Laughter Road

Then Comes Baby...

2008-12-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

We're having a baby girl in April!

Then Comes Marriage...

2008-12-02T16:17:00.001-08:00

First Comes Love...

2008-12-02T16:08:00.001-08:00

Picking up where I left off...

2008-11-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed a brief absence...

But I promised several people I'd start updating this blog again, and today, November 18, is the one year anniversary of the day Bret proposed, which I think is just a couple of posts down on the main page. I didn't intend to disappear, life just got in the way!

SO what I have been up to?
There was a big High Church Episcopal wedding, complete with blue shoes, red velvet cake, and an Elvis impersonator. There was a honeymoon to Toronto and Niagara Falls that also introduced us to Canadian pharmacies, since I got really sick and Bret ventured out each day to try to find something to make me feel better.

There was also the BIG SURPRISE of me getting pregnant just 6 short weeks after the wedding...yup, baby girl no-name-yet will be arriving in April, 11 months after our May 2008 wedding. A lot of people are going to furrow their brows and count to nine when she's born, I'm sure.

So now that brings us to now! I'll be putting up pictures in the next few days...wedding shots, ultrasound pics, etc. We're putting up a fence in the backyard and I'm getting a dog for Christmas, hopefully one adopted from the Golden Retriever Rescue in Memphis. I'm expecting a niece any day now; she'll be here by the time we go home for Thanksgiving.

Glad to be back!

2007 in Review

2008-01-05T13:25:00.000-08:00

1. What did you do in 2007 that you've never done before?
Got engaged!

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year I resolved to try to say something over in my head before i let it come out of my mouth. I also resolved to try to get rid of some of the clutter in my life. They are both ongoing. for 2008, I resolved to run a 5K by March, and to accomplish this whole wedding event without anyone going crazy.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No.

5. What places did you visit? Orlando, Chicago, Annapolis, Detroit, New Orleans.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? a Master's in Library Science. a husband! Financial security.

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Nov. 18, the day Bret proposed. Dec 19, the day I turned 30 and left my 20's behind.

8. What were your biggest achievements of the year? writing my thesis. Getting an actual job as an archivist.

9. What were your biggest failures? Failing to finish my degree in the original time frame i set for myself.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Um, ongoing repurcussions of my May 2005 car accident, and a saggy brain.

11. What was the best thing you bought? my Superhero necklace.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Bret's dogged pursuit of the ability to make people call him, "Dr."

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? George W. Bush

14. Where did most of your money go? everyday stuff.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? getting engaged!

16. What song will always remind you of 2007? Robert Randolph, "Ain't Nothing Wrong with That."

17. What do you wish you'd done more of? seen my friends more.

18. What do you wish you'd done less of? spent less time having attacks of anxiety about my future.

19. How did you spend Christmas last year? you mean, in 2007? drove to jackson Dec. 21, round trip to H'burg on Dec 24, southaven Dec 25, Jackson Dec 29, H'burg Dec 31. Managed to see both families.

20. Did you fall in love in 2007? everyday I discover something new to love about him.

21. How many one-night stands? none

22. What was your favorite TV program? The Office.

23. What did you do for your birthday in 2007? Went to Disney World.

24. What was the best book you read? The Book Thief, the last Harry Potter, the Kathleen Koen books, Jan Karon's new book- "several other I can't remember right now.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Robert Randolph

27. What did you want and get? an engagement ring!

28. What did you want and not get? a settlement of my auto hit-and-run case.

29. What was your favorite film of this year? "Dan in Real Life" was good.

30. Did you make some new friends this year? Lyerly! and some of the people i work with. new people from Vocare.

31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? more financial security. And a working shift-key on my computer at work-I know this seems trivial but I curse it every day.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? can I wear this to work?

33. What kept you sane? Faith, friends, family.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? as always, Matt Damon.

35. What political issue stirred you the most? the war.

36. Who did you miss? my dog-still in foster care with my parents. John.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Claire-Bear!

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.

This was a pretty eventful year. I spent most of it anticipating a proposal, and then it came when I least expected it--which also happened to be exactly the right time. I think I learned a lesson from that--and now that I said it I'm sure Bret will not let me forget it. ;)

I said yes!!

2007-11-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

Bret and I got engaged on Sunday night while visiting the Gulf Coast for his birthday!

Build a better mousetrap

2007-11-01T18:50:00.001-07:00

I think I've mentioned it before, but Bret has a cat. Her name is Priscilla. She was a stray that came around about a year ago, and now rules the house. I never thought she liked me very much, just tolerated me--then again, I'm used to a dog that occasionaly spends her time just gazing at me with adoration.

But tonight I have been proven wrong. She brought me my very own mouse. Into the house. STILL ALIVE. I shrieked when it got loose, and have spent the last hour alternating between perching on various pieces of furniture and calling people to come help me.

I finally gave up. I think it has crawled into the recliner. The living room is in shambles. I tipped over the couches to keep it from going under there and there are kitchen chairs in strategic places to leap onto in case the mouse begins to desire my toes.

I had to lock the cat in the bathroom because she wouldn't leave the recliner alone and I don't want her to catch it and then kill it on the carpet, but then she figured out how to open the door (not kidding).

Bret is getting here soon and then HE can deal with it. I bet he shrieks when it skitters across the floor. ha.

Archivists: The New Macho Heroes

2007-10-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

I’m attending a conference in a suburb of Detroit at the moment. The events themselves are happening at this place, a GORGEOUS learning community where ever the lampposts are works of sculpture.

The symposium covers the collection and care of scrapbooks, and though I don’t fall into the geographical region of this archivists’ group, I came anyway because the topic is so closely related to my thesis topic. (As of this posting, 5 days left. Pray for me).

One of the presenters was talking about how we first started seeing a surge in casual photography in the 60’s and 70’s, particularly photography by and of middle-class people in their homes and doing everyday things. This happened because the equipment and processing materials became available, both in cost and equipment. Prior to this time, photography equipment was really only affordable to the rich…and instead of dropping a roll of film at the drugstore, whole cameras had to be sent away for expensive processing. Very wealthy families and the upper classes had photography as a hobby for quite some time.

In much the same way, wealthy families also created personal museums and archives to chronicle their family’s history. This was, understandably, an expensive undertaking.

Exploring one’s family history has had a huge resurgence in the past 10-20 years, and with the popularity of knowing whether or not your great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather was, say, the Duke of some small piece of Scotland, the practice had become less cost-prohibitive, just like photography. One doesn’t have to hire a genealogist or historian when the internet and an LDS Genealogy Center are available. Researchers can amass huge quantities of paperwork and photos about their ancestors. Wealthy families would have established archives for the storage of these materials, and now that has started to catch on with more of the middle-class.

After that entire introduction, I finally come to the point of that post, and an impromptu survey. You may have already figured it out. I’ve toyed with the idea of (one day) forming a small business as a personal archivist. (Bret thinks I should be called “The Mercenary Archivist.” I think he already has the URL reserved. Archiving For Hire ™!) A person (or family) would, ideally, hire me to organize their personal papers or collections, or write a family history, or do historical or genealogical research on their behalf. So, if you are reading this (and I know there aren’t many, but please play along) what do you think? Could this be a niche I could fill? To be sure, it is extremely specialized, this business of coming into someone’s home, making sense of their family history, putting them into some sort of order, and performing preservation and basic conservation in an attempt to make them last longer.

Feasible small business model OR asking for trouble and many hours spent listening to old ladies tell me about the time their great-grandmother left her husband to go to the big city and be a hand model. Discuss.

To change the subject, Michigan is beautiful, and it is actually fall here and I am wearing a LONG-SLEEVED SHIRT and a SWEATER. In Mississippi I wouldn’t need this combination until late November. Also I have a rental car with GPS, which I have used on every trip, even to the CVS I could see from my hotel window. The unit has a husky male voice and talks me soothingly through every u-turn and lane change. And tonight that GPS will be delivering me (I really do think of it this way, as though he’s the one in charge and I’m just the lowly servant) to Marshall, Michigan, where I will get to have dinner with MICHAEL LAWSON, rock star. I’m very excited because I haven’t gotten to see him since I left Wilmore.

(Addendum: I’m actually posting this two weeks after I wrote this, so I must add that Michael and I also used the GPS to get ourselves to Turkeyville. Unfortunately, all the turkeys had gone to bed. Which may have been a good thing.)

Grill out today in the name of St. Lawrence

2007-08-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

Today is the feast of St. Lawrence, who happens to be the patron saint of archivists and librarians. He was a deacon of the early church of Rome, and his primary task was to preside over the financial records of the church. In 258 the Emperor Valerian confiscated all church property and executed the pope (Sixtus II) and seven deacons who were distributing food and funds to the poor, mostly widows and orphans. The emperor demanded that Lawrence hand over the records of how much money had been distributed and an accounting of the current financial state of the church. As any good archivist would do, Lawrence informed the emperor that such a massive request would take three days to process. Lawrence arranged to quickly spend the money remaining in the accounts (a common event to archivists--being told they have a limited amount of time to spend any remaining budget--example: me, three months ago, spending four large figures in less than two weeks). When the emperor demanded to see the wealth of the church, Lawrence showed him the widows, orphans, and the poor, and told him that these were the treasures. The Emperor was incensed and ordered that Lawrence be roasted alive over a fire on a gridiron. Lawrence is reputed to have said, at one point, "You may turn me over, I am well done on this side."

I need a new bookcase...

2007-08-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

I got myself into kind of a bind in the last couple months by trying to read too many books at one time. Usually I have 3-4 going at once...one I leave at work to read during lunch, one I leave at Bret's house to read while he's watching baseball or whatever, one in my car to get me through unexpected waits in restaurants, doctor's offices, whatnot, and a couple at home by my bed and scattered around other places.

Yeah, I read a lot.

But this time I was in over my head. I was trying to clear my plate so I could devote my brain to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows but unexpected events kept that from happening. Added to the dilemma of what to read next was the fact that I was trying to RE-read the two prior Harry Potters' to refresh the story in my mind.

Are you following this? To sum it all up, these are the books I had going all at once when July 21 struck and I dropped everything to figure out what happened to Harry.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
by J.K. Rowling
Kitchen Confidential,
by Anthony Bourdain
To Say Nothing of the Dog
by Connie Willis
Thursday Next, A Sequel
by Jasper Fforde (this was another one that I was looking forward to--I've read his other books and have been waiting for the next one for a few years now).
Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck
by Christopher Moore (I started You Suck and then realized it was a sequel to the first, and had to go back and read Bloodsucking Fiends first.)

In the last few months I've also read: (including but not limited to)
Swapping Lives
by Jane Green
(her other books have all been so good, and I'm not quite sure why this one was so boring)

A Song of Ice and Fire Series, 4 books:
A Game of Thrones
A Clash of Kings
A Storm of Swords
A Feast for Crows
by George R.R. Martin
(My boss is a big fan of this series, and he got me started on it. Its taken me about 5 months to read my way up to this point. Now I have to wait with the rest of the world for the next one)

Grace (Eventually)
by Anne Lamott
(loved it, loved it, loved it)

A Light from Heaven
by Jan Karon

Dark Angels
by Karleen Koen

On my "to be read" list:

Peony in Love
by Lisa See

Leaper
by Geoffrey Wood (hey, my high school English teacher wrote a book!)

A Tale of You and Me
Ann Brasheres(already started)

The Wizard of Oz
by Frank Baum (already started, reading this one and Mansfield Park via daily delivery of half a chapter to my email inbox)

Guy not Taken
Jennifer Weiner

Mansfield Park
by Jane Austen (working on this one right now)

And of course, there are still stacks of unread books around the house. I'll get to them eventually, but I kind of like knowing there is always a new book to pick up.

Anyone want to send me a new bookcase?

This I Believe:

2007-07-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

1. "Happy Birthday" should be sung with gusto.

2. Old magazines should be thrown away after a year.

News Flash!

