still counting

According to Roxie's definition, yes, I did my 100 chores and then some! Yeah for me! And I solved the problem of what rug would fit in the front of the door (where you step directly on to the carpet as you walk in from the porch)! So I get 99 points just for that.

This is how I spend my mornings. I help students do things like identify vowel sounds so they can sound out and read words. We work on "i" sounds, move on to "a" and "e". Next week, we'll review them so we are sure we can always identify these sounds wherever we might find them--in books, on billboards, on cereal boxes, in stores--the options are limitless! My goal: these kids will move into adulthood with confidence in their abilities to succeed.

I've realized that I will never change the world. If I change one kid's prospects for a successful life and career, I myself am successful in my job.

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Birthday

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Jennifer and Dan

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JENNIFER!

Jennifer on her wedding day. Posing for the first time with (almost) all the Price cousins.

an unexpected day

Quite unexpectedly, I got the day off. Today is the 100th day of school and all my students are celebrating (over my class periods) together in a frenzy of counting to 100!

So, in honor of the 100th day of school I shall attempt to accomplish 100 chores around my house this morning. Here is a partial list:

dishes
laundry
vacuum
dust
make up guest bed
clear off dining table
clean bathrooms
put away extra yarn
put away extra needles
reshelve books
reshelve magazines
take out recycle
repot basil
organize seeds for planting
plant flower seeds
search for photo of recently deceased friend to send to his family
cull catalogs
call two friends
write three thank you notes
call in rx to RiteAid
sweep leaves off cement walk on side of my house

21 so far. I'll be lucky to get 10 done.

22. reduce amount of tea in my cupboard
23. use up more yarn
24. take more digital photos

I have a vacation day on Monday. It's so much fun to think about what I want to do with another vacation day...

BLANKET UPDATE

The Beaches Blanket is rolling in. It will soon be at high tide.

I have been working long hours on the level three certification. Today I typed up several swatch patterns. It is really tiring for me to work that long on the computer and concentrate that hard on what I am typing.

I reworked the duplicate stitch swatch and I am much happier with it now. It looks much better.

This close up of the swatch shows that I fixed all the cross overs.

The weekend was busy. On Saturday morning we rode our bikes 11 1/2 miles. I am definitely out of shape for biking. Walking uses a different set of muscles. I need to cross train more.

Today's 3 1/2 mile walk took us north of the 10 Fwy into a couple of neighborhoods that 70 years ago were considered very desirable places to live. The houses in general are being restored and the area gentrified. What lovely, gracious ladies those houses were!

Today marks the day between the days of my parents' death. My father passed away on Feb 11th and my mother on Feb 13th.

Lost

I hate it, hate it, hate it when I lose posts! I just did. Now I have to do it all again!

Weekend=Knitting

and seeing Chaplain Dan who is coming for a chaplain's conference today and will be staying with us through Sunday morning. Sadly, Jennifer is not accompanying him.

and recuperating from my dentist visit this morning.

and helping with a wedding reception, then attending it.

and having coffee with friends after the reception.

I am writing up the instructions for my entrelac swatch. I've realized that the only way I'm going to get in writing correctly is to knit another swatch and write as I go. I'm on the second set of triangles/rectangles, have three more 'sets' to write.

I also restitched the duplicate stitch on the duplicate stitch swatch. It looks much better. I blocked it yesterday and now it's drying on the ironing board.

Last night we walked about 2.5 miles. It was a short one because we had small group meeting last night and we just walked down to 28th st and then on to Jefferson and then back up to 28th. Then after small group we walked home along Vermont so we could stop at Ralph's for milk and bananas. This living close to stores and work is a great thing. We are walking so much more, saving gas money and depreciation on our six year old car.

Weekend knitting will include more work on the Beaches Blanket, entrelac swatch, and I think a try on Roxie's square beret. Thanks, Roxie, for sharing the pattern. I will never reach anywhere near the same level of creativity and design quality of your work.

Dear readers, Roxie is the most amazing woman who taught me to spin and encouraged me to do the TKGA certifications in hand knitting, and every day I think of her and thank her in my mind (except for the days I have a tantrum over how difficult one of the swatches is and then I want to throw sharp and heavy things at her effigy). Roxie is my knitting mentor and when she produces yet another incredible piece of work that uses design ideas I can't even imagine trying and says they're easy, I know I'll never be a true master knitter like Roxie. I remember back in the day when she pulled out a mobius scarf she was knitting and I just stared. How did she do that??? And now she's a published writer of fantasy books. Sanna, Sorceress Apprentice is her first book. If you like fantasy and any kind of needlecraft, you'll like this book.

Certification

Roxie asks a good question. What if I send in something to the knitting guild that is not my best work? Two possibilities--it passes anyway or I have to redo it. I've actually been thinking about this for awhile. I want to get on with my life and knitting and I am tired of having this thing hanging over my head. I really want the certificate so I'm going to finish because it's important to me.

I am pulling out and redoing a duplicate stitch swatch because I see a couple of small problems with my duplicate stitches looking like they are twisted. So. If I sent it in anyway, it MIGHT pass. I found a couple of stitches in my intarsia swatch where my yarn split and I decided I'm not going to redo it because it doesn't affect my intarsia pattern at all. But the swatch that requires me to do all kinds of decrease stitches with yarn overs is confusing and I think I messed up a couple of decreases, so I'm going to look it over and probably rework it. The entrelac is going as is. If I have to redo it later, so be it. I'm sick of it for now.

I remember that in doing the research for the history of knitting report in level 2, I researched off and on for A YEAR! Admittedly, I was also moving and teaching, but eventually I had to laugh at myself. Enough already. This is a TWO PAGE REPORT!

In other late breaking news, our heater seems to be broken again. It is blowing cold air out the vents even though the whole thing is turned off. This is the same problem we had in November. One may think that not having a heater in Los Angeles is no big deal. But our nights do get cold and I for one do not enjoy sitting around in a house where the temperature is 52 degrees. It is not sunny this morning. All I see out our kitchen window are very slow cars on the 10 Fwy and gray sky.

