Meditations on “Love is Kind”
What is kindness? Part of it is obeying the Golden Rule: “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.” Another part of it is putting others’ needs ahead of my own.
How can I be kind to my spouse? By remembering her needs, actively seeking out ways that I can help her. By always using a gentle tone of voice, not being sarcastic, not trying to get in verbal digs.
How can I be kind to my children? Listening to them. Focusing on their needs. Playing games with them, even when I’m tired. Not raising my voice.
How can I be kind to those at work? Doing my tasks quickly and well. Using a pleasant tone of voice. Not trying to make others feel guilty when they have done something that I wouldn’t have.
How can I be kind to those at church? Choose songs that the congregation likes, rather than just the ones that I like. Treat them as more important and closer to God than I am. Honor them. Find out their needs and then meet them. This requires reaching out and getting to know them.
Kindness is hard work. I think that it most often is tested in family circumstances: between husband and wife, parent and child, and sibling. Being constantly kind to those we are around 24 hours a day can be one of the hardest tests God ever gives us, but if we aren’t kind, we aren’t fulfilling the second greatest commandment.
--DJ
Monday, February 26, 2007
Meditations on "Love is Patient"
On the Sunday before Lent, I had the privilege of preaching on the Love chapter, I Corinthians 13. It’s one of those passages that tends to become clichéd and overused, like John 3:16. In reading through it again in preparation for the sermon, though, I was inspired anew by it. I think it’s one of the best passages that St. Paul ever wrote.
Each week of Lent, I’m spending time meditating on a phrase from that chapter. For one of my seminary classes, Spiritual Formation III, I’ve been trying to meditate more. It’s hard work. It’s very difficult to focus on something for more than a couple minutes, because my mind is so undisciplined in this area. For example, I’ll decide to think about how Jesus demonstrated patience with His disciples, and within a minute or two, my mind has wandered off to what is coming up at work. I told my Spiritual Formation class at our retreat last weekend that if I can meditate for three minutes, I consider it a success. And yet there are some Christians who can lose themselves in contemplation of God’s goodness and love for hours at a time, just basking in His presence.
I’m going to try posting thoughts from these meditations on love each week or so. Here’s the first one, “Love is patient.”
The Trinity demonstrates patience. God the Father is not willing that any should perish, so He does not destroy the world. He always gives second (and third) chances. God the Son was patient with His disciples. They always seemed to be missing the point of His parables and squabbling among themselves. He never got upset with them, just called them higher. God the Holy Spirit is patient with us. It is his job to see that we are conformed in the image of Christ, and yet we resist Him, either actively or passively, so much of the time. He never gives up, always training our conscience and our will to become more like Jesus.
I am to be patient with others. The area I most need to work on this is interacting with my children. This is especially true for S. I tend to think of him as the same age as A, which he’s not; he’s a year and a half younger. And yet I expect of him basically what I expect of A. This is unfair to him and just leads to frustration on my part. I need to be patient and allow him to function as himself, not his sister.
--DJ
Each week of Lent, I’m spending time meditating on a phrase from that chapter. For one of my seminary classes, Spiritual Formation III, I’ve been trying to meditate more. It’s hard work. It’s very difficult to focus on something for more than a couple minutes, because my mind is so undisciplined in this area. For example, I’ll decide to think about how Jesus demonstrated patience with His disciples, and within a minute or two, my mind has wandered off to what is coming up at work. I told my Spiritual Formation class at our retreat last weekend that if I can meditate for three minutes, I consider it a success. And yet there are some Christians who can lose themselves in contemplation of God’s goodness and love for hours at a time, just basking in His presence.
I’m going to try posting thoughts from these meditations on love each week or so. Here’s the first one, “Love is patient.”
The Trinity demonstrates patience. God the Father is not willing that any should perish, so He does not destroy the world. He always gives second (and third) chances. God the Son was patient with His disciples. They always seemed to be missing the point of His parables and squabbling among themselves. He never got upset with them, just called them higher. God the Holy Spirit is patient with us. It is his job to see that we are conformed in the image of Christ, and yet we resist Him, either actively or passively, so much of the time. He never gives up, always training our conscience and our will to become more like Jesus.
I am to be patient with others. The area I most need to work on this is interacting with my children. This is especially true for S. I tend to think of him as the same age as A, which he’s not; he’s a year and a half younger. And yet I expect of him basically what I expect of A. This is unfair to him and just leads to frustration on my part. I need to be patient and allow him to function as himself, not his sister.
--DJ
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Mundania X
(and henceforth I shall dispense with Roman numerals to avoid the Super Bowl syndrome)
* Welcome to the world... Micah James arrived today, to the relief of his very pregnant mother, my sister Rosemary. He's her third, but her first boy, so it's pretty special.
* Welcome home, I hope... In NH news, Jackson has spent five nights in the hospital with RSV. We hope he's going home today. Meanwhile, Tucker has been persistently sick and has lost weight, and during the same time Jed and Chloe got the throwing-up flu. An angel of mercy (as Jill termed it) in the form of our mother-in-law has been on hand to help ensure survival until all this passes.
* Can you spell ADDICTIVE... We're great fans of popcap.com, but almost strictly for their free game trials. Our resolve crumbled after several rounds of "Bookworm Adventure," and we used Christmas money to buy the full version. Not only do you get to spell words (like resolve, crumbled, and a personal victory "vaccinated"), but you get to whomp and crush enemies like minotaurs, Dracula, and banshees. It's an all-family obsession (ooh! good word!), with even Stuart offering strategy advice. I think of myself as a fairly non-competitive person, but found myself working feverishly (ooh! another one!) to stay ahead of Darren. Because Darren is, as usual, just slightly better at it than I am.
* Tomorrow it begins... Ash Wednesday has come around yet again, and Lent settles in for its long stay. This year, while I'm limiting my computer time and giving up computer games altogether -- alas, we must part, Bookworm -- I am not giving up blogging. Blogging has gone from a hobby on the side to a very real way to maintain my friendships, and my husband didn't think it was a good idea to give it up. Ha, neither did I. In addition to giving up, Darren and I are focusing on ways to "give" -- money to charity, more time in prayer, etc. We've explained this to Addie and Stuart. Addie has declared that she'll make our bed every day, and that she'll give up two days of shopping. Okey-dokey.
* Self-expression... Daphne has developed an endearing new habit: screaming. This isn't baby-screaming, the irrational wailing of an upset infant. This is, "Hey, I want to be picked up NOW -- SKREEEEEE!" This morning I started tapping her cheek and saying, "No!" She seemed to understand the message. Addie and Stuart were pretty impressed to see Daphne get reprimanded.
* Postcards... arrived a few days ago from Darren's grandmother. Lovely shots of ships in Halifax harbor. Thank you, Grandma. I plan to frame one of them, and then hope to put the rest in a frame for Darren's office. He loves ships -- it's his maritime blood.
* Snow, snow, go away... We got a mildly good snowfall last week, but then it rained and then it got cold and then it didn't warm up like usual. So we've had snow and ice on the ground for a week. We got a couple of snow days out of the deal, but eventually snow gets really monochromatic. Which I remedied partly by sending the kids out with water colors to paint on the ice, but I'm ready for it to go away now. The weather is paying as much attention to me as usual.
-- SJ
* Welcome to the world... Micah James arrived today, to the relief of his very pregnant mother, my sister Rosemary. He's her third, but her first boy, so it's pretty special.
* Welcome home, I hope... In NH news, Jackson has spent five nights in the hospital with RSV. We hope he's going home today. Meanwhile, Tucker has been persistently sick and has lost weight, and during the same time Jed and Chloe got the throwing-up flu. An angel of mercy (as Jill termed it) in the form of our mother-in-law has been on hand to help ensure survival until all this passes.
