slacker

Piles of laundry, piles of mail, empty refrigerator... Who wants to run errands and do work when its sunny and 70 degrees outside? Obviously not me.

oh yes they did

I have a picture of my grandparents that was taken at their recent 60^th wedding anniversary party. Sixty years... impressive, eh? I told them I wanted a picture of them together on the couch. They made a production of getting situated on the couch and without saying a word to each other, yet in perfect unison they turned their heads away from each other and this was their pose.

They are the most unique couple I know. Its sort of like southern bell meets mad Romanian. Frank Costanaza meets Julia Sugarbaker. With these two you can expect the unexpected. I’m talking all kinds of brazen, unfiltered fun. Lest you doubt, for your reading pleasure, here are a few quotables from just one evening with my dear grandparents:

(my grandpa to my grandma)

“Honey, you’re looking terrible in your old age. But I love ya.”

“When you kiss an old woman you don’t kiss her lips you kiss her wrinkles cuz it all looks alike.”

My grandpa gave me a shoulder massage. I asked if I felt tense and he responded, “It is tight but I’m used to your grandma and she’s half dead, so….”

My grandma gives it right back in all her quick-witted glory.

These are only a few of the one-liners from the evening. I wasn't quick enough to write them all down. Sometimes we laugh. Sometimes we're in shock. Thanksgiving sure is interesting.

I love these two and they brightened what would have otherwise been a very long Saturday. Thank you grandparents!

good times

Yesterday we went to Kenny’s hometown which is about an hour and a half southeast of here. It is surprising that even though his hometown isn’t far from the city at all, it still exemplifies heartland, small town country living.

We went there to hang out with family but also for those little suckers on the right. His family had been hunting for them for the past several days and we reaped the benefit.

These incredibly yummy mushrooms are called morels. I hadn’t heard of these until I married a country folk – its one of the perks. There are rather specific criteria to finding these little gems, and if you’re in the know, evidently you can find them around these parts too. The specificity is a little crazy though… for example, they grow for only a couple of weeks at the beginning of spring. You find them after a cool spring night after a little rain, around elms, preferably dead elms whose trunks have fallen to the ground, in a wooded area, near a river bed, facing north, standing on one foot, bending over touching the ground with your elbow, tongue hanging out, wearing Birkenstocks, etc. etc.

Last night we ate the mushrooms and lots more with the whole family out on my mother-in-law's screened in back porch. There was a cool spring breeze and the scent of pending rain. As it grew darker, a storm started rolling in. There is something beautifully appealing about being out in the country on a night like last night.

And then we went home. And it was good to be back.

Meme

I have been tagged to do a meme by my friend, Becca. The rules are list 7 things that people may not know about me and then tag someone else.

1. I’m sure many know this already but I'll admit to it out loud anyway… my sense of humor is more stereotypically male. Kenny is more the clever type (which I actually find funny as well). I like to say or do completely off the wall things to get a reaction out of my husband. My son has the same humor. Kenny should be afraid. Very afraid.

2. When I'm around people I remember eye color, mannerisms typical to a person, and ideas people have.

3. Unless you point it out, I will very rarely if ever remember things like outfits, accessories, shoes or hair style.

4. Being landlocked in the good ole US of A drives me nuts. It tends to drive me more nuts in the spring and summer.

5. I want to try rock climbing. It looks like something I would love to do.

6. I think people whom one could categorize as “alternative” are really cool.

7. I miss my Nalgene bottle so much. I am totally sad I have had to part with it. I guess I don’t have to, but just in case I could be drinking toxic polycarbonate estrogen mimicking #7 plastic particles, I decided it better to refrain.

I tag a fellow new blogger... my friend Christy H.

Kenny + Amy = Ben

Physical: he has my eye shape, mouth, skin tone and hair color. He has Kenny’s body, height, smile and profile. He has greenish/hazel eyes which are traits on both sides of the family.

Personality: He has Kenny’s sweet and kind personality, his perceptiveness, and giving heart. He has my sense of interpreting people and the surrounding environment and my sense of humor (poor Kenny).

Music: DMB (duh)

Temperment: He has my strength and Kenny's gentleness. He has my determination and Kenny's leadership.

Activity: He likes to help clean the house (me), fix things (Kenny), cook (me) make coffee (Kenny), he loves being outside (me) and trying things by himself (Kenny), he enjoys books and going to Borders (Kenny and me), he loves going to coffee shops (Kenny and me), and he loves music (Kenny and me).

Television choices: Other than Sesame Street he likes to watch poker (Kenny), cooking shows (me), Dave and Tim or Dave Matthew’s Band DVD’s (Kenny and me), and reality TV (me). Ben, however, is only allowed only to watch Jon and Kate Plus Eight but for mommy there are no depths of low that won’t be plunged I mean fewer constraints.

What a high calling and privilege to be entrusted with the task of shaping and molding another little human.

Interesting...

