reverie

This is something I've been working on for over a month. I'm not sure this is finished nor am I sure I will have anything to add to it at any point, so I figured I might as well share it now. I'm so over summer & these 100+ temps. :P snow whispers white in pine, ash, and birch fingertips of frozen boughs dangle with icicles wintry ornaments gently clanging-- nature's wind chimes above their song a new melody rises lilting laughter-- lighthearted children experience wonder, imprints of angels grace earth's canvas

Please excuse the mess while we make a few changes around here. Yes I invoked the royal we. I feel very monarchical at nearly 2am. Methinks it's time for bed. ;)

I bring you Shark Week meets MSN in this article about how sharks are helpful to people. To be fair some of the list was actually interesting & is potentially promising, but as always some of it is just amusing to me. (Excerpts in italics.) As the oldest-living vertebrates, sharks may provide information on the origin and evolution of all vertebrate species, including humans. Wait we're related to sharks AND monkeys? Why don't we have any cool swimming or tree jumping abilities? Did we decide to develop higher thinking instead of sweet skills? That seems a silly way to have gone. Sharks always draw a crowd when they are safely contained in aquarium exhibits. While such displays remain controversial, they have earned millions of dollars, with some of the monies going to shark-conservation projects. Soooo sharks help humans by making money that goes back into saving sharks? Recent studies indicate that sharks are highly intelligent, with advanced problem-solving skills, s...

Shark Week! (It starts Sunday July 29th for those interested.) I think this is the first time in my life I've actually had cable during Shark Week. I'm very excited. It's odd I realize seeing as I have an unnatural fear of sharks to the extent that every time I think maybe I want to try surfing the Jaws theme begins playing in my head and images of gnashing teeth and torn limbs and blood-filled water flash in my mind. (Note to parents: don't let children watch Jaws 3 before they're even old enough for kindergarten.) And yet I find them oddly fascinating even though I will be no doubt freaked out by a lot of the programming during Shark Week as I always am by that sort of thing. I'm weird. I know.

Apparently scientists can now make artificial sperm which has caused an MSNBC contributor to wonder, " Will science render men unnecessary? " I think the answer to that is clear. Yes. After all men contribute nothing to society aside from the other half of a zygote. It's a wonder we don't cast out men whose swimmers have low motility or potency. I mean, it's not like men are the backbone of society. It's not like we need them to help guide our children into manhood and womanhood. It's not like there are statistics upon statistics showing how detrimental it is for children, especially boys, to grow up without a father present. It's not like we need them to be protectors and advocates and fighters. It's not like men and women were created to serve different purposes and it's not like there is great struggle when one is forced into a position not meant to be his or hers. I could go on and on but I think you get the point. If you didn...

My roommate is out of town for the second weekend in a row. I don't like it when she's gone. Luckily Shauna was in town last weekend, so that helped as she is fantastic to hang out with. But this weekend I am all alone at home & I very much don't like it. I feel like doing something or talking to someone but nothing I can do by myself sounds particularly fun and if I continue to talk to my teddy bear I'm pretty sure he's gonna call the guys in the white coats . . . again. ( Sidenote : this is not true. I don't talk to my teddy bear . . . anymore. Seriously though I don't & never did. I'm not crazy just super bored.) Anyway, I don't really have anything to say. Try as I might over the past 18 days nothing seems worthwhile enough to post up here. This doesn't either, but hopefully it is enough to appease the masses for a bit. I am sorry if you are bored and this is one of your only forms of entertainment. I understand really, f...

Fabric softener is one of my favorite things. I will not do laundry if I am out of fabric softener, save for dire needs when a trip to Target is impossible, but that is rare. For the past couple of years I have been using Downy Clean Breeze. It has served me well, softened my clothes and left just a hint of it's clean breezy goodness behind. This week when I went to purchase a new bottle of Downy I intended to stick with my tried & true scent, but then something new caught my eye: Downy Tahitian Waterfall. I smelled it and was intrigued. I checked out the other new scents, reminded myself of the aroma of my standard, and decided to go with something new. I must say I am very pleased with that choice. :) I know, I'm a nerd. But next time you find yourself in Target (or at my house) check it out, it's quite delightful.