* Can you spell ADDICTIVE... We're great fans of popcap.com, but almost strictly for their free game trials. Our resolve crumbled after several rounds of "Bookworm Adventure," and we used Christmas money to buy the full version. Not only do you get to spell words (like resolve, crumbled, and a personal victory "vaccinated"), but you get to whomp and crush enemies like minotaurs, Dracula, and banshees. It's an all-family obsession (ooh! good word!), with even Stuart offering strategy advice. I think of myself as a fairly non-competitive person, but found myself working feverishly (ooh! another one!) to stay ahead of Darren. Because Darren is, as usual, just slightly better at it than I am.
* Tomorrow it begins... Ash Wednesday has come around yet again, and Lent settles in for its long stay. This year, while I'm limiting my computer time and giving up computer games altogether -- alas, we must part, Bookworm -- I am not giving up blogging. Blogging has gone from a hobby on the side to a very real way to maintain my friendships, and my husband didn't think it was a good idea to give it up. Ha, neither did I. In addition to giving up, Darren and I are focusing on ways to "give" -- money to charity, more time in prayer, etc. We've explained this to Addie and Stuart. Addie has declared that she'll make our bed every day, and that she'll give up two days of shopping. Okey-dokey.
* Self-expression... Daphne has developed an endearing new habit: screaming. This isn't baby-screaming, the irrational wailing of an upset infant. This is, "Hey, I want to be picked up NOW -- SKREEEEEE!" This morning I started tapping her cheek and saying, "No!" She seemed to understand the message. Addie and Stuart were pretty impressed to see Daphne get reprimanded.
* Postcards... arrived a few days ago from Darren's grandmother. Lovely shots of ships in Halifax harbor. Thank you, Grandma. I plan to frame one of them, and then hope to put the rest in a frame for Darren's office. He loves ships -- it's his maritime blood.
* Snow, snow, go away... We got a mildly good snowfall last week, but then it rained and then it got cold and then it didn't warm up like usual. So we've had snow and ice on the ground for a week. We got a couple of snow days out of the deal, but eventually snow gets really monochromatic. Which I remedied partly by sending the kids out with water colors to paint on the ice, but I'm ready for it to go away now. The weather is paying as much attention to me as usual.
-- SJ
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Cue Eerie Music
Just the day after the long discussion on this blog of "Millicent" (and attending names), I was alerted to a strange coincidence by Kristen R. (and her attending non-identities). See this post on our favorite baby-name-book blog, the Baby Name Wizard. You're supposed to notice, and be struck by, two of the names she mentioned... not only in the same sentence, but as compared to one another.
Maybe it's just coincidence.
Maybe the BNW author lurks on my blog.
Or maybe other forces are at work in the blogging world.
/fade out/
-- SJ
P.S. The word "eerie" looks very strange capitalized.
Maybe it's just coincidence.
Maybe the BNW author lurks on my blog.
Or maybe other forces are at work in the blogging world.
/fade out/
-- SJ
P.S. The word "eerie" looks very strange capitalized.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
And The Winner Is!
The judges have decided, the results are in, the Midwinter Blog Scavenger Hunt has an official winner! And that winner is....
But before I get to that, I'd like to thank all of you who participated. And thank you for your patience as we got around to judging the hunts, although it's not like you had a lot of choice. If you'd complained, we'd have fired back a snarky email saying that YOU could take care of a baby in a hospital, and then we'd shove your entry into last place. So it was well that you all demonstrated understanding and sympathy.
Judges always say, "It was a hard decision, but..." They never come right out and say, "Good heavens, I don't know why we had to read through all those entries! Except for the winner, they were all abysmal!" Guess what? We aren't going to say that, either. In our case, it's because we heartily enjoyed all the entries and it really did take quite a bit of discussion to come to a decision.
So, on to the big announcement! The winner is...
But first, let's go to the smaller prizes. For quickest hunting:
Rose
Aaron
Queen of Carrots
Your prizes will arrive by mail within the 2007 calendar year, assuming no more children have health crises.
And honorable mentions for particularly creative or entertaining "finds":
* Rose’s odd-name choice
* Charlessa’s shoe
* Ranee’s green couch
* Most tenuous connection: Rose's "green"
* Best use of resources: Liane’s hairbrush
* Most minuscule hairbrush: Aaron
* Best car and childbirth links: QoC
* Most welcome new acquaintance: Ranee, it was good to meet you
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, unless you cheated and looked down here first...
The winner is...
Liane!
Congratulations, Liane! Email us the name of a favorite restaurant, and we'll happily award your prize.
As soon as we're struck by inspiration again, we'll do another Fun Blog Adventure, so anyone who didn't get a chance to get in on this one will have another shot. Thanks for participating! Fun was had by all!
-- SJ and DJ
P.S. Congratulations to Aaron and Jesse for being the MANLIEST bloggers among our readers.
But before I get to that, I'd like to thank all of you who participated. And thank you for your patience as we got around to judging the hunts, although it's not like you had a lot of choice. If you'd complained, we'd have fired back a snarky email saying that YOU could take care of a baby in a hospital, and then we'd shove your entry into last place. So it was well that you all demonstrated understanding and sympathy.
Judges always say, "It was a hard decision, but..." They never come right out and say, "Good heavens, I don't know why we had to read through all those entries! Except for the winner, they were all abysmal!" Guess what? We aren't going to say that, either. In our case, it's because we heartily enjoyed all the entries and it really did take quite a bit of discussion to come to a decision.
So, on to the big announcement! The winner is...
But first, let's go to the smaller prizes. For quickest hunting:
Rose
Aaron
Queen of Carrots
Your prizes will arrive by mail within the 2007 calendar year, assuming no more children have health crises.
And honorable mentions for particularly creative or entertaining "finds":
* Rose’s odd-name choice
* Charlessa’s shoe
* Ranee’s green couch
* Most tenuous connection: Rose's "green"
* Best use of resources: Liane’s hairbrush
* Most minuscule hairbrush: Aaron
* Best car and childbirth links: QoC
* Most welcome new acquaintance: Ranee, it was good to meet you
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, unless you cheated and looked down here first...
The winner is...
Liane!
Congratulations, Liane! Email us the name of a favorite restaurant, and we'll happily award your prize.
As soon as we're struck by inspiration again, we'll do another Fun Blog Adventure, so anyone who didn't get a chance to get in on this one will have another shot. Thanks for participating! Fun was had by all!
-- SJ and DJ
P.S. Congratulations to Aaron and Jesse for being the MANLIEST bloggers among our readers.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Send Me Emails, Too
Contrary to appearances, I don't need constant feedback from my friends to shore up massive insecurities. (My insecurities are moderate to high, but certainly not massive.) The postcards I requested continue to come in at a pleasing trickle. Recently added to my collection:
Kansas -- Barbara G. Everybody needs pictures of pigs on the living room wall!
Jerusalem -- Craig S. Nothing like a windmill to evoke the feel of Biblical times.
The Walters Museum, Baltimore -- Danielle J. If I have friends who work at art museums and send me prints of famous paintings, then I can be cultured and not have to visit art museums myself.
Grand Teton National Park, California -- Janice P. Them are some *real* mountains.
My collection by this time is positively delightful. I've got almost enough to start mounting them. Almost enough? Well, I don't have *yours* yet, do I? (You know who you are.)
Postcards aside, the following request is strictly business.
Some may remember a year or two ago when my email program crashed and I lost all my addresses. Guess what! That's right! It did it again! I don't know if it's my computer, or email program, or just bad karma, but crashes like this happen relatively frequently. It's annoying, but it at least saves me the trouble of having to sort emails. This way, I lose every darn one. So unless you're one of the four or five people who has sent me an email since this morning, I don't have your address. Would you mind zipping one my way? It doesn't even have to be a note, just something so I can restore your address to my book.
