yay! i'm a pirate! avast, ye swabs and landlubbers!

If You Were Born in 2893...

Your Name Would Be: Umoro Cho And You Would Be: A Space Pirate

If You Were Born in 2893

Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of-- Wait a minute. ;oD

reviewing the day

If you ever read my blog continuously, Gentle Reader, you already know that it is mainly a repository for whatever random thoughts are coursing through my head at a given blogging moment. I tend not to write anything about what I do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Tonight, however, just for fun, I thought I'd make an exception and blog about my day. ;o)

This morning, Ed and I took our bikes and rode the train 20 minutes to Steffen's house. Steffen is one of the leaders in the Chemnitz church, and he is teaching Ed and me New Testament Greek. We're getting into the section of lessons in which we start learning the exceptions to all the rules we've covered so far. This is fun, yet extremely hard. It makes me want to decline to decline nouns, you might say. ;o) However, I'm still having a good time with it. I love languages!

After Greek, we rode our bikes downtown and had lunch at Kervansaray. Huge crowd, so Joe was busy and we didn't get to chat with him. (We have invited him and his wife over for dinner, by the way. But he has to work every night except Sunday, and that's family night for them. So we're in a quandary on that one. I'll keep you posted.)

This is getting longer than I wanted it to be, so here's the rest of the day in brief:

After lunch, Ed went to Leipzig with Larry. I ran some errands; rode my bike 35 minutes to get home; had a half hour of downtime; rode the train *back* downtown to meet Vanessa so we could go to the Max Klinger art exhibit (incredible! I am so inspired to sit down and draw and paint and do neat creative stuff!); rode the Straßenbahn (tram) and bus back home; spent five minutes changing clothes; then went across the street to the physical therapy place for one hour of pilates, followed by one hour of yoga. Came home totally wiped out (arriving home at the same time as Ed) and made the very unhealthy move of eating supper at 9:30pm while watching "Lost".

And Wednesdays are supposed to be my day off. Ha! ;o)

Might sound crazy, but I feel good. Now I'm going to go use my Nasendusche ("nose shower"; aka flushing my sinuses with salt water) and go to bed. Gute Nacht!

book comments 2 (plus a few odds 'n' ends)

I just have a few minutes, as I promised myself I would sit down and do my Greek homework this afternoon. Have I mentioned that Ed and I are taking a class in New Testamnt Greek? I am having oodles of fun with it! I enjoy languages so much…

Anyway, I wanted to do my second and third “book review” really fast. This time, I’ve just finished reading:

The Four Loves
and
The Screwtape Letters
by C.S. Lewis

I won’t say much about these two books, mainly because any comments I might make would be woefully inadequate for describing either the works themselves or the reactions of my heart to them. The main thought I want to share is my opinion that anyone who is curious to read something indepth about the human condition or about Christianity should read these two books.

And I also think that specifically every Christian should read them. Lewis is just an extraordinary thinker. Those of you who know me know that I’m not one to go ga-ga over any kind of celebrity, either in mainstream culture or in the “religious world”…but I wish I could’ve had just one conversation with Lewis. He was possessed of a depth of wisdom and spiritual understanding that is very, very rare today. I’m thankful that we have the benefit of his written works.

A “caveat emptor,” however: These two books do not make for light reading. Approach them with respect, with concentration, and with the intention to suck the marrow out of them. I often had to back up and re-read almost an entire page, simply to understand what it was I had actually read. Sometimes, especially while reading The Four Loves, I wished for a handbook like “C.S. Lewis for Dummies” or something like that. Still, I recommend these books to anyone and everyone. They are a wonderful and rewarding challenge.

On The Four Loves: Among many other things, Lewis examines the true meaning of loving friendship. Through his explanations, I understood a bit more about what God means in the principles He gives us through scripture. I had something of an epiphany, recognizing that my heart hasn’t been in the right place regarding several friendships. I felt humbled to see how very much I still need to grow in this area.

On The Screwtape Letters: This is a series of letters written by a “head demon” to one of his underlings, who is also his “nephew.” The nephew has just gotten his first assignment to try tempting an unsuspecting human into sin and damnation. The head demon is writing advice on just how to tempt the human most effectively. It was a fairly uncomfortable experience, reading about us humans’ daily trials from what is basically Satan’s perspective. Actually, since I often saw myself in the unsuspecting human, reading this book was kind of scary. It was also unnerving to see that even 60 years ago, Lewis was identifying trends in society that eventually led to the increase in immorality that we see in Western society today. This, too, was a humbling and sobering reading experience.

In other news, today it is almost 60 degrees Fahrenheit in Chemnitz. However, the brick walls of our apartment have not yet warmed up, which means that the apartment is cold. I’m sitting here with the heaters on and my feet resting on a hot water bottle. Go figure. ;o)

April is National Poetry Month!

...Hence, I am posting a few of my favorite poems:

Jabberwocky

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

--Lewis Carroll



What Is Success?

What is success?
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by
a healthy child, a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed
easier because you have lived;
This is to have succeeded.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson



What though the tempest round me roars?
I know the Truth; it liveth;
What though the darkness round me blows?
Songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake that inmost calm
While to that Rock I'm clinging.
Since Love is Lord of heaven and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

--Quaker hymn

a hard truth

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God.

"We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken successes, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!"

--from Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation of 1863

all i can do is roll my eyes, sigh, and go on

If you will recall, Gentle Readers, back in February I posted this about my frustrations concerning Elfwood. At the time, I was irritated that the moderators rejected my painting of a castle on the grounds that it "wasn't in the fantasy genre." And, if you will recall, I mentioned having found--on Elfwood!--a pic of a sculpture of a rather normal-looking brain, which was accepted as fantasy because the artist claimed it was an orc brain.

Finally, may I note once again my prediction that if I re-submitted my castle pic and described it as a repository for orc brains harvested by Our Hero, then the moderators would accept my "out-of-genre" picture as fantasy....

Well, guess what. Hidey-ho, neighborinos, I did as I promised, and they did exactly as I predicted. The "offending" picture is now available here for your bemused viewing pleasure.

I really don't think I need to comment further on this. ***MUCH EYE-ROLLING*** ;o)

You can also check my bio page for links to my other newest uploads.

If you're inspired to give me feedback, please leave your comments directly below the pics themselves, as I love getting comments on my Elfwood pages! Thanks!

Yours, smirking at the silliness of it all,
C.

book comments 1

So I've decided occasionally to write something relatively brief about whatever book I happen to be reading at the time. For my first one, my thoughts concern not a book I'm currently reading, but one which I have just finished:

The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger

Surprisingly enough, this was the first time I've ever read this novel (see: English degree). I'd heard of it many times--mainly through Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire"--so I'd long been curious about it. Now that I'm finished with it, I'm not sure it was a good thing that I finally satisfied my curiosity.

SPOILERS FOLLOWING

The Catcher in the Rye is, on the surface, about this teenager named Holden Caulfield who has just been expelled from yet another elite private school. Rather than go home and tell his parents before they receive the school's letter, Holden runs away to New York and spends a few days/nights in slummy hotels, bars, and on the streets. And everything he sees, every person he meets, and every conversation he has is, in his viewpoint, completely stupid (his main words are "phony"...and, well..."phony")--with the exception of two nuns and his kid sister. In the end, he goes home and his parents stick him in a clinic for psychoanalysis.

Congratulations. You have now read The Catcher in the Rye.

Oh, I know I should go into how he's just trying to deal with the death of his brother and find out what's really important to him and decide whether or not to throw his life completely away or find a way to swim against the stream of hypocritical society and all that jazz.....but really, I don't have the energy. Holden's attitude that every person around him, everything around him, and pretty much everything within himself is stupid...well, this attitude permeates every sentence of the novel and suffocates any hope of drawing deeper meaning from his experiences. Frankly, I wanted to give the kid a good dunking in ice-cold water and then make him sit in the corner.

Which probably would've fit right in with how he sees the world anyway.

Yes, there were some good points to the novel. Salinger kept me hooked and wanting to read more...but mainly because I was trying to figure out when the story was actually going to start. I was halfway through the book before I realized that this was it. I did mark two pages for copying quotes, and I had several moments of relating to what Holden was thinking--mainly about people who take themselves and their entertainments way too seriously--and I will admit to having laughed out loud three times at Holden's descriptions and ruminations. I appreciated his attitude toward women, which was mostly fairly decent, even though he lied to every single one of them. But he lied habitually to everyone he came into contact with, so that's no biggie.

What interested me the most was seeing the change of word-usage since the 1950s. Take the word "sexy" for instance: Today, it means physically attractive, sexually stimulating in a visual way. But whenever Salinger used it, it was in reference to feeling sexy. If Holden spoke about feeling sexy (i.e. "I was really sexy."), it meant that he was sexually excited. Also, there was the phrase, "That killed me." It didn't mean death, it didn't mean getting tired, etc. It meant, "I thought that was cool" or "That cracked me up." From a linguistic perspective, I thought those were interesting points.

