Whose groin do I have to punch to get a Wendy’s Double Stack around here?

I know that it’s 8am, and I know there’s a snowstorm outside, but I’m about to start snapping some femurs if I don’t see a hot Wendy’s Double Stack in front of me pretty soon. I’m serious. In fact, I am totally psychotic about this.

Look, I’m a simple man. I like my pickles spicy and my tickles rough. Is it too much to ask for a delicious, mouth-watering Wendy’s Double Stack every Tuesday before school? Am I the crazy one here?

Here’s the thing about Wendy’s Double Stacks, they’re only 99 cents and they taste like a father’s love. There is nothing better than a Wendy’s Double Stack in the natural world, and that includes Dairy Queen Blizzards and the Grand Canyon.

Let’s bring it back home. If I’m not grinding a Wendy’s Double Stack into my face in the next ten minutes, I’m going to introduce my lead pipe to some skulls. It’s about to get depraved around here.

You know where to find me. As usual, I’ll be spitting obscenities in the third stall of the middle school boy’s bathroom. Be sure to announce yourself before you enter, or you’re likely to end up getting slowly strangled to death.

I love you and only you, Wendy’s Double Stack.

Raskolnikov felt sick
But he couldn’t say why
When he saw his face reflected
In his victim’s twinkling eye
Some things you do for money
And some you’ll do for fun
But the things you do for love
Are gonna come back to you one by one -The Mountain Goats, “Love, Love, Love”

Fact: Everything I knew about Crime and Punishment before reading it was from the song above (full lyrics to the song available here). I do mean everything. And I only knew that because I had no idea what he was talking about in the song, so I looked it up and realized Raskolnikov was a character from Crime and Punishment. The song is a scathing look at how loving yourself leads to the most selfish, hurtful sorts of acts. And Raskolnikov is unarguably someone who was in love with his own ideas. The result is, of course, murder.

I always feel reasonably well-acquainted with the Russian novels, but after I finished this one, I realized that the only other one I’d actually read was Anna Karenina. I want to read The Brothers Karamazov; I feel that I should read War and Peace. But enough about those other Russian novels . . . what about Crime and Punishment?

It’s ridiculous to think that I could have anything to add to the discussion of such a classic novel, so I will simply say that I am glad that I read it and that my book club had a good discussion of it. Because of the song above, I viewed it primarily through the lens of selfish self-love and that gave me a different angle for the discussion than my fellow book club members had. This is not a book that deeply resonated with me, and I was distressed to think that the character who really got on my nerves was supposed to represent Christ, but I am glad I read it. Reading is easy for me, most of the time, and it’s good to have to read a book that requires some discipline. And when it comes to discipline, well, what’s better than Russian novels?

• It is rude to order while on your cell phone. I don't care if it is your mom, your coffee can wait. Be kind to other human beings, thank you #

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More information and blogging to come, but for now I will hastily introduce my new Etsy shop!

KATTY BABY LOVE

Many more items are on their way!  Here’s to new beginnings.  Slainte!

2009 Books

January
#1 The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Great book, highly recommended. It has definitely changed my perspective on food and farming. Hopefully we will apply much of what was learned from this book.

#2 How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization (audio)
Very informative. I got the feeling, though, that the author (a Roman Catholic himself) was SO positive about the Catholic Church that he must have skipped or glossed over some history. Also, he tries to argue that Socialism is a result of Protestantism.

February
Ø

March
#3 The Hobbit
Read it to the kids for the first time.

#4 The Shack (audio)
Hm. It’s essentially an attempt to answer the Problem of Evil. I give it a D-.

#5 100 Cupboards
Reread in preparation for Dandelion Fire.

April
#6 Ants At Work
Good little book. I’d say it’s about high school level or so, but it’s a good example of how science works. Observations are made, questions are asked, and experiments are designed to answer the questions. Didn’t learn as much about ants as I had wanted, but that’s okay. The book touches on a subject that we don’t know much about… colony behavior in social insects. She proposes possible explanations, but admits that we really don’t know why they act the way they do.

#7 The Fine Line: Re-envisioning the Gap between Christ and Culture (audio – free for a limited time here)
Pretty good, but probably could be half the size. Here’s my summary: We are relevant to culture when we impact people on an individual level. We are relevant when we love one another, and the world.

May
#8 Dandelion Fire

June
#9 A Primer on Worship and Reformation

July
Ø

August
#10 Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl
I gave it five stars with around 60 pages left. Having finished it, I wish I could give it six.

What I consider the major theme of the book from page 70:

Are we on a world kick-started by a god who doesn’t know how to drive? Is this god embarrassed? Did he not know that snowflakes would come with avalanches as well as the quaint village scenes they ruin?

Of course He did. This God is big, bigger than the world. Faith is hard on the back of a motorcycle, it is hard when the Tilt-A-Whirl reverses its spin, when the bright lights blur into confusion against the night sky. But faith brings with it the only possibility of peace and joy in this world–the only possibility of laughter on this mad, made ride.

#11 Jayber Crow

September
#12 Why Evolution Is True
a few posts:
Evolution/Creation/Intelligent Design
Millions of Years of Change
Final Review

#13 The Design Revolution
Audiobook from christianaudio.com. Often complicated arguments were hard to follow via audiobook. I would recommend hard copy.

October

November

December

I would not open the door of your unhappiness unless
there were no other way into the storm, into the night.
I would not enter, myself and the air I bring with me,
into that empty room and stand in a sliver of light unless
there were no other way to gauge your melancholy.
I would not close it behind me unless all the other doors
came unlocked, so that I could test their weathers,
the bluster and shadow of their various altitudes.
I would not open the door of your unhappiness ever,
except to perch beyond it and tell you that the world
is a cold, dark place when you are missing.

Missing originally appeared on Elsewhere in Dreams on 2010-02-08.

I am very grateful to Allan Emery at Hendrickson Publishers for the opportunity to review Jo Ann Hackett’s soon-to-be released textbook, A Basic Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (with CD). He sent me PDF copies of the galleys so that I could write this review. I am also indebted to Prof. Hackett for her gracious answers to my emails that will add clarity to my review.

I am delighted that Hendrickson granted permission for me to post PDFs of both the Table of Contents and the author’s very helpful introduction, “How To Use This Book.” While I will quote some of this material below, I recommend reading both files because they give both the structure of the book and an explanation for how the book is intended to be used and the thought behind some of the novel pedagogy. The Table of Contents is very detailed and provides an excellent overview of the course plan.

PDF Files to view/download

• All Front Pages to A Basic Introduction to Biblical Hebrew by Jo Ann Hackett
• Table of Contents only
• Author’s Introduction only

Basics about the Book
Since I read the book in PDF format, I cannot comment to the type of paper the publisher has chosen. I do hope that it is appropriate for taking notes and highlighting. The page size is 7” x 9¼” and the book is listed as a hardcover text. I always wish for more white-space (especially in the margins), but this is often a decision based on a balance of many factors (e.g., total page count, cost, etc.). The overall layout is well-organized and helped by clear tables, charts, and info-boxes. The English font seems a little larger than the Hebrew font and I worry about the readability of the Hebrew vowel points but I will have to reserve that judgment for when I see the hardcopy. The textbook is comprised of approximately 330 pages including 64 pages of (helpful) appendices and a final section with suggestions for “Further Reading.” Each paragraph is clearly numbered with chapter, section, and subsection numbers. This makes it easy to refer students to a specific piece of information.

The book is accompanied by a CD, which I only have a description of because it was still in production. The CD will include audio files (recorded by Prof. Hackett) of the vocabulary lists, the Hebrew-to-English exercises for al chapters, major paradigms, and a reading of Genesis 22:1-9. The text files include vocabulary lists, printable copies of the Hebrew-to-English exercises, all the appendices and paradigms, and a complete answer key for both the English-to-Hebrew and Hebrew-to-English exercises.

The format follows a traditional BH grammar-translation approach (with some interesting adjustments to presentation order and terminology), but I would expect that teachers looking to incorporate alternative methodologies could still use this textbook by supplementing it with various resources and classroom presentation material. The textbook is divided into 30 lessons. Hackett intends the book to be used for a one-semester “introduction to the basics” course. This would be an ambitious pace for many classes to cover in one semester. However, the initial chapters ease the student into the study of the language with appropriate simplicity and gradually become more challenging. When I first looked at the initial chapters, I thought that the amount of practice was not enough, but it is easy to forget how overwhelming those first few classes can be for a new student. A good teacher could easily supplement this work if needed.

Pedagogical Choices of the Author
I am often asked “What do you think is the best Biblical Hebrew textbook?” This is a loaded question! I have said in other places (here) that there is no one “best” textbook. Rather, teachers must consider their students, the type of class, the goals for the class, and their own teaching style and skills in selecting a textbook.

Prof. Hackett writes an introduction to her book that gives a window into her approach and pedagogical preferences. This is one of the most helpful ways to see if you would benefit from choosing this book for your own class (or as a reference for yourself). Please take the time to read her own words. I merely list a few of the items that are typical “litmus test” criteria when judging textbooks:

• verbs in the vocabularies are presented in 3ms suffix conjugation
• verbal paradigms are listed in the order first-person, second-person, then third-person (to correspond with how the pronominal suffixes are learned)
• strong verb (in all its stems and forms) is presented first, then the weak verbs
• verb terminology: “prefix conjugation” (instead of “imperfect”), “suffix conjugation” (instead of “perfect”), və-qatal, and her novel addition “consecutive preterite” (see quote below explaining)
• order of verb presentation: prefix conjugation, volitives, consecutive preterite, suffix conjugation, və-qatal forms, infinitives, participles
• Masoretic accent marks (טְאָמִים ) of the HB are used to discover syntax

Prof. Hackett describes her thoughts on the verbal system terminology:

I have also deliberately not used the rubrics “perfect,” “imperfect,” or “converted,” because they carry with them either complete misinformation (“converted”) or old-fashioned methods of dealing with the Biblical Hebrew verbal system (“perfect” and “imperfect”). Luckily, the merely descriptive terms “prefix conjugation” and “suffix conjugation” are available (and were in fact the terms we used in the first Hebrew classes I took as a student). I have also been happy to see the term və-qatal applied to the form that is וְ plus suffix conjugation (often called “converted perfect”), and I have used it here.

The boldest innovation of this textbook is described by the author:

Several years ago, John Huehnergard and I together came up with the term “consecutive preterite” for the verb form that is usually called the “converted imperfect.” I hesitated to use a new name in this beginning textbook for such a common form, but our rubric fits so perfectly that I decided to introduce it here. It is the only time I have used a term that is otherwise not a part of the scholarly literature (p XX).

This may not be something a teacher would be willing to incorporate (i.e., a term that is not widely used by the community). However, I do see the benefit and since the textbook clearly includes references to alternate terminology, I think it is a helpful step.

