Um... er...

Well, it's been almost three months since I've written anything here. I think that is a clear sign that it is time for me to hang a "Closed Until Further Notice" sign up.

I WANT to write but there is just too much going on.

I will tell you that my experiment in self-binding (see last post) was successful. I finished my master's project and now have a M.S. in Education, Reading. I am also teaching four classes this spring--two at the community college and two at the state university. With that load, I seriously doubt I will have time to write here.

You can find me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/MaryLUE). I have a protected account, so you will have to ask me to approve you. I am also blogging every other Monday at Sleeping with Bread, my blog for doing a form of the Examen.

It's been great, but sometimes you have to take a break from writing about Life, the Universe, and Everything to experience Life, the Universe, and Everything.

Until some unknown time in the future. . .

Everything. . .

I love about my town.

Well, not EVERYTHING but after a post about Life that was followed by a post about the Universe, it was a given what this one would be called.

So here is a list of LOTS of things that I love about my town.

1. The Jacaranda trees that bloom every spring
2. The downtown market that shows how much community we have in our community
3. Frati Gelato! The YUMMIEST gelato and sorbet made by someone who went to gelato school in Italy. Did you KNOW there was such a thing as gelato school?
4. 25 minutes to the beach
5. 45 minutes to the mountains
6. My daughter's alternative, multiage class in a public school
7. Hill!!! Paul and I lived in Texas for almost four years and it was FLAT where we lived. I love our hills.
8. Excellent restaurants. I think we have a surprisingly large number of restaurants that have very good food.
9. Old houses. We have some lovely old houses. I love old houses.
10. Starbucks. I know, I know. Starbucks is so ubiquitous. I don't care. I like not being more than five minutes away from a Starbucks not matter where I am at in town. So sue me.
11. My son's high school. It has excellent programs... the arts, honors, a farm (!), a culinary school, a nationally ranked speech & debate team (and yes, sports). It also is over 100 years old. Again with the old. I like old. Which leads me to. . .
12. Hosted at the 100+ year old high school auditorium, the Orange County Theatre Organ Society shows silent movies accompanied by a Wurlitzer organ. The next showing is Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror. I think that's pretty cool.

How to be a College Professor 101

Lesson 1: Always bring your own dry erase marker.

I started my internship at the local community college last Friday. I walked in with the professor and students and took a seat at the back of the room as I only planned on observing. No, Ms. H., the professor took one look at me in the back row and indicated I needed to sit up front. So much for easing my way in.

As Ms. H. began the three hour class, I was able to contribute with comments here and there and help pass out papers. About half-way through the class, though, she needed a dry erase pen. In a brand new classroom filled with all the technology a teacher could want, there were no pens for the whiteboard. Ms. H. gave me a key to her office and asked me to grab some from her bag. As I walked out the door, I thought to myself, "This is your first lesson of the day. Always bring your own dry erase pen." I laughed and thought it might make the beginnings of a blog post. (Bloggers will understand how quickly I thought to take advantage of this lesson for my blog.)

Later that day, there was a mandatory intern meeting for training on developmental education. (I am working in the reading department which offers classes for students who do not have college level reading comprehension. These developmental courses are also offered in the math and English departments.) The first speaker for the meeting was a child development expert. He was using Piaget's stages of child development as a foundation to understanding the needs of college students. They are sensory in nature, they are pre-operational at times, they are concrete thinkers, and hopefully, they have abstract thinking skills.

As he talked, he wanted to illustrate how concrete thinking works. He looked at the whiteboard and there were no dry erase markers. One intern spoke up. "I have one." We all laughed and the speaker said something to the effect that in teaching you must always be prepared.

I think I laughed a little harder at that I think than the other interns. After all, the universe had seen fit to teach me that lesson twice in one day!

I think a trip to Office Depot is in order.

Marley and Me and Marley and Me

(May contain information that to some people may be considered spoilers.)

My daughter has been obsessed with the movie Marley and Me ever since she saw the first trailer for it. What's better than a movie in which a main character has your name? Weeks ago, we bought the junior version of the book, Marley, A Dog Like No Other. The last week or so, every time a commercial comes on she squeals like a 60s teenager watching the Beatles.

Today was finally the day. We went with her best friend and her family to see the movie. In many ways, it was what I expected. I laughed. I cried. There were many scenes that reminded me of our dog, Bob (aka Robert Otis). There was more of the "human" side of the story than in the junior version of the book. I can't compare them because I haven't read the actual book. I suspect that the mischief Marley got into was actually downplayed for the movie.

What I didn't expect, though, in a PG rated movie--that the film production company had to know every dog loving girl in the United States was going to want to see--was the sex and violence.

Sex and violence you ask? Okay, it wasn't like a Quentin Tarentino film. However, there were some things I wasn't too sure about. Jen and John, Marley's owners decide to have a baby and we get to see that it involves some activity in the bedroom. We also get to see them take their clothes off to go skinny dipping. These scenes are really nothing compared to what you will find in your average PG-13 movie, but they were still more overt than I, personally, would prefer. My last quibble is one scene where a neighbor is attacked and stabbed during a home robbery. We never see the attack, but we hear Marley barking, a scream, and then John rushing outside and helping the neighbor who is holding her side that is bleeding. She states that "he" threatened to stab her if she screamed, but she screamed anyway. Oh... I was just not really comfortable with this bit of real world danger popping up in the cute doggy movie.