2007-06-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

A mixed bag of news and observations for you:

1. My thesis advisor said I have “a lovely project.” Since I’m taking two semesters to do it, my due date is now September 17. Which is also my mom’s birthday---this makes it easy to figure out a present—her greatest wish is to see me finally out of school, and completing my thesis is a big step towards graduation in December.

2. I had a week of vacation earlier this month, and spent three days in Kansas City. The time spent there was wonderful, and Abby and Izzy are a delight, but the traveling itself wasn’t great. First, why does the handsoap in airports in Texas always suck? I’ve flown through Dallas multiple times, Houston once or twice, and since I’m a borderline compulsive hand-washer, this is what I always notice.

3. While in Kansas City, I got to visit this museum, which was really cool. The above-ground buildings act as lenses to focus light into the below ground galleries. And the grounds have really cool sculptures—such as giant badminton birdies on the lawn.

4. I had class last night, and there’s a woman in there who, I think, has the perfect Southern gothic novel name. Her first name is Ruby, but I won’t mention her last name to protect her privacy. If I ever write a novel I may have to name a character after her.

5. I’ve been ordering supplies at work for the last several weeks, and yesterday a big shipment arrived. Problem is, we’d already received a shipment exactly like that one two weeks ago. Come to find out that the state duplicated the purchase order by mistake--$2700 mistake. I was just happy to discover, after many phone calls, that the mistake wasn’t mine.

6. Some very dear friends of mine were supposed to get married on September 29, but I found out last night that they moved it to Sept. 1, and now I can’t go! I’m already registered and have a plane ticket for the Society of American Archivists conference in Chicago that week. I can’t believe I’m going to miss it. I’m very sad about it.

That’s all I got for now. Next time I’ll tell you about my boyfriend’s (I originally misplaced that apostrophe and got boyfriends’ –wow, those pesky apostrophes can cause all sorts of relationship problems!) odd attachment to graphing.

2007-06-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

I don't really have anything to post, J in just playing around with my mom's new tablet computer. I wrote this whole post out in longhand and the program converted it to type! I want one of these!

2007-06-11T20:18:00.001-07:00

'Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another. We do not discover the secret of our lives merely by study and calculation in our own isolated meditations. The meaning of our life is a secret that has to be revealed to us in love, by the one we love. And if this love is unreal, the secret will not be found, the meaning will never reveal itself, the message will never be decoded. At best, we will receive a scrambled and partial message, one that will deceive and confuse us. We will never be fully real until we let ourselves fall in love - either with another human person or with God.'

- Thomas Merton
"Love and Living"

Thesisizing*

2007-06-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

As the title of this post suggests, I've finally started writing my thesis. Deep sighs regularly escape my cubicle** at work, and my coworkers know that when they get really close together, such as two or more every five minutes, its time to throw a piece of hard candy my way and perhaps send me on an errand to the front office to stop the noise. I'm a loud sigh-er.

So, yeah, right. I've begun. This means there will probably be more frequent blog entries in the next several months, because my favorite method of procrastination is to write in my blog instead of my appointed task. Because, hey, who needs to write about archival method when I can write a post about...um...the mysterious smell that has emanated from my freezer since Katrina, or the faces that Bret's cat makes when she sees me? (disdainful, the faces are. pure contempt)

My first thesis idea was rejected, because my advisor told me it was too ambitious for a thesis--more a two year project than a two semester project. And also, coincidentally, that LSU had just been awarded a big grant to study that very thing! Apparently my ideas are very in vogue. So now I'm processing a collection of WWI and WWII scrapbooks here at the museum, which will include a study of the ways the museum can implement EAD (Encoded Archival Description) into its finding aids. Sounds kind of boring, i guess, but its doable, and that's one of the most important criteria for me. I know there's an end to it somewhere, I can see what the conclusion will be and I'll know when I arrive at that point. Being able to see the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel" does a lot for my morale. And maybe that's what I need to remember when I start the sighing.

*Thesisizing: a term coined by a coworker to describe my current mental state. Applicable not only to the writing of the thesis, but the overall state of mind one enters when undertaking such a task.

**Its not really a cubicle, its more like a big concrete room with a divider thrown up here and there.

meme

2007-05-30T20:03:00.001-07:00

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:50
2. Diamonds or pearls? My pearls are real. my diamonds um...aren't.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Shrek 3
4. What is your favorite TV show? The Office
5. What did you have for breakfast? A granola bar, as always.
6. What is your middle name? Ann, just like 7 out of 10 other girls born in the 70's.
7. What is your favorite cuisine? sushi? Thai?
8. What foods do you dislike? Tomatoes, mushrooms, water chestnuts
9. What are your favorite chips? When I'm craving them, Dill pickle chips
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? I dunno...my ipod is always on shuffle.
11. What kind of car do you drive? 2006 Honda Accord.
12. Favorite sandwich? tuna
13. What are characteristics you can't stand? people who treat others with disrespect, just because of their position in life. Belittling behavior, i guess that is.
14. What are your favorite clothes? My boyfriend's old green pajama pants. i stole them.
15. If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would it be? Italy.
16. Favorite brand of clothing? Target?
17. Where would you want to retire? Somewhere with four seasons.
18. Favorite time of day? 10:30-ish. out of the morning slump, and lunch is in sight!
19. Where were you born? Memphis, TN
20. Where have you lived? Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky
21. What is your favorite sport to watch? football.
22. Coke or Pepsi? Diet Coke Plus!
23. Beavers or ducks? Ducks
24. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Night owl.
25. Pedicure or manicure? Pedicure
26. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? Nope! Call Bret and ask him this question!
27. What did you want to be when you were little? Anne of Green Gables. Or Stacey from the Babysitter's club.
28. What is your best childhood memory? new books! and swimming in the gulf with my dad and brother.
29. Piercing? Screams, occasionally.
30. Ever been to Africa? nope.
31. Ever been toilet papering? Yup.
32. Been in a car accident? Yes. One at 18 and one at 28. I'll be veerryy careful during my 38th year.
33. Favorite day of the week? Thursday.
34. Favorite restaurant? Wagamama's.
35. Favorite flower? Tulips.
36. Favorite ice cream? Blue bunny chocolate chip.
37. Favorite fast food restaurant? Cane's.
38. How many times did you fail your driver's test? didn't
39. From whom did you get your last e-mail? my academic advisor, re: my thesis topic.
40. Which store would you choose to max out your credit? uum...the travel agent?
41. Bedtime? somewhere between 10:30 and 11:30
42. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? bret, but he won't actually do it.
43. Favorite color? green
44. How many tattoos do you have? i think it would be cool to have a tattoo.
45. Favorite magazine? Cooking Light

Onionskin paper isn't made of onions or skin. Discuss.

2007-05-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

I had dinner with a dear friend (who's moving away soon...sniff) last week, and she asked me how my job was going, and I had just spent two whole days putting very thin sheets of onionskin paper into mylar sleeves. Very tedious and very repetitive. Also very different from the week before, when I was working on the collection I talked about a couple of posts ago. So here's what I've discovered...some days are "black sand from Iwo Jima!" days, and some days and "endless sheets of onionskin paper" days.

These metaphors don't apply only to artifacts, of course.

And today? Today I had an onionskin paper day. Both in and out of work.

I'm looking forward to my week of vacation in June. I'm going to Kansas City to see the Cutest Babies in the World (and their Mama) for three days. I don't think I'll get to show Erin a pretty ring by then, or dazzle a couple of 18 month olds with a sparkly thing.
So, for all you people who keep asking when I'm getting engaged? (which should maybe change to "if" I'm getting engaged -- I think the stone is still sitting lonely in a safe somewhere in memphis)

Stop.
I don't know. Call Bret and ask him.

sigh. i'm a little depressed, can you tell? I wish my deltadog was around.

2007-05-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

I am:
50%
Republican.

"Congratulations, you're a swing voter. When they say 'Nascar Dad', they mean you. Every Republican ad on the TV set was made just for your viewing pleasure. Don't you feel special?"

Are You A Republican?

Groan.
I think living this far south has warped my brain.

However, this isn't that far off, since I've always thought of myself as a conservative liberal.

Various

2007-04-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

1. I just read a job ad for an archivist for the Blue Man Group. You know, the men who do the shows with their faces painted blue? How cool of a job would that be? Moreover, how VERY cool is it that they actually understood that they needed an archivist to organize all that stuff, and not farm it out to an organizational person.

2. I bought a cute skirt from Target a couple of weeks ago, and wore it twice. Then the zipper broke. Actually, the zipper didn’t break, it refused to work….while I was still in it. The waistband was fitted so I couldn’t just slip it off. I discovered the problem while I was in the Old Navy dressing room—alas, I had to leave my items behind because I was trapped in my clothes. I called Bret for help (don’t worry, Mama, you don’t need to stop reading) and we stood in his kitchen as he worked on the zipper for a quarter hour with furrowed brow and much sighing. It would come down an inch, but no more. He applied soap, force, threats and finally offered scissors. I declined, because then what would I have worn home? I finally got out of it later that night, but only by cutting myself out. Goodbye, cute skirt.

3. I have been working on a collection that includes a lot of photos of dead people. I have learned to identify whether or not they are dead American soldiers or dead Japanese soldiers simply by examining the kind of leggings they are wearing (wrapped vs. buttoned). This is necessary because uniforms that are coated in sand and dried blood lose most of their identifying characteristics, and the faces are usually too far away to make out. This job has added weird new skill sets to my resume. I can differentiate between Howitzers and mortars, I know the troop structure that existed from WWI to Vietnam, and have even touched sand that came all the way from the beach at Iwo Jima on the day the Marines landed. Cool, eh? The archival question is—does each grain get its own number? (that’s an archivist joke, its ok if you don’t get it).

'ello

2007-04-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern.
A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock.
A unique soul like you needs a city that offers everything.
No wonder you and London will get along so well.

What City Do You Belong In?

Agape

2007-04-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

I used to have priest who found a lot of wisdom in children’s books. So much wisdom, in fact, that he would usually recite one during each sermon he preached. Over the course of the 4-5 months that I heard him preach, we got stories from Beatrix Potter, the woman who wrote the Peter Cottontail stories, Dr. Seuss, a particular favorite of this priest’s, and Shel Silverstein, who wrote the famous story about the Giving Tree. I actually never heard him preach a sermon without hearing him recite a story (sometimes just the pertinent passages, but often we’d get the whole thing), though I heard him preach far less times than others that knew him.

I think this priest had discovered that some of the most important life lessons can be found in the stories we read to children. One of my favorite stories is one by an author named Sandra Boynton… “Consider Love, Its Moods and Many Ways.” I could love the book just for its illustrations of hippos and tigers, penguins and polar bears, but the text tells about the different types of love that we encounter every day…passionate love, when we’re so wrapped up in another person that we have trouble noticing the world around us…narcissistic love, when we’re really more interested in ourselves than others, love that is simple, love that is serious and complicated, love that makes sense and love that doesn’t, love that is quiet and love that is extravagant.

But the biggest lesson that Boynton presents in this story is the power of the kind of love that comes as a gift…love that has no strings attached. Love given just because someone else was thinking about you and wanted you to know it. Love that encourages the giver and the receiver. It encourage the giver with the excitement of finding something or doing something that you know someone will like and appreciate, and then having the means to actually do it, and not just think about it. The receiver of the gift is encouraged by the understanding that they matter to someone—they are important to someone. This kind of love is called Agape. It seeks the good in other people and tries to point it out—to say, “I noticed that you are amazing and I just wanted you to know!” It willingly makes sacrifices, and it seeks to give something rather than receive something. It keeps loving even when the other person does not respond; it loves without asking for anything in return.

Before Consider Love became popular as a Valentine’s Day present, it wasn’t so easy to find. For about 2 years I would buy extra copies whenever I could find them, because I gave them away as fast as I accumulated them. Not just because the book was clever and funny and sweet, but because it managed to sum up what I didn’t always remember to say to the people I loved—that I think about you daily, that you are special to me, even if I sometimes forget to say it.

