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)