Hello world-wide-web,
Heavenly Father,
Thank you. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
As I'm waiting in line to go confession, I'm reflecting on this great sacrament Catholics have in our religion. My Protestant brothers and sisters don't understand the need to tell someone their sins. They are correct when they say you can go to your room and tell God what your sins are, but for me that's almost too easy. I almost feel like I can get away with everything and anything that way, because, really who am I accountable to? Yes, myself, and most certainly God, but I prefer to confess to someone with skin. Besides, how often would I actually go to my room and attest to my wrongdoings? For me, the priest is not God, but he represents Jesus on Earth. And even for all the scandals we as Catholics have suffered for the small number of pedophile priests - and No, I am NOT by ANY means saying the small number makes the behavior excusable - Hell no! - I do believe my priest is a good man, who upholds our faith and the sanctity of all the sacraments, including confession. I fully have faith in God that this man of the cloth has come to do God's and Christ's bidding.
As I'm thinking these thoughts, and writing them down, I return to reflecting on what I'll acknowledge in the confessional. Once I enter the room, I'll have the option to sit in front of the priest, or I may kneel at a screen provided for privacy. My personal thought on the face-to-face or sitting with the priest, is this, "If I had the audacity to sin, then I should have the audacity to face the sin with the priest." I go face-to-face.
My confession will start with the prayer, "Forgive me father, for I have sinned. It's been (insert time) since my last confession."
The priest may read a passage from scripture.
Then I tell him my personal offenses - use your imagination - (you didn't actually think I was going to tell you, did you? ;) ). These are violations I have thought of, prayed over, and meditated on long before I stood in line at the confessional. I am truly sorry for the things I've done, and for not stepping up the plate and doing good when it needed to be done, and that's what makes telling the priest my faults so wonderful! It's time to release all the guilt that goes with sinning.
I will then say an Act of Contrition:
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. But most of all because I have offended you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.
As I listen to the absolution, the sacramental forgiveness of the Church through the ordained priest, the priest and I will make the sign of the cross. If the priest closes by saying, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good," I'll answer, "For His mercy endures forever."
At that powerful moment when I am forgiven and cleansed of my sins - I am humbled. I am forgiven - again!
I will leave the confessional, kneel in a pew, thank God for forgiving me, and do my penance. Then I walk out of the church, blissfully aware that I am a Child of God. :)
God bless you, everyone!
*Some of the information shared in this blog was taken from the website: http://www.catholic.org/prayers/confession.php if you'd like to know more about confession, please feel free to visit this website.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Death was cheated
Hello world-wide-web,
Thank you Heavenly Father for all the heroes in our daily lives: ordinary people, like our family, friends and parents, who make our lives so much better. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Brian Wood, a computer gaming designer from North Vancouver, and his pregnant wife, Erin, were driving home on Friday, September 17th. Nothing unusual about this, couples are happily married (remember, 50% of all marriages LAST), wives gets pregnant, and driving home is an everyday occurence.
On the other side of the freeway, two twenty-year-olds were high on drugs when the driver decided to take off her sweater and asked her friend to take the steering wheel while she did so. The truck swerved, crossed the center lane and headed straight for Brian and Erin. I think Brian's gaming ability came in handy as I imagine him assessing the situation quickly and breaking a hard right - causing the oncoming vehicle to crash into himself, but saving his wife and unborn child. Brian went straight to Heaven in that heroic act of love, and his wife and baby cheated death because of his ultimate sacrifice. Rest in peace, Brian; the world is better having had you in it.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Thank you Heavenly Father for all the heroes in our daily lives: ordinary people, like our family, friends and parents, who make our lives so much better. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Brian Wood, a computer gaming designer from North Vancouver, and his pregnant wife, Erin, were driving home on Friday, September 17th. Nothing unusual about this, couples are happily married (remember, 50% of all marriages LAST), wives gets pregnant, and driving home is an everyday occurence.
On the other side of the freeway, two twenty-year-olds were high on drugs when the driver decided to take off her sweater and asked her friend to take the steering wheel while she did so. The truck swerved, crossed the center lane and headed straight for Brian and Erin. I think Brian's gaming ability came in handy as I imagine him assessing the situation quickly and breaking a hard right - causing the oncoming vehicle to crash into himself, but saving his wife and unborn child. Brian went straight to Heaven in that heroic act of love, and his wife and baby cheated death because of his ultimate sacrifice. Rest in peace, Brian; the world is better having had you in it.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Saturday, September 18, 2010
My New Digs
Hello world-wide-web,
Thanks, Lord, for the many blessings you've bestowed on my family, friends and especially me. I thank you for the continued healing of the couple who had a miscarriage, the child in the hospital, and for all triumphs over evil. Thank you for a smooth school-changing transition. Thank you for always having my back. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
This is the second week at my new school and I feel like I am starting to understand how things are done in this new environment, and I'm relaxing more as my comfort level grows. Here are just some of the perks I've enjoyed: wearing jeans on Fridays and Mondays. Then there's "Fun Friday," where all the students who did their homework for the week get a half hour of 'free time'. The 'free time' is academic, of course; the students are shown a discovery channel video, or a Magic School bus show...in our area, since there are four teachers, one teacher serves as a 'study hall' teacher and all the students who didn't do their homework for the week are sent to her room, with their unfinished work to be done. The students who did their homework are sent to one of the other three teachers.
I like the way duty is done as well: I have a half hour off every day, in addition to my conference time, while the other teachers take the students into their rooms for recess, or, if the weather is nice and not too hot, outside to a playground. In our case, I have the first half hour free. During the second half hour, the teachers on recess duty are off, and we take the kids to lunch. I didn't know how I'd like this arrangement at first, but I've liked it thus far.
My teammates are nice, highly supportive of each other, and friendly. The staff in general, for being such a big school, has been highly welcoming. The principal hugged me the first day she met me.I thought it would be strange driving and walking into a new school, but I already feel like I've been at this school for years, in a good way.
The best part of my job, of course, is the students. They are a rambunctious, talkative, intelligent group of children. We have a nice mix too: African Americans, Indian, Muslim, European American, and Mexican-Americans. My own students still don't know what to make of me: am I mean, or just kidding around with them? I see the quizzical LoOkS on their faces as they seem to be asking themselves, "Is she seriously going to make me accountable for my actions? (you bet!)" "Will she really call my parents if I do something terrible?" (of course!) "Did she just give me cub cash for answering that question correctly?" (indeed I did!) "Is treasure box for real?" (uh-huh!) "Is she just plain crazy?!" (!!!)
This coming week I am a 'star'; meaning I'll be 'featured' on the morning announcements. I need to introduce myself and come up with some interesting things to tell everyone about myself...I'll ask my students for some suggestions...
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world". Mother Theresa
Thanks, Lord, for the many blessings you've bestowed on my family, friends and especially me. I thank you for the continued healing of the couple who had a miscarriage, the child in the hospital, and for all triumphs over evil. Thank you for a smooth school-changing transition. Thank you for always having my back. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
This is the second week at my new school and I feel like I am starting to understand how things are done in this new environment, and I'm relaxing more as my comfort level grows. Here are just some of the perks I've enjoyed: wearing jeans on Fridays and Mondays. Then there's "Fun Friday," where all the students who did their homework for the week get a half hour of 'free time'. The 'free time' is academic, of course; the students are shown a discovery channel video, or a Magic School bus show...in our area, since there are four teachers, one teacher serves as a 'study hall' teacher and all the students who didn't do their homework for the week are sent to her room, with their unfinished work to be done. The students who did their homework are sent to one of the other three teachers.
I like the way duty is done as well: I have a half hour off every day, in addition to my conference time, while the other teachers take the students into their rooms for recess, or, if the weather is nice and not too hot, outside to a playground. In our case, I have the first half hour free. During the second half hour, the teachers on recess duty are off, and we take the kids to lunch. I didn't know how I'd like this arrangement at first, but I've liked it thus far.
My teammates are nice, highly supportive of each other, and friendly. The staff in general, for being such a big school, has been highly welcoming. The principal hugged me the first day she met me.I thought it would be strange driving and walking into a new school, but I already feel like I've been at this school for years, in a good way.
