I am deeply saddened by the violence ripping through Kenya. The terror waits quietly on my doorstep in black and white. I am comfortably removed from the violence. I have never been to Africa, but many people I know have invested significant time in the country and I wonder how their relationships and places have been affected. Since I started reading the paper most mornings I am confronted by more injustice, fear, and sadness than I know what to do with. It is strange to be a distant observer. I am pulled to act but frozen in knowing how or where to start. It seems that all I can do right now is say "look!" and stumble through prayers of hope and grief.
My body slows as I sit down in a melancholoy awe of the destruction or lives, people, souls, relationships, and hope.
How can I be an agent of justice? Will I? Where am I called? Right now it is here, but I can feel the stirrings of change.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
27 dresses and the single life
A couple of my girlfriends and I (yeah you know who you are...HOLLA) just watched the newly released "27 Dresses." I must admit I am quite the hopeless romantic when it comes to this genre. Despite the handbook-like unfolding of predictable plotlines, I still melt in the end when the boy and girl melt in each others gaze, or embrace, or whatever verb you'd like to insert at this point in the film. Pretend you're back in first grade with madlibs. Those were fun eh?
With this movie and my marriage & family class as a backdrop, I somehow felt compelled to do a quick search on the books out there dedicated to the plight of the "singles." I, being one of them. There are so many books out there about marriage, I figured there had to be some good ones, or at least entertaining ones, about my situation. Here is a sampling of the titles I found.
To all the singles out there...these are for you and me :)
"Why you're still single, things your friends would tell you if you promised not to get mad"
A; okay friends, start talking...I won't get mad, well maybe not.
"Being sinlge is not a disease..."
A: THANK GOD! I was REALLY worried there for awhile. There has go to be some prescription pill out there somewhere though.
"Single: the art of being satisfied, fulfilled, and independent"
A: I guess I'm okay with being an artist. Really I think you could replace single with married though and the book would still work.
"The last year of being single"
A: Yeah, because you are so old the next year you will be dead. Okay that may be a bit over the top.
"Better single than sorry"
A: or...better married than alone
"The Christian Single Woman's Guide to Being a Player God's Way: A Practical Humorous Guide To Christian Dating"
A: 'A Player God's Way?' I wonder what God thinks about that...
"111 Ways to survive being single"
A: Now singles need a survival manual. Wow I didn't know how dangerous my life is.
"Being single on Noahs Ark"
A: Hmmmm.
and finally
"It's okay to be single"
A: phew.
You must admit there are some pretty funny titles out there. Happy Reading.
With this movie and my marriage & family class as a backdrop, I somehow felt compelled to do a quick search on the books out there dedicated to the plight of the "singles." I, being one of them. There are so many books out there about marriage, I figured there had to be some good ones, or at least entertaining ones, about my situation. Here is a sampling of the titles I found.
To all the singles out there...these are for you and me :)
"Why you're still single, things your friends would tell you if you promised not to get mad"
A; okay friends, start talking...I won't get mad, well maybe not.
"Being sinlge is not a disease..."
A: THANK GOD! I was REALLY worried there for awhile. There has go to be some prescription pill out there somewhere though.
"Single: the art of being satisfied, fulfilled, and independent"
A: I guess I'm okay with being an artist. Really I think you could replace single with married though and the book would still work.
"The last year of being single"
A: Yeah, because you are so old the next year you will be dead. Okay that may be a bit over the top.
"Better single than sorry"
A: or...better married than alone
"The Christian Single Woman's Guide to Being a Player God's Way: A Practical Humorous Guide To Christian Dating"
A: 'A Player God's Way?' I wonder what God thinks about that...
"111 Ways to survive being single"
A: Now singles need a survival manual. Wow I didn't know how dangerous my life is.
"Being single on Noahs Ark"
A: Hmmmm.
and finally
"It's okay to be single"
A: phew.
You must admit there are some pretty funny titles out there. Happy Reading.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
It's been while...
I had pretty much given up on this whole "blogging" thing since I moved back to Tacoma. Perhaps I hadn't reached the giving up stage yet, but the wishy washy stage. I started the blog to stay in touch with people as I embarked on my dogsledding adventure and now, well I have lost motivation or perhaps the extra time to share my extraneous thoughts.