Agenda

On the list of to do projects are two "new baby" sweaters for two sisters at our church who either have just had a girl or are going to have a girl soon.

Another to do sweater will be going to my great niece, LAJ, who just turned one year old. She is going to get a sweater and hat combo in rich, yummmmmy chocolate brown with an accent color for fun.

I am feeling the push to get more done on the level three certification. My biggest obstacle is my perfectionism. Each item must be as perfect as I can make it, so I reknit, tink, frog and redesign way too much. I should just get on with it, huh?

My goal is to work 15 minutes every day on the certification. Maybe if I do it in baby steps I'll actually finish.

I have registered to participate in the L.A. Marathon 5K walk on March 4th! A school friend is registered, too. I've been walking almost every day. Tonight John and I did 4 miles. Last night I didn't walk but instead I did two 15 minutes sessions on my elliptical machine because everyone knows that a woman by herself should not be walking the streets on South Central LA after dark and John was teaching his class at the Union Rescue Mission at 5th and San Pedro. John registered for the LA Marathon bike tour--22 miles. He rode 8.5 miles this afternoon.

Weekending

These cousins came from Iowa this weekend to experience some warm Southern California weather.

They enjoyed visiting the other cousins, experiencing the Gerry Ranch, Camarillo Farmer's Market and South Central Los Angeles.

They left us a beautiful bouquet of flowers from the market, including this magnificent specimen. We think we have identified it as either a gaillardia or a gerbera. Any horticulturists out in blogland, please tell us the correct name.



I was able to do some knitting in the car as we traveled around visiting. The Beaches Blanket is growing.

February Blues

As in mostly blue sky, blue batik tablecloth on the dining half of the tables. (Explanation-- this little house doesn't have a separate dining room, but we have two tables--fortunately almost identical-we planned it that way--and since our wireless does not have a strong enough signal in the "office"-big wide hallway- our laptops are perched on the smaller table by the dining room window on the other half of the tables)

I am getting the house ready for company. John's cousins are coming tomorrow from Ioway and will stay several days. Room in back is ready for company. Soup is cooked for tomorrow's lunch, laundry is caught up, house is clean (thanks to a friend who needs a little extra cash right now-that symbiotic relationship again). And we have ordered warm weather for the weekend-the forecast is for highs in the 80s.

I taught the letter "f" this morning as well as played sight word bingo. Then I had some soup at school and came on home. I've been running around for 4+ hours and I just realized I'm pooped. So I have my choc hotolate and I'm getting ready to knit a few rows on the blanket.

I also felted three red sweaters, one pink sweater and a brown blanket this afternoon. Guess what I'm going to do with those??

A word of explanation about the Gray Kitten-- I 'think' he meant gray kitchen, but you know you can never be sure so maybe I should check, huh?

Tuesday

This morning I tested three third graders. Two of the students I've known for several years as they were at the Watts school. I spent a bit more time with the girl because I tutored her last year and we just chatted about her family's problems for a while.

Now I am editing letters for the City Administrator (not of Los Angeles--of the ministry). I'm actually a pretty good editor and so for the past several months I've helped with the first reviews of all LA staff monthly news letters. I enjoy doing it...

BUT...

I'd much rather be knitting my blanket.

Teacher staff meeting at 2:30 will provide some knitting time. The other teachers are used to my bringing knitting to meetings.

Back to split infinitives, not matching pronouns, and incomplete sentences. These are from the adults.

Kids I understand (these are exact replicas of the sentences my students wrote this morning):

The cat play and it was fun.
I will be time to eat soon.
Its' time eat soon.
You learn word spell
A athlete performed a energey skill show.
My cat to play it fun.
I wish my coach woud hurry in teach score!

and my favorite sentence of the day:

Inside Gray kitten we cook!

Beach Blanket in Progress

Here is the photo of the Beach Blanket. Roxie is right, nature is not symmetrical so my blanket need not be symmetrical. I have had visions all morning of sand and surf, imagining random shells and stones. I'm diving in to this sea of randomness, kicking the colors around like pebbles on the shore.

My cactus is blooming, right on schedule for Christmas...errr...Valentine's Day. This plant (origin unremembered) has never bloomed before. I had no idea what color the blooms would be if it ever flowered, but here it is, flourishing in my window box, producing birght pink edged flowers. Last count was 12.

Today is a Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Impact staff. Unfortunately, I'm not participating corporately. No one wants my germs around and I think meditation and prayer at home will be better for me.

Sick Sunday

I have a cold and I am feeling "froggy". I noticed that I was getting said cold last night when my throat began to get sore and I got all the other tell tale aches and runny nose. This morning I woke up feeling worse, but I persevered to get up and ride out to LAX and then to Starbuck's to be fortified with plenty of coffee so I could make it to church.

Why were we at LAX? Because Chaplain Dan called about 10pm last night to say that,although he was finished with drills for the weekend and was flying home from Las Vegas via LA, his flight to Phoenix was cancelled. So John drove right out there and picked him up and brought him home to sleep here. We drove him back to LAX this morning so he could try to get on an early flight standby. I'm happy to report that he is safely home from his week of training in the Bay area and Las Vegas and with his sweetheart.

Except for a 2.5 mile walk to the north of us along Venice Blvd past the cemetary and Loyola High School, I have been sitting in a chair and knitting or reading or just sitting feeling miserable all afternoon and evening. So I don't have any photos of the afghan. I'll try really hard tomorrow.