Agape love is a love of action—it requires more than just thought and intention. Shel Silverstein’s book “The Giving Tree” describes a love of action. As the child of former hippie parents, I heard this story a lot as I grew up. The story is about a tree who loved a boy, and tried to supply what he needed…when he was a child, the tree supplied a place to play and a shady place to rest. When the boy grew into a teenager and wanted money, the tree gave him her apples to sell. When he wanted to build a house she gave him her branches for boards. When he wanted a boat she gave him her trunk for the mast. Each gift made the boy happy, but it also made the tree happy. At the end of the story the boy comes back, but by now he is an old man. The tree tells him that she has nothing left to give him, she is only a stump, but it turns out this is exactly what the old man needs—a place to rest. In the same way, we can never be sure what someone else may need at a particular moment. We offer agape in the hope that it will make someone happy, but there is always the possibility that it means much more to them than we could ever imagine. Sometimes an act of agape may take that very form—providing a safe place for someone to rest, to collect themselves, to get away from the noise of the world. This weekend, we hope that we, as a staff, have provided not only good food and music and laughter until your sides hurt, but also a safe place to rest—to be yourself, to open up, to retreat from the world. A safe place to say those things that you may be afraid to say anywhere else. Hopefully, you can go back to your busy lives refreshed and encouraged, with the knowledge that you can rely on all of us to continue to provide that safe place for you.

Most of you have only been thinking about Vocare for a couple of weeks, but the staff has been preparing for this weekend for much longer. We have been thinking about you and praying for you, even before we knew who you were. When we did learn your names, we began preparing in other ways. We made nametags and decorated tables and cooked a lot of food. And we prepared tokens for each of you, to show you how much you mean to us. Receive these things with the knowledge of the love behind them.

Krispy Kreme donuts have 5 points, but I ate one today anyway.

2007-04-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

I also discovered that Bear meat has 2 points per oz. I wonder why they only listed the values for one ounce, when everything else is listed in a whole serving?

Sigh. yes. I'm doing Weight Watchers. I don't weigh any more that I usually do, which isn't a small number anyway, but there's a good chance that there will be a lot of pictures taken of me sometime in the not-so-distant future, and I'd like to be able to look back on those and not spend the whole time thinking about how fat I look.

First week I lost 3 lbs! I don't think I did as well this week, because I went to Vocare at Bratton Green and they feed us like its going out of style. I did pretty well and didn't eat everything that was offered, usually just meals and stayed away from the snacks, but I still think I went over my allotted points each day.

My friend Chelsea had just started the nutrisystem diet that week, too, so we made a plan that the next time we see each other we're both going to be 20 lbs thinner. Since I think she'll actually make it, that gives me some incentive to not let her down.

I've got a post about the talk I gave at Vocare, and I'll try to get it up tomorrow. And if you still read this blog, leave me a comment and let me know!

random bits

2007-04-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

1. At a press conference about the forgotten war on drugs, Mr. Bush said, "The United States has a responsibility in the fight against drugs," Mr. Bush said, "and one major responsibility is to encourage people to use less drugs."
I looked askance at my car radio when this came over the local NPR station. Doesn't he mean, "encourage people to NOT use drugs"?

2. I watched this documentary on YouTube, about a family in Kansas that hates more than I ever thought possible. And I regularly work with materials concerning Hitler and the Holocaust, so I don't say that lightly.

It's here. Watch all 7 parts, if you can.

justification

2007-04-04T18:28:00.001-07:00

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Literature Nerd Does sitting by a nice cozy fire, with a cup of hot tea/chocolate, and a book you can read for hours even when your eyes grow red and dry and you look sort of scary sitting there with your insomniac appearance? Then you fit this category perfectly! You love the power of the written word and it's eloquence; and you may like to read/write poetry or novels. You contribute to the smart people of today's society, however you can probably be overly-critical of works. It's okay. I understand.
Drama Nerd
Social Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
Musician
Artistic Nerd
Anime Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

one sick puppy

2007-03-08T12:32:00.000-08:00

I was unable to beat the odds and avoid getting sick. However, I'm not sure who to blame it on, since there are 4 different people I have spent time with who all seemed to have the same thing.

I asked Bret to bring me orange juice and medicine, and he also included strawberry cupcakes and Sprite zero and three different kinds of medicine. He is my favorite person.

Here is a meme that I don't have to concentrate too much on, which is good because the nice sleepy medicine is making me loopy.

No, scratch that. Its too long. I've spent ten minutes trying to come up with a way to make it all fit on one page. You'll just have to make due with this.

the books and the chocolate, they are calling my name. but I will resist, by the power of my new haircut!

2007-02-26T17:47:00.000-08:00

I had a post written out about the errands I ran today, but I was rereading it and bored myself. So I deleted it.

I had the day off, and I managed to make it over to the hair place for a long overdue haircut. There was a LARGE pile of hair on the floor when I left. $50 very well spent. Its almost a bargain, considering I only get my hair cut once every 4 months or so.

I also went to the local salvage place, hoping that they would have further marked down the bookstore stock, but no luck yet. I'm restraining myself from buying much until it goes down to 70% off.

I am working on ignoring the calls of the chocolate chip muffin mix coming from my kitchen cupboard.

I Wii you, too, baby.

2007-02-22T19:49:00.000-08:00

About two or three weeks before Valentine's Day, I mentioned that I wasn't a big fan of the holiday. Quite frankly, I can think of lots better ways to spend $40 than on a dozen roses that would have cost half as much just a week earlier. And dinner in a crowded restaurant isn't very much fun for me either. I can never hear, and I hate to wait on service, and its just too much pressure.

Bret had to be at a conference in New Orleans February 13-15, and I went down to join him, and we had a blast. He did get me a gift, but it was more a late birthday present that a Valentine's Day present....a silver ring that has, engraved in Gaelic, the words, "Love of my heart." I love it.

We also both REALLY wanted a Wii....so we decided to spend the money on that instead. Not surprisingly, these are hard to find at the moment. Three or four times a week we'd "make the rounds" of Best Buy, Circuit City, Sam's, Target, and Game Zone, hoping that it would be the day. No luck. For DAYS and DAYS.

But today...today, I felt lucky. I first went to Best Buy...nothing. Target? Nada. Then, I walked into Wal-Mart, and there they were. I bought a system and extra controller on the spot.

We spent the evening playing games. He has natural talent, I have to work on it. I assume its a little marker on the Y chromosome that allows him to quickly understand all the different buttons and joysticks and how to hold them all at the same time to achieve the perfect golf swing or baseball pitch.

Ash Wednesday

2007-02-21T20:07:00.000-08:00

One of my Lenten disciplines is to write SOMETHING everyday. Not just finding aids or emails or school assignments, but something not associated with work or school. It may not always manifest in a blog entry, but I'm going to TRY to post something everyday, maybe even a picture or two, if I can find the memory card for my digital camera.

My Lent got off to a bang....an explosion, really. To say I had a difficult weekend would be an understatement. Bret and I got into a conversation/disagreement that lasted three days, spanned several topics, and managed to spread hurt feelings all the way around. We're recovering, but I think a bit of the hurt is still there for both of us.

On a more positive note, two friends of mine from Asbury FINALLY got engaged on Valentine's Day. I can't wait to dance at their wedding. Congratulations, James and Michelle!

JobSchoolRelationshipChurch....but not in that order.

2007-01-31T15:29:00.000-08:00

The above title should give you some indication of the reasons I haven't posted in some time. However, I don't want every post to start out apologizing for not writing for so long, so just be happy there's something new to read.

Things I've learned at my new job as an archivist:

1. Dehumidifiers fill up very quickly when it rains.
2. Concrete rooms do not hold onto heat very well. A coat and gloves may be necessary.
3. Body odor smells on clothing only gets worse after 40 years in storage.
4. When opening a box with an unknown object in it, NEVER open it at nose level. Especially when the box contains a decomposing gas mask.
5. Coworkers must be reminded to wear gloves when touching things. Otherwise they will drive the archivist crazy.
6. Ration cans from WWII last a long time. I'll give someone $50 to eat the contents (Pork Slices in Juices)!
7. Just because an artifact has an ID number DOES NOT MEAN that anyone knows where, who, or when it came from. Move on.
8. Mold is the enemy.
9. Don't blindly stick your hand into the back or bottom of a box. Spiders. Big. Brown.

From this list, you'd probably only glean that my job is, um...cold. and smelly. Yes, both of those things are applicable, but its a lot more, too. I'm doing the job I wanted, but in a setting I never imagined.

Want another list? Ok.
1. Diamonds are very sparkly in real life.

Glean what you will from that.
:)

Gainful Employment

2006-11-29T22:28:00.000-08:00

Woot-woot!
I got offered the job at the museum today!

how was yours?

2006-11-26T23:01:00.000-08:00

My Thanksgiving holiday is over, how was yours? Of course, I ask this question knowing that probably no one will comment, because I don't pretend to think I have any readers left, since I stopped posting all summer while I was busy falling in love, but I'll ask anyway.

I spent my first ever Thanksgiving away from my family, and went to the metropolis of Waynesboro, MS, with Bret's family, instead. It was different. The dressing was wrong. I missed my cousins. But my family was at the cabin, and it just wasn't feasible to get myself there and back without having to drive 8 hours in one day to be back for work on Monday. So I sucked it up and met some extended family, instead. I had a good time, don't misunderstand. We played games and ate and watched football and Bret and I trounced his cousin and aunt in Spades.

On the plus side, I did get to see USM beat the PANTS off Marshall in the football game on Saturday! Winning this game was a big deal--it means we get to play Houston in the Conference-USA championship next Friday. Though we beat Houston when we played them earlier this year, I'm not very optimistic about winning this game. However, I also thought we'd lose the Marshall game, and look how that turned out! We'll definitely go to a bowl game, probably either the Liberty Bowl or the one in Mobile.

My birthday will be here in a little less than 3 weeks, and there have been hints that something adventuresome is planned!

Tuesday Meme

2006-11-21T14:42:00.000-08:00

1. Yourself: Southern
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend/wife/husband: mine
3. Your hair: thick
4. Your mother/stepmother: traveler
5. Your dog: hair
6. Your favorite item: books
7. Your dream last night: drug-induced
8. Your favorite drink: dr. pepper
9. Your dream car: infiniti
10. The room you are in: messy
11. Your fear: loss
12. What do you want to be in 10 years? mama
13. Who you hung out with last night: Bret
14. What you're not: organized
15. Muffin: chocolate-chip
16. Catalog: Bas Bleu
17. One of your wish list items: diamonds
18. Time: lacking
19. The last thing you did: cataloged
20. What are you wearing? sweatshirt
21. Your favorite weather: fall
22. Your favorite book: emotional
23. The last thing you ate: cashews
24. Your life: drama-free
25. Your mood: relaxed
26. Your best friend: talented
27. What are you thinking about right now? dinner
28. Your car: white
29. What are you doing at the moment? thinking
30. Your summer: life-changing
31. Your relationship status: love
32. What is on your tv right now? Oprah
33. What is the weather like? cold

more pictures!

2006-11-19T22:16:00.000-08:00

We've got about 500 pictures total, but I'm having to go through them one by one and change the size and resolution, because they're HUGE. Here are some of the first ones!

tyger, tyger...

2006-11-17T16:55:00.000-08:00

2006-11-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

I won the Hattiesburg Zoo raffle to see the white tiger cubs tomorrow night! Obviously I couldn't afford the $500 price of a ticket, so I entered the raffle, and the zoo called today and told me I'd won!

Bret is coming, and my friend Liz is coming over from Mobile as well.

I promise to post pictures!

I'm still around...

2006-10-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

...just busy. And not inclined to blog at the moment. I read an article a few days ago that most bloggers lose interest about a year into it--I made it more than that, but I think this is just a dry spell. I'll try to post more, I promise.

In the meantime, here are a few things that are going on:

Kevin and Ashley's wedding was great, and went off without a hitch. And only 20 or so people asked when mine would be. That's down from the last time, i guess.This time, at least, I had a cute guy along. He was a handy things to point at and say, "See!?! I swear I'm trying! Now get off my back!"

