Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy Birthday to the woman who has taught me so much:

• How to write thank-you notes that say a little more than just "thanks for the...."

• How to make awesome and creative school projects.

• How to roller skate.

• How to read.

• How to type, so that I could get full enjoyment out of playing with my dad's old typewriter.

• How to use socks to make dresses for my dolls.

• How to use her sewing machine so I could make my own homemade scrunchies. (Fabric scraps were such a treasure!)

And much, much more.

Skip, Skip...

So, I didn't post for Nablopomo yesterday. It wasn't intentional, and I'm a tiny bit disappointed. But mostly it was worth it.

From the hanging out at my parents' house yesterday morning with no particular agenda, just joking around and enjoying each others' company. To having lunch at the food court in Wegman's with (almost) the whole lot of us. To stopping at Uncle L's on the way home at nearly 10pm, where he and his daughters chatted us up for hours and stuffed us silly with Thanksgiving leftovers. To watching Uncle L's youngest granddaughters (ages 5 and 3) run circles around him in their pajamas, squealing with delight that they were up way past their bedtime....

It was all totally worth the sacrifice of a silly little blog post.

Good food. Good life.

Having too much fun with family and friends to write a proper blog post. I hope that the situation is the same for you.

On Faith

Here is a blog post written by the husband of Anissa Mayhew. Anissa is a thirty-something blogger who suffered a major stroke a couple weeks ago. Her husband has been at her side every day, praying for her and reporting to the world about her progress. He acknowledges his weakness, and thereby finds wellsprings of strength.

Here's a bit of what he said yesterday:

The thing about faith is it’s not about what you want. It’s a confidence that God won’t give you any challenge you can’t handle….you just don’t know what that limit is. ‘Nissa and I talked about this when Peyton was first diagnosed. For the first time, there was a very real possibility of a poor outcome for one of our kids.

There is, however, a certain calm that overtakes you when you take your hands off the wheel of life and let God do the driving.

Six days ago, I prayed for lots of things. It was one of those moments of weakness, when the weight of the world was feeling rather crushing. What I got was this thought: “Touch her where she’s hurt every day for the next 7 days. Things will work out.” Every day, I’ve been coming in and touching the back of her head, her right arm, and her right leg. Every day, I’ve been doing a mental count down, sometimes out loud, drawing weird looks from Natalie, sometimes in my own head.

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, is day 7.

If tomorrow comes and goes and she still hasn’t woken up enough to be considered out of the coma, I’m ok with that, because of the path she’s on. It’s just another day in this whole ordeal.

Understand though, my wife hates being late.

Amazing. Today, as you're giving thanks, I encourage you to also send up prayers of petition for Anissa and her family and others in situations like theirs.

Story

Love glows.



It twirls and dances.

I Can't Control My Brain

Last night I told my husband how, almost as soon as my head hits the pillow, I start having these crazy dreams. I mean, like a three-ring circus of crazy parading through my head all. night. long. He said something along the lines of, "Can't you just not have those dreams?" As if. For the most part, while I'm asleep, I have no control over where my mind goes.

Which reminds me of this song...



P.S. I didn't tell my husband that the other night, I had the craziest dream of all. I dreamt that I had bought a puppy. Not just any puppy--one of these. I'm not a dog person, or an animal person for that matter, but my husband has been working on me. Oh, shoot. I'm going to have to buy him a puppy. Maybe. Someday.

P.P.S. I mean rescue a puppy. Buying puppies is so barbaric. Who would do such a thing? Sheesh! Down with puppy mills!

Cousin's Wedding

I had a blast at the wedding on Friday. I took my camera with me to practice photographing people. (I love to take pictures of nature, but I'm pretty shy about pointing my camera at humans.) But taking pictures wasn't the only reason I had fun. The small ceremony was just lovely, and the priest gave a message that really spoke to me. ("We gain wisdom when life beats us up." That sounds odd in the context of a wedding, but I'm assuming the priest was referring to the fact that the bride's mother--my husband's aunt--had died suddenly about a year ago.)

The reception was at the newlyweds' house. It was catered by the restaurant where the groom had taken the bride on their first date. Delicioso. The mood was lively. Everyone was happy and full of love. And I left wanting to visit that part of our family more often.