However, I want to mention that, unlike Roxie, the author of the blanket pattern, I have difficulty with the concept of unplanned and random. In the past, I have been sadly disappointed in projects in life and yarn for which I didn't adequately plan, so I am a bit of a plan control freak now. I happily knitted a row of brown diamonds, then a row of white/cream, then a couple rows of the Aran heather cream yarn from Blarney Mills. I suddenly realized that I will not have enough yarn to make a symmetrical pattern. This of course threw me into a fever induced tizzy. After a few hours of puzzling over this problem, I realized, "OK, maybe it won't be symmetrical, and maybe I will hate it when it's finished, but IF I name it and PLAN a bit of randomness it into the afghan, it may turn out alright."

So, in honor of the beaches of the world that I have walked and I love, this will be the Beach Blanket, with all shades and types of sand and pebbles represented in the design. I hope that as you look at the designs in the afghan you will see the beach...

photos as soon as I can hold the camera, focus and shoot.

On a totally different note. Although I am not usually a fan of devotional readings by mere men, at the recommendation and gifting of the book by a friend, I am reading the daily readings in Reflections for Ragamuffins by Brennan Manning and I am finding them both comforting and challenging.

Saturday Sky

This morning I walked with a friend on The Strand in Manhattan Beach (3+ miles). The weather was FINE.

Blue sky and a few clouds, in the 60s.

Alas, it is now raining in Los Angeles. John went for a bike ride and came home after 8 miles because he doesn't care for rain pelting his face as he rides.

Knitting socks in public, Wednesday evening.

The afternoon is being devoted to Earl Grey tea, laundry, and cleaning. Maybe later this evening I'll muster the energy to pull out the camera again and do a photo shoot on the blanket.

Home Knitting

It's hard to believe, but it's true. I turned down an opportunity to go to L.A.'s Fashion District this afternoon. John and F. were going to the Union Rescue Mission to interview students for this quarter and I was going to hitch a ride and go shopping in the fashion district, just to look around at the blocks and blocks of shops selling every textile imaginable. Linda Heaven!

But this morning I had a date with my dentist that didn't turn out the best. No fault of my very good and very nice dentist. As he was drilling, I was feeling pain. So we'd stop, he'd add more anesthetic and resume drilling. I'd flinch and flail in pain. Repeat. Repeat. He used up every idea for pain killer and finally decided to just stop, put a temporary cover on and have me return in two weeks after he has ordered another type of anesthetic. Evidently, I have a little crack in the tooth under the old filling so it's more sensitive and will continue to give me more pain until it's fixed. Poor little tooth.

Anyway, by the time I got home from Torrance (non LA residents--that's a 45 minute drive each way--but he gives us a good discount) I was pooped. Maybe it's the drugs. Whatever. I decided to stay indoors and knit and drink Trader Joe's Moroccan Mint Green Tea and work on the mitered blanket. Such a comfort.

Knitting update

Here is a close up photo of the entrelac cast off for Roxie. It looks "ok" but I didn't follow the directions because the directions didn't make sense to me. I found two other "mistakes" (read: I didn't understand and so I did it my way) in the pattern, so when I got to the cast off I just did a normal cast off. I get a little crazy about following the directions because this is a swatch for the Level 3 Master Knitter's certification, and I know the judges are meticulous.

The entrelac square

I started a new afghan, using Roxie's pattern. My plan is to use up left overs in my stash, the colorway being cream, brown, and gray and I'll use the three skeins of Tivoli Celtic Aran heather yarn from Blarney Woolen Mills in Ireland that Chippie brought me several years ago.

The other yarns are Cleckheaton, Galway and KidnEwe.

My blocks are just a smidge over 5 inches wide. I am making 7 blocks across, so my afghan width will be 36 inches.

The finished Silky Wool scarf.

And, no, I don't know why I have two photos here, but I don't have time right now to figure it out.

Happy Birthday, Mike

Mike's birthday was Friday. I love seeing my kids on their birthdays, so it was a treat to have lunch with Mike near his office that day. He says that being 26 is about the same as being 25 years, 364 days. We also celebrated on Sunday night with dinner at Nyala Restaurant, an Ethiopian place in Little Ethiopia on Fairfax.

When I think of Mike's birth, it is always with a great sense of thankfulness. I had been very sick with malaria and there was a point when John and I both thought we would lose this baby. I am grateful daily that God protected me and Mike and that Mike is a healthy guy with no effects of the trauma surrounding his birth. I tell him that his brain just got a little fried from the fever.

Mike has always been a happy kid. He brought joy and laughter to our family as a child and he still does so today. He loves to tease me by subtly blocking my movements around the kitchen and grins when I finally figure out it's intentional. You'd think I would expect it by now, but he just looks so innocent. I love to hear him laugh.

I'll always remember his escapade with fire, bamboo and kerosene when he burned off his eyebrows, eyelashes and bangs. He loved to fish for shrimp in the stream by our house in Sowi IV. He has always been protective of his mom, stopping traffic in parking lots to let the "pregnant lady, pregnant lady" cross the street.

Mike, may you always enjoy life and remember your roots as "manir Meyokda"! And may you never run out of new ideas.

SNIPPETS

Jim is recovering well.

Chaplain Dan is in the Bay Area doing training.

Mike turned 26 last Friday.

I have walked every day since returning to LA.

Farmers Market is still a great place to visit.

I finished the Silky Wool scarf and it's being blocked.

The blue socks for me are 3/4 finished.

I started a miter blanket, pattern compliments of Roxie at www.sannasbag.blogspot.com

John's cousins are coming for a visit from Iowa in early February (great timing for mid-westerners!).

Entrelac cast off is giving me a headache.

Baby Lettuce Salad

Grown in my very own inner city container garden, this is truly the baby lettuce and baby salad. The cherry tomatoes are about the size a peanut M&M.

Home from the Winter Storm

I have been gone a week. Did anyone miss me?

I spent 7 days in Oregon City with my bro and sil while he had surgery. We are happy to report he is doing very well.

While I was there, it SNOWED. Usually I really don't enjoy snow, but this week I ventured out to walk with Ju and her friend on the golf course every day and we weren't going to let a few inches of snow deter us.

