C'est Moi Trois

My Favorite Thing about Linguistics Class

2012-02-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

In order to graduate from college, I had to take one more English class in summer session. Even though I found my professor a hypocritical bore, I really appreciate many of the things that I learned in that class.

Warning Rant Ahead! But, to be fair, I haven't had a rant in a long time. What prompted this was a comment on blog post I read a few days ago where the author was ranting about people who use words that aren't real. The word (or non-word) in question was "irregardless."

Let's forget that this collection of letters is acknowledged by Merriam-Webster (albeit "nonstandard" usage). English is a living language. It is constantly growing and adapting. Pronunciation shifts over time. Shakespeare invented tons of words, yes invented. Do people object and complain about him? No, they honor him for his creativity. Oh, they may complain that they don't understand Shakespeare, but that's because the English language has developed and changed.

Nevertheless, here is a small sample of the words that Shakespeare created that you might find familiar: accommodation, bloody, critic, hurry, obscene, and sanctimonious. (That last one seems quite apt, wouldn't you say?) And Shakespeare was not alone in his creation of new words. Charles Dickens did it too (among many other authors and speakers), and don't even get me started on poets. ;) We, as a society, invent new words or usage all the time. Ten years ago, Who would have thought that anyone except birds would "tweet?"

Before we get all judgmental because someone said, "irregardless" or "ain't" because we think that the speaker is somehow deficient in their education, we should reconsider how language works. It lives and breathes and adapts to the conditions of the speaker. In other words, if a new word or grammatical usage appears, it is because there was something missing or deficient. A great example is the contraction "y'all" for second person plural. "Standard" English really doesn't have a second person plural and languages need it, Ta-Da!

And the same thing applies to pronunciation. We can't feel that our pronunciation is somehow superior to another person's because it is in a dictionary or something. The way that the first compilers did it was to put the most common pronunciation not the most correct. Read the introduction of a dictionary. You may be astounded by what you find there.

Having said all that, I must admit that I did let my best friend know that the most common pronunciation of the word "moot" was not "mute," as in something being "a moot point." I really don't care. I already know she's brilliant, but I didn't want people judging her in business meetings.

My favorite thing about my linguistics class is that it made me aware of a whole form of prejudice that I carried without ever realizing it. I learned that just because someone had a certain accent or invented a word, it didn't mean that they were dumb. After all, they're in some good company.

[END RANT]

Have a pleasant day! :)

Two Great Things That Go Together

2012-02-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

So, when I was looking to see what my options were for the Five on Friday song selections on Youtube, I happened to put "Tango" in the search parameters. This just happened to come up. I know that I had two songs with Antonio Banderas yesterday. It is a mere coinsidence; I swear!

A sensual Tango (from the film Take the Lead) and Antonio Banderas. Two great things that go well together. It's kinda like a sexy Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Mmmmm ... delicious!

Five on Friday - I Like It

2012-02-10T00:04:00.000-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about and play along!

This week has more of a Latin beat. It all started with me driving home on Wednesday night and I started singing "I Like It Like That." I don't have any idea where it came from. I don't own a copy of it, and I didn't hear it on the radio or anything. But I decided to go with it. :)

Some things to note, I think that Antonio Banderas is doing the lead vocal for the third song with Los Lobos. I have no idea what the actual title is because the exact same song was listed about five different ways (or more). I actually found it on the way while looking for the fourth song.

It is sung by Antonio Banderas, and it's real title is "Beautiful Maria of my Soul" or "Bella Maria de Mi Alma" from the soundtrack of The Mambo Kings (1991). I never saw the movie, but it was one of the first CDs that I ever owned. I didn't even have a CD player, but I was a new/young ballroom dance teacher. That CD had about the best Latin dance music available at the time. I still cherish it.

And the last song ... I've been looking for an excuse to play "Smooth" for a while. I'm actually quite surprised that it hasn't already made it onto a previous playlist.

Ah, now I feel satiated. Have a great weekend!

My Journey Through Spirituality - 1

2012-02-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I stepped out of my blogging comfort zone to talk about something potentially controversial, the dynamic of different religious groups in the town I now live in. Several of the comments expressed an interest on how I decided to become a Christian in the first place. I thought that would be a great continuation on my religious theme.

In a way, this is kind of my life story because this journey has been going on throughout my life from about as long as I can remember. Hopefully, I can keep the story from dragging too much. ;)

Like any good story, I have to set the scene. Act 1 Scene 1 starts by being raised in a non-religious household. Oh, I had a Christening dress that I still have on a shelf in my closet, and I have Godparents, who had nothing to do with giving me religious instruction. There's some paperwork that the ceremony took place at an Episcopal church. I knew that my parents also were married in an Episcopal church, but that was about the extent of it.

If there was any kind of religion around the house, it was the religion of the U.S. Army. Like any religion, it is filled with disciplines, traditions, and a moral code. However, it was not a household of blind obedience.

My parents had grown up in the shadow of World War II where Nazi military personnel tried to deflect the responsibility of their atrocities by saying that they were only doing what they had been ordered to do. This was also very shortly after the end of the war in Vietnam where the citizens of the United States learned that their government had lied to them in order to generate support for the war. The level of trust in anything besides what one could observe or reason through was very thin.

My father would regularly tell me stories that sounded true ... at first. As the story continued, it would get more and more far-fetched and outlandish. A particular one that stands out was about submarine races on Lake Superior. (I probably remember it because it was my cousin who got sucked into the story and was pretty bummed when he found out that we couldn't go and see the race. lol)

The way that I figured, this was my father's way of teaching me that I shouldn't blindly follow or believe anyone, not even him. I should always use my brain and my own reasoning power before believing anything. Naturally, this attitude backfired on him when I became a teenager and questioned everything he said. For some reason the stories stopped shortly after that. I'm not quite sure why. ;)

Now, it wasn't that my parents were particularly anti-religion either. When I was six, and my neighbors invited me to go to church, my parents had no objections that I recall. However, about a year later, when I wanted to ride my bike rather than go to church, they had no objections either. Of course, at no time in that year did they ever go with me.

In other words, I was briefly exposed to Christianity, but we lived in an irreligious household. There was no significant change from this as long as I lived with my parents, even after they divorced. We celebrated Christmas with Santa and Easter with bunnies.

However, as all parents (and children) know, children don't learn everything about life at home. School began to have an influence. And that's where the story will pick up next week.

Here's a hint. My father's teaching to question things was encouraged. You already know how the story ends, but I can assure you that I approached the whole thing with a great deal of skepticism.

Until next week ...

Hodgepodge

2012-02-08T00:20:00.000-07:00

Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond hosts this Wednesday meme that have some interesting questions. This is my second week, and I'm having fun playing along. Do you want to play?

1. What is something you are loving right now?

Having my own space again. Having a kitchen. Being able to see my pictures on the walls.

2. Paris, Venice, New York, and Rome are considered four of the most romantic cities in the world. Which one would you most like to visit?

Right now I'm not overly keen on any of them. I think that I'd pick Paris. Though the first time I went wasn't my greatest trip of all time, on the last day, I was finally figuring a few things out. I think that another trip would be much more enjoyable. Isn't that always the way. Just the time you have things figured out, it's time to leave. ;)

3. Are you a romantic?

If that means that I have to have a significant other to make me feel alive, then no. If it means still imagining been swept off my feet by the love of my life is possible, sometimes. ;)

4. What's your favorite love story made for the Big Screen?

Those aren't really the kind of films that I'm generally drawn to, but as I scan my video shelf, I would say that one of my top ones is Fools Rush In . It has one of my favorite lines. Matthew Perry says to Salma Hayek as they're about to part forever, but he stops her and says, "... You're the one. You are everything I never knew I always wanted ..." *swoon*

5. Everyone loves Pooh bear and friends...which character are you most like and why? Click here for help in answering this question.

The quizzy thingy said Kanga, and I'd go with that because I like to take care of people and things (though I'm really drawn to Tigger. Such a lovable non-conformist.)

6. What's the best chocolate something you've ever eaten?

That's hard to say. I'd say several things are tied for 1st place, but the Italian Chocolate Cake at Johnny Cario's is one of them.

7. Share a favorite quote about love.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres ... These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor 13:3-7, 13).

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm not quite sure why, but I seem to be noticing Kenneth Branagh all over the place these days. His movies are on tv, and he keeps making appearances on talk shows ... Well, at least he's been on Craig Ferguson quite a few times in the past several months ... Anyway, it makes me feel like something's up.

And I'll only say one more thing about this random thought. If you have never liked or been able to understand Shakespeare, I highly recommend Branagh's production of Much Ado About Nothing. Not only does it have a stellar cast, but it is really understandable and funny!

P.S. I just saw where he's been nominated for an Oscar, so that must be it. :)

Five on Friday - Taking It to the Street

2012-02-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about.

This week I decided to do a form of Musical Progression where one song led me to the next. It all started when I heard "Takin It to the Street" by the Doobie Brothers. I hadn't heard that song in years.

That song made me think of a beautiful duet with Michael McDonald (from the Doobie Brothers) and Patti LaBelle, "On My Own." As I was thinking about Michael McDonald, I was reminded of him singing in the movie Running Scared with Greggory Hines and Billy Crystal. (Billy Crystal trying to be a tough Chicago cop. lol Actually, I thought he was pretty good.)

And funny men trying to be tough police officers naturally led me to Beverly Hills Cop and Eddie Murphy. I will always remember the first time that I saw this film in the theater. My dad and I were visiting my aunt in Phoenix, and we decided to go to a movie. My aunt had heard great things about this new movie Beverly Hills Cop.

The theater was PACKED, and we wound up sitting in the front row. You have to understand that my father was NOT a front row kind of guy. He liked to sit towards the back and on the aisle.

Now, I don't know if it was because the whole thing was larger than life being in the front row and all, but I had never laughed so hard in all my life when Eddie Murphy was swinging around in the back of the semi-trailer during the opening chase scene ... to the "Neutron Dance" by the Pointer Sisters.

That got me to thinking about family groups, and the next thing I knew I was playing music by the Bee Gees. Enough talk. It's time for some music! :)

Then, I have no idea why. I started thinking of the Beatles, but Playlist.com doesn't really have any Beatle music, so I went over to Youtube. The first one that crossed my mind was "A Hard Day's Night."

Hope you have enjoyed my musical progression on this episode of Five on Friday. Have a great weekend!

Defined by Religion 2

2012-02-02T01:34:00.000-07:00

This is the second post in my series of being “Defined by Religion.” (First post here.) The first thing is to explain what I mean by that. What I’m talking about here is how one’s place in society or the community is based on a person’s religious group.

It is something that people in the Middle East have to deal with every day. It probably still is quite important in Northern Ireland though it doesn’t make the papers as often anymore. In these places, and many others around the world, it does not matter if one is particularly “religious” per se. He or she may even consider themselves an atheist, but still be associated with a particular religious group, culturally.

I have lived and visited many places around these United States, and never before have I experienced this phenomenon. My general impression is that people really couldn’t care less what I thought or did as long as I didn’t burn anything down or torture animals. They couldn’t care less whether I was a Christian, believed in astrology, or simply acted like I was the center of the universe (excepting the burning things down or hurting animals mentioned above).

However, in the community that I live right now, they do care. Well, they probably still don’t care what I really believe. Yet, they do care what faith tradition I’m associated with or my family has been associated with, even if I’m not connected to anything in particular.

What does that mean? The lines are very clear between the different groups. There’s very little in the way of “grey area.” Here the pie is pretty much split in three ways: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), all other faith traditions, and atheists (or secular humanists). Now, don’t worry. It’s not as if I expect violence to break out between any of the groups.

Do you notice a group that’s missing there? People who are generally agnostic or have no strong opinion about religion at all, the irreligious as it were. This group was always a large segment of all the other communities that I've lived in. Much of my life, I was a part of it.

Why has this played out here? Because the LDS church feels that it must be set apart from general society, and they encourage community within their group. Therefore, they make a point to socialize together (while avoiding other groups), frequent each others’ businesses, support each other in politics, and so on. They are certainly not the only group in the world (or even in the United States) to do so. Yet, since here they have a strong majority, the other groups feel persecuted. These other groups also congregate and provide similar kinds of support for each other in response.

This causes an interesting dynamic. I participate in a couple of community groups that have a large participation by Christian pastors and church staff, an anti-bullying group and the local interfaith council. They are from many different denominations and all parts of the “political” spectrum from very conservative to very liberal. In other parts of the country, these different denominations would be at each others’ throats, but not here. It really is a case of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” I’ve never seen such ecumenical cooperation. Naturally, the secular-humanists feel especially isolated in this dynamic.

What was especially disturbing is when I was hearing snide and demeaning comments about the LDS church in general and the LDS representative to the anti-bullying committee specifically when he wasn’t there. This was by people who consider themselves very tolerant and open-minded. I was hearing so much negative talk about the LDS church from the people around me that I found myself being sucked into the general attitude. That is no way to have a productive relationship with the LDS church, even if I have to agree to disagree with them in many aspects..

However, there is no middle ground here. You’re on one side or another. You can’t pretend that it doesn’t exist. Even if you are irreligious, you have to self-identify as part of one of the three groups.

When I started thinking about it, I suddenly had greater understanding of and empathy for the people living in the Middle East. That’s how they have to live every day. Yet they aren’t just worrying whether their business will fail because it’s in the wrong part of town. They have to be concerned whether their bus or their place of worship will be the target of a bomber or other form of violence.

And that’s what I mean by having your life defined by religion. It’s not just “over there.” It might be closer than you think. It’s not that I did not have an understanding of this before, but now I understand better.

*****************************

Last week, in the comments, a couple of you were interested in how I decided to become a Christian after a lifetime of agnosticism. I think that next week I’ll start sharing how my life came to be defined by religion, in a different way, a way of my choosing.

See you tomorrow with my Five on Friday, which I actually completed Tuesday night. :)

Hodgepodege

2012-02-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond hosts this Wednesday meme that have some interesting questions. This is my second week, and I'm having fun playing along. Do you want to play?

1. It's that most wonderful time of the year...tax season! Do you complete your own returns or farm that job out to the professionals?

I don't make enough money to need professional help ... for my taxes. ;)

2. This next question comes from Kansas Bob...he posed it in his response to something I asked in an earlier Wednesday post and I asked him if I could add it to the Hodgepodge some day. Today's the day....

Which do you think has changed you more-love or pain?

That is a good question. So many different levels. My first thought was to say pain because I have (mostly subconsciously) crafted my life to avoid being hurt. However, love inspired me leave my safe life and go to seminary, throwing caution to the wind. If it weren't for that love, I wouldn't be in Idaho now.

3. Tangerine Tango has been named color of the year for 2012. Your thoughts? Would I find this color anywhere in your house? How about in your closet? If not, will you be adding this color to your life in some way in 2012? If you're not sure what tangerine tango looks like click here.

I think that I do have something in my house that bears a striking resemblance to "Tangerine Tango" though I don't know if it is an exact match. What I can tell you is that it is a mere coincidence. I acquired the pieces years ago. I would never buy something because it is the it thing of the year. My rebellious nature might even make me resist getting it unless I really loved it. Besides, as a general rule, I'm not drawn to orange though it can make a nice accent color.

4. Are you a collector? What do you collect and does it get admired, used, and/or dusted regularly?

I've tried to be a collector. Does that count? I tried to collect turkey napkin rings, but I found the selection to be too limited. However, they do get to make an appearance around Thanksgiving time. :)

5. February is National Heart Month...besides a green salad what is one tasty heart healthy dish you like to prepare?

I just got a new bottle of extra-virgin olive oil. Olive oil's supposed to be good for your heart. Does that count?

6. When was the last time you had car trouble?

I really wouldn't like to tempt fate by talking about it. lol

7. Have you been more demanding on yourself lately or less? Is that a good trend?

Both? I feel enormous pressure to do my job well, and I work very hard on it. Yet, I also feel that I'm not being nearly as productive as I could or should. It's a good trend if I can turn the pressure into production. I had to spend a lot of time "fighting fires" when I first started. Now, I'm able to do more long range planning (at least a few months out). That should really help with things. (Isn't this exciting? Not! lol)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I want a puppy.

