reforMaiden

Of Poems and Prose

2012-01-06T15:57:00.006-06:00

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” - Leonardo da Vinci

Poetry. Most people think primarily of rhyme when poetry is mentioned. I know I used to. When I was a little girl, my idea of fun was creating poetry with (what I thought were) clever rhyming words. I remember learning about the haiku in my grade school years. It didn't matter what my English workbook said, I didn't think that the haiku could possibly be real poetry because it didn't rhyme. I've grown since then, and learned an awful lot more besides. I now know that poetry is more than getting words to rhyme on every other line while still making sense. In fact, poetry isn't really about rhyme at all. It is about imagery, prose, elusive expressions that we must decipher and words painting pictures on our brains. Sometimes these elements come together in a rhyming way within a poem. Sometimes it is free form, without rhyme. Sometimes there is slant rhyme, internal slant rhyme, or some other clever device that a poet will use within his poem to add depth or dimension. Above all, poetry is art, created and used by God. His Word is full of poetry in song, psalms, and prose that is thrilling and unrivaled. Poetry is not something you can simply pick up and read unless you are open to using your imagination to picture words, and using your mind to sort out the nuances of language and form. But don't be put off by the challenges of poetry; the rewards of reading it far outweigh the effort. And don't just read popular offerings (even if they may be good ones), unless you mean to get your feet wet by it; but then delve deeper, find authors that you like, and sort out the type of poetry you are drawn to. Also, don't give up on a poem if you don't understand it, keep reading it until you do, and by all means, just read poetry.

Resources

A good place to start is Poets.org. I also credit The Oxford Book of Children's Verse for renewing my interest in poetry. And don't let the title fool you, there's some serious poetry in there, as well as some genuinely funny and imaginative verses. Finally, listening to poetry is a good way to get started, as sometimes it can be ponderous trying to figure out how to read a poem. I loved hearing Dylan Thomas read his poem, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night". His voice lends a sombre and reflective tone to his work, and is a good introduction to hearing poetry read. Read the backstory to the recording and then listen to it.

New Year, New Intentions (and, incidentally, new blog design!)

2012-01-02T14:46:00.007-06:00

I haven't been a faithful writer, I'll admit. But I've missed writing. I love chronicling my thoughts, adventures, books I'm reading, and the life I'm living. I hope to be more faithful in 2012. To begin the year, I redesigned this blog for a simpler look - in a way, it represents my hope for a simpler year. I don't believe in making resolutions that you can't keep, such as impossible expectations for what you may/may not actually be able to accomplish. But there are good sorts of resolutions that can and ought to be made, not just at the beginning of a new year but all through it. I prefer to think of such resolutions more as purposeful intentions. What do you intend to change in your life this year? Here are a few of my intentions for 2012...

Redeem the time. I'm in my late twenties. Time is beginning to look more like a luxury and less like an everyday commodity. Make every day count, especially for an eternal value.

Read more on paper, less on a screen. Read more purposefully. Read more poetry. Read things that make me think.

Save money. Pay off credit card debt. Pay for my courses at the local college with cash only.

Write more.

Be content. I enjoyed this post by Nancy Wilson. I need to practice contentment and gratitude, instead of constantly looking at other people's lives (what they have, where they live, what they do) and comparing them to mine.

Be a better daughter, sister, aunt, friend. Listen more, talk less, encourage others.

Read the Bible with diligent purpose and intent. Pray often. Praise God when he answers with a no. Praise him when he answers with a yes. Talk more about him. Love him more.

Ducks' Ditty

2011-06-04T12:26:00.012-05:00

All along the backwater,

Through the rushes tall,

Ducks are a-dabbling,

Up tails all!

Ducks' tails, drakes' tails,

Yellow feet a-quiver,

Yellow bills all out of sight,

Busy in the river!

Slushy green undergrowth
Where the roach swim--
Here we keep our larder,
Cool and full and dim.

Every one for what he likes!

We like to be
Heads down, tails up,
Dabbling free!

High in the blue above
Swifts whirl and call--
We are down a-dabbling,
Up tails all!

by Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932)

all photos by Landon

Knock, Knock...

2011-05-21T10:51:00.015-05:00

anyone there? It's been awhile, yes, but summer is around the corner and I'm eager to catch up on my blog! Rather than list what I've been up to this spring (work, study, work, work, work), I thought it would be fun to profile the books I have managed to read lately, few though they are.

(finished at last! Reading the Puritans, and most especially Owens, takes dedication and a commitment to finishing, no matter how deep it gets!)

I'm currently reading:

yes, still reading it! I anticipate a summer finish, though

Christmas Carols

2010-12-24T13:45:00.003-06:00

My favorite music at Christmas are the traditional carols and hymns that have been sung for hundreds of years . They impart a timeless joy and hope during this season of anticipation, and breathe a peace, solemnity, and cheer that transcends generations. Some carols speak of goodwill to others (such as Good King Wenceslas), but most are of Christ and his birth. Penned ages ago, in a time that knew great illiteracy, suffering, and loss, these songs impart the gospel and speak of hope and redemption in a simple way but it is their very simplicity makes them complex and enduring. And though we continue to hear them today, we often forget to listen to what the carols are saying to us. I would encourage anyone reading this blog to read the history and lyrics of songs that you may have heard a hundred times already this Christmas season, to reflect on their words, and then to listen once again and see if you haven't gained a new appreciation for them. :)

The 12th century Wexford Carol (lyrics here), performed beautifully by Alison Krauss and accompanied by YoYo Ma

Ding Dong! Merrily on High (lyrics here) and In the Bleak Midwinter (lyrics here), both performed by King's College Choir

French carol circa 1553, Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella (lyrics here); musical version by Fernando Ortega

Let all Mortal Flesh Keep Silence is a 4th or 5th c. chant, whose present day text is based on the liturgy of Saint James. Unlike other carols, this one speaks not just of the Incarnation of Christ, but of his anticipated redemption and of his eternal reign. One of my favorite versions is performed simply but beautifully by Fernando Ortega.

Day 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special

2010-12-14T17:14:00.002-06:00

Picking a favorite Christmas movie is much like picking a favorite Christmas book - it's just so hard to not like them all equally! The movies I enjoy watching every year vary from classics like Christmas in Connecticut, The Shop Around the Corner, and White Christmas to The Muppet Christmas Carol (am I the only one who thinks that Michael Cain is the best Scrooge ever, bar none?!), the Poirot Christmas episode (can't remember the exact title offhand), and The Chronicles of Narnia (even though it isn't exactly a Christmas movie, I think of it as such).

Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly holiday season

2010-12-14T17:12:00.001-06:00

I wish that I had some knowledge to impart about this subject but sadly, I don't have any beyond what I stated already on the Black Friday note. :) I know that I've found that sometimes driving all over town to get a deal is not worth the time ("time is money", or so they say!), especially if it's only $10 off of $30, or 15% off of $50, or what-have-you deals that show up around Christmas. For myself, I discovered that I actually save money by just buying what I need when I need it, or, if I don't need it immediately, waiting for it to go on sale. I also save money by staying out of stores who are having huge sales all the time because I'm usually tempted to spend money on things I don't necessarily need because it's "a good deal". I try not to get caught up in the "gotta get it now because it's going fast and it's soooo cheap" shopping frenzies because then I end up buying something I didn't plan for and I end up feeling that I have to give it to someone in order to justify the purchase. Silly, I know - but there you are. :)

Day 3: Most meaningful gift/best gift you've received

2010-12-14T17:04:00.002-06:00

After 20+ years of gift receiving, it's so hard to remember which gifts were most meaningful. I've loved every gift I've ever received (okay, except some thoughtless gifts from parents who had obviously thrown whatever was handy into a gift bag for their child's teacher :) ). Gifts don't have to be expensive or a "hot item" to be appreciated - I know that I love the gifts that are thoughtful, handmade, relate to something I enjoy doing or are little luxuries that I don't often buy for myself. I think what makes Christmas gifts unique, special, or meaningful is not just the gift itself, but the intentions and thoughtfulness of the giver behind it.

Day 2: Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks

2010-12-11T12:00:00.001-06:00

I've tried deal-finding on Black Friday but never have much success. I think if you're planned and can map out the deals on BF, then it must be a great way to knock out your Christmas shopping at once and enjoy the season without feeling that you have to shop every day for someone. As for myself, I don't enjoy the feel of rushed, frenzied shopping - it feels so chaotic and cheerless. I love spending time looking for gifts that are meaningful and will please the person I'm giving it to. If I can save money, I do, but not if it ultimately is inconvenient or stressful trying to get a deal on it. I use sales if they're convenient, or just purchase at places where I can get a discount, such as Target (I save 5% with the debit card), Barnes and Noble (members get 10% off every day), or amazon.com (students get a free year of Prime membership). This year my sister and I are making some of our gifts in an effort to have a more hands-on, meaningful Christmas.

Day 1: Christmas/Holiday traditions

2010-12-11T11:44:00.001-06:00

I don't have my own family yet, so I'm not sure what traditions I will incorporate one day when I do. The traditions that I remember and still love are the ones that my family has created over the years. Looking at Christmas lights with my family - as we've gotten older, it's not only become more enjoyable, but often hilarious. Making shortbread from an old family recipe. Drinking peppermint mochas. Watching favorite Christmas movies. Listening to holiday music. Getting my yearly ornament (my mom gives ornaments every year to her children and grandchildren - she spends a lot of time finding ornaments that relate to something specific that we have enjoyed during the year, or is just something that we like (mine is usually espresso related). The Christmas Eve party at my grandmother's and then the midnight Christmas Eve candlelight service at my church - a beautiful and hushed way to welcome Christmas Day every year.

The 12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-08T15:17:00.003-06:00

Some friends have been doing this on facebook for the past week and while I was a little skeptical at first about joining in, I finally gave in after deciding that it looked enjoyable and easy enough since you write only one a day. For 12 days you write your answers to the topic of the day. It's simple, fun, and a great way to share some special things one enjoys about Christmas. I have decided to also post them here, in addition to facebook, for anyone's enjoyment. :)

The 12 topics:

Day 1: Christmas/Holiday traditions

Day 2: Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks

Day 3: Most meaningful gift/best gift you've received

Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly holiday season

Day 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special

Day 6: Gift ideas (what do YOU want? We all have family/friends reading our blogs...so let them know!)

Day 7: Holiday Craft/DIY (If you don't make anything, what do you WISH you could make?)

Day 8: Least favorite thing about the Holidays

Day 9: Favorite Holiday recipe

Day 10: Favorite Christmas Songs/Caroles

Day 11: Favorite Cookie Recipe

Day 12: Oprah's Favorite Things: What item(s) would you want if you were in the audience? (have decided to skip this question on the blog - any suggestions for a replacement question? :) )

November

2010-11-23T19:46:00.010-06:00

Hard to believe, but the month that took so long to arrive (for me, anyway) is nearly over. I love this time of year, when fall finally arrives in Texas. Only recently have we been able to enjoy our typical fall sights and sounds - everything from burnt red, orange, and yellow leaves that permeate the air as they flutter from trees, the early morning dew that glistens on the still-green grass, the crisp air, and the growing anticipation of the winter months to come (which, for us, are January-March). Even nature becomes more active at this time of year, and below are some photos that my photog brother, Landon, took recently. Enjoy!

Introducing

2010-09-28T17:08:00.006-05:00

my newest niece, Kristyn!
She decided to come while her Mimi, aunts, and Uncle Landon were in Boston. We were sad to miss her birth, but so delighted for her safe arrival.

Mystic

2010-07-20T16:09:00.023-05:00

This small town on the Mystic River (which runs out to Long Island Sound) was teeming with small-town Americana, historical buildings, summertime visitors (including us), and friendly locals. My cousin and her family are moving there next month, so I anticipate more visits in the future to this cozy little town.

Mystic River dock

the bridge that connects the two parts of Mystic

the bridge going up

boats sail through

lovely old church that anchors the downtown main street

Mystic/Noank library

the docks were perfect for jellyfish and crab watching

the small, pleasant beach in nearby Stonington

it felt even older and smaller than Mystic

check out the narrow street - it can only hold one car at a time

we couldn't believe the vibrant hydrangeas that were everywhere

the pictures fail to do them justice

I fell in love with the old homes in Stonington

our inn at dusk

the everlastingly busy snack place across the street. Not just any snack place, they've apparently been featured in the Boston Globe

the old part of our inn

the gardens

it was very peaceful and still here

garden pond

and waterfall

Mystic shipyard and harbor

Why, Hello There...