I got a letter from the Dell-people, telling me that my previously cleared computer is, in fact, in danger of catching fire because of a faulty battery. The bad news? I have to wait two and a half weeks for a new battery.

The first coat of Galactica blue paint has made it onto Bret's bathroom walls.

Forthcoming:
Pictures from the wedding and of Bret's new walls.

Wuv, sweet wuv.* And also paint.

2006-09-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have been cleaning, stripping wallpaper, spackling, sanding, and painting Bret's bathroom for about 4 weeks now. We picked out a very nice blue-that-will-look-good-with-brown-accessories, and I thought I'd be able to get the job done in a week, but then I hurt my back, and then I went to Kansas City to see the cutest babies in the world (and their mama), and then school started, and then I just kinda lost my fire for the project.

So far this week I've:
1) sucked up a GIANT cockroach with the vaccuum cleaner attachment held as far away from my body as possible.
2) maintained precarious positions atop the edge of the tub while spackling;
3)been coated with dust (CANCER-CAUSING DUST according to my father) while sanding.
4)worn out two of those magic eraser thingees cleaning baseboards;
and
5)used a Q-tip to clean in the gap between the baseboard and the floor. On my hands and knees. With my face very close to where I think the roach was living.

It was while occupied with this last task that I realized, "Hell, this MUST be love, because I can't think of anyone else I'd do this for." Which was immediately followed by, "I'm TOTALLY taking this bathroom with me if we ever break-up."

*I stole this title from Amanda B.

Wherin my faith in Hattiesburg is renewed...

2006-08-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

Barnes & Noble has opened a new bookstore on campus. Bret took me there last night. To his credit, when I did my tiny happy dance upon walking through the door, the "you're so weird" look he gave me lasted only a couple of seconds.

By the Numbers

2006-08-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

5: number of lightening storms to come through here in the past 10 days.

2: number of times the lightening strikes were so close to my house/car that it made me very nervous.

3: number of things that the too-close lightening strikes fried (the motherboard on my laptop and my cable modem) Ergo,

1: the number of motherboards that must now be replaced.

4: the number of days I had left on the parts and service warranty for said laptop.

4.5: the number of hours Bret spent on the phone and Internet chat with the Dell service people, before figuring out what the problem was.

1: the number of nails embedded in one of my rear tires.

3: number of miles i drove before realizing that the weird sound i was hearing was my flat tire.

20: minutes Bret spent changing the tire.

2: number of showers/engagement parties for Ashley and my brother that I've been to in two weeks.

2: the number of showers to which Bret has accompanied me.

7-10: the number of old friends of my parents who saw me grow up who offered to tell him embarassing stories about me.

gajillion: the number of brownie points he's earned these past two weeks.

2066: the mileage on my car after 5 weeks of ownership.

5: pounds I'm going to lose in the next two weeks! (competition with Bret. If I lose more he buys me books. If he loses more I buy tickets to the USM/Memphis game in November)

1: the number of friends I have who are in the process of moving to Colorado. Yea for Kelly! Be sure to exploit your North Carolina accent as much as possible--they'll think its cute!

at my brother's wedding shower this weekend...

2006-07-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

Addendum

2006-07-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

14. "Yes! I can't WAIT to go to my high school reunion! I'm completely over the emotional scarring that was the result of four year of being treated like scum simply because I had the audacity to think for myself!"

The Tuesday meme

2006-07-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

13 Things You Will Never Hear Me Say

1. "I LOOOOOVE tomatoes. Could I get a few extra?"
2. "This shirt/dress makes my boobs look WAY too small."
3. "Wow! I'm totally caught up on my schoolwork!"
4. "Mr. Omabare, son of a former Nigerian finance minister, of course I will send you all of my bank details so you can deposit $25 million in my account for safe-keeping."
5. "I'm sorry--I'm always too early!"
6. "Oh, goody! It's 6 am! Time to get up and face the day!"
7. "I will definitely wear that bridesmaid dress again!"
8. "I wish presidents could run for three terms. Bush deserves another 4 years. I really regret not voting for him those other two times."
9. "I have too many books."
10. "I'd rather walk a mile over hot coals than get a pedicure."
11. "I'm sooooo sick of thai food."
12. "Fox News is my preferred source for information."
13. "I never want to leave south Mississippi. Between the heat, the bugs, the humidity, and the hurricanes, it may be the perfect place."

My new significant other...

2006-07-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

This is Scarlett. She is a 2006 Honda Accord who was delievered with 4 miles on her spedometer. Though she never met Rhett, she is proud to be his replacement and hopes she can fill his shoes--er...tires.

Come by and see me and I'll take you for a drive.

(for all of you who got excited at the mention of my new siginficant other and hoped you'd get to see a picture of the boy, I won't disappoint you...here it is. He took the pictures of the car, and is excited about his new role of car-washer).

2006-07-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

The hyperlink doesn't work, so you'll have to cut and paste the url. But the quiz is great...I predict that Rhonda and Kelly will be superstars. I got a 77.

all he needed was a peg leg and and a pipe...

2006-06-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

There was an ant in my shower today. Not one of those little fire ants, which already got hold of me this week (I escaped with only a couple of bites on my 4th toe), but a huge ant. THat's all the identifying features I can really give you, though. It was big. I don't know much about ant breeds.

I didn't notice it until after I'd started my shower, and since it was mostly minding its own business, I decided to leave it until I was done. I looked down after washing my hair, and it had crawled up beside my toe, and was preparing to take hold with its tiny pinchers and haul me home to be dinner for the family.

Tuesday meme

2006-06-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

9 Things You Want, But Don't Need

1. Ok, I got an iPod for my birthday about a year ago, but I really want a Nano. My iPod skips when I run with it, and i think I'd look really cool with one of those strapped to my arm. (while i'm running, of course. i wouldn't wear it all the time. then i would look like a goober.)
2. more clothes.
3. An Infiniti FX. I especially don't need one of these now that I have a new car, but this is my dream car right now.
4. TO spend the whole weekend at the ALA conference. Saturday should be enough, but it would be awfully fun to hang out there for a few days.
5. A digital camcorder.
6. a haircut. I always think my hair is too long right about the time people start saying how good it looks.
7. A music link in my new car so I don't have to use my iTrip. Having it work well means propping it somewhere near the radio, and sometimes I pick up CB conversations from the truckers on the interstate. A musiclink built into the new car would eliminate this problem.
8. a manicure and pedicure each week.
9. chocolate. extra calories in general.
(this is getting hard)

Bret suggested that I don't need more books. i replied that he's missing a fundamental part of my character if he thinks I can live without buying books.

THis was supposed to be a list of ten things, but I ran out of ideas.

yowza.

2006-06-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a week, and i didn't even realize it until I was searching for a meme to use tomorrow and didn't want to post two memes back to back. so. here's what's been happening with me.

1. I am finally getting a new car...my dad found me a new 2006 Accord. I think I'll drive home and pick it up sometime this week. Yea! Ergo, the new car needs a name. I think I'll have to drive it for a few days to determine its persuasion, but suggestions are welcome. I've always named my cars in the past...the big blue sedan was called "The great white hope", even though it was blue (she kind of had an identity crisis), the SUV I was driving when the accident happened was named Rhett. He was very southern and male, so the name fit very well. I've been driving a Volvo that belongs to my mom for about a year, and I named his Meatball, because he's Swedish. (or sVedish! as adele and i always pronounce it). give me some suggestions, people!

2. I'm thinking about going to the American Libraries Association conference that's taking place in New Orleans this weekend. TO all you people who think that must be the most boring place in the world...hey, don't underestimate the librarians, ok? We know how to party. I can think of few events that would be more fun than partying in NOLA with my fellow librarians-to-be.

3. It has apparantly made it through the grapevine that i've got a new boyfriend. He reads this blog, though, so I can't dish about him and his green eyes here.

4. Other current events include tweaking my thesis topic, which i think I've got pretty much nailed down, trying to figure out where I'm going to live next semester, and applying for a couple of jobs, including the Sewanee position.

Oh, and let's all give a big hand to the General Convention which is taking place in Ohio this week...the Episcopal Church of America elected its first female presiding bishop this week: Katharine Jefferts Schori.

the Tuesday meme

2006-06-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

I AM: more that I appear to be on this blog.
I SAID: I'd do it. now get off my back!
I WANT: a faster metabolism. and a new car.
I WISH: I had a killer thesis topic. and as long as I'm wishing, i wish it was already written.
I HATE: people who talk in the movie theater.
I MISS: my friends from seminary who are scattered all over the country.
I FEAR: not living up to my potential.
I HEAR: gilmore girls on TV. cars outside my window. Instant Messenger chiming at me, with Bret on the other end.
I WONDER: Where I’ll end up.
I REGRET: a lot. though i try really hard not to dwell on those things.
I AM NOT: a pushover.
I DANCE: not as often as i'd like.
I SING: Loudly. in the car. by myself.
I CRY: unexpectedly.
I AM NOT ALWAYS: As strong as I appear to be.
I MADE: chocolate-chip muffins.
I WRITE: best under pressure.
I CONFUSE: all those stupid dating shows on TV.
I NEED: human contact.
I SHOULD: get up earlier.
I START: running tomorrow. i swear.
I FINISH: about three books a week.
I TAG: Kelly, Rhonda, Bret, Michael, and anyone else who wants to play.

do I look stupid in this?

2006-06-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

As much as I enjoy living by myself at times, the thing I miss the most about having a roommate is having someone to tell me whether or not I look put together enough to leave the house. Someone to say, "that skirt doesn't "go"." Someone to reassure me that these pants do not, in fact, make my nose look to big. It takes me a lot longer to get dressed when I live by myself.

tell it to me, tell it to me--

2006-06-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

Washington, D.C., was great, and I really enjoyed getting to see Prairie Home Companion. Kellior walked out on stage wearing a black suit, a red bow tie, and red Pumas. Special guests were an amazing gospel singer named Jerylyn Steel (I think), and a bluegrass boy band called the Old Crow Medicine Show. I downloaded their album as soon as I got back, and have been especially enjoying "Tell it to Me."

We went to the Internation Spy Museum, which Steve recommended, the National Gallery, where I got to see some great art and also some Degas sculptures, the National Cathedral, and the place that easliy be classified as Librarian Mecca: the Library of Congress. Unfortunately, by that point in the day all I wanted to do was sit down and rest my feet, but I still enjoyed it. They've got one of only ten perfect copies of the Gutenberg Bible on display.

Favorite Moments:
--standing with the rest of the 5,000 or so other people at Prairie Home and singing the national anthem in honor of Memorial Day.
--taking part in the Eucharist at the National Cathedral.
--traveling with my mom, which translates into the fancy clubrooms at the airports.

____________________________________________________________________

Yesterday was Pentecost, which is celebrated with red vestements and altar hangings. The priest said during the service that in the Middle Ages churches would often put people in the rafters so they could sprinkle red rose petals on the people below, which was supposed to signify the flames of fire that descended from heaven.
It was amusing to hear the passages about glossilalia and healings. The frozen chosen, indeed.
Church starts at 10:30, and usually runs about 75-80 minutes, but this week we were finished in under an hour...the sermon was brisk, to say the least. We've got an interim priest at the moment, and whenever I look at him I think how much he looks like Captian Kangaroo.

_____________________________________________________________________
Bill Engvall is going to be in Tunica this weekend, but it looks like I'm going to miss him for the second time around. *sigh* maybe next time. I had a great "Here's your sign" moment with someone this weekend, but in an effort to stay off of a certain list, I'll refrain from posting it here.

T is for...

2006-05-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

I volunteered to take part in this meme that Sarah is hosting...she assigned me a letter of the alphabet and I have to choose ten words that start with that letter and explain why I chose them. I got "T". If you want to play along, let me know in the comments and I'll give you a letter of your own.

1. Theater. Unlike my friend Whitley, I unfortunatly do not have the acting gene, but I love love love the theater. Plays, musicals, Broadway, cirque du soleil (which I've never gotten to see in person but hope to catch one day on the coast), college theater, whatever...i'll take it in whatever form I can get it.

