May I....

I would just like to say thank you to my friends and family who recently found out about this blog and have been prodding and cajoling me to post more ever since. Expectation is the price one pays when starting one of these. Don't get me wrong, I hate it when my favorite bloggers don't post. Curiosity killed the cat you know, and I don't miss that cat, so i'm obviously pro curiosity. I demand postage when it isn't there, and so it is only fair that you should too. I just have to remind everyone of the disclaimer with which I started this blog,(see first post). I say when! I say who!...am I kidding, I'm a total pleaser. And having said all of that, I'm back, wanting to be more dedicated to blogging bliss, and I shall try.

Hip To Be Square

I teach teen-wonders at 6 in the AM most mornings. This morning we were talking about symbols and parables, and such. So I had these four symbols written on the board, I needed to make one up I knew they wouldn't know so I put this.

See, you don't know what it is either.

Anyway I was down to the last symbol and I needed one that I was sure they would know, so the first thing that came to mind was the Superman symbol, a weak choice, and thinking back now, the obvious icon would have been Mickey Mouse but what do you expect at 6 am? Anyway Superman would have worked, but for whatever reason I thought "hey what about Super Grover? I love Super Grover!" They'll totally get that!" Wrong. "and they'll think that's funny" Also, Wrong. So, off I go drawing my super G on the little lightning bolt thinking it's this great idea.


I was right about the first symbol, no clue. Problem was I got the same thing on the last symbol...blank stares. I said, "you know guys, Sesame Street?", Response, "Sesame Street?", Me, "yeah, you know, Grover! Super Grover! [pathetically attempt simulated flying with arms outstretched overhead, doing the little voice he makes (kind of like Tarzan) when he crashes down from the sky]", again I get blank stares. Ok, moving on. And I was stunned once again by the generation gap I'm facing here, and how hilariously, and definitively uncool I had just proven myself to be. I mean if they only knew.

It was only fitting that as Pants and I got in the car to drive home, this song came on the radio. She wrinkled her forehead, scrunched up her cute little nose and asked, "who sings this?" Without any hesitation, not even looking up I said matter of factly, "Hewey Lewis and the News", and proceeded to laugh out loud. She said that exasperated "what?" that teenagers say where they don't pronounce the "t" and I explained that I was laughing because I knew the answer to her question. "Oh" she replied, she didn't get it. Which is fine, neither do I, I just know that whenever I hear that song I will forever see Michael J Fox throwing on that life preserver of a jacket, jumping in his car with wings, and flying off to some place where they don't "need" roads, or Super Grover apparently...the future.

Infant Guises

See, this is what I mean about personality, (see previous Isaac post)and this was just in one day. I swear these were completely not contrived. Except for maybe Isaac Burrito, but it's not like he was going to wrap himself, and he likes being like that because he can bob his head. Duh.

Isaac the Thinker



Isaac Burrito



Isaac the Thug (but I looked up the etymology of the word thug, which I won't list here because it isn't very nice, and so I would like to state that Isaac isn't really a thug in the actual term, but only in the sort of cute way people use the word some times, you know, like "aww, you thug" like that)

The Corset

I don't know if I have mentioned that while I have been home I have been working in a small intimates shop called The Corset Shop. We have lots of pretty things, as well as the odd and unexpected i.e. bras the size of my head, literally. But I have honed my fitting skills and I can sell a mean bra. So last week we had our 60th anniversary. The owner put up a vintage display of corsets and lingerie and this morning it was my task to take them down. So I found myself wrestling with the mannequin up front.



I could not get this corset to budge and I'm up there talking to myself and muttering this and that and something about "..how in the world did they ever get themselves into these things let alone out of them?" when my fingers finally fumble across the solution, only I laugh out loud when I realize what the solution was; 60 eye hooks from the top of the thigh right up under the arm. Are you kidding me?



Never again will I complain about societies expectation of the female undergarment,we don't have much of one any more. And thinking about it now, it is more convenient, definitely more comfortable, but I can't help but wonder if all that underwear didn't leave a little more to the imagination. Not like I'm going to pretend to know anything about this but, my co-worker mentioned that our opposite sex may also appreciate the fact that women's under-apparel no longer requires 60 or so eye hooks to remove, but then I say maybe they'd like the challenge, every once in a while. In any case I will give it a pretty, but cumbersome in catalogue speak as it was so kind as to give me a good laugh this morning.

