Hello, Summer, I’ve left my Booger behind

The above title is dedicated to Gayle (I just thought you’d like it)

So, while we were on vacation, our cat died. Not the cat pictured above; that would be Summer, our new cat, who my daughter proceeded to theoretically pick out and give imaginary names to the afternoon she found out of Booger’s demise — after she shed her tears for Booger, of course.

Our old cat, Booger, was 16 years old. She had been in declining health for a couple of years. At her age, I knew she might suffer a little in our absence, but I honestly didn’t expect her to kick the bucket. Seems she got an infected tooth, which meant she stopped eating well, which meant she didn’t get her thyroid medicine which was hidden in her food, which meant she got a blood clot, which meant her back legs became paralyzed, which meant her kidneys began to shut down, which meant the housesitter had to decipher these unfolding events and take her into the vet, (which meant I probably shouldn’t have made jokes about this unlikely eventuality to the housesitter), which meant, sadly, Booger eventually died. God was gracious through this unfortunate turn of events because I really didn’t relish making all of these decisions solo and long distance, but in an answer to prayer, the necessary decisions that needed to be made were very clear.

Booger was big and furry and magnificent and aloof and loved to be admired and adored…mostly from a distance. Within the last two or three years, I noticed that my daughter began lobbying for us to ‘nickname’ Booger Snowflake or Princess, mostly so she wouldn’t have to actually tell people that her cat’s name was Booger. So it seemed clear that a playful and affectionate kitten named Summer would suit her needs quite nicely. Welcome to the family, Summer. And rest in peace, Booger, old friend.

Why has it been so long since I’ve read a book of poetry?

Last night, I finished Red Bird, a book of poems by Mary Oliver. Loved it. Here’s a gem from p. 37, a bit of a poem called “Sometimes:”

Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

Well. There it is then. That about sums it up.

This book is full of wonderful poems — and wonderful bird poems.

My grandmother studied ornithology at Cornell in the 1920’s. When I was getting married, I started noticing birds EVerywhere; and their songs were so loud, and varied, and rich. I was sure they were congratulating me, welcoming me into their little lovebird club. My groom and I lived in our “love grotto,” as we liked to call it, the top floor of an old house redone into three apartments, where we set out birdseed and watched the love birds flock.

Of course, my two favorite poems from this book…not bird poems… Here is a fabulous one from p. 46 called “Of the Empire.”

We will be known as a culture that feared death
and adored power, that tried to vanquish insecurity
for the few and cared little for the penury of the
many. We will be known as a culture that taught
and rewarded the amassing of things, that spoke
little if at all about the quality of life for
people (other people), for dogs, for rivers. All
the world, in our eyes, they will say, was a
commodity. And they will say that this structure
was held together politically, which it was, and
they will say also that our politics was no more
than an apparatus to accommodate the feelings of
the heart, and that the heart, in those days,
was small, and hard, and full of meanness.

Ouch. Must. read. more. poetry. Got any recommendations?

Why I don’t play the violin much anymore…

I’m playing in church tomorrow. Pray for me!

Beautiful day in Chicago

Here are some pics from our adventures in the city last week:

My man on the water taxi…a great way to travel.

The weather was GOR…JUS.

Lunch. (As in tavern, not meat).

He wanted the crust off his cheeseburger…WHAT?!

Me and the kids

Aspiring f@shion model

She also fights pirates!

Be a blessing

Today’s small thing:

Order a free Olympic prayer band from Voice of the Martyrs and pray for China during the Olympics.

Thanks to Money Saving Mom for publishing this link in her freebies post.

A word from my fridge

We’ve been having fun playing with the magnetic haiku set the Haiku Buckaroo won over at My Mommy’s Place. I thought you might enjoy an occasional selection from the fridge.

This one’s appropriate for an evening benediction.

Mouth do give my house of happy dream whisper

‘Night, everyone.

Almost as brief as a tweet.

Stealing this one word meme from Emily, since my thoughts tend towards the terse today:

1. Where is your cell phone? Counter.

2. Your significant other? Tall.

3. Your hair? Flighty.

4. Your mother? Creative.

5. Your father? Kindhearted.

6. Your favorite thing? Food.

7. Your dream last night? Wacky.

8. Your favorite drink? Cola.

9. Your dream/goal? Peace.

10. The room you’re in? Paneled.

11. Your church? Warm.

12. Your fear? Failure.

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Wiser.

