Posts (page 2)
Show us something pink.
If you've not taken the ice cream analysis test at Anita's blog, go do that. It is absolutely priceless.
Show us something brand new.
Just finished it last night.
The last thing the girls said to me when they got out of the car at school this morning was, "Don't forget to vote!" Tonight The Younger Daughter decorated her new rinsing cup with the word "Vote!" around its rim and mock election returns on the sides. This is what happens when a family sits around the television watching the incoming election statistics the way it watches its favorite movies.
I understand that Missouri's senatorial race is one of national interest. Certainly its stem cell initiative is. As I write, The Husband calls out numbers from the next room, numbers that don't really mean very much yet, with only 5% reporting. Both matters are going to be exceedingly close. One thing that the Talent/McCaskill race and the stem cell initiative have done is to increase voter turnout in this state; estimates thus far are higher than they've been since the 1994 election, we heard on the news tonight. Evidently some locations were unprepared. Near Joplin, a shortage of ballots necessitated photocopying ballots that will have to be hand counted, so Missouri's final tally may not be known until tomorrow morning.
I was 2 months old, so the family legend goes, when my grandfather sat me on his knee and asked, "How's my little Republican today?" Most of my family (ok, all of them that I know of) are Republicans, although not so adamantly as was my grandfather, and I was certainly raised from a Republican viewpoint. That said, I was also raised (by my very rational and logical father) to find out the facts and think hard about them, to recognize ways that political ads (on both ends of the spectrum) twist and use facts to a particular politician's advantage, and to not ever simply turn off my brain. I don't vote a straight party ticket (Sorry, Grandpa), and I'm not entirely happy with everything that's gone on in this administration. As a matter of fact, I don't know that "Republican" is an entirely apt description, although "Democrat" wouldn't be, either.
It would be my hope that as our girls grow up, they'll stay interested and enthusiastic about doing their research and voting, even if their views don't coincide with my own. What I would most like for them to do is to think, to consider what is said and what is strategically not said and to carefully form their conclusions and decisions. It's a family tradition, after all.
Show us the first thing you see in the morning.
Submitted by The Gaping MAW.
The Husband's empty side of the bed. Except blurrier, because I don't have my glasses on yet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~RED~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Closest red thing to you?
My socks.
2. Have you ever cheated in a relationship?
Yes, and my cat has yet to forgive me for letting the new kitty in the house.
3. Last thing to make you angry?
The new kitty, much to my chagrin.
4. Are you a fan of romance?
I like romantic things, yes, very much. I cry regularly at movies and books and even hokey commercials. I do not, however, like using romance as an excuse to be emotionally irresponsible in relationships.
5. Have you ever been in love?
Repeatedly. Daily.
~~~~~~~~~~~~GREEN~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Closest green thing to you?
The plant on top of my desk in the handmade flower pot I bought from the high school art club.
2. Do you care about the environment?
Yes.
3. Are you jealous of anyone right now?
Not seriously. Wistfully envious occasionally, yes.
4. Do you like being outdoors?
Yes. There are no dishes to wash outdoors.
5. Are you Irish?
Probably a pinch, but not officially, to my knowledge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~PURPLE~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Last purple thing you saw?
Our daughters’ pencil sharpener on top of my desk.
2. Like being treated to expensive things?
I like beautiful things and interesting things and clever things. I love being given these things, even though I feel a bit guilty about it. Expense doesn’t necessarily have to be a factor, though.
3. Favorite type of chocolate?
Chocolate from Rosewood Farm. This is incredible chocolate, and they do Internet orders!!!
4. Ever met anyone in royalty?
I myself carry the official title of The Queen Mama Dragon, and our girls call their father O Mighty Dread Sovereign. Do these count?
5. Are you lonely?
I rarely realize I’m lonely until I get together with someone or have a good conversation with my husband. Then I’ll realize how lonely and hungry for that contact I was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~YELLOW~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Closest yellow thing to you?
My younger daughter’s grade card envelope that I have forgotten to return to the teacher. Oops.
2. Favorite holiday?
Valentine’s Day and Christmas, mostly.
3. Are you a coward?
I prefer to call it prudence. (Oh, ok, yes, sometimes.)
4. Do you want children?
A little late to ask this one, isn’t it? They’re twelve and nine years old, now.
5. What makes you feel warm and safe?
Snow outside and quiet inside. My mother’s beef stew. The man I married, especially when he lets me put my cold feet on his legs at night if I’m cold or a bit scared in the dark. His presence is reassuring. Also having a cat in the house helps.
~~~~~~~~~~~~BLUE~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Closest blue thing to you?
My daughter’s nightgown.
2. Are you good at calming people down?
Depends on the people. Assuming I’m not needing calming myself, yes.
3. Do you like the sea?
I have only seen it once. I think, yes, I would like it if I got to know it better.
4. What was the last thing to make you cry?
Too personal, but it was this weekend. Better now.
5. Can you sleep easily?
Almost always, although I’m a night person and usually zonked by the time I actually hit the pillow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~PINK~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Closest pink thing to you?
Drying pink rose petals from my grandmother’s bush, which is still blooming despite several mornings of frost.
2. Do you like sweet things?
Oh yeah.
3. Do you like punk music?
Not sure. Would have to listen to more of it more intently than I have.
4. What is your favorite flower?
ALL of them, especially old fashioned or field flowers.
