Long on pictures, short on words.

I'm having a wonderful time at my grandparents' house!  Here's a little of what's been happening...

A cramped car ride (from the airport):

A beautiful view:

Fun with my sister-in-law:

An extremely rare occurrence: a picture of Mark with a genuine smile!

My delicious Thanksgiving main dish (roasted acorn squash stuffed with wild rice, pecans, and cranberries) :

The Thanksgiving sunset:

I learned to play spades (just in case I ever end up in jail, according to my brother):

And some Christmas cookie making today with Grady!

I hope your Thanksgiving has been just as lovely as mine!

Geeking out.

I'm supposed to be packing for Thanksgiving in Florida, so of course I'm blogging instead, with yet-to-be-folded laundry all about me.

I have been listening to lots of music lately.  Some new, some older, but all good.  This blog got me going on this quest for new music.  They post photos in really stunning diptychs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays that are loosely related to a monthly theme, and this month's theme just so happens to be "currently listening to..."  So, through them I have discovered a few new artists, and remembered a few older ones that I so enjoy.  Then I just went from artist to artist on imeem and have been geeking out over all the sweet new music that I get to listen to.  I'm compiling my travel playlist for my sojourn to warm, sunny weather tonight, including...

                                                                                

                                           Fleet Foxes   

                                       

                              Bon Iver

                                      Pinback

The Hotel Cafe Presents: Winter Songs

(because what's a holiday trip without a little Christmas music?)

There is much much more, but I think you should be satisfied with that little sampling.  Well, that and my empty suitcase is mocking me...

Is there anything better?

Than a cup of tea and a favorite hobby on a cold night?

I think not.

What we should be known for.

Apparently I'm supposed to be learning how to love people more, and better.  It's been one of those weeks when it's so evident that I'm supposed to be learning something that the same message shows up everywhere: in conversations, tv shows, music, books, everywhere.  And that message is this: love is what I should be known for. 

I thought I should stick that on the wall somewhere so as not to forget it, and since I'm not a post-it on the mirror type of person I quickly (and really sloppily) embroidered it on some scrap fabric and stuck it on the kitchen wall. 

A way with words.

I'm re-reading Dandelion Wine before going to sleep at night, and when I said in the last post that books stir me, this is what I'm talking about.  The book is about a 12-year old boy named Douglas Spaulding set during the summer of 1928.  On a hike with his father and brother he comes to the realization that he is alive...

"And at last, slowly, afraid he would find nothing, Douglas opened one eye.

And everything, absolutely everything, was there.

The world, like a great iris of an even more gigantic eye, which has also just opened and stretched out to encompass everything, stared back at him.

And he knew what it was that had leaped upon him to stay and would not run away now.

I'm alive, he thought...

The grass whispered under his body. He put his arm down, feeling the sheath of fuzz on it, and, far away, below, his toes creaking in his shoes. The wind sighed over his shelled ears. The world slipped bright over the glassy round of his eyeballs like images sparked in a crystal sphere. Flowers were suns and fiery spots of sky strewn through the woodland. Birds flickered like skipped stones across the vast inverted pond of heaven. His breath raked over his teeth, going in ice, coming out fire. Insects shocked the air with electric clearness. Ten thousand individual hairs grew a millionth of an inch on his head. He heard the twin hearts beating in each ear, the third heart beating in his throat, the two hearts throbbing in his wrists, the real heart pounding in his chest. The million pores of his body opened.

I'm really alive! he thought. I never knew it before, or if I did I don't remember!...

"Tom!" Then quieter. "Tom...does everyone in the world...know he's alive?"...

"I hope they do," whispered Douglas. "Oh I sure hope they know."

Oh, how I love these words.  

P.S. Sarah S., I will return this copy to you at Christmas!

Giving some thanks.

This week's theme at preschool is Thanksgiving!  Hence the awesomeness that is my feather headdress.  If I hadn't been leading snack, you could have seen my paper bag vest.  It was pretty sweet.  

And how do you like the Britney Spears mic?  We have a soundfield in the room, along with an FM system that the kids' hearing aids sync to so that they can hear us better.  If you care..

So yeah, back to Thanksgiving. One of our language centers was making a collage of things that we are thankful for (for the kids, it was mainly toys).  In that spirit, here are some things I'm giving thanks for this year:

1. Getting to see my family.  It's been a while since we've had some face time!  Although I did teach mom how to video skype yesterday.

2. This might be surprising, considering my bitching and moaning, but I am so thankful to be able to go to grad school - and spend time with these sweet kids at Hearts for Hearing!

3. My friends.  They're pretty rad, and I'm anxious to see some of the far away ones at Christmastime.

4. A mom who not only researches veggie main dish options for T-day, but even practices them before hand.  Amazing, no?

5. Books. They stir me in a way not much else can. And eventually, I'll actually have time to read them (in 2010).

And for you?  A few things you're thankful for this year?

Light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm beginning to see it.  Just a smidge.  And mainly because two of my last three school projects are due tomorrow (hence the blogging). Then one more, then finals, then a sweet sweet respite from this madness. Which will hopefully involve a stack of books and some time to read them.

And Christmas has started to appear in my apartment, little by little. 

It's lovely.

P.S. Do you see my little elf friends?  I love them.

Peace, Love and Understanding.

I am on a "Speaking of Faith" kick these days.  How has it taken me this long to listen to Krista Tippett?  

Last month she did a two-part look at faith and politics.  The first part is "The Faith Life of the Party: The Left" and then "The Faith Life of the Party: The Right."  The conversations are insightful, respectful, and best of all: nuanced.  Neither side is the grotesque stereotype they are made out to be and there are intelligent people of faith that find themselves on many points of the political spectrum.  

You should really give both parts a listen.  And perhaps even subscribe to her podcast...

And I'm obviously listening to a little Elvis Costello, too. 

A little bubbly.

It's taken me a while to even begin to process Barack Obama's win, but let's just say that I'm ecstatic.  There's nothing that I can say that hasn't already been said much better.  Perhaps in this NY Times Op-Ed, or this reflection.  We've all seen the emotional reactions (of which mine was one) but I particularly like seeing an emotional Jon Stewart after he announces it the results...

And that is really all I've got for you.  School has officially taken over what little bit of a life I had left. 

*I take it back, I do have more for you. I just finished listening to this Speaking of Faith podcast on the Jewish High Holy Days, and it was beautiful and inspiring, and I highly suggest that you listen to it, or download the podcast.  I particularly like that it's a young female rabbi speaking about how her faith translates to the world we find ourselves in..

VOTE!

Okay, so if you need a pep talk to go do your early voting, absentee voting, or go to your polls on Tuesday, here it is!  VOTE.  Please.  

I did.

And don't forget to look into important down-ticket races, propositions and amendments.  Oftentimes if you just read those things in the booth, they don't make tons of sense.

And after you vote, head to Starbucks for your free coffee!