climbing panda

lighting the "climbing panda"


stepping back from said panda...


jumping back from panda...


happy little panda, through all the smoke it produced.
target audience: most likely 5 year old girls.
verdict: maybe my favorite firework. :)
oh well, what can I say?

Happy 4th!

Today I held my first Roman Candle, threw my first (successful) bottle rocket and wrote my name with a sparkler. By far, my favorite firework of the night, however, was the "growing panda" which looked deceptively cute. The innocent anime creature sits on a stick that's supposed to shoot up after lighting the fuse. We put him on top of the fencepost I reached up high and lit my choice firework. I stepped away just in time as he began to hiss and spin violently, colored flames radiating in a circle and raining down. Next shot out a fire ball just off to my right. I don't think I'm the only one who gasped. I doubt Jon or Walt would admit to it. Maybe Pam will. It was quite a shock! A green fireball shot out and then the panda shot up... all at once. The surprise was worth it all.

Today we grilled out, bought a sprinkler, took Atlas to the farmers market and on a walk at Tom Lee Park (whose monument calls him a "very worthy negro" for heroically saving 32 lives on the Mississippi one night), hung out with friends, watched the Memphis fireworks from Arkansas's flood plain (maybe a 15 minute show with no recognizable finale... but fireworks nonetheless) and enjoyed an overcast day in the midst of summer heat.

It was a great holiday. I think it's finally time for bed. (yay!) :)

Done!

I took my test! Oh what a relief to be done. Although I won't find out officially for 4 - 5 weeks I feel alright about it too. This, for the record, does not mean I'll get credit for the class... with only 1 week of studying my standards may be a little low for this test. I'm just not really sure. Regardless, I am so thankful that my father in law postponed the tree job he'd hired Walter for so that he could drive me to my test. I used the time to study some more and learned (short term, I'm sure) a whole HEAP of info that was directly on the test. Praise God!

After stopping by Costco, Lowes, and Chic-fil-A (for a great salad) we headed home. I vowed not to celebrate with food (the salad doesn't count... even if I didn't make it myself) but instead to go swimming. This was my first real time in the pool (all in) this summer and it was SO wonderful. The last time I peaked my toes in the water was frigid. This time: bath water (as a note, bathwater is cooler than air so it is absolutely perfect). I even did a few decent dives and one or two really bad ones. I have to re-learn every year but gradually it is sticking.

Once we got home and had dinner I had the sneaking suspicion that there was something I definitely should be doing. How irresponsible was it for me to sit around leafing through pattern books, dreaming about which one should be done when. Then it hit me that I didn't HAVE to do anything that night. No responsibilities. How wonderful!

So I fixed a curtain. I got out my sewing machine and made a reinforcement for the area the dogs keep dislodging when they squeeze thru for a better view of the neighbor kids. Walter helped me install my masterpiece and TADA a working window cover yet again. :) I bought three sewing books just before I found out about this test. So once amazon delivered them I only allowed myself a glancing look before hiding them away to study. Now I get to pull them out in earnest and begin tinkering with my new sewing machine. It is a beauty!

I have other good news too. We're getting a camera! It should come in the mail tomorrow or the next day. Soon my posts won't be quite so bland looking. Won't that be the day? ;)

Falafel Friday!

I remember visiting a friend's house one Friday after school and first encountering Pizza Friday. They had pizza delivered, rented a movie, and the whole family gathered round to hang out in the living room for hours. I thought it was great. Movie and pizza? Every week? Heck yah!

Awhile back I talked to Walter about creating our own incarnation of Pizza Friday. We decided it was a great idea but needed a little tweaking. Out went the pizza (at least for most weeks) and in came the falafels. Home made falafels are great fun but quite a bit of work and even more clean up (it's Walter's job to clean out the fryer). This put a damper on the event... on starting up the event, I should say. We talked about Falafel Fridays off and on but never seemed to implement them. Then came Costco. They have some pre-made falafels that are perty good. They're not homemade good and CERTAINLY not fresh from the streetcorner of Bethlehem good... but good nevertheless. Kinda like having pizza delivered when you could go gourmet. Which, looking back, is kind of the point of pizza fridays: fast and easy food traded for time and fun with family. Plus, both delivered pizza and pre-made falafels are slightly guilty pleasures (tho falafel's not too guilty) so I think we've fit the bill.