Nameless Wonder

Hi Family and very few friends that read this I think there are one of you, maybe two, anyway. My blog name stinks, and I find it generally unsatisfactory, which is kind of belaboring the point, the name has temporarily been changed to the aforementioned title of this post. So I would appreciate some feed back, suggestions, etc. I may or may not use any of it, of course, but you're used to that. And I'd really like to hear the great blog names you come up with. look at her she's nameless and wondering. She's a quote without a name, and I might even take that away. (see, I did I took it away) So lets have some comments please.

Isaac John Dunford

It was a process to get our not so little new addition to our family here last week. Abby went to the hospital Thursday night and 43 hours and 11lbs 5oz later I had my super hero sister Abigail, and my sweet new nephew Isaac John happy and healthy, and it was finished, or just beginning, I don't know. Either way he was here, finally! I am just smitten. We all are. He is his mother's son, sweet, and stubborn. but we'll most definitely keep him. I was there for most of the labor and that was not really planned. I have a lot to say about it, I have not decided yet what I will say on here, but it will be something. I just wanted to make an introduction and since everyone has been making such a big deal about his weight, and don't get me wrong, he was large, really, really large, I just thought I would give you some idea of the blossoming personality. I like to call this the pirate face. We've seen it a few times now and it is fast becoming a personal favorite. I think it speaks volumes of attitude. And we know how I love me some good sass.

Raccoons

Here's the thing about Raccoons, I hate them, I mean I dislike them immensely. Except that the word raccoon is actually sort of cute and sometimes there are illustrations of raccoons that are really cute like this one for example to the right. But don't let that fool you, they aren't, they are just dumb, and well, dumb. Which leads me to my story. I was driving my teen-wonders (I teach seminary at the moment)home from a gathering where a bunch of people were attempting to tell them that the Lord's university was in fact located right here in the United States of America some where in the Rocky Mountain Region, and that they should all go there. Whether or not they succeeded in this task I am unsure. But Pants is still Michigan bound she just doesn't know which colors she will choose yet, or which will choose her rather. But I digress. So we're driving along and I'm educating them on U2 and Tom Petty both of whom they have sadly never heard of. Honestly? And out of no where comes this fat, dumb, lazy raccoon right into the middle of the road. Now I don't know about you but my mother taught me that under no circumstances are you to ever swerve to miss an animal. So, obedient daughter that I am, I gripped the steering wheel and cringed as we felt the bump and heard the crunch. Gross. Not only did it scare the bejeebees out of me and the teen-wonders, I now had raccoon guts all over my back wheel. I'm sorry if you are disturbed by my lack of empathy for the raccoon, but I had my lights on, I was obviously coming and it walked right out in front of me, I mean, thats just asking for it. So i guess this is more of a confession. I ran into a raccoon and I don't feel bad about it. I thought about feeling bad about it, but on second thought, decided that I just didn't really. See, for every raccoon that blatantly walks out infront of a moving vehicle and chooses it's own death, there is another one breaking into a garbage can and making a mess on your drive way. Just think of it that way and you will feel better next time you hit the accelerator and keep on truckin, I promise.

