Downstairs right now my husband, dad, sister, and sister's friend Jeff are playing Wii tennis and my grandpa is sitting in his little wheelchair watching, and the house smells like freshly baked chex mix, and it makes me happy.
I thought I would list a few of my favorite words from the some Christmas hymns and songs, because those songs also make me happy. Sometimes it is little bits and phrases, while other times it is the whole verse.
I love thee Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle til morning is nigh.
Joy to the world! The Lord is come. Let earth receive her king!
Yea, Lord we greet Thee
Born this happy morning
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.
O come let us adore Him.
O morning stars together proclaim the holy birth.
Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o'er all the earth
Ye who sang creation's story now proclaim the Messiah's birth
Jesus, Lord at thy birth
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds watch and angels sing
Fragile finger, sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born.
Little baby
I am a poor boy too
I have no gift to bring
That's fit to give a king
I played my drum for him
I played my best for him
Then he smiled at me
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep,
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep."
The child, the child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
Chains shall he break; for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
And all the world give back the song which now the angels sing.
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Risen with healing in His wings
Mild he lay His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing!
Glory to the newborn King.
Here's praying your Christmas is filled with the abundant joy found ever only in Christ and his great love.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Home again, home again, jiggidy jig
Tomorrow Ben and I are headed home to St. Louis... yaaaaaaaaay! I am ecstatic about this, as I have not seen my family in many months. The last time I was in St. Louis was in September with Heather, and neither my parents nor Ben's were in town!
Here are a few things I am looking forward to doing...
Here are a few things I am looking forward to doing...
- Hanging out with Cara & talking about wedding stuff! Maybe while cross-stitching and watching X-Files, who knows?
- Ben gets to see Cody and Rob and they can have guitar talk and possible guitar shopping (this is their favorite thing to do together... seriously, they went guitar shopping the morning of our wedding).
- Seeing my grandpa
- Loving on my sister, who after the holidays is heading to Italy for a semester. Jealous!
- Houses full of doggies... Scruffy is coming home with us to stay at Ben's parents' house in the basement, to sniff noses through the gate at Monk and Zoe. And at my parents' house, along with Elmo and Ernie is my sister's dog Buckwheat. Crazy but delightful!
- Christmas Eve church service
- Christmas morning with my family around the tree
- Christmas day with Ben's family and nephew Logan
- Maybe possibly please oh please seeing some snow... it snowed there last weekend so maybe some has stuck around!
- French fries from Kriegers. Oh sweet sweetness.
- Re-watching LOST season 3.
- Playing Wii with my parents.
- Shopping at mom's scrapbooking store... I've been waiting!
- Eating whatever sort of delectable meat my dad has smoked.
- Giving presents... I love this part! I mean, don't get me wrong - I'm no saint, I love getting presents too. But I really love to pick out specific things for people and watching them open everything!
- Playing a real (albeit slightly out of tune) piano
I can't wait! Just one more day and we'll be on our way through "scenic" Southern Illinois, headed home to our families and friends and celebrating Christmas!
I hope wherever you are and whoever you're with that you are as excited for your Christmas plans as I am!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
A Little Shaken Up
I usually like to keep this blog more upbeat, but every once in a while something happens that I just need to talk about... Today while I was driving to work I almost hit a man with my car, and it scared me horribly.
I was driving on a major road, and coming up to a large intersection (Nolensville and Old Hickory, for you Nashvillians). I moved to get into the right turn lane, which was wide open. The other two lanes in my direction were backed up waiting at the red light. I was zipping past them, totally within my boundaries, when from between two of the stopped cars darts a guy hustling across the street. He appeared and was almost instantly in my lane. I slammed on my brakes and screamed as my car screeched to a halt. This man literally had to jump out of my way and was so close my car must have brushed him; one step further and I would without a doubt have hit him, injured him, maybe even killed him.
I was shaking and crying so I pulled over after a few minutes to try and collect myself. I do NOT understand why someone would try to cross 6 lanes of traffic just a few yards from a busy intersection and not use the crosswalk! And he didn't even pause, didn't even look to see if there were cars coming down my lane. Even though if I had hit him I wouldn't have been at fault, realizing that I was so close to potentially seriously injuring or ending someone's life was terrifying. My mind was racing with the thought of what could have happened. What if I had glanced down to dig something out of my purse or change my CD? What is he had been jogging just a little faster? What if I had left my house 30 seconds earlier? What if what if what if...
But how good is our God, to place his hands in our lives, in the daily workings of our existence? To exist beyond and above our linear notions of time and our ideas about chance and fortitude. God is not playing a game of "what if." I believe that despite the seemingly incongruous ideas of His omniscience and our free will, God's plans are without flaw. I almost hit a man with my car today. Maybe I almost hit him so that the car behind me wouldn't actually hit him. Maybe I almost hit him so I'd be shaken up and more careful and deliberate about my driving habits. But I know there is a reason I didn't hit him, and at the same time a reason that I almost did. Thank you God, that today I didn't hit that man. I pray wherever he is that he is okay and that you have impressed upon his heart that it was more than just a chance occurance, just as you have revealed that to me.
I was driving on a major road, and coming up to a large intersection (Nolensville and Old Hickory, for you Nashvillians). I moved to get into the right turn lane, which was wide open. The other two lanes in my direction were backed up waiting at the red light. I was zipping past them, totally within my boundaries, when from between two of the stopped cars darts a guy hustling across the street. He appeared and was almost instantly in my lane. I slammed on my brakes and screamed as my car screeched to a halt. This man literally had to jump out of my way and was so close my car must have brushed him; one step further and I would without a doubt have hit him, injured him, maybe even killed him.
I was shaking and crying so I pulled over after a few minutes to try and collect myself. I do NOT understand why someone would try to cross 6 lanes of traffic just a few yards from a busy intersection and not use the crosswalk! And he didn't even pause, didn't even look to see if there were cars coming down my lane. Even though if I had hit him I wouldn't have been at fault, realizing that I was so close to potentially seriously injuring or ending someone's life was terrifying. My mind was racing with the thought of what could have happened. What if I had glanced down to dig something out of my purse or change my CD? What is he had been jogging just a little faster? What if I had left my house 30 seconds earlier? What if what if what if...
But how good is our God, to place his hands in our lives, in the daily workings of our existence? To exist beyond and above our linear notions of time and our ideas about chance and fortitude. God is not playing a game of "what if." I believe that despite the seemingly incongruous ideas of His omniscience and our free will, God's plans are without flaw. I almost hit a man with my car today. Maybe I almost hit him so that the car behind me wouldn't actually hit him. Maybe I almost hit him so I'd be shaken up and more careful and deliberate about my driving habits. But I know there is a reason I didn't hit him, and at the same time a reason that I almost did. Thank you God, that today I didn't hit that man. I pray wherever he is that he is okay and that you have impressed upon his heart that it was more than just a chance occurance, just as you have revealed that to me.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
On the Black Tights Bandwagon
Okay, I do not frequently jump on any particular fashion trend band-wagon. But when the black tights+black heels bus came by I was like, "Here's my bus pass, let me on." I don't know why I was attracted to this particular trend, except that maybe it is something I can actually wear... (unlike, say, the skinny jean or ankle boot. Shudder.)