I don't know. Maybe I am overreacting. I certainly don't think my daughter suffered any lasting damage. I do wish I knew about the scenes beforehand so I could have prepared her for them. I also joked with my friend that maybe we would not need to have "The Talk" with our kids about how you make a baby, after all.

What do you think? Have you seen the movie? Do you think my concerns are valid?

Sleeping with Bread: the Highs and Lows of Parenting

The Highs...

A few weeks ago, I shared the drama\trama that was The Class Play. Marley was cast in a role that she did not like and there was much weeping (hers) and gnashing of teeth (mine). A lot of listening, some "discussion," and one bribe later and Marley was willing to give it a go.

Last week we witnessed the fruits of our efforts to persuade and her hard work. There were six performances of the play. Marley did very well and a couple of moms actually came up to her and told her that she and her fictional son were their favorite part of the play. Of course they whispered this to her because they didn't want her own kids to hear their disloyalty.

It was an exhausting week to be perfectly honest. Getting Marley in and out of her costume and helping with mics... then having getting to watch the show for all six performances. (They did do a great job, but still--six times is at least four too many.)  I am very proud of her though.  She did her German accent and hysterical mommy of a chocolate fudge boy bit very well.  She knew her lines and blocking.  She endured having medical tape applied and removed multiple times. (It hurts!) It really was hard work.

I'm posting a couple of pictures. I didn't get too many but when I get more from other parents I'll ask permission to share. The kindergarteners and first graders are a must see. The kinders were candy and the first graders were the Oompa-Loompas. You will just die from all the cuteness.

Mrs. Gloop and her little snausage-vausage,

Augustus in front of the vat of chocolate.

Marley gets her mic checked.  She was being a little silly because

the sound guy wanted her to do jumping jacks.  This was before the second morning's performance and the kids were a little tired.

You can see why I don't have more pictures of my kids. 

This is their attitude toward having their pictures taken.

We did not get through the week without bribes

of chewing gum and soda in exchange for smiles.

the Lows...

In very, very sad news, we lost a member of our church this past week. His death was sudden and unexpected and it has left many of his friends in shock and sadness. Although I have known J. for years, I wasn't really more than an acquaintance. He was friends with many of my friends, though. I knew his parents years ago at our old church. As a parent, I cannot help but think about how I would feel if it were my child who died.

J. was supposed to play drums at church this past Sunday and so there was an empty drum kit that served as an extra reminder of our loss. The theme for this Sunday was Love for the second week of Advent. (We are a week off the regular schedule, I think.) I had been asked to do the Scripture reading and a meditation. I was somewhat at a loss for words but was able to find a passage from a book that had some words appropriate to both Advent and the loss.

I am thinking of J.s friends and family every day. I hope that the they are able to find comfort in each other and God at this time. I know loss... but not one as close as this one is to them. My heart aches for them, truly. I am also extremely grateful to have my family with me, safe and sound.

I'll end this with a particular Scripture that came up multiple times on Sunday. Without any discussion or coordination, it was in one of the songs we sang, in my meditation and in the communion meditation. I've been in a King James kind of mood so I'll use that version, from Romans 8:38-39...

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Quirks R Us

Tonight I made myself a cup of tea.  The the tea kettle started whistling.  As it did, I realized that I have developed this quirk in my tea making.

Some years ago, I read that when you make tea, it is supposed to be boiling water that you pour over your tea.  The same article said that Americans don't know how to make/serve tea.  The water is never hot enough.

Ever since then, I will not turn off my whistling kettle until my cup is warmed (a whole other quirk) and the tea bag in place.  If I haven't prepared the cup while the water is heating up, I just leave it whistling until I am good and ready.

Now, I know perfectly well that 30 to 60 seconds is not likely to make a difference in the tea. But if I turn it off before the cup is ready, the water won't actually be boiling.  

That's just silly.

What about you?  Care to share a quirk or two?

Theory to Practice

This semester I am taking a class called The Diagnostic-Prescriptive Model of Teaching Reading. Its premise is that the appropriate assessment of students with reading difficulties (diagnostics) can then allow the teacher to address reading problems more precisely (prescription).

The class is a lot of work. At the beginning of the semester, I was assigned a student. Each week I spend time administering assessments and tutoring her in areas of word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, etc. I then spend two to three hours in lecture and discussion. During the week, there are chapters to read, lessons to prepare, and theory to practice cards to write.

Theory to practice. This is a difficulty for me. Not the actual theory to practice cards. Those are really still theoretical in nature. Pick a topic (sight words, meaning vocabulary, etc.), write down the research and some practical classroom applications for both large and small groups.

No, it is the actual theory to practice that is distressing me. Each week as I prepare my lesson plan, I worry and fret over the choices I am making. Will this work? Will that work? Am I helping her? Almost every week in my reflection journal (oh yeah, more work), I express my lack of confidence.

