So in mulling over the deep divisions within the political parties, and how self serving and unwilling everyone is to compromise and consider each other's opinions, a FB friend Carole had this on her page. Not sure who wrote it but it is appropro:
"The tragedy of the polarization in politics of this era is, via Paul's example of the body, the hand has judged the brain because it cannot move, and the brain has judged the hand because it cannot think. Thus the hand moves without wisdom, the brain cannot act, and the whole body loses."
Mar 29, 2010
Glimpses of Humanity
It was strange waking up this morning thinking of the Allegory of the Cave. What is it in our natures to weigh-in on every issue from fancy cars and a neighbor's garden to charter schools, dog breeds and the unionization of coal miners in other countries? We have become shockingly self-important.
And with that in mind, I know you'll want to know everything about me. (HA!) I sometimes let the browser blurbs define what is newsworthy. Swear. I wouldn't be caught dead reading a rag at the checkout but I glance at aol.com every morning and read some of those ridiculous articles about whether your star is in the right house and if you are wearing clothes that flatter your body style. What is up with that?!
And with that in mind, I know you'll want to know everything about me. (HA!) I sometimes let the browser blurbs define what is newsworthy. Swear. I wouldn't be caught dead reading a rag at the checkout but I glance at aol.com every morning and read some of those ridiculous articles about whether your star is in the right house and if you are wearing clothes that flatter your body style. What is up with that?!
Mar 24, 2010
Dreams of Old Stucco
Tradition. There's a plan afoot for a honeymoon. Can we stop the momentum even if we wanted to? We lay dreaming of sights and smells of somewhere big and faraway. Day in, day out, it is we who scheme with maps and websites of images that lure us in. We exclaim yes, yes, now is the time to let the wind hit our face as we settle into the boat and float gently along to witness the magic of life making its way in a place we haven't been.
History. What will it feel like to run our hands along the stone and lichen and moss, knowing it will be an indelible moment but only one of thousands of people who for the last eight hundred years have done the same thing? Will it realize how profound a moment it is?
Do you think hairline cracks forms in our sense of the world whenever we take ourselves to somewhere magnificent and real? Is it like being in space, where we can see our little blue marble in a whole new way, as vast and immeasurably interesting? It's hard to imagine but thrilling to know that these lovely day-dreams can come true.
History. What will it feel like to run our hands along the stone and lichen and moss, knowing it will be an indelible moment but only one of thousands of people who for the last eight hundred years have done the same thing? Will it realize how profound a moment it is?
Do you think hairline cracks forms in our sense of the world whenever we take ourselves to somewhere magnificent and real? Is it like being in space, where we can see our little blue marble in a whole new way, as vast and immeasurably interesting? It's hard to imagine but thrilling to know that these lovely day-dreams can come true.
Lived-In and Loved
There are so many firsts in my life these days, it's hard to count them up. They shout life's upside with abundance and hope. I don't know why I keep expecting things to settle down: first I thought it would be after the holidays, then after New Years and the February wedding, or in March after Aiyana's birthday or David's. But life's excitement just bubbles up like a spring, easy to share a cup and pass on love and appreciation even in these troubling times.
There have been moments in the last decade when it was really important that I change course and focus inwardly on the family. I wouldn't have seen the signs myself but somehow the way was paved for me just at the right time. Some of my friends think it was luck (or bad luck) but I recognize God active in my life and Him giving me a little nudge in the right direction. I don't believe in luck.
There have been moments in the last decade when it was really important that I change course and focus inwardly on the family. I wouldn't have seen the signs myself but somehow the way was paved for me just at the right time. Some of my friends think it was luck (or bad luck) but I recognize God active in my life and Him giving me a little nudge in the right direction. I don't believe in luck.
Mar 23, 2010
Poppys
Don't you love it when you've got a long drive and something unexpected happens that makes it an adventure? Me, too. Something unexpected happened on my trip down south last week. I would have gone the old dreary way, down 5, over 156 to 101 south and so-on, but my son gave me his super secret shortcut past all the state prisons and mental hospitals. Let's assume he wasn't dropping a hint.