Hope you have a fantabulous Wednesday ... Tune in tomorrow when I talk about religion. I think that I'm going to start calling it Provocative Thursday. :)

January Wordle

2012-01-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

I don't know whether these have become passe. I don't see them as often as I used to, but I like to use them on my blog from time to time. It's kind of a way to take the pulse of the blog. Actually, what could be cool is posting several of the ones that I've done over the years and compare them.

There are several ways to do it. What I usually do is go to the archive and select all the posts for a month and paste the resulting URL where indicated at www.wordle.net/create. In this case I have too many videos, so I copied all the text and pasted it in the "text" area. Played around with the colors and layout a little bit, and Voilà!

As I look at this, I think that my next creative writing assignment is to come up with a story or something based on these words. lol Happy Tuesday!

Five on Friday - Bring the Fire

2012-01-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about.

This week was easy. I just thought Earth, Wind, and Fire, and suddenly I was flooded with songs that I love. Now, I know that the last one says Phil Collins, and he certainly on there. However, it is a duet with Philip Bailey from ... you guessed it ... Earth, Wind, and Fire.

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Defined by Religion

2012-01-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

What does it mean when your life, your existence is defined by religion? This is the first post in a series that will explore this question.

Even though I have spent a good portion of the last 15+ years with my life focused on God and Christianity, I wouldn't say that my existence in society has been defined by religion. As most of that time has been "the Bible Belt" you might find that surprising.

I have always thought it was because of the "freedom of religion" guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. I thought that it contributed to a United States (US) culture where people really didn't care what you thought when it came to your public life.

Much of that attitude came from the fact that there was no change in my social status when I went from being an agnostic to a professing Christian. The only change was how I spent my Sunday mornings and my free time. There was no change in my ability to get or hold a job, my ability to find a place to live, how I was treated at the grocery store, etc.

It didn't matter whether I was in the north or the south. My religion was considered a private affair. I was firmly agnostic when I lived in the north, and the only difference that I noticed during my frequent visits after becoming Christian was that there were a lot more people practicing their religion there than I had ever realized.

Perhaps, I didn't experience any difference to my public life because Christianity was the dominant religion. Any discrimination that I observed toward people of other faiths, I attributed to racism (Muslim, Hindu, Buddist ...) more than due to the religion itself. Not that I didn't try to combat those attitudes in any case.

What brings all of this up, you ask? I am now living in a place that is predominantly "European" (like 95%), and Mormons or member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) make up the majority. You may have heard of them. It's come up from time to time during the Republican presidential primary process. ;)

I can tell you, it makes for a very different social dynamic where many of the other variables have been removed.

On Thursday for the next several weeks, I plan to explore this question of being defined by religion. I invite you to come along.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

2012-01-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

I've been out exploring again ... exploring online that is, and I came across this Wednesday thing that looks kind of fun. Are you game?

1. The NFL playoffs were held this past weekend and this year's Superbowl lineup will feature The New York Giants versus The New England Patriots. How do you define 'patriot'?

There's nothing like staying away from the controversial, and this is nothing like staying away from the controversial.

I would define a "patriot" as someone who does something for the benefit of their country despite great personal risk. That doesn't sound too controversial, does it? However, how does one define "something for the benefit?" Some would say that the private who leaked the classified information to Wiki-leaks to be a patriot. Others would call the person who turned him in to the authorities as a patriot. It really depends on one's perspective.

Could they both be patriots? The founders of the United States are considered patriots here, but by British standards they were traitors. Is it the historians who really make the decision?

2. What's something in your life right now that feels like a 'giant'?

The responsibility I have at the church to inject enthusiasm into the congregation to get it to multiply and grow.

3. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think back to being 18?

That all of the drama caused me to experience a mini-nervous breakdown. No desire to revisit that! lol

4. Coconut-mashed potatoes-vanilla ice cream-mayonnaise...which white food would be the hardest to give up?

The first thing that came to mind is the flavor combination, which was not appetizing. I really don't have an insatiable need of any of those items. I've had months and sometimes years without some of them passing my lips. However, I guess mayonnaise would be the hardest. I prefer savory over about any other flavor combo. Mayo really adds to that.

5. Describe an incident or a day you remember as the coldest you've ever experienced?

Time fogs the memory, and it's been a long time since I had to be outside when it was -25˚ outside. That doesn't even count the windchill. (Though we've had a few nights when it got to -15˚ since I've been in Idaho.) But as I think about it, anytime when you have to hang out when it's -25˚, it's not pleasant.

If you don't have the right scarf or something else to put in front of your nose and mouth, the water vapor in your lungs will begin to freeze, so it hurts to breathe. Whenever I had to walk anywhere for any length of time, like to school, I would make sure that there was no skin exposed. Then with sunglasses or something to protect my eyes, I would look like the abominable snowman or, at the very least, a wintery mummy.

Luckily, while I was in the south, I never got rid of my cold weather gear, so I'm all set for whatever Mother Nature throws at me.

6. You're hosting a brunch...what's your favorite dish to prepare and serve?

If we're talking easiest, I would say muffins. They have the bonus of being good too. If it's an informal family brunch, it would be pancakes, french toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, and maybe some fried potatoes. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

7. How do you combat negative thinking?

I have several methods depending on the cause. 1) Allow myself to feel it fully without guilt. If I'm angry with someone, trying to suppress it or pretend I don't feel it can have dire consequence. More than anything, it results in the feelings resurfacing and continued resentment. If I acknowledge the anger, I can resolve my feelings quicker and move on.

2) Distraction. If I'm stuck in a rut of negative thinking, sometimes distracting myself with a movie or something else fun can break the cycle. It's kind of like a reset button.

3) Writing out my feelings, developing a plan. If the negativity is due to something outside of my control, or is more complicated, writing it out can help to purge my feelings of helplessness. And since, I never completely believe that I am entirely helpless, making a plan to combat the situation give me hope that the circumstances can change.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We had a little dusting of snow last night. I decided that I can like snow if it doesn't become a road hazard. It can even make the place look pretty. :)

Well, that wasn't too bad, was it? Some interesting questions. They certainly made me think! Have a great Wednesday!

Sunset Silhouette

2012-01-22T22:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why, but I've always been a sucker for sunsets. Not quite as fond of sunrises, but that may be because I subconsciously resent having to be awake that early. lol

I saw this one as I was leaving work last week, and I couldn't resist. (Though the photo really doesn't do it justice.)

Hope you have a marvelous week! :)

Five on Friday - Anniversary Eddition

2012-01-20T03:00:00.006-07:00

Happy Anniversary to Travis and his Five on Friday meme! I haven't been playing the whole time, but now it's just a part of my Friday. I love music, and this gives me an excuse to get lost in it.

If you'd like to join in, here are the guidelines:

Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back to Trav's Thoughts.
Pick five songs from Playlist.com, Youtube, Vimeo, etc.You may choose a particular theme to share with us, or post random tunes if that's your vibe for the day. You can simply post the Set, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.
Be sure to sign Mr Linky @ Trav's Thoughts so everyone can visit your Set.No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

This week in honor of the anniversary, I decided to count my way up to five. Either through the song title or the name of the artist, we'll do our count.

We start it off with The Chiffons and "One Fine Day"

Next we have Ella Fitzgerald "Tea for Two"

Now, it's time for a little Three Dog Night and "Joy to the World" (Man, it's a good thing that I never saw these guys when I was learning to love the song. I might have been scarred for life. lol)

Then there's Gloria Estefan with "1-2-3-4"

And finally we wrap it up with one of my favorite Jackson 5 songs, "The Love You Save". (Warning, it stops rather suddenly at the end.)

Happy Anniversary again Travis! It was a great idea. And everyone have a great weekend!

Where in the World ...

2012-01-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

Before I got sidetracked by Chinese traffic circles (They were the bane of my driving existence in Washington D.C.), I had been looking at some sample pictures that came with my computer. They included the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids of Egypt, and the Eiffle Tower at night. I wouldn't be surprised if they were on your computer too.

Naturally, as I clicked through the pictures, I thought about how nice it would be to visit some of these places. Some of them, I've already been lucky enough to visit. But then I thought, Where would I like to go the most? Someplace I had never been before.

Since I got sidetracked on a Chinese traffic circle, you have probably already guessed that my special destination is in China. Since I did my senior thesis on 19th Century China, I have developed rather a soft spot for the place. 5,000 years of history before Europeans arrived and messed with it.

The Li River is especially attractive to me for some reason. I have seen it from time to time in films. I have never seen topography like this before. It seems so beautiful to me. I long to go there.

Here's where it is relative to the rest of the country.

So, where is the one place in the world ... someplace that you've never been before ... that you would like to go?

And You Think You Have Traffic Problems

2012-01-14T23:01:00.001-07:00

I was working on different post, and I came across something that trumped it, this picture. It is from 2007 in Xiamen, China.

It almost seems beyond comprehension, and that was five years ago? I can only imagine what it's like now. And you thought traffic was bad where you live. ;)

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-426647/Forget-motorway-congestion--em-em-traffic-jam.html

Five on Friday - Some Groovy Love

2012-01-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about.

I'm a little late with this today. Went on a little road trip today in celebration of Friday the 13th. A long time ago, I decided that it would be my good luck day. It's just my perverse nature, I guess. And, I had a wonderful day, but alas, it kept me away from the 'puter. (And a good thing too. My back was killing me.)

These are just some love songs that I love to sing along with. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Have a good weekend!

Downton Abbey

2012-01-11T20:05:00.002-07:00

I'm probably the last person to finally get on board with this British Edwardian Era period piece, but I'm already instantly addicted. It's only in the last couple of weeks that I was even able to pull in my local PBS station.

I was trying to figure out why I avoided Downton Abbey last year. It wasn't because I didn't have access. Even though I was deep in thesis writing, it was the winter break between semesters, so I even had access to cable and everything! lol

Yet, I remember purposely avoiding it. I heard the buzz, but I was getting some kind of negative vibe. You know how people can pretend to like something "artistic" because they're "supposed" to like opera or modern art? That's what it sounded like to me, like people were trying too hard. I also had a bad taste in my mouth about the last couple of Masterpiece Theater selections that I'd seen. There was a bit too much child abuse and child exploitation. I'm aware of it, but I can't watch that kind of stuff for entertainment.

But I digress ... The show is set at the country estate of the fictional Earl of Grantham. It follows the lives of its residents including the Earl, his wife, and his three daughters as well as the many household staff.

I could tell you that the house is magnificent, the costumes stunning, and that it is "beautifully photographed." All of that is true ...

But those things did not drive me to the Downton Abbey website at PBS to see if I could watch the past episodes. It was the story and development of the characters that made me stay up to the wee hours of the morning as I caught up and came to understand why the people treated each other as they did.

One of the things that I liked was watching the relationship between family and staff. The fact that there even is a relationship depicted seems rather unusual for one of these films. What that does for me is humanize everyone. It helps me to have sympathy for Lady Mary, despite all of the despicable things she does, when she arranges for one of the staff to visit his mother on her deathbed.

Of course, it's terribly romantic. I am cut to the heart when two of the staff who are very much in love constantly have roadblocks put in their path. It's a wonder that I haven't gone through a box of tissue yet.

But it's not all romance. There's plenty of politics, economics, and intrigue that plays out on the screen though I'll admit that the vehicle for that bears a striking resemblance to romance. However, if you really think about it, it's really a social commentary about how women had to use manipulation because it was the only form of power they had over their own lives.

So, if you like that sort of thing, this is one of the best examples of the genre. Don't miss it. I certainly don't intend to.

Five on Friday - Here's Brian

2012-01-06T03:00:00.004-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about.

This week I was feeling a little Brian Setzer. I've loved him since way back to the Stray Cats days. If these songs don't at least make you feel like doing a little "chair dancing," check your pulse. You might be dead. ;) LOL

Might as well start it off with one of his first singles with The Stray Cats, "The Stay Cat Strut." Gosh, they were so young!

Next comes a favorite of mine from the Vavoom! Album, Americano.

Now, just to let you catch your breath for a moment. I'm going to slow it down with Gloria. As a general rule, it was pretty hard to find videos that weren't "Live." I know that I'm breaking some commandment somewhere, but I prefer the recordings. Maybe as a dancer, I prefer the consistency. In any case, I could only find Live versions of this song, but it's pretty good. :)

Next, comes what I think of as Brian Setzer's tribute to Bobby Darin. Love how it changes musical styles at the end.

And last but not least, we finish off with what has actually become my favorite Stray Cat song, Look at that Cadillac. And believe you me, Brian has a things for Cadillacs. On one of his other albums, he has another love song to one. (Unfortunately, I couldn't find a good recording of that song.)

Hope you enjoyed my tribute week to Brian. Have a good weekend!

2011 Wrap Up

2011-12-31T03:00:00.001-07:00

For the past several years, I've been doing this same meme to end one year and to begin a new. I like this one because it's not too long, but it's still a good review. Last year, I did it a few weeks late, so it didn't make it on the blog. However, I've found that considering these same questions each year helps me to better understand where I'm coming from and where I'm heading to. So, you get to go with me on my trip down memory lane.

1. What was the best thing that happened to you personally in 2011?

I had a few "bests" this year: a) Getting my Masters; b) Getting a job in "my field;" c) Being reunited with my stuff. It's not that I'm the most materialist person in the world (nor am I the least), but there's something to be said about sleeping in your own bed (or lying on your own couch). There's comfort level there that you can't get elsewhere, no matter how nice the surroundings are.

2. What was the worst thing that happened to you personally in 2011?

Moving away from West Texas without any reasonable expectation of return. I realize that no one can tell what the future will bring. If someone would have told me this time last year that I'd be living in Idaho, I would have told them that they were crazy. It's just that I think it was the first time that I wasn't more than ready to leave one place for the next. The only possible exception to that was when we moved from Germany. I really loved it there too. And it's not that I don't love Idaho and love where I'm working. I do love it, but still miss West Texas.

3. What was the best thing to happen to all of us in 2011?

Arab Spring. It's self-determination. It's the French Revolution of the Muslim world. Hopefully, it won't turn as radical as the French Revolution. But the fact that it is organic and not impossed is a wonderful thing.

4. What was the worst thing to happen to all of us in 2011?

The stupid political games in Washington. (And the 24 hour news cycle.) Do they have to make everything a crisis every time? They're idiots. At the moment, I'm not sure of whom I have a lower opinion, Republicans or Democrats. Last year, the lame-duck Democrats where winning in spades (in the low opinion poll), but this year it's pretty much neck and neck.

5. What was the best gift you received during the ’11 holidays?

The gift of peace and tranquility on Christmas Day. I had, what I consider, the best of both worlds. I had many invitations to Christmas festivities, so I felt wanted and appreciated. However, after all of the craziness of the last couple of weeks, I just wanted to go home and put my feet up. I did, and it was wonderful.

I'm an introverted person. That doesn't mean that I don't like people or that I'm shy. What it means is that being with a lot of people for long periods of time drains my energy, and I need recovery time, alone. I think that it was one of my happiest Christmases in recent memory. (Though the one the year before last at my mother's was pretty darn good.)

6. What was the best gift (most appropriate or best received) you gave during the ’11 holidays?

My step-father, Butch, is the winner in this category for the second year in a row. He's a retired mechanic (auto and aviation), and he loves NASCAR. There are some gloves that the pit-crews always wear, and he loves them. He also uses them all the time, so he always needs new ones. Well, I think that because I'm in Idaho, I was able to get some heavier weight ones that 1) will be more durable and 2) will be warmer during the winter. Even though it might not get as cold in Tennessee as it does in Idaho, it gets cold enough. They were a real surprise, and he was very pleased.

7. Do you have any regrets about what you did in 2011?

Not really. As always, not everything went exactly "as planned," but I can't think of a thing that I would have done differently under the same circumstances.

8. Do you have any regrets about what you didn’t do in 2011?

I wish that I could have seen more of the surrounding area around Washington D.C. before I had to leave. I wish that I could have made it up to NJ & NYC, but it really was a question of the limitations of time and space. I did come to be rather fond of Bethesda.