I can understand why this novel was so avant-garde and controversial in the '50s and '60s...but I guess my main reaction to it was a desire to get it over with. When it destroyed my hopes for a cathartic ending on the next-to-last page...well, that was all *he* wrote, I guess. ;o)

happy holidays

From a day in the life of Ed and me...

Today was The First Official Day of Spring. I say "was" because over here, it's almost over. But I'm tempted to say "wasn't"....because over here, it also snowed.

I shall refrain from commenting, other than to say that I'm on antibiotics for another sinus infection. So you can imagine my overwhelming joy when I got up this morning and saw the white stuff all over the outside.

To top it off, Ed got a package in the mail today: the Mac he won on E-bay. (Yes, we're gradually learning to be a Mac family.) The postman brought it early this morning. Ed was so excited he could barely contain himself.

So here's the scenario: A strange man in an unusual outfit brought a package that required opening and in which was concealed a treasure to awaken glee and rejoicing in the heart. And it was snowing.

And what do we deduce from this?

The only possible conclusion, of course: Today was Christmas.

Funny, though, that Santa was dressed in blue and yellow. Those must be his spring colors. Too bad they weren't pastels.

a day in the life of a cat

Excerpt from Pippin’s Journal

3:30 a.m.
Displayed great excitement by leaping from top of wardrobe and landing on the floor with a giant thud when The Girl got up to use the humans’ litterbowl. I was sure it was time for breakfast, so attacked scratching post to show my appreciation. Received pat on head but no food. The Girl went back to bed.

5:00 a.m.
Resorted to good ol’ Plan B by scratching at the linen curtains hanging next to bed. Was sure this would garner well-deserved attention and breakfast. After all, they should be grateful for having a living alarm clock. Once again, I got no thanks other than a sleepily mumbled “Quit it, Pippin” from The Girl. My Boyfriend didn’t even move. Am still in high hopes that they’ll one day learn to thank me for my early morning efforts.

5:30 a.m.
After a short rest, set often-used Plan C into motion. Wedged myself between head of mattress and wall, then set to scratching mattress just below My Boyfriend’s pillow. This garnered immediate results. My Boyfriend got out of bed, went to the bedroom door, and threw a stuffed toy into the hall. As soon as it left his fingers, it magically transformed into a mouse (I must figure out how humans accomplish this!), so I chased it. Returned to bedroom door for more, but somehow the door had closed. My Boyfriend apparently was at a loss as to how to operate the door andle from inside the bedroom, as door did not immediately re-open. And here I thought their opposable thumbs helped them figure out such things.

7:00 a.m.
Hallelujah! Breakfast! Something of fish, but, as usual, not nearly as scrumptious as what My Boyfriend and The Girl get to eat. Tried to squeeze past his feet into living room, as there are still flowers on the living room table. Almost as scrumptious as human food. Got bumped on the head for my efforts. My Boyfriend rubbed the offended spot. Didn’t make up for loss of floral dining.

7:10 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Slept until The Girl got up. Could tell she didn’t feel well, so greeted her with vocalization. The Girl scratched my back, but I could tell her heart wasn’t really in it. She stumbled into bathroom, making her own vocalizations, but I have yet to believe that these are really intentional communications.

9:50 a.m. – 13:50 p.m.
Resumed my post at Office Window and observed enemy movements. Crows in trees across the street look more suspicious every day. I suspect they’re plotting a takeover. Soon, they realized I was watching, so flew away to parts as yet unknown. (Which reminds me, I must examine front door for awhile this afternoon, so as to determine method of opening it. Am sure I could observe crows better from an outside vantage point.) Morning activities concluded, I curled up on the humans’ bed and slept.

13:55 p.m.
The Girl put on her outer fur and left the apartment. I missed her exit, and so my chance for front door observation. Sat in front of wardrobe door and stared at it, reading top-secret communications written there. No news on door-opening methods. Went back to sleep.

16:00 p.m.
Greeted The Girl upon her return, received adequate head-stroking and back-scratching. Humans learn slowly, but once they catch on they can be a true joy. Leaped upon trunk at foot of bed when The Girl sat down at her desk. Realized there was a horde of mice conveniently trapped between trunk and bed. Proceeded to begin digging them out. The Girl displayed lack of training by ordering me to “stop digging.” Period of sleeping followed.

17:36 p.m.
My Boyfriend magically transformed himself into a Giant Something. Played the Stalking Game with him for a few minutes till he transformed back into his regular self and I got bored. Ran at top speed through entire house. Have shaved several seconds off my time, but hope to get it down to 15 seconds or less before spring arrives.

18:17 p.m.
Realized there was a horde of mice conveniently trapped between trunk and bed. Proceeded to begin digging them out. The Girl displayed lack of training by ordering me to “stop digging.” Period of sleeping followed.

20:24 p.m.
Emptied food bowl. Remembered mice between trunk and bed. Went into bedroom and proceeded to begin digging them out. The Girl displayed lack of training by ordering me to “stop digging.” Period of sleeping followed.

21:12 p.m.
Went for mice again, but got dirty look from The Girl. Gave up on mice for now. Plan to sleep a few hours, then begin training humans once more. *sigh* Sometimes, I really begin to think my work with them will never be done.

something to make all our lives easier

Dear Gentle Readers,

(First of all, virtual cookies for those who recognize that reference.)

Secondly, I have something to share with you that lately has been smoothing my path through the world of blogging. This is something that Leenda showed me, so I'll give credit where it's due. ;o) Anyway, this grand, life-improving thingy is called "Bloglines".

Bloglines is a site through which you can subscribe to various kinds of blogs. "Subscribing" means that in your Bloglines account, you enter the site addresses (aka URLs) of the various blogs you read. Then, whenever you feel like checking a bunch of blogs at once, you just log on to Bloglines and see which of your friends has updated their blog.

In a nutshell, this means: You don't have to visit blog after blog after blog to see who has updated. You don't find yourself thinking, "Hey! I haven't checked Jimmy-Joe-Bob's blog in months! I wonder if he has updated?" All of the blogs you want to read are on a list in your Bloglines account. When you log in, you see immediately who has updated and who hasn't, and you can read each update right there, without visiting a bazillion blogs unless you actually want to.

And if you subscribe to your own blog, you can even see how many (and sometimes even which) people have subscribed to yours.

So, there you have it. If you want to check it out, click here: Bloglines. I'm finding it very convenient, and I'd be willing to bet that you would find it so, too. :o)

i be sma-a-a-a-a-a-rt

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator. [Courtney's Comment: Ha! Go figure! ;o) ]

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

to talk or not to talk--and i usually forget the "not"

Here's something I found online last year. It's been knocking around in the drafts section of my blog for too long, so I decided to post it today. Sorry if the link doesn't work anymore.

The Talkative Woman
by Sandy Fiedler

Chatter chatter chatter.

Trivial statements lacking significance. Chatter chatter some more. I stare straight ahead at the two-lane Texas highway hemmed in on both sides by sky-scraping pines. Three hours there and three hours back from our day trip. I want to think my private thoughts. I am tired. If I stay politely subdued, maybe she'll take the hint, I thought. But it was not to be. The quieter I grew, the more she talked. Then it hit me like a blow to the head - this is exactly what I do to my husband. How many times have he and I driven along with today's roles reversed? Oh, Lord, he's been sitting there annoyed, wishing I would shut up. I wish I had shut up! The Holy Spirit convicted me. I repent, Lord, of selfishness and insensitivity with my words, and I want You to change me.

"Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." (Psalm 141: 3 NIV)
Every drive, however, with my husband isn't that miserable; many times we have stimulating, profound discussions sparked by a topic introduced from somewhere, something he has just read, we have heard on the news, or discovered about life.

What are some differences between men and women in the area of talking?

Women like to talk. It is a sociological fact that American women have an emotional, mental, even physical NEED to speak several more thousand words per day than men do. Why God made us that way, I don't know. Toward the end of a perfectly good day of conversationless solitude, I will spontaneously begin talking aloud to myself and I didn't even know I was about to speak until the sound of my own voice startled me. Women, more verbal than men, use both sides of their brain for most activities and can process many subjects at once - dinner plans, the child's poison ivy, the car making a funny noise, the latest scandal in government, those suffering religious persecution in China, the success (or usually failure) of the latest diet, the pressure to perform at work, the need to reapply moisturizer to her lips, and on and on, all at once.

Men are not so. They most often use only their left brain, the logical half, approaching subjects one at a time. How novel! How boring! And have you ever noticed that men speak to each other in numbers? The hard drive has 5 million gigs. The deck posts are 4 by 4s. The airplane he used to fly was a 172 or a 182. My husband is a '49 Ford sedan, slow, steady, reliable, who will get from Point A to Point B, while I am like a hummingbird that darts so fast from flower to flower that you don't know it is there until it hums away.