The best part of my job, of course, is the students. They are a rambunctious, talkative, intelligent group of children. We have a nice mix too: African Americans, Indian, Muslim, European American, and Mexican-Americans. My own students still don't know what to make of me: am I mean, or just kidding around with them? I see the quizzical LoOkS on their faces as they seem to be asking themselves, "Is she seriously going to make me accountable for my actions? (you bet!)" "Will she really call my parents if I do something terrible?" (of course!) "Did she just give me cub cash for answering that question correctly?" (indeed I did!) "Is treasure box for real?" (uh-huh!) "Is she just plain crazy?!" (!!!)
This coming week I am a 'star'; meaning I'll be 'featured' on the morning announcements. I need to introduce myself and come up with some interesting things to tell everyone about myself...I'll ask my students for some suggestions...
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world". Mother Theresa
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Curly hair Haven!
Hello world-wide-web,
Thank you Heavenly Father for blessing Olgita to tell me about this wonderful salon!
To all my naturally curly-haired friends and readers, I need to shamelessly give a plug to this FAB place.
The owner, Claudia, cut my hair yesterday.
But before I go into greater detail about The Styling Hutch, I must tell you, if you are curly headed and don't know about and use the products of a woman in NYC named Ouidad, then you are truly missing out on some great hair goods! I mention Ouidad products because Ouidad also designed a way to cut curly hair - the way it is meant to be cut!
Claudia, right here in our sweet Plano, Tx, has been taught by Ouidad's professionals and uses her techniques when cutting curly hair. Claudia told me as she clipped away, "I am a great hair stylist, but when I first learned how to cut curly hair I wanted to go back to all my curly-headed clients and apologize. Curly hair is supposed to be cut differently from straight-haired people and I didn't know that! I do now, though, and have been cutting it properly going on six years!"
I know the basics of curly hair: don't wash often - once a week, if not longer - use a shampoo that doesn't have sulfate in it, Ever. Deep condition at least once a week. Sometimes I just use Conditioner and don't shampoo at all. Use a leave-in conditioner. Condition, condition, condition, as curly hair is often dry, not to mention coarse, but don't despair, as there are products to make curly hair softer. Check out Oudad's products for yourself at http://www.ouidad.com/ and/or google "Naturally curly hair," to learn more about your hair.
Since I did know 'a little something' about my hair, Claudia mentioned to me, "All you need is a good hair cut." I felt like I was getting a hair cut for the very first time! I am in recovery from receiving hair cuts for straight hair, lol. I am not blaming hair stylists for not cutting my hair properly; they may not know there IS a way to cut curly hair, or don't have the money for the training, etc. I'm just glad I found Claudia. If you do go to her shop, please tell her I sent you.
Here's the info:
The Styling Hutch
3948 Legacy Dr. #105
Plano, Tx 75023
972-943-0732
website: http://www.stylinghutch.com/
I had Claudia take pictures of my cut:
Wow, what a dif a great haircut can make!
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
God's plans
Hello world-wide-web,
Prayers for everyone I said I'd pray for, especially with regard to health. Strengthen all marriages, Lord, and for all singles. Prayers for teachers everywhere: may they be blessed with plenty of patience, compassion and a sense of humor. Heavenly Father, thank you for changes in our lives. May we always remember to rely on You and Your will, and to seek Your will when we are unsure of what the future holds for us. Thank you for being with us throughout our lives; our journey is bearable because of You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
We think we know God's plans for us, but we don't. :) I certainly thought I did with regard to this school year. Already having two weeks of team teaching under my belt, I was settling into a groove, happy where I was planted.
Then came Thursday afternoon. I was done with car pool duty (3:15ish) when my principal and assistant principal asked me into their office. I didn't think anything about this, since, hey, this is how things went when I was told I was going to team teach. I jokingly mentioned to the two administrators, "Haven't we already done something like this? More goodness to come, I suspect?"
My principal responded, "It depends on how you look at it."
Still, I'm an optimist, so no worries.
Turns out the school district decided that since I only had six students in fourth grade, my talents were better served if I moved to another school and helped with eleven third-grade students there.
Wow. Shocker. I wasn't expecting yet another move! I went into denial for the first couple of hours. Then later of course there was acceptance. Now I am completely on-board with the decision and happy to move. Yes, I am anxious about teaching a different grade level, meeting a new team, and being at a school where I don't know anyone, but I am a flexible professional and will do my best to help my student's be successful, while enjoying the change of scenery along the way. I went from thinking, "Wow, no one knows me," to "Wow, no one knows me!" he he. Brand new start.
We told the students Friday afternoon about the changes. We were all sad, of course, but I assured them I will call and see how they are doing, as well as send emails to ask about their progress.
My current team has been really sweet in saying good-bye: they bought me a gift card to Starbucks, a deliciously scented candle, some pretty paisley sticky pads, and bagels for our last meeting together. I will miss them. We spent six years (this would have been my seventh) together, but we are friends on FB, so we'll keep in touch.
The priest at mass yesterday said that God wants us to keep Him #1 in our lives. "Without Jesus as the center of our lives, who knows what can happen to us? But with Jesus at our center, we can rest assured we are being taken care of."
Check this out: my new school's name is Christie! I think of it this way: "Christ - ie," or "Christ, that Is." :)
As the great Winston Churchill once said, "For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." My thoughts exactly!
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Prayers for everyone I said I'd pray for, especially with regard to health. Strengthen all marriages, Lord, and for all singles. Prayers for teachers everywhere: may they be blessed with plenty of patience, compassion and a sense of humor. Heavenly Father, thank you for changes in our lives. May we always remember to rely on You and Your will, and to seek Your will when we are unsure of what the future holds for us. Thank you for being with us throughout our lives; our journey is bearable because of You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
We think we know God's plans for us, but we don't. :) I certainly thought I did with regard to this school year. Already having two weeks of team teaching under my belt, I was settling into a groove, happy where I was planted.
Then came Thursday afternoon. I was done with car pool duty (3:15ish) when my principal and assistant principal asked me into their office. I didn't think anything about this, since, hey, this is how things went when I was told I was going to team teach. I jokingly mentioned to the two administrators, "Haven't we already done something like this? More goodness to come, I suspect?"
My principal responded, "It depends on how you look at it."
Still, I'm an optimist, so no worries.
Turns out the school district decided that since I only had six students in fourth grade, my talents were better served if I moved to another school and helped with eleven third-grade students there.
Wow. Shocker. I wasn't expecting yet another move! I went into denial for the first couple of hours. Then later of course there was acceptance. Now I am completely on-board with the decision and happy to move. Yes, I am anxious about teaching a different grade level, meeting a new team, and being at a school where I don't know anyone, but I am a flexible professional and will do my best to help my student's be successful, while enjoying the change of scenery along the way. I went from thinking, "Wow, no one knows me," to "Wow, no one knows me!" he he. Brand new start.
We told the students Friday afternoon about the changes. We were all sad, of course, but I assured them I will call and see how they are doing, as well as send emails to ask about their progress.
My current team has been really sweet in saying good-bye: they bought me a gift card to Starbucks, a deliciously scented candle, some pretty paisley sticky pads, and bagels for our last meeting together. I will miss them. We spent six years (this would have been my seventh) together, but we are friends on FB, so we'll keep in touch.
The priest at mass yesterday said that God wants us to keep Him #1 in our lives. "Without Jesus as the center of our lives, who knows what can happen to us? But with Jesus at our center, we can rest assured we are being taken care of."
Check this out: my new school's name is Christie! I think of it this way: "Christ - ie," or "Christ, that Is." :)
As the great Winston Churchill once said, "For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." My thoughts exactly!
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Sunday, August 29, 2010
God is good, all the time
Hello world-wide-web,
Heavenly Father, please bless and guide all eyes reading this blog, as well as all singles, marrieds, the widowed, the lonely, and those who have no one to pray for them. In Your Name, Lord. Amen.
