Odd Goods

When I lived in Fort Worth a couple of people, (mostly women, I admit) asked me if it was true that there were something like 4 to 6 men for every woman in Alaska. I told them this Alaskan saying: "The odds are good, but the goods are odd." This is so true!

I've got to say this: most people come up to Alaska to get away from 'civilization', rules and 'normal'. Many of those who've made their homes up here can come across as just plain WEIRD. This is my home, too, so I guess I have to include myself in this... We've got a lot of what I've always called "granola's" and what Jake calls "PBS Subscriber's", (which I kind of take exception to since my family's always been a PBS Subscriber... Hmmm, wonder if that makes us granolas...)

These are the "I take my bath on Fridays when I come in to town to buy my groceries, do my laundry and eat out at Lucy's Bar & Grille" types... The "I've got two dogs and they go everywhere with me" types. The "I haven't had my hair cut in 5 years" types. Half the women have dreads and most of the men have scraggly beards. They've got STRONG opinions about hunting- either they are totally against it, think it's evil & are vegetarians; or they hunt with a bow & arrow, & eat moose, caribou and rabbit every day. Most are here for the 'Alaskan experience'. Most live in cabins without water or electricity.

Cabins in the paper are advertised as 'wood heat/no water', and people rent them! Can you believe that??!! I'm still shocked that people will choose to live without water... On purpose. In fact, they pay money to live without water. We had to live without water in Kotzebue 'cuz our pipes would freeze around September & October and they wouldn't melt until March-ish... I would never CHOOSE to do that again.

Many, many Fairbanksans take their dogs everywhere they go and most of the dogs up here are big. We're talking Huskies and Samoyeds... When I lived in Fort Worth & Seattle I kind of got used to not having to circle around pickups for fear of a big dog biting you... In parking lots up here I avoid pick-up truck beds just as a matter of practice.

As it's getting chillier and chillier I'm seeing more and more coats and hats at Fred Meyer's. I dread the loss of Autumn. As it gets colder (0 and the minus temps) we all start looking like bears awoken from hibernation and lumbering around in search of sustenance. The cold kind of makes us crotchety, too.

Anyway, yup, it's true. There still are more men than women up here. If you've got a thing for the hairy unwashed and living life on the edge of civilization, Alaska's probably for you. I know of at least one guy who was advertizing for a wife in New York newspapers. I'm sure there are others. But remember, the goods are kinda odd...

Inventory, beading Christmas Bazaars

Ayee!! Beth & I have a show in 2 1/2 weeks at Willowcreek Clothing, and I've been beading like crazy. I actually took an inventory of all my stuff (business language: my stock) for the first time ever. It was nice to see what I've got, what I've sold a lot of and what I need to focus on. For me to have everything I want to offer for the Christmas bazaars I need to work two hours every night 5 days a week, and that probably still won't give me what I want... Ahh, well. It will get me going.

Our show will be part of the Fairbanks Art Association First Friday's program, and will take place October 5th. Not much time left...

We're not sure exactly what bazaars we'll be at this year, and we're hoping for more than last year...
These are the two "for sure's":
Fort Wainwright Holly Days Bazaar on October 12th & 13th
Monroe High School on October 27th

We're also hoping to be at the UAF Women's Association Bazaar, Pioneer Park, The Farmer's Market Bazaar and the North Pole city bazaar, but we don't know if all of those will work out.

Anyway, I'm working like crazy and I don't expect to be blogging much till after Christmas...

Farmer's Market Final Day

It was 27 F this morning! I have to say, much as I've loved doing Farmer's Market, I'm not sad to say this was the last day. When I called time and temperature this morning and heard that it was only 27 I told Beth I wasn't going... We went back and forth and finally we agreed that if I got as cold as I did last week I'd just go home and she could stay. I couldn't believe she actually wanted to go and sit there all day!!!
I admit that today turned into a lovely sunshiny day, diametrically opposed to last Saturday, which was in the 40's, blustery and rainy. Although it was chilly today, the sun shone all day and there was only a light & infrequent breeze. When I just sit in 40 degrees or less I get so cold! You'll see we are very warmly dressed- I'm wearing 4 layers... Anyway, the bazaar season is rolling around and we shall be showing up for at least four bazaars this Christmas season- and we're both hoping it's more like five or six. We'll see.

