Four Hugs a Day...

... That's the minimum
Four hugs a day, not the maximum!

This video is instructional as well as entertaining. You can learn not only how to give a great hug, but also how to shake your booty so you're ready to hit the clubs. Remember, you can do no harm with four hugs a day!

Speaking In Tongues

"... Human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars." ~ Gustave Flaubert in Madame Bovary.

In Girl Meets God, Lauren Winner talks about speaking in tongues. She says it can be a prayer language in which we can express things that don't seem to fit into plain English. Like her, I have never actually spoken in tongues, but I long to because my own words appear flat and lifeless in the face of some of life's experiences and God's majesty. Sometimes journaling or writing poetry can come closer to that full expression of feeling. I think Flaubert expressed it well. I get dancing bears when I hope for falling stars, but I keep talking anyway.

Can I Get an Amen?!

I'm kind of going through my own personal revival right now. I have been reading books that cause me to think about having purpose and how God orchestrates events, and it gives me comfort. It feels good to remember that everything has a purpose and that, while I may not have any idea about what is going on, God does. There are so many things I m trying to figure out about my life and my future and the message I keep hearing about that is a relationship with God is the answer. Or at least, when my focus is growing closer to God everything else falls into perspective. It reminds me of a couple of songs...

The hymn "Seek Ye First"
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you..."

And "The Answer" by Shane & Shane
"The answer is to love You and be loved by You alone"

Growing Wings To Fly

This is how it used to be...

This is how it is now...

Birdie Breakthroughs

Lately my parakeet, Kiwi, has become much more social. He can fly because we haven't kept his wings clipped. For awhile we were worried that meant he would forever be flying away from us. There was a point when he seemed to realize that he was independent. I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T. He could fly back to his cage without needing a helping hand from his human flock. Then I began to entice him to my hand with millet, his extra special birdie treat. We call it his crack. Shortly after that he began to fly to my hand when it was a very short distance from the cage whether it had a treat or not. Then the fun really started. He began to try to fly to us when we were sitting at the kitchen table. The only problem was he didn't seem to have much control of his speed or direction. He would go zooming past our heads and then go back to his cage, a much safer alternative to a potentially moving human target. After much practice he is now able to land on my head, shoulder, and even hand... while I'm holding a phone in it. Oh, I forgot to mention glasses. He has a strange attraction to our faces and glasses. It is a little inconvenient when you have a bird perched on your face chewing on the rim of your glasses. Still, I'm pleased it appears he is coming to accept the fact that he is in our flock. Just a moment ago he was sitting on my shoulder making noises that sounded a little like the aliens in the movie Signs. Next maybe he will learn to talk to us!

To be a therapist...

...Or not to be. That is the question.

I need a few more

I recently found a list of life goals that I wrote over 5 years ago. It's one of those lists of all the things you want to do or see before you die. It had 34 items on it and I had accomplished 3 of them before I lost it. Now I can cross out a few more. I think I've done 6 or 7 total. I started adding to the list again. I kind of want to have a nice round number like 50. I'm not really sure why. I'm up to 47. Some of them I'm not particularly attached to like eating escargot or spending over a hundred dollars on a meal. Those would be cool, but if I came to the end of my life and hadn't done those things I wouldn't be too disappointed. Some examples that I would really like to do are to see the Northern Lights in person, visit a tulip field in the Netherlands, learn to play the mandolin, and see all 50 states (I've seen about 15 already). I was wondering if anyone out there in the blogosphere had any suggestions to help me finish up my list. I'm curious about what other people would like to do in their lifetime.

Pharisee in Disciples Clothing

Jesus and the pharisees butted heads all the time. The pharisees were the guys who were supposed to know what was up. They were supposed to be the experts and Jesus was constantly telling them that they didn't have it right. At all. That worries me because I identify with their desire to follow the rules. I'm constantly trying to figure out if I'm doing things right. I follow Jesus but sometimes I feel like he would be talking to me the same way he talked to the pharisees. "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6) Sometimes I forget that it's about developing and maintaining a relationship instead of doing everything exactly the way it's "supposed" to be done. I think Jesus wants me to lighten up.

