A Method To My Madness

Celebrations of late!

2011-11-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

Celebration 1,

A Birthday party for my friend Jessica.

She is tall, beautiful, kind, good at almost everything she attempts, and in spite of her 25 years she will laugh harder than anyone when it comes to bathroom humor!

Tess & I were able to use our outside patio area for most of the evening, since our living space is small & our friends are many.

The weather was cool, but comfortable, and we were able to linger over our meal before moving inside to avoid the raindrops that blessed our gathering.

Don't we squeeze into small spaces nicely?

Celebration 2,

Jude's 2nd Birthday Bash at the Beach!

Which beach? you may ask.

Well, not the first one I went to that day, I may respond.

For some reason I was picturing Avila beach when in fact the party was at Cayucos.

So I arrived an hour-ish late to find this delicious fun...

He picked out the "boo" cupcake, and then proceeded to gobble it.

Once gobbled, he then asked for another "boo" cupcake.

I approve.

Obsessed with food.

Obsessed with blue food.

Maybe it is in our genes.

Eli is beginning to show signs of carrying the "blue" genes...

Eli's "blue steel" gaze...

Eli modelling my sun glasses...

Tim & Jude spent a lot of birthday time playing in & near the water...

we tried to keep Jude warm enough & yet "free" to play...

I think he would say it was a success!

Celebration 3,

Grandpa's 90th Birthday was celebrated with friends visiting & hymn singing

Grandpa really seemed to enjoy it, and sang along even when he decided to close his eyes...

Celebration 4,

The idea of fall has arrived before the weather, but we celebrated in little ways anyways.

Jack Creek Farms is always a fun place to enjoy pumpkins, tractors & animals.

Jude spent a lot of time exploring the tractor...

He also took his time picking out pumpkins, and pumpkins, and more pumpkins.

Some of my favorite "pumpkins" were part of

Celebration 5,

Jina & Andrew's wedding gathered a bunch of fun worker bees.

We painted & planned & pumped up our kicks.

Mumsy folded a bazillion origami lilies & figured out how to transport them to the wedding without getting them irrevocably tangled.

The celebrations continued with a few bridal showers,

including a Bunny themed one in honor of Jina

I decorated my place with colorful bunting with fun sayings like
"Hoppy Marriage" & "We Heart Bunny".

One of Jina's surprises was an enlarged photo of Jina that I transformed into a bunny & taped to the bathroom mirror and then added a "thought bubble" that said "I love Mr. Bun-to-be (sigh)".

My shirt also was part of the decor...

If you look close, you can see two pins that say "I" and "heart".

Some of the things we gathered & created in preparation for the wedding were mustaches for the dress up photo booth.

Laura, Tess & I had fun with the 'staches even after the wedding.

After all the wedding festivities I was able to head up to Fresno
& see the Wilkins & catch up with some of the ladies from my old church.

Smeedekins & me

Monster & me

Honduras 2011

2011-11-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

Through a series of some surprising & exciting events, I found myself a part of the 2011 Honduras Team.

Initially, I struggled with feeling like my stepping in at the "last minute" was saving the day. Thankfully, God was not under any delusion as to who who really steps in, orchestrates, and saves.

Once I stopped thinking of my own fabulousness (sigh), I was able to see how God had been working on my heart since last year's trip & preparing me to go.

There is nothing like some good ego deflating to prepare oneself for adventure & hard work.

Our team consisted of 3 adults & 5 highschoolers.

Dan K, Dan H, MHR Dan K, Brianna F, me, Kellen H (our fearless leader), Jon K, & Bobby D.

We worked hard doing construction...

playing with the kids, comparing musical influences with the locals...

helping with a medical clinic, practicing English & learning Spanish in return...

and serving the local missionaries
(notice the commanding way that Mike Pettengill just sits)...

I was especially blessed to get to reconnect with some of the precious kids I met the year before.

Here are some of my "tagger-ons" Samuel, Oneda, and Carolina...

Another special treat was getting tons of time with some of the craziest and most creative and athletic teens I have had the pleasure of knowing...

We became obsessed with this little footballer monkey that was made out of coconut husks that Dan Katches (the kid) bought as his souvenir. There were a whole series of photos taken of the adventures of this strange little creature.

Who says boys don't play with dolls?

I am glad for the chance to go again to a country that is finding it's way into my heart.

Grateful & open to a third trip.

I heart Honduras!

Five in 20

2011-06-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

One day after work, it hit me, and & I sat down to do the math.

1 plus 1 plus 2 plus 1.

That's five
in case the hint of a word problem caused your eyes to begin to glaze.

Five nieces & nephews in the short span of 20 months, have arrived into the Whitacre family.

The next math problem I started to work out was how many vacation days I had saved to visit this gaggle of newbies.

I was able to fly back to see my sweet sister, Jules, and meet her twin bundles of squeaks in April. Ava Gray and Havyn were born March 7, 2011. Tiny but mighty (like their Aunt Jill).

(me, Jules, & Havyn)

It was such a precious and difficult time.

We spent a lot of time at the hospital as Julie's oldest twin is still in the NICU. In between the back and forth of the hospital I was able to enjoy some beautiful Tennessee Tornado weather.

(Julie & her eldest Ava Gray)

It is just crazy & cool to me that you can love someone so much before you even get to meet them, and then you meet them & your like "Oh good, here you are! I love you like crazy & now I am going to kiss your face a bazillion times!"

And let me tell you, I have kissed their faces a bazillion times...
and it is just never enough.

Exhibit A:
me kissing Havyn.

Havyn trying to kiss me back...

Did I mention some other faces I had the pleasure of kissing?

love

love

love them (Susan, Rose & Brian)

It was also delightful to see my sister in her new role as a mother. I knew that she would be a tender, selfless, & creative mom - because that is just who she is. Trust me, if she was all those things to me, her annoying baby sister, then those are her true colors. I am proud to say that I in some small way feel less guilty about the "bug" that I was growing up, because I can see that God has used my strengths (read sinfulness) to grow her strengths (read angelic-ness).

I am surprised that she has taken to it so naturally. I don't know what I expected, I think it was just the going from "what will that look like?" to "Oh, that's what she's like as a mom! Cool!"

Another thing that is so precious to see is that God continues to draw her heart out in newer and deeper ways. And she in turn is learning to let the rest of us "in". I am grateful for His love and care for that new little family.

The 5th Whit kid to arrive opted for an exciting entrance into the world. I won't tell his story (or Tim & Jill's), but I will show a photo I took 5 minutes after Tim delivered his son & moments after the paramedics arrived.

Elijah Ryan!

Doesn't he seem surprisingly relaxed compared to the drama surrounding his birth?

I, on the other hand was not relaxed. It seriously happened so fast.

You have no idea!

Which is exactly what I stammered to the paramedics & firefighters who swooped in after I called.

I had a lot of anxiety that increased over the following few days. I kept flashing back to Jill's scream, or to her & Tim on the bed, me running to find towels, running to call 911, running to find a robe for Jill.

I normally love that kind of excitement, but having literally 3 seconds to change gears from "This is going to be a long night" to "IT'S COMING!!!" sort of freaked me out. I also thought something was wrong for everything to happen so quickly, and then Jill couldn't talk after the baby was born & so I had a lot of anxiety about her being ok.

I am so grateful that God had everything under control. His timing is perfect, and I am learning that in new ways these days.

I had some good talks with my important people - Annalaura, my siblings, my roommie, Brooke, God - and by Sunday evening I was sleeping better & really felt like I could let it go. I can't even imagine how I would be coping if anything had gone wrong. I am grateful for God's care about the smallest things - like babies & unnecessary anxiety.

I prayed, and kept saying "Jill & Eli are ok" every time I remembered something stressful or thought of something I could have done differently. Also, Susan, my other baby sister-in-law, encouraged me to be affirming in how I thought through it afterwards, which really did help.

Another thing that helped me work through my post traumatic stress (Brooke laughed when I called it that - but it felt like it!) was this...

holding Eli.

I also wanted to hold Jill some, but I settled for talking with her. She's so precious & strong & hard on herself & honest & cool!

A few things that made me laugh when I replayed the night in my mind were these:

1) The phrase "Babies having babies" popped into my head at one point when I ran into their bedroom after Tim called for me to give him a hand. I realized what was happening and thought "we can't do this here" and "wait a minute, these are two babies, having a baby, shouldn't a grown up be in charge?"

2) Right before the paramedics arrived Tim asked me to find a robe for Jill. I ran all over the house, searching the packed hospital bag I had thrown into the van in the 3 seconds between Jill's water breaking & the baby crowning, through their closet. I could not find a robe, or any robe-like thing, for that matter. I did find one of Tim's flannel jackets and pulled that out to throw on Jill. She held up her hand when she saw it and said authoritatively "I'm not wearing that! That's Tim's favorite Jacket!" Both Tim & I tried to assure her that it could be easily cleaned and that it was fine. She was adamant. Thankfully I found a clean sheet in the dryer and we wrapped her up like a Greek goddess.

3) When Jill's mom & I arrived at the hospital later to bring Tim & Jill their car & bags, Jill was already joking that she had planned this dramatic birth so that I could meet the handsome firemen & paramedics who helped us. She is so thoughtful. She even waited until Kelly (her sister) & I could go with them to thank our heros with a plate of cookies.

4) Jude meeting Eli for the first time was precious. He kissed Eli's face so many times. And I knew exactly why. You just can't resist, no matter how old you are!

Here is the first face I couldn't resist kissing...

(Jude getting his face painted at our little Art in the Park festivities)

Hedge Hog Throwing...

2010-09-11T00:19:00.000-07:00

The world continues to "spin madly on" as my fav Joshua Radin sings to me...and yet I have not blogged once since my return from Honduras.

Please do not fear, there is plenty to blog about.

What could the problem be? you might ask.

Well, I might say, as I lean back in my chair and thoughtfully tap my chin with my right forefinger. The problem is the absence of three important ingredients of my blogging process.

1. My camera was in hiding for about 3 and a half weeks. And no, it was not in the camera protection program. It was rolling around under my passenger seat in my car. I on the other hand was searching every few days in various possible hiding places while stressing about it over and over again.

Then, last night, I was telling franTesska that it was missing and giving her the basic rundown, (because she is like a cop, or a scientist, or a copientist, and wants facts & details in a very specific order). And I confessed. And yet she did not arrest me, but as I was confessing I stopped myself and said (out loud of course) that I hadn't prayed about it yet. So, as I was driving home after my confession I prayed about it, parked & then reached under the passenger seat and felt it.

I was so grateful to have been able to recognize the worry I was carrying and then to be able to talk to God about it, let it go, and then find it! So grateful!

2. Just admit it, you forgot what this list is about...don't worry so did I. (sigh)...um...oh, yeah!...(ahem)....
2. I have been in hiding (away from my usual place of residence) for the past 3&1/2 weeks, house/dog sitting.

3. I have a lot of hedge-hog throwing* type emotions hiding out in my heart & in the spaces around my heart and just haven't gotten the downtime to sort through and begin to type them out, let alone pay my bills.

So, here I am beginning again,

*see below

Hearts to Honduras...

2010-07-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

My trip to Honduras in a few short words was...

...too short.

However, my post about it will be too long.

Here are a few high & lowlights from the trip:

1. Being drenched in sweat by 8:45 every morning.

2. Playing futbol (soccer) with people (read missionaries)...

who would have been red carded...

