gelatinous mass as it sits all night. I think if I stirred it again really well i could pour rather than scoop it.
All in all I think I like homemade laundry soap. It does everything that commercial detergents do. And frankly – $121 will pay 4 months worth of electric bills!!!
Here's my cost analysis:
The box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda cost $2.59. One box will yield seven batches of detergent.
The 20 Mule Team Borax was $3.69. To make seven batches you will only need half a box. This brings the cost of the borax to $1.85.
Each bar of Fels Naptha soap was $1.29. Multiply this times seven bars and you have a cost of $9.03.
One cup will do a load of laundry. Each recipe yields about 4 gallons, so you get 64 loads of clean laundry. Multiply that by seven batches and you get 448 loads of laundry for $13.47. That's a cost per load of 4 cents.
Tide Ultra Liquid comes in a bottle that will do 32 loads. You would need 14 bottles to do the same amount of laundry. The price per bottle is $11.92 so total cost would be $166.88. That makes a cost per load of 37.25 cents.
If you wash one load of laundry a day, the homemade detergent will cost $14.60 per year. Tide would come to $135.96 per year. Thus, a total savings of $121.36 per year would come with the homemade detergent.
PROS
Cost
It's fun to make something yourself. You get to feel smart and thrifty at the same time.
The homemade detergent is FAR more eco-friendly than its commercial counterparts. There are no phosphates in this detergent. Commercial detergents also contain petroleum based ingredients. The homemade does not.
You can use whatever bar of soap you have on hand. Fels Naptha is just good at getting stains out of textiles.
I've done two loads of laundry with the new stuff and I think the laundry is cleaner and much brighter.
It stores well.
I'm not throwing 14 big plastic Tide bottles into the landfill every year.
CONS
Storage. Four gallons at a time is a lot if you have a small space for your laundry. However, it can be poured into other containers.
Time. I'm not sure this is a con because it only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. Probably shorter time than driving to the store and standing in line.
Scent. I'm a big one for things smelling "clean." This doesn't really have the detergent smell that I'm used to. The Fels Naptha smells kind of lemony. I added orange essential oil so now it smells citrusy.
The "texture" of the homemade soap is kind of strange. It turns from a liquid to a semi-solid, gelatinous mass as it sits all night. I think if I stirred it again really well i could pour rather than scoop it.
All in all I think I like homemade laundry soap. It does everything that commercial detergents do. And frankly – $121 will pay 4 months worth of electric bills!!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Chalktalks and Flannelgraphs
This morning the local Baptist church brought in some posters and games for their Vacation Bible School that needed to be laminated. As I looked at the 1960's looking pictures of Jesus and his disciples I was transported back to the musty church basements of my childhood.
Just the mention of Vacation Bible School stirs up memories of Kool-Aid, plaster of Paris and popsicle sticks for me. It was always one of the first activities of summer. School hadn't been out for long but already I was missing the schedule and activity of school. Bible School filled the void, if only for a week.
We would start the morning with an assembly. All of us were lined up by age groups with the little kids going first. As we marched into the sanctuary we sang campy Bible songs. We recited the Pledge of Allegiance and then the Pledge of Allegiance to the Christian flag ("I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag and to the Savior for who's kingdom it stands. One brotherhood uniting all mankind in service and in love." I can't believe I still remember that!) There was always some kind of lesson and prayer before we broke up to go to our classrooms. Each class would march out, one by one, with everyone singing again.
The day continued with the same kind of regimented precision. Stories, crafts, songs, snacks, recess, more activities and memory verses before being dismissed for the day. It went on for a week.
I guess VBS isn't like that anymore. Too old fashioned. Too analog in a digital childhood. But the flannelgraphs worked for me. So did chalk talks and puppet shows.
There's no denying that the church hung a lot of baggage on me. I've wrestled with God much like Jacob did. In ways both big and small I walk with a spiritual limp. But I "continue to work out (my) salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in (me) to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Philippians 2:12b-13)
One of the memory verses that I learned in Bible School forms and continues to refine my theology even today.
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40)
If only the Church were listening.
Here's an example of a chalktalk if you have no idea what I'm talking about.
Just the mention of Vacation Bible School stirs up memories of Kool-Aid, plaster of Paris and popsicle sticks for me. It was always one of the first activities of summer. School hadn't been out for long but already I was missing the schedule and activity of school. Bible School filled the void, if only for a week.
