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Sunday, 18 October 2009

  • Today

    It has been too long and that poor page has sat there, desolate and abandoned. I haven't truly abandoned it; just side tracked for awhile.

    There are so many things I realized I didn't want to forget myself, and really the reason I blog. My memory is crap. So, I write it all down and you poor souls drag your eyes over the words, sucked into the craziness of my life.

    Welcome. I'm glad you're along for the ride.

    I'll write about my first Seahawks game tomorrow. :) My first game!!

Tuesday, 12 May 2009

  • Mommy update

    Conrad has been so much fun lately!
    We were walking through the store and he started saying, "Mmmmmmeat!" No particular reason except I'd told him that was why we were there. We'd already picked up the sausage for dinner, but he was relishing the word. We played with it back and forth: Meeeeeeat! meat (whispered) Muhmuhmuh eeeat!
    He is in that parrot stage.
    Just after dinner, Mike looked across the table and said, "Thank you, Dear." I said, "You're welcome."
    Conrad said, "Tankooo ear!"
    He had to say it a few times before we could figure it out.
    Figuring out a standard two year old is not the simplest task. They have that language all their own. At least he isn't a twin.
    However, this particular two year old is becoming Tri-lingual. Aside from English and American Sign, he's also got Spanish going.
    I think it was about a month before we figured out he was saying, "?Que es?" (What is it?)
    He would pick up a random object and say, "Kee izz?"
    I was trying to figure out why everything was sudden a Keeiz!
    ("What's he saying?" "I don't know, but he picks up almost everything and calls it that...")

    You can ask him, "Donde esta el musco?" and he'll point to his runny nose.
    "Donde esta Daddy?" He'll point to Mike.

    You can say, "Hasta manana," and he'll say, "Bye-bye!" or "Mannanana."

    Once, Dora (who watches him) was cooking plantains. The kids love bananas. He asked, "Banana peeease?"
    She said, "No hay. Es un plantain."
    He said, "Por favor, Banana?"

    Yeah... he knows one of those languages should get him what he wants!

Friday, 06 March 2009

  • The Grand Disillusionment of Stock Photography

    I am an ad reader. My husband, a former journalist, has never really understood why I enjoy flinging aside all the important Local, National, and Sports news. We both agree the comics are for reading. For me, the act of ad reading begins with memories of my parents reading the paper and one would say, "Did you notice the price of crab at Kings?" or "Wow, look at that. I never thought I'd see a VCR for under $100."
    They didn't have any plans to buy any of it, it was just... interesting I guess. (Wow... I'm realizing how dull my upbringing sounds right now. It really was much more exciting... really. I'll tell you about sledding and Bolivia stuff that will make it all sound much better sometime ... or you can check the archives.)
    At any rate, I've inherited this need to read every ad in the paper, cover to cover. I used to really read every single one, but that was because we lived in Ellensburg and as much as I loved that place, I was desperate for different things to read.

    It was in Ellensburg my disillusionment began. One day, Mike mentioned the newspaper photographer was out taking stock shots at the lake. "What's that?" I innocently asked. If I knew then what I know now, I would've stayed ignorant of this diabolical system.
    "He's out taking pictures of people in case we need a photo for something, he'll have it on hand."

    It didn't hit me at the time. It seemed rather efficient. You need a photo of a Mom and child for an article on baby behavior, they'd have one filed away and ready. Seemed like a nice way to spend an afternoon: taking pictures at the lake on a sunny day.

    It wasn't until the next month or so when I was looking at the ads that the horrible truth finally hit me. That woman in the weight loss ad probably had never even realized her photo would go on to promote someone's diet plan. That shiny apple was just a prop used to create a photo and stored in a drawer until someone said, "Hey, I know what this school board promo needs -- a piece of fruit!"

    I soon saw it everywhere. Those ads in China: I strongly doubt Hugh Jackman granted his image rights to promote a restaurant in that small town we visited.

    When I see an ad now, I have a tinge of regret. I know too much. I know it's not real. Just one more bit of happiness slipping away. I really want that person to be happy with their car. I want to think they thought about it, planned to purchase it and then, just as they were about to drive away, a photographer came running up and asked them to sign a consent form and said, "You looked so happy, I just had to take a picture of your happy face!"

    Another example of ignorance really being bliss.

Wednesday, 17 December 2008

  • Santa Conflict

    Spoiler Alert: This post issues with topics related to Santa.


