Dave

Steve and I properly celebrated our 5th anniversary last night. Our actual anniversary was spent passing a colicky newborn back and forth while the other one ate. But this was my gift... to go see Dave Matthews in concert! It was such a great concert, and my heart just beats faster to hear great musicians. They were really tight and really creative. I love that there was no visible directed downbeat, but they just hit it and off they went. There were these HUGE black winds and brass guys that were just amazing. They did all kinds of saxophones and clarinets, as well as a soprano trumpet (not a coronet, but a high trumpet).

The venue was beautiful. Easy to get in and out, too. We bought a VIP parking ticket ahead of time, which ended up being fantastic. It was listed on-line for $52, and I found it at a local broker for $10, which was the price of regular parking. Sweet! It was a gorgeous night, perfect temperature to be outside. We almost should have come earlier to hang out in the little park at the base of the theater, it was just super cool.


The funny "Oh that's right" moments were remembering that people like to smoke pot at concerts. The crazy part was that it was the 50-somethings that were smoking. I expected it to be the 20-somethings, so it was kind of, well, you know. The other sad thing was that Trojan reps were at the exits handing out samples. Um. Yeah. Whata world we live in.

But all in all, it was a fantastic night, and I'm just bummed we didn't stay longer. We weren't sure how long our babysitter was okay staying, so I didn't want to push it. So to sum up: fun was had by all.

At home with my girls

Made it home safely with Lucy today, and she was a little angel all afternoon and evening with a minimum of fussing. It was nice to get home, hot though it is. We cleaned and cleaned to take care of all the junk that I brought back with me. The boys did a pretty good job taking care of things while I was gone. It is wonderful to see my dear Love again, though it almost seemed like no time had passed.

On tap this week: working on events for church (I'm on a committee to plan two events for church), cleaning out my computer so I can organize my brand new computer!, and getting ready for the Dave Matthews concert!! Hoo-yah!

At home

This week has been so restorative for me. I miss my husband, but I love the chance to be with my family in an unhurried way, taking all morning in our pajamas, swimming in the afternoon, and "going visiting" (like good Scandinavians). I have help with Lucy, and the nieces adore her. I can mull over topics with my family as they come up or enjoy down time. It is just like a little vacation.

I had coffee with my two best friends from high school yesterday while Mom babysat. We had a wonderful time together, and we always seem to pick up where we left off. My mom mused that we used to moan over the little trifles of high school, and now that we are grown up we are talking about such big real life things. I am so thankful that all of us still love the Lord and are healthy and happy people. I think you don't find that all that often.

I left my husband

Poor man is eating on his own, batchin' it for a few days. I'm at my parents' house while my sister is visiting from Seattle. I miss my husband, but somehow there's something fun for me about being "home." I feel like a kid, even though I brought my own kid. I sleep in my old bed, I read my old diaries from high school for laughs, look at my old yearbooks, that kind of thing. I'm sadly nostalgic. The other thing I like is that normally when Steve and I come together, we're here for 2 days and gone again, whereas now I get to be here for almost a week and not feel rushed. Last night my dad rubbed my back and my mom made me a margarita. Oh yeah. Of course, that was sort of to counteract the effects of my baby screaming from Shafter to Selma (about an hour for those of you not familiar with the good ol' San Joaquin).

Oh yeah

You have to love that crazy dress I made. I made both of these dresses, but the Spring one is really hideous. But aren't we all so cute? Is it really stinkin' 12 years since those pictures?? Oh my. So that means it's 12 years ago now that I was getting packed up and ready to come down to Biola for the first time. Oh my, oh my.

Letters to my daughters

I found a website that I'm enjoying. We have some dear friends from camp at Catalina--the directors, actually--that do ministry to families and couples. I just checked out their website and discovered that they are publishing a series of letters called "Letters to my Daughters," written to their girls about choosing a spouse. While I have some small differences of opinion on a few items, they are generally right on, and it is fun to read them. It's especially nice being on this side of choosing a spouse, especially feeling so confident that I made the best possible choice I could have made. Anyway, I recommend taking a look at them... they're really good. Here's the link.

In other news, I'm relieved that Lucy took a bottle tonight. We will do a bottle every night now to get her used to it. I have beenr eally stressed about it, because I really need to know that I can get away now and then. Plus, there's the Dave Matthews concert coming up!

