Tonight, Vee Dance!!

Erik and I looove watching The Amazing Race for a variety of reasons, one of them being the opportunity to watch people brave enough to make complete fools of themselves. I don't think I have ever laughed harder than when I watched this portion of last week's episode. The best part? We have already seen previews from tonight's episode showing the frat boys facing a challenge that they alone must complete . . . . yep, it's dancing. Can not wait.

Riddle me this . . .

The Religious Right often waxes poetically about how we need to return our nation to the original plan of the founding fathers, that being a "Christian" nation. (Which, by the way, I am not convinced was their intent.) However, when it comes to most government policies or programs that line up with the actions of Christ himself i.e. taking care of the poor, the outcast, the less fortunate etc. by way of basic needs such as food, housing, and health needs, they cry government interference. I don't get that.

Friday Fun

The "man cold" . . . . tee hee . . .

Wordless Wednesday

The up side of poverty

When things go south economically, you don't have nearly as far to fall as other folks.  The panic seems to be minimized since you already know the reality of "cutting back".

Friday Funny

Oh my.....

Thank goodness for Joel McHale because truly I was left speechless.

Cover Me

I used to think that anyone who did a cover song was nothing but a hack. Over the years, though, I have found that really it takes some skill to take a song that someone else gave life to and somehow make it yours. There are still plenty of hacks out there, but I have compiled a (rather lengthy) list here of some that I believe are certainly worth of your attention.

(Ed. note: if you also read my husband's blog I just want you to know that I had the idea for this topic months ago, and began my draft of it almost 3 weeks ago. He had no idea. We both have lots of original ideas. After 10 years of marriage they just seem to overlap more often.  Although the end results are quite different.)

Some Favorites

El Tango de Roxanne (feat. Jacek Koman/Jose Feliciano) - Ewan McGregor

A reminder of the brilliance of Baz Luhrman and his films. I love the very raw emotion in this song -- the gravely sound of Jacek Koman juxtaposed with the purity of Ewan McGregor's yearning. The strings, the passion, the love, the loss, aaaaa!!!! Fantastico!

Hotel California - Gipsy Kings

The Gipsy Kings could remake "It's a Small World" and I would probably love it.  But to listen to this one...man you can almost see Antonia Banderas walking down that dusty road to the lone structure off in the distance that looks so dangerously inviting.

Hurt - Johnny Cash

I'm not a huge NIN fan so I was only vaguely familiar with the original of this song. When I heard Johnny Cash sing it, I was just drop jawed and moved almost to tears. What a beautiful, aching song. While it gave me more respect for Trent Reznor, and I do appreciate his version, he was just a boy when he wrote it. Johnny Cash sings it from the other side with a lifetime of perspective in every word. In it's stripped down form it is painful and hopeful all at the same time. Beautiful.

Man Who Sold the World - Jordis Unga

Miss Unga was a contestant on the first season of "Rock Star" a reality show to find a new lead singer for the band NXS. She didn't win, but was/is an amazing talent. I can't even define what it is about it, but up until I heard her sing it, it was jut another Nirvana song. When she sang it, you knew it was personal. I love that.

Wonderwall - Ryan Adams

I was fine with the first version of this by Oasis although their pugilistic reputation turned me off to them as a band.  This sparse, bare bones rendition is haunting and just gorgeous.  On a side note, while listening to the original on iTunes I discovered a whole gamut of really crappy covers.  There may be another cover blog in the future....

One - Cowboy Junkies

Before I heard this song, I would have gone to the mat saying no one should mess with a U2 song. This one proved me wrong. What I think really makes a good cover is taking a song and truly making it your own. If it sounds just like the original I am not impressed. If you do something different just to be different, that's just lame. But if you can make it sound like it could have been your song, that your heart is in it, then you've got something. I've never been a big fan of the Mary J. Blige duet version of this. To me it has way more energy than this song requires. Cowboy Junkies take it down to this whisper-like almost prayer of a song. It's just breathtaking and dare I say I almost prefer listening to this over the original. =0

Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Who knew that what this song needed was more ukelele? It's just so sweet and unpolished. Most people feel the need to really belt this one, but this gentler almost innocent approach is what really shines.

Evil Woman - Soul Hooligan 

While I do not have anything against E.L.O. I will readily admit that there is nothing sacred about their music and it wouldn't take much to improve it. This version is awesome! It is from the Austin Powers Goldmember soundtrack and from the first electronic notes to the breakdown 2 minutes in it just rocks. Where the original might make you sway along to the beat, this one makes you MOVE!

Sweet Emotion - Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon

Possibly my favorite cover song ever. This song caught my attention at work several times based on it's base line and almost folksy guitar work. It was quite awhile before I even realized it was an Aerosmith song. It is world's apart from the original and it totally works. The deep and steady vocals are hypnotic and the complete opposite of the screams of Steven Tyler. Instead of hitting you in the face it instead quietly sidles up beside you and takes you on one smooth ride. You have to check this one out on itunes. You will not regret it.

With My Own Two Hands - Jack Johnson feat. Ben Harper

This one would qualify for the "didn't even know it was a cover" list, but I'm leaving it here with the favorites because I just love this song. This version trumps the original hands down. It is from the "Curious George" soundtrack and in typical Jack Johnson form it is unassuming, a little winsome, and just generally sweet. When it was in heavy rotation in our car 2 years ago I would literally get choked up when my then 5 and 3 year would be singing in the back seat " . . . and I can comfort you, with my own two hands . . . ".