My Comments about Specific Content
I appreciate that Hackett begins the book with a chapter putting the language in some linguistic, historical, and scribal context. This background information will help the student to place Biblical Hebrew into a larger picture of language and history.

The initial chapters that introduce the consonants and vowels (along with illustrations for writing them in Appendix A) are phenomenal. Most textbooks or courses expect the student to teach this to themselves from looking at a typeset list of characters. These initial lessons take the mystery out of a new writing system and ease a student into recognition and pronunciation. However, I was a little surprised by the author’s choices for referring to some of the vowel names. For example, she does not differentiate the long “a” and short “o,” calling them both qamets. While they share the same orthographic form, they are pronounced differently and I prefer to use qamets hatuf for the latter. She also refers to the irreducibly long vowel ִי as hireq-gadol, instead of hireq-yod (although she does use tsere-yod to refer to ֵי ). This is of minor concern, and I only point it out.

The author always footnotes or otherwise draws attention to forms that are attested, but differ from what might be expected. She also anticipates potential student confusion and includes additional information to clarify what might seem like conflicting information or rules.

There are a variety of types of questions in the exercises. Here is an example of a particularly interesting way to ask a question (from Ch. 6 Ex. B):

We saw above that מָלַ֫כְתִּי comes from the root מלך and means ‘I ruled’. Given the root שׁמר ‘to observe, guard, watch’, how would you write and pronounce ‘I observed’? We also saw above that תִּמְלֹךְ means ‘she will rule’. How would you write and pronounce ‘she will observe’?

Vocabulary words are presented (at the end of each chapter) by word class (e.g., verb, noun, pronoun, adjective) and often have more than just a short gloss. The plural and construct forms are listed right in the vocabulary list (instead of students having to flip back to an appendix to find this information). I think this helps to give the student a better semantic understanding for each vocabulary item and minimizes learning an incorrect semantic domain. For example, some textbooks only give a gloss of “light” for the word אוֹר but without some kind of word class indication, a student may randomly connote “the act of striking a match,” “the weight of an object,” or “an object that gives off illumination” with this word. Whenever more information is given, it is more likely a student will have a better understanding of the vocabulary.

I asked Prof. Hackett how she chose the words to include in the vocabulary for this textbook. She told me that she took all the words that occur 100 times and more and made large charts that showed when she had introduced the word, how many times she had used it and in which chapters. Her goal was to use each word once in every 4 or 5 lessons. As the textbook progresses, this becomes more difficult to do. I like this deliberate planning to highlight a vocabulary word to the student multiple times for reinforcement. Not all of the 100+ frequency vocabulary is included, the remaining would be included in the second book (see below). And, of course, there are some words like סוּס that are simply too perfect not to use, even though they don’t occur often.

I very much like her inclusion of the Masoretic accents (טְאָמִים) as a pedagogical tool for identifying syntax (I pointed out a resource for doing this very thing in a previous post). She acknowledges that some of the presentation is (of necessity) not according to strict “biblical rules” and may make those who know biblical accentuation well “cringe.” However, I agree that, for the level of the students, the benefit definitely warrants this creativity.

A second book is in preparation. It will consist of graded readings of biblical passages, with glosses where necessary, additional vocabulary, and references to this book when something basic might need to be reviewed.

Bottom Line: My Final Thoughts
I admire the clarity that Prof. Hackett uses in her writing. I can visualize a student reading the book and feeling like the teacher was right beside them explaining something. She clearly has taught many students and found the very best ways to explain complicated or confusing material. She is able to anticipate a student’s misconceptions and set them aright before they are ingrained. Her style of writing blends the necessary attention to scholarly detail with accessibility. Information in a textbook cannot become student knowledge without good communication; I believe Prof. Hackett definitely succeeds in this aspect. This type of writing is one of the textbook’s great strengths, and also makes the book a viable candidate for the self-learner.

The pace of this book would be very ambitious for most classes to complete in one term. I think it might be more likely that a teacher would spread at least part of this book into a second semester.

I like Appendix D Clues for Finding the Root of Weak Consecutive Preterites. There is a chart and a set of 14 “flow-chart” type questions that can help in the identification of these tricky roots.

Unfortunately, but like most BH textbooks, there are no illustrations. The appendices do make use of some color ink to highlight diagnostics for verb stems. I think that publishers should take up the challenge to revolutionize not only content, but also presentation of material. This goes hand in hand with adopting the new technologies available. I hope that with the development of eBooks and eReaders, textbooks will begin to expand beyond putting words in portable digital form and begin to link to additional resources online and incorporate various types of interactive pedagogical tools.

I have used, read, or reviewed many BH textbooks, but I have to say that this is one that I might actually choose to use in my own classroom. I look forward to seeing the finished product (including the audio files on the CD).

• Brunch at our house with some of our favortie people. Hopefully Oliver will enjoy the three kids under three who are coming over to meet him #
• Snow days have spoiled me. I want to take a nap. #
• Full day. Full weekend. Hoping to end it with a full nights sleep. #

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Previous Male Bakeoff Entries: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and last year’s Best of Show.

Have I ever talked about our slight obsession with Sky Mall? Mike and I are fascinated by Sky Mall. Who needs to shop in the air? Why are their products so weird? Where can we put this globe that would secretly open to reveal our liquor stash?

To be fair, I did order part of Mike’s birthday present from Sky Mall. It was this awesome chair. It flips over! And turns into a step stool! I highly recommend it. However, you should know that the instructions leave out some things. I tried to put it together myself, but lo, that did not happen.

Anyway. When Mike and I flew to New York back in October, we of course looked at the Sky Mall magazine. We laughed at the globe (our favorite Sky Mall item) and Mike happened to see this giant cupcake pan. When we got home, he said, “I am going to order that pan and use it for the Male Bakeoff.” And thus, a theme was born. (Full disclosure: he ordered it from Amazon instead because it was cheaper. Sorry, Sky Mall.)

So over the past week, Mike made ten of these.

That’s right. Ten. Because we are known here for subtlety and restraint.

But, no, that was not enough. He also had a plate. And some giant tortilla chips. He took his own tablecloth and “fork” and “napkin” and (giant) “glass” (which was really a vase). With his ten giant cupcakes, all those things, his own table, and a Happy Birthday sign, he managed to piss off the decorating committee and create his very own birthday party. For, of course, Goliath. Happy first birthday, buddy.

You can see some of the other fabulous entries here (this year’s theme was Mardi Gras), but I wanted to highlight a few of my favorites.

Our neighbor’s Super Bowl trophy (Rice Krispie Treats plus fondant):

The Gingerbread Bible (please notice GingerJesus on the cross – this year’s Most Biblical winner):

Fancypants Super Bowl stadium:

And this was the table with the trophies.

You may remember a few years ago when the table was simply titled “Booty!” This year we have “Booty-ism.” Let me explain. A few months ago, during a sermon, our pastor meant to say “Buddhism” and actually said “Booty-ism.” Because the other 30-somethings I sit with are as mature as I am, we giggled a lot and have not let him live it down, suggesting songs such as “Baby Got Back” for the offertory and “Bootylicious” for the anthem. And so, rather than simply “Booty,’ this year our prizes reflect the Booty-ism that we have come to value so much. (Also, please notice that the trophies have been redesigned this year.)

This year, Mike walked home with Most Creative, which is a worthy prize for his effort. As he was setting up, one of our friends wanted to make sure he knew that there was no cash prize to help offset the cost of all that cake. I assured her that this is not about cash. It is about REPUTATION. Luckily his is safe for another year.

And now, to start scheming for next year.

• listening to Booka Shade – Charlotte http://bit.ly/AdgTM #
• where's kanye to stand up with Beyonce? Maybe he'd take Taylor Swift's back this time… #grammy #
• Roberta Flack's Grammy outfit rivals Aretha Franklin's Rockefeller Center "eaten-by-a-bear" look #grammy http://bit.ly/djux8L #
• you gotta admit, Eminem can spit some crazy rhymes. too bad I couldn't hear half of it. #grammy #
• listening to Matt Wertz – Heartbreaker Intro http://bit.ly/cnB1j5 #
• Apple Finally Unveils iPad http://onion.com/95DUlb RT @theOnion "features: super slick design makes it impossible to hold, pick up or…" #
• listening to Bob Dylan – Just Like A Woman http://bit.ly/fCzxe #
• thinking about GLEE & my next blog posts… http://rmfo-blogs.com/sarahlh/ suggestions? comments? anyone? Bueller? #
• listening to Missy Higgins – Scar http://bit.ly/aHfe3T #
• listening to Matt Nathanson – More Than This http://bit.ly/dnxhSE #
• listening to Thao – You've Really Got a Hold On Me http://bit.ly/1buosA #
• listening to Skybox – In A Dream http://bit.ly/b19138 #
• listening to Plumb – Sink n' Swin http://bit.ly/cAdlfO #
• listening to Michael Jackson – Remember the Time http://bit.ly/5wJva #
• listening to Copeland – I'm Safer In An Airplane http://bit.ly/9Iqnx9 #
• listening to Copeland – When You Thought You'd Never Stand Out http://bit.ly/9OZvov #
• listening to Snow Patrol – An Olive Grove Facing The Sea http://bit.ly/cK4bf8 #
• #snowpocalypse in DC = SNOW DAY! Z wants me 2 invite a friend over: "If he says he can come, order him at 1 o'clock" order?! kids… #fb #
• listening to Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – The Sound http://bit.ly/8YUs4m #
• listening to Matthew Perryman Jones – Jesus I Come (Out Of My Bondage) http://bit.ly/azFncF #
• @trystdc yay! You're open! I was just about to ask… ah, my second living room. #
• @phil2419 uh oh! you guys need a few snow days to enjoy it, huh? Well, we've got a few extra feet to spare. in reply to phil2419 #
• listening to The Beatles – The Fool On The Hill [Demo] http://bit.ly/1fc28L #
• listening to Peter Gabriel – Flume http://bit.ly/bOg4rE #
• listening to Cold War Kids – Hang Me Up To Dry http://bit.ly/8NM5zt #
• listening to Mugison – Murr Murr http://bit.ly/xUEa4 #
• listening to Blitzen Trapper – Black River Killer http://bit.ly/14JdZJ #

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• It's beginning to look a lot like a baby shower http://yfrog.com/33b6xoj (and yes Oliver is helping) #
• Baby shower complete. #

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Life is a constant Advent season: we are continually waiting to become, to discover, to complete, to fulfill. Hope, struggle, fear, expectation and fulfillment are all part of our Advent experience. -Life Is An Advent Season, Connections, 11-28-1993

This was a week that could be called, at best, a bust. We are just not equipped in North Carolina to deal with winter weather in a speedy way, so we had more snow than school this week. It felt as if life came to a screeching halt.