Sick, sick, sick

What is it about fall?
Everybody is officially sick now...
I have a sinus infection. Mom has bronchitis. Jake has pneumonia. Abigail has a runny nose. Beth's complaining of a sore throat, and Deborah's ears are stopped up.
Beth & I did Farmer's Market yesterday and while it was perfect walking weather, it was too cold for just sitting in your booth. A chilly breeze blew through our tent and right through our clothes. The two of us got very chilled and my minor cold turned into a raging sinus infection. Being cold for that long exhausted my body, and lowered my immune system.

Oklahoma!

I checked out a very fun movie from our library and wanted to share: The Royal National Theatre’s Production of Oklahoma! with Hugh Jackman as Curly, Josefina Gabrielle as Laurey, Shuler Hensley as Jud, and Maureen Lipman as Aunt Eller. Loved it. Absolutely loved it.

First, let me say that Oklahoma! owns a very special place in my heart. This is the first honest-to-goodness play I ever saw. I’d seen ballets in 2nd & 3rd grade and LOVED them. (Beth & I acted them out over and over and over and made my parents watch us over and over and over.) I’d always loved singing and sang in my church and school choir. In fact, we belonged to a large church in California (a children’s choir of 40-50 kids) and I’d had the main part in one of our musicals and a solo in another one. I loved doing that- but it had not affected me as strongly as seeing Oklahoma!. I got to see a middle school production of it when I was in 5th grade and it literally changed my life. When I look back at the production I’m quite sure that it was pretty lousy, but as a 10 year old I was blown away. It was wonderful- singing, story, dancing- all put together in one beautiful package. I knew that I wanted to be on that stage. Profoundly, I knew it. I had never felt that strongly about anything I wanted to do before. I’ve seen the old version of it since then (I love musicals and was raised in a family that saw & loved musicals- ‘Singin’ in the Rain, Sound of Music, White Christmas, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Anything Goes…). But it was not the same as the first time I saw a live musical… So, Oklahoma! is special to me.

I thought RNT’s production was excellent. The cast was fantastic. I certainly believed Jackman and Gabrielle were in love, but that they didn’t know how to deal with it or express it. I had no idea Jackman had such a great voice and from the very first 'Oh, what a beautiful morning' he held the audience captive. I admit Gabrielle didn't have the most incredible voice; however, the dancing was lovely- the major pitfall in this play is Laurey's balletic dream and they soared through this. Jackman & Gabrielle actually danced this themselves, which made it part of the play in a way I'd never seen it before... I fell in love again with Ado Annie and the silliness between her and Will Parker, although I admit this is not the best portrayal of these characters I've ever seen. Hensley was terrifying, yet still a pathetic figure as Jud (he won a Tony for this role). He made this character believably vulnerable. The choreography was a lovely nod to Agnes De Mille yet integrated a freshness that I enjoyed. I can’t say much else about the production- costumes fun, lighting pinpointed time & place well… Some of the English audience shots kind of bothered me, but it ran smoothly...

'Lovely, lovely- wish you were here...'

September

The leaves are turning...

I LOVE the yellows and reds of Fall.

But I HATE the piercing scream of the leaves as they fall: "Winter is coming! Winter is coming!"

Me & My Girls

I was rocking them and they were pretending to be asleep... Wiggling & squirming the whole time they were 'asleep'.

Abigail's Fairy Day

Abigail had her 2nd birthday! My baby turned 2! Absolutely shocking. How on earth has she gotten this old??!!

Although unplanned, her day magically became a fairy-day... We had purchased Little Pony stuff, but half of her presents reflected a fairy theme. After donning her wings she looked like a little fairy and started dancing & flying around the room. Her Auntie Beth found some wonderful dress up items (including the wings, skirt, flower tiara and wand) at Value Village which have been a continuous hit.





The princess pony bag was definitely a hit!

Deborah got to choose a gift for Abigail, and graciously chose the Sleeping Beauty doll she has pined after... Abigail was just as delighted with it as the Ariel Mermaid doll from her Grammy.

computer glitches

Our computer has been having serious problems.
We've been offline for several days and I feel like it's been an entire month. Beth has spent a ridiculous amount of time sitting hunched over the computer speaking on the phone to some computer-guru who had her doing strange computer yoga (stretching and bending and moving wires). I am desperately hoping that our friend Valette will be able to give us pointers on her up-coming trip to Fairbanks. (hint, hint..)