2010-07-20T15:49:00.005-05:00

I'm alive - really, I am. I know that by the looks of the old post below you might think differently, but I'm happy to announce that I'm still around. I've been much quieter due to a very, very busy spring and summer. I have managed to squeeze in some reading nonetheless (I would sooner stop breathing than not be able to read) and even some traveling. In June I went to Florida with my wonderful friend from North Carolina. It was a time of much-needed refreshment and fellowship. Unfortunately, I was too busy to take pictures - and there wasn't really much to photograph anyway.

In July, Ashley and I went to the East Coast for an extended 4th of July weekend with our cousin and her family. The weather was beautiful for the first two days we were there and then the heat that had followed us from Texas showed up and managed to scorch the otherwise cool Connecticut shoreline for the remainder of our stay. One advantage Connecticut has over Texas when heat waves show up is that no matter how hot the temps are during daytime, it will without fail cool down at night. Below is a photo of the Mystic river at sunset. More pictures to follow!

Shirley

2010-05-24T22:53:00.003-05:00

I just finished this lovely story by Charlotte Bronte. Not easy to follow along at first, it grows interest and depth as it plods on until you are caught up in the remaining chapters, eager to know how in the world it can take someone so long to propose to the girl he loves?! It lacks the poetic, gripping style of Jane Eyre and the powerful message of the epic Villette, but it is a lightheartedly romantic story with a sweet ending - this from a Bronte is novelty enough to induce an interest if you've always thought of them as storytellers of dark, depressing romances. You would be right, by the way, but you would have to exclude this story from that label, for it stands on its own - if not for the narrative, then assuredly for its testament that Charlotte Bronte was indeed capable of writing outside of her genre.

This Was Grace.

2010-04-23T12:13:00.001-05:00

As someone who works in a church, I am always amazed at how deeply our culture has penetrated the family of God with its worldview that human life, if less than perfect, is not worth living. And while my coworkers would claim a "pro-life" stance, their attitudes towards disabled babies, and the horror of having more than three kids, speaks loud and clear of their paradoxical stance regarding the value of human life.

I believe that we, as Christians, have to speak up for the rights of the unborn. I believe that we have to educate Christians on the difference between God's values and the world's values. I believe that rampant abortion is a judgment on society; that we have been allowed to kill innocent human beings for so long now, without consequence, seems to signify (to me anyway) that God has withdrawn his hand of mercy from us.

Thankfully, some Christians are fighting for people with disabilities, like this family, who share their story in this video. What a beautiful testimony...

Ah Holy Jesus

2010-04-03T11:01:00.001-05:00

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast Thou offended,
That man to judge Thee hath in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by Thine own rejected,
O most afflicted.

Who was the guilty- Who brought this upon Thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone Thee.
'Twas I, Lord, Jesus, I it was denied Thee!
I crucified Thee.

For me, kind Jesus, was Thine incarnation,
Thy mortal sorrow, and Thy life's oblation;
Thy death of anguish and Thy bitter passion,
For my salvation.

Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
The slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered;
For our atonement, while he nothing heedeth,
God intercedeth.

Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay Thee,
I do adore Thee, and will ever pray Thee,
Think on Thy pity and Thy love unswerving,
Not my deserving.

music and story here.

Not My Deserving

2010-04-03T10:17:00.002-05:00

I meant to post this yesterday for Good Friday, but obviously I didn't. Here are my reflections from this week:

Another year, another Holy Week, another time to reflect and ponder the story of atonement and redemption. Last year I journaled my way through Lent, writing my thoughts, poetry, and certain hymns or Bible verses that impressed me during that time. This year I prepared for Easter week by beginning a fast on Ash Wednesday, seeking to abstain from a pleasure in order to exercise self-control and to prove that there is nothing earthly that I can't give up for my Savior, or that can give me greater pleasure than He, His divine and Holy Being.

Being reflective during Easter time (or Christmas, or anytime, for that matter) is difficult in our culture. We like noise, we like being busy, we like saying that we don't have time for anything, all the while being busy with the things we want to be busy with. In this way, we distract ourselves from disturbing thoughts, like our part in the story of the cross, and so manage to sanitize the Easter story not just for children, but for ourselves as well. The fact is, the story is not sanitary; it is full of wickedness, depravity, and rebellion against a Holy God. Yes, it's about you and me. That's our part in the story. It is so easy to think that because we haven't murdered, or stolen, or insert-bad-thing-here, that we are good people. I have never known anyone to actually admit that, yet how often is that inner thought exhibited in our lackadaisical approach to Easter, or to worship anytime throughout the year? I am grateful that in my church, a large emphasis is placed on reminding us that we were dead people - dead. I need that reminder. I forget all too easily my desperate need for a Savior. I need my pastor telling me that I was lost in sin but Christ, in His mercy and love, offers redemption through his atoning work on the cross. I believe that we cannot fully understand grace unless we first understand the depths of our sin. If we think that God didn't save us from much, then His grace will only mean that to you. If you understand that your sin nailed Him to that cross, that you cried out with the scoffers that day, that your voice called for His crucifixion when He had done no wrong, then His mercy will mean the world to you, and you will be forever transformed.

If you didn't this year, make next year's season of Lent an opportunity to be still, to put away something that distracts you from reflecting on God's mercy and grace, and His love unswerving - not our deserving.

2010-03-12T12:25:00.003-06:00

I couldn't resist posting this WPA poster from the Library of Congress after seeing it on another blog. Read about its history here. Then go and read the books you've always meant to read...

Poverty and The Gospel

2010-02-27T10:43:00.003-06:00

Milton Vincent:

Like nothing else could ever do, the gospel instills in me a heart for the downcast, the poverty-stricken, and those in need of physical mercies, especially when such persons are of the household of faith.

When I see persons who are materially poor, I instantly feel a kinship with them, for they are physically what I was spiritually when my heart was closed to Christ.

Perhaps some of them are in their condition because of sin, but so was I.

Perhaps they are unkind when I try to help them; but I, too, have been spiteful to God when He has sought to help me.

Perhaps they are thankless and even abuse the kindness I show them, but how many times have I been thankless and used what God has given me to serve selfish ends?

Perhaps a poverty-stricken person will be blessed and changed as a result of some kindness I show them. If so, God be praised for His grace through me. But if the person walks away unchanged by my kindness, then I still rejoice over the opportunity to love as God loves. Perhaps the person will repent in time; but for now, my heart is chastened and made wiser by the tangible depiction of what I myself have done to God on numerous occasions.

The gospel reminds me daily of the spiritual poverty into which I was born and also of the staggering generosity of Christ towards me. Such reminders instill in me both a felt connection to the poor and a desire to show them the same generosity that has been lavished on me. When ministering to the poor with these motivations, I not only preach the gospel to them through word and deed, but I reenact the gospel to my own benefit as well.

- from A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See The Glories of God's Love, pp 38-39

HT: Justin Taylor

Global Warming Today

2010-02-24T12:14:00.005-06:00

I found this blog post by Doug Wilson pretty amusing. It is rather odd, isn't it, that an entire world can believe something semi-false just because an "authority" on the matter told them it was so. The money and power that resulted from the global warming theory was really astounding. Even more so was the way people bought into it hook, line, and sinker, purchasing their carbon offsets because they were told to do so. No one ever thought to question where the money might be going and whether it was a truly effective program for climate change. I have long thought that the buying of carbon offsets was something akin to the medieval purchasing of pardons: do something bad (like fly your private jet, as Al Gore and his celebrity minions do), confess that you know it's not the best thing for the environment - but hey, I'm going to make it up for it, okay?! - then purchase your pardon in the form of lots of carbon offsets. I'm not saying don't take care of what God has given. I am personally sad to think that it will take thousands of years for our plastics to biodegrade. At the rate we use and throw away plastics, what will our earth look like even just a hundred years from now? That said, I refuse to buy into a science that was created by a group of people to further their own careers. If people would stop checking their brains at the doors of climate change conferences, we might do more good than harm in helping to solve waste problems around the world.

Just an observation in closing, but this has been a record winter here in Texas. For the first time that we can remember, we had a white Christmas. Then, only two weeks ago, we had a mighty 12.5" snowfall. God does indeed make foolish the wisdom of the world...

Yes, I'm Still Here

2010-02-18T18:20:00.004-06:00

It's been awhile, I know. Life is crazy, and I thank you if you still check this blog. I'll try to be more worthy of your time and attention. :) I got interrupted from the visual look back at last year, and then when I wanted to return to it, I thought that so much more had occurred, so much had happened that wasn't caught in pictures. I may continue to post some photos as a look-back, but for now I just want to resume blogging. I do miss it and hope to be more regular.

For starters, I took a break from my emails, essays, and work to check a few blogs I haven't read in awhile. One is Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley, who is, simply, an inspiring woman. In her most recent posts was a link to this story from the Washington Post, which addresses a new technology being used to find brain activity in people who are in a vegetative state. Not surprisingly, people in comas are capable of using their brains even though they often have minimal or no physical activity/function. Ms. McCulley went on to reflect on this amazing story, of a young man who was thrown into a coma after an accident. After four years of loving care from his parents and girlfriend, he has made an amazing recovery. Please read the story, you can't help but be moved and inspired. On their blog, I saw this post which could be one of the best responses to suffering I have ever seen.

Looking Back: 2009

2010-01-09T13:42:00.016-06:00

April

Easter

Kathryn hunts for eggs

Main Street Arts Festival

The ducklings are growing

Ellie is born!

(she is actually a couple of weeks old in this picture, if you couldn't already tell) :)

Dad and brothers take a fishing trip to Arkansas

where they visit a fish hatchery

see some nice scenery

and bald eagles, too

run, Parker!

Looking Back: 2009

2010-01-09T13:22:00.009-06:00

March

brilliant Texas skies

Parker celebrates a birthday

and Lexi celebrates, too

Ashley and I travel to Orlando for the annual Ligonier conference

signs of spring are everywhere...

Amazing...

2010-01-08T16:57:00.002-06:00

is the difference a week can make. You can be blogging one week full of excitement about a new year, looking back fondly at the old, planning new things, reflecting, pondering, saying goodbye to 2009, hello to 2010... and suddenly an uncle dies unexpectedly, you get slammed with the flu, your cat has to have a surgery that's just enough expense that you're searching craigslist for a temporary p/t job, you look forward to getting back to "normal", which includes going back to work (I was really, for once, excited about going back to work!) and then even that suddenly becomes impossible due to the flu, then the uncle's funeral, and then, of all things, an arctic front closes work on the day I was finally able to start back, my online store is suffering from neglect but I haven't had the time or the energy to get it all together again - and yet another friend sees her prayer for a relationship answered while I sit here in my status quo of singleness and wonder all over again, is it me? do I need to find a different job, go to a different church, get out more, meet more people, do more things, pray more, fast more, beg God more, trust Him more?... and at the end of it all, at the close of an emotionally draining, financially-stricken, flu-filled, record-breaking cold weather week, you just have throw yourself on the mercy of God every morning and tell yourself over and over that he is sovereign over life and death, money, jobs, sickness, cold weather, singleness... and then cling to the joy that Christ - he in himself, in his being, in the very essence of who he is - offers to his children.

Remebering 2009

2009-12-30T12:22:00.015-06:00

February

we visit the new observation deck at the airport

where we wish that we could simply take the next flight out... :)

esp. on this airline, just coming in from London

Landon celebrates a birthday, then Trent celebrates a week later

a little cousin comes to visit while his parents pick up new baby sister, and we make a trip to the zoo

where Kathryn takes in some parrots, who do some observing of their own

Kathryn at 14 mos.

we celebrate the visit of a newborn cousin

Spring-like weather produces blooming flowers

flowing waters

and happy ducks

Remembering 2009: January

2009-12-28T13:41:00.017-06:00

A pictorial look back at our year...