...3 times over if there had been a referee.

3. Breaking my toe

4. Choosing time with people over time with an x-ray machine.

5. Eating delicious food

6. Eating PB&J everyday for lunch.

7. Snorkeling.

8. Digging ditches, mixing cement, digging ditches, moving boulders (read stones), digging ditches, repeat.

9. Attempting to bring justice to jumping rope.

10. Riding in the back of a red pick-up truck.

11. Humidity, humidity, humidity.

12. Repenting.

13. Meeting a big scary guard Rotweiler named Max.

14. Realizing that aside from his size, big scary guard Rotweiler named Max is actually a cuddler.

15. Sunburning my white white back.

16. Making new friends while enjoying time with old friends.

17. Shadowing my talented & tender cousin Jina, as she treated patients.

18. Soaking in the downpours of a tropical place.

19. Dipping in a cool river nestled in the shadow of the rainforest.

20. Having a little American freak out trying to figure out which of the 30 or so kids could actually swim.

21. Chilling out & enjoying a hysterical game of King of the Castle.

22. Hearing the missionaries' "How we got here" stories.

23. Belting out an impromptu rendition of "I can show you the world" (from Disney's Aladdin) during a squishy van ride.

24. Gathering as a group to witness surgery on Josh's big toenail.

25. Watching the final game of World Cup Soccer on tv.

26. Playing with kids who are desperate for attention.

27. Yelling at kids in Spanish, & actually understanding what they are yelling back.

28. Sleeping on the top bunk.

29. Catching a glimpse of the beauty & heartache of Honduras...and the whisper of hope that God is working.

30. Admiring the driving in Honduras & pondering rules such as "All motorcyclists must have a helmet with them, but need not wear them."

31. Discovering one of my favorite plants that I thought only grew in Papua New Guinea.

32. Listening to stories of friendships forming & lives changing.

I'll leave it to you to guess which "light" are classified as high & which are classified as low.
(hint: only one and a half are actual lows)

Thank you to those of you who prayed for us, who offered advice, who supported & challenged us!

See our transformation below...

before...

after...

Hoping for Honduras

2010-06-21T17:51:00.001-07:00

I have been thinking about a passage from Luke this past week. It was one of the Most Holy Reverend's sermons that brought it to mind.

If any of you know my pastor, you know that he is not what his nickname implies. He is humble, kind, firm, funny & a real shepherding pastor.

I gave him this nickname after a discussion over putting "Reverend" before his name in the church bulletin. I was for it. He was against it.

Since then I refer to him as M.H.R. (Most Holy Reverend). I even went so far as to try to get him nominated as the Presbyterian Pope of the West Coast.

Let's just say he was not amused.

I digress. The point was this passage in Luke.

It was shortly after Jesus' transfiguration. The disciples were wondering why they couldn't drive out an evil spirit from a boy, wondering about what Jesus meant when He told them He would be betrayed, and wondering who would be considered the greatest among them.

Luke 9:51 says "As the time approaced for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem."
Another version says "...He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem."

I can't stop thinking about how Jesus did that.

I picture Him surrounded by needy, hungry people, curious gawkers, bickering disciples, turning determinedly towards Jerusalem. Moving steadily forward towards His own sacrificial death. He was not overwhelmed by the needs of those around Him. He was keenly aware of all they needed, and with that in mind, set out with a firm jaw & purpose in His eye to provide for their truly greatest need.

It just breaks my heart & makes me rejoice all at the same time. I am undone by what He has done.

This is where my thoughts are as I prepare for my trip to Honduras this July. It has given me a fresh perspective on setting out with determination. I think of the weather, the people, the tasks there for us to experience. Wondering if my wonderings are like the disciples' own wonderings. Small, self-focused, missing the point.

I am eager & yet a little trepidaceous.
Anxious to obey.
Excited to step off American soil & into a new culture.
Eager to use my limited Spanish & make new friends.
Keenly aware of the great gap of my gifting.
Expectant to see God working in spite of the great gap.
Hopeful of getting to share the gospel in a personal way.
Resignedly cognizant things may be difficult.
Hoping things will be difficult so that my dependence on Jesus will grow.
Wondering already at how He has worked things together so that our team of 10 can go to Honduras.
Purposing to set out with my & the Honduran people's greatest need in mind.

Will you pray for me if you think of it?

In honor of it being June 21st, the first day of summer, I leave you with this...

I hope this summer finds you enjoying some hot days of doing nothing.

Packer & Fred

2010-06-17T17:43:00.001-07:00

Today is my last day dog-sitting the boisterous yellow lab Packer. He is a very sweet dog & way easier to care for than I expected. This has been a blessing since I caught a cold this week & have been trying to fight it off with sleep.

The fish, Fred, on the other hand, scares me.
He is blue with red framing his tails, and he doesn't seem to move much.
(Ever since I lost a fish whilst house-sitting they make me nervous).
Plus, his young owner, explained very carefully how to care for him properly in this solemn way. I listened carefully & then completely forgot about said fish for a day & a half. When I remembered yesterday & ran into his room to check on him & feed him, he seemed the same - stable, and hopefully not just barely hanging on.

I am heading out to play catch with Packer, & to play "stare" with Fred (aka "check if Fred is still with us").
I leave you with one of my favorite Get Fuzzy cartoons because it makes me laugh, & I need a laugh.

a good book

2010-06-11T15:46:00.001-07:00

I love reading, especially when I get to read something good.

I recently started asking my patients for recommendations since a lot of them bring books to read during their surgeries.

Before taking any suggestions seriously I usually prod a little on what type of books the recommender likes.

Not everyone passes the prodding test. If I find that the reccomender & I have enjoyed some of the same books I am more willing to try something they might suggest.

Here's one that passed...

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows.

I loved it. (Just ask Roomie - who suffered graciously through me ignoring her for 2 evenings).

Here are some possible reasons why:
It is based on a true place & revolves around real events, (England, 1946, just after the war).
The story is told through written letters to & from the main character.
The characters are interesting, diverse, & delightful.
It has adventure, heartache, laughter, & food with just a hint of romance.

Jump in & see if you like it too!

Being a niecester

2010-06-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

I don't know exactly how to spell this made up word., but I should.

It means so much to me.

Today is my mostly aunts birthday.

It is she & her man who made up the word and told it to me quietly in a goodbye hug one day.

"You're our Niece-ster", they said.
A niece who lived at their house like a daughter, and has been treated as such.

Aunt Alyce, me & Aunt Joyce

It seems to be a tradition in my family.
My own Mumsy was a niece-ster in this beloved aunts family at the age of 15.
My sister was a niece-ster of sorts to another dear adopted family (see Aunt Alyce above) during her college years.
& now I am one too.

There is this theme in my story, my life, of people who have faithfully stood in the gaps. Loving, teaching, & inviting me into relationship, before I even knew how much I needed it.

My U.B. & A.J. have been gap-standers for me.

But not the kind of gap-standers that have it all together & are going to show you how it's done. The kind of gap standers who have been open about their own struggles & keep pointing me to the only adequate gap stander, Jesus.

And on this their almost OLD birthdays I celebrate all that they mean to me!

one of many gatherings at the Hawk home.

the small group that U.B. & A.J. facilitate

I call my Uncle Bill U.B., but he is a lot more. Captain, fisherman, handyman, dog whisperer (tee-hee), facebooker, teacher, southerner, instigator, adviser, farmer, risk taker, jokester, simplifier, leader, prayer warrior, & friend. Happy belated Birthday U.B.!

I called my A.J. my "mostly" aunt because she is mostly my aunt, but also a zillion things more.
Friend, confidant, prankster, chef, hostess, playmate, connoseur of all things little & tasty, teacher, organizer, musician, photographer, fellow pilgrim, gardener, counselor, actress, & explorer. Happy Birthday Aunt Joyce!

Inspired

2010-05-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

I was inspired a few weeks back,
when the weather was actually hinting at Summer,
to force Roomie (aka Tess) to add some spring to our Fanny House.

First, let me say Tess did not actually have to be forced, and it could have actually been her idea, I don't remember, but am taking the credit.

Second, Tess does not approve of me calling our place "The Fanny House". However, I do and will call it thus until she comes up with something spectacular.

Third, the reason I call it "The Fanny House" is that it is kind of like a Granny House, a little house detached from the big house, but doesn't have any Granny-like people in it. There are however people with fannies.

Fourth, I miss the days when houses had names instead of numbers. I think it speaks to the significance of a place to have a name. And by significance I think I mean that it honors the fact that significant events have occured inside of it's walls. Babies born & raised, heartaches & healthscares, failures & triumphs, loss & life, love & taxes. It also would be an interesting and difficult thing to get to know an area & how to get places. And, quite simply, it would feed my obsession with names and naming things.

Speaking of naming things, I have not named the plants Tess & I planted, because I am avoiding any future chance at feeling guilty if they do not survive.

Tess found some of my weird little things I like to add to the soil, and scientifically questioned why I think they will help the plants grow best.

We survived, and so far the plants have too.

Since our spring-inspired task was a success I decided to allow inspiration to lead to my next task.

Owls.

I like them. I like them so much that I got so excited when they started getting so popular. I tend to feel anti-trendy in a lot of ways, but this time it makes me happy to have so many choices when it came to owls. Yes, I am a little annoyed to like something so trendy, but it is not a trend for me, and I can live with that.

I wandered into this new fabric store in downtown Paso called Birch. It's this great little cluttered creative space with big windows and a ton of unique fabric. While I was frollicking amongst the bolts in wild childlike glee, I found some fabric that inspired me

I purchased a yard of this fabric with the intention of bringing it home to cover a pillow,

but instead I copied two of the little owls from the fabric onto paper,

wrote "the little owl's room" underneath,

& colored it in

Now all it needs is a little black frame around it while it proudly sits on the outside of The Fanny House's bathroom door.

2010-05-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

I am considering hiring someone to follow me around, with one of those weird little voice recorders,
and then having them type up whatever I tell them to so that I can post more regularly on this here blog.
I just can't seem to get the hang of doing it regularly.
Time.
Time is what I blame.
Oh you ever marching, steady trodding, long pause ignoring, crusher of creativity & freedom.
Phewph!
That feels better....eeep!
Except it took a whole 17 seconds to type that....Arggh!

I will not freak out...

I will not freak out...

I will not freak out...

Here is what you may have missed out on since my imaginary personal voice recording assistant is falling down on her imaginary job...

A trip to Nashanoogida. (That's weird talk for I flew to Nashville, stopped by Chattanooga, drove to Florida, and back again).

It was um...interesting.

I must say that my baby-sister-in-law knows what she is talking about when a quartet of people who share a last name & a childhood, get together and plan a visit to their family in Florida. One should heed baby-sis-in-law's words when she says "we will be exhausted from all that driving, we should fly".

She was right, we were exhausted.

Upon reflection I personally was glad for the slow change of the scenery from South to Southerist, the time to think about the last time I was there and when I had last seen each person I was going to be seeing. I figured it had been about 20 years since I had been to Florida. I was surprised at how much it felt like Papua New Guinea, because of the palm trees, the humidity, the nudity, & the bouganvilla. It was beautiful, and the weather was just perfect.

Since time is ticking & the only words the imaginary flaky assistant wrote down are technically "not suitable for children", I will show you photos & skimp on the verbage.