What men don't like:
Too many words
A know-it-all wife or being overtly taught by a woman
Bad timing; e.g., hit with a list of problems as soon as he comes home after work
Excessive questioning, nagging, belittling, mothering
References to what another man does or thinks

What men do like:
Good timing. Of course, you often must bring up the business of living when it occurs, but sometimes you can make an appointment to discuss an important topic when you both can fully tune in.
Peace and quiet
Stimulating, intelligent discussion; a woman with mystery
Interest in and understanding of him and what concerns him
Respect, admiration, and love

How can a wife use her nature to complement and edify her husband?
First of all, generously spend some of those thousands of necessary words on other women.
If you listen to women in a office setting, what do they talk about?
Diets, recipes, relationships, husbands, kids, health, shopping, feelings. Do you ever hear men talking in the office or on the phone about the minute details of making refrigerator strawberry pie? Women in a group feed on these subjects both because of their need to talk about them and because they instinctively know that their husbands don't really want to listen to them. Because I do not have biological sisters, through the stages of my life, I have sought and been blessed with women friends. When my three children were babies, I NEEDED to talk with women about the unfolding mothering topics I was experiencing from breast-feeding to balancing housework with family's demands.

One friend and I talk about spiritual matters, current events, history, business. In fact, we jot down little notes to ourselves about topics we need to mention when we get together. Once the topics are addressed, with a sense of relief we toss the scribbled notes away like the used grocery list.

Another friend and I talk about a mutual work situation. When my 20-year-old daughter and I get together, we both spew out many happy words like sparks from a fireworks display. We have a blast.

Be willing to keep quiet. It is so hard sometimes, like an alcoholic trying to keep from grabbing that drink. I am a morning chatterer and I have to make myself get busy doing something to prevent my mouth from starting up on a long soliloquy to my husband.

1 Peter 3 1(b) reads, "if any do not obey the Word [of God], they may be won over not by discussions but by the [godly] lives of their wives."
(Amplified) This clearly says that conduct is more effective than words in presenting Christianity to a husband.

...Read your husband like a book - his face, his body language, between the lines of his sentences. He is fascinating subject matter. Pray for an open door to a topic that you want to discuss. Like Esther (Esther 4:16), difficult issues may require that we fast, pray, and prepare a time to meet our husband-king.

These guidelines work well, you might remark, if the husband is a godly man, but what if the husband doesn't give God preeminence in his life? Even so, from past experience (years ago my life shipwrecked in divorce and God has blessed me now with a godly husband), I can counter that question with this challenge: name a place besides Esther's position of prayerful humility that can be safer and yield results more pleasing to God. Where else can God work out a woman's true liberty and fulfillment?

After the eye-opening car ride with my chatty friend, I decided that my next long drive with my husband would be special. I would be pleasant, attentive, and, above all, quiet. After about fifteen minutes of quiet, he had settled in and gathered his thoughts. He said, "You know the book I am reading about the scripture in Matthew?" And thus began a satisfying, deep discussion that melted us together even more in mind and spirit. In the right atmosphere, a man's wisdom, character, personality, and thoughts naturally drift out. The woman must help create that atmosphere. And when she speaks in turn, her words will find a welcome lodging in her husband.

"In like manner you married women, be submissive to your own husbands - subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them. So that even if any do not obey the Word [of God], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives,
When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband. That is, you are to feel for him all that reverence includes] - to respect, defer to, revere him; [revere means] to honor, esteem (appreciate, prize), and [in the human sense] adore him; [and adore means] to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love and enjoy [your husband]." I Peter 3:1-2 The Amplified Bible

click here! i finally updated Have Some Water!

colors quiz

Got it from guess who? ;o)

RED
1. Closest red thing to you: The shirt and jacket I’m wearing.
2. Last thing to make you angry: Nothing *makes* angry. But I last *chose* to be angry during a conflict with a friend.
3. Do you have a temper: Yes…one I constantly strive to control.
4. Are you a fan of romance: In my personal life? Definitely! ;o) In books or movies, only if it’s neither cheesy nor vulgar.

ORANGE
1. Closest orange thing to you: A Post-It note reading “Christian 12:45”.
2. Do you like to burn things: I love burning candles.
3. Dress up for Halloween: Only if I have an American party to go to.
4. Are you usually a warm-hearted person: I think so.
5. Do you have anything against redheaded people: Not at all. Some would say I are one! ;o)
6. Are you usually full of energy: Not lately. Lately, I’ve just been full of snot.

YELLOW
1. Closest yellow thing: The top of the TUMS bottle.
2. The happiest time[s] of your life: In intimate conversation with good friends; traveling; in times of spiritual growth…
3. Favorite holiday: The whole Christmas season here in Saxony.
4. Are you a coward: Only when I need to confront someone close to me about something important.
5. Do you burn or tan: Burn and peel, burn and peel…The sun is rarely allowed to touch my skin without sunscreen.

GREEN
1. Closest green thing to you: The stapler. Ooooooh.
2. Do you care about the environment: Yes. I live in Germany. Caring about the environment is pretty much a law. ;o)
3. Are you jealous of anyone right now: Yes--in a shallow way.
4. Are you a lucky person: I don’t believe in luck. I believe in God’s providence and blessings.
5. Do you always want what you can’t have: Not always.
6. Do you like being outdoors: I love it, if it’s not wet enough to mess with my health.
7. Are you Irish: Yes, through my great-grandmother, Lillie Bell McCall.

BLUE
1. Closest blue thing to you: An old “American Baseball Game” invite that Ed is using as scratch paper.
2. Are you good at calming people down: Yes…unless I’m the one they’re upset with.
3. Do you like the sea: I love the sea. I think my sinuses could use a therapeutic stay by the ocean.
4. What was the last thing that made you cry: Umm…I can’t remember.
5. Are you a logical thinker: When I want to be.
6. Can you sleep easily: Not recently. Except for the last week, I haven’t had a full night’s sleep in months.

PURPLE
1. Last purple thing you saw: A candle next to the computer monitor.
2. Like being treated to expensive things: Yes, though that’s a rare occurrence.
3. Do you like mysterious things: Oh yeah. ;o)
4. Favorite type of chocolate: Dark with 70-75% cocoa.
5. Ever met anyone in royalty: I *am* royalty…together with all my sisters and brothers in Christ.
6. Are you creative: Yup.

PINK
1. Closest pink thing to you: A Post-It with a bunch of numbers on it.
2. Do you like sweet things: Yes. Too much!
3. Like play-fighting: With Ed, yeah.
4. Are you sensitive: Yes…too much so, I think.
5. Do you like music: I love music.

WHITE
1. Closest white thing to you: A pen. I’m at a computer desk…see a trend here?
2. Would you say you’re innocent: No.
3. Good at keeping the peace: Not as good as I used to be. I’ve started losing the energy for it.
4. Do you like to play in the snow: I used to…but nowadays, it seems my health can’t handle it.
5. Are you afraid of going to the doctor or dentist: I don’t have that luxury; my doctors and I see each other way too often.

BLACK
1. Closest black thing to you: The mouse.
2. Ever enjoy hurting people: Shall I be honest? I must admit…yes, sometimes, if I am angry enough. It’s a sin I’m working hard on giving up.
3. Are you sophisticated or silly: Both, depending on the situation and the people present.
4. Would you like to go to space: Yes! But I’m sure not gonna pay two hundred thousand bucks for it!
5. What is your favorite color: Deep red.
6. Does the color you wear affect your mood: No…usually, my mood affects the color I wear.

the last few days

Well, I know I threatened to flood my blog with posts this week, considering that I'm sick at home.....but I got involved in something really cool: ancestry.com. I've long held a strong fascination for genealogy, and I'm blessed that both of my grandmothers collected oodles of information on family lines. I have some of the info in my own files, so I began entering it into an online family tree at ancestry.com. It took several days, which is why I'm just now getting back to my blog.

It's amazing what you can find to do when you can't go anywhere or see anybody, for fear of spreading contamination. ;o)

What's cool about this is that as I enter new names with birth and death dates, the system starts searching the database to see if that individual is already in the system. For instance, I entered my own name and birth date, and the system informed me that someone had already entered me into the database! Now, because I have a free account instead of a paid one, I can't see *who* entered my name....I can only see the name itself. Same with the names of my parents and grandparents. There are a couple of spelling errors in several of our names, so I know that whoever entered our names isn't someone we're close to....but I'm figuring it's a relative, probably someone's cousin on my Grandma Weger's side of the family. But of course I'm only guessing.

Anyway...I entered all the information that I had: all the way back to William Parker (died ca. 1677) and his wife Katherine, whose maiden name my family doesn't know. Now here's the really cool part: Someone already has that entire family line in the database.

And not only that, but they say that Katherine's maiden name was Warham. And *they* can trace her back to an ancestor named John Barber...who was born in 1435!!!

How cool is that?! If this information is correct, that means I can trace my family back to 1435! That's before Shakespeare! That's before Columbus!