January
on a trip down south, we made a run through Austin where we drove past (but did not stop) at the Capitol

and where we drove past (and stopped) at Hey Cupcake!
yes, that's an Airstream in a parking lot on Congress. Only in Austin...

we then ended up in San Antonio

where we attended a film festival

and ate the world's best mole

at this restaurant

(which we visit on every trip to San Antonio)

Kathryn at 13 mos.

creatures flying,

swimming,
and all-around-nuisances!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T15:36:00.000-06:00

The Worst Ideas of the 2000's

2009-12-23T11:03:00.002-06:00

The Washington Post lists what it thinks were the worst ideas marking the decade. Not surprisingly, the BlackBerry is included in the list ("Once upon a time, elevator rides were silent..."). Other worst ideas included are the endless sports season ("Selfishly, we should... care because day by day, sports is eating up more of our time. And more time is one thing even ESPN can't give us"), the prosperity gospel (although this has been around for so long that it should have been included on a "worst ideas of the last century" list instead), and even tv dancing competitions ("This was the TV decade of the real and the grotesquely unreal"). The list, while interesting, is hardly conclusive. I would have also added Facebook and Twitter, as both of those have contributed to the growing egoisom that will surely be a mark of this generation.

The Old Peabody Pew

2009-12-10T17:08:00.006-06:00

I found the book 3 months ago when visiting a used bookshop in North Carolina. The title and cover first caught my eye, then on turning the pages I discovered some charming illustrations and what looked like a lovely story of a small New England town at Christmas. I turned to a blank page inside and discovered that the author, Kate Douglas Wiggin, had inscribed a postscript to her story and signed her name beneath it. I bought it, along with some other exciting finds, and then I carefully packed it into my suitcase and managed to get it home without damaging the frail binding. Once here in Texas, I placed it in a safe location and promptly forgot about it - until recently, when on a lazy Sunday afternoon I retrieved the book from it's temporary home and read, in a few short hours, of a charmingly diverse group of women in a small town in Maine at Christmastime in the early 1900's. The narrative's pinnacle is reached when, on Christmas Eve, lonely and 30ish heroine Nancy is given the gift of romance when her once-upon-a-time lover returns after many years of absence. Pensive reminiscing and hopeful dreams of the future are skillfully woven into the story, which, incidentally, must have created a refreshing and surprising read for single women in the early 20th century, who were often considered too old for marriage when once into or past their 20's.

The book was originally published in 1905; my edition was published in 1907. It doesn't seem to be in print any longer (what a shame!) but is available for download if you have a Kindle.

"Man-ifesto"

2009-12-10T16:51:00.003-06:00

Dockers has created a "man-ifesto." They use odd phrases like "Once upon a time... men took charge because that's what they did" and suggests that our "genderless society" now needs men to "put down the plastic fork... and untie the world from the tracks of complacency." Go read it. It's a daring statement. I'm sure they are only trying to think of a new, creative, eye-catching way to sell men on their khakis when jeans are so much more commonplace, but it still begs the question: is it just advertising or is something more serious being offered for our consumption? If the former, that's a risky way to sell khakis; and if the latter, that's a refreshingly strong statement in support of masculinity.

Extra! Extra!

2009-11-05T17:38:00.003-06:00

If I lived there, I would spend hours on this bench...

Nestled off and away on a dirt path that leads out into the harbor, in a wooded setting with only the hushed rustle of leaves falling down, the occasional scampering of creatures unseen, and the sweet chirping of birds swooping across the skies that stretch beyond the ancient trees.
Here there is only stillness and solitude. Nature and her Creator. Life and art merging as one in a serene tableau, a feast for the senses.

Here I would sit; here I would meditate, pray, write, ponder on things beyond knowledge, and wonder at it all.

Mount Desert Island: Day 1

2009-11-05T17:19:00.003-06:00

At last, I have gotten around to posting more pictures! :)

Our cottage during our stay on Mount Desert Island.

The cozy living room where we curled up with books in the evenings.

The upper deck, which overlooked the Asticou Gardens behind the cottage

The Asticou Gardens

After rambling around the gardens a bit on our first morning there, Ashley, Hunter, Parker, Landon and I wandered across the street where we saw this:

hmm, why not? we thought.
We were soon upon some truly inspiring scenery...

across a rickety wooden bridge, over fern and fallen leaves, the path eventually wound out to the quiet harbor

Hunter was the first to take off his shoes and wade through the shallow water and onto this rock

where he blended in nicely with the fall colors :)

I couldn't resist getting my feet wet and taking a turn on that smooth rock
where, alas, my purple shirt clashed horrendously with nature

After a day of island exploration (on foot and in the car), we were ready for a hike.

Here we all are, about to start out on our first (and only, due to a couple of people getting sick during our trip) hike
It was cold, in case you can't tell from the picture ;)

Bliss

thank goodness for blue trail markers!

Extra! Extra!

2009-10-20T16:50:00.010-05:00

Just because I'm dying to share photos doesn't mean that my readers are dying to see them, but for the sake of an excuse to post more without feeling like the world's biggest bore, I'm going to pretend that you are as anxious to see them as I am to post them. :)

So, more photos of Boston...

Our photographer, Landon. He's on the other side of the lens in all the pictures here. :)

A view of the harbor as we sped away from it.

Boston's skyline, viewed from the USS Constitution.

Me in the Captain's quarters. We followed some other people in there, not seeing any signs that said we couldn't, but we were escorted out a few minutes later. The Naval guide was nice about it, but we felt bad. We really had no idea it was off limits. Thankfully, Landon got some shots while we were in there. It was an incredible place, most definitely the most interesting part of the ship - what a pity the public isn't allowed in.

The captain's bed.

"Old Ironsides" from the front. Unfortunately, she is undergoing a massive renovation, so the top was covered in tarps and her masts were down.

Lexi, Mom, Ashley

Boston: Part II

2009-10-19T13:34:00.018-05:00

We woke up to bad weather reports, which damped our spirits a bit (no pun intended, really!). I believe it was the first time any of us had ever heard, or been under, a "gale warning". As we waited for our shuttle to take us to a sub stop, a fierce rain blew in, and as quickly left. If that was all a storm did in Boston then we would be okay, we figured.

Our first stop was for lunch at Legal Sea Foods on the pier. With great happiness we indulged in a delicious, if pricey, cuisine. (but hey, it's not everyday that you can eat a lobster roll or clam chowder when you're from Texas).

After lunch Mom, Ashley, and Lexi went to the New England Aquarium

where, in addition to fascinating sea creatures, they also saw Jeff Corwin and his crew filming an episode for Animal Planet. Apparently you could look but not loiter around the cameras, so their time observing Jeff Corwin swimming in the large tank was brief.

I had been to the NEA on a previous visit to Boston so opted instead to join my brothers

on their excursion to the USS Constitution, a historical sight I figured I might as well see once.

Having now been, I think I can safely say that once was enough. It would have been far more interesting had we been allowed to do a self-guided exploration, but people were only allowed in 3 areas of the ship (which, I must admit, was probably all that was interesting to see - yet I wanted so badly to see the details of remnants/relics from her history left around the boat) and were conducted and guided by enlisted members of the Navy.

One Naval guide did say something that I thought was interesting and provoked thoughts later when on the ferry heading back to the NEA. As he related a story of how the Constitution came to be known as "Old Ironsides",

he said that during the historic battle, sailors on the boat became very afraid as the British Navy rained shells with frightening accuracy on them and speedily gained on the Constitution in order to board and taker her. The captain of the Constitution reigned in his frightened men and reminded them to stay their ground and "stay true to their end". I was really struck by that expression. Those just aren't words that you hear today (unless you're on a sports team).

The ferry ride to and from the Constitution was cold and brisk,

and I found the icy wind a relief as it chased away my afternoon weariness (i.e.,. sleepiness - I had not recovered yet from the restless nights I had experienced the week before departing - which were totally not related to the trip, btw) and I felt reinvigorated and ready for more trekking around Boston.

Mom, Ashley and Lexi were on the pier waiting for us.

We regrouped and headed to the subway for a trip to find a certain bookstore near the Commons. We emerged from the underground into the very heart of Boston with bitterly cold winds, crowds, and old streets that reeked of times long past. We were heading to Brattle Book Shop, which unfortunately closed 5 minutes after we found it. Disappointed and now very cold, we refreshed ourselves at Dunkin Donuts (the stop of choice in Massachusetts - you can't throw a stone without hitting one!), then we boarded the subway again to go back to the Brookline area where we had spotted an independent bookstore the day before, which we now visited and subsequently did some minor wallet damage while there.

When we at last left Brookline Booksmith, we found it was dark and even colder than it had been. A stop at the Starbucks next door was necessary for steaming cups of hot espresso drinks to warm (and wake) us up. Armed with our hot drinks, we headed out again into the cold city.

Boston at night is somewhat quieter than it is during the day, and it's many twinkling lights only added to the already atmospheric city.

We went back to the airport and picked up our rent car, then back to the hotel to pick up our luggage, and then we were finally on our way to Maine, arriving 4 hours later at a time most unearthly. But we had arrived, and we were thankful.

Boston

2009-10-17T12:54:00.005-05:00

I kept a journal while on the trip. The following posts (including this one) are snippets from my rambling notes. :)

On Tuesday we arrived at Boston's Logan Airport to begin our 8 day vacation on the East Coast.

After settling into our hotel and gathering info regarding the use of mass transit around Boston, we set out in the late afternoon to see that great, old, city.

It was with trepidation that we approached the subway station. As Texans who live in a sprawled out suburban area, we needed to acquaint ourselves with the droll details of things such as the destinations of red, blue, green, and orange lines. We took a promising blue train (after receiving some helpful assistance from an MBTA employee) and boarded with excitement and anticipation.

We got off at Government Center to transfer to another line and this was my first time to step off a train and into the fascinating underworld of the subway. My first impression was that people were moving: on trains, off trains, up the stairs to the street, down the stairs to the trains. People were holding steaming coffee, books, bags, instruments. There were musicians hawking their cd's and playing for cash. My eyes could not rest from the ever fascinating spectacle around me. I could not remember any underground as interesting as this one was. The trains themselves were even more of a spectacle. To my surprise, I quickly began to note that there are a vast amount of readers who are adept at reading while standing their ground on the swaying, jerking trains. I remember being impressed by one girl in particular: a true pro, she kept her eyes and hands trained on her book, all the while standing with feet firmly planted while others were reaching to grab onto anything they could for support; she continued to read as the doors opened and people shoved past her; she read without missing a beat of anything happening around her.

Soon we were on a new line and heading we didn't know where. The train reached street level and we emerged from darkness into light, traveling at a rapid pace, with frequent stops; here was a place called Brookline... and there we spotted some enticing stores and disembarked. We made our way to a Trader Joe's for some snack shopping (would you believe we had missed breakfast and lunch due to our hectic travel schedule and the fact that airlines don't feed you anymore and we were too stubborn to pay exorbitant prices for nasty airport food?!) and then back onto the train after realizing that the time was getting late. We promised ourselves that we would return to that quaint residential area after espying a bookstore, knitting store, and other promising storefronts.

We then made our way, somehow, into downtown Boston, and specifically to the North End (or Little Italy, as some call it), a busy place with swarms of people and delightful old buildings on equally aged streets. Our destination was Mike's Pastry Shop, a place recommended to us by my brother and sister-in-law, and also by a local. The place was teeming with pastries and people. 30 minutes later and some of the family emerged with a bulging box, to be opened and indulged in later. (we assumed the pastries might be too messy to consume on the street - and we were right!)

After Mike's, we ate pizza in a tiny Italian restaurant where English was the second language, and then walked back to a sub station to begin the trek back to our hotel.

Boston at night is somehow energetic without having the chaotic, rushing madness of other large cities. There is energy, but not the frenetic sort I found in Chicago and London. It is, strangely enough, a more deliberate pace.

We opened our pastries back at the hotel and tasted our first cannoli. Delicious!

Goin' Home

2009-10-13T19:04:00.004-05:00

I unwittingly spoke too soon when I said stories and pictures were on the way (alas, I only have a couple to share). I had no idea at the time that my brothers would upload all of 10 pictures from the hundreds they must have taken in the week we have been here. I am sure that all the pictures will be uploaded when we get back home tomorrow, and I will hopefully have a post ready to share sometime this weekend.

We have all been feeling rather despondent on our last day in Northeast Harbor. Mount Desert Island has grown on us by no gradual leap, and we are simply not ready to go home just yet. If we could stay to enjoy the sun's rays filtering through the trees, the sprawling mountains bordering the quiet harbors, the magnificent seascapes visible from almost anywhere, the boats pulling into the harbor and unloading the day's catch, the water from the sea spraying upwards from it's collision with the rocky shore, and the mist rising from the mountains in the rain... if we could only stay in this beautiful place a little longer.