We woke up Tuesday morning to this scene in the front of the house--


and this one in the back--

The trail along the creek was beautiful.

I returned home yesterday and it seems like I never left, except that I have committed to walking every day possible. My goal is 5 days a week, 4 miles a day. Now that I've put it in writing in a public forum, I have all of you to hold me accountable.

This afternoon, J and I walked to the store for a few groceries. Vermont to Jefferson to Western. Four miles.

Intarsia pattern

This photo of an intarsia pattern I worked last night was taken with my NEW CAMERA! My Christmas present from Mike. Now I have a learning curve, not only on knitting, but also on my new Canon SD 600. Fortunately, I'll have plenty of time enroute to PDX with a lay over in Sacramento to study the manual and play.

Finished Projects

Dear readers, you almost did not get to read this post. Without the excellent technical coaching of Deb, this post would have been buried, lost, deleted, in short, GONE. I accidently posted it on another blog list I belong to, and I had NO IDEA how to recover from my mistake. But, Deb the super girl came to my rescue! And now I know how to fix photos, move text and delete my mistakes. Thanks Deb!

At long last, I can show some photos of finished work. During December I felted and sewed purses for my girls. One I kept for myself--a gray bag with pink accents.

The afghan for Cori and Travis is finished and will travel with me to Oregon tomorrow. This project has been my constant companion for two months. While I have really enjoyed learning a new crochet technique, the seaming did get old.

I think I counted 226 hexagons. And each one has 18 "sides" to stitch. Just think about it...

I always enjoy knitting socks. This pair turned out quite nice. I used some Elka (from Holland) yarn, 70% wool. I cast on 48 stitches, used a slightly larger needle than I usually use.

When your brother hunts in the woods, you want him to be noticeable and easily distinguishable from an elk or deer. So you knit him BRIGHT ORANGE caps to wear for identification (read all you hunters: This one is loved and you'd better not point any loaded guns in his direction). The hot orange cap is 100% acrylic so it can be washed and dried with abandon, but it was so boring to knit that I just had to make the other one, too.

Initials knitted into the inside hem.

Slip stitch is one of my favorite color stitches to make. It looks so much harder than it actually is. All you do is slip a stitch from one needle to the other WITHOUT KNITTING IT and keep the yarn in front to make the horizontal line. Then when you purl the next row you just purl all the stitches.

Here I used the main pumpkin color and light gray and light brown for contrast.

Now it is time to stop procrastinating and go pack. The news on the street is that it is going to be cold up there in the Pacific Northwest. This California girl doesn't have much in the way of warm wooly garments, so I will have to reach into the back or my closet and into my past and pull out some warm sweaters.

Goals

Everyone has life goals. Sometimes we express them, sometimes we are not even sure what goals we have. I know my life goals include reading and owning all the Newberry Award books and finishing The Knitting Guild Association's Master Handknitting Certification program.

Jennifer expressed a goal to learn to knit and so Mia and Tim helped her this Christmas by giving her a learn to knit kit. I think she's doing a good job already .


I have always liked cute clothes. It's not really a goal for me to wear cute clothes, but I guess if my daughter is willing to be seen in a shirt, it must be cute and relatively in style.

I have a great job. I got to play Sight Word Bingo at work today with one of the world's cutest first graders. Who wouldn't love to go to work and play? It's a good opportunity to chat...I learned way too much about shootings in his neighborhood, being left alone, and "family dynamics".

BACK AGAIN

FERDINAND THE MONKEY

We arrived home in LA from Phoenix last night after stopping to visit with John's Aunt Dorothy for about an hour. We hadn't seen her for quite a long while so it was nice to visit with her.

Traveling with us this trip was Ferdinand the Monkey. Ferdinand is actually Mia's. He is a well traveled primate and has visited Papua New Guinea and Iraq. He decided to go with us to Phoenix and begged and begged for a new vest. So I knitted this one up for him. He says he's ready to go back home just in time to move. I think he probably has a couple of banana stashes around that he wants to be sure will get on the truck on Friday when Tim and Mia move to Chula Vista.

Our visit with Dan and Jennifer was wonderful in a warm, homey Hobbit sort of way. We watched more than twelve hours of The Lord of the Rings, all three extended disks. Of course, if you're going to watch hobbits doing anything, you need to fortify yourself appropriately. So, we enjoyed eggs and hash, coffee and mushrooms for breakfast, scones and tarts with tea for second breakfast, pizza, salad and soda for luncheon, pot roast and bread and rolls for dinner, and for dessert we indulged in fruit dipped in chocolate from the chocolate fountain. I'm sure I've forgotten some meals and foods, but by the time I'd eaten luncheon I was overloaded and lost conscious thought of what I was eating. It was ALL very tasty. We welcomed the New Year with Martinelli's and toasted each other--Meli, Jennifer, Dan, Sam, Melissa and us.

New Year's morning Deb joined us at Starbuck's for coffee and we chatted for a couple of hours before heading west again.

Odds and Ends for the End of the Year

I haven't posted for a week. Christmas happened. And a wonderful Christmas it was! All the kids came home this year. All nine of us were in our little house, eating, sleeping, watching Muppets Christmas Carol, playing Iron Dragon, opening our presents, playing tricks on each other. It was a memorable day and I am so pleased that all the kids made the effort to come to our place between other in laws' celebrations and their own traditions.

My gifts to the girls were hand made and embroidered felted bags. I made one for a friend, too, and one for myself. I received several books to add to my life goal collection of owning all the Newberry Award Winners--The Door in The Wall, The Tales of Despereaux, Lloyd Alexander's The High King, Strawberry Girl, Bridge to Terebirthia. My year subscription to Real Simple is a gift that will keep giving me pleasure all year. John listened to my request for two books- Frugal Living for Dummies by Deborah Taylor-Hough and Sanna, Sorceress Apprentice by my good friend Roxanna Matthews.