I don’t feel that the week was wasted, exactly. We had good times with our neighbors and I cleaned out an entire pile of magazines and we organized and baked and ate and read and those are glorious things. I am thankful for the unexpected gift of rest and time. But the lack of a routine makes things feel somewhat flat. I noticed that last summer, when we didn’t have a great to-do list like we had the summer before. Going to the pool every day was wonderful and was exactly the rest that my soul needed, but I didn’t necessarily feel that my life was as filled in as it should be. If there was a picture of my summer, the colors would be dull. This week felt like that.

Life has felt like that lately, anyway, with the already/not yet reality of the construction. Yes, we are in our new bathroom space, but there are a lot of details still being ironed out in the rest of the house. There have been so many wonderful new changes, but we are waiting, waiting, waiting for it all to be over. To take our lives and our house back. To actually clean and finish unpacking and organizing.

Waiting and watching are part of life’s work that I do not practice very faithfully or very well. I rush through things. I ache for completion, for a finished product. And for what? The already/not yet reality of life is that there is always more to read, another meal to make, another floor to sweep. There is always more to learn, another place to grow. Relationships to work on, hurts that need mending, joy that needs time to expand. There are times when life seems full of possibility, times when we should be preparing ourselves for the next thing. And then there are times to wait. I have been so busy that I hardly even know what that means.

Perhaps there are better ways to fight listlessness, but I tend to think it is best fought by focusing on the small meaningful details of life. This week I have baked bread and shared muffins and laughed over meals. I would prefer to be working towards some great goal. But I think right now my work is simply to wait.

After Deke and Bobby went back inside to broadcast on the radio, they announced anyone wanting to enter the Best Dressed or Hairy Legs contest, please come to the right of the stage. I had to fight my way over to the right of the stage. It was still ridiculously packed. I got to the stairs and had the lady see me so she’d pick me out of this throng of guys in dresses.
Once I got on stage, everything seemed a little disorganized. There were about 20 other guys on stage with me, but they didn’t really divide us between the two contests. I pulled my socks down so people would see why I should win. They had people go to the front of the stage because I think they were judging by crowd reaction. One of the ladies in charge looked at me and my legs and told me I’d be a finalist. Guys would go to the front of the stage, then step back. Slowly but surely they were eliminated. They hadn’t asked me to go to the front yet, so I thought the hairy legs competition would be coming up. I was going to stay up there until they asked me to leave.

Finally I got motioned to go to the front to show off my wares. I did, and my friends in the crowd had summoned help from people around them to cheer for me. Unfortunately, I did not make the finals of the Best Dressed, but I was still staying up there until they told me to leave. One of the ladies came up to me and told me she had something inside for me, and to stay up there. They announced the winner of Best Dressed, and the lady came up to me again, and said “follow me inside, we’re going to put you on the radio.” I motioned out to my friends about the greatness that was happening.

The lady told me to grab her hand and stay close. It was still crazy packed. We made our way through the crowd, and since I was with the radio lady, I got past the security guard. They had me wait near the table that was being used for the broadcast. I thought they would eventually give us microphones or something, and ask us a couple of questions.

I was going to thank my dad for the hairy legs. Sadly though, I never got the chance. They took my name, and the name of the guy who won Best Dressed, and said them over the air, so that was cool. My parents heard it. When they said my name, I turned and waved to the people in the restaurant. It was all kinds of awesome. The lady gave me a bag full of stuff from one of the local Saints shops. I wanted the plaque that the other guy got, it even had Hairy Legs on it. I think they only got one plaque though, and it did say Best In Show, so he got that.

We left the restaurant and got a picture at the Andrew Jackson statue to add to my collection. Then we made our way to Fleurty Girl, where I met THE Fleurty Girl. She asked to get a picture with me, and then she tweeted it! She’s like a real celebrity with all the local and national interviews from the cease and desist selling WHO DAT shirts thing. (or so I have learned this week) My sister was able to buy a shirt she’s been wanting. Afterward we went and ate at this BBQ place called Squeal where they had the most amazing corn grits I’ve ever had.

I have told this story over and over since Sunday. I keep thinking how incredible it all was. I was expecting a lot of guys to show up and march and all, but the amount that did blew my mind. The amount of people who turned up to watch was just awesome. The crowd was so happy. Everyone was having such a great time. I’m so glad I did it. I can’t wait till Sunday. WHO DAT!

(I divided the story into 2 parts, both parts will be posted today. Part II later this afternoon)

Last week, Bobby Hebert announced that there would actually be a Dress Parade to honor the late Buddy D and celebrate the Saints going to the Super Bowl. Later on in the week, I called my friend Jacob, who’s probably one of the only friends I have on the same level with the Saints. I asked him if he wanted to do the parade. I thought it’d be fun. We agreed. He called me Saturday, and we nailed down more plans and particulars. It was on.

Saturday night, I went to the local Goodwill to get a dress. I went through the entire rack of dresses and found two black dresses. They were pretty much the same style, so I was just going to try them both on and go with the one that fit the best. The tags were ripped off, so I had no idea what size the dresses were. It was obvious one fit better than the other, so I bought it. When I went up to the counter, the lady said “you must be going to a party”, to which I said “no, I’m going to be in the Dress Parade tomorrow.” The people around the counter laughed and encouraged me to have a good time. The dress was $5.43 total, not bad. I stopped off at the store and got a 12 pack of High Life cans, because I knew we’d need beer and I thought we’d get in trouble for having bottles. I was going to use a couple of the reusable shopping bags to split the beer between me and Jacob.

The next morning I went to early church and listened to another boring sermon. On my way home I stopped off at Academy and got some black soccer socks. I got home and threw on my dress. Since it was going to be cold, I put on my long sleeve compression shirt that I wear for running, and some compression shorts. Then I put on a long underwear shirt on and some boxers. I did not want to have to wear a coat or anything, I wanted to show off the dress!

We got downtown about 11:35 or so, and parked across the street from the Holiday Inn. We were having to wait for Jacob, and I had to go to the bathroom, so we walked across the street to the hotel. I walked into the waiting room type area, and walked past three guys who were just wearing long skirts over pants. LOSERS! That’s when I knew I had done the right thing, and the apprehension I was feeling disappeared. They saw me with everything on and I could tell from the look on their faces that they wished they had gone all out like I had. Yeah, I was working it. My sister nicknamed me Sassy Sally.

We walked over to the Dome to meet up with Jacob. There were so many guys out there, and more impressive was the number of people who came to watch.

We walked down the street doing the Who Dat! Chant, chanting Buddy D, Black and Gold Super Bowl, etc. It was amazing. The first block or so I must have said “this is awesome” 20 times. Everyone was laughing and yelling and waving. There were tons of people on both sides of the street taking video and/or pictures. It was crazy. Some of the guys took the dress wearing a little too far IMO. One guy readily admitted he was wearing a thong underneath. One guy took our picture, and then tells me “if you’d have shaved this morning, I’d be turned on”. I told him “I’m glad I didn’t!” The guys in makeup were also kind of weird.

When we made the turn onto Carondelet, there were still tons of people. It was almost as if the amount of people increased. I high fived a girl for wearing a Scott Fujita jersey. This one guy was filming and says “this is going on youtube”, so I got in the camera shot and yelled “What up! Youtube! Who Dat!” I have no idea if it’s actually anywhere yet, but I’m in a video somewhere for sure.

When we got to the Quarter, it almost became single file because of all the people on the sidewalks. These guys in front of us were just walking in jerseys and jeans, and I spoke loudly that they shouldn’t be in the parade. I don’t think they heard me. But really, we’re in dresses and you’re not, get out of our parade! Most importantly, we made it to the stage at the end of the parade and we had not run out of beer. Also, I wasn’t sure exactly where we were going, all I knew was we were following Bobby Hebert.

I knew there was going to be a hairy legs contest, so I didn’t wear stockings. I wanted to be able to enter the contest. The stage was set up in the street, and it was packed. We were in front of the stage, but it was just wall to wall people. I kept yelling for Bobby Hebert to come out, because he was our leader for the day, and I wanted to see him. I had not seen him all day. I booed a guy who was dancing on stage with a Mic Ultra. Finally, Bobby came out, and he appeared to feel very good. He said some pro Saints stuff, about how awesome it was that we all came out, that the Saints were going to the SB, life is awesome, whatever. Deke, his radio co-hort, was also there, but he didn’t have a dress. In fact, he was wearing a Bobby Hebert jersey. I think Deke’s an idiot, and his costume was just stupid. Fine, maybe you’re not man enough to wear a dress, but for crying out loud, do you have to wear the jersey of your radio partner like that? LAME!

(the exciting conclusion in part II)

• Winter storm leaves it's remains, just in time for the Greensboro Amazing Race tonight. Bundle up @masterkari #
• Snow day breakfast, load of dishes, folded laundry, starting around load, swept & mop kitchen (still looks dirty), and banana bread in oven. #
• With Gilmore Girls on in the background of the cleaning, it's making me want to make coffee instead of tea. It's a strange feeling. #
• Snow day calls for Toy Story Cheez-Its! #
• Oliver enjoys sleeping on our bed peacefully only durning the day and when the sheets are not present http://yfrog.com/33e38qj #

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As promised, I’m posting the recipe for a slow-cooker pork roast “barbecue.” All of the die hards out there will shudder to think that I could do something like barbecue in a crock pot, but it works for me. So there.

This little experiment started when Boston butt pork roast went on sale for $.97 a pound a week ago. I bought a 10 lb. roast, cut it in half, and froze one half to use for later. The other half, covered in a mix of paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black papper, went into a skillet where it was seared on all sides. I can’t skip that part of the process because the caramelization that happens to the meat when seared adds such depth of flavor. Must.not.drool.

So, after it was seared, I put the roast into a crock pot and poured 40 oz. of beer (Sierra Nevada pale ale, to be exact) over the top. Then, I added 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1 packet of dry onion soup mix, 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce and 1 T. of ground cinnamon. Put the lid on, left it alone for 8 hours on high, and voila. Slow roasted pork, perfect for bbq sandwiches. This fed our family for a good four meals. All for around $6. Crazy! And if you’re wondering, by the end of the cooking process, all of the alcohol was cooked out, leaving a tender, juicy roast. Yumm yumm.

Slow-cooked Pork Roast
Adapted from a shared recipe from Katey.

Ingredients:
2 t. cayenne pepper
2 T. paprika
2 t. black pepper
1 T. garlic powder
1 5-6 lb. pork roast
40 oz. beer
1 package dry onion soup mix
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 T. ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Mix first four ingredients together in a small bowl. Rub mixture into roast. Place roast in a skillet over medium-high heat, and sear on all sides, approx 2 minutes per side.

2. Put roast in a large crockpot. Add remaining ingredients, stir to dissolve sugar, and cover. Cook on high for 8-9 hours.

3. Take roast out of the crockpot and allow to sit for approximately 30 minutes. Shred with two forks (meat should fall off the bone, so this isn’t difficult at all). Serve with additional barbecue sauce on the side.