I talked to my mom about all this, and she reminded me that she also got involved in ancestry.com a few years ago (but because of the misspelled names, we concluded that she is not the mystery family member who entered all of us into the database). She laughingly said that when she was doing all of that, the scriptural warning against "meaningless genealogies" kept running through her head. ;o)

But she has a point. In reality, all this genealogy stuff *is* meaningless. It's one of my hobbies, but I would never claim that it's of lasting significance. Perhaps it's only interesting to me, personally, because I grew up on the continent where my ancestors came from, and because as a Third Culture Kid, I'm so rootless on this planet. This begs further analysis, but I don't have the mental energy for it now. Draw your own psychological conclusions about me. *grin*

Anyway...ich bin einfach sehr mitgenommen with the whole family tree thing. Sorry for the German, but I can't think of a better way to say it right now. Mama and I intend to continue the research adventure that her mother, Thaylia Boxley, started us on (my Grandma was actually quite the accomplished genealogist), and I intend to delve more deeply into this Warham-Barber-1435 connection on my Weger side. Of course, *when* I will do this, I have no idea. This part will require paying a membership fee to ancestry.com and researching census and parish records and so forth. Mama, at least, knows when she'll be getting into it: after she retires this summer! And when she's back in Oklahoma, she can also start looking through all of Grandma's records, which are in storage now.

As for me...I just hope I don't have to wait till retirement to continue my research. ;o)

t-t-t-too much time on my hands...

What can I say? In yesterday's post I warned you that I wouldn't have much to do this week. ;o)

This is stealing Patricia's ideas again, by the way. See, I can always count on my friends to give me something to do. ;o)

1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.
What’s Up, Doc?

2. Name a movie that you've seen multiple times in the theater.
Lord of the Rings (all three)

3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Kate Hudson, Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Harrison Ford, Charlize Theron, Anthony Hopkins

4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.
Adam Sandler, anyone with the last name Wayans, Dana Carvey

5. Name a movie that you can and do quote from.
Princess Bride; What’s Up, Doc?; Clue; The Boys Next Door

6. Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to.
The Sound of Music; My Fair Lady; The Last Unicorn (though I know it's not a real musical)

7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with.
The Sound of Music; My Fair Lady; Phantom of the Opera

8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see.
The Boys Next Door; The Passion; Lord of the Rings

9. Name a movie that you own.
Lady in the Water

10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
Umm……no idea. I generally don’t know who does what in the entertainment business.

11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
Yes, in Guthrie, Oklahoma. The movie was Space Cowboys. Not particularly memorable.

12. Ever made out in a movie?
Yup. ;o)

13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't yet got around to it.
Marvin’s Room; Dragonfly; White Oleander; To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday

14. Ever walked out of a movie?
No, but I should have.

15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
The Return of the King

16. Popcorn?
Sometimes. Usually, the thought of all the fat (in buttered popcorn) totally puts me off.

17. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
Average…three times a year.

18. What's the last movie you saw in the theater?
The Guardian

19. What's your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Fantasy, drama, sci-fi

20. What's the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Bambi. I bawled when Bambi’s mother died because it was the first time I remember thinking that my parents could die.

21. What movie do you wish you had never seen?
Little Man; The Devil’s Advocate (see #14)

22. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Alien Resurrection (conceptually, it freaked me out); Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events

23. What is the scariest movie you've seen?
An American Werewolf in London—I was nine, watched the first ten minutes of it, and spent the next ten years being scared of the dark. Other than that……The Ring (the first one).

24. What is the funniest movie you've seen?
What’s Up, Doc?; Clue; Hitch

happy birthday to me.....sort of

So. Today, I am chronologically 30 years old. Contrary to what one might expect, being 30 doesn't bother me in the least. Actually, I think it's kind of cool. I like getting older. It means I'm learning and growing. Besides, I wouldn't want to be 20 again even if you paid me.

However, what does bother me about having a birthday today is being sick. Yes, once again, I'm sick. Or maybe not again, but still. I did start feeling a lot better last week. But over the weekend, things started going down the tube again. I went back to my earnosethroat specialist this morning, and she gave me the lovely news that I have some sort of virus. Woo.

So I've cancelled my birthday coffee that was supposed to take place this afternoon, I can't go to rehearsal tonight, and I'm "written sick" the rest of the week. The doctor said this could take two weeks to run its course. What's really frustrating is that if I'm still having problems on Saturday, I am under orders not to sing in our "concert" on Sunday. (More on that later.)

I'm trying to remain factual here and not complain.....but may I say that I AM MAD ENOUGH TO SPIT?! Not at my doctor, of course.....but at my weak immune system and at the situation.

In other news, I spent the weekend at the Advanced Bible Study Seminar (or is it Series?) (ABSS) in Gemünden (near Frankfurt). The lessons were excellent, and especially the one on Sunday morning really struck me. At some point this week, I'll write something about it and post it here. Or maybe I'll actually update Have Some Water for the first time in over a year.

Stay tuned! I'm gonna have a lot of time on my hands this week. ;o)

briefly venting about Elfwood

Okay. So I've got three new pictures in my Elfwood gallery. Just to give you a brief overview: When an Elfwood artist submits pictures to Elfwood, said artist waits about two weeks for the pictures to get approved by moderators. If the moderators approve the pics, the pics are uploaded to the artist's gallery. If the moderators don't approve the pics, they then send the pics back to the artist, along with a rejection notice.

If you want to know their approval criteria, have a go at this. Good luck.

Anyway, on my last "ticket," I had four pictures. Three were accepted, one was rejected. Before I tell you about the rejected one, let me recount the following:

I just finished looking at a recently accepted picture on Elfwood. This picture was a photograph of a brain which the artist had scultped from clay and then painted.

"But wait!" you might say. "Isn't Elfwood a fantasy/sci-fi art gallery? How does a simple brain qualify as fantasy or sci-fi art?"

Well, dear friend, you'd be right in questioning the inclusion of a simple brain. *However*, because the artist called it an orc brain, it perfectly qualifies--under Elfwood Rules--as fantasy art.

As for my picture that was rejected? Ah well, it was merely a painting of a castle. Nothing fantasy about that, right?

But if, in my personal comments about the picture, I had written, "This castle is a repository for the brains of all the orcs Our Hero has slaughtered over the last couple of years," my castle pic would have been perfectly acceptable.

...Wait a minute. Now there's a thought. Okay, here ya go, I'll make you a bet: At some point in the near future, I'll resubmit that picture with that line as the description, and we'll see if I'm right about it getting accepted! I'll keep you posted.

Sheesh.

it's official

Hi all,

Just thought I'd give a non-complaining health update. ;o) Yesterday, I got the bill for my visit to the ear-nose-throat specialist. She didn't tell me this in person, but still it wasn't a big surprise to read on the bill that she has officially diagnosed me with chronic pansinusitis. Meaning, chronic inflammation of all the sinus cavities.

I have appointments on the 21st to have my sinuses X-rayed and to have allergy tests done. We already did X-rays and allergy tests three years ago, but this is a different ENT, so she wants to see current results. After that, I'm expecting her to tell me that I need surgery.

Three years ago, the other ENT said that as long as I could keep the sinusitis from becoming chronic, I wouldn't need surgery. So I guess three years was my grace period! ;o)

As for my current condition....I'm feeling pretty good now. Almost back to normal...or what's normal for me, anyway. ;o) My head feels almost gunk-free, and I cough less each day. I'm still using the one-a-way "miracle" nosedrops the ENT prescribed (for those in the know, they contain: dexamethasone, diphenhydramine hydrochl., naphazoline hydrochl., hydroxyaethylcell.-sch. [whatever that is], propylene glycol, and sterilized water). (And apparently, one of these compounds is a glucocorticoid, which I assume is a steroid.)

These nosedrops seem to be working really well, as I actually only need them once a day. I feel better at this point than I usually feel at this point after a round of antibiotics. So I'm extremely glad about that! Yesterday, I was even able to sing again, for which I was very grateful.

So, there you have it. I'll let you know the latest on my health after I get the results of the appointments on the 21st.

1. Corinthians 13 made practical

Bri posted something on her blog yesterday that I think is worth posting on mine, too. Here it is, followed by an expansion of the comments I left on Bri's blog:

1 CORINTHIANS 13 (For Missionaries):

If I speak the language like a native,
But have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And If I have all the answers,
So as to convert millions, but have not love,
I gain nothing.
Love is patient with the home congregation
And kind to demanding converts;
Love is not jealous of fellow missionaries,
Boastful because it is American,
Nor rude to its hosts.
Love does not insist on its own mission methods,
And does not become frustrated nor embittered.
It does not rejoice in the failures of its fellow workers,
But truly rejoices at their successes.
Love will stand all criticism,
Give consideration to all advice,
Help all beggars,
And endure all visitors.
Love never ends;
As for methods, they will pass away;
As for language, it shall cease;
As for cultural understanding, it will pass away.
For our understanding is imperfect;
But where love abounds, such imperfections are overshadowed.
Before I went into the field, I knew all the answers;
When I became mature I pondered my presumptiveness.
For then I saw romantically and confidently,
But now realistically and humbly;
Then I thought I knew the heathen,
But now they have come to know me.
Cultural understanding,
Methods,
And Love abide, these three,
But the greatest of these is love!