So I was busy counting off the miles lest I miss a turn on this two lane road, and the hills just exploded in glorious, rich and green new grass from the rain. I could hardly keep my eyes on the road they were so beautiful, each turn better than the last as it slowly wound itself toward the coast. There were houses dotted here and there with white picket fences owned by whom I thought must be the luckiest of people. Sheep and horses grazed with their babies standing nearby. I'll tell you, California in the spring is like nowhere else on earth.
So I was busy counting off the miles lest I miss a turn on this two lane road, and the hills just exploded in glorious, rich and green new grass from the rain. I could hardly keep my eyes on the road they were so beautiful, each turn better than the last as it slowly wound itself toward the coast. There were houses dotted here and there with white picket fences owned by whom I thought must be the luckiest of people. Sheep and horses grazed with their babies standing nearby. I'll tell you, California in the spring is like nowhere else on earth.
Mar 18, 2010
No Mo' Manners
I just don't understand all the weird and nasty comments that people leave on news articles and other public spaces like Facebook. Do you think it's just the yin and yang of the internet, where every voice has a sounding board even when it's ludicrous?
The internet has stripped away our manners. They've given us total access and celebrity status but do we really need to exist under the same scrutiny? Take for instance today's article on a 1960s gold medal winner's grandson being tragically killed. People jumped all over it, saying some pretty disparaging comments about the writer's style and format. They sure are emboldened tucked away with their hidden little laptops, saying things they would never say to the person's face. It royally pissed me off.
And so today I am officially doubly grateful for this little blog that quietly exists out of the limelight. I appreciate being stowed away in Anonymousland that is known only by people that know where to look. Those that want to read the funnies and foibles of an upbeat, unemployed, formerly single California girl who lives mid-sentence are probably the ones who star in the show. My life is wonderful but it is also what it is. People who come here already understand that.
Giving John Q Public the means to publish an opinion about absolutely everything is ridiculous. I long for the good old days of mystery, when you suspected someone might be stupid but they didn't have a chance to prove it.
For a dyed-in-the-wool, behind-the-scenes, get 'er done kind of energy bullet, this lifestyle change seemed kind of threatening at first. But now that I'm a celebrity and all, I'm thinking BIG. Maybe I'll aspire to be one of those astonishing 90 year olds who humbly lives in a one bedroom bungalow in Florida with too many cats and who bequeaths a stock portfolio totalling $10M to the cub scouts when I die.
Hey, it can happen!
The internet has stripped away our manners. They've given us total access and celebrity status but do we really need to exist under the same scrutiny? Take for instance today's article on a 1960s gold medal winner's grandson being tragically killed. People jumped all over it, saying some pretty disparaging comments about the writer's style and format. They sure are emboldened tucked away with their hidden little laptops, saying things they would never say to the person's face. It royally pissed me off.
And so today I am officially doubly grateful for this little blog that quietly exists out of the limelight. I appreciate being stowed away in Anonymousland that is known only by people that know where to look. Those that want to read the funnies and foibles of an upbeat, unemployed, formerly single California girl who lives mid-sentence are probably the ones who star in the show. My life is wonderful but it is also what it is. People who come here already understand that.
Giving John Q Public the means to publish an opinion about absolutely everything is ridiculous. I long for the good old days of mystery, when you suspected someone might be stupid but they didn't have a chance to prove it.
For a dyed-in-the-wool, behind-the-scenes, get 'er done kind of energy bullet, this lifestyle change seemed kind of threatening at first. But now that I'm a celebrity and all, I'm thinking BIG. Maybe I'll aspire to be one of those astonishing 90 year olds who humbly lives in a one bedroom bungalow in Florida with too many cats and who bequeaths a stock portfolio totalling $10M to the cub scouts when I die.
Hey, it can happen!
Mar 17, 2010
Sustainable Life
I've had weird dreams lately, like trying to pick a floating puppy out of the clouds that I can't quite reach or being in a balloon and watching a violent earthquake going on below. Shake ups are certainly the new norm in our lives. Worries about keeping the lights on and food on the table, being productive and valued, have for the first time allowed fear to creep into seeing a shockingly bleaker future than the past.
And yet I sustain hope. It's my personality, some might say, and I'm out of touch, but you know it's not that at all. It's a deliberate belief system that takes work and practice and due diligence. I choose to hope. One way is by spending time and helping out those who ask. Oh I get something in return. My payoff has been an unexpected joy in sharing the quiet moments in people's lives as they transition. I don't have to decide anything or stake a claim, just be an extra pair of hands that can listen and work.
