Psalm 96:1
2 Corinthians 1:12
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2 hours ago
11.30.2009
mOnday mOiety
Moi·e·ty: \ˈmoi-ə-tē\ (noun) a: one of two equal parts; b: one of two approximately equal parts;
Monday Moiety: a space to cherish, remember, ponder, and muse over a 23-year marriage to a wonderful man. :-)
Monday Moiety: a space to cherish, remember, ponder, and muse over a 23-year marriage to a wonderful man. :-)
Be afraid. He could show up at your house next!
Where we're from, shoes are optional on construction jobs!
The freaky safety glasses were my idea. Not wearing a mask while cutting up the tub was his.
11.29.2009
Sunday Susurrus
susurrus \su-SUHR-uhs\, noun: A whispering or rustling sound; a murmur; a place to reflect on the Sabbath day, the blessings I've been given, the praises I have to offer, and the rumblings rattling around in my mind.
Feeling: A little far from God these days. I've been a Christian long enough to know that He hasn't left me, that He is the God Who is There, that He is good, and that this is a season I'm walking through that has a purpose. I was so looking forward to being in worship and hearing our pastor preach today after being in Philadelphia last week. Just as worship finished and the sermon started, E leaned over to me with her hand over her mouth and said, "I think I'm going to throw up!" and dashed out of the sanctuary. I ended up following her to the bathroom and then taking her home. Sigh. But, I know my days are numbered for taking care of her while she's sick. She'll be too grown soon to need her mom when she's ill, so it was a blessing to spend an hour or so alone with her. I'll get the CD and listen to it this week on the drive to work.
Laughing: Over the time we had last night drinking wine and eating dessert with three other couples. It was a casual, easy place to be. Best line of the night: "You mean you buried your Grandfather naked?"
Grateful: For my health. A friend's mother passed away this week. Another friend is gravely ill. Another friend is struggling with various conditions that could add up to some pretty serious stuff. My mom is still recovering from heart surgery this past summer. My brother-in-law is suffering with kidney stones. With all that on my mind, I'm so very grateful for a body (though far from perfect!) that was capable of walking 13.1 miles last week. (It's VERY important not to forget about the 0.1 mile!)
Hearing: The Boy play the guitar and The Girl M sing with the praise team this morning. It was a surprise to see her up there and a delight to see them together leading worship. I'm still hearing them sing and play We Fall Down. Glad I made it through worship before having to leave!
Happy: We made it for the sign-up for the Half Marathon at Myrtle Beach in February. It was almost full...Yeah!
Blessed: By my husband and all the talents he has to help take care of me and the kids and our home. He's upstairs now with a circular saw cutting out our bathtub to prepare for installation of a new one. :-) Yesterday he took Mary on a long bike ride in full "biker" gear. A few nights ago he sat up with E just talking about life. And he has the wisdom to know how to be available but not intrusive to Sean as he's making decisions about his future.
Thinking: About something a husband of one of the couples we were with last night said as we were discussing wives (ahem) throwing things at husbands. He said, "I wish she would throw something at me. She's usually just mean. I can't dodge "mean"!" The whole conversation was in jest, and we were laughing, but there was a lot of truth in what he said. When we're just plain "mean" to each other with our actions, words, or attitudes, it's awfully hard to get out of the way. It's a lot easier to dodge a projectile plate than a harsh word. I've been thinking about that in reference not just to my relationship with Matt, but with my kids and friends, too.
Inspired: To draw! I'm on a drawing jag the last couple of days, it seems. (See my Sing Loud drawing I just finished above. Yes, grammarians, I'm sure I should have put Sing Loud-LY but I didn't like the way that looked! And, yes, that's a chicken. Matt says it's a duck-chicken, but I say it's a CHICKEN-chicken.)
Wanting: To follow the Advent Season closely this year. I love the idea of the lighting of the Advent candles, of anticipating through the gathering illumination of the coming of Christ. I read this devotion book during Advent last year and think I will do so again, along with following the Scripture readings in the Book of Common Prayer.
Blessings, bloggy friends. And Happy Advent Sunday!
