And it makes me wonder...

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow
Don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May Queen

Yes there are two paths you can go by
but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on

Your head is humming and it won't go in case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady can't you hear the wind blow and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind [Name that Tune]

Oh, sorry. Got a little carried away there...Don't you ever hear a phrase someone says or something and then it makes you sing a little tune outloud or in your head (as correct social protocol may dictate)? So I thought, "It makes me wonder." And then, the rest, as they say, is history.

What I meant to write about is this exciting new prospect:
the New Seven Wonders of the World brought to you by YOU, the voting public!

Isn't that cool? I'm glad they went ahead and gave the only surviving original Wonder of the World its complimentary spot (the Pyramids of Giza). Anyhow, go vote for your fave now!!! I will post again once I actually put my decisive hat on and choose. Till then, adieu, adoring fans. Adieu.

the summit

I'm ba-ack! Sorry for the very long hiatus from blogging. So busy lately.

Last Monday: pick up brother at airport at 8:30 pm, drive to San Antonio whilst listening to John Stossel and Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince and pseudo-sleeping off and on.

Tuesday: arrive 3 hours ahead of schedule at 3 pm in San Anton. slept until 6 pm or so...then bummed around.

As of Wednesday, it was Go Time as we like to call it. Got the 15 passenger van which I mostly drove all weekend-awesome. Everyone came in from the airport, lots of screaming and shrillness.
Can't remember the rest to be honest. Shopped for a corset to go under the bridesmaid dress-they are way harder to find than you think! I mean seriously, the only place I could find them was a bridal store...ridiculous.
Barbecue to introduce to the fams. That meant that I mostly found things to do in the kitchen and serve people food, etc. Yes!

Thursday: my sanity arrives in San Anton at 11 am...Sanity is also known as Greg. And so do the rest of the masses, we shop even more for a corset-yes, I did drag him along. Then we hunted and hunted and hunted some more...for handmade paper for the program cover. Oh yes, 2 days before the wedding, we were hunting for the program paper. Then rehearsal and rehearsal dinner...not too much excitement there. It was on the river which was fun and then we walked on it after dinner. Much confusion over toasting and proper etiquette. Mom and her Emily Post whatnot say rehearsal dinner but everyone there assumed reception. Now, I loathe public speaking and the gastrointestinal spasms that accompany it and I also felt all this pressure (from myself, no doubt) to make it the best one ever in the history of the world. So much worrying but Joe's dad toasted a little and a couple others also and that was...interesting, to say the least. Joe's dad's kind of like Mike Ditka and funny once he's had a little to drink. Our common point for the weekend was "The Billy Graham Center"; every time he saw me he'd ask me about how much I liked it. EVERY time...

Friday: Tubing on the river!!!! So fun. No pictures. Sorry.
Got back 2 hours later than we thought we would...but we got barbecue from Rudy's so totally worth it :)

Bachelorette party! We totally partied like it was 1999...except more like 2004 or so...anywho, it was a good time had by all. I wrote all the bridesmaids and asked them to give me some songs that remind them of Hope or Hope and Joe and I compilated...or compiled rather them into a CD. It's pretty good...odd, but good. Black Eyed Peas, Jack Johnson, Robert Palmer, Celine Dion, Alison Krauss, Dave Barnes- they all made it onto the CD. I made frozen Strawberry Margaritas (they were way girly!) and we ate fajitas and a version of brownie pizza formerly unheard of by the girls. Then, off to bed before the big, ridiculously huge, life-changing day!

Or so we thought...Hope and I were up really late discussing the ins and outs of family and weddings and disappointments and fears; she had a really good cry, I cried a little bit and then to sleep at somewhere around 2:30 in the morning...Is that how the night before your wedding s supposed to go? Oh well, we decided that we'd start planning my wedding now and then that would at least help SOME of the stress be less...but hey, it's nerve racking to come to the day that will alter the rest of your life. Weird.

WEDDING DAY: wake up early but not early enough...oops! what can we say? anyhow, T-2 hours to get Hope and Joe's slideshow done. But hey, we did it...cuties. But, please take note: do not plan a picnic on your wedding day. It was a really nice gesture to out of towners and extended family but it just didn't work! My sister, her fiance, my brother, Greg and I ended up sitting together. It was fun, but sort of nerve-racking because we didn't really see anyone else just hung out in a clump. My brother and I are kind of like that, the 2 minorities in the corner :)

So, then, crunch time, I ran around to find a guest book, oh yes, little things left undone, then had to make it by 2:30 for the hair appointment. As it turns out, all 8 bridesmaids plus my mom ended up going so that makes for a lot of opinions and cuteness. But, alas, they had already done their hair and make-up so that was tricky. I missed a lot of Hope getting ready and getting ready with everyone. Kinda sad but oh well...there's always next...oh, wait a minute, no there won't be! But, I'm not bitter...;)

Pics before wedding=good idea. Ceremony beautiful, read from Song of Solomon, reception-open half bar, sitting at rectangular table for bridal party with bride and groom sitting as the heads of the table=bad idea. A good time had by all, dancing with my brother and my baby, catchin' up with old Albuquerque friends who I haven't seen in years = priceless. Seeing them drive away in the Model A=relief. Realizing Hope's purse was in the trunk of her friend's car=ugh. Taking to her in church parking lot and giving a big hug and checkin' out smile=worth it all!