Up late, darn it

I hate being a night owl. Can't sleep right now, and have all this energy. Happens about once a month. I hate it because I know I'll pay for it tomorrow. What am I thinking about? Not much. Things like...

Should I go ahead and buy this quilt in the sage? Or do I wait and make it a birthday gift? Do I "spend" my birthday gift on this when it affects Steve too, or do I use my "earnings" from selling off little things, like books?


Should I look at Kohl's first for a shirt, or should I just go ahead and buy this one from Old Navy for the Dave Matthews concert?


And should I buy this jacket to go with it?


Also thinking about what an enjoyable time it was at Bible Study talking about John 2:1-25. I had done a little "homework," which always makes it interesting. I came home and finished the rest of that section in the commentary and was very much blessed. It was the Cana wedding and the cleansing of the temple. It's amazing how many poor sermons I've heard on those two passages, and this wonderful commentator gently but firmly separates the misconceptions from the real emphasis of the text. For example, this passage is simply not about whether or not it's right for Christians to drink. It's about Jesus taking the opportunity to use a sign to point to who he is. He uses ritual stone vessels, typically used for ceremonial washing, and fills them with new wine, indicating that he is the fulfillment of the old rituals. Sounds a little far-fetched the way I say it, but when you read John as a whole, it makes complete sense. Anyway, it is so exciting to read the Bible and realize I am indeed starting to learn something after all these years.

Thinking about how awesome the "homemade" Trader Joe's tortillas are. I'm starving, having only had a brownie for dinner. Yeah, yeah...

Planning out my week. Steve is still on Jury Duty tomorrow, and I am thinking he will get on this jury. At the very least, I think he will have to go in on Tuesday as well. Blech. That means we are without a car here at home. I have plenty of back-up, and I can easily walk to the grocery store and Starbucks. Thinkin' about picking up some decaf espresso roast so I can start making Americanos in the morning for myself. I just learned how to use Steve's espresso machine, and I think I want to start back into my coffee habit. With the new curio,
my teacups are finally out of the garage, so I can have a little coffee break in the morning in a nice teacup. That is if Lucy will allow it. By the way, the curio was Grandma's, brought here by M&D Earle from Nebraska. I love it! I still have some arranging to do, and possibly some teacups and teapots to get rid of, and a couple to bring back. I need my style consultants to help me figure out where to put stuff.

Okay, okay, this is ridiculous. Go to bed, Jenny!

A date!

Okay, not exactly, but it was nice. We three met Eric at Heroes in Fullerton and had dinner together. It was a loud, peanuts on the floor place, so Lucy could be as loud as she liked. Actually, she was so excited by all the eye candy that she was pretty quiet. We had nice conversation, and Steve had a beer that came with a life raft and a straw. Okay, not quite, but I got to drive home. =) It was so nice to get out all together and have a nice meal. Steve is STILL doing jury duty, and they are still questioning the jury after 2 days. They haven't dismissed a soul yet. The thing I LOVE is that La Mirada is 19.8 miles away from Compton. 20 is the cut-off. Not our house, but the city of La Mirada. We live toward the east edge, by the way. It takes him an hour to get there. Our gas. Our car. I hate the judicial system. At any rate, after a bit of a rough morning for me and a lousy day for Steve, it was lovely to eat fantastic curly fries and drink a Shirley Temple out of a mug the size of a bathtub.

The Liberry

I walked down to the Library (Liberry, according to Emma) to order Harry Potter on CD and pick up "Little House on the Prairie." I like this whole "back to Children's books" thing. The reading is fast, it's in manageable chunks, the stories are fantastic (the classics and the Newberry books), and they are generally just happy books. I like that Laura gets new mittens and a peppermint candy in her stocking and she is just ecstatic. Good lessons. I also like that her parents say, "Laura!" and she stops being naughty immediately.

At the Liberry there was a display case about it being Breastfeeding Awareness month. There were all these lovely out of context quotes pinned up. My favorite was something like this: "A newborn baby has only three needs: the warmth of his mother's arms, food from his mother's breast, and the knowledge that his mother loves him. He gets all three when he is breastfed." Um, I seem to remember my baby needing a HELL of a lot more!! (Forgive me... getting the cursing out of my system before Lucy can parrot.) I mean... did the guy that wrote that forget about the pooping and the sleeping and the screaming? I chuckle. =)

I also found out I owed 75 cents for an overdue book. I look in my wallet... surely people carry around that much. I have 72 cents. You gotta be kidding me! Luckily the guy smiled and said they could get a nickel from me next time around. Big money at the Liberry, eh?

