...that if you come into a woman's house and it's got nice mood lighting going on, and candles lit, and it's just a little dusky and romantic looking...
you're in the house of a woman who ran out of time to mop her floors. Vacuum, yes; mop, no. Keep the lights low and you can't see the floor so good. Yeah, Baby.
Keepin' the lights low tonight...
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Tree Too Tiny!
For the past several years, I have been using a little (read: itty bitty) artificial tree instead of a real tree. When Liann and I lived together, I put her through enough years of sneezing and sniffling because I love real trees, that I decided the year that my Uncle Chris gave me a small artificial one to use in my classroom, and I happened to stop teaching the following June, that it was a sign that the tree was to come live in our house and allow Liann to breathe free the entire month of December. She was always a trooper and kind enough to let me have real pine needles in the house, but I find life more fun when the people I love can take deep breaths without inhaling things that irritate their lung lining.
Liann and I would combine some of our many ornaments and make Mr. Tiny Tree all memory-laden with goodness. When I had someone else to share tree space with, it felt easy enough to pick and choose a few special ornaments. Somehow, keeping a few in the box to make room for someone else was fun. Now, my tree is all my own...and I want ALL the ornaments on there! And THEY DON'T ALL FIT!
Sluss may need a new tree plan next year.
I am decorating with "Little Women" playing on DVD. Always makes me want my own Professor Bhaer. Maybe for Christmas next year...maybe he will come to my door under his umbrella with a new tree!
Okay. Reign it in. Time to squeeze more ornaments on Mr. Tiny Tree :)
Liann and I would combine some of our many ornaments and make Mr. Tiny Tree all memory-laden with goodness. When I had someone else to share tree space with, it felt easy enough to pick and choose a few special ornaments. Somehow, keeping a few in the box to make room for someone else was fun. Now, my tree is all my own...and I want ALL the ornaments on there! And THEY DON'T ALL FIT!
Sluss may need a new tree plan next year.
I am decorating with "Little Women" playing on DVD. Always makes me want my own Professor Bhaer. Maybe for Christmas next year...maybe he will come to my door under his umbrella with a new tree!
Okay. Reign it in. Time to squeeze more ornaments on Mr. Tiny Tree :)
snow, Snow, SNow, SNOw, SNOW!
From last Thursday...
Good news: The presentation in Little Rock went very well. Some exciting results are to follow and great relationships were started. Thank you so much for your prayers.
Bad news: Flight home is delayed. I am sitting in Denver after a delayed arrival due to a holding pattern because of snow, but more importantly, now a delay due to a maintenance problem and now a plane change-out.
Good news: The snow is purty.
Neither here nor there news: I am sitting on the floor, on a corner of a gate area (new gate; we got a gate change along with the plane change; I arrived at gate 92 of 95 this morning, was departing out of 19 and I am now at 31; anyone have a favorite number they want me to visit?) and walkway because that's where there is an electrical outlet. There must be a name for those of us who park on the sides and corners of walkways in airports when our laptop batteries need charging.
Today's update...
I made it home a few hours later than scheduled, but it was better than Tuesday's flights, so happy girl was I. Now it's time to decorate for Christmas!
I also had some happy entertainment yesterday afternoon; I had my sprinklers blown out. No, that's not a euphemism for something. It's cold enough here that if you own a sprinkler system, you have to make sure that all the water is blown out before the hard freezes in winter or else you get cracked pipes and much sadness. I'll tell ya, I felt very responsible finally getting it done, and it was worth the $40 for the entertainment value. A guy comes with a big ol' pressure washer/machine/thingy behind his truck, attaches a hose to the irrigation valve, and runs the zones on the sprinkler systems, blowing air instead of water. I had seven zone of my own private Yellowstone going off here yesterday. Little geysers all over the lawn that transitioned from water to vapor: why is that so fun to watch? It made little rainbows, too.
I am soooo easily entertained, I know. But I had a ball. Plus that little mature feeling I get when I do the responsible homeowner thing. Tingle, tingle, tingle.
