You've Got Mail

This little ditty is dedicated to Valerie. A friend and sister who I know isn't feeling well and has a long road ahead of her. She has been on my mind a great deal, and all the gifts her friendship gives me. One gift in particular has been swirling around my mind the past few days... the gift of a letter. Not an email. Not a text. A really true, honest to goodness, handwritten, handcrafted letter... on paper. I'll never forget the first one I got from her. I remember being taken by surprise. "Why is she giving me this letter? She could email me. Plus, I see her almost every day in field service?" But at the same time, the giddy little girl voice in my head was saying, "Oh goodie, I have mail!". She reminded me of the joy of letter writing.

In this fast paced, techno mad world, the art of a hand-crafted letter is getting lost. Now, it might seem a little bizarre, that I am writing this in an online blog. I'm a hypocrite, I'll admit it. I haven't written a letter in quite a while. But as I was unpacking I came across my box of special letters. It brought back a flood of memories and a smile to my face. What email or text could ever do that? So, I have begun a crusade to write letters to people I care about. But I'm making a discovery. So lost is this art becoming, that when I Googled 'letter writing' (I know, another act of irony) that mostly what came up are are little social groups dedicated to keeping the art alive. (You know something is getting lost when artsy-fartsy coffee house people start support groups for it.) And try shopping for the paper to write on! All I have found are soulless, tacky 8 1/2 x 11 printer sheets with balloons or birthday cake. Oh, I did find one set, but it only came with 40 sheets, small potatoes in letter-writing world, for $20! That's 50 cents per sheet! (I know, I used my calculator... and my toes).

The way I see it (well you knew this was coming) writing a letter to someone is giving a little tiny bit of yourself. In this time when we feel so disconnected that we constantly try to be connected (electronically), imagine holding a letter in your hands. To be holding and object your loved one held. To read from writing from their own hand. Writing that sometimes is as much a part of their personality as their voice or their smile. The effort itself is an act of love. No 'delete' button. No 'spell-check'. You have to really think to write. And yet, your friend could be thousands of miles away and here's this little part of them in your hands. And if a letter is a gift, then a letter from Val is a treasure. She not only hunts down stationary (her eyes positively glaze over in a stationary store) but she finishes it with a wax seal... an art in itself, full of symbolism and history.

So will you join me? I'm not against emails and texts. It has made the world smaller, in a good way. And for some, who are very far away, it is the only way to stay connected. But the next time you are missing someone you care about, why not write to them? Put the phone away, turn off the laptop and slooowww down. Put pen to paper and give them a gift. Who knows? Maybe you'll get mail too!

Brilliant

My life is the Sun.
Always the warmth behind me,
always the light around me.
It warmed me in the cold day.

I close my eyes,
I lose my way.
I don’t know this path I’m on.
The Sun is still shining, waiting.

I turn toward the Sun.
It now warms my face.
The rays dance across a chill
I didn’t know I had.

Boldly, full of fear and joy,
I take a step forward.
I had to turn my head around.
I had to chose a new direction.

The same Sun. The same warmth.
But I am different.
The future is brilliant.
I will learn to soak it in.

NASA... we have a problem.

Soo... I have good news and bad news. First with the good news. I finished the long awaited video of Iley and family!! Took me six hours, and its now 2am, but I finished it! Now the bad news... I lost it all. Yep. Turns out I pulled the footage from the wrong source file c drive //>> or some gobbledy-guk like that. So now, its 2am, I'm tired, cranky, my head hurts and I'm hungry (after all its almost breakfast time). Of course that could have something to do with my new way of eating. I call it the "Devil Wears Prada Diet". You know the one... eat nothing and when you feel like you are about to faint, eat a cube of cheese. Nah, I'm just kidding. That's not healthy.... I replace the cube of cheese with a broccoli florette. Anywho... I promise the new stuff will be up soon. Hopefully tomorrow. Oh wait, meeting night. Well you'll get it when you get it. Told you I was cranky. I'm going to sleep now.... Or maybe Dairy Queen. Are they open 24 hours?**

**footnote: True story... up above next to where I typed "c drive" I had a lot more symbols in a delirious attempt to be humorous. Some how I ended up blocking the rest of the paragraph from being published. Whole thing ended right there. I am doomed tonight. That's it. I'm not even going to use a night-lite. I'll just light a candle if I need to use the restroom tonight.