To lessen the bittersweet departure, we have been speaking of "when" and not "if" we return. :)

I climbed a total of 4 mountains during our stay. Hunter and Parker climbed 5. Together we summited 4. The above and below photos are pictures that were taken as we ascended Gorham Mountain last week.

Mount Desert Island

2009-10-08T17:51:00.005-05:00

It has become my belief since arriving here on Mount Desert Island that there is simply nothing more wonderful or refreshing as waking up in the morning to a room flooded with sunlight; to step out onto the upper deck, feel the crisp (and rather chilly) fall air, and see a burst of color as the surrounding trees wave their leaf-laden branches in a seeming welcome to the new day.

We arrived in Acadia quite late on Wednesday, when it was too dark too see anything more than large, ominous shapes in front of us as we drove. In the light of the following day, our breath was taken away when we drove the same road (as we left the island for grocery shopping), to see that what were dark objects were actually mountains and trees - a welcoming sight for those of us who live in a large, flat, and rather ugly metropolis. :)

Our cottage is not an old one like some here on the island, but is very charming and comfortable. Near our cottage is a path that leads along a quiet brook, past small waterfalls, and out into the quiet Northeast Harbor.

It is very lovely here, with sprawling mountains to explore, glorious fall colors to see, exquisite fauna covering the ground everywhere, and a gleaming sea that crashes against the rocks. It is a quiet retreat away from the many things that contrive to keep us busy in our large metropolitan area. I may never want to return home...

Pictures to follow! :)

North Carolina

2009-09-29T18:02:00.012-05:00

Ashley and I took a short trip to North Carolina last week to care for our cousin's children while she and her husband were away. We returned home last night after 6 days in a small college town. While there wasn't an abundance of entertainment or shopping where we were located, there also wasn't a lack of life's simple things to do and enjoy, things such as walking to the grocery store every day (why drive when it's only 6 blocks away?); taking a run or walk around the college's 100 year old East Campus, where a gravel path is bordered with a stone wall on one side and stately trees on the other; indulging in delicious coffee and pastries (all organic and/or local ingredients) from local restaurants; seeing a wonderful friend who made time to drive in and visit with me over the weekend; taking in a delightful children's museum; visiting a vintage clothing store and an old bookshop on a rainy day; and spending time with little cousins who can deplete your energy level faster than you can blink.

While I missed my home (maybe, more specifically, the family that makes my home what it is), I can't say that I missed the area in which I live; a place on the map known for it's consumerism and shopping overkill, it's amusement parks and ginormous stadiums. It is an area with so much pointless entertainment to offer that people often complain when they don't get to visit the movie theater more than a couple of times a week, or feel that for stay-cations they have to go down the road to the massive, uber-expensive hotel with the indoor water park so that their kids won't be "bored" and deprived of endless entertainment.

I have to say that I simply cannot fathom the seeming inability of function that people experience when deprived of tv, aimless shopping, and amusement park day passes. The word "bored" gets bandied around quite a bit, but I personally feel as though I have yet to know what boredom is. If you can learn to appreciate the solitary moments that a porch swing can offer you on a crisp fall day, or the stillness of a morning when the only sounds are those of birds singing so far above you in trees that you cannot see them, or the gentle pelting of the rain against the roof and windows, or the sunlight filtering through the trees as you amble down a leaf-strewn sidewalk - if you can hear, see, and feel the life in God's creation around you, then you will never, ever know boredom again. And yes, you can experience it wherever you are. I may not be able to enjoy the changing of the seasons like other parts of the country, but I can sit outside and take in a hummingbird gathering nectar around the garden, monarch butterflies filling the air on their way to Mexico, bees gathering pollen from my mom's flowers, and the breath-taking sunsets or gathering storms visible from the kitchen window. I can enjoy the feel of a book in my hands, the pleasure of turning the pages and getting lost in a good story, and a delicious cup of tea while I reflect in my journal.

I must confess I am tired of the ridiculous contest Americans challenge each other with: the "who can be busiest and have the least amount of time on any given day" game. Why can't we enjoy a simple life with simple pleasures; why do we feel the need to be so busy, distracted, and frantic in our daily lives?

That said (~~rant~~ ponderings over now), I was glad to be there and not have to be anywhere, and I'm looking forward with great anticipation to another week of delightful simplicity when my family heads off to Maine next Tuesday. In the meantime, some pictures as a reward for making it this far through my ramblings. :)

Yes, that IS a Caribou Coffee! I tried a delectable drink that was more dessert than beverage: a mint mocha topped with whipped cream and Andes mints. yum!! I had to share with Ashley as I couldn't possibly finish it on my own.

One of many tree lined streets. Actually, it being North Carolina, there aren't any streets that don't have trees lining them.

Better even than discovering a Caribou Coffee nearby was finding a Trader Joe's! We had no idea there was one nearby, so when we spotted it we braked and swerved but missed the turn in, so we sped on to the next exit, somehow managed to find our way back, and did some damage to our wallets before heading back to pick up little cousin #1 from school.

At the children's musuem of Life and Science, this was part of an exhibit! It is an example of how math is involved/used in quilting. I was won over after seeing it. Another example of math using knitting would have made my visit complete, but one can't have it all. :)

This alligator's stare was almost unnerving. He looked as though he were plotting an escape from the tank and a revenge attack on the visitors gawking at him...

Sunday morning on East Campus. I was trying to capture the auditorium centering the main campus drive and unfortunately just captured a part of it peeking from behind trees off in the distance. Oh well.

Boring

2009-09-02T13:05:00.001-05:00

"The reality is that boring is what most people are actually yearning for—they just don’t know it. Boring is having no people to see, no tasks to accomplish, no expectations to meet, no pressures to deal with—it is the ideal adventure. People go halfway around the world to find a secluded beach or a remote cabin or a mountain chalet, just so they can do nothing. It is dull people who have to be stimulated constantly. Something has always got to be going on.

Most modern men and women are addicted to the razzle-dazzle. We want wow. And we want it now. Our whole culture, from popular entertainment to corporate management, is predicated on the idea that our lives ought to be defined by a frenetic go-go-go sense of busyness. There is no time to reflect. No time to think. No time to do anything at all except be busy."

-Dr. George Grant. Read the rest here.

Lovely Summer Days

2009-08-31T16:12:00.007-05:00

I can't remember ever having an August as comfortable and cool as we have had this year. After weeks of warm (but far from oppressive) 90 degree temperatures, we experienced a warm front with temperatures reaching highs of 100+. Last week a cool front came through and knocked the temperatures down to the 80's daytime, 60's at night. I could almost believe I live in some other state, this is so unlike Texas! On Saturday I took a walk in my local park and noted the flowing creek (usually dry this time of year), the clear blue sky dotted with snow-white clouds, the swooping birds and dainty butterflies that danced in front of me, and the deliciously cool breeze in my face. It was unbelievable for a mid-morning in August. Yesterday, taking advantage of the north winds and sunny skies, I took my book and a cup of green tea out to the backyard hummingbird garden and sat at the garden table. For awhile, all was peaceful (except for occasional shouts from a pool party at a neighbor's house). I was intent on my book when I heard a steady, low chirping. Looking up I saw a hummingbird at the feeder nearby. I watched him above the blooming flowers as he visited again and again, always flying up into a nearby tree before returning for more nectar. Eventually, various birds began to gather at the other feeders and bees began dancing and buzzing around the nearby flowers... and I realized that I was surrounded by nature. I couldn't read anymore for watching all that was taking place in front of me, but I couldn't imagine a better way to spend a Sunday than being in the middle of my Creator's marvelous handiwork.

Some Quick Observations on Food:

2009-08-24T10:44:00.004-05:00

I have so many thoughts I would love to blog on, and for which I especially regret the lack of time to "think aloud" by writing them out. I have had so many questions and thoughts related to topics such as the health care debate, our current economy, our society, politics, etc.,. Theological ponderings I have had lately have been about prayer, God's sovereignty, and so on... Thoughts I do want to share at some point as I (hopefully) find/make time to do so. For now I'll happily point to other blogs/articles/videos that I have enjoyed and found to be useful, and then add my thoughts to them as I can.

First up, this blog post on food by Douglas Wilson. My quick thoughts: I love fresh, home cooked/baked food. It is my preferred meal unless a restaurant somehow manages to do better (which is rare). I love using organic when possible, but must admit that it's expensiveness makes it a luxury I can't often afford. Should I feel guilty then for buying from the corporate owned grocery store down the street what I couldn't buy from Whole Foods Market? I mean, at least I'm buying fruits and vegetables - isn't something better than nothing? You would think so, and yet I know people who are so dogmatic about their organics and their avoidance of corporate-owned stores that they refuse to shop at any place and eat anything that isn't to their personal standard of organic/natural.

My book club met at Starbucks last Saturday evening. The baristas, during a break from the store's busyness, created a tray of bite-sized sandwiches and pastries for us, then brought it over to serve us. I took one (as did my mom and sister), not because I was especially hungry and wanted the bacon and gouda on whole wheat, but because I wanted to show gratitude for their kind effort to serve us. The rest of our group refused the food because it was "corporate" and not from a local source. While I love supporting local businesses (again, when I can), I came away from our meeting with the strongest desire to not be so dogmatic about food that I can never enjoy what is offered to me by someone else who may not hold to my standard of eating. There is so much freedom in being able to see both sides, supporting local business when possible, eating organic when available and affordable, but never feeling guilty if unable to do it and you're forced to shop at (gasp) Target or Wal-Mart. Food is a gift from God, one that we can take pleasure in and enjoy, but it is, like the air we breathe, for our survival more than for our pleasure.

Another quick observation: food refusal often occurs in dieters as well, and I have seen co-workers bake a time-consuming dessert to share at work, only to have 80% of the other co-workers refuse to eat any of it (not even a small, tiny piece) because they were "trying to lose weight". My question: at what point do we become slaves to our food, not so much in consuming, but in not-consuming because of our vanity? Has eating/not eating become a form of idolatry in America? Really, does it ever hurt to just take a piece of something someone has prepared for you and eat it and be thankful for it? (I am not talking to people who would refuse something based on dietary restrictions, i.e,. people with diabetes) Will it make you gain 20 pounds to eat a small piece of cake once when the rest of the time you do a good job of watching what you eat? The same applies to organic foodies: will it really give you cancer to just eat a small piece of something that has preservatives once in a while, especially when it's a rare occurrence for you to do it anyway?

In conclusion: I am not advocating organic vs. non-organic, or corporate vs. local. There is so much to be explored in the food source argument. What I am advocating is a thoughtful approach to food vs. a dogmatic one. Eat organic if you want, buy locally if you want. Eat food with pesticide residue if you want, and shop at the corporate-owned store if that's what you prefer. Be informed but be careful. Please just don't be the kind of person who can't ever enjoy food. Simply eat and be thankful. :)

Summer is Over...

2009-08-24T10:17:00.003-05:00

Ah well, I guess summer vacation ended at day 4 as life got very much in the way of more posts. :) It is hard to believe how quickly August has flown by. I return to work this week, so my summer break has officially ended. I have used my break to work on three large projects; one was successfully completed last week, and two more I am still working on. I hope to reveal one of the projects soon...

For now I shall direct your attention to something we are quite proud of:
Landon placed as a semi-finalist in a photography contest by Nature's Best Photography for Students. Way to go little brother!

Summer Vacation: Day 4

2009-08-13T22:27:00.002-05:00

Book Four: The English Countryside
Victorian Era

I have a biography of Charlotte Bronte, as well as a collection of letters between the Bronte sisters and their friends. Being a huge fan of the Brontes, I have devoured all I can about their life and how it influenced their writing. I first read Jane Eyre when I was a young teenager. I have since returned to the tale again and again. It is one of few books that I can read and, knowing the story, still have a hard time putting the book down. I remember how surprised I was to learn from biographers that Charlotte Bronte was incurably, ostensibly shy her whole life (as were her sisters, to varying degrees). This simply didn't mesh in my mind as possible for the author of one of the most passionate, enduring (and unlikely) love stories ever written in the English language. How could someone so reserved, with such little life experience, write about a man as dark, brooding, and passionate as Mr. Rochester? Who could ever have conceived of such a protagonist for a romantic story? Yet the love between him and shy, plain Jane Eyre (undoubtedly Miss Bronte, though she may not have realized how much she mirrored her own life into her famous heroine) is not only believable, but has changed the way we see marriage. Thanks to the Bronte's (and others who championed love conquers all), Victorian society began to think about the possibility of marriages that can bridge classes and defeat societal expectations, and not merely arranged for profit, connections, or blood lines. The Bronte's may have been quiet, shy, and content to be away from the lime light (once Charlotte hid herself behind curtains in a friend's parlour during a dinner in her honor), but they felt deeply the injustices they perceived in a cruel society and the life they could never have - they were caught between the genteel life of being the curate's daughters - above the notice of the poor and below the notice of the rich. They lived lonely lives, despite being celebrated authors, and all died young with only one – Charlotte – ever experiencing what they wrote so deeply of: love and marriage.