I am only three classes away from completing my master's in school counseling- Exciting! God willing, I will graduate Spring, 2011. Whenever I couldn't afford a class, or books, I'd ask God if this was the career He wanted for me, and *bam* the money invariably shows up right when I need it, and from unexpected places. I take this good fortune to mean God's resounding "Yes!" that I am on the path He has laid out for me. And so it is for all of us: remember that God has a blueprint for you. I was given yet another example of God's purpose, and confirmation of that design, this past Wednesday.
Wednesday was the day my principal, asst. principal and I had a meeting. Thinking this gathering probably had something to do with the five students enrolled in my class this year, I wasn't alarmed. I didn't like the idea of such a small class and I know my principal didn't either, because we exchanged emails during the summer pretty much saying this exact thing. Interestingly enough, in my principal's last email to me she wrote, "I don't have any control over moving you within the district. That will have to come from a power greater than me." He he. I was thinking, "Yes, it will: God."
My principal opened our conference with, "Per our emails, I don't know of any plans the district has of moving you to another school, but I am hiring another second grade teacher. Now, you are probably wondering what this has to do with you, but because we have a new teacher in second grade, we need a classroom for her. The Gifted and Talented teacher's room is on the second grade hallway and she needs a room. Since you only have five students, we thought it would be best to move you and let the GT teacher have your room. Here's our solution for you, you'll stay in fourth grade, and how would you like to team teach with ---?"
My first reaction when I heard 'second grade' was panic, because I feared I was being moved to teach second grade. Whew! Dodged that bullet. (I prefer teaching older students.) But then I jolted to attention when I heard the words, 'team teaching,' smiled broadly at both principals and happily said, "Yes!"
This conversation took place two days before "Meet the Teacher," which was Friday at 4pm. This was also the third time I'd be changing classrooms in two years, and yet I was thrilled at the news. Attitude really IS everything, as I've learned the hard way.
But I was mostly enchanted by the prospect of moving because I realized almost immediately what was going to happen: my room was going to disappear. I'd been wondering what I going to do with 16 years of accumulated 'stuff' when I changed careers. Now I had my answer: give it away, or throw it away. Nice, Lord, thanks.
My roomie has graciously given me a nice corner of her room, complete with a window, a sink and shelves; I got rid of a TON of junk, put books in storage, settled in for "Meet the Teacher," and the first week of school, all told the move took about a day and a half. Amazing. PTL
At the end of this school year, then, I will only have my 'necessities.' Not much packing involved, or needed. And, when you think about Life, all we need is God. He'll take care of the rest.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Heavenly Father, please bless and guide all eyes reading this blog, as well as all singles, marrieds, the widowed, the lonely, and those who have no one to pray for them. In Your Name, Lord. Amen.
I am only three classes away from completing my master's in school counseling- Exciting! God willing, I will graduate Spring, 2011. Whenever I couldn't afford a class, or books, I'd ask God if this was the career He wanted for me, and *bam* the money invariably shows up right when I need it, and from unexpected places. I take this good fortune to mean God's resounding "Yes!" that I am on the path He has laid out for me. And so it is for all of us: remember that God has a blueprint for you. I was given yet another example of God's purpose, and confirmation of that design, this past Wednesday.
Wednesday was the day my principal, asst. principal and I had a meeting. Thinking this gathering probably had something to do with the five students enrolled in my class this year, I wasn't alarmed. I didn't like the idea of such a small class and I know my principal didn't either, because we exchanged emails during the summer pretty much saying this exact thing. Interestingly enough, in my principal's last email to me she wrote, "I don't have any control over moving you within the district. That will have to come from a power greater than me." He he. I was thinking, "Yes, it will: God."
My principal opened our conference with, "Per our emails, I don't know of any plans the district has of moving you to another school, but I am hiring another second grade teacher. Now, you are probably wondering what this has to do with you, but because we have a new teacher in second grade, we need a classroom for her. The Gifted and Talented teacher's room is on the second grade hallway and she needs a room. Since you only have five students, we thought it would be best to move you and let the GT teacher have your room. Here's our solution for you, you'll stay in fourth grade, and how would you like to team teach with ---?"
My first reaction when I heard 'second grade' was panic, because I feared I was being moved to teach second grade. Whew! Dodged that bullet. (I prefer teaching older students.) But then I jolted to attention when I heard the words, 'team teaching,' smiled broadly at both principals and happily said, "Yes!"
This conversation took place two days before "Meet the Teacher," which was Friday at 4pm. This was also the third time I'd be changing classrooms in two years, and yet I was thrilled at the news. Attitude really IS everything, as I've learned the hard way.
But I was mostly enchanted by the prospect of moving because I realized almost immediately what was going to happen: my room was going to disappear. I'd been wondering what I going to do with 16 years of accumulated 'stuff' when I changed careers. Now I had my answer: give it away, or throw it away. Nice, Lord, thanks.
My roomie has graciously given me a nice corner of her room, complete with a window, a sink and shelves; I got rid of a TON of junk, put books in storage, settled in for "Meet the Teacher," and the first week of school, all told the move took about a day and a half. Amazing. PTL
At the end of this school year, then, I will only have my 'necessities.' Not much packing involved, or needed. And, when you think about Life, all we need is God. He'll take care of the rest.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Last Dream of Summer
Hello world-wide-web,
Thank you Lord for the health of all babies; special prayers for those who are married, single, in sickness, have no one to pray for them, and for those who don't believe. In Your Name Lord. Amen.
Last night's dream was wonderful. It featured Jude Law. Pictured here waving, as if he were my neighbor, which in my dream, he was my neighbor.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Thank you Lord for the health of all babies; special prayers for those who are married, single, in sickness, have no one to pray for them, and for those who don't believe. In Your Name Lord. Amen.
Last night's dream was wonderful. It featured Jude Law. Pictured here waving, as if he were my neighbor, which in my dream, he was my neighbor.
In my dream, he is married to a wonderful friend of mine who I haven't seen in ages: Marian; she's Asian. Marian, Michelle (a co-worker) and I are teachers and we're discussing when we are going to retire. (I am not going to retire anytime soon, but that's what we were talking about...) Michelle said, "5 years." Marian said, "Six weeks."
"Six weeks!" Michelle and I echoed in unison.
Apparently Marian had a serious illness, though she looked to be in perfect health, and was not given much time left to live. She decided she would stop teaching and stay home with her family.
Michelle, Marian and I are on the second floor of a gorgeous, old, two-story house, (a house not unlike my g-ma's house in EP) sorting clothes, or papers, who knows, I really had no clue what the 'things' were we were sorting. Then the three of us start our bible study (?!), and from where we are sitting, we can see into the house across the street - Marian's house- which has large windows. Jude Law is buffing the floors of his and Marian's house, but it's not a stand-up buffing machine, it's one where you sit down, so we can only see Jude Law's head moving from room to room.
He doesn't look like this,
but more like this, as he's buffing.
Mairan said that cleaning helps Jude deal with any anger issues he has at work. Marian further explains that her and Jude didn't even realize Jude had anger issues until he came home one day and was yelling at Marian over something small and inconsequential. They sought counseling and that's when the therapist realized Jude had a knack for cleaning. Jude Law was calm and happy whenever he had a sponge, or a vacuum, in his hand. Thus, while Marian is at my house for bible study with Michelle and I, Jude cleans.
For some reason the dream shifts to another scene and I'm watching Jude Law walk with a blond on his arm. She has on tight-fitting, work-out clothes. I wonder if Jude Law is having an affair with this blond.
Then the scene shifts back to where the three of us are studying the bible. The doorbell rings. It's Jude, he's come for Marian, and has that blond that I saw him with earlier, standing next to him. Marian becomes hysterical when she sees who Jude is with and slaps his face, running to her home. The blond leaves and Jude Law runs after the blond.
Michelle and I are taking whatever things we were sorting over to Marian's house, but we can't find her anywhere. Jude Law is telling us where to put Marian's things. We are afraid to ask where she is and find out what's happening.
For some reason I 'sense' that Marian dies, though there isn't a funeral, or casket or anything, and since Jude Law is single once again, I wonder if Jude would be interested in having drinks with me...
The photo below is how I imagine Jude Law will look before we leave to grab a beverage together:
Oh, dreaming is fun, isn't it?