I want to recommend the latter book to every one, especially people who enjoy reading fantasy and/or have a knowledge of knitting, spinning and weaving. Roxie is a Certified Master Knitter, professional weaver and spinner. She weaves in knowledge about all aspects of fiber arts and her story line kept me turning pages and not wanting to put down the book to sleep or eat. You can eat while you're reading, you know...

I wish you all a Happy New Year! Ours will be spent in Phoenix celebrating with Dan and Jennifer enjoying a Lord of the Rings movie marathon and eating hobbit food at regular intervals-- lembas, bread and butter, mushrooms and bacon, dried fruit, rabbit stew.

Lessons and Carols-- Lesson Nine

Lesson Nine

St. John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation

Text: John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

The true light, which enlightens everyone,, was coming in to the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.


Song of Praise

Joy to the World

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing.

Joy to the world! The Savior reigns;
Let men their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sin and sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground.
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders, wonders of his love.
Isaac Watts and G.F. Handel

Lessons and Carols-- Lesson Eight

Lesson Eight

The wise men are led by the star to Jesus

Text: Matthew 2:1-12

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,

"Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem saying,

"Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."

After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then opening their treasure, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

This Little Babe

The little Babe so few days old is come to rifle Satan's fold;
All hell doth, at his presence quake, though he himself for cold do shake;
For, in this weak unarmed wise, the gates of hell he will surprise.

With tears, he fights and wins the field, his naked breast stands for a shield;
His battering shot are babish cries, his arrows looks of weeping eyes,
His martial ensigns, Cold and Need, and feeble flesh his warrior's steed.

His camp is pitched in a stall, his bulwark but a broken wall.
The crib his trench, haystalks his stakes, of shepherds he his muster makes;
And thus, as sure his foe to wound, the angels' trumps alarum sound.

My soul, with Christ, join thou in fight, stick to the tents that he hath pight.
Within his crib is surest war, this Babe will be thy guard.
If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy, then flit not from this heavenly Boy.
Words by Robert Southwell, music by Benjamin Britten

This Little Babe is sung allegro and animato in four, six and eight parts, fugal- with all the parts starting and stopping at different places (like much of the Messiah). When we sang this carol last year, it was both my favorite and most difficult piece. Try saying "the crib his trench, haystalks his stakes" three times very fast.

Lessons and Carols-- Lessons Six and Seven

Lesson Six

St. Luke tells of the birth of Jesus

Text: Luke 2: 1, 3-7

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

And all went to be registered, each to his own town.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.


Lesson Seven

The shepherds go to the manger

Text: Luke 2: 8-16

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Sarior who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those
with whom he is pleased!"

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

Sussex Carol

On Christmas night, all Christians sing
To hear the news the angels bring
On Christmas night, all Christians sing
To hear the news the angels bring
News of great joy, news of great mirth,
News of our merciful King's birth.

Then why should men on earth be so sad
Since our Redeemer made us glad?
Then why should men on earth be so sad
Since our Redeemer made us glad?
When from our sin he set us free
All for to gain our liberty?

When sin departs before his grace
Then life and health come in its place.
When sin departs before his grace
Then life and health come in its place.
Angels and men with joy may sing
All for to see the newborn King.

All out of darkness, we have light
Which made the angels sing this night.
All out of darkness, we have light
which made the angels sing this night:
"Glory to God and peace to men
Now and forever more, Amen."
English traditional carol


Song of Praise

The First Noel

The first Noel, the angel did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, born is the King of Israel!

They looked up and saw a star shining in the east, beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, born is the King of Israel!

This star drew nigh to the northwest, o'er Bethlehem it took its rest,
And there it did both stop and stay,
right over the place where Jesus lay.

Then let us all, with one accord, sing praises to our heav'nly Lord,
That hath made heav'n and earth of naught,
And with his blood mankind has bought.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, born is the King of Israel!

English Traditional Carol

Lessons and Carols-- Lessons Four and Five

Lesson Four

The peace that Christ will bring is foreshadowed.

Text: Isaiah 11:1-3a, 4a, 6-9

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jess, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord...

but with righteousness he shall judge the poor...

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.

They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.


Lesson Five

The angel Gabriel salutes the virgin Mary.

Text: Luke 1:26-35, 38

In the sixth month [of Elizabeth's pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.

And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"

But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.

And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his
kingdom there will be no end."

And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you,and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy--the Son of God."

And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

And the angel departed from her.

And the Glory

And the glory of the Lord whall be revealed
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 40:5)
from Handel's Messiah

Kitty is Sakit

Sakit is the Indonesian word for sick. That's what this little kitty is. Sick. I have cancelled everything I was planning for today and tonight.
We have a Christmas tree. John is setting it up now. If I have any energy tonight, I'll decorate. But I'm not betting on it.
The only good thing about being sick is that you get to sit home (or lie down) and watch movies and knit. If you have energy to hold your head up.

Nine Lessons and Carols- Lesson Three

Lesson Three

The prophet foretells the coming of the Savior.

Text: Isaiah 9:2, 6, 7

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness , on them has light shined.
For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this."
Thanks be to God.

Song of Praise:

Joy Has Dawned

Joy has dawned upon the world,,
Promised from creation;
God's salvation, now unfurled,
Hope for every nation!
Not with fanfares from above,
Not with scenes of glory,
But a humble gift of love--
Jesus, born of Mary.

Sounds of wonder fill the sky
With the songs of angels,
As the mighty Prince of Life
Shelters in a stable.
Hands that set each star in place,
Shaped the earth in darkness,
Laid against his mother's breast--
Vulnerable and helpless.

Shepherds bow before the Lamb
Gazing at the glory.
Gifts of men from distant lands
Prophesy the story.
Gold, a King is born today;
Incense, God is with us;
Myrrh, his death will make a way
and, by his blood, he'll win us.