My life was bleak and it took a long time to find my way out of the tunnel. All the more reason to help when the need arises. All the more reason not to wish others knew how dark and frightening it is. All the more reason to cling to hope.
How do we know we'll survive those times? We don't but we do. And when hope eventually returns, it helps us see life will improve. There is sustainable life ahead, one self propelled and waiting to find. Look through the lens of hope and it is there.
And yet I sustain hope. It's my personality, some might say, and I'm out of touch, but you know it's not that at all. It's a deliberate belief system that takes work and practice and due diligence. I choose to hope. One way is by spending time and helping out those who ask. Oh I get something in return. My payoff has been an unexpected joy in sharing the quiet moments in people's lives as they transition. I don't have to decide anything or stake a claim, just be an extra pair of hands that can listen and work.
My life was bleak and it took a long time to find my way out of the tunnel. All the more reason to help when the need arises. All the more reason not to wish others knew how dark and frightening it is. All the more reason to cling to hope.
How do we know we'll survive those times? We don't but we do. And when hope eventually returns, it helps us see life will improve. There is sustainable life ahead, one self propelled and waiting to find. Look through the lens of hope and it is there.
Mar 13, 2010
The World by Storm
There are moments now when the joy is so profound I can help but say it aloud. Thank you, Lord, for the gifts in my life.
Our middle son moved in last week, in his good natured way of adjusting and adapting to all the changes necessary to clear a space for him. He set up a room that is spacious and at the same time warm and inviting. Suits him. The youngest is home with us, too, working hard at a job in Sac, working out, eating right, making strides. He's a joy to be around, too.
When the kids were small, I made sure they each had a sense of responsibility and skills that would make them independent when the time came to venture out into their lives. Looking back, teaching them to cook and clean, do laundry and budget gave them confidence to thrive. I figured they'd do as I had done, dive into life and never look back.
But I'm changing my mind about that in this depression no one wants to call that. These days I'm observing that parenting isn't contained to twenty-some-odd years. It's a never-ending balancing act of believing and encouraging and even offering a hand when the economic weather turns. So here we are, on firmer ground with a little family of wonderfully self-sufficient, capable men gaining strength and comfort before they take the world by storm.
Our middle son moved in last week, in his good natured way of adjusting and adapting to all the changes necessary to clear a space for him. He set up a room that is spacious and at the same time warm and inviting. Suits him. The youngest is home with us, too, working hard at a job in Sac, working out, eating right, making strides. He's a joy to be around, too.
When the kids were small, I made sure they each had a sense of responsibility and skills that would make them independent when the time came to venture out into their lives. Looking back, teaching them to cook and clean, do laundry and budget gave them confidence to thrive. I figured they'd do as I had done, dive into life and never look back.
But I'm changing my mind about that in this depression no one wants to call that. These days I'm observing that parenting isn't contained to twenty-some-odd years. It's a never-ending balancing act of believing and encouraging and even offering a hand when the economic weather turns. So here we are, on firmer ground with a little family of wonderfully self-sufficient, capable men gaining strength and comfort before they take the world by storm.
She Knew
Last weekend we spent time with the kids in a big beautiful cabin in Twain Harte. It would have been our granddaughter's 9th birthday and the cabin held us all, on three levels, each room full of noise, ski bibs, goves and jackets, and the kitchen counters overflowing with food and snacks and fruit. I think it dawned on all of us throughout the weekend that this is the kind of family get-together Aiyana loved most, everyone talking at once over the blare of the TV and PJ's guitar music floating in from another room.
The younger ones were busy exploring and sledding and everyone went bowling on Saturday night. A daughter won $600 at the casino and there were tales of adults sledding down the hill and getting stuck at the bottom, and others of the older kids having a world class snowball fight.
From every window there were beautiful trees and a bright moon with stars that seemed close enough to touch. The cabin is being made over and is in the process of change. It struck me that this is the perfect place for a family doing the same thing, gains and losses and the earnest reconciliation that is etched in each of our lives.