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Summer 2010 in review
Hello world-wide-web,
Thank you Lord for blessing all gatherings this summer. I am truly sanctified by the family and friendships I have. I pray for each and every pair of eyes reading this blog - may you find peace and happiness all the days of your lives. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
I am not counting down the days for when I return to work - I am only vaguely aware I need to return to school and 'put up' my classroom sometime during the coming week - but rather I am reflecting on how wonderful this summer has been. I say wonderful even though I am taking an Ethics class! The Ethics class is getting counted down: four days. Please pray for my success on the final. Thanks.
June: When I realized I wasn't going to work for the school district in any sort of capacity, I looked at my summer differently than I have summers past. I began to think of Dallas differently. I thought this summer would be a great time to discover, and in some cases re-discover, the nooks and crannies of the city. I planned to take my camera and peruse downtown, take photos of different places, and just explore the metroplex. Well anyone who is a teacher can tell you that you need at least a week of down time after a school year before you can start to enjoy your time off and get things done. That's what I did too: walking my dog in the park every morning, the occasional nap, watching television with my mom in the afternoon, writing, or puttering around on the world-wide-web. Then a blessing occurred: I unexpectantly received a check in the mail, from the re-financing of my home. Sweet. The summer was beginning with a bang and was wide open with possibilities!
I need to take a quick detour from my summer reminiscing to talk about tithing for a moment. If you belong to a church, I highly recommend tithing. (If you don't belong to a church, what's keepin' ya? ;) Get connected to God! Your life will be so much more than it is right now at this moment. You will be amazed at how good you feel about life, despite it's many problems. I feel more secure with my place in the world knowing a Great and Almighty God has my back.) I have not always been a big supporter of giving my cash away, but recently, when I was short on cash and feeling sick about how my money controlled my mood, I gave some money to church, seeking relief from the strain money was putting on me. It worked. I felt less of a drain and then bam! this check in the mail. I heard a voice inside of me say, "You need to give (insert a lg amt of $$) to the church." Immediately after this thought, I was like, "Okay." Then I started to bargain with God. I gave up this tiny prayer, "God you need to give me a sign if this is indeed the amount you want me to give to the church..." I was climbing into my car to run some errands when my phone rang. It was my principal. I answered with a happy hello. She wanted to know if I could work three weeks of summer school in a second grade bilingual class. Before she finished her sentence I said, "Yes." Simultaneously I thought to myself, "All right, Lord, this is the amount you want me to give, b/c you are already replacing it." Tithe today. You will be consecrated.
And with that phone call, my plans for exploring Dallas were pretty much put aside as I worked 7:30 to 12:15 each day, and then my Ethics class began on Tuesday nights. I was tied up with both too much to do anything else. But I enjoyed every minute of every day. My students were adorable - a nice change from the fourth graders I deal with during the regular year; these students were physically smaller and shorter, and they laughed more readily at silly things I said or did. (Fourth graders sometimes think they are too cool for school.) The material was fun to teach, especially since it was all new to me. My co-workers were fabulous. It was easy money.
The closest I got to taking photos was when Carlton and I took pictures with some of my favorite art in the metroplex, the two giants in Deep Ellum. Those pics have already been posted. Good times.
I didn't get a chance to do any of the other things on my list for summer, but no matter. I did what I was supposed to do: be present in the moment. Once the summer took off I just rode the wave with it. No looking back, only moving forward.
Last week of June: A dear friend of mine had a gorgeous baby girl at the end of this month. I have to boast and say I was the only one who knew the baby was going to be a girl. Everyone else pretty much thought she was a boy. Even when I 'caved' at the very end and said I too thought it was a boy, in my heart I kept thinking, "But really, it's a girl." I am thrilled for my good friend and got to see momma and baby more than most because of my time off. Blessings.
July: when summer school was over, I concentrated on organizing my house. I know, pretty dull way to spend your summer vacay, but actually it was interesting to go through things I haven't paid much attention to since moving into my house six years ago. I found all kinds of cool CDs that I hadn't listened to, as well as some things I'd written about in the past...got rid of books I didn't need. It was all good.
I went on a great date. For the sake of privacy, that's all I'm reporting at the moment.
Last week of July: had a wonderful bday dinner with good friends. My brother bought me tickets to a Led Zep tribute band, so after dinner we all went to the concert. I googled some Led Zep questions for everyone to answer at dinner. In addition to the questions, I printed out some sentences with information about the band. Everyone had to read a sentence in their best British accent. :) The band was awesome and we ended the night at my favorite local diner, "Buzz Brews."
When I registered for my Fall class, I was informed I only have three classes before I will have completed my masters! YEAH. Blessings.
August: (yet to be done...)
Be happy where God plants you - you are here for a reason. :)
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Thank you Lord for blessing all gatherings this summer. I am truly sanctified by the family and friendships I have. I pray for each and every pair of eyes reading this blog - may you find peace and happiness all the days of your lives. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
I am not counting down the days for when I return to work - I am only vaguely aware I need to return to school and 'put up' my classroom sometime during the coming week - but rather I am reflecting on how wonderful this summer has been. I say wonderful even though I am taking an Ethics class! The Ethics class is getting counted down: four days. Please pray for my success on the final. Thanks.
June: When I realized I wasn't going to work for the school district in any sort of capacity, I looked at my summer differently than I have summers past. I began to think of Dallas differently. I thought this summer would be a great time to discover, and in some cases re-discover, the nooks and crannies of the city. I planned to take my camera and peruse downtown, take photos of different places, and just explore the metroplex. Well anyone who is a teacher can tell you that you need at least a week of down time after a school year before you can start to enjoy your time off and get things done. That's what I did too: walking my dog in the park every morning, the occasional nap, watching television with my mom in the afternoon, writing, or puttering around on the world-wide-web. Then a blessing occurred: I unexpectantly received a check in the mail, from the re-financing of my home. Sweet. The summer was beginning with a bang and was wide open with possibilities!
I need to take a quick detour from my summer reminiscing to talk about tithing for a moment. If you belong to a church, I highly recommend tithing. (If you don't belong to a church, what's keepin' ya? ;) Get connected to God! Your life will be so much more than it is right now at this moment. You will be amazed at how good you feel about life, despite it's many problems. I feel more secure with my place in the world knowing a Great and Almighty God has my back.) I have not always been a big supporter of giving my cash away, but recently, when I was short on cash and feeling sick about how my money controlled my mood, I gave some money to church, seeking relief from the strain money was putting on me. It worked. I felt less of a drain and then bam! this check in the mail. I heard a voice inside of me say, "You need to give (insert a lg amt of $$) to the church." Immediately after this thought, I was like, "Okay." Then I started to bargain with God. I gave up this tiny prayer, "God you need to give me a sign if this is indeed the amount you want me to give to the church..." I was climbing into my car to run some errands when my phone rang. It was my principal. I answered with a happy hello. She wanted to know if I could work three weeks of summer school in a second grade bilingual class. Before she finished her sentence I said, "Yes." Simultaneously I thought to myself, "All right, Lord, this is the amount you want me to give, b/c you are already replacing it." Tithe today. You will be consecrated.
And with that phone call, my plans for exploring Dallas were pretty much put aside as I worked 7:30 to 12:15 each day, and then my Ethics class began on Tuesday nights. I was tied up with both too much to do anything else. But I enjoyed every minute of every day. My students were adorable - a nice change from the fourth graders I deal with during the regular year; these students were physically smaller and shorter, and they laughed more readily at silly things I said or did. (Fourth graders sometimes think they are too cool for school.) The material was fun to teach, especially since it was all new to me. My co-workers were fabulous. It was easy money.
The closest I got to taking photos was when Carlton and I took pictures with some of my favorite art in the metroplex, the two giants in Deep Ellum. Those pics have already been posted. Good times.
I didn't get a chance to do any of the other things on my list for summer, but no matter. I did what I was supposed to do: be present in the moment. Once the summer took off I just rode the wave with it. No looking back, only moving forward.