Son of Adam, Son of heaven,
Given as a ransom.
Reconciling God and man--
Christ our mighty Champion!
What a Savior , what a firiend,
What a glorious mystery!
Once a babe in Bethlehem--
Now the Lord of history!
Keith Getty & Stuart Townsend, c. 2004

You will notice that Joy Has Dawned is a new song, written in 2004. I like that the hymns can be changed from year to year. I am a big fan of Getty and Townsend's music. They write interesting yet singable tunes and the words, the words are always right on and meaningful.

Even so, I usually start to hum bars from The Messiah as we are reading Isaiah 9, especially as we get to "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace".

Nine Lessons and Carols

Every December our church performs Nine Lessons and Carols which is a performance started in 1880 in Truro, England that has been sung and read every year since, somewhere. King's College Choir in Cambridge is famous for its performance each year.

We have sung with the choir other years, but it just didn't happen this year; even so we thoroughly enjoyed participating in the congregation yesterday. As you read here, if you know the tune, feel free to hum or sing along.

Call to Worship

Once, in Royal David's City, stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby in a manger for His bed.
Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ, her little Child.

He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable and His cradle was a stall.
With the poor and mean and lowly, lived on earth our Savior holy.

Jesus is our childhood's pattern; day by day, like us, He grew.
He was little, weak and helpless; tears and smiles, like us, He knew.
And He feeleth for our sadness and He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes, at last shall see Him through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heaven above.
And He leads His children on to the place where He has gone.
Henry Gauntlett & Cecil Alexander (c) public domain

Lesson One

God tells sinful Adam that he has lost the life of Paradise and that his seed will bruise the serpent's head. Text: Genesis 3:8-15; 17-19

Adam Lay Ybounden

Adam lay ybounden, bounden in a bond.
Four thousand winter thought he not too long.
And all was for an apple, an apple that he took,
As cleckes finden writtein in their book.
Ne had the apple taken been, the apple taken been,
Ne had never our Savior, our Redeemer abeen.
Blessed be the time our freedom gained was,
Therefore, we moun singen, Deo gracias!
Words anon, 15th century

I was familiar with the first song. The first verse is sung by a young boy chorister and is haunting and sweet. The second song was new to me. The music was written for the 15th century words by Boris Ord, 1957.


Lesson Two

God promises to faithful Abraham, that in his seed, shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
Text: Genesis 22:15-18
"And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."

Clean House

My friends just left after cleaning my house and doing what little "yard" work I have on the cement outside. It looks beautiful and I am deeply thankful for their help. And I think it was reciprocated as they are looking at moving by January 1st, and have no idea where in LA they can afford a place to live. And then I opened our earnings statement for this period and found that we were given a bonus. Blessings abound!

The furniture has been moved so now we can go out and buy a Christmas tree! The spot is waiting! Maybe tonight.

Yesterday I made bread. A friend of mine is allergic to milk so I made French bread and used about 1/3 whole wheat flour in it.

Laurel's Kitchen French Bread

Dissolve 1 packet active dry yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. When yeast has proofed, add 2 1/4 cups very cold water and 5 1/2 cups bread flour white or whole wheat or a combination)and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt.

That's it for ingredients. The methods for french bread are what set it apart from ordinary, mortal bread. French bread is slow rise, and so after you knead it forever, you set it to rise and you 'deflate' it twice. Because of the very cold water in the ingredients, the first rising is especially slow. I made two long loaves but forgot that bread rises OUT not UP when it's not in a loaf pan. Next time I'll make very skinny loaves so I don't get the flat bread look I got last night. The key to making the bread crusty is to start with a very hot oven (425) and SPRAY warm water on the bread before you put it in, then every 4 minutes until the crust is golden brown. THEN you lower the heat to 350 and finish baking (total about 1 hour). Final product was delicious (if I do say so myself). I'd show you a photo, but- ahem - we already ate most of both loaves. Next time, maybe.

I am prepared for my class tomorrow. I get to masquerade as a college teacher and be a guest presenter in an education class (curriculum, I think). Then in the evening, we are going to Gautum and Vicki's wedding! I think the groom and his roommates will be here over night because the apt is full of family members. viva la wedding and congratulations to the bridal couple!

Monday is my last school day until after New Years. I am so looking forward to enjoying my break.

Our family will gather together to celebrate Christmas!

I have big plans for the photo album mess, I want to get in some long walks and bike rides, and of course I am hatching all kinds of ideas for knitting. I really want to knit up some pillows, afghans and maybe a tea cozy or two. I have some special yarn for a vest that is calling...what to do first. Oh yeah, finish the Christmas presents.

buying presents

I am finished with Christmas present purchases. John has a couple to buy to round out the stocking surprises, but I AM DONE. Yeah!

I'm having a hard time realizing that Christmas is 11 days away...I'm thinking maybe three-four weeks. Yesterday I bought a fir and cone wreath at TJ's and put it on a table in the dining room. That is the first decoration I've put out. No worries though, the weekend is coming. I hope to have the house cleaned and ready for decorating by tomorrow afternoon. (secret: a friend who needs a little extra cash right now is coming to clean tomorrow--it's a symbiotic relationship).

Mike, et al, will be staying here during the wedding weekend for his friends and the back rooms will be ready. The afghan is still laid out on the bed and I haven't started stitching. Just don't quite know where to begin on that thang.

Gift Ideas

Not for me. For Mike. This is for people who are buying gifts for him.

After The Ice. He left his copy in Hawaii.

Three book trilogy about Horemheb by P.C. Doherty
An Evil Spirit Out of the West
The Season of the Hyaena
The Year of the Cobra

I am preparing a talk about dyslexia and about teaching reading in the inner city. I will be talking to a Biola University class on Saturday. I did this lecture last year, but I can't find my notes so I am preparing a whole new talk. I enjoy talking about what I do, so I'm looking forward to the time.