Stuff and Things

There were a few things that I wanted to do today. Buy some holiday decorations to make our apartment more festive. Edit photos from my cousin-in-law's wedding. (Do people say "cousin-in-law"?) But, before I could do those things, I had to clean my apartment. I'm a neat freak, and I can't relax when my apartment is messy. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy doing the fun things on my list if I were constantly thinking about the pile of laundry reaching for the stars and the dirty dishes having a party in my sink.

So, I spent all day in my pajamas cleaning the apartment from top to bottom. Dusting, mopping, vacuuming, shredding old mail, the whole nine yards. The washing machine is agitating and the dryer is humming as I write this. And now it is dark and I'm tired and editing photos will have to wait for another day.

In case you are having a hard time imagining me folding laundry*, here is a visual aid:



*Actually, today my husband has been doing all the folding.

Thank You, Sweetie

Twenty-one days into Nablopomo, and I am just strapped for ideas. With only an hour left before tomorrow, I asked my husband, "What should I write about on my blog? Or it can even be a clip from Youtube. Anything." Sweetie saved the day. This was his suggestion:

Seven Months One Day

Going to a wedding today so I have wedding on the brain. This is my husband and me seven months and one day ago.

Fruition

At this very moment, I'm watching the season finale of Project Runway. I'm not much of a fashionista. Correction--I'm not a fashionista at all. But I love Project Runway. I love watching the designers' ideas become beautiful, tangible objects. The whole process inspires me.

P.S. I'm rooting for Carol Hannah.

Update: My girl didn't win. I know she will still go far.

Neighborly Day

Do you know your neighbors? Unfortunately, I don't know mine. I rarely, if ever, see their faces. They are nothing more than sounds (and sometimes smells) emanating from our shared walls. If the FBI ever knocked on my door and asked me about my neighbors, I would have to invent names for them:

Neighbor to the right: Curry & Cigarettes

Upstairs neighbors: The Bunyans (All that stomping!)

Neighbors to the left: ... (I never see or hear any evidence of their existence. But, supposedly they are real.)

And if anyone asked our neighbors about me or my husband, this is what they would probably call us: Madame Allergy & Mr. Shouts-at-TV. (Me: Ah-choo! Him: GOOOOOAAAL!!)

Starting from Scratch

I'm a nerd who loves NPR shows like This American Life. I just listened to an episode called "Starting from Scratch", that ended with a rendition of the Adam and Eve story that is so different and compelling I can't describe it properly. Hear it for yourself here. (Skip to minute 41:53 to go straight to the Garden of Eden.)

Chicken-y Epiphany

I was sitting on the sofa the other day just eating my lunch when I became suddenly, keenly aware that I was eating a dead animal. It grossed me out for a second. I had a fleeting feeling that maybe I should become a vegetarian. This was not the first time these thoughts and feelings have coursed through me.

But then it hit me. Regardless of whether I'm eating animals or vegetables, something has to die in order for me to stay alive. Sacrifice is always involved in our survival.

And, should I even go where you know I'm headed next? Yes, I think I will.

Because Yeshua made the ultimate sacrifice, we can live forever in the world to come...if we accept Him as our Messiah. (Just like if you don't accept food, eventually you die.) I don't think it's a coincidence that death and sacrifice are inextricably tied to our everyday lives. Every meal is a reminder that there was an even bigger sacrifice made on our behalf. Every day, we have (hopefully) at least three opportunities to remember Yeshua's sacrifice and be deeply thankful for His gift of life.

Note to Self:

Do not buy a Trader Joe's strawberry rhubarb pie when strawberries are not in season. You know what happens when you try to recapture the sweetness of summer in November? Bitterness.

Random Memory

So, I walked into the living room a few minutes ago and the newest X-Files movie was on tv. And I had a "random" flashback. During my last year of college, I lived in a suite with four other girls. One of my suite mates kept a stack of back issues of "In Style" magazine on a table in the common room. The combination refrigerator/microwave were also in the common room, so I used to flip through the magazines while I waited for my Tina's bean and cheese burritos to heat up. I think Gillian Anderson was featured in one of those magazines, because seeing her in the X-Files movie just now transported me to that cold, bare common room. I'm twenty-one years old, I'm hungry, and I consider a dinner of two microwave burritos a feast.

Because Everyone Should Have a Proper Breakfast...