Pictures on Picasa soon!
AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY (albeit sleepily) EVER AFTER

wedding mania

Well, I think we're finally here. Wedding mania...more challenging than wrestle mania, by far. It's so odd that such a nice thing, a beautiful thing really should be met also with trepidation, horror, and just good ol' stress.

Just had lunch with the sister which was good...nothing wrong with that at all. But, we're definitely in crunch time. Yesterday I rearranged all the tickets because I'm now driving my parents' car (which Hope's had through college) to Texas with my unsuspecting little brother (whose birthday is today and does not know yet that a plane ticket accompanies his birthday card).

Hope is in finals and finishing wedding stuff and the last day of her finals, her future mother-in-law will be in town helping them move into the new apartment. That should be good, but a little stressful for her. Friday we go for another fitting with the M-I-L. But, then Hope was talking to her future sister-in-law who's a .MAC make-up artist for their shoots and is doing Hope's, my mom and her own mom's make-up and she wants an hour for each. Between the picnic that day and the hair being done and the rest of us getting ready, I think that's a little much. Apparently, she was freaking when talking to Hope about it and totally stressing Hope out, who left to her own devices, was feeling good about everything. Why can't people butt out? Ya know, let them save their stress for their own weddings...maybe that's harsh but it's true, there's enough stress about weddings in general that people shouldn't add to the bride's stress. I'd like to have my whole wedding planned way in advance. Maybe I'll go work on that right now... :)

Anywho, I just got a call that my [bridesmaid] dress is in and I'm ordering the shoes really soon. Would you like to see them? Yes, well, you're in luck because you're going to get to :)



Pretty, right? Now, personally I wouldn't've gone with pink and green, but that's what makes us so great, we're totally different...but as pink and green dresses go, it could've been a lot worse...fo sho.

So, yes, lots of weddingness lately, but it's fun because we get to go tubing and I'm supposed to do a little pseudo-bachelorette party and stuff and a cool rehearsal dinner and it'll be a nice, hott, tan start to summer...hooray, it's coming!

Today has that beautiful warm air blowing, not the usual cold, this may be the day it turned to summer...hey, you should check out the e-vite to my birthday...and you would be invited to the girls day but alas, you are in China and I am here. Boo, but also good. I'm currently transcribing the story of a teacher in China, like you kind of. Very spunky and obedient. Kind of fun, makes me think of you more often.

I got your monthly letter. Thinking of you! More to come on general life later...

dinos

Hello Friend,

well, i decided i'm pretty much done for the day...yes! I got the last thing I wanted to do done...hooray.

So, plenty of exciting things happening here:

Jenn now has a job at Wheaton as well, in the Psych department...so now our band of musketeers is complete.

A brand new species of shark dinosaur was found in Utah...they say it's a cousin of a Dilophosaurus (i think that the right spelling)...i don't believe them, they wouldn't be able to pick my cousin and me out from a bunch of bones. I think they're just saying that because they're both shark dinosaurs...but maybe that's just me. It's pretty cool anyhow...read about it.

My sister got her dress fitted the other day for her wedding, she looks beautiful. It was pretty fun to go. The lady was awesome and I learned all about getting blood stains out of wedding dresses, busselling, 102 things to do with safety pins and the art of peeing in a wedding gown.

Sarah and Chris (Scherf) broke up...very sad. They've joined our "club". Not "good" happenings but something I should tell you about nonetheless.

I'm having a ladies night tonight and we're watching Princess Caraboo...I'm really excited. I'm also making Frito Pie :)

My car got a flat on Vigil day and then was vandalized a couple days later. They didn't steal anything of notoriety, it's just a mess and I have yet to clean it up (Greg finally put the donut on) and then after I cleaned it a little because I missed the train on Tuesday, I realized it wouldn't start...ho-hum.

Hmmm...what else can I fit here? I think that's all the exciting news I have...

Oh, yesterday the staff (Paul, Bob & Wayne) and I celebrate Coordinator's Day, the so-called non-"secular" version of the better known holiday of Secretary's Day (now dubbed "Administrative Professionals" Day). It's so nice to be in a job where they appreciate you and celebrate it, let alone take you out for a very nice lunch of your choosing and also bring you flowers! And to think, my birthday's in 2 weeks and they'll have to do it all over again.