The following are songs are all good, though in my mind they just don't grab me like these first ones. All still respectable and worth a listen.

American Woman - Lenny Kravitz 

This song just rocks. I love Lenny.

Blackbird - Sarah McLachlan

I am not a Beatles fan, but Sarah made me like this one.

Lady Marmalade (with Lil'Kim/Mya/Pink)  Christina Aguilera 

Come on, you know this one has a groove that I dare you not roll your hips (and maybe some shoulder also) to.

Landslide - Dixie Chicks

I do like the Smashing Pumpkins version as well, but the harmonies of the Chicks are what put this one over the top for me.

Personal Jesus - Johnny Cash 

I think for Johnny, it is personal.

Bizarre Love Triangle - Frente! 

Can't find this one on iTunes, but it was back in the mid 90's.  Again a very stripped down, acoustic version with an airy voiced female lead.  An entirely different animal than the electronic original

I Melt With You - Nouvelle Vague

A slowed down, female led, groove lounge version. Makes me wish I drank martinis.

A Little Respect - Wheatus 

I just discovered this one on Erik's playlist so I can't yet articulate why I enjoy it so much, but I do.

Sweet Child O' Mine -Sheryl Crow

I would rather hear this one over the original any day.

Cielito Lindo - Chignon

I think I have a thing for gravelly voiced Latin music.

Here Comes the Sun - Richie Havens 

Seriously, I only like Beatles music when someone else sings it.

Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson

I loved this song in the 80's and appreciated the dark feel that Annie Lennox's voice gave it. Little did I know there was a young man in Ohio who would make it even darker. You have to agree that Marilyn's style totally fits the song.

Boyz in the Hood

Listening to this just makes me laugh. I don't even know what the original sounds like as it is just not my genre. But the contrast of this pleasant and simple music with the "Parental Advisory" lyrics I find quite amusing and enjoyable.

I also have to give an honorable mention to the soundtrack for "50 First Dates" that is all reggae cover tunes. All are actually done quite well.

These next few are songs that I had absolutely no idea were cover songs for a very long time. I think that says a lot either about their skills or my general lack of musical exposure.

Battle of Evermore - The Lovemongers 

Erik tells me this is actually quite true to the original.  Perhaps there is a Zeppelin fan lurking in me yet.

Everybody Knows - Concrete Blonde

Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies

Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor

I've Done Everything for You - Rick Springfield

Wild Horses - The Sundays 

I have since grown to love the original equally along with many more than I ever expected from the Stones catalogue.

And finally a few that aren't typically my style, but I think they might grow on me over time. : )

Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) - Jay-Z

I have to admit it's catchy and far more enjoyable than all those urchins singing it.

Low Rider - Korn

Like a Virgin - Teenage Fanclub (from the Threesome soundtrack)

Billie Jean - Club Nouveau

Another Day in Paradise - Dennis Brown

99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger

And finally, (I mean it this time) a couple of bands who have no songs on any of my lists. But like a circus sideshow, they are impossible to overlook. Just file these under "interesting oddities".

Hayseed Dixie - they started as a bluegrass AC/DC cover band but have gone on to cover the likes of KISS and maybe some other metal. It is unique to say the least.

Dread Zeppelin - This is a Zeppelin cover band who does all of the covers in reggae style with an Elvis-impersonator (Torte-Elvis) as the the lead singer. We actually own a couple of CD's because my husband believes the whole concept works. I'm not convinced yet, but I am intrigued.

And there ya have it. I'm sure you can't wait to go load up your iPod right away.

Wordless Wednesday

Whoa.

What's interesting is that several years ago I would have been shocked and saddened by this article.  Today though, I find myself smiling.  Partly because I admire the kind of courage it takes. The other not so noble reason is that I'm very curious to see how the evangelical community handles this one.  Michael English is water waaaayyyy under the bridge.

Cutting the (Cable) Cord

A few weeks ago my husband, quite out of the blue, threw out the idea of canceling our cable service. When I pointed out that we only pay about $8.00 a month and that while we really do need to cut costs wherever we can, I wasn't sure this was going to make much of a difference.   To my surprise he said this was not about the money. It was more about time spent, more accurately lost as we mindlessly surf through looking for something to watch and almost worse, watching nonsense. He's right, I know. But in all honesty, it is a really difficult thing for me to commit to. (Shut up about my commitment issues. I already know.)

I have gone without TV before. When I was a kid, our TV was out of service for several months at a time. What's funny is that I have vivid and very fond memories of endless rounds of charades with my family. It's something I think all of us look back on with a smile. Four years of college -- no TV, no problem.  I was totally out of the loop when shows like "Home Improvement" and "Roseanne" premiered but I was alright with that. Same thing when I first moved out on my own.   My coworkers could not imagine how I survived without "the tube" to the extent that someone finally loaned me one. 

I think the problem now, is that I have come to rely on the TV for my "down" time.  That time when the kids are in bed finally and I can have some quiet grown up time.  I'm usually too tired, or at least that's what I tell myself, to really do anything else.  My kids are even more dependent.  I'm really not proud to say that my kid's love TV.  Actually, they love all forms of media and truth be told, that saddens me.  They go through phases of being really obsessive to relatively indifferent, but I know there would be much wailing and gnashing of teeth if we do decide to eliminate it.  Although, we wouldn't be getting rid of the TV, just the programming.  We would still have access to videos, DVD's and anything available on the internet.  Which leads me to my other doubt.  Would we really consume less if we simply cut out the cable?  Or would that simply open up our schedules to partake of different forms?  The painful truth for me is that if I really wanted to eliminate a time waster in my life it would be this glowing beast before me right now.  Talk about something that sucks the hours away....