An Easter meal shared with Julie's group of girlfriends in Nashville
Adventures in van repair before a long trip
Delightful & delicious coffee dates with tall, dark & handsome men who may or may not be related to mehis shirt says "ctrl z" & the sign below says "Lost Weekend Dark"

A surprise visit with our adopted Aunt Doris & Uncle Mac just one month before they headed back to Papua New Guinea
Unexpected chances to enjoy Southern hospitality...
...& to intrude on epic 30th Birthdays!
Introducing old adorable friends to new adorable nephews
Speaking of adorable nephews, I found a photo that pretty much sums up the trip.

Every morning Tim & Jill would send a text when they & Little Dub were awake, so one of us could go get him & play with him. Of course, "one of us" actually was more like "3 or 4 of us" scrambling past each other to get to the kid first.

Yes. We are so so gone.
All of us.
It's really rather pathetic.
And yet, I just love that this little person has a solid crew of people that love & delight in him. Between us & the Kimmels our little man has got love & delight coming out the ying yang. So far he seems fine...we on the other hand may need a shower.

While sightseeing in Florida, here is what was seen:

a wild beach baby kissing (or possibly eating) it's mother
2 fairly tame sisters sporting amazing Rocker Style
A lovely famous couple trying unsuccessfully to avoid the paparazzi... ...and their special sister.
hand models or 3 almost identical hands from 3 different generations (mine, my Aunt Linda's, & her grandaughter Lily's). Here's something weird; Lily looks almost exactly like I did as a child, and we both look almost exactly like my Aunt Linda did. Tim kept laughing and commenting on how wild I was as a kid when we would see Lily do something funny. Weird? Yes. But not as weird as me choosing to take a photo of our hands instead of our faces to show the similarities.

Now that my friends, is weird.

After the sightseeing we had a Family barbecue at my Dad & his wife Donna's house. We got to see my Papa & his wife, Grandma Kaye, Aunt Linda, my cousin-in-law Jocelyn and her five beautiful kids. I especially enjoyed the time spent with Haley, Jaelyn, Ty, Cole & Lily. I see a little bit of my cousin Justin in each of them. Jocelyn made a point of telling us which part of each kid was like their dad. I almost cried when she told me, so grateful that she has that to give them, something shared with their father. It made his death seem more real somehow, to see them so alive and a little bit wild, like little Justin's running around...and the only thing missing was him. That was probably the highlight for me - time with those kids.

Here's a photo of us kids & my Dad & Donna.
It was good to be able to see for ourselves that he was doing ok after his health scare.

We also drove to see Uncle Gary & Aunt Mary Lu. my heart was stirred to see old photos of us in their home realizing that we are loved even though we don't live close by. We wished we could have had more time.

But with Jill & a sick Little Dub flying back to Chattanooga, the stragglers had to head out by van quickly so as to not have to spend any time separated from this
He (& Jill) were such troopers for the trip. He was running a fever off & on the whole time & was stuck in a carseat for way too long stretches, and still he wanted to be happy. It was heartwrenching & sweet.

Once back in Chattanooga we rested & took family photos...
and much to no one's surprise,
Jude was in almost every single one.
except for the photos that the other favorite & loved baby (pictured in Susan's tummy) sat in for.

I give the trip 2 thumbs out of 12 because that is all that fit in this photo...

Oh, and Imaginary Personal Voice Recording Assistant, You're Fired!

Sister, this post is for you.

2010-03-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

If you came for a visit my sweet sister, (DO IT!) this might be your greeting once you made your way through the garage entryway we affectionately call "The Dungeon"...

You might smell something delicious and exotic cooking in the kitchen. You might ask Tess what it is because you know for certain that I was not making anything more than apple & cheddar cheese sandwiches.

Depending on if I was miffed or not about the jab at my lack of cooking skills, I might invite you up the stairs.
You might notice a slight burnt smell about the time you reach the first landing. That is from previously cooked things in the cooking room that have wafted up the stairs and left traces of themselves behind on each step.

Once you reach the top step you might look to your right and see a photo or two of you on our table. That is because I like photos of you so that I can remember what you look like in photos and not in real life, and also, because Tess & I have yet to put anything on the walls.

If you continued gazing counter clockwise about the "Good Room" (also known as the "Great Room") this is what you might see...
(a couch folded down into a bed for now, until Tess & I finish all the furniture arrangements)

our computer area...

and the doorway to the bathroom which you might come back to later if you have to pee...

Another doorway to the sleeping room and storage...

a strange little storage that you will have to see to fully understand...

and our cool black couch that we traded out for a dorkier less slippery couch...

Finally you would see our little upstairs linen cupboard where it evidentally has always been.
It is a cute little area that actually fits a lot (like all my wrapping, photos, coloring books & pencils, and a sewing machine)

At this point you might mention you would like to see the little girl's room. After which I might intentionally take offense at your choice of words, rant about the fact that I am not a little girl but am in fact a regular sized all grown up girl, smile sheepishly in embarrassment as I notice you crossing your legs, and silently point to the bathroom door.

Relieved emotionally you might skip to the loo, to relieve yourself physically...

You might come out to find me visiting with a regular to these parts.
and someone who keeps being confused as you (by both Mumsy & me) since she cut her hair Nashvillainously.

Tess might just then call us down to dinner...

Which we might enjoy immensely since we are Italian.

We would probably end our fun evening with a walk to the downtown Paso Park, even if it is sprinkling.
Wouldn't that be nice?

in the processes of springing...

2010-03-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

I went to Shell Creek Road

with the Dubs

and the littlest Cone.

we found a bear

and some Model A Fords

we found a UB...

& a reason why Jude might throw-up

we found some poop

accidentally broke the law

didn't get arrested

but took a "booking" photo anyways

came home to find a princess with her rats

(kidding!)

found out that when they say "that kid sure was climbing the walls", they actually mean the kid was climbing the walls

disciplined said kid by making her carry a rat around town

which she did lovingly and patiently

even if it was a little dramatic

yelled at said kid anyways, because I am her Fairy godMother & that is what I wanted to do

watched a princess catch & kiss a gecko

no prince appeared

(sigh)

enjoyed the flowers springing anyways

my newest roomie

2010-03-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there lived a princess...
"How do I know that she was a princess?" you imply with your eyebrow arched slightly.

I just do okay. (quit interrupting my story).

Her father was a king from a far away place called Indenya (India & Kenya).

As a young prince he was sent to a boarding school (like some kings do) to play football (soccer), to speak the King's English (perfectly), and to appreciate fine foods.

Even though he would one day be called a king, he was still able to experience somewhat of a normal childhood. His classmates treated him as a brother, his brother treated him as a slave, and his parents read to him.

It was quite nice actually.

"What did Their Royal Parents read to the prince?" you may ask.

Well, let me see...maybe something not so "normal" as one might expect for a boy in his early princehood.

A sweet little book, filled with sweet little stories intended to teach young royalty to mind their "p's" & "q's" & maybe, just maybe, to scare the crap out of their royal little bodies.

(actual book pictured here)

"And what kind of sweet crap scaring stories might this book have told?" you may wonder.

Well, children, the kind Royal children are read. Stories like this one, where Suck-a-thumb (a naughty little boy who sucked his thumb well past the obvious age of appropriateness), was warned to stop sucking his thumb.

"Did Suck-a-thumb heed this warning?" you may whisper with a little quiver in your voice.

Alas,
he did not!

And that was the end of Suck-a-thumb's thumbs.

I share this with you, because the King shared it with me & some of his princess daughter's other friends, one night over delicious Indian food.

"Did this princess friend of yours also grow up playing football (soccer), speaking the King's English perfectly, & absorbing important life lessions through sweet children's books of terror?" you may inquire.

As far as I know...um nope, nuh-uh, thankgoodness no!

She did however grow up playing almost every sport, reading mostly science books, and appreciating fine food.

Here are some things I appreciate about HRH Tesska:

1. She is laid back. She cares about people & pets, but is relaxed about it.

2. She is always herself, to a fault. It is funny to hear the things she says and does because of this gift/curse. For example, tripping a cute boy at work thinking he was someone else, asking impertinent and sometimes probing questions of married people and their financial arrangements, almost always saying what she is thinking. Tee-hee.

3. She is scientific in everyway. Providentially she has a sense of humor and she's beautiful, but man can that girl turn anything into a science lesson. Just ask her about cutting boards, water, and the counter.

4. She is a servant. I have had the opportunity to work alongside Tess many times, and I love that she is unobtrusive but hardworking...when she's not napping.

5. She sleeps around. And by "sleeps" I mean this girl naps. And by "around" I mean this girl can nap anywhere!

The kitchen floor after playing with her parent's dogs? Yep.

The car after arriving home and parking in the driveway? Yep.

I kid you not, I will not even bat an eyelash when the day arrives that Princess FranTeska says "you'll never believe where I fell asleep today!".
"Oh yes I will believe it!" I will say, even as she begins to describe how she crawled under the picnic table outside of work during lunch to find a gecko and found a warm patch of cement instead and decided to rest her pretty little head for a minute.
(this did not actually happen...yet, but she does like to catch geckos).

6. She is willing to deal. That means she tells me the truth, even when I am not keen to hear it, and she asks for the same. That is such a treasure in a friend!

7. She has a heart for missions. We were able to take a mission class together last year, and it has been so great to encourage each other to move forward as God works on our hearts and moves our feet to bring the Hope of the Gospel somewhere else.

So, this is what we decided. To move in to the Fanny House, (kinda like a Granny House minus the Granny), and to encourage each other as we both finish school and head out to wherever God calls us.

Here we are driving to our new place after fitting so much stuff in Tess' Subaru that we had to call it Mary Poppins' Purse.

Little Dub

2010-02-28T17:58:00.000-08:00

Saturday turned out to be an unexpectedly fun & relaxing day.

I was supposed to be moving, but thankfully the new place wasn't exactly ready, and neither was I. So, I cleaned instead and then Jill (my baby sister-in-law) and Little Dub (my baby nephew) came over and hung out.

He is 5 months & deliciously adorable.

Here he is chilaxin on my couch, just like the lil" dub he is.

If you get to spend your day with that, how can you not enjoy it?

I don't have a picture of my adorable baby sister-in-law, but trust me she is, and I actually enjoy her company as much as I enjoy Little Dub's.

Here are some of the things she does that I appreciate & also that crack me up:

1. Tells Little Dub he is lying when he fusses, or when he stares at a completely blank wall with such intent. "Liar" she mutters.

2. Gives solid and clear advice on all things muddled, like moving, packing & landlords.

3. Encourages match-making-adventures like writing a friend's contact info for facebook on the back of a random business card & putting it on the car of a very attractive, eligible looking young man and sneaking away.

4. Discourages possible consequences of aforementioned matchmaking-adventures by telling me she will drive away and leave me if anyone notices or I get caught. (at least she's forthright).

5. Watches sweet Hallmark movies like "Love is Never Silent" and cries just as much as I do.

I love my baby-sis-in-law. And someday I will put a photo up so you too can see how adorable she actually is.

the wedding

2010-02-21T23:09:00.000-08:00

Jessica (the bride - who I will now refer to as "Bridee") was probably one of the most organized brides I have ever seen.

Everything for her big day was planned perfectly.
By the time the rehearsal came around, everything was done...

& Tess, Bridee, I, & Brooke were able to display our "we're prepared for anything from a wedding to a secret ambush" faces...

all that preparation was what helped us to thoroughly enjoy a relaxing day leading up to the celebration.

