Visits

Alan, Lucy, and I were fortunate enough to have a few visits already this summer. First my sister Alex came for a short week. Now let's be clear: her primary motive for flying to Kentucky was Lucy, but we all enjoyed her company just the same. We took walks-- several, in fact, as Alan kept taking the car downtown and we kept inventing reasons to drive around. Alex baked, of course, and we made her watch Flight of the Conchords. One rainy day we bought craft kits from Hobby Lobby and made sun catchers and coasters.

Then this past week we had the pleasure of welcoming my Mom. Aside from dragging her out for a jog, insisting she stay up late to see Jupiter's moons through my binoculars, asking her to make shrimp tikka masala, having her hold Lucy while I picked raspberries, and whining at her to help me clean out my pantry, I didn't make her do too much. We all had some good, solid theological discussions about annhilinationsism and matters of the human soul. And then we had her listen to some Roy Wood Jr. prank calls and she laughed and laughed.

Lucy had a great time with Alex and my Mom. She thinks they are both soooo hilarious. She kept cracking up and looking at me and Alan as if to say "Where did you find these people!?"

Thanks for coming guys. Hope to see you again soon.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation (Part I)

Other seminary families know: true vacations are few and far between. Plane tickets and suitcases say "sleeping in my in-laws living room" or "a week fighting with my siblings" more than "some time off to relax." This trip was a little of both, a visit with family that had an excursion to the beach tucked in the middle.

We left Wilmore at 2am (only a few hours after Chad and Justin were under our car fixing it). As usual we thought we missed our turn in Louisville and got a little lost, barely making it to the gate in time. After being tossed over to Charlotte, NC (where they have rocking chairs all over the airport) we buckled in for a 6 hour flight to Tacoma. A pleasant surprise was waiting: our rental was upgraded to a luxury car. Alan had a great time using it to cruise through the city, avoiding the freeway at all costs.

After a few days of hanging out with Alan's family-- including our cute niece and nephews who are also so much fun-- we started preparing to caravan out to the Oregon coast. My two clever sister-in-laws had the whole thing planned out and we spent the day before shopping for our food.

We ended up driving the scenic route to Oregon which took hours, but we had a good time getting there just the same. I could not believe all the mountains, the inlets, the crusty little fishing towns we passed. It was cloudy (of course) but very beautiful, especially when we rounded one corner and there was the Pacific far below with waves crashing up on the rocks. I told Alan it looked like a scene in a Hitchcock movie.

Finally after 5 hours, a bout of car sickness, a stop to shop, and thousands of huge pine trees we were at the beach house, the roar of the ocean clearly heard on the other side of the dunes. I opened the car door, smelled the salt air and pine pitch, and felt like I could breath again.

"On our way, on our way home... the time we had is not gone." - The Mother Hips

"Tell me, where did you sleep last night?
In the pines, in the pines where the sun doesn't shine." - Lead Belly

What I Did On My Summer Vacation (Part II)

The house was simply lovely. It looked more like a beach cottage someone owns and frequents rather than rents out. The decor was beachy and homey with a beautiful hand-stitched quilt on the wall, fine furnishings, and a full kitchen. After a moment of unpacking and kid-proofing the house, Alan and I walked out to the beach, leaving Lucy to play with her cousins. The water was a mere thirty second walk from the back door (props to Desiree and Tamiko for getting a house right on the sand).

The sand was soft, there was drift wood as far as the eye could see. I didn't realize how pretty drift wood could be, all polished by the waves and bleached by the sun. The water was freezing but I didn't care. I'd never been in a place where the ocean is before you and at your back are mountains so high their peaks are hidden in the mist.


That night we ate tacos. (Note: I married into an eating family. Alan's family know what good food is and eat plenty of it. This, for me, is a key part of any vacation and I thank them all for putting a few pounds on me while out West). We spent a good hour or two in the hot tub that faced the water, watched Flight of the Concords, snacked on wasabi peas and fruit, and fell asleep that night lulled by the sound of the waves.

The next day was more of the same-- eating, walking on the beach, soaking in the hot tub, playing with the kids. That morning both my brothers-in-law, Bubba and Bryan, went jogging with me-- well, it turned out I was tagging along with them the whole time. The guys played pool and cooked a barbecue feast for us that evening. My father-in-law, Howie, roasted marshmallows over the grill for s'mores which was a much welcomed dessert.