Ironically, as I have been reading my chapters today, I was comforted by the text itself. There were two main ideas which helped. One directed at students and one directed at teachers. First, there was the idea that self-concept (the educational term for what most of us would call self-esteem) is not improved through praise but through self-efficacy. As students have success and make progress, their self-concept increases, which in turn increases their motivation, and so on and so on. I think it is good that I am concerned about my ability to tutor a struggling reader. I have no practical experience to this point. I am going to make mistakes. It is supposed to be difficult. Yet, as I get feedback from my instructor, make mistakes, have successes, I will get better at it and feel better about how I am doing.  It's why I am in school... to learn something.

Next, there were these words written to the reader:

Academic courses and texts can merely set one on the path to professional competence. Becoming a "strategic teacher" is a lifelong developmental process. in time, veteran teachers reflect wisdom as well as academic knowledge in their instructional and management decisions. (Manzo, Manzo & Albee)

It is helpful for me to be reminded that what I am trying to do is difficult, is worth doing well, and that it does not happen overnight. And if they are writing this in the textbook, I am obviously not the sole student who needs to know this.  I know more and can do more now than I could at the beginning of the semester. In five years, I will know more and be able to do more as an instructor than I can do now.  

The problem I often have in life is the same as I am having in this class.  Theory to practice.  I can analyze life, the universe and everything, but living it and experiencing it is another matter.  I may not always feel good about myself, but as I take risks and challenge myself, I feel better.  And, hopefully, my learning how to live well will be a lifelong process.  A process in which, with time, I will gain the experience to make wise and knowledgeable decisions.

With time and effort.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

Today is November 1st--the first day of National Blog Posting Month (one post per day, each day in November).  I participated a couple of years ago.  It was very challenging and I stressed myself out, but I also tried some creative writing that I never would have tried if it weren't for the pressue of writing something every day.  I skipped last year because of school.  On an impulse... and I mean an impulse I had one hour ago, I decided to participate this year.  Maybe I'm crazy.  Maybe I'm not.  Either way, I have...

1 down, 29 to go

 

I don't know what to think about this...

As a woman who named her blog after one of Douglas Adams' books, I just don't know what to think about this announcement. Eoin Colfer is writing the sixth book to the Hitchhiker's Guide series.

Oh dear.

Can ANYONE do justice to the Hitchhiker series?

I've heard of these Artemis Fowl books, but is Colfer the right man to try?

I don't know...

I DON'T KNOW!!!!

The only thing I do know is that 42 is still the answer to the question of Life, the Universe and Everything.

Sleeping with Bread: Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

You know that old story about the pessimist child and the optimist child who are presented with a room full of manure? The optimist child just knows that given that big pile there's a pony in there somewhere.



Well, I've been thinking about doing a Sleeping with Bread post for quite awhile now but have struggled with what to say. There's the potential for me to dwell on the big pile right now but I know that there's a pony in there somewhere. A pony covered in something smelly, maybe, but a pony nonetheless.

Without further adieu...

So far this year, what has left you feeling like your glass is half empty?

I feel like I am looking at a system-wide failure right now. Physically, I haven't exercised in months and months. School was so time and energy consuming AND I didn't have someone to exercise with due to conflicting schedules. Combined with my sleep apnea therapy not working out for months and I am something of a wreck. I've gained quite a bit of weight since December and I just don't feel good about how I feel or how I look. Blech!

Spiritually, I am in the same boat. I have not paid attention to my spiritual formation and it shows. Maybe not to the general onlooker, but it shows to me and I feel somewhat paralyzed to address the issue.

In regards to relationships, I am a weak participant on almost every level. I've become somewhat isolated due to my lack of energy and time. Although I have more time now that school is out, I am such a sloth that I am not making much effort to connect with people.

(Are you getting sick of this whining yet? I promise I am going to move on to more positive stuff soon!)

My dad died this year. It is a situation and history so complex that a Gordian Knot is the best metaphor to describe it. The story continues to add to its complexity with the administration, or rather, attempted administration of the trust. Additionally, this summer, I have been dealing with other family issues. Junk from the past. Nothing new going on--just reminders of what has been.

Finally, we've been dealing with some issues with my son's jaw. It started locking up and wouldn't you know it, he is one of less than 5 percent of people who complete orthodontic work with potential TMJ problems. It just kills me that he has to deal with this and until we know for sure (and it is very likely) that he won't need surgical intervention, I'm not going to be at ease.

I was talking with a friend the other day about all of this and I remembered the Undertoad from The World According to Garp. All of this stuff combined makes me feel like the Undertoad is there, lurking in the waves, waiting for me.

Okay, finally...

What in the last year has left you feeling like your glass is half full?


Paul has been incredibly patient and understanding through the whole "year of getting used to grad school." He values, I think, what I am doing and what it means to me and how it can benefit our family.


Colin has been a pleasure this year. Of course, he is a teenager, so we're not talking perfection here. Beyond some stereotypical conflicts with grades, sibling interaction and what not, I have been very proud to see how he has been handling himself. He's been great about his license and is taking the privilege of driving very seriously. We've had some conversations about Life, the Universe and Everything and I have to say, he has impressed me with his insights and outlook. There are definitely some areas in which he is farther along at 16 than I was. He's a kid who inspires trust.