Anyway, I became bound and determined to find the perfect pair of black, high-heel, patent leather, not-too-pointy, closed-toe shoes to complete my look. I finally found them at Payless... yay! And I wore the complete ensemble today and let me just say I LOVED it! It is not too often that I really love or even really care about "an outfit." But today was one of those days! I wore this dress from Target...
And black tights, and a shoe very similar to this:
And it was delightful! Of course I peeled it off immediately when I got home, because tights are one of the more uncomfortable things in the world, but still. It was great while it lasted!
Monday, November 26, 2007
I can die now.
Me. Garth Brooks. In the same room.
Where: Schermerhorn Symphony Hall, Nashville, TN
When: November 26, 2007, apx. 10:00 pm
What: Musicians Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
And now I can die.
Okay, just kidding about the dying part, but NOT just kidding about what a momentous occasion it was for me. I have loved Garth Brooks and his music since I was a little girl growing up in Oklahoma. I literally used to cry when he would come to town and my parents wouldn't take me to see his concert because we couldn't afford it, and because it probably wasn't the ideal atmosphere for a 7 year old.
Much to my chagrin, by the time I was old enough to take myself to a Garth show, he wasn't exactly touring any more. At all. Ever. At some point he retired, really retired, from the biz and settled down with Miss Trisha Yearwood and lived on his farm in Yukon, OK and left fans like me with less than a glimmer of hope that we might ever see him again.
Just this past month Garth played eight sold-out nights of shows in Kansas City, the first time he'd been on stage in that sense in many years... and I missed that too. By the time I found out about it, tickets were being scalped on eBay for hundreds of dollars.
So today, when my friend Carolyn shot me an email and said she had some tickets to this random thing tonight and Garth was supposedly one of the presenters/performers and did I want to go, the answer was a resounding "Ef yes!"
The whole night ended up being an amazing experience of music and I want to write more on that later, but for now I'll just say that Garth was there, and he performed Elvis Presley's hit "Suspicious Minds" and it was fantabulous and I'll never forget it... how Carolyn and I clutched each others hands as we saw his trademark cowboy hat appear stage left, how he respectfully doffed said hat as the musicians he was honoring took the stage, how he grabbed Creed (yes, that Creed, from "The Office") and they sang gleefully into the mic together... seriously, it was so great!
Anyway, I want to write more later about the other wonderful musicians we saw (George freakin' Jones was also in the house, plus the bands that backed Elvis, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, and many more), but for now I'd just like to end with those thoughts on my first - but hopefully not last - encounter with my very favorite entertainer.
Where: Schermerhorn Symphony Hall, Nashville, TN
When: November 26, 2007, apx. 10:00 pm
What: Musicians Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
And now I can die.
Okay, just kidding about the dying part, but NOT just kidding about what a momentous occasion it was for me. I have loved Garth Brooks and his music since I was a little girl growing up in Oklahoma. I literally used to cry when he would come to town and my parents wouldn't take me to see his concert because we couldn't afford it, and because it probably wasn't the ideal atmosphere for a 7 year old.
Much to my chagrin, by the time I was old enough to take myself to a Garth show, he wasn't exactly touring any more. At all. Ever. At some point he retired, really retired, from the biz and settled down with Miss Trisha Yearwood and lived on his farm in Yukon, OK and left fans like me with less than a glimmer of hope that we might ever see him again.
Just this past month Garth played eight sold-out nights of shows in Kansas City, the first time he'd been on stage in that sense in many years... and I missed that too. By the time I found out about it, tickets were being scalped on eBay for hundreds of dollars.
So today, when my friend Carolyn shot me an email and said she had some tickets to this random thing tonight and Garth was supposedly one of the presenters/performers and did I want to go, the answer was a resounding "Ef yes!"
The whole night ended up being an amazing experience of music and I want to write more on that later, but for now I'll just say that Garth was there, and he performed Elvis Presley's hit "Suspicious Minds" and it was fantabulous and I'll never forget it... how Carolyn and I clutched each others hands as we saw his trademark cowboy hat appear stage left, how he respectfully doffed said hat as the musicians he was honoring took the stage, how he grabbed Creed (yes, that Creed, from "The Office") and they sang gleefully into the mic together... seriously, it was so great!
Anyway, I want to write more later about the other wonderful musicians we saw (George freakin' Jones was also in the house, plus the bands that backed Elvis, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, and many more), but for now I'd just like to end with those thoughts on my first - but hopefully not last - encounter with my very favorite entertainer.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Thankful
Thanksgiving is great, no? Time off work, family, food, changing of seasons. This year I have been thinking a lot about how people say they are "thankful" for something... but thankful to whom? I know that in all things, for every blessing I have, for every small and seemingly insignificant breath I take, I am thankful to God. Not a god or some higher power, but THE God, Yahweh, I AM, who crafted the foundations of the earth and sent Christ to save me and love me, to accomplish the dual purpose of glorifying His mercy and justice.
I think most people could list the things they are thankful for, but how many of the same could articulate to whom their thanks is given? Gratitude is by nature directed at someone or something. We can certainly show gratitude to other people - I'm thankful to my parents for how they raised and loved me; I'm thankful to my husband for his caring and thoughtfulness. But what of the things I am thankful FOR? I am thankful FOR my husband... who am I thanking? His parents, for having him? Sure, I guess. But more than that, I am thankful that he is in my life, for the man he is and the man he is still becoming, for the father he will be and the home we'll have together. To whom can I send those thanks? I know who I am here to thank. I know to whom I answer for all the blessings poured out in abundance. I know that the cause of those things I am thankful for is not some cosmic force of karma or a result of my own good deeds.
Our gratitude is without much meaning unless we find that to which it deserves to be directed. I hope you know to whom you are giving thanks.
I think most people could list the things they are thankful for, but how many of the same could articulate to whom their thanks is given? Gratitude is by nature directed at someone or something. We can certainly show gratitude to other people - I'm thankful to my parents for how they raised and loved me; I'm thankful to my husband for his caring and thoughtfulness. But what of the things I am thankful FOR? I am thankful FOR my husband... who am I thanking? His parents, for having him? Sure, I guess. But more than that, I am thankful that he is in my life, for the man he is and the man he is still becoming, for the father he will be and the home we'll have together. To whom can I send those thanks? I know who I am here to thank. I know to whom I answer for all the blessings poured out in abundance. I know that the cause of those things I am thankful for is not some cosmic force of karma or a result of my own good deeds.
Our gratitude is without much meaning unless we find that to which it deserves to be directed. I hope you know to whom you are giving thanks.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before him with joyful songs
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Where's my face? Oh, that's right, it got rocked off.
Yep, Family Force 5 officially rocked my face off tonight! Ben and I caught their show at Rocketown, and it was just plain fun.
They are a great band I first discovered at GMA Music Week last year, playing one of the label lunches. I had heard of them but didn't think I would like their music, and I guess I was wrong! They are quite unlike anything else I listen to, but it is so stinkin' fun! Good clean music with silly lyrics about drama queens and dancing your booty off and being from the dirty (sorry, "durrrty") south. Excellent for driving fast and inner-car dancing.