11.28.2009
Seven on Saturday
1. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new Liturgical Year with the first Sunday of Advent. You can read an artical about the Advent Season here from Ken. I'm reading The Liturgical Year: the Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life for the Thomas Nelson Blogger Book Reviews. Here's what I read last night: "To live the liturgical year is to keep our lives riveted on one beam of light called the death and Resurrection of Jesus and its meaning for us here and now."
2. I spotted this cartoon taped up on the wall behind the cash register at Joseph Fox Bookshop in Philadelphia. Think I might try doing something like this.
3. I'm soooo far behind on writing book reviews! I thought I'd at least write down the ones I've finished that are due reviews so I don't lose them:
The Help
The Gurnsey Literary & Potato Peel Society
Picking Cotton
Art for God's Sake
The Pillars of the Earth (Audio)
The Small Rain
Home Safe (Audio)
Blah - I feel like there's one more, but that's all I can think of right now...
4. Here's an nifty site for you to check out: The Rabbit Room (Yes, I said "nifty.")
5. So. The Philadelphia Half-Marathon is over and was, I think, successfully completed. What now, you ask? I'm looking at the Half in Myrtle Beach in February. Anyone want to join me?
6. Here's another artist, Studio Lyon, that I've found who inspires me. I made a black-and-white version of her Bartlett pear and added the words "Pare Down" (because that's what I need to do!) in the style of Nicole's Saving the World drawing series at Blue Bicicletta. I'm very happy with the finished product. A good art day. My sister loves pears, so maybe I'll give it to her for Christmas! :-)
7. Well, guess what? Matt was unclogging the upstairs bathroom tub just now and something went CRUNCH so now water is coming out of the kitchen ceiling to the floor. Oh, joy! That means the kids' bathroom is out of commission and the remodel we were planning for early next year has just been moved up! I'm smiling. Really, I am. Promise.
Joseph Fox Bookshop
OK, bloggy friends, you know I couldn't have visited a city like Philadelphia without finding an independent bookstore to visit. Our first bookstore stop was rather disappointing. I'll leave the name out to protect the innocent. The store was in the middle of a remodeling project and only the second floor Used Books section was open. But the biggest disappointment was the employees weren't especially friendly and the store obviously had some political and secular leanings that weren't in our arena. (There was a BIG section on witchcraft, etc.) We left there deflated but decided to trudge on to the second store on our list: Joseph Fox Bookshop. What a great find!
It's located at 1724 Sansom Street in the heart of the city. We were shocked when we walked up the steps into the store - it was chock full of books beyond imagining. For such a very small space, Joseph Fox had a better selection of books than almost any independent store I have been in. And I really liked that they put their non-fiction selection in the premium up-front section of the store. (Non-fiction is still my favorite!) There were also very few "trinkets" - no coffee mugs, t-shirts, or note cards. And only a smattering of notebooks, journals, and calendars. Just books. And more books. And even more books.
One downside: if you're claustrophobic at all, this isn't the store for you. Also, there was no space for leisurely reading and, alas, no coffee bar.
Mr. Fox opened the store in 1951 and has since passed. We met Mrs. Fox behind the register who told us her son and wife live right above the store and help run it. She was charming, friendly, and very helpful in giving us directions to get back to the hotel.
Did I buy anything? Of course! Time by Eva Hoffman (just because it's an interesting topic) and The Gift by Lewis Hyde (because it's about creativity.) Also, Mary got The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. She says it's marvelous and a review on her blog will be forthcoming. :-)
Stop by if you're ever in Philadelphia!
It's located at 1724 Sansom Street in the heart of the city. We were shocked when we walked up the steps into the store - it was chock full of books beyond imagining. For such a very small space, Joseph Fox had a better selection of books than almost any independent store I have been in. And I really liked that they put their non-fiction selection in the premium up-front section of the store. (Non-fiction is still my favorite!) There were also very few "trinkets" - no coffee mugs, t-shirts, or note cards. And only a smattering of notebooks, journals, and calendars. Just books. And more books. And even more books.
One downside: if you're claustrophobic at all, this isn't the store for you. Also, there was no space for leisurely reading and, alas, no coffee bar.
Mr. Fox opened the store in 1951 and has since passed. We met Mrs. Fox behind the register who told us her son and wife live right above the store and help run it. She was charming, friendly, and very helpful in giving us directions to get back to the hotel.