Marley is growing up. I love watching her change as her body and mind continue to grow. She is back in gymnastics and I get such a kick out of what she can do. She has had the opportunity this summer to meet family who are about her age and spend lots of time with friends. She is eager to enjoy her life and although that can be exhausting for Paul and I at times, I love her joie de vivre.


School has gone well. I've learned a lot and met a lot of great people. I went into this program with an idea that I would enjoy and am thrilled to find that I not only enjoy it, I think I am going to be good at it... once I am finished. I still have a year to go and I won't finish in May 09 as I planned. Instead, due to a scheduling problem with some classes, I will finish in July 09. No worries. I may not get to walk for commencement but I will get to look for work for the fall.

So, while there is lots of stuff which is weighing me down somewhat, there is still so much to be grateful for. And... so much of this stuff is within my power to change. I can exercise, I can pay attention to my spiritual formation, etc. If I can work on some of those changes, the balance can be shifted significantly and I won't be look at a glass half full OR empty, but a glass that is simply full and overflowing.

I fell in to a burning ring of fire...

I was wrong.

There are not fires to the north, south, and west of me.

There are fires to the north, south, west, AND east of me.

Lest you become too alarmed. I cannot see any fire. I cannot see any smoke.

But I can smell smoke. The Air Quality Management District is advising all people to stay indoors as much as possible. The kids have to have recess, lunch and P.E. inside. Can you imagine how much fun their teachers are having?

Here is a handy little fire map I downloaded from a news site. I drew a wobbly little star in MS Paint to show our approximate location. We truly are in the middle of a ring of fire.



One thing on my mind during all this, other than my burning eyes and lungs, is all the firefighters who are working so hard and who are so overextended. A state of emergency was called for Southern California today. There are too few resources to fight this many fires, over such a large area, all at the same time. I'm not Catholic, but I might just ask the patron saint of firefighters, St. Florian, to intercede on behalf of the men and women of the California Fire services.

So much life, so lttle time to blog...

Life has been busy. This news is no surprise as I've been droning on and on about it for weeks and weeks.

It's good, but it doesn't allow for much bloggy relationship building.

So, here are a few bullet points:

Izzy the Incredible just did a blog makeover for me at my family blog: So Cal Cinema. Check it out when you have a chance. It is very retro and fun and just my style.

While I still have a lot to do for school, my first ginormous paper is turned in. I don't know what grade I'll get, but I'm getting to the point where an assignment is not inducing quite so much intestinal distress. I'm proud of the preparation and work I did on the paper and I hope the teacher appreciates it, too!

There's been no time to bake up a Sleeping with Bread post, but I did make a cake from a mix and my daughter says I am the best cook ever. (Oh! How low the standards of a seven year-old!)

I'd love to start a series based on my Surprised by Waltzing post. I got the idea after watching Superman: Doomsday with Marley. (Slightly inappropriate at times, I have to say.) In the special features of this recently released animated movie, the decision to kill Superman in the comics and how they brought him back to life elicited that feeling of joy in me which I described in the waltzing post. The community of the team working on it moved me. The emotional involvement the artists and writers still feel is incredible. There are a couple of occasions where they are moved to tears as they describe scenes from the comics. Tears formed in my own eyes as I watched. You never can tell when joy is going to jump up and get your attention.

As if there were any need to confirm my geek status, I watched Transformers the Movie... and of course, I loved it. Optimus Prime is the coolest AutoBot ever!

Fires are raging -- all around us here in So Cal. We are literally ringed with fires to the North, South and West of us... probably to the East as well but I'd have to look it up to be exact. There are other parts of the country where you experience the smell of fire entwined completely with the air and ash adrift on the wind. I don't know how many places, though, experience this once to twice a year. This is a particularly bad batch of fires. At least one area is burning thanks to the sick minds of one or more arsonists. This is also the first time that I know someone who had to evacuate. Fortunately it was just for a few hours. The wind was so fierce last night that we lost a portion of the fence and some shades. A neighbor lost a tree. People are encouraged to stay inside and use the recirculate function on their air conditioning units.

It is definitely Fall in So Cal.

Life, the Universe, and Everything: Friday Night Catch Up

Life:

I promised to be back Friday and I sometimes keep my promises.

My brain is still drained, sprained and otherwise constrained.

Still, I soldier on...

The week really hasn't been that bad. Mostly, I am just tired. I spent about 11 hours working on a paper last Sunday (insert impressed noises here) and when I went to bed for the night, the body was willing but my brain was like a frozen computer and I couldn't find the Ctrl-Alt-Del keys. I finally went to sleep at 4:00 a.m. If this is the impact that paper writing has on me, I'm going to have to have a writing curfew to allow for four hours recovery time. The rest of the week involved extra hours at the church office, catching up on sleep, Paul traveling, etc.

This morning I woke up after some fitful sleeping and thought to myself that I didn't see how I could possibly put clothes on, make lunches, and drive the kids to school.

So I didn't.