If you haven't heard them, check it out at www.myspace.com/familyforce5. They're a little punk, a little rock, a little dance, a little rap, and a lot crazy. The show was so high energy... I was wearing earplugs so I couldn't really tell how loudly I was singing/screaming. I guess I must've been loud because I am a bit hoarse now. But well worth it... plus I think all the dancing and jumping I did counts as an aerobic workout.
They are a great band I first discovered at GMA Music Week last year, playing one of the label lunches. I had heard of them but didn't think I would like their music, and I guess I was wrong! They are quite unlike anything else I listen to, but it is so stinkin' fun! Good clean music with silly lyrics about drama queens and dancing your booty off and being from the dirty (sorry, "durrrty") south. Excellent for driving fast and inner-car dancing.
If you haven't heard them, check it out at www.myspace.com/familyforce5. They're a little punk, a little rock, a little dance, a little rap, and a lot crazy. The show was so high energy... I was wearing earplugs so I couldn't really tell how loudly I was singing/screaming. I guess I must've been loud because I am a bit hoarse now. But well worth it... plus I think all the dancing and jumping I did counts as an aerobic workout.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
RIGHT-of-way
Okay, this one has been a long time coming, and this morning as I sat at a stoplight and experienced this yet again, I decided I couldn't wait any more. So, I present to you this, the third in my series of blogs about driving. This one is about that mysterious circumstance, that elusive phrase... RIGHT-OF-WAY.
If you are one of the typical drivers I encounter on any given day, you have no idea what this phrase means. Or maybe you always thought people were saying "right away" or "write a way" or something else nonsensical. But no, the phrase is "Right-of-way" and it means pretty much what it sounds like - "right" gets the "way." Now this is not a slam on all my left-handed friends and family out there (what up Dad, Heather, Tim), but just a way of the world. Well, most of the world. Maybe in England they say "left-of-way?"
Understanding right-of-way comes in handy in many situations, but let's just reveal how it will help in two different scenarios, shall we?
SCENARIO ONE: Two Cars Arrive at a 4-way Stop-Sign at the Same Time
You pull up to a stop sign at the same time as another car... who goes first? Is it whoever can get their foot on the gas quickest? Or is it the person whose car cost more? Will this quickly disintegrate into a series of waves and points and confused halting? What if you both just sit there forever?
Have no fear! Right-of-way handily explains how to proceed. The person to the RIGHT gets the WAY! They go first, followed by the next person clockwise from there and so on and so forth. Unless all four cars arrived at the identical same time, or unless it is two cars facing, both of in which case someone just starts and it should proceed from there, right-of-way prevails.
SCENARIO TWO: A Green Light with No Arrow for Both Someone Turning Right and an Opposing Driver Turning Left
I can not TELL you how many people don't get this one. Okay. If you are driving, and you come to a stoplight, and it is green, and you need to turn right, guess what? YOU get to go! You are going RIGHT so you get the WAY. If you stop and look around frantically, this only encourages the other people in this scenario, the left turners.
And now I'm speaking to you, person turning left on green with no arrow. YOU are turning left, and as I've made clear, the term is RIGHT of WAY. So you must wait until there are no opposing cars turning right, or until you get an arrow.
POP QUIZ! In the following picture, all three cars arrived at the stop sign at the same time. Who goes first?
The answer is.... the YELLOW car! Followed by... the GREY car! Followed by the blue car! Does it matter if the blue car man is impatient and wants to go first? NO, because he doesn't have the right of way!
Questions? Confusions? Concerns you might be a violator of these rules? Leave 'em in the comments. Don't worry, I'll let you know.
If you are one of the typical drivers I encounter on any given day, you have no idea what this phrase means. Or maybe you always thought people were saying "right away" or "write a way" or something else nonsensical. But no, the phrase is "Right-of-way" and it means pretty much what it sounds like - "right" gets the "way." Now this is not a slam on all my left-handed friends and family out there (what up Dad, Heather, Tim), but just a way of the world. Well, most of the world. Maybe in England they say "left-of-way?"
Understanding right-of-way comes in handy in many situations, but let's just reveal how it will help in two different scenarios, shall we?
SCENARIO ONE: Two Cars Arrive at a 4-way Stop-Sign at the Same Time
You pull up to a stop sign at the same time as another car... who goes first? Is it whoever can get their foot on the gas quickest? Or is it the person whose car cost more? Will this quickly disintegrate into a series of waves and points and confused halting? What if you both just sit there forever?
Have no fear! Right-of-way handily explains how to proceed. The person to the RIGHT gets the WAY! They go first, followed by the next person clockwise from there and so on and so forth. Unless all four cars arrived at the identical same time, or unless it is two cars facing, both of in which case someone just starts and it should proceed from there, right-of-way prevails.
SCENARIO TWO: A Green Light with No Arrow for Both Someone Turning Right and an Opposing Driver Turning Left
I can not TELL you how many people don't get this one. Okay. If you are driving, and you come to a stoplight, and it is green, and you need to turn right, guess what? YOU get to go! You are going RIGHT so you get the WAY. If you stop and look around frantically, this only encourages the other people in this scenario, the left turners.
And now I'm speaking to you, person turning left on green with no arrow. YOU are turning left, and as I've made clear, the term is RIGHT of WAY. So you must wait until there are no opposing cars turning right, or until you get an arrow.
POP QUIZ! In the following picture, all three cars arrived at the stop sign at the same time. Who goes first?
The answer is.... the YELLOW car! Followed by... the GREY car! Followed by the blue car! Does it matter if the blue car man is impatient and wants to go first? NO, because he doesn't have the right of way!
Questions? Confusions? Concerns you might be a violator of these rules? Leave 'em in the comments. Don't worry, I'll let you know.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Fun With Lists
Hey everyone, I started a "101 in 1001" list, and I'm tracking the progress I make at http://amys101in1001.blogspot.com. Check it out! For more on the idea, here is where it originated: http://www.triplux.com/dayzero/
As soon as I finish the lists, I'll also have a page for the 101 books to read and 101 movies to watch.
As soon as I finish the lists, I'll also have a page for the 101 books to read and 101 movies to watch.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Oh no she didn't
This past Sunday, a lady honked at me because she didn't yield as she was turning onto the street where I was driving, and I had to swerve to keep from plowing into her. For reals!
Hey lady, wherever you are - if you are turning right at a light onto a street where the speed limit is 50 mph, you best be yielding or you will get a face full of my Toyota Highlander! Especially if the lane you are turning into is ending and those cars will be busy merging. It is not my job to drive for you, no matter how loud you honk! Now pipe down and review the rules of merging in my handy-dandy blog from a few weeks ago.
Also, apologies to my own gender, but even though I didn't see for sure that it was a woman, I'd bet money on it. Men do a lot of ignorant things while driving, to be sure, but the sense of entitlement with which this driver pulled into traffic and the indignant staccato of the honking which followed definitely had a female air about it.
The rest of my weekend was great!