We would start the morning with an assembly. All of us were lined up by age groups with the little kids going first. As we marched into the sanctuary we sang campy Bible songs. We recited the Pledge of Allegiance and then the Pledge of Allegiance to the Christian flag ("I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag and to the Savior for who's kingdom it stands. One brotherhood uniting all mankind in service and in love." I can't believe I still remember that!) There was always some kind of lesson and prayer before we broke up to go to our classrooms. Each class would march out, one by one, with everyone singing again.
The day continued with the same kind of regimented precision. Stories, crafts, songs, snacks, recess, more activities and memory verses before being dismissed for the day. It went on for a week.
I guess VBS isn't like that anymore. Too old fashioned. Too analog in a digital childhood. But the flannelgraphs worked for me. So did chalk talks and puppet shows.
There's no denying that the church hung a lot of baggage on me. I've wrestled with God much like Jacob did. In ways both big and small I walk with a spiritual limp. But I "continue to work out (my) salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in (me) to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Philippians 2:12b-13)
One of the memory verses that I learned in Bible School forms and continues to refine my theology even today.
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40)
If only the Church were listening.
Here's an example of a chalktalk if you have no idea what I'm talking about.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Summer Sunday
Cedar Point.
We went with new friends...
who brought two more new friends!
They all rode rollercoasters while Tom and I watched!
We did lots of people watching, eating, walking and even more laughing. It was a perfect summer Sunday.
We went with new friends...
who brought two more new friends!
They all rode rollercoasters while Tom and I watched!
We did lots of people watching, eating, walking and even more laughing. It was a perfect summer Sunday.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Grocery Woes
The grocery store is starting to piss me off. I tried to be more gentle, or at least more ladylike in writing that sentence, but I just can't. I get cranky when I think about the price of food and the ways it effects every family, every week.
I've been noticing a trend that I haven't read about and haven't heard the politicos addressing. Maybe corporate America thinks we aren't paying attention, but products that we have been buying for years are getting smaller. Much smaller. And the prices are either staying the same or rising. For example, have you noticed that a five pound bag of sugar that you are accustomed to picking up in the store no longer weighs five pounds? It now weighs four pounds. And it costs the same.
A 96 count box of Glad kitchen garbage bags now only contains 80 bags.
There's been a package redesign by General Mills. The box of Honey Wheat Cheerios that costs $3.99 used to be in a 14 oz. box. They made the box taller and slimmer. It looks bigger. For the same price you now get 12.5 ounces.
How does this figure into the inflation rate? My guess is that it doesn't. And the consumer is left absorbing the loss while giant corporations continue to make record profits.
See why I get pissed?
We are trying to make ends meet and cut corners however we can, while our incomes don't increase at the same rate that our expenses do.
Here's something I'm willing to try. I'll let you know how it works out and do a cost analysis compared to leading national brands.
Homemade Laundry Detergent (recipe from Recipezaar.com)
1 bar bath soap, grated (your favorite brand, fels naptha is great)
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda laundry detergent (a laundry booster)
1/2 cup borax
hot water
essential oil of your choice for fragrance
Directions
1. Place grated soap in a pot.
2. Cover with water and simmer over medium heat until all soap is melted, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour into 5 gallon bucket.
4. Add washing soda and borax.
5. Add enough hot water to fill the bucket.
6. Stir (I use a long measuring stick, but any long stick will work).
7. Let sit overnight to gel.
8. Use 1 cup per load. (This recipe makes enough for 80 loads of laundry.)
I've been noticing a trend that I haven't read about and haven't heard the politicos addressing. Maybe corporate America thinks we aren't paying attention, but products that we have been buying for years are getting smaller. Much smaller. And the prices are either staying the same or rising. For example, have you noticed that a five pound bag of sugar that you are accustomed to picking up in the store no longer weighs five pounds? It now weighs four pounds. And it costs the same.
A 96 count box of Glad kitchen garbage bags now only contains 80 bags.
There's been a package redesign by General Mills. The box of Honey Wheat Cheerios that costs $3.99 used to be in a 14 oz. box. They made the box taller and slimmer. It looks bigger. For the same price you now get 12.5 ounces.
How does this figure into the inflation rate? My guess is that it doesn't. And the consumer is left absorbing the loss while giant corporations continue to make record profits.
See why I get pissed?
We are trying to make ends meet and cut corners however we can, while our incomes don't increase at the same rate that our expenses do.
