10.31.2005
Voting, once upon a time in 2005
Just remember, people, November is shortly upon us. Even if it is an off year, things are still happening. Don't forget to vote!
Haunting Memories?
Well, not really haunted memories. More like nostalgic - when times were more innocent and you were a clueless little urchin. Ah, to be a kid again and go trick-or-treating or to a good old-fashioned Harvest Party (at either church or the private Christian school, of course, where Harvest Parties reign). The last time, one of the only times, I went trick-or-treating was when I turned 11. What fond memories I have of being a farmer pig (don't ask me what prompted that costume 'cause i have no memories of the "why" part of that equation; although it could have been we had a pig mask handy, but i don't know the "why" of that part, either) and going out around my grandparents' neighborhood in St. Paul. Why I was at my grandparents' place really isn't of importance for this story, but the fact that it snowed three feet on Halloween and left some out-of-state relatives stranded there with us was of great importance. When it's cold and snowy here on October 31st, one must be creative in costuming so as not to freeze to death even if you're only going around the block. And no one wants to put a jacket on over a costume! So you learn to figure out ways to put the jacket on underneath or incorporate it into the costume, but with three feet of snow, you'll inevitably be stuck with boots, no matter who or what you're trying to be. I'm sure it was an oddity in the neighborhood to have a nearly six-foot (I couldn't have been fully grown at 11, but I'm sure it was getting close), skinny white girl parading around in a pink pig costume, complete with straw hat and sorrells. (A picture exists that I won't be scanning in for your viewing pleasure. Use your imagination.)
But it was fun.
It was great having all my cousins at my grandparents' house, playing in the snowy blizzard and eating an alarming number of bits'o'honey (which is the only thing i remember collecting in my candy bag). In general, I'm sure we drove all surrounding adults crazy, but that's half the point of being a kid, right? Halloween didn't mean anything evil so much as it meant candy, occasionally dressing up, and playing with friends &/or family. A more innocent time in my life, I guess.
Do any of you have good Halloween or Fall Harvest Party memories from your childhoods? This year it's not going to snow (so they say), but I'm sure there'll be plenty of moonboots and pirate boots in light of recent entertainment industry developments.
I know that for many, Halloween is more serious than I'm making it out to be. It's a time to reflect on what you believe as a Christian, and how you want to present yourself to society as such. Other than my candy corn and light-hearted commentary the last couple of weeks, never fear - now that the times are not so innocent, I shan't be going to any evil parties in my moon or pirate boots (though I still enjoy gnoshing on candy and dressing up in imaginative costumes - but who needs Halloween for that?). Although i really have to blame that on something else entirely rather than any personal decision on my own part. Several commercialized holidays in 2005 have fallen on Mondays, and that means that i am too busy with orchestra rehearsals to pay mind. Both Valentine's Day and Halloween have fallen prey to the busy Monday evening orchestra rehearsal this year. Not that I care. The only thing about which I have to complain is that my local grocer ran out of bulk candy corn - so when I went there today to gather more into my tightly-fisted clutches, there was none to be had. Oh, the sorrow. I shall have to hie me somewhere else in the coming hours and days to scrounge for some more of the precious commodity before I forget about it completely with thoughts of pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving.
But it was fun.
It was great having all my cousins at my grandparents' house, playing in the snowy blizzard and eating an alarming number of bits'o'honey (which is the only thing i remember collecting in my candy bag). In general, I'm sure we drove all surrounding adults crazy, but that's half the point of being a kid, right? Halloween didn't mean anything evil so much as it meant candy, occasionally dressing up, and playing with friends &/or family. A more innocent time in my life, I guess.
Do any of you have good Halloween or Fall Harvest Party memories from your childhoods? This year it's not going to snow (so they say), but I'm sure there'll be plenty of moonboots and pirate boots in light of recent entertainment industry developments.