To put it mildly, over the past week, life snuck up and bit me in the ass. Tons of designing, family stuff. I could go on and on. Alas, my dear blog has been neglected. But I’m back. With some fun recipes and follow-ups.

First of all, I am rocking at managing our laundry. As previously mentioned, this has been an issue and struggle for me. One thing I’m realizing is that I don’t have to have instructions for how to manage day to day activities. My perfectionist self would like to have a handbook for all of life’s situations, but, obviously, this isn’t realistic. And when it all boils down, that probably wouldn’t be much fun. I just try to knock out a load or two of laundry a day (no real schedule) and it has worked marvelously. Go me.

Second of all, making homemade pork barbecue isn’t as intimidating as I thought. And a slow-cooker recipe works, regardless of what others might tell you. Tune in for the recipe tomorrow.

And lastly, spending an hour in bed with my husband, snuggling up to watch a House episode can break my stone-cold heart. I’m thankful for the work we’re putting into our marriage. I’m thankful for our daily commitment to make something beautiful out of what we have together, faults and all.

Currently reading Crazy for God by Frank Schaeffer (son of Francis Schaeffer, the late renown Christian Evangelist and author of books like The God Who is There and True Spirituality). I am… both saddened and comforted thus far. More to come.

Currently listening to Lady Antebellum (particularly “Run to You”), Joshua Radin (“Star Mile”), and Kings of Leon (“Sex on Fire” and “Notion”). Check them all out. You will not be disappointed.

• I'm sad to see the snow melt away. It's so pretty on the landscapes and roofs. #
• I'm going to G-Mart today. Have not been in a while, I'm excitied. #
• G-Mart is an international grocery store here in town. Its seriously like going to another country. Cheap prices and thankfully no bartering #
• Just tired these for the first time: http://yfrog.com/32iyozj #

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Great news, everybody! ‘90210′ star Ian Ziering is engaged!

Even better news! Ian Ziering is alive!

Our old rapscallious friend Steve Sanders is finally tying the knot after years of being recognized as a vaguely familiar wisp of our collective memories! Way to go, Ian!

You might have recognized an bronzed, hairplugged brute claiming to be Ian Ziering in a recent season of Dancing With the Stars, but I remain skeptical. How could Ian Ziering have more hair and whiter teeth today than he did when he started portraying the salacious Steve at the tender young age of 35?

Do you remember the episode when Steve was jocular and flashed a winning smile? That was probably my favorite.

Anyway, good work, Ian Ziering. Someday, when your bride has come of age, you’ll have to sit her down and show her a few episodes of 90210, and tell her about the 1990s. Then you could lean in and tenderly kiss her, all while Jason Priestly watches from the closed-circut camera feed you had installed for him.

Cheers!

We have had quite enough snow and cold already, thankyouverymuch. Today I am longing for spring.

“Spring is like a perhaps hand” by E. E. Cummings

Spring is like a perhaps hand
(which comes carefully
out of Nowhere)arranging
a window,into which people look(while
people stare
arranging and changing placing
carefully there a strange
thing and a known thing here)and

changing everything carefully

spring is like a perhaps
Hand in a window
(carefully to
and fro moving New and
Old things,while
people stare carefully
moving a perhaps
fraction of flower here placing
an inch of air there)and

without breaking anything.

• Today: jury duty. I'm actually excitied about it. #
• There is a dude that keeps answering his phone as if no one else is around. Whole room turns and looks at him every time he answers. #
• I get more breaks durning jury duty than I do at work. #
• An hour and half for lunch? Woo hoo. #
• Update: did not get picked to be a case. I was pretty bummed. However they let us go at 2:30pm. I promptly took a nap when I got home. #

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• Finally bought us a coffee grinder and yet I'm still making myself some tea. #
• Rocking out to some Adele in the office today. #
• Oh! Darcy just told Lizzy he loved her. For the first time! Yikes. #
• I am currently crocheting a soap bag. It's the only project in the book that I can attempt with my little skills. #
• Way to start off a marriage proposal "first, I have been an ass…" #

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After I saw the newer version of Pride and Prejudice, the one with Keira Knightley (also known as the one without Colin Firth), I remember reading a review that said that, after being used to the miniseries’ leisurely pace, this version felt as if Lydia had you by the hand and was pulling you through the story with all of her excitement and passion and quickness. This book felt like that to me: Sara Miles pulling me through the story of Jesus and his love for us. With an excitement and sincerity (tempered with honesty) that seems so distant to me.

I have a lot I could say about this book, but you will be happy to hear that I have decided not to pull my old school DC Talk “Jesus Freak” shirt out and post pictures of it. I could. I saw it when we were unpacking our closet a couple of weeks ago. But I don’t want to get too distracted on that rabbit trail, so maybe I will just save the shirt for another time. Before I tell you about the book, I do want to share with you a quote that is on the back by Brian McLaren. It’s what I would have said about this book, except he said it first. “[Sara Miles is] way too wound up for toned-down liberals, and way too out-of-the-shrink-wrap for straight-laced conservatives, and she calls both of them to a new vantage point. She has actually experienced something, and Someone, and by hearing her story, you start to catch what she’s caught: which includes a sense of being caught, and caught up, and fed, and empowered to feed others. A beautiful, joyful, raucous, reverent book.” Yes, exactly. I am probably a toned-down liberal, and, honestly, I like my religious experiences (and my life) to be a little bit more “safe” and “orderly.” This is a book about the power that God gives us through the Holy Spirit to do the things he commands: feeding the hungry, healing the sick, forgiving, and raising the dead. Sara Miles wants you to know that those are not things that we have lost, here in our jaded modern times. Nor are they things that are safe and orderly (echoing my favorite Annie Dillard quote). And she tells it pretty convincingly. It’s a story I need to be reminded of, the power of this journey that we are on in this life.

As you can see in the picture above, I marked several pages with post-it notes. I am going to share a few quotes with you here (but not all the ones that I marked, because that would take too long). I mentioned back during Advent that our theme had to do with Mary, and that we talked a lot about Mary bearing Christ into the world so that we can now bear Christ in our own bodies as well. Sara Miles had some similar thoughts that resonated with me on that topic.

But [Mary's] choice is also revolutionary because she submits. Mary sings out her yes without knowing what will happen. Trusting God, Mary opens herself to humiliation, physical pain, dislocation, terror, loss. And yet, just as Jesus will, she calls herself blessed.

Her courage remains a signpost for all humankind–for all the unimportant, frightened, powerless people who doubt that God can work through us. As the fourth-century bishop Gregory of Nyssa wrote, “What was achieved in the body of Mary will happen in the soul of everyone who receives the Word.”

And, similarly:

Because the thing about Jesus, the story turns out, is that he believes in us, the people who betray his love, just as he believed in Andrew and poor frightened Peter. Jesus trusts that humans have the power to truly see him ourselves. He believes that our mortal bodies, our experiences here on earth, are enough to bear and hold God. He knows we can find him in our own flesh, and in the flesh of others.

It seems a simple thing to say that we can bear God in our bodies, but if I am bearing God in my body, shouldn’t I really believe the things that he said about feeding, healing, and raising the dead? Shouldn’t I put myself out there and be uncomfortable and live in the mess? Because mess is exactly what this book is about: the beautiful mess of our lives and our relationships.

Sara Miles doesn’t have all the answers, but she is a writer, and part of her calling is to tell you the story of how Jesus has changed her life and shown her, through working with poor and homeless, through prayer, through walking with people as they strive to follow what Jesus says about forgiveness, through believing that death is not the end. These are powerful, hopeful things. When you hear them too often, you forget how radical forgiveness is, how amazing it is to realize that death is not the end. She has come to accept the title of Jesus Freak because these are, after all, things to be excited about.

One more quote, this one about the woman at the well:

And her thirst leads her to bring others to the well–without telling them what to believe, just by echoing the great door-opening Gospel invitation, Come and see. Jesus transforms the woman without a name, this despised status offender, and she becomes the first person to preach Jesus as Messiah. Which would seem to suggest that salvation does not depend on getting things right. It depends on thirst.

That’s what this book is, summed up in a word: thirst. Sara Miles is thirsting for more of God, and that thirst has changed her life. She would like to share that story with you. I recommend this book (and her other book, Take This Bread, which I also enjoyed immensely) for people like me, who love Jesus but who struggle with the idea of being a Jesus freak.

Wiley provided me with a copy of this book to review.

PSSSST!

Come over here, ’cause we got a message for you!

That’s right. You are ugly.

Listen up, we should know ugly. After all, we’re a cow and a pig. You ever seen either of us eating from up close? Trust us, we know ugly when we see it, and you are ugly.

Even the fact that we’re simplified childrens drawings isn’t enough to mask the sheer misanthropy of the insult we just sent your way. Check out the look at the pig’s face. It’s called sheer disgust. Seriously, friend, have you showered lately? Your greasy hair and swollen neck-zits suggest you’ve been neglecting your grooming in favor of more quality time with the dumpster behind the Hostess bakery.

So take it from us, a pair of filth-encrusted barnyard animals, you are ugly. You should go away from everybody for a while to regroup and take a bleach-soaked rag to your armpits and crotch. It would do the world a favor. Better yet, ask Farmer Troy if you can borrow his shotgun. He uses it to put animals out of their misery. I bet it would fit pretty good in your mouth.

Seriously. Kill yourself.

Hope you enjoyed your visit to my blog today, folks!

Many thanks (again) to the folks at Eisenbrauns for sending me a review copy of War in the Bible and Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century edited by Richard S. Hess and Elmer A. Martens (Bulletin for Biblical Research Supplement 2). You can read the first part and second part of my review of this book here and here. In this third (and final) post, the chapters we will look at cover diverse ground. One defends Christian pacifism, another looks at the distinction between Just Wars and Crusades. The three final essays take up the issues as they relate specifically to terrorism.

Chapter 4
Impulses toward Peace in a Country at War: The Book of Isaiah between Realism and Hope by M. Daniel Carroll R.
This essay begins with some personal experiences of the author’s time living in the midst of the war in Guatemala (1982-1996). Dissatisfied with how both sides of the conflict handled the situation, he was motivated to find an “appropriate evangelical response” (59). The writings of Reinhold Niebuhr (Faith and History; Moral Man and Immoral Society; and The Nature and Destiny of Man) and Stanley Hauerwas (extensive list in footnote 11, p 62) provided fertile ground for Carroll’s thinking, even though they reflect a sharp contrast in thought. Niebuhr “recognized humanity’s inherent will to power and noted that it plays itself out in destructive ways, both within and between nations” and “understood the pervasiveness of sin in society and politics” (61). Because of this, Niebuhr believes that there is the “unavoidable necessity of occasionally having to use coercion—sometimes to the point of waging war—to maintain and establish at least a modicum of justice in this unjust world” (61).