(paraphrased by Dan and Joyce Hardin)
(Taken from Christian Woman, January 1974)

My thoughts:

Ouch. I've had a copy of this for several years, and I take it out and read it about once a year.....and I'm thinking it's been too long since the last time I read it.

One of the most difficult things for a missionary--or any leader in the church, for that matter--to do is keep focus, keep the right perspective. Frustrations do build up.....and as for me, sometimes I erroneously feel like I'm not allowed to voice them. After all, I'm supposed to be setting an example of longsuffering and faith, right?

Right. But part of longsuffering is being able to voice frustrations--and release tensions--with the right attitude. And my attitude is wrong so very often. I am critical, I am judgmental, and I am proud. (I don't care how you try to euphemize it.....being proud is a sin. And when I give in to it, I am hurting instead of helping people around me. But I'll write on that subject more extensively another time.)

I think this paraphrase of 1. Corinthians 13 applies not only to "missionaries". After all, what is a missionary? One who goes out to tell others about Jesus. Another word for such a person is evangelist.

Or Christian.

Because every Christian, by definition, is supposed to be an evangelist. Every Christian is supposed to be a missionary. Not necessarily in the context of going to a foreign country (or coming back to their own country) to evangelize. But every single one of us is supposed to be living, thinking, speaking, loving, breathing in such a way as to represent Christ on earth. If you are a Christian, you are an ambassador from God, sent to reach out to those who don't know him.

It's not the preachers' job. It's not the elders' job. It's not the missionaries' job. It's not the Bible class teachers' job.

It's your job.

I'm not writing this to inspire guilt in anyone. This isn't supposed to be a why-aren't-you-out-there-doing-your-job? kind of post. But the paraphrase above got me thinking, since it's subtitled "For Missionaries". We need to expand our definition of the word "missionary." The current definition seems to be "someone who goes to a foreign country and leads and teaches in a local church" or something like that. But I believe we need to re-think that.

Ephesians 6 describes Christians as soldiers in a spiritual war against evil. C.S. Lewis describes us as soldiers sent behind enemy lines to sabotage Satan's plans. If you're a Christian, God has put his armor on you, he has given you the weapons you need, and he considers you ready for battle. He has led you into battle, and you have followed. You are now behind enemy lines, and your job is to help free the captives.

You can do it with your words. You can do it with the decisions you make each day. You can do it with a smile, with encouraging words, with the time that you give to another. You can do it by being a shoulder to cry on. You don't have to leave your country, your city, or even your neighborhood. Maybe all you need to do is step out your front door (remember what Bilbo said!) and start a conversation with the guy next-door. Just brighten your corner of the world with the love that Jesus is giving you every moment of your life.

To be the soldier that God has made you, just open your eyes, look closely at the people you see......take those loving concepts from 1. Corinthians and start living them.

10 random/weird things

Well, here's another idea I've stolen from Patricia's blog. Technically, I'm supposed to tag five other people to do this, but since I doubt anyone would respond to my tagging them, and since the five people I would probably tag are not at all likely to respond to my tagging them, I'm not going to tag anybody, but I will, instead, play the game all by myself for my own entertainment and for the amusement of hapless wanderers who find themselves sucked into reading my blog. *insert maniacal laughter here*

So. The point of the thing is this: List 10 weird things/habits/little known facts about yourself. Here goes:

1. I really like puréed, cooked spinach, boiled eggs, and mashed potatoes. Mixed together.

2. Superheroes (i.e. Superman, Batman, Wolverine, etc.) are one of my secret "guilty pleasures."

Not so secret now, I guess. ;o)

3. I don't eat my pizza crusts until after I've eaten all the pieces of pizza. Then, if I still have room, I eat one or two of the crusts.

4. Invite me over to your house. If your toilet paper is directed under the roll instead of over, I will gladly change it for you.

5. I cry at most movies. And at really random scenes. Like the scence at the beginning of "Fellowship of the Ring," where Gandalf arrives and Frodo is happy to see him. Yes, that makes me cry. The reason? I have no clue.

6. Most of my deepest feelings come out in my art and my poetry; I'm rarely able to speak them aloud.

7. One of my favorite mementos is a paperclip bent into the shape of a heart. I carry it around in my purse. (And no, I'm not going to elaborate on its significance.) ;o)

8. I always dream in color; I usually dream in stories (IMAX theater in my head); and I sometimes dream in German.

9. When I was a kid, I went through a phase of wanting to be an archaeologist. I even wrote a letter to Mary Leakey in Nairobi, but she never wrote back.

10. I have a faint, L-shaped scar on my bottom lip.

Ta-dah. ;o)

parental and personal health update

 
When I talked to my mom Wednesday night, she had an interesting tale to tell about her visit to the doctor that morning. The doctor did remove her appendix, and he did remove a cyst......but, strangely enough, the cyst was nowhere near her appendix. Instead, it was in the left side of her abdomen. This was exploratory surgery, otherwise they wouldn't even have known that the cyst was there. The pain around her appendix had nothing to do wih a cyst or with her appendix (which he removed as a precaution); instead, that pain was being caused by adhesions (stringy tissue that formed as the result of a past infection nobody knew about). So he removed the adhesions, too.

Mama is at home recovering, still in some pain but at least able to get up and move around a little. Barring possibility of infection, it looks like she's going to be fine. I am relieved, to say the least. The cyst and adhesions are going to be biopsied, but the doctor doesn't seem to think that there will be anything malignant to deal with.

I am continually amazed at God: his creativity in designing the human body, and his constant care for us as we navigate these fragile bodies through all the physical dangers this world has to offer. I'm convinced that it's really only by God's providence that any of us survive at all.

And since our bodies are part of this fallen creation, we do have to deal with these frailties on a daily basis. I refer you to the following schematic, the original of which was drawn yesterday by the ear-nose-throat specialist who was illustrating to me one of the particular frailties of my particular body: 

 

Though the fact of my deviated septum was not new to me, I did appreciate the doctor's efforts to show me just what's going on in my nose up there. For further illumnation on the subject (no pun intended), she wants me to get my sinuses X-rayed and take allergy tests again. I don't know what this is supposed to prove, since we already did the X-raying and the allergy testing three years ago, but.....I am meekly submitting, as I frankly no longer have the willpower to think for myself on the matter. I think it's due to lack of oxygen, since I can't breathe properly at all. There must be millions of my brain cells dying as I type/you read. (I can't use the phrase "as we speak," because, technically, we're not speaking.) 

I am frustrated, irritated, mad at the world for no good reason at all, and working really really hard on the inside not to start throwing myself a pity party. I'm well aware that there are those in this world who suffer a great deal more than I am suffering, and that I should be grateful for and content with the blessed state in which I currently exist. 

But it's awfully hard, sometimes, to be grateful and content when you can't even breathe right. *sigh* 

This will be my last post of this nature. I'm tired of complaining and hoping for sympathy from various corners. If I vent anymore, I will vent to myself and have done with it.

i wish i may, i wish i might....

 
I want to go to Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Israel, Asia, Alaska, Africa, Canada, and back to Ireland. 

Just thought I'd mention that.

all comments answered

my mama's health, my health, and other odds 'n' ends

 
I talked to my dad a few minutes ago, and everything with Mama's surgery went fine. Thanks to God! After surgery, they had to give her a bit more pain medication than expected, but that's not outside the realm of normal. She's home now and sleeping. Tomorrow morning, she and Daddy will go back to the doctor, and he'll hopefully be able to tell them more about the cyst. My hearfelt thanks to those of you who prayed for my parents and for the doctors. God has it all in his hands, and that's a great comfort and encouragement to me. We would all be so worried if not for him! Anyway, thanks to those of you who've been supporting my parents in prayer. 

Over the weekend, I'd considered heading over to my parents' place yesterday, in order to be there for the surgery today. Now I'm glad I didn't do it. The last thing my recovering mother needs is a sick person in the house. Yep, that'd be me. 

Gunk in my head, my throat feels like I've been gargling gravel, and my body aches with exhaustion of the kind you get from running a marathon. It always amazes me that there are people who can get a sinus infection and yet still manage to go to work (even though they *should* be in bed). If I weren't in what is basically a self-employment job, I would've gotten fired a long time ago. I was up and around for three hours yesterday, taking the bus to the doctor and pharmacy, then back home again. I barely have the words to describe the misery. Even sitting in the doctor's waiting room, I started getting dizzy. Sit at a desk or stand up and teach all day? Forget it. 

No antibiotics this time, though. The doctor said it's too soon since the last time. I tend to agree.....but I have my doubts about getting rid of this any other way. She's also sending me to an ear-nose-throat specialist tomorrow, for an ultrasound on my sinuses. Yippee. 