Last night Kenny and I went to a discussion forum. The topic was, Are We Really Safe? We discussed whether or not we can truly guard against mishaps, disease, circumstance... Are our homes safe? Neighborhoods? Our lives? What makes a place or person truly safe? What and/or who do we put trust in to ensure safety? Is that trust well put? Can we really control who and what is safe? etc. etc.

Then this morning a little past 4:30 we had an earthquake large enough to rattle and shake our entire house.

Kinda freaky, wouldn't you say?

Dignity and Depravity

Yesterday afternoon we were on the way home from Kenny’s work and as we got off the highway there was a disheveled and worn man at the exit. This was a strange sight because we don’t see that kind of thing in these parts. He was clearly out of place, wearing fatigues and a flannel - not appropriate for the 70 degree day. His forlorn face was unseasonably tanned and his eyes were penetrating. He had a sign that he flashed all passersby. Down On Luck, it read. He limped up and down the exit’s shoulder as new traffic became accessible.

Anytime I see this sort of thing I play this fantasy in my mind where I boldly go and speak life to that person whether it be in word or gesture. But in reality I just sit there. Keep him in my periphery. And I wonder, what hand was this guy dealt that brought him right here…right now?

I was snapped out of my fantasy as two officers walked in front of our car, in front of the car to the left of me and then over to this man. They were not rough, but immediately turned him around and began patting him down. Right there - in front of the whole line of cars. The light turned green and my saddened heart went on its way home with my adorable son and my beloved husband.

For safety reasons and simple logistics, I know we are told the best way to help someone like this is to point them to resources and not necessarily give money. But even hours later when I was at home this man stuck with me. It made my heart sad. I felt so sorry for the despair and, well, the brokenness of it all.

The situation made me think about how all of humanity bears the image of the Creator. Even this man. I went back through the file cabinet in my mind trying to recall things I learned years earlier in a Counseling course in grad school. I learned things like how I am called to discern dignity and depravity. I am to spend time in my day working against the effects of the fall… wherever I am, whatever the situation, with whatever equipment I’ve been divinely assigned at the time. All of man has a mix of glory and grief, beauty and brokenness, love and lust, sinned against and being a sinner. Francis Schaeffer called us a “glorious ruin.” Isn’t that so very true? So how do I usher redemptive truth, speaking and acting words and deeds of life in a situation like this? As I think about that I am immediately reminded of the dire importance that I be equipped at all times as a redeemed image bearer. I'm put here for a purpose... to discern the difference between dignity and depravity, to speak and act redemptively, to breath life as I have been given it, in every piece of fallnesses. What a tall order. Thank God I'm not left to my own strength and devices to accomplish it. We'd most certainly all be in trouble!

oops

Fact: we live almost on top of our neighbors. Where our driveway ends, their lawn begins. Also, we have a monstrous slope to our driveway. It is so bad that when we first moved in I was scared to reverse down it because I felt like I was going to flip over backwards.

Fact: we’ve had flood inducing rain in the Midwest for several weeks. The neighbor’s sump pump shoots the flood waters out onto our driveway/edge of their lawn multiple times a day.

I knew it was bad when I was reversing down our driveway and my wheels were spinning but I wasn’t moving. Ben was shouting, "Awcate, mommy! Awcate!" (awcate = chocolate) pointing from his car seat to the driblets on the car windows.

Lovely.

My dear husband, with no complaints, would always faithfully go outside when he got home from work and repair my damage (did I mention I did this more than once?). He also went on my behalf to the neighbor's house and apologized for my complete disregard for the welfare of their sump pump soaked slush of a lawn. He protects me and takes such good care of me. He's my hero!

Father knows best

Have you ever had a circumstance that you have prayed to come out a certain way and you just knew this particular way was good? Really good?
.............................
You know your desired outcome is pleasing to God. Have you ever known in your heart of hearts this is how it is meant to be? And all the universe seems to align with your mind's eye that this is the right way? No, the perfect way? You pray and feel the peace. You've read the Word and it seems to speak directly to your circumstance. Have you ever felt you've read the very words that affirm your determined outcome is the best scenario going?

The circumstance comes to pass. And it's turned out nothing like you thought it would - have you ever experienced that? From all appearances everything you thought to be accurate... isn't. Have you ever questioned that you ever even heard from God in the first place? Even though earlier on you knew that you knew that you knew? Yeah... me too.

Thankyouverymuch

Do you even know the belaboring that went into deciding to do a blog? Whew, I've worn myself out. It goes something like this:

Am I an unrelenting narcissist?
--But I have something to say.

Do I really have anything intelligible to say?
--I have time enough to read many other blogs which trigger much thought and desire to interact, and yes, I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.

But does anyone really care what you have to say?
--Does it really matter what anyone else thinks?

Then why am I doing this anyway?
--I love to write, I love to share, I love to think, I want to interact...

What if I don't want to do it anymore and this is out there forever? Then what?
--Then I can just stop... and delete.

What about stalkers?
--I used to be a mental health social worker, do I really need to be concerned about this now?

And on it goes. With much encouragement from my husband to just do it already, I have decided to take the leap. Now I am very excited to be here.

I'll take a bow for myself right now because I finally did it. Thankyouverymuch.