I know that for many, Halloween is more serious than I'm making it out to be. It's a time to reflect on what you believe as a Christian, and how you want to present yourself to society as such. Other than my candy corn and light-hearted commentary the last couple of weeks, never fear - now that the times are not so innocent, I shan't be going to any evil parties in my moon or pirate boots (though I still enjoy gnoshing on candy and dressing up in imaginative costumes - but who needs Halloween for that?). Although i really have to blame that on something else entirely rather than any personal decision on my own part. Several commercialized holidays in 2005 have fallen on Mondays, and that means that i am too busy with orchestra rehearsals to pay mind. Both Valentine's Day and Halloween have fallen prey to the busy Monday evening orchestra rehearsal this year. Not that I care. The only thing about which I have to complain is that my local grocer ran out of bulk candy corn - so when I went there today to gather more into my tightly-fisted clutches, there was none to be had. Oh, the sorrow. I shall have to hie me somewhere else in the coming hours and days to scrounge for some more of the precious commodity before I forget about it completely with thoughts of pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving.
10.28.2005
Leftover Leaves
Now, hear me out. I know that the idea I'm going to put forth hereafter is revolutionary and might put some people off. However, I only ask that you read and ponder the concept before slamming it.
I think that, contrary to all mothers' advice, it is productive to jump in piles of leaves. *gasp* I know, I know. This may be difficult for some to comprehend. Yesterday I had the privilege of raking up some leaves in the weak rays of late afternoon sun, and while I was doing that (& mourning the loss of all red leaves from the sugar maple tree in the yard) I realized that you have to crush all the leaves to get as many of them as possible into each bag. Therefore, why would it be counterproductive to jump in the leaves? Sure, you might mess them up a bit, but you'll be crushing them as you go! Then you wouldn't have to spend nearly so much time crushing and crunching them down into the bag. And it'd be so much more fun! I only wish I'd realized this years ago. (Each year I wait for the wind to just blow the leaves away, and each year I am disappointed. I have yet to realize much about leaves, so this epiphany is timely.) After you rake them into a great big pile, you just sort of scoop and shove 'em into the bags anyway, so now you'll just be scooping and shoving defeated leaves that have already been crushed.
I'm all for this. However, I'm just about done with my contribution of leaf-raking this year, and how likely is it that I'll remember this next year? Well, consider my track record with the wind theory. Yup. Slim to none.
I think that, contrary to all mothers' advice, it is productive to jump in piles of leaves. *gasp* I know, I know. This may be difficult for some to comprehend. Yesterday I had the privilege of raking up some leaves in the weak rays of late afternoon sun, and while I was doing that (& mourning the loss of all red leaves from the sugar maple tree in the yard) I realized that you have to crush all the leaves to get as many of them as possible into each bag. Therefore, why would it be counterproductive to jump in the leaves? Sure, you might mess them up a bit, but you'll be crushing them as you go! Then you wouldn't have to spend nearly so much time crushing and crunching them down into the bag. And it'd be so much more fun! I only wish I'd realized this years ago. (Each year I wait for the wind to just blow the leaves away, and each year I am disappointed. I have yet to realize much about leaves, so this epiphany is timely.) After you rake them into a great big pile, you just sort of scoop and shove 'em into the bags anyway, so now you'll just be scooping and shoving defeated leaves that have already been crushed.
I'm all for this. However, I'm just about done with my contribution of leaf-raking this year, and how likely is it that I'll remember this next year? Well, consider my track record with the wind theory. Yup. Slim to none.
10.27.2005
Poll Results
The people rejoice: I'm finally changing the poll. Let's call this a monthly poll or something - that way you won't get your hopes up that I'll actually change it weekly.
Fav Fall Things:
All kinds of apples won with 55% of the vote (10 votes! yay!)
Colorful trees and cooler temps tied for second, each with 16% of the vote (3 apiece)
2 people don't want kids around - with 11% of the vote
And finally, no one likes Halloween.
Which makes my next poll topic so interesting. Out of these five, who would you be most likely to dress up as this halloween? hah! You may not like halloween or the costumes I've chosen, but pick the best of the bunch (that's kinda the point - we can poke a tiny bit'o'fun and enjoy ourselves simultaneously).
Fav Fall Things:
All kinds of apples won with 55% of the vote (10 votes! yay!)
Colorful trees and cooler temps tied for second, each with 16% of the vote (3 apiece)
2 people don't want kids around - with 11% of the vote
And finally, no one likes Halloween.
