Humbled

May the Lord be with all who are struggling through this crazy hurricane weather. We are only getting the edges of it (as far as I know), so I cannot imagine how it must be to live there near the coast. I want to cry thinking off all my complaints -- yes, even today -- because there are others who are hoping their houses don't get blown down. How small I am. How insignificant. I am humbled by it all.

When the teacher becomes the student

I found this article to be a really interesting one. Hopefully the link will work for a while. I'll try and check it again later and tweak it if it's not. Anyway, I just liked what this professor did. If only all teachers put themselves in their students' place and came away with a new and helpful vision!

HOOONNNNK!!! ...I'm sorry.

As I was driving this morning, I just knew that I was going to have to blog about my little road rage 'incident' and confess all the honking I did at a MACK truck that pulled out right in front of me. I have seriously held back on the honking for a long time, and I have really worked on it, but when that little angel on my shoulder -- we'll call him 'Casey' -- is not with me, I have a hard time keeping my honking hand in check. And, like always, I regretted it as soon as it was done. But why does it matter so much? As I get older, I am more and more able to stand outside myself and see how what I've just done may appear to others. That can be unfortunate to see, but I think it is important as well, because if we can see that ugliness we should want to change it.

On another note, I have to give 'Post of the Week' to my dear friend Ruthie. She has a blog here, but this post comes from her shiny new blog called The Knowledge Box. It's all about homeschooling and all the things these six kids are learning. It looks like so much fun, I want to join them every single day!

Going a little crazy

Students back...so many students. Really, they're very nice, it's just such a shock to the system after working on a college campus all summer and then one day -- they are here. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Thankfully, I have not faced any angry mobs over some of the locker mistakes I have made. I am sure anyone would make the same mistakes, but it is seriously like my brain went on vacation and I cannot explain it at all. The only thing I can say is, "I am so sorry about that," and hope that it will all be in the past. My thought since about 10 o'clock this morning has been, "Must...fall...into...bed" or something like that. I'll have to call my brain and make sure.

Friday's Feast

This is something I will try to do every Friday. Click the post title or the link in the sidebar to have a feast of your very own!

Feast Sixty / Friday, August 19, 2005

Appetizer

Do you get excited when the season begins to change? Which season do you most look forward to?

I do get excited. It's hard for me to choose between summer-to-fall and winter-to-spring. If I have to pick just one, though, I will go with winter-to-spring. There is so much promise and new life in that change, that "death to life" exhileration that can only be a gift from our Creator.

Soup

What day of the week is usually your busiest?

It's really hard to tell, just because of the way my job works. But I think it's usually Monday, because that's when I type up a bulletin for students, so with that extra thing to do, plus students coming in more on that day it can get pretty hectic.

Salad

Would you consider yourself to be strict when it comes to grammar and spelling? What's an example of the worst error you've seen?

What a wonderful question...and I can't wait to see Sarah's answer to this one! Yes, I do consider myself strict in those areas. I proof my emails before I send them out, for crying out loud! If that isn't strict, I don't know what is. Now, I know that I make mistakes, so just because I'm strict about it doesn't mean I get it right all the time. But I do like to try. Worst error I've seen? I'll have to go with the worst grammar error I've heard. A friend of mine was talking to a group of people. She wanted to make sure all of them did not forget their jackets before they left. Instead of saying, "Hey everyone, don't forget your jackets" using the collective 'you' she said -- and I promise this is what it was because I remember feeling my ears breaking off -- "Hey guys, don't forget YOURSES jackets." This was back when I seemed to have a difficult time holding my tongue about such things, so I'm pretty sure I gave her way more grief about it than she needed. I still correct others at times, but I am trying to improve in that area. People don't like being corrected, go figure!

Main Course

Who has a birthday coming up, and what will you give them as a gift?

The closest one I can think of at the moment is my nephew's ninth (ninth?!?) birthday on September 5. I'll probably confer with the parents and see what they're getting, plus talk with my sister to see if there are any specific wants or needs. I like being able to get a person what they want...what they really, really want. Ooh, please forgive me for the Spice Girls reference!

Dessert

If you could have any new piece of clothing for free, what would you pick?