Reading the Bronte books is like catching brief glimpses into their life, real and imagined, and putting together pieces of a puzzle found in their novels that only end up telling us more about them than their biographers ever could. Most of all, you come away feeling an affinity and connection with them through their stories. In fact, you can only come away feeling as though you know them very well - almost as if you were their friend long ago.

Download or Buy Jane Eyre

My favorite film adaptation to date (it's old and bad quality - somebody please make a version as faithful to the book as this one!)

Charlotte's wiki page

Summer Vacation: Day 3

2009-08-13T11:29:00.005-05:00

Alas, I failed to post yesterday due to time constraints and a weird, ongoing problem with Google. Here is yesterday's book:

Milton (a fictional name for Manchester)
Victorian era

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... So wrote an author that while describing a different era, undoubtedly captured his own in that remarkable paragraph. It was an era marked by disease, famine, progress, hope, despair, and abject poverty that moved Dickens to write his famous novels. The same feelings moved his contemporary (and friend) Elizabeth Gaskell to write about the sweeping changes and fears of progress that typified their era. And while Dickens focused on the working classes primarily, it was Mrs. Gaskell who turned her attention to the complex relationship between masters and men in her timeless novel North and South.

Mr. Thornton owns and operates a mill which produces cotton. Beautiful, courageous Margaret Hale, newly arrived from the verdant countryside in the South of England, opposes the mill (as well as the owner's growing attachment for her). Conflict rears it's ugly head when the mill workers strike for better wages, only to learn that their master is not easily swayed by politics. Soon the unemployed workers begin dying from the hunger, disease, and despair resulting from lack of work. Their story is interwoven with that of the Hales and their own trials and triumphs as they adjust to a new life in Milton. Mrs. Gaskell, like so many of her writer friends, was herself caught between a genteel life and a restricted income. As a curate's wife, she experienced that strange limbo society placed her in - too rich to be poor, too poor to be rich. Undoubtedly the strong emotions and urgent themes present in her novels are the result of her own struggle with life and all of it's joys and contradictions.

Download it, buy it, or listen to it

The movie

Mrs. Gaskell's bio

Summer Vacation: Day 2

2009-08-11T09:55:00.003-05:00

London, with a short excursion to Paris during the Reign of Terror

Swashbuckling hero hardly comes to mind when mentioned in conjunction with one of history's darker moments in time, yet it is exactly what one thinks of when the hero is the Scarlet Pimpernel. Daring, adventurous, secretive, romantic – The Scarlet Pimpernel embodies everything a typical British hero is often portrayed as (but, like Americans, hardly ever in reality is :) ). If you like sitting on the edge of your seat and flying through a book just to see whether the hero will live or die and what happens to his beautiful wife, then this book is for you. And yes, I know that the book's author isn't really British, but as she did live there for most of her life, it seemed enough to make her an honorary inclusion to my list.

Buy or download it

The book's wiki page

Baroness Orczy's bio

My Summer Vacation

2009-08-10T09:25:00.007-05:00

I am someone who loves to travel. Sadly, I am not an heiress who can simply hop up from her chair and go on a whim. Each trip takes careful thought as to cost and time away from work and home. I rarely escape during summertime, as the expense of travel “in season” puts it out of budget for this frugal, would-be jetsetter. My trips are generally taken during “off seasons” when a dollar stretches just a little bit farther in cities otherwise known for thinning your wallet on even the simplest and most inexpensive necessities.

So here I am, another summer at home, biding time until my mid-fall trip. Everyone else is on their way to exciting destinations – or, in any case, cooler destinations. To avoid envy and discontent while I wait out the 100+ degree summer, there is clearly only one thing to do: travel vicariously through books. Any destination desired is within reach of my bookshelf (or local library). I can cross time zones effortlessly without worrying about jet lag. I can even travel back in time into a favorite historical period without having to strap myself into some sort of futuristic time machine. In short, I can create the ultimate vacation that will not only encompass the greatest cities in the world, but also their multiple historical periods. Why not, I thought, choose the place one has always longed to visit, and a time period in which one has always wanted to live, and create the perfect summer trip which is traveled from the inimitable comfort of home?

So I decided to create an imaginary itinerary. Where to go and for how long? After much thought I realized that most of my favorite books are by British authors (the great writers England has produced is incomparable to any other nation thus far), so it only makes sense to travel to the UK for my summer journey. I plan on traipsing through a different book each day for a week (please note that I am reviewing books already finished - there is simply no way I could seriously read through an entire book in one day!). I hope you enjoy my journey as much as I shall enjoy sharing some of my favorite authors and books with you in my hopeful attempt to imagine myself away from the summer heat. :)

Day One (Book One): Bath, England

Year 1817 - Regency Era

I would be a remiss travel guide if I neglected to start with a universally acknowledged authoress, whose wit and wisdom in six (finished) novels continue to bridge time and culture to capture the heart of every woman who has dreamed of finding a Darcy, and every man who has dreamed of finding a Lizzie. Shall I throw in an early surprise on your trip? We will not read Pride and Prejudice on this journey. Rather than set our romantic hearts fluttering for a hero we will never have the opportunity to meet, we will travel within a book that contains a little less romance (is that really possible for Austen?) and which is set in a town more suitable for a summer escape. You may have guessed now that I speak of Northanger Abbey.

Ms. Austen's shortest novel follows a young girl on her first outing from home, in the fashionable seaside resort town of Bath. Naïve, pretty, sweet, occasionally showing some wisdom but often falling short of it, Catherine Morland is certainly the silliest of Ms. Austen's otherwise brilliant heroines. But this novel isn't meant to be taken seriously; in fact, it was written to parody the hugely popular (and largely forbidden) gothic romance novels that were devoured by impressionable young women in Ms. Austen's time. We are meant to laugh at dark castles with imaginary pasts, a seemingly authoritative and menacing father, a brutish suitor, an impossibly patient friend (and eventual love interest) and a heroine who conjures up impossible plots to fulfill her vivid imagination. Thankfully, at the end of the story, Catherine is wiser, humbler, and (amazingly) loved by a noble clergyman.

Buy the book or download it

Jane Austen bio
Bath, England

Speaking of Ms. Austen:

2009-08-07T16:25:00.002-05:00

the BBC released this promo for Emma a couple of weeks ago. I'm just not sure about this version...

I know, I know, the book purist inside me sometimes gets in the way of my enjoyment of adapted-from-a-favorite-novel films, but I do make exceptions sometimes. For instance, if the film doesn't deviate too much from the original story and if the spirit of the novel remains (i.e., if the filmmakers don't try to modernize or to politicize it), then I can usually overlook a few things; however, the scene of Emma bursting into the library and blurting out something like "I'm never going to get married" is a little strange. Not Austen-like if you know what I mean. I'm just not sure what to expect from the rest. I am still looking forward to it though since I'll watch almost any period drama the BBC puts out.

Another one I'm looking forward to is the new Cranford. I loved the original mini-series almost as much as the book itself (and did I mention I'm hard to please? :) ) If only I didn't have to wait so long for it to hit the USA. Sigh.

I Was Not Invited Sigh

2009-08-07T16:19:00.003-05:00

A Jane Austen fan throws the ultimate party for Austen lovers in Chawton.

Summer Fun

2009-08-03T14:02:00.006-05:00

Here we are enjoying a recent Texas Rangers vs. Detroit Tigers game at the Ballpark in Arlington. I guess we like baseball - this was the 2nd baseball game in a month for my family and the 3rd time for me. :)

Parker, Mom, and Landon about to head in.

We had four tickets from a rained out game and then 3 that we bought at the last minute (the tickets were reduced drastically for the home games last week). So Mom, Parker, and Lexi sat on this side of the ballpark and the rest of us were on the other side, exactly opposite from this picture.

Sometime during the game, Mom, Parker and Lexi moved to these seats - long, long story...

but the seats were much better!

For whatever reason (discounted tickets? $1 hotdog night?) the game was packed that night.

We joined them near the game's end. Here Hunter passes mom a ball of yarn that I wanted her to see. (yes, I was knitting at the game...)

Families have so much fun together. :)

All-American 4th of July

2009-07-06T11:11:00.008-05:00

For our 4th, Dad surprised us with tickets to a minor league baseball game.

What could possibly be closer to an all-American celebration than watching two teams play ball in a game that lasted 5 hours? It was my first experience at a minor league game and I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it was. The commercialism at the major league games is sometimes disconcerting. The absurd amount of money the players make, their oft-publicized drug abuses (so that they can make record hitters, home runs, or whatever), and the way we have to be entertained while being entertained is often discouraging.

However, there is an escape from major league theatrics in the form of the minor leagues.

A baseball game in every sense of the word, it was pure Americana at it's best. The field was small, there wasn't any absurd entertainment (wow, we actually watched a game being played) and the players make next to nothing, which leads me to believe that if they play without a big salary, then they must play because they love the game.*

Kathryn (above) and Ellie (below) taking it all in.

zzz... Ellie konks out, much like I wanted to do around the 7th inning

A lot of baseball greats have played on this field: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, and Joe DiMaggio to name a few.

A spectacular fireworks show followed the game.

Naturally, all photos by Landon

*Disclaimer: I don't believe sports players should make next-to-nothing, only that the millions the major league guys make doesn't seem to inspire them to actually play well. They will make money regardless of how they perform, while minor league players often "pass a hat" to give money to the guy who scored for the home team, making these players to be seemingly genuine lovers of the sport.

Monday Morning Random Thoughts

2009-07-06T10:48:00.007-05:00

Everyone is advising Sarah Palin right now. Just look at all the op-eds written over the weekend, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. If Ms. Palin quit office to get away from criticism, she only incited it all the more from conservatives and liberals alike. One can't help but feel a little sorry for the once upon a time, would-be political star. Like so many other celebrities, she was picked up by the media because of her newness, only to be chewed, swallowed, and spat out again and again for the duration of her brief political career. Some stars relish being taken apart and followed everywhere because it puts their face into yours through magazine covers and TMZ, while some of them just quietly court the paparazzi and die-hard reporters. Some try to ignore or maybe hide from them. And some, like Ms. Palin, just give up in the face of the feeding frenzy. You can't blame her as much as simply feel sorry for her - and be reminded why it is hard, very hard to be a fish swimming upstream when everyone is pushing you back downstream.

If Ms. Palin is reading any of the advice so freely offered lately, it is my hope she reads these two pieces. And if she doesn't, maybe you should, just in case you ever thought about running for political office. :)

July 4th

2009-07-04T09:44:00.002-05:00

Happy Independence Day!

Summer Visitor

2009-06-30T09:39:00.003-05:00

Every summer these quiet and unobtrusive visitors arrive for an extended stay.

There is nothing to describe the breathtaking delight of encountering the hummingbirds as they search for nectar in the gardens at our house. In the quiet morning, if you catch them at work, you can hear them humming and watch as they drift between flowers. Sometimes their movements remind me of a helicopter in flight.

photos were taken this week by Landon on location in his hummingbird garden. :)

Take A Tour Today...

2009-06-05T14:02:00.010-05:00

and take it from the comfort of your home - or office - or wherever you are. :)

My brothers filmed a wedding at our church recently and Landon, in his free time when he wasn't filming, took the following pictures of our lovely church building. I couldn't resist sharing his photos with you.

(above and below) This is the main entrance to the sanctuary.