9. Resolutions for 2012? Now’s the time for them.
I was looking at my resolutions from last year ...

Review Resolutions from 2011

1. Definitely need to be bold and proactive about pursing employment, both while in school and after.
I really tried to do this. Perhaps, I could have started looking a littler earlier, but I had to finish my thesis. I certainly didn't put it off until the last minute. Even though I was on the cusp of giving the job hunting a rest for a while, it was the last resume that I submitted that turned out to be the one.

2. Developing the closer relationship with God.
This is always a work in progress. As strange as it sounds, I both feel closer to God, and yet it seems like the same distance. What it doesn't feel is intimately close, like a best friend. I've been there before, and I want to get there again.

3. Don’t procrastinate. Figure out the difference between being efficient with my work and procrastinating. I learned with some pretty intense assignments that I can do good work when I give myself adequate time. It doesn’t look like I’m going to be overloaded with work (except possibly towards the end of the semester). If I’m smart about it, I should be able to do good work and avoid crisis.

It worked out pretty well, as far as the school load is concerned. That was until I realized that I had to turn in all my papers and take all my finals a week early. (And professors were adjusting the schedules.) However, having that final week to relax and my mom and step-dad to some special places around D.C. before graduation was nice.

I, also, think that I've improved with this over-all, but I admit that I'm still a down to the wire type girl. There's that fine line between pacing oneself and poor time management. I'm still working that out. ;)

Resolutions for 2012 -
Ah, this is the hard part. This past year one of the stars on my Blog Roll, Stacy @ The Cat's Meow, did an amazing thing. She made a detailed and ambitious list of goals. If she didn't achieve all of them, she made quite a few. She has inspired me not to be so vague.

See a medical health professional some time this year. Let's just say that I haven't been to see anyone, besides the pharmacy dept at Wallgreens to have a flu shot, in some years. Maybe it's time.
Spend less time on the computer. oooOOOooo ... this might be a tough one. But I've already stopped doing some online stuff, and that's helped. It'll give me more time to do things in the real world (and get to bed a little earlier). The problem is that it's part of my routine (and my desk chair is very comfortable). What I don't mean is that I'll stop blogging. This is an important creative and social outlet for me.
Speaking of blogging. I'd like to average about 3 posts per week. There's still no "obligation." (See the badge in my sidebar.) However, I like there to be something regular. I don't feel the need to do it daily, but one thing that the NaBloPoMo taught me was that it doesn't have to be that hard.
To get involved in some activity that's not church related. I have loved being immersed in everything at the church. I love the people. I love the things that we do, but I can't make "real" friendships there. I can't talk to them about my worries and concerns. I certainly can't talk about anyone who might be annoying me. I'm supposed to be there for them, but the way things stand now, I really don't have any friends. I need to expand my horizons.
I still want to get closer in my relationship with God. Yes, this one's still on the vague side. It's also impossible to perfect, but it's a part of life's journey. I have a plan that's more specific, but that's gonna be my little secret. ;)

Gosh, the goals are always the hardest part, but in the end, they're the most rewarding ... as long as I actually do something to accomplish them.

A New Year. A blank slate. A chance to begin again. Who knows what this year will bring? What will you do to start?

Five on Friday - New Year's Eddition

2011-12-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about.

As I promised, nothing that even resembles Christmas music until next season. Now, our eyes turn to New Year's, and what do we think of for New Year's ... Well, one thing anyway is Party Time!

This week I chose what I think are some great party songs. They're high energy songs that make me want to get up and dance. At first I was thinking I'd go for an all Cha-Cha set, but a Salsa/Merengue (depending on your mood) and a Samba made it in. Can you guess which ones they are? (That's for you Dancing with the Stars aficionados.)

You might also notice that the Gloria Estefan selection sounds suspiciously like the beginning of "Smooth" by Santana. That's because Carlos Santana is featured at the beginning of the song.

Okay kids ... Party like it's ... 2011.

Have a great (and safe) weekend!

My Friend Mary

2011-12-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

I've got to tell you about my new friend Mary. She lives across the street from my apartment complex. She's a woman who used to go to the church that I work at every single week, but like many, she's stopped going. Mary's 92 years old.

When the people in the church were helping me to move into my apartment, several of them told me that I needed to go see Mary. She never comes to church anymore, and someone should really check on her.

One day in October, I was putting something into my storage locker, and I noticed a man working in Mary's yard. He looked like an older gentleman, but he was pulling up all the spent Dahlias in the garden. (I later found out that he's 93.) I decided that it was the time for my visit.

That was when I met Mary's husband Jim. He encouraged me to go up to the house and see his wife. What would would you imagine that I found? From what everyone said, I expected to find a frail, home bound woman who was in ill health and holding on by a fingernail. Ummmm ... that would be a fair description of the opposite of what I found.

I found a spritely woman in full possession of her faculties who stands up straight and moves around easily. She kept offering to make me dinner. (I politely but firmly refused.) We had a wonderful visit, and I assured her and her husband that I would be back soon.

You might think that this is a story about presumptions or jumping to conclusions but not so.

Apparently, Mary walked over to my apartment complex on the icy sidewalk and parking lot on Christmas Day to deliver a present to me. She didn't find my apartment. She stopped one door too soon. She called me the next day to ask about the location of my apartment. It was in the course of conversation that I found out that she fell off a half step at the bottom of my stoop on Christmas Day.

She assured me that she was fine. You can only imagine what I thought. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I was just sick about what might have happened. And the thing is that I probably was home at the time, and I didn't hear a thing. I told her that I would be over today to see her. And, did I believe that she was fine? Of course not. How many 92 women do you know that could fall on concrete and not injure themselves?

What did I find when I saw Mary, today? I found the same spritely, sharp witted women that I met back in October. She said that she had been a bit stiff on Monday, but she was moving around just like someone who's 50 (or younger). I could hardly believe my eyes.

And yes, she still gave me some delicious goodies.

Mary still doesn't go to church. It's not because she's not physically able. She drives her car around town all the time. Rather, the echos in the sanctuary don't mesh well with her hearing aid. She doesn't see the point, and I don't blame her. Besides, I think that she thinks that all those young whipper snappers in their 70's and 80's aren't active enough for her. ;)

P.S. I've made her promise not to come over here until after all the winter snow and ice has melted away. Oy!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

I wish you the Merriest of Christmases.

Funniest Gifs

Five on Friday - A Spiritual Christmas

2011-12-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about. This is an extra special one because it is the 100th edition! Congratulations and a big thank you to Travis for hosting this!

So yes, this is my third week of what Travis has referred to as "December" themed music. However, this week I'm tipping towards the spiritual side. The rest of the month, I decided to keep it at the other end of the spectrum, but now that we're really getting to it (Christmas, I mean), I thought it was time to let the other side of me be expressed.

I promise. No more December music until ... well ... next December. But these are really some beautiful songs. Enjoy!

(Pssst ... You may need to turn the volume up a little on the first song, but then turn it back down for the rest.)

Seasons Greetings & Happy Holidays!

Sherlock Holmes

2011-12-18T21:06:00.002-07:00

I guess that all the hilarity of this week got to me. Between the bell ringing on Wed and Caroling at nursing homes yesterday, I got to the point where I was at the end of my emotional rope.

So, what did I do? I went to the movies! I love to go to the movies. As I was trying to figure out what was available to see, I realized that this is the first time in 10 years that I haven't either been anticipating a Lord of the Rings film or a Harry Potter. That makes me kind of sad. (Though I've just seen where The Hobbit is filming with the same director and much of the same cast, but that's another story)

With no longstanding beloved franchise to turn to I had to access my memory banks. Ah yes, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The last one was a bit graphic in its violence for my taste, but it should do in a pinch.

Let me tell you, I made an excellent choice. The perfect thing to draw me out of my funk. Not only was it "beautifully photographed," it was clever, witty, and exciting. Holmes is up against his most ruthless adversary Prof. Moriarty.

It just opened this weekend, so I don't want to give out any spoilers. However, it should be safe to tell you that the British comedy legend, Stephen Fry, appears in several scenes, which, of course, he steals. (Were there enough commas in that sentence? I should probably go back and check. lol)

And then, there was a Swiss castle that I'm not sure is a real place. It was incredibly beautiful, but with the way it was placed in the side of the mountain, it seemed impossible to get to. Nevertheless, I want to believe it was real. I would love to visit it someday. :)

This isn't really telling you why I would recommend this film (at least not in a way that would make anyone else want to see it). What I will tell you is that Holmes does come up with a disguise that is so perfect that I could not tell. (And no, it's not when he's dressed up as a woman, as has been so heavily featured in the movie trailers and advertisements.)

See it because it's fun. See it because it really is a political commentary on how "the more things change; the more they stay the same." See it because you want to see the "charming" way that they curled Stephen Fry's hair, or see it because you love a good action/adventure flick.

A Christmas Musical Progression

2011-12-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about.

This week has a twist that Travis will throw in from time to time. It's Musical Progression. The idea is that something from one song must have led you to your next. What that means is that I won't be playing around with the order of the songs after I've picked them to decide in which order they sound best. You'll get to follow the thought process that inspired them in the first place.

Travis has some suggestions for inspiration: 1) Come up with a progression that simply strikes your fancy; 2) Define 2011 with a progression; or 3) Come up with a progression that sets up your expectations for 2012. I'm mostly going with the first choice with a wrinkle. Last week, I featured the ladies performing Christmas and/or Winter songs. This week will feature the men.

Starting off with one of my favorite male singers, Harry Connick Jr. with a song that I just heard last year for the first time, "Santariffic." But I was instantly in love. So jazzy, so sassy!

And so, that led me to another one of my favorite singers, Michael Bublé with "I'll Be Home for Christmas."

One of the suggested videos while I was playing "I'll Be Home..." was a for a Michael Bublé "Christmas" trailer. I clicked on it wondering what it was about, and he started to (badly) sing "Christmas in Killarney" as a joke. Made me wonder if that song was on his new Christmas album, so I started looking for that. Alas, no. While Michael says in the trailer that he was highly influenced by the Bing Crosby album on which that song appears, he does not sing it. I guess that we'll just have to go with the original by The Bingle (which is what my dad liked to call him).

I'm not quite sure what happened after that, but things definitely took a turn. I saw something about the "12 Days of Christmas," and the next thing that I knew, I was at Strange Brew's 12 Days of Christmas!

Once I was onto the silly songs, I couldn't turn back. This one isn't technically by a "male singer," but he is the lead singer with Elmo & Patsy's "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."

When I was a kid, I bought the whole album, and there were really some cute (and at least I think) original songs. Here's bonus track, "Percy the Puny Poinsettia."

Have a good weekend!

Ring Those Bells

2011-12-14T23:41:00.000-07:00

I did something for the first time today. I rang the bell for the Salvation Army in front of a grocery store. I really found it invigorating.

I was a bit nervous about it. The people that I usually see doing it, often look like it's the last thing that they'd want to do in the world. They look so sad and miserable. And I'll tell the truth. I often avoid their eyes because I can't give them money. It's either because I don't have it to give, or I've already given. More than anything, I didn't want to be that kind of bell ringer.

I had a plan. Besides having an idiot elf hat to wear ... I've decided that the more that someone is willing to look like a fool, the more worthy the cause-lol ...I was inspired by the opening scene of the film, Holiday Inn, where Fred Astaire gives a lesson to the bell ringer set up to some kids busking playing music and dancing.

I brought a cd player (old fashioned, I know in these days of iPods), and played music throughout my two-hour shift. I rang the bell to the music. I had fun with it, syncopating when the jazzy ones were on and generally bee-bopping along. I'm convinced that it made me less intimidating.

The people passing by seemed to enjoy it, and I actually got more money out of the deal. Oh, and bonus ... the time went by a lot quicker. I might be tempted to sign up for two shifts next year. :)

My Teeny-Tiny Tinsel Tree

2011-12-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

I really wasn't sure if I was going to decorate my apartment for Christmas this year. It felt like a big hassle. And, I figured that if I didn't feel passionate about it, I really shouldn't do it.

Buying a new tree. Finding a space. Meh. Then, I had to go down to my storage unit to pick up something for church, and I saw it. There was a little tinsel tree that I had picked up several years ago from Hobby Lobby.

It's so sparkly that I wouldn't have to add lights or even ornaments if I didn't want to. Then, I saw a small box. Maybe, my little ornaments would be in it. Well, they weren't my tiniest, but they were some of my favorites. Well ... I couldn't resist.

May I present my teeny-tiny tinsel tree. :)

Hope you have a great week!

Five on Friday - Christmas Girls

2011-12-09T11:24:00.001-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about.

This week my set is dedicated to women singing secular Christmas (or Winter) songs. As I've looked over many of my song lists, I don't have a lot of women represented. And the women that I do have often have been because I specifically wanted to have some diversity. (What can I say? I'm a woman that likes to be serenaded by a man. :D)

So here's to the girls! (btw the song listed by Diana Ross is really Diana Krall. Not sure what's up with that. lol)

Have a great weekend!

The Muppets

2011-12-03T03:00:00.003-07:00

I went to see the new Muppet movie last night, and I received an unsuspected surprise. After the "coming attractions," we had an honest to goodness cartoon before the movie! It was a Toy Story mini-adventure! Awesome!

Now, that I think about it. It seems that I recall a cartoon before another Disney children's movie, where they put on a Mickey Mouse short. It had to have been over two years ago because I'm sure I was in West Texas when I saw it. But, if I have to say, I love it when they do that ... Instead of having commercials in addition to the coming attractions. (The movie house may have had those too, but I got there a few minutes late.)

But on with the show ....

I'm a child of the 70s & 80s, so I was brought up with the Muppets. First, it was on Sesame Street, where Kermit got his "big break." Then, it was The Muppet Show, itself, where I was introduced to all of these fabulous characters. The Muppet Christmas Carol is my favorite of all the Christmas Carol movies. In fact, it's in my DVD player right now.

The point is that I'm a true fan. I might not be as big a fan as Jason Segel, who is reported to have muppets/puppets all over his home. However, I do have a Kermit stuffed animal that I received at least ... ummm ... well ... a lot of years ago, anyway. That stuffed animal has lived in almost as many states as I have, and let me tell you, that's saying something.

I'm really glad that Jason Segel had the power and drive to get this movie made. I really only have one criticism. It took too long to get to major muppet scenes. I didn't time it, but it felt like the first half of the movie was mainly people ... you know ... flesh and blood humans. Too many song and dance numbers. What did they think they were, a 50's style musical? They were definitely spoofing that, but The Muppet Show was never about that.

Once they got around to having scenes with mostly muppet characters, I really loved it. The old energy came back. What's really wonderful is that the second half of the picture was great! There were also some great cameos. Bottom line. I left the theater bouncing along, happy in my thoughts.

I really hope this film does well. I would love to see me some more Muppet adventures on a regular basis!

Five on Friday - A Random Friday

2011-12-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. All you do is choose 5 songs to share with the class. I'm using Playlist.com, but it can be through Youtube, Vimeo, or whatever you want. The songs can be themed or not. Whatever strikes your fancy. This week Travis doesn't have his post up, so he may be experiencing technical difficulties. However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't continue to play.

This week my selection is kind of random. The first couple of choices (not in the order on my playlist) were songs I loved but by singers/groups who had a least one other song that I really hated. (Though they were played on the radio incessantly.) At first that was going to be my "theme," but I couldn't really find any other artists that I felt that way about. Therefore, I branched out. ;)

Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

P.S. In two weeks (Dec 16th), we're going to have a special episode of Five on Friday called Musical Progression, where the thoughts of one song leads you to the next. Travis has got some alternative ideas to consider.

November Wrap Up

2011-11-30T03:00:00.010-07:00

I made it! To the last post of the November NaBloPoMo! I can hardly believe it. I'm glad I did it, but I'm also glad that I don't have to do it anymore. But perhaps, what it has done is get me back into the habit of posting more frequently, now that I'm no longer in school. I don't have to be intimidated by the blank space.

To finish up the month, I thought it would be fun to have a kind of summary.