Things are calming down here, and we hope to be able to sit down and judge Scavenger Hunts soon. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and sympathy for Daphne. She's doing very well.
-- SJ
P.S. Of course, if you did want to utilize your email to tell me how much you love my writing and my sparkling personality, my insecurities would be okay with that.
Kansas -- Barbara G. Everybody needs pictures of pigs on the living room wall!
Jerusalem -- Craig S. Nothing like a windmill to evoke the feel of Biblical times.
The Walters Museum, Baltimore -- Danielle J. If I have friends who work at art museums and send me prints of famous paintings, then I can be cultured and not have to visit art museums myself.
Grand Teton National Park, California -- Janice P. Them are some *real* mountains.
My collection by this time is positively delightful. I've got almost enough to start mounting them. Almost enough? Well, I don't have *yours* yet, do I? (You know who you are.)
Postcards aside, the following request is strictly business.
Some may remember a year or two ago when my email program crashed and I lost all my addresses. Guess what! That's right! It did it again! I don't know if it's my computer, or email program, or just bad karma, but crashes like this happen relatively frequently. It's annoying, but it at least saves me the trouble of having to sort emails. This way, I lose every darn one. So unless you're one of the four or five people who has sent me an email since this morning, I don't have your address. Would you mind zipping one my way? It doesn't even have to be a note, just something so I can restore your address to my book.
Things are calming down here, and we hope to be able to sit down and judge Scavenger Hunts soon. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and sympathy for Daphne. She's doing very well.
-- SJ
P.S. Of course, if you did want to utilize your email to tell me how much you love my writing and my sparkling personality, my insecurities would be okay with that.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Fun in 418
We got home this morning. After being dashed through a biting wind into the house, Daphne sat a little bewildered in her carseat for the first moment or two. Then the sounds and smells of Home registered with her, and she broke into smiles. I know how she feels.
She's still wheezy but very much herself. Addie and Stuart have played happily all day, glad that life is normal again. Darren and I are managing to hold up, albeit saggingly.
The following is a blog post I wrote in the hospital. I'm a pretty dedicated blogger, I guess, if I'm offline for four days and still manage two posts -- written out in neat cursive, no less! I hate to waste finished material, and I certainly don't have the stamina to come up with a new one right now (this little introduction has pretty much sapped my creative powers). So enjoy. And if you don't, then use the experience to build character.
***
While Darren soldiers on under full-time Kid Duty -- feeding, doctoring, comforting, refereeing, and (most challenging of all) picking out Sunday clothes -- Daphne and I are kicking back here in our resort room #418, complete with a bed disguised as a 2'x7' sofa, and a panoramic view of the parking lot.
So what do you do when you're the healthy one confined to a hospital room? (And I do mean confined: because RSV is very contagious, I can't take Daphne out of the room.) Fortunately, there's an endless list of fun things to do in situations like this. Or not endless, actually, or not very fun. But you can make lists if you want to.
I watch T.V., usually with the volume down, for as long as I want, usually about 20 minutes at a stretch. The Super Bowl is tonight, but what mostly interests me about the Super Bowl is its increasingly complicated numbering system. Super Bowl I, V, and especially X must have seemed like a good idea at the time. Obviously nobody thought ahead to, say, Super Bowl XXXIV, which looks stupid. Won't it really be snazzy when it's "Super Bowl L"? According to Dave Barry, Roman numerals were a direct cause of the fall of the Empire.
Friday night I watched an episode of "Grey's Anatomy," a drama I know a little about because I'm friends with a psychotically devoted fan. It's a cool show, Barbara. I was hooked all the way through. Granted, the next morning I realized that the part about that patient's toxic blood fumes that nearly wiped out the entire medical staff was roll-on-the-floor funny, but at the time it seemed workable.
Apart from my T.V. sessions, I spend my time with 20Q. This little hand-held electronic is fascinating. (Dana and Nina gave it to me for my birthday so I wouldn't steal theirs.) It asks 20 - 25 seemingly random questions about an object you have in mind. You answer with Yes, No, Sometimes, and Unknown... all the while thinking, "There's no way it's going to get the right answer this time." Three out of four times, it does.
One small adventure was washing my hair with Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo. But that wasn't fun. More like sad.
I daydream about sneaking downstairs for a Coffee Toffee, a blended iced coffee drink. It rarely comes about because Daph hears me thinking about it and pops up wide-awake and needing company. But no one can take away my dreams.
I'm always calling my mother, ostensibly to give updates but mostly to have conversations that don't involve oxygen levels and treatment schedules. [In retrospect, there were a lot of other people I could have called to let them know what was going on, but we spent the whole weekend thinking, "She'll just be in one more day. No need to alert anyone except our parents." By the fourth day, we realized our mistake but it was a bit late then.]
One thing I don't do is eat breakfast. The food here is very edible and occasionally good, but I've had no luck with breakfast. One morning I got pancakes with syrup but no butter. The next day I got French toast with butter but no syrup. By the time I finish my Mama duties and get to any of my meals, they're stone-cold. I'd rather have a Coffee Toffee, anyway.
Darren, Addie, and Stuart visit once or twice every day. I never feel like a large family until we're all packed into #418. Stuart's snow boots alone take up significant floor space. (No, we haven't had any snow. He wore his pajamas under his church clothes today even though there was no naptime during the service.) The kids find these visits boring, and it's a hassle for Darren, but I need them.
My pastor's wife checks in pretty frequently. Daphne's illness is of primary importance at the church. Daphne is, after all, church property, and everyone wants to make sure that Darren and I take good care of her.
In among everything else, I listen to the conversations and activities in the world outside my door. I hear babies crying, kids coughing, overwrought little voices wailing, "No! No!" It makes me very grateful for modern medicine that turns my baby's life-threatening congestion into a mere tedious wait for recovery. There are children much sicker than Daphne, and parents much more anxious than Darren and I are. We agreed that hospital stays are like airplane trips: either they're mind-numbingly boring, or incredibly stressful with the occasional moments of terror.
All things considered, I'm glad to sit here in room #418 and be bored.
-- SJ
She's still wheezy but very much herself. Addie and Stuart have played happily all day, glad that life is normal again. Darren and I are managing to hold up, albeit saggingly.
The following is a blog post I wrote in the hospital. I'm a pretty dedicated blogger, I guess, if I'm offline for four days and still manage two posts -- written out in neat cursive, no less! I hate to waste finished material, and I certainly don't have the stamina to come up with a new one right now (this little introduction has pretty much sapped my creative powers). So enjoy. And if you don't, then use the experience to build character.
***
While Darren soldiers on under full-time Kid Duty -- feeding, doctoring, comforting, refereeing, and (most challenging of all) picking out Sunday clothes -- Daphne and I are kicking back here in our resort room #418, complete with a bed disguised as a 2'x7' sofa, and a panoramic view of the parking lot.
So what do you do when you're the healthy one confined to a hospital room? (And I do mean confined: because RSV is very contagious, I can't take Daphne out of the room.) Fortunately, there's an endless list of fun things to do in situations like this. Or not endless, actually, or not very fun. But you can make lists if you want to.
I watch T.V., usually with the volume down, for as long as I want, usually about 20 minutes at a stretch. The Super Bowl is tonight, but what mostly interests me about the Super Bowl is its increasingly complicated numbering system. Super Bowl I, V, and especially X must have seemed like a good idea at the time. Obviously nobody thought ahead to, say, Super Bowl XXXIV, which looks stupid. Won't it really be snazzy when it's "Super Bowl L"? According to Dave Barry, Roman numerals were a direct cause of the fall of the Empire.