It doesn't get much better than this!

Found this little gem on YouTube. One of my all-time favorite pieces performed acoustic, by one of my favorite artists.... on a gondola.... in Venice. The only thing better would be if I was in that boat!

Random Thoughts

If Brits call cookies "biscuits", what do they call biscuits?

Have you ever told someone that you saw a 'shape' in a cloud, even though you really didn't, just so they'd stop pointing and trying to convince you? Do you now realize somebody did the same to you?

Have you ever known it snowed outside overnight before you even open your eyes in the morning? I love that! The light in the room is totally different and when you peek your eyes open the room glows in a totally different way, and you've woken up to a world of white (and I don't mean Utah).

Isn't it strange how clouds that look like mountains in the sky are next to mountains anyway? (Okay, so that's a John Mayer lyric. But I thought of it before the song!)

Americans pay money for someone to tell them not to eat, while people the world over can't pay to eat. A little too ironic if you ask me.

Think of the perfect mountain scene. Did you know that in the world of art, blue (sky) is the perfect harmonious color to green (trees), that white is the perfect highlight to blue (clouds)? And black/brown (tree trunks) is the perfect anchor to green making it more vibrant? Seems like somebody knew what they were doing! Jehovah is the Greatest Artist, and the Earth his gallery.

Have you ever dreamt that you woke up, and started getting ready only to wake up and realize you are actually running late? (I hate that feeling)

I always think of the perfect sunset as one enormous, glorious rainbow capping the part of the earth where you are standing (the only missing color is green). Hmm, does that mean a rainbow is an itty bitty sunset?

It seems like there is some resort or grand lodge in every corner of the earth. Here's my speculation. (Some of ya'll have heard this before. My apologies.) Wouldn't it be great if Jehovah preserved some of these through Armageddon, and we used them immediatly as Bethel Homes? That way we could pull our resources, learn to work together and everyone could begin our new life experiencing the unity, camaraderie and hard work that is 'Bethel'. There are large kitchens, large laundries, large dining rooms, private living quarters with baths, meeting rooms for worship, and as one sister pointed out, sometimes golf-courses and pools for recreation (hadn't thought of that one). Just a thought. But nobody's asked for my opinion yet. Ha!Ha!

I held the Bebe'!

I finally got to hold the little peanut yesterday. How did it go? Well...she was passed from Grandma, to Grandma, to Grandpa, all the while just as serene and cherubic as can be. Then my turn. She felt so good in my arms, all warm and soft, and she smelled good. Success! And what's that I see?... A little smile?... She's smiling for me! No wait, its turning into a yawn. I'll take a yawn. That's pretty cute too, eh?.... Up, no, wait. Here we go. There's going to be crying. Yes folks. Crying. A self-fulfilled prophecy. (Spell check! Is it me, or is it hard to stop putting l's in fulllfilleld? I digress) Well, in my defense, it was feeding time. (Is that what they call it? Sounds like a farm chore, or something) Anyway it was time for her to eat. And I certainly didn't have her lunch..... Meh, I'm down with that. I'd probably cry too.

It's funny, when I first found out Jeremy and Darla were going to have a kid. It blew my mind! My BROTHER, a DAD?! My best friend, whom I've known since she was 11 and wasn't even shaving her legs yet, buying maternity clothes?! And even before Iley came, as recent as last week, I couldn't quite wrap my head around this new little person in the family. And I can usually wrap my head around things pretty easy (It's a pretty neat trick. I'll have to get a picture sometime.) But when I walked into the hospital room yesterday and saw the three of them there, nothing ever felt so 'right'. They are a family. Just the three of them. And THAT blew me away, in a good way, even more than before. I didn't cry when I first saw Iley. But I got really choked up when I saw the three of them together. Three of the people I care most for in the world feeling happy, safe and loved. Does life get any better? I submit that it cannot. :-)

It's a girl! (Good thing or she'd need an ENTIRELY new wardrobe.)

