My new bicycle

In 1974, Santa brought me a bicycle. The frame came from my grandmother's barn. My uncle rescued it from the snake pit, primed it and painted it purple. Mom purchased a white wicker basket for the handle bars, a banana seat with daisies on it from the Western Auto along with some new tires for my uncle to install. On Christmas morning, it was standing in front of the Christmas tree all gleeming and beautiful. In my Christmas stocking was the final touch...rainbow streamers to stick into those rubber thingies at the end of the handle bars. What a gift! What a showstopper that bike was. I never thought I'd be more excited to receive a gift than I was that day when I was 6.

On Saturday of this past weekend, I was amazed again at the joy of a new bike. Except this time, it was a REALLY NEW bike. Yesterday as I was listening to The Stones sing, "She's A Rainbow" and completing my first big outing, I realized the stupid grin on my face and decided I didn't care who saw me. The feeling of riding that bike really fast all on my own was so freeing and so exciting that I've decided I'm going again! ...as soon as my hiney recovers from yesterday. What other simple gifts are there? Where else am I missing the joy that should be so plain? That bike and the effect it has on me now forces me to look...look hard...for more simple joys.

The loss of a girlhood heroine...

It's Summer 1977 or 1978 in Pasadena, Texas. Kim Kelley, Melissa Padgett and myself are scrounging around the bayou near our neighborhood. We brought a bucket so we can pick wild dewberries...mom said she'd make a pie if we came home with enough but we always ate most of them as we picked them. When the berries ran out or we got bored with that...it was time to do what we really went down there to do - play Charlie's Angels! The terrain was perfect. In the Summer, the water running in the bayou was just a trickle so none of parents were concerned about us drowning. Just a lot of interesting sand piles at the top of the bayou and a bridge over the water made out of whatever we found. So we'd come up with a senario and decide what our mission would be. There were three of us so of course the only decision remaining was...who got to be Farrah! Melissa had dark hair and a haircut almost exactly like Sabrina's (Kate Jackson) so she didn't really have a choice - it was a given that she couldn't be Jill! So it always came down to Kim and me. After a few episodes of Charlie's Angels as filmed at the bayou we finally decided to take turns being Jill and the other Kelly. Many daring jumps across the 'raging river' and numerous shimmies across that elevated pipe that carried God knows what made for an adventure that I bet not many little girls have today. Gone are the days when parents can let their little girls hang out for hours near a construction site, let them explore a new house being built or play important women of the small screen fighting crime and eating berries.
Thanks Farrah for inspiring in me a sense of adventure and imagination!

What do you mean, NO!?!?

I've often heard theologians, social analysts and just simply insightful people talk about how our society is a "ME" society. We girls are raised to believe we are princesses and very very special and boys are taught from day one that they are strong and can do anything. We are given love, yes, but we are often also given the nasty gift of a sense of entitlement by the very people who love us most...our parents. I don't think anyone is aware this is happening when they are doting on children in this way. We all ended up with this attribute to one degree or another. Children are told that they deserve a phone or a car or an allowance before they've earned it. For years and years we're just given stuff! for no reason except that we're vewy vewy special. Free gifts are wonderful and I'm certainly not indicating that I think no one should get anything out of simple love and care. Good grief...how could I get that whole 'grace' thing if I didn't. But my concern is this. How many years of 'you-are-wonderful-and-you-deserve-everything-you-want' does it take before we end up believing it. As teens we think we should have everything. As adults we get disappointed if the job doesn't come through even though we've worked as hard as we could. And as people of faith, we even start getting grumpy when God doesn't seem to be coming through on something we've been asking for. It's all the same. We think we deserve what we think we want. Well, I have a revelation for myself today (actually I have to remind myself of this about once a week) IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU HONEY! This big world is full of wonder and I've realized (again) that I'm a small part of it. I was also reminded to find my joy in it NO MATTER WHAT. As many of you know, I'm not saying to be one of those sacrine happy people in your faith. I'm not saying to walk around with your smile and singing that God will get me through when you're just not feeling it. Struggle, shake your fist, get mad, pray, figure it out. Take a while to do it. But through it all is a sense of God's love, patience and certain knowledge that growth is taking place.

Solitude in a crowd

After walking from Arlington National Cemetery and across the Potomac, we finally reached the Lincoln Memorial. I was hot and sweaty and my feet were killing me but I had just enough energy to climb the steps so I could see the massive statue of Abraham Lincoln sitting on his throne. I shot into the shade, snapped the photo of Abe and got out of there...I just couldn't stand the heat and stillness of the air in there. My only want at that moment was to find a place where the air was moving and the sun wasn't glaring. I found this place by venturing out of the crowd. About 15 steps away and around the side of the memorial I unfolded my map of the city, sat on it and kicked off my flip flops. Finally, I was finding solitude...finding rest. In that moment, I started looking around. I decided that looking out onto the Mall was expected...so I decided to look up. And I was overwhelmed by the sky, the columns of the structure I was sitting on and the moment in the continuous history of that place. I thought of everything that has happened on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. I wonder if anyone ever sat where I was sitting during of those historical moments. Anyway, I was reminded to look for and experience something other than the expected. That's easy when you're on vacation so I'm challenging myself to do that once I get home tomorrow. I'm going to start looking at things from a different angle. I'm going to try to remember to see things from another perspective...from a different point of view.

A meaningful moment

At the Vietnam War Memorial, I had an interesting experience. As I was making the rubbing of my father's name, a group of young people asked me how I knew where my dad's name is on the expansive memorial. I explained about the book of names and the list of the death dates on the back of the piece of paper I was using for the rubbing. This simple question quickly turned into a list of questions :) I'm no expert on this memorial - when it was completed, the artist, etc. But I learned from these fellow tourists that there is still an interest in the people who experienced loss as a result of the Vietnam War. They wanted to know how old I was when my dad died. They wanted to know about my mom and what she did after that. They wanted to know about my grandparents and what there views were on the war after they lost my dad. They wanted to know if I am angry. We continued to visit for about 10 more minutes. I think we were greatly affected by each other. Imagine...strangers loving each other. What a meaningful thing to happen in the midst of a hallowed place.