Squinty Business

Last night at trivia I was one of a two man team, the smallest I've ever been a part of. It was my friend, Matt, and I competing as Squinty Business. We won the first round then earned fewer and fewer points as the rounds continued. It came down the final question which is worth 15 points and is always about Jack Daniel's. The question was, "How many days does the mellowing process last?" I guessed 7 days and we turned in our answer sheet, not expecting much. Then it was announced: we tied for first place! A chugging contest would decide who would win the $25 gift certificate. Matt knew what he had to do (and that I had no chance of winning a chugging contest). He drank as fast as he could and.... WE WON! That was the first time any of my friends or I had won in over a month. Sweet, sweet victory.

Babies!

I went to my first baby shower yesterday. I wasn't nervous about what the games would be like or all the pastel colors because I knew it was going to be co-ed. At one point I did realize that the guys were all in the kitchen and the women were all in the livingroom. That seemed a little silly to me. The only game we played was making names out of the couple's last name. Some of the ones I came up with were Ira Les, Greg Star, and Lego. I don't think they're going with any of my suggestions.

I feel like I'm growing up

Then the time came when the risk it took
To remain tight in a bud was more painful
Than the risk it took to blossom.
~Anais Nin

Knots

1) My dear friend from high school, Laurel, just got married this past weekend. It was a lovely wedding and we danced the night away to a lot of oldies and swing music. Yay for not caring what you look like while you dance!

2) My back and shoulders have been killing me. I feel like I could get hour long massages for the next month and maybe be okay.

Choice

Recently I have found myself in situations in which it would be very easy to be negative. For example, driving home from work, stuck in traffic when it's 96 degrees outside and my air conditioner is broken. It would be very easy for me to start grumbling about how these people in Sacramento are crazy drivers and how traffic sucks and my car is on it's last legs. Instead I decided to pump up the oldies and sing along. It was so refreshing to make the choice to have a positive attitude about my situation. So often there is nothing we can do about where we find ourselves except how we will react. I would much rather make the choice to be a happy person. This may seem obvious to some, but I find that I often have to make a conscientious choice about it during the mundane, everyday moments. Another choice I made recently was that haircut I mentioned in my previous post. Here is a picture:

Betty Crocker knows where it's at, but I don't

Tonight I spent some quality time with some lady friends of mine. We decided to bake some yummy treats for ourselves. Now, I used to cook all of the time. I worked in a camp kitchen for 2 summers baking 30 loaves of bread at a time. I know my way around the kitchen. At least I used to. Now all I have is frozen food and veggies that spoil before I can eat them. Back to this evening... One of my friends (who shall remain nameless) excitedly told us that she figured out what a wire rack she had was actually used for. She called it a warming tray when in fact it is a cooling wrack. The exact opposite! Needless to say, it has been difficult for me to find time to cook and apparently some of my friends are having the same issues. The night ended with some delicious chocolate chip cookies so overall I would say it was a success.

All Off

I love old movies and one of my favorites is Roman Holiday. In it Audrey Hepburn plays a princess who wants to take a break from her duties and be a regular everyday girl. She takes some time for herself and does some wonderfully entertaining things. One of the first things she does is get her hair cut. She sits down in the chair and says, "All off." It is a change that is shocking but beautiful, and done for herself alone.

Yesterday I decided that I wanted a dramatic hair cut. I didn't tell anyone about it. It was a decision I made all on my own without looking for anyone's input or affirmation. It felt fabulous! Who knew a secret haircut could be so liberating? I guess Audrey Hepburn did.

Psych of Personality 101

I took a test recently and I think I'm an INFJ. Only about one percent of the population is
Introverted
iNtuitive
Feeling
Judging.
One description that I found particularily interesting said that INFJ's are "intense and tightly wound." Yep, that's me!

Everday Normal Girl

I'm just a regular everyday normal girl.

I live in an apartment with my twin.
In an arm wrestling match with a girl I might win.
The car that I drive is 9 years old.
It's a nice blue color, but the mirrors are gold.

If you have a pet parakeet put your hands up.