Last week of June: A dear friend of mine had a gorgeous baby girl at the end of this month. I have to boast and say I was the only one who knew the baby was going to be a girl. Everyone else pretty much thought she was a boy. Even when I 'caved' at the very end and said I too thought it was a boy, in my heart I kept thinking, "But really, it's a girl." I am thrilled for my good friend and got to see momma and baby more than most because of my time off. Blessings.
July: when summer school was over, I concentrated on organizing my house. I know, pretty dull way to spend your summer vacay, but actually it was interesting to go through things I haven't paid much attention to since moving into my house six years ago. I found all kinds of cool CDs that I hadn't listened to, as well as some things I'd written about in the past...got rid of books I didn't need. It was all good.
I went on a great date. For the sake of privacy, that's all I'm reporting at the moment.
Last week of July: had a wonderful bday dinner with good friends. My brother bought me tickets to a Led Zep tribute band, so after dinner we all went to the concert. I googled some Led Zep questions for everyone to answer at dinner. In addition to the questions, I printed out some sentences with information about the band. Everyone had to read a sentence in their best British accent. :) The band was awesome and we ended the night at my favorite local diner, "Buzz Brews."
When I registered for my Fall class, I was informed I only have three classes before I will have completed my masters! YEAH. Blessings.
August: (yet to be done...)
Be happy where God plants you - you are here for a reason. :)
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Pianos!
Hello world-wide-web,
Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for my many friends. My life is truly a blessing because of them, and had you not brought them into my life, my existence would be mundane indeed. Thanks God!
My birthday is coming up soon and I started thinking about gifts for myself. Well, I pretty much have everything I could want, PTL, but then I started thinking about pianos. I have an 'okay' upright, but if I had my choice, a brand-new piano would be excellent. This train of thought led me to google pictures of various pianos - just to kind of tease myself about what kind I would buy. So, for the moment anyway, these fantasies will do. Enjoy. (The pianos in this blog are courtesy of Piano sales Piano restoration website.)
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for my many friends. My life is truly a blessing because of them, and had you not brought them into my life, my existence would be mundane indeed. Thanks God!
My birthday is coming up soon and I started thinking about gifts for myself. Well, I pretty much have everything I could want, PTL, but then I started thinking about pianos. I have an 'okay' upright, but if I had my choice, a brand-new piano would be excellent. This train of thought led me to google pictures of various pianos - just to kind of tease myself about what kind I would buy. So, for the moment anyway, these fantasies will do. Enjoy. (The pianos in this blog are courtesy of Piano sales Piano restoration website.)
This Peace Piano survived Hiroshima.
This is the largest piano in the world .
Cool piano
The Grand piano cake
Yummy
Piano building in China. The neck of the violin is an elevator.
Wouldn't it be cool if these stairs made sounds when you stepped on them?
Made in shop window.
Walking piano.
Space-aged
Tossin' the guys a bone with this one
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Sensuous
Hello world-wide-web,
Thank you Heavenly Father for all answered prayers and for all the blessings you bestow on us each and every day. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
This past weekend I went to Deep Ellum and attended "girlshow:the perfect ten." There were many talented artists - from painters, girl bands, to photography, and poetry. In the background, between sets, a Fiona Apple song played. I told my brother, "I remember this song. I like this album, I wonder if I still have it?" Fiona fit in perfectly with the atmosphere. I filed, "Look for Fiona Apple CD," in the back of my mind.
A band called the DemiGods had some of their musicians at the show. I bought two of their CD's -both are solo projects. One of the CD's is by Jamie Reeves, a talented singer/guitarist. Her CD is entitled, "2038: A Message through Time," with an artfully done cartoon drawing of Jamie on the cover. The other CD is labeled, "The Long Countdown: Delphi." If you'd like to sample some of their music, search for them on myspace.com because it's worth a listen. Jamie has a strong voice with lots of range. She is a strong, independent, intelligent up-and-coming young artist. It was a privilege to meet her after she played her song, "Kismet."
Jamie's music reminded me even more of Ms. Apple, so I looked through my CD's yesterday and sure enough, there was the 1996 release Tidal, that has the Grammy-award winning song, Criminal, on it.
Fiona Apple is all of 32 years old and 5'2", but has the sound of a six foot, fifty year old blues singer. Simply amazing. Her lyrics are sensuous and appealing. Perfect if you are in a dark mood, or even when you aren't in a opaque mood, but are angry at relationships gone awry. And let's face it: who hasn't had a relationship go amiss? So really the CD is adept for anytime, but especially in those situations. As I listen to her CD for the umpteenth time today, I find myself listening to her lyrics closer than ever before and sinking into the moods she creates with the music: a uniting of the mellow and the passionate. Her songs are flawlessly orchestrated with piano, violin, some luscious Latin rhythms, and then of course bringing all of these splendid sounds to crescendo, her immaculate voice.
A couple of songs have stood out for me this go-round of listening, the sixth track, "The First Taste," and the third track,"Shadowboxer."
God bless ALL forms of relationships. Amen.
"Dude, she was in love with you!"
"Yes, she was..."
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Thank you Heavenly Father for all answered prayers and for all the blessings you bestow on us each and every day. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
This past weekend I went to Deep Ellum and attended "girlshow:the perfect ten." There were many talented artists - from painters, girl bands, to photography, and poetry. In the background, between sets, a Fiona Apple song played. I told my brother, "I remember this song. I like this album, I wonder if I still have it?" Fiona fit in perfectly with the atmosphere. I filed, "Look for Fiona Apple CD," in the back of my mind.
A band called the DemiGods had some of their musicians at the show. I bought two of their CD's -both are solo projects. One of the CD's is by Jamie Reeves, a talented singer/guitarist. Her CD is entitled, "2038: A Message through Time," with an artfully done cartoon drawing of Jamie on the cover. The other CD is labeled, "The Long Countdown: Delphi." If you'd like to sample some of their music, search for them on myspace.com because it's worth a listen. Jamie has a strong voice with lots of range. She is a strong, independent, intelligent up-and-coming young artist. It was a privilege to meet her after she played her song, "Kismet."
Jamie's music reminded me even more of Ms. Apple, so I looked through my CD's yesterday and sure enough, there was the 1996 release Tidal, that has the Grammy-award winning song, Criminal, on it.
Fiona Apple is all of 32 years old and 5'2", but has the sound of a six foot, fifty year old blues singer. Simply amazing. Her lyrics are sensuous and appealing. Perfect if you are in a dark mood, or even when you aren't in a opaque mood, but are angry at relationships gone awry. And let's face it: who hasn't had a relationship go amiss? So really the CD is adept for anytime, but especially in those situations. As I listen to her CD for the umpteenth time today, I find myself listening to her lyrics closer than ever before and sinking into the moods she creates with the music: a uniting of the mellow and the passionate. Her songs are flawlessly orchestrated with piano, violin, some luscious Latin rhythms, and then of course bringing all of these splendid sounds to crescendo, her immaculate voice.
A couple of songs have stood out for me this go-round of listening, the sixth track, "The First Taste," and the third track,"Shadowboxer."
God bless ALL forms of relationships. Amen.
"Dude, she was in love with you!"
"Yes, she was..."