You can get one of your very own at Wordle.net. It will take the text from one page of entries on your blog and create a picture. You can edit the color choices, the font, the number of words used, and more.

If you want a whole month of blogs, like I did, go to your blog archive and choose the month that you'd like to feature. You should get a bunch of blog entries (depending on how many you did that month).

Thank you everyone who has supported me with your comments all this month. I have really appreciated it! See you in December.

P.S. This is my 200th post. *squeee*

Caption This

2011-11-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

What groovy captions can you come up to go with this? Go ahead. You know you want to. ;)

Here's one of mine ...

Can someone turn on the A/C? The humidity is killing me here!

I know you punsters out there could have a field day with this. :D

Happy Birthday Claire

2011-11-28T03:00:00.001-07:00

I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook as I may have mentioned in a post earlier this month. One of the things I love is getting glimpses into the lives of the people I care about who live far-far away. Some of these are the Koreans that I lived and studied with at seminary.

Recently, some friends posted pictures of their child's first birthday party. In Korea, the first year party or Dol is a big deal. It is an elaborate party with traditional dress and special rituals.

The thing that captured my attention, in addition to those happy people is the incredibly carved watermelon on the bottom left of the photo. This is no crudely cut fruit basket but a finely carved flower.

What I learned is that this is an Asian art form incredible to behold.

So, Happy Birthday, Claire! May your life be filled with bounty and joy, but most of all, love.

(And welcome to Sammy Oh, born on November 24th, Thanksgiving day to parents Mikang Kim and Paul DongHwan Oh!)

The Watercolor Test

2011-11-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't done one of these quizzes in a very long time, and I always thought that they were kind of fun. I have been very proud that I haven't done any this month so far, but time's running out. So a little frivolity on a Sunday.

You Are Highly Inspiring

You believe that your life has a higher purpose, and you do all you can to achieve it.

You are wise, and a lot of your wisdom comes from self discipline.

You try to live as moderately and modestly as possible.

You make room for rational, small indulgences... while living as ethically as you can.

The Watercolor Test

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything

Blog Decoration

2011-11-26T03:00:00.001-07:00

So yes, I know. I complained about early Christmas music. And I just spent the last two months unpacking and arranging things in my apartment, so I can't bear to think about trying to rearrange things for Christmas decorations and a tree.

But do you know what? It's almost effortless to decorate your blog for Christmas (or any other current season or event you like). The hardest part is choosing one. This year I decided to complete my mid-century modern look with this retro spread.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a safe Black Friday. I decided to stay in. It's scary out there. :)

Five on Friday - Latin Inferno

2011-11-25T03:00:00.002-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about.

Since last week I featured a little bit of country, I thought that Latin would be a nice change of pace this week. Unfortunately I couldn't find most of what I wanted on Playlist.com this week, so I'm Youtubing it. The good news is that many of these have some great videos attached. (Notice I said "some." lol)

As always, I hope that you enjoy these as much as I did picking them out.

A Mis Abuelos by Arturo Sandoval (The music really changes @ 2:00.)

Con Los Anos Que Me Quedan by Gloria Estefan

Mambo #5 - Disney Version (I like this version better than the original. The only change is in some of the lyrics.)

Daddy - A little cha-cha by the incredible Della Reese!

La Cumparsita with great dancing from Tango Fire.

Have a great weekend!

It Feels Like It's 103˚ in Here!

2011-11-24T07:00:00.001-07:00

I've been baking pies. My house now smells like pumpkin and sugar. Yum!

I've missed not having a kitchen. And now, I have a huge one.

Okay, so my kitchen table's a little cluttered. It's the "lived in" look. Apparently, it's all the rage now according to the Making of HGTV, The Magazine (or something like that-lol).

Anyway, I love it! I can make whatever I want, whenever I want. I don't have to worry about bothering anyone or being judged by what I eat.

And, I can even make a pumpkin pie.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

OMG! Do I Have a Social Life?

2011-11-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

Despite taking great pains to decorate my space and jealously pouring over Williams-Sonoma catalogs for the past 30 years (Yes, I started young. lol) I haven't had that many opportunities to entertain.

I'm not quite sure about all the reasons, but here in Idaho, I'm finally getting my chance. For one thing, so many people at the church that I'm working at were very kind to me. This especially applies to the people that helped me move my stuff into my apartment.

And I'm actually receiving invitations. This is something that's basically unheard of in my life. Naturally, one needs to reciprocate, right? I think that part of this has to do with my job at the church.

Even though I'm not ordained clergy, the people there are basically treating me as the associate pastor. There's some justification for this, in as much as my duties are pretty close to those of an associate pastor. I actually had to ask one nice lady to stop introducing me to people as "our new pastor." (Trust me. I did it very diplomatically.) And besides which, they seem to really like me.

In any case, now that I'm finally fully unpacked, and my apartment no longer looks like a disaster area, I could start repaying all the kindness shown to me. My first guests had to be Tom & Maureen Holmes. They are the lovely couple that allowed me to stay with them my first three weeks in Idaho. (They're the ones with the deer living in their yard.)

Better guests could not be imagined. Wine was drunk. Easy conversation was made. The food turned out good. I finished off the rest of my Italian Parsley. I even provided a bit of a show when I turned on the wrong burner on the stove, and it had a burner cover on it!

I couldn't figure out why I was seeing, what I thought was, steam, but my sauce wasn't simmering. When the burner cover started turning black, and the smoke started having a certain scent, I began to suspect the truth. Luckily, it was all resolved before the stoke detector went off. lol

Finished off with some fresh strawberries and a cup of tea. (Did I mention that Maureen is English?) They properly ooh-ed and ahhh-ed over my apartment. It was a wonderful evening.

Whom shall I invite next? :)

Come Along ... If You Want

2011-11-22T03:00:00.010-07:00

Only eight more days left of the National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) challenge! Actually, it hasn't been nearly as tough as I thought it might be. While every post hasn't necessarily been the height of literary greatness, overall, I think that the content has been pretty solid. I'm really enjoying the experience.

Apparently, one significant thing happened to the whole NaBloPoMo franchise this month. It relocated or was incorporated into BlogHer, a website/platform/whatever whose focus is to promote women bloggers. Their vision statement is:

To create opportunities for women who blog to gain exposure, education, community and economic empowerment

And you know what, that's great. I have no issue with supporting and empowering women. What I don't understand is why this is the place to host NaBloPoMo? Is this now a "female" event? Should it really be FeNaBloPoMo?

Are men excluded from participating? No, not exactly. In the kickoff post for November, we are told, "Yes, men are always welcome on BlogHer." That's fine in theory, but in reality, I find male voices conspicuous by their absence.

This month I have seen one, one male participant, who acknowledges that he may be the only man playing this month. That doesn't mean that there aren't others, but it can't be many.

It's like a woman going out for a night on the town with the girls, and turning to her guy and saying, "Come along ... if you want." It appears that it's an invitation that many men have been quite willing to refuse.

One of the things that I wanted to do during this challenge is expand my blog circle. As mentioned on Vinny Bond's blog last Friday, many of the people on my blog roll aren't as active or as interested in blogging as they used to be. The prolific posting during this monthly challenge proves that there are plenty of people out there who are active, but I'd like to hear from some men too.

I think that BlogHer is great, and I think that NaBloPoMo is great. I just don't think that they're great together.

It almost seems ungrateful for me to be complaining about this. After all, according to my stats, I've had over 3300 "reads" of my posts since the beginning of the month. That's almost half as many as I've had on this blog for over 3 years.

I've had a featured NaBloPoMo post (which provided over 1100 of those reads). Moreover, my post from yesterday is/was listed as the featured sports story on the home page for the whole BlogHer website (of which NaBloPoMo is only a small part).

Let me be clear in saying that I am very grateful and honored by the exposure that I've had at BlogHer. All I'm just sayin' is it would be nice to have more men in this month's NaBloPoMo.

Falling Back in Love with Football

2011-11-21T03:00:00.011-07:00

There is a memory of my dad that I will never forget. He was in the Army, and we were stationed in Germany in the mid-70's. He ran down the hall from his bedroom to share his joy. The Vikings had just scored a touchdown!

It was one of the rare weeks when the Minnesota Vikings were being carried on the Armed Forces radio network. (Yes, I said radio.) You think it's bad when your favorite sports team isn't being shown on your local tv station? Think about it when you're thrilled that it's on the radio!

As you can imagine, we moved around a lot, with my dad in the Army, but there was one constant. We followed the MN Vikings during the football season, and the MN Twins during baseball. There have been a number of seasons with heartache (like this year), but we had our up years too.

There weren't many years when we actually lived in Minnesota, so we often watched other teams. Even after I became an adult my dad and I would watch games together. Sometimes, it was more like I fell asleep on the couch, and he watched the game. lol Nevertheless, it was a comforting ritual.

It was a ritual that I couldn't participate in for the first couple of years after my dad's death. By then, I was out of the habit. I found myself getting excited about the season towards the end of the playoffs ... and then it was over! I felt thwarted.

But this year, I'm getting in early. It only took me three years to figure it out, but I did it. And now, I get a chance to fall back in love with football all over again.

A New Idea in Flower Arranging ...

2011-11-20T21:38:00.002-07:00

Want to hear a wild and crazy idea for flower arranging? Forget the flowers. lol

One of the most delightful things that has happened to me since arriving in Idaho ... and there have been many ... occurred just as we were getting ready for our first hard frost for the season. I was meeting with some families in the church, a sort of meeting & greet kind of thing, and one family offered me some of their Italian Parsley to take home.

I've got to tell you that Italian Parsley is one of my favorite herbs. I will make due with the curly variety if I must, but Italian makes my heart sing.

So, right after the meeting, the Essingers take me to their house. Mr. Essinger grabs a shovel and digs out a whole plant to take home with me! And boy, they had a bumper crop. This thing is HUGE!

I really don't have the capacity to cultivate the plant, so I cut off the roots and stuck it in a vase.

I couldn't believe how beautiful it looked, so bright and green. And I got to have fresh parsley for weeks!

Two Things That Don't Go Together

2011-11-19T03:00:00.013-07:00

Current events in Syria and anticipated theme park rides. But there it was on my screen.

I was reading a story in the LA times about the increased pressure the Arab world and specifically the Turkish government was putting on Syria. Then, there it was. I could hardly believe my eyes. There was an ad about the Top Thirteen Theme Park Rides for 2013.

Really? I guess everyone needs a little escapism to get a rest from the violence and mayhem. Though I guess their oxymoronic plan worked, I did click on it. I suppose, there's no accounting for taste. ;)

Earthquest Adventures, Houston, Texas

Now, I've added insult to injury by bringing the Cookie Monster and Sesame Street into it. My apologies to them both.

For the record, I couldn't be more pleased about how the Arab League has taken the lead in the diplomatic measures with Syria. (Though, naturally, they took a 1/2 a step back since the news article was written.) Sooner would have been better, of course, but you can say that regarding just about anything. A step in the right direction, at least. That is if democracy in the Middle East is "right."

Five on Friday - A Little Bit Country

2011-11-18T03:00:00.004-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about.

Yes, I'm a child of the 70's, and that means that when I was about 7 years old, I watched Donny & Marie every week, probably while wearing purple socks. (If you don't know what I'm talking about you're either not from the United States or under 40 years old, or both. No worries.)

The point of all this is that Donny & Marie had a segment called "A Little Bit Country/A Little Bit Rock and Roll." And today, I'm featuring a little bit of country on my playlist. These are some of my favorites. Hope you like them too!

Have a good weekend!

The Rest of the Story - The Force of Volkswagon

2011-11-17T03:00:00.002-07:00

You may recall when I posted about the superior Volkswagon Superbowl Commercial featuring a pint-sized Darth Vader. As a self-proclaimed Star Wars enthusiast (original trilogy), I was utterly delighted. Here's a little something to refresh your memory.

As I was reviewing my Favorites on Youtube ... Unbelievably Mini-Vader was not among them. I have corrected this oversight ... I came across a "making of" video. Truth be told, it's so much more than that. It helps me understand baby-Vader like I never have before.

And now, you have the rest of the story.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

2011-11-16T03:00:00.003-07:00

Well, the weather is forecast to be frightful starting tomorrow., but if you know me at all, you know that I have no faith in weather forecasters. (Sorry Deb! lol)

Now, if you're over one year old, the title of this blog post might have reminded you of a particular wintery song, "Let It Snow." Many parts of the country have already gotten more than they wanted. The ski resorts are probably praying for more as they start up their snow machines.

It's been snowing. It could be reasonable to sing "Let It Snow" even if you meant it ironically or sarcastically. What's not reasonable is to hear Christmas Music on the RADIO before Thanksgiving! I was just coming back from lunch, and what notes should be delivered to my ears? A Christmas song. I can't tell you which one. My mind has blanked over the traumatic memory.

I mean, I know. Musicians need to practice Christmas music early for performances. Christmas music is recorded in the summer for later release. There's even an instrumental version of O Holy Night that I leave in rotation on my music player all year round.

I know that stores start putting Christmas decorations out with the Back to School sales, but can we please wait to hear it on the radio until after Thanksgiving?

Do I Need a Personal Website - Part 2

2011-11-15T03:00:00.002-07:00

So, yesterday, I told you all about my old webpage, and how I've never come up with the time, energy, and patience to recreate a new one that fulfilled me like the old one.

I guess the first question is if I continue to have a website, does it have to be like the old one at all? What is the purpose of having a website?

The purpose of my old site was a place online to introduce myself to the world. Without giving out enough information for a villain to track me down, I tried to present things that showed others who I am. What kinds of movies do I like. Where do I like to travel. That I like to travel at all. What kind of art interests me, and pictures that I could share with family and friends.

Decorating my site was like decorating my apartment. It also demonstrated my personality and how I wanted to be perceived.

My blog does many of these things, but the website was like a summary of all my blog posts. Facebook does many of these things, but quite frankly I hate (Yes, I said "hate.") the aesthetics. It might not be important to other people, but it's important to me.

The thing is that no one ever viewed my personal website anyway. How is anyone going to get to know me through it if they never see it? Really, it's pointless.

Perhaps the reason that I could never seem to get the new one right (no matter how hard I worked on it) is that the time of personal websites has passed. I think that I just need to give up that idea. It's not that big of a deal I guess, but it still makes me a little sad.

(P.S. I have now officially made it half-way through November's NaBloPoMo! *squee*)

Do I Need a Personal Website - Part I

2011-11-14T03:00:00.004-07:00

When I was a new driver on the internet superhighway, one of my first ISPs was MindSpring (which eventually became Earthlink). One of the perks that came with the service was you got x number of email addresses and the same number of websites ... depending on your plan.

At that time, blogs were a very new thing. I don't think very many people understood the best way to use them, how you could customize them, and create networking communities. But companies were developing their websites at a rapid rate. In the mean time, there was experimentation with personal websites. (This is all pre Myspace and Facebook, you understand.)

So, I thought that I'd give it a shot. MindSpring provided moderately customizable templates. And if you were HTMLly inclined, you could be quite imaginative. I had another website where I stored all of my images, mostly emoticons of some sort, but there may have been the odd picture of Orlando Bloom. ;)

It was really nice. (I mean having the website, not the picture of Orlando. Though truth be told this pic still took my breath away.) It allowed me to share illustrated stories about my travel adventures with friends and family. I was able to redecorate with the seasons ... Hmmmm, that sounds remarkably like what I have here (in some ways) and on Facebook (in others), but I digress.

The thing is that when I went away to seminary, I closed my Earthlink account, and thereby, lost my webpage, something that I had continued to maintain despite the growth of other forms of social media. I tried to replace it with a free product from Wix.com, but I have never dedicated the effort required to take it to the level of personal expression of my previous site was.

The question is, Do I really need to do that? Tomorrow, I'll continue to explore this question, and maybe we'll be able to come up with a satisfying answer.

Snowcapped Sunset

2011-11-13T03:00:00.001-07:00

I have an article/blog post that I've been wanting to write for almost two weeks now, and this weekend was going to be it. I was finally going to fight back the chaos of my apartment and give it the time and attention it deserves ... And then I got a cold.