I have a dear friend who lives with her family of 5 in England.  We have recently reconnected and I get to see a glimpse of her day to day life via Facebook.  (Yes, I see the irony here.)  I have to admit I get quite envious when I read about evenings spent on mom and dad's bed with a variety of activities -- reading, drawing, chatting.  Or when I see a photo of an impish little girl soaking up a sunny afternoon on a trampoline.  Or hear about things like recitations given as gifts.  It's all so rich and beautiful and void of pop culture.  I don't think my friend would describe her life as idyllic, but from where I stand I can't think of anything more appropriate.  Through very tough times they have more than strengthened their family bonds.  They are rock solid.

My kids are not fools, and TV and movies have not robbed them of their intellectual abilities.  (The jury is still out on what it has done to me.)  My kids are not disrespectful (most of the time) and are generally well mannered.  But inside I can't help but wonder if there could be a better way for us as a family.

I don't know if we will turn off the cable or not.  I think the greater challenge for all members of my family is establishing when enough is enough.  Setting limits we may not like, but stick to because they are in all our best interests.  And finding ways to get time away from this smorgasbord of technology that the world around us tries to convince us we need.

Wordless Wednesday

Back to School

So Quincy, despite his protestation, headed off to 2nd grade last Tuesday. You can see by the photos just how thrilled he was.

Adelaide, on the other hand was just beside herself with excitement over starting Kindergarten.  We do half days here in Oregon, so in addition to having to wait until Wednesday because her last name begins with "Y", she also had to wait until 12:00 before we could head to the school.  She requested the time left to wait no less than every 30 minutes from about 8:00am.  We finally went ahead and went a little early where we had to wait in the hallway and finally were the first ones in the classroom.  We were thrilled that Addie was able to get Mrs. Thetford -Quincy's amazing Kindergarten teacher - who she happily calls Miss Feffurd.  My only hope now is that she actually grows into that backpack before high school.

Second Annual . . . .

. . . farewell to summer visit to the zoo on Labor Day. It was actually a very chilly start to the day, but we knew we had to get there early on account of the holiday as well as the fact that this was the first weekend they were allowing the public to see the brand new baby elephant. We opted not to wait in line for an hour for that and instead enjoyed all of the other animals that had much smaller crowds due to afore mentioned pachyderm. Attached are more photos than you probably want to see. Humor me.

The Young zoo at the zoo.

 

Have I mentioned how much my sun adores dinosaurs?  This  was the last day for this special exhibit.

                                                                                   We figured eating an elephant ear would suffice                                                                                       in lieu of actually seeing the new elephant.

Seriously, aren't they adorable????

And finally, let me just take  a moment and say that never in my life would I have envisioned myself dressed in coordinating clothing and hair (PINK, no less) with my daughter.  Little did I know what joy it would bring me to do something I would never choose just to make her happy.  I have nothing against the shirt or the hair, it's just the matchy thing that is just not my style.  What's even funnier is that Addie rarely wants to "fix" her hair, but when I offered to do ponytails she leapt at the chance to have the ones that look just like Wanda's on Corner Gas.  She cracks me up.

A grand time was had by all.

You should read this

I think my husband is brilliant and insightful.  Case in point . . . . 

Friday Funny

Just to clarify, the Young's loved the summer olympics. . . but Bucky the cat still makes me laugh.

Wordless Wednesday

California Pasta with Artichokes and Almond-Citrus Pesto

I think maybe I'm done with the summer pasta dishes. While this one was not a total disaster like the last one, it just overall was not good enough to merit the money and time spent on it. While I was eager to try my hand at making my own pesto, I knew I was taking a chance by not having an actual food processer. In case you're thinking that a blender will work just as well, you would be wrong, especially if you try to use the rubber spatula to smush everything down when it fails to actually "blend". I did finally get it to work, but I had to call in Erik for assistance. Oh yeah, and I think I'll be omitting any artichoke hearts for awhile. They seem to only be available at New Seasons and now that the food stamp account has been cut back, we are not in a position to do the fancy pants shopping anymore. And besides, they're really not that good.

The salad wasn't bad. I do love all the different dressings that Rachael (Ray) does and for the most part they are really, really simple -- although a full jar of orange marmalade just to use one tablespoon is hard to justify. (Please feel free to submit your marmalade suggestions anytime because it is unlikely I will use it on toast.) The downfall of the salad was that I again followed all instructions and used arugula knowing full well that it was a more, how shall we say, flavorful lettuce. Rachael tries to pass it off as "spicy", but that's really not it. I liked it alright, but I'll let Quincy's comments speak for everyone else. Now keep in mind that this is the very unique 7 year old boy who looooves his salads and typically eats and enjoys just about anything I put in front of him. When clearing his plate after dinner he accidentally spilled his bowl on the floor. I told him not to worry about it and just let the dogs have it to which he quickly responded, "The dogs won't eat that." Nice.

Yeah, I think it will be fine to just go ahead and toss this one straight into the recycling.