Here's something I'm willing to try. I'll let you know how it works out and do a cost analysis compared to leading national brands.
Homemade Laundry Detergent (recipe from Recipezaar.com)
1 bar bath soap, grated (your favorite brand, fels naptha is great)
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda laundry detergent (a laundry booster)
1/2 cup borax
hot water
essential oil of your choice for fragrance
Directions
1. Place grated soap in a pot.
2. Cover with water and simmer over medium heat until all soap is melted, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour into 5 gallon bucket.
4. Add washing soda and borax.
5. Add enough hot water to fill the bucket.
6. Stir (I use a long measuring stick, but any long stick will work).
7. Let sit overnight to gel.
8. Use 1 cup per load. (This recipe makes enough for 80 loads of laundry.)
Friday, June 13, 2008
Reading A Peanut
We're babysitting this week. To be more precise, we're pig-sitting. As in Guinea pig. His name is Peanut and he belongs to Ali's nephew Bret. When he dropped him off Bret was quite serious and precise with his instructions for caring for Peanut. He explained every possible technique for handling the little rascal. He described every noise he might make and how to interpret what they might mean. He even described the position that Peanut's head might take if he were intending to bite.
Apparently Ali missed that part of the lecture. He got her on the left, middle finger deep enough that it bled.
Sammy seems quite taken with the little devil though.
Sammy gives him kisses and nuzzles his ears. Just watch out when Peanut lifts his head and stares at you Sam!
This was my favorite part of Bret and Ali's conversation that night:
Bret: If I got another one I would want it to be a girl.
Ali: What would you name her?
Bret: Walnut. Don't you think that sounds like a girl's name?
Ali: I think I like Hazelnut for a girl a little bit more.
Apparently Ali missed that part of the lecture. He got her on the left, middle finger deep enough that it bled.
Sammy seems quite taken with the little devil though.
Sammy gives him kisses and nuzzles his ears. Just watch out when Peanut lifts his head and stares at you Sam!
This was my favorite part of Bret and Ali's conversation that night:
Bret: If I got another one I would want it to be a girl.
Ali: What would you name her?
Bret: Walnut. Don't you think that sounds like a girl's name?
Ali: I think I like Hazelnut for a girl a little bit more.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Twilight
A rose in our garden, shot just as the sun was sliding out of sight. I was looking for quotes to describe a rose and found this one, which absolutely cracked me up. Pay attention to who said it:
"I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall." – Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Lorena Hickok
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
100+ Things About Me • Part 4
76. Once, when I was about 5, I peed my pants in the grocery store. I told my mom I had to go. I even cried. She didn’t listen. She got really, really angry with me when she had to clean it up.
77. My favorite fruit is mango. I don’t eat it much because it’s too hard and messy to peel.
78. Last week I saw a centipede in the dishwasher. I shut the door and pretended I didn’t see it. Now, I think about it every time I open the dishwasher door. See #55.
79. I have had two recurring dreams throughout my life. First, that the school bus is waiting for me at the end of the driveway and my legs won’t work – I can neither run nor walk. The second is seeing a plane crash in slow motion.
80. I don’t really like getting books from the library. I don’t like feeling pressured to read. It’s supposed to be for enjoyment.
81. I like to sleep in a cold room with lots of blankets.
82. I love pie. It’s my all-time favorite dessert. Not so much fruit pie. Just all the other kinds.
83. In fifth grade we were forced to learn the metric system. The teacher scared me when she said that the world was going to force it on us by the time I was in college. I thought she meant that war was going to be involved.
84. I don’t know how to play poker.
85. I’ve only stayed up all night once in my life. I was driving home from North Carolina. I thought I was going to die.
86. I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout. I went to camp and everything. When I was a Brownie someone threw my beanie in the boy’s bathroom after recess. The teacher let me go in and get it! Shocking and thrilling at the same time!
87. I had never tried sushi until this year. I like it!
88. When I eat Skittles I only eat the red, purple and orange ones.
89. When asked if I am in introvert or an extrovert I always say “both.”
90. I’ve never gotten a speeding ticket.
91. Only once have I walked out of a movie. It was so bad I can’t even remember what it was.
92. I took two semesters of German in college. I can’t even count to ten in German now.
93. Although I’ve had two cats in my life, I am TOTALLY a dog person.
94. I feel guilty when I go to the zoo.
95. I never learned to drive a stick shift car until I bought one. Then I was forced to learn. It wasn’t pretty but I was motivated.