Hey lady, wherever you are - if you are turning right at a light onto a street where the speed limit is 50 mph, you best be yielding or you will get a face full of my Toyota Highlander! Especially if the lane you are turning into is ending and those cars will be busy merging. It is not my job to drive for you, no matter how loud you honk! Now pipe down and review the rules of merging in my handy-dandy blog from a few weeks ago.
Also, apologies to my own gender, but even though I didn't see for sure that it was a woman, I'd bet money on it. Men do a lot of ignorant things while driving, to be sure, but the sense of entitlement with which this driver pulled into traffic and the indignant staccato of the honking which followed definitely had a female air about it.
The rest of my weekend was great!
Monday, October 08, 2007
Rock of Ages
I love having a new appreciation for something old. I feel excited that I am able to connect to something - a song, a poem, a work of art, an idea - that has great meaning to past peoples and generations. I experienced this recently with the hymn "Rock of Ages."
Chris Rice recently released a hymns project with all the songs done very simply, just vocals, acoustic guitar, and piano, and generally in a fairly traditional arrangement. I think the simplicity of his versions really helped reframe these songs I've heard a million times and made me more attentive to the words than ever before. As I listened to the song "Rock of Ages" - a song I haven't thought of in a rather long time - I was just moved to tears at how exquisitely the lyricist captured the truths of redemption and salvation.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood
From Thy wounded side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure:
Save from wrath and make me pure
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy laws demands
Could my zeal no respite know
Could my tears forever flow
These for sin could not atone
Thou must save, and Thou alone
Nothing in my hand I bring
Simply to the cross I cling
Naked come to Thee for dress
Helpless look to Thee for grace
Foul, I to the fountain fly
Wash me Savior or I die
While I draw this fleeting breath
When my eyes are closed in death
When I rise to worlds unknown
And behold Thee on Thy throne
Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee.
In the first verse, it speaks of Christ's death being the double cure. Chris (our pastor) spoke on this just last Sunday: we were saved not only from sin, but from God's wrath against that sin in us!
I also love the line that says, "Wash me Savior or I die." It is so stark and simple - outside of Christ there is only death.
Anyway, just wanted to share how that song had affected me recently. Hope you can see it in a new light, too!
Chris Rice recently released a hymns project with all the songs done very simply, just vocals, acoustic guitar, and piano, and generally in a fairly traditional arrangement. I think the simplicity of his versions really helped reframe these songs I've heard a million times and made me more attentive to the words than ever before. As I listened to the song "Rock of Ages" - a song I haven't thought of in a rather long time - I was just moved to tears at how exquisitely the lyricist captured the truths of redemption and salvation.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood
From Thy wounded side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure:
Save from wrath and make me pure
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy laws demands
Could my zeal no respite know
Could my tears forever flow
These for sin could not atone
Thou must save, and Thou alone
Nothing in my hand I bring
Simply to the cross I cling
Naked come to Thee for dress
Helpless look to Thee for grace
Foul, I to the fountain fly
Wash me Savior or I die
While I draw this fleeting breath
When my eyes are closed in death
When I rise to worlds unknown
And behold Thee on Thy throne
Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee.
In the first verse, it speaks of Christ's death being the double cure. Chris (our pastor) spoke on this just last Sunday: we were saved not only from sin, but from God's wrath against that sin in us!
I also love the line that says, "Wash me Savior or I die." It is so stark and simple - outside of Christ there is only death.
Anyway, just wanted to share how that song had affected me recently. Hope you can see it in a new light, too!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Other blog...
Hey, I have a few new blogs at my myspace page, here. One is my Emmy fashion wrap-up, and the other is one of those stupid survey things. I couldn't help it. I must tell people about my life and believe they will find it fascinating.
Also, please go immediately to my friend Heather's page and read her delightful blog about our favorite Cardinal, catcher Yadier Molina.
And don't worry, I'm not abandoning this blog. I'll be back!
Also, please go immediately to my friend Heather's page and read her delightful blog about our favorite Cardinal, catcher Yadier Molina.
And don't worry, I'm not abandoning this blog. I'll be back!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Face of Love
So right now I am totally digging on Sanctus Real's album Face of Love. I know, I know, that cd came out in 2006 and I am a bit behind the times. These guys were at Music in the Rockies, and as I listened and rocked out with J-Fratt in the third row, I realized, "Wow, I really love their music!" The lead singer has an amazing voice that just grows on me more and more every time I hear it.
Anyway, if you've turned on a Christian radio station in the past year I'm sure you've heard their beautiful song, "Face of Love." I love the lyrics, and they are just soothing to me... I often have a hard time reconciling my head and my heart when it comes to faith, and I like to be reminded that what I don't know about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit in my mind can still be believed and trusted with my heart.
I'm not saying this very well... just read this song, okay?
I've seen Your face in stained glass and colored lights
and pictures of You looking to the sky
You've been portrayed a thousand different ways
but my heart can see You better than my eyes
cause it's love that paints the portrait of Your life
the face of love
the face of love
You look more like love every day
I've read Your words in the pages of Your life
and I've imagined what You are like
I may not know the shape of Your face
but I can feel Your heart changing mine
and Your love still proves You're alive
the face of love
the face of love
You look more like love every day
and You are the face that changed the whole world
no one too lost for You to love
no one too low for You to serve
so give us the grace to change the world
no one too lost for me to love
no one too low for me to serve
let us see, let us be Your face
let us be Your face
Sometimes I cry wishing that I could just see Jesus's face and put my hand in his and FEEL it, you know? Like Thomas, a little, I guess - I don't doubt Jesus is real, but man it'd be easier if I could just give him a big hug. So this song soothes that ache a little. I may not know the shape of his face, but I can feel his heart changing mine, and maybe I can even be his face, his love, to someone in need. Could there be a higher honor, a more weighty responsibility, than to be the face of Christ?
Anyway, if you've turned on a Christian radio station in the past year I'm sure you've heard their beautiful song, "Face of Love." I love the lyrics, and they are just soothing to me... I often have a hard time reconciling my head and my heart when it comes to faith, and I like to be reminded that what I don't know about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit in my mind can still be believed and trusted with my heart.
I'm not saying this very well... just read this song, okay?
I've seen Your face in stained glass and colored lights
and pictures of You looking to the sky
You've been portrayed a thousand different ways
but my heart can see You better than my eyes
cause it's love that paints the portrait of Your life
the face of love
the face of love
You look more like love every day
I've read Your words in the pages of Your life
and I've imagined what You are like
I may not know the shape of Your face
but I can feel Your heart changing mine
and Your love still proves You're alive
the face of love
the face of love
You look more like love every day
and You are the face that changed the whole world
no one too lost for You to love
no one too low for You to serve
so give us the grace to change the world
no one too lost for me to love
no one too low for me to serve
let us see, let us be Your face
let us be Your face
Sometimes I cry wishing that I could just see Jesus's face and put my hand in his and FEEL it, you know? Like Thomas, a little, I guess - I don't doubt Jesus is real, but man it'd be easier if I could just give him a big hug. So this song soothes that ache a little. I may not know the shape of his face, but I can feel his heart changing mine, and maybe I can even be his face, his love, to someone in need. Could there be a higher honor, a more weighty responsibility, than to be the face of Christ?
