My Ten Things

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
Teaching school in SC and planning on moving to Denver where I could heal my broken heart... Jay and I had split earlier in the month.

2. What were you doing one year ago?
Teaching one class at Seattle Christian, tutoring, driving Harper to kindergarten, avoiding housework.

3. What are five snacks you enjoy?
cookies and milk, tortillas 'n' cheese dip, ice cream, Cheetos, hummus on almost anything

4. What are five songs that you know the lyrics to?
Solsbury Hill/Peter Gabriel, One Angry Dwarf/Ben Folds, Git Back Honkey Cat/Elton John, Rich Girl/Hall & Oates, Copa Cabana/Barry Manilow

5. Name five things you would do if you were a millionaire.
vacation to England/Scotland, vacation to Greece/Italy, new house on East coast, sponsor a missionary school, hire a maid and personal trainer

6. Name five bad habits.
not throwing away your own trash, making mouth noises, avoiding dish-washing, not putting away clothes, complaining as soon as you wake up in the morning

7. What are five things you like to do?
reading at coffee shop, take very hot baths in dim lighting, stay up late watching TV by myself, going to movies, having frozen drink nights with the hubby

8. What are your five favourite toys?
digital SLR camera, label maker..... Hmmm, I guess I really don't like toys much

9. What are five things you would never wear?
fuzzy top hat from the fair, dog collar, sequin mini skirt, orange convict jumpsuit, diving gear

10. Name five things you hate to do.
raking leaves, extensive mathematical computations, filing, anything to do with Ebay, playing volleyball

After-School Comments

Monday: "Spencer told me he knows how to hypnotize. He's going to bring me instructions tomorrow."

Tuesday: "Katie gave me her phone number and told me to call her as soon as I get home." (and thus it begins...)

Wednesday: "Dad says Spencer is pulling my leg. So I told him that I have a time machine and I traveled back to yesterday."

Thursday: "I need to make my homework look good. Mrs. Matthews is a big look-gooder. She's also a big recycler. It's good for the goverment."

Friday: "How do you build a time machine? I need to make one by Monday."

Hall and the Other Guy

Courtesy of Jay's cell phone at concert.

A 9th and a 1st

Last night was our anniversary. My husband of nine years and I celebrated over dinner and gifts along with our daughter of six years. Today was also Harper's first day of first grade, and she was far more excited about our anniversary than going to school. She presented each of us with gifts: I received a handmade book about her favorite flavors of ice cream along with a drawing of "mommy and daddy sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g." Her father received a Chicken Jet.

James, true to tradition in every way, marked year nine with pottery. Thus, I received a large pasta bowl in our wedding registry pattern, plus matching smaller bowls and a promise of new glassware to come. I gave him a cloth hardback Wodehouse anthology. I cannot imagine being in love with a man who doesn't love Wodehouse. Nor can I imagine being married to anyone besides the dear old chap who inspired the Chicken Jet.

Taste and See

I like to sit around and think about stuff. Poke around on the Internet and figure stuff out. But I realize that, mostly, I just like to be right. Reasoning leads to a nice neat pattern, and patterns are easy to live in. Just like I prefer to sleep in a tightly made bed, with lots of perfect right angles.

It occurs to me, however, that God is not much interested in all that. The Apostle Paul, who knew a great deal more about God than anyone alive today, said he saw "through a glass darkly." And, lest we forget it, "even the demons believe." So me having things figured out might not be all that important after all. I think the best moments of knowing God -- "being a Christian" -- have very little to do with creed. Certainly, we need to study the Word if we expect to recognize God's voice when it comes a-whispering. But the Still Small Voice doesn't usually speak in syllogisms or theorems. He speaks in gut-level conviction, hate-melting love, and poetry-breathing beauty.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good." You know, tasting has not a whit to do with logic. It's purely sensual. Requires savoring. Stillness. Sometimes, I really just need to shut up.