96. The only sport I ever played was basketball in 6th grade. I was really tall but it didn’t make me any good at it. I scored one point all season. It was a game we lost 36-1. Everyone else had to run 35 laps around the gym at the next practice. I got to sit and watch!
97. I worry that I’m going to live paycheck to paycheck for the rest of my life.
98. I used to be panicky afraid during tornados and bad weather. I’m not any more.
99. I am a work in progress.
100. No matter how much you think you might like to talk about yourself, “100 Things About Me” is really hard!
101. I’m an overachiever! (Andrew, I did one more than you! LOL!)
77. My favorite fruit is mango. I don’t eat it much because it’s too hard and messy to peel.
78. Last week I saw a centipede in the dishwasher. I shut the door and pretended I didn’t see it. Now, I think about it every time I open the dishwasher door. See #55.
79. I have had two recurring dreams throughout my life. First, that the school bus is waiting for me at the end of the driveway and my legs won’t work – I can neither run nor walk. The second is seeing a plane crash in slow motion.
80. I don’t really like getting books from the library. I don’t like feeling pressured to read. It’s supposed to be for enjoyment.
81. I like to sleep in a cold room with lots of blankets.
82. I love pie. It’s my all-time favorite dessert. Not so much fruit pie. Just all the other kinds.
83. In fifth grade we were forced to learn the metric system. The teacher scared me when she said that the world was going to force it on us by the time I was in college. I thought she meant that war was going to be involved.
84. I don’t know how to play poker.
85. I’ve only stayed up all night once in my life. I was driving home from North Carolina. I thought I was going to die.
86. I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout. I went to camp and everything. When I was a Brownie someone threw my beanie in the boy’s bathroom after recess. The teacher let me go in and get it! Shocking and thrilling at the same time!
87. I had never tried sushi until this year. I like it!
88. When I eat Skittles I only eat the red, purple and orange ones.
89. When asked if I am in introvert or an extrovert I always say “both.”
90. I’ve never gotten a speeding ticket.
91. Only once have I walked out of a movie. It was so bad I can’t even remember what it was.
92. I took two semesters of German in college. I can’t even count to ten in German now.
93. Although I’ve had two cats in my life, I am TOTALLY a dog person.
94. I feel guilty when I go to the zoo.
95. I never learned to drive a stick shift car until I bought one. Then I was forced to learn. It wasn’t pretty but I was motivated.
96. The only sport I ever played was basketball in 6th grade. I was really tall but it didn’t make me any good at it. I scored one point all season. It was a game we lost 36-1. Everyone else had to run 35 laps around the gym at the next practice. I got to sit and watch!
97. I worry that I’m going to live paycheck to paycheck for the rest of my life.
98. I used to be panicky afraid during tornados and bad weather. I’m not any more.
99. I am a work in progress.
100. No matter how much you think you might like to talk about yourself, “100 Things About Me” is really hard!
101. I’m an overachiever! (Andrew, I did one more than you! LOL!)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
100 Things About Me • Part 3
Andrew threw down the gauntlet. He called me out and now my honor is at stake.
Here is installment three of 100 Things About Me. (Click here for Part 1. Here for Part 2.)
51. I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news that Elvis had died. I was listening to my transistor radio in my pink bedroom with my name painted in huge letters on the wall. I was putting Rose Milk lotion on my legs (which you can still buy BTW!).
52. I am still fanatical about putting lotion on every inch of skin. . .every single day.
53. I had posters of Shawn Cassidy and Leif Garrett on my bedroom walls as a “tweener.”
54. I don’t like spiders. I can kill them if I have to.
55. Centipedes make me want to die. I would leave the house and live in the yard before I would have the nerve to kill a centipede.
56. Once, in about second grade, I stole a book from another kid. It looked really good and I wanted to read it. When my parents asked me where it came from I told them that a kid had thrown it out the bus window onto our driveway and I picked it up.
57. I came home from school one day in first grade and my mom told me that she knew what was going to be on “Mister Rogers” at 4:00. I thought she was psychic!! It was a long time before I got the concept of TV Guide.
58. We lived in a big old house until I was in 7th grade. It had a hallway with 10 doors. Behind one of the doors was a bathtub. Just a bathtub the size of a closet. No floor. Nothing but a bathtub. My sister and I filled it with toys and played in there for hours. As far as I know, it never had water in it. Just a secret place for toys.