Relaxing? you may ask.

Yes. I might respond.

And I have proof. I might add.

This is the groom (Demi, who I will now refer to as "Groomie"), taking a one hour nap before we started the wedding photos.

Unfortunately, our attempt to sneak up on Groomie for a surprising & possibly awkard photo, woke Groomie from said nap.

Preparation was the key, and boy was there preparation.

Do you know how much preparation it takes to transform this...

into a more camera-friendly-lady-in-waiting?

a lot.

It's all sort of blurring together now, but I do remember it began with the arrival of our 5 inch heels...

kidding.

These are NOT our 5 inch heels, but wouldn't that have been weird...and oddly fitting if you knew anything about Bridee & Groomie?

When our actual 5 inch heels arrived,

I tried to practice walking in them once every few days.

Then there was the practice styling our hair day,

which was so fun and also so long.

Then there was the make-up which was not as long as I expected, but definitely more fun than expected.

And finally the hair,
which took long enough,
and wouldn't have been possible without Brooke's curling skills...

not that kind of curling, silly Olympic fans...

this kind of curling...

and presto, change-o (which I think is Italian for "SHAZAAM!"),

a tired, but presentable musketeer 3.

and always presentable musketeer 2.

(for photos of musketeer 1, please google "curling").

It really was a neat time to share with my friends. And like I said before, it is such an honor to stand up there with a Bridee & a Groomie, and yell "Woo-hoo you two!"

here's Groomie

& his Bridee

Beginning of story!

7th time around

2010-02-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

I recently sat down to calculate how many weddings I have had the honor of participating in as a bridesmaid. Six. And in one week and one day, I will add one more notch to my bridesmaid belt of honor. It really is an honor for me to stand up with two people I know and care about and declare "I am for you!" I also tend to yell "Woo-hoo Marriage!" and "Get a room!", but that isn't usually until the reception, and I try to wait until most of the guests have had time to eat and drink a little alcohol so that my exuberance isn't so shocking.

The little moment I sat down to calculate my previous bridesmaid triumphs, turned into a longer moment as I reflected on the deep, lifelong friendships God has given. Then it turned into an epic moment as I thought about those dear friends (& family) who have yet to take the plunge. Now math is not one of my stronger skills, but I am pretty sure my bridesmaid tally may reach fourteen in the next few years. (Of course assuming that all of my closest friends get married...and assuming we are still close friends...and assuming I am still a great advocate for marriage). 14! Woo-hoo! Get a room!

I love weddings! Have I said this before? I love helping plan showers, and really enjoying & blessing the person we are "showering". One of the coolest things about being involved in wedding #7 has been getting to share the bridesmaid duties with my 2 local girls! Brooke said something to Tess & I one night while we were printing up invitations for a bridal shower, and it really made sense. She said "Sometimes when you are a bridesmaid, it can be difficult to plan and do all that you need and want to do because you are sharing it with a few other people who may live in a different state and who you may not know very well. But in this case, everytime we get together to plan or do something it's like a mini party with our closest friends!" It's true. The fun part of our preparations has been the sharing it with each other.

Here is something we (Jessica, Brooke, Tess & I) share...
A taste for zebra print.

Here is the bride-to-be trying on her zebra print apron at her bridal shower.

Here are Jessica & her 3 musketeers.

Tess, Brooke, Jessica, me.

We decided to do a gift card and recipe shower, which turned out to be fun! Everyone brought a note of encouragement, a favorite recipe, and a gift card for anything from "Date Night" places, to practical everyday needs, to "Pampering" places. I think it is a great way to shower a couple who have everything they need to set up a home.

So my sweet friends Jessica & Demi are getting married next week. They are in my small group from church, which has been meeting for almost a year now. God has really been working amongst us as a community, and we have had the chance to share some really tough struggles during this year. I am better for having walked this road with each of them, and am excited about how God will continue to work in and through us. We thought about combining Jessica & Demi's reception with our small group's one year anniversary, but decided against it. Thankfullly even I know that could be a bit tacky.

Maybe I'll just bring a small one year anniversary cake to the reception and just put it on the small groups table...yeah, that'll be less tacky. Boo, combining unimportant celebrations with important ones! Hooray SECRETLY combining unimportant celebrations with important ones!

Beach Walk

2010-01-14T22:32:00.000-08:00

Recently, Brooke, Tess & I were able to escape to San Simeon for a lovely Sunday afternoon meander. We were finishing up our celebration of Tess' "13th" Birthday (read 24). It was great to have a chunk of time with these two friends away from, or at least at the edge of, land.
We hiked

We explored tidepools

We posed at Tess' favorite tree (no picture availabe as we were so silly by that point, not one turned out)

We balanced on the broken remains of an old pier.

We challenged the waves and watched the sun set.

We found beauty.

We found mushrooms.

We found out a little more about each other and wondered once again at the mystery & pull of the wild in almost our own backyard.

Camping 2009

2009-08-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

Some forgotten photos I found, from Big Sur this past summer. It seems like so long ago...since Tim & Jill's baby has arrived, Douglas & Al's baby is due any day, the camping equipment is all packed away, and Brian & Susan have returned to Chattavegas. (sigh)

Part of the crew:
Douglas, Annalaura, Smeadie, Susan, Brian, Jill, Tim, Mumsy, Lady D.

Smeadie & Aunt Alyce greeting each other...

Brian & Uncle Earl greeting each other...

We attempted Bocce Ball in the dust field. It didn't last long, and neither did our willing / dusty ball retrievers...
Smeadie & Kona. Smeadie was so careful to not touch either dog after careful instruction by her parents (they were worried about poison oak). Smeadie was so great, talking a lot about how she couldn't touch the dogs and why, and then crouching as close as she could she would coo over the beasts. It was so adorable.

Don't bikes come with warning stickers for pregnant ladies on them...or is that just cigarettes?

We spent a whole afternoon watching the dogs (Kona & Cali) play fetch in the water. It is always a treat to get to be with my brothers at the same time! Here they are conferring on proper photography settings for the animals.
We laughed so hard as Cali (Diane's little black dog) inched closer and closer to the water. She had a strong aversion to the water (freezing & wet), but was obsessed with Kona. Kona was obsessed with catching the ball and impervious to the effects of the water. It made for a fun afternoon. Kona is mesmerizing to watch when she is playing catch. She is focused, persistent, and wet...

The water at the creek was low this year, but the sand was sparkly, so I got over it. Instead of mourning the changes I decided to allow myself to be influenced by my brothers, which meant I took a ton of photos of some things I thought were cool.

No camping trip at Big Sur is complete until we make the trek to the store for our ice cream. The ice cream trek may not be as arduous or impressive as the "man hike" few attempt and even fewer complete, but it does seem to be drawing people in, like people are drawn to ice cream. HAHAHAHA!

Here are our newest recruits, Yvonne & Kellen...
Big Sur feels strange when people who belong are missing. Here are who we missed: Julie, the Hawks, Stacy. In honor of them I will make a moment of "silence" which I interpret to be a blank spot of white on the interweb...

smallish things

2009-08-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

I am delighting in small things lately. One of which is the upcoming arrival of my very first nephew. To say I am excited, would be a gross understatement. So, I won't say it...I am going to, however, show you the invitations I made for a shower we are having in honor of his mum.
Here's something you may not know, or care to know... I love quotes. Not insurance quotes, people's quotes. I keep a collection filed meticulously under "quotes", and I can loose myself for minutes at a time (I read quite fast) reading through them.

Here's something else you may not know or care to know... I keep quotes of people I know, not just dead people or poets or politicians. I have a rather large section, in the "quote" file dedicated to my sister Jules. I am sure those of you who know her, know that she does & says the most hilarious things. She also says the most thought provoking and meaningful things. She actually has the best variety of all my quotables.

So, I used two quotes on the invitation, because more is...well...more!

Another small thing I have delighted in lately is Rudy. Rudy is my elfish cousin who answers to many names. It was her birthday recently and I finally saw her in person to give her the gifts I had slaved and giggled over whilst making.

To understand my giggling you need to understand that she and her friendboy found this indescribable painting of a poodle at a garage sale and somehow knew that it was intended for only one person...me.

Unfortunately, I have expressed to my sweet elf-cousin my prejudice towards little dogs and poodles in particular. (No, I am not going to explain myself because it will bring up dark painful memories that I prefer to deal with on a couch surrounded by a counselor and lot's of "how does that make you feel" questions. All you need to know is I loathe them). For those of you who share my aversion to these beloved (really?) creatures, you may want to cover your eyes...

This is me & the first painting I received from said elf-cuz
This is me & the second painting I received
I like to think that I am gifted at mimmicking, and I now have a whole series of photos where I am trying to perfectly mimmick these painted pooches.
The purpose? you may ask.
Ah well, yes, all will be revealed. I might respond

I found this great old phone at the thrift store. I bought it, brought it home, and spent an afternoon cleaning & photographing it.
I also found a superb little do-it-yourself keepsake necklace at Michael's, and decided to share my appreciation of Rudy's thoughtful gifts with some birthday gifts of my own...

side one
side two
It's scary how people can start looking like the things they hate....er, I mean own.
I was so pleased with how they turned out. And I am pretty sure Rudy will wear the necklace, and, thinking fondly of me, will call me on her poodle-cuz telephone.

Music in the park

2009-07-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

So, here's the deal with the Central Coast...we love being outdoors, we love music, and we love our friends...er, at least I do.
We, (me, Brooke, Tess & Rachel) have been trying to catch most of the Templeton & Paso Concerts in the Park this summer. It works out great because Wednesday is Templeton's day and Friday is Paso's. What I enjoy most is time with my friends and people watching or listening in on conversations around us.
I have been teaching my "Park Pretties" how to play this great game that AJ & UB got for me. It is called Cinco, (5 in Spanish), and is small and easy to transport. We have busted it out a few times at the park. If nothing it has provided us with some things to talk smack to each other about.
Another fun game we happened upon last Wednesday was this strange photo copy cat contest. Round 1, someone gets their picture taken. The next person gets to take their picture too...
But they have to copy the previous person's look.
It can obviously be open to interpretation of the previous person's look...
Very open...
But of course, It is a fun way to capture some of our quirkier moments.
I refrained from posting all the rounds of photos because most of them were unflattering...which should teach me something about mockery...it makes the mocker seem unflattering...alas, I am unmoved.

Tess & I were hanging out downtown and came upon the Teass House. I know not what it houses, if one can enjoy tea there, or if they in fact do not know how to spell teases / teas's / the ass.
But I do know that it is pink and was built in 1929.
I also know that in my village if you want to talk about your home or where you came from, the literal phrase is "the place of my ass" or more succinctly "ass place".
So, I guess this could be home sweet home Tess!

A Cousin Visit

2009-07-04T17:26:00.001-07:00

My cousin Celeste & her husband Stephen came for a weekend visit.