We had in impromptu LUE family vacation day. It was AWESOME!!! Why was it awesome? Because the kids got along all day and I was able to leave Marley with Colin while I went to the chiropractor and store. After I got home, I lazed around in my pajamas, watching tv and napping off and on. HEAVEN!!

Of course, there was a cloud to my silver lining. Marley was too well-behaved, too cooperative, and too self-sufficient. It couldn't last and it didn't. But that's okay. She's bathed and waiting for Daddy to come home with her Krazy Kryptonite purchased from THE BIGGEST MALL IN THE WORLD!!!!

the Universe:

I officially do not know what is going on in the universe. Last night, my bleary eyes were scanning internet headlines and I found myself reading headlines which were follow ups to news stories I wasn't familiar with.

I think this might be a grad school phenomenon.

Everything:

BubandPie tagged me for a book meme and because I am at reduced capacity, I am going to do it in installments.

Installment One:

What was the last book I read?

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham. I recently read The Painted Veil and loved it, so when this selection came up for my book club, I was excited--until I saw the 600 pages or so I had to read. It took me quite a while to plow through this book, but it was definitely worth the effort. Philip Carey grew on me and I found myself alternately frustrated at him for spending too much money or going back to Mildred or broken-hearted for him because of the lack of warmth and understanding in his life. The historical context interested me also with references to the rise of the German philosophers, changes in religious thought toward the end of the 19th century, and post-Impressionism in France.

Stay tuned for installments Two through Six: Five Meaningful Books I've Read.

Surprised by Waltzing

Sometime in the first year after I graduated high school, I read Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C.S. Lewis and his definition of joy as "an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction" captivated me. Joy, to Lewis, was a feeling inspired by any number of things from encounters with nature to the sound of friends' laughter. Eventually, as he sought out these moments of joy, he began to believe the emotion he was experiencing was a recognition of the divine which creates in us a longing for God.

At 18, I sensed the truth in his words. I knew that joy as he described was different than the happiness we are often taught should be our life's aim.

At 18, I felt I had experienced those longing glimpses into the divine.

I'm sure I had, but as I reflect on my life with its grown up burdens and responsibilities... as I consider the sad and tragic circumstances that can befall people, those glances of joy are more poignant to me. Sometimes they are almost boringly obvious: the heart-bursting ache that comes with a glance at my son or daughter; the gasp that comes with the sight of the local mountains, freshly covered in the snow after a storm. I think these are universal experiences which don't lose their depth of meaning in their prevalence.

Sometimes, though, I get that sense of Beauty and Longing in places I wouldn't expect. Today, Sober Briquette picked up on a recent post of mine in which I chose a shopping cart to represent myself in a transportation metaphor. Her choice is great and the options she eliminates along the way are very funny. At the end she embedded a You Tube clip of Van Morrison singing with The Band from The Last Waltz.



The Last Waltz has been on my mind of late. We have the DVD and Colin recently purchased The Band's Greatest Hits (along with The Best of Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band--this kid has great taste in music). The film brings back fond memories. The first time I watched it was the first time Paul and I discussed forever. But more than that, the film and the music in it evokes in me a sense of the sublime. It is just so good it almost hurts--that good hurt.

Here's where my descriptive powers will fail me. How do I go beyond the Valley Girl-like "It's so awesome!!!" to communicate how the interviews with the members of The Band, along with the footage of amazing musician after amazing musician singing and playing with the band is just a little slice of heaven here on earth? How can I explain that I see God in the community these men had with each other or that the musicianship seems to be the quintessential example of being in the moment with the music? I don't know.

I'm not really a music person. I like lots of music but I don't pursue music in my life and I'm not musically literate. I can't tell you anything about what makes a good song. There's something more than music going on in The Last Waltz, though, and it surprised me with joy.

Just a quick note to say…

…life has gone from slow and lazy to somewhat insane a full two weeks ahead of schedule. So, if I've been somewhat lacking in commenting and posting, that is why.

…my new computer should get here today!!! I ordered it three weeks ago and at one point the estimated delivery date was August 31. Fortunately, whatever delayed component was missing came in and I will actually have it in my hot little hands for my first class… this Monday. THIS MONDAY!!! I think I'm getting a nervous stomach over the idea.

…HOT. HOT. HOT. It had to happen sometime. The summer has been entirely too comfortable. Mother Nature has waited until my life went a little crazy and my husband was out of town to turn on the heat. We only have one wall unit A/C on the far end of the house. Not good.

…there has been much discussion of the nature of blogging in regards to race, inclusion/exclusion, etc. I've not been able to participate but in the last few days the story of the blind mice and the elephant has been coming to mind:

As the story goes, seven blind mice discover a strange Something near their pond, and each day a different mouse tries to determine what the strange Something is by examining a part of it. "It's a pillar," says the first; "It's a snake," says the second"; "It's a spear", says the third. "It's a rope, it's a fan, it's a cliff," say the others. On the seventh day, the white blind mouse takes the time and trouble to run up and down, back and forth, end to end, on the strange Something, and discovers that, while the Something has characteristics of each of the other findings, it really is an elephant! The other mice agree after they examine the elephant fully. "The Mouse Moral: Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole."