2. Tea. I drink a lot of tea. Green tea, sweet tea, earl grey tea, british breakfast tea.

3. Tin roof. I love the sound of rain on a tin roof.

4. Trees. When I was a little girl (and even now that I'm a not-so-little girl), I spent a great deal of time up one tree or another. I like lots of trees around, and hate to see old trees taken down.

5. Travel. I do this as much as possible. I've been unable to get out of the country in the past few years, but I really enjoy flying off to see my friends in various parts of the country. I'm off to Washington, D.C. tomorrow.

6. TV. I watch too much. Bust wasn't the Alias finale awesome?

7. Tipsy. This is an accurate description of me after a glass or so of wine. I'm a really cheap drunk.

8. Twins. They (kind of) run in my family. I used to think it would be fun to have twins, and then I saw Erin handle Abby and Izzy. And I reconsidered. They're wonderful, and Erin is one of the best moms I've ever seen, and those girls are hands down my favorite babies in the world, but i'd need a rich husband, a nanny, a secretary, and 12 extra hours in a day to handle twins.

9. Thoughtful. I'm defnintely a thinker. And when I read this list to my dad he said i'm also really considerate of others. have I mentioned I'm a daddy's girl?

10. Thrifty. Ok. this is a family joke. whenever my mom and i go out shopping and come home with a bunch of stuff, my dad will ask how much this thing or that thing cost, and we always say "$40". Everything is always $40. Just below the expensive limit.

I'm blogging from the couch, my dog is lying at my feet, and all is (almost) right in the world

2006-05-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

Hmmm. Lets see. I was told recently that I needed to get back on the blogging horse, so to speak, so I'll try to oblige. I finished classes about 10 days ago, and have thoroughly enjoyed the vacation...I spent most of it hanging out with a cute boy who thinks I have beautiful eyes. So it was mostly good. Unfortunately, said boy stuck his foot in his mouth about 16 hours before I left town for a week. I tried really hard not to be so sensitive, but I think he'll spent a few more days kicking himself over it. And I'm ok with that. At least he'll be thinking about me. Thats always a good thing.

I'm ending my vacation with a trip to D.C. with my mom--we're going to see Garrison Kellior record Prairie Home Companion, and go to the National Cathedral and see museums and shop and eat at great restaurants. And cross our fingers that the Memorial Day crowds don't show up in full force until after we've left on Sunday.

I may be driving back to Hattiesburg in a new car, too.

Counting Backwards

2006-05-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

7 lasts:

1. Last place you were: Mahogany Bar, having drinks on friends' birthdays'. (yes, plural. they're twins).
2. Last soda: Diet Dr. Pepper, Sunday night..
3. Last movie seen: on DVD: Dick and Jane. In the theater: V for Vendetta
4. Last CD you listened to: Sigur Ros
5. Last time you cried: Whitley and I sitting and talking while I was home at Easter: total girl cry fest.
6. Last alcoholic beverage: Monday night: glass of Pinot.
7. Last person you talked to on the phone: my mom (as usual).

6 Favorite Things:

1. Massages, or someone playing with my hair.
2. a trip to the bookstore
3. cooking for my family and friends
4. learning something new
5. sitting by the pool with a book.
6. my dog

5 countries you've been to:
1. England
2. Germany
3. France
4. Czech Republic
5. Scotland

4 things you want to do before you die?
1. Write a novel.
2. have a few kids.
3. get my doctorate. (i know, i know--i'm a professional student).
4. live in a European country for a while.

3 people you can tell anything to:
1. Whitley
2. Erin
3. Liz

2 Favorite colors:
1. green
2. red
(but not together, obviously)

1 Thing you regret:
I'm not big on regret. what's the point?

Ahem.

2006-05-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

I need my lip balm today.

Well, I had to blog about SOMETHING. (there is only one person who will understand (and laugh at) this post. odds are, you are not that person. we will return to the regularly scheduled program tomorrow. perhaps (grin).)

What I saw today..

2006-05-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

a pregnant woman in the mall parking lot, wearing a shirt that said "Contraception Malfunction."

(The) Maker's Mark

2006-05-10T22:59:00.000-07:00

I've never been one of those people who tries to make others believe what i believe. or even think the way i think. If they do, that's great, but I'll never shove my religion or political beliefs or even my choice for favorite cereal down someone else's throat. I'll talk about and debate those things, of course, but only if all those involved respect each other's beliefs--or lack thereof. Part of it is because I think what works for me doesn't necessarily work for others, and maybe a bigger part is that I'm just not that kind of person. Someone (a heathen of a boy, and a dear friend)once told me that I'm the only kind of Christian they can tolerate--I try to live a life of faith, to show others by my behavior that I believe something greater than me loves me more than I can imagine-enough to forgive my deepest sin, enough to die for me when I didn't deserve it. A life touched by--no --more than just touched by--a life filled up with grace and love.

Like i said, I don't talk about it much--I grew up in a school where witnessing to your pagan neighbors was enough to earn major extra credit points if you were willing to get up in chapel and talk about it. People who choose to stand on a street corner in New Orleans tell the revelers that they can escape hell with a three-line prayer make me shake my head in disbelief. Stop just talking about it, and lead by example instead.

Most of this was preface to what I'm trying to say--I was at a party last saturday night, just sitting around talking with some people from school, and someone asked me where I went to church. I made the move over to the Episcopalians a few years ago, not because I was disgruntled with the Methodists or anything like that, but because I just wasn't finding what I was looking for anymore. One of the girls was interested in why I'd made the switch, and talked a little about how she hadn't found a place to belong in a long time. Before I knew it, I had invited her along with me anytime she wanted and promised I'd be there to sit with her (a big deal when you don't know anyone, at least for us shy types).

I left a little while later, and realized while i was driving home that I'd TOTALLY get an extra-credit point for that. But when the Episcopalians are the ones giving them out, it would probably come in the form of a bottle of bourbon.

hmmm, hmmm

2006-05-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

The job at Sewanee is still open.

Things that make me really happy, Volume 2

2006-05-08T23:28:00.000-07:00

This post by Mary Hasta at the Order of Sait Ignora.

Things that make me really happy (despite being in the middle of exam week), Volume 1:

2006-05-08T23:13:00.000-07:00

Coldplay's "Kingdom Come." Kelly has been trying to convince me of the brilliance of this band for about 18 months, and I didn't really understand it until I heard this song.

Steal my heart
And hold my tongue
I feel my time
my time has come.
Let me in
Unlock the door
I never felt this way before.

The wheels just keep on turning
The drummer begins to drum
I don't know which way I'm going
I don't know which way I've come.

Hold my hand
And inside your hands
I need someone
Who understands
I need someone
Someone who heals
For you I've waited all these years

For you I'd wait
till kingdom come
Until my day
my day is done
and say you'll come
and set me free
Just say you'll wait
you'll wait for me.

In your tears
And in your blood
In your fire
And in your flood
I hear you laugh
I heard you sing
I wouldn't change a single thing

The wheels just keep on turning
The drummers begin to drum
I don't know which way I'm going
I don't know what I'll become

For you I'd wait
till kingdom come
until my days
my days are done.
say you'll come
and set me free
just say you'll wait
you'll wait for me.

just say you'll wait
you'll wait for me.

I'm not sure if Chris Martin wrote this song for God or Gywneth, but it doesn't really matter to me. I feel like I spend most of my life waiting for something to begin--this song helps me remember that some things are worth waiting for.

things i'm weary of encountering everywhere i turn:

2006-05-08T21:37:00.000-07:00

1. coffee shops that won't run a tab, even though i'm planning to be there for several hours and buy lots of coffee. Bars can work this out, why can't y'all?
2. Natasha Bedingfield singing "Unwritten" everytime I turn on the stereo. I'm sooo sick of this song.
3. Same thing for Daniel Powder and "Bad Day". We get it. they had bad days, but found each other in the end, and that made everything hunky-dory. spare me.
4. exams.
5. professors who will not answer my emails.
6. the banging that has been going on for a week now on my roof.
7. these freaky little flies that come out of nowhere in my kitchen. its very clean in there, so I can't figure out whats attracting them.
8. my family having celebrations without me.
9. conflicting schedules for summer classes.

negative, ghost-rider.

2006-05-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

It is difficult for me to watch other people make fools of themselves. This is why I always fast forward through the scene in Dirty Dancing where Johnny teaches Baby how to dance, and why I can't watch the American Idol try-outs. I get embarassed for these people, often to the point of blushing because they are SO BAD. This brings us to the true content of this blog entry:

"Somewhere in a galaxy far, far away, Lord Xenu is laughing his ass off."

(via Cyn-C)

made in Utah

2006-04-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

My Junior year of college I went to Europe for 6 weeks with the study abroad program. One of the people on the trip was LeAnna. Several of us took a weekend trip over to Dublin, and the only thing LeAnna absolutely had to do was got to St. Patrick's Cathedral. "Is it this way?" "Do we know what time it closes?" "I have to light a candle there, we're headed that way, right?"

LeAnna has dealt bravely with Cystic Fibrosis her whole life. She takes very good care of herself and follows a regimine that keeps her healthy and breathing. Sadly, many of the people LeAnna has known who also had the disease have passed away, many before the grew out of their teen years. One of these people was a young man named Patrick. LeAnna light a candle in his memory at every church we visited, but the one she lit for him in Dublin was especially important. I think he had a really big impact on her life.

There aren't many things that LeAnna can't do because of her disease, but she knew she'd never be able to be pregnant, for several reasons--the drugs she takes, and the possibility that she could pass on the disease. When she married Matt about 5 years ago, they both knew they would adopt.

A few months ago I got an email that said that Le and Matt had registered with an adoption agency in Utah and were hoping to have a baby by the end of the year.

Patrick McKenzie was born yesterday at 3:51 pm.
7 lbs, 13 oz.

Congratulations, LeAnna and Matt! You're going to be great parents!

Alphabet Meme

2006-04-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Accent: North Mississippian--there is a difference between us and the coast region, but we're probably the only ones who can hear it.
Booze: Abita Amber
Chore I Hate: cleaning the kitchen
Dog or Cat: dog. specifically, my deltadog
Essential Electronics: my ipod and laptop
Favorite Perfume: Chance, by Chanel right now. I don't wear it very often, though.
Gold or Silver: silver
Hometown: Southaven, MS
Insomnia: yes.
JobTitle: full time student
Kids: one day, hopefully.
Living Arrangements: HUGE apartment.
Most Admirable Trait: funny, compassionate, nurturing. and humble.
Number of Sexual Partners: i just had a pseudo-fight with someone who had the gall to ask me this question when it was none of his damn business.
Overnight Hospital Stays: one in college for a very bad case of bronchitis, and twice when my dad broke his hip and i stayed with him.
Phobias: plane crashes
Quote: "sometimes you ask God to come into your life--and He does--and it scares the Hell out of you!"
Religion: Episcopalian.
Siblings: a brother
Time I Wake Up: depends on when i went to sleep.
Unusual Talent or Skill: i'm a little bit psychic
Vegetable I refuse to Eat: tomatoes.
Worst Habit: biting my fingernails
X-Rays: a lot in the past year, because of the accident. i had one today, in fact.
Yummy Foods: Pad Thai. Sushi. Chocolate. Steak.
Zodiac Sign: Saggitarius.

*draws breath**

2006-04-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

EVIL FRANCIE!!
WILL!!

VAUGHN!!!!!!

He is Risen!

2006-04-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

Got up at the crack of dawn to go to early service with the family--my dad had to sing at Getwell, so he was the only one missing--even Kevin and Ashley came.

Beautiful sermon--how it is sometimes easier to focus on the crucifixion, and not realize that the resurrection of our Lord calls us into action and service.
Andy did a baptism--the first little girl born into a family of 4 sons and 8 grandsons.

Came home, cooked for two hours to have lunch ready. Ham, scalloped potatoes with spinach and carmelized onions, deviled eggs with salmon, lemon asparagus, yeast rolls. I did everything but the ham and the rolls.