Friday night I watched an episode of "Grey's Anatomy," a drama I know a little about because I'm friends with a psychotically devoted fan. It's a cool show, Barbara. I was hooked all the way through. Granted, the next morning I realized that the part about that patient's toxic blood fumes that nearly wiped out the entire medical staff was roll-on-the-floor funny, but at the time it seemed workable.
Apart from my T.V. sessions, I spend my time with 20Q. This little hand-held electronic is fascinating. (Dana and Nina gave it to me for my birthday so I wouldn't steal theirs.) It asks 20 - 25 seemingly random questions about an object you have in mind. You answer with Yes, No, Sometimes, and Unknown... all the while thinking, "There's no way it's going to get the right answer this time." Three out of four times, it does.
One small adventure was washing my hair with Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo. But that wasn't fun. More like sad.
I daydream about sneaking downstairs for a Coffee Toffee, a blended iced coffee drink. It rarely comes about because Daph hears me thinking about it and pops up wide-awake and needing company. But no one can take away my dreams.
I'm always calling my mother, ostensibly to give updates but mostly to have conversations that don't involve oxygen levels and treatment schedules. [In retrospect, there were a lot of other people I could have called to let them know what was going on, but we spent the whole weekend thinking, "She'll just be in one more day. No need to alert anyone except our parents." By the fourth day, we realized our mistake but it was a bit late then.]
One thing I don't do is eat breakfast. The food here is very edible and occasionally good, but I've had no luck with breakfast. One morning I got pancakes with syrup but no butter. The next day I got French toast with butter but no syrup. By the time I finish my Mama duties and get to any of my meals, they're stone-cold. I'd rather have a Coffee Toffee, anyway.
Darren, Addie, and Stuart visit once or twice every day. I never feel like a large family until we're all packed into #418. Stuart's snow boots alone take up significant floor space. (No, we haven't had any snow. He wore his pajamas under his church clothes today even though there was no naptime during the service.) The kids find these visits boring, and it's a hassle for Darren, but I need them.
My pastor's wife checks in pretty frequently. Daphne's illness is of primary importance at the church. Daphne is, after all, church property, and everyone wants to make sure that Darren and I take good care of her.
In among everything else, I listen to the conversations and activities in the world outside my door. I hear babies crying, kids coughing, overwrought little voices wailing, "No! No!" It makes me very grateful for modern medicine that turns my baby's life-threatening congestion into a mere tedious wait for recovery. There are children much sicker than Daphne, and parents much more anxious than Darren and I are. We agreed that hospital stays are like airplane trips: either they're mind-numbingly boring, or incredibly stressful with the occasional moments of terror.
All things considered, I'm glad to sit here in room #418 and be bored.
-- SJ
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Weekend Getaway
Next time I do a “weekend away,” I’m not letting Daphne choose where we stay.
What was supposed to be a 24-hour hospital stay for observation has turned into a three-day fight against a respiratory virus. It was Friday morning that I noticed Daphne was wheezing and working hard to breathe. Experience with Stuart has taught me how to categorize symptoms: fever = leave alone and watch; cough = leave alone (or dose with Dimetapp) and watch; wheezing – very bad, don’t wait, take child in immediately. So I did, and two hours later the older kids were with a neighbor and Daphne was being admitted into the Pediatric Ward with RSV.
RSV doesn’t stand for Respiratory Something Virus, but that’s what I call it. In adults, it’s a lingering cold. Its effect gets worse the younger the body, so that it’s downright dangerous in infants. It causes the airways to swell and fill with mucous. Babies’ airways are so small that it doesn’t take long before their breathing is seriously threatened.
Daphne has endured breathing treatments, blood being drawn, X-rays for pneumonia (negative, thankfully), and rectal thermometers. Throughout, she’s been as cooperative as you can expect from a 5-month old, and has been in remarkably good temper most of the time. (Not all of the time.)
She’s just been diagnosed with a double ear infection on top of everything else, so we’re still here for the time being. Fortunately, it’s a good hospital; the staff is excellent and the care is top notch. Although the room is small, it’s beginning to feel “homey,” by which I mean that there are dirty dishes on the table and the laundry is reaching a critical point. Occasional visits from Darren and the older two brighten things up, but I’ll be glad to get back home. It’s been a long weekend for all of us.
--SJ (as typed by DJ)
What was supposed to be a 24-hour hospital stay for observation has turned into a three-day fight against a respiratory virus. It was Friday morning that I noticed Daphne was wheezing and working hard to breathe. Experience with Stuart has taught me how to categorize symptoms: fever = leave alone and watch; cough = leave alone (or dose with Dimetapp) and watch; wheezing – very bad, don’t wait, take child in immediately. So I did, and two hours later the older kids were with a neighbor and Daphne was being admitted into the Pediatric Ward with RSV.
RSV doesn’t stand for Respiratory Something Virus, but that’s what I call it. In adults, it’s a lingering cold. Its effect gets worse the younger the body, so that it’s downright dangerous in infants. It causes the airways to swell and fill with mucous. Babies’ airways are so small that it doesn’t take long before their breathing is seriously threatened.
Daphne has endured breathing treatments, blood being drawn, X-rays for pneumonia (negative, thankfully), and rectal thermometers. Throughout, she’s been as cooperative as you can expect from a 5-month old, and has been in remarkably good temper most of the time. (Not all of the time.)
She’s just been diagnosed with a double ear infection on top of everything else, so we’re still here for the time being. Fortunately, it’s a good hospital; the staff is excellent and the care is top notch. Although the room is small, it’s beginning to feel “homey,” by which I mean that there are dirty dishes on the table and the laundry is reaching a critical point. Occasional visits from Darren and the older two brighten things up, but I’ll be glad to get back home. It’s been a long weekend for all of us.
--SJ (as typed by DJ)
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Deadline!
Today's the deadline for the Scavenger Hunt. Post a link to your hunt in our comments section by tonight. We'll sit down to decide the winner by this weekend. Remember, there's $20 and other prizes up for grabs here!
Thanks to the hunters who have posted so far!
-- SJ
Thanks to the hunters who have posted so far!
-- SJ
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Mundania IX
Jolly Good Recommendation... Despite the risks involved, despite my very recent post on the subject, my Resident Optimist recommended another book to me. He'd loved it and was confident I would, too. He wanted me to read it so we could talk it over, even though he knows very well how extensively and unkindly I can "talk over" books. So I took the chance -- in this case, a 638-page chance called To Serve Them All My Days by R.E. Delderfield.
It's about a young Welsh man, fresh from the horrors of WWI, who takes a position as schoolmaster at an English boys' school. I'm hardly a fourth of the way through it, and have fallen in love with it. What happens? Oh, everything and nothing. The author is superb at drawing familiar characters, not self-consciously "colorful" ones (see: the Mitford series, which is enjoyable but just a tad too aware of its own charm). The incidents are funny, frustrating, touching... or just ordinary. All of it is told simply and skillfully. Just before sitting down to this post, I finished a particularly sad event, and it's going to take some courage to pick the book back up. But I have to, because I need to see how life moved on.
Darren has been reading parts to me at night while we're holding a sociable baby who won't go to sleep. It's comforting that there are still 400 pages to go, so we have many baby-holding nights covered.
**
Tip for Stupid Moms: Don't allow your 5-year-old and 4-year-old to cut cloth together unsupervised. In general, what happens is that the 5-year-old, who is wielding the scissors, misses the cloth in the 4-year-old's hands and gets his finger instead. Stuart saw the blood and absolutely freaked out. I'm not overly squeamish, but when it's your own child who is screaming, that child's blood that's dripping all over clothes and floor, and you don't know the extent of the injury (I searched feverishly for fingertips on the carpet), it's hard to maintain the Calm Strong Mother facade. Turned out to be a minor slice, nothing to worry about as long as it doesn't get infected... and as long as Stuart doesn't have to look at it. Addie told Stuart the next day, using their expression of the Ultimate Degree, "Stuart, I'm 100 sorry I cut your finger."