Oh, and the air conditioning works!!! So what did I do? Promptly turned it off after the test run and sweat through the afternoon because I couldn't bear to watch the meter turn around and around and around. =) Unlike my next-door neighbor, whose LOUD a/c runs 24/7/360. No kidding. Like those (relatively) freezing days in February where I was cuddled up next to the heater, her a/c was running. I know it's not a fan, because you don't need a condenser for a fan. I think she does it because her ex-husband must be paying her electric bill. That's my latest theory anyway.

Teen Girl Squad

A friend recently posted on her blog about how blessed she was to have had a good high school experience. The more I talk to people the more I find out that it really is pretty unique to have had good high school years. I had great friends, lots of fun stuff to keep me busy, and no real temptations or regrets. Small regrets, of course, mainly derived from things I said which betrayed my still developing character, but nothing so horrendous that it ruined the whole experience for me. I went back for my reunion a few years ago, and I honestly had a wonderful time.

A couple of great memories...
The slumber party that got crashed by "our" boys
The bagel poem that became code for who we had a crush on (did we really think it was that clever?)
Walking every inch of the brand new Walmart the day it opened. Yes, folks, I'm from a small town.
Four girls taking one guy to Sadie Hawkins to spite "our" boys who had left us in the lurch for Christmas banquet...
Counseling at Science Camp...

ah, the fun.

Places

I sigh heavily as I admit this--I do not love La Mirada. I love so much and so many that are in and around La Mirada, but many of the things I love are not here. I love beautiful places to walk, oceans and trees that turn in the Fall. I love waves and mountains and pine trees and quiet. I love going out of a city before going into a new one. I do not love strip malls, crowds, traffic, crumbling concrete and houses built with plaster board and stucco. I do not love living so far from my family. But I do love the updates we've made to our house to make it ours. I love having a pool. Most of all I love our friends--the kind you don't just make anywhere (as friends of ours who have moved have told us). I love the amazing preaching at our church and the dedication to practicing the Word there. I love that there are 2 Targets within 3 miles of me, and I love that my backyard opens onto the Biola campus. How do you ever weigh all these things together? My heart rejoices and aches over it all.

6 month old!

Where did six months go?? Actually, the question really is, where did 4 months go. Those first two months seemed like an eternity, but the last 4 have really flown. I can hardly believe I've been finished with my Biola job for more than 6 months now, too. I thought I would get stir crazy at home, but I have really enjoyed it. I have fun with Lucy, too, and it's been rewarding most days. I will admit, I'm a little stir crazy with the a/c guys still here, but they will be done eventually. Plus, Jesus is a kick and Julio is a doll. I just want to pinch their cheeks, they're so cute and friendly. Jesus keeps asking if I want to send Lucy up into the ducts, since she fits better than the rest of us. =)

By the way, she weighed in at 17 pounds and measured 27 inches. That's 90th percentile for height and 75th for weight. Hard to believe she gained 10 pounds and 7 inches in only 6 months!

more from above

Now the guys are in the attic, putting in the ducting. So when I walk around my house I can hear them talking up there. Jesus? Is that you? Maybe my Spanish teacher was right! Spanish really is "la lengua de Dios!"

Jesus keeps it cool

I was about to go batty with all this heat. Anyone local, or really most of you don't need to be told about the soaring temperatures and unbelievable humidity. This being my first summer home, I got to experience the heat all day long. I think that's the thing--it feels personal, like it's really only happening to you or something. I also hate that the forecast always starts about 8 dgrees lower in the morning, but "updates" by 2:00. Like, "No, really, we thought it was going to be 88 today! We just changed our minds by 2:00." People, let's live in reality land if you please.

So Jesus is in my house putting in air conditioning. I'll bet that looks a bit sacriligous, now, doesn't it? That is, unless you are one who grew up with friends named "Chewy." Hay-zues is doing a great job, and should finish the air conditioning by next week. We had the asbestos abated, which makes me feel better, and will be a mark in the "good" column when we eventually sell the house (if ever!). We will also have someone come in and spray insulation after the ducts are in so that we can a.) keep the house cooler initially, and b.) keep the air conditioning more efficient. It all appeals to my sense of organization. =)

In other news, Lucy watched her first Baby Einstein, and it was a riot. She kicked her legs and squeeled the whole time. Precious!! I realized that this is how God must feel when we are really and truly enjoying the things he designed us to enjoy. Not the things ill-gotten or done in excess, but real, pure joy.