Today is Falafel Friday (woohoo!) even tho' it is Saturday (shhh). But we weren't home yesterday and I desperately need the break and we sold our Civic today and it seems like cause enough for celebration. :)

and wait

Was it really March last time I checked this? It's hard to believe it's almost July! We've moved on from Spring Break (in Nashville... storms pummeled the gulf coast and what good is beach if you're stuck inside the motel? the hotel in nashville, for the record, was delightful.) to Summer Vacation where, until last week, we'd settled into a nice quiet rhythm.

I've been getting up early to give the dogs the walks they need, making a good breakfast and then eating it back in bed with Wally. After breakfast we'd go our separate ways: Wally grinding out tree stumps or installing cabinets or welding giant pieces of metal or whatever job came his way that day, and I'd either go to the Haps to help out my mother-in-law with whatever needed to be done there or to the Wilsons to babysit the kids. We'd come home, work out, eat dinner, and hang out for a few hours before bed and doing it all over again. It's been really pleasant.

Then last week I got the news that the Psychology class I'd planned on testing out of... in the fall... had to be tested out of by July 1st (oh my.). So scratch me going anywhere and working with anyone. Now I get up, walk the dogs, eat my breakfast, and study... small break to water the flowers... and I study... small break to turn off the soaker hose and empty the dishwasher... and I study... break for lunch... study... sweep the floor... study... prep supper (yay for crockpots!)... and study... work out with Wally, get really stinky, take a shower... and SUPPER... then study some more before calling it quits. I have one week to learn this entire class. It's just a little crazy. Not too bad really. I look forward to our workout and to dinner.

Walter and I have starting doing P90X. It's an intense 3 month workout program and we've just finished week 3. Woo! I'm not sure I've ever looked fwd to a workout before. Doing this, I have so much more energy and my body just feels better. I'm absolutely loving it. I'm embarassed to admit it but it may be the highlight of my day (oh my), and that's not to say I'm miserable the rest of the day either (tho' I know my description sounded riveting... hehe). It really is very satisfying.

So that's life right now, working outside in the heat (yard work and heavy lifting for both of us), spending some time with family before they move (the Wilsons to Chatanooga soon), studying for nursing tests, working out, reading Desiring God with our community group, and filling up the weekend with cookouts (Friday a goodbye/birthday party for the Wilsons/Chris, Saturday a bbq with church celebrating that we have a building to move into in August) and meeting up with ppl (a "playdate" for Phoebe with a prospective new family on Saturday and catching up with an out of town friend Sunday) between bouts of studying (now this does make me a little nervous).

I wish I had pictures to make this post a little bit more engaging but we're camera-less. It was sent thru the washer in Walt's pants pocket. We hoped it would dry out and revive but alas... It was not to be. I want to show you the tile we've chosen for our kitchen backsplash and the kitchen counters now that they're in place and the new chair for the living room and the craftroom that's soon to be... but they will have to wait... until I find, borrow, or purchase a new camera. Until then you'll just have to be patient... and wait.

today

Done!  Test 3 of 3 is complete and 2 out of 3 went fantastically well (can't complain too hard about that, now can I?).  I walked out of Statistics today feeling so free.  Now I feel like I'm on Spring Break (for those of you who don't know... I had SB from my morning classes two weeks ago, one week of both sets of classes- and all tests- and then this week I have SB from my evening classes).  So next weekend (the tail end of break... only missing one, maybe two, classes) Walt & I are heading off somewhere exotic for vacation.  We're not sure where yet.  Maybe Florida, maybe the Gulf Coast, maybe a cruise to the Bahamas... just depends on the amazingness of the deals and our timely decisions (yeah, we're not so good at that last one.  but we'll get there).  Yay!  Spring Break!!