Good ol ' MSN never fails to disappoint. I found an article in the Faith-Based subsection of their Dating articles section entitled "8 great first dates." (I figured it would be a treasure trove of amusement.) My comments in italics. Here are the suggested dates: 1. Putt-putt your way to love. “A miniature golf course is fun and you can talk,” says Jon Caroulis of Philadelphia, PA. “But make sure you have a backup plan in case it rains or if it’s too hot or too chilly.” Tip: If you’re a scratch golfer, give up a stroke or two in the interest of building a good relationship. Mini golf is definitely a good idea. It's fun; it's outdoorsy. It gives you a good idea what kind of sport the other person is -- it's a good sign if they aren't great at it but can still have fun & be goofy, or if they're great at it but don't take it too seriously. FYI Keith, I read this article after suggesting that we go mini golfing. 2. Serve others. “I’m pr...

. . . of Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo! Penguins! A big turtle! And a niece! It's hard to tell from this picture, but the meerkat in the front looks like he lost his left eye in a knife fight with a younger, cockier meerkat. I bet the San Diego zoo doesn't have any miscreant meerkats. An Amish field trip to the zoo. (My mom says they're not Amish, but I can't remember what she said they were, either way still awesome.)

I noticed this flower in a pipe in a curb outside of my friend Rachel's house as we arrived there yesterday morning for breakfast. Things like this tend to catch my eye. Sometimes I feel silly taking pictures of them, but "it helps me remember, and I need to remember. Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in." A pretty flower growing in this dark and dank place, I can imagine few better metaphors for hope in an often weary world. Here's hoping that you all are able to see the flowers this week more so than the stagnant water and cobwebs that would delight in snuffing them out. This past week and weekend have been amazing for me, I can barely wrap my head around it. There is much to tell and somehow too few words with which to tell it. If my mind ever finds a coherent way to articulate such things I promise to share. For now let's just say I got my May Day basket this year and it...

For some reason until today I had forgotten about all these pieces I had written for my Rhetoric class in college. It was one of my favorite courses and probably the one that I think of most frequently in every day life situations. I wrote the following piece for a rhetoric of persuasion assignment. I have taken some artistic license with the retelling of the most specific details, but I assure you it holds true to the event. It was the summer of 1986 and we had just moved into our new house. My parents were busy unpacking various boxes and my little brother Raj and I were playing in his brand new bedroom. I was four years old, but even from that young age I knew I wanted to be an artist. Sitting in my brother’s room I decided that we should draw a picture for my parents. After all, the crayons and markers were one of the few things already unpacked and parents like it when their children draw for them, or so I thought. I asked Raj to help and he would have agreed save for...

Don't worry this post is not risque. Nor am I extolling the virtues of Vin Diesel's cinematic achievements. But rather I write to tell you about my new favorite vitamin water called XXX. It is called such because it is packed with triple antioxidants from acai, blueberry, and pomegranate. It is very yummy. Plus you have enjoy any product with witty banter printed on it's labels. *Edit* Just saw this thanks to Keith. If this doesn't convince you of the awesomeness of vitamin water, nothing will. :)

Oh God you are, you are our help You are our helper Through all generations you will be Forever and ever Our shield and our eternal hope, oh Lord You are the Ancient of Days and worthy of our praise I alluded to it before , but a couple of years ago when I was going through a really rough time I used to wake up with that song in my head every morning. Every morning. It was as if God was greeting me and lifting up my head. Calling to my Israelite heart, saying I brought you to this place, do you think I will leave you alone in the desert? As I got off the phone tonight with a new friend, whose presence in my life is a blessing that words fail to encompass, only a smile can suffice, that song popped into my head. Clearly (well hopefully it's clear) not out of a place of despair but this time rooted simply in praise and adoration. A couple weeks a go I had a very difficult conversation with someone I love dearly. And something was said to me that devastated my heart. Since the...