Oh, I had a strage dream last night. I dreamt that I was in the mid-West to accept some kind of award, and got to talking with Mary Pipher, author and mother of friend Zeke. I told her, "Yeah, I think I would have been a Buddist if I wasn't a Christian." She was pretty interested, and tried to convince me to become a Buddist, but I told her I just don't think that we can count on ourselves to create our own salvation. We're just not that good. Anyway, strange dream!

Updates

A couple of pictures to illustrate the last month.
Today: New fan put up in the dining area. Problem? We got it up, and it sucks. Not literally... but it doesn't blow. Or whatever.


Curio: This came from Grandma Doris. I still don't know how I'm going to arrange stuff in the curio, but I'm excited to get my poor teacups out of storage.



The grave-site. Gotta tell the story! We drove 4 hours out to Ottumwa, Iowa to bury Grandma (and four back afterwards). We had a nice but informal graveside time, and after we closed the undertaker asked if we wanted to see the casket lowered. We were pretty casual, so we all said, "Sure, why not?" One of the little cousins said, "How does it work, Grandma?" She says, "Well, you're about to find out." Silence all around. "Does she drop down, or do they put the whole thing in?" Every single one of us had to fight not to laugh out loud. Talk about tears flowing! It was the perfect little thing, though... laughter through tears. =)


Here's Lucy with Papa's hankercheif for a head covering and a flower from Grandma Do's fueneral arrangement.

Home again!

More to come... but just for fun, the driving stats (general, not exact).
La Mirada to Fresno: 4 hours
Fresno to Omaha: 4 hours
(airport driving total - 1 hour)
Omaha to Ottumwa and back (same day) 8 hours
Omaha to Central City - 2.5 hours
... and back - 2.5 hours
Omaha to Fresno - 4 hours
(airport driving total-1 hour)
Fresno to San Jose - 2.5 hours
and back - 2.5 hours
Fresno to La Mirada - 6 hours (traffic)

Grand total travel time: 37 hours in a week. Blech

Glad to be home.

Whirlwind

It's been quite the week, trying to get plane tickets and get stuff together to go out to Nebraska, as well as preparing to help host a baby shower. We're going to be doing something like 22 hours of driving over the next week, not to mention 8 hours of flying. Yikes! I have a feeling Lucy will be a champ, though.

So with all this going on, I gave my toe a good crack on the footstool. I think I might have a little hairline fracture, but either way it is a lovely bruise! I can get around on it fine, but have to be careful. Lovely, lovely!

Doris Hazel (Sloop) Larson

b. May 8, 1912, d. July 5, 2006

Steve's grandmother, Doris Larsen was an amazing woman and a dear woman of God. She lived a good life, working hard through the depression, raising two daughters who love the Lord, and reaching out to so many. She is survived by Joy and her husband Mart, their 5 children, and their 13 grandchildren, and by Jane, her husband Roger, their four children, and three grandchildren.

Grandma Do died today at 3:30 p.m. Central Time in Omaha, Nebraska, surrounded by her daughters, who sang her through her passing. I think she hung on until Jane could get there to be with her. (Joy lives locally.) There really is a lot of joy in her passing, sad as we are.

I couldn't help but pause today as I got the news of her death at age 94, the tragic death of my brother-in-law's boss at age 40, then the news of a dear friend's engagement, and a visit to see baby Sarah who is 3 weeks old. It was a moment where I couldn't help but think, "God is near."

Monkey Business

"The Ryan in his natural habitat." The Ryan crouches inconspicuously under a citrus tree, consuming his recently scavanged sustainence. He nibbles away, scratching occasionally at the flies and mosquitoes, but generally remains non-plussed. His diet consists mainly of fast-food. Scientists are baffled at how the Ryan can maintain such a slender physique on such a diet, but Nature has many well-kept secrets. The Female Ryan, unlike much of the animal kingdom, is known for being attractive, but much like the rest of the animal kingdom, is significantly smaller. She does not join the Ryan under his tree, but opts for the nest when consuming meals. The Ryan is most closely resembles the homosapian, but has the ability to crouch with knees in the air, and can unhook his jaw like a snake.