Grandpa especially enjoyed their visit...remembering Celeste every time he saw her & being able to really converse. It was a special treat for him, and a special treat for me to share that alert time with him.
Mumsy took us for a tour of the Ranch. Celeste loves animals and it was fun to see her in that environment.Another fun thing was the fact that Stephen commented on how much my mom (Mumsy) & Celeste's mom (Aunt Constance) look alike. I don't think either of them think they look alike, but it is more probably their mannerisms.
Celeste & I enjoyed finding out the things that we have in common too. It is a special thing to share ancestry and for all our disfunction we are a fun bunch of people.
I drove them to the beach on Celeste's birthday. I got a speeding ticket on the way. EEEK! But it was probably deserved, especially if you consider how many times I have been pulled over in the last few months. Three.
We happened upon this dead jelly fish that had washed up on shore. It was fascinating...
I don't think the photos do justice. The top squishy part was dirty but still completely see-through. I tried to flip it over with my feet, because I'm not sure how stingy a dead jelly fish of that size can be and because I wanted to see the stingers.
It didn't work.

We walked a little more, skipped stones & drew in the sand...
it was a beautiful day.

We went out to a great little Italian restaurant in SLO, and came home late to a surprise birthday cake from the Hawks.
We played a fun game that Celeste brought that I cannot for the life of me remember the name. I do however remember the people's names in this picture, that it had to do with trains, and that it was fun...
Tess was gracious enough to be our DD for a fun afternoon of wine tasting.
This is us at Eberle (which means "wild boar")
Finding that out did help me to better understand all the ugly boar sculptures, paintings and fountains we came across.

Yes, we are posing in front of a boar-spewing-water-water fountain.
Why? you may ask.
Like I said on facebook...why not?

Why? I did ask.
Because Tess loves to torture Kona. She was actually successful in getting Kona to pull her around on the little wheeled dolly. Very funny but a little mean I am afraid.

A bird for Susan

2009-07-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

Mumsy & I made a sweet little pin cushion bird for Susan's birthday...
I should clarify that by "Mumsy & I made" I mean, of course, that I picked out the pattern, we both discussed the fabrics, & Mumsy technically did the "making" part. But, I was there the whole time! (almost)
See, proof I was there...these are my fingers.
The happy little bird at the first run-through. We shortened the beak, because it helped it's cuteness factor to have a daintier face.
I really liked the colors and especially the surprise red dot on the tail. I hope it turns out to be something beautiful & useful.

Mini Em

2009-07-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

Annalaura & I threw a baby shower in honor of Emily's baby girl C.G.. It was fun that she had already arrived when we gave the shower, because so many of us wanted to meet her.
Here are my two sweet, beautiful friends...

My three favorite parts of the weekend were down time with the Wilkins, being with Em & holding her tiny C.G., and seeing Em's face when she opened our gift...

I may have forgotten to mention that I, with the help of Julie, have taken Emily's mild dislike of cats and pushed it over the edge to pure unadulterated loathing.

The trick you ask? Well, step 1 is to have a mind like mine. Slightly obsessive and a little immature. Whenever I see anything feline, I immediately imagine Emily and her cute nose turned up in disapproval. (sigh)
And so, step 2, I buy her the cat things I find. You would be surprised at how many cards with cats there are in this world. Finally, step 3 is persistence. It has taken years...birthdays, Christmases, Easter, Hanukkahs, any time I might be thinking of her...and Ta-Da! she absolutely detests them.

We also made C.G. a yellow onesie with an owl on the bottom & it said "Smarty Pants", and a purple onesie that said "Daddy's lil' biker". I just hope that Em will let C.G. wear the cat one.

Carol, C.G., Annalaura, Brenda & me

I love being around women who are good at hostessing. I feel like a sponge and long to be cool, calm, and collected and able to make marvelous delicious things to boot. Annalaura & I wouldn't have made it without these two!

Here is one of the joys of my weekend...time with Smeadie, as I call her. She started calling me "Friend" this weekend & I couldn't figure out why. Then I realized Annalaura & I call each other that. So cute! Also, at one point she wanted to be "Sminda", as Annalaura calls me, and wanted me to be "Smeadie". I hope she remembers when I see her at Big Sur. I love name-calling games!

Kimwood Ranch

2009-07-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

I was able to go with Tim & Jill to the ranch where Jill grew up. The one where she ran wild and free, played horses, and tortured her baby brother Ryan.
Her Nana Lily lives there and was so fun to get to know.

I cannot believe how good Kona is in the car...even when the car ride ends up being like 6 & 1/2 hours. Tim rolled the window down for her when we drove through San Francisco. People acted like they had never seen a dog before...it was so cute. Well, Kona is so cute! Here she is smiling to her adoring fans in San Fran...

We meandered back through the Kimwood property (which is GInormous)on the toughest little mule I have ever seen. (I mean a mean green motorized machine). We decided to commemorate our trek to the back edge of the property by doing what?...of course, a jumping picture. This is Tim, Jill, me, Kristy & Kona...

Kristy & I horsing around...

The whole gang (minus Nana Lily) jumping...
(Tim, Gary, me, Jill, Gay, Kristy - & Molly & Kona are confused in the foreground)

Nana Lily, Jill, Tim & me

Wild Things & Cultural Relevance

2009-07-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

I have found some beauty on the walks I have taken of late...
Here is a little bouquet of wild mushrooms

And here is some Miner's Lettuce (I think that is what it is called). No matter what it's name I think it is sweet, and that is why I captured it with the elph

This is a photo from one of the last of our Perspectives classes.

We had a Christian service that might be culturally relevant to Muslims. It was a sort of disorienting experience. It was good to feel unsure and uncomfortable because it helped me to again think more deeply about what it takes to take the Gospel to a new culture. How do we strip away anything that is simply our culture and bring only the Gospel? Something I keep thinking about.

Laura's Last Dance...

2009-07-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

So late one night we took Laura out for one of her last nights and Kelly for one of her first nights of California dancing. Woo-hoo!

It was a fun crew...
Brooke, Laura, Me, Tess, & Kelly

No, Rachy didn't go...too young, so we let her take our picture (a lot of them) before we left.

I think this was the night that we got serenaded by 4 young men outside of the Library. They were so fun to dance with, because it was a group of them and a group of us. Also, they were dressed up in like suit & tie or tie and vest sort of outfits. They were respectful and great dancers. After a fun time dancing all together they caught us outside and sang us a little accapella song. It was so sweet.
Another funny thing that happened was that Brooke at one point had to dance a slightly inebriated guy away from her sister-in-law, Kelly, and tell him to leave her alone because she was married to her brother. I just about died laughing.
It was fun! But seeing the pictures makes me miss Laura!

A party for a girl...

2008-12-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

... a party for a new mom, a growing community, a party for the stability that family can bring... all in celebration of what God has done.
A crowd of us gathered last night at the home of Brooke and her new baby girl, Rachel Evangeline Lily Larkin Cone, to celebrate the adoption of said long named one and the start of this family.

Our time together was festive, loud, and crowded as we ate, mingled, danced and took a ton of pictures. My favorite time might have been either the dancing, or the time where we nestled into the front room, making a huge circle of friends & family.

During that time we gave blessings, toasted, and praised God for what He has done in and through Brooke & Rachel. Adoption is so cool! I love that in celebrating a child being taken in fully by a family I am reminded that I too was once an orphan. Her story is my story, as a believer in Jesus. I too was lost and in need, and now I belong. It is such a blessing to be reminded of God's love and care for me in the story of this tall Cone family. Hooray for belonging!

The dancing, as I mentioned was another favorite time, mostly because I love dancing and more importantly I love dancing with the Cone girls. They are wild and creative and I am consistently shocked, awed, and challenged to improve my dancing skills when I am around them. My only regret is that David Cone (the DJ by default because of his healing knee) couldn't dance and also didn't play Beyonce's "All The Single Ladies". (sigh) I am obsessed.

Tess, me, Autumn, & Rebekah (aka All The Single Ladies)

UB, the girl of honor, & AJ

I love that the guests dressed up! It made it such a celebratory and pretty place to be!

Lady D & Stace

me & Mumsy

and Asia...queen of felines. She decided to stay home because she knew that as a queen she might put everyone to shame. So beautiful and yet so humble.

Christmas Carols & Brotherly Boxing

2008-12-26T21:32:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from Christmas Day.

Angie, me, Stace, Rudy, Yukie & Trisket

UB & Grandpa gettin' the carols going...

Stacy & UB trying out the pretend gift of blow-up boxing gloves I gave UB & AJ for Christmas.

Darren & Stacy continuing the Christmas pounding.

Did you catch Lady D. in the background covering her face in Christmas fear...(tee-hee)

Stacy, Rudy & Jake. I think we had just started playing Apples to Apples.

Uncle Mike showing off his first Green Card won. He was the only one (out of 13 people) who hadn't won a round.

Grandpa played Christmas carols for a bit, it was great to hear him and he seemed to really enjoy it.

O holey socks...

Well burn my bum & call me bacon...

2008-12-26T20:50:00.001-08:00

So, I have told a few of you my most recent embarrassing events and have decided to post some pictures...to prove it. Yes, I burned my bum!
Please remember that I had been feeling a little out of sorts and frazzled what with my car dying, and every attempt at progress in selling and finding a new one resulting in frustration.
On the night of December 22nd, all the conditions seemed right. I finally made it out to Tim & Jill's to do some research on their computer. Everything was working well, the cat was purring nearby, the Presto HeatDish was perfectly placed and warming my little space nicely. I felt hopeful at the progress I might make as I sat down and went to work.
And work I did, for a couple of hours.
A few times I remember thinking "hmmm, my backside feels kinda itchy". So, I scratched, and kept working.(sigh)
I ended my research, emailing, and printing and started to close up shop. I turned off the computer, turned off the Presto HeatDish, unplugged it, ushered my feline companion out the door, and headed home.
I listened to 3 and a half Broadway songs, enjoying the drive, arrived home, dressed in my pj's, and got into bed.
I lay there for a moment waiting for the covers to warm me, and slowly realized there was something wrong. My backside was starting to hurt. I thought back to earlier in the evening and remembered the ocassional "itching" I had experienced.
I crawled out of bed and dragged myself to the mirror to inspect more closely my painful left "cheek". When I lowered my pj bottoms I groaned.
One perfectly puffy blister saluted me amongst a background of red skin. Over the next day a second blister appeared and the larger redder area faded away.

I now must confess I burned my bum.
The saddest thing to me is that I didn't even realize that the heat from the Presto HeatDish was too high, or that I might be sitting too close.
The best I can figure is that a part of my jeans that weren't covered by the back of the chair got really hot and proceeded to transfer that heat to my poor bum.
You can see the redder area to the right of the blister is where the second less painful blister appeared.

I had to take a picture because I couldn't believe it and wondered if you might have a hard time believing too.
Um, as a side note, please don't make fun of me when you see me, if I lean to the right when I sit, k?

the company I keep...

2008-12-24T22:10:00.000-08:00

Luna & Kona have been my sometimes companions these past 2 months.
Here they are walking me, which frankly, I needed.

They, however, need to learn to heel.
Here are my sometimes companions running away from me...

Here sits my mostly companion of late, Asia.

I go out to Tim & Jill's every other day or so to check on her. She has always been a sweet cat, but is so desperate for affection now that her house is lonely. She meows at me persistently until I sit somewhere where she can climb into my lap, curl up, and radiate heat. Seriously, she is the best little portable warmer.

A few times she has been in such a deep sleep that she hasn't realized that she is precariously perched on her roost (my lap) and has startled us both by sliding off.
It certainly has kept me entertained during my computer times.

Kona also loves to gather round the heater and me at the computer. Here she was on one of the weekends I got to dog-sit her.

Another lately companion has been my newish rental car. I don't love it, but I am grateful for a comfortable and reliable form of transportation for the time being.
Here it is enjoying the rain...