So, instead I'm going to treat you to a sunset view from my apartment window. The light was captured in the clouds just right, so I couldn't resist.

My highly indignant piece will have to wait for another day ... or two ... or three. :)

Saturday 9 - How Long

2011-11-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday 9 time! A fun little meme with only 9 questions each week. This week the questions (or at least one of them) is inspired by "How Long" by Ace. And away we go!

Saturday 9: How Long

1. Have you discovered a betrayal? If so, did you ask, “How long has THIS been going on”?

Betrayals come in all shapes and sizes. Sure, I've felt betayed before, but as far as the "cheating" kind? Not really. Nothing that made me shout, "How long has THIS been going on?" at the time. I usually figured it out eventually anyway. [How much of a "non-answer" was that? lol Not really my intention, but ... ]

2. What is the longest line you've ever stood in? Would you do it again?

I hate standing in lines. I will often arrange my schedule, so that my wait will be the shortest possible. It might come from being raised in the Army, where you have to wait in line for Everything. So, I have definitely had my share.

But the longest? That's a hard question. It could be during the baseball playoffs, when I went in with my Homer Hankie to watch the Minnesota Twins. More than likely, it was at Disney World. At least most of those lines move pretty fast, and you're entertained while you're waiting. Are those worthy of waiting again? Heck, yes!

3. Someone has hung a sign around your neck, and you have to wear it all day long. What does it say?

Today, it would be "Contagious." I have a cold ... bummer.

4. As the Christmas season approaches, what song is it that you just can't wait to hear?

I have lots of favorite Christmas song, so it often depends on my mood. Today, I'll say, "Christmas Time Is Near" from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

5. What Christmas song do you dread to hear?

I really couldn't say. Must be the cold or something. ;)

6. How often do you read the last chapter of a book first?

Never. I don't ever recall doing that. I have looked at the end once or twice to see who the murderer was in a mystery, but that's only because I really didn't like the book. lol

7. Do you have a favorite movie that you just love to see each year during the holidays?

Again, that varies, but having recently watched the Halloween special, I'll say A Charlie Brown Christmas.

8. Do you enjoy winter in the area that you live?

This is my first winter in Idaho, so I'll have to wait and see. But they are very excited about winter activities around here. They seem to celebrate it rather than huddling in their homes, so I have high hopes.

9. At the holidays I think we all show more kindness. In your opinion, is this a “concept” that has value (like money or other tangible things) or does it exist as simply emotion? Why?

oooOOOooo, a deep question. Interesting. I would say that the business world puts a value on it. They tap into those feelings of good will to get us to buy more things. Charities receive the bulk of their funds during this time as well.

I think that it has value, even if those things were taken out of play. It's the caring for others that manifests itself through this buying and giving. But it doesn't have to be just that. It can be the doing as well. Perhaps, that's part of why people are also more apt to feel depressed and lonely during this time. They don't feel that they have the opportunity to participate in the love fest.

So, the moral of this story is show a little kindness. Share a kind word. Let someone ahead of you in line. Don't get mad when someone cuts you off in traffic. They may be someone who just had a bad day and wants to return to their refuge at home.

Let's all get some rest, so that we'll be ready for the holiday craziness. :)

Five on Friday - Veterans Day

2011-11-11T11:11:00.009-07:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about.

As Veterans Day falls on a Friday this year, it only seems appropriate to have a Five on Friday themed in their honor. For all the military folks who have ever put their lives on the line to protect their homes and families and for those families who love them so, this one's for you.

Have a great weekend!

A Little Me Time with You

2011-11-10T03:00:00.011-07:00

Many years ago know I saw a graphic that I thought perfectly summed up the online world (at least the decent part).

That does seem a bit extreme and psychologically dangerous, and yet ... Maybe not all my friends live in my computer, but I have developed significant relationships with people around the world online. Moreover, as I have lived in so many places over the past several years, I can continue to have a relationship with people who are far away, via my computer. It's my magical machine that can transport me to my friends in an instant.

When I come home from work, the first thing that I want to do is visit my friends and see what they've been up to. There's a few here and a few there. There are the ones with whom I shared an obsession with Craig Ferguson and others with whom I shared an obsession with Lord of the Rings. Both of those are in the past tense because I am no longer obsessed with either of those things, and I don't think that the friends that I met there are either. But we have developed meaningful relationships, and it's fun to catch up.

I check in with the people in DC via Facebook. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 ft pole. But I do it for them. It really makes me feel that I have a continued connection with Wesley Theological Seminary because they tell me (mostly via their updates and pictures) about what's going on.

And then there's the blogging world. With a quick scan on my sidebar, I can see if people have been active and if I can see what's going on in their world.

By the time I put in my two cents, it's time for bed. But then I want to read my book ... and I wonder why I don't get enough sleep.

But honestly, I just want a little me time ... with You! ;)

(ETA: I received an email today, that this post is being featured on the NaBloPoMo website, today! Wow! I can hardly believe it. With the hundreds of people participating, I hardly expected to be selected. I am very honored. Thank you NaBloPoMo!)

I'm in Love ... with my Kindle

2011-11-09T03:00:00.012-07:00

I think I'm in love! My momma got me a Kindle for my birthday, and it is heavenly! I just moved to Idaho, and that move included about 20 boxes of books. Do you know how much they weigh? Even the light ones? Let me tell you, it's a lot.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love the physically of books. I love the artwork in beautiful illustrations and gilded edges, but that certainly doesn't apply to things like paperback novels and dictionaries.

I'm a single gal, and I often bring a book to read when I go by myself to a restaurant. It makes me feel like I'm dining with friends. But the books that I bring get all dog-eared, and the bindings wear out. Just the other day, I had an old paperback almost break in half because the binding was shot.

I never have to worry about any of that with my Kindle. I have several of my favorite paperbacks with me at all times. I can just slip this thin, light little thing into my purse, and read whatever I want. (Except when I forget it, which I was forced to read my back-up paperback.)

I know that it means re-buying a book, but there are several that I've already bought two or three times because they wore out. What's one more time? Especially, when the Kindle price is about the same as any other paperback (even large reference works).

I did tell you that I'm in love. ;)

Snowcovered Hills

2011-11-08T03:00:00.014-07:00

Remember yesterday when I was telling about receiving a young lady's first text? The one that left me teary-eyed? Well, it was a confirmation that she would be joining the Youth group to a Hot Dog Roast that turned into a sledding expedition.

Why am I telling you this? Well, this is where we went sledding. (Ummm ... the kids were in the shady area.)

I got this shot as I was waiting for the kids to set up for their next run from the top of a hill to the right of the shot.

Just seeing this sight took my breath away. So naturally, I had to share it with you.

Ah, the Youth

2011-11-07T03:00:00.006-07:00

In church vernacular, at least in the United Methodist Church, "Youth" refers to a specific age demographic 6th or 7th grade through 12th grade young people. It has never been the demographic I've related to very well.

I'm an only child. I have no children. And let me be perfectly honest here, I HATED jr & sr high school. Even when I was a Youth, I never felt that I understood the Youth.

So, perhaps it's not surprising that I have not been drawn to Youth ministry since I joined the church (c. 1997). Adult ministry has been more my game.

Now, when I accepted my church staff position in Lifespan Ministries, I realized that I would be working with the Youth. After all, Youth is a period in the lifespan. What I didn't realize is that their previous Youth group had ceased to exist over the summer, and that I would have to rebuild one from scratch.

Thankfully, I worked some with Youth at my internship the summer before last. I was able to work out some of my stage fright, and I was actually pretty successful. (Meaning that despite my expectations, 6th graders kept returning to my Sunday School class and Youth returned and even increased night after night for Vaction Bible School.) But that didn't make me any kind of expert. I was working within an existing successful Youth program.

I guess the point of all this is to say since I started here about a month and a half ago, I have been working almost exclusively with the Youth and Youth projects. I have been in a state of constant prayer, research, and study. It's been rough going some of the time, but things are headed in the right direction.

I still feel like I have no clue about how well I'm relating to the Youth, but something happened Saturday night that gives me some hope.

I received a text from one of my Youth girls confirming Sunday's event. A little while later her mom sent me a message that it was her daughter's very first text.

Is it weird that I started to tear up a little bit? I figure these days, a first text is a very important moment in a young girl's life, and she sent it to me. Maybe I can do this. I needed the encouragement. Thank you God!

The Delight of Ariel Tweto

2011-11-06T03:00:00.008-07:00

If you don't "know" Ariel Tweto, she is on the Discovery show Flying Wild Alaska. It was a show that was on from time to time when I was "forced" to watch cable. ;)

From time to time, she does the talk show thing to publicize the show. Every time I see her, I think that she's an absolute delight. She is so completely real and herself that I can't help but be charmed by her.

Here she is on last week's Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

She's not self-conscious or guarded. Even if she does something that she realizes is a bit ditzy, she doesn't appologize for it or try. She owns it.

So many of us will do anything to avoid looking foolish. Trip over a curb, both literally and figuratively? We instantly will do things that say to anyone watching, "I meant to do that." Everybody knows, and we ending up looking even more foolish.

I admire Ms. Tweto. I wish I were so self-confident. She is a delight.

Saturday 9 - Melancholy Man

2011-11-05T09:18:00.001-06:00

It's Saturday 9 time! It's a fun little meme. I mean a girl's gotta have something up her sleeve to make it through a month of NaBloPoMo. (In other words, you can expect to see something like this on Saturday's for a few weeks. lol) This week's theme is inspired by the Melancholy Man album by the Moody Blues.

Melancholy Man

1. Are you more melancholy on occasion?

It's been known to happen from time to time, but it's been a long time since I was stuck down in the dumps. Thank goodness! Lately, life has felt like a great adventure!

2. What did you think you looked like when you were a teenager?

Oh, I thought I looked hideous. Looking back on it now, I really looked pretty darn good. (Talk about some years of melancholy. Whew!) The woman who wrote the essay "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" sure knew what she was talking about.

3. Whose advice are you least likely to listen to?

Are you expecting me to name names here? Ha-hA! No thank you. As a group? That's a hard question. Currently, it's pretty close to a tie between politicians and journalists.

4. Tell us about a job that you liked when you were younger.

Ballroom dance instructor will always be my favorite job ... I always loved the working with people and sharing my joy. The chaotic parts of the dance business? Not so much.

5. Would you lie to someone if you knew the truth would end your friendship or relationship?

That would really depend. If it was life or death, or even potentially a physical or mental health concern. I would not lie regardless of the consequences. If it was over a stick of gum, I might risk the lie.

6. What do you have little or no patience for?

Hypocrisy ... Now, you might find that a little hypocritical from a "religious" person who just admitted that she would lie in the previous question. And, I'd say that it would be a fair charge, but even religious people are sinners, fall short of the mark, whatever. Any religious person who claims otherwise is just kidding themselves.

7. What is there never enough hours in the day to do?

You mean besides keeping up with and expanding my online relationships and blogging? lol I would really like to say, "Clean my house," but that would be a lie. It's not that I don't have time. It's that I procrastinate ... by keeping up with my online relationships and blogging. :D

8. What is the most productive thing that you accomplished in October?

Getting almost all my boxes unpacked! The stuff that I have left is really minor. Yay!

9. What have you always wanted to learn but haven't yet?

To learn a foreign language fluently. I can bumble along in a few badly with lots of practice, but I really like to travel to other countries. One of the things that really holds me back is not being able to speak the local language.

For one, I think it's a respect thing. I hate the arrogance that goes along with expecting the whole world to speak English. And two, I can't stand the helpless feeling of not understanding what's going on around me and not being able to communicate. Believe you me, it gives me great empathy when I encounter non-native speakers in the United States.

So, that's all the news that's fit to print on a Saturday morning. Trust me, I have some things of greater depth cooking on the back burners. Have a good weekend!

Five on Friday - New Relationships

2011-11-04T03:00:00.009-06:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about. However, it is the Blog Blast for Peace today, so he may not be doing Five on Friday this week. It's still fun anyway.

This week I thought that I'd just hit Random on my music player and use what came up. But after two songs, I could already see a story developing. So, I abandoned Random for Story. Not just any story, but the story of the trials and tribulations of a new relationship. All the fear and misunderstanding on the path of true love. As good ol' "Bud" Shakespeare said, "The course of true love never did run smooth."

Hope you enjoy!

Have a good weekend!

Ode to Halloween Candy

2011-11-03T03:00:00.016-06:00

My first Halloween in my new apartment, I made sure to get lots of candy for possible Trick-or-Treaters. But I didn't get any customers, not one. :( This one's for you Halloween Candy.

Oh Halloween Candy, you look so lovely
Sitting there in your bowl.
No one would believe
You were left out in the cold.

Relegated to the refrigerator
Night after night
The idea the kids would not want you
Would give anyone a fright.

You were created,
Your only purpose is to be
Causing delight in children
Running around costumed and free.

But you need not worry
Though you were not allowed to roam.
With me as your keeper
You'll never be alone.

How HGTV Changed My Life

2011-11-02T03:00:00.002-06:00

Call me crazy, but I've never been a cable tv kinda girl. Now, don't get me wrong. I like my fair share of video based entertainment. As a child and teenager, I got my full dose of 8-10 hours of tv watching per day. But I ran into a problem when cable started offering 60-200 channels.

Interestingly enough, I noticed this problem when I started paying the bills. The price of cable went up, up, up, and I was finding less and less that I wanted to watch on tv. The more channels there were, the less that I could find that interested me. Oh irony, my old friend.

So gosh, it's gotta be at least 20 years since I've had cable. (Not counting about a one year where I had Basic cable, with a capital B, so that I could watch Star Trek show on a broadcast channel that I couldn't pull in.)

It was no big deal when I went to grad school and didn't have a tv. I had my DVDs and the internet, and that was enough. Don't make me give up tv AND the internet. I might have to read a book! lol (Joking -- I love books, and stay up way too late every night reading them.)

But over the summer, I had a problem. It wasn't really a problem, but I was staying with a number of different people as I transitioned from school back to a "normal" life. All of these people had cable. It's not like I don't watch it on principal. It's more like the leftover Halloween candy that I have in my refrigerator. If it's there, I'll eat it. If I have access to cable, I'll watch it.

Now, I know what you're thinking. And no, I have not changed my opinion about cable because I basically only watched one channel, HGTV. I admit it. I've become an HGTV fanatic though I have to say that they really do run too many episodes of "House Hunters". I love to watch most of the decorator shows, but my favorites are Candice and Sarah. And the best part is that can see many of their shows on the HGTV website.

The cool thing is that now that I'm in my new apartment, I can put some of those lessons to use. I now know that my grandmother's china cabinet and table are "mid-century modern" sleak and not just the chairs that I perpetually kicked because the dining room chairs angled out. (Somehow, those chairs didn't make the move, not quite sure why. lol)

Nevertheless, I give you my mid-century modern living room. What do you think?

Okay, so maybe the hand towel arm covers aren't quite right, but at least they're in the same color scheme, yes? I promise. I 'll take them off before company comes over.

And So It Begins … NaBloPoMo

2011-11-01T03:00:00.002-06:00

That is National Blogging Posting Month. The challenge is to write a blog post every day in a calendar month. You can actually take the challenge any month, but November is special. It becomes the blogging companion of NaNoWriMo where people try to write a 50k word novel in November.

Why would I want to do such a thing to myself? I certainly haven’t been the most consistent blogger over the years. Do I feel that I have something important to say? That could be a yes and no.

I want to do it because of the discipline that it requires. I want to expand my blogging circle and that requires consistency. I love being able to meet new people from around the world via the blogosphere. If I want to expand my online family, I need content.

Now, that I have the time again, I want to build my circle. My favorite part about blogging is sharing part of myself. That may be through pictures, music, the odd meme, or perhaps even some social commentary. This month, I’ll have to pull out all the tricks. :)

I have accepted the challenge. A post every day for the month of November. It may not be pretty, but I’m gonna give it my best shot.

And so it begins …

Five on Friday - Halloween Edition

2011-10-28T22:23:00.000-06:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about.