...on the week-end.



Blokes, be sure to fix this for your Mrs.

Nor'easter

Unless you haven't been watching the news, you know that those of us in the Mid-Atlantic region are experiencing a Nor'easter. What's a Nor'easter like, you ask?

It's lots and lots of wind and rain.
It's struggling against the wind to bring your soggy patio furniture inside.
It's wearing your favorite rubber boots to work.
It's leaky windows and doors and ceilings and basements.
It's engines sputtering because of inches of standing water on the roads.
It's news footage of people kayaking through their neighborhoods.
It's your workplace closing early.
It's space heaters blasting in vain to dry the entrance to Wal-Mart.
It's having a really huge lunch in your living room late in the afternoon. In your pajamas.
It's the lights flickering.
It's taking a nap as the wind howls outside.

See?

...I posted something. I may be facing all kinds of obstacles and challenges in my life, but I will not let Nablopomo get the better of me!

P.S. In the spirit of continuing to improve all aspects of my life, I made progress toward finding a new doctor. My last doctor and I just weren't clicking, and I know I really shouldn't stick with someone who makes me uncomfortable. So, I have an appointment next week with a new doc. If her bedside manner also leaves something to be desired, I will keep on moving until I find who I'm looking for.

In Others' Words

Today was one of those days. I spent most of it worried to the point of distraction. But I did find some things that taught me and lifted my spirits. I want you to see them for yourself:

1. Do you want to be healed? Really? And when you say you want (whatever aspect of your life) to be healed, do you know what you're getting yourself into? When you click on this link, scroll down to the section called "Heart Message: Healing at the Pool of Bethesda", and prepare to be challenged and inspired.

2. Who ever knew that a simple portrait could have such an impact? Be sure to read Trina's story. It's like free counseling.

3. Find out what Danny learned on his men's retreat. (It applies to women, too, I promise.)

Mi Casa Es...?

I've been thinking lately about how I want to live my life--especially how I can serve others. Those thoughts were brought more to the fore of my mind a couple days ago during my congregation's Shabbat service. Last week's Torah portion (Old Testament passage) was from the book of Genesis. (Genesis 18:1-22:24.) Part of that passage relates the story of how God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Unlike what I had been taught for most of my life, what I learned last week was that the greatest sins of the Sodomites were their lack of hospitality and generosity. I first ran across that concept in an article on Chabad's website. Then, during a midrash (discussion) with my congregation on Saturday, another person mentioned the same idea. According to the sages, Sodom was overrun by the attitude of "What is mine is mine and what is yours is yours."* Absolute selfishness made the Sodomites evil.**

Selfishness leading to evilness? That is not so surprising. But still I was thrown off a little because I was so used to the "sexual perversion" aspect of Sodom being the main reason for their ultimate destruction. In reality, the immorality and violence were just external symptoms of a flawed internal attitude.

A passage in Ezekiel describes it this way: "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen." (Ezekiel 16:49-50.)

Obviously, God thinks service, generosity, hospitality and the like are very important. So, they should be very important to me. These days, though, I don't have a lot to give, monetarily speaking. And I can't really afford to open the doors of my home and host big dinners on a regular basis. But, the "poor and needy" are not always "poor and needy" in the monetary sense. They are not always literally hungry. There are other ways to fulfill people's needs. There are other ways to be helpful and supportive.

Those other ways are what I have been ruminating on lately. I have no firm conclusions as to what I will do. But I do have ideas forming that I am praying about. Because to me, service isn't about just doing something to say that I did something or to make myself feel good. It is about making myself available to do what God wants me to do.


*Unfortunately, when I was growing up, this was exactly my attitude. One babysitter told my mom that I was bad at sharing. And I was notorious for hoarding and hiding my things from my younger brothers. But, in my defense, when I didn't hoard and hide my toys and games, my brothers totally destroyed them!

**One commentary states that the cruelty and sexual perversion of Sodom were used purposely to keep visitors away.

When All Else Fails...

...I post pictures. These are from a trip I took to Colvin Run Park in Fairfax, Virginia a few years ago. It's a small park, but I had fun taking notice of the little things and photographing them....