I have a hard time trying to speak to the nature of the blog universe because it is so vast. It is as deep and wide as the ocean. What is true for my little corner of this world might not be true elsewhere. I think, as discussions on this topic continue to take place, that it would be helpful to define the depth and breadth of one's travels through the blog'verse. For example, I travel almost exclusively in so-called Mommyblogger circles. I make some stops in other places, such as mysecretennui, the blog of a 20something grad student from Cleveland or the all new adventures of Wyndham, a writer-type dad from England. While I can certainly state my opinion on how I think things ought to be, no matter where in the 'verse you are, I can only write about how things really are in my limited world of the 70-something blogs I frequent.

Let's see, that would be 70 out of how many? (Is there any data out there on exactly how many people have web logs?)

…this post was typed in my new Word 2007's blog posting template. Theoretically, I am going to hit publish and it will both save this as a file on my hard drive and publish it to Blogger. Oh what a wonderful world!

P.S. It worked! Very cool. I didn't check to see about how to label. I'll have look into that. Must have labels.

Geek Alert! Geek Alert!

Something you may not know about me but which may not surprise you given my blog's title and design, which could be considered something of a geek give away:

I've been to a Star Trek convention.

It was years ago and I think the featured Trek celebrities were Terry Ferrell and James Doohan. It was fun and I bought a cool Bajoran earring. However, I did get some dirty looks from one of my friends because I wasn't sufficiently reverential to all things Star Trek.

I was reminded of my sojourn to the traveling Trek Mahal when I saw pictures online of celebrities at this year's Comic-Con, the annual "multi-genre fan convention."

"Some day," I thought to myself. "I'm going to Comic-Con."

This is the point in the post where you will either love and admire me more or be a little embarrassed for me.


P.S. The new Scenic View in the sidebar is worth the trip. I was alerted to this hilarious post via Toddled Dredge, Veronica Mitchell's blog. Don't miss it!

For Maddy

Yesterday in a comment from my Sunday post, It is Finished, Maddy (McEwen of Whitterer on Autism) asked me and I quote:

Well something is seriously wrong with the timing here, because that post was on Sunday, and you'd finished........now it is Thursday......what on earth [and I use the term advisedly as I see your space scene in the background] have you been doing!
Cheers!

I guess I haven't been posting fast enough for her!

Well, let me try this in a format I haven't used in quite a while. Since finishing HP7, here is my...

Life

• Soccer Camp for Marley
• Washing Marley's soccer clothes every night
• Dealing with very tired Marley's mood swings
• Reading another Neil Gaiman book: Anansi Boys
• Watching Dead Like Me, Season One, Disc Two
• A Trip to Sam's Club during which I purchased approximately a gazillion gallons of beverages
• A Play date with Sheila and her kids at their house
• Complete malfunctioning of schedule on Wednesday combined with a very hot day and extreme tiredness due to OSA (obstructive sleep apnea)
• Desperation at unsuccessful OSA treatment (CPAP therapy) leading to desperate measures.
• Success! OSA desperate measures (which might be a wee exaggeration) leads to two full nights of treatment!
• Watching Damages on FX. Wow! Glenn Close amazes me and looks fabulous. IMDB'd the actress who play Ellen, Rose Byrne, as she looks very familiar. Oh yes! She was great in I Capture the Castle.
• My son informing me that hates me and is never going to respect me. Never. Ever. He means it. (He's fifteen. Need I say more?)
  

the Universe

The world wide web is a fascinating place. It is a virtual metropolis with a business district (such as finance and computer sites), a shopping mall (Amazon.com anyone?), suburban neighborhoods (Mommyblogger Heights, Political Pundit Point, etc.) and that part of town, the seedy area that you try to ignore: Spam Alley.

Every couple of days I have to make a trip to that seedy part of my internet town. Important things find their way there such as legitimate emails with attachments and my Netflix notifications. You can always find what you expect to find: promises of sex and money. In the last few days and weeks, I've noticed a steady stream of Spam directed to appeal to to a different need: friendship.

Fake emails from Blue Mountain, Hallmark and other e-card companies arrive, probably 5 - 10 a day. You've received an e-greeting from a "Friend," a "Neighbor," a "Family Member." My favorite? You've received an e-greeting from a "Worshipper." I have to admit to being curious about that one. Is it a fellow believer in Christ or my own personal worshipper, my status as Mary, Queen of the Universe made official when I wasn't looking?

Ultimately, any one of these Spam emails is designed to play on a person's desire to fill a hole in their soul, a hole which will be filled "if only." If only I can have incredible sex, if only I can get rich quick, if only I had someone who cared about me enough to send me an e-card. These if onlys are sad to me--not because I'm above them, but because I understand them.

(For an enlightening lesson on scammers who use the internet, check out this post by Snoskred. I read it right after hearing about two or three people who've fallen prey to this kind of scheme.)