Which makes my next poll topic so interesting. Out of these five, who would you be most likely to dress up as this halloween? hah! You may not like halloween or the costumes I've chosen, but pick the best of the bunch (that's kinda the point - we can poke a tiny bit'o'fun and enjoy ourselves simultaneously).
candy corn
Every year, Halloween rolls around, and I find myself addicted to candy corn. I can eat just pounds of the stuff during October. (I won't tell you exactly how much in what amount of time, 'cause then that might scare many of you off. Or make you laugh at me.)
I also found myself without plan or activity on Tuesday evening, so on a whim I sat down to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! I simply adore the old classics that have the real Charlie Brown voices (not those fake new ones that surely must be generated by computer). I have to admit, I've a soft spot for classic cartoons.
I also found myself without plan or activity on Tuesday evening, so on a whim I sat down to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! I simply adore the old classics that have the real Charlie Brown voices (not those fake new ones that surely must be generated by computer). I have to admit, I've a soft spot for classic cartoons.
10.18.2005
Commercials
I don't know why I'm so into commercials and pointing out their flaws lately, but I am. They don't call it "Truth in Advertising" for nothing.
#1: Saw a commercial on tv a few weeks ago for an insurance company (don't remember which co.). Anyway, like all insr co. commercials, they were talking about the benefits of having a great insr co and rep, and what they can do for you to help you out when accidents or potential threats happen. And, of course, there was an analogy: A banana peel on the sidewalk. And being the idiotic ad people they are, the insr co. puts up an orange construction cone next to the banana peel so that you can avoid it. Isn't that a typical modern attitude? Rather than fix the problem (picking up the banana peel and throwing it away, helping someone actually solve a problem), they just bureaucratically point out that there is a problem but don't really do anything about it. Argh! I wouldn't want that insr co. It's not a very good analogy, in my opinion, because although it pointed out that they would try to warn you of danger, all I could focus on was what did they DO about it? What would they do for you when you wanted to get an insr check to get your car repaired? "Oh, well here's the envelope where the check should be with check enclosed written on it, but we can't really do anything, so there's nothing inside..." But that very well could just be me. (yes, yes, another bad analogy, but I'm not in advertising, nor am I being paid to come up with that.)
On to #2: While listening to the Gopher game on the radio on Saturday (dreadful rodents next door carried home the axe - and I'm still upset about it), I heard a commercial for e-harmony.com. I don't believe I personally know anyone who has tried such a service. However, I highly doubt many of my friends or acquaintances would want to after listening to this particular advertisement. They had some woman on who was trying to highlight the benefits of eharmony (or however it's spelled). Her last comment was to the effect of, "It's great for lazy people," as in, I-don't-want-to-read-through-everyone's-personal-ad-but-would-rather-have-someone/something-else-do-it-for-me. Fine. However, how does that really come across? To me (and yes, I do take words to mean strange things sometimes), it came across as "I am a lazy person." This is not necessarily bad, because even I admit I can be lazy. However, doesn't this also point out that all the other people doing the same thing are lazy? And that therefore if I found someone else to date that he/she, too, would be a lazy person? Why would I want to find a lazy person (or another lazy person, since I, too, would be one by using the service) to date? Who in their right mind says, "You know, I think I'll go find me a lazy person to date and eventually marry him/her?" No one. No one admits this to themselves, let alone a radio audience. I understood what she was trying to say, but it just came across all wrong. I do not believe I'll use eharmony to go find me a bum who is lazy - I could just do that on the street corner in downtown Minneapolis.