Plus, it felt good to know I have finally made friends with my sprinklers and we survived a year together. Now, I just need the garage door to behave. It started acting up the night before Thanksgiving, and started again this morning.
For tonight, I will fill the house with friends who are using my living room as the midpoint for watching the finale of "The Amazing Race." I don't even watch the show, but I have friends who live in Nampa and Eagle who do, and living in Boise means I am the handy midway meeting point for all. So, will I fill my house with people I like to watch I show I don't keep up with just to have company and fun? You betcha!
Plus, I have like 800 boxes of crackers I bought when I had people coming for Thanksgiving week and I got word that my grandparents love to "snack". I am drowning in Triscuits, Wheat Thins, water crackers, you name it. I told my pals to bring cheese and salami...party on!
Good news: The presentation in Little Rock went very well. Some exciting results are to follow and great relationships were started. Thank you so much for your prayers.
Bad news: Flight home is delayed. I am sitting in Denver after a delayed arrival due to a holding pattern because of snow, but more importantly, now a delay due to a maintenance problem and now a plane change-out.
Good news: The snow is purty.
Neither here nor there news: I am sitting on the floor, on a corner of a gate area (new gate; we got a gate change along with the plane change; I arrived at gate 92 of 95 this morning, was departing out of 19 and I am now at 31; anyone have a favorite number they want me to visit?) and walkway because that's where there is an electrical outlet. There must be a name for those of us who park on the sides and corners of walkways in airports when our laptop batteries need charging.
Today's update...
I made it home a few hours later than scheduled, but it was better than Tuesday's flights, so happy girl was I. Now it's time to decorate for Christmas!
I also had some happy entertainment yesterday afternoon; I had my sprinklers blown out. No, that's not a euphemism for something. It's cold enough here that if you own a sprinkler system, you have to make sure that all the water is blown out before the hard freezes in winter or else you get cracked pipes and much sadness. I'll tell ya, I felt very responsible finally getting it done, and it was worth the $40 for the entertainment value. A guy comes with a big ol' pressure washer/machine/thingy behind his truck, attaches a hose to the irrigation valve, and runs the zones on the sprinkler systems, blowing air instead of water. I had seven zone of my own private Yellowstone going off here yesterday. Little geysers all over the lawn that transitioned from water to vapor: why is that so fun to watch? It made little rainbows, too.
I am soooo easily entertained, I know. But I had a ball. Plus that little mature feeling I get when I do the responsible homeowner thing. Tingle, tingle, tingle.
Plus, it felt good to know I have finally made friends with my sprinklers and we survived a year together. Now, I just need the garage door to behave. It started acting up the night before Thanksgiving, and started again this morning.
For tonight, I will fill the house with friends who are using my living room as the midpoint for watching the finale of "The Amazing Race." I don't even watch the show, but I have friends who live in Nampa and Eagle who do, and living in Boise means I am the handy midway meeting point for all. So, will I fill my house with people I like to watch I show I don't keep up with just to have company and fun? You betcha!
Plus, I have like 800 boxes of crackers I bought when I had people coming for Thanksgiving week and I got word that my grandparents love to "snack". I am drowning in Triscuits, Wheat Thins, water crackers, you name it. I told my pals to bring cheese and salami...party on!
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Views from an Airport
Got here at 6:15 AM. Plane was to depart at 7:22 AM. It's 1:00 PM. Might be out of here in 30 minutes or so. Might be. Was supposed to be in Little Rock at 2:15 PM. Might be there by 11:34 PM. Might be.
Airports, delays in particular, bring out the best and worst in people. I swear airports are little microcosms of the world; the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful all squished into one building.
On the whole, people who are trapped together in a ridiculously long delay turn into a little family. People start cracking jokes and chatting and checking on each other. Someone adopts the elderly people in wheelchairs and people do their best to tolerate children who have every right to be disgruntled. There is always some super sour pickle in the bunch, sometimes two, but they generally get ignored, and the people around them start talking about what a tough job the airline staff has when the situation starts out as a crew delay, turns into a maintenance delay, then turns into, "We have to fly the part in from San Francisco and we know you were scheduled to depart at 7:22 and it's now 9:30, but the plane should be here by 12:30 and it only takes 20 minutes to install the part, and San Fran has low clouds right now so no one is taking off, but we expect that you will be able to depart by 1:15 today."