This is so annoying. And so uninteresting to read about, I'm sure. Sorry I can't offer anything more fascinating. I *could* write about the news article I read this morning. It described how the Mormons will probably "baptize" the current Roman Catholic pope after his death, because the Mormons "baptize" dead people into Mormonism by proxy. They "baptized" John Paul II by proxy a year after his death. They did the same with Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Khan. I could write a long article about how silly I think this is. I just don't have the mental energy for it!

something for my Faithful Reader(s?) to do

 
When a girl spends half her week working on a Teacher's Guide to a series of simple English Bible lessons she's written, her brain tends to be filled with language exercises--even during moments when she's not crafting away at the aforementioned Teacher's Guide. 

That said, I give you the following linguistic practice text. Take your time on it; try not to get frustrated; and, above all, remember to have fun! 

Fill in the blanks in the text below, using the following words in the correct order: 

husband......again......fun......friends......aardvark mating rituals 
sinuses......interested......under......fellowship......voodoo doll 
frustrated......was......Superbowl......sigh......looking 

One evening, Courtney _______ sitting at home _________ self-quarantine. Courtney was ______________, because her stupid ___________ seemed to be getting infected _________. She was also sad, since several of her ___________, as well as her ______________ Ed, were getting together to watch the _______________. Although Courtney wasn't any more ____________ in football than she was in the minutiae of ____________ _____________ _____________, she had still been _________ forward to the evening of _______ and ____________. Frankly, she was beginning to wonder if someone, somewhere, was in possession of a little Courtney-shaped __________ _____ and was constantly jabbing the area of the doll's sinus cavities with especially sharp ___________. *________* 

Answers available upon request. ;o)

prayer requests

 
For those of you who pray to God, I have a few requests that you might help me pass on to him: 

My mom, Kay Weger, will have surgery this coming Tuesday to remove a cyst that is on or around her appendix. They will take out her appendix at the same time. If all goes as planned, the surgery will be relatively brief, and she'll go home Tuesday afternoon/evening. 

Also, my grandfather, Bill Weger, is scheduled for an angiogram on Feb. 12th. His carotid artery is partially blocked (I don't know if it's calcium buildup or cholesterol buildup.), and the angiogram will determine whether the doctors should put in a stent, or open up the artery to scrape out the plaque. Either way, after the angiogram, the next procedure will take place on Feb. 20th, I think. 

Please pray that God will bless the minds and hands of the doctors and nurses working with my mom and my grandpa. Please pray that God's will be done. Nothing more complicated than that. :o) 

Thanks, 

Courtney

minor stuff; Dream #93 in online translator mode

Long day of researching, I'm tired, I will try to answer all newest comments as soon as possible, I'm sorry for this run-on sentence; and in the meantime, here's a fun something that I wrote as a draft awhile back but didn't publish; enjoy:

Dream #93

I Rejoice Me Just, That The House Not Burned Down

recorded June 21, 2006

Once at night about several weeks, dream I can recollect is not finished with someone, a cigarette lighting, and I could smell in a smoke. Then the dream came to an end, and I woke up, but I could smell in a smoke. I lay there since the several moments, convinced, that the smell was prolongation of dream and would disappear at any moment. Some moments went, but the smell did not dissipate. I was declined and shook awake Ed. " Ed! Whether you Smell in a smoke? I smell in a smoke!"

I heard it, in a gloom smelling. Then it spoke, "Is not present, I not smell in what. Come back to sleep. " And it again rolled to itself.

I understood, that now I also could not smell on it more. I laid down again, already in a dream receding, hoping, that Ed really had no also our apartment on fire was. But until then I have lowered already too far back to a dream to rise and check things.

achtung, baby! here comes U2 instead of I AM

 
I just read this on Yahoo! a few minutes ago:

_________________________________________

"U2-charist": Bono moves in mysterious ways

LONDON (Reuters)--For Anglicans who still haven't found what they're looking for, the Church of England is staging its first "U2-charist" communion service -- replacing hymns with hit songs by the Irish supergroup.

"Rock music can be a vehicle of immense spirituality," said Bishop of Grantham Timothy Ellis, announcing plans for the unique service in the central English town of Lincoln in May.

A live band is to play U2 classics like "Beautiful Day" and "Mysterious Ways" with special singalong lyrics displayed on a giant screen. Seating for the 500-strong congregation is to be re-arranged so everyone can dance and wave their hands.

The service is to focus on the Millennium development goals -- U2's lead singer Bono is a leading promoter of the targets to alleviate world poverty.

________________________________________

Ummm........?

Thoughts?

today is my real birthday

 
As part of my ongoing effort to grow in faith and to focus on God's will instead of the will of the culture in which I live, I would like to ruminate briefly upon the subject of birthdays: 

Why do Christians celebrate the day of their physical birth? Oh yes, I understand all the reasons: It's nice to have a special day on which we can tell each other, "I'm glad you're here, I'm glad you're my friend, and I want to express my appreciation for you." That's all fine, and I have no problem with that whatsoever. 

But that begs the question as to why we honor the person who was born, instead of showering appreciation upon the woman who gave birth to that person, or both the woman and the man without whom that birth wouldn't have been possible. 

But that, conversely, begs the question as to why we don't use that birthday to shower praise and honor solely upon the Creator without whom neither mother nor father nor birth would ever have been, since he is the only one who truly deserves praise for the existence of anything. Hmmmmm....... 

And, as Christians, why don't we celebrate the day of our spiritual birth with even more enthusiasm and excitement than we do our physical birthdays? 

So, in the spirit of these thoughts, I would like to share this with all of you: 

Today is my birthday! Sixteen years ago today, I was immersed into Christ for the forgiveness of my sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. As of today, I have been alive in Christ for sixteen years. And that life is great.

all comments answered....

 
.......as far as I can tell. If I've missed any, I beg for notification posthaste! ;o)

thoughts about the church

 
These are some thoughts I posted as a comment on someone else's blog. They are also things that I've been thinking about for a long time. I might write more extensively on this subject at a later date, but for now, here are a few brief lines on my general thinking: 

We need to take the phrase "go to church" out of our vocabularies. "Church" isn't somewhere we "go." The phrase alone indicates a deeper mindset that "church" is a location, a building, an event, (an entertainment?), something we can attend. 

By Biblical definition, it's not possible to "go to church" or "attend church." Because church isn't somewhere we go....it is something we *are*. 

After all, think of our families: We *are* family. We don't "attend family." We don't "go to family." We *are* family. The statement indicates a certain mindset, and it's the same mindset we should have when thinking of the church. 

It isn't possible to open or close the doors of the church, because the church doesn't have any doors other than Jesus Christ. When our family assembles to worship God, we should want to worship God *with* them. Not "attend a service" so that we can say we were there. But anytime our spiritual family is assembles in order to praise God, we should feel a drive, a burning *need*, to praise God with them. 

I believe that if we try to change our mindset about "going to church" vs. *being* the church, it will go far toward resolving some of our inner conflicts about "life in the suburbs" (meaning our everyday, do-this-do-that-rush-to-activities habits) vs. true spiritual life. If we can learn to think of ourselves as *being* the church, perhaps this can help us refocus our priorities, so that the accumulation of status symbols and the living-out of the social life become less important. 

In closing, a thought about the kids and the soccer games and the medals and the ribbons (which kids receive even if they haven't earned them, because we want to boost their self-esteem): Why do we allow our children to get sucked into this you're-ok-I'm-okay culture? I'm all for academic achievement.....but why do we push it so hard? We want our kids to grow up and go to college and get goods jobs. From a young age, kids say, "I want to be a fireman, a police officer, a teacher, a vet when I grow up." 

But I've never heard a kid say, "When I grow up, I want to be a faithful Christian." I've never heard a parent say, "When my child grows up, I don't care if s/he goes to college, I don't care what job s/he has.....as long as my child has an active, healthy relationship with God." 

If we as parents want to keep our kids out of the everybody's-okay culture, we're going to have to change our own priorities first. 

"The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." 
~ Albert Einstein

thought-of-the-day

 
Some humans improve with time and age. 

And some don't. 

 

Fare thee well, and good night. 

 

Jan. 27 Addendum: 
I want to emphasize that this thought 
is not in reference to any particular 
person. It's simply an objective 
observation on the human condition. 

--C.

as though i had nothing better to do.....

 

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Noble Excellency Courtney the Profuse of Midhoop St Giggleswich Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

i'm flabbergasted

I plan to write more on this later, sometime when I have a chance during the next few days. I think I have to process a bit more first. However, here's a hint on what my brain is currently dealing with:

Today, an individual told me that I'm not really a Christian because, among other things, I am a woman who wears pants and makeup and cares about what her hair looks like. He said that even though I read the Bible, I obviously don't understand what it says, and I don't listen to anything that God is trying to tell me. He also told me that I'm rebellious.

Like I said, I'm still processing.

Huh?

news and factual fun

News: Though I still have a little bit of congestion, I am over the sinus infection, a fact about which I am stupendously excited! ;o) Also exciting is the fact that I did find my camera. True to Courtney-form, I'd overlooked it where it was hiding in the wrong pocket of my purse. Go figure. ;o)

The rest of this post is something I did awhile back but never posted. I kept it as a draft against the day when I wanted to post something but didn't really have time to do anything about it. The day has arrived. So here ya go:

I know I can always count on Patricia to post something fun that I decide I want to do, too! Thanks, Patricia! :o)

Go to Wikipedia and look up your birthday (excluding the year). List three neat facts, two births and one death in your journal, including the year.