#3: This has to do with Christmas. I have walked through many a store in the past week (including my little adventure to Mall of America, where great H & M deals were found by Emily and me), and have seen all the Christmas and Holiday decorations on display for purchase. It's not even Halloween! What's with this nutso commercialism of such a great holiday, that even Halloween (let alone Thanksgiving), another commercialized holiday beloved by the party/costume/candy industry, has been swallowed whole? Well, I saw another ad last week. This one for a cruise line - again, don't remember which cruise line, but it's the one that uses "Somewhere Beyond the Sea" as their theme song (and now it's complete with jingle bells, which I admit, is not altogether bad). I noticed that it's obviously a Christmas commercial, but not really, because although there is a gold-wrapped, red-beribboned boat being carried around in the snow, complete with jingle-bells in the background, the word Christmas is never mentioned. It's all about 'finding the perfect gift' and 'holiday' or some such nonsense. And I realized something: why not extend the holiday-formerly-known-as-Christmas if it's not really Christmas anymore? Who cares if it's contained to the month of December? It's not Politically Correct to mention Christmas; instead it's Winter Solstice or Holiday Event or Snow Celebration or whatever. Therefore, since it's no longer Christmas, why can't it be a year-long celebration? It no longer matters when it's celebrated, and thus it can seep into July for all the commercialists and Politically Correct people care (only it wouldn't be "Christmas in July" any more - it'd be "Winter Adventure in July", but since that wouldn't mean much to those in the southern hemisphere (since it is winter in the southern hemisphere in July), it would be changed to "Winter Adventure in the Seventh Month of the Year" or something similarly ridiculous, only to be eventually replaced so as to not offend those who do not celebrate their New Year with us January Firsters; it can't even be called "Winter Adventure in Summer" because again, that might offend, or at least mean nothing to, those Southern Hemisphere residents). I'm telling you, "Year-long Party" is going to become a holiday at some point - unless we who value holidays for their true meanings keep the messages and traditions going. Who's with me?
Well, I, for one, do not plan on going on some "Holiday Cruise" with some lazy man I met on e-harmony using the $$$ I get from some insr company after tripping over their red construction cone.
#1: Saw a commercial on tv a few weeks ago for an insurance company (don't remember which co.). Anyway, like all insr co. commercials, they were talking about the benefits of having a great insr co and rep, and what they can do for you to help you out when accidents or potential threats happen. And, of course, there was an analogy: A banana peel on the sidewalk. And being the idiotic ad people they are, the insr co. puts up an orange construction cone next to the banana peel so that you can avoid it. Isn't that a typical modern attitude? Rather than fix the problem (picking up the banana peel and throwing it away, helping someone actually solve a problem), they just bureaucratically point out that there is a problem but don't really do anything about it. Argh! I wouldn't want that insr co. It's not a very good analogy, in my opinion, because although it pointed out that they would try to warn you of danger, all I could focus on was what did they DO about it? What would they do for you when you wanted to get an insr check to get your car repaired? "Oh, well here's the envelope where the check should be with check enclosed written on it, but we can't really do anything, so there's nothing inside..." But that very well could just be me. (yes, yes, another bad analogy, but I'm not in advertising, nor am I being paid to come up with that.)
On to #2: While listening to the Gopher game on the radio on Saturday (dreadful rodents next door carried home the axe - and I'm still upset about it), I heard a commercial for e-harmony.com. I don't believe I personally know anyone who has tried such a service. However, I highly doubt many of my friends or acquaintances would want to after listening to this particular advertisement. They had some woman on who was trying to highlight the benefits of eharmony (or however it's spelled). Her last comment was to the effect of, "It's great for lazy people," as in, I-don't-want-to-read-through-everyone's-personal-ad-but-would-rather-have-someone/something-else-do-it-for-me. Fine. However, how does that really come across? To me (and yes, I do take words to mean strange things sometimes), it came across as "I am a lazy person." This is not necessarily bad, because even I admit I can be lazy. However, doesn't this also point out that all the other people doing the same thing are lazy? And that therefore if I found someone else to date that he/she, too, would be a lazy person? Why would I want to find a lazy person (or another lazy person, since I, too, would be one by using the service) to date? Who in their right mind says, "You know, I think I'll go find me a lazy person to date and eventually marry him/her?" No one. No one admits this to themselves, let alone a radio audience. I understood what she was trying to say, but it just came across all wrong. I do not believe I'll use eharmony to go find me a bum who is lazy - I could just do that on the street corner in downtown Minneapolis.