Life in Oregon

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of spending any extended time in the great city of Portland here is a little something to give you a taste. This ran in The Oregonian several months ago and I think it gives a VERY accurate representation. I especially like that it is presented under the title of

Oregon's Deadly Sins

(I've added a few personal comments in italics)

Drinking instant coffee

Ordering regular drip at a Starbucks (if you even bother to set foot in a Starbucks instead of Peets or Stumptown or anything local)

Forgetting your personal cup and killing a tree (or your reusable grocery bags)

Tossing a soda can in the trash

Refusing to sort your recyclables

Complaining about the sun (which they do here when the temperature hits a mere 90 degrees)

Using an umbrella -- ever (we learned early on that if we wanted to "blend" the umbrellas must be banished)

Not commuting to work, shuttling kids, schlepping groceries or transporting furniture on a bike

Not yielding your right-of-way and creating a polite-off that stalls rush-hour traffic (this is my biggest pet peeve here. What it looks like is this -- I'm walking to work and come to the intersection with a 2 way stop so I politely wait if I see a car coming since THERE IS NO STOP SIGN FOR THEM, giving them the right of way. Yet, 90% of the time they will stop to let me cross regardless of any traffic that may be behind them. The worst is when I'm trying to cross with a stroller, children and/or dogs. This happens with other drivers as well at intersections everywhere. There is just no regard whatsoever for right of way and the concept of keeping traffic flowing. It drives me absolutely up the wall!)

Driving the freeway speed limit (This was also a tough one to adjust to. I had spent 8 years prior to living here in Dallas, TX where you "piss or get off the pot" when it comes to driving. As long as it wasn't rush hour you could seriously set your cruise control for 10 miles over the speed limit and be just fine. Here the limit is 55 and virtually no one ever actually reaches that speed! True to their laid back lifestyles here, they're just toolin' along - in the left lane I might add - maybe pushing 52. Maddening I tell you!


Rooting for ANY Husky sports team for ANY reason (even if your kid goes there) (That's one of the Universities in Washington. I still can't keep the OR and WA schools and mascots straight.)

Snowboarding on a downhill ski run

Drinking beer from a can (I feel bad for my husband that we are in such a crappy financial condition while living in a microbrew paradise.)

Not setting foot on a tribal reservation unless David Cassidy is performing (Yeah, I don't get this one either.)



Pride in your nonorganic lifestyle

Wearing Adidas onto the Nike campus

Desecrating the memory of the Church of Elvis

So there ya have it. They mean it when the say "Keep Portland Weird". But I think it's a lot of that weirdness that makes it such a great place to be.

Friday Funny

Erik and I have watched every season of Last Comic Standing. This is the season 2 winner John Heffron. The audio is pretty bad, but the bit still makes me laugh.

Wordless Wednesday

Whose Church is it?

I regularly listen to a podcast that deals with God in pop culture. If you have an hour and a half of time just lying about, I would certainly recommend giving the boys at Steelehouse a listen. I am a total sucker for pop culture and most of the time I listen with a nod and a smile as they discuss movies and songs of my youth or current TV shows of which I am a huge fan. Just recently, however, they were on the topic of church/worship media,and it brought back to mind this question that has been rolling over in my head for about the past 4 to 5 years.

Why does church - and by that I mean a good ol' Sunday morning service - exist? For whom is it there?


Jeff Huston and Mark Steele, the hosts of the podcast were at a conference on worship media. And I tell ya what, 6 years ago I might have thought that was a pretty good idea and may have even attended, considering it was held in Dallas. I was all about engaging the culture and being all relevant and whatnot. But now . . . . it just really rubs me wrong and kind of even makes me sad. And I believe the reason for that is because the focus seems largely on a.)non-believers and 2.) me. It's like a new paint job on a seeker sensitive service. Over the past few years I have come to believe that the group who that Sunday morning gathering is really for is 1.) believers and b.) Christ. And while yes, becoming Orthodox is partially responsible for that, I think a more accurate assesment would be that because I feel this way, I became Orthodox.

Let me see if I can make some coherent statements to make this make sense. And of course we all know I am no scholar so bear with me. What exactly do we know of the early church from scripture? About as much as we know about parenting. Oh wait, that's another blog. My point is that it really is not very specific about what a gathering of those young fresh faced Christians looked like. Acts does give us a picture of how their time together was often spent -- eating together, sharing communion, praying. I am not aware of any mention of witnessing in these instances. Rather, evangelism was something that took place outside of the coming together of the Christians. For some in their daily life, no doubt, and for others as their calling and I guess vocation. Relevance was absolutely a necessity and Paul was a fantastic example of this. But my point is that the place for convincing people that Christ was the Messiah was NOT the temple or synagogue nor was it the potluck over at Titicus and Ophelia's place. It was out there where the people were living their day to day lives.

I take no issue with engaging the culture and doing it as Mr. Steele would say "with excellence". I do have a problem, however, with bringing that into the worship service. The gathering of Christians together in what we now call church was for the sole purposes of praying, worshipping, and receiving the Holy Mysteries (communion). That, my friend, is no place for a car or a live animal or any other prop you may need to make your message relevant. Did you know that for many years in the early church, there was a point in the service where all who were not baptized had to leave? That's because what they were doing was that sacred. And it still is today.

I am bothered by the fact that we have become soooo consumed with the whole "Great Commission" idea that we let it take precedence over that for which He actually took on flesh -- the restoration of our relationship with Him. I don't know about you, but living a Christian life is often uncomfortable to say the very least. So why is it so important to make a visitor feel at ease? Surrendering our will and dying to ourselves is not an easy task. Becoming more like Christ is tough. Christianity is not for people who want to feel better about themselves. On the contrary, the harder you pursue Christ the more you can see how wretched you really are. I just don't think we are doing anyone any favors by making church relevant to their present circumstances or worse yet, fun. If anyone makes the choice to go to church because it's fun, something is amiss.