**
Tip for Thoughtless Couples: If you take your neighbors up on an offer to keep your kids, knowing that they'll be taking your kids back home for bedtime -- don't set the house alarm, to be triggered when the front door opens. Or if you do set it, don't leave said neighbor without the cancel code. Or if you do forget to give that to her, at least give her your cell phone number. If all that fails, thank the Good Lord that your neighbor has a great sense of humor. (Sorry, Nina!)
**
* Yeah, What They Said... Today while playing Bible Baseball with the kids at church, I asked the question, "Why did the Pharisees and other leaders criticize Jesus' choice of company?" While trying to coax the answer out of them, I said something about Jesus attending a party. "Are you telling me Jesus was a party animal?" Kara exclaimed.
"Well, he drank wine and danced," I replied. (I assume he danced, anyway.)
"WHAT?!" they yelped. And then reported to the congregation afterward that Miss Sara said that Jesus was a drunk.
Interestingly, that's what the Pharisees said about Him, too.
**
Jesus the Troublemaker... In a related thought, it's funny that the young people would find this image of Jesus shocking. Somehow we all come up with an idea of Jesus strolling through the countryside, talking in modulated tones about gentleness and love, and occasionally enduring unwarranted attacks from rabidly jealous Pharisees. A couple of times He lashed out, but mostly He was solemn and aloof.
I read through the Gospels a year or so ago, and discovered something different. Who knows what tone of voice that Jesus spoke in, but His words certainly weren't calculated to spread peace and light. He went around deliberately stirring things up, deliberately needling the Pharisees. (Not just the time He called them hypocrites. Jesus was always causing trouble.) And Jesus never answers a direct question. I got the impression that the disciples spent a lot of their time sneaking sideways looks at each other. ("Did John get that? Because I didn't. Maybe Nathanael understood Him... no, he looks as lost as I am.") My admiration for this Man increased greatly. So did, incidentally, my sympathy for the Pharisees arrayed against Him.
**
Yea or Nay?... Kristen R. and I recently discussed the name Millicent. We agreed that we liked it quite a bit. We mentioned it to our husbands. The husbands hated it quite a bit. What's your opinion?
-- SJ
It's about a young Welsh man, fresh from the horrors of WWI, who takes a position as schoolmaster at an English boys' school. I'm hardly a fourth of the way through it, and have fallen in love with it. What happens? Oh, everything and nothing. The author is superb at drawing familiar characters, not self-consciously "colorful" ones (see: the Mitford series, which is enjoyable but just a tad too aware of its own charm). The incidents are funny, frustrating, touching... or just ordinary. All of it is told simply and skillfully. Just before sitting down to this post, I finished a particularly sad event, and it's going to take some courage to pick the book back up. But I have to, because I need to see how life moved on.
Darren has been reading parts to me at night while we're holding a sociable baby who won't go to sleep. It's comforting that there are still 400 pages to go, so we have many baby-holding nights covered.
**
Tip for Stupid Moms: Don't allow your 5-year-old and 4-year-old to cut cloth together unsupervised. In general, what happens is that the 5-year-old, who is wielding the scissors, misses the cloth in the 4-year-old's hands and gets his finger instead. Stuart saw the blood and absolutely freaked out. I'm not overly squeamish, but when it's your own child who is screaming, that child's blood that's dripping all over clothes and floor, and you don't know the extent of the injury (I searched feverishly for fingertips on the carpet), it's hard to maintain the Calm Strong Mother facade. Turned out to be a minor slice, nothing to worry about as long as it doesn't get infected... and as long as Stuart doesn't have to look at it. Addie told Stuart the next day, using their expression of the Ultimate Degree, "Stuart, I'm 100 sorry I cut your finger."
**
Tip for Thoughtless Couples: If you take your neighbors up on an offer to keep your kids, knowing that they'll be taking your kids back home for bedtime -- don't set the house alarm, to be triggered when the front door opens. Or if you do set it, don't leave said neighbor without the cancel code. Or if you do forget to give that to her, at least give her your cell phone number. If all that fails, thank the Good Lord that your neighbor has a great sense of humor. (Sorry, Nina!)
**
* Yeah, What They Said... Today while playing Bible Baseball with the kids at church, I asked the question, "Why did the Pharisees and other leaders criticize Jesus' choice of company?" While trying to coax the answer out of them, I said something about Jesus attending a party. "Are you telling me Jesus was a party animal?" Kara exclaimed.
"Well, he drank wine and danced," I replied. (I assume he danced, anyway.)
"WHAT?!" they yelped. And then reported to the congregation afterward that Miss Sara said that Jesus was a drunk.
Interestingly, that's what the Pharisees said about Him, too.
**
Jesus the Troublemaker... In a related thought, it's funny that the young people would find this image of Jesus shocking. Somehow we all come up with an idea of Jesus strolling through the countryside, talking in modulated tones about gentleness and love, and occasionally enduring unwarranted attacks from rabidly jealous Pharisees. A couple of times He lashed out, but mostly He was solemn and aloof.
I read through the Gospels a year or so ago, and discovered something different. Who knows what tone of voice that Jesus spoke in, but His words certainly weren't calculated to spread peace and light. He went around deliberately stirring things up, deliberately needling the Pharisees. (Not just the time He called them hypocrites. Jesus was always causing trouble.) And Jesus never answers a direct question. I got the impression that the disciples spent a lot of their time sneaking sideways looks at each other. ("Did John get that? Because I didn't. Maybe Nathanael understood Him... no, he looks as lost as I am.") My admiration for this Man increased greatly. So did, incidentally, my sympathy for the Pharisees arrayed against Him.
**
Yea or Nay?... Kristen R. and I recently discussed the name Millicent. We agreed that we liked it quite a bit. We mentioned it to our husbands. The husbands hated it quite a bit. What's your opinion?
-- SJ
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Many Happy Returns of the Day!
Today, Sara turns 30. God has blessed me with her companionship and love for almost 7 years of that time, and I love her more every day.
We met when she was an intern here at HSLDA 10 years ago. Neither of us can remember the first time we actually met, but we really got to know each other at the game nights on Saturdays that the Halls hosted. I can remember discussing books with her, because we both like Jane Austen. Although I liked her, what really sealed my interest was the time she came by my office and dropped off a Trivial Pursuit card – with the answers whited out. A girl after my own heart.
Our favorite Christmas present this year, I think, was a book of 10,000 trivia questions given to us by Lindsay. We take turns at night, one of us holding the baby and the other one reading questions.
Sara is my best friend, and I can’t wait to get home to her. Work is not where I want to be when there’s a birthday to celebrate!
--DJ
We met when she was an intern here at HSLDA 10 years ago. Neither of us can remember the first time we actually met, but we really got to know each other at the game nights on Saturdays that the Halls hosted. I can remember discussing books with her, because we both like Jane Austen. Although I liked her, what really sealed my interest was the time she came by my office and dropped off a Trivial Pursuit card – with the answers whited out. A girl after my own heart.
Our favorite Christmas present this year, I think, was a book of 10,000 trivia questions given to us by Lindsay. We take turns at night, one of us holding the baby and the other one reading questions.
Sara is my best friend, and I can’t wait to get home to her. Work is not where I want to be when there’s a birthday to celebrate!
--DJ
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Scavenger Fun
The midwinter blues are upon us. Everybody seems to be out of sorts, bored, and overwhelmed by Life. We need something fun to do. So the Joneses are inviting everyone to play a game!