#3: This has to do with Christmas. I have walked through many a store in the past week (including my little adventure to Mall of America, where great H & M deals were found by Emily and me), and have seen all the Christmas and Holiday decorations on display for purchase. It's not even Halloween! What's with this nutso commercialism of such a great holiday, that even Halloween (let alone Thanksgiving), another commercialized holiday beloved by the party/costume/candy industry, has been swallowed whole? Well, I saw another ad last week. This one for a cruise line - again, don't remember which cruise line, but it's the one that uses "Somewhere Beyond the Sea" as their theme song (and now it's complete with jingle bells, which I admit, is not altogether bad). I noticed that it's obviously a Christmas commercial, but not really, because although there is a gold-wrapped, red-beribboned boat being carried around in the snow, complete with jingle-bells in the background, the word Christmas is never mentioned. It's all about 'finding the perfect gift' and 'holiday' or some such nonsense. And I realized something: why not extend the holiday-formerly-known-as-Christmas if it's not really Christmas anymore? Who cares if it's contained to the month of December? It's not Politically Correct to mention Christmas; instead it's Winter Solstice or Holiday Event or Snow Celebration or whatever. Therefore, since it's no longer Christmas, why can't it be a year-long celebration? It no longer matters when it's celebrated, and thus it can seep into July for all the commercialists and Politically Correct people care (only it wouldn't be "Christmas in July" any more - it'd be "Winter Adventure in July", but since that wouldn't mean much to those in the southern hemisphere (since it is winter in the southern hemisphere in July), it would be changed to "Winter Adventure in the Seventh Month of the Year" or something similarly ridiculous, only to be eventually replaced so as to not offend those who do not celebrate their New Year with us January Firsters; it can't even be called "Winter Adventure in Summer" because again, that might offend, or at least mean nothing to, those Southern Hemisphere residents). I'm telling you, "Year-long Party" is going to become a holiday at some point - unless we who value holidays for their true meanings keep the messages and traditions going. Who's with me?
Well, I, for one, do not plan on going on some "Holiday Cruise" with some lazy man I met on e-harmony using the $$$ I get from some insr company after tripping over their red construction cone.
10.12.2005
Odd Detail about the Cement Man
How does one go from playing the trumpet with Ray Charles to becoming a cement man? I learned yesterday that the man who re-did our front steps used to play in RC's band for like 8 or 12 years. I never got the chance to ask him about that, but I am curious how one goes from playing a horn in a band to pouring concrete. Hmmmm. Very interesting. And, of course, what great conversation our new steps have been!
10.10.2005
stepless, but applicious
The weekend was busy (work, orchestras, church conference), and today has been rather fast-paced.
We received a delivery of wood today - the fam is big into lighting a fire in the fireplace insert (yup, no longer a hearth for us; we're upgraded), and it was necessary to receive a cord of oak this morning. Now is the time to get it: if the 5 inches of rain we got on Wednesday night last week had been received on Thursday night, it would've been over 4 feet of snow. Isn't that exciting? Today, by contrast, was gorgeous and sunny, in the 60's. The front sugar maple is turning a startling red and I've already been enjoying apple crisp and baked apples and apple cider and everything apple. Mmmmm.
Then this evening I came home to no front steps. These nice men came and jackhammered them all away; i am grateful I was not around for the jackhammering part. I am also grateful there are other ways to get out of the house and that I don't have to step into a big hole that reaches down to the old well in the basement (it's capped, but I guess it's there if we need it? hah!). The nice men are supposed to come back tomorrow and dump the exposed part of the hole full of cement, while maintaining the openness of the well room (like I said, in case we ever need it? I don't know why, the thing's been sealed off forever. And we now expect the city to provide the over-chlorinated water for which cities are famous; but at least it doesn't taste as bad as well water and can be purified...).
The Goofy Gophers are spectacular. I am very pleased that they won over the weekend; the little brown jug came home, carried by its rightful owners (not those lousy Michigan-dwelling Wolverines). Next up: Wisconsin and the Badgers. Isn't it a great country where there's a football border battle between two teams named after rodents?
Minnesota is finally in the big leagues. an H & M store opened up at the Mall of America in late September, and tomorrow night I'm going to check it out. See if it's as good as those in Europe. Speaking of cold weather and shopping, I felt the need to go out today to buy a new winter jacket. Living around here (where there are only, oh, 7 months of possible snow season?) requires numerous options.