The comments from staff are priceless in these moments. The poor gal who had been running our gate and rebooking connections for 70 people on her own (maintenance issue to fix that causes delay: not the airline's fault; not sending this woman help to serve their customers: definitely the airline's fault) suddenly got yanked over to load people for another flight at the gate next to us. The next thing we hear on the PA is, "Okay, we're ready to board at Gate 10. Flight XXXX to...where are you people going?"
Oh, and note to self: if you think you are being smart by getting in line to change your ticket 'cause you need to make phone calls to your hosts and your office and see what you needed to do and now there's only 10 or so people ahead of you before you use the little girl's room, think again. That line will take two hours. It was only a small cup of coffee, but it was indeed coffee.
I am not super worked up or anything--no point in being all hot under the collar--but as you stand in very long lines and no extra help is sent, even if you are happily humming to yourself, sometimes you find mild epithets running through your mind. Suddenly, up jumps, "This is monkey spew-biscuits." A bit later, "Holy monkey taster-chew" almost falls off your lips. Then, finally, when are a little more exasperated, "Unsnorkingbelievable, people."
Man down the row keeps asking why they can't bring in a new plane instead of a new part. He apparently didn't overhear the pilot like I did chatting with someone else about how you can't trade out Boeing and Airbus planes; the technologies don't match up one bit apparently, so they can't swap out the navigation-box-thingamajigs, and if one makes something that functions similarly to the other, they sue each other. Capitalism can trap you in an airport, people.
If you hear the airport announcements long enough, you will realize the airport voice is the only person in the world who still uses the word parcels. "Do not leave your luggage or parcels unattended."
I hope there are many parcels for me under the Christmas tree at Michael and Joanna's. If Mom changes her mind, that is; I did something last week to merit the annual, "Santa is not coming for you, child!" from Mom. I think I threatened to Elf her again or something...
I hope I see Michael and Joanna's tree and that I am not still here on Christmas Day. Parcels or not.
UPDATE: I'm in Denver! Hallelujah! And my rebooked connection means I only have a five and a half hour layover. Could be worse. Best moment on the plane was when we were supposed to be pulling away from the gate at 1:15 to depart and the pilot came on and said, "We are ready to go, but we seem to have lost nine passengers. They are looking for them in the airport now. We should pull out about 1:25. We'll keep you updated." The group I present to tomorrow will get a sleep-deprived, slightly-less-filtered version of me. Pray for them :)
Airports, delays in particular, bring out the best and worst in people. I swear airports are little microcosms of the world; the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful all squished into one building.
On the whole, people who are trapped together in a ridiculously long delay turn into a little family. People start cracking jokes and chatting and checking on each other. Someone adopts the elderly people in wheelchairs and people do their best to tolerate children who have every right to be disgruntled. There is always some super sour pickle in the bunch, sometimes two, but they generally get ignored, and the people around them start talking about what a tough job the airline staff has when the situation starts out as a crew delay, turns into a maintenance delay, then turns into, "We have to fly the part in from San Francisco and we know you were scheduled to depart at 7:22 and it's now 9:30, but the plane should be here by 12:30 and it only takes 20 minutes to install the part, and San Fran has low clouds right now so no one is taking off, but we expect that you will be able to depart by 1:15 today."
The comments from staff are priceless in these moments. The poor gal who had been running our gate and rebooking connections for 70 people on her own (maintenance issue to fix that causes delay: not the airline's fault; not sending this woman help to serve their customers: definitely the airline's fault) suddenly got yanked over to load people for another flight at the gate next to us. The next thing we hear on the PA is, "Okay, we're ready to board at Gate 10. Flight XXXX to...where are you people going?"