Did I buy anything? Of course! Time by Eva Hoffman (just because it's an interesting topic) and The Gift by Lewis Hyde (because it's about creativity.) Also, Mary got The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. She says it's marvelous and a review on her blog will be forthcoming. :-)
Stop by if you're ever in Philadelphia!
11.27.2009
Week #17 Words
Here's our words for this week. I'm appalled that I've missed the LAST TWO WEEKS of participating! Ack! I'll do better this week, I promise.
Mary is out of school, so in honor of Thanksgiving, I'm picking five words from Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation.
fruitful
habitually
harmony
singular
heal
Remember you can use any form of the words above you'd like! Here are the rules for those new to the 5th Grade Five Word Monologue Challenge from the original post back in August.
Mary is out of school, so in honor of Thanksgiving, I'm picking five words from Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation.
fruitful
habitually
harmony
singular
heal
Remember you can use any form of the words above you'd like! Here are the rules for those new to the 5th Grade Five Word Monologue Challenge from the original post back in August.
11.26.2009
5th Grade Five Word Monologue
We missed hearing from our California poet last week, but here's this week's entry! To read more from Ginger, check out her blog.
Missed it last week...I have been neglecting my daily and weekly writing prompts...and Lord knows I need those in order to maintain some of my sanity.
Brokenness, morally, careening, anarchy, and brazenness
The brazenness I felt that morning could have been the cause of my abruptness. Short and harsh. Blunt and piercing, I winced as the words danced off my lips. There was no turning back. I felt myself careening out of control as I succumbed to my attitude fearing that the damage was already done. So why not just go ahead and finish speaking my mind? And when I had said my peace--when I had exhausted the battery of words that I flung forth I noticed the brokenness that was left in my midst. Spouting off in some uncontrolled anarchy I wondered at what I had done. I wondered if the wounds left by my tongue...this vipers tongue... would ever heal. Morally wounded myself, I pained at the damage, kicking about the remnants at my feet. I stooped and slowly gathered up the pieces. And with tears like glue and words of healing and repentance I offered back all that had been the result of my malady.
Missed it last week...I have been neglecting my daily and weekly writing prompts...and Lord knows I need those in order to maintain some of my sanity.
Brokenness, morally, careening, anarchy, and brazenness
The brazenness I felt that morning could have been the cause of my abruptness. Short and harsh. Blunt and piercing, I winced as the words danced off my lips. There was no turning back. I felt myself careening out of control as I succumbed to my attitude fearing that the damage was already done. So why not just go ahead and finish speaking my mind? And when I had said my peace--when I had exhausted the battery of words that I flung forth I noticed the brokenness that was left in my midst. Spouting off in some uncontrolled anarchy I wondered at what I had done. I wondered if the wounds left by my tongue...this vipers tongue... would ever heal. Morally wounded myself, I pained at the damage, kicking about the remnants at my feet. I stooped and slowly gathered up the pieces. And with tears like glue and words of healing and repentance I offered back all that had been the result of my malady.
Ginger said, "Forgiveness, though most oftentimes something that is given, sometimes needs to be a gift to self." True.
11.25.2009
Home!
Ah! Home at last!! It was a great trip, but I'm T-I-R-E-D and soooo glad to be back in my little brown house on the hill in North Carolina. Here's a few more photos from our trip. (Check out Sondie's blog for shots taken while we were walking the half-marathon. Smile.)
Mary getting ready for her Kids Fun Run on Saturday.
Mary and her buddy E at the Italian restaurant Saturday night where we "carbed" up.
Me, 4:30am, Race Day, getting ready to leave the hotel to find breakfast! Attractive, no?
At the Liberty Bell on Monday!
What are friends for? (E getting a lift from buddy Mary when her feet got too tired.)
The required Rocky pose on the stairs to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Note the belly! :-)
Sad, but true...The best picture we took together the whole trip!
Monday night our last stop was at the Franklin Fountain for some yummy patriotic ice cream.
The above said patriotic ice cream!
I had a nice visit with a few of van Gogh's paintings at the Art Museum on Tuesday.
Waiting on our plane at the airport!
And...if you're STILL with me after all those pictures, bloggy friends, here's a couple of more mentions: 1) Sunday night we got to hear Paul David Tripp preach at Tenth Presbyterian Church. Matt and I had a chance to talk to him afterwards and tell him how much his book Whiter than Snow meant to us when we read it during a tough time last year and 2) Monday we visited The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. It was magnificent!