Took a nap. Talked about going sailing with daddy, because the wind was so great this afternoon, but he wasn't sure where the plug was for the boat that would keep the water out and us afloat, so that plan got nixed. Instead, we all fell asleep in stages as we sat around and read the Sunday paper.

Also, we that are in the KNOW tried hard not to talk about the big event that's going to happen in the next couple of weeks.

He is Risen, indeed!
Alleluia!
Alleluia!

still learning.

2006-04-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those moments when you run into someone you used to know, but with whom you have had no contact for a number of years, and for a split-second, your entire relationship-- every stupid thing you did, or every mean thing they did, or every malicious moment that passed between the two of you--all of those things flash through your memory, and you seriously consider ducking behind a door or into the next supermarket aisle so you won't have to talk to them?

I had two of those moments this week. Both turned out fine. Better than fine. They laughed at my jokes, we talked about jobs, i admired babies and fielded the inevitable questions (nope, I don't have kids. or a husband. I have degrees instead. )

Can I learn a lesson from this? Certainly...and here's what I think it is: we remember our embarassing behavior far longer that those that witnessed it.

So, the next time I do something that makes me want to instantly dig a hole and hide in it (and sometimes pull the dirt in after me so I can quietly die a thousand deaths)--I'll try very hard to remember than in ten years, ten months, ten days, or ten minutes, no one will recall those things that I tend to hold onto and berate myself for doing or saying or being.

Like Father David said--Get over it, Christy. (actually, he advised me to be more gentle with myself, but that was the gist of things)

Believe me, I'm trying.

Enjoying

2006-04-13T04:08:00.000-07:00

"Tell me why I love you like i do.
Tell me who could stop my heart as much as you.
Tell me all you secrets and i'll tell you most of mine.
They say nobody's perfect well, that's really true this time.
I don't have the answers, I don't have a plan.
All I have is you so, darling, help me understand
What we do.
Well, you can whisper in my ear.
Where we go--who knows what happens after here?
Lets take each other's hands as we jump into the final frontier.
Mad about you, baby,
Yeah, I'm mad about you."

The Mad About You marathon on Nick at Nite.
Despite its jumping the shark and bringing in a baby.

a list

2006-04-13T04:03:00.000-07:00

People, of which i wonder whether they read this blog:

John
Whitley
Coloradoguy
indicative boy
Asbury people
wes
Mr. Carter

2006-04-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

I want a love like a Jane Austen novel.

for all those people who tease me about my career choices....

2006-04-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

From an MSN report about the 5 careers that are most likely to experience a severe shortage of labor in the nest 3-5 years:

"Studies have shown that librarians are expected to exit the profession en masse in coming years. The American Library Association Web site quotes statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau indicating that more than one-quarter of all librarians will reach the age of 65 by 2009. A study published in the Library Journal found that 40 percent of library directors would retire by that same year.

In addition to the librarians expected to retire within the next decade, interest in the profession is waning among younger workers, according to the BLS. The situation is particularly dire for colleges and universities, which report the greatest difficulty in hiring librarians due to lower pay.

Graduates of library programs in 2004 reported an average starting salary of more than $39,000, an increase of nearly 3 percent over the previous year. The median salary for librarians is nearly $47,000, according to the BLS."

Rounding out the top five were registered nurses, machinists, truck drivers, and pharmacists.

I thought this was really interesting, and bodes well for my future--if only the universities that make up the academic field will stop whining about how they can't find anybody to hire and realize that their problem lies in their low wages. Why should I want to work someplace that pays a pittance when I can get a job with the government that pays two and a half times the salary the university is offering?

I also think its interesting that the other people in my program are like me--we are really looking forward to working in this industry--its one of those jobs where you don't do it unless you really love it.

Meme

2006-04-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

Instructions: Go to your iPod and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud, and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question.

How does the world see you?
Take Me or Leave Me, Rent

Will I have a happy life?
The Long Way Home, Norah Jones

What do my friends really think of me?
For Once in my Life, Michael Buble

Do guys have secret crushes on me?
Take me for Longing, Alison Krauss

How can I make myself happy?
Redemption, Switchfoot

What should I do with my life?
French for Beginners Lesson (a podcast I subscribe to)

Will I ever have children?
Adding to the Noise, Switchfoot

What is some good advice for me?
Don't Panic, Coldplay

How will I be remembered?
Innocence, Hootie and the Blowfish

What is my signature dance song?
How Sweet it Is, James Taylor

What do I think my current theme song is?
All My Friends, Counting Crows

What song will play at my funeral?
Where the Streets Have no Name, U2

What type of men do I like?
MLK, U2

What is my day going to be like?
Love is Hell, Ryan Adams

Are You Geeky Enough to be a Librarian?

2006-04-02T00:40:00.000-08:00

from Librarian Avengers

A quiz, to gauge your readiness to accept Library Science school as your fate.
How many of these questions can you answer with a "yes"?

1. I enjoy acronyms.
2. I own a cat.
3. When confronted with a pile of books I think “Hmm…first I would sort by author, then by title.”
4. I am obsessive enough to appreciate the difference between 345.065 and 345.605.
5. I possess a useless undergraduate degree.
6. Being surrounded by books makes me lather with delight.
7. The idea of someone preventing me from reading Orwell because they don’t like it strikes me as…Orwellian.
8. I am comfortable with the Internets.
9. If my house caught on fire, one of the things I would grab is my favorite book. 10. I possess a useless graduate degree.
11. I can daisy-chain a herd of Ubuntu boxes faster than you can say FreeBSD
12. These kids today. I swear. If they would just read a damn book once in awhile, they wouldn’t be blowing each other up so much.
13. I could find out the middle name of your high school boyfriend with just ten minutes on the Internet.
14. I could find out the first line of A Tale of Two Cities with just ten seconds on the Internet.
15. I know the first line of A Tale of Two Cities.
16. I am a disenfranchised intellectual.
17. The idea of arming the public with knowledge appeals to me more than, say, arming them with pitchforks and torches.
18. I would rather do something cool than get rich.
19. I possess a useless doctoral degree.
20. I can say “Colon classification” without laughing.

Under 5 = I think the “We hate libraries” meeting is down the hall.

5-10 = You are geeky, but can you HANDLE the acronyms?

10-15 = I’ve got some library school applications under my desk you big dork

15-20 = Quit your job immediately! Grab the nearest child and teach him to read! Oh, and start stocking up on acid-free paper.

that little voice in my head...

2006-03-28T20:48:00.000-08:00

...is my mother, telling me to get my hair out of my face. having bangs for the first time in more than ten years has been interesting. I can't just pull it into a ponytail anymore. However, a few people have told me that it makes me look completely different. I like that.

Other stuff:

I took down my last post (the Bush-rant) because I felt that I alienated a couple of people. Namely, a guy I've met who read the post and almost decided I wasn't someone he was interested in knowing any longer. I'm experiencing a slight conflict in this matter, though...because I kinds feel like I'm not showing him who I really am. That troubles me.

I spent the last weekend at a church retreat and, if nothing else, learned that I am too hard on myself. Someone else pointed this out. Someone who, at the time, had known me for less than 48 hours. He may be correct.
I spent a lot of the weekend feeling really self-conscious, but managed to let go of it after I made a complete fool of myself on saturday night.

...to dust you shall return.

2006-03-02T23:18:00.000-08:00

I went to Ash Wednesday services yesterday, which is especially appropriate since I actually celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans this year.

Then I went to Target and the library and the coffeeshop, and had several split-seconds of wondering why people were looking at me funny before I remembered I had ashes smeared in the shape of a cross on my forehead.

To confess, this is one of my favorite times of year, though I know we're supposed to be soberly observing Lent and remembering our own mortality. I try to adopt a new good habit in addition to giving something up, so right now I'm in that fun couple of weeks where this new thing is still exciting and I haven't gotten bored with it yet. Then comes a couple weeks of forcing myself to do it, until I finally achieve my goal--actually making it part of my routine.

I see Ash Wednesday as a beginning--that faint shadow of a cross on our foreheads is a suggestion of what's coming. As we get closer and closer to Easter the cross becomes more distinct--until Good Friday, when it is a bold symbol we cannot miss.

uncommonly good books

2006-03-01T22:12:00.000-08:00

I was very sad to discover that one of my favorite booksellers, "Common Reader", has filed for bankruptcy. They introduced me to some of my favorite authors, and I would mark up the catalogs with pens and dog-ear the pages marking books I wanted to read. It was more than jsut a company, it was like a friend with an awesome taste in books.

In the "I'm Bigger-than-You Bookstore" world, its sad to see another independent spirit bite the dust.

100 things about me.

2006-02-24T00:45:00.000-08:00

1. My favorite color is green.
2. I've never been in love.
3. I only get crushes on guys I can't have.
4. I spent most of my 20's not knowing what I wanted to do with my life.
5. The second toe on both my feet is longer than my big toe.
6. I avoid confrontation at almost all costs.
7. I know all the words to the movie "Steel Magnolias".
8. I enjoy discussions on religion and faith, but only if all those involved respect the others' beliefs or lack thereof.
9. My favorite ice cream flavor is Chocolate Chip, but it has to be the Blue Bunny brand.
10. I have never balanced a checkbook.
11. I was in a sorority in college.
12. I'm a great cook.
13. For two years I worked as a facilitator at a high and low ropes course.
14. My favorite flowers are tulips, hydrangeas, and gerbera daisies.
15. I wish by brother and I were better friends.
16. The first concert I ever went to was New Kids on the Block. I was 11.
17. My parents almost named me Shelby.
18. My mom, grandmother, and I all have a mole in the same place.
19. I'm awkward as hell around guys until the first kiss, and then I'm fine.
20. I have a very high arch in my foot. This makes it almost impossible to buy comfortable heels.
21. I am 5 feet, 6 and a half inches tall. The half inch is important to me.
22. I'm a speckled thing (lots of freckles).
23. I am not comfortable in large crowds.
24. When people meet me, they often think I am cold and aloof. I'm really just shy.
25. I understand the Principle of Least Interest.
26. I have never done drugs, but I did once smoke half an Ultra-Light cigarette. It tasted like styrofoam.
27. I was involved in a hit-and-run accident. I was the one who got hit. The guy in the stolen car was the one who ran.
28. I really thought I'd be married by now.
29. I am very allergic to cats.
30. My mom and I have the same middle name.
31. I can't wear yellow unless I have a tan. Even then, its a little iffy.
32. My earliest memory is of my mom yelling at me.
33. I occasionaly have anxiety attacks.
34. The only time I cuss is when I'm driving.
35. I think there is a special part of hell reserved for people who talk at the movies.
36. I want to live in New York City once in my life.
37. I hate tomatoes.
38. I'm very bad at math.
39. I took about 8 years of piano lessons as a kid.
40. I intensely dislike public speaking.
41. My camp name was Peabody.
42. I prefer fall and winter.
43. I know how to ballroom dance.
44. I've never been hung-over.
45. My favorite pizza toppings are ham and pineapple. Or sausage, onions, and green peppers.
46. My daddy calls me "christylove". Quite a few of my friends have picked up on it, and use it, too.
47. I have been a bridesmaid in 5 weddings.
48. Mosquitoes tend to avoid me. I think its got something to do with my body chemistry.
49. I make cornbread in an iron skillet.
50. I take physical, spiritual, and emotional comfort from books. I realize this is weird. I don't care.
51. I think George W. Bush is an idiot.
52. My eyes get bluer when I cry.
53. I didn't get my first kiss until I was 17.
54. I work better under pressure.
55. Going to college taught me the fine art of bullshit.
56. My Myers-Briggs personality type is INFJ.
57. I tend to trust people until they let me down. Then its hard to work up to trusting them again.
58. I can't stand passive-aggressive people. I'm a little passive-aggressive.
59. I'm a light sleeper.
60. If I could have any superpower, I want to be able to teleport. A lot of thought has gone into this decision.
61. My lucky number is 17. I don't know why.
62. I only make fun of people when I really like them.
63. I say "I love you" a lot to the people in my life.
64. I get lost every time I go to Atlanta or New Orleans.
65. I'm really good at directions when I have a map. Otherwise, we're screwed.
66. I sleep with three pillows.
67. I eat edamame almost every day.
68. I can finish a 400 page book in about two hours.
69. I'm suffer bouts of insommnia.
70. I like to sit in my hallway when I have long phone conversations.
71. I love to swim.
72. My imagination can quite often be categorized as overactive.
73. I had two imaginary friends as a child. Their names were Shirley-Carrot and Andy.
74. Guys with accents are really hot.
75. I want to learn to speak French.
76. The only magazines to which I subscribe are National Geographic and Rolling Stone. I have a totally weird subscription deal worked out with RS in which I get 10 years for about $30. I think there was something going on in the RS office the day they sent me that offer.
77. I have almost no alcohol tolerance.
78. I love books about far-away places.
79. I know CPR.
80. My biggest fear is one of my parents dying before I have a chance to say goodbye.
81. I don't believe that death is the end.
82. I was raised Methodist, but now I'm more of an Episcopalian.
83. I tend to pass out when I'm in intense pain.
84. I'm a tiny bit psychic.
85. I introduced my best friend to the guy she married.
86. I've seen James Taylor in concert.
87. I'm pretty flexible. Yoga helps.
88. I've been known to call the cops on people who are illegally parked in handicapped spaces.
89. I think the greatest act of courage is to be the one that kisses first.
90. I once spent a month in Great Britain with my best guy friend. He doesn't speak to me now (but not because of the trip). I feel the loss of his friendship deeply.
91. I always go to the movies on my birthday.
92. I can listen to the Crash album by Dave Matthews over and over. Same for Norah Jones.
93. I've never broken a bone.
94. Asking me to pick a favorite book is like asking a mother to pick her favorite child.
95. The elliptical machine is my favorite thing at the gym.
96. I'm a great speller.
97. Bad grammar drives me crazy.
98. I try very hard not to complain about situations unless I'm willing to work to change them.
99. I'm prepared to accept sponsorship to be a world traveller.
100. I'm drawn to people who are artistic, smart, creative, dynamic, and have extensive vocabularies.