The right path

I took this photo today in Cape May, NJ just after I ate a fried clam basket with fries :) This picture is so serene and inviting but I'm feeling a little sheepish about that lunch! Oh well, I'm on vacation and I love fried clams. Harpoon Harry's is just across the street from this path to the beach and as we sat on the porch under an umbrella eating our guilty lunch, we eyed this path knowing without saying anything to each other that we WOULD explore this path. What I have found most interesting about the Jersey Shores is the really great sand, the sparse number of people on them and how extra cold the water is. The air is perfect and I think I could spend an entire week in a beach chair under an umbrella on one of these beaches.
As I walked down this path, I knew that I would once again find an inviting beach. I've been conditioned over the last two days to know what to expect. Beautiful path = beautiful beach. I wonder why I never think about that in my everyday life? I should know by now that when I eat fried anything, I'm going to have that full and unhealthy feeling. When I eat something healthy and fresh, I feel healthy and positive about how I'm treating my body. When I wake up and don't remember to say good morning to God, I feel lost and disconnected. When I start my day with a prayer or a devotion, I feel much more aware of myself and everything around me.
Today, I hope to begin to remember that I already know which path to take for the life result I desire...and then to take that path.

After begging the young man guarding the door to let us into Old North Church in Boston even though it was closing time, we continued on the Freedom Trail toward Paul Revere's House. Behind the church we found an amazing court yard with lots of cobblestone, fountains and an Iraq and Afghanistan War memorial? You are looking at me through a wall of dog tags. I don't know who erected this memorial or who is keeping it up but it had lots of flowers and a dog tag to represent each of our soldiers who has lost their life in these two wars. Amazing how everyone stopped and became suddenly silent as they took in the number of pieces of metal hanging there. As we all stood there, a gentle breeze came and made the most beautiful tinkling chime sound I've ever heard.

First Night in Boston

We arrived in Boston about 6:15 and after getting our rental car, drove to the hotel, dropped our stuff and set out on foot. We were in search of Legal Seafood which was recommended to us by a friend of Alvaro's. Now I've never liked any kind of soup with something fishy in it but I was determined to try the famous clam chowder in Boston. I'm now a fan!!! What a yummy thing. For my supper I had blackened ahi tuna and Alvaro had a big ol lobster.

It's 8:15 a.m. on the 7th and we're off to find some breakfast and then the Freedom Trail, Old North Church and the USS Constitution. We're also going to tour Harvard and of course find some yummy lunch :) We having a wonderful time together and making lots of great new memories. Love to everyone.

Time off

We're flying into Boston where we will stay two nights before we rent a car and take a week to drive to Washington DC. I've never been to Boston or anywhere else in New England and it has been years since I've visited DC. So this is a very exciting trip for me. We don't leave for the airport for a few more hours so I'm having time to relax, have my coffee and think about the days ahead.

In addition to Boston Commons, Old North Church and the Freedom Trail, I'm also very interested in Club Passim where we're going to hear some live music. One of the best places to get a sense of people is to hear the music being played and the art being created. I've heard great things about this venue. I'll keep everyone updated throughout the week regarding interesting things we see, hear and do and of course...I'll volunteer my impressions. Today, and especially during these difficult financial times, I am thankful that we have jobs and thankful that we have time to leave our surroundings for a week and experience our world outside and experience each other in a relaxed state. Vacation, Here We Come!!!

Decisions Decisions.....

I would like to discuss what this picture represents. I opened the pantry door just now to throw something away. I looked up and was shocked to see that we have what I believe to be TOO MUCH CEREAL!!! In case you don't see it well enough, there are 11 boxes of cereal on that shelf! I know for certain that I bought only one of those boxes although I nibble from all of them...but that's not what I wanna talk about.

Why would a household need this many different kinds of cereal? There are only two of us. I'm a Special K or Shredded Wheat kind of girl and my husband likes stuff with nuts and fruit in it. I worry that this plethera of choices indicates something about us that I don't like. Are we one of those couples who has too much stuff? Outside of the cereal shelf we don't seem to represent that couple. Maybe we can't decide what we like and we just keep trying to find what we're looking for. Maybe one of us is paranoid that we're going to run out. Maybe we're pack rats. Maybe we're expecting a lot of company I don't know about. Or maybe we keep thinking there's going to be a prize in the next box we buy.

Whatever it is, having this much cereal really makes me laugh. Oh wait, he's getting some right now..."hey, that sounds good, get me a bowl"

Do me a favor God...

It seems recently that I've been hearing lots of people asking God for favors. Some people call it prayer but it just sounds like a bunch of 'gimme what I want' to me. Prayer has always been the most confusing part of the spritual aspect of my life. I run far and fast when people advise me that if I just have enough faith my prayers will be answered. That's comfortable theology when it seems like everything is going my way but how do you work that out when what you think you want doesn't happen. Did you backslide or something and God isn't smiling on your that day??? I don't believe in a conditional God so that one doesn't work out for me. In recent years I've been observing that the only thing I know for sure is that God will never abandon me. What I pray for is peace, the ability to allow God to guide me and for God to give me strength in whatever my situation is. I like to think of God as my friend manafest in Jesus Christ but I don't believe God is in my life so God can grant me favors. Seems a little familiar to me. I ask my earthly friends for favors.
I don't know...apparently I need to pray for more understanding of the nature of prayer.