It requires no travel, money, or physical activity to join in. It builds community! It's educational! And it's not even a Trivia Game! Wow! What could it possibly be except...
!!!A Blog Scavenger Hunt!!!
(Phew, that's a lot of enthusiasm to drum up in the middle of January.)
Here's how you play:
Below is a list of 13 items. (13 seems to suit the midwinter mood.) Your job is to read through your favorite blogs and find a mention of each item. For instance, "tooth." You could find a post about teeth, or a mention of a baby's first tooth, a phrase that includes the word "tooth," or a picture of a tooth (who takes pictures of their teeth to post on a blog?!). Cut-and-paste a short exerpt that includes "tooth" and add it to your list. Move on. Repeat.
(Please include a link with each item. However, except for pictures, don't post only a link. We have dial-up and tracking down links is a headache.)
Once you've found all of the items, post the list on your blog and let us know in our comments section.
If you are one of those lost souls who does not have a blog, you have two options. A. You can post your list in our comments section, but I think that means you can't use any pictures; B.You can mail us the completed list. Also include a postcard for extra bribe points.
Deadline is January 31.
How to win: The most creative and varied list of 13 items, submitted or postmarked by January 31, will win the prize. (Prize? There's a prize? Yes, indeed. Keep reading. We want to make sure you get through all the rules first.) Since we made up the game, we are the Supreme and Final Judges of what is creative, varied, and eligible.
More fiddlely rules:
1. No using Google or any other search engine to find your items. It has to come from a blog that you've visited within the last two months.
2. It doesn't matter how long ago the item was posted.
3. You're allowed up to 3 pictures.
4. You can use your own blog for up to 2 items.
5. You can use the same blog for up to 3 different items.
6. If you link to a video, make it a short one. We have dial-up, remember.
And now for the prize...
The person who submits the most creative, most varied, and most complete list by the deadline will receive....
A $20 gift certificate to the restaurant of your choice!
And also personal mention on our blog, which is pretty much all you could ask for.
Smaller prizes will be awarded for:
* After the winner, the first three to complete their lists
* A particularly creative or funny item
The scavenger list follows. Happy Hunting!
* A Shoe
* A Tooth
* An Odd Name
* A Car (fancier the better)
* A Frightful Dilemma
* A Discussion of Childbirth
* A Theological Discussion/Debate
* A Funny Line, Joke, or Short Post
* A Train (the engine and cars kind)
* A Hairbrush
* An appeal for money
* A Hobby
* Green
It requires no travel, money, or physical activity to join in. It builds community! It's educational! And it's not even a Trivia Game! Wow! What could it possibly be except...
!!!A Blog Scavenger Hunt!!!
(Phew, that's a lot of enthusiasm to drum up in the middle of January.)
Here's how you play:
Below is a list of 13 items. (13 seems to suit the midwinter mood.) Your job is to read through your favorite blogs and find a mention of each item. For instance, "tooth." You could find a post about teeth, or a mention of a baby's first tooth, a phrase that includes the word "tooth," or a picture of a tooth (who takes pictures of their teeth to post on a blog?!). Cut-and-paste a short exerpt that includes "tooth" and add it to your list. Move on. Repeat.
(Please include a link with each item. However, except for pictures, don't post only a link. We have dial-up and tracking down links is a headache.)
Once you've found all of the items, post the list on your blog and let us know in our comments section.
If you are one of those lost souls who does not have a blog, you have two options. A. You can post your list in our comments section, but I think that means you can't use any pictures; B.You can mail us the completed list. Also include a postcard for extra bribe points.
Deadline is January 31.
How to win: The most creative and varied list of 13 items, submitted or postmarked by January 31, will win the prize. (Prize? There's a prize? Yes, indeed. Keep reading. We want to make sure you get through all the rules first.) Since we made up the game, we are the Supreme and Final Judges of what is creative, varied, and eligible.
More fiddlely rules:
1. No using Google or any other search engine to find your items. It has to come from a blog that you've visited within the last two months.
2. It doesn't matter how long ago the item was posted.
3. You're allowed up to 3 pictures.
4. You can use your own blog for up to 2 items.
5. You can use the same blog for up to 3 different items.
6. If you link to a video, make it a short one. We have dial-up, remember.
And now for the prize...
The person who submits the most creative, most varied, and most complete list by the deadline will receive....
A $20 gift certificate to the restaurant of your choice!
And also personal mention on our blog, which is pretty much all you could ask for.
Smaller prizes will be awarded for:
* After the winner, the first three to complete their lists
* A particularly creative or funny item
The scavenger list follows. Happy Hunting!
* A Shoe
* A Tooth
* An Odd Name
* A Car (fancier the better)
* A Frightful Dilemma
* A Discussion of Childbirth
* A Theological Discussion/Debate
* A Funny Line, Joke, or Short Post
* A Train (the engine and cars kind)
* A Hairbrush
* An appeal for money
* A Hobby
* Green
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Trading Books
A Severe Mercy, by Sheldon Van Auken, is a deeply emotional, stirring account of an idealistic and irritating couple who are entirely too enamored of their own deep and stirring emotions. That was my opinion the first time I tried to read it. My opinion the second time I tried to read it was exactly the same. I've never got more than halfway through it, and the possibility that I'll ever finish it is pretty much nonexistent. I mention it, however, because of one part that particularly annoyed me: in order to know one another thoroughly and completely, the couple not only reads the same books, but they go back and try to read everything the other has ever loved.
I ask you: can you and your loved one honestly do this?
There are some books that Darren and I both enjoy: A Little Princess; the Narnia books; Harry Potter; Jane Austen; Patrick McManus and Dave Barry. Mostly, though, Darren's books drive me crazy, and my books bore him. My friend Kristen agreed: she and her husband exchanged book lists while dating early on. She says it was a disaster, and she's surprised they didn't break up over it. Exactly. After Darren failed to finish a few of my recommendations, and after I read two of his and savaged them afterward, we've pretty much agreed to stick to our former policy of reading our own books and sharing exerpts from them.
His latest reads include: In Fury Born by David Webber, a sci-fi action book; the Star Wars X-Wing series by Michael Stackpole; The Temple by George Herbert, 16th century religious poetry.
My latest reads include: Silent Stars, about the forgotten actors and actresses who were big names before the "talking pictures" came to Hollywood; and Rasputin, the Saint Who Sinned, about the strange peasant "holy man" who exerted the force of a cult leader on the last tsar and tsarina of Russia.
(Notice that Darren's list comprises at least seven titles, while mine of the same time period includes only two. This difference highlights a further obstacle to our exchanging book lists.)
If you read Star Wars books for fun, can you really absorb yourself in a nonfiction account of Russian politics and society in the early 1900s? If you are fascinated by long-forgotten movie stars, are you going to curl up happily with military sci-fi? Not in this marriage, we don't.
However, we like each other's interests in small doses. So we read out funny bits, or interesting passages, or information that just might come in handy the next time we play a game of Trivial Pursuit. Doubtless our love would appear pale and shallow to deeply and stirringly emotional people, but at least we're happy.
Darren, by the way, loves A Severe Mercy.
-- SJ
I ask you: can you and your loved one honestly do this?
There are some books that Darren and I both enjoy: A Little Princess; the Narnia books; Harry Potter; Jane Austen; Patrick McManus and Dave Barry. Mostly, though, Darren's books drive me crazy, and my books bore him. My friend Kristen agreed: she and her husband exchanged book lists while dating early on. She says it was a disaster, and she's surprised they didn't break up over it. Exactly. After Darren failed to finish a few of my recommendations, and after I read two of his and savaged them afterward, we've pretty much agreed to stick to our former policy of reading our own books and sharing exerpts from them.