59. I’ve only been outside the United States once. I went with my boyfriend in high school and his family to Canada.
60. My first car was a Plymouth Horizon. Green. I called it Gumby.
61. I would love to go get my palm read. I think it would be fun.
62. I’m addicted to chapstick. I get really mad when I accidentally leave it in my pants pocket and then wash it. I get even madder when it accidentally makes it to the dryer.
63. When asked to add numbers, I still secretly count on my fingers.
64. Related to #63 – When I was in 4th grade I got a D in math. My dad said it was OK because girls weren’t supposed to be good at math.
65. I smoked pot twice. I didn’t really like the feeling of being high.
66. I don’t drink very much. I don’t really like the feeling of being drunk either.
67. I have several language related pet peeves. The most annoying is when someone says “anxious” when what they really mean is “eager.”
68. My favorite ice cream is Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby.
69. I want to be cremated when I die.
70. My blood type is AB negative.
71. When I was a kid I wanted to be a postal carrier when I grew up. I still think that would be a great job – but only if I had a walking route.
72. I like the toilet paper to roll off the top rather than peel off the bottom. Wherever I go, it it’s not to my liking, I switch it.
73. When cravings hit me it’s always for something salty. I don’t often crave sweets.
74. I am slightly claustrophobic. Ask me about the IKEA story. . .
75. I am more of a process than product oriented creator.
OMG. . .can I really think of 25 more things??? I have to. . .Andrew is watching!
Here is installment three of 100 Things About Me. (Click here for Part 1. Here for Part 2.)
51. I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news that Elvis had died. I was listening to my transistor radio in my pink bedroom with my name painted in huge letters on the wall. I was putting Rose Milk lotion on my legs (which you can still buy BTW!).
52. I am still fanatical about putting lotion on every inch of skin. . .every single day.
53. I had posters of Shawn Cassidy and Leif Garrett on my bedroom walls as a “tweener.”
54. I don’t like spiders. I can kill them if I have to.
55. Centipedes make me want to die. I would leave the house and live in the yard before I would have the nerve to kill a centipede.
56. Once, in about second grade, I stole a book from another kid. It looked really good and I wanted to read it. When my parents asked me where it came from I told them that a kid had thrown it out the bus window onto our driveway and I picked it up.
57. I came home from school one day in first grade and my mom told me that she knew what was going to be on “Mister Rogers” at 4:00. I thought she was psychic!! It was a long time before I got the concept of TV Guide.
58. We lived in a big old house until I was in 7th grade. It had a hallway with 10 doors. Behind one of the doors was a bathtub. Just a bathtub the size of a closet. No floor. Nothing but a bathtub. My sister and I filled it with toys and played in there for hours. As far as I know, it never had water in it. Just a secret place for toys.
59. I’ve only been outside the United States once. I went with my boyfriend in high school and his family to Canada.
60. My first car was a Plymouth Horizon. Green. I called it Gumby.
61. I would love to go get my palm read. I think it would be fun.
62. I’m addicted to chapstick. I get really mad when I accidentally leave it in my pants pocket and then wash it. I get even madder when it accidentally makes it to the dryer.
63. When asked to add numbers, I still secretly count on my fingers.
64. Related to #63 – When I was in 4th grade I got a D in math. My dad said it was OK because girls weren’t supposed to be good at math.
65. I smoked pot twice. I didn’t really like the feeling of being high.
66. I don’t drink very much. I don’t really like the feeling of being drunk either.
67. I have several language related pet peeves. The most annoying is when someone says “anxious” when what they really mean is “eager.”
68. My favorite ice cream is Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby.
69. I want to be cremated when I die.
70. My blood type is AB negative.
71. When I was a kid I wanted to be a postal carrier when I grew up. I still think that would be a great job – but only if I had a walking route.
72. I like the toilet paper to roll off the top rather than peel off the bottom. Wherever I go, it it’s not to my liking, I switch it.
73. When cravings hit me it’s always for something salty. I don’t often crave sweets.
74. I am slightly claustrophobic. Ask me about the IKEA story. . .
75. I am more of a process than product oriented creator.
OMG. . .can I really think of 25 more things??? I have to. . .Andrew is watching!
Monday, June 09, 2008
Pool Party
Ali got Sammy a pool and since it was almost unbearably hot this weekend the pool made its debut yesterday afternoon. We always thought that Sammy had a lot of Lab in him – webbed feet, floppy ears, great personality. He proved us absolutely correct!