Now, I do have to say in defense of Steelehouse Productions and the Echo conference that after listening a few days later to Mark's keynote address I felt better about their position as it seemed more directed at artist's and their work in general rather than how it can be utilized within the church. Mostly it was one of their earlier guests and the subsequent website I visited that gave me the heebie-jeebies.

All I'm saying is this. As selfish as it sounds, Church is for the believers. Non believers are absolutely, positively welcome at any time. But we have no obligation or even reason to make the practice of our faith more palatable for those who are not enjoined with it. If we do, we are missing the point.

I'm wondering . . .

Does God work miracles for those who have the faith because they have complete trust in Him or does He work them for those without faith in order to show Himself worthy of their trust?  Are the people who need a bigger example of God the ones who get one?

Friday Fun

So this is my other new thing.  My intent is to share a little something each Friday that makes me grin, chuckle, or positively roll on the floor.  (I hate those stupid text acronyms so you won't find them here.)  You may not feel the same way, but you'll know a little more about me whether you like it or not. ; )

So I will kick things off with a clip from one of my new favorite shows.  Although, technically, it's an old show but it's new to me.  It's called Corner Gas and comes to us from our friends to the North.  It currently runs on WGN Monday - Thursday at 9:00pm Pacific Time, so I'll let you figure out what time that is for you or just check your local listings.  If you prefer a drier approach to humor you should check it out.  I crack up at almost every episode.  This is supposed to be the first scene ever and I think it gives a good representation of what you can expect.  I hope you like it.  And if not, well there's always next week.

Correction . . .

In regards to what I said here  --  it is not the annoying Mary Murphy after all, but rather the annoying Nancy freakin Grace that I think of every time I watch the diving events on the Olympics. Seriously, I do not know who the actual woman in the water cube is, but she sounds just like Nancy which in turn makes me think she must be one mean lady.  What an unfortunate coincidence. 

Wordless Wednesday

Trying something new...

Okay, so I'm going to give this "Wordless Wednesday" thing a shot. Even though it's hard for me to keep my mouth shut. And I'm stealing this from a friend who stole it from another friend and probably so on and so on. So stay tuned and maybe you'll see something cute or gross or funny or completely worthless. I make no promises that it will be good or even interesting. It will just be without words.

Daddy's Girl

Erik has a new blog and while he has not yet made it public, I couldn't resist sharing this most recent post. He is a total sucker for that little girl, but I have to admit it is pretty cute most of the time.

"The fateful day is fast approaching. I have faced this day with Quincy and I managed it well. But this time it is my baby girl. She's my Sugar-Bean and she's so small. She's not ready to go to school on her own. I know it's only for a half-day but I'm not going to be able to protect her from other kids that might hurt her feelings. Small kids are monsters. Truly they are monstrous. Kindergartners are the scariest kids of them all. They are aware enough of other children and they want to play, but they lack the refinement of polite society. My daughter loves me but she also tells me that I'm fat. They say stuff like that. My fear is that her classmates will say hurtful things to her. The worst part is that I am too old to justify insulting a five year old to get even. Quincy is all boy. He is physical and rowdy and he and his friends do a fair amount of smack-talking. Adelaide is sweet and dainty. She likes to be pretty. And she is shy around new kids. She needs me to protect her. Seriously, she sticks close to me when she is scared and I thrive on protecting her. When she is "out there", sharing air with all those other five year old monsters, I won't be able to protect her.

I totally identify with Marlin, the father of Nemo, in Finding Nemo. Addie is small. That is her "lucky fin". She doesn't see it as a liability but I do. All of us parents know that we have to let them go but what do we do to fill the void? She has been my companion while Quincy is at school. We run errands together and play "Punch Buggy" in the car. I am hearing the Tevia's refrain: "Sunrise, Sunset..."

Is it just me?

. . . . or does the lady who commentates the Olympic diving remind anyone else of that annoying Mary Murphy chick on "So You Think You Can Dance?"

Definitely Better

I know it may not look like it, but this dish turned out waaayyyy better than that last little adventure.  I present to you the "Mighty Migas"!  And let me tell you it really was easy (all prepared in one simple skillet, thank God) and quite tasty.  It's a brunchy sort of tortilla, cheesy, eggy dish.  I must say, though, that I'm a little perplexed by chorizo.  I thought it was going to cook up like sausage but instead it seemed to virtually melt away as it was cooking which - having never cooked with it before - I don't know if that is supposed to happen or if I just got a lousy product.  The flavor was still great I thought.  (Erik didn't seem as impressed as I was.)  I did leave out the 1.) jalapeno peppers because I am, after all, feeding children and b.) the avocado because I'm just not a fan.  

So my hope is renewed.  Now if I could just find the money and time to make more frequent efforts perhaps I will be ready to entertain in the next year or so.  Who wants to be first?

Suh-wing annamisss . . .

It looks simple enough right? And while it was technically edible, the process was ultimately comedic . . . either that tragic. Here is what I learned. A recipe that takes more than one page is a little iffy to begin with. One that requires manning 3 pots at once is just way out of my league. In fact, I think I now have a 2 pot rule. More than that and it's a no go.