14. Where were you last night? Couch.

15. What you’re not? Snooty.

16. Muffins? Chocolate chip.

17. One of your wish list items? Couch.

18. Where you grew up? South.

19. The last thing you did? Grumped.

20. What are you wearing? Cut-offs.

21. Your TV? Large.

22. Your pets? Sweetness.

23. Your computer? IMac.

24. Your life? Mine.

25. Your mood? Restless.

26. Missing someone? Best friend.

27. Your car? Honda.

28. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes.

29. Favorite store? Meijer.

30. Your summer? Flying.

31. Like(love) someone? Husband.

32. Your favorite color? Yellow.

33. Last time you laughed? Kitten.

34. Last time you cried? Gone.

35. Who will repost this? You.

Twittering Idiot

The blog, people, the blog!…My one year blogaversary has come and gone. I started this blog one year ago on Father’s Day. I was looking for companionship, community, intellectual life (ha!), and a blog that would honor God. I have found many of those things, but I’m still not sure where this ole blog is going.

That intellectual life I was hoping for has just not been happening of late; or should I say that where it is happening is not so much connected to the blog. I’ve agreed to help our church assemble its first library. I’m participating in in-depth Bible study, and find myself in two summer book clubs. If I know anything, it’s that Bible study has got to be a top priority during this season of mothering.

Perhaps it’s just the demanding phase my 3 year old is in, but it’s all I can do to fire of a quick twitter and check in on my peeps before we’re off to the park or I’m schlepping peanut butter crackers to him yet again — let alone step back far enough from the aforementioned slim intellectual pursuits to share them on the blog. Yet, I don’t want to completely give up taking time to document the sweetest moments of motherhood or chewing over a blog post for several days.

And the bloggy spiritual life…I love that you guys love “God Posts,” but they’re kinda drying up for me (probably b/c I’m spending so much time perusing frugal blogs). But Emily’s recent find did suggest the idea that I let you guys share what you see God doing in the blogosphere. But I’m not sure what kind of schedule I should adopt for that. And I really did enjoy praying for you. I could enjoy doing that on a regular basis. But I’m quite sure my blog would have to take on a monthly publishing cycle vs. a weekly one; and that seems like such a loooong time in the blogosphere.

I love the bloggy treasures (that would be you) that I have found along this journey. I’m just not sure what to do about the fact that by the time I wade through my feed reader, I’ve barely any time left to blog myself. But I’ve learned tons about couponing and other clever ways to save money and about mystery shopping, which is such a great bonus.

And this, in a nutshell, is why it’s been so quiet here for so long. Well, also, the husband went to Indonesia for two weeks, which turned into three weeks away from home b/c we went South to visit family while he was gone. I’m still too paranoid sensible to share such things with you the whole Internet while they’re actually happening. But I will have some sweet pictures to share with you from our trip. Later, friends.

I leave you with a photo of my dad and my boy in honor of Father’s Day 2008:

Jeremiah 17: 7-8:

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

A little more mystery

Meredith, (who’s singing the praises of “crazy cream”; go see!), wants to know how we ended up in an AMiA church.

Like most Biblical journeys, it involved a little faith, some times of waiting, times of following, times of discerning, and times of blessing.

(Warning: long answer begins here!) I grew up Lutheran and was baptized, confirmed, married, and my children were baptized all in the same church in South Carolina. We weren’t necessarily looking for anything new or different after we moved to the Midwest. But God had something different for us. (Warning: short answer begins here) Basically, we just felt at home in our new church, and we’re stickin’ here ’til He tells us to move again.

I don’t have a long list of qualifications or principles that my new church must embody or embrace. We loved that the AMiA grew out of a cross-cultural concern from Christians in Rwanda for the unchurched in North America. We love that sense of grassroots connectedness, that sense that God is and has been at work across the globe. And we love jumping on the bus to join in however we can.

I’m not attached to a particular denomination at this point in my life, but I am still attached to liturgy. (I’m glad God hasn’t asked me to give that up yet. But I think I would have; though there was a point when I probably wouldn’t have. How sweet of Him to let me keep it! He knows what I like, and He wants to make me happy. Ok, end crazy talking…) One of the great pleasures of my newfound Anglicanism is this portion of the liturgy:

Great is the mystery of faith. Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again.

That just about sums it up for me. The closer I grow to Christ, the less attached I feel to any one denomination, and the more appreciation I develop for His Universal Church.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”

Please don’t debate theology in the comments; but if you want to, you can tell me how much you love Jesus. ; )

Meredith, I’m not even quite sure this is a satisfactory answer to your question!

What about you guys? Why do you go to the church you do? Or don’t? … *cough* you know who you are *cough*

Great deal in the Etsy shop

Read about it here.