On the other hand, Hauerwas argues “for another starting point in the debate over whether Christians as individuals and the Church as an institution should support and be involved in war…Christians do not choose nonviolence because we can rid the world of war, but rather in a world of war we cannot be anything but nonviolent as worshipful followers of Jesus the Christ” (emphasis is the author’s, 62). Carroll agrees with Hauerwas. Out of this position Carroll identifies two foundational questions that must be answered: “Who are we?” (the issue of identity) and “What are we to do?” (the issue of mission). The answers to these questions will determine fundamental loyalty and a resulting goal for life/service.

To answer these questions (and to wrestle with the believer’s approach to war), Carroll looks to the book of Isaiah. He spends significant ink detailing the history, archaeological data, and prophetic message. He mines three lessons from Isaiah’s words for Judah: it is wise to explore the values and attitudes of those who make policy choices (character matters!); believers are “called to trust in the absolute power of Yahweh to deliver” (75); believers should not lose sight of the eschatological hope (war is not ultimate, one day it will end) (77).

Chapter 5
Distinguishing Just War from Crusade: Is Regime Change a Just Cause for Just War? by Daniel R. Heimbach
Heimbach does not address the pacifists’ question about whether a war is ever morally right. He respectfully disagrees with the pacifists and believes that a just-war approach to the ethics of war (and a Christian’s participation in such a war) is faithful to Scripture, has been the teaching of the majority of the church since the time of the New Testament, and is not a corruption of biblical morality (79). He attempts to define the line between just war and crusade. He distinguishes the two based on how each justifies going to war.

He situates his argument in the controversy about the war with Iraq. He discusses the justification given by President Bush for going to war with Iraq in 2003 (a pre-emptive strike against a potential threat). He also recounts numerous Christian leaders and their responses to this justification (quoting those who supported the President and those who cautioned against such justification). However, he does not agree that the justification given was valid. Instead, he believes that the arguments put forth come close to (if not actually) crossing the line from Just War to Crusade.

Nevertheless, Heimbach believes “that the war with Iraq was indeed justified, that there was legitimate just cause. But, in explaining how it was justified, President Bush and others included one reason with which I do not agree. The only morally appropriate reason for this war was to enforce the terms of the 1991 surrender. The just cause for the Persian Gulf War (the invasion of Kuwait) still pertained” (87). Aside, from this, Heimbach believes that the war would be difficult to justify (and he does give details to support his position). He concludes his essay with an appendix of Conflicting Statements on Just Cause (citing a diverse group throughout history, including, the prophet Amos, the apostle Paul, Plato, Augustine, Aquinas, Paul Ramsey, Wilton Gregory, Robert Tucker, Charles Colson, and President Bush).

Chapter 6
Noncombatant Immunity and the War on Terrorism by Tony Pfaff
Pfaff addresses the issues of noncombatant casualties, particularly in the pursuit of justice against terrorists. Pfaff sates that “it is a nearly universally accepted moral principle that it is wrong to harm innocent people intentionally. However, states are obligated to protect their citizens from harm, and individuals vested with this responsibility sometimes find it necessary to risk violating the moral principle in order to uphold the civil principle. Soldiers sometimes must attack enemy military targets located near civilian residences. Polices sometimes put bystanders’ lives at risk when they pursue criminals” (94-95).

Pfaff seeks to define terrorists and discusses the differences between criminals and enemies (and how they are to be brought to justice). The main distinguishing characteristic seeming to be the kind of threat or risk the terrorist(s) present. He discusses the different roles that police and soldiers hold, and how each role approaches justice and peace.

He concludes, in part, by saying “The al-Qaeda terrorists are criminals. But they are also enemies. Because it is always preferable to do less harm than more, it will always be preferable to pursue them under the criminal model because this model risks the least harm to noncombatants. But because terrorists are enemies, when it is not possible to pursue them as criminals, it is permissible to conduct operations that will knowingly though not intentionally harm civilians, given the restrictions outlined [in this essay]” (111).

Pfaff acknowledges that there are unresolved issues that he cannot address in the scope of this essay, including, permissions associated with violating political sovereignty and territorial integrity of other states in order to pursue terrorists and how to treat detained terrorists.

He warns “a state cannot rationally fight evil by committing it… [America’s] leaders must take care not to become like the enemy it opposes” (112).

Chapter 7
Terrorism: What Is It and How Do We Deal with It? by Ian G. C. Durie
Ian Durie, like Heimbach, affirms the just-war position. He was a former soldier (a participant in the first Gulf War, in 1991). After his experiences in war and subsequent examination of the roots of just-war doctrine he concluded, “the responsibility for justice, law, and order in society requires the state to be prepared to use force conditionally and in a closely controlled manner to deal with internal disorder and external aggression and that Christians have a duty to play their parts, although some may be called to pacifist as an individual stance” (113).

Durie also takes up the task of attempting to define terrorism, and asks if terrorism is ever legitimate. For example, “In the case of justified resistance, terrorism may be the appropriate method of fighting of a relatively powerless minority against a more powerful majority” (116). After discussing various types of terrorism, he deals with the topic of resisting (and defeating) international terrorism.

He concludes by saying that “terrorism is a potentially legitimate form of warfare, but terrorists never use it legitimately, and this is why it is not a justifiable means of resistance” (122). He gives three action items to consider: 1) Governments “have a duty to respond legitimately within the constraints of just-war doctrine and the international rules of war, taking care not to further the terrorist cause by repressive actions;” 2) “governments should seek to address the causes of injustice throughout the world, thus negating the means by which terrorists justify their actions;” 3) “Both governments and those who oppose them should be called to account by Christians and others who have the duty of responding to God’s call for justice and freedom from oppression for all nations and peoples” (122).

At the end of Durie’s chapter there is an appendix listing eight Criteria for Justified Resistance.

Chapter 8
Just Peacemaking Reduces Terrorism between Palestine and Israel by Glen H. Stassen
Stassen begins by saying that both pacifists and just-war theorists can agree on Just Peacemaking Theory. This theory answers the question: “What peacemaking practices are in accord with Jesus’ way, work in the real world, and are obligatory for Christians to advocate and practice in the real world?” (127). Stassen demonstrates Just Peacemaking practices in the Bible (e.g., Cain and conflict resolution; Jacob and independent initiative; Joseph and forgiveness; Moses and righting injustice, and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount). He also uses examples from history to demonstrate Peacemaking Theory for the prevention of terrorism (e.g., Russia, Turkey, Biological weapons, and Israel & Palestine).

He also argues that because terrorism is purpose driven, preventive initiatives can make a difference. He gives several examples: Israel’s withdrawal from the Sinai Desert, the 1993 Oslo Agreement, and the Lebanon Border Incident (2007).

He concludes by pointing out the limits of unilateral power (i.e., there is a limit to what United States can do without help from other nations), and thus there is a need for cooperative foreign policy in the pursuit of justice and peace (especially in the fight against terrorism). Stassen believes that “Just Peacemaking offers a wiser and more effective way to dry up the sources of terrorism” (148).

My Conclusions
This collection of essays offers much food for thought and no simple answers. In fact, taken as a whole, the reader comes away with some views that are directly in opposition to one another. Yet, all are grounded in a biblical, Christian ideology. This highlights just how complicated the situations of war, terrorism, and peace can be on the personal, national, and international level.

John Goldingay, in a review from Themelios 33-3 (December 2008) and quoted on the publisher’s website, makes a very astute observation. “I think much of the symposium reflects an unresolved and often unrecognized problem about biblical interpretation in connection with issues related to war and peace. It was only in the context of modernity that war became a problem, something whose existence people were no longer willing simply to accept as a reality of human life and something they believed could be overcome.”

This book would be an excellent choice for a small discussion group (perhaps in a classroom, book club, or church setting). The purpose of the book is really to bring the issues to the table, not to give pat answers. At 148 pages it is not a long read, and each chapter gives enough material to stimulate a discussion. Even the topics that are not taken up in detail, but nevertheless mentioned, could stimulate further study and consideration.

I found this to be a good thing to do last year, so I figured to keep it going.

1 – NYD with family
2 – mass in unexpectedly awesome church in downtown NOLA
3 – found book receipt for class so I can get reimbursed!
4 – getting back into a normal routine (gym, omelette dinner) after two weeks of crazy
5 – ran at the gym then came home and cooked a great dinner
6 – unexpectedly saved money renting a tuxedo
7 – ran at the gym
8 – finally got my new inspection sticker for my car
9 – hang out time with Jacob
10 – awesome day at WWII Museum with my family
11 – FINALLY got my replacement contact, then my glasses adjusted on the way home
12 – college football coaching turmoil at Tennessee made me smile
13 – Clemson 83, UNC 64
14 – ran at the gym and didn’t quit early
15 – salmon and broccoli for dinner
16 – watching Reggie Bush have a HUGE game
17 – finally found a program that can convert files that i can make dvds with
18 – thought the front page of the local paper was BRILLIANT
19 – good run at the gym
20 – tomato and bell pepper omelette night
21 – ran outside for the first time in a month
22 – fixed a washing machine issue myself for $22
23 – fixed this for dinner, delicious
24 – Garrett Hartley’s 40 yard FG
25 – remembering the Saints are going to the Super Bowl
26 – called the cops on a beggar who I saw for the 2nd time in 3 weeks using the same story
27 – contributed a classic Saints moment in MS Paint to a msg board thread
28 – got choked up again watching a highlight from Sunday’s game
29 – found a new favorite sandwich at the Hornets games
30 – came up with new rub for pork chops
31 – the Buddy D parade!

• Day two driving in the snow. This California girl is proud of herself. Scared out of her mind but proud. #
• I was down in the den so long working on the budget and changing my name with bills that I forgot there was snow outside. I know, right? #
• I don't know why my cat thinks setting into bed with a book means he gets run around like a crazy person. #
• But he sure is cute http://yfrog.com/337iwdj #

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-A friend of a friend has started a blog for girls to write their reviews of books that they read. If you love hearing what young people have to say about books as much as I do, give it a look (and give them some encouragement in the comments).

-Scott Westerfeld’s take on the Amazon/Macmillan showdown that happened over the weekend seems to me to be the clearest discussion of what happened and why.

-I enjoyed this article because I have been on both sides of that fence. Sometimes I want to talk about my favorite books (Harry Potter) and sometimes I don’t want to share them with anyone. While I will admit to being somewhat snobby about what I choose to read, I hate the snobbery of reading. I don’t think reading socially makes you less of a reader (I am happy when people read for any reason). I don’t think that a book club that reads literary fare is better than a book club that reads popular fiction.

-I keep trying to think of a way to write something about this, but Roger Ebert’s essay from a few weeks ago about memory and food and communal eating is just a gorgeous piece of writing. And very moving. If you missed it before, I encourage you to read it.

-It snowed here this weekend, and as we live in North Carolina, this was cause for great excitement. It was too cold for us to sled, really (why be miserable if there are no children insisting that we do so), but we went for some walks and shared some meals with the neighbors and I made bread. And what do you know, we’re out of eggs. We really should have bought some at the store on Thursday.