February 26th

NEAT FACTS:

747 BC - Epoch (origin) of Ptolemy's Nabonassar Era
1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from Elba
1991 - Tim Berners-Lee introduces WorldWideWeb, the first web browser

BIRTHS:

1564 - Christopher Marlowe, English dramatist (d. 1593)
1829 - Levi Strauss, German-born clothing designer (d. 1902)

DEATH:

1360 - Roger de Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March, English military leader (b. 1328)

a meeting of cultures at war

Well, I’m still sick, but am feeling better. Monday, I finally broke down and went to the doctor. When I told her that I’d wanted to try getting rid of this without antibiotics, she looked at me and said, “Considering your sinuses, I wouldn’t recommend that.” So I’m meekly taking my medicine (clarithromycin) as the doctor ordered.

Something else I want to write about, though. This is something I’ve wanting to write about for a long time, but I always forget. Well, this time, I told myself that I was going to follow through and not let these thoughts just fade from my mind!

Today (Tuesday), Ed and I had to go downtown to the Ausländerbehörde (Foreigners’ Office) so that I could get my new visa stuck in my passport, since my old one expired today. Nothing like last-minute, right? ;o) Anyway, on the way home, we stopped at Galerie Roter Turm (“Red Tower Gallery”), which is a downtown shopping mall. There, we ate lunch at Kervansaray (I think that’s how it’s spelled, anyway), our favorite Turkish place.

We’ve been going to this place fairly regularly for quite awhile, long enough for the guy who works there to know what we want before we order it. We always have great conversation with him. He’s really friendly, outgoing; and if there isn’t a horde of other customers, he’s always happy to take a few minutes to chat with us. He told us to call him “Joe,” saying that his real name is too long and complicated.

Shortly after we started eating regularly at Kervansaray, we found out that Joe isn’t actually Turkish. He’s Iraqi.

Joe always has something interesting to share with us. I’m not sure how long he has lived in Germany, but it’s long enough that he can communicate effortlessly in German. He has family all over the world: an uncle in Australia, another relative (I think) in Canada, and his mother and one of his sisters still live in Iraq. He hasn’t been back to Iraq in two years because travel there has become too dangerous.

His news about his homeland always interests me a lot. He calls his mother about once a week. He always worries about his mother and sister because their city, Kirkuk, is plagued by terrorist activities. Car bombs are a particular danger. His mother’s house has no more windows because bomb concussion has broken all of them. They can’t go out at night because there’s an after-dark curfew.

Joe talks about how the last time he was in Iraq, he passed through a checkpoint guarded by American soldiers. He wanted to try talking with them, but his English isn’t good enough. And this is the crux of the matter, the reason I am writing about this: Joe likes Americans. He thinks it’s past time for American troops to be out of Iraq…but he likes Americans. He likes us.

As their countries remain locked in war, two Americans and an Iraqi have peaceful, pleasant, open conversation, making friends with each other…in German. ;o) Not only that, but the two Americans are Christians, the Iraqi is Muslim, and on occasion they even mention religion and are able to find a few plots of common ground.

This is one of those situations I take as proof that in spite of all the evil things happening in this world, there are still some things that are good and right.

I’m thankful that God crossed our path with Joe’s. He’s a good reminder that no matter where you go, no matter the apparent evidence to the contrary, there are still open, friendly, warm people who try to brighten the corner of the world where they are.
Ed and I want to try inviting Joe and his wife over for dinner. I have no idea if they will accept…but we want to get to know them better. Who knows what God might do? :o)

difficult announcement

 
Well, we've told the church in Chemnitz, and we included the news in our update letter yesterday, so I guess I might as well share it here, too. Although, I think most people who read this blog are either in the Chemnitz church or recipients of the update letter! Oh well, please forgive me for repeating myself. 

Anyway, the item of news is this: Ed and I have decided that if God makes it possible, we're going to move back to Oklahoma in October 2007. There are several reasons, of course--there always are for such things--but one of the main ones is his dad's health. If God wills it, Ed would just really like to be able to spend time with his dad before that isn't possible anymore. It's strange to think that we're old enough now that we've begun to think of our parents' mortality as a reality. But it's a fact, and one that we can deny only to our own detriment. So we choose to face it for what it is and react accordingly. Burying our heads in the sand and pretending......that just isn't an option. 

Making this decision was so difficult. Honestly, it just tears my heart out. I feel terribly wounded, even though I know that this is the right decision at this time. Telling our Chemnitz family that we're leaving.....it's one of the hardest things Ed and I have ever had to do. We both hated to do it. Because the Chemnitz church and our friends here....these relationships go beyond friendship. These people are our family. This is home. And I don't want to leave. 

I'm going to stop writing now, because if I don't, I'm going to start crying, and that won't help the sinus infection. 

Here's what helps me, though, and it's something we tell everyone when we announce that we're moving: Just because we're leaving Chemnitz now doesn't mean we won't be back! Life with God is a neverending adventure, and we'll always go where he leads us. Who knows where that might be in the future!

a health update, wheeeeee

 
Well, I'm still toiling on, toiling on, fighting with my stupid-kinupid sinuses. The infection doesn't seem to be getting any worse, but I don't seem to be improving much, either. I'm still taking all sorts of decongestants--herbal and medicated. So those, combined with the gunk in my head, have me totally wired so I can't rest, as well as feeling like there are about a gajillion insects running around the inside of my skull with their tiny little insect feet. And underneath my cheekbones. Gah. 

Really, I'm thinking I probably should've gone to the doctor today. However, she can't do anything for me that I'm not already doing for myself......except prescribe antibiotics. And I am SO TIRED OF THOSE. It can't be healthy to spend 5 to 7 weeks out of the year on antibiotics. After a week's dose, it takes me a month to recover. And I'm just tired of that. 

I am just so tired. 

Kendra flies back to the States tomorrow, so I asked her to come over this afternoon. I'm glad she chose to do so, in spite of the attendant risks of bacterial contamination and contagion and such. This was really the first time we got to sit down and chat. (I did my best to ignore aforesaid insects in skull.) We had a really good time together, in spite of the fact that I poured her coffee into the mug that already contained two packets of my elderberry-and-honey-Vitamin-C powder. Fortunately, I realized my mistake before she downed a gulp. We both tasted it and determined that the concoction probably wouldn't sell in stores. 

In other news, I can't find my camera. I had it with me at the church building on New Year's, and I can't recall seeing it since. (Of course, with all the gunk in my head, it's a wonder I can recall anything at all; see previous paragraph on coffee mishaps.) Ed looked at the building today and couldn't find it; asked around, but nobody has seen it. I've decided that in spite of our thorough apartment searches, the elusive camera must be somewhere in the apartment. I'm really antsy about it (pun intended!), since it has a bunch of pictures on it. Not to mention that said pics are saved on my brand-new 1 gig memory stick. 

*sigh* If the camera goes the way of the many earrings, scarves, and umbrellas I've misplaced over the years, I'm gonna be seriously ticked.

new look again!

 
Okay, thanks to Steve and his html-guru-ness, all the wrinkles of my blog's new look seem ironed out! Said blog is now ready to strut its (her?) gorgeous bloggy stuff on the bloggy streets of Blogland. 

Look out, world. 

Ha ha. ;o)

new look!

 
So, here I am, experimenting with a new template! For the first time since the birth of my blog! I'm not sure yet that I like it; I might go back to the old look if I can't make friends with this one. BUT! I am willing to give it a chance and try to be flexible. ;o)

At this point, the only real problem is my picture, which currently seems a bit stretched out of shape. Plus, my links list seems to have disappeared. However, since I'm sick at home, I have plenty of time to remedy these errors, right? Right. ;o)

So what do you think about this????

Happy New Year and all that!

Hi all, Happy New Year!!! and so forth. Guess I'm a few days behind, so does it still count? I have no idea. At any rate.....as most of you know, 2006 was a particularly difficult year for me, so I'm looking forward to a hopefully better 2007.

It all depends, of course, on which blessings God gives and which challenges he chooses to send. And the challenges, of course, are blessings in and of themselves. I am slowly beginning to learn what it means to thank God for the trials I endure, instead of feeling frustrated and sad over them. I know that my Lord loves me and that everything he does in my life is toward a greater good for me. Even if it's a long, long time before I actually recognize that good.

And these ruminations, of course, remind me that "Happy New Year" is totally a human construct. Years, months, days, minutes, seconds, all are devices that we humans have created in order to make our lives more manageable. That said, there's no reason for me to expect any "year" to be better or worse than any other "year." The only "time" I have is now. That's all any of us ever have.