Everything

I promised over a year ago to post a picture of me wearing my CPAP mask. After all, I showed pictures of me all wired up for my sleep study, why not show me in the mask. Well, I just never got around to it and it is one thing to show yourself wired up from head to toe, it is another (at least in my mind) to show a picture of yourself with something up your nose! Since I am so excited about my CPAP miracle from the last two days, I'm going to throw vanity and caution to the wind and show you a picture of me in my nighttime face garb AND explain the miracle desperate measure.

Are you ready?

Really?

(Why do I feel the same as I might if I were about to bungee jump off a bridge?)

Okay, one, two three... JUMP!


And the miracle measure? This is it:

Two little pieces of medical tape strategically placed on the side straps. Two. little. pieces. Somehow, these little wonders keep me from taking off the mask and turning off the alarm in my sleep. Go figure. Either way, I'm thrilled and hope that my good sleep continues.

If you've got oodles of spare time on your hands are are interested in reading Mary-LUE's Saga of Sleep Apnea, click here, here and here.

So, what about you guys? What have you been up to?

"Pink is my signature color."

From Steel Magnolias:

Truvy: What are your colors, Shelby?
Shelby: My colors are "blush" and "bashful."
M'Lynn: Her colors are "pink" and pink."
Shelby: My colors are "blush" and "bashful" Mama!
M'Lynn: How pretentious is this weddin' gonna get, I ask you?

This is the seven year old soccer version:

The Things They Carried: A Hump Day Hmm-er Double Header

The things they carried were largely determined by necessity.

What they carried was partly a function of rank, partly of field specialty.

They carried catch-as-catch-can.

What they carried varied by mission.

If a mission seemed especially hazardous, or if it involved a place they knew to be bad, they carried everything they could.

On ambush, or other night missions, they carried peculiar odds and ends.

The things they carried were determined to some extent by superstition.

Often, they carried each other, the wounded or weak.

For the most part they carried themselves with poise, a kind of dignity. Now and then, however, there were times of panic, when they squealed or wanted to squeal but couldn't, when they twitched and made moaning sounds and covered their heads and said Dear Jesus and flopped around on the earth and fired their weapons blindly and cringed and sobbed and begged for the noise to stop and went wild and made stupid promises to themselves and to God and to their mothers and fathers, hoping not to die.

They carried the sky.

They carried their own lives.

The above are all quotes from Tim O'Brien's book, The Things They Carried. When I first began to ponder last week's Hump Day Hmm-er, this book immediately came to mind. I flipped through the book looking for a quote--one quote--to use and so many of O'Brien's sentences seemed to be metaphors for Life. In my Life backpack, I carry with me the basic necessities: faith, family, friends. I carry some things according to my specialty/rank of motherhood. I carry odds and ends, peculiar to some, that I have picked up along the way (fanatic faith in Myers-Briggs Temperament theory, just to name one).

Like the young men, O'Brien describes, I hope I carry myself with poise and dignity, at least some of the time. I have known those moments of panic, though, when I have cried out to God and flopped on my bed (instead of the earth) and made moaning sounds.

I realized along the way that the soldier metaphor is imperfect, though, as I thought about all the things in life you have to let go. (Coincidentally, this week's roundtable topic was just that: how do you let it go?) And while O'Brien says that the soldiers "would often discard things along the route of march," it isn't always so easy to discard our emotional baggage, as necessary as it might be to our welfare.

If only it were.

Even when we manage, through perseverance and hard work, to overcome a major obstacle in life, you still carry the memories of it. It may still determine choices you make. I'm not sure it ever truly leaves you.

Perhaps then, it becomes more about finding a way reduce its size and weight enough so that you can pack it in with everything else you need and want to carry with you, leaving you free to continue your journey in Life.

Oh! My Aching Back and Other Things

I have not been very present in the 'verse this week so I thought I'd take a little time to explain.

First, thanks to everyone who left such supportive comments to my last post. The Community of Survivors of Dysfunctional Families served me well this week. It is nice to know you are out there, although a little sad that there are so many of us. Lest anyone think that a little family histrionics would keep me from posting and commenting, I thought I'd explain a little about what is going on at Chez Mary-LUE.

This week has been our church's annual vacation Bible school. Now, for those of you who may have attended VBS when you were a child, you may not be aware of how things work now. VBS is a Major Production. There are sets, casts, costumes, props. You name it. Crafts, snacks and memory verses are still a vital part of the modern VBS experience, but there is just so much more. Whether that "more" is for better or for worse is best left to individual preference.

Our church's program is also different in two other ways: 1) We have it at night. With so many families having two parents who work out of the home, our attendance and volunteer base is actually better this way. 2) Our VBS extravaganza is "family" oriented. Isn't every vacation Bible school family-oriented? Yes, but usually they are more child-centric. Adults plan and lead the program, but the kids get checked in around 9 a.m. and checked out, crumby-faced, craft in hand, around noon. For our program, the parents are invited and their presence preferred. Instead of being in groups sorted by age and led by a volunteer, you make the rounds to the craft, snack, games areas with your family. Kids whose parents cannot join them are adopted by other families.

I am of two different minds about this specific facet of our program.

I love it.
It is a great idea. The worship team consists of parents and children. You know exactly what your kids are learning and are given tools for discussion and application. Marley loves that we are there.