Monday, September 10, 2007
A New Venture
Hey everyone! I wanted to let you all know that I have started a website for all the stuff I make, which I am starting to sell as custom made projects. So take a look here, at Sweet Things. If you are interested, you know where to find me!
Also, if I have ever made something for you, chances are I was not forward thinking enough to take a picture of it for my archives... soooo shoot me an email and we'll get in touch!
Also, if I have ever made something for you, chances are I was not forward thinking enough to take a picture of it for my archives... soooo shoot me an email and we'll get in touch!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
A Bug. In. My. EYE!
Ben and I were out walking Scruffy last night after we got home from work. I don't usually go on those excursions, but it had cooled down a bit after the rain we got, and it was a generally pleasant sort of evening. We walked side by side by side and everything was going fine.
Then I realized there were these nasty little gnats flying around everywhere. One even flew into my mouth. Gross, I know, but who hasn't had that happen? Just spit it out and keep your mouth shut.
And then it happened. One of the little buggers flew into my eye. My eye! Not just ow-that-bug-hit-my-eye but ew-ew-ew-that-bug-is-stuck-in-my-eye! I abandoned Ben and Scruffy and started running down the street towards my house, covering my one eye and squinting considerably with the other to prevent a second eye-invasion. Let's not even talk about how ridiculous I looked to any neighbor that might've been watching.
Tearing open the front door, I ran to the bathroom, pulled out my contact, and stuck my open eye under the running faucet. I figured the same rules for rinsing a household toxin from your eye might apply in this situation.
And here's just the thing... what else besides rinse it out and blink a lot can you DO when something gets in your eye? Not much! You can't exactly stick a q-tip in there and get it out... as far as I know you're not supposed to poke anything into your eye, or even rub on it for that matter (as Heather often scolds me). I was left perched on the bathroom counter with my face a few centimeters from the mirror holding my now burning from tap-water eye as open as I possibly could. And though I could not see it, I KNEW that bug was still in there, up on the top of my eye. Ben peered inside my upper eyelid with a flashlight (yeah, that was bright) and insisted that it was gone. FALSE. That bug was still in there! At this point my imagination went into overdrive. What if the bug was carrying a disease? Would I have to go to the ER if I couldn't get it out? OH MY GOD WHAT IF IT LAYS EGGS IN MY EYE.
The last thought was enough to send me over the edge, and I (predictably) started to cry. And as I looked into the mirror at my swollen and bloodshot eye, I watched as the evil demonic brutal invader of my eye, a tiny gnat bug, came tumbling out in one of my tears.
And that, my friends, is what happens to me when I go into the wilderness. And, this was just my neighborhood, which is quite civilized. Can you imagine the kind of stuff I might encounter and be forced to endure should I have to go into the REAL wilderness?!?! And it does, people, it does. I did, at one time, enjoy the outdoors, and in the right circumstances, I still do. I liked being outside in Colorado (except for one specific bug related incident - detailed here in my work blog). But good grief, if I can't even walk my dog down the street without a gnat invading my ocular space, there's no way I could be expected to survive the real outdoors without suffering serious insect-inflicted damage.
Ben and I were out walking Scruffy last night after we got home from work. I don't usually go on those excursions, but it had cooled down a bit after the rain we got, and it was a generally pleasant sort of evening. We walked side by side by side and everything was going fine.
Then I realized there were these nasty little gnats flying around everywhere. One even flew into my mouth. Gross, I know, but who hasn't had that happen? Just spit it out and keep your mouth shut.
And then it happened. One of the little buggers flew into my eye. My eye! Not just ow-that-bug-hit-my-eye but ew-ew-ew-that-bug-is-stuck-in-my-eye! I abandoned Ben and Scruffy and started running down the street towards my house, covering my one eye and squinting considerably with the other to prevent a second eye-invasion. Let's not even talk about how ridiculous I looked to any neighbor that might've been watching.
Tearing open the front door, I ran to the bathroom, pulled out my contact, and stuck my open eye under the running faucet. I figured the same rules for rinsing a household toxin from your eye might apply in this situation.
And here's just the thing... what else besides rinse it out and blink a lot can you DO when something gets in your eye? Not much! You can't exactly stick a q-tip in there and get it out... as far as I know you're not supposed to poke anything into your eye, or even rub on it for that matter (as Heather often scolds me). I was left perched on the bathroom counter with my face a few centimeters from the mirror holding my now burning from tap-water eye as open as I possibly could. And though I could not see it, I KNEW that bug was still in there, up on the top of my eye. Ben peered inside my upper eyelid with a flashlight (yeah, that was bright) and insisted that it was gone. FALSE. That bug was still in there! At this point my imagination went into overdrive. What if the bug was carrying a disease? Would I have to go to the ER if I couldn't get it out? OH MY GOD WHAT IF IT LAYS EGGS IN MY EYE.
The last thought was enough to send me over the edge, and I (predictably) started to cry. And as I looked into the mirror at my swollen and bloodshot eye, I watched as the evil demonic brutal invader of my eye, a tiny gnat bug, came tumbling out in one of my tears.
And that, my friends, is what happens to me when I go into the wilderness. And, this was just my neighborhood, which is quite civilized. Can you imagine the kind of stuff I might encounter and be forced to endure should I have to go into the REAL wilderness?!?! And it does, people, it does. I did, at one time, enjoy the outdoors, and in the right circumstances, I still do. I liked being outside in Colorado (except for one specific bug related incident - detailed here in my work blog). But good grief, if I can't even walk my dog down the street without a gnat invading my ocular space, there's no way I could be expected to survive the real outdoors without suffering serious insect-inflicted damage.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
That's Hot
Okay, there is hot, and there is HOT. Today, my friends, was the latter. We are talking 103 degrees. Today was the kind of hot where even inside where your AC is blasting you can't get comfortable. Pretty much the only acceptable activity is laying on your floor watching TV in just a t-shirt and your underwear with nothing else touching you. Trust me, the floor is best. It is maybe 1 degree cooler down there than on the couch. Don't even think about going upstairs.
Other thing to do on such a hot day:
1. Nothing
2. Sip an ice cold drink
3. Eat a popsicle
4. Lay with a fan blowing directly in your face
5. Watch movies where it is snowing
Other things NOT to do on such a hot day:
1. Move
2. Wear more than two articles of clothing. You can pick which two are appropriate for wherever you are.
3. Go outside
4. Clean or any other indoor activity that would cause you to sweat, ie walking from room to room
5. Blow dry your hair
Wherever you are, I hope you are staying cool. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to move away from this computer which is emitting unnecessary heat in my general direction. Back to the floor!
Okay, there is hot, and there is HOT. Today, my friends, was the latter. We are talking 103 degrees. Today was the kind of hot where even inside where your AC is blasting you can't get comfortable. Pretty much the only acceptable activity is laying on your floor watching TV in just a t-shirt and your underwear with nothing else touching you. Trust me, the floor is best. It is maybe 1 degree cooler down there than on the couch. Don't even think about going upstairs.