Anywho, I hope you have a great weekend and I love you much. I will report more as it comes...
Adios!

sunny day

these sunny days

colorful arrays
trees blow with hues and grays
it pays to be one who submits and [lifts up]
into the heart of [father] i gaze
these sunny days

i thought id take a minute i hope i didnt catch you by surprise
i got a lesson learner fact or fiction swoop through your demise
open eyes and givin clear vision the windows broken from
the pain of livin here wishin
you could survive with those who gave lives
avoid the cracks and moats of new age turncoats
and modern day cut throats
what makes it shroom blossom and boom
a murmer in a gossipin room
my [j.....] comin back possibly soon
anticipate his shown up desire for grown up
the author and finisher of faith
offerin a diminishing gas face
rememberin who in last place
no sell out through global fall out go all out
make a hundred your percentage forget buyin the mall out
or palm greases thirty pieces sent to those offended
but like judas you wont ever get to spend it

well lemme get a little lotta bita some of that too
and i hope it aint too non ghetto to seep through
and keep you twisted and locked like dreads do
who said you wasnt gonna feel the heat of the rays
but anyways man its funny
how the sight of such a beautiful day
can deliver you joy and bring pain in the same way
like blessing with the same mouth
while cursing in the same breate
or living life dying death
so deceived to the eye
how red blood is blue
and rainbows are see through
its all to teach you that you cant depend on me
like drivin a benz 20 inch rims
drop top 6 with the tank on e
so down that you fly
so true that you gotta lie
i really pray you come to realize
you in the shade with the sun in your eye
sun in your eye on sunny days-acapo

~"sunny days" by Grits

ew.

Ridiculousness...so cold and snowy today. From my office here on the 4th floor of the BGC, it looks awful. Snow keeps pounding my window and the impending doom makes itself known in the whizzing of wind. Anyhow, that's the weather today. Bleh and again I say, bleh.

But, he is risen. And that is awesome. Today in staff devo (hate that word but figured it was quite appropriately cg), my boss read from Nouwen on the sacred life and that was really good and then about how the son calls us friends. Indeed, friends of the most high. Also, very cool to realize that Word and deed are not separate for him which is great for all of us who live eating of his body every week, it seems to follow suit. I can't go more into that now plus it's very hard in a cg way to do so.

Bear with me as I make this website look more my own, I want something inviting like a living room but learning about how to make things look cool in blogger is harder than I thought. So, I'm trying and it's sort of a mutation right now but hopefully soon I'll get it to look good. It doesn't help that I'd really like Photoshop on my computer but I don't have it, even though it's on every other computer in the office and I could just steal one of those.

I did put up my link to Picasa, I'm also slowly getting pictures on there. I'm waiting on pics from greg's party, vigil 2007 and st patrick's day partying.

Snow beneath whose chilly softness
Some that never lay
Make their first Repose this Winter
I admonish Thee

Blanket Wealthier the Neighbor
We so new bestow
Than thine acclimated Creature
Wilt Thou, Austere Snow?

~Emily Dickinson

Well, that's all for now. Have a good couple days before I talk to you again.

a week set apart

I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty excited that I came up with that oh so cg title :)
I'm glad about this week, of course, it's a hard week and it's painful near friday but it's so good and offers so much promise.

All I have to offer at the moment is this that I came across in the BCP. It's how I feel this week and I think captures the rending of our hearts and also the joy of coming fulfillment.

Kyrie Pantokrator

O ruler of the hosts above,
Father of the patriarchs,
and of all their upstanding offspring:
You made the stars, planets and the earth,
with all their vast array.
All things quake with fear at your presence;
they tremble because of your power.
But your merciful promise is beyond all measure;
it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.
O king, you are full of compassion,
long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.
You hold back your hand;
you do not punish as we deserve.
In your great goodness,
you have promised to forgive those who fall away,
that they may turn away from it and be made whole at the end.
And now, I bend the knee of my heart,
and make my appeal, sure of your goodness that need not be.
I have fallen away, father, I have fallen away,
and I know my sickness only too well.
Therefore I lift this up to you:
Relieve me of this, father, relieve me of this.
Do not let me waste away in my current state,
nor leave me in the depths of the earth.
For you, are the father of those who come back to you,
and in me you will show forth your goodness.
Unworthy as I am, you will show me grace,
in accordance with your great mercy,
and I will lift you up without ceasing all the days of my life.
For all the powers of the universe sing your songs,
and yours is the everything to ages of ages.
Agreed.

phew, that was a toughy cg wise, I'm hoping you have a book and so can look up the actual one. But it is beautiful and I hope it touches you this week.

I may write more later on, but for now, adieu. Hopefully, I'll have pictures of this weekend, if all goes according to plan!