Oh, and note to self: if you think you are being smart by getting in line to change your ticket 'cause you need to make phone calls to your hosts and your office and see what you needed to do and now there's only 10 or so people ahead of you before you use the little girl's room, think again. That line will take two hours. It was only a small cup of coffee, but it was indeed coffee.
I am not super worked up or anything--no point in being all hot under the collar--but as you stand in very long lines and no extra help is sent, even if you are happily humming to yourself, sometimes you find mild epithets running through your mind. Suddenly, up jumps, "This is monkey spew-biscuits." A bit later, "Holy monkey taster-chew" almost falls off your lips. Then, finally, when are a little more exasperated, "Unsnorkingbelievable, people."
Man down the row keeps asking why they can't bring in a new plane instead of a new part. He apparently didn't overhear the pilot like I did chatting with someone else about how you can't trade out Boeing and Airbus planes; the technologies don't match up one bit apparently, so they can't swap out the navigation-box-thingamajigs, and if one makes something that functions similarly to the other, they sue each other. Capitalism can trap you in an airport, people.
If you hear the airport announcements long enough, you will realize the airport voice is the only person in the world who still uses the word parcels. "Do not leave your luggage or parcels unattended."
I hope there are many parcels for me under the Christmas tree at Michael and Joanna's. If Mom changes her mind, that is; I did something last week to merit the annual, "Santa is not coming for you, child!" from Mom. I think I threatened to Elf her again or something...
I hope I see Michael and Joanna's tree and that I am not still here on Christmas Day. Parcels or not.
UPDATE: I'm in Denver! Hallelujah! And my rebooked connection means I only have a five and a half hour layover. Could be worse. Best moment on the plane was when we were supposed to be pulling away from the gate at 1:15 to depart and the pilot came on and said, "We are ready to go, but we seem to have lost nine passengers. They are looking for them in the airport now. We should pull out about 1:25. We'll keep you updated." The group I present to tomorrow will get a sleep-deprived, slightly-less-filtered version of me. Pray for them :)
Flying Away
I'm sitting in BOI (Boise International Airport—and by the way, be very careful if you Google “BOI”—you get some odd things that make disturbing ads pop up in your sidebar) because there is a crew delay for my departure to Denver this morning. "Crew delay" is code for "Your flight attendants have not arrived. No boarding until they do, kiddos."
I realized this morning that this is my third holiday season in Idaho and I now know the airport well enough to recognize the Christmas decorations. "Oh, look, the wreaths are up in the hallway. Oh, and there are the carolers in the corner, above the Frontier check-in desk. Nice to see you guys." Home sweet home.
Oh, and if you get chilly during the winter, visit an airport. Unless you are standing at the opening of a Jetway, the things are furnaces.
I also realized this morning that Christmas brings out the total dork in me. I mean, I know I am flooded with dorkiness the rest of the year, too, but Christmas brings it to a poignant yet laughable head. I love Christmas pins. I don't wear pins the rest of the year, really, but I love the little bit of sparkle-sparkle they bring at Christmas. When I fly, I always keep my jewelry in my purse until I am through security (one less thing to stand there and strip off these days), so there is a bit of reassembly on the other side of the x-ray machines. On go my shoes, on goes my belt, on goes my barrette, on goes my watch, and then my Christmas pin.
As I am aligning my little wreath, I have the sense of putting on a name tag and the thought flits through my head, "I am a Christmas Ambassador!" (which brings a big dorko smile to my face, standing there by myself, chin to my chest, getting the little clasp closed). No kidding—seriously, that was the exact phrase. In the next moment, of course, I am astonished at my own dorkitude. But I kinda like it, too. I mean, I am an ambassador of Christ all the time; why wouldn't it amp me up a little at Christmas? I always want people to feel loved and treasured. I would rejoice if everyone could feel that directly from God, but they don't. So, can’t I be a little nice and try to love people with a smile and some kind words? I am not always so super at this, for sure, but it's a heart dream of mine to leave a legacy of loving people well. Christmas brings the dream out in heaps.