The weather here has been BEAUTIFUL.  It feels like a warm spring at last (at last... hehe).  After my math test Wednesday, however, I wasn't quite appreciating it.  I'd just bombed it (or,  I think...)  and decided to buy some new jeans before heading home (not really to make myself feel better but really to prevent problems in the near future).  I drove to the mall and talked on the phone in the parking lot for awhile.  Finally , I got out and marched right in to JCPenny.  I was on a mission.  I had a purpose.  This was going to be quick.  I would not spend the majority of my day at the mall.  I paused momentarily to glance at the store map as I entered and then zoomed off.  Not three steps in I heard an abrupt (almost challenging), 'Can I help you?' Still in super efficient mode, I swung back around just as abruptly.  I think it caught her off guard.  'Oh... uh...'  I don't know what else came out of her mouth and  I'm not sure what I was thinking because I turned back around and hurried on my way towards the rest of the mall.  It was very slowly that I actually started to take in my surroundings: It was awfully empty and quiet (no music only a few people in sight).  As I walked down the center of the store I realized that to my right the lights were on but to my left it was still pretty dark.  Uh oh.  I started to realize that JCPenny's hadn't opened yet.  I kept going and kept looking purposeful (no one questions someone with purpose).  That's when I saw it: a glass wall between me and the rest of the mall.  Definitely confirmed.  All doors were closed and locked and suddenly I had to turn around and look purposeful the entire way back out of the store towards the parking lot.  When I got back to my entrance it was slightly harder to be nonchalant.  Apparently I walked in through the only unlocked door on my first try.  Heading out, it took four tries to get it right (much to the confusion of an entering employee).  But I made it out without even a reprimand, walked around the outside to a different entrance and then hung out in the food court with the old people (eating breakfast after their morning walks) and the mall cops gliding past on the segues.  I thought it was pretty amusing. 

Anyway, I found pants.  

It was pretty quick.  And, the majority of my day was not spent at the mall.  All in all, a success.

Now it's spring break (kinda) and it feels good.  My kitchen is half clean (that half is really really nice).  The other half is waiting for a clean dishwasher so that new dishes can be loaded in and it too will be spotless (yay!).  I have ingredients for wonderful salads and scrumptious dinners and an odd desire to knit again (since when has knitting been a spring thing?).

This pin cushion really wet my appetite, I think.

And then I remembered all the cute patterns in the free issue of Interweave Crochet I've yet to try out.  The latter are a little bit too wintery for me right now but that just makes me anxious for the next issue to arrive.  :)  I can't wait.

So today I'm celebrating spring (is today the equinox?), taking a long walk with the dogs, cleaning the kitchen, cooking up a storm, cleaning up again (yay, i have a clean kitchen!), going out to see Slumdog Millionaire, and maybe taking up my knitting or reading a book... because today I'm on vacation. :D

    

A&P

I've been studying Anatomy & Physiology (A&P) and writing up flashcards like mad. (with my final only two weeks away- what else is there to do?) Fairly often I find myself distracted watching myself write or thinking about breathing or any number of mostly unconscious actions my body usually keeps up with. It's while I'm writing about how my brain sends signals to my muscles to contract that I think, 'wow, my brain just did that.' Then I find myself trying to make unconscious actions conscious... and my body gets very confused. Am I thinking 'move!' or am I sending the signal 'move!'? Today I was writing a flashcard about saddle joints and got distracted by my thumb holding the pen. 'Look, a saddle joint... doing it's thing... holding my pen.' (oh my)

Does anyone else get distracted like this? Or am I the only insane one?

This semester I've started a bad habit... caffeine each and every morning. MWF I have to leave my house at 6:30 so it's become kind of a necessity. Today, however, I forgot it. I remembered the entire way in the car. I planned to stop at Starbucks and get a hot Apple Chai Infusion. I decided it didn't matter if I had to be a few minutes late. I was determined. Well, I forgot. Apparently I was too tired to remember to drive one block past my normal turn off and get something to wake myself up. So sad. Class is so much more interesting when I'm awake for it.

There was one moment towards the end that made me chuckle, however. My soft-spoken little Indian professor told us he was "fixing to" get something ready for the test. It was just fun to hear such a southern phrase come out of his mouth. Very cute. :)

The first time I heard fixin' was in Greek class. My professor had just moved from Texas to Ohio and when he told us that _blank_ word meant fixin' (it's horrible but I don't remember anymore) we all just stared at him, faces completely void. It took us a moment to translate "fixin' to" into "going to." This is the same professor who allowed us to write y'all for the second person plural (tho' I'm pretty sure we started that, not him).

Anyway, I should go back to studying... Test tomorrow. Spring break is ALMOST here!

ethics in the real world

Last night Walter dropped me off at the local grocery store (small store, high prices, limited variety, but close to home... you know the one.) and went to fill up the car with gas.  I bounded in to get eggs for breakfast.  As I abruptly turned the corner into the dairy aisle I saw something I'd never personally seen before (at least not so clearly).  A large(-ish) woman picked something up from the cart she was pushing and shoved it hastily into her bra.  Her chest looked lumpy and disproportionate.  I doubt it was the first thing she'd placed in there that trip.  I quickly looked away, pretending I hadn't seen.  