Yes, I'll admit that this week, I'm being a little passe using a Halloween themed grouping. But what can I say? I like it. :) I have one more thing to confess. I was reminded about my theme from a HUGE Halloween inspired playlist @ Playlist.com, but it's still what I planned to do all along.

I hope you enjoy listening to them as much as I enjoyed putting the group together.

Yup, had to finish with the Monster Mash. What can I say? It's a classic.

I realize that for the last three weeks, all I've posted is this playlist meme. However, it's much more frequent than I've been recently, but next week its all going to change, at least for a little while. I'm going to the Blog version of NaNoWriMo, which is NaBloPoMo. It means having a blog post for every day of the month.

I don't know how it will go, but I'm going to give it a shot. It's something that I've wanted to do since I've heard about it, and now that I'm out of school, I think I might be able to do it. So, beginning Nov 1st, you should hear from me more often.

Have a good weekend!

Five on Friday - Standards for Quilly

2011-10-21T00:30:00.004-06:00

My friend Travis over at Trav's Thoughts does this fun meme with Five Songs on Friday. It's fun and easy to play. Head over there and see what it's all about.

With last week's set, Quilly mentioned that they sure don't make songs like they used to. That is so true, but there are some artists who are regularly revitalizing the standards of the 20th Century. (Though to be sure parents thought that the likes of Frank Sinatra and Perry Como were from the devil, and jazz certainly had unacceptably sexual overtones. But that's another story.)

And that's how I was inspired about this week's set. These songs are certainly not new, but these artists are putting their own flair on these standards. This one's for you Quilly!

Have a great weekend!

Five on Friday - Bobby Darin

2011-10-14T10:53:00.001-06:00

I'm feeling musically inclined today, so I thought that I'd play along. This is a fun little thing that Travis puts together over at Trav's Thoughts. Believe it or not this is the 90th Eddition! Way to go Trav!

Between his selections of "I Like Dreaming" and a song by James Darren, I started thinking about Bobby Darin. Man, that guy had a wide range of styles. When I was looking up songs, I almost had a playlist of songs that were inaccurately credited to Bobby like "Robin Robin" and "Runaround Sue." Great songs to be sure, but not sung by good ol' Bobby.

But now, without further adieu ...

Have a great weekend!

Hello From Idaho

2011-10-10T22:58:00.000-06:00

Yes, I've been quite remiss in posting. I shouldn't expect that there's anyone out there listening anymore as my posts have been so sporadic. But I'm finally in my apartment and have internet access. I'll be honest. I was never really without internet access during this whole ordeal, but it's much harder to sit and have the energy to post when you're not in your normal space with your normal equipment. It might be physically possible, but everything is so much harder that it's hard to get excited about it.

But enough whining! I'm in my space. I have a new Autumn theme for my blog, and I have pictures to share ... a few at least. lol

I officially live in the Rocky Mountains ... something that I've always wanted to do. (Well, I don't know that I always wanted to live here, but I did always want to visit at least. I guess, we could consider it an extended visit of sorts.)

There's some things that I liked right off the bat. One of which is the blue skies ... reminds me of home.

But it certainly is a lot bumpier than back in Odessa, Texas, which was essentially flat as a pancake. This next one is the view down the driveway of the house where I stayed for the first few weeks.

One of the most extraordinary things about the area is the amount of deer there are around. When I was driving up in my U-Haul, I received several warnings to beware of the deer on the road. And even in town, they are quite used to being around people.

Here's one that spent almost every afternoon underneath the stairs of the deck of that house I stayed in.

I was not three feet away from her. However, we were separated by glass. I went into the laundry room one day, and she was just lying there calm as you please. She and her baby were in the yard all the time, and it wasn't uncommon to see six or seven around at any particular time.

I've seen deer before, of course, but I've never seen them behave this way except in petting zoos. I'm thinking that there must not be too much hunting locally. They don't seem to be afraid of people at all. The impression that I got from them as they watched me was more along the lines of, "What are you doing in our yard?" And this one under the deck kind of reminded me of my mother's dog. It certainly is different here.

So, I'll take a pause in the story here. Hopefully, this is not an aberration, and I'll have the time and energy to post more often. It's not like I'm writing five papers a week anymore. See you around the school yard.

Moving Time Again

2011-09-03T22:23:00.000-06:00

It was nice while it lasted, Texas, but it's time to say so long. I know that it's been a long time since my last update. I got a job almost immediately after arriving, working in the payroll dept of an industrial construction company. I've been busy with that, trying to get an apartment, getting back involved with my local church, and continuing my search for a ministry job. But I've been keeping tabs on my blogging buddies. I notice that I'm not the only one who's been less frequent with their postings. ;)

So, as you might have guessed from the title of this post, I have actually landed a ministry job. I'll be working at a local United Methodist church in ... Idaho! The job title is "Director of Lifespan Ministries," but that's just a fancy way of saying that I'll be working with all age groups ... which means I'll be involved in a little bit of everything in this church.

It also means that on Friday, I'll ... with the help of my friends ... will be loading up the contents of my storage unit into a U-Haul to begin the trek. I'm really excited and happy about the whole thing. And before you ask ... No, I've never been to Idaho before. Believe me everyone has asked me that question, so before you think I'm crazy for going there sight unseen. I have never gone someplace before I moved there. With my dad being in the Army, we were always being transferred somewhere new. So, this is the norm for me.

So, I'll see you on the flip side, after I get internet set up in my new place. I can hardly wait to be in my own place with my own things again. Oh, living room furniture, how I've missed you so. :)

Back Home

2011-06-11T19:16:00.002-06:00

I'm back in West Texas, and it's kind of surreal. It's almost like I've never left. It seems like some things should seem less than familiar after almost two years, but except for some new building projects, it feels the same. And man, the place is booming. I got here on Thursday evening, and I'll be going on interviews on Monday. I feel so lucky that I even bought a lottery ticket! lol It's good to be home.

(Edit: Okay, I had to take out the music player because it kept starting automatically, and I didn't want it to. I would start hearing the music coming from my headphones, on the table, and for a second, I would think that the voices were starting again ... kidding, but it did bug me. lol)

Five on Friday

2011-05-27T12:34:00.001-06:00

Get ready to ramp up for the weekend! Here's my Friday playlist. Play along with Travis, and see what you can come up with. It's a holiday weekend that marks the unofficial start of summer! Time to go for a road trip with all the windows down! Woo-hoo!

Stranger Tides

2011-05-23T12:19:00.003-06:00

In my youth, pirate movies along with westerns were nowhere to be seen. The people who were making films thought that they were passé. Film makers were more interested police dramas with car chases and space adventures with the odd spy movie thrown in for good measure. (Same plots in a contemporary setting, but that's another story.)

Then the next generation came along, and they were nostalgic for westerns, and they started making them again. But no one was interested in making a pirate movie. It was a dead genre.

But wait! There in the distance an unholy trio appeared as if out of the mist. It was Disney, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Johnny Depp making a movie, not based on "real events," a novel, or even a comic book, but ... a theme park ride?

Turns out that people (I) missed a bit of sword play, but was there anyone left in the film industry who knew any about it? Well, they figured out all of the details and turned out The Curse of the Black Pearl. That movie, in my humble opinion, is among the finest films ever made. In many ways it reminded me of Casablanca. There was high adventure, intrigue, exotic locale, great characters, comedy, with a dash of witty repartee, fantastic costumes, and sword fighting ... Mustn’t forget the sword play. Something, if I may note, that was missing from Casablanca.

Naturally, it was wildly successful, so there had to be sequels. On Stranger Tides is the fourth film in the franchise.

On Stranger Tides has a tough act to follow. I have high expectations. The Curse of the Black Pearl was perfection, and the last sequel, At World's End, was pretty darn good. How will this latest outing stack up?

I'm sorry to say that it left me wanting. To be fair, it wasn't a bad picture. I'd still recommend it. Great costumes, great sword fights, great chase scenes, but I thought that it lost some of its fun. The previous films in the franchise were hard to properly classify. This one I'd call straight Action/Adventure ... Even a well done Action/Adventure, but it didn't have the rare balance of so many elements.

If you want a good pirate film go see On Stranger Tides, but don't expect lightening in a bottle.
(3 ½)

U.S. Botanic Garden

2011-05-15T22:54:00.000-06:00

I have well and truly done it. I have my piece of paper that proves that I'm certifiable for spending so much money. My mom & my step-dad came to D.C. for my graduation. They came a few days early, so that they could take in some of the sights.

My mother is an avid gardener, and (through contact with so many of my bloggy friends) I've come to enjoy taking pictures of flowers. So, a visit to the U.S. Botanic Gardens was a no-brainer.

I could flood you with all kinds of pictures of roses and orchids, but I'll limit today's selections to what I thought was the most beautiful and interesting. They have an extensive rose garden outside with at least 15 different varieties of roses ... among other things. I though the combination of the coral and purple looked lovely together.

Must have my rose close-up of course. (Thank you Quilly for teaching me how to have a steadier hand.)

There were these twin pools on the east and west side of the buildings. (I think, I was always getting confused about my directions in D.C.)

In the desert terrain area, there was this freaky cactus that looked like a couple spiny octopi. I think that we have these in West Texas, and if I recall correctly, they turn red in the fall. Very dramatic!

And last, but not least ... a momma ducky and her little babies ... so cute.

I've got to be honest. There was a professional looking photographer at the garden that day, and I got inspiration on a couple of my shots (especially the duckies) by seeing where she set up her camera. I wasn't following her, honest, but I figured if she thought something was a good shot, I should as least investigate it.

Have a great week!

One Last Paper

2011-04-29T23:00:00.000-06:00

I have one last paper to complete before I graduate ... A paper about love ... not about fancy dresses, limousines, diamond rings (or tiaras), or champagne. (Not that all of those things aren't great.) It's what comes after. This paper is not about a feeling called love; it's the action of love. It's taking out the garbage when you don't feel like it. It's giving weigh even though you know you're probably right because it's important to the person you love. It's about forgiving a person when they hurt your feelings. It's about being kind and not keeping score.

Okay, that's a good start. Just another six pages to go ...

Freshly Washed Blossoms

2011-04-23T06:00:00.001-06:00

I'm starting to get used to being able to use my camera again. My old battery was getting to the point were I could only take a couple of pictures before I would get a low battery signal. Thankfully, my battery is now available from a variety of manufactures, so the price has come down from over $65 a couple of years ago to about $7 for an extra long life battery. Amazing.

I was so excited about the pictures that I took on Wednesday that I wanted to take some more today. I know that I said in yesterday's post that I took them "yesterday" (which would have been Thursday), but I forgot that I spent much of the day outside studying. I enjoyed the environment, but no pictures. But that was all the more motivation to get out on Friday. But then, it was raining ... all day. So, I decided to go anyway, and I'm so glad I did. I got to see these pretty little things.

These are teeny-tiny little flowers, so they had to have a teeny-tiny little picture.

Here the purple looked so vivid with the green.

Most of the daffodils are gone, but here's one that stuck around just for me.

And last but not least, I have a final tulip, but this color is just amazing. I hope that I will be able to see it when it is fully open.

See you soon!

Tulip Day

2011-04-22T20:21:00.000-06:00

While taking some breaks in the midst of paper writing, I've had a chance to take some pictures of the exploding color around here. (That, and I got a new battery for my camera. lol) These pictures were actually taken yesterday when the sky was blue. The temps were warm, and the air was dry.

Is this not one of the most brilliant tulips you have ever seen? It was begging to have its picture taken.

The one below is is actually from the house next door. I'm in love with the color of the wood on this front entry, and the homeowners have also graced us with some tulip color.

Tomorrow, I'll have some pictures that I took on a damper day, today, over at a garden next to the National Cathedral. It also has some blossoms that want to show off.

Until tomorrow ...

In the Home Stretch

2011-04-17T23:33:00.000-06:00

Two weeks from today, I should be turning in my last assignment for this degree. They promise to be the hardest two weeks of my academic career. With any luck, I will be able to get through them with the attitude of my friend Calvin here. He truly is my inspiration ...

Speaking of inspirational people, I wish that I could share this milestone with Dr. John. He was very supportive of me (as were you all) when I was starting out on this quest. Though I never met the man face-to-face, I know that he was a wonderful pastor.

The Cherry Trees in Bloom

2011-03-27T17:09:00.000-06:00

Hello! I'm alive and well. I have been working so hard on my thesis that I've only had chances to breeze through blog-land. And even though it may seem that I have not been by all my favorite haunts, I can assure you that I have been keeping an eye on you with my telescope.

I have turned in my thesis, and I have been notified that I have, in fact, received an "A." Hallelujah! I am thinking seriously of submitting it to publishers, but I've got bigger fish to fry at the moment. Namely, graduating. I really love how people around here seem to think that now that the thesis is finished, I suddenly have a bunch of free time. Ha! I wish! I'm taking a full course load this semester in addition to the thesis.

I have pretty kept up with everything, but these last 4 weeks of the semester are really going to be a killer. I have a feeling that writing my thesis is going to seem easy in comparison. lol

But that's not what I came here to talk to you about today ...

The Cherry trees are in bloom around the DC area, and really I'd like some new images on my blog. (Though these pics are from last year.) I've enjoyed seeing Magnum and the boys over the past several weeks, but I'm really looking for something new. I checked out the blossoms this year, and they are beautiful. I had to go yesterday because we were supposed to get snow last night. I didn't know if it would ruin it. Turns out we got a lot less than predicted, so they should be okay.

One thing that I did notice that they were pinker than last year. Last year, they were almost white. The trees that were pink were not cherry trees for the most part. Many were Japanese Magnolias.

Here's a close-up of the cherry blossoms. I've pinkened them up just a tad to give you the feeling of this year's show.

Have a great week!

Friday's Musical Progression

2011-02-25T02:00:00.004-07:00

I liked it so much last week that I had to do it again, especially once I got a theme going. (As a matter of fact, I'm preparing this a week ahead.) I don't know if Travis is planning to do it this way again, but I figure it will work either way.

This week, my theme is Mike Post. He's a composer of tv theme songs. If you were watching a big hit in the late 70s, early 80s, you could bet that Mike Post had written the theme song. Sometimes I think that was 1/2 the reason I liked the show, the way that the music was worked into the soundtrack each week.

The first song was the inspiration for it all, as it came up randomly on my music player. The theme from Hill Street Blues ...

Magnum PI ...

The Rockford Files ...

The A Team ...

And, The White Shadow ...

And lest you think that Mike Post is gone from your sight. You familiar with a little show called Law & Order?

Have a great weekend!

Love Is Forever

2011-02-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

To lighten the mood a bit, I wanted to share a picture that I found from the recent Westminster Dog show in NYC.

This is a Great Dane named Jenna (pronounced Gina), who saw her former handler, Yoshi Harada, who worked with her in Japan.

Who said dogs don't have feelings? And, obviously Yoshi missed Jenna too.

Wisconsin Public Employees

2011-02-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

I must admit that I avoid talking about political matters on this blog. I have friends from many different perspectives, and I really don't want to get into the debate and argument that it often involves. However, this is one time that I can't keep silent.

The Wisconsin legislature has a bill before it that would strip many of its state employees of their rights for collective bargaining (but not firefighters or police). As I understand it, if passed, this bill would alter the terms of the current contract.

Okay, I understand the need for states to bring their deficits and debt under control. I even agree that it's fair for state employee compensation, raises, and benefits be brought in line with public sector jobs. However, I don't think it's right for a government to be able to alter a contract that was negotiated in good faith by both sides by passing a law voiding some, if not all, aspects of it. The workers effectively have no recourse.

No private sector organization could reasonably expect to do this and not get sued.

The Democrats are stalling, but it is probably inevitable that this bill will eventually pass. If it does, I hope that it makes a fast track to the U.S. Supreme Court. While there's a Republican majority there, if upheld, the precedent for contract law would be criminal and anti-business. Effectively, it would mean that the government could alter any contract that they found inconvenient.

That's not right.

Five on Friday

2011-02-18T02:00:00.008-07:00

I'm trying a new thing with Trav's Five on Friday. This is a special edition ... Five Degrees of Musical Separation. The idea is that you hear one song that will remind you of the next (or has some link), until you get to five. You can explain your linkage right away or make people suffer until next Tuesday. Get All the Details Here.