At first, he didn't really know what to make of it.
It didn't require too much coaxing before one paw went it.
About 10 seconds later we had wild dog on our hands!
He ran circles around the yard, jumping into the pool, rolling on his back, throwing water everywhere, before taking off for another circuit around the yard. He kept at it for at least 45 minutes. There were times when we were kind of worried. He would stop and lay on the ground in the shade, his little heart pounding so hard that we could see it beating. The heart murmur is still an issue that he probably will not grow out of now.
We would look at each other and wonder if we should make him settle down, before he would take off again, jumping in the pool and then jumping on us, spreading water and joy in the afternoon sun. We promised him the best life possible - however long it lasts. Pool parties qualify.
I think it's safe to say Sammy LOVES pool parties.
At first, he didn't really know what to make of it.
It didn't require too much coaxing before one paw went it.
About 10 seconds later we had wild dog on our hands!
He ran circles around the yard, jumping into the pool, rolling on his back, throwing water everywhere, before taking off for another circuit around the yard. He kept at it for at least 45 minutes. There were times when we were kind of worried. He would stop and lay on the ground in the shade, his little heart pounding so hard that we could see it beating. The heart murmur is still an issue that he probably will not grow out of now.
We would look at each other and wonder if we should make him settle down, before he would take off again, jumping in the pool and then jumping on us, spreading water and joy in the afternoon sun. We promised him the best life possible - however long it lasts. Pool parties qualify.
I think it's safe to say Sammy LOVES pool parties.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
A Garden Path
My yo-yo quilt obsession has taken a new turn. I got 900 of the little buggers done and then decided that I would like a more structured, less random pattern as I sewed them together. I looked through some quilting sites and decided that yo-yo's would lend themselves pretty nicely to a "garden path" design.
I spent some time with Illustrator, playing with designs and colors and settled on a design something like this.
I really like it, but it only requires about 710 colored yo-yo's and I have 900 done!!! Worse than that, it requires 450 black ones and I don't have any!
Oh well. . .I planned on this quilt taking until my retirement. It probably will.
Here's two days progress:
I spent some time with Illustrator, playing with designs and colors and settled on a design something like this.
I really like it, but it only requires about 710 colored yo-yo's and I have 900 done!!! Worse than that, it requires 450 black ones and I don't have any!
Oh well. . .I planned on this quilt taking until my retirement. It probably will.
Here's two days progress:
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Morning Quiet
I'm a morning person. Always have been. I assume that I always will be. For years my alarm has been set for 5:45. Most days it doesn't even go off because I'm already awake. I enjoy getting up in the quiet, taking a cup of coffee with me as I take Sammy outside and listening for the world to wake up.
Off and on during my re-awakening as a Christian I've practiced meditation. I've always been drawn to the more contemplative side of being a Jesus follower – forty days in the desert, his withdrawl from the crowds to pray and think – these have always been the Jesus stories that capture my imagination.
But, the truth is, I practice meditation kind of like I diet. Good intentions. Good feelings for awhile. Then, slowly, life and the sluggish nature of being human slowly creep back in. Pretty soon I realize that I've downed a bag of Cheetos and haven't prayed in a week.
This week I set my alarm for 5:30 to give myself a few extra minutes of silence. I positioned my meditation bench and mat facing a window that looks out into the gardens at the side of the house and I knelt to calm my soul and encounter God.
Meditation is one of those things in life that requires practice. Nothing worth anything comes easily. But I can already feel the difference in my soul. For the first few minutes I close my eyes and concentrate on my breath. As I breathe in I repeat the Old Testament name for God – I AM. I say it again as I exhale - this time thinking about myself and how the sacred lives within me.
After awhile I open my eyes and watch the garden, continuing to focus on my breath. I try to open myself to the sacred around me and foster a sense of thankfulness in my heart. When I feel ready to reenter my morning routine I bow and say an audible thanks.
On Saturday afternoon Ali and I walked from our house to downtown and the library. While she was doing geneology I perused the religion section of the stacks. I came home with Thich Nhat Hahn's book "Living Buddha, Living Christ." It parallels Buddha's teachings with Christ's. I'm enjoying reading it very much. One of the meditation exercises in the book goes like this:
Breathing in, I am aware of my heart.
Breathing out, I smile.
I vow to eat, drink and work in ways
that preserve my health and well-being.