Anyway, not much new here. Just no computer.

My oldest is back in pre-school. My youngest is missing her, but I admit I'm DELIGHTED to send Deborah off with all the other 4 year old kids. She is so smart and quick that having her home means keeping her entertained almost 24/7. I'm finally getting some stuff done! Like menus and house cleaning...

Beth & I are doing very well at Farmer's Market. In fact, we were shocked by last weekend. The newspaper ran an article about all the yummy food being sold and we had an amazing turnout, which meant we sold more than we have been. Very nice for a change. I love putting something together at the market, laying it on the table and having it sell that day. Doesn't happen often, but enough to make it fun.

Eclipse

Jake read my blog account of our eclipse watching, looked at his pictures and found that the eclipse WAS visible. So I was wrong, you can see the moon... Sorry, Jake! He had to crop & trim the pictures down so that I could see it. I actually think that his color blindness made it easier for him to see where the moon was in the pictures. The red made it almost impossible for me to see the moon at all in the larger picture.

This next picture is really cool, 'cuz it has the moon and Mars! The top left hand corner is the eclipsed moon and the bottom right hand corner is Mars. We didn't even know you could see Mars and weren't looking for it that night. Jake found it in the pictures. Amazing how much brighter Mars is than the moon...

Books Read in August

Fugitives of Chaos by John C. Wright B+
Second in a series, and I think I read the first one last October, which was the month of ‘Books lost in our Great Computer Transfer’… So, I’ll mention the first one, too: Orphans of Chaos. This is Metaphysical/Mythological fantasy at it’s most erudite… I enjoyed it, but have to say if you don’t know Greek mythology, forget it. You’ll just be frustrated and annoyed. I know most Olympian/Titan stories and didn’t recognize some of the critters mentioned. We’ve got Telchines, Sirens, the Echidna, Graeae, Grendel… Plus, Wrights’s mostly using less well known name for the big guys (Zeus, Aphrodite, Athena, Hera, Poseidon, etc.)- don’t ask me why. To a certain extent I thought Wright’s just trying to prove how much he knows while confusing everyone else… Anyway, they’re very good and I’m glad I read them, but they’re pretty convoluted and confusing, so take ‘em slow.

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot B+
I particularly enjoyed Cabot’s breezy style after reading Wright’s weighted literary ponderosity… Cabot’s the author of the Princess Diary books, the 1-800-Where-Are-You (psychic) series, the Mediator (ghost speaker) series, and a variety of adult light romances such as The Boy Next Door. They’re fun, although I admit I got a little annoyed at the sizing issue in this one- since our heroine, Heather Wells, a washed up pop star, used to be a size 8, is now a size 12, generally lunches on Doritos and Oreos, and is surrounded by size 0 and size 2 college students and is constantly comparing herself to them… Size 12 is a mystery and Heather Wells is the RA of a New York State dorm in which young shy college freshman girls are going elevator surfing and ending up dead. The police are convinced it’s all typical college shenanigans, but Heather’s convinced they’ve been murdered. Turns out she’s right…

Marvel Masterworks The X-Men Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 B+
Loved these… The first 21 X-Men stories from the early 60’s. Boy, were some of the first stories corny. I admit I didn’t start reading comics until the 80’s and the stories I remember just seemed better… I don’t know, though. I’ll probably go back to those stories and realize how corny most of them were, too! It was interesting to be introduced to all the characters and see their original histories- Juggernaut, the Sentinels, Dr. Trask, Magneto, the Scarlet Witch, the Blob… I was a little annoyed at how Marvel Girl was consistently portrayed as a ‘girly-girl’… Her power was pretty wimpy back then, she made a perfect meal, looked perfect at all times, was always being saved & protected by the guys, and she pined after Cyclops (okay, he pined after her, too…). Anyway, give me the chick who could become the Dark Phoenix any day!