If you want to see an everday normal guy go here. But let me first warn you that there is some bad language and a few crude parts. Still, I can't help liking it for the irony.

A lot has been happening

Ali and I finally got our dining set from IKEA. Of course, getting furniture from IKEA means you have to put it together yourself. So that's what we did. I call this "The Evolution of the Chair." But before that...

I spent a day in the mountains courtesy of my dad, a great mountain man (beard and all). We fished and I shot a rifle for the first time. Only two fish were caught and they were both released. Mine was a nice 14 inch German Brown Trout. But before that...

Heather and Danny got married! It was a lovely wedding and we all looked pretty good in our tiffany blue and pearls. But before that...


















Heather had a super fun Bachelorette weekend in Napa. Not too many of the girls were actually interested in tasting the wine, but we did taste a few exceptional Moscatos. This is at Mondavi's, the last one of the trip.



I have been doing so many great things and spending time with my wonderful friends, but work has been very stressful and I've been doing a lot of introspection. Those last two things combined mean I am daily fighting a melancholy that makes me not much fun to be around. Maybe I hide it well, but if you think of it please send some prayers or pleasant thoughts my way. I am very thankful for all the people that love me enough to listen to my whining, and if you haven't had the opportunity to do that yet, just give me a call.

Unsolved Mystery

Who can guess what I'm drinking and whether or not I liked it? If you guess correctly, I'll buy you a drink of whatever color you like.

Midwest in Photos

Not long ago I went on a trip to visit my family in Michigan. I also went to Chicago overnight with little Ali. It was great fun. So here's a quick update in pictures.

I went wine tasting there! Who knew you could do that? I am sitting with my grandma having lunch at Tabor Winery, the most popular one in Michigan.

Then we went to Chicago. Almost every way you looked there was a beautiful skyline. This is the view from our hotel.

We had to make a stop at the Art Institute of Chicago to see their world class collection of Impressionist and Post Impressionist art. The one above is "Poppy Field" by Monet.

But of course, the best part was the family. These are almost all of my Michigan cousins.

On a lighter note...

Literally. I have new boyfriend and he is as light as a feather (pun very much intended). Kiwi actually kind of likes me now! He even gave me a little kiss... on the lips!

The Rack

I'm not talking about the discount clothing store. No, the rack I'm talking about is the device used for torture mainly in the Middle Ages. Basically this mechanism was used to pull on a person's arms and legs to stretch or dislocate them. According to Wikipedia, it could go further than that: "Eventually, if the application of the rack is continued, the victim's limbs are ripped right off." I feel a little bit like I'm on a metaphysical rack. I don't think I'm going to lose a limb from it, but I do feel like I'm being pulled in two different directions.

Garden Party

Just because I'm going to a garden party today and because the original "Tea Partay" was so good... I now present "Green Tea Partay," the West Coast way.

Peter Burnett Elementary Class of '96

That was the team name at Whiskey Wild's trivia this past Tuesday night. I got to catch up with some guys that I hadn't seen in 12 years.


From left to right: Pha, Ky, Ali, Hanh, Amy, and me. And as a bonus... we won! It was all because I had done some research on Jack Daniels Whiskey and had a hunch that they made their own barrels.

Happy Earth Day!

A little while ago I told a 1st grader that I didn't have TV stations. His response was, "What do you do?!" Tragic. Today, however, I went on a hike by Folsom Lake with some kids. It was super fun. The wildflowers there were gorgeous.

20 Minutes

As of this morning I am hairless. At least on my legs.

When Hairy Met Rachel

In the past I have let my leg hair grow out for many different reasons. There was curiosity to see how long it would get. I used it to help keep me warm during the cold Spokane winters. I have even done it once or twice as a social statement about how women shouldn't be required to shave their legs to be thought of as feminine and attractive. I haven't shaved my legs since the beginning of March, but this time it's just because I haven't gotten the chance.