The name of the dish is "Crispy Parmigiano-Crusted Chicken on Summer Lemon Pasta". See? You want some don't you? I mean how enticing is that? I even watched Rachael make this one and she made it all seem sooo easy that even I could make it. That little kitchen mynx!

I should have known things would not go well when we had to go to 2 or maybe 3 different stores just to acquire all of the necessary ingredients. Speaking of which, what the hell is the difference between scallions, chives, and green onions? I'm sure I can look it up somewhere here on the interweb, but I am at a loss at the grocery store every time. The actual cooking started off alright, but in the end the chicken was dry, the vegetables burned andthe cheese overcooked into little lumps infused with parsley and garlic. I forgot to roll the lemons on the counter before squeezing so they would give up no juice and I completely forgot to add the baby spinach that Erik had to go to freaking Whole Foods to get! Aaarrrgghh!

Oh well, I guess we will toss that one and try something else another day. I will not surrender!

That time of year again...

So Milo, how did you like your first trip to the berry farm?

A little glimpse into our world . . .

Okay now what do I do

So for whatever reason I came home tonight and decided to finally set up a Facebook profile.  Seems like all the cool kids are doing it, so why not?  I'll tell you why not!  Because I have just whiled away ..... oh good Lord I don't even want to calculate how much time just piddling around searching for "friends".  I have boxes yet to be unpacked, laundry piled up, dirty dishes, and crying babies but here I sit.  Seriously.  And what's worse is that I don't even get the point.  What does one do with all those friends?  Is this some kind of sick contest to see who can amass the most?  Seriously.  I think I may have been born a few .....or maybe 10 or 15 years to early to really fully enjoy this type of thing.  

But hey, if you want another friend on your list you just let me know.  I'm all over it.

I HATE MOVING!!!!!!

This is day 2 for this outfit I am wearing(and will most likely sleep in -- again), the pig tails are on their 3rd straight day, and saddest -or perhaps most disturbing -  is that I can't remember how many days it's been since my last shower. Tomorrow I have to be at work at 8:00am (after Erik and I make one more trip to the old apartment) and I don't have any idea what box has my clean underwear in it. We have no shower curtain so I'll have to pretend I'm 8 years old and wash my hair under the faucet I guess. Fortunately, I did locate my toothbrush, so I got that goin' for me.

Photos likely to follow once we get everything plugged back in.

Not a bad place to be stuck

There is nothing like a little vacation time showing guests around to remind me of what a gorgeous place I live.  My sister and her family came for a visit a couple of weeks ago and with only 2 days to give them their very first taste of Oregon, we hit the usual high points.  I have never stopped appreciating the beauty of this locale, but seeing it with first timers who just could not come up with enough adjectives made it all fresh again.  Although we may feel a little confused as to where our life is going at this point, at least we get to live in this lovely place as we try to sort it out and await further direction.

The Columbia River Gorge scenic highway.

Bridal Veil falls -- my personal favorite of the several falls we visited.

Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood.  This was taken the same day as the photos above - June 8 to be exact.  And they got fresh snow just a couple of days later.  Summer has been a long time coming this year.

Low tide at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach.

Cape Meares just outside of Tillamook (where we watched them make cheese and then ate some yummy ice cream.)

Staying Put.

Isn't there some little saying about how man makes his plans and God laughs?

Quincy's last day of school is this Friday and up until just a couple of months ago I had no doubt that at this point in time we would be packing up boxes and preparing for our semi cross country move to wherever it would be that Erik would be completing his doctorate, perhaps even with an extended visit with my family in Arkansas (because of course all of our financial woes would be over).

This is where you would cue the laughter.

I can say that now. Back in April we weren't taking it so lightly. Three schools, three states, three rejections. All the momentum we had going over the last 3 years came to a screeching halt as we struggled to just accept this new reality. For a very short time we danced with the idea of pursuing my career for awhile which included a potential move to Anchorage, AK. We realized in time, though, that would have been an impulsive move and would not alleviate any of our current stresses at all and in fact would likely add to any current depression what with an even darker winter than what we have here. In all honesty, my selfish hope was that this next step in our life would actually be a chance for me to step out of the work world at least for a while. My less selfish hope was that my husband would be one step closer to that niche where he can get paid for all the readin' and writin', and discussin' that he likes to spend his time on anyway. He loves his children, really he does, but truly he is not wired for the whole 'stay at home Dad' thing. I, on the other hand, would love to give it a shot but instead I am the one with the full time job. That's why I think we both took this so hard. Aside from the blow to Erik's confidence, I know that we both feel stuck in these roles/positions we would gladly trade out with one another and right now it's hard to see any way to make that happen. It is also really lousy to see someone you love so dearly and are so proud of and have every confidence in get knocked down like that when you have absolutely no ability to do anything to change it.

On the upside, we got the news somewhere in the midst of Lent so for me the continuing journey of our conversion to Orthodoxy brought me this window of joy and contentment during a very down time. If nothing else I can see staying here being worthwhile simply because of the new start we have had at St. Nicholas. We are by no means strangers in the congregation, but after being baptized and chrismated it was like all of our existing relationships went to a deeper level and a variety of new ones began. We have felt comfortable there all along, but all of sudden I now knew that we belonged. It would have been terribly difficult to leave so soon after.

So instead of moving to another state, we are instead moving to another apartment. It's not a big change, though -- same complex, even the same floorplan only the new one has a small loft area above the kitchen/dining room area. More important than additional space was a place where Q & A could stomp their feet freely. It bugs me a little that we are unable to offer our kids a yard to play in, but for now this will have to do.