Other thing to do on such a hot day:
1. Nothing
2. Sip an ice cold drink
3. Eat a popsicle
4. Lay with a fan blowing directly in your face
5. Watch movies where it is snowing
Other things NOT to do on such a hot day:
1. Move
2. Wear more than two articles of clothing. You can pick which two are appropriate for wherever you are.
3. Go outside
4. Clean or any other indoor activity that would cause you to sweat, ie walking from room to room
5. Blow dry your hair
Wherever you are, I hope you are staying cool. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to move away from this computer which is emitting unnecessary heat in my general direction. Back to the floor!
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Music in the Rockies
Hey all, just so you know while I am gone I am writing a blog about my time at Music in the Rockies for my work's MySpace page. Check it out here: www.myspace.com/gospelmusicassociation.
There are pics too!
Miss you all and see you when I return.
Amy J
Hey all, just so you know while I am gone I am writing a blog about my time at Music in the Rockies for my work's MySpace page. Check it out here: www.myspace.com/gospelmusicassociation.
There are pics too!
Miss you all and see you when I return.
Amy J
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Wii-tastic
Ben and I are the proud new owners of a Nintendo Wii. It came to us on Sunday, from (where else, but our favorite store) Target. It is a beautiful thing. If you have never played the Wii, please come over to our house immediately and try ours.
Here's what you need to know to understand how awesome it is. I have never in my life owned a video game system. As kids my sister and I were never allowed to have one, and we didn't particularly want one either. I remember one Christmas our neighbor got a new Nintendo 64, and so from time to time we would play with him, but it never tickled our fancy. Ben was also never a big gamer... B.W. (before Wii) all he owned was an original Playstation on which he played CoolBoarders 2.
Video games always seemed, to me, to be so solitary and exclusive. Going to someone's house who had a system usually meant I ended up sitting on the arm of the couch watching in boredom as a bunch of boys played Madden.
Then, one fateful day, I was at my friend Rachael's house and people were playing the Wii. It struck me as a very social game - people were taking turns playing one another in Bowling or Tennis, and others who weren't playing were enjoying just watching. Rather than taking away from the human interaction at the party, it was encouraging it! Not only that, but unlike other video games where for hours on end one sits slack-jawed staring at the TV moving only one's thumbs, the Wii had you on your feet, swinging your arms in tennis or baseball or, in what was seriously an aerobic workout, boxing! Plus, no previous skill required. Unlike even basic old games like Mario Brothers, in which I was seriously out-played by even young children, the Wii was highly non-threatening to a non-gamer like myself.
I knew instantly that the Wii could very well be the first video game system that I could see myself having. And thus began our hunt to find one - even though they came out before Christmas, they are still in hot demand. Ben got ours on Sunday at about noon - and it was the last one in a shipment of 12 that had come in that very morning!
We hooked it up and each created our Mii - the little person who represents you in all your games. And then we started playing. And it was as delightful as I had hoped. I sustained my first Wii-injury when, in a lunging backhand during Tennis, I stepped backward and banged my ankle into the couch. I discovered I am rather good at Bowling, and not so good at Baseball.
So the Wii is on at the James household, and you are all invited to come play with us! Wheeee! (Or should I say, "Wiiiiiii!")
Ben and I are the proud new owners of a Nintendo Wii. It came to us on Sunday, from (where else, but our favorite store) Target. It is a beautiful thing. If you have never played the Wii, please come over to our house immediately and try ours.
Here's what you need to know to understand how awesome it is. I have never in my life owned a video game system. As kids my sister and I were never allowed to have one, and we didn't particularly want one either. I remember one Christmas our neighbor got a new Nintendo 64, and so from time to time we would play with him, but it never tickled our fancy. Ben was also never a big gamer... B.W. (before Wii) all he owned was an original Playstation on which he played CoolBoarders 2.
Video games always seemed, to me, to be so solitary and exclusive. Going to someone's house who had a system usually meant I ended up sitting on the arm of the couch watching in boredom as a bunch of boys played Madden.
Then, one fateful day, I was at my friend Rachael's house and people were playing the Wii. It struck me as a very social game - people were taking turns playing one another in Bowling or Tennis, and others who weren't playing were enjoying just watching. Rather than taking away from the human interaction at the party, it was encouraging it! Not only that, but unlike other video games where for hours on end one sits slack-jawed staring at the TV moving only one's thumbs, the Wii had you on your feet, swinging your arms in tennis or baseball or, in what was seriously an aerobic workout, boxing! Plus, no previous skill required. Unlike even basic old games like Mario Brothers, in which I was seriously out-played by even young children, the Wii was highly non-threatening to a non-gamer like myself.
I knew instantly that the Wii could very well be the first video game system that I could see myself having. And thus began our hunt to find one - even though they came out before Christmas, they are still in hot demand. Ben got ours on Sunday at about noon - and it was the last one in a shipment of 12 that had come in that very morning!
We hooked it up and each created our Mii - the little person who represents you in all your games. And then we started playing. And it was as delightful as I had hoped. I sustained my first Wii-injury when, in a lunging backhand during Tennis, I stepped backward and banged my ankle into the couch. I discovered I am rather good at Bowling, and not so good at Baseball.
So the Wii is on at the James household, and you are all invited to come play with us! Wheeee! (Or should I say, "Wiiiiiii!")
Monday, July 23, 2007
A Sad Thing
I saw a very sad thing today and I just need to write it down.
I was driving to work and going behind a slow old man driver. I was getting annoyed and thinking of how I was already late for work. Then the car in front of me swerved into the other lane to avoid something in the road. All I could see was that it was some sort of roadkill. "Gross," I thought, and followed suit in driving around it.
As I passed it I saw what it was - a tiny baby deer, young enough to still be covered with white spots on its back. It had obviously suffered a very recent death, no doubt at the hands of someone like me driving 55 mph down the curvy back road.
It just made me think about how normally dead animals in the road are either so mangled that they are unrecognizable or are so common that the sight of it doesn't bother you anymore. A dead possum or dead squirrel won't ellicit much more than an "ew" from me. But for some reason to see the little baby deer's body in the road just made me sad enough to cry. Which I did. For about the next two miles. I cried for that baby deer even though I know there are thousands of deers and that what I saw is not that uncommon. I cried for that baby deer even though I know deer aren't exactly the brainiest of animals and that the baby's mom was probably over it already. I cried for that baby deer even though I know the real world isn't like Bambi.
And even though I know that animals don't "go to heaven" in the sense of humans I prayed that God had been there and comforted it upon its death. I prayed that as a part of creation which God made to glorify Himself, the baby deer and its life mattered to God and that perhaps that baby, and animals of all kinds, will be present in eternity. I don't know if that is true, but what I know of God's character makes me believe that it is.
I saw a very sad thing today and I just need to write it down.
I was driving to work and going behind a slow old man driver. I was getting annoyed and thinking of how I was already late for work. Then the car in front of me swerved into the other lane to avoid something in the road. All I could see was that it was some sort of roadkill. "Gross," I thought, and followed suit in driving around it.
As I passed it I saw what it was - a tiny baby deer, young enough to still be covered with white spots on its back. It had obviously suffered a very recent death, no doubt at the hands of someone like me driving 55 mph down the curvy back road.