I think two things played into that.  1) I didn't know what to do.  2)I was a little intimidated.  Aside from the lady being large, the man with her was a bit intimidating.  So i quickly examined an egg carton and headed toward the check-out.  As I turned my back to the shop-lifting family I saw something fall from their cart to the floor.  Walking away I heard an argument ensue: "No, you pick it up.  You know I can't bend over!"  Yeah,I thought, I know WHY you can't bend over.  (and I hate that you can't hear the accent behind this... imagine Tyler Perry's Madea saying this, with lots of attitude)

Now, I feel pretty good about not confronting the shoplifters themselves.  No ethical dilemma there.  The real question is, should I have told the manager?  I know there'd be nothing wrong in telling him.  But did I do wrong NOT telling him?  I feel like maybe it would have been a good thing to do.  But I don't know.  I'm not sure I'd feel great about it either way.  

What do you think?

& sundry

So I'm pretty sure that I've done none of my resolutions thus far... but I have been SICK for almost the last month now (& I'm finally starting to feel better, yay!)

My house is still cluttered (but the bathrooms are clean).

I have emails waiting and waiting to be written (so sorry, Emily.  honestly, your emails have meant the world to me.  they encouraged me a lot.  I'll write you back this weekend).

I purged my computer desk yesterday.  No trash on it now.  Maybe I can claim just one of my resolutions upheld. :)

Here's what I have been doing instead.  School, homework, sleep.  Seriously being sick is like a full time job!  At least it's almost gone (I think).

Yesterday I got to class a few minutes before the room was unlocked.  There were maybe 6 or so of us waiting.  I glanced across the hall at the guy standing there and to my shock saw that he was wearing monogrammed jeans. No biggie right?  The monogram was on his crotch!  Right there, in a dull brown-orange, was the letter 'P'.  Now I can only imagine what the P stood for.  But really...  not only was it a little crass it looked a little silly.  It made me laugh (tho' not out loud and definitely not right then).  I wish I could have taken a picture of it but I didn't think I could really ask for a picture of his crotch.  It didn't seem quite right.

Also, I've come to the conclusion that there are three final bastions of smoking left in these great United States: Community Colleges, Pool Halls, & Hospitals (not inside them, oh no! outside, in the 'smokers shack').

Off to study for the 4 tests I have coming up before I head out to class...

Resolved

I've never been one to make New Years Resolutions. I guess that can explain why I'm so late to jump on the band wagon this year. But three came to me today. They're good and they're achievable. I had better write them down. :)

1. I resolve to start fewer emails with the words: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond. Instead I'll respond to them more quickly.
2. I will throw away my trash. I don't understand the scraps of paper cluttering up my computer desk. It isn't that hard.
3. I will spend at least 20 minutes a day purging my house of STUFF. It's just the two of us. We should be able to fit into a one bedroom apt w/o any problem. It'll just take some doing.

spacious

It's too late to write again but I was just marveling at how large and clean my living room looks again, now that the Christmas tree is gone. It always amazes me. I do miss the nativity scene tho'. It was absolutely beautiful... the muted colors against the green wall behind it. I hope I took a picture. That scene may not happen again. Today I went apartment shopping. No real news on that front yet. But it may be coming soon. Good night. :)

p.s.

Oh and I'll have to tell you what I did for my birthday! It involved fulfilling a decade old wish, dressing up, delicious food, lots of driving, and very little sleep. :) But I'm off to bed. gotta be out the door in less than 8 hours. g'nite!

Re-entry

The past two days have thrown me back into academia... or at least seen the majority of my time in a school. Let's see... from admissions to transcript evaluation and then home. Next was a long line of phone calls to and from COD figuring out how to get a 'transcript' from someone who doesn't do unofficial transcripts _at all_. Back to Southwest... transcript evaluation, advisors office, admissions, meeting room c, waiver forms, cashiers' office, and distance learning. By this point it's 3:30 (I got there sometime in the morning) and I decided to eat lunch before buying text books. That's saved for tomorrow. It's my first day of class.

After dinner I started to realize that I should prepare myself for the day. What do I need for classes? I thought about taking a shower tonight (class is at 7:30am!!), picking out my clothes, having a bag ready for supplies... oh wait. supplies. I asked Walter if he had a notebook or something I could write in. No luck. Neither of us have any type of notebook. We do have tons of pencils tho'. And I made sure to have snacks in case I just couldn't make it home after class without succumbing to temptation and pulling over at a Wendy's. I bought so many yummy snacks at whole foods today. But did I think about basic school supplies? Not a chance.