As we are getting in to the Christmas season, our calendar is filling up. I intentionally stayed home from a Ladies' Tea yesterday afternoon, knowing it would just be too much for the weekend. Our drive to Bakersfield to meet Deb and Debbie was wonderful but took most of the day on Saturday and then we house/cat sat overnight so we were gone a lot of the weekend. I'm taking a lesson from a friend who encourages me to save time for myself. She's right, of course, and I am working at allowing myself downtime.

This evening John and I are meeting with his Monday a little social time. I'm baking cookies to take. I love Christmas baking and I'm seriously taking this afternoon to do the baking. It's so good to plan out the time and then do it.

Tomorrow is a super busy day with teaching, dentist appts, meetings and then hopefully shopping before John has class and I go walking on the beach with Kristie.

Wednesday is the usual teaching then racing for the beach cities before traffic hits to have dinner and go to my Bible class. Thursday is a normal schedule too, with daily duties and WI small group at night.

Friday--help with set up for the Toy Store at school.

Saturday--lecture in the morning and then Gautum and Vicki's wedding in the afternoon.

All this to say, I don't need any more activities.

We don't even have our tree yet or any Christmas decorations out. Many presents are wrapped and we are drinking out of our Christmas mugs, but I haven't opened any boxes of decorations. Maybe this week.

However, all my Christmas cards are written, sealed and mailed.

Knitting? Oh yes, lots of it, but I'm not talking. Don't want to spoil any surprises.

Sleepy Kitty

According to blogger, I am posting my 100th post tonight.

As it is almost bedtime, this will be quick. Besides I'm sleepy.

Fridays are nice because I don't go in to school. Today the farthest I ventured was my side yard to plant the mum Mia brought up on Thanksgiving Day. It was not thriving in the house, so I planted it outside, hoping it will revive. I spent a few minutes outside clipping faded roses, watering the pots, and harvesting catnip and basil. The catnip is drying and the basil was used in a fettucine dish for dinner--just basil, garlic and tomatoes sauteed in olive oil and tossed with fettucine (whole wheat from Trader Joe's).

The rest of my day was spent quietly cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry. This evening we finished watching the first disk of Netflick's Bones Season 1. Love that show. Besides loving to watch movies, I am happy to sit in my grandma chair and knit while I watch. I don't worry about running out of yarn. I have a whole dresser full, four drawers. Can't have too much yarn.

I am looking forward to having a new digital camera. I really am hoping for one for Christmas. If I don't get one, I plan on purchasing my own. I really miss the one I share with Mike when he is using it (like now). I have some great knitting stuff I want to share but can't without a camera.

Tomorrow I am looking forward to seeing Deb and Jeff. We're meeting in the middle between LA and Fresno to give them a nice gift...my grandmother's sheet music cabinet.

Random

A friend from Portland just published a fantasy book about a girl and knitting. Sanna, Sorceress Apprentice by Roxanna Matthews. I've ordered it, can't wait to read it.

I'm wondering how my nephew Bob's job will be affected by having a new chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

My neighbor blessed us with a motorcycle cover for our bikes. Now it can rain.

I love aha moments. Like seeing WHY a student isn't getting what the vowel sound in cap is... phonemic awareness--or rather the lack of it. Hearing that a coworker thinks we need more handwriting practice in lower grades to ensure automaticity in middle school. (her aha moment)

We now have heat.

Our phone line is fixed.

Earl Grey tea tastes great with chocolate chip cookies.

new laptop

Deb mentioned in her blog that technology hates her. It's genetic. She gets it from me. John went to the store alone to make the purchase. I won't take any chances with my ruining every device in the store by my presence. Now last night we excitedly opened the box and John set up the computer and I sat down to turn it on and do all the new downloads with John looking over my shoulder and OF COURSE our phone line is out and we have no land line and then last night our wireless connection wouldn't work either. We had to wait until this morning to complete the set up. But it's done now and I have a new laptop computer! Thanks to Jeff for good advice on brands to buy.

View from my Kitchen Window

Years ago my mom subscribed to Country magazine. This mag was not about country decor which was in vogue at the time, but it was about living in the country.

One of the monthly features was View from My Kitchen Window. Women would mail in photos they took from their kitchen windows. Usually there would be a barn, a mountain, field, stream, cows, sheep, in the view. At various times in my life, I've had jungle, jungle, jungle river, neighbor's fence, rhododendrons in my kitchen view. In the Pueblo del Rio neighborhood my view was a blank wall.

But, now I have a view again.

I present the View from My Kitchen Window: facing south looking over the school yard to the Vermont Ave onramp to the 10 Fwy.

Eat your heart out, Country magazine!

Back to My Needles

I'm really not much of a crochet girl. I knit and crochet left-handed and I have difficulty reading and following crochet patterns, so I mostly knit and only crochet for sport. I'm more of a knit girl.

Butwhen Tim and Mia bought The Design Source Book of Home Decor by Judith Shangold and I saw the crocheted afghans I decided to try my hand, as it were, on a crochet afghan. I have been crocheting hexagons in seven colors. When the afghan is finished, there will be 226 hexagons, and I will have to slip stitch them all together. (What was I thinking?!) Since this one is a wedding gift for Cori Lee Neubauer, I am pleased to do the work and I really think it's going to turn out well.

Cori, if you read my blog, STOP NOW, and don't peek. Everyone else, The Victorian Garden afghan...work in progress...

BEACH HOUSE

We are truly blessed to be able to use the World Impact Beach House in Oxnard for rest and relaxation. After the busyness of the fall, we were definitely ready to get away from LA and unpacking and all the noise, dirt and craziness of ministry in the inner city.