Engaged is an epidemic, but I don't have the fever

I have noticed lately a number of acquaintances and friends have gotten engaged. In light of this I decided to conduct a little experiment to see if Facebook could tell me how many of my friends were engaged. What it told me was that 160 of my friends or people from Whitworth are engaged. What?! I started looking through them and found so many that I had no idea were even close to being engaged. Well, I have been out of touch with Whitworth for some time, but still... It was shocking! I'm glad for all of you out there who have found someone who you feel comfortable and ready to decide to SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE with. I however, am not even close. All the single girls out there say "Hey!"

My Favorite Easter Memory

One Sunday morning a few years ago, I went to the sunrise service that my church, Fremont Presbyterian, always has by the river. It is a unique service and it feels extra special because we are outside in the early morning with a bunch of people who are all part of our church family(including the band with all of their equipment!). On this particular Sunday morning, Geordie, a former associate pastor, was giving the benediction. When he was just about finished, the rickety wooden cross the high schoolers had used on their latest mission trip fell over. There was a moment of surprise in which people were trying to decide how to respond. Jamie, the pastor's son decided what to do first. He shouted, "He is risen!" And we all shouted back, "He is risen indeed!" When I think of that morning I reminds me of how Christ conquered the cross and it cannot stand up next to God's power and glory.

Wide Open Spaces

It's been awhile because.... we moved! That's right, it's official, I now have my own bedroom and bathroom! Instead of sharing a 2 bed 1 bath house with 2 other people, I'm sharing a 2 bed 2 bath apartment with one person (my sister!) and a lot of boxes. I know there are lots of exclamation points, but I'm excited!

Filling Empty Spaces

I've never moved into a completely empty home of my own before. When I went away to school they provided all the furniture. When I moved into a house with my friends they provided most of the furniture. For my bedroom I used a mattress I found in the garage and some ply wood from another friend. Real high class, I know. Now, soon, my sister and I are going to be moving into an apartment together. The applications are being turned in today so as long as nothing goes wrong we should be approved by this weekend. Then we have to begin the arduous task of filling an apartment. This time I do have a bed, but we don't exactly have a dining room set or a couch. Things are coming together, though, with donations from our parents and things we've had since childhood. Mostly I'm excited, but there is that part of me that is a little overwhelmed by the changes this new situation will bring to my life. Well, you have to move out of your parents house at some point, right? Definitely! If anyone has tips on how to live cheap, send them my way.

Gum, Catch, and Trivia

1. It's felt kind of like I have a wad of gum stuck in the back of my throat for the past few days.
2. I played catch outside today and it was wonderful.
3. Tonight is trivia night at Whiskey Wild. My team won first prize for their very first trivia event!

That's the update.

Pictionary This!

+ ing

+

= what went wrong on my car today.

Lental Update

First of all, Lent ends on Palm Sunday... who knew?! So it's apparently 40 days which is what I thought, but when I counted on the calender I got 45. Oh well. Secondly, on the very first day of Lent, the teacher of the 1st grade class I work with bought me a mocha. I couldn't refuse the gift so I took it and drank it. Some of you may think me weak, but I think God understands.

The Next 45 Days

Today is the first day of Lent. The carnival is over and it is time for some somber reflection on the sacrifice God made on that first Good Friday a long time ago. The spiritual exercise that is normally practiced to help us remember God's sacrifice is to give up something in our own lives. I have forsaken many things in the past: TV, sweets, soda, etc. This year I have chosen something that I turn to when I feel like I need a little pick-me-up or some pampering. That is... COFFEE. I have some deliciously sweet and warm coffee beverage at least a couple times every week. This one is going to be hard for me, but I hope that it will cause some thoughtfulness about the comfort that God is in my life. Coffee, you are a false idol and I cast you down to the pit of unnecessary things. The next 45 days are coffee-free for me.

Happy Compostela Day!

A year ago today, Tori, Alison and I rode/pushed our bikes the last 3.5 miles to Santiago de Compostela. We found the Cathedral and stood in front of it for a few moments before doing anything else. I had an incredible feeling of accomplishment and amazement and relief. We had reached the end of the road that we had been preparing for and travelling on for the past 8 months or more. So much time and energy went into and finally we were done. It was a relief and felt like I was receiving a blessing just in being there. The pilgrim's mass was wonderful and we sang about announcing our salvation. I felt like I had only gotten there by God's grace. I was skeptical practically the whole way about being capable of riding my bike 550 miles across Spain, but every day we made it to our destination and on this day we arrived. It was and still is a little unbelievable.