So, here's my set. This is my long distance dedication to old school Billy Joel, when he was still young and cynical. I was really attracted to the poetry of this angry young man. This is all pre-Christie Brinkley. After that his songs lost that hard edge. I've included a couple of the more hopeful ones, but if you listen, you can still hear the cynicism.

Okay, one of the "rule" of this game is talking about the musical progression. Here's where it gets a little tricky. This isn't the exact order that they came to me. I decided that a few tweaks were necessary to make the set sound better together. The other thing is that I don't think that I did it as Travis intended. I started on "Movin' Out," and then realized that I hadn't listen to Billy in awhile and kind of cherry picked the ones that captured my attention. (Believe me, My Billy Joel collection is extensive. lol) I'll do better next time, I promise. ;)

Saturday 9: I Saw It on TV

2011-02-11T23:27:00.000-07:00

A-ha! Saturday 9! Wheeeeee!

Saturday 9: I Saw It on TV

1. What new TV show rocks your world this year?

What's a TV? lol I would say Covert Affairs on USA. I really didn't want to like it because there were already several shows on USA that I was addicted to, but I was instantly sucked in. The commercials were really nothing like the actual show. That's good for the show, bad for me pretending to be virtuous.

2. What is your least favorite ethnic food, and what makes it your least favorite?

Vietnamese. There's just something about it that scares me. Though I must admit that I'm not that adventurous when it comes to food. Just about with everything else, but not food.

3. When does liking someone a lot become loving that person?

When you realize that you would do about anything even at personal discomfort or risk.

4. Is there a job you would do for free, and is it your current job?

Well, there are several jobs that I already do for free like message board administrator, blogger, English teacher, proof reader. Do they count?

5. What is one person/thing that inspired you to take action of some sort?

God. I can think of no other reason that I would torture myself like I am right now. (See #3.)

6. Though you might not believe in it, would you like fate to exist?

No, otherwise there would be no purpose in life. The struggle would be for nothing. Caring or trying to do the right thing, to help people, to help the world would be pointless. Fate's only good if everything turns out good in the end, but what if it turns out crappy?

7. Tell us about a news story that truly shocked you.

This whole thing in Egypt has really shocked me. The fact that it has stayed relatively peaceful (up to this point) is particularly shocking.

8. What's something you're looking forward to?

Having a job that actually pays money.

9. What characteristics do you despise?

Disrespect for other people's opinions.

Have a great weekend!

Aaron Rodgers, You've Just Won the Superbowl...

2011-02-06T21:52:00.002-07:00

Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers for making the fewest mistakes and winning the Super Bowl! I must admit that I've been rooting for them since they had to win their last three games of the regular season to make it into the playoffs ... Then won all of their games on the road through the playoffs to make it to the Super Bowl.

I even liked most of the commercials. As you can imagine, I loved the one with "Dinky Darth" (as Joy calls him -- See previous post) the best even though they cut it down to 30 seconds. I was disappointed, but it was still a big hit with the group in the student lounge.

But as they were handing around the trophy, I noticed that something was conspicuous by its absence. For years and years, at the end of every championship sporting team, a particular question would always be asked, such as ... "Aaron Rodgers, you've just won the Super Bowl. What are you going to do now?"

The answer was always, "I'm going to Disney World!" (Or Disneyland) And as I was thinking about it, I realized that I haven't heard that question in a few years. I wonder when it went away? Everyone would anticipate when it would happen, almost as much as the commercials. The fact that I remember it is pretty amazing. And as I was thinking about it, I thought how much I would like to go back to Disney World.

I didn't go for the first time until well into my late 20s. I never understood the appeal ... And the expense! I mean it's an amusement park for crying out loud. There's rides. There's hotels. There are people dressed in furry costumes that you can have your picture taken with. Okay, I understand people can get obsessive about The Mouse, but still ... Let's keep things in proportion here, people. And then I went.

I could not believe the size and scope. That first time we stayed in a hotel off the grounds, and it was still amazing. It is like you've entered an alternate universe.

The next time, I had to bring my mother, who also had never been, naturally. This time we stayed in one of the moderate Disney hotels. (Yes, they do have them.) Even they had small customer service touches that made the experience special, like this elephant that was left on my bed one day.

If you ever go, I highly recommend staying on the park grounds if at all possible. The slightly higher expense is well offset by the perks of free transportation to and from the parks and shopping areas. If you are in one of the hotels on their waterway system, you might even get to take a boat ride.

As you probably can tell, I kind of wish that I could go. Maybe someday when I'm gainfully employed again and can put a few pennies away. I think the biggest adventure that I'm up for now is one where they put little terry cloth animals on your bed. And that's a nice thing.

Thrilling Thursday - Use the Force Luke

2011-02-03T01:07:00.003-07:00

Yes, the title alliteration continues...

I shamelessly confess that I saw this on my friend Joy's blog. She is a national treasure and truly lives up to her name in every way. She is a joy. (Like I'm sure she's never heard that one before. lol) This has got to be one of the funniest videos/ads that I've seen in a long time. You may have already seen this on tv, but this video was a first for me. Enjoy!

Two on Tuesday ... Swanlings

2011-02-01T02:05:00.003-07:00

I have no idea how or where I acquired this picture, but I thought that these two swanlings (aka cygnets) looked so precious on their mother's back.

Have a great Tuesday. D.C.'s supposed to get more freezing rain and stuff. I'm trying to think happy thoughts. ;)

Saturday 9 - What a Fool Believes

2011-01-28T22:05:00.003-07:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I've done a Saturday 9!

Ready ... Set ... Go!

Saturday 9: What a Fool Believes

1. What celebrity do you think is the MOST foolish?

Charlie Sheen. One of these days that boy's gonna wake up dead, which is too bad too because he's very talented. I think of Robert Downey, Jr, and I know that there's hope for Charlie. I hope he wants to come back from the cliff before it's too late.

2. What are 5 things you don't care about?

Despite what I said above, Charlie Sheen and all celebrity "drama."
Whether the people in our armed forces are gay.
Keeping women in the armed forces out of "armed combat." There cannot be equal rights without equal responsibility.
Whether BP ever sells another drop of gasoline. All I know is that they won't be selling it to me.
Ever eating sushi again. (Icky!)

3. What 'issue' do you think your opinion is so right about that you end up trying to sway others to your point of view?

That both political parties in the U.S. use hyperbole in their rhetoric to put down the opposition, and that neither party is the personification of evil in the world. Both sides are full of people trying to do what they think is best for the people who live in this country. Though admittedly there are exceptions on all sides. To paraphrase one of my favorite authors, WEB Griffin (who probably "borrowed" it from someone else) ... In any group of people, there is a certain percentage of jerks. Oh, and they like the power. They ALL like the power. It's very intoxicating.

4. What personality do you like to listen to on the radio?

Delilah, though some of those stories can get me nauseous after a while.

5. What culture are you fascinated by?

French, though admittedly my picture of it is extremely idealized, but it seems that they concentrate on living life in each moment rather than making everything a contest of materialism. Though to live it the way I picture it, it requires a lot materials. lol

6. You are alone with your lover's diary. What do you do?

Oh, that's so difficult. I want to see him write lovely things about me ... But what if he hasn't? I'd be devastated! I certainly wouldn't want him to read my private thoughts. They may not even be true anymore. Maybe it was just a flash of temper and not what I really thought. What if it expressed deeper feelings than he was ready to hear? No, I don't think that I can. It would not have always been the case. In the past, my curiosity would have overwhelmed my common sense, but now ... I'll leave well enough alone.

7. What frustrates you?

D.C. drivers. I have never experienced the like.

8. Do you remember the first time you were on the internet? What did you do first?

Actually, I don't remember my first time on the internet. I was probably terrified but intrigued at the same time. What an adventure it has been.

9. What was the biggest fight you have ever had with someone?

One with my mother, no doubt. She has the ability to press all of my buttons at the same time without even realizing it. All the time we've spent together over the last couple of years has been really great to work through all that. Our relationship is much better for it.

Have a great weekend! (And yes, I'm continuing to work on my thesis.) ;)

Date Night for the State of the Union

2011-01-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine anything more romantic than snuggling up to your honey to watch the ... President Obama's State of the Union? Ummm ... Rewind ... It's nothing like that. But some of our federal legislators are planning to do something against tradition. Normally, the two parties sit on opposite sides of the room, like rowdy kids on a Saturday night looking for an excuse to rumble.

This year a handful of legislators from opposing parties will be sitting together, including some pretty big names like Sen. Chuckie Schumer (D) and Sen. John McCain (R) (though those two won't be sitting together). A big Thank You to Sen. Mark Udall from Colorado who came up with this idea.

Do I think that this will end partisanship in Washington D.C.? No, but I actually agree with something that Schumer said (Never thought I'd ever say that!), "It's true it's symbolic, but let's not forget (that) oftentimes in history, symbols influence reality."

I think that I have to thank the Rally to Restore Sanity for this turn of events (and the mid-term elections). Though the motivation for the rally was for Jon Stewart to thumb his nose at Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor rally, a couple of months before, the result demonstrated how sick people are of the contentiousness in Washington.

When you couple that with the dismal mid-term elections for the Democrats, they realized that they're going to have to work with the Republicans if a) they want to keep the Republicans from working to dismantle everything they did in the past two years, b) they want to accomplish anything on their agenda in the next two years.

I realize that we're not in fairy-land. I know that we have some contentious times ahead, but this is a very encouraging start. And even if it happens this one time, and the next day they're back at each others' throats, I will be thankful for the one day. It's better than nothing.

Will She Ever Blog Again?

2011-01-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

Hello fans! It's been well over a month since I've blogged, and I haven't even been to visit my friends often since the middle of December. I have missed you so. However, I don't see any change in my schedule for the next couple of weeks. I'm full time on my thesis at the moment, so I don't have a chance to do bloggy things. In a couple of weeks, hopefully, I'll be able to start visiting again. See you soon! Mwah!

The Cutest Little Face

2010-12-02T11:41:00.001-07:00

I think that I've mentioned before that we have quite an international community here at my seminary. By far the country with the greatest representation is Korea. I often find myself explaining different idioms, usually because I just said it. You should have see the looks that I got from "it drives me bananas." It's become the running joke.

My friends have thanked me for my assistance many times. One day, about a month ago I thought that I might be able to help more people if I started a blog. Then, people who I don't see regularly (or their spouses or families) could become more familiar with our idioms too. And that's how And Today's Idiom Is ... was born.

You might think that this is an advertisement for this other blog. Not so, though if you want to check it out, you're more than welcome to do so. ;) The reason that I'm telling you all this is because of the picture that I used today for Dog Tired.

Doesn't this little one have the cutest little face! I want to pet him, but the computer screen keeps getting in the way!

Was Your Thanksgiving Happy

2010-11-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

I've decided on another Two on Tuesday. :) To be honest, I didn't give a thought about it last week. I was with my mother in Tennessee, and we were having a good time. I think on Tuesday we went to see Harry Potter, but more about that another time.

I did have a happy Thanksgiving this year. It's been a struggle to have a happy Thanksgiving since my dad died several years ago. For many years, we celebrated with just the two of us. It's not that I miss him so especially on that day. It's not having a place to go or be that I didn't feel like I was a burden or someone's "good deed" for the day. The truth is that I have some great friends that made a point to invite me to their celebration and feel included. And perhaps it was ungrateful of me, but I never felt comfortable. I always felt like an intruder or interloper with the full knowledge that it was the opposite of what they wanted me to feel.

So the first thing was that I was grateful to be with family on Thanksgiving where I could be with family and not be the intruder. The traditions and foods were familiar, and there was no pressure to be or act in any particular way. A good time was had by all, and even the dog got a few turkey scraps (on the sly).

The second thing was being able to help out and contribute while I'm visiting my mother. Even though Christmas decorating was not ever one of our Thanksgiving traditions, due to scheduling and travel plans, I was able to help pulling everything out of storage and getting the tree set up. Now, she can decorate it at her leisure without stress or crisis. It was great to feel appreciated rather than being a burden, and make no mistake, she was liberal with her expressions of thanks.

(I should mention that I do have a step-father that is rather handy around the house, so I was physically helping him. Let me tell you, that tree was freaking heavy! lol)

Hope this beginning of the Advent season is going well for you.

Two on Tuesday ... An Attitude of Gratitude

2010-11-16T00:00:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Nessa for the idea (though I may have tweeked it). I was doing something with 13 last week, and it was way beyond my capacity. Two is much more do-able. ;)

I want to do a little more to ac-cen-tuate the positive in my life. Two things shouldn't be too stressful, right?

I have a place that's warm, safe and dry to sleep tonight. There are millions of people in the world who can't say that. There are thousands just in this city. We even have the shelter space, but they don't feel safe there. They actually feel safer sleeping on the street. I am blessed because I don't have to make that choice.
I am blessed because I have this amazing magical device called a computer. It helps me do so many things. I could not study or work without it. (True I probably could do it without this particular one, but I would have to find a substitution somewhere else.) It is absolutely required. But perhaps more importantly, it allows me to be social with friends that I wouldn't even know existed otherwise, not to mention the friends and family it helps me keep in touch with. I probably wouldn't have found out for months that my young cousin Dana got into college today if it weren't for this magical mystical device.

So, that's it for today. Will I have a Two on Tuesday next week? Only time will tell. :)

13 Things I'd Like to Do But Probably Won't

2010-11-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

I saw this over @ Nessa's, and I thought I'd give it a try. Upon further investigation I found that I should have come up with my own theme for the list. But you know, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So, here it goes...

Go to China.
Go sailing off the coast of Hawaii.
Get married.
Be a size 12.
Live on a ranch with lots of animinals around.
Win the lottery.
Own a dance school.
Get out of debt.
Dance with a world class ballroom dancer.
Be fluent in foreign languages.
Get my teeth straightened (Well, relocated really. Acutally, they're pretty straight already.)
Play the piano better.
Update my blog more daily (with interesting content).

Wow! Coming up with 13 of anything is tough. If I play again, I might turn it into the Thursday 3. lol

Megamind in 3-D

2010-11-06T17:52:00.002-06:00

I've had so many things that I've wanted to write about. I've got a list, but several of them were time sensitive and the time has passed ... Juan Williams being fired from NPR ... Keith Oberman suspended from MSNBC ... Did you know that they're doing another Spiderman re-boot? Didn't they just do that? Has enough time passed? (Stan Lee is scheduled to appear with Craig Ferguson soon, so maybe we'll get some answers there.) Continuing on ... the Curse of the Oldest Woman ... Jon Stewart's rally ... the mid-term elections ... my Farmville addiction. The problem is not that I don't have material. The problem is that I don't have the energy to write anything coherent.

So now, it's looking like this blog is turning into a movie review site, which isn't all bad, except there hasn't been a lot out there to inspire me this year. Now, if the studios were willing to provide me with free tickets or private screenings like they do with proper film critics, we might be talking. But, if I have to pay cash on the barrel head, I'm going to have to be reasonably sure that I'm going to like it.

Enter Megamind in 3-D. I've been seeing trailers for this film for quite a while, and it looked promising. I have a love/hate relationship with Will Ferrell. I usually can only take him for 30 seconds at a time, maybe 2 minutes in a trailer. The thing is that his public persona is such a cartoon that an animated film is the ideal vehicle for him.

Then, there's the 3-D aspect. Gosh, probably 10 years ago now, I went to Disney World and saw some really amazing things that they were doing with 3-D. Gone were the paper glasses with two different colored lenses (and by "lenses," I mean pieces of colored cellophane) that make you nauseous if you tried to walk around while wearing them. The results at Disney were phenomenal. I don't know if I've shared this with you, but I'm partial to Muppets, and the 3-D show I enjoyed the most featured a recreation of the old Muppet Show. I remember thinking at the time. "Wow! If this is where 3-D's going, I'm in!"