*(For regular FerFerFly readers, the Ryan is my little brother's good friend who often comes to our house. We like to poke him in the ribs whenever we can. Can't help it when a guy can sit like that comfortably for hours!)

Babies, Babies everywhere!

Here is the son of one of the dear friends that I had the privilege of being pregnant with. Little Timothy Lamar is just a doll! We just cracked up when I got there... I said, "Wow, look at all that hair!" She said, "Wow, look at her little bald, fuzzy head!" =) Timothy is on my list of "approved boys to choose from." I want good in-laws, but don't believe in arranged marriages, so I figure I'll just give Lucy a list. =) Just kidding.

We had a wonderful, wonderful time walking on the beach and just catching up. The last time we had seen each other was my shower, only about 10 days before Lucy was born, so we were both pregnant. It was so great to get out of the 100 degree weather, too, and go to the beautiful beach. We live so close to the beach, and we don't go nearly often enough. After today, I think I'm going to need to make it a habit. Pull out the 30spf! Aside-- I had no idea baby sunscreen smelled so much better than regular stuff! I think I'm going with the Coppertone from now on! And by the way, does it seem weird to anyone that the Coppertone baby has a tan line, when this stuff is supposed to be impenetrable?

Here they are doing "tummy time" together.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

They say the greatest gift you can give your kids is to have a healthy marriage. They're right. To grow up knowing without a doubt that my parents loved each other was the most secure thing in the world, like knowing your house will not fall down in a thunder storm. It taught me to love my own husband deeply, too. My parents were novices at their faith and at building a healthy family, but they always sought out people and resources to help them. They always knew they were on the same team.

Here they are at their wedding. So cute! Now 21 seems like they are practically babies!


Grandparenting is one of their greatest joys! I am so grateful that my kids and my nieces will grow up so tight with their grandparents. I love that they will see God not just in our lives, but in theirs, too.






Now that they are empty nesters, they are having more fun together than ever! What a great reward for all the years of tough parenting work.


Happy 36th anniversary,Mom and Dad!!

Weekend

(Lucy in wedding attire.)

Phew! I have been a bit nervous about playing for this wedding this weekend for some time now, because I have such a hard time getting to the piano these days. The other thing that is hard about playing for a wedding is that you are not only paying attention to playing well, but you have to watch the flow, and know when to quit so that be-silked and be-tuxed people aren't standing around while you flourish on. But all went well, better even than expected, and it sounded like Lucy did fine while I was playing. It is difficult to have to feed a baby so often while at a wedding. We were fortunate in that we had the nursery available to us for feeding, and I was so grateful. Lucy has not been the most cooperative eater lately, so it is tough to nurse her in awkward places. But the wedding went off without a hitch.

To those who do not know who I'm talking about-- this is a gal that I've mentored for about 4 years. I hired her to work for me at Biola, and she worked for me for 3 years, which is like dog years for a college kid. =) She met her new husband their freshman year, and I met him really early on and have walked through their relationship with them. It's an amazingly humble thing to realize that someone really listens to what you say. Thankfully much of what has come out of my mouth when talking with her is just passed on from some really wise people who have invested in my life. I am so grateful that God used me in Amanda's life. She is a sweet gal, and I think they have a shot at making a healthy marriage.

We spent the rest of the weekend recovering. Really great sermon at church--fodder for another blog entry if I get to it. Made the Kaluah cake again, or as I like calling it, the "Better than Sin" cake. =)

Here is Lucy swimming in the pool for the first time!!

Happy Solstice!

Seattle:
Sunrise: 5:11 am / Sunset: 9:11 pm

La Mirada
Sunrise: 5:41 am / Sunset: 8:06 pm

Mazatlan, Mexico (on the tropic of Cancer--The sun was directly overhead at noon today--no shadows)
Sunrise: 6:20 am Sunset: 7:54 pm

Belém, Brazil (almost on the Equator)
Sunrise: 6:14 am / Sunset: 6:17 pm

Khatanga, Russia (closest City to the North Pole)
Sunrise: 5:07 pm Sunset: 5:07 pm

Base Marambio Centro Met. Antartico (somewhat close to the South Pole)
Sunrise: 9:47 am / Sunset: 1:51 pm


Here's a little NPR.ditty abouth the crazies who celebrate the "holiday" at Stonehenge. I will celebrate by cleaning the bathroom and then going in the pool.