Sabriel by Garth Nix A+
I loved this! I honestly don’t know why I haven’t tried Nix’s stuff before… Sabriel is a young woman learning her father’s trade, Necromancy with a heroic twist, and dealing with a far more scary world than she’d expected… Wonderful characters, fun adventure, good twists and turns, interesting combination of fantasy and technology… I couldn’t put this down. I started it yesterday and stayed up to finish it.

Every Boy’s Got One by Meg Cabot B+
Enjoyed this. A fluffy, frothy romance told through e-mails, a PDA and a travel journal. A Catholic girl and a Jewish boy head off to Italy to get married because all the parents involved disapprove of the relationship and the couple end up dealing with a ridiculous amount of difficulty. Their best friends are invited to be the witnesses and HATE each other at the first meeting at the airport, then (of course) end up falling in love and choosing to stay in Italy together… A silly & very light book. The best part was the six page interview with Cabot at the end- she used her own marriage as the basis for the book and almost all the completely unbelievable aspects of the wedding actually happened to her and her husband (Italian red tape, an SS German spy, a mayor/soccer coach who would only marry them at the crack of dawn…)

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson A
This is a YA version of his When the Wind Blows and The Lake House. It’s very good, although I admit I liked the adult version better… The story isn’t exactly the same, although it’s based on the same idea: a government organization performs DNA/recombatant experiments on infants that they’ve either stolen, or been given. The main characters of the stories are children who have wings, bird-like bones and structural changes. It’s an interesting story (although it doesn’t finish and leaves you hanging waiting for the next one) and lives up to Patterson’s break-neck story pace and surprising plot twists.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine A+
Loved this. One of my favorite books this year… A return to the world Levine created in Ella Enchanted, except it takes place in the country next door to Ella’s Kyrria, Ayortha. This is a retelling of Snow White, although if you didn’t know that story you certainly wouldn’t recognize it. Excellent story-telling, fun characters, believable situation. Ayortha is known for it’s singing, and everyone there is known by their ability to sing. Our main character, Aza is born with a beautiful voice that captivates and can do almost anything; however, she is born rather unattractive and wishes with all her heart to be beautiful… Humor, adventure, romance and song- what more could I ask for in a good book?

Beast by Donna Jo Napoli A
Good. A little heavy in the first section as it attempts to transport us into Persian culture & Islamic beliefs, but definitely an interesting tale. This is the story of a proud Persian prince who angers a fairy which then causes her to set an ancient curse into motion: The prince will be killed by his father’s hand if he doesn’t flee within the next day. The curse drives him to leave his home and travel across Europe in search of redemption and forgiveness. Through his travels he learns humility, loneliness, and how to deal with despair. A French beauty named Belle will free him from the curse, but not until the end of the story…

The Beloved Disciple: Following John to the heart of Jesus by Beth Moore A
I love Moore’s Bible studies. They are fantastic, and after seeing her speak in person I know how hard she strives to be Biblical, Godly and focused in her teachings. As a North-Western woman it’s always a little shocking/funny to see her big Texan-hair! I have to say though, that after several studies with her, I am able to overlook her hair and look at her heart. She tries to be transparent in her writings, and I believe she achieves that- John has always been one of my very favorite people from the Bible, and in this book Moore opens up his writings, from the Gospel of John to the letters, and finally to the book of Revelations. An excellent examination of those scriptures, plus practical applications.

The Duke’s Ballad by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie A
Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Based off the description from the back of the book: The tale of Aisling, a young witch from a family gifted with a magical power that she must protect from her evil brother, Kirion. She fled as a young girl when he tried to kill her to gain her power. Kirion has hold over the Duke of Kars, and she returns in disguise to undermine Kirion’s power and remove his evil pawn from the throne. My favorite parts of the book: Aisling’s character, her telepathic cat-friend, watching her learn to slip through the machinations and evil of the court-life, and the final defeat of her brother.

WebMage by Kelly McCullough B+
Good. Fairies, technology with a magic twist, ultra-modern. It’s slow to get started, but after the first quarter or so it keeps going. Surprises, and good twists.