We long for Aiyana, the sound of her voice, the touch of her hand, watching her at play. We feel joy that she is with God and He is celebrating her every day right along with us. We put out tea lights on the deck in big letters, bright enough to glow all the way to Heaven: We Love You, Aiyana.
Not a one of us would change a minute with her or the footprints she left on our hearts. And just like this great big house, we will transition from where we are to where we are heading, loving each other just the way Aiyana would have wanted it.
The younger ones were busy exploring and sledding and everyone went bowling on Saturday night. A daughter won $600 at the casino and there were tales of adults sledding down the hill and getting stuck at the bottom, and others of the older kids having a world class snowball fight.
From every window there were beautiful trees and a bright moon with stars that seemed close enough to touch. The cabin is being made over and is in the process of change. It struck me that this is the perfect place for a family doing the same thing, gains and losses and the earnest reconciliation that is etched in each of our lives.
We long for Aiyana, the sound of her voice, the touch of her hand, watching her at play. We feel joy that she is with God and He is celebrating her every day right along with us. We put out tea lights on the deck in big letters, bright enough to glow all the way to Heaven: We Love You, Aiyana.Not a one of us would change a minute with her or the footprints she left on our hearts. And just like this great big house, we will transition from where we are to where we are heading, loving each other just the way Aiyana would have wanted it.
Mar 8, 2010
Hands to Hold
The Saturday of the wedding was supposed to rain. Some logistical issues had to be thought through, and other worries arose with so many travelling into the foothills for the first time.The groom got there early, to the Inn, that is, and made sure the rooms were warmed and ready, signs were put up on the doors and home made chocolate chip cookies were put out in the diningroom. Afterwards, he was spotted in the pub pacing around and waiting for the long afternoon to wind down. His family was beside him, feeding him lunch and a shot or two, I'm sure. Meanwhile, the bride was taking a leisurely drive north with Jenn to settle into a beautiful room upstairs.
The brother of the groom was charged with keeping b&g apart, and he did a good job except for a glimpse or two as we crossed the parkinglot between the Inn and the reception hall. The men formed a semi-circle wall as we made our way past. It was then that I felt Bride-like and laughed over the traditions that make such an important day all the more special.
Early in the afternoon, the rain stopped as the clouds turned to light gray and rays of sunshine peeked through the windows on the 2nd floor. Nerves quieted by guests arriving to rap on the door and share their excited hugs and good wishes and maybe get a glimpse of the dress. The bouquet that Korina made was exquisite: buttondown satin with roses and natural greenery and from it the mementos of those missing from the day: dad and moms, a brother, our beautiful Aiyana.
We began our trek across the rolling lawn and down the stairs into the hallway right at 6. And as I curved into view, and saw Randy's handsome face as he stood at the end of the hall, nervousness over being the center of attention melted away. His eyes filled with tears and he wiped them as he took my hand in his and said what he always does and always makes me feel, you are beautiful.And together, we stepped over the threshold and into married life.
Unity Coin Ceremony
Well here we are, old married folk. (New marriage, old folk is more like it!) I'm sure there are many blogs to come about the wonderful fun of sharing in the celebration, Aunt Toodie and the Conga line and Uncle Dick with the rose in his teeth, and so many many more stories and smiles.
On My Spiritual Wedding site, we learned about Unity Coins in lieu of the Unity Candle. The coins seemed perfect to represent exactly what we wanted to convey to each other in witness by our families and friends, tangible lessons we've learned along the way about love and giving that will help make our marriage joyous and full. Adding them to the ceremony was very meaningful.
Ceremony
The symbolic use of coins in a wedding ceremony is a tradition in many countries. In addition to the hope for prosperity and luck, it has come to also celebrate the spiritual and emotional journey a couple makes together. On the back side of each coin is the Celtic marriage knot and on the front is a universal symbol representing one of the 13 qualities of an enduring marriage:
Love, Caring, Trust, Unity, Commitment, Nurturing, Respect, Cooperation, Joy, Happiness, Wisdom, Peace, Harmony
May these Unity Coins represent the commitment to your marriage through your unwavering dedication to each other. We ask the Lord to keep these virtues present in your hearts and the coins to be a faithful reminder of your abundant love.
(Our hands closed over the coins for a moment – his and mine sharing equally to hold them)
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