What I do love is the XM Satellite radio I get with the rental. I found an all Broadway station. Love it!
Also, am loving the rainy weather that this season brings. I can't ever get enough of it. Here was a particularly moody threatening day that treated me to some of my favorite things, rain drops...

30.

2008-12-23T21:46:00.000-08:00

Yes. I said "30.".
No exclamation point.
Not one.
The big 3-0 did seem to sort of sneak up and then quickly pass me quietly and sweetly by, as any birthday of mine is prone to do.
I enjoyed my trip to Nashville, but what I found upon my return was a broken car, Thanksgiving leftovers, and little before-shocks of stress, (you know like an earthquake, but before, and as a warning, instead of after and as a "oh crap is this a big one?" kinda way).
It seems I have forgotten to add some photos and a few stories of my birthdays. Yes, I did say "birthdays" plural, because it seemed like I was treated to a long line of fun celebrations.
Mumsy and the Hawks made my actual day a pretty sweet day for me. First Mumsy, AJ & I went for a little hike.

Mom told me about the day I was born.
It was special, not one of those "see these stretch marks..yep, you kiddo", it was in fact one of those "I like you and you are still my baby" kinda stories. AJ asked mom good questions and also shared some sweet things that I have just treasured in my now 30 year old little heart.
We had chicken enchildadas and Uncle Earl & Aunt Alyce and Lady D. for dinner.

(We at the food, not the people).
The scrumptious dinner was followed by a word game where we were given questions to answer quietly by ourselves. Then I got to read my questions and answer them. Anyone who had a similar question was allowed to share their answer if they wanted. The questions were of course all about me and the sort that read like this..."If Linda was an author what author would she be". Animals, body of water, and more were addressed. When we finished Mumsy gathered up the papers and made them into a little booklet for me to keep. I loved it!
See how special it was already?
Well, friends, it didn't stop there.
My friends started arriving after that.

Everything was decorated golden and glittering, because it was my Golden Birthday after all. We played a pictionary-type game that was all about me even though everyone got to participate. My favorite phrase was "Linda is a blubbering whale". I am not joking, I have a picture to prove it, but choose not to post it to save the artist any unnecessary embarrassment.

We had cake, presents and a surprise skit that made me laugh so hard I was crying.
UB, AJ & Mumsy invited all of the party-goers to the dinning room area and presented the scene as any old afternoon when I come home and pop in for a visit.
Mumsy played me, UB played UB, and AJ played AJ.
Mumsy opened the door wearing a paper plate as a mask with a blown up photo of my face on it.

UB & AJ welcomed "me" and asked "me" to check the messages.
"I" proceeded to do as they asked.
What followed was one message after another of people in my life asking me to fill in, do something, participate, or follow up on different things. That was hysterical and sadly true, but what cracked me up was the fact that UB was every single voice on the message machine. He played Pastor Dan, the youth pastor, one of the doctors I work for, Brookie...just everyone.
During the messages "I" became increasingly anxious and by the end UB and AJ were showing concern about how "I" would do everything I had been asked to do. They offered to let "me" try this new thing they had gotten off the internet, saying they hadn't tested it yet but thought it might help.
So they sat "me" down, put a cooking pot on "my" head, and pulled out a hand held back vibrator. UB ran the back vibrator on the cooking pot(and poor mumsy's head)...

and then ta-da,
a knock was heard at the door.
To my surprise in walked almost all my party guests wearing paper plates as masks with the same photo of me that Mumsy wore. I laughed so hard I almost peed my 3o year old pants.

I felt so loved and celebrated and was glad it was on my actual Golden Birthday!

Avoiding the Unavoidable

2008-12-20T18:12:00.000-08:00

So my car died on Thanksgiving Day. The consequences of which I only now beginning to face. When the car first passed from this life, I was able to borrow Tim & Jill's truck for a bit. Unfortunately, I am finding more and more evidence that hints at the possibility of my touch causing chaos to ensue. It seems that everything I touch wants to "leave this world".
The same day their truck started acting sickly I found a to-do list they had written. It is a list of things to do upon their return from the South Pacific,the third line of which contains these words... "Truck - serpentine belt & transmission fluid". I took their truck in to have the belt changed and transmission fluid filled and proceeded to park it for good at their house.
Next, I rented a car, which has run well, but turns out it won't be covered by my insurance. I found this out after I realized the car was working great so there would obviously have to be something else awry. I called my insurance (for the third time), and pressed them to make a call to confirm or deny the rental coverage. It will not be covered.
Finally, I have been trying seriously for about 2 weeks to do some "craig's list" research in hopes of selling the dead car and finding a new vehicle. But, every time I have come out to Tim & Jill's to use their computer the internet connection has mysteriously been down, the batteries for the keyboard (wireless, no less) have been dead, I attempted to charge the batteries but didn't charge them for the full 14 hours, then the batteries for the wireless mouse died, charged those batteries, and that pretty much brings us to today. It is quite comical but over time has become more discouraging. I am choosing to move forward and rest in the fact that God loves me. Easier said than done as I have been avoiding God for a good while. Or I guess you could say a "bad while". So here's to baby steps & The Hound of Heaven...Hip Hip Hooray!

Toes and Beading

2008-12-06T14:33:00.000-08:00

While we were all together in Nashville, Jina was able to work on Brian's ingrown toenail. It made for an uncomfortable next day for him since Julie, Susan & I dragged him around town a bit. He was a good sport though.
Here he is being a patient patient.

I think this trip was the third or fourth time I have been able to visit Julie & Jina's church, City Church of East Nashville. It is a neat church for several reasons. The one that sticks out to me this time is how involved the people I met were with their neighborhood of East Nashville (where I am told they "will steal your heart and your lawnmower"). I think that is where Jesus wants us, in the place he's placed us, living our lives openly and invitingly in front of our neighbors. I think that is a cool thing about being in a more city-like area than out in Templeton country. These people actually see and come in contact with their neighbors daily, where as it is easy for me to miss my physical neighbors since I drive everywhere and am pulled so many different directions. It gives me a good perspective again about getting involved with the people right around me.
So, after church we went back to Laura D's place for yummy buritos and some down time.

me, Susan, Laura D, Julie.
Julie & Jina's friend Gabrielle invited us to her parent's house for some craft time. Here mom has this great art studio in their backyard. Gabrielle pulled out all these beads and we spent a fun morning planning and assembling our necklaces, earrings & pretties.
I love this picture of Julie, it reminds me of some of her baby pictures.

Here is a fun video Brian took of all of us in our little "creating" world.

Jumping

2008-12-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

So at the cabin, the cousins were feeling inspired by Tim & Jill's travel blog. We had noticed a theme of jumping and handstands and decided to give it a try.

Step 1).
The preparation for jumping is almost as important as the actual jumping.

Step 2).
The coordination of 4 people jumping is important when you have decided to capture the image in a photo instead of a video. A video is much more forgiving of one's timing issues. (sigh)

Step 3).
Ah, forget it, just jump and see what happens...

I think we were trying a sort of horse-canter thing here. My braids make me laugh.

now doesn't that make you wanna try?

A Kentucky Cabin

2008-12-05T17:27:00.000-08:00

The day I arrived in Tennessee, Julie, Laura & I went directly to a "Hymn Sing" at this neato old church in downtown Nashville. The group that was playing / leading was called Bifrost, which I think is a Scandinavian term for the bridge between earth and sky.

We gathered in a beautiful sanctuary that had a high ceiling, intricate structural details that I don't have the vocabulary to describe. and white pews with soft blue cushions. It was cozy because the musicians felt close as they crowded in the front of the place. The music was live (which I must say is my favorite form of music). There were 2 violins, a piano, a cello, acoustic guitars, a stand-up base, a mandolin and a xylophone type thing. The main three musicians kept switching instruments throughout our time together - which I enjoyed. Also, they sang to us and then asked us to join in the second time through. It was a lovely welcome to Nashville even though I was tired from my flight.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention - the church where this took place has all these strange abandoned rooms upstairs with random broken pews and old unused furniture lining hallways and resting in dark rooms. We were given a tour up the pitch black castle-like stairway to see some of the rooms that are loaned out to local artists. They use them for their studios which I think is cool, especially since the church seems to have a heart for artists. They display different artists work in the hallways and in the one main room I passed through. It is nice to see people with a heart for something, showing not telling. I think it speaks louder and the effect is deeper and perhaps longer when actions are produced. I want to be like that. Active.
"We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action." - Frank Tibolt

The next day was spent in preparation for a Kentucky cabin visit. Julie, Laura & myself planned, fought, shopped & gathered the necessities for our little gathering. Here are Julie and Laura leaving Laura's new place (so cute - you have to see how this girl decorates her home. I love it!)

Brian drove over from Chattanooga, helped us pack up, and we were off.

It was cold and windy and really cold. We got in after dark and had fun unpacking food and setting things in places, pretending it was home for the weekend. Jina joined us later that night, but in the meantime we thawed.
The next day we ate, took walks & pictures, talked and colored. It was fun in a relaxing and try to keep warm kinda way...

See? FUN!

And beautiful...

So I mentioned coloring, well in my family coloring is always worth mentioning. Brian brought his grand Prismacolor set of colored pencils. I think they are beautiful because I love anytime lots of colors are gathered together. I guess before I got into the coloring thing with Brian, Julie and Laura, they kept saying "oh, don't worry about putting the colored pencils back in the right place because Linda will probably re-do the whole thing."
They were so right, I wanted to re-organize the whole thing, just to see how the different colors might flow into each other or how they can complement or contrast each other simply depending on how one chooses to organize. (sigh) I love it. I think I was a little overwhelmed though because I never actually got around to the re-organizing. It's probably better I refrained since I might have just done it the whole weekend, ignoring everyone unless they were offering helpful ideas of possible order for the beloved colors. I bet there is probably some psychological term that describes this obsession I have, but I don't need to label it. I know the definition and that is enough.
Another reason I can feel overwhelmed with the whole too many colors thing is that it often includes people around me who are creating. Brian and Julie are both artistic in ways that can intimidate me. I don't mean intimidate in a bad way. I will try to explain.
Brian is sort of wild and free. Like his hair. Often times however his hair turns out in the morning, after the work of sleeping on it, is how he wears it. His approach to what he creates is similar in that he works at it but has this ability to let it go. He doesn't mind blury photographs, because he finds beauty in them. All I see is a mistake. He sees something unique.
He is gifted not only in his eye-hand-paper coordination, but also in accepting what happens in that process as part of the art.
I can remember one time when he and I lived in Fresno and had met at a park for a walk and sketch in our journals time. We were siting in the grass working on a tree. I kept getting frustrated, caught up in the details and how my drawing wasn't looking just like the actual tree. He offered some tips and encouraged me to go with the flow. Then, he did the most shocking thing. He grabbed my journal from me and tossed his in my place. "Here, you work on mine and I will work on yours, " he said nonchalantly as I gaped at him. It was so hard for me, I wanted to do it just perfect and I wanted to do MINE perfectly, but he just wanted me to lighten up and let those imperfections become a part of the end result. It was great, even if I messed up his drawing! I just love that about him! But I often feel intimidated by his wildness, I notice my rigid ways more when I see the simplicity and freedom with which he plays and creates.
Julie is also gifted in her eye-hand-paper coordination. Everything she does seems to exude care, beauty and simplicity. Everything she sets her mind or pen to has this defined and crisply sweet quality to it. It is hard to explain unless you are looking at her work. It is interesting because her writing is like her art in that it draws you in and often makes you laugh.
So, being third in this cool trail of kids gives me perspective I guess. I will never create with the crazy & unpredictable strokes of Brian or draw with the delicate and precise swirls of Jules. I am fine with that. I don't want to be them, I want to be me. But there is this part of me that expects some hint of family resemblance. I seem to think the outcomes of my creativity should somehow look similar to my siblings'. Like our faces, you would expect shared features with the same two parents, right? Ya, me too. Sorry, we are all sold out of talent here. Move along.
Tee-hee.
Well, here is a picture I took that I just like. 1) because it seems to glow, and 2) the subject is a little coy that UB (& sort of AJ) gave me right before my trip.