Also, I am a dork because I love the Muppets singing the "12 Days of Christmas" with John Denver. I think it's why I am still single; Holly happened to pick up the exception to the rule in Tim :)
Well, boarding time has arrived. If you drop by here, please pray for this trip to Little Rock. I will be meeting with a ministry that works in 76 countries and I will be presenting LT. I didn't realize until I was texting with a friend last night why I have felt a little off kilter about the trip. My last business trip was to Spain, where I felt like such a wretched failure after a week of work. Granted, it was spiritual warfare that kicked my guts around all night before I flew home, but the whole thing has made me a little gun-shy about speaking to a group again. I could use prayers; thanks.
Edit: Boarding time has not arrived! Half the plane got boarded and they realized they had a mechanical difficulty with cockpit window heaters. Minimum of a 30-minute delay once the mechanic arrives. That's code for "Say sayonara to your Denver connections, kiddos!"
I realized this morning that this is my third holiday season in Idaho and I now know the airport well enough to recognize the Christmas decorations. "Oh, look, the wreaths are up in the hallway. Oh, and there are the carolers in the corner, above the Frontier check-in desk. Nice to see you guys." Home sweet home.
Oh, and if you get chilly during the winter, visit an airport. Unless you are standing at the opening of a Jetway, the things are furnaces.
I also realized this morning that Christmas brings out the total dork in me. I mean, I know I am flooded with dorkiness the rest of the year, too, but Christmas brings it to a poignant yet laughable head. I love Christmas pins. I don't wear pins the rest of the year, really, but I love the little bit of sparkle-sparkle they bring at Christmas. When I fly, I always keep my jewelry in my purse until I am through security (one less thing to stand there and strip off these days), so there is a bit of reassembly on the other side of the x-ray machines. On go my shoes, on goes my belt, on goes my barrette, on goes my watch, and then my Christmas pin.
As I am aligning my little wreath, I have the sense of putting on a name tag and the thought flits through my head, "I am a Christmas Ambassador!" (which brings a big dorko smile to my face, standing there by myself, chin to my chest, getting the little clasp closed). No kidding—seriously, that was the exact phrase. In the next moment, of course, I am astonished at my own dorkitude. But I kinda like it, too. I mean, I am an ambassador of Christ all the time; why wouldn't it amp me up a little at Christmas? I always want people to feel loved and treasured. I would rejoice if everyone could feel that directly from God, but they don't. So, can’t I be a little nice and try to love people with a smile and some kind words? I am not always so super at this, for sure, but it's a heart dream of mine to leave a legacy of loving people well. Christmas brings the dream out in heaps.
Also, I am a dork because I love the Muppets singing the "12 Days of Christmas" with John Denver. I think it's why I am still single; Holly happened to pick up the exception to the rule in Tim :)
Well, boarding time has arrived. If you drop by here, please pray for this trip to Little Rock. I will be meeting with a ministry that works in 76 countries and I will be presenting LT. I didn't realize until I was texting with a friend last night why I have felt a little off kilter about the trip. My last business trip was to Spain, where I felt like such a wretched failure after a week of work. Granted, it was spiritual warfare that kicked my guts around all night before I flew home, but the whole thing has made me a little gun-shy about speaking to a group again. I could use prayers; thanks.
Edit: Boarding time has not arrived! Half the plane got boarded and they realized they had a mechanical difficulty with cockpit window heaters. Minimum of a 30-minute delay once the mechanic arrives. That's code for "Say sayonara to your Denver connections, kiddos!"
Monday, December 01, 2008
Oh, Miss Lee! Lookie Here...
Look at what happens when you leave wedding cake remnants at my house. My dad and grandma made little homemade ding-dongs with the white icing roses and layers of cake.
Then, we had to devour the blue roses. Seriously, we had to make room in the fridge before we started the Thanksgiving feast preparation. Plus, the avalanche of leftovers would obviously need a place to go. So...