Alas, I have been waiting ever since. I will admit that things have been getting a lot better as of late, but really nothing that matched the possibilities that I imagined after my Disney Muppet experience. While everyone was oooing and ahhhing over Avatar. I was left wanting. Though I am perfectly willing to admit that it might have to do more with what I felt was the "preachiness" of the film. I'm not usually fond of "message movies." As Big Daddy said in, The Long Hot Summer, "I get preached to in church on Sunday." lol I only approve of them when the message is so subtle that I can't consciously tell that it was there. (In my opinion, the best works achieve this.)

But back to the 3-D in Megamind. It was awesome. The best work that I've seen to date. It didn't have any silly tricks. (Okay, except for one, but that was during the credits.) The 3-D gave it depth. Was that extra depth worth the extra money that I paid to see it? Not really, but since I had paid for it, I certainly was going to enjoy the heck out of it.

None of that matters though if the story isn't good. (See comments about Avatar above.) I must say that I really liked it. In so many movies (especially reboots), we see a lot about the struggles of an aspiring superhero, but we get a relatively cardboard villain. And, that's okay because we need the villain to give the hero something to do. This movie takes the whole thing and turns it upside down. What does it take to create the supervillain? It is the villain who is shown as troubled and misunderstood. I thought the film did it in a way that showed Megamind as a sensitive young boy with so much potential. But, just a few accidents through no fault of his own, sent him down a different path than his Superman-ish classmate.

It was sensitive. It was charming. It was action-packed. It had great images.

I think that I'm going to have to give this one 4 out of 5 stars.

Current Favorite Movie This Year

2010-10-17T13:33:00.001-06:00

Ask me if I want to see a movie that is considered "Meh" by the critics, and if it's anything like RED, I'll say yes every time. Here we have a movie with Bruce Willis (love him), Helen Mirren (love her), John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, Richard Dreyfuss, and Karl Urban. It's a action/comedy. I would almost call it a Bruckheimer Special*. Come to think of it, I don't know who the producer is. I'll have to check that out. (eta: He wasn't the producer.)

The basic story is crafted for baby-boomers who are reaching retirement age who feel that they are being kicked out by the young whipper-snappers, while they still feel strong enough to throw a few punches. It's a classic plot. In a way, it's Big Jake. But you know what? It still works. Especially when you have witty, pithy dialogue. And no one does wise cracking everyman better than Bruce Willis. Even when "everyman" is a retired CIA black-ops officer.

Maybe it's just that I've been in love with Bruce Willis since he stared in Moonlighting in the 80s. It's true, but I have actually seen him in things that I didn't like.

But I like all the other people too. The professional women were strong and confident. They were greatly respected by their male co-workers. The men were competent yet still caring. The characters are great. The plot pacing was great. The images were great. I mean what could be more striking than Helen Mirren in an evening gown and red lipstick firing a machine gun?

How can you go wrong? Loooooooved It!

ETA: I found it interesting (and great) that "Bruce Willis has revealed that he threatened to walk out of latest film, RED, if producers cut 'sexy' scenes of Dame Helen Mirren with a gun," according to the Daily Mail. I'm appalled that he felt that he had to take that stand. You may or may not like this genre of film, but if you're going to have it, keeping Helen out of the fun seems agist, sexist, or both.

* I define a "Bruckheimer Special" as an action/adventure movie that is high on explosives and has characters heavy with snappy dialogue. It's forumlaic, but it's a formula that works. They include Beverly Hills Cop, Armageddon, and Pirates of the Caribbean just to name a few. (Actually, I checked out his resume over at IMDb, and I'm amazed at all how many of my favorite films Bruckheimer's been involved with.)

What's Your Energy Type

2010-09-19T22:05:00.001-06:00

I'm taking a leaf out of Spike's book and going with the quiz today. I know it seems a little soon for me to be making a new post considering my recent history, but I didn't want to leave Pirate Day as the lead for the Shadow knows how long before my next post is. lol

Gotta say, the result is right on the money, honey, but it wouldn't take a brain surgeon to figure this one out. :)

You Burn the Midnight Oil

No matter how hard you try, you just don't make a good morning person. You probably don't feel like your brain turns on until at least noon.

You tend to get energized and inspired late into the evening - no matter how early you had to get up. Try to schedule your time so that you can be productive after dark. There's no use fighting who you are.

What's Your Energy Type?

Blogthings: Our Quizzes Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

Avast! It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!

2010-09-18T22:30:00.000-06:00

Ahoy! My name's Cotton, and I have commandeered Miss Cherie's blog for the day.

I had t' tell ye about Talk Like a Pirate Day. Thar be all kinds o' fun things t' say an' do. Th' most fun be annoyin' sea dogs an' land lubbers around ye as ye talk like a seafarin' hearty ... Unless, ye can get them t' join in wi' ye. Then everywhere ye go be like an endless party.

If ye`re lookin' fer ideas or activities t' make th' celebration as fun as possible, check ou' th' Official Talk Like a Pirate Day website.

And if ye be lookin' fer me, I be wi' Slappy at Skull Island, Arrr. Be seein' ye next voyage!

The Korean Memorial

2010-09-15T12:33:00.001-06:00

You may not be aware of this, but Washington D.C. is just full to over-flowing of memorials for one thing or another. You can hardly pass an intersection or traffic circle where something or someone isn't being commemorated. One of my favorites is the Korean War/Conflict Memorial.

It's not that I'm a huge fan of the Korean Conflict (though I'm going to school with a number of Koreans who are extremely grateful that the U.S. was involved), but I think that this memorial is extremely striking, especially at night.

It's almost spooky and eerie. To me, it certainly does not glamorize war (as many memorials do).

I remember the first time I went there. The statues seemed to appear out of nowhere. And suddenly I was in the middle of it.

And the statues themselves look so realistic with the flowing ponchos right down to the combat boots. You can see the tired and drawn looks on the faces of the troopers. Most impressive.

Last year, my camera battery gave out right before we got to this memorial, and I promised pics. Finally, I can share my awe with you.

A Quick Update

2010-09-12T19:21:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe that I haven't posted anything since August 3rd. That's probably because I have tried to keep tabs on all my peeps on a regular basis. As you can see, I've made an adjustment to my blog theme to give it more an autumnal feel. ;) Also, thought it might be nice to check in with a short rundown about what's been going on. I see on my sidebar that my Blogoversary is coming up in a few days, so I might try to have something for that too. (Something for you to look forward to. lol)

First off, I'm back at school. The church where I worked over the summer gave me a nice send-off along with a modest check, which was very nice, as I was there strictly as a volunteer. It was enough to buy my books for the semester, so I was happy.

Ji-Yeon

Everything is going well in the roommate department. Ji-yeon returned a few weeks before I did.

We rearranged the furniture in our room that makes it like 500% more functional. I could have never believed how much better life could be by switching the placement of a few pieces.

Classes are going well, and I have an official title for my thesis! "Bringing the Christian Message to the Secular-Humanist Community." At the moment, I have a lot of sociology books about Postmodernism. (I wanted to be able to say that I'm reading a lot of books about Postmodernism, but that isn't strictly true.)

What's very nice is that my class on Contemporary Issues in Science and Religion is dovetailing very nicely with my thesis topic. I'm getting lots of great ideas of where to go for more information.

I'm also getting to know a lot of new people with the incoming class of seminary students. They seem to be a good bunch of kids. And on top of that, I've joined a kind of small support group, which I was desperately missing last year. So far so good! :)

My Summer Part 3

2010-08-04T21:54:00.005-06:00

I'll admit it, I've run out of clever titles for this series. I will happily entertain any suggestions, which is not the same thing as saying that I will act on any suggestion. lol

Okay ... And then there was all of the other stuff that sounds more like a laundry list than a story.

Let me set the scene. I finished my finals and rushed-rushed to check out of my room. They actually wanted us out by like 10 AM on the last day of finals. Totally, unreasonable in my opinion. I know why, and that's because they had people coming on Monday who needed those rooms. They needed to be made ready for them, and obviously, that couldn't be done if there were students still using them. However, I got a reprieve of one day, and I left on Saturday the 8th of May.

Within days of arriving at my mother's, I was house-sitting for a week with a golden-retriever who belongs to two retired people and is not used to being alone. She stuck pretty close to me to make sure that I wasn't going anywhere.

Shortly after my mother and step-dad returned, they were having Vacation Bible School at my mother's church, and she was in charge of the nightly meal. To say that the household was kinda wild and crazy that week would be an understatement. lol But all turned out very well.

The next week was the mission trip with a week's recovery after. Then, we got the pool up & running for the season in order to be ready for ... my mother's birthday party at the end of June. (Can you believe that I'm already through the third week of June in this story?)

This was the first time in like 12 years that I could celebrate my mother's birthday with her, and I wanted to make sure it was special. Her husband has invited people over before, but my mom was stuck with getting everything ready and preparing all the food and everything. Understandably, this stressed her out!

It was my mission to relieve her of that burden, so that she could enjoy her party.

By "B" Day, everything was ready. The pool was sparkling and the water was warm. The weather was perfect. My mother wasn't used to being able to socialize with her guests, and it took her a little while to get into it. But before long, she was having a marvelous time.

Then, came the 4th of July, and all the other stuff that I talked about in the other posts started kicking in.

And THAT's what I've been doing this summer instead of blogging. There's one thing for sure. I haven't been bored! :)

My Summer "Vacation"?

2010-08-03T21:05:00.003-06:00

I'm a little later than expected on my post for part 2 of my 3 part series of what's been going on in my life this summer. It is designed as a lure to draw my missing bloggy friends back to the "interwebs." Do I think that I have that kind of readership power that people will come back just because I ask? Certainly not. I'm just putting that cyber energy out into the universe, and it's working even better than I expected with another of my bff's, the beautiful and talented Dianne, coming back onto the scene. I obviously don't know my own strength. lol

So, what have I been doing that has me concerned that I only have 3 1/2 weeks left? I've been doing background research for my thesis. If I were waiting for Christmas, I would think that 3 1/2 weeks was an age, but now, I'm concerned that it will be here before I know it.

Of course, "doing background research" sounds very academic, but all it really is is reading a bunch of books so that I have an idea of what's out there. I've been really lucky because the local college libraries has 1/2 of the books on my reading list, so I've been able to read them for free.

You may be wondering what my topic is, and that's a good question. I've been trying to figure out a way to express it succinctly. Let's give it a shot ... Effectively Expressing the Christian Message to a Secular Humanist Society in a Postmodern World. It's a little more narrow than that, but it's a good start. It's about meeting people where they are, rather than trying to force them to change everything about how they see the world and what makes sense to them.

It might interest you to know that it is the conversations that I've had with many people in cyber-space that inspired me in my topic choice. These would include people both inside the church, like Dr. John, and many outside the church, who have been hurt many times by people claiming to speak for the church.

My summer reading list has been very interesting and intriguing including topics like Shamanism and the scientific explosion during the Romantic Age (late 18th/early 19th centuries). It ranges from devout Christian authors that were murdered by the Nazis to the most ardent atheists and everything in between. I'm so excited to work on this paper!

But the work on the thesis and the church have not even been the most time consuming things this summer. To find out about that, tune in tomorrow. I wonder who else will turn up by then. :)

Trinity UM Church

2010-08-01T23:05:00.008-06:00

Once again, I have proved my trendsetting abilities though I had no idea that it would work so quickly. Yesterday, I wrote about how by posting a series about "What I've Been Up to This Summer," I would start a trend which would lure my missing bloggy friends back to the bloggosphere. And wouldn't you know, my beloved Spike (a.k.a. Thom) was figuratively knocking at my door within hours and is back to his quiz posting ways. I haven't made it there to see if he's worked back up to his multiple daily posting ways, but I'll be over there right after I press "Publish Post" here.

You know it is quite scary to have this kind of telepathic influence. But as Peter Parker said in Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility." (Though I think that Peter's uncle said it first.) Never-the-less, I hereby vow to only use my power for good. ;)

Okay, on with the show ...

In today's episode of "What's Been Keeping Me from my Blog This Summer," I'm featuring my internship at Trinity United Methodist Church. It has been a wonderful experience, but it has been keeping me busy. Within a week of reporting for duty, I was on my way to my first Youth mission trip. Really, it was the first mission trip that I'd ever been on. I've wanted to participate before, but the timing had never been right. Things seemed to fall into place with this one.

We loaded up a mini-bus with a total of 23 participants to help a lovely woman, 87 years young, to fix up a lot of things at her little house in Marion, VA. Ms. Mackney is the lady on the far left.

We kind of felt like we were working on "Curb Appeal: The Block." After we had been working a couple of days, other people in the neighborhood began fixing up their own houses.

Here's the before and after. Let's see if you can figure out which is which ...

There was a lot of interior work as well, which included both a hole in the kitchen floor, and a hole in the ceiling that allegedly was the access to the attic, but it was spanned by a tree branch!

This was the first week of June, and quite frankly, the next week was dedicated almost entirely to recovery.

I've also been very involved with the Youth program (7th-12th graders), and teaching the 6th grade Sunday school. From the very beginning of my time here I knew that I would be involved with the church's Vacation Bible School (VBS) program, but what exactly I'd be doing kept switching from day-to-day. One day I'd be asked to do the music, then doing a science demonstration (Who said that church and science were incompatible?), and then finally two weeks out, I was asked to teach the Youth Class. "And oh, by the way, we don't have any Youth materials in the program that we've selected, but you can do anything you want."

The translation of that is that while there is a committee of about 15 people helping each other with all the related aspects of VBS, I would basically be a "one man band," so to speak. The good news is that I found a wonderful curriculum that I was able to get on-line for free, and I was able to develop some great lessons. The bad news was that it was very time consuming, and left me completely exhausted. I did have one parent volunteer that did sit in the class with me, and while she didn't have many specific responsibilities in the class, just her presence was a great help. I didn't realize how much that helped until she was called away for about 10 minutes. The Youth smelled the blood in the water, and they got considerably rowdier than usual.

The bottom line is that the class was great success. We actually had at least five other small churches participating in our VBS, and the Youth class was the largest of all of them. The Youth also has the biggest age range, but teenagers can chafe at what they might look at as a childish thing. I was very pleased when our numbers actually went up through the week! I had a max of 22. (I had been told to expect between 10 & 15 per night.) That might not seem like much, but for a person who, with the exception of that Youth Mission Trip, had zero experience with teaching Youth, I was amazed. For me it was a true case of, "God does not call the equipped. God equips the called."

However, neither of those things are the most time consuming items on my internship agenda this summer. I have been creating a website for the church. I'll admit that I have some experience customizing a platform, like Blogger, or MySpace, and message boards. I'll even go so far as claiming that I can do a better than fair job, and that's what I thought I was volunteering to do with the church's website. However, they had different plans.

Most of the time that I've spent with the church is designing and learning to build a sophisticated website. The good news here is that I just about have it, and that's a good thing too because the summer's almost over. I have about a week to finish everything, including content, so that I can have the following week to teach the church's administrative assistant to update it after I leave.

I have had a wonderful time working with the people of this church this summer. They are very genuine and loving. I really needed that environment after the emotionally straining year that I had a school. I will be able to go back at the end of August fully recharged and ready to plunge myself fully back into my studies. And the members of this church have been kind enough to express that I may have left a similar impression on them. It has been very gratifying.

You might think that all this would keep me busy enough for the summer, but it's just the beginning. Think that I got to take an absolute break from my studies over the summer? Guess again. But I'll tell you all about that tomorrow.

ttfn! ;)

Cherie, The Trendsetter

2010-08-01T01:00:00.000-06:00

I know that I've always been a trendsetter though I didn't always realize it until some time later. But this is not the kind of trend I wanted to set.

I've been kinda inadvertently taking a break from blogging lately. Considering that I haven't posted anything since May 1st and today's August 1st, I think it qualifies as a "break." And the trend that I've been noticing is that a lot of my blogging buddies are now taking a break too! (Just because I couldn't post, doesn't mean that I didn't visit my friends every chance I got.)

Ever eager to improve the world, wherever I can, I will attempt to reverse this trend by making a series of posts about what's been keeping me away this summer.

My time at Trinity UM Church.
Working on my thesis.
Staying with my mother.

Tune in tomorrow.