(below) The chancel

(above) The sanctuary with a small view of the sides which are lined with stained glass windows.
(below) A view of the side aisle, lined with arches on one side and stained glass windows on the other

(below) The nativity depicted in one of the windows

(above) The sanctuary from the front
(below) and from the back

(above) The entrance to the children's garden

The children's garden, a lovely, reflective spot that is unfailingly peaceful and cool, whatever the time of day.

Thanks, Landon! :)

Spring Piano Recital

2009-06-03T18:45:00.005-05:00

That time of year again...

When Parker and Lexi must perform in a piano recital.

It's a family trait to be nervous before a performance. Nothing you can do helps. We have a cousin who even tried hypnosis once (didn't work).

But once they get going, Parker and Lexi perform beautifully.

Parker played Prelude op. 28, no. 15 by Chopin.

Lexi played Etude op. 10, no. 3 by Chopin and Rhapsody in E flat major, op. 119 by Brahms.

They were the last ones to close out the recital. The thunderous applause following both of their performances was either for them or for the fact that the recital was finally over and the nodding heads in the audience could at last go hit their pillows at home.

Here Lexi poses post-performance.

Lexi reflecting in the empty hall.

She decides to be dramatic for the camera (above and below).

Hunter sits outside of the hall.

Here Landon played with his camera while waiting for everyone to finish visiting and doing reception clean-up.

All pictures were taken by Landon.

Skills on Courts and Keys

2009-05-25T11:01:00.005-05:00

While my brothers and I are following the French Open this week, my sister, Lexi, is just as passionately following a sport of another, entirely different, kind: the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. I have to admit to also having been drawn into watching the competition since it's start last week. The virtuosity and skill of the competitors, their varying backgrounds and their enthusiasm for music is hard to resist watching. I must confess to some favorites already, one of whom is Nobuyuki Tsujji, who has been blind from birth. Take a minute to watch this incredible video of Nobuyuki's preliminary recital and read this short interview with his father.

As Promised 5 Weeks Ago:

2009-05-25T10:50:00.002-05:00

Our sweet new family member!

Ellie is possibly the most observant, alert baby I have ever known. Not content to just lay around, she likes to be up on a shoulder so that she can see everything. She also tries to raise her head, so much so that her mommy can't even put her into a sling because Ellie will try her hardest to see out of it!

Yep, she is yet another reason to be a proud aunt. :)

For Moms Everywhere

2009-05-11T09:35:00.003-05:00

To all the faithful mothers out there who have devoted your lives to what you do: Thank you. The world may scorn the stay at home mother, but your children praise you. We recognize the sacrifice, hard work, and never ending duties you perform daily. History may record the heroic deeds of some women, but what you have done (and continue to do) surpasses them all. Again I say, thank you.

And to my own mother, who deserves so much more than what I can possibly say here. You are indeed beyond rubies.

I was unable to post yesterday, but better late than never, right? :)

Happy to Announce:

2009-04-20T10:15:00.002-05:00

That we have a new family member! Elianna was born yesterday to my brother and sister-in-law. 8 lbs., 6 oz., and absolutely beautiful! Big sister Kathryn loves her new baby sister. :) Pictures coming soon!

Home Again, Home Again...

2009-03-28T10:15:00.009-05:00

To state the obvious, I'm back. It was a great visit this year to the land of palm trees and sunshine.

We tried to sight some manatees this year:
But alas, had just missed two manatees swimming right below the observation deck. I did get a stingray sighting, so my hour there was not a total loss.

We also camped out on the beach for an afternoon. I expected another sunburn, instead I got a slight tan. Something is better than nothing, I guess. :) Anyway, I was exhausted from my airport adventures of the day previous (which is a blog post in itself) and enjoyed relaxing in the surf and sun on a private beach. I even found a huge shark tooth in the water. I was excited until I realized - there would have to be sharks swimming nearby if their teeth were to be found on the beach. I wasn't so sure about going into the water after that...

The next day we found this:
What an exciting find! They didn't have much, but I did find a funny book for Kathryn and two funny books for me. I then read from my new Wodehouse every available chance I got for the remaining week.

The bookstore was downtown and within walking distance of a park,
where we saw these:

I got to see and visit with friends, old and new. I attended this conference and learned about the Holiness of God (free webcast videos are available for a limited time - go quick and watch the sessions, and esp. take time to watch Dr. Sinclair Ferguson's sessions!).

I had many adventures - funny, scary, and thrilling.

I loved being there, but, as always, I loved coming back home again. :)

It's Spring Break...

2009-03-14T13:57:00.005-05:00

and I am off to Florida! Pictures and stories when I return. :)

Warped Beauty

2009-03-09T10:37:00.002-05:00

While I am not a feminist and despise the lies that our feminist culture has taught to generations of men and women, I do think that feminists often see a problem that a lot of women can't see - but unfortunately feminists then overreact to these problems, spewing out lies mixed with truth. (And isn't that how our enemy always deceives us?)

That said, I appreciated this Q&A in the NYT magazine yesterday with Susie Orbach. It will take you maybe two minutes to read, but it is so refreshing to see someone take a stand against weight and beauty obsessions! Our culture is so consumed with a media-induced, fabricated ideal of "beauty", one that resembles nothing actually good or obtainable. We women are made to believe that skeletal bodies are ideal and that perfect, flawless faces, hair styles, and fashion are more to be desired than, say, character, gentleness, or intelligence. I am determined to stand against the lies of this world and instead want to encourage women, young and old, to accept the way that God made you and not to buy into a false idea of beauty. Seek instead to reflect and radiate the love of Christ. The most beautiful people I have ever known were not so because they looked like (insert celebrity) but because they radiated the love of Christ.

Yet Another Brag

2009-03-06T10:31:00.002-06:00

While I'm at it, I also have to share that my brothers are hard at work producing a movie of their own. You can follow their progress here.

And yes, I'm a very proud sister who has to brag on her talented siblings every now and then. :)

Had to Share...

2009-03-06T10:10:00.006-06:00

Anyone who has followed this blog for any length of time will know that I am not the photographer of the fantastic photos you often find on here. That distinction goes to my brother, Landon. He recently won a prize for his capture of a flamingo at our local zoo. I am also pleased to announce that he now has a photography blog! Check it out here.

Madonna Syndrome

2009-02-12T22:19:00.005-06:00

Zoe Lewis:
I never thought I would be saying this, but being a free woman isn't all it's cracked up to be. Is that the rustle of taffeta I hear as the suffragettes turn in their graves? Possibly. My mother was a hippy who kept a pile of (dusty) books by Germaine Greer and Erica Jong by her bed (like every good feminist, she didn't see why she should do all the cleaning). She imbued me with the great values of choice, equality and sexual liberation. I fought with my older brother and won; at university I beat the rugby lads at drinking games. I was not to be messed with.

Now, nearly 37, those same values leave me feeling cold. I want love and children but they are nowhere to be seen. I feel like a UN inspector sent in to Iraq only to find that there never were any weapons of mass destruction. I was led to believe that women could “have it all” and, more to the point, that we wanted it all. To that end I have spent 20 years ruthlessly pursuing my dreams - to be a successful playwright. I have sacrificed all my womanly duties and laid it all at the altar of a career. And was it worth it? The answer has to be a resounding no.

Emphasis mine. Read the rest here. I would like to suggest that women only read this article.

Just to Share

2009-02-10T18:39:00.003-06:00

Landon celebrated a birthday over the weekend. He spent an afternoon photographing planes at the airport with his Canon 40D. I took this photo while he was busy with his "work." :)

San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival 2009

2009-01-13T16:30:00.014-06:00

We made a last-minute, whirlwind trip to San Antonio last week to see the film offerings at the SAICFF. The festival offers the largest cash prize in the US, so there were many competing semi-finalist films to watch. I saw Expelled for the first time and liked it (but had to leave 1/2 way through as I wanted to hear RC Sproul, Jr. speak), saw Fireproof for the first time, liked it but have a few reservations about it. Kirk Cameron, who starred in Fireproof (and who is much better in it than in his other films) visited and spoke at the festival, as well as the producers of Fireproof, Expelled, and Amazing Grace. I will hopefully write much more about the festival later on, but in summary for this post, it was a lot of fun and we are already anticipating returning in 2010.

Some pictures for your enjoyment, all taken by Landon.

Walking into the festival, held at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center.

Looking through the festival guide, trying to choose which movies to see.

Landon and Mom walking on their way to the festival.

Hunter doing... I don't know what. ;)

On the riverwalk.

Parker at the convention center.

Lexi and Parker outside of the Lila Cockrell theater .

On the riverwalk at the convention center.

Lexi and Ashley are caught coming up the escalator - deep in film discussion?

The Saturday evening awards ceremony was impressive. We have been attending this for 4 years out of 5 and it has definitely come a long way from it's beginnings.

Charlie Zahm leads in the National Anthem.

Ken Carpenter of Franklin Springs Family Media wins the best documentary award for The Terri Schiavo story (one of the best films presented at the festival, in my opinion).

Best of the festival offerings was the Von Trapp's (great grandchildren of the Captain and Maria) performance on Friday night and again at the awards ceremony on Saturday. Although I was constantly running into them at the festival and at our hotel, I somehow never got the courage to tell them I liked their version of Edelweiss much better than Christopher Plummer's. :)

From The Squalor of A Borrowed Stable

2008-12-29T11:55:00.002-06:00

I had anticipated singing this in church since the beginning of advent - then at last, yesterday, we sang it during worship.

For Pride and Prejudice Fans:

2008-12-29T10:41:00.001-06:00

This is hilarious. :)

Christmas Past

2008-12-27T09:18:00.011-06:00

Another Christmas has come and gone. It seems that the older I get, the faster it comes around (and leaves again!) every year. :) There were parties, concerts, delicious holiday baking, and fun times shopping and gift planning with my family. There is always so much to do and see around Christmas that I always have the feeling when it's over that I forgot something. (It's weird, but it's the same feeling I get every time I leave a hotel, too!)
I received a bounty of good gifts this year, and I'm just not sure I deserved as much as I received. My family knows how much I love books and they gifted me with so many that I am in a quandary as to which I should read first:

I also received The Wit and Wisdom of Jane Austen ( a wonderful book full of her quotes) and Jane Austen: An Illustrated Treasury (perfect for an Austen book lover!)

Christmas on Main

2008-12-06T12:42:00.009-06:00

On the first Saturday of this month, we spent a day with Sarah and Kathryn on Main Street, near their home. The street was decorated and beautiful, the weather cold, and we had a wonderful time walking around and looking at all of the Christmas decorations.

(above)The giant outdoor tree
(below) Street garland

(above) Kathryn scrunches her nose for the camera
(below) Lexi takes in a store's miniature Christmas village

(above) A scene from one of the displays
(below) The weather turned bitterly cold while we were still out; here we are attempting to warm ourselves up with hot cider (and poor Lexi was in short sleeves!)

(above and below) It isn't an outing with my niece if we don't pose her for pictures at some point. I placed her in front of the tree in different positions while Landon snapped away with his new Canon 40D.

(above) Kathryn and I cuddle against the cold wind

(below) Lights on Main

(above) A favorite cafe on Main

(below) Kathryn and her aunt Ashley look at lights

(above) Kathryn in a tunnel of lights

(below) Lexi finds an old camera in an antique store

all photos by Landon

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T09:55:00.001-06:00

Kathryn in November

2008-11-12T13:02:00.003-06:00

photos by LTS

Post-Election Thoughts

2008-11-07T13:57:00.004-06:00

and hope are offered here and here. My thoughts? God is sovereign and he rules and reigns over the affairs of men. He raises the nations, he tears them down. We may be subject to our new leader, but he is still subject to God, whether he knows it or not. It's been interesting to be a witness to history. This is something that will be told and wondered at for years to come. I only wish such a moment could have been made with a conservative leader. But it is done, the story is not over yet, and we don't know what God has in store for this nation. My greatest hope is that the church will wake up and begin to do the job it should have done long ago: aiding the helpless, poor, and weak. We left them to the well-meaning-but-hopelessly-inadequate mercy of government welfare programs and then we wondered why low-income citizens placed more hope in the government than they ever did in the church. For all the failings of various government welfare programs, they did do one thing the church didn't: offer help to hurting people. It is our failing we should heartily repent of. Had we shown people mercy and hope, had we ourselves implemented programs, then social compassion and mercy could, potentially, have been the church's powerful testimony to an unsaved world. As it is now, we have failed to show the love of God when he had shown us his greatest love and mercy. Our eyes having been opened, we should have lived out the compassion we had ourselves received.