Marvel Graphic Novel: EXiles, collected #46-51 B
I admit I’ve read almost all of the Exile comic books. I had a friend who was collecting and reading them, and he loaned a couple of years worth to me. I like the concept: Five heroes are plucked from their alternate universes and then transferred from reality to reality, setting things right and working toward the day when they can return to their former life. So, I checked out a collection from the library that picks up fairly close to the edition I had last read… Six more tales of their missions. One thing- they lost my favorite character from the series: Nocturne, Nightcrawler’s daughter from another reality…

Lirael & Abhorsen by Garth Nix A+
Why have I never read anything by Nix before???! This series has been excellent… A continuation of the tale begun in Sabriel- picks up with another girl character who doesn’t quite fit in to her surroundings. Lirael is one of the Clayr, the group of people within the Old Kingdom tasked with seeing into the future in order to prevent “horrible things” from happening; however, Lirael doesn’t have the gift of the sight. Through the course of the books, she discovers that a much more important task than just seeing the future has been granted her… She meets up with Prince Sam another person born into a role he is unable to fulfill. Together with Mogget & the Disreputable Dog they experience many wonderful & terrifying adventures.

Across the Wall: A Collection of Short Stories by Garth Nix A
I didn’t love everything in here, but those I did like, I LOVED. For one of the tales we return to the Old Kingdom, but all of the rest take place on other worlds and realities.

4th of July by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro A-
The fourth (duh) in a series about Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women’s Murder Club. The story follows two different lines- the trial Lindsay faces over a late-night car chase & shooting, and the nasty murders taking place in the small town she retreats to in order to escape the press over the trial. It’s Patterson so there’s some disturbing stuff involved in the murders… Excellent management of the storylines, amazing ratcheting tension and good attention to details. My biggest complaint about this series is that, in my opinion, Patterson doesn’t do such a hot job writing a female character… I thought writing with a woman would help, but I don’t know… She’s a great character- I like her, I understand her, but she feels like a guy dressed up as a woman. Who knows… I’m probably the only person out there with this opinion. It’s still a good mystery.

Creative Beading by Juju Vail B
Not really my style, (hers is ‘chunky with crazy clashing colors’) but there were a couple of pictures I copied for my “beading inspiration file” and will probably use as starting points for other projects. It’s good to see stuff other people are doing ‘cuz it makes me think of how it relates to what I’m already doing and inspires additional projects… Good pictures, although some of her directions are kinda like, “so you start by doing this, do this and then POOF it’s done”. They seem to be missing some of the middle steps…

Sewing Snobbery

Okay, I had this weird, surreal moment in JoAnn's today, and I have to share with somebody.

(Set Up Info: I hate sewing, rarely do any, and avoid sewing projects like it's a contagious and nasty disease. I try not to let anyone know I can sew or that I worked in a costume shop, because as soon as people know you can sew they want help on some project or other and I DON'T LIKE to sew.)
I've been searching like a mad thing for a specific gift for Abigail's birthday tomorrow. Deborah got a 'My Little Pony' bag for her birthday last year and it was definitely the hit of the season. She stores all of her treasures in it, and hides her ponies, dolls, you-name-its from her sister. I guess in one way it defines her space right now. Her bag goes to bed with her and is very special.
So, I've been trying to find one for Abigail, too. No place in town is carrying something similar, and I really thought I'd get lucky right before school started- a lunch bag, or a gear bag with something Abigail would like- My Little Pony's or Disney princesses. But the only things I could find were $20-$40 backpacks. A little big for a 2 year old, and a little pricey for me...
Last Monday I came up with the great idea to make one. I bought a plain blue soft-side lunch bag, and found fabric with horses and princesses. I knew that there was something called fusible fabric out there, which can basically make any fabric into an iron on patch. You fuse it to your fabric with an iron, peel off the paper and then fuse it to the object you want it on.
I forgot to get it until late last night, and of course, it was too late. So, early today I ran to the store, asked somebody for help, and then brought my package to the cutting counter. I found out the actual product name is 'Wonder Under'. Go figure.
I asked the cutting lady if she knew how to use it, 'cuz I didn't, and she was all like, "I never use Wonder-Under", like it was nasty. Like it was some bug or grub she'd found under a rock, and I was asking how to cook it... I had no idea there was a whole group of sewing/quilting snobs out there who would never dare touch such a low thing as 'Wonder Under'...
Anyway, call me a plebeian. I decorated my daughter's bag using 'Wonder Under' and I'm delighted with it! I haven't given it to her yet, but I'm quite sure that it will be the hit of the season... Now if I can just figure out how to prevent Deborah from fighting with Abigail to hold it, I'll hold the keys to the kingdom.
The Princess kingdom, that is.