It just made me think about how normally dead animals in the road are either so mangled that they are unrecognizable or are so common that the sight of it doesn't bother you anymore. A dead possum or dead squirrel won't ellicit much more than an "ew" from me. But for some reason to see the little baby deer's body in the road just made me sad enough to cry. Which I did. For about the next two miles. I cried for that baby deer even though I know there are thousands of deers and that what I saw is not that uncommon. I cried for that baby deer even though I know deer aren't exactly the brainiest of animals and that the baby's mom was probably over it already. I cried for that baby deer even though I know the real world isn't like Bambi.
And even though I know that animals don't "go to heaven" in the sense of humans I prayed that God had been there and comforted it upon its death. I prayed that as a part of creation which God made to glorify Himself, the baby deer and its life mattered to God and that perhaps that baby, and animals of all kinds, will be present in eternity. I don't know if that is true, but what I know of God's character makes me believe that it is.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
This is the second entry in my series entitled "Driving: It's Just Not That Hard." Today I will be covering the very challenging topic of MERGING.
Merging generally refers to a situation in which one lane of the road is ending, forcing cars in that lane to get over into another lane which is still open:
As you can see in the above diagram, an accident will happen unless one of these vehicles moves. Every day on my way to work I watch as morons... er, I mean "driving-challenged" people float from the on-ramp into traffic with nary a glance as to the cars forced to jerk violently out of their way to avoid being sideswiped.
Please read this carefully: THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF MERGING SAFELY RESTS UPON THE MERGER, NOT THE OTHER CARS! It is your job to take the initiative to use your blinker, to slow down or speed up depending on the other vehicles around you, etc. It is NOT enough to doodle your way into traffic, expecting that other cars will part like the Red Sea in order to make room for you. It is also NOT acceptable to merely follow the right-hand white line as it guides you merrily into another lane.
Is it nice if other cars let you over? Yes. Should they make every effort to give merging traffic room to merge? Absolutely. Is it your God-given right to plow into their lane simply because you waited too long and ran out of room? HECK-to-the-NO.
All this talk brings me to another point involving merging, and pardon me if I seem fussy but this one is just completely dumb and dangerous to boot. When you are nearing a construction area and you see one of those ENORMOUS FLASHING SIGNS that says "RIGHT LANE ENDS 500 feet" here's an idea: get over NOW! Nothing makes me wish I was allowed to ram other cars off the road than when a blithering idiot comes barrelling down the ending lane attempting to swoop in and merge at the last possible second. I will never, ever, ever, ever, EVER let you over. If I see you coming in my rear-view mirror, I will in fact drift over to take up both lanes thus preventing you from going any further.
There is a verse in the Bible that says, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." This is a beautiful verse about God's creation is enough to make humans understand and see that God exists.
I feel similarly about merging. "For since the construction workers and road designers put up signs - bright yellow and orange and sometimes flashing - and these can be seen by your own eyes and comprehended by your brain to mean that you must take some kind of action about merging, you are without excuse in taking said action as quickly and safely as possible.
The only thing someone who is a bad driver could possibly say is that "they didn't see _____" or "they didn't notice ______." There is a fancy phrase for that called "not paying attention," and from what I understand it doesn't hold up so well under a court of law.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Who the heck is Lindsay Wagner?
So this summer, in the absence of our favorite tv series LOST, The Office, and others, Ben and I are enjoying delightful reruns. For me, X-Files. For him, Wonder Years. Our TiVo records both of these shows in the wee hours of the weekday mornings, and if you have ever watched something that is on at 2 am, you are familiar with the commericals for the Sleep Number Bed. And the spokesperson for this delightful product? It's "Actress Lindsay Wagner." And if you have seen this commercial, you probably asked yourself the same question we did, after the 15th time around... "Who the heck is Lindsay Wagner?"
Ben was content just to stop fast-forwarding through the commericals long enough to hear his favorite part, when Lindsay tells him how he can get "a more recooperative sleep." I finally broke down and came upstairs to my computer, where I looked up Lindsay in the Wikipedia of the entertainment world, good ole' IMDB.com.
I was pleased to find that not only was she a real actress, but an Emmy-winning one at that. She was famous in the 70s/80s for being on The Six Million Dollar Man, and then starring in her own spinoff, The Bionic Woman. Since then it has been pretty much downhill, but it seems like this Sleep Number thing is a sweet deal. I mean, sometimes it is the only commercial I see during an entire hour of X-Files. A little Mulder, a little Lindsay Wagner. A little Scully, a little more Lindsay. A little truth-chasing, a little chat with Linz. It's kind of comforting, in a way.
PS - In case you were wondering, her sleep number is 36. Like I said, I have seen this commercial a LOT.
So this summer, in the absence of our favorite tv series LOST, The Office, and others, Ben and I are enjoying delightful reruns. For me, X-Files. For him, Wonder Years. Our TiVo records both of these shows in the wee hours of the weekday mornings, and if you have ever watched something that is on at 2 am, you are familiar with the commericals for the Sleep Number Bed. And the spokesperson for this delightful product? It's "Actress Lindsay Wagner." And if you have seen this commercial, you probably asked yourself the same question we did, after the 15th time around... "Who the heck is Lindsay Wagner?"
Ben was content just to stop fast-forwarding through the commericals long enough to hear his favorite part, when Lindsay tells him how he can get "a more recooperative sleep." I finally broke down and came upstairs to my computer, where I looked up Lindsay in the Wikipedia of the entertainment world, good ole' IMDB.com.
I was pleased to find that not only was she a real actress, but an Emmy-winning one at that. She was famous in the 70s/80s for being on The Six Million Dollar Man, and then starring in her own spinoff, The Bionic Woman. Since then it has been pretty much downhill, but it seems like this Sleep Number thing is a sweet deal. I mean, sometimes it is the only commercial I see during an entire hour of X-Files. A little Mulder, a little Lindsay Wagner. A little Scully, a little more Lindsay. A little truth-chasing, a little chat with Linz. It's kind of comforting, in a way.
PS - In case you were wondering, her sleep number is 36. Like I said, I have seen this commercial a LOT.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
You know what I love? When you go swimming, and you get water in your ears, and you can hear it in there for hours, making a sort of crunchy shifting sound, and then you come home and lay down and all the sudden the water frees itself from your eardrum and the little droplet that trickles out of your ear is all hot from being inside your head.* And you are like, "Ah, I can hear again!" There is something really satisfying about that warm little bit of water coming out of your ear, like when you pop your finger really loudly or successfully scratch an itchy spot on your back or lay down after a long day and feel your spine stretching and relaxing.
*Footnote: Today I went swimming at our office pool party and this happened and it was like every day of my childhood summers all over again.
*Footnote: Today I went swimming at our office pool party and this happened and it was like every day of my childhood summers all over again.
Friday, June 29, 2007
DRIVING: IT'S JUST NOT THAT HARD
This will be the first in a series where I try to help people who seem to be bewildered and befuddled by the act of driving. Unfortunately, being a bad driver doesn't stop people from being ABLE to drive... sort of like being a bad parent.
If all this series of posts does is help me vent about the complete dolts whom I graciously share the road with each day, then that might be good enough.