Bathing Beauties

This is kind of a dream come true for me. Last summer I looked longingly at the girls in my pool with the kids, wishing I could be there (and wishing I didn't feel sick!). Not that I thought this would be easier, but just feeling that maternal instinct tugging. I think I didn't realize then how badly I needed out of my job, too. So when I got to join the girls and the kids, it was like a big sigh I was releasing.

In other news--Lucy rolled over and got hair (fuzz) this week! Pictures to come to prove both.

My favorite yarn spinner

I would like to call for a re-telling of a few stories from one of the Great Embellishers of Our Time, Ezekiel Sunrise. I want to hear "The Chickens Who Were Returned To The Wild," "The Spider That Looked At Me," and "I Win More Than I Lose." I am aching for a good story, and Zeke is one of the most gifted story-tellers I know, along with Eric T. (K, you're my favorite writer!)

Finally picked up the Earrings

So my long-awaited Christmas presents are finally in my lobes. As you may recall, the original gift was the February birthstone, as we were certain that a mid-February due date made it pretty safe to land the kid in February. So when Lucy came in January, I decided to trade in the earrings for garnet earrings. The jeweler is a friend, and accomodated with pleasure. I'm realizing now I think I posted this a couple of weeks ago, but I found a picture that looks pretty close to what I got. White gold with a slightly more square and beveled stone. The really fun part of going in is that when I ask about a piece, Kevin will pull something out and let me try it on. Today it was a bracelet. I have discovered that I adore really delicate jewelry with tiny, tiny diamonds all in a row, and this piece just made me feel like a princess. I think I will go in once a week, just to try on jewelry I will never buy. Maybe next time I'll see if he's got a tiara!

It was hot, hot, hot today. I remember complaining about "processed air" when I worked, but now having no air conditioning (and once we fix the air conditioning, paying for air conditioning) is awfully sobering. However, I was ready for it, and combatted it bravely. I shut down the house around 10:30, when it was warmer outside than in. I shut all the blinds, turned on every fan, and thanked God for $7 tank tops from Target. Lucy went down for a fantastic nap in the afternoon, so I brought the monitor outside and just waded around the pool for a good 45 minutes. THAT is the stuff! Cools your whole body down from the outside in, and you can retain that cool for a good 30 minutes afterward.

Went to Naples Island tonight to visit friends. Ah, the sweet smell of salt, fermenting seaweed and beach fires! There is nothing like it! We had a lovely time with our friends, which I think I needed after a long, hot day. Friend Kimberly gave Lucy THE CUTEST outfit!

I think the color on the website is a little too intense, but just a super-cute outfit froma new place called The Children's Place . Super cute!!

Farmers' Market

I went down to the Farmers' Market in Fullerton today. I have been aching for some real farm fruit. I'm pretty sure grocery stores make their fruit out of wax and high fructose corn syrup. I was underwhelmed by the market, but came home with these lovelies anyway. I had to stop eating fruit because my teeth are sore from the acid!

My husband has a vivid imagination, which is also connected to his "worst case scenario" lobe of his brain. For example, if we hear a noise as we walk in the door after being gone, it is most certainly Bad Guys looting the place, and I am to wait in the bedroom while the house gets checked out. I used to roll my eyes--okay, I still roll my eyes, but my lip also twitches with amusement--until I realized he might be right one of these days. Clearly the logical explanation for the middle-of-the-night-rumble is going to actually be aliens one day instead of the neighbor taking out his garbage cans a little early. On the other hand, I am a little too laizzes-faire about noises and such. I am very quick to come up with the easiest and most logical explanation and cling to it with all my might. I was the first to discover that, in fact, Los Angeles was not being attacked every night at 9:30, but that Disneyland was shooting off Magical Pixie Dust (fireworks). But this also gives me the ability to write things off a little too quickly. For example: I am certain that the two winged ants I saw were merely a phenomenon, where as my husband will be certain there is a colony of them about to take over, and they are going to be poisenous. Who is right? Probably somewhere in the middle.

Go fish

Someone gave us some barracuda. Any suggestions on preparing it?

Also, anyone know any good bakeries around La Mirada?

In other news, BIG CONGRATS to Eric, Mandi, Colin and Lauren Twisselmann on the birth of here-to-fore unnamed Baby Girl Twisselbaby! All are healthy and safe. Can't wait to go see them!!