Our final day we packed up and cleaned the house. We headed up to Canon Beach to see the sand castle festival and Haystack Rock. It was cold! But we still shopped and perused the castle competition. We warmed up with some clam chowder and seafood at Moe's before hitting the road. We wanted to be home at a reasonable hour so we drove home the quick way which involved a hair raising amount of hairpin turns (I was driving, Howie and Alan gripping the sides of the car with every cliff we passed).

As I said in the beginning, it was pleasant. I can't complain about a trip that afforded us new family memories, a chance to see the ocean, salt water taffy, plenty of pictures, and some time to relax.

"I'm still living with your ghost
Lonely and dreaming of the West Coast
We could live beside the ocean
Leave the fire behind." - Everclear

"We spotted the ocean at the head of the trail
Where are we going, so far away
And somebody told me that this is the place
Where everything's better, everything's safe
Walk on the ocean
Step on the stones
Flesh becomes water
Wood becomes bone

Now were back at the homestead
Where the air makes you choke
We don't even have pictures
Just memories to hold" - Toad the Wet Sprocket

Homemade

I love homemade things, especially now that I'm spending so much time at home. Seriously! Being home all day most days gives me more time to appreciate the quilt from my sister-in-law Tamiko, the paintings from my Grandpa and Stephen. The pillows hand-stitched by my mother-in-law and a good friend's aunt, the scarf from my sister, the diaper bag from Hannah, the hand painted picture frames (also from my Grandpa) and countless crafts from cousins surround me each day and serve as reminders that people care for us.

Right after Christmas -- this Christmas being particularly filled with handmade and thoughtful items-- Alan and I had a discussion about taste. A lot of times we receive gifts outside the usual limits of our tastes. But are our tastes so important, so sacred in their particularities, that we can't allow others to have a hand in shaping them?

I believe allowing a place in our home for the things people make us has opened the door for our tastes to be changed. First off, they weren't so great to begin with! And second of all, just as I'd rather have others enrich my life than be left to my own devices, so I'd rather my home be beautified with the handiwork of others.

Thank you to all who have labored in love on our behalf.

Peace at No Cost

Recently I've been hearing a lot of the phrase "peace at all costs." At first glance this sounds right, just, good-- peace should be the highest of virtues, particularly in light of the world's current violence and fighting.

But peace at all costs will make you pay with everything, at all costs like it says. You will pay with your heart and mind, with the strength of your body and even your dignity as a person.

I suggest peace at no cost. And this kind of seamless peace comes with the truth. For it is Truth that is the highest good and with Truth peace naturally follows. Truth sets us free. This peace is not easy, but it doesn't drain the life from you like keeping peace for the sake of

"Oh yes," you might be saying "but the truth needs to be spoken in love." I think all too often we use this as an excuse to not truth-tell at all, weighing down the truth with so many niceties it is no longer really true. Love is bold, strong, powerful as much as it is kind and life-bringing.

I hope this rudimentary idea will spark some desire to tell the Truth in order to have true peace, in my own life as well as in yours.

No peace without truth. Let me know what you think.

A Happy Birthday Indeed

This is a big ole' thank you to the people who made my birthday special:

To Alan and Lucy, for making the 7th a sweet day

To my folks, who drove over 20 hours to see us, and took me out for a birthday dinner, without complaint done only as parents do for their children

To my dear friends, who for the second time helped me celebrate a new year of life in all sincereity, generosity, and fun (not to mention all the tasty food)

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

"These were the happy days, the salad days as they say..."
- H.I. McDunna, "Raising Arizona"

Games

This year Alan's family did a kind of Secret Santa exchange. My sister-in-law Desiree bought for me. She's an avid game collector and my stash is lacking so I asked for some board games. She got me Pit, Apples to Apples, and a fine addition of Trivial Pursuit.

I'm hoping (hint hint) that when we get back to Kentucky my dear friends will indulge me in a little Saturday night competition. They are all great party games and, after all, that's what Saturday at the triplexes always is: a party.

Come on, get happy!

Over Christmas, I fell in love. With Guitar Hero. Stephen brought it over, I played it, then I couldn't stop. Alex and Stephen looked at me like I was nuts when I was going on my third hour of playing. They took Guitar Hero away from me. So sad.

But today I met Guitar Hero's little brother, Rock Band. He is bigger, he is better, he is all about cooperation...

Four solid hours of drums and guitar. My in-laws and husband make great band mates. I felt like a part of the Partridge Family.

So you can keep your Guitar Hero Stephen. I've found a new drug.