I haven’t blogged lately because, quite frankly, I haven’t done anything interesting lately. I’m looking back on January and I don’t really recall anything very memorable. That seems to be the way it goes, though. After a busy and frantic December with holidays and all with the cold weather it seems like I became just as frozen as the grass outside of my house. It’s a month that fills well into the malaise I’ve been in lately.

That doesn’t mean the month has been all bad. I wish I had the discipline of some of my friends that blog a list of good things that happened every day in a month. I look back on a month and I can’t remember that much. There were bits and pieces here and there though. We’ve been taking the girls out a lot, just to fight off cabin fever in the house, and they’ve been very good for us. Thus far, we’ve avoided having to leave a shopping center or resturaunt early because one of them is throwing a temper tantrum, but I’m sure it’s bound to happen eventually. (Maybe it helps that they LOVE shopping, just like their mom.) I’m starting to finally get back to exercising and running and someday I’ll be brave enough to brave the weather and run outside again. We’ve been in the slow process of getting the house back into decent shape after all of the clutter from Christmas and we’re slowly regaining ground. As for work, well, we’ll just talk about good things here.

It’s been a month of hibernation, a rest for the upcoming year. I’m hoping for more to happen, more memories, more fun with the girls. The year is still young yet.

Remember when I posted last month about the Andrew Jackson statues? I got a picture with the one in NOLA today. Why am I wearing a dress and what is the story behind it? Today was the parade today where guys honored late local sportscaster Buddy D and wore dresses to celebrate the Saints in the Super Bowl. Buddy always said if the Saints ever made it, he would parade through NOLA in a dress. Today my friend Jacob and I took part. Full story and more pictures to come later this week.

• It only took me the whole movie of Fever Pitch but the night stand is offically put together! #
• Plowing through Jane Austin movies. Debating which verison of P&P to watch at this point in the evening… #
• Crochet hat gone wrong: http://yfrog.com/1e8lnyj #

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I have a confession to make.

Sometimes, I worry that I’m not a very good writer.

Don’t get me wrong. I like to write. I’ve often been told I’m a good writer. But I’ve only worked in one very narrow realm. I’ve only worked at ministries. I’ve always had a very specific audience that I was writing for.

Recently, I began working on my application for a master’s program. And all sorts of doubts and fears have cropped up. For the program, I’m supposed to turn in 25 pages of creative non-fiction as part of the application progress. And the more I look through my writing, the more I edit my pieces, the more I worry that it’s just not good enough.

I’m scared that I will send my writing in, and they will look at it, and wonder why I’ve even bothered to apply. Afraid that I’ll be like one of those singers on American Idol whom everyone has told they’re a great singer…and then, not so much.

And it’s terrifying to think that the one thing you’ve always believed you’re good at…is something you’re not really good at at all.

But surely, it’s not so bad as all that.

Right?

(Just so this won’t appear to be a post where I’m just BEGGING for people to leave comments about what a great writer I am, I’m just going to turn off the comments )

I have been wanting to do ‘good things’ for a while now. Became a 2010 goal to start doing this, and thankfully I did! Im looking forward to finding the little joys in my days this year.

1- Jason built us our first fire in the fire place
2- Watched Paper Heart + Brothers Bloom with Jason cuddled up in my favorite blanket
3- First Core of 2010 went well. Largely due to one of the students building us a new computer that made things go really smoothly.
4- Dinner with friends who are leaving in 4 days to go pick up their little boy in Ethiopia
5- Got a tour of the cat-walk at church. One of the coolest things ever.
6- Started doing my Jillian DVD. I hate her, but its still a good thing since Im trying to get in shape.
7- Cooed Baby Sam during his fussy hour.
8- First birthday present came in the mail! Fancy chief knife from my aunt Susan.
9- Free coffee table from an old co-worker
10- The boss was away on vacation and the kids didn’t seem to notice – in a good way (no crazy stuff went down basically)
11- Jason turned 32 – he enjoyed the little things I tired to do to make his birthday special, even day 3 in bed sick.
12- My friends helped me celebrate turning 28: Lunch with Amy D and dinner at Lucky 32 with Jenilee
13- This day kinda stunk, but Jason felt a lot better which was a highlight.
14-Got a gift to the spa from my boss. I already thought he was the best boss ever, this just proves it. (And I thank his wife greatly for her influence on this idea)
15- Jason spent many of efforts in trying to cheer me up from a very bad day. It was sweet
16- A lot of really good things happened this day. Highlights being: we adopted Oliver, tea with some girlfriends for my birthday and the Pell’s arrived home with Baby Johnny
17- Played Underground Church after the Core and no water fountains got knocked out of the wall.
18- Started my journey of learning how to crochet! (A Chrismtas present from Sarah S)
19- Spent 6 hours in a mini bus with 8 rising Seniors to spend an hour and half at our Fall Retreat 2010 camp. It was really good and very encouraging.
20- My friend Melissa brought over make up birthday dessert and we shared a pot of tea together.
21- Planned out summer over cheese fries.
22- After taking Oliver to the vet and finding out he had a cold, he seemed worlds better this day. Eyes wider and less sneezing, in just a day!
23- Breakfast with friends we hadnt seen in a while. Showed Brian and Sarah ‘Royal Tenenbaums’ for the first time.
24- A really great conversation with a volunteer that made me miss even more having a small group of my own.
25- Only worked till 10:30am at Starbucks – felt like an extra day off. And officially changed my last name!
26- First meeting with students after school in many weeks. A lot of them found out they got into college, proud of them.
27- Had friends over for dinner. Jason cleaned up while we chatted and that made my day.
28- Brought dinner to the Pells and got to hold their 4 month old niece who is one of the happiest babies alive.
29- Watched the dirty version of ‘That Thing You Do’
30- Snow Day! Watched three movies, cat napped with my cat and baked lots of cookies. Jason helped reorganize the kitchen.
31- Crochet a pot-holder size square that doesn’t look half bad!

January was filled with books and organizing and exercising. I have to say, to be honest with you, 2009 kind of sucked in a lot of ways. But this was a good beginning to the new year.

I know many of you also write “good things” posts, and I would love it if you would link them in the comments, so that all of our good things can be shared.

January 1 – Party at our neighbors’ house. They liked the touchdown taco dip. Always a crowd pleaser.
January 2 – We took down the tree.
January 3 – Epiphany Sunday! We made crowns in Sunday School.
January 4 – I was observed and it went well. After school I joined a gym. Which is scary. But I am going to do it.
January 5 – Went and saw Sherlock Holmes after school. While it did not necessarily match up with my own personal version of Sherlock Holmes, it was good mindless fun.
January 6 – We ordered Chinese food for dinner and it was delicious.
January 7 – Watched the college football national championship for the first time. Look, I am growing as a person. (It probably has a more official name. So I’m not growing that much.)
January 8 – Two-hour delay! And when we got home after work, I put on my pajamas, wool socks, and a scarf. Mike said I looked ridiculous, but I was warm. And I finished Crime and Punishment.
January 9 – My neighbor and I went to the gym together. She is very tough.
January 10 – Finished Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr. It was excellent.
January 11 – Mike took me out for Mexican food and it was delicious.
January 12 – Saw Up in the Air. George Clooney is my good thing. Also dollar popcorn.
January 13 – Fun phone conversation with a friend.
January 14 – Construction so close to being finished. New things every day. Today? Doorknobs.
January 15 – Massive amount of unpacking our belongings after school. We unpacked until we were sore and exhausted. Cleared out ten Rubbermaid containers from the attic.
January 16 – My mom came and helped us organize our new space. Also Alisa had a tea party for her birthday.
January 17 – We had a lovely nap while watching football. And we didn’t unpack or organize anything.
January 18 – Got to watch updates of the ALA awards while sitting in my sunroom drinking coffee.
January 19 – Excellent meeting about art and then a nice lunch with friends.
January 20 – Worked out and read about 100 pages at the same time.
January 21 – Game night at Mike’s school was fun. I never really get to meet his students.
January 22 – This guy told me that he thinks I’m pretty nice.
January 23 – Good day with Mike’s family. His nephew scored over half his team’s points in a basketball game. We played Legos. We ate fajitas. We ate brownies. Mike got destroyed at Mario Kart. Then we stocked up at Trader Joe’s and Ikea. Also I inadvertantly sent Brandi an inappropriate text message.
January 24 – Good to stay in on a rainy Sunday. Got some good writing done, which made me feel human.
January 25 – Came home from work and did absolutely nothing. Except make dinner.
January 26 – Sick day. Scratchy throat and fatigue. I stayed in bed and had warm beverages all day, which was wonderful. I read and wrote and recuperated.
January 27 – Did yoga and then worked out at the gym. I am fierce.
January 28 – I did everything that was on my to-do list. Everything.
January 29 – Two hour early dismissal and fun event for my 6th grade readers in the library.
January 30 – Snow day! Our neighbors came over for breakfast and then hosted us for dinner. I read The Monster at the End of This Book to the three-year-old and we all played Wii Fit until late in the night. Lovely.
January 31 – Went for a beautiful walk in the snow and had our neighbors over for lasagna and homemade bread.

A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True by Brigid Pasulka

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Charming, funny, sad, witty, moving…all these describe this gorgeous first novel by Brigid Pasulka. Set in both World War II and present Poland (and the times in between), A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True is a ringing affirmation of the value of sacrifice of one generation for the next, whether for the building of a family or a nation.

The story is built in alternating chapters. One set tells the tale of a family in a remote Polish mountain village starting just before the German invasion, and in particular the love story between the beautiful Anielica and her heroic suitor, “The Pigeon.” The other set of chapters brings us to present-day “New” Poland and the humdrum existence in Krakow of three women all descended from that mountain village family. As the novel progresses, the story of the war-time family races forward on a collision course with the contemporary story, and we more and more come to understand how much the present is rooted in the past. The challenge: will the present-day characters rise to the challenge of living lives worthy of the amazing sacrifices made for them by the generation before?

Pasulka often portrays village life with effective humor, but never at the expense of the characters’ dignity and worth. The humor helps soften the reader to the characters, and in some way prepare for the suffering that is to come.

A personal note: A number of years ago, while teaching at an English-language summer camp in Hungary, I had the opportunity to visit Krakow for a few days. Though the visit was short, I fell forever in love with the Old City, particularly the Rynek square and Wawel Castle, both of which play prominent roles in this novel. The author did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of this marvelous city.

One note about the title. It appears from the acknowledgments at the end of the book that Pasulka based her story on interviews with very real stories of survivors of World War II and the subsequent years of Russian occupation. Thus, I think, the “Essentially True” part of the title.

