Birthdays & Babes.

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!

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 . . .

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

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!

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

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

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!