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Fiona Apple - Shadowboxer
Shadowboxer:
Once my lover, now my friend
What a cruel thing to pretend
What a cunning way to condescend
Once my lover, and now my friend
Oh, you creep up like the clouds
And you set my soul at ease
Then you let your love abound
And you bring me to my knees
Oh, it's evil babe
The way you let your grace enrapture me
Well you know I'd be insane
To ever let that dirty game recapture me
You made me a shadowboxer, baby
I wanna be ready for what you do
I been swinging around 'cause
I don't know when you're gonna make your move
Oh, your gaze is dangerous
And you fill your space so sweet
If I let you get too close
You'll set your spell on me
These stanzas are particularly poignant:
So darlin' I just wanna say
Just in case I don't come through
I was onto every play
I just wanted you
Oh it's so evil, my love
The way you've no reverence to my concern
So I'll be sure to stay wary of you, love
To save the pain of once my flame and twice my burn
So I'm a shadowboxer, baby
I wanna be ready for what you do
I been swinging around at nothin
I don't know when you're gonna make your move
Yeah I'm a shadowboxer babyI wanna be ready for what you do
And I been swinging around me 'cause
I don't know when you're gonna make your move
More of her lyrics are at: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/f/fiona+apple/#share
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Fiona Apple - The First Taste
The First Taste:
I lie in an early bed thinking late thoughts
Waiting for the black to replace my blue
I do not struggle in your web because it was my aim to get caught
But daddy longlegs, I feel that I'm finally growing weary
Of waiting to be consumed by you
Give me the first taste
Let it begin, heaven cannot wait forever
Darling just start the chase
I'll let you win, but you must make the endeavor
Oh, your love give me a heart contusion
Adagio breezes fill my skin with sudden red
Your hungry flirt borders intrusion
And I'm building memories on things we have not said
Full is not heavy as empty, not nearly my love
Not nearly my love, not nearly
Give me the first taste
Let it begin, heaven cannot wait forever
Darling, just start the chase
I'll let you win, but you must make the endeavor
The first taste
Let it begin, heaven cannot wait forever
Start the chase, I'll let you win
But you must make the endeavor
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Fiona apple - Carrion
Won't do no good to hold no seance
What's gone is gone, and you can't bring it back around
Won't do no good to hold no searchlight
You can't illuminate what time has anchored down
Oh, honey I've gone away
Honey I've gone away
I've gone away
Won't do no good to sing no love song
No sound could simulate the presence of a man
Won't do no good asking no questions
Your divination should acquaint you with the plan
Oh Honey I've gone away
Honey I've gone away
Honey, I've gone away
My feel for you, boy, is decaying in front of me
Like the carrion of a murdered prey
And all I want is to save you, honey
Or the strength to walk away
Won't do no good to go no distance
The space between us is as boundless as the dark
Won't do no good to throw no fist, babe
You can't intimidate me back into your arms
Because honey, I've gone away
I've gone away
I've gone away
I've gone away
I've gone away
I've gone away
My feel for you, boy, is decaying in front of me
Like the carrion of a murdered prey
And all I want is to save you, honey
Or the strength to walk away
I'm especially feelin' these lyrics:
My feel for you boy, is decaying in front of me
Like the carrion of a murdered prey
And all I want is to save you, honey
Or the strength to walk away
Oh my feel for you boy, is decaying right in front of me
Like the carrion of a, a murdered prey
And all I want is to save you, honey
Or the strength to walk away
More lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/f/fiona+apple/#share
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Fiona Apple - Sleep To Dream
This whole song just rings true for me...Please understand I am no Alanis Morissette - I am not angry; sad, yes, but not angry.
It seems Fiona and I have had similar relationship experiences. Yet another example about the universals in life and how beautifully music can link people.
To the person for whom these songs are meant, and I think you know who you are, I remember teasing you when I asked, "Now what is the reason I should put you in a blog?" Well here is a huge blow-out of blog entries about you.
I tell you how I feel, but you don't care
I say tell me the truth, but you don't dare
You say love is a hell you cannot bear
And I say gimme mine back and then go there - for all I care
I got my feet on the ground
And I don't go to sleep to dream
You got your head in the clouds
And you're not at all what you seem
This mind, this body
And this voice cannot be stifled by your deviant ways
So don't forget what I told you
Don't come around, I got my own hell to raise
I have never been so insulted in all my life
I could swallow the seas to wash down all this pride
First you run like a fool just to be at my side
And now you run like a fool
But you just run to hide, and I can't abide
I got my feet on the ground
And I don't go to sleep to dream
You got your head in the clouds
And you're not at all what you seem
This mind, this body
And this voice cannot be stifled by your deviant ways
So don't forget what I told you
Don't come around, I got my own hell to raise
Don't make it a big deal, don't be so sensitive
We're not playing a game anymore
You don't have to be so defensive
Don't you plead me your case, don't bother to explain
Don't even show me your face, ''cause it's a crying shame
Just go back to the rock from under which you came
Take the sorrow you gave and all the stakes you claim -
And don't forget the blame
I got my feet on the ground
And I don't go to sleep to dream
You got your head in the clouds
And you're not at all what you seem
This mind, this body
And this voice cannot be stifled by your deviant ways
So don't forget what I told you
Don't come around, I got my own hell to raise
More lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/f/fiona+apple/#share
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Sunday, July 11, 2010
I was in South Africa for the World Cup games!
Hello world-wide-web,
Heavenly Father, I'm praying for the sick, for all undergoing surgery this week, for those waiting for a cure; for those suffering from an addiction of any sort and for those who have fallen away from You, Lord; for a strengthening of all marriages; for singles to stay true to You and Your teachings and for any prayers anyone has asked me to pray on their behalf. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Okay, so I was at the world cup in my dreams, but still, it felt real: I was on the field with some other people - yes, while a game was in progress I was on the gridiron - I become aware that I am an obstacle in the soccer match, though the players don't notice us, or seem to think it odd that non-players are in the competition; I don't remember who the two teams playing were, but I do remember thinking, "If my friends are watching right now they are probably asking, 'What is Debi doing? She needs to get out of there!'" Oh, and for some reason I have a ladder with me. I know, a ladder! The stadium in my dream was different from the one on television: this fairground had one side against a wall. I was next to that wall and in order for me to exit the green of course I had to cut across it, while holding onto my ladder. But I didn't immediately rush to the other side of the field; I watched the game a bit. The sphere was getting kicked around and flung in the air as gorgeous players fought over it. (Much the way that I wish to be fought over by two admirers, but that dream is for another blog entry.) I begin hoping the ball doesn't hit me. The globe ends up on a side opposite of where I am, so I make a mad dash to leave the arena. I suffered no injuries and rushed back to my classroom (?!) where the dream continued, but isn't amusing enough to add here.
Viva Espana!
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Heavenly Father, I'm praying for the sick, for all undergoing surgery this week, for those waiting for a cure; for those suffering from an addiction of any sort and for those who have fallen away from You, Lord; for a strengthening of all marriages; for singles to stay true to You and Your teachings and for any prayers anyone has asked me to pray on their behalf. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Okay, so I was at the world cup in my dreams, but still, it felt real: I was on the field with some other people - yes, while a game was in progress I was on the gridiron - I become aware that I am an obstacle in the soccer match, though the players don't notice us, or seem to think it odd that non-players are in the competition; I don't remember who the two teams playing were, but I do remember thinking, "If my friends are watching right now they are probably asking, 'What is Debi doing? She needs to get out of there!'" Oh, and for some reason I have a ladder with me. I know, a ladder! The stadium in my dream was different from the one on television: this fairground had one side against a wall. I was next to that wall and in order for me to exit the green of course I had to cut across it, while holding onto my ladder. But I didn't immediately rush to the other side of the field; I watched the game a bit. The sphere was getting kicked around and flung in the air as gorgeous players fought over it. (Much the way that I wish to be fought over by two admirers, but that dream is for another blog entry.) I begin hoping the ball doesn't hit me. The globe ends up on a side opposite of where I am, so I make a mad dash to leave the arena. I suffered no injuries and rushed back to my classroom (?!) where the dream continued, but isn't amusing enough to add here.
Viva Espana!
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Monday, July 5, 2010
So you want to be in show business-
Hello world-wide-web,
Thank you Jesus for all prayers answered, for travelers safe departure and return, for healthy births, for all those suffering from addiction and are in denial, a special intention for those with doctor's appointments-your healing, Lord, always-for a continued mending of the Gulf, for those who are in the hospitals and nursing homes, for everyone who has no one to pray for them, and most of all, Heavenly Father, thank you for the many blessings and mercy you bestow on each and every one of us everyday. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
I received a rather unusual phone call from my g-y-n this past May.
He asked me, "How would you like to be in a commercial?"
"Sure."
(I didn't know what the commercial would entail, but when someone asks you to be in a commercial, ride in a sleigh drawn by huskies, or go to NYC's Times Square for NYE, you just say 'yes.')
By saying 'sure,' my doctor informed me, I was accepting an offer from Baylor Hospital to describe the service I'd been given while in one of their facilities recently (see "I heart nurses," blog for more info on my hospital stay).