5. Does someone have a crush on you?
He is a wise man. I’m sure he does.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ORANGE~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Closest orange thing to you?
My blouse, oddly enough. (I rarely EVER wear orange.)
2. Do you like to burn things?
I take the fifth.
3. Dress up for Halloween?
When the fancy strikes, but not usually on Halloween, no.
4. Do you prefer the single life or the security of a relationship?
I appreciate the security of a relationship, even when I’m tempted to think the single life looked pretty good. I also appreciate other things about a permanent relationship, or rather, THIS permanent relationship.
5. What would your superpower be?
Empath/telepath with the ability to heal, as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~WHITE~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Closest white thing to you?
My Serenity “Riverisms” mousepad!
2. How do you imagine your wedding?
First I sit very still. Then I close my eyes and make stuff up. I think the process is safe enough to try at home unsupervised. Give it a shot.
3. Do you like to play in the snow?
A little. I very much like walking in it.
4. Are you afraid of going to the doctor or dentist?
Not afraid. Annoyed.
5. Do you have Attention Deficit Disorder?
Possibly. Sometimes I lose my concentr... Oh! Look! A chicken!
~~~~~~~~~~~~BLACK~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Closest black thing to you?
Keyboard.
2. Ever enjoy hurting people?
Not that I didn’t immediately regret incredibly.
3. Are you sophisticated or silly?
Rarely truly sophisticated. Rarely completely silly. Don’t ask my husband for confirmation; the man cannot be trusted, I’m telling you.
4. Would you like to go to space?
Yes.
5. Do you have a lot of secrets?
Not so much secrets as discretionary silences.
Tagging: as many of my wonderful, readers as are willing to pick this up. (Ohpleaseohpleaseohplease!)
Credit goes to chanohack, from whom this meme was shamelessly filtched.
How many computers do you have in your house?
Submitted by Foomper.
Four. One in the girls' "study," a Mac on the husband's desk, and two on my desk. Yes, there may be an addiction factor. I take the fifth and blame my father, who taught me to count in binary by the time I was eight and to solder circut boards when I was nine or ten. Ah, the smell of burnt wiring!
The following was written several years ago when I was struggling to understand and come to some acceptance of Christ's role and identity as Bridegroom. Although it is something with which I have much more peace and in which I now find a steadying, intimate joy, it was a very uncomfortable thing at the time. As the leaves turn again, and the colors around me deepen from golds into crimson and russets, I can't help but remember and be grateful for the lengths to which our Bridegroom will go to woo us to Himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ve never seen the leaves this bright. They blind me each morning on my way to take my daughters to school. Our drive into town is fifteen minutes on country highways: hills and curves lined by fields and trees. When fields are alongside, the autumn colors are distanced enough for comfort, bucolic beauty, but a few sections of the road are lined with thick woods, and the vivid brilliance crowds close, with a passion that uneases me. There is an insistent red hue under all the colors they take on, like luminescent blood, They glow with a mysterious, persistent light even on rainy, clouded mornings. I’ve never understood passion, and frankly, never wanted to. There’s something about it that threatens my self-ordered, tightly controlled inner world. I wear sunglasses, aware that it’s more than the eastern sky in front of me from which I’m shading my eyes. Still, I find myself marveling again and again, a wonder that is not untouched with fear.
“Come to me, My Sister, My Bride.”
He’s crazy.
I’ve just pulled into the Stuff-Mart parking lot an hour away from my home. It’s ten o’clock at night. I’ve had little sleep this week, and the writing workshop I’ve just left reviewed a short story about a serial child-killer tonight. Really uplifting stuff. Where I really want to be right now is home. Ahead of me is a two-hour bi-weekly shopping episode. Miraculously, a parking space close to the store and right beside a cart corral is open. I pull in with a sigh of amazement, relief and gratitude.
“Thank You, Abba,” I breathe silently. But when I look up, it isn’t the Father standing there. It’s him. The Bridegroom. He’s smiling, holding out his arms in a grand “Ta-dah” gesture and grinning hugely.
“You’re welcome, but it’s from me. I saved it for you. I love you.”
“I don’t want you. I want Abba.” Automatically I reach out for the Father, but He’s not there. Or He’s waiting quietly beyond me.
The smile fades from the Bridegroom’s face. He drops his arms regretfully. “You’ll come eventually, you know.” His voice is low, compassionate. I think I see pity in his eyes.
I lock the car door, slam it shut and drop the keys in my pocket. “Not yet,” I say brusquely, avoiding his eyes. “I can’t do it yet.”
Behind me, as I walk away, I hear him call, a little of the tease back in his tone, but also a tender plea, “Come to me, My Sister, My Bride.”
“He’s crazy,” I mutter again under my breath, but I find an odd sort of reassurance in the thought. It occurs to me that the least I can do is give him a chance, hear him out. For some reason, what giving his life for me couldn’t do, standing on the middle of a Wal-Mart parking lot grinning like a Cheshire cat has accomplished.
In the morning I drive the eastern road without the shades. By the side of the highway, the grass is edged in crimson, and the normally flat-brown oaks have a deep burgundy-red hue to them. They burn my eyes. It’s like looking straight into the sun. The world is dipped in blood and flame. Everywhere I look, I see his heart spilled out upon creation. I keep hearing his voice, gentle, insistent: “I love you. I love you with all the intensity, all the force and passion of this autumn fire.”
I can hardly see the road for tears and all this light.