Maybe that will keep that Cheeto bag out of my hand. . .
Off and on during my re-awakening as a Christian I've practiced meditation. I've always been drawn to the more contemplative side of being a Jesus follower – forty days in the desert, his withdrawl from the crowds to pray and think – these have always been the Jesus stories that capture my imagination.
But, the truth is, I practice meditation kind of like I diet. Good intentions. Good feelings for awhile. Then, slowly, life and the sluggish nature of being human slowly creep back in. Pretty soon I realize that I've downed a bag of Cheetos and haven't prayed in a week.
This week I set my alarm for 5:30 to give myself a few extra minutes of silence. I positioned my meditation bench and mat facing a window that looks out into the gardens at the side of the house and I knelt to calm my soul and encounter God.
Meditation is one of those things in life that requires practice. Nothing worth anything comes easily. But I can already feel the difference in my soul. For the first few minutes I close my eyes and concentrate on my breath. As I breathe in I repeat the Old Testament name for God – I AM. I say it again as I exhale - this time thinking about myself and how the sacred lives within me.
After awhile I open my eyes and watch the garden, continuing to focus on my breath. I try to open myself to the sacred around me and foster a sense of thankfulness in my heart. When I feel ready to reenter my morning routine I bow and say an audible thanks.
On Saturday afternoon Ali and I walked from our house to downtown and the library. While she was doing geneology I perused the religion section of the stacks. I came home with Thich Nhat Hahn's book "Living Buddha, Living Christ." It parallels Buddha's teachings with Christ's. I'm enjoying reading it very much. One of the meditation exercises in the book goes like this:
Breathing in, I am aware of my heart.
Breathing out, I smile.
I vow to eat, drink and work in ways
that preserve my health and well-being.
Maybe that will keep that Cheeto bag out of my hand. . .
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
List - Revisited (Again)
6. Cut a new flowerbed behind the garage. Procure and plant! Add the birdfeeders and baths.
I can finally cross this one off the list! All day Sunday, we played in the dirt!
Before:
After:
The sweating in between:
Sammy approves. And that's really all that matters!
Yo Yo Update - 876!
I can finally cross this one off the list! All day Sunday, we played in the dirt!
Before:
After:
The sweating in between:
Sammy approves. And that's really all that matters!
Yo Yo Update - 876!
Monday, June 02, 2008
Tornado Drill
Remember when you were in elementary school and you had a tornado drill? Everyone filed into the basement hallway and curled up into a ball, covering the back of their head with their hands? Not exactly fun, but better than suffering through reading group. . .
Findlay had a little tornado drill on Saturday night.
Although, as it turns out, it wasn't exactly a drill.
At about 1:30 am the tornado warning sirens sounded in our neighborhood. There must be one right outside our bedroom window because there's not a chance in the world you could have slept through it! We hustled downstairs and turned on the TV to see that there were warnings all over the place and that Hancock County was in the path.
Ali started to get a little panicky. There were some tears (hers – she wanted us to get into the bathtub since we don't have a basement), tense words (mine – I didn't want to get in the tub) and after some negotiations, a settlement was reached.
We were dog sitting for the weekend and Poopie needed to take my spot in the tub. That's what I told Ali anyway.
Turns out that Ali is probably smarter than me. . .there was an F2 tornado in Hancock County. Quite a few houses around the area were destroyed and there were a few injuries. Thankfully, none were life threatening.
Next time we have a tornado drill we either need one less dog or a hell of a bigger tub!
Findlay had a little tornado drill on Saturday night.
Although, as it turns out, it wasn't exactly a drill.
At about 1:30 am the tornado warning sirens sounded in our neighborhood. There must be one right outside our bedroom window because there's not a chance in the world you could have slept through it! We hustled downstairs and turned on the TV to see that there were warnings all over the place and that Hancock County was in the path.
Ali started to get a little panicky. There were some tears (hers – she wanted us to get into the bathtub since we don't have a basement), tense words (mine – I didn't want to get in the tub) and after some negotiations, a settlement was reached.
We were dog sitting for the weekend and Poopie needed to take my spot in the tub. That's what I told Ali anyway.
Turns out that Ali is probably smarter than me. . .there was an F2 tornado in Hancock County. Quite a few houses around the area were destroyed and there were a few injuries. Thankfully, none were life threatening.
Next time we have a tornado drill we either need one less dog or a hell of a bigger tub!
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