Picked up a book from the library a couple days ago: Why I Am a Reagan Conservative. Anyone out there read it? I haven't had a chance to get into it yet, but I am looking forward to finding out what it's all about...
And with that, I'm off. To fall into a well, or start a fire or read a book. Something.
We received a delivery of wood today - the fam is big into lighting a fire in the fireplace insert (yup, no longer a hearth for us; we're upgraded), and it was necessary to receive a cord of oak this morning. Now is the time to get it: if the 5 inches of rain we got on Wednesday night last week had been received on Thursday night, it would've been over 4 feet of snow. Isn't that exciting? Today, by contrast, was gorgeous and sunny, in the 60's. The front sugar maple is turning a startling red and I've already been enjoying apple crisp and baked apples and apple cider and everything apple. Mmmmm.
Then this evening I came home to no front steps. These nice men came and jackhammered them all away; i am grateful I was not around for the jackhammering part. I am also grateful there are other ways to get out of the house and that I don't have to step into a big hole that reaches down to the old well in the basement (it's capped, but I guess it's there if we need it? hah!). The nice men are supposed to come back tomorrow and dump the exposed part of the hole full of cement, while maintaining the openness of the well room (like I said, in case we ever need it? I don't know why, the thing's been sealed off forever. And we now expect the city to provide the over-chlorinated water for which cities are famous; but at least it doesn't taste as bad as well water and can be purified...).
The Goofy Gophers are spectacular. I am very pleased that they won over the weekend; the little brown jug came home, carried by its rightful owners (not those lousy Michigan-dwelling Wolverines). Next up: Wisconsin and the Badgers. Isn't it a great country where there's a football border battle between two teams named after rodents?
Minnesota is finally in the big leagues. an H & M store opened up at the Mall of America in late September, and tomorrow night I'm going to check it out. See if it's as good as those in Europe. Speaking of cold weather and shopping, I felt the need to go out today to buy a new winter jacket. Living around here (where there are only, oh, 7 months of possible snow season?) requires numerous options.
Picked up a book from the library a couple days ago: Why I Am a Reagan Conservative. Anyone out there read it? I haven't had a chance to get into it yet, but I am looking forward to finding out what it's all about...
And with that, I'm off. To fall into a well, or start a fire or read a book. Something.
10.05.2005
Fall Success Poll Results
Fall Success Poll Update
The results are in!
On who is most likely to succeed, you voted:
Otto, with 75% of the vote
Congress, with 25% of the vote
The Vikings will not be successful (and Sunday's game was abysmal), nor will fall TV programming, or Space Aliens.
New Poll
What is your favorite thing about fall? (Sticking with this fall theme, here...)
Vote now, vote often.
The results are in!
On who is most likely to succeed, you voted:
Otto, with 75% of the vote
Congress, with 25% of the vote
The Vikings will not be successful (and Sunday's game was abysmal), nor will fall TV programming, or Space Aliens.
New Poll
What is your favorite thing about fall? (Sticking with this fall theme, here...)
Vote now, vote often.
thoughts on identity and miracles
So, as some of you may remember from a previous post, I'm studying the book of John in my Bible study this year. There are days when I feel as though I'd never read it before. For instance, I noticed that Jesus is pretty serious about knowing His sheep by name. I've heard that on countless occasions and believe it to be true, but I had never placed it in the context of Him calling Lazarus by name when Jesus raised him from the dead. Now, not being the brightest bulb on the tree, the thought only recently occurred to me (and that thought not being my own) that if Jesus had not called out to Lazarus specifically but instead had just said "Come forth," all dead people would have been raised out of their tombs. A bit gory, huh? I guess I'd have to say it's a good thing that such a powerful God knows me by my name and tailors His exact plan specifically for my life (and everyone else's lives, according to their names).
10.04.2005
another birthday
As long as it's still October 4 (for another ten minutes) and I'm thinking of it...
Happy Birthday to Sally Kra...no, wait. I do believe her last name has changed now. So happy wedding day, too! (Just a few days late.) =)
Happy Birthday to Sally Kra...no, wait. I do believe her last name has changed now. So happy wedding day, too! (Just a few days late.) =)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