So if school is about navigating red tape and staying mentally alert I think I'm ready for anything. If I actually have to take notes I may be in a bit of trouble. It all just made me realize how far removed from school I've really become. All soon to change, however. Tomorrow I'll go to Statistics and then next week I add Gen Chem and A&P (I and II). I guess I'll have to buy some notebooks. I think it should be fun. :)

Birthday Bonanza

December is chock full of birthdays for me: friends, family, Jesus... and me.

Every year birthdays have been kind of a big deal for me. I mean, I've always really been excited to be able to honestly say that I'm a year older than I could have the day before. And I always spent about 6 months almost slipping out that I was older than actually was the case. Not so with 26. Somehow this one is different. I think I'd rather stay 25 for now... at least until I feel like I understand myself a bit more, have my life squared away a bit better, and have accomplished one or two of my life goals. You think it could just hold off? :)

Anyway, I've always held fast to the rule that (at least when I had any say in the matter) I would not travel on my birthday. We always travel this time of year. As a kid I traveled from Chicago to Dayton, 6 hours in the car. Now I make the trek from Memphis to somewhere 10 hours away (be it Chicago or Dayton) and I've always held fastidiously to my rule: no traveling on my birthday. so there. This year I'm thinking about breaking it. (haven't talked to walter about it yet... we'll see). somehow the date just doesn't feel as important, car rides can be relaxing, and it does seem like the right timing to head up to the family. I don't know.

Regardless, I want to celebrate my birthday while still here in Memphis. I'm thinking the 22nd. And that's as far as I've thought. I mean, I just don't know what to do. Any ideas?

Looking back over this post it seems weird that I'd spend time telling you that this birthday doesn't feel as important or maybe that I'm not looking forward to it as much (I don't know, is that what I'm saying?) and then go on to ask for party ideas. The odd thing is that the party wasn't ever that big of a deal to me when adding a year to my age was. But again, this year feels different. Maybe I'm trying to compensate for the change. Maybe I'm just bored. :)

Either way, I would LOVE to heard your suggestions. I want to do something fun! (thanks)

Homemaking 'Meme'

I know that questionnaires get old really fast but when I saw this one I couldn't resist. One that is different from all the rest I've personally seen. I hope you enjoy it too.

(In case you're like me & had never heard the word meme before: This link's for you)

Aprons – Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like?
YES! I love aprons. I have two and they are both favorites. One was given to me at my wedding (from anthropologie!) and the other my grandma bought while visiting us in Austria. Soon I'll sew a third.

Baking – Favorite thing to bake
I think pie. Or anything that's heavy with spices. I love my home to smell like nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice. And I love to bake something new. I don't have an old stand-by yet. There are so many fun things I haven't yet baked.

Clothesline – Y/N?
No. But I desperately would love one. I think they can be beautiful tho' all the ones I see around here look a little hick-trashy. I suppose it takes a little work to make it look like art.

Donuts – Have you ever made them?
Once. Wally & I bought a fryer specifically for beignets. They were wonderful.

Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day
Make the bed. tho' Walter sometimes does this for me now (yay!) so I also wipe down the sink to keep it shiny. :)

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?
nope. it would be handy. it takes skill to close my freezer currently.

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?
Yes. Prefer to compost when it's not raining.

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?
Umm, probably Flylady.net and the little "speed cleaning" booklet that came with a Real Simple magazine once.

Ironing – Love it or hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
I just bought an iron (my first non-travel sized) and it makes ironing much more enjoyable. :D but i only iron when sewing.

Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it?
Yeah, top (half) drawer in chest of drawers and middle drawer of the island. I'm ashamed I have more than one. :/

Kitchen – Color and decorating scheme
My walls are green and my backsplash used to be wall paper covered in some plastic type sheet. Soon it will be subway tile and the floor and counter will be replaced. Wally's building a counter top this week! :)

Love – What is your favorite part of homemaking?
Making my home smell good. I love sitting down in a clean room with warm candles and being able to relax. Relaxing just doesn't happen if I'm staring at a mess. The candles are just bonus. But seriously, I seem to be on a mission to figure out the best way to make a home with two 80 lbs dogs smell like a home w/o. As long as they haven't just run in the rain I'm usually pretty good.

Mop – Y/N?
Twice a week. (i live at the end of a dirt road with two dogs who dig, roll, and run back inside before we can clean them off) Walt is so sweet and he vacuums and I follow behind with the mop. We could do it daily but we ignore it 5 of 7 days. :)

Nylons – Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
Are you supposed to hand wash them? I hand wash practically nothing.