View all my reviews >>

The Premiere Season of Glee from FOX proved to be a HIT! With the 2010 Golden Globes wrapping, Glee is onto the second half of Season 1 with bragging rights to the best comedy/musical TV show of the year. I just happen to be in agreement. Perhaps it’s because they pulled out the stops covering hit after hit in musical selection. Perhaps it’s the brilliant casting of superb triple-threat acting, singing, dancing stand-outs such as Lea Michaels & Matthew Morrison, Chris Colfer and Amber Riley. Or maybe it’s the comedy and quirkiness from Jane Lynch & Jayma Mays. Whatever it is (and Glee packs a punch) I love it.

Why it works: Glee is the culmination of FOX’s successful reality series American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance and Disney’s hit High School Musical trilogy plus the humor/music combination in many episodes of The Simpsons. The reality shows, AI & SYTYCD, showcase rare, raw talent like the Kelly Clarkson/Susan Boyle voices and the Tabitha & Napoleon Dumo choreography we all love. But in order to get to the perfect performances & well-synced choreography we must endure the pain of disappointment and at times, horror of the not-so-talented. Glee is a gold mine of chill-inducing, pitch-perfect, light-blazing performances. While some scoff the reality-TV fad, audiences young & old can justify watching Glee because the performances are from the professionals & the songs are from their very own iTunes library: Journey “Don’t Stop Believing,” The Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” Van Halen “Jump,” John Lennon “Imagine” and well, you get the picture. Younger audiences will love it too! With songs like, “Gold Digger,” Rehab,” “I Kissed a Girl,” and “Single Ladies” they keep it relevant.
Another evidence of their musical success: Mashups.
Beyonce/Hair “Crazy in Love”/”Hair”, Bon Jovi/Usher “It’s My Life”/”Confessions Pt. 2″ and Beyonce/Katrina & the Waves”Halo”/”Walking on Sunshine” mixing old and new.

Let’s be honest, it was hard to call myself a fan of HSM 1,2,&3 when they’re geared toward 8-15 year-olds, but with catchy tunes and sharp choreography, it was I who dragged Nick (9) & Zack (7) to the theater for the third installment. Glee was just what I (and the thousands of other 20-somethings who secretly watched HSM) needed. With Glee, I can still enjoy song, dance, PLUS mature story-content and witty humor but in a more acceptable & predictable format -the TV Dramady series.

A reviewer I admire, Rachael Maddux of Paste Magazine, recently wrote a Season 1 Reveiw, gave it a “respectable” 51 out of 100 and pummeled it due to it’s lack of realistic plot points & far-fetched props/costumes during musical numbers. I am disappointed with this review and join ranks with the opinions of three online commenters that follow the article. Trish says, “GLEE is great satire with fantastically executed musical performances. To me, it’s like a mash-up of the best unexpected covers from American Idol with Friday Night Lights-loveable characters.” The show gives me more of what I secretly want when watching American Idol – good song choices, good voices, good performances, and a little DRAMA.

Maddux does bring up some clear issues with the show:
“…most of the characters’ wounds are self-inflicted, the natural consequences of self-serving lies and deliberate manipulations of friends, family and co-workers. There are some exceptions, some challenges and conflicts parlayed into teaching moments with all the saccharine wisdom of an after-school special. But, for the most part, every moment of character development is merely an excuse to unveil another dark layer of these people we’re supposed to identify with, root for—even love.”
So yeah, I’m not a fan of how the characters lie and manipulate in order to make things better… is the “happy ending” worth the frustration it takes to get there? Additionally, the writers of Glee aren’t afraid of sex, sexiness, and sexuality. I realized this very quickly. From the topics of Glee Club member, Kurt’s sexuality to teen pregnancies to the sensual dance numbers that only sickened me at times, Glee might just be a bit obsessed. At the same time, the show brings up several other hot-button topics such as physical & mental handicaps, marriage & faithfulness, and the all-American “just be yourself” campaign. One other shallow mention in the mix: religion. Two references to religion I can recall are when the pregnant, gold-cross-necklace wearing “Christian” cheerleader is outspoken about abstinence and when Puck decides to date Rachel because he’s a Jew & she’s a “good-looking Jew” and he wants to make his mother happy… hm. So spiritual.

Besides the music, the character rivalries are my favorite plot tent-poles of Glee. Mr. Scheuster vs. Sue Sylvester. Even the somewhat sketchy Mrs. Terri Scheuster vs. wholesome guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury keep me watching. Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester is nearly perfect and the comedy that ensues between Sue and Sheu is belly-laugh worthy!
(see this & more great Sue Sylvester Quotes)

Will: ”I will destroy you”
Sue: ”I am about to vomit down your back.”

Lynch is pushing 50 and is JUST now on my radar with this role plus her recent role in the Meryl Streep movie Julie & Julia. That’s not to say she hasn’t been working the screen for a while. Check her IMDB listings. Keep an eye on this one. Paste Magazine covered an article about Matthew Morrison’s rise to fame and his move into recording that voice I’ve come to love. At first, I was mostly disturbed by the white-boy-trying-to-pull-off-hip-hop (not to mention trying to be the “cool” teacher) but then I watched and realized he had the vocals & moves to make it work. I predict he’ll stick to what he knows and offer an album of covers & sound-alike-broadway tunes.

That brings me to my final cheer about Glee. It’s bringing back Broadway!
With musical guest appearances like Kristen Chenoweth (who I LOVE) and musical numbers like “On My Own” from Les Miserables and “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat” from Guys and Dolls, it’s a sneak peak of the Broadway stage. I could go on about Lea Michele as Rachel Berry and her incredible vocals that make me want to jump a train to NYC to see Wicked or Chicago. Whew. This is why I love Glee.
So congradulations on winning a Golden Globe. Best of luck! I’ll be watching again in April!

(For another more positive review, look to the San Fransisco Review.)

Highlighting next week:
I’m trying to keep up with my pattern, so tune in next week for a perspective on electronic music and how my tastes have changed over the past few years. Highlighting KEXP’s Song of the Day Podcast, Imogen Heap, David Byrne, Booka Shade, Passion Pit, High Places, Animal Collective, and *gasp!* Derek Webb. Thanks for reading!

• As I walked through the snow to take photos, three people asked if I needed a ride or help. #
• Listening to John Mayer while making two kinds of cookies. Nap with the cat & the snow apparently makes me want to bake. #
• Baking triva time: what time of cookie tastes bad as a dough but sooooo yummy baked? #
• Missed a friends wedding today, which I hate. Hope she enjoyed the snow on her wedding day. #

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• I've never had a hang over, but I think this is what one would feel like. And I didn't drink anything last night. Not okay. #
• Boots and a skirt today since I do not have a pair of clean pants. Hopefully I can get home before the snow starts & into warm, comfy sweats #
• You know what's fun? Going on rateyourprofessor.com and look up your friends. #
• Give me a S! S! Give me a N! N! Give me an O! O! Give me a W! W! What's that spell? SNOW!!! #
• "We are going to cream these ladies." #
• "Shame on me for kissing you with my eyes closed so tight." one of the best lines in a movie, ever. #

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I feel compelled to write what is surely the obligatory J.D. Salinger post. (Not that that’s a bad thing.) I only read The Catcher in the Rye once. Just the one time, as a freshman in high school. My librarian gave it to me and said, “I think you would like this.” And I did. I had no idea what it was about, but I took her word for it. The things I have heard people object to about it, the language and the selfishness and sex, those things made me feel as if I was not alone. I only read it once because I have been afraid that if I went back and read it again, it wouldn’t be as great as I remembered. (I suppose that 2010 should be my year to rectify that.)

The character of Holden Caulfield nudged me in the direction of librarianship. Just a nudge, but enough that I still remember standing there as my librarian slid the book across the desk at me. Face up. It was a tiny step towards what it is that I love about what I do: connecting people to books that might change them forever. I enjoyed thinking of J.D. Salinger, grumpy and reticent, but there. Connecting those of us who read and related to Holden. But, of course, we still have the book.

I am impossibly late on this, but I would love to hear your memories of reading The Catcher in the Rye.

I am not a morning person.

That’s not some cliche, trite statement. If you know me, you understand the weight and gravity of that statement.

I try. Goodness knows I try. I even get up early and take sunrise pictures.

And look. That picture right there? Beautiful and awe-inspiring, and I love that I got up to take it.

But y’all. It was early! Why can’t that happen at noon?!?

Lately, my early-morning-cranky-pants-syndrome has been a problem. Because, you see, I’m trying to work out more. And I never seem to have evenings free anymore. So, mornings it is.

I thought I had a great plan. My cousin, who lives in Virginia, agreed to call me at 8:15 her time–6:15 my time. My own personal wake-up call/early morning pep talk.

And the first time she did it–I thought I had finally figured out the secret! Tuesday night I took some Benadryl at 8, and by 10, I was fast asleep. When she called I felt refreshed–tired yes, but I could function. Well, at least for me, it was functioning. Our conversation went a little something like this:

Me: *mumble mumble hello mumble*
Cousin: GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE.
Me: Seriously?
Cousin: Are you up?
Me: No.
*pause*
Cousin: ARE YOU UP NOW.
Me: Oh my gosh, yes, just shut up.

See? I was like a ray of happiness shooting out of a unicorn’s rear. It was inspiring.

But then, this morning happened. I didn’t take Benadryl last night, so I lay in bed, tossing and turning and watching the time go from 10, to 11, to midnight.

And then, this morning. The call.

*most annoying ringing EVAH!*
Me: I. DO. NOT. WANT. TO.
Cousin: Wow. You are cranky, huh.
Me: Shut up.
Cousin: Are you even going to get up?
Me: You can’t make me.
*pause*
Cousin: Right. If you’re just going to whine and complain, I’m going to hang up.
Me: I don’t even care.
Cousin: *silence*

So, yeah. I didn’t go to the gym this morning. But I’m going to keep trying. But I have a feeling I may go through wake-up callers pretty quickly.

Anybody up for the challenge?

I didn’t really care for Away by Amy Bloom, but I did like her writing. I don’t remember exactly what I didn’t like about the story, just that it was a long hard lot of work for something I didn’t care for. But I wanted to try her book of short stories. I have been on hold for it since the summer (no, really) and it finally came in at the same time as approximately 17 other books I had put on hold at random times. This is bad, but at least short stories read quickly.

You know how I like to set my books on the counter and read them while I make dinner? I get asked about this a lot – do I get food on them? Yes, sometimes. I wipe it off. If it’s someone else’s book (or a library book), I am always particularly careful, though. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk about how the first story of this book features, right off the bat, a sex scene between two people “with three children, two marriages, and a hundred and ten years between [them].” It’s not a long sex scene, for the record. But it was what I was reading when Mike came home and we started making dinner. I set the book on the counter as I was dicing the chicken, and I suddenly became COMPLETELY PARANOID that Mike was going to read the sex scene and think I was reading something trashy. So I started covering it up, which did, in fact, get his attention. He made fun of me for the rest of the night, asking how the sex book was going. So that worked out well for me. (There wasn’t very much sex after that, for the record.)

