That blah feeling

So, I haven't left the house today, to begin with. It was one of those days that flies by and you don't really accomplish anything. I mean, I did make a few wedding phone calls, but mostly I've been shuffling around the very cold house in my shuffly slippers, feeling bad with this sore throat and the zinc tablets made my tongue raw so that my hot tea hurt going down. 'That'll learn you to suck on metal ore,' Sam says. What the heck does he know?

But, enough winging. I'm sure I can get it all done in time, and it will be a good time, despite the fact that the groom's mother is currently in hospital and will be on a liquid diet her entire stay here before having surgery when she gets back. Let's go ahead and list some things I've checked off the wedding list to make myself feel better, shall we?

1. Groom-- check
2. Dress-- check
3. Invitations-- check.

Wow, I am so on top of things. Alright, enough, I need to go recieve some instructions on cat care taking I will be doing in the week to come. I'm sure my allergies will thank me.

Blest

As my family circled up yesterday for the annual 'What are you thankful for?' sharing time, I was again overwhelmed at what all has happened in my life (and Sam's) this year. Here are just a few:

1. Decided to get married
2. Got a passport and used it to go overseas for the first time
3. Got a full-time job
4. Got engaged to be married to Sam
5. Graduated
6. Bought a house
7. Moved to England for 4 months (and had a great time) and subsequently landed in the lap of another full time job the first day I was there
8. Became an aunt again
9. Knitted my first pair of socks (well, almost finished)

I'm sure there are even more things than this that I could think of, but man, this has been a massive year of blessings from the Lord. I was talking to Sam yesterday about how we should be vigilant to remember these blessings always, but especially when we aren't seeing or experiencing as many blessings at some other point along our journey. I hope the Lord grants us with the grace to do so.

As for item 9 up there, I am really chuffed, if you will, about this new skill. One of the things I like so much about knitting is learning the anatomy of garments. Even something as simple as a sock. It's not a mystery to me anymore, because I know how the stitches work, and how it fits a foot. I'm excited about doing more! Just have to make sure my wrist holds out.

Slowing the day down

So, while finishing up with these wedding planning details, I've been thinking about/ making moves toward finding a part-time job. In the meantime, my friend Christine asked if I could babysit her grandbaby. So, the past two days I've spent a significant amount of hours alone with this little baby. She crawls around, babbles, soils her diaper, usual baby stuff. I watch her, knit, drink tea, take her for walks. But, we don't really talk, and today I listened to classical music all day long on the tv. It was fun. But, mostly it was nice to just be in a totally calm, quiet, non-verbal environment. I mean, I love talking, but it was interesting to be able to experience just togetherness with this little fat-cheeked person who needs me to feed her and change her diaper, and whose biggest act of defiance is crawling toward the flower pot in the hopes of pulling up onto it and digging her fingers into the dirt. Darling, you're not going to beat me over there, might as well stop trying!

But, it has been a welcome little solace. That, and its given me time to make one of my first pair of socks. I think I like knitting socks even better than mittens! I shall post a picture soon when they are completed.

Down: cake, invitations, wedding bands
To go: make centerpieces & bouquets, order wine, probably lots of things I'm purposefully blocking out right now.

And now for some more Tim Keller's wisdom on Ephesians 5: that that last section.

In which I come back from the dead and say something with any meaning

Something I have not enjoyed: paring down the wedding guest list. I wish everyone could come/ be invited, but I decided I wanted it small, so it'll be small. Oh well, it will still be great.

Also, it seems like so many things in my life have been pointing to women's issues lately. I'll elaborate on this further, but I don't know what it is. I read an article in Utne magazine, which I am receiving as a gift from npr for supporting KGOU/KROU. It's a great magazine, and has a lot to say, if it has to be taken with a grain of salt sometimes. But, its good to read other people's opinions sometimes, I think. Nina Simons, original thinker and longtime social entrepreneur, was being interviewed by Nina Utne, and was just really beautifully explaining her observations on both the true and good masculine and feminine traits and characteristics, as well as our culture's twisted stereotypes of what masculine and feminine traits and characteristics are.

"I started to see the world differently as I recognized the full extent to which all of the characteristics, values, and qualities that have been associated with the 'feminine' have been systematically devalued and denigrated in our culture. Attention to process, relationship building, empathy, intuition, and the collective wisdom of groups have all been chronically derided. I saw that in every social system, and throughout all our relationships, our idolization of 'masculine' values has gotten us into trouble. Actions that are decisive, that assert certainty, heroic individualism, aggressiveness, rationalism, and single-minded obsession have been lauded.

I came to understand many of our challenges, including environmental degradation, social injustice, and corporate globalization, as expressions of the gross imbalance between what our culture has identified as 'masculine' and 'feminine' qualities. I saw that a greater emergence of the healthy feminine throughout our world might help achieve the balance that can resore our social and environmental systems."

The interview had a lot of other great points, and I encourage you all to find it; I think you have to subscribe to Utne online to read it, though. But, I just was thinking about how this does strike a chord of truth. God created us male and female. Both in his image. Therefore, we need both in order to bring the greatest glory to him; we both bear his image. And on the world stage, I think the balance is maybe tipped to far to the masculine right now; I think its probably Humankind's biggest struggle to find the balance.

Now then, where does this put the church? Are we showing the world God's dual masculine and feminine nature? Are we strong and nurturing? Generous and caring? Both playful and serious? Do we mourn for the destruction of God's earth and try to do something about it? Are we good stewards? I know these statements haven't begun to sum up or make clear which attitudes are masculine and which are feminine, but just looking at Ms. Simon's descriptions of feminine and masculine qualities in that first paragraph, I think its clear which one the church leans toward. Especially the more visible church; the side of the church that makes the news headlines. I suppose you could make the case that the uglier side would make the headlines, but still... where is the feminine? I think it would do us all a lot of good to think prayerfully on it. And, I these thoughts are only beginning to take shape in my head.

... Jiggedy Jig

Well, I finally made it home and will get around to posting more about my coming home feelings soon, but there are a few pictures up at www.justpixels.blogspot.com of the glorious homecoming. I would have posted that link there as a hyperlink but I'm typing this on a Mac and no can do. But, yay, its so great to be home and, can you believe it, Norman hasn't changed all that much. Crazyness. Everyone is still here, and basically the same, and church today was great just to see everyone and be back! With Sam back to crack the whip, the other half of the John and J-Do living at the house rent-free in exchange for doing maintenance is finally getting underway. But, no matter, it'll get done and there's no fire. The place is nice and clean, though, and the nasty brown walls have been painted over, so that's a world of improvement. I had a great time doing yard work yesterday with mom and John, though, and it looks so great! Its fun to have a little house to fix up. I'm excited about doing more, but also mindful of not wanting to get too tied up in this house and making it look nice, because that's not what life is about, is it? So, after the initial facelifts, I hope to take it a little at a time. John has given us our first housewarming gift-- a framed 8x10 of Poopis holding her bowl. Sam is ecstatic and lovingly gazing at it as I type.

Other than that, I'm excited about getting back to my extended knitting stash. Coping with 2 sets of needles and, like, 3 skeins of yarn just wasn't cutting it. But, I'm on the ground running and currently working on some cream 'n' sugar feather & fan dishrags. Very instantly rewarding.

Like I said, more later. And hopefully some pics.