I can't speak for Erik, but I know that I have now accepted this latest turn in our road. Not the route I had been planning on, but all I can really do at this point is trust that God does have our best interest at heart and He is somehow in control.

When He's done laughing, of course.

Milo vs. the cake

I'm just not exactly sure who won......

I Stand Corrected

Last night Quincy's school had their end of the year open house.  While reading one of his poems about dinosaurs I read the line "no dinosaur could fly".

Says me:  "What about Teradactyls?"

Replies Quincy:  "Mooomm.  Teradactyls are Pterosaurs!"

Geez, parents can be such idiots sometimes.  

Meet the family...

Back in February I mentioned that we would be selecting saint names as part of our chrismation process. Just thought I'd post a little update to tell you "who" we are.....

St. Herman of Alaska

Erik initially was favoring St. Innocent, but was impressed more -at least I think - by the humble nature of St. Herman. He was a Russian monk who was one of the first missionaries to Alaska and beloved by the native people there. He built a school, and I think he helped develop a written language. And he defended the Aleut people against the frequent exploitation of the Russian fur traders. He was not necessarily  highly educated and never aspired to "advance" in any sort of way. He lived a pretty solitary and ascetic life.  He was not a priest, yet the people referred to him as "father" so that certainly speaks to his commitment to them. Overall, he was a good man and I think that really says it all.

St. Brigid of Ireland

After taking several weeks of my usual indecision and waffling and a last minute flirtation with Hermione, I finally settled comfortably with dear Brigid. While her hagiography is muddled with that of the Celtic Brigid, there are characteristics about her that stand through all the various legends and folklore. Primary was her generosity and compassion for the poor. There seemed to be a gentleness about her although she was also a woman of intelligence, committment, and strength. While Hermione seemed to share more of my actual personality traits - I was once described by someone as having "piss and vinegar" and Hermione seems to have had more than a fair amount of sass - Brigid is the one who, at the end of the day, I desire to emulate and grow to be more like.  I desire her prayers for my growth and hope that one day those same qualities will be seen in me.

St. Basil the Great

Erik and I agreed that while we wanted the kids to have some say in their saint names, we did want to at least narrow down the options for them.  For Quincy we both went immediately to the Church Fathers and various other theologian/scholarly types because - and I really don't want to sound like that incredibly annoying overly proud mother - but he really is a bright kid with a genuine thirst for knowledge and understanding.  From there it was narrowed pretty quickly to the 3 Cappadocian Fathers -- Gregory the Theologian (of Nazianzus), Gregory of Nyssa, and his brother Basil.   All great men, but after some discussion over what they all did, looking at their various icons, and assuring Quincy that Basil is not just an herb, this is who he chose.  We were also quick to point out that he is the only one with "the Great" attached to his saint.  Now when asked, he states his saint name with pride.

St. Anna

Okay, okay, I will admit that I had my preferences for who Addie should pick, but forced myself to go ahead and let her be involved in the process even though I knew that meant the decision would most likely come down to which icon had the most pink in it.  I was really pulling for Hermione (it was only when Adelaide rejected her that she made her way over to my list), but there was also St. Helen who I was partial to because it was my grandmother's name.  And I believe we also had Susannah and Sophia.  While there were little details that she was quick to point out in each one, much to my surprise it was Anna that she kept coming back to as her favorite.  We explained that she was the mother of Mary and a very special woman indeed to have raised a daughter worthy to be the bearer of God.  Anna and her husband Joachim were very devout living simply and giving much of what they had to the poor and to the temple.  They were also barren, though,  and prayed for the miracle that Abraham and Sarah had received.  When that prayer was answered through God, they devoted their precious daughter to God.  The rest is, quite literally, history.

St. Jude

When Milo was born, we new there was a chance we would be heading down this Orthodox road so we went ahead and gave him a saint name at birth.  A brother of Christ and one of the 12, we actually preferred the name based on the tradition of the Western Church.  (The Eastern Church doesn't really do the "patron" thing.)  In the west, St. Jude is recognized as the patron saint of lost or hopeless causes.  The one who cares for those people and things that all others have abandoned.  Yeah, that's a trait I would be happy to see in my boy.

And their ya have it.  

Let the Music Play

So I'm totally stealing this blog idea from Gayla and it was given to her from her friend Becky.  I was intrigued by what it might say about me as an individual and I also thought it would be an easy post without too much thought.  Turns out I was let down on both counts, but here it is anyway.  The task at hand is simply to take a look at your top 10 most frequently played songs on iTunes.  From my music library that currently contains 2651 songs, here are the ones played the most -- some to my dismay.  I'm going in ascending order because I love a good countdown.

10.  Just Like the Sun Laurie Berkner

9.    Be Still My Child Ladysmith Black Mambazo

8.    Banana Pancakes Jack Johnson

7.     Inaudible Melodies Jack Johnson

6.     Lullaby Take 6

5.     Wonderful  Pascal Parisot

4.     Sleep, Little One, Sleep Kevin Locke

3.     Do You Remember Jack Johnson

2.     Nyanpi Matilda (Waltzing Matilda) Trevor Adamson

1.     Closer to You  Brandi Carlile

Now, I'm guessing that outside of the Jack Johnson tunes, most of you have no clue on who most of the rest of those artists are.  Guess what.  Neither do I.  I have a fair amount of compilation CD's and that's where several of these came from.  That and the fact that 6 of these songs are kid's music.  Ya see, I don't actually own an iPod, but rather the Mac simply serves as our home sound system.  And when I'm home so are the kids, so that's a lot of what we listen to.  To my credit, though, I do try and at least keep their selection varied and interesting as you can hopefully tell.