But tonight I guess I'm back. I was actually perusing various blog names I could use for a "dog blog" on the "soon to be coming website!" for spike and i. Really it should be up soon. Just some FTP work and vwal-AH. I looked at my last entry and decided it was time to give everyone who actually reads this a little bit of an update.
LIFE IS GOOD.
But IT RAINS here A bit TOo MucH
I have three great dogs at my house right now, all of them are crashed out on the floor from playing hard at the dog park then running with Cassie and I. All except Jag-who incessently feels the need to be right next to any human companion, breathing heavily while begging for pets. He is a devilishly handsome and charming lad so we all oblige. Thankfully my roomates graciously oblige as well, even more than me. My roomate is playing guitar in the background and the other one is cooking so as I write this I feel "nested" with the dogs, wafting smells, and background guitar. I also happen to be fond of using quotes tonight.
I am now back in school and taking a full load of credits. I also am not working much (at this point at all). This set-up is very pleasing to me as the perpetual background noise in my mind has quieted and I feel less crazy. This begs the question of, feeling vs being. Such feelings could be due to the fact that I've only had two classes. I like to live in the moment...
GRATITUDE is also a sentiment I have been feeling lately. It is easy to get disheartened by the gross injustice, tragedy, and *&@# that happens. (Side note-one of my favorite passtimes lately=waking up to coffee and the NYTimes at our doorstep, thanks to my housemate) In the middle of everything I still feel the glimmering of gratitude and hope, and hope for gratitude. I've felt compelled to rest, to slow down and be. And man is it good.
I agree there are plenty of life seasons out there and this is the season for now.
These are some of the topics I've pondered lately:
Composting (yeah really)
building websites
teaching a dog to come when called at a dog park-"SPIKE!"
learning to fiddle
warm places with seaturtles and waves
e-waste that gets dumped in developing countries for children to disassemble into metal and toxic fumes
good friends
eating a variety of vegetables with names that are new to me
...sidetracked
I went dogsledding in bend and then to hawaii. Both can be summed up in one word=AMAZING!
I encourage you to read, create, be, laugh, sorrow, move, and celebrate. Do the things that must be done.
Until next time,
alison
But tonight I guess I'm back. I was actually perusing various blog names I could use for a "dog blog" on the "soon to be coming website!" for spike and i. Really it should be up soon. Just some FTP work and vwal-AH. I looked at my last entry and decided it was time to give everyone who actually reads this a little bit of an update.
LIFE IS GOOD.
But IT RAINS here A bit TOo MucH
I have three great dogs at my house right now, all of them are crashed out on the floor from playing hard at the dog park then running with Cassie and I. All except Jag-who incessently feels the need to be right next to any human companion, breathing heavily while begging for pets. He is a devilishly handsome and charming lad so we all oblige. Thankfully my roomates graciously oblige as well, even more than me. My roomate is playing guitar in the background and the other one is cooking so as I write this I feel "nested" with the dogs, wafting smells, and background guitar. I also happen to be fond of using quotes tonight.
I am now back in school and taking a full load of credits. I also am not working much (at this point at all). This set-up is very pleasing to me as the perpetual background noise in my mind has quieted and I feel less crazy. This begs the question of, feeling vs being. Such feelings could be due to the fact that I've only had two classes. I like to live in the moment...
GRATITUDE is also a sentiment I have been feeling lately. It is easy to get disheartened by the gross injustice, tragedy, and *&@# that happens. (Side note-one of my favorite passtimes lately=waking up to coffee and the NYTimes at our doorstep, thanks to my housemate) In the middle of everything I still feel the glimmering of gratitude and hope, and hope for gratitude. I've felt compelled to rest, to slow down and be. And man is it good.
I agree there are plenty of life seasons out there and this is the season for now.
These are some of the topics I've pondered lately:
Composting (yeah really)
building websites
teaching a dog to come when called at a dog park-"SPIKE!"
learning to fiddle
warm places with seaturtles and waves
e-waste that gets dumped in developing countries for children to disassemble into metal and toxic fumes
good friends
eating a variety of vegetables with names that are new to me
...sidetracked
I went dogsledding in bend and then to hawaii. Both can be summed up in one word=AMAZING!
I encourage you to read, create, be, laugh, sorrow, move, and celebrate. Do the things that must be done.
Until next time,
alison
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