Nie Nie Day

I have been heart broken and amazed over this story http://cjanerun.com/. The lovely Stephanie Nielson http://www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/ and her husband Christian were in a terrible plane crash last week, and are in critical condition at a burn center in Mesa, Arizona. She has burns over 80% of her body and he is in only slightly better condition. I know this woman only through her blog, which from the first time I visited, radiated some sort of magical happiness. I read about her life and her love for her family and thought "this is it, this is how it should be, note to self, this is what I want." I admit to feeling a slight pang of jealousy, how, I wondered, could people be this lucky to love like this and find so much joy in each other? Obviously the blogosphere is only a glimps of people, but this glimpse was particularly lovely. When I heard about this tragedy I was just heart sick, and as I read the family's stories of the reality of this couples magical life, and the fact that in seconds it was so tragically threatened it made me even more appreciative for how fully they live their lives loving each other, and those around them. It is such an example to me of the fact that life is short, and I need to live it the best way I know how. Even as these two sweet people recover, and gratefully so, had this been the end of their journey here on this earth I feel sure they would have looked back to know that they lived it with all of their hearts. And now as they fight for their lives it is amazing to see how many people, many like me, complete stangers, feel such a connection to them and want to help. It is a beautiful thing. I wish my blog wasn't so very brand new, so that more people would see this and know where to go to help raise funds for their recovery, but for my family and freinds who do look at this go to http://www.designmom.com/2008/08/nie-nie-day.html to get more info on Nie Nie Day.

Cheeks

I'm sitting in Abby's new living room. My grandparent's are playing cards at the table with Abby and Jonathan. We are all waiting for the baby to decide to come out and play. And someday I will forgive him for throwing a wrench in our labor day plans (they were really good). But that is OK, as long as I can squeeze his cheeks soon, and life is still as it should be as long as my g-pa is still randomly blurting out "cheeks cheats!" at the card table while he tweaks his own hand, the little rascal. I do love him.

Happy, Healthy Dad

I made it my task to feed Dad healthy meals out of our garden everyday this week while mom was out of town. (In actuality I do that most nights these days since mom has been on kitchen strike...because she can.)And it was a success I think:

Monday

Sauteed chard/shallot and new potato/zuchinni/shallot fritatas
Fresh sliced tomatoes/basil/balsamic vinagre
Whole wheat baguette

Tuesday

Cheese Ravioli
Sauteed mini zuchinni,sliced cherry tomatoe sauce

Wed

Grilled pork chops
Savory Blueberry/Balsamic vinagre Sauce
Whole wheat pasta
Fresh green beans

Thursday

Fresh Haddock broiled (just caught by one of dad's patients, really nice fillets)
Beschamel sauce
roasted baby potatos
Brocoli

Friday

Dad took me to what he likes to call, OB-KB's (code for Quedoba's...obviously)

Saturday

After a really hard run, Dad Margie and I went to culvers where dad was hoping for the grilled pork loin sandwhich. But was forced to get a burger, and further forced by me to make it a single, not a double. He thanked me later.

Saturday (Round 2)

Fresh tomato/basil sandwhich (he was hungry after that single)

Sunday

Egg Plant Parmesean

All in all I think I did a pretty good job

Summer

I wonder now what I thought I would be someday twenty years ago. I'm pretty sure I had dreams of being a teacher or a marine biologist, that was a popular one, which must have been why I even thought it at the time, considering I hate everything about fish except catching them and eating them. Not in that order of course, more like the kind of fishing where your dad baits your hook for you, catch, release, and then you go out for sushi or pick up some Gordon's on the way home. Once I got to High School I had visions of being an art dealer at Christie's in London or New York, or curator at the Met. If you would have told me I would have finished a Masters in Social Work at 30 years old and would currently be looking for a job working in the inner city of some metropolis or another hoping to help the un-salvageable save themselves, or at least stay alive another year, I would have said, "social work, what?" And yet, here I am, far from the inner sanctum of an art museum, and up to my elbows in large amounts of humanity. I made the right choice, I guess the question is what do I want to do now that I'm here? What can I do?

I was drowning in my own thoughts of all this grown up crap tonight as I drove Margie home from a party; windows down, listening to music, and out of a silence I was unaware of she said, "I love summer." I stopped brooding for a minute, relaxed my shoulders, sank back into the drivers seat, and with a grateful smile replied, "yeah, me too."

Bloggers make better friends?

This may be true. I mean I appreciate a good blogging friend, so why can't I just be appreciated for appreciating? I'd appreciate it. In any case it is just as well I buckle down and do this, I think I opened this site up a year ago with very good intentions, but we know what usually happens to those. So I am resolving to blog for ever more (or until I don't feel like it anymore) about whatever it is I choose to blog. I'll take a vote at some later date and see if my quality as a friend has improved because of it. We shall see.