Lunar Eclipse

Jake & I got to see the lunar eclipse this last week. So cool!

The blood red moon...

Jake tried to take pictures of it, which is kinda funny, 'cuz we live in a neighborhood with quite a few streetlights... (actually, side note: most neighborhoods this far north have a LOT of street lights. We spend about 4 months in almost 24 hour darkness. We like lots of light... One of the weirdest things to me about living in the lower 48 was the lack of street lights. Yes, it doesn't stay dark as long, but how on earth can you do anything at night??)

His picture didn't turn out so hot, as you can see... But it's fun to see it and know where we were standing when we saw the moon.

On Monday, Jake went to bed at 10 p.m. and set his alarm for 2 a.m. I was still awake, so he and I slipped outside and watched the moon get darker and darker.

Farmer's Market Update

Beth and I have been going regularly to the Farmer's Market on Saturday for about 6 weeks. We've made at least $50 every time. Oddly, we have continued to trade off on who makes the most money. It was my week last Saturday and I made almost $100 while Beth made $16. The previous week she made over $100, and I sold two things. We've only got two weeks left before Farmer's Market shuts down for the summer- the last Saturday is right before Labor Day. I think our only regret is that we didn't start earlier!

We don't make huge pots of money, that's definitely reserved for the farmers. Boy, they clean up! Almost makes me wish I had the time and space to have a big garden. I've gotten the most beautiful tomatoes from a couple different people, and a huge bag of the yummiest carrots I've ever eaten.

For basic information and some fun links and photos you can visit the market's website: http://www.tvfmarket.com/index.html

My Cat- Luna

Luna was born in early 2000, sometime around February. She's about 7 1/2 years old.

I went to the animal shelter in Seattle soon after arriving there and spent about an hour in the cat room. There were so many beautiful cats! I had a very hard time making a choice. I had really wanted two cats, and I was hoping to take home some sisters or perhaps two cats that had been brought in together. However, the only cats that had come in together were VERY sick, and I just didn't have the money to provide the health care they were going to need. Also, I didn't want to take home kittens 'cuz I knew they would find homes much easier.

I prayed and prayed that God would help me make a choice- I wanted to take them ALL home! I finally chose Luna because every time I walked by her she would put her paw out through the cage trying to touch me. When I'd let her touch me, she'd just pat at my leg and meow. She wanted a person to take her out of that cage!

The most frustrating thing about Luna is her dependance- She HATES to be left alone, and she cries and cries and cries when I leave. She also has a fit when her food bowl is empty. Not that she eats it immediately when I fill it. She just wants to know that there's food for her when she wants it. I do not know this for sure, but I believe she was abandoned- Her behavior indicates a fear of being left alone and of running out of food...

Lately the only time she seems to be happy is sitting on my lap at the computer- the girls don't harrass her and I pet her and adore her, as is fitting for a cat of her beauty. I'm truly amazed at how patient she is with the girls. They almost lay on top of her and she lets them!

Deborah-ism

Deborah loves it when I paint her finger & toe nails. In particular she loves having pink sparkly nail polish.

I first used it as a persuasion device to convince her to allow me to clip her nails. She used to HATE it- being still for that long with a metal cutting device hovering over her... Now she loves it and will beg me to paint them knowing it means I will pull out the clippers.

Anyway, she told me today that the smell of nail polish is "totally yucky!"

I'm NOT Poor

Wow. I just read a story by Tim Hughes on www.WorshipTogether.com. They have a Bible Study page, normally written by the songwriter of the week, and generally based on one of the highlighted songs. So, this is part of the story I read:

In June 2005, my wife Rachel and I (Tim Hughes) headed off to Tanzania, to spend a week working with Tearfund, a charity based in England. Whilst there we met an amazing lady called Joyce. We visited her home in Uhambingeto, met with her family and heard her story. With no clean accessible water in the village, leaving each night at midnight with an empty container, Joyce would walk for over ten hours until she returned home at around 10am the following morning exhausted.