I hate it.
FAM JAM (Families and Me, Jesus and Me) always coincides with swim lessons. For four days, we take Marley to swim lessons around 4:30 pm.

The best part of swim lessons, as far as Marley is concerned.
That does look like fun, doesn't it?

Afterwards, we get her cleaned up and dressed, take her to dinner with our other swim lesson/FAM JAM-attending friends, then head over to church at 6:15. There, we, the g'rups, are expected to join the kiddie mosh pit for worship, eat snacks and play games which involve water balloons, bare feet and scavenger hunts. (I am Rebellious, Loner Mom. I follow around dutifully, help Marley with crafts, etc., but avoid at all costs the games and usually avoid the mosh-ip pit.) Usually, Paul is helping out with sound and in the days previous, I am providing some sort of prep cutting out labor or providing a pre-FAM JAM meal for the volunteers one night. (This year, I did none of those things. Bad Mary! Actually, I was just not up for it. I'm usually quite happy to contribute.) By Friday night, we are all pooped and I am filled with fond remembrances of VBS drop offs and pick ups of yesteryear.

One of last year's messy games which I successfully avoided.

So, we've been busy in the afternoon/evenings and recovering during the days. Also, we have a friend's son come out to stay for two days and one night so he could join us for Treasure Quest, FAM JAM 2007! Unfortunately, this all coincided with some back pain. A few years ago, Paul and I paid for the hardwood floors in our living/dining room to be refinished in the rental we live in. The man who we hired was the Methuselah of floor refinishers. He had a young man who helped him, but every time he bent over he made this unearthly groaning noise and I was greatly afeared he would not be able to get up.

I feel like that man this week.

After going too long between adjustments and working out pretty hard for a few weeks, I had a chiropractor visit on Monday. I think my muscles and bones are in confusion about who exactly is in charge. It hurts. An almost constant ache with periods of sharper pain. I'm ibuprofen-ing, stretching, heat pad-ding. It just is taking its sweet time to feel better. This is not my usual, post-cracking bliss.

That is the main reason I've been more absent from the blog'verse. I've been reading and commenting here and there, but there is more I would have said and written if not for what I just described above. Also, my kids are around all the time and I like to blog alone. (Is that a bad sign? Isn't that the first question on any "Are you a ______aholic?" questionnaire?)

And, AND!. . . I've got the bulk of two books to read by Monday and Tuesday for the two book clubs I am in. Woman, thou art delusional!

Well, that is what is going on at Chez Mary-LUE. How about you guys? What's new with you?

Oh! Oh! Oh! I almost forgot. There's a new Scenic View in my sidebar. One of my most favoritest authors in the 'verse is Cyn Kitchen. She describes motherhood in a way that makes you laugh, cry and shake your head in recognition. Amazing stuff. Lately, she's been sharing with us her publishing successes. So, if you want to check out her recent contribution to keepgoing.org, here it is: You Made It, Whatever It Is. I dare you not to like it. Double dog dare.

Good night. . .

A Lazy Sunday

Well, we're not doing much for Father's day around here. Paul is in the middle of his convention set up this weekend and in the interests of frugality, we kept both Mother's Day and Father's Day low key this year. So, while Marley watches Pinky and the Brain, Volume I, Disc I (She specifically asked for this one. I think she's too familiar with this boxed set.), I'm meandering through the blogosphere. I found a couple of quizzes. Here are the results.

You scored as Elizabeth Bennet, As one of Austen's most beloved characters, Elizabeth Bennet represents what most women would like to become: strong, independent, and loyal. Of course, she has her faults including a stubborn will of iron and a clinging to first impressions. Overall, Lizzie is bright and lovable...something to admire and aspire to. Elizabeth Bennet 84% Emma Woodhouse 78% Elinor Dashwood 78% Jane Bennet 63% Charlotte Lucas 63% Marianne Dashwood 56% Lady Catherine 50% Which Jane Austen Character are You? (For Females) Long Quiz!!! created with QuizFarm.com

Who's going to argue with being told that she's most like Elizabeth Bennet? I'm not. Although. . . I did have a friend tell me once that I am Jane Bennet because of my tendency to put people's bad behavior into perspective.

I thought this test was most timely, what with the new series, The Tudors, on Showtime. I did get Catherine of Aragon the first time around. I didn't save the results and when I went back to retest, I did change one key answer which was more truthful and now I'm good ol' Lady Jane.





Which of Henry VIII's wives are you?
this quiz was made by Lori Fury

I watched Elizabeth I, Disc One with Helen Mirren last night. It is excellent and I can see why she won an Emmy for the role. It is mostly a "talking heads" kind of thing until they get to the, er, "consequences" for those planning her demise. There's nothing like a jolly round of hanging/beheading/disembowelment in front of a cheering crowd to make you glad you're not an Elizabethan era traitor.

Does anyone remember Joe versus the Volcano? At one point, Joe gets told by the company doc that he has a brain cloud. A fatal brain cloud. I think I have a brain cloud today--not a fatal one, just a benign form which prevents me from thinking deep thoughts and doing anything more than lounging around. Maybe the cloud will part tomorrow.

Until then, Happy Father's Day!!!!!