I wore this every day, if it didn't match my outfit I just slipped it under my shirt. It is on a long chain so it worked great. I kept thinking of it as my little traveling coy (like a gnome, but scalier).

I not only love colors, but coloring as well.

True story:
We are pretty sure that all of us (Julie, Brian, Laura, Jina & me) got food poisoning from some bad turkey we ate Friday.
See Exhibit A below.

One by one each of us started to feel sickly in the tummy about the same time, approximately 5-7 hours after ingesting Exhibit A. Jina & I did some calculations from what we know of bacteria that tends towards food poisoning, and realized that by the time the rest of our party arrived (Gabrielle, Kristina & Andrea) we might all be "indisposed".
The rest of our afternoon was quite comical as we discussed the best foods / drinks to ingest in view of the likelihood that they would be visiting us again shortly. We also began to seriously plan which restrooms each of us would use (as there were only two). It was funny & sad. We decided to pray that God would heal us. As the time drew closer for our friends to arrive, one by one we started to feel better. It was a miracle. Even though it would have been a great story to tell, I am so grateful that God spared us.

Twins. I think Laura looks like a mischievous kid in this pic.

Silly Brian.

me, Jules & Bri.

Our Risk Game where we laughed nervously about the rumblings in our tummy.

Kristina played us a few of her songs. It was a treat, because she was going to play them in front of a lot more people the next day. We got the pre-show show.
Brian & Kristina P.

Um. Triplets I guess. And yes their hairs are au'naturale.

Laura D. and Kristina P. had to leave early Saturday morning, but here are the left-behinders.

Goodbyes & the Goodguys

2008-11-12T22:10:00.000-08:00

The California Whitacres found some time in these weeks leading up to Tim & Jill's much anticipated voyage to the South Pacific, to hike, sing & be merry together. It was fun to get back in the habit of that after a time of business that had kept us apart.

Here are some of our moments together.

This is a great hike at the top of the Cuesta Grade. It is a nice wide dirt road that is not too steep and has some spectacular views.

Jill, Tim & Mumsy

Toby (beloved Hawk-dog), just so happens to be one of the best dogs to take hiking . She is obedient and heels the first time you command it. I have never never seen her run away or go scurrying off after an animal. She just stays with you, and I love that.

Kona, on the other hand, is prone to wander. She also is incredibly fast. I think it is in her nature and has yet to be broken of it. On one of these Whit Fam hikes Kona decided to book it after a deer. Before we even knew what was happening she was already up to the top of a nearby hill. She was called sternly and repeatedly , without any response.

Toby, the beloved wonder dog, however, stayed right by my side. She did not move at all, and seemed to smugly smile in that "older brother who is proud not to be the prodigal son" way, saying "see, good dog stay, bad dog go". Which is true of course, but it was so funny to me seeing this stark contrast between these two animals.

It got me thinking about how even though I love Toby dearly, she is not the most stable dog. She is moody, wary of strangers, cold to anyone but the two and a half people she actually likes, hateful to any dog but one, and just all around unpredictable.

Kona, also a beloved dog, is the opposite. She loves everyone she meets and shows it, wether you are man or dog. It is obvious who her favorite is (Jill), but she is friendly to all and expects to be loved freely. If you pet her and she appreciates it she will lick you as a thank you. She is warm, wiggly and sweet.

It is strange how much I identify with Toby. Perhaps not right at this moment, but at some points in my life, I have been leery of everyone, expecting the worst, cold and guarded. Sometimes I just want to shake her and say "you don't have to hate and be afraid of everything! Open your heart little dog!" It definitely would work better for her. I think she would be surprised by the response.

Alas, not every dog can be a Kona. Lucky for Toby, that is exactly why I love her. For her strange neediness, her guarded vulnerability, and her obedience.
I digress.

Modeling, glasses and a camera

Lake Santa Margarita, but beware the deer chasing dogs

After one of our hikes together we took the show to Grandpa's place.
Here we are singing to and with him.

I love the way that music reaches people, and specifically how it still reaches Grandpa. He keeps is head down a lot lately, because he is tired and maybe because he has pain. It is neat to see how he lifts his head when we sing together and he remembers a part.

These are some of my favorite times with him.

Dancing it is.

2008-11-12T21:59:00.000-08:00

Yes, we did actually dance because Kelly brought a homemade cd. This picture proves it.

& again, proof. I think we moved to "Thriller" at this point.

Princess Tess acting as a servant, carrying the pretend bubbly to the girls.

Princess Teska serves the peasants.

Don't ever invite over a gaggle of highschool girls without reinforcements.
Here are mine,

me, Wendy, Boss Man, Tess

Dance Part-ay

2008-11-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

So a few of the highschool girls came over for a dance party. Unfortunately I ran out of time and never actually got the music needed to make the "dance" part possible. The girls were great sports though. We danced some, jumped on the trampoline some, sat in the hot tub and drank sparkling cider & just hung out.
These girls are such a joy to know.
Emmy, quite possibly my tallest friend

Cheyenne, she looks like she's flying and I love that!

I couldn't post all the pictures we took, but some of them were so funny.
Here's Emmy catching Cheyenne after a few mis-haps.
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Mackenzie & I enjoyed the show

Fall & the Pumpkins it Brings

2008-11-12T18:34:00.000-08:00

I still feel a little like a foreigner around this time of year. The seasons we enjoyed growing up in Papua New Guinea were two, depending on which part of the country you found yourself.

Rainy & Dry.

Rainy was the really rainy time of the year, and Dry was the less rainy time of the year. I loved it!

But, I must admit that I love this Fall thing too!
I love the sky becoming crisper, and the nights cooling. I love the heartbreakingly beautiful sunsets that hint at change. I love wearing scarfs, drinking hot drinks because I am actually cold, and sleeping with no less than 5 blankets.

So Fall has peeked it’s pretty head around the bend and I for one am relieved. I found myself growing increasingly anxious as the daylight hours shrunk more noticeably this past month. The rain and the cold bring a brightness to my being that the lack of sunlight can drain.

I know some of my friends will note the irony that I, Linda, feel sad at the loss of sunlight, since most of them know me as "anti-sun girl". I do love the sunlight. I love anything warm and tropical and brilliantly sunny. I just hate skin cancer and premature aging. This is not the point, so I will move on...

October has been a busy time, but for the first time in a long time, it has been a fun busy time. Since quitting my second job I have found some precious time with friends, family & the pretty pretty outdoors.

Here is a picture of the beautiful Princess Teska. (I still find myself gagging at the thought of putting a pumpkin on one's head...but royalty will be royalty, eh?) Just imagine this pumpkin headed princess driving up to a youth group car wash...she scared the...er...pumpkin seeds out of me...

Her shirt reads "Triple Threat, We are all in this together".
The next weekend was actually Halloween and I got to hang out with Brooke, Tess, Rachel & her friend. The girls were so cute, dressed up as fairies. We went tricker treating in Brooke's & Rachel's neighborhood which happens to be where some of our friends from church live also. This is us popping in at the Hornes as they were getting ready for a dance party.

Me, Rebecca H., Rachel L-C & friend.

Birthdays & Babes.

2008-08-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

I had such a fun time getting ready for my sister's visit. It was her first visit back since her move to Nashville, and I was so excited!

I got really into planning a little birthday brunch in honor of Julie and our friend Brooke (they share July 27th as their birthday). I got a little too into making the invitations though. I stayed up late a few nights testing different combinations of color, and then later hand making each one. I found these great strawberry stickers at Michaels and knew I had to use them. There are few things that help me relax like a long and tedious craft that ends in something pretty or a good run.

Well, enough about me & my crafts . . . the whole point was that I was excited to celebrate my two dear friends' births (or First-Naked-Day day as I like to call it). I am going to attempt to say some things about each birthday girl - but I already know that these words in my head will not suffice.

Brookie is like the curry spice that she loves. She is strong, distinct, and makes chicken taste great! She is passionate (both about what she loves and what she hates), she is brave, and she is deep. There is not a conversation that she is part of that doesn't dip into something deep, profound or vulnerable for those present. She can't help it and it is great and terrifying (for us "kiddy-pool" conversationalists) all at the same time. Lest you think she is all depth & maturity & gorgeous green eyes, she also is the goofiest girl when the time gets late and the stresses of the day have rubbed off some. Out comes the graceful & yet strange exercise-ball-ballerina doing an interpretive dance to whatever is playing on the radio. Come to think of it Brooke's dancing side often is in stark contrast to her grown up, "I'll take care of it" person. She is my favorite dancing partner & helps me in so many ways to dig down and to let it all out! Don't you wish she was your friend too?

Sisters trying to keep our eyes open for a picture. Dang-GIT!

Ah, my sweet sister (who will cringe when she reads the word "sweet" before her name). She is the sweetest thing to me, and yet I know that word lacks the fullness I mean it to carry. She has this way of making people feel special and important. Her generosity with her heart, her time, and her food is exorbitant. When I work along side her I am often put to shame by her thoughtfulness of others. She is either in constant motion or sleeping. Sometimes there is a small part of the day when you can catch her while she is falling asleep and there is some stillness there. But otherwise, that right foot is twittering ever so slightly back and forth. Watch closely and see if you can see it.
My sister is the person who taught me how to fight simply by fighting with me. I can look back now on our tumultuous upbringing and see over and over an older sister who sacrficed, protected and loved her siblings. I used to hold her on a pedastal and have through God's grace come to know her more deeply and find a mere earthling like myself. But even in her willingness to be changed and become more real she is being transformed ino a more amazing, more vibrant Julie.
She is also one of the funniest people I know. I have learned to be more forthcoming about my "awkward moment" stories because she shares hers so freely. (You have got to ask her about some - there are quite a few to pick from). My favorite is a toss up between the pretend-engagement-ring-fiasco or the crotch-staring episode. There's this fearlessness about her that is surprising when you consider her petite frame and her girlish manners. I love that she is all sweetness and gentleness and yet there is a real strength under it all. Lest you think she is "all girl" keep in mind she prefers action movies over romantic movies 9 times out of 10, and that she can still almost outwrestle my 6'2" brother.
She is fearless when it comes to heights, roller coasters, and adventure of any kind. She is witty and smart and a little bit of a smart-asterix. She is one of the most detailed people I know. I sometimes wonder that so much intricate attention to detail can be in someone who is also so creative and imaginative. But one of the coolest things about that is that she loves her friends well because of her notice of the little things. I love her poetry, her art, and her short stories. I love that she is older than me, and gets to "go first" on so many things. I love that she is what her name means, youthful. And I love that she will probably still want to wrestle me when we are in our 70's (me in my early 70's and her in her later 70's). Happy Birthday to my first and bestest friend! .