I would either pick a long winter coat (preferably black, but maybe red) since I don't have one, or a really awesome 1950's vintage dress.

I've been tagged! (plus 'Post of the Week')

Well, Sarah tagged me today, so here goes nothin':

10 Songs That I Currently Dig (same disclaimer as Sarah...this doesn't mean the songs are actually current):

1. Like a Feather by Nikka Costa
2. Red Light by Jonny Lang
3. Roxanne by Sting (the All This Time album version)
4. Everybody Got Their Something by Nikka Costa
5. Chariot by Gavin Degraw
6. Walking on Broken Glass by Annie Lennox
7. I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack
8. Til I Get You by Nikka Costa (yeah, third one on the list...I know)
9. Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (had to steal one of yours, Sarah! Click.)
10. Sleep Tight by Celine Dion (on the Miracle album...yeah, it's that baby album!)

I've also got to tag five people, so I choose Dave, Ann, Shellie, Ruthie, and Brandi (ha, now she will have a reason to blog...I bugged her about it last night!).

And the 'Post of the Week' goes to...Sarah! Click here to find out if you qualify to live on Dork Street!

Baby talk

I talk to Case a lot about babies. Babies, babies, babies. And we don't even have a baby! And the answer to your question is No, I am not. Be sure, readers, that I will let you know (at the appropriate time) if the Lord blesses our lives in such a way. But we are not planning that for now. So why talk about it, you ask? I was sharing with Sarah in an email the other day how much I think about having a baby (every day), and that is what I would really like to blog about most of the time. Well...maybe not, but it is what I think about most of the time. I honestly don't know if men know just how much a woman (and okay, I know this is not all women) thinks about having children, being a mother. I don't even know that I knew how much I would think about it as I reached my late twenties. Of course, when I was in my early twenties I was sure that I would have already had all four of my children by the time I was 30! Casey puts up with my talk of babies very well. There are times when I have to stop myself because I realize that, hey, this might not be as interesting to him as it is to me. Just another lesson that I have learned along the way about how different men and women really are. I haven't talked to Casey about this yet, but I'm toying with the idea of cutting down any and all talk of babies to just one day per week. At least with Casey, that is. Melissa and I can talk about babies all day, every day (and we do sometimes!). I'm thinking the idea would be a welcome one, but I'm sure he won't hold me to it. Sweet guy.

Here you will discover my (occasional) lack of discipline

Funny story (notice when someone says that at the beginning that it turns out not to be such a funny story?) -- Brandi and I went grocery shopping last night. This is a task that I generally despise, but for some insane reason I made the offer to Casey at lunch yesterday to take on the dreaded shopping all by myself. As the work day drew to a close, I tried harder and harder to think of an excuse not to go, but alas...nothing would come to me. And then, a ray of hope -- if I could get Brandi to go with me, it would be more of an outing than a chore! To my relief, Brandi not only wanted to go, but also needed to buy groceries for she and John. We made a quick stop at Uptown for my lack-of-discipline-latte (hey, no judging out there!). Did you know that it's really tough to maneuver a shopping cart while drinking a 16 oz. latte? With whipped cream? Well... it is. Especially in the dairy section where apparently I looked at the sour cream the wrong way, so it cursed me and sent my latte flying (okay, a bit of an exaggeration) from the cart. Yes, readers, I had set the cup down in an effort to move at a pace just a smidge quicker than 0.2 mph. So sue me. I forgot that there were those hole-thingys in the cart, and so when I made just the slightest movement it all came crashing down. Well, just the latte really. It landed squarely on my jean cuffs and covered my shoes (my pretty, $8 shoes!) and feet with sticky latte goodness. Only when it's on your jeans and feet...it don't smell too good. Now you ask, was I upset about my jeans and feet being soaked, and was there embarassment over the huge mess on the floor? And I answer, No. All I could think was, My latte! I didn't even drink one-fourth of it, and it's gone! And that was very near the beginning of the dreaded grocery shopping that I had offered to take over for the evening. But never fear, the story is not a sad one. Brandi and I had a great time, as always, and the grocery bill was quite small, hurrah! I made one more stop at Uptown on the way home, this time for a 12 oz. latte...and I am happy to report that none of it ended up on my feet.