I don’t know why I just told you that incredibly embarrassing story. What I wanted to tell you was how much I liked this book more than Away. Maybe because it’s about love and family in ways that Away just wasn’t for me. It’s hard to talk about short stories, but here is a passage – a sentence, really – that I thought was beautiful, from a short story about a woman who works as a nurse with people who have special needs. She’s writing a letter to one of her former patients who had an amputated leg and has now run triathlons and been featured on the cover of People.

I have somehow not had the right things for this journey and I have packed and repacked a hundred times as if somehow the right thing will be found in some small pocket, put in by someone with more sense or gift than me, but I’m always scrambling for the last-minute thing and I am always, always watching the boat pull away without me.

Your family was one of my early boats and you were the bright and amazing sail, and I am, as I said at the beginning, very very proud of you.

Two of the sections are linked stories, and those were my favorites, although I enjoyed all of the book. I think short stories can be a tough sell, but I’d recommend this for anyone who thought Away sounded interesting. The combination of the topics plus the shorter length made this one better for me overall.

So I post on Saints Report now, after having finally joined back in December. Recently they had a thread where you could draw a favorite Saints moment using MS Paint. Obviously most of the drawings come out quite crude and like a child did them, but I thought it was awesome. I have since contributed two and I’ll post them here. My readers who are Saints fans will know exactly the moment I have captured so perfectly. For everyone else, the first is Reggie Bush against the Bears in the 2006 playoffs, and the 2nd is from this year’s game against the Redskins. I’ve included links to articles or video so you can get the context. Enjoy.

• It feels like my shoes are on the wrong feet today. #
• And holy cow folks, there are not that good of deals at Harris Teeter. Why are you all here? #
• Oh yes, THE SNOW. I did know that, Thursday are early mornings and long days for me. The mind forgets. #
• Also, apparently when my friends have babies, I bring soup. #

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My friend Priya and I crouched behind the couch. We were breathing heavily. Okay, I was breathing heavily. She’s 13!

In front of us was a pile of socks and a Nerf gun with half of the ammo missing.

“What do we do now?” I whispered. She peaked around the corner, looking for her brother–our sworn enemy in the Sock War.

“I think we need to make a run for it,” she whispered back, stuffing her pockets with socks. I followed suit. With a whoop, we both sprinted towards the stairs, followed closely by her brother, who had my favorite trouser socks clutched in his hand.

At the top of the stairs, we all collapsed in laughter. “You should blog about this,” said Priya.

And then she paused.

“Oh. Never mind. You should blog about everything that’s going on in Haiti. Right?”

And there it was. The very reason I havent’ blogged since January 12. The devestation in Haiti has felt all-consuming. Because of the nature of my work with Compassion International, natural disasters are not a fleeting thought. As with all of my co-workers, it is something that we’re consumed with 40 hours a week. And then at night, we lie in bed, thinking about those who are lost, thinking about those who are suffering, thinking about the months and years of rebuilding that will come.

It’s hard to understand why something like this happened. Why it happened in Haiti. They had nothing. And now they have less than nothing. How is that even possible?

I don’t even know what to say in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti. Words feel inadequate. And for a writer, that is a scary, uncertain feeling. I’ve done some journaling, and I may share some of that later. But for now, I need to write. I need to write about Haiti. But I also need to write about the day-to-day things in my life. The silly things. The mundane things.

And I have to remind myself that even when I’m not writing about Haiti, I am writing as a person whose heart is heavy for Haiti.

So, I just realized that we took 0 pictures of our apartment at Christmas, 0 pictures of our cute little Christmas tree with our 1st year ornaments on it and the happy little train going around it, 0 pictures of us at Christmastime (other than the family pictures up in Ohio). How sad is that? We will have to go on our failing memories for everything having to do with our 1st Christmas. The way our memories are going I think we’re going to be in trouble.

Not our Christmas tree.

Cold enough for you?

Blast, it’s cold outside! It’s colder than a witch’s mammary gland! When that frigid air hits your lungs, it feels like Reggie Jackson taking his 35oz. Louisville Slugger to your ribs! It ain’t natural!

It’s so cold out, it makes me want to curl up under a blanket and watch CBS’s crime procedural Cold Case, starring that ashen-faced lady from my nightmares.

Because of the frozen temps here, my car was running at perhaps 60% efficiency this morning. It was like at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, when the Enterprise is trying to get away from the Genesis project explosion but they don’t have warp power until Spock sacrifices his life for the good of the crew. That’s exactly what it was like as I drove through Brooklyn Center.

I hate these Minnesota Januaries. Everything is cold and depressing and my sullen misery only grows deeper with each drunken pelvic thrust from New Orleans Saints fans.

Something’s got to be done about this! Who’s up for a suicide pact culminating in a blazing bloodbath in a Culvers parking lot?

• I dont remember the last time my feet hurt this much. I just want to stay off them, but friends are coming over &the house wont tidy itself. #
• I own a fondue pot and do not use it nearly often enough. #

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About two weeks ago I went and hung out with Running at the gym. It was too cold to run outside, so I went to the gym, then showered and all that. I came out and got in my car and sat there a couple of seconds, basically decompressing like “okay, I’m done and I’m going to drive home.” It was about 8 pm I think. I was parked over by the drug store since the parking spots around the gym fill up on weeknights. I’ve done it before, nothing out of the ordinary. Then as I’m sitting there in my few seconds of decompression, this lady walks along the sidewalk in front of my car and motions to me. I rolled down my window and she walks closer and starts talking to me in a “will fall apart into full on crying” voice. She tells me she’s from St Bernard (the parish) and she’s trying to get to the hospital to see her mom. She thought she was at Slidell Memorial, but she’s actually at St Tammany Parish Hospital and now she’s out of gas. I told her I wasn’t going that way (it was 25 miles away) She asked me if I could help her get some gas. I told her I didn’t have a gas can with me. I wasn’t going to drive her to go get any either. So I had $3 in my wallet, and gave it to her. She thanked me and walked off. I figured if she had a fuel efficient car, that would buy her a gallon of gas and she’d be able to drive the 20 or so miles to the other hospital. Besides, the only other bill I had was a $20.

I thought about her story though on my way home and it was such garbage. Did she tell me she was from St Bernard so I’d feel sorry for her? I have family in St Bernard, they wouldn’t leave their house with no money or credit cards with little or no gas. They would confirm what hospital to go to before showing up at the wrong one. They wouldn’t stop in a parking lot a few blocks away from the wrong hospital and beg for money. I surmised though, that I only gave her $3, so if she was going to do something like go buy a bottle of Jack, she’d have to find 8 other people like me.

Fast forward to last night. I stopped at Academy Sports to get a Saints NFC Championship shirt. It was about 8 pm. I walked out to my car and was about to open the door when THE SAME LADY comes up to me and says “excuse me, I’m trying to get to St Tammany Parish Hospital…” She was even using that stupid “about to cry” voice. I cut her off and said “that’s okay, I saw you a week ago.” She looked at me, and immediately turned and walked toward the IHOP nearby. I got home and after telling someone about it right when I got home, was encouraged to call the police to see if what the lady was doing was illegal. I called the sheriff’s office, and talked to a lady there, who said it was illegal to commit fraud, which this lady was surely doing. She laughed a little when I told her how I saw the same lady and she tried to use the same story on me in the exact same way. She took down a description and said she would call the local police about it since it was more a local police issue.

I hung up the phone and ate a leftover gameday burger and drank a High Life. The entire fiasco brightened up an otherwise gloomy evening. I hope the cops found her and gave her something to really cry about. Then I realized, I should have asked for my $3 back.

On Sunday, we had our deacon ordination. Two new deacons were ordained, and I was officially relieved of my deaconate duties. At least for now. When the pastor was thanking those of us who rotated off, he mentioned the man who was the deacon chair my first year on the deaconate, our friend who passed away a little more than a year ago. I felt a sharp, sad pain when I heard that, reminding me how much we miss him.

I never wrote about my own ordination, in part because it was a personal, private experience and in part because, at the time, I was still in a fog of sadness after my dad’s death. And I was therefore not as emotionally present for it as I would have liked to be. At the end of Sunday’s ordination, the pastors helped the two new deacons up off the floor where they were kneeling (your feet can go kind of numb after kneeling that long, even on a pillow), and I mentioned to Mike that our friend had been the one to help me up. It was the wrong thing to say, because it hit both of us, again, with the loss of him. Tears burned in my eyes as we started singing the next hymn, and I was again surprised to feel that sharp pain.

The sermon was about the romantic illusions we have about serving other people vs. the grunt work that it actually is: long meetings, time away from your family, complaints, inconveniences. Our pastor suggested that, without the illusions we have about how wonderfully things might turn out, we might never actually step out in faith and serve. And then he said something beautiful: that when we reach for that illusion, what we grasp is the truth. And what we get then is something hard and real that changes and grows us.

This is true for more than just illusions about service. It applies to our illusions about relationships and romance, about parenting, about work and helping others. I have thought about what he said this week, because I have lived a lot of my life focusing on illusions, especially these two: the idea of a perfect family and the idea of long-term friendships. I am bad at relationships when times are hard, because I am not good at living in those hard and real moments. Sometimes I feel that I have had enough truth. Oh, I give lip service to that grasping, but what I really want is the illusion, and I don’t know what to do in my own life when it’s not there. I don’t know what to say to other people when it’s hard. I don’t know how to take the time to visit people in the hospital. I don’t have cards stockpiled, and I forget to send them. I hesitate to pick up the phone. I am so worried about saying or doing the wrong thing that I do nothing at all, and it hurts people. It’s why I feel that I was not the best deacon that I could have been – I didn’t manage to reach past the idea of serving to do what it was that actually needed to be done. I was involved in my own cares and concerns and life, and sometimes they were all I could manage. I believe that, even though I wasn’t able to do it, if I had been able to step outside of myself and care for other people, some of those other challenges would have taken care of themselves. Because I would not have been thinking about myself quite so much. That is one of the areas of following Jesus where I still have quite a lot to learn.

I imagine that the deacon ordination will always be a time that I think of my dad and our friend and how I miss them. That my dad wasn’t there, that my friend, who knew a thing or two about truth and illusions, was there to pull me to my feet after mine. The fact that they are no longer here is one of those hard, real truths that I am still learning how to hold.

Our friend’s house, a place where Mike spent a lot of time.

• Woo hoo!! Season Six is official! (via @ActuallyNPH) #
• Drove home without music. It was kinda nice. #

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Are you bursting with the life
suddenly inside you?
The oblique impossible cord
winding round and round the poles
will strap you down.
The many-fingered consequences,
the thumb-wrapped miniature fists
will be ballast.
The punishing weight of gravity,
the body of your body,
won’t topple you.

Are you bursting with day
suddenly from grey on grey half-life?
Tell me how this will and that will
not steal you.

Ballast & Theft originally appeared on Elsewhere in Dreams on 2010-01-26.

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