My famous, or infamous, he he, appointment was set for June 18th, in the afternoon, but I wasn't ready for 'distinction' until I loaded two cute outfits in my car and ran by Regis at Collin Creek Mall in Plano for a quickie hairdo.
Upon my arrival at the studio a good-looking guy greeted me and escorted me to the 'green' room. The room was in fact green, but that wasn't what first caught my attention when the door was opened. What first caught my attention was the honking huge television that dwarfed the green room. I recovered quickly from the size of the TV to notice two comfy couches and the people sitting on this lovely furniture.
A distinguished gentleman in a finely tailored suit sat on one of the upholstered, while two attractive blond women sat on the love seat opposite him. When I entered the room one of the women hastily said, "Please sit here, I need to go anyway." The woman I sat next to was the person in charge of marketing for this project; turns out she is also the person who organizes juice and coffee for my district's convocation in the Fall. She and I chatted politely and she gave me a beautiful blue Baylor bag with goodies inside as a thank you for participating.
My claims to fame were two-fold: first, glamour shots of me, then the filming of the commercial. But not until I had my make-up session. Baylor hospital hired professionals to do make-up on their volunteers, and touch-ups during the filming. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't like wearing make-up and this was no exception, even though the woman who did my make-up was sweet and flattering. She had a thing for people's eyes and took lots of time in highlighting mine. Thankfully the make-up didn't feel heavy on my face.
The glamour photo shoot was fun. The good-looking guy that I met when I first walked in was my photographer.
"What kind of music do you like?" He asked me.
"Rock," I flashed a bright smile.
"Cool, we were already listening to rock on Pandora so we won't need to change the channel." (There were two other guys besides the photographer in the room.)
I was asked to sit on a bar stool in different positions. We took a few serious pictures, and then I had a blast making silly faces as the camera *clicked* away. I didn't realize it at the time, but people outside of the room could see the shenanigans going on in the studio! Funny. I had a good time and I hope they were laughing too.
The commercial was a bit more grueling, serious and intense. I walked into a different studio where my make-up was refreshed. Not much laughing in this room. I stood alone, under bright lights. There were two men sitting at the camera. Behind these men was a long table where the woman interviewing me, a couple of other important looking people, and the make-up artist sat. I was only to look at the camera and answer her questions in complete sentences. She prompted me with a question, and then I answered. If she needed more information, she prodded me with more questions. I had to go into some detail about why I was in the hospital; details I will spare the reader. There were a couple of 'signature' statements I had to make; at the beginning I had to say, "My name is Debi ---- and this is my story." And at the end say, "I'm Debi ---- and that is my story." I was not allowed to mention the name of my doctor, or even Baylor. A couple of those sentences I had to re-do.
I then switched gears to do the whole thing again, but this time in Spanish. I liked the Spanish questioner best. She was gentle and less abrupt. She also seemed to be listening to my story. The Spanish didn't seem to take as long, I'm not sure why that was; I guess it was partly because my interviewer knew how to get what she needed from me.
The most agreeable moment for me was when the interviewer asked me what I wanted to say to women about their health. You'll need to watch the commercial to see how I answered.
I was on a high when I left. Wow. What an experience. The commercial should be released sometime this Fall - November/December. I will be given a copy of all the photos taken and the commercial itself. I'll see if I find any photos or even the commercial worth posting.
Until next time my friends, stay healthy!
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Thank you Jesus for all prayers answered, for travelers safe departure and return, for healthy births, for all those suffering from addiction and are in denial, a special intention for those with doctor's appointments-your healing, Lord, always-for a continued mending of the Gulf, for those who are in the hospitals and nursing homes, for everyone who has no one to pray for them, and most of all, Heavenly Father, thank you for the many blessings and mercy you bestow on each and every one of us everyday. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
I received a rather unusual phone call from my g-y-n this past May.
He asked me, "How would you like to be in a commercial?"
"Sure."
(I didn't know what the commercial would entail, but when someone asks you to be in a commercial, ride in a sleigh drawn by huskies, or go to NYC's Times Square for NYE, you just say 'yes.')
By saying 'sure,' my doctor informed me, I was accepting an offer from Baylor Hospital to describe the service I'd been given while in one of their facilities recently (see "I heart nurses," blog for more info on my hospital stay).
My famous, or infamous, he he, appointment was set for June 18th, in the afternoon, but I wasn't ready for 'distinction' until I loaded two cute outfits in my car and ran by Regis at Collin Creek Mall in Plano for a quickie hairdo.
Upon my arrival at the studio a good-looking guy greeted me and escorted me to the 'green' room. The room was in fact green, but that wasn't what first caught my attention when the door was opened. What first caught my attention was the honking huge television that dwarfed the green room. I recovered quickly from the size of the TV to notice two comfy couches and the people sitting on this lovely furniture.
A distinguished gentleman in a finely tailored suit sat on one of the upholstered, while two attractive blond women sat on the love seat opposite him. When I entered the room one of the women hastily said, "Please sit here, I need to go anyway." The woman I sat next to was the person in charge of marketing for this project; turns out she is also the person who organizes juice and coffee for my district's convocation in the Fall. She and I chatted politely and she gave me a beautiful blue Baylor bag with goodies inside as a thank you for participating.
My claims to fame were two-fold: first, glamour shots of me, then the filming of the commercial. But not until I had my make-up session. Baylor hospital hired professionals to do make-up on their volunteers, and touch-ups during the filming. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't like wearing make-up and this was no exception, even though the woman who did my make-up was sweet and flattering. She had a thing for people's eyes and took lots of time in highlighting mine. Thankfully the make-up didn't feel heavy on my face.
The glamour photo shoot was fun. The good-looking guy that I met when I first walked in was my photographer.
"What kind of music do you like?" He asked me.
"Rock," I flashed a bright smile.
"Cool, we were already listening to rock on Pandora so we won't need to change the channel." (There were two other guys besides the photographer in the room.)
I was asked to sit on a bar stool in different positions. We took a few serious pictures, and then I had a blast making silly faces as the camera *clicked* away. I didn't realize it at the time, but people outside of the room could see the shenanigans going on in the studio! Funny. I had a good time and I hope they were laughing too.
The commercial was a bit more grueling, serious and intense. I walked into a different studio where my make-up was refreshed. Not much laughing in this room. I stood alone, under bright lights. There were two men sitting at the camera. Behind these men was a long table where the woman interviewing me, a couple of other important looking people, and the make-up artist sat. I was only to look at the camera and answer her questions in complete sentences. She prompted me with a question, and then I answered. If she needed more information, she prodded me with more questions. I had to go into some detail about why I was in the hospital; details I will spare the reader. There were a couple of 'signature' statements I had to make; at the beginning I had to say, "My name is Debi ---- and this is my story." And at the end say, "I'm Debi ---- and that is my story." I was not allowed to mention the name of my doctor, or even Baylor. A couple of those sentences I had to re-do.
I then switched gears to do the whole thing again, but this time in Spanish. I liked the Spanish questioner best. She was gentle and less abrupt. She also seemed to be listening to my story. The Spanish didn't seem to take as long, I'm not sure why that was; I guess it was partly because my interviewer knew how to get what she needed from me.
The most agreeable moment for me was when the interviewer asked me what I wanted to say to women about their health. You'll need to watch the commercial to see how I answered.
I was on a high when I left. Wow. What an experience. The commercial should be released sometime this Fall - November/December. I will be given a copy of all the photos taken and the commercial itself. I'll see if I find any photos or even the commercial worth posting.
Until next time my friends, stay healthy!
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Sunday, June 20, 2010
The Art of watering the Lawn
Hello world-wide-web,
Thank you Heavenly Father for choosing me. It has made all the difference in the world. Prayers for all marriage, parents, children, healing in the gulf, singles, addicts and anyone else who needs a prayer said for them. In Your Name, Amen.
My Aunt Rosa, on my mother's side of the family, was my hero growing up in El Paso. My family moved around a lot when I was little, but no matter where we were, my Aunt Rosa came to visit. It was awesome. It meant new clothes, a new hair do and just pampering in general.