I may be almost 30, but my blog is only 1

Ack! In all the excitement of the weekend (Casey's grandmother's 80th birthday party!) -- and the usual Friday's Feast -- I completely forgot that Trace Talks is a year old as of this past Friday. I didn't even realize it until I read Sarah's post from yesterday about her blog being two years old! So, I'm pretty much just copying her idea here. You know what they say about imitation, Sarah! Plus, isn't it soooo neat-o that our blogs almost share the same birthday? Maybe they can go to school together, or talk on the phone, or be roommates at college...Anyway, Sarah shared some of the lessons she's learned in the past two years of blogging, but I don't know that I've learned anything, but I'll give it a try. Sharing the lessons, that is, not learning!

#1 Mama said there'd be days like this...and you can usually turn them into a really great post! (Click.)

#2 Love is something if you give it away...well, in the blogging world, comments are something if you give them away -- you'll end up having more!

#3 Abraham Lincoln (at least I'm pretty sure it was him) said it best when he made this statement: "You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time." Preach it, Abe!

So, that's my little summary on "blogging lessons learned." Here's looking at you, Year Two!

Friday's Feast

This is something I will try to do every Friday. Click the post title or the link in the sidebar to have a feast of your very own!

Feast Fifty-Nine / Friday, August 12, 2005

Appetizer

Did you sleep good last night?

As comedian Steven Wright would say, "No, I made a few mistakes."

Soup

What is your current computer desktop image?

I usually do have some kind of image, but I wanted something less busy, so the other day I picked a tiny blue quilt pattern.

Salad

When was the last time you planted something, what was it and where did it go?

Ah...my attempt at gardening. It was last year, right after we moved, when I hadn't yet found a job. We were given some beautiful little flowers...what was the name? Can't remember, but they were very pretty. I thought, "Hey, I'll put them at the bottom of our steps!" I bought all the cute little gardening tools, even the kneeler pad. I was stylin'. I planted the things, and they made it for a while, but I suppose I didn't take the best care of them. You never know, they might rise again someday, but we don't live in that house anymore. Maybe I have left a gift for the new renters.

Main Course

What's your favorite condiment?

The first thing that came to mind was sour cream. Does that count? I think so...you can do so many wonderful things with sour cream. The best one I learned from my sister just recenlty is to dip a strawberry in sour cream, then dip it in brown sugar (Sarah is cringing). I know it sounds like a crazy combination, but trust me...it is just heavenly.

Dessert

Share a quote that you like, for whatever reason.

A 'Life-Learning Skills' college professor of mine shared this quote with us, and maybe it's his, I'm not sure. Just letting you know that I did not create it, but I do love it:

Every morning I set myself on FIRE with enthusiasm, and people come for miles just to watch me BURN.

'Post of the Week'

I'm trying to make this my Thursday theme, but I admit I'm slacking a bit. Bear with me (getting old, you know). The post I have chosen as a recommended read, or 'Post of the Week', is here at Brandi's blog. I promise I did not single it out because I'm mentioned. But hey, that never hurts! I mostly just loved reading about Brandi's journaling and what God is doing in her life. Mighty things, people. Mighty things.

My next thirty years, Part I

I decided quite a few years ago that I was ready to embrace my thirties. In two days, I will have exactly two months to start preparing for that embrace. I guess this is a time in life that is so different and unique for every woman out there, but at the same time...so alike. Will my thirtieth come and go with a sigh of relief, or will I hear forty pounding on the back door the next day?

I've never felt much concern about getting older (all the thirty-somethings are hiding their laughter), but the other day I turned to my 27-year-old husband and said, "Case...I'm going to be thirty!!" with just a hint of anxiety in my voice. His response? Laughter, which is pretty much what my response would have been if I had more than two years to go. I've never enjoyed seeing women fret over leaving their twenties, and maybe that is why I have made an effort to lean into the next decade. After all, if I stay where I am, what new memories can I make?

For me, turning 30 holds the promise and hope of starting a family (laugh if you will, but I have a countdown clock on my computer desktop for such an event). Entering my thirties means having the chance to fall more in love with the man I married, and falling more in love with and growing closer to God. This is not to say that I am going to run skipping through fields of flowers on the morning of my birthday, but neither will I cower in the corner. To me, turning 30 means more wisdom, more confidence, and by all means...more choc0late!