Oven – Do you use the window or open the oven to check?
Door. My door doesn't have a window. Very sad.

Pizza – What do you put on yours?
Mmmm, if it were for me I'd stick basil, chicken, tomatoes, spinach, feta, olive oil oh i don't even know. There are so many great options. If Walter were here half would be sausage. He'd do anything for a sausage pizza. :)

Quiet – What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
Light a candle and drink some tea on the couch.

Recipe card box – Y/N? What does it look like?
I do. The box is ugly rubbermade but the cards themselves are beautiful.

Style of house – What style is your house?
Small ranch style house with a huge deck in the front and a brick patio in the back. It was your typical 1980's closed off and dark home when we moved in but now it is bright and open. We've added a sunroom, window, light bamboo floors. It's not even the same place!

Tablecloths and napkins – Y/N?
For holidays. Lately I've been tempted to buy some fun fabric and make a tablecloth so we may be using one more often soon.

Under the kitchen sink – Organized or toxic wasteland?
Organized, as of last week.

Vacuum – How many times per week?
Twice. But sweeping gets done every day.. except Tuesday.

Wash – How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
Never enough.

X’s – Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
I have a list of things I'm supposed to do every day but I never cross them off. I usually do them tho'.

Yard – Y/N? Who does what?
Yep! We have 3 acres of land. I water the flowers and bushes and yell at the dogs when they try to dig them up (the bushes, we don't plant flowers in the back yard anymore). Walter mows and helps me with the heavy labor of gardening. I'm learning to garden... not very accomplished at it yet.

Zzz’s – What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Put the dogs in their beds, give them a treat for going w/o making me shove their 80lbs into their crates, lock the doors, turn out the lights, unplug the Christmas tree & hop into bed!

Just HAD to Share

My bookmarks folder is full of fun things I've found online. I thought it was time to start sharing them. They're much more fun to enjoy with people rather than all alone.

GurglePot Koi Pitcher... browse thru the pictures. i'm in love!
Index Chopping Boards... for those of you (like me) on a quest to organize a small kitchen
Delight... a new favorite online store
Midsummer Light... we've found where to buy the materials but the cutting looks like it'd be worth the cost. once i have th money.
Making Memory Candles... and now for crafts.
Inspiration Board... for tight spaces
Tape Transfers... like the candles
Shoulder Bag Tutorial... simple enough
Storage Basket... again, questing for organization
Playing Card Box Tutorial... for anyone with a short deck, much better than throwing it out. :)

Which candidate could see Russia from their house?

I thought this was interesting. Funny too. I would even have been fooled by one or two of these.



Now,friends who supported Obama, please don't get mad at me. The media just didn't give us the whole story (and when do they?). I think this is an indictment of the media's election coverage rather than any statement about the candidates themselves.

And for you non-Obama supporters here's a reminder I think we all could need:

Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake, whether to a king as supreme or to governors as those he commissions to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do good. For God wants you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. Live as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God’s slaves. Honor all people, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:13-17)

registration

Today I drove all the way to Germantown (which I hadn't realized was so far away) to register for A&P. After 3 back tracks, and a lengthy call to Walter involving me telling him exactly which streets I was passing and some quick tracking on google maps, I made it to my meeting. I walked in, said hi, signed a paper, signed a check, and walked out. 5 minutes tops. An hour each way.

lotus

today i stayed home from church sick. i was scheduled for sunday school and instead of infecting 13 kids with a week long illness i watched 3 foreign films and found blogs from old college friends.

the films left me wondering: if the world is really such a horrid place, what can we do about it? and why is it still so beautiful? so intoxicating?

the blogs made me wish for college and a chance to do that over. but since we don't get do overs it made me ache for close, thoughtful friendships in the here and now.

one quote from my morning: learn to live like the lotus flower, untouched by the murky water in which it grows.

Happy 4th!

I'm excited about Election Day! I voted early and now it's time to just sit back and enjoy the show. This is the first election I've participated in. Last time I was in Israel (which added a whole different, exciting, and important feel to the election but...). Postage from Israel is expensive. Illinois didn't provide the postage for my absentee ballot and I failed to plan (plus, they don't count absentee ballots... hardly ever). So this is a first. Very exciting.

Wally & I will be heading to Chris & Dorothy's for dinner and some games (actually, i'm headed there to babysit and THEN election day fun). On our way I'm going to be sure that we stop at Starbucks for free coffee!! (whether you vote or not, apparently) :) yay!