One last thought: history alone will show the kind of leader President George W. Bush has been. For 8 years he lead this country, right or wrong, and he deserves our respect, which is being held from him by the very people who once believed enough in him to elect him twice. In the middle of media-influenced vitriol and spite towards the President, this tribute by former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer stands out as a testament to a leader who never backed down on something once he was convinced it was right. He begins:
I’ll miss President Bush’s moral clarity. The president’s critics hated his willingness to label things right or wrong, and the press used to bang me around for it, but history will show how right he was.

Shortly after 9/11, the president gave a speech in which he talked about the fight between good and evil, and that good would win. Afterward, I told him I thought he was being simplistic: “There are a lot of shades of gray in this war. I think it’s more nuanced.”

He looked at me and said, “If this isn’t good versus evil, what is?”

Then he reminded me that when Ronald Reagan went to Berlin, he called on Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” — not to put a gate in it or to remove some bricks. Mr. Reagan said to tear it all down.

Mr. Bush saw the presidency as the place to call the American people to big challenges — in morally clear terms. As his spokesman, I knew that many people would be uncomfortable with how easily he made such moral judgments. I also knew that many Americans welcomed his tough, direct and unambiguous moral clarity.

I’ll miss that direct talk. In the age of terrorism, the one thing we have to fear more than anything is moral relativism.
Read the rest here.

Finally, Campaign '08 Ends

2008-11-04T17:35:00.003-06:00

Election day is nearly over (yes, I voted today!) and at long last we can breathe a sigh of relief to know that whatever the outcome tonight, tomorrow America can move on. Now that you've voted, I think it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy some election day humor while the ballots are counted. Here, here, and here are good places to start.

Happy Election Day!

Ready to Live, Ready To Die

2008-10-24T10:34:00.005-05:00

Gayle Williams was an aid worker who was martyred this week at the age of 34. She was described as someone who "always loved the Afghans and was dedicated to serving those who are disabled... She herself would not regret taking the risk of working in Afghanistan. She was where she wanted to be -- holding out a helping hand to those in need." The Taliban claimed responsibility for her death.

Yesterday I attended a women's luncheon at my church. Let me say that I attend a wonderful church which happens to be in a beautiful, wealthy area. Our struggles in the church are not such as dealing with poverty, but more of how to deal with wealth. There are some truly devoted people in my church who do use their wealth to advance God's kingdom, and then there are some who are there only because the church is close to where they live, and convenient to attend. So we have a variety of people at my church, but the most visible are the beautiful, wealthy ones.* All that to say, that I attend a "safe", church in a historic building, crammed full of people who have never been made to suffer for naming the name of Christ (and I am one, too), and yesterday we all attended a beautiful luncheon, each table decorated with fresh roses, places set in perfect order, gifts beside our plates, and delicious food and dessert to munch on while we heard a speaker talk about, of all things, mercy and hope.

What is my point? I don't know how to suffer for Christ because I've never been made to. Our speaker yesterday pointed out that we should never begrudge the happy days God gives us, that we have to deal with them like we do the bad days. God gives both. But you know, I feel so very strange to have it so easy here. I'm not asking for persecution, and in all honesty, I don't want it. But the rest of the world is dealing with suffering every day, and my greatest concerns are what to wear next, or if I should change jobs, or which friends to spend time with. I am happy and have a wonderful life right now, and praise God for such a gift. I'm not saying I never cry from emotional hurts or physical pain, but these things are never inflicted by others because I am a Christian, and that makes a lot of difference. I thought this statement from an article about Gayle Williams strikes the point I have been trying, in a very roundabout way, to make:

"When confronted by the stories of those who live their faith among people who hate them for it, I am inspired, saddened, thankful, and convicted all at once. The death and murder of Gayle Williams startles those at ease to reflection. The pervasive opposition in the lives of believing university students awakens even seasoned believers to their own apathy. How courageous is the believer who follows Christ among those who hurl insults and hostility? How treasured is the Bible that must be buried in the backyard for protection? How sacred is the faith of one who is willing to die for it?"

The author goes on to say:

"Mark Twain once said, 'Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect.' For those of us who live the faith we profess without challenge, trial, or risk, reflection may well be appropriate. Is it possible that we have so shut ourselves up in Christian circles that we have closed ourselves off from the unbelieving world and hence any chance of suffering for Christ? Is it possible that we are so at ease among the majority that we avoid venturing out as the minority among those who might hate or hurt us? Certainly we experience hostility and persecution indirectly; Bill Maher’s new film Religulous is one example among many. But how we are personally interacting with the angry, the lost, and the broken masses Jesus once wept over is another thing entirely. How effectively we live as 'the salt of the earth' that Jesus described depends on our place and posture within it. Surely salt that remains content within the shaker has lost its saltiness."

Read the article in it's entirety here, then reflect on your position as a Christian, and whether you are ready to live, suffer, or even die for the name of Christ.

*Let me say this also about my church: there is an active emphasis on reaching out to the urban areas surrounding the church and beyond, we also send out a great many missionaries, and we are beginning to see more ethnicity represented in the services. The leadership knows it's challenges and is attempting to respond accordingly. Not all people who attend are who's who or have enviable jobs, homes, wealth. We are beginning to see, and we do rejoice in, the variety of people who are coming in as a result of active service by church members in various urban areas.

How Not To Help The Poor:

2008-10-22T11:47:00.003-05:00

Anthony Bradley writes:
If there's one lesson from the "war on poverty" programs the US government instituted in the 1970s it is that government programs were the primary source of the destruction of the black family and the erosion of the dignity of the black men in particular in low-income urban areas. Good intentions ain't enough. The federal programs pushed out the church and destroyed many black communities. It took about 20 years to see the effects of well-intended but stupid government programs. The crazy notion that "we just need to get the right government program" is fantasy.

HT: Justin Taylor

Easy Economics

2008-10-22T11:45:00.001-05:00

This explanation is the best yet.

Butterflies

2008-10-21T17:33:00.008-05:00

One of the best things about living where we do is being able to witness the Monarch butterfly migration to Mexico once a year. Every time I step out of the front door and into my mom's garden, those colorful butterflies rise and fall, circling around and above me, greeting me with their pulsating wings and peppering the sky with vibrant hues of orange and black. It is a moment of serenity and joyous movement all at once, as only butterflies can do - and I watch in amazement and wonder, giving thanks to our Creator who gives and breathes life into all creation, people and butterflies alike. :)

Last Saturday, we had the joy of joining my sister-in-law and Kathryn for an event near their home celebrating the Monarch butterfly. There were butterfly releases, face painting, pumpkin decorating, butterfly picture making, and free popcorn. A few pictures of the event, taken by Landon:

I guess scarecrows like butterflies, too.

It was a chilly morning, perfect for stopping in at the little coffee shop on Main Street.

A vintage steam engine still makes a run between local cities. People waiting to board.

What is an outdoors event, any event, without funnel cakes and:

Lemonade?

Kathryn on a hay bale.

Love this sign!

Kathryn models her very own butterfly LassieGirl pinnie, created for the event.

A Liberal Supermajority

2008-10-21T17:08:00.003-05:00

From the Wall Street Journal:

If the current polls hold, Barack Obama will win the White House on November 4 and Democrats will consolidate their Congressional majorities, probably with a filibuster-proof Senate or very close to it. Without the ability to filibuster, the Senate would become like the House, able to pass whatever the majority wants.

Though we doubt most Americans realize it, this would be one of the most profound political and ideological shifts in U.S. history. Liberals would dominate the entire government in a way they haven't since 1965, or 1933.

The article goes on to cite some examples of bills that would have passed had it not been for the Senate minority stopping them. The author then concludes with this:

In both 1933 and 1965, liberal majorities imposed vast expansions of government that have never been repealed, and the current financial panic may give today's left another pretext to return to those heydays of welfare-state liberalism. Americans voting for "change" should know they may get far more than they ever imagined.

True Womanhood

2008-10-09T21:54:00.003-05:00

I regret not having made a serious commitment to attending this conference for women going on now in Chicago. Thankfully, this amazing event is being shown via live feed here (register for free and then you're good to go), where you can watch the sessions and even the worship (with the Getty's leading it! My favorite team of modern hymn writers). Catch it live, otherwise you'll have to pay for the archives. It is worth your time to tune in, believe me. Tim Challies is also live blogging it here. I am lifting from his page this part from John Piper's message tonight:

"...wimpy theology makes wimpy women. The opposite of a wimpy woman is not a brash, pushy, loud, uppity, arrogant Amazon, but a woman of character (and here he provided several examples of faithful, suffering women). Wimpy theology does not give a woman a God big enough or good enough to deal with the realities of life and still rejoice. This poor theology is plagued by woman-centeredness; it does not have the granite foundation of God’s sovereignty underneath; it does not have the structure of a God-centered purpose for all human life."

Go read the rest.

VP Debate

2008-10-02T16:50:00.003-05:00

I will be watching with the rest of the country. I'm very curious, as I imagine everyone else is.

The media, tentatively criticizing Sarah Palin at first, have gained momentum in the past couple of weeks. I know that the interview Sarah Palin did with Katie Couric was widely panned, but I think everyone should be made aware of the difference in the way she was interviewed compared with Couric's interview with Biden two days before Palin's. Here is Palin's interview (part one and two), here is Biden's. You don't have to watch more than a few minutes to see the huge difference. In the interview with Palin, Katie Couric interviews her in a darkened room, leans into Sarah Palin in an aggressive way, looks stern, asks questions in a near sarcastic tone, and does her best (to me anyway) to not put Palin at ease. She asked tough questions and is unrelenting when Palin can't answer in a way satisfactory to Couric.

In the Biden interview, Couric is relaxed, lounging on his couch while she interviews him on his bus and among his supporters. She never once asks a tough question. Not once. He smiled, laughed, his happy campaign pictures flashed across the screen as his supporters cheered him on camera, while Sarah Palin looked like a criminal placed for questioning. Nobody panned Biden's interview because there was nothing to pan.

I don't mind watching tough interviews because I think it is a test of a candidate's ability to talk about issues away from a debate or campaign setting. But please, please be fair and treat both opponents equally. Couric's interviews were just another example of distorted media bias. Where are the real journalists out there who will refuse to let their political ideologies get in the way of their reporting?

When you find one, let me know, k? :-)

Celebration Season

2008-10-01T19:53:00.005-05:00

Fall brings a flurry of birthdays for this family. Since Mom's birthday is the end of September, it kicks the celebratory season off. Here are a few photos from her day:

Another year, another age, but who's counting? :-)

Bendel likes to party.

Kathryn spent the day with Mimi.

But finds some time for Pawpaw too. ;)

Here she helps Mimi unwrap gifts.

Ashley used a fall inspiration for decorating.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Airplane Watching

2008-09-22T17:29:00.005-05:00

On Saturday we decided to go check out the new observation area at our airport. It was fun to watch all the planes taking off, going to destinations that, for all we knew, are exciting and unique. They were probably only going to other boring cities, but it's fun to imagine differently. ;-) I am sure all the passengers on the various planes were wondering what celebrity was on their flight, the way people crowded in to watch landings. There were airport employees, families, photographers, and people (like us) who were just interested in observing. I never knew before then what a sport airplane watching could be.

The following photos were taken by Landon (of course) and represent just another day at the airport.

Lexi gets a close up look at what could be called the "behind-the-scenes" area of the airport: the gates and tarmac.

We were there for a few international arrivals. (Nice big planes!) I became travel anxious when I spotted BA. Must go to London now! was my immediate thought.