2006-02-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy)

You're a great thinker and a true philosopher.
You'd make a talented professor or writer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

I've forgotten how to flip-turn

2006-02-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

A few things:

1. The Office was not on tonight because of the Olympics. I watched a little curling, and I saw the American women kick ass at snowboarding, but other than that I haven't seen a lot of it. Kelly and I had a "hot Olympian" wall during the summer olympics (mostly swimmers), but I haven't been as inspired this time.

2. I managed to find some time to get to the pool this week (twice!), and I also took advantage of the sauna. Dry heat plus lavender-scented lotion equals me smelling good, and I have soft skin for the first time in weeks. That week in Kansas almost turned me into a scaly monster.

3. Turns out the cute guy has a girlfriend. Oh, well. I figure if you never take a chance, life can get pretty boring.

oh, oh!

2006-02-13T22:42:00.000-08:00

this is almost the perfect job for me. I even have the theology degree they're looking for.

perhaps just one child at a time for me...

2006-02-10T17:34:00.000-08:00

I'm in Kansas City for 5 days, visiting my v good friend Erin and meeting her new twin girls for the first time. I don't have a way to post a picture, but if you click on the December Archives, I have one up that was taken when they were only a few days old.

I'll be back on Sunday, which isn't indicative of ANYTHING! (if you're not Erin or Liz, you won't get this joke. Live with it.)

Nutshell Weekend...

2006-02-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

Amazing weekend spent at Episcopal Council Weekend. Technically, its a big business meeting for the state, but we never pass up a chance to party, and those opportunities were fully realized, beginning with Elvis performing at the opening reception and ending with a service this morning with about 1200 other people, complete with smells, bells, banners, orchestration, Eucharist, and even a few jokes from the Bishop.

I met a bunch of really great people, saw my favorite sweet old man, and even worked up the courage to act the fool and give my number to the cute guy I met.

Episcopalians

2006-01-31T20:59:00.000-08:00

I'm going home to Hernando for the weekend, to party with some Episcopalians (click on the "Council" link). Hopefully, I'll have something to talk about when I get back on Sunday.

hello to all the visitors

2006-01-31T13:17:00.000-08:00

Cecily, at "and I wasted all that birth control" has linked to me from her very fabulous blog that has lots of readers, so to all you who are here for the first time, I feel I must post and let you all know that I'm not as boring as this blog makes me seem. I am, however, a full-time grad student who's semester just started, and all my time is spent reading about libraries.

To friends to visit this blog on a semi-regular basis, I'll try to get back to interesting topics sometime in the near-future.

more about my personality...

2006-01-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

The Counselor Idealists are abstract in thought and speech, cooperative in reaching their goals, and directive and introverted in their interpersonal roles. Counselors focus on human potentials, think in terms of ethical values, and come easily to decisions. The small number of this type (little more than 2 percent) is regrettable, since Counselors have an unusually strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others and genuinely enjoy helping their companions. Although Counsleors tend to be private, sensitive people, and are not generally visible leaders, they nevertheless work quite intensely with those close to them, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes with their families, friends, and colleagues. This type has great depth of personality; they are themselves complicated, and can understand and deal with complex issues and people.

Counselors can be hard to get to know. They have an unusually rich inner life, but they are reserved and tend not to share their reactions except with those they trust. With their loved ones, certainly, Counselors are not reluctant to express their feelings, their face lighting up with the positive emotions, but darkening like a thunderhead with the negative. Indeed, because of their strong ability to take into themselves the feelings of others, Counselors can be hurt rather easily by those around them, which, perhaps, is one reason why they tend to be private people, mutely withdrawing from human contact. At the same time, friends who have known a Counselor for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that they are inconsistent; Counselors value their integrity a great deal, but they have intricately woven, mysterious personalities which sometimes puzzle even them.

Counselors have strong empathic abilities and can become aware of another's emotions or intentions -- good or evil -- even before that person is conscious of them. This "mind-reading" can take the form of feeling the hidden distress or illnesses of others to an extent which is difficult for other types to comprehend. Even Counselors can seldom tell how they came to penetrate others' feelings so keenly. Furthermore, the Counselor is most likely of all the types to demonstrate an ability to understand psychic phenomena and to have visions of human events, past, present, or future. What is known as ESP may well be exceptional intuitive ability-in both its forms, projection and introjection. Such supernormal intuition is found frequently in the Counselor, and can extend to people, things, and often events, taking the form of visions, episodes of foreknowledge, premonitions, auditory and visual images of things to come, as well as uncanny communications with certain individuals at a distance.

Mohandas Gandhi and Eleanor Roosevelt are examples of the Counselor Idealist (INFJ).

2006-01-21T14:06:00.000-08:00

INFJ - the counselor
You scored 9% I to E, 21% N to S, 14% F to T, and 36% J to P!

Your type is best summed up by the word "counselor", which belongs to
the larger group of idealists. Only 2% of the population share your
type. You are so empathic that you often know what others need before
they know themselves. You are a complex person who can deal with
complicated issues and people, almost prefer to, as you love problem
solving. You can be something of an idealist or perfectionist, and
should try to take yourself a little less seriously.
You are a
supportive and insightful romantic partner, encouraging your mate to
have dreams and work hard to make those dreams come true. Because you
are so creative, you have a wealth of ideas to help them toward those
goals. You need harmony so much that you are driven to resolve conflict
quickly, as long as the terms don't violate your ethics. You feel the
most appreciated when your partner admires your creativity, trusts your
inspirations, and respects your values. It is also vitally important
that your partner be open and emotionally available - in other words,
that they be willing to share themselves completely.

Your group summary: idealists (NF)

Your type summary: INFJ

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 11% on I to E
You scored higher than 16% on N to S
You scored higher than 5% on F to T
You scored higher than 25% on J to P

Link: The LONG Scientific Personality Test written by unpretentious2 on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

a rant

2006-01-19T18:46:00.000-08:00

WHY, WHY, WHY is it so difficult to find jeans that fit?! Are there really so many people in the world who need a 34-inch inseam that it has to be standard? 30-inch is too short. I can never find 32s. And I refuse to spend a lot of money on jeans that I have to get hemmed. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm being unreasonable, and that a tailor could fix all these problems, but I just came from a store where I tried on several pairs that were all too long. uurrrggghhh.

a joyful Christmas season

2006-01-09T16:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a list of the some of the books I've read since the beginning of December:

Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden.
I read this book when it forst came out a few years ago, but I wanted to reread it before seeing the movie. Alas, I could not find my original copy, which I got from Rhonda in a care package, so I had to go out and buy another one. The book is amazing, and I won't spoil the twist at the end by telling you what it is (they don't mention it at all in the movie, so you'll need to read the book to figure it out). The movie was ok, but not as good as the book. One of my favorite parts was the description of the work that went into the geisha costume, and that was barely touched upon in the movie.

The Secret History, by Donna Tartt.
Reread this beautiful book about a group of students at a small liberal arts college who get a little too involved with their Greek classes and end up murdering one of their own.

Long Way Round, by Ewan MacGregor and Charley Boorman.
The book about the trip these two actors took around the world on motorcycles. There was also a TV series on Bravo that chronicled the trip, which was really good; I'm trying to track down the DVD. I love Ewan (mostly for his Scottich accent), and this was an interesting read. The most difficult leg of their trip took them through Ukraine, Kazakstan, Mongolia, and Russia (I had to get the book out to figure out how to spell Kazakstan). Doyle would like this book; tons of motorcycle stuff. I've been waiting for this one to hit paperback, because I rarely buy hardcover books, and this was worth the wait.

Going Postal, Monstrous Regiment, and Three Witches, all by Terry Pratchett.
Pratchett has written an enormous series of books about a place called Discworld. I love long series', because when I find one I like I know I'll have a supply for a while. Pretty good.

The Deed, by Keith Blanchard
A young New Yorker finds out he is the last remaining decendant of the family who supposedly owns the island of Manhattan. However, the deed is necessary to prove the link, and a search ensues. THe consequences of finding the deed are enormous. Guy falls in love with the young Native American lawyer who wants to help him find the deed, yada, yada, yada. This was an ok book, but definitely written by a man, which doesn't work when the book is being sold as chick lit. Not worth reading again.

The Spiral Staricase, by Karen Armstrong.
The sequel to Armstrong's Through the Narrow Gate, which chronicles her life as a nun and subsequent decision to leave that life. Lots of interesting stuff about life inside a convent, what it was like to be a nun who was studying at Oxford, and the major changes that happened when Vatican II changed everything.

The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass, by Philip Pullman.
I've been aware of this series for a while, ever since I worked in a bookstore a few years ago, but never picked them up--others told me they weren't very good. I read a review that changed my mind about them, and really enjoyed them. A lot of people avoided them for their kids because the books are supposedly about demons and evil, etc., but that's completely off the mark. The best part of the series is the ending, which happens halfway through the last book and finally lets the reader figure out what has really been happening the whole time. I've been recommending these to everyone. Loved them.

Mr. Darcy's Daughters, by Elizabeth Aston.
Picks up 20 years after Pride & Prejudice, when the five daughters of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam give their parents hell over boys and parties and marriage, or at least as much hell as can be mustered in Victorian England. It was ok, but obviously can't touch the original. I started this book knowing that there were a lot of books like it, and with the hope that I had discovered a new series to read, but didn't continue past this one. Maybe one day.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke.
This book got a lot of press, made it onto the New York Times Bestseller List, but I didn't pick it up until a few months ago. I read it on and off for several weeks. It was interesting, but took a great effort to stay with, because it doesn't really pick up until a few hundred pages into it. Its about two magicians in Victorian England, who are trying to revive magic. Premise is that magic was at its strongest when King Arthur was around, but has been fading since, and is almost gone. Only a few people in the whole world can still do any magic. Takes place in a world slightly skewed from our own. Pretty good, but only read it if you're willing to slog through the beginning.