His latest reads include: In Fury Born by David Webber, a sci-fi action book; the Star Wars X-Wing series by Michael Stackpole; The Temple by George Herbert, 16th century religious poetry.
My latest reads include: Silent Stars, about the forgotten actors and actresses who were big names before the "talking pictures" came to Hollywood; and Rasputin, the Saint Who Sinned, about the strange peasant "holy man" who exerted the force of a cult leader on the last tsar and tsarina of Russia.
(Notice that Darren's list comprises at least seven titles, while mine of the same time period includes only two. This difference highlights a further obstacle to our exchanging book lists.)
If you read Star Wars books for fun, can you really absorb yourself in a nonfiction account of Russian politics and society in the early 1900s? If you are fascinated by long-forgotten movie stars, are you going to curl up happily with military sci-fi? Not in this marriage, we don't.
However, we like each other's interests in small doses. So we read out funny bits, or interesting passages, or information that just might come in handy the next time we play a game of Trivial Pursuit. Doubtless our love would appear pale and shallow to deeply and stirringly emotional people, but at least we're happy.
Darren, by the way, loves A Severe Mercy.
-- SJ
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Postcards, The Continuing Story
Since I haven't shut down my blog, you may have guess that I received the minimum required postcards. Note that I didn't say "enough" postcards. I've so enjoyed getting them that I'm in no hurry to close out the opportunity. So YOU TOO can STILL send me a POSTCARD! ACT TODAY!!!
Meanwhile, I've got a fine collection.
San Francisco -- Angel T. Beautiful cards!
New Hampshire -- Lindsay J. Thanks especially for the Man in the Mountain, so Darren can whimper in its direction every now and then.
Georgia -- Ellie P. Ah, magnolia! Part of my youth. They're scarce up here.
New Hampshire -- Kristen R. Have to have the fall foliage!
Sea of Galilee!! -- Lisa A. All the way from Israel, no less!
New Hampshire -- Kristen R. Would love to see those waterfalls, except it would require hiking to them. Cards do just as well.
Aya Sophia, Turkey -- Dana R... L., I mean. They go to Istanbul for their honeymoon. What a run-of-the-mill couple.
New Hampshire -- Kristen R. 3 more. You get the award for Most Enthusiastic Postcarder.
Mt. Ranier, WA -- Rachelle R. Delivered in person, by far the best way to get them.
Maine -- Jeff & Jen W. Nice addition to the Christmas card, thank you!
Nova Scotia -- my wonderful in-laws. Wish it had been you instead, but thanks for the card!
The Scratching Post, Lucedale -- leftover from my tea shop days in Mississippi. Yes, there really is (or was) a scratch-your-back scratching post on Main Street.
Obviously there's a dominate theme here. Run your eyes down the list and notice what stands out. Yup, an overkill of the Middle East! Oh, and also a few from New Hampshire. In fact, I hesitate to point it out, but as it stands, my postcard wall display will be a tribute to THE NORTH. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, it's just that.... that... it's THE NORTH. More magnolias would be nice. Or corn from the Midwest. How about prairie grass, Barbara?
Of course, it's not like I ever go out and buy postcards myself. So I understand that it's not something you do during a routine day. What you need to do is fix it in your brain anytime you see a postcard: Hey! I need to send one to Sara! She needs these!
Or remember this little ditty:
If I send Sara a postcard,
She'll stop eating biscuits made with lard.
I stopped eating biscuits made with lard years ago when my grandmother switched to shortening. But isn't it a striking thought? Don't you wish you didn't know that about me? Don't you want to send me a postcard?
Thanks much to all of you who have sent some, and to all of you who Really Do Intend to. I appreciate it all.
I just want more.
-- SJ
Meanwhile, I've got a fine collection.
San Francisco -- Angel T. Beautiful cards!
New Hampshire -- Lindsay J. Thanks especially for the Man in the Mountain, so Darren can whimper in its direction every now and then.
Georgia -- Ellie P. Ah, magnolia! Part of my youth. They're scarce up here.
New Hampshire -- Kristen R. Have to have the fall foliage!
Sea of Galilee!! -- Lisa A. All the way from Israel, no less!
New Hampshire -- Kristen R. Would love to see those waterfalls, except it would require hiking to them. Cards do just as well.
Aya Sophia, Turkey -- Dana R... L., I mean. They go to Istanbul for their honeymoon. What a run-of-the-mill couple.
New Hampshire -- Kristen R. 3 more. You get the award for Most Enthusiastic Postcarder.
Mt. Ranier, WA -- Rachelle R. Delivered in person, by far the best way to get them.
Maine -- Jeff & Jen W. Nice addition to the Christmas card, thank you!
Nova Scotia -- my wonderful in-laws. Wish it had been you instead, but thanks for the card!
The Scratching Post, Lucedale -- leftover from my tea shop days in Mississippi. Yes, there really is (or was) a scratch-your-back scratching post on Main Street.
Obviously there's a dominate theme here. Run your eyes down the list and notice what stands out. Yup, an overkill of the Middle East! Oh, and also a few from New Hampshire. In fact, I hesitate to point it out, but as it stands, my postcard wall display will be a tribute to THE NORTH. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, it's just that.... that... it's THE NORTH. More magnolias would be nice. Or corn from the Midwest. How about prairie grass, Barbara?
Of course, it's not like I ever go out and buy postcards myself. So I understand that it's not something you do during a routine day. What you need to do is fix it in your brain anytime you see a postcard: Hey! I need to send one to Sara! She needs these!
Or remember this little ditty:
If I send Sara a postcard,
She'll stop eating biscuits made with lard.
I stopped eating biscuits made with lard years ago when my grandmother switched to shortening. But isn't it a striking thought? Don't you wish you didn't know that about me? Don't you want to send me a postcard?
Thanks much to all of you who have sent some, and to all of you who Really Do Intend to. I appreciate it all.
I just want more.
-- SJ
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Just A Lot of Cuteness
It was a rush of a visit and altogether too short, but Daphne and Kyrie had a chance to get acquainted.
-- SJ
Sunday, January 07, 2007
He Wants Out
There is a young couple with two very young children, not much money, and a lot of tension between them. The young husband finally gets to the end of his rope. It's too stressful, too much responsibility, too painful. He tells his young wife, "I want out."
Blame can be tossed liberally on both sides. But for a man -- no matter how young and pressured he is -- to walk out on his family is a scandal and a shame. Someone needs to tell him that he can't "get out."
Because while he's "getting out," is wife is still caring for two young children, still struggling to meet their needs by sacrificing her own. She doesn't get out. Not unless he's going to show up every evening for bedtime and bathtime, be there to help with discipline, and be available to play with energetic kids while she's cleaning the kitchen. Not unless he's going to help heal the gaping wound he's left in her spirit and his children's lives.
But he won't be there. He'll be out pursuing his career and pleasures, unencumbered by family worries. He'll pay child support, and consider his part done. Possibly he might look behind him occasionally and see his former wife sweating under work and children, lucky to afford her own place, and maybe even have enough time to read an email or two before collapsing into bed every night. And maybe he'll glance away again, relieved that his life is so much better now. Now that he got out.
-- SJ
Blame can be tossed liberally on both sides. But for a man -- no matter how young and pressured he is -- to walk out on his family is a scandal and a shame. Someone needs to tell him that he can't "get out."
Because while he's "getting out," is wife is still caring for two young children, still struggling to meet their needs by sacrificing her own. She doesn't get out. Not unless he's going to show up every evening for bedtime and bathtime, be there to help with discipline, and be available to play with energetic kids while she's cleaning the kitchen. Not unless he's going to help heal the gaping wound he's left in her spirit and his children's lives.