My precious niece was born today. Best. Day. Ever. I am exhausted and overwhelmed, so this will be short and sweet. (Gee you'd think I had the baby, or something. I'm such a wimp.)Mama and Baby are fine and healthy. Jeremy, however, could probably use a good raspberry Bellini. (The boy is not much of a drinker, and that's a good thing.) No, actually he did really good too. I always thought babies came out looking like aliens... or raisins. BUT, I was determined to oooh and aaaah, no matter what she looked like. But I didn't have to. Iley is beautiful! I could oooh and aaah from the depths of my heart. (Good thing, because Jeremy and I have a gift for always knowing when the other is lying.)

Tomorrow I get to hold her. I approach this with no little amount of trepidation (def: noun "a state of hesitation or concern" Now, put the dictionary back and keep reading). I like kids, I really do. A few in my life I have even loved (not the bratty ones). But I emit that special signal that only babies hear, the one that makes them wail. You know, like the whistle that only dogs can hear. I have the gift for turning an adorable, cooing, burbling infant into something resembling an ambulance siren. And the moms always look at me like, "What did you do to my child?" Can I help it if I wasn't born with the mommy gene? (Not to be confused with 'Mom Jeans'. You know, the ones the make your butt look 10 miles wide. I did have those in the 90's, but I don't think they'd help me with babies.)
Well, we'll see how it goes tomorrow.

I'm going to bed now before this post gets any weirder. And dream of 'Mom Jeans'. (oops! Too late!)

Shopping Cart Etiquette

I am of the opinion that there should be qualifications for navigating the tangled life of the suburbs. You've heard of Auto Drivers tests? I think there should be an SCD test (Shopping Cart Drivers test). Seriously. People, who I am sure are otherwise intelligent and reasonably polite, all of a sudden turn into blind and self-centered people when they land behind a shopping cart. Universe "YOU". Population: 1.

Is it truly necessary to park your cart diagonally while you take 2 hours to choose the perfect oven mitt? And is there some kind of conspiracy, some special 'nod', that brings total strangers together in the united goal to ambush and trap me in the isle while they contemplate the precarious selection of cough syrup and ace bandages (respectively)? Really? And then there's the "I-know-my-cart-doesn't fit-but-I'm-too-impatient-to-wait-so-I'll-barrel-through-anyway-and-rip-your-finger-off" maneuver. Oh yeah. Just happened to me today. Well, okay. Technically my finger is still intact. But had I insisted on standing my ground (I'd been waiting for oven mitt lady way longer than she had, after all) I would have lost a finger. (Note to self: keep hands and fingers inside the cart at all times.) Instead I did some quick thinking and executed a pretty sweet full reverse move while avoiding an obnoxiously placed cardboard display of DVDs. (Although I guess that display worked. I vaguely remember thinking, "Hey, I didn't know that movie was already out!" as I nearly ran into it.)

Maybe I'm just a magnet for uncomfortable shopping situations. Like my Dad is a magnet for dismal failure at drive-up fast food windows (I don't think 'Sprite' sounds that much like 'fries'.) Why does the woman with the obviously superior and highly enlightened child rearing techniques (aka let the child scream till it turns purple) always seem to attach some invisible tether to my cart ? (Advil, anyone?)

Perhaps there's a lesson in this. Perhaps the SCD test would work. But so hard to enforce. (What would be the Big Box Store's answer to a 'Meter Maid'? 'Bar-code Buddy'?) Or maybe there's something more to it. Maybe this is my pinhole view of the human condition. Are people are getting more cranky and selfish by the day? (No, I'm not cranky... I'm observant.) Or maybe I need to spend less time shopping and more time making the world a better place. And maybe Dad needs to spend less time going through the fast-food drive-thru. (Okay, perhaps that is a little extreme.) What I am trying to say, dear reader (whoever you are): Just take a deep breath, look inside yourself for peace. And the next time you feel like you MUST have some worldly good, just stay home.

Sucker!
More room for me in isle 3!!!

Time Flies!