Blue tongues, just for you. And Miss Christina, I know you are laughing yourself silly since my maroon and black frosting pictures were taken with you. Thank goodness people graduate from college, kids have birthdays, and couples get married. And they all require colored frosting to make it happen. How else would I make my artistic mark on the world?
Then, we had to devour the blue roses. Seriously, we had to make room in the fridge before we started the Thanksgiving feast preparation. Plus, the avalanche of leftovers would obviously need a place to go. So...
Blue tongues, just for you. And Miss Christina, I know you are laughing yourself silly since my maroon and black frosting pictures were taken with you. Thank goodness people graduate from college, kids have birthdays, and couples get married. And they all require colored frosting to make it happen. How else would I make my artistic mark on the world?
Sipping from My Happy Cup
Oh, it's quiet here this morning! Not my favorite kind of quiet...it's the quiet after people I love have gone home.
Grandma Mel and Bud pulled out on Friday after treating Mom and Dad and me to breakfast at Cracker Barrel (YUM!). Yesterday was Mom and Dad's final morning here. I had the same feeling when I woke up that I did two and a half years ago when they first helped me move here. I remember waking up their last morning in my apartment, thinking, "Maybe if I just stay in bed with my eyes closed, really quiet, nothing will have to change. They won't have to leave."
It happened again yesterday morning. It's not that I can't function without them. I just really enjoy functioning with them, or with them close by enough to meet them for coffee and dinner and dominoes and laughter on a more regular basis. Their Thanksgiving visit was great--the whole time with my family was lovely. Putting Mom and Dad on the plane yesterday was hard, as always.
And it's not just because you did more yard work again, Dad :)
I read about being alone last night before bed; a good kind of alone that I think God is bringing to me. From Brennan Manning:
I sipped from a full cup all week, soaking in moments with my family. This morning, I am sipping from the special, happy cup Holly bought me during her first visit here, having coffee with the one who finds me beloved, who lavishes love on me through both my family and his Presence and Mystery.
Grandma Mel and Bud pulled out on Friday after treating Mom and Dad and me to breakfast at Cracker Barrel (YUM!). Yesterday was Mom and Dad's final morning here. I had the same feeling when I woke up that I did two and a half years ago when they first helped me move here. I remember waking up their last morning in my apartment, thinking, "Maybe if I just stay in bed with my eyes closed, really quiet, nothing will have to change. They won't have to leave."
It happened again yesterday morning. It's not that I can't function without them. I just really enjoy functioning with them, or with them close by enough to meet them for coffee and dinner and dominoes and laughter on a more regular basis. Their Thanksgiving visit was great--the whole time with my family was lovely. Putting Mom and Dad on the plane yesterday was hard, as always.
And it's not just because you did more yard work again, Dad :)
I read about being alone last night before bed; a good kind of alone that I think God is bringing to me. From Brennan Manning:
When God Breaks In
We are plunged into mystery--what Abraham Heschel called "radical amazement." Hushed and trembling, we are creatures in the presence of ineffable Mystery above all creatures and beyond all telling.
The moment of truth has arrived. We are alone with the Alone. The revelation of God's tender feelings for us is not mere dry knowledge. For too long and too often along my journey, I have sought shelter in hand-clapping liturgies and cerebral Scripture studies. I have received knowledge without appreciation, facts without enthusiasm. Yet, when the scholarly investigations were over, I was struck by the insignificance of it all. It just didn't seem to matter.
But when the night is bad and my nerves are shattered and Infinity speaks, when God Almighty shares through his Son the depth of his feelings for me, when his love flashes into my soul and when I am overtaken by Mystery, it is kairos--the decisive inbreak of God in this saving moment of my personal history. No one can speak for me. Alone, I face a momentous decision. Shivering in the rags of my fifty-nine years, either I escape into skepticism and intellectualism or with radical amazement I surrender in faith to the truth of my belovedness.
I sipped from a full cup all week, soaking in moments with my family. This morning, I am sipping from the special, happy cup Holly bought me during her first visit here, having coffee with the one who finds me beloved, who lavishes love on me through both my family and his Presence and Mystery.
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