Bonds (other than Barry)

This time last year I was nearing the end of my journey to Santiago de Compostella. Alison has dubbed Jan. 28th Compostella Day because that is the day we arrived in Santiago and received our Compostellas. Now we get pass on Purgatory or something like that.

I recently got an e-mail from my friend, Markus, who I met along the road and whom Alison referenced in her blog as well. I almost cried when I read his message written in broken English. I remember the openness that the road created between us. The fact that we were all pilgrims going to the same place meant that there was a link. Despite the language barrier and the age difference, we formed bonds with Markus, a lovely Italian couple and a French/Portugese man currently living in Canada. They became my friends who are forever etched on my heart even though I may never see them or speak to some of them again.

I can't wait to visit with Tori this weekend and celebrate our trip. What an experience and what wonderful people I shared it with!

This is a picture or Tori's popped tire and Alison being so helpful. We're getting so close!

Decisions, Decisions

Well, the cord on my fantastic hand-me-down brick of a computer went kaput. That means the one computer that got decent internet at my house no longer works. I've got a choice to make: either invest around $100 to buy a new cord for my old computer, or drop a few hundred on getting a new one. Thoughts?

Pictures

I hate trying to post pictures on this thing. I know it makes it more interesting to look at, but they end up in a weird format. Just look at the previous post. Well, here's another picture from the trip in Spain. It was in an albergue in Logrono.

A year ago today...

... I was a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. This was actually the second day of the pilgrimage and one of the most tiring of the whole trip. I went with Tori and Alison, best friend and twin sister respectively, on our bikes (en bici). My bike was named Rocinantes, which is the name of Don Quixote's not-so-noble steed. It was a bike I bought on e-bay so it wasn't much to look at, but what a champion! In the picture we have (from left to right) Plata, Alison's bike named after the Lone Ranger's horse, Silver. Next is Babieca, Tori's bike, named after El Cid, a medieval Spanish hero's horse. And finally, good ole Rocinantes. They are loaded down with all of the belongings we had with us in Spain except for what we were wearing and what was in our camel backs.




That day we saw a few landmarks of the Camino. The first was a little, octagonal, Romanesque church called Aunate. It was a quiet place that had been a place for pilgrims to rest and pray for centuries. On the altar, a cloth was embroidered with the words "Venid a mi", which means "Come to me." It's like the passage that says come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest. I thought that was so appropriate for doing a pilgrimage. The next landmark was Puente la Reina or Bridge of the Queen. It was also very old like the church. And finally, at the end of the day we reached the fuente de vino. Some of you may recognize the word vino. Yes, it was a wine fountain set up for pilgrims. The story goes that if you drink from the wine fountain at Irache you will have the strength to make it all the way to Santiago de Compostela. I guess it worked because we eventually got there. More to come on that later. The fountain was basically a spigot that came out of a wall and was impossible to drink from without getting the wine all over your face.



At the end of such a long and difficult day (we traveled about 36 miles) it was a very welcome treat as you can tell by my face.

Puke and Punches

Today at work I was puked on, screamed at, and beat up. No, I don't work in a bar. I do, however, work with children who have autism. It's going to be a long week.

Partay!

For New Years this year I spent the evening with a few friends. We played a drinking game while we waited for the countdown to 2008. Those of you who know me probably know that I'm not the biggest drinker. Don't get me wrong, I love me a good alcoholic beverage or two or even three, but I haven't been drunk very often in my life. Well, the game is called King's Cup and what you do is spread out a deck of cards all upside down. You take turns picking cards and they each mean something. For example, 8- pick a mate, so you pick someone to take a drink with you. 5 is a particularly exciting one where the person who selects the card gets to make a rule. Last night one of the rules that was made up very early on in the game was that whenever anyone took a drink, I had to take a drink. Yeah, that did it for me. I do remember everything that happened last night and I had a good time, but I did not ring in the new year very articulately. Cheers.