Routine

We are back to our routine after 11 days with family. It was so great to be with everyone, and my in-laws are such easy house guests, but it is nice to get back into routine, too. I have a hard time cleaning when someone is visiting because I want to hang out, and because there is so much happy chaos that my need to organize shuts down or something--except in the kitchen. That always must be cleaned or I go a little batty. Don't get the idea that I actually have a really clean house. I think it has more to do with dominion over clutter.

I am also feeling pensive after a good discussion with Steve about the Holy Spirit. I think the Holy Spirit is simply not someone you can conjure or manipulate, to quote my husband. And if we are reconciled to God, we are in his will. I think I appreciate the Hebrew idea of "walking" with God. It is not a life of skipping from one emotional high to another, then feeling like you are out of God's will for your life if you don't feel something. As if you can take Rosecrans instead of Imperial and be out of his will. His will is to be reconciled to him and to walk with him. This hardly does justice to what is on my heart, and clearly isn't the whole picture, nor does it express the questions I have still, but I can't see that it is a poor focus in life, just to seek to know God and to walk with him.

What did you eat this week?

In general, I really enjoy putting together meals for the week, and I also really enjoy cooking with Steve's mom when they're in town. So far this week we have had Chicken Marsala and Spicy Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Both super yummy! My mother-in-law lost her sense of taste a few years ago, but shecan taste limited thing, like spicy stuff, so I was glad to introduce her to the pork recipe. Highly recommend it! What are ou making this week?

Well, they did it!

Just got back from the wedding cruise. A good time was had by all, though there were a couple of tentative tummies. The wedding went off without a hitch--except for the hole in Jamie's tux pants. Yes, right in the front! Ah, well. We had nice weather, and generally just relaxed. Lucy was universally declared cute, and multiple times mistaken for an actual doll. It was all I could do to keep peoples' hands off of her. I think the things I enjoyed the most were quiet outdoor strolls in the night-time fog, away from all the drinking and gambling college students, then hot chocolate afterwards. Dinners were generally good food, though I'll admit to having been a bit underwhelmed. It was nice to be with the family, and good to get a couple extra naps. Glad to be home, though. In-laws here this week, so we will putter around the house. More pictures at the Earle homepage.

4 months

I never did commemorate Lucy turning 4 months! I wonder how long I will keepthis up. "And here you see my 100 month old, getting the award for good citizenship." She is doing better on her tummy, as you can see. She still only lasts a short time, but she's doing better. Her laughs are killer, and she's playing a game now called "bibble bibble" (a family name for it) or "Indian Cheif." I mean Native American. It's where she makes noises and we pat her mouth so she goes "wah-wah-wah." She will start on rice cereal next month already!! I'm not suure I'm ready for that yet!!

Why you should never brag

For the 3rd night in a row I'm back up in the "wee sma's." Lucy chucked her commendable sleeping habits this week, possibly left over from a schedule skew after the trip to Grammie's. I've been up at 1, 2, and 3 this week (not every night, just one of those each night). I don't mind too much, really, but it bothers me that by the time she goes back down I'm wide awake. That's why I'm writing right now. She's wide awake right now, but I put her in the swing to see if she would get mad and want to snack a little more. If I don't wait a few minutes, I'll go lay down, she'll get pissed right away, and I'll have the psychological agony of thinking I get to go back to bed only to be yanked right back out of bed. However, she's gone almost 5 minutes now, and all I hear are yawns.

But the really horrific thing is that as I sat in the dimmed light I swore I saw something creeping out of the corner of my eye. I chalked it up to a wayward chunk of hair and went on. But then I saw it again This time I knew it was for real. I tried to shine the computer light on it to no avail. Then it made its big move across a band of light. A big, UGLY cockroach. I'm nursing, so I'm helpless. I can do nothing. I see it creep across under my ottoman and I wonder to myself if cockroaches like the floor or whether they like to climb. I convince myself they like the floor. I finish nursing Lucy and put her in the swing; as we said, she is wide awake. I go get a jar from under the sink to create a jail for the icky creature. I move the ottoman. No cockroach. I move the chair. No cockroach. So now I am sitting with my feet up on the ottoman and the light at full candles, saying to myself over and over, "Cockroaches like the ground. Cockroaches like the ground." And do you want to know the STINK of it? They were introduced into La Mirada ON PURPOSE to eat some little bug that was eating the olives. Idiots.

I heard a peep from the Poop, so I'll give it another try. With my feet up.