Oxnard is the perfect place to have a rest. In sunshine or fog
We spent four days reading, biking, walking on the beach, watching movies, grabbing a leisurely cuppa at a local coffee place. I spent lots of time saying, oh I'd love to live here forever. We have jokingly (?) told ourselves that we really should become beach bums. It's in our blood and we certainly spent a lot of time during our engagement months so many years ago, just hanging out at the beach and we've never gotten tired of it. For four years, we lived in a tropical beach town on the island of New Guinea called Manokwari. Family beach trips were a weekly event. Yep, it's definitely in our blood.

We don't care if the weather is foggy and cold or warm and sunny. We have been known to walk a couple of miles in the rain at the beach.

The beach has always been a solace for my soul. Just what we needed.

Ventura County Country

During the weekend just past, we took a four day hiatus from inner city living, and we went up to Oxnard to stay in the Beach House. On the way we stopped at the Gerry Ranch, owned by the Gerry family and operated by our good friends, Will and Joy. The Ranch is a delightful place to visit and we go as often as we can. We've actually lived on The Ranch on two different occasions, and whenever we visit, it seems like we're going...home.

After a quick lunch we jumped (climbed really) into the hyper golf cart and took a ride to the top of the ranch to get a view of where we were heading to the beach in Oxnard.

Through the new blueberry field where the university is doing a study...
up the hills to the overlook where we can see almost forever across the Santa Rosa Valley and the Gerry Ranch... along narrow tracks...
to the top of the world.


Thanks, Will and Joy, for a great visit!

Wedded bliss

We are back from Phoenix and Dan and Jennifer are married.

The happy couple with JR and Deb.


Waiting for the bride.

from left in the back: Mike, Tim, Jeff, Phil, Bonifacio

front and center: the groom

The Weekend

We are leaving tomorrow morning to attend the wedding of the Soldier and the Princess.

We plan to arrive in Phoenix the middle of the day and put ourselves at the disposal of the bridal couple.

Friday: rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, including visit with cousins Donna and Larry, arrival of Jim and Julene, Tim and Mary and various Price family relatives.

Saturday: wedding

Sunday: gather with family to watch Soldier and Princess open wedding gifts, drive back to Los Angeles.

I have a dress, Mia has a dress, Deb has a dress.

viva la wedding

Los Angeles has been having a heat wave. On Monday the temperature was 95 and yesterday it was 88. (these reported temperatures are not official, they are from the temperature gauge in my car). When I was talking with Jim, I mentioned that I was watering my potted plants outside because I didn't want them to wither and die from the heat. He snorted at me and said that, yeah, they were watering their plants in Portland, too...

THOUGHTS ON MOVING

Everyone within earshot of me over the past three months knows I moved. Three weeks ago. Between two of my children's weddings.

Even though this move was not my choice in either timing or location, now that the act is done, I am seeing the positive aspects. I am basically a sociable person and where we were living was not a sociable place for various reasons--we had few neighbors, being on a one way, one lane street with major Los Angeles train tracks running next to it, we were in the middle of a semi light industrial area, we had razor wire across our back fence and tall iron gates in the front of the house (trust me, these precautions were necessary). So living where we do now, I have enough neighbor and coworker interaction to satisfy my social self.

I am also a person who needs a sense and place of safety. The other house certainly did not provide that sense. Break-ins and attempts always left me feeling vulnerable and on alert even in my sleep. So being in this little house behind another house and having a dog (and it's not mine and I don't have to feed it, walk it or clean up after it) in the yard, and living in a "safer" neighborhood is helping to heal that raw edge of stress.

The most challenging part of this move (besides the timing) has been decluttering, downsizing and simplifying our possessions. For many years, I have supported the idea of simplicity and in general I have lived a life of material simplicity. It helps that I don't enjoy shopping and I don't like knick-knacks around. But this move has pushed me into facing daily, in every room in the house, the need to remove more items and belongings. I am looking at every dish, book, sheet, towel, picture and saying, "Is it useful, do I love it, does it have a happy memory?" If I can't answer yes to all three questions, I am getting rid of it.

Moving provides an opportunity to redecorate. This little house is really a cottage and it is full of light. I am choosing colors and styles I have never used before for the curtains, throws, tablecloths, towels, and futon covers. I would never describe our style as "cottage" but it seems to be working with our Danish modern furniture. Never fear, there is still enough cobalt blue around to satisfy even me.

We have been recovering from the financial surprise of paying for a wedding, three receptions, a rehearsal dinner, lodging, and transportation to two states in six weeks. So we are looking for ways to conserve our income. Not commuting to work by train and car will certainly help, a smaller house equals smaller energy bills, and creative ways to save on internet access will save a little. The kitchen here is inviting and has a window so I enjoy cooking more, so we save on restaurant food. And last but not least, we are farther from Starbuck's.

Over all, I've been enjoying the challenge. Which surprises me. Although there was a time last week when I wondered if one could die from stress.

Catch up

Today's weather report is different-- still cloudy at 11:00am.

No students today b/c WI is doing a strategic planning session. John is involved both today and tomorrow.

So I am home (actually right now I'm in the classroom b/c neither of our computers are working at home) and then at 2:40 I will go to Union Station and pick up Mia. We're going to hit the stores for mother of the groom dresses and then in the evening tackle the last of the unpacking and play the "where on earth can I put this ? " game.

I am in a Bible study on Wednesday nights that is different than my usual study. It's called Stages of Faith and is designed to help you see where you are in maturity in your Christian faith (1 John). I'm finding it challenging and very good. This week's study focused on the need for other people to interact at a deep level in your life, the community you have around you. I realize that I am really blessed in this area. Not only do I have a wonderful husband and family, I have true friends in both Oregon and Los Angeles. You know who you are...

I read a statement today about doing your best at what you do best (paraphrase). What do I do best? Knit, create a comfortable and peaceful home, teach reading. My passions.

Someone asked me to post photos of our new place. I will soon. Gotta have the computers up and running first. I am pretty happy with the little rooms in the back, especially the room with the guest bed. Mia will be the first guest, so she gets to try it out.