I cried for three days straight when she died.
She taught me about credit, have I told this story before? Well I'll stop now and tell you that I'm mentioning her b/c I 'invoke' her spirit sometimes when I have chores to do: she was an expert at wrapping gifts..and diplomacy. As Catholics, this is what I believe the "Communion of Saints," means to us; our connection to our ancestors, those who have passed. I was reminded of the times my Aunt Rosa used to water the front lawn at our house on Hawthorne Street. I used to sit on the magnificent, bricked, sturdy, front porch and watch her wave the magic wand that was the water hose. It was as if the elements were at her command. Immediately after turning on the water hose a cool breeze appeared and tousled the tall evergreen trees that were on either side of the path to the entrance of my grandmother's house. My Aunt took her time as she watered each and every plot of earth. It was an act of love.
So tonight as I turned on the water to the hose at my house, and the wind kicked up joyously, I thought of her and asked her to be with me as I watered each and every part of my yard. I could feel her presence as I am facing my house and beginning on the left hand side, by the front window. There are a few plants, but mostly dirt, which I drench because this land is important to the health of my foundation. I relax as the water flows out of the nozzle, thanking each and every plant for being in my yard and growing. I make sure I soak each area thoroughly, just like my tia (Spanish word for 'aunt') did. It's fun to watch the geckos run out from their hiding places, or the occasional surprised flutter of a butterfly as the water chases it. The neighbors to the right of my house are in their upper years so I water their bushes as well. I see no boundaries, really, between our two yards. I have a rather large fern plant growing towards the front of the lawn and all its spikes nod in agreement as the water pours over them lovingly. I notice that some of the water's muscles are creating a 'dark chocolate with Carmel in the middle' dirt affect, in the symbol of a "V". The darker section engulfing the lighter portion.This tells me I am not soaking enough, so I go over the same place until the affect is made no more. When I am on the other side of my house, at the corner where my bedroom is, there is a precious, tiny, frog 'sitting' and watching me as I water the surface around him, careful not to flood him out of his wonderful perch. Whenever I come to a tree, I thank it's tough, thick bark and strong roots, sloshing the water as if I were washing a pet elephant. I love it's shade and how pretty it makes the front of my house appear. It took me about an hour to do the 'water ritual'. I thank Rosa for accompanying me around my house. A simple act of giving glory to God's creations appointed to my care. I hope I am doing them justice.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Thank you Heavenly Father for choosing me. It has made all the difference in the world. Prayers for all marriage, parents, children, healing in the gulf, singles, addicts and anyone else who needs a prayer said for them. In Your Name, Amen.
My Aunt Rosa, on my mother's side of the family, was my hero growing up in El Paso. My family moved around a lot when I was little, but no matter where we were, my Aunt Rosa came to visit. It was awesome. It meant new clothes, a new hair do and just pampering in general.
I cried for three days straight when she died.
She taught me about credit, have I told this story before? Well I'll stop now and tell you that I'm mentioning her b/c I 'invoke' her spirit sometimes when I have chores to do: she was an expert at wrapping gifts..and diplomacy. As Catholics, this is what I believe the "Communion of Saints," means to us; our connection to our ancestors, those who have passed. I was reminded of the times my Aunt Rosa used to water the front lawn at our house on Hawthorne Street. I used to sit on the magnificent, bricked, sturdy, front porch and watch her wave the magic wand that was the water hose. It was as if the elements were at her command. Immediately after turning on the water hose a cool breeze appeared and tousled the tall evergreen trees that were on either side of the path to the entrance of my grandmother's house. My Aunt took her time as she watered each and every plot of earth. It was an act of love.
So tonight as I turned on the water to the hose at my house, and the wind kicked up joyously, I thought of her and asked her to be with me as I watered each and every part of my yard. I could feel her presence as I am facing my house and beginning on the left hand side, by the front window. There are a few plants, but mostly dirt, which I drench because this land is important to the health of my foundation. I relax as the water flows out of the nozzle, thanking each and every plant for being in my yard and growing. I make sure I soak each area thoroughly, just like my tia (Spanish word for 'aunt') did. It's fun to watch the geckos run out from their hiding places, or the occasional surprised flutter of a butterfly as the water chases it. The neighbors to the right of my house are in their upper years so I water their bushes as well. I see no boundaries, really, between our two yards. I have a rather large fern plant growing towards the front of the lawn and all its spikes nod in agreement as the water pours over them lovingly. I notice that some of the water's muscles are creating a 'dark chocolate with Carmel in the middle' dirt affect, in the symbol of a "V". The darker section engulfing the lighter portion.This tells me I am not soaking enough, so I go over the same place until the affect is made no more. When I am on the other side of my house, at the corner where my bedroom is, there is a precious, tiny, frog 'sitting' and watching me as I water the surface around him, careful not to flood him out of his wonderful perch. Whenever I come to a tree, I thank it's tough, thick bark and strong roots, sloshing the water as if I were washing a pet elephant. I love it's shade and how pretty it makes the front of my house appear. It took me about an hour to do the 'water ritual'. I thank Rosa for accompanying me around my house. A simple act of giving glory to God's creations appointed to my care. I hope I am doing them justice.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Whimsical pictures
Hello world-wide-web,
Lord, thank you for my family and friends, and their health, and all blessings you've bestowed on me. In Your Name. Amen.
I finally took pictures of these wondrous statues around Deep Ellum.
Strummin' on the ole banjo...
Just chillaxin'
Heart these cute chickies and they reflect their goodness everywhere.
...and also with you!
Peering through the musician. How often does one get a chance to do that?!
Hello from behind the arm of my robot. Yes, mine.
Bushy had to copy me!
A birdie landed on his arm.
Hmmm
I'm almost as tall!
Go John, go!...
John posturing.
This birdie is hopping through the photos!
Look at those delightful feet.
If you get a chance, go to Deep Ellum and check out these adorable images live. It's worth the look.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Photos of the World Cup Experience
Hello world-wide-web,
Thank you Jesus for good friends and fun times! In Your Name. Amen.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Thank you Jesus for good friends and fun times! In Your Name. Amen.
As you look out from the giant HD screen, this is what you see...
It was Hell Hot, but worth it! USA!
Those crazy Body Painters! God Bless 'em! We were lucky to get seats next to these guys!
I could have used these later in an argument with Bushy.
U-S-A!
Crazy Body painters on one side, and this guy on the other! :)
Loved sharing the WC experience with these characters.
Look out now, you are on Candid Camera. We were trying to capture a photo of the flag.
This is what you saw from where we were sitting. I think this was taken shortly after Dempsey scored our goooooaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllll!
As were were leaving this guy was waving the US and Mexican flag, tied together. Nice.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Rules to live by
Hello world-wide-web,
Prayers for everyone I said I'd pray for and anyone else who needs some prayers and of course for healing in the Gulf. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Since I'm not working this summer - except in re-organizing my house - and I'm procrastinating on reading the text for my Ethics class, I have lots more time to post blogs. Aren't you a lucky reader!
This was sent in a email to me and I think it's worth sharing:
ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want. (!!!)
FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.
FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married .
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY- ONE. Spend some time alone.
Twenty-one reminds me of something a good friend asked me when my mom was out of town, "Don't you miss not having your mom around? I don't like it when my roommates is gone." I did miss my mom, but I absolutely relish being by myself. Afterall, if I can't stand being with myself, why would anyone else want to be with me?
God bless!
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Prayers for everyone I said I'd pray for and anyone else who needs some prayers and of course for healing in the Gulf. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Since I'm not working this summer - except in re-organizing my house - and I'm procrastinating on reading the text for my Ethics class, I have lots more time to post blogs. Aren't you a lucky reader!
This was sent in a email to me and I think it's worth sharing:
ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want. (!!!)
FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.
FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married .
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY- ONE. Spend some time alone.
Twenty-one reminds me of something a good friend asked me when my mom was out of town, "Don't you miss not having your mom around? I don't like it when my roommates is gone." I did miss my mom, but I absolutely relish being by myself. Afterall, if I can't stand being with myself, why would anyone else want to be with me?
God bless!
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
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