Laura & Julie in the latest fashions.

I have been thinking again of how grateful I am for friends, old and new, that the Lord has brought into my life. When I look around at these wild, wonderful ladies I think - "Man, I wish I had some guy friends!" xo

Kayaking with Sharks!

2008-08-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

Kayaking with some fun peeps turned into a great, relaxing day where one friend (I won't say who) was terrified of a shark attack in Morro Bay, and another accidentally stole a coloring book from a seashell shop.

Me, Emily, & Angela

Angela, Emmy, Princess Tess (aka thieftess), Rebekah

Two new friends! Shelley & Melissa

The Crew: Emily, Tess,
Shelley, Me, Amanda, Rebekah,
Angela,
& Melissa

so guess where I wasn't on August 16th . . .

2008-08-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

in spite of the fact that a woman walked into my office the week before to tell me about how her "office" was doing "alien marker removals", and that there was this conference coming up called the Central Coast Science - UFO Symposium. She handed me the pamphlet you see here, and proceeded to tell me that if I was to attend I should dress "for television" since there would be news crews present. I was utterly speachless and remained so until I could exclaim "oh, thank you" as she turned to acost...er...talk to a patient that came through the door. I stood blinking for a moment and then began to giggle to myself as I read through the professional looking pamphlet I clutched in my hand. I was pleased to find some things of interest that I will now share.

Did you know that a conference like this can last a good day and a half, prices can range from $95 to $270 (depending on how many days you plan to attend - and wether or not you want to "Meet & Greet" some gentleman named George Noory who evidently wrote a book about UFO's). There are special lectures available like "Cosmic Messages: How do we prepare for contact?", and Panel Discussions with special surprise guests, talks on "Recollections of UFO Abductions through Hypnotherapy" or "The Physics of Alien Abduction". Needless to say I was intrigued. Are you? Here is a website where you can find out more, just in case....

http://www.centralcoastscience-ufosymposium.com/

Relating to Jane Fairfax

2008-02-23T16:18:00.001-08:00

Do you remember Jane? Fairfax? from Emma? If you are not a dedicated fan of Jane Austen, you may not quite get this post. Please read on... just consider yourself warned.
Do you remember the part in Emma, where we are beginning to discover some things about the character Jane? She's orphaned, penniless, elegant & secretly engaged to "what's-his-name". Well, I never really got her. I have thought her singing lovely, her manners cool and her taste in men predictable. I have never lost sleep over this I simply enjoy observing minor characters more closely when I view a movie more than once. Well, she is one of them, minor, but also a bit strange. I have never minded her reduced circumstances, her talent, her beauty. I have just been curious and somewhat at a loss of why she relates so well to her aunts, Mrs. & Miss Bates. I have found myself starring, like you would at a monkey throwing poo in a zoo, at their family. How was she not annoyed by them as most everyone else was? Did she really enjoy and delight in them as she appeared to? How did she feel safe and loved with two such strange birds?
I was thinking about this as I went to a gathering last night.
Some women from my church got together to eat, do projects & to talk. I enjoyed it. I enjoy them. And for a brief moment I realized that I totally get Jane Fairfax. (I am in no way comparing these fun, lively, creative & engaging ladies to the Bates' ladies.) I am, however, finding friends and confidants in unexpected places. When I was with those ladies I felt like I could say or do anything, (I am not saying I should), simply because they don't mind me. They will talk with me or not, they laugh with me, are willing to listen & show on their faces their delight at seeing me. They are open to me asking "why" or "how", they share trinkets of wisdom from their experience, they laugh freely. And even though these are things I treasure in my closest peer-age friends, there is a difference in the delight and acceptance from my older friends...and no I don't know what it is. Maybe it is a difference in me when I am with them. Maybe it is knowing that I can't be like them yet, because they have a few years on me. Maybe it is relating to people who have made it through what I am going through, and seeing that they haven't lost a leg or anything. I just like it. I treasure sitting down with my aunt after everyone has gone to bed and hearing what she is thinking about. I love catching a few moments of an older women's time and knowing and being known by her. My favorite part about Saturdays, which I spend working at church all day, is when my Mumsy and her 2 close friends pop in to decorate and set up for church. I love to hear them kindly bicker over where to put the flowers, or what color best brings out the banner for that week. It brings me such hope that they are still a group of goofy girls who want to talk and hang out. Often one of them will stop in to my little cave and talk to me for a moment and I just love it.
So, for a little part of the evening yesterday I got Jane Fairfax. She is probably like me, and is surprised but grateful for finding friends in unexpected places, even if those "places" are stages of life.

This Is Why I'm Not!

2008-02-03T19:04:00.000-08:00

Blogging, that is. My excuse is the usual "I've been busy", but I really mean it. Since the week after Christmas I have traveled to Nashvegas, Chattavegas & back for a restful yet fun-filled week of break-dancing, bridge-walking, and Dutch-Blitz playing.
Words are inadequate to describe how good it was to see my sister. (sigh) I will just say this... I love her, miss her and am better when I am around her.
I also had some neat time with Jin, Brian & Susan, Stace & the lovely rest. Brian & Susan had Julie & I over for New Year's Eve. Can I just say something? We are officially old. We played Cinco, Scattegories and then went to bed. I love being around other youngish-tired-older peeps.
We went twice to this all night cafe in Nashville where interesting people gather. We were drawn partly by the "breaking" group that performed there. ("Breaking", for anyone who has blocked out any or all of the 80's, is similar to "break-dancing". Just don't call it that. I was told it is not cool.) Whatever you want to call it - it is fun to see live.
Some other highlights of my trip included a chance to follow Jina at Siloam, the non profit clinic where she works as a nurse practitioner. I loved seeing her in that environment, using her gifts, flourishing and loving the people God brings. I especially loved hearing her speak Spanish and watching how she cares for her patients thoroughly and gently.
I enjoyed meeting more of Jina's and Julie's friends, and hanging out with Stacy's roomies. I think it is the best vacation to go where your friends are. I will be ready to go again in about a month. (I wish)

One week after my return I had the joy of going to Hume Lake two weekends in a row with my highschool then my jr. high youth-groups. Whew! I'm getting tired just typing that. I said "joy" and I mean joy. But in spite of my love for those kids I did have some anxiety about each weekend. The first weekend I was worried about how our group would mix together, about driving in the snow, about eating camp food, about falling on the ice and breaking the few uninjured bones I have left. Thankfully the people I asked to pray for me did, and as the first weekend came and went I didn't even remember what I had been nervous about. That easyness was short lived. I turned around to head back up the mountain only to find myself pre-occupied with mixing, driving, eating, falling & breaking. I love that I don't have to get things perfectly for God to swoop in a save. I can now proudly say I have driven through a snow storm that was almost a "white out", survived two weekends with only one fall on the ice, ate great food, enjoyed the kids & got to see my sweet friends Em & Lu Martian, (aka Marschner). All in all I am grateful to be home, enjoying the rain, and hoping to catch up on some sleep.

The Fish Is Dead

2007-11-17T19:17:00.000-08:00

The fish is dead. It died slowly, I think, over four days. I was house-sitting elsewhere and A.J. & Dange called to sing the phrase "The fish is dead" to a tune from Oz. I was relieved once it finally died. But I must say that the week or so leading up to it’s “transition” made me sad. I kept trying to feed it because it was doing this whole bobbing for air thing around the edges of it’s glass. I hope its suffering was short. And I also hope that it didn’t die because of my neglect.

Can neglect be considered murder? Alina seemed to think so and and hinted as much when I told her of the little fish’s passing. I left it to float in it's "other-life-ness" for a day or so as I struggled through this and then I poured it and it's murky water onto a plant in the yard. My cold scientific mind thinks that the nutrients of it's rotting flesh will be good for the soil. I am going to call it The Dead Fish Plant from this day forward.

So, is neglect considered murder? It doesn't seem like a huge deal until I think of the other areas of my life that I have neglected. Namely friendships I let fade, needs I ignore, and things I leave unspoken. I am sensing this need to explain my neglect of the fish which is my form of un-repentance. It wasn't my fish. I can't remember which old roommate I adopted him from, but I do remember why I adopted him. I felt he wasn't being cared for properly. Typing that out-loud is just sad. Part of me takes comfort that even though I may be a murderer I do have a conscience. What brings your murderous heart comfort? I'd love to know.

I now remember something embarrassing

2007-11-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

Yes. I finally remember an "embarrassing moment". And, no, my memory is not improving, its just that it occurred about an hour ago. I sent out an email to remind my fellow peeps who will be working in nursery / children's church / set-up on Sunday about the time change. Nice? Yes. It is very nice of me. However, the time will be falling BACK an hour, not forward like I wrote. So, like most mistakes I make, I was oblivious, until my sister-in-law and I were talking about the time change and she was like "It's Fall Back" and I was like "No it isn't, it's Fall Forward." And she was like "No, it's not." And I was like "Oh crap!"
I am now seriously considering changing my whole basis of determining right from wrong. It seems the "Alliteration is Always All-right!" theory is not reliable.
Also, I would like to point out that even though they laughed at me, Rich and Pam were good enough friends to call and ask if my email was a joke. I could hear Pam giggling in the background, and come to think of it, I could hear Rich laughing in the foreground because he was the one who called. Boo Allliteration! Hooray friends who call & laugh!

2007-10-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

Why I am here

2007-10-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

This title seems fitting as I sit here to write my first blog. Julie has moved to Tennessee, and I have not. You may be surprised (only if you are one of the three people who have yet to say this to me) that in the rush & busyness of packing and readying, the phrase I have heard repeated most often is "So when are you moving?" Sometimes I have wanted to scream"NEVER!", sometimes it's "hmmm, we'll see", but mostly it is "move where?" Firstly, I firmly believe that one should answer a question with a question whenever the opportunity or your wit allows (it is part of the whole "mad" thing). Secondly, I am learning that even though I love my sister dearly and would prefer to live near or with her always, what I prefer and what is best are not always the same thing. God has moved her and He has let me stay (for now). So, in the crazy mix of emotions of this aftermath I celebrate her adventure, I give thanks that my place is here, and I miss her like a one-eyed cat misses its one eye.
So, in case you don't know me, this is why I am here. 1) My sister and I are separable. What keeps us afloat is not each other but the same Spirit who gave us to each other. 2) I love California. For anyone who knows me, those are strong words. I have only "loved" one place and that is Papua New Guinea. But looky here...it seems I must be growing up. My heart is expanding to allow new places and new people to enter. I should also mention the area I live feels very much like PNG, which is partly why I love it. 3) I hate change. These are also strong words, but I mean them because as Jake Winter says "Words mean things!" Here is my theory. I am too practical to enjoy change. I think through all that change means before it happens, and it honestly is daunting. The work, the saying goodbye, the saying hello, the lifting, the planning, the falling through of plans, the details...not my idea of a good time. 4) I am stubborn. I only want to be moved by God. I do want to be moved...actually, to be honest I want to be willing to move. But for now I am saving up my sanity for the right time. 5) I am a long distance runner. If I were a horse I would be the rather large clydesdale type that works slowly and steadily from sunrise to sundown, not the thoroughbred race horse that whips it's magic in minutes around the race track. I like to take my time in a place. This is actually just a theory since the longest I have lived uninterrupted in a place is 7 years. So here goes my "stay put".
Three cheers for madness about moving! Hip Hip....