It has been estimated that Joyce has walked the equivalent of three times around the world in the pursuit of water. The injustice of this is overwhelming. . How could that still be possible in a world today where so many of us have so much?

I (me, Rebecca!) tend to think of myself as "poor". We've made the choice for me to stay home with the girls until they are in full time school, and our income is now low enough that we could not make it we weren't living with my mom... I would have to find a job somehow, which is just stupid, 'cuz then almost all of my income would go into providing daycare for the girls... Anyway, compared to the average family in the U.S. we're not doing so hot.

However, I was reminded by Hughes' story that compared to the VAST majority of the world's families, we are doing amazingly well. We have enough food, even if it's not always what we'd prefer; plenty of easily accessible water to drink and ourselves, our clothes and dishes; attractive and comfortable clothing; a safe place to live, play and sleep; time to play and pursue hobbies; Jake has two guitars & I have a djembe; we have access to books, the time to read them and the ability to teach the girls to read...

A missionary was at church this last Sunday talking about the Karen people in Burma. Children are being raped and murdered there simply because of their ethnicity. (Background: Unofficially/Secretly, Burma is trying to remove all of the Karen people from their country, either by causing them to flee for their lives, or by killing them. Most of the Karen people are determined to stay in their ancestral home, which is a really weird concept for those of us in the U.S., since most of us are here because our ancestors chose to leave whatever was going on in our ancestral home...) Half of the workers/missionaries/chaplains he had pictures of were now dead because they'd been shot by the Burmese army. All of the little girls in the pictures he showed had seen a family member murdered, had been raped, or had themselves been shot. They live in fear of being taken and enslaved in a child pornography ring. Burma is one of the biggest suppliers of little girls for sex-slavers.

My two biggest concern for my daughters right now are: 1) Deborah is driving me CRAZY! She's SO ready to go back to pre-school, and she's bored, bored, bored. She's pushing my buttons constantly, and always requesting 'Do something with me!' 2) Abigail's birthday is on the 31st, in two weeks. I'm trying to decide what gifts to purchase, avoid all the lead paint in all the items I'd thought of buying, and figure out what is reasonable for a 2 year old.

I'm not daily terrified about not having enough food to feed them. I'm not worried about traveling an obscene distance to bring water for them to drink. I am not constantly consumed with the fear of them being stolen to be sold into slavery.

I so easily forget how blessed I am in this country. I get busy doing my day-to-day routine and worrying about groceries, dinner, and my beads. I tend to compare myself with the other families around us and thinking that we have less (which tends to be true right now, but won't always be). Even though it's tough for us right now, it's NOTHING compared to what most of the world is dealing with on a day to day basis.

God, help me get my head out of the sand and focused on YOUR Kingdom. I want to have Your heart, and be focused on what's important to You. I want to be about Your business, and see others the way that You do. I don't know what the plan is for us right now, but You are in control. You do have a good plan, and You are guiding our footsteps. Help me remember that we are NOT poor, and that, in fact, we are immeasurably rich. We have Your blessing upon our lives, and Your presence dwelling in our lives. We have good food, plenty of clean water, the blessing of time and safety, choices and education.

Oh, God, how my heart hurts when I think of the children in Burma... How Your heart must burn. I want you to bring an end to this world! How evil and sick we are- How can You let us go on? Bring Your love, truth and justice to this situation. Only You know the answer, the solution. Save those children. Place Your protection over them.

Jake's Songs

This is so cool!

I just found out that one of Jake's friends has posted five recordings of his songs on the internet!! They don't sound exactly the same as they normally do- (the recordings were done back-to-back-to-back and he had just taught the other musicians the songs, so it's always better to get them right and a little slow than at the right tempo and wrong...); However, I think this is the coolest thing ever! My talented song-writer Love has five of his songs on the internet!!!

You can hear them at: http://www.jakesirevaag.com/songs/songs.html

Books

I took a silly personality quiz at MSNBC.com... It told me which book I'm supposed to be. Since I liked the book it chose I thought I'd share.


You're Watership Down!
by Richard Adams
Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you're actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You'd be recognized as such if you weren't always talking about talking rabbits.

'Bring the Rain' by Mercy Me

I heard this for the first time driving home from an appointment... I slowed down and stayed in the car until it was done. I want this to be the song my heart sings...
******

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty