Wordless Wednesdays with Grandma

Fowl Ball

Young's Life's grandest tradition: Turkey Bowling!



No turkeys were harmed during this game. Well, okay, three. But there were no fowl balls, and leftovers to spare. (You know you are just gobbling up these puns.)

Having apparently avoided contracting any form of salmonella sickness, I am off to pick up my mom at the airport soon. She and my dad were in Florida last weekend for my cousin's wedding, flew home Sunday, Monday morning she taught kindergarten, then had conferences, taught this morning, and flew out here in the afternoon. Whew! Grandchildren are quite the stamina-boosters, it seems. But how am I going to keep up?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Deep Thought

Bill Ford Jr.: has not taken a salary since 2005.

Matt Millen: employed and paid until 2008.

Now that is just WRONG!

Sunday

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message,
so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ.

Colossians 4:2-3

Overheard at Nap Time

Sound: Squeeeee.

Sound of door opening.

Aaron: Ah, nooooo.

She was playing the harmonica. She'd reached through the crib bars and pulled it from the toy pile.

A musician never rests (when she's supposed to).

Crack(er)ing Me Up

In a stunning (for me) exercise of foresight, I did my grocery shopping today for Thanksgiving and beyond. Anna was kind of a weenie in the cart when she got bored, but a relative angel at the checkout, so we'll call it a wash. I don't know why the Goldfish crackers which were sheer heaven last shopping trip were cast away with a howl this time, but whatever. She's two like that sometimes.

Yesterday, in fact, she was having some kind of irrational cracker spaz-out before dinner. She asks for crackers or Goldfish a lot, and I was going to let her have some as I was getting dinner ready. I even let her choose. Power to the two-year-old people and all that. Goldfish, graham cracker sticks, or regular crackers--she pointed at the regular crackers and surprisingly did not demand the opposite .75 seconds later.

However, there was an opened sleeve of the same crackers on the counter already, so I gave her one of those. NO WAY. CRACKERS is what I demand, you tricksy mama! THOSE CRACKERS, FROM THE BOX. I tried to show her that they're the same. That one's not open; this one is. See, I'll demonstrate how good they are.

NO YOU WILL NOT, I WILL SMACK IT AWAY FROM YOU TOO, CRACKERS FROM THE BOX NOW OR I WILL DIEEEEEEEEE HERE ON THIS KITCHEN FLOOR! CRAAAAAAACKERRRRRRRRR!

A tad dramatic sometimes, that one.

I tried to get her in her chair and started on some food--there were actual tears by now. Pasta and cracker were rejected. Fishsticks were grudgingly accepted since they arrived with a side of banana. When all else fails, resistance to the banana is futile. And it works as a gateway drug to fishsticks and crackers. Even crackers from a previously opened sleeve.

Whatever, girl. You can have your crackers moods; I have the bananas. And she who holds the bananas will always be victorious.

Wordless Wednesday: Series of Tubes

X Marks the Part

Here are a couple hairstyles I've tried for Anna semi-recently.

First, just to change up the parts so she doesn't get perma-part, I tried an X marks the spot do:



Also, the cutest overalls ever.

A week or so ago I tried a veil style for the first time. For a first attempt I thought it looked decent and it stayed pretty well. It would be cute with colored rubber bands, I think, but mine were cheapies that kept breaking, so I used black and put the little clippies in.



I think I may need to try some new products because her hair and scalp seem a bit dry lately. I've been putting it off because I'll have to buy online. I also want to attempt some cornrows and twists. But my first attempts may not be blog-worthy--except to provide humor.

Sunday

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! . . .

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.

1 John 3:1-2

When One Part Rejoices, All Rejoice

I have been holding these thoughts in my heart for over a week now, trying to find true enough words. I also wanted to be sensitive to those disappointed in the election results, because I know that can be difficult. But a couple friends who voted differently took the time to graciously say congratulations, good work for your candidate. And besides the fact that I did so, so little, here’s the thing: sure, I’m happy and proud for me. But I’m rejoicing for these brothers and sisters:

Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, election night

When one part rejoices, every part rejoices with it.

Oh, yes, I’m pleased that Obama won and hopeful that he will be a wise president and bring about progress on health care and other things that concern me. I’m relieved that the election was not decided by prejudice or muddied by recounts. I’m thankful that all those who gave up so much to do so much for what they believe in could see their labors pay off and encouraged by the level of determination to participate in democracy.

But my deepest happiness is for those to whom this means so much, much more: our fellow citizens who because of color have felt (even if they didn’t really realize it until now) not quite represented, not quite included in the possibilities, not quite sure they would ever see a brown, bold, beautiful first family like this one. The grandchildren of slaves, the survivors of Jim Crow, the marchers and riders and friends of the martyrs, the millions who have borne the burdens of our tangled American history—this means something to them that it never quite could to me, and I am proud that America has affirmed their hope.

I hope we can all recognize the significance of this moment for many of our brothers and sisters even if we do not feel the same or voted differently. We can be happy or disappointed about the electoral outcome, and for me, I am happy—but for black America, I rejoice. I share in their joy in a spiritual way knowing this was more than a political moment. We share it as a human moment.

I rejoice for John Lewis.

I rejoice for Jesse Jackson.

I rejoice for Ebenezer Baptist Church.

I rejoice for the black boy of about nine who tried to explain what it means—“It means no one can tell you you can’t do something . . . No limitations . . .”—but he choked up so badly he had to sit down, his friend patting him comfortingly on the back.

Their joy, pride, and emotion has humbled me and brought me to tears many times this week. I hope we can all recognize the significance of this moment for many of our brothers and sisters even if we do not feel the same or voted differently. We can be happy or disappointed about the electoral outcome and still share in their joy in a spiritual way knowing this was more than a political moment. We share it as a human moment.

What does it mean for the future? Who knows. Black Americans know better than most that inequalities don’t disappear because somebody shared a nice moment. We are not now “post-racial”; we are not “colorblind.” The absurdity of this should be as plain as the ridiculousness of Steven Colbert telling a guest on his show, “I don’t see color, but I’m told that you’re black. Is that true?” Of course he sees color. We all see color, and there is nothing wrong with that. I see color, I see hair—I see brown skin and cornrows on the White House lawn, and it is a beautiful sight!

For me, right now, it means just one less question my daughter will ask: “Why aren’t there any brown presidents?” (A thousand more will still test my—our country’s—ability to answer.)

It means the possibility of seeing one of the first daughters on TV and saying, “Anna, check out Sasha’s twists—should we try your hair that way tomorrow?”

It means many who sometimes felt not quite represented now feel more connected to the community that is our nation, and that is a good, good thing.

It means our children may believe, and that is the greatest of all.

These two boys waited as a long line of adults greeted Senator Obama before a rally on Martin Luther King Day in Columbia, S.C. They never took their eyes off of him. Their grandmother told me, “Our young men have waited a long time to have someone to look up to, to make them believe Dr. King’s words can be true for them.” Jan. 21, 2008. © Callie Shell / Aurora for Time

LINKS for perspective:
"In Our Lifetimes" by Henry Louis Gates at The Root
"Free Our Minds" by Lynne Duke at The Root
"The Imagery of Tuesday" at Jack & Jill Politics (I encourage you to read the comments on some of these election night and day after threads)
"We Rejected So Much History and So Many Rules That Have Bound Us" by Baratunde Thurston
"Daring to Dream of a Black President," leading black voices share what it means to them

In a Word

I decided to do this meme that's been floating around since it's fast and easy. And you know me--above all, I'm lazy.

Only one-word answers allowed!

Where is your mobile phone? bag

Where is your significant other? downstairs

Your hair color? brown
Your mother? chatty

Your father? mellow

Your favorite thing? laughter

Your dream last night? employer?
Your dream goal? writer

The room you’re in? office

Your hobby? forgotten

Your fear? insurancelessness

Where do you want to be in 6 years? home

Where were you last night? home

What you’re not? driven

One of your wish-list items? sabbatical

Where you grew up? Michigan

The last thing you did? eat

What are you wearing? schlumpadinka

Your TV? calling

Your pets? shedding

Your computer? addiction

Your mood? work-avoidant

Missing someone? yes
Your car? mommyvan
Something you’re not wearing? trends
Favorite shop? Target

Your summer? uncertain

Love someone? many!

Your favourite colour? yellow

When is the last time you laughed? dinnertime

When is the last time you cried? yesterday


Next to meme? You!

Wordless Wednesday

Neither Amish Nor Friendly

Amish Friendship Bread is neither Amish nor friendly. Discuss.

Okay, I'll start.

First of all, I'm not even sure it's bread.

Second, when did the Amish start using Ziploc bags and boxed instant vanilla pudding?

Third, giving it is not a sign of friendship. It's more like a curse. Every ten days it multiplies to four times its original size. I guess I am supposed to make three friends a week, because I ran out of my original friends. Or we're not friends any more after I infected their houses with this stuff. It's like giving them Gremlins.

Fourth, due to the inclusion of the Amish Boxed Instant Pudding (see point 2), should one attempt to get ahead of the multiplication curve (see point 3) by making a double batch (who the heck has 8 Ziploc bags and friends to spare?) and in the process accidentally omit some ingredient . . . such as, say, apparently, flour . . . one will have invented the newly trademarked Amish Charcoal Cement. It is a lovely substance, with an oily, goopy center cradled in an impenetrable coal crust. Even after five days of soaking, scientists have been unable to completely eradicate it from the pan.

I think I would like to go back to banana bread. Can someone stop by with a metal spoon and an exorcist?

Manic Monday

Yesterday was really one of those Mondays that's so very . . . Monday!

Aaron has been having terrible back pain. A while ago he had some tight muscles and muscle spasms, but this round is more in his side and chest as well as back, like the way his ribs hurt after his heart surgery. So Friday he got an x-ray and Monday the doctor was supposed to look at it.

In the afternoon I was trying to get my mishmash of a Young Life talk straightened out so I would only make a fool of myself during the humorous parts of the evening, not while trying to be deep and wise. No small task. In the middle of naptime Aaron came home to quickly drop off all the stuff for Club because the doctor was trying to work him in and he didn't know how long it would take. The doctor decided to make him go get a CT scan--which is fine since the x-ray was useless and better safe than sorry, but this was at 5:00. So he headed to the hospital, I rushed to try to get Anna fed and ready to drop off with the sitter, remember all the Club stuff, pick up Aaron's pain prescription, figure out if I had to pick up any kids, and try to get to the Clubhouse before the student leaders got there (I failed but another leader was there).

We had to alter Club plans a bit since Aaron couldn't go doing any crazy dance moves again(!) and we were just hoping he'd make it in time. He did, and Club went well considering how frazzled at least I felt. Perhaps we are funnier when we mess up than when we rehearse!

All that to say, I'm glad my talk is done with and I can get back to battling dishes, dog hair, and editing deadlines--all of which seem to lurk around every corner around here.

No actual diagnosis from the doctor yet--message was nothing serious, we'll call back. I will update if there's anything to tell.

Lame Update of the Week

I have finally kicked my cough, though once I finished some rush work on Sunday, I still was low on productivity. Somehow I was still in a fog this week, and Wednesday I was an emotional wreck. Finally yesterday I was able to make progress on my Young Life talk for Monday and some work. Really really need to work lots this next week before the cash flow issues get out of hand.

We got a gianormous TV this week. I mean really ridiculously big. Someone from church was looking to get rid of it and offered it to us. Does my husband ever turn down free electronics? Of course not. And when did he start moving out the old TV and messing with all the wires and receiver? Oh, on Tuesday, just as East Coast polls were closing. NOT COOL. I started getting twitchy watching static as Ohio was about to be called, but he got things plugged in in time for everything important. Waltino was here for a while helping with the TV, the eating of chili, and the exchanging of celebratory terrorist fist jabs (offered for Aaron's bemusement).

No word yet on Waltino's bid for write-in mayoral runner-up. Perhaps it's in a recount. We concede nothing.

Tomorrow our super TV will hopefully bring us the sight of the Lions' first win--though I have stopped holding my breath and almost stopped caring. Unbelievable, I know. Call it a case of "You have to laugh at yourself, because you'd cry your eyes out if you didn't."

Speaking of the Lions losing . . . my mom is coming out for Thanksgiving, only two and a half weeks away.

Meanwhile we are missing my cousin's wedding in Florida and the funeral of one of Aaron's aunts, in Michigan. Of course both families would like to have us present and we would love to go, but that's not remotely practical or possible at this time. The un-joys of living far away. We send our thoughts and prayers.

That's all the update I can muster right now--I should be working.

My Punkins

Too much going on to post anything else picture post...Anna with Daddy and her punkinbear!

Wordless Wednesday

Small Town Values

My girl America, stop can't you see
It's not the circumstances that determine who you're gonna be
But how you deal with these problems and pains that come your way

It's for you that I pray with hope for a brighter day
And so I say, your deliverance is coming

Don't stop believing, my girl America

Mat Kearney, "Girl America"

Get out and vote!

Saturday Bullet-in

Bullet point post!

• I am still sickish. This cough is just hanging around. Annoying to self and others.
• I got really behind on my work (what else is new?) and will need every hour I can squeeze out of this weekend. Thank goodness for Deadline Savings Time!
• We had something going on every night this week. Again. (Result: see above.)
• What I'd really like to do today is sit on the couch with roasted pumpkin seeds and watch about five hours of the TV shows we haven't had time to watch. (See above and above and above.)
• Homecoming festivities were grand. Anna wore her pumpkin vest and hat getup last night. Because she doesn't get enough comments about her cuteness already--riiiiiiight. She was terribly wiggly and tired by halftime, though, so we bailed out early.
  
• I have a billion pictures to go through so I can post some and yes, send to relatives. Hopefully soon.