Of course, once I got started on this little project I couldn't stop with just one list.  Oh no, I've got to take it up a notch and break out some top 10's on my varied playlists (mostly to assure myself that I do listen to something other than children's music.)  So here ya go.  Read into and psychoanalyze it however you like.  

Feelin' Folksy - 146 songs

10. Older Chests Damien Rice - when I first got my hands on his CD "O", I pretty much played the crap out of it . . . as if you couldn't tell.

9.  The Professor   Damien Rice

8.  Cannonball Damien Rice

7.  Amie         Damien Rice

6.  Beautiful World Colin Hay - yeah, it's the "Men at Work" guy doing some pretty good solo stuff

5.  Untouchable Face Ani Difranco - I am no musician and I haven't listened to all of her stuff, but I think she is pretty freaking amazing.

4.  The Blower's Daughter Damien Rice

3.  Delicate  Damien Rice

2.  Both Hands Ani Difranco

1.  Closer to You        Brandi Carlile - I got this song as a free download on iTunes about 3 years ago before "Grey's Anatomy"  and her hit "The Story".  Her style falls into several different categories and that's my theory on why it is so high on the play count.  It's a good song, just not what I expected to be at the top of the list.

Heather's playlist - 300 songs - my very first playlist created when Erik was the only one with iTunes.  He's got good taste and all, but there's a lot of excess on his that I'm fine to overlook.

10.  Question     Old 97's - are they country? are they rock?  adult contemporary?  Whatever it is, they are just a fun, unique band that I really enjoy

9.  You Didn't Kiss Me    Marry Me Jane - A band from NYC that did the entire soundtrack of one of my favorite (but little seen) movies "If Lucy Fell".  This is my fave song on it.

8.  Moon on my Shoulder Lyle Lovett

7.  Untouchable Face Ani Difranco

6.  Creeps Like Me    Lyle Lovett

5.  Breakdown        Jack Johnson - yeah, I love me some JJ.  In my humble opinion, he can do virtually nothing wrong with a pen, paper, and guitar

4.  Both Hands         Ani Difranco

3.  Banana Pancakes Jack Johnson

2.  Do You Remember        Jack Johnson

1.  Closer to You      Brandi Carlile (surprise!)

Kid Stuff - 117 songs - in case you are interested in broadening this category in your own home....

I enjoy world music and and found some great stuff on the Putamayo label where you will find most of the exotic names on this list.

10.  Smile          Laurie Berkner - Adelaide loooves this song

9.  Bonjour, Bonjour L'autobus Avapeur

8.  Mardi Gras Mambo Buckwheat Zydeco

7.  Spirit Lullaby    Sweet Honey in the Rock - not just kid's stuff.  A fantastic group all on their own.

6.  Just Like the Sun Laurie Berkner

5.  Be Still My Child Ladysmith Black Mambazo - same goes for these folks as the "Sweet Honey in the Rock" ladies.  

4.  Lullaby  Take 6

3.  Wonderful          Pascal Parisot

2.  Sleep, Little One Sleep Kevin Locke

1.  Nyanpi Matilda (Waltzing Matilda) Trevor Adamson

Sappy stuff - 69 songs - I know that some of these songs are actually kind of sad, but I say sappy is in the ear of the beholder.  Mostly they are songs that for a variety of reasons make me think of my husband and smile.

10.  Storybook Love       The Willy Deville Acoustic Trio

9.  Hallelujah       Jeff Buckley

8.  Bubble Toes       Jack Johnson

7.  Flake        Jack Johnson

6.  100 Years        Five for Fighting

5.  Question         Old 97's

4.  You Didn't Kiss Me      Marry Me Jane

3.  The Blower's Daughter Damien Rice

2.  Banana Pancakes  Jack Johnson

1.  Do You Remember    Jack Johnson

Southern Goodness -  143 songs - I opted to leave this one a top 5 since 6-10 were all Lyle Lovett songs as well.  It's hard not to love Mr. Lovett.

5.  Penguins         Lyle Lovett

4.  Moon On My Shoulder Lyle Lovett

3.  Adelaide Old 97's - the lyrics are pretty depressing, but it's quite lovely and melodic and how often am I going to find a good song with my daughter's name?

2.  Creeps Like Me  Lyle Lovett

1.  Closer to You     Brandi Carlile (Shocking!)

World  - 207 songs - gosh Heather, so tell me what you think of the Gipsy Kings?  Uh gee, just that they freakin' rock!   I only have the one CD, though.  Gotta do something about that.

5.  Love and Liberte Gipsy Kings

4.  No Volvere Gipsy Kings

3.  Mi Corazon Gipsy Kings

2.  Hace Tuto Guagua         Familion

1.  Un Amor         Gipsy Kings

Worship - 57 songs - I actually haven't listened to this playlist in a while, but in looking at it, it's got some good stuff on it.  Might need to re-visit soon.

5.  Lord Let Your Glory Fall Rita Springer

4.  Oh How You Love Me Rita Springer

3.  Better Days         Robbie Seay Band

2.  I Receive         Maranatha Alternative

1.  I Love You         Nickel and Dime

Soooo, what do your songs say about you or what do you have to say about your songs?