So what am I doing with my now? I am fighting another sinus infection, that's what! But I'm well-armed with sleep, Vitamin C, essential oils, and Mucinex D. Most importantly, I can tell that God is working to get me healthy again, as I really feel better today than I did when I woke up drowning in gunk in the middle of last night. But that's more detail than any of you wanted to hear, right? ;o)

Anyway....since my head is full of said gunk and I'm wired on medicine, I'm not managing to think very clearly right now. Everything I come up to write about here is pretty random. Please forgive. ;o)

Now, I can say that I haven't painted since September of last "year," which is somewhat frustrating, because I miss my paints and canvases. Plus, ideas for new paintings keep piling up, and at the rate I'm turning them into actuality, I won't be finished before I'm 150 years old. Gah.

Pippin is getting increasingly cuter all the time. She now curls up in my lap every morning at breakfast and purrs and stretches and doesn't even try to get into my food. And anytime she sees Ed or me coming, she flops on the floor and begs to be petted. I don't care what anyone says: I love cats. They have the best personalities in the animal world.

I recently bought several new albums that I'm very much enjoying: KT Tunstall's "Eye to the Telescope" and Sting's "Songs from the Labyrinth." The Sting album is a collaboration between him and Edin Karamazov, and it's a recordning of songs by John Dowland (1563-1626). Gorgeous lyrics, beautiful music. I love it.

Speaking of songs and the like, meaning poetry: In the "year" 2006, I wrote 23 poems, more than I've ever written in one year. This brings me to a total of 109 poems since I started seriously working on my poetry ten years ago. And a grand total of 137 poems penned by Yours Truly. Considering the amount of poetry writing that I have done to date, I am seriously considering looking into getting published. I've always been focused on novel-publishing, so I know nothing about the poetry business....but I think I am finally ready to learn. I am open to helpful hints, suggestions, and caveats!

I've been spending too much time on Myspace. I'm finding that it's even more addictive than Blogger here, which irritates me no end. I don't want to get hooked on yet another (potentially shallow) Internet community! I have enough to do as it is, and already not enough "time" (there's that construct again!) in which to do it! Sometimes, I really do toy with the idea of boycotting all things Internet and going back to handwritten (or at least typed and printed) letters every few months. Does anyone else remember remember with fond nostalgia that restful, simpler time in life before email?!?

That said, I'm laughing at myself for my hypocrisy, because I'm planning to start playing poker online. Yes, I'm getting into the poker craze. There are several friends around here who play frequently, and I've now played twice. It's fun. And no, we never use money, so no worries. I don't approve of gambling. But card-playing is harmless fun. Actually, there's a poker night in progress as I write, but I couldn't go 'cause I'm sick. Gah again.

Well, I think that's enough for now. I'm afraid to write more, for fear of overloading the brains of the one or two people who still read my blog. Ah well, this post will go into my private journal as well, so at least *I* know I'm not writing in vain! ;o)

Confetti to all,
Courtney

one saturday morning....

One frosty Saturday morning outside, Courtney turned to Ed and said,

"Do you suppose we look silly, walking down the street in our matching hooded sweatshirts, carrying our houseshoes, with no coats on?"

I thought that maybe, since no one answers my serious posts even when I ask a direct question, then perhaps someone would feel moved to reply to a silly one.

;oD

look at me, i *am* white and nerdy ;o)

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Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
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And, as usual, if I missed any and you happen to notice, please notify me posthaste. :o)

another late-night random thought

Yes, I'm up late again. But this time, it's for a semi-legit reason: I have to let my stomach settle from Indian food before I can go to sleep. If I lie down now, I'll be up again in three hours anyway. So there ya have it.

In the meantime, a random thought inspired by late-night blog-reading:

I am increasingly shocked and disturbed at how a lot of Christians speak. Specifically, I'm increasingly shocked and disturbed at the words a lot of Christians use in their online communications. I am generalizing, but..... It almost seems as though many of today's Christians shut off all linguistic filters when posting things online (blogs or comments, or in chatrooms, or whatever).

In so many "Christian" blogs or websites or whatever, it's d--- this and f---that and s--- yeah and so on. I'm sure I don't have to spell it out. Forgive me for my "old-fashioned," "antiquated," "intolerant," "judgmental" sense of propriety--but this simply shocks me.

Do they really use this kind of language in everyday life? Or do they just think moral governors don't apply to online communications because those are so much more "anonymous"?

Am I so naive that I don't realize that there are so many Christians who speak this way? Has this become normal?

What about Colossians 3:8-9? Or Ephesians 4:29? Or the numerous other scriptures that deal with the words that should or shouldn't come from a Christian's mouth?

Does Matthew 12:36-37 have no bearing here?

I do not intend for these to be rhetorical questions. What do you think?

the end approacheth

A brief update: On Tuesday, Ed and I will be leaving with the Eberhardts, a Sullivan, and a Möhler to go on this year's Bulgaria trip. You hear that?!? This year, I get to go, too!!!!!! I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!

But more on that later. In the meantime, I'm gleefully anticipating the end of this year's NaNoWriMo! Of course, my glee is quite tempered by the knowledge that I'm going to be traveling and in Bulgaria for the last three days of the writing month. Meaning: After Monday night, I'm not gonna have much time to write. I'm already wondering how I'm going to get to an Internet cafe on Thursday so I can get my word count validated and get my email certificate.

So, things being what they are, I've been writing furiously anytime I could write the last few days. Current statistics:

Cups of coffee: 10
Frustrated pacings through apartment: 12
Possible Titles: 9.5
Definite titles: 2
Characters Behaving In Unexpected Ways: 11 (meaning: all of them)
Times Brain Has Been Close To Fried: 13
Write-Ins: 1
Words: 44418

Words to go: 5582!!!!! You see that bright, sparkly thing??? That's The Light At The End Of The Tunnel!!!!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

why, oh why, do i do this?

Why do I stay up late at night, meandering around the Internet and reading blogs? And I hardly even comment anymore. Because if I comment on one, I feel as though I must comment on all. And that's just WAY too overwhelming. So I say nothing.

I have become a Lurker.

Gah.

I wish Ed would post something on his blog. At least I could comment on his without feeling guilty for not commenting on others'. ;o)

I give. I have a Greek lesson in the morning (yes, Ed and I are taking Greek!), so I'm going to bed!!!

update on NaNo efforts

This year's NaNo Adventure continues, at this point with my reaching a story impasse I'm not sure yet how to get through. My alcoholic heroine is having a fight with the man who won't admit that he loves her, and I'm not sure how it's going to end. Naturally, it all has to come out all right in the end, but I don't know yet how that's going to happen, either.

Oh well, why worry about it? In the meantime, here's a wonderful and extremely humorous distraction:

;oD I love it!

Also, Van and I got together for a little "write-in" today (and please note that we are well-armed with coffee!):

I think we wrote about 2.5 hours, and it was great! We decided we're going to do it again, though we're not sure when. We also want Joel to get in on the community writing action, so we're going to do the time zone coordination thing when he gets back to where he has Internet access.

In the meantime, I remain happily NaNoing away and trying to remember that there is actually a world outside of NaNo during November. (Who'd've thunk?)

Cups of coffee: 5
Frustrated pacings through apartment: 3
Possible Titles: 8
Characters Behaving In Unexpected Ways: 9 (meaning: all of them)
Times Brain Has Been Close To Fried: 7
Write-Ins: 1
Words: 31093

random thoughts on growing up and on rape laws in pakistan

Well, I haven't gotten back into reading people's blogs yet since I got home (to be honest, it's all a little overwhelming right now), but a few minutes ago I read a little bit of my cousin Luke's blog over Ed's shoulder. He mentioned that his brother Andrew turned 19.

Man, do I feel old. This means that Nathan is the only cousin still in high school. All of my "siblings" are growing up. On one hand, I'm glad, because it means we're all continuing on this adventure called life.....and there's so much more adventure to be had after we finally get out of those teen years!

However, it also makes me sad, because I remember the times when *all* of us gathered at Grandma & Grandpa Weger's in the summertime...and as we get older, the times that all of us are together are becoming fewer and fewer. And as we all move away from home, get married, start having kids, it's only natural that we turn more toward our own developing nuclear families, instead of putting as much emphasis on reaching toward the extended part of the family.

I know this is natural...I'm doing it, too...but that doesn't mean that it doesn't make me sad, and that doesn't mean I always have to like it.

In other news......

In Pakistan, they're trying to reform the Islamic laws on rape. In case you didn't know, the current law states that if a woman wants to prove she was raped, she has to provide four male witnesses to the crime. If she can't provide the four male witnesses, the raped woman has to face charges of adultery.

Don't even get me started on what I think about THAT.

The new Pakistani law would relieve women of the obligation of producing the four male witnesses. However, the law still has to pass the upper house. If it passes, it won't look good for President Musharraf, who has lots of supporters who want the current laws to stay in place.

People say that Westerners, with Western ideas and Western morality, have no business interfering the politics of Middle Eastern countries.

Well, how about this:

"Rape is already a common tool of revenge and settling tribal scores in Pakistan. The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimated in 2002 that a woman is raped every two hours and gang-raped every eight hours."

Think about it.

here's why i haven't updated since ed and i got back from oklahoma:

17602 words and counting!!!