    I've been thinking quite a bit about Santa. Since I spend at least 7 hours a day with 25 children around the age of 10, I've had plenty of experience with the varying degrees of faith kids put in the little bearded guy.
    I just wonder why parents want their children to have faith in him.
    Let's look at the information we have:

    Wears a red suit with fur lining
    Goes down chimneys
    Delivers toys to good kids
    Delivers Coal to naught kids
    Has a workshop with lots of little elves who work on those toys year-round
    Is married
    Flies in a sleigh carried by flying reindeer
    Reaches every house in the world in one night
    Is omnipotent (he knows who is naughty or nice) or at least all-seeing
    Likes cookies and milk

    I forgot how embedded the guy is in kids minds until a boy in 2nd grade said, "I didn't get my list in the mail. I think I'll just be happy with what he gives me," and was very matter-of-fact about it. I suggested email. Santa must have email by now.
    So, why is it, if parents can encourage so much faith in this fictional character, they can not see the simple faith they need to believe in Jesus?
    It truly is the "faith of a child" to truly believe in Christ, so why not look at it from that perspective.
    Let's compare the two for a moment.
    Santa: There is no getting off that "naughty" list. He checks it only twice and if you're on the wrong one by Dec 24, you'd better start thinking of the new benefits of coal. There is no form of communicating or explaining how or why you're on the naughty list.
    Jesus: Is always checking that list and doesn't keep track of those 'naughty' things. Sure, we need to recognize the harm our naughty actions do, but at least you can talk to the guy.

    Santa: Only comes once a year and is only available through mail (email access has not been confirmed)
    Jesus: Available year-round, any time, anyplace

    Santa: Gives gifts for good boys and girls.
    Jesus: This one can be very theologically tricky. I don't want to make it too deep. Doesn't really hand out gifts like Santa. "It rains on the righteous and the unrighteous," right? So, sure, good things happen to good people, but so do the bad. Believing in him doesn't mean you'll be more successful than someone who doesn't. Maybe it just means you will feel different about your success... or failure.

    So, parents, what is the problem in encouraging your child to believe in someone who seeks them out to love and care for them, is available year-round and wants nothing but good things for them? It seems a lot better than some guy who is only available once a year, has a list, and in whom children eventually lose faith? Actually, the image of Santa reminds me a lot of who people think God is: that Big White-haired Man who looks for our faults and yells at us for them and the only way to please him is to be a good boy or girl.

    I know there are plenty out there who could call me a Scrooge about this. I know, I'm pretty much saying I don't have faith in Santa. In society today, that seems horrendous. Its like I'm on track to becoming a new family PG rated movie about that poor doubting person who just needs a little more faith in her life to believe in Santa.

    But look at what that movie would really tell kids, "Believe in something that brings others joy. Believe miracles can happen. Believe in the idea there is hope, joy and kindness in the world." Why does that message need to come from Santa? That message appeared long before Santa.

    I do have faith. I just choose to put it in something more substantial.

    Have a Merry Christmas.

Sunday, 16 November 2008

  • When we were in a small town in Washington, we built up a great community of people. We had a group of people we could turn to for help, conversation, laughter and learning. Many were people of Faith, Friends
    or otherwise (mostly otherwise).

    Directly from there, we went to China, where Mike, our friend Josh and I were 3 of 8 American teachers in a city of 3 million. While we made many friends and people were always there to help us if we needed, it was
    difficult to make deep friendships.

    On returning to the US a year later, I knew I needed a community. I wanted it to be a group who took advantage of their surroundings to live life and enjoy God's gifts of art, creativity and ministry.

    This brought up a quandry. I'm a Quaker. We settled in Tacoma, WA, and started attending a Friends Church. It didn't seem right, so we tried another one. It happened to be about 1/2 hour from our house. We've continued attending because it seems to be where we are called to gather to worship with Friends, but I don't feel that sense of community that I desire so greatly.

    Recently, I read in a news article about people doing missional work in my neighborhood. I thought, "Hey, if people are working here, I want to get in on it!" So, I found out who they were and emailed them. We now join them weekly for Bible study, dinner and fellowship. We work on each other's homes, we go to concerts together, we generally have fun. Mike and I are the "old" folks in the group, being as we're in our mid 30's. Yeah. We're the old ones.

    Here is the "thing": There are quite a few theological differences between us. They are very PreDestination. I think they focus on the rift between God and man with out recognizing the Light in all of John 1. Their church has only male elders.

    I am confused. I am envious. Why can't I find a Friend's community like this? I want it all: the community and the similiar faith...

    And now that I've written that I think I see it. I don't need it all.
    How am I to grow if I surround myself with people who belive exactly as I do?

    I heard somewhere that most people purchase books from a Christian
    bookstore to confirm what they already believe.

    I'm not a great Friends Theologian. I don't know how to answer or respond to many theological arguments.

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