For my 13th birthday one of my friends gave me Freesia products from Bath & Body Works. This was in the early days of B&BW's heyday and so it was my first personal contact with them. And I discovered that I loved the fragrance. Around that time most people were enjoying Country Apple and Sun-Ripened Raspberry. But Freesia was different and wonderful. And so it became the only scent I wore for several years. Then one fateful day in 2001 (I believe) something terrible happened and they discontinued Freesia. And so I began the arduous task of visiting every B&BW in Omaha searching for any products I could snatch up, which thankfully ended up being a decent number. Then a short time later something fantastic happened and B&BW introduced Sheer Freesia. It was new and slightly different & I was skeptical at first, but I came to enjoy it even more than original Freesia. And so without interruption I was able to continue wearing my favorite fragrance in its new...

No my plane is not crashing, neither literally nor metaphorically thanks to the support of friends and a fun & ridiculous late night conversation with my sister. One of the things we discussed is my 3rd favorite holiday after President's Day and Arbor Day. Kidding, the top 2 are actually Christmas and Thanksgiving. President's day is a quasi-favorite as it means a day off on or around my birthday, but when it falls on my birthday it means no mail which is no fun. Anyway the holiday coming in at number 3 for me is May Day which falls on May 1 every year. It's the most delightful & whimsical holiday that most people have never heard of. Sad fact. If you have heard of May Day, please let me know. If you have not, do not fear I am about to explain it to you. :) The specific origins of May Day seem to be untraceable, but my research seems to indicate that it dates back to a Roman festival of Spring. As many of our holidays and traditions find their roots in Anc...

Today isn't sitting well with me. And that's strange because it wasn't a bad day. In fact on paper it would look like a great day. I had normal Saturday breakfast with the girls where we made chocolate chip pancakes and talked about boys. Or rather the other girls talked about boys, I was rather untalkative today. Then a quick trip to Target with Nicole where I bought a few of my favorite things: Care Bear bandaids, the new issue of Real Simple, and Diet Coke plus (that's Diet Coke with vitamins!). After we came home I ate cereal for lunch while watching my Red Sox beat the Yankees. :) Then I cooked sweet corn cake and pbj cheesecake bars (which I made up for a recipe contest & they're fabulous btw). And tonight was spent at a friend's house. Admittedly I was not in a social enough mood to be there, but I spent most of the evening playing with a tiny puppy so it was okay in that respect. And somehow I am sitting here at the end of a theoretically ...

This was on Postsecret * some time ago. It makes my heart happy. I have just started reading the book New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton thanks to Keith's recommendation. When I told my mom the other night I was stopping by Barnes & Noble on my way home to look for the book she suggested I have Raj buy the book for me with his employee discount. I had considered that, but immediacy seemed more important to me than saving a bit. And page 1 proved it was worth it, "[Contemplation] knows the Source, obscurely, inexplicably, but with a certitude that goes both beyond reason and beyond simple faith." That makes my heart happy too. I really needed to hear it this week. I know God exists too. *(Please note: content on Postsecret is not always suitable for all ages.)

castles in the sky collide with reality rainbow words were spoken in their echoes rings a regression of hope fading expectations from ears unready to hear despair yearns to claim me and steal my faith for you it's damaged I admit but a resilient heart cannot be long held down half truths only serve to further desire for ardent intercession

(I warn you from the beginning that this is decently long, but I promise it is chock full of the humor & wit & delight & emotion you have come to enjoy here, so try to get through it all you won't be disappointed . . . and if you are I owe you a cookie.) ;) While I do consider myself to be quite a fine sister, something I think you'll find my siblings will corroborate, I do not write this post to extol my own virtues but rather in honor of my sister Amber. Every time Raj mentions a sib in a post he makes her name a link to her blog. I say her because while we are blessed with another brother, he claims to be morally opposed to blogging which is really just an excuse for him to keep his brilliant wit locked in his mind and away from a mass public who may not yet be ready to handle it. Suffice to say, only Raj's sisters blog, thus any sibling mention/blog links would result in the feminine pronoun. Anyway, I like that he does that but I will entrust you to s...

I've been thinking of getting pink highlights lately, like Joss Stone. More so like what she has toward the bottom, not so much the lighter pink she has on top. I don't want to get them because Joss Stone has them, but rather despite that. It's not that I particularly like or dislike her, I'm just indifferent. And I'm not really in the habit of making life decisions based on what celebrities do. I mean, they all do seem to really have their lives put together & have excellent decision making skills ;) but I kind of just like to think for myself. And I think it would be fun. Perhaps this is something I shall explore over the summer. :)