Issue #1 - Turn Signals
With some skeptical exceptions, human beings are incapable of reading each other's minds. This can prove dangerous when operating a two-ton piece of machinery going 60 mph. You might be asking yourself, "How will someone know if I want to change lanes?" or "How will the person behind me know I'm not slowing down just to annoy them, but to turn?" Luckily, the makers of motor vehicles have, for the past several decades, installed in your car/truck/suv a special device designed to, in a way, convey your thoughts to other drivers. This magic tool is called the TURN SIGNAL.
The turn signal is a flashing yellow or red light that is located on both sides of your car's front and rear bumpers. By manipulating a lever near your steering wheel, you can illuminate either the right or left blinking lights. Inside your car you will hear a clicking sound to indicate that the lights are blinking appropriately. Once you have finished the act of turning or veering to the correct direction, flick the lever again and the blinking light will stop. This lets other drivers know you don't now intend to move in any other direction but forward.
Now I know you might be thinking to yourself right now, "But I KNOW where I am going... why do I need the turn signal again?" Please keep in mind, the turn signal is just that, a SIGNAL to other drivers. Short of rolling down your window and hollering about what your next move is, it is the best way to keep other drivers informed of your decision to fling your car into their lane.
So remember, I can't read your mind! If you use your signal, you are reducing your risk of me slamming on my brakes and screaming "What the ef are you doing you stupid moron" by at least 43%. And that is a good thing.
Thank you. The next entry in this series will cover MERGING, where I tell you how to increase your chances of me letting you over (hint: it involves your turn signal).
This will be the first in a series where I try to help people who seem to be bewildered and befuddled by the act of driving. Unfortunately, being a bad driver doesn't stop people from being ABLE to drive... sort of like being a bad parent.
If all this series of posts does is help me vent about the complete dolts whom I graciously share the road with each day, then that might be good enough.
Issue #1 - Turn Signals
With some skeptical exceptions, human beings are incapable of reading each other's minds. This can prove dangerous when operating a two-ton piece of machinery going 60 mph. You might be asking yourself, "How will someone know if I want to change lanes?" or "How will the person behind me know I'm not slowing down just to annoy them, but to turn?" Luckily, the makers of motor vehicles have, for the past several decades, installed in your car/truck/suv a special device designed to, in a way, convey your thoughts to other drivers. This magic tool is called the TURN SIGNAL.
The turn signal is a flashing yellow or red light that is located on both sides of your car's front and rear bumpers. By manipulating a lever near your steering wheel, you can illuminate either the right or left blinking lights. Inside your car you will hear a clicking sound to indicate that the lights are blinking appropriately. Once you have finished the act of turning or veering to the correct direction, flick the lever again and the blinking light will stop. This lets other drivers know you don't now intend to move in any other direction but forward.
Now I know you might be thinking to yourself right now, "But I KNOW where I am going... why do I need the turn signal again?" Please keep in mind, the turn signal is just that, a SIGNAL to other drivers. Short of rolling down your window and hollering about what your next move is, it is the best way to keep other drivers informed of your decision to fling your car into their lane.
So remember, I can't read your mind! If you use your signal, you are reducing your risk of me slamming on my brakes and screaming "What the ef are you doing you stupid moron" by at least 43%. And that is a good thing.
Thank you. The next entry in this series will cover MERGING, where I tell you how to increase your chances of me letting you over (hint: it involves your turn signal).
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
sweet
six fifteen and the beep-beep has commenced
i can poke the snooze button with my toe if I stretch
draw my foot back into the cocoon of covers
flip the pillow to find the coolest corner
and when I roll over there you are
little white shirt stretched across your skinny shoulders
and with the day creeping up on us
the sweetest thing is ten more minutes curled around your back
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Wow friends, it has been a long time! This blog existed three years ago as part of a project for one of my classes, "Does Poetry Matter?" (The answer to that question is yes, and the previous posts are fairly interesting, if you have some spare time and care about things like alliteration and iambic pentameter.)
Anyway, I decided to repurpose this old blogspot as my new general thought-posting-place. Because, you know, it is important to post your musings in the vain belief that they deserve to be read. Also, I just really feel like there are not enough places on the internet you can go to read the thoughts and opinions of strangers. Good thing I started this back up again!
I have retitled this blog "overjoyed." The distinction between joy and happiness has been an important touchstone in my life... and if you don't know the difference, I hope you'll ask me. I think each time I post I'll try to share something that has recently revealed joy to me. Here's something for today:
We put up a birdfeeder in our backyard and, I'll admit, I was skeptical. Pretty much any birdfeeder I've ever had turned into a squirrel feeder, which then became a sad display riddled with holes from the bbs my dad would shoot at it to chase the squirrels away. Wow, that makes my dad sound crazy/redneck, and he is generally neither of those two things. He just doesn't like squirrels who eat all the birdseed.
I've digressed. As the picture above suggests, our birdfeeder has been a rousing success. It attracts, in particular, goldfinches. A male goldfinch is one of those things that you can't hardly believe is actually the color it is. When you color, as a child, rarely is anything actually one of the colors from the box of Crayolas. The sky is generally not BLUE and storm clouds are not BLACK and your face is not PEACH. But a male goldfinch is every bit YELLOW. More yellow, even, than the crayon. And though I am not a huge fan of birds, the sight of this yellow goldfinch on my backyard bird feeder stirs joy in me. The display of vivid colors in an often muted world is cause to be joyful.
I have grand plans for this blog... so stay tuned. I know you are trembling with excitement. Try to get some sleep. I'll post again soon...
Anyway, I decided to repurpose this old blogspot as my new general thought-posting-place. Because, you know, it is important to post your musings in the vain belief that they deserve to be read. Also, I just really feel like there are not enough places on the internet you can go to read the thoughts and opinions of strangers. Good thing I started this back up again!
I have retitled this blog "overjoyed." The distinction between joy and happiness has been an important touchstone in my life... and if you don't know the difference, I hope you'll ask me. I think each time I post I'll try to share something that has recently revealed joy to me. Here's something for today:
We put up a birdfeeder in our backyard and, I'll admit, I was skeptical. Pretty much any birdfeeder I've ever had turned into a squirrel feeder, which then became a sad display riddled with holes from the bbs my dad would shoot at it to chase the squirrels away. Wow, that makes my dad sound crazy/redneck, and he is generally neither of those two things. He just doesn't like squirrels who eat all the birdseed.
I've digressed. As the picture above suggests, our birdfeeder has been a rousing success. It attracts, in particular, goldfinches. A male goldfinch is one of those things that you can't hardly believe is actually the color it is. When you color, as a child, rarely is anything actually one of the colors from the box of Crayolas. The sky is generally not BLUE and storm clouds are not BLACK and your face is not PEACH. But a male goldfinch is every bit YELLOW. More yellow, even, than the crayon. And though I am not a huge fan of birds, the sight of this yellow goldfinch on my backyard bird feeder stirs joy in me. The display of vivid colors in an often muted world is cause to be joyful.
I have grand plans for this blog... so stay tuned. I know you are trembling with excitement. Try to get some sleep. I'll post again soon...
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