11.23.2009
We're Alive!
Just a quick post to let all our bloggy friends know we're alive! Sondie and I finished in 3:20 giving us 15.27 minute miles... a little faster than we thought we would do, so that was good! Matt finished at 4:17 - a little slower than he wanted, but he had leg problems early on and is grateful to have finished as well as he did. He also was happy that he ran the second half faster than the first - a goal he had for this race.
More on the rest of our trip later! (This pic is of me and Matt AFTER the race.) :-)
11.21.2009
Seven on Saturday
Here we are in Philly! The "race" is tomorrow....and I use the word "race" very loosely. I'm hoping to walk at least 16 minute miles, but better would be 15. We shall see. Here's seven pictures for your viewing pleasures:
1. A very excited Mary at the airport in Philly. Isn't she cute?
2. My Philly Cheesesteak sandwich at Jim's. Yum.
3. Matt and I registering at the Convention Center. :-)
4. Surprise! We're the only "Furbys" out of the 20,000 or so people registered for this year's race.
5. Mary and Matt in front of the Delaware River.
6. Two girlies getting ready for a train ride to Doylestown for dinner.
7. Mary passed out on the ride home from a MOST excellent dinner at the Freight House. I think we might have tried to cram a little too much in our first day!
11.19.2009
Week #16 Words
Here's our five words for the week! (Mary's learning the Ness-ly and the -ly rules, by the way. Remember you can use any form of the word you want.)
Brokenness
Morally
Careening
Anarchy
Brazenness
The rules are HERE. Happy writing, bloggy friends!
11.18.2009
5th Grade Five Word Monologue
Here's my friend dt's entry for this week! :-) Catch up with him over at Cayenne Lemonade.
Breaking up is hard to do…
(Climate, Visually, Cavalier, Suddenness, Jurisdiction)
I was told I could come by and get my “stuff” which amounted to a weight bench and some weights and I don’t remember what else.
I tried to get a friend to go with me, but either he was busy or wise enough to know the climate over there was dangerous, or potentially so. He was almost right.
I pulled the chevy (I think it was Cavalier) that I had borrowed into the driveway and walked down the grass to the house.
I gathered my things from the porch and took them to the car. I looked back, hoping she’d come outside. Her father stood in the doorway, guarding the exit and visually taunting me, it seemed.
And then, I did the wrong thing. I walked back down the yard. I knew I was out of my jurisdiction, but I went anyway.
He sneered at me and slammed the door.
I lost it. I yelled, I screamed. I stood on their front porch and said they had no right to break us up.
The house was still. I opened my mouth, but with a suddenness that silenced me, he came out the door and lunged toward me. Her little brother, right on Dad’s heels, took a swing.
In a heartbeat I remembered that he once shot someone who just wanted to drink beer on his land…I remember that he got away with it…and as I remembered it, I ran.
I don’t remember much after that.
she called dt today. just wanted to chat. after 25 years.
Breaking up is hard to do…
(Climate, Visually, Cavalier, Suddenness, Jurisdiction)
I was told I could come by and get my “stuff” which amounted to a weight bench and some weights and I don’t remember what else.
I tried to get a friend to go with me, but either he was busy or wise enough to know the climate over there was dangerous, or potentially so. He was almost right.
I pulled the chevy (I think it was Cavalier) that I had borrowed into the driveway and walked down the grass to the house.
I gathered my things from the porch and took them to the car. I looked back, hoping she’d come outside. Her father stood in the doorway, guarding the exit and visually taunting me, it seemed.
And then, I did the wrong thing. I walked back down the yard. I knew I was out of my jurisdiction, but I went anyway.
He sneered at me and slammed the door.
I lost it. I yelled, I screamed. I stood on their front porch and said they had no right to break us up.
The house was still. I opened my mouth, but with a suddenness that silenced me, he came out the door and lunged toward me. Her little brother, right on Dad’s heels, took a swing.
In a heartbeat I remembered that he once shot someone who just wanted to drink beer on his land…I remember that he got away with it…and as I remembered it, I ran.
I don’t remember much after that.
she called dt today. just wanted to chat. after 25 years.
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