I can't believe its been almost a year since I last wrote in my blog! Chalk it up to another project, unfinished. I can file it between my unfinished crochet throw blanket(of which the unused balls of yarn are in a gnarly tangle, which I have little hope of repairing) and my cds of "Learning Italian for Dummies". Maybe someday I will wrap myself up in my warm handmade blanket and blog about my summer spent traipsing through Tuscany conversing smartly with the locals. Right about the time Phoenix freezes over.

Well, the folks and I are finally settled in Indiana. And we've made it just in time for winter. We have snow on the ground that doesn't seem inclined to go away anytime soon. Everyone keeps trying to convince me how much I'm going to hate it here. I don't know what they are talking about. It is actually quite invigorating. As a matter of fact, out in service today we had 20 degrees under bright blue skies. I remember thinking, "This is really quite lovely! I don't see what all the fuss is about." And then the wind blew and I thought my cocky little face was going to fall off and break into a thousand tiny frozen pieces. How can a breeze hurt? I stand humbled.

It's been an interesting transition starting over in a completely new area. For the most part it has been great. Great to be near family again. Great to know I'll be close to my little precious niece (whenever she decides to get here, to be continued...). And it is always great to expand my theocratic family and make new friends. But sometimes you just want that comfort of old friends. Like your favorite blanket you curl up on the couch with. Lately, its felt more like the aforementioned unfinished crocheted throw. Warm and fuzzy, but still a lot of work left to make it truly cozy. Last night before the meeting started, I was having my own private pity-party. I had this overwhelming thought of, "Okay, I've had enough of everything 'new'. I'm ready to go home now." That I would think that caught me off guard, so I asked Jehovah to help me get my act together (so-to-speak). Well, Jehovah never disappoints us! After the meeting, I had a great, funny conversation with a sister I hadn't really talked to before. I shared a private joke with another sister (didn't realize I knew her well enough for us to be at that 'private joke' level, but there it was). Had one of the little girls I've tried to make friends with run up to give me a big hug (heart melted!). Was given my first school assignment AND asked to do a demo next week. Yes! NOW we're cookin'! It reminds me of this amazing little article I read in an '05 Watchtower. (And trust me, I had to re-look this up. I'm not so brainy) It compared the scripture at James 1:2 that says we would meet with various trials, to the scripture at 1 Peter 4:10 that states that God's undeserved kindness is expressed in various ways. In short, that word 'various' actually translates many colored. There is no trial or 'color' that Jehovah can't match. And within the congregation, he uses the spiritual gifts that each one has to perfectly match the 'color' of our trial. I don't know if it's my love of art, or I've just stared at too many paint chips, but to me that thought is stunning! And I feel like I was showered with a rainbow worth of gifts last night!

So, my deep thought for the day... my toes may be numb, my face may freeze off, I may have enough unfinished projects to start my own craft store, but my heart is happy. Life is good!

Baby Hedgehog

Found this photo on flickr... one of the cutest things I've ever seen!

You guys have to watch this. This little guy is only 3 years old. Too cute! I only wish I could have watched the whole talk. This was posted on the Flickr Jehovah's Witnesses group. He's Asian, but speaking Italian (you can tell by the gestures!)

My earrings walked into the hall before I did.

So, I realize fully that there are much more important things happening in the world than my jewelry. I know we are all saddened by the news from Haiti, and our brothers there are just trying to grieve the tremendous loss they are experiencing and trying to just survive. They read the statement at the meeting last night, and even though I read it at home before the meeting, I couldn't help but cry when it was read at the Hall. I think sitting there with all the dear brothers in my own congregation and thinking that the number of deaths could easily represent the majority that were there last night, including the little ones, was really hard to think about. I never cry in public, so it kinda caught me off guard. But I know the many fervent prayers in their behalf, including my own, guarantees Jehovah's loving care to get them through this.

Now, that having been said, I just wanted to update you on a much lighter subject. As I mentioned earlier, I made a pact with a sister in our Hall to wear our biggest earrings to the meeting on Thursday. I held up my end of the bargain, but, I'm sorry to say, she left me hangin'! (So-to-speak ;-) Apparently she was getting ready to go out of town today, and so wasn't there last night. So I wore my great big earrings and found that they actually changed my mannerisms. Not because I felt particularly hot with them on, but for an entirely different reason. I found that if I moved my head too fast the earrings didn't quit swinging for about five minutes. So I nodded a little less fervently, disagreed a little less negatively and in general walked around like my spine was permanently fused at the neck. But it was fun to wear them anyway. And yes this is my exciting life. I even have photos to prove it.