But he won't be there. He'll be out pursuing his career and pleasures, unencumbered by family worries. He'll pay child support, and consider his part done. Possibly he might look behind him occasionally and see his former wife sweating under work and children, lucky to afford her own place, and maybe even have enough time to read an email or two before collapsing into bed every night. And maybe he'll glance away again, relieved that his life is so much better now. Now that he got out.
-- SJ
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Yup, the Randomizer is Ours
Ever since Sara and I started courting, it's normal for us to bring books to the table to read. In fact, even when we went out to eat at restaurants (before we had kids in tow), we'd often bring books with us.
Apparently Addie has inherited this behavior. This was the scene at the table tonight.
Also, tonight Addie came up to me with a folded "letter" for her friend across the street. She pointed to a picture of the flag. "I drew this United States flag way up in the corner because Jesus rose from the dead when He was buried."
The Randomizer strikes again.
--DJ
P.S. I use the digital camera only rarely. When I snapped the picture tonight, Sara asked me, "Do you realize that you usually take pictures of Addie reading?" Which is true. I just think it's cute.
P.P.S. Actually, we think the Randomizer comment came out because a few days ago I had been explaining that flags are flown at half-mast when an important person dies.
Apparently Addie has inherited this behavior. This was the scene at the table tonight.
Also, tonight Addie came up to me with a folded "letter" for her friend across the street. She pointed to a picture of the flag. "I drew this United States flag way up in the corner because Jesus rose from the dead when He was buried."
The Randomizer strikes again.
--DJ
P.S. I use the digital camera only rarely. When I snapped the picture tonight, Sara asked me, "Do you realize that you usually take pictures of Addie reading?" Which is true. I just think it's cute.
P.P.S. Actually, we think the Randomizer comment came out because a few days ago I had been explaining that flags are flown at half-mast when an important person dies.
Things Everyone Needs
Everyone needs...
A wrestling aunt in a lamb hat.
**
Everyone needs...
A funny, funny picture to brighten a rainy day.
Stuart saw this picture and giggled incessently. Whenever I showed it to someone else, he'd look over my shoulder and giggle some more. About the third or fourth viewing, he noticed that Mama looked kind of silly, too. What else is funny in this picture? It's HORSIE, of course. That brown thing that Stuart is holding. Horsie is fall-on-the-floor funny in this picture.
*
Everyone needs...
A pretty baby doll among the toys
*
Everyone needs...
A picture of your younger brother getting into something he's not supposed to. (Photo by Addie.)
-- SJ
A wrestling aunt in a lamb hat.
**
Everyone needs...
A funny, funny picture to brighten a rainy day.
Stuart saw this picture and giggled incessently. Whenever I showed it to someone else, he'd look over my shoulder and giggle some more. About the third or fourth viewing, he noticed that Mama looked kind of silly, too. What else is funny in this picture? It's HORSIE, of course. That brown thing that Stuart is holding. Horsie is fall-on-the-floor funny in this picture.
*
Everyone needs...
A pretty baby doll among the toys
*
Everyone needs...
A picture of your younger brother getting into something he's not supposed to. (Photo by Addie.)
-- SJ
Friday, December 29, 2006
Kid Snippets
Welcome JJJ!... Jackson Josiah Jones was born December 19 to Evan and Jill. He came 15 days before due date, much to his mother's relief, seeing as he arrived at 9 lbs, 2oz! A fine Christmas present all 'round. (News posted 10 days late, but we figure they intend to keep him so it's okay.)
***
St. Dawn... Darren was reading the story of the Resurrection to Stuart, who was paying more attention to the illustration of the women walking toward the tomb. Darren read, "As dawn approached..."
Stuart interrupted, "Which one is Dawn?"
***
Not So Loud Next Time...
Darren: Stuart, I told you to go brush your teeth.
Addie: GO BRUSH YOUR TEETH!
Darren: Addie, I'll take care of this.
Addie: I was just talking to myself.
***
Did I Drop a Hint Around Here?... Darren gave me a bag of Harry & David chocolate-covered strawberries for Christmas. They've sat neglected on the counter because, due to an infected ear and swollen jaw, I haven't been able to eat easily. Darren drilled it into Addie that the strawberries were Mama's, and she was not to beg for any. So she didn't.
This morning, however, she asked, "Is your ear better yet so you can eat?"
After a moment, I realized where the conversation was tending. "No, I can't eat a strawberry yet. Do you want one?"
"Oh! Thank you for offering!"
***
We Uphold Good Eating Habits in This House...
In came Stuart. "May I please have a strawberry!"
"No, you can't have one. You haven't even eaten breakfast."
Pause. Process.
"I'm hungry for toast!"
***
We Enforce Personal Responsibility in this House...
"Who moved Daphne off her blanket?!"
Silence from the only sibling present.
"Stuart, did you move Daphne?"
"No, he didn't."
"Who didn't?"
"Stuart didn't."
"Then who did?"
"Baby Boo-Boo did it."
"Stuart! I told you not to pick up your sister!"
"Stuart didn't do it! Baby Boo-Boo did it!"
"Well, whoever you are, don't do it!"
***
More Heartfelt than Eloquent... "Mama, I love you, and even though other people think you're ugly, I think you're pretty."
-- SJ
***
St. Dawn... Darren was reading the story of the Resurrection to Stuart, who was paying more attention to the illustration of the women walking toward the tomb. Darren read, "As dawn approached..."
Stuart interrupted, "Which one is Dawn?"
***
Not So Loud Next Time...
Darren: Stuart, I told you to go brush your teeth.
Addie: GO BRUSH YOUR TEETH!
Darren: Addie, I'll take care of this.
Addie: I was just talking to myself.
***
Did I Drop a Hint Around Here?... Darren gave me a bag of Harry & David chocolate-covered strawberries for Christmas. They've sat neglected on the counter because, due to an infected ear and swollen jaw, I haven't been able to eat easily. Darren drilled it into Addie that the strawberries were Mama's, and she was not to beg for any. So she didn't.
This morning, however, she asked, "Is your ear better yet so you can eat?"
After a moment, I realized where the conversation was tending. "No, I can't eat a strawberry yet. Do you want one?"
"Oh! Thank you for offering!"
***
We Uphold Good Eating Habits in This House...
In came Stuart. "May I please have a strawberry!"
"No, you can't have one. You haven't even eaten breakfast."
Pause. Process.
"I'm hungry for toast!"
***
We Enforce Personal Responsibility in this House...
"Who moved Daphne off her blanket?!"
Silence from the only sibling present.
"Stuart, did you move Daphne?"
"No, he didn't."
"Who didn't?"
"Stuart didn't."
"Then who did?"
"Baby Boo-Boo did it."
"Stuart! I told you not to pick up your sister!"
"Stuart didn't do it! Baby Boo-Boo did it!"
"Well, whoever you are, don't do it!"
***
More Heartfelt than Eloquent... "Mama, I love you, and even though other people think you're ugly, I think you're pretty."
-- SJ
Monday, December 25, 2006
Merry Christmas
I'd write a heartwarming description of our Rockwell-like Christmas Day -- which really was wondrously fun even with family so far away from us -- but I've just returned from the ER with an ear infection. No, wait, I WENT to the ER with an ear infection, and came back with antibiotics and codeine. I've just taken the latter, and am waiting happily for it to knock me out all night. Consequently, I'm just able to construct this blog post, although it's becoming increasingly difficult to put words in the right order, assuming I think of the right words in the first place. Later, when not in pain or under the influence of drugs (wow, I love codeine!), I will write a heartwarming description of our Rockwell-like Christmas Day -- which really was wondrously fun even with family so far away from us I think I need to stop now.
-- SJ (I think)
-- SJ (I think)
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