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo, but Obert Skye (which I think is a pseudonym, like Lemony Snicket)
Liz sent me this book for my birthday. We both love kids books, and are going to open our own bookstore one day, which will specialize in kids books. I liked this one, and the sequel is coming out on April "Foo's" Day. Foo is the place where people's dreams are made; its inhabitants were all transported out of our world and into Foo by a very specific set of events.

Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis.
Reread this series, for the first time in a long time, and saw entirely new meaning in them, which happens each time. Voyage of the Dawn Treader remains my favorite. (Can anyone else never again think of these movies and books without hearing "The Chroni-WHAT?-cles of Narnia!!" in your head? I certainly can't. You can still see the video clip from SNL on MSN video, while it lasts. iTunes had a free download for a while, but I missed it.

The Protector of the Small Series, by Tamora Pierce (First Test, Page, Squire, Lady Knight).
Loved these kids books. Same lady who wrote the Lioness series. I hope I have a daughter one day, so I can MAKE her read them. I gave my set to Whitley, and she called tonight to tell me how much she was loving them. The series is about a girl who wants to become a knight, in a system that doesn't want her.

Remember me to Harold Square and Thames Doesn't Rhyme with James, by Paula Danziger.
Two books I remembered reading when I was young, and picked up again.

This was obviously the season for rereading a lot of the great books I read as a kid.

I'm working on two tomes at the moment, A Suitable Boy, by Vikram Seth, and Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigred Undset.

Watch out, World Poker Tour

2006-01-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

By far, the funnest thing I did this Christmas was help teach my 11-year-old cousins how to play Texas Hold 'Em. Actually, their mother is my cousin, but we just call everyone "cousin" in this family. It's much less complicated, and links us to about half the state.* They picked it up so fast! By the end of the weekend, they knew all the terminology (check, raise, fold, shuffle up and deal, burn and turn, etc.) Unfortunately, there are no pictures, something I highly regret. Their mother threatened to call us to pay the bail when they get arrested for cleaning out all their fifth-grade classmates, but it was sooo worth it.

I drove off to Arkansas not expecting to have a great time with the family horde, but it was much better than I expected. I could have done without my brother, but that's not anything unusual. You know, we (as a world) are so very, very lucky that my brother is around because, in case civilization has to start over for some reason, he knows everything and can instruct the rest of us on the proper way to do things! We're in such good hands!

*which comes in very handy when stopped for speeding in certain parts of the state. "Officer, I believe you know my cousin, the sheriff?"

You'll find me buried under all the textbooks.

2005-12-22T19:36:00.000-08:00

I just registered for four classes in the spring semester, and I'm feeling as though I just signed away my soul or something. This last semester ended up being a lot of work at times, and it was only three classes.

I'm very thankful that my parents are making it possible for me to go to school full time, because I could never handle a class load like this and keep a full-time job. Especially on the time frame I've set for myself: finishing the whole program in 18 months.

I'm not really sure why this class load is all of a sudden freaking me out...this has been my plan all along. I only started to feel this way when I did the actual registration.

At least I NEVER have to take another cataloging class. Ugh.

...well, its my birthday, too.

2005-12-18T22:52:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm 28.

Hmmm. not sure how I feel about being 28.

I wish y'all were around today, to spend it with me.

a Friday meme

2005-12-15T23:07:00.000-08:00

Four jobs you've had in your life:
Camp Director
Youth Minister
Bookseller
Archivist

Four books you could read over and over:
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Blue Like Jazz
Chronicles of Narnia (I have them in one volume, so it counts as one book)
Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Series. (7 LONG books, but I can't read one without the others)

Four cities you've lived in:
Southaven, MS
Mentone, AL
Wilmore, KY
Hattiesburg, MS

Four TV shows you love to watch:
Gilmore Girls
The Office
Firefly
Alias

Four places you've been on vacation:
Alaska
New York City
Destin, FL (but not since I was a kid)
Great Britain

Four websites you visit daily:
Yahoo
Dooce.com
Kottke.org
Blackboard (my classroom site)

Four of your favorite foods:
Pad Thai
Chocolate
Fried Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard
french fries

Four places I'd rather be right now:
Home
anywhere my friends are

They're here!

2005-12-13T20:16:00.000-08:00

Abigail Jane and Isabel Grace were born Dec. 9!

I'm not sure which is which in this picture, but I love the expression of the twin on the right. She's going to be the handful, I can tell. "MOTHER! Please leave me alone! Can't you tell I'm BUSY!!"

They're doing really well, and only have NG tubes to help them gain weight, since premies often have trouble remembering to eat, swallow, and breathe all at the same time. Erin and Dan should be able to take them home in about 2 weeks. They're really big, considering how little room was left in there...way to go, Erin, on the calorie load! You did everything in your power to make sure your girls were healthy. You're such a great mommy.

I can't believe I have to wait until February to see them! It's enough to make me want to move to Kansas!!

they fly faster than the really cool phoenix in the battle scene

2005-12-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

Forget being the Kings and Queens of Narnia...the Pevensie children are Kings and Queens of the *SIGNIFICANT LOOK*!!!

The looks flew faster than anything else in that movie..

v. cool parts...the phoenix over the battlefield, and the centuar fighting with two swords.

I'll write more about it later, but at the moment I'm exhausted, having only had five hours of sleep in the last 48. BUT!! my last paper of the semester is done!

if my cell phone rings twice, its Vaughn calling...

2005-12-11T01:03:00.000-08:00

Dude, yo! I'm sooooo going to work at the CIA.

CIA Careers

lavender bulletins

2005-12-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

A pick-up truck just drove by the coffeeshop with a CHristmas tree in the back. But is it a Christmas tree, yet? "It is the Christmas season, therefore all trees that are capable of holding decoration are Christmas trees?" If Rhonda was around, we would have had to put a freudian slip in there SOMEWHERE, though it has no context. We specialized in those. I miss Rhonda.

I went to mid-week Eucharist tonight, and failed to pick up the lavender bulletin that would have told me what the proper responses were to the special healing service we had tonight. Instead, I kept my cool, and simply stood there while it was happening, and prayed for my friends. Actually, I prayed for just about everyone I could think of. Not big prayers, just a "Hey, God, look out for this person, please. I really love them, even if I'm not very good at telling them so." kind of prayer. I even prayed for some people I don't like very much right now. (don't worry, it's not you.)

So, if you felt loved at any point on Wednesday, it was me, sending it your way.
I miss y'all yots and yots.

525, 600 minutes

2005-11-28T20:30:00.000-08:00

The summer of 1998, I spent 6 weeks in Europe taking classes with my college-abroad program. During our time in London, I convinced the people in my circle of friends to go see RENT, which was playing at the Shrewsbury Theatre, just down the road from our dorm. The rest of the trip was filled with counterpoint renditions of "Would you Light my Candle?" and "La Vie Boheme." I bought the soundtrack, learned most of the songs, and didn't see the musical again until last year, in NYC.

When I learned Chris Columbus (Stepmom, Harry Potter, etc.) was making a movie with most of the original cast members, I was wary. Directors tend to butcher the stories I love best, be they books or plays. I saw the movie tonight, and though it wasn't brilliant, it was everything I expected. I expected Chris Columbus to be able to capture some of the magic of the music, the city, and the characters, and I wasn't disappointed. The story got switched around a bit, but that was ok, because they realized that the musical in its original state wasn't perfect, and did their best to improve where they could. Got rid of the silly song with everyone under the sheet in the beginning of the second act, but kept the ridiculous "1000 Kisses" song between Collins and Angel in the first act. Probably the worst part of the movie, and a downright stupid scene, with them frolicking down the streets of the city. Gag.

Columbus felt the need to date the movie for us, which doesn't happen in the play (we get the month and day, but not the year). I thought this was unnecessary, and put restrictions on what was happening. 1989 was the point where a lot of people began living with AIDS, before there were any really effective drugs. Most of these people contracted the disease through unprotected sex and needle sharing, and were in their early 20s, but the movie cast supporting characters in their 30s, so the original cast members wouldn't look so old next to them. It was nice to hear most of the same voices that are on my original cast album, though (The actress that played Mimi was pregnant during filming, and the original Joanne felt she looked too old to come back to the role, so they both bowed out).

I'm also going to see Harry Potter this week, and I saw Walk the Line over the holiday. Joachim Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon both deserve an Oscar.

on the injured list...

2005-11-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

A listing of the myriad ways I managed to injure or almost injure myself during the three and a half days I spent in Arkansas this Thanksgiving:

1. Got terrible motion sickness riding there. This was mainly my brother's fault, because he drives a big SUV like he's in a little sports car, and at 60 miles an hour on windy, hilly roads. I spent the last hour trying not to puke. And the jerk would not let me drive, which is the only thing that cures it.

2. Stuck the side on my right hand full of splinters while watching my dad and brother attempt to hurl themselves off the roof of the cabin in the guise of fixing the loose roof panels. My mother went after those suckers with a needle, tweezers, and gleeful abandon.

3. Broke a candle on the bathroom floor, but didn't realize it until I almost stepped on the pieces bare-footed.

4. ALMOST set the whole place on fire when I was heating water in the kettle for tea. There was food stuck to the eye, so it wasn't really my fault. Big flames, though. (this brought on stories of how, a few years ago, I almost managed to blow up the ENTIRE place, while hosting a bunch of Wesley Foundation kids on a retreat. They kicked open the gas register, house filled with gas, etc.)

5. Burned my index, middle, and ring finger, and part of my palm, when I was trying to take a cake of cornbread out of the oven. Like a well-bred Southern girl, I was using a cast iron skillet, but the potholder I was using to grab the handle was just the tiniest bit damp, and the heat went right through it. Its better today, but I thought I was going to DIE yesterday, it hurt so bad. Now I have blisters on the first two fingers, and have spent much of the last 24 hours holding a frozen water bottle in that hand. Also, I dropped the skillet on the floor and the cornbread went everywhere.

All in all, it was a low-key holiday, but one I would not care to repeat. Now we gear up for Christmas, and try to keep my dad off the ice this year.

another 5 am post

2005-11-18T03:36:00.000-08:00

I'm awake again, but I think this is probably due to sleeping too much after finishing a paper. I'm going home saturday, and then to the cabin with the family for thanksgiving, and I'm hoping I can really rest while I'm there.

I went to see Zathura tonight, which was pretty good, though I figured out the twist way before it happened. I'm waiting to see RENT with Liz after the holiday, and I'm going to see Pride & Prejudice while I'm in Memphis, because no place around here is showing it. But, I really don't think it will match the A&E version.

Have a good holiday, everyone! Give thanks with a grateful heart!

Yup, that's about right.

2005-11-16T06:32:00.000-08:00

You scored as a New Democrat. New Democrats emphasize
fiscal conservatism, and have a strong preference
for the free market. They believe in small-scale programs
that provide targetted help to those in need, while working
with the business community.

New Democrat

90%

Green

75%

Old School Democrat

65%

Libertarian

40%

Socially Conservative Republican

35%

Pro Business Republican

35%

Foreign Policy Hawk

15%

What's Your Political Philosophy?
created with QuizFarm.com

all I want for Christmas...

2005-11-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

People have been asking me what I want for my birthday and Christmas...here's my list...

1. healthy twin girls for Erin and Dan, who should arrive right before their mother loses her mind because her body is no longer her own. I figure that will be end of December.
2. a pair of jeans that actually fit
3. all my friends in one place for a few days (preferably around my birthday)
4. reassurance that I will not lose my right to choose.
5. a smart, cultured, funny, adventuresome, honest, family-oriented, Godly man to marry (sooner rather than later, please.)
6. same as above for Liz and Kelly, and the female equivalent for Michael and Steve.
7. a place to live where I can also have my dog with me. Though I believe I'll have to fight my dad for custody at this point.
8. a better season of ALIAS
9. to be able to take all my friends to Rome for a week when I finish school
10. a cake of cornbread and a pot of chicken and dumplins like only my grandmother could make.

Seriously? Here's my Amazon wish list.