Sad News

For those of you that know her, Esther Reynolds passed away early this morning. Even though it was expected, it is still always too soon to say goodbye. Esther faithfully was going to as many meetings as she could up until a couple of weeks ago. And always with a smile. Her emphysema had progressively become much worse, but even then she would always manage to read a scripture at the Watchtower study. We went to see Art while we were out in service today, and he's doing as well as can be expected. Exhausted, sad but a little relieved I think. There should be a memorial for her at our Kingdom Hall a week from Saturday.

Also, if anyone hears any updates from our brothers in Haiti you are welcome to post it here. I looked on a satellite map, and it looks like the branch is some miles north of where the city was hardest hit. I 'heard', from an unconfirmed source, the all in the bethel family and the 24 MTS students at the branch are all okay. But I'm sure a lot of publishers have been devastated. I'm curious if the disaster relief crews from Louisiana and Florida will be involved in any relief work or rebuilding? I hope we get to have a more active part in helping these brothers, similar to how the friends in Italy and France were able to directly provide aid to brothers in Africa. I'm sure we'll hear more in the days to come. Of course our prayers are with our 'family' there as they try to endure the next few days.

I wore my new necklace!

After much fashion advice from Lala, I finally had the nerve to wear my new bling-ey necklace to the meeting last Sunday. (Darla, I think next time I'll try a higher neckline with an open jacket. I tried it with the button up but felt way too stuffy) My, my you would think the circus had come to town! Suffice to say the necklace was a hit. I just really didn't think it would stir up that much excitement. I even had the older brothers stopping me in the isle to get a closer look at that necklace. It was a riot! One of the sisters in our hall with the biggest personality said she could never pull off wearing something like it. I said 'pish-posh' and let her wear the necklace... for a few minutes. (By the way she looked fabulous in it!) Because the big jewelry was so much fun, this same sister and I made a pact to both wear the biggest earrings we have to the meeting this Thursday. We are both afraid to wear them, so we figure together we might be brave enough. I'll keep you posted.

(Oh and the meeting was excellent too... I was paying attention!)

Just for Darla I got a picture before leaving for the meeting. Ughh!

New Songs At the Meetings

So we did our first real set of new songs at the meeting this week. How did your congregation do? Dewey usually has great singing but this week was pretty quiet. The nice part is that we all just laughed it off. I didn't realize how second nature it is to sing the songs we've had for the past 30 years till we had to sing new ones! Even singing "From House to House" was crazy with a different melody. My brain kept going back to the old melody, even while the song was playing! But this is good! New synapses in the brain. And of course the songs are beautiful!

By the way, does anyone know the theme for the convention this year?

So what do you write on a blog? I promise you guys not to talk about myself nonstop.. how boring is that? Oh and by the way, you all are set as authors so feel free to post your own comments about absolutely whatever. Of course if you are like me you will stare at the blank screen wondering what in the world in your life or day was so fascinating that you feel compelled to share it with less than a dozen other people.

The most exciting thing that happened today is that I had an early visit in my room from a yellow jacket. Not the kind of yellow jacket that I got rid of when the 80's were finally over. But the kind that are painful. (Well, I guess that could apply to the 80's jacket too:-D) Of course I killed it after several attempts, and not a few girlie screams. But what especially noteworthy about the visit from this little monster is that it was another reminder how our winter right now is suspiciously disguised as fall. 55 degrees today! That feels good after months of cold and snow, but I've had precious few opportunities to wear my cute winter clothes. I finally have boots people! Maybe I'll just live constant denial and go out all bundled up everywhere I go. That would make life interesting... and maybe I'd sweat off a few pounds.

Getting started...

Okay so I am jumping into the world of blogging. I don't know if anyone will find this even remotely interesting. I bore myself quite often. But I thought this would be a great place to jot down epiphanies or even apostrophes. And a great place for friends to trash what I say and share comments of their own. So here we go...!