A Minor Annoyance Is An Opportunity To Learn

Facebook won't let me login to my account. It tells me that my password is incorrect, although I've double-, triple-, and quadruple-checked, and I know it's right. Then, when I try to change my password in order to resolve all this foolishness, it tells me that my email address is invalid. I know that's total nonsense. Anyway, in order to get Facebook to fix anything, they ask you to take a screen shot of your particular issue. I didn't know how to take a screen shot, but thanks to Facebook's glitchiness tonight, I was given the opportunity to learn how. I took the requisite screen shots of the two error messages. Then I thought, "Fun! What else can I capture?"

So, without further ado, here is a screen shot of the top half of my iGoogle page:



P.S. Apparently, this is really the top third of my iGoogle page. I read too many blogs.

NPR Addiction

My sister referenced the lyrics to this song in her Facebook status update yesterday, and I was like, "I'm lost". I had a vague idea she was quoting a song, but what song? She gave me the pertinent info, and I explained that I'm so behind on pop culture because of my NPR habit. I guess it wouldn't kill me to change the radio station every once in a while.

I know I'm more than a year late, but this song is fantastic!

Perspective

So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ~Matthew 6:34

Sudan often shapes my thoughts.

I have these cousins in Kansas
who are squatters in their own house.
They can't pay the mortgage.
They're going to be foreclosed upon
soon.

At least they're living in a house, not a tent,
Sudan says.

But--I can hear my cousins answer--the fear.
We are in the house now,
but who knows when our roof
will be lifted away.

You have the house today,
says Sudan.
Live in it today. Tomorrow doesn't exist.

Maybe You Need To Remember Too?

This morning, I found myself doing basically the same thing that I did when I woke up yesterday--mentally going through the checklist of all the things that are totally stressing me out.* As I was doing this, I was interrupted by this song that started playing in my mind. It was the second time in as many days that this particular song came to mind. Maybe God is trying to tell me something?

Just Remember I Love You by Firefall

When it all goes crazy and the thrill is gone
The days get rainy and the nights get long
When you get that feelin' you were born to lose
Starin' at your ceiling, thinkin' of your blues

When there's so much trouble that you want to cry
The world has crumbled and you don't know why
When your hopes are fading and they can't be found
Dreams have left you waiting friends have let you down

Just remember I love you
And it'll be alright
Just remember I love you
More than I can say
Maybe then your blues will fade away

When you need a lover and you're down so low
You start to wonder but you never know
When it feels like sorrow is your only friend
Knowing that tomorrow you'll feel this way again

When the blues come callin' at the break of dawn
The rain keeps fallin' but the rainbow's gone
When you feel like cryin' but the tears won't come
When your dreams are dyin' when you're on the run

Just remember I love you
And it'll be alright
Just remember I love you
More than I can say
Just remember I love you
And it'll be alright...

*Everything feels even worse when hubby is out of town.

PROMPTuesday #80: Minutiae

PROMPTuesday is Deb's creation, and I have not participated in a shamefully long time. But with this week's topic, I thought, I can do this. I can write about the minutiae of my day. Turns out that would take a very long time, so here are the details of my first few moments this morning.

first minutes

i curl into fetal position
and bury my face in my pillow
like i do every morning,
feeling like how can this be happening
to me
again?
this morning thing?
i'm so tired.
i run through the modeh ani
once or twice in my head
unscrambling the hebrew words
until they match the ones
on the notecard on my side table.
my mind drifts
and i pray about my various dreads
of the day
and then i say the modeh ani aloud.
i really should save the dreads
for second.
or not at all.

~robyn, nov. 3, 2009

Healing

He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

~Isaiah 53:3-5

Sunday, Funday

This morning:
Laundry, The Sports Reporters, chocolate pancakes. (Well, pancakes with a hint of chocolate essence, which was just enough for this girl who is not so big on chocolate. We used chocolate almond milk instead of regular milk* with our Bisquick. Lovely.)

This afternoon/evening:
Dropped off the recycling, a quick visit at the in-laws (where I had some tasty homemade apple pie), errands, more laundry.

And now, a bonus:



This is the dumpster where we drop off our recycling. Someone tagged it. I think it's kind of a sad, unimpressive little tag. "Lost Hero" needs to go to graffiti school.

Just kidding, of course. I don't endorse vandalism. And "Lost Hero" may be a perfectly good graffiti artist who was just having an off day.


*By "regular milk" I mean vanilla almond milk.