Ah, nothing like a visit to the airport to make the travel bug bite deep into a currently stationary object such as myself. Next year promises to be a good travel year for me, if I can only hold out until then... ;-)

Summer in Texas: Lizard on a Tree

2008-09-12T09:21:00.003-05:00

Captured by Landon

Kathryn at 8 Months

2008-09-12T09:06:00.003-05:00

The Veep Controversy

2008-09-06T22:27:00.007-05:00

I can't quite articulate yet how I feel about the choice of Sarah Palin for McCain's VP. I am currently reading articles from both sides of the issue and thinking it through, trying my best to form an opinion that is concise, consistent with my beliefs, and made through the understanding of what God says in his word. This is not easy, but I'm willing to hear both sides, those who say she is not qualified based on the the theology of complementarianism and those who say she is qualified because Scripture may/may not apply to her as a civil leader. I am not sure it applies to her anyway because it doesn't seem as though she is a faithful believer. She just seems to be a "good girl", one who does not do "bad" things and who says all the "right" things. Can we then apply Scripture to her situation? Does she really represent Christian women? On the other hand, what are the consequences of a woman who takes the position of second highest office in the land? There will be no going back from there and the next step will be a female commander in chief. Is this wise? Are we inviting God's judgement if we vote for her? But then, what about the third party factor? Voting for anyone else truly does send that many more votes Obama's way. And his views which are anti-freedom, anti-religious, anti-everything but what the left deems is right from their point of view, seems far more dangerous to me than having a woman as a VP. I have said more than I thought I would, but you can see how this issue does bear a thoughtful searching of Scripture, prayer, and an informed decision one way or the other.

I will say one thing more: it is the presence of two kinds of thinking on the internet that are influencing me to vote for McCain. One is represented here in an unabashedly anti-life blog post from an MD practicing in the San Fransisco area. The other side is here. Both seem extreme and yet they both represent the illogical reasoning so prevalent in our culture. The one says that Trig Palin has no right to live (but then he goes on to praise the Palins for having him - where is the consistency? Either you believe all disabled infants should be killed or you don't). The other says that Sarah Palin is a mother who should be home. Bar none exceptions. My only problem with the latter's reasoning is that he never researches or considers any other viewpoint but his own and only wants to hear from those who agree with him. I think we should all be open to discussing this. Like I said before, this is not an easy decision that Christians should make, one way or the other.

And now I shut my mouth and will go back to reading and thinking. :-)

How Many of Us Are Guilty?

2008-09-06T22:21:00.001-05:00

I know I am and that's hard to admit, but true. Read and be convicted: Quick Lies

Summer in Texas: Part III

2008-08-28T15:44:00.006-05:00

Landon was out shooting nature when a storm began forming in the distance.

(above) A cumulonimbus cloud takes on an anvil shape, the sign of a thunderstorm.

(above) The clouds expanding over Texas skies.

(above) A sunflower in the storm's glow.

(above and below)
The anvil has taken on more definition now and clearly points the storm's direction .

(above)
Birds taking flight before the storm.

(above)
The storm clouds expand even more and take on fiery colors (reflections of the afternoon sun).

(above) The downdraft with rain is now visible behind the cumulonimbus layers.

Summer in Texas: Part II

2008-08-26T18:14:00.005-05:00

The following photos were shot by Landon at a local bird sanctuary.

Summer in Texas: Part I

2008-08-23T22:13:00.003-05:00

My brother, Landon, is a very skilled nature photographer. I will be posting some of his pictures from this summer all week so that you can admire his work as much as I do. :-)

A Texas Hummingbird
(or, a hummingbird in Texas):

Knitting and Literacy

2008-08-18T15:03:00.002-05:00

A library in Canada kicks out a girls' knitting group in order to become more "literacy focused". However, they have a new plan in place to attract younger crowds: video game nights. Huh?! Knitting is a constructive, mental process which challenges the brain with learning to read patterns and charts in multiple languages, doing math calculations, and problem solving to achieve a result. Gaming is pointless entertainment, not a promotion of literacy. This simply does not make sense...

But, as a knitter and avid reader, what do I know about it? :-)

Ashley's Birthday

2008-08-16T18:43:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated Ashley's birthday. It was my turn to decorate for the birthday girl and I had a little help from Lexi:

My mom found the roses, which matched the color scheme perfectly. I based it on some napkins I found at Target with a modern butterfly print on them. Unfortunately, I did not have a lot of time to decorate, so this had to suffice.

Ashley opens her gifts.

Lexi had picked out the candles for the cake. We were a little surprised when Ashley couldn't blow them out...

...though she tried very hard, this was as far as she could get:

We all had a good laugh when we realized that Lexi had bought sparkling trick candles!

Health and Weight

2008-08-14T10:44:00.005-05:00

Doug Wilson blogs about weight and the feminie ideal:
When a girl who is hovering on the edge of "skeletal" sincerely believes in her heart that she is "fat," the problem is obviously one of a dominating paradigm of self-deception. And when this happens, such a person usually attracts the concerned attention of others, but only because (and this is my point) she took the problem too far. A lot of people have a milder version of the same problem, and no one is concerned at all.
Read the rest here.

Also, new studies show that being fat doesn't necessarily mean you're unhealthy and that being thin doesn't necessarily mean you are healthy:
You can look great in a swimsuit and still be a heart attack waiting to happen. And you can also be overweight and otherwise healthy. A new study suggests that a surprising number of overweight people — about half — have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while an equally startling number of trim people suffer from some of the ills associated with obesity.

The first national estimate of its kind bolsters the argument that you can be hefty but still healthy, or at least healthier than has been believed.

Article here.

Yay for someone finally pointing out the obvious: bad food and a bad lifestyle are bad for you, whether you're fat or thin. It always seemed illogical to me that it is seemingly okay for thin people to eat greasy, sodium loaded, chemically altered fast food but it isn't okay for fat people, just because they actually gain weight on it. It just seems logical to assume that what is bad for one person would be bad for everyone, and being thin can't save you from the very unhealthy foods that we consume daily in America. I have an aunt who consumes fast food regularly and secretly gorges on oreos concealed in her room, and just because she is thin she thinks she's okay and healthy. Don't you think that while the excess sugar and fat may not make her gain weight, it is still an unhealthy lifestyle? America seriously needs to get over the weight prejudices/judgments that exist in every conversation about health and turn the focus onto good food/bad food and healthy lifestyles. And please, let's just not discuss weight at this point because it obviously has nothing to do with making a judgment call about health.
Thank you. :-)

Mystery Revealed

2008-08-13T13:45:00.005-05:00

Mysterious box.

Very carefully, open the lid:

I cannot believe what's inside!

Macaroons! Delicious, yummy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate macaroons:

Ashley spent all of my birthday making these as a surprise for me. She used this recipe and they turned out perfect.

There is a story to this gift, as you might imagine. When Ashley and I were visiting family in France two years ago, we went a little crazy at the patisseries. Once we had tasted the delicious French desserts we had to return to a patisserie every day for more. We had tarte citron (lemon tart), pain aux chocolat, pain aux amandes et chocolat (chocolate bread and chocolate almond bread, respectively; aka croissants), gateau basque (Basque cake) and... Macaroons. Delicious macaroons that came in more flavors than you can imagine. On my first patisserie visit I thought the macaroons would be like the ones I had tasted here, and of course I was uninterested - until I saw them, then tasted them, then got hooked on them.

When we returned home, Ashley and I began our hunt for French macaroons. All the bakery websites in our area promised authentic French macaroons. We would try one and instantly be disappointed. We didn't give up however, and occasionally I would get a phone call from Ashley that would go like this: "Shelbi! I found a French bakery and they have macaroons! I'm buying a couple - I'll let you know..." Then, a few minutes later, a text message: "never mind, they were horrible!"

We finally gave up. It seemed so ludicrous that the bakeries that promised authentic French food from owners/chefs who had supposedly visited/studied/lived in France turned out to be as American as other bakeries. How could you have visited France and tasted the food and then turn out something that didn't even resemble the French equivalent?! Even the patisserie chains in France have superior macaroons, which look like this:

See the difference?
Not hard, ultra sweet American cookies. These were melt-in-your-mouth, bittersweet delicacies.

So, for my birthday, Ashley found a recipe and decided to try her hand at making macaroons. You will notice that the recipe calls for almonds, which have to be blanched then ground into powder. This is one secret to French desserts that American bakeries fail to note: the French almost always use almond powder or flavoring in their pastries. Everything has a slight almond taste, from the tarts to the croissants. It is so much better than our use of vanilla extract, which makes our desserts very sweet tasting. Almond flavoring counteracts the chocolate and sugar in French recipes, offering a sweet but flavorful dish. Go ahead, give the recipe a try. Have a French tea. Dress appropriately (French women are femininely dressed: always skirts, loose slacks/pants or dresses, even for grocery shopping or visits to the park!), practice your best manners (the French excel at this! For instance, the first thing my cousin schooled us on was to always greet and always take leave of people, even to waiters at the cafes - it is culturally unacceptable and considered very rude to not do both). Decorate with natural botany from your surroundings. Make tea or petite cafe au lait. Relax and fall in love with the French lifestyle, like I did two years ago. :-)

Note: when Ashley and I were mall shopping in France, we would always stop by this patisserie chain for a pastry fix. Paul's offers a guide to French manners on their website, which is hilarious and informative all at once. For instance, take this advice on greetings:

"Greet friends and family with La Bise, a kiss to each cheek, starting with the right, and accompanied by the words “Salut! Ça va?” or similar. Kissing on the lips should be a private activity, as should feeding each other PAUL chocolate or coffee éclairs…"
Or this one:
"Sitting down to Eat: Men take their seats after women. Once everyone is seated, if a woman gets up from the table, it is customary for all the men to get up as well. It is also customary for men to stand up when new guests arrive – unless they are children. Women remain seated. If a woman returns to the table or arrives late, the men must stand and remain standing until she has sat down. And no, it’s not a game of musical chairs. After all that, you will have worked up an appetite for some PAUL bread."

My Birthday...

2008-08-12T09:24:00.005-05:00

...it rolls around once a year. When I was a child, it felt like an eternity in between birthdays. Now they come faster and faster. Thankfully I have a wonderful surrounding of family and friends who helped me to celebrate another turned year. I'm so thankful for all the comments (and wow, one from Korea! Thanks, Brian!), emails, text messages, and phone messages that I received. I feel so very special! :-)

Here are a few photos Landon took during the day:

My breakfast table, complete with roses.

Delicious breakfast treat of blueberry muffins.
(one of the many perks of still living at home as an adult: your family still goes all out for birthdays!) :)

What's in the box?
'Twill be opened and shared later.

Birthday candles.
And no, I'm not 5... My family just didn't feel like fitting 20 more candles on there. :)

Bendel celebrated too.

Over at the Resurgence Blog...

2008-08-09T11:14:00.003-05:00

Mark Driscoll shares some recent conversations with J.I. Packer here and here.

22 Words

2008-08-01T20:01:00.004-05:00

This blog site has fast become a favorite with me. The author asks a question or makes a statement in as few words as possible. I love the topics, I love the comments. I really liked this one.

reforMaiden

Of Poems and Prose

New Year, New Intentions (and, incidentally, new blog design!)

Ducks' Ditty

Knock, Knock...

Christmas Carols

Day 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special

Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly holiday season

Day 3: Most meaningful gift/best gift you've received

Day 2: Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks

Day 1: Christmas/Holiday traditions

The 12 Days of Christmas

November

Introducing

Mystic

Why, Hello There...

Shirley

This Was Grace.

Ah Holy Jesus

Not My Deserving

Poverty and The Gospel

Global Warming Today

Yes, I'm Still Here

Looking Back: 2009

Looking Back: 2009

Amazing...

Remebering 2009

Remembering 2009: January

Merry Christmas

The Worst Ideas of the 2000's

The Old Peabody Pew

"Man-ifesto"

Extra! Extra!

Mount Desert Island: Day 1

Extra! Extra!

Boston: Part II

Boston

Goin' Home

Mount Desert Island

North Carolina

Boring

Lovely Summer Days

Some Quick Observations on Food:

Summer is Over...

Summer Vacation: Day 4

Summer Vacation: Day 3

Summer Vacation: Day 2

My Summer Vacation

Speaking of Ms. Austen:

I Was Not Invited *Sigh*

Summer Fun

All-American 4th of July

Monday Morning Random Thoughts

July 4th

Summer Visitor

Take A Tour Today...

Spring Piano Recital

Skills on Courts and Keys

As Promised 5 Weeks Ago:

For Moms Everywhere

Happy to Announce:

Home Again, Home Again...

It's Spring Break...

Warped Beauty

Yet Another Brag

Had to Share...

Madonna Syndrome

Just to Share

San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival 2009

From The Squalor of A Borrowed Stable

For Pride and Prejudice Fans:

Christmas Past

Christmas on Main

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kathryn in November

Post-Election Thoughts

Finally, Campaign '08 Ends

Ready to Live, Ready To Die

How Not To Help The Poor:

Easy Economics

I Was Not Invited Sigh