And an amazing time was had by all...

Casey and I, along with one of our elders and four college students (plus a newly-wed spouse!), arrived back from the 2005 National Campus Ministers Seminar last night. What an awesome experience! Shortly before I began this blog last August, Casey and I had attended our very first NCMS in West Virginia. This past week it was held in Norman, Oklahoma. I feel like quite the traveler, to be honest!

Upon arrival into town last night, we made our way to the student union on campus, and there we prayed prayers of hope for this coming school year. It was exciting to stand near the doors that will be touched by so many students -- some who know God and love him, some who know God and do not care, and some who have never known God and are searching. We want to touch their lives and 'be Jesus' to them. We want to show them that we are sinners but that God forgives us and helps us in our daily walk with him.

Anyway, back to the prayer...we were just finishing up when we heard the sounds of bagpipes floating across the campus, and the guy was playing 'Amazing Grace' of all things! The words of our prayer seemed to be purposely accompanied by the notes of the song, and all were filled with an extra measure of determination that this will be an amazing year.

Playing catch-up and storing memories

Well, wonder of wonders (one of my mom's sayings), I had an email waiting for me from Becky this morning! There are not a lot of things like reconnecting with old friends. Maybe a medium vanilla latte with whipped cream comes close...not sure. So glad to talk and catch up with Becky again (this time I won't lose her!). Another girls' night was had last night, minus Janna who couldn't be there. This time I made sure to get some cutesy-girly photos of the four of us smiling sweetly at the camera, plus a few others. These will definitely go in the scrapbook! I am hoping to show them to my children (someday when I have children) who will finally realize that, yes, mom was actually young and fun once. Thanks for the good talks and laughs, girls!

Where's Waldo...er, Becky?

In case you're wondering, girls' night was a really fun time (I stayed up waaaaay too late). So much fun, in fact, that we're getting together once again this evening! Actually, the real reason we are doing that is because the men have decided to have a get-together. This time, Janna will be coming over as well. Hopefully we can tone down the silliness for Janna's sake, because she is never silly...noooooo, not at all. Ahem.

For the past, 0h I don't know, four years I have been on-and-off looking for a couple of my old roommates. They are twin sisters, so I figured if I found one I would find the other, right? Friendly advice (please note the sarcasm): Twins -- at least the ones I lived with -- get a huge kick out of the "well, if you've seen one, you've seen them both!" kind of remarks. Really, they took all the cajoling in stride. They are both quite hilarious, and that's really why I want to find them again -- just for a laugh or two. So anyway, after years of searching...and searching...I went to (DUH) my university site where I had recently updated my alumni info in order to (DUH) find old college friends. When I did a basic search using only their last name, I found them both, although just one had entered an email address. After getting over how ridiculously easy that had been and kicking myself for time wasted, I sent a brief catch-up letter to Becky and I am hope, hope, hoping that she writes back soon!

*Click here to read another version of this which I posted to Casey's blog*

I am apparently...Ephesians

Which book of the Bible are you?
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Ain't we lucky we got 'em?

It didn't take long, but I got Casey liking Good Times. That was a favorite in our house when I was growing up, and my brother would walk around quoting J. J. -- even answer the phone with, "Chello?" It's funny now, but I remember being pretty embarassed about it back then. Isn't it funny how you view a show or movie so differently as an adult? There are those shows I thought were, like, the coolest and funniest shows ever, but now I see Full House or Charles in Charge and I'm thinking, "Ooooo...kay..." though I will say that I think Growing Pains and Welcome Back, Kotter and some others can still hold their own fairly well. Casey and I have wondered what our kids will think of the shows we watched. Will they think we were completely crazy to watch Frasier or Seinfeld? Maybe not...I watched M*A*S*H, The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart, etc. with my parents and I still think those are incredibly funny shows. Which brings up the question, is Newhart on at all these days? And if so, where can I watch it? That finale was one of the best of any sitcom I've ever seen.

Tune in next time and happy viewing...I mean, blogging!