My grandmother had an eye appointment today so I went along with her in case she couldn't drive afterwards. My grandpa decided to come along too.
We sat down in the waiting room. I started reading my Quaint and Old Fashioned British Novel (hereafter, Q&OFBN). My grandpa picked up a copy of Time Magazine - the one with Obama as person of the year on the front. "This magazine cover looks really familiar, but I can't place it," he said (he saw it in the same waiting room of the same clinic last week). I put down the Q&OFBN as he clearly wanted a chat. A chat we had, too... one where he moved from his dietary concerns to the colleges my cousins had chosen in somewhat dizzying succession. This is fairly normal now, though, and after I'd supplied him with my Aunt's name and we agreed she was a very nice woman, he started reading the magazine again. I tentatively picked up the Q&OFBN and read one page before he made his next comment.
"You should have been on stage."
"Really? Why should I have been on stage, Grandpa?"
"Because Madonna just got a 300 million dollar divorce deal."
*squeak* "I should be on stage so I could be Madonna and divorced?"
Ruh roh. Now I'm trying to think of good stage names for you...but each one I think of is not worthy of even typing because a name change just doesn't work for a Sylvan Historian.
Y'all should know that I ALWAYS stuck out like sore thumb in school because mini skirts were in when I was in school, and I was the ONLY girl I knew who had to wear dresses at least to the knees, and usually lower. I was not allowed to be cheerleader. I was not allowed to go to rock concerts, EVER. I wasn't allowed to do oh, so many things that I also do not allow my girls to do (except I wanted to do them, and my girls are nicer)-
I once got a spanking for using the word butt to refer to anatomy instead of the end of a gun (and I can hardly hear it without blushing now)-
OH, and my mother once bought a birthday cake for me with a ballerina on it, and he was so offended by the plastic ballerina's costume that he took it off the cake and tossed it out the car window before they even got it home (I think I was two, and I do not remember it).
And now that same man? He wishes Madonnna was his grand-daughter. Or something.=)
... beans are simmering away, soon ready to be used for tonight's meal of cornbread and bean soup. Some of her ground lamb will also feature in the meal.
... today we're putting away a bunch of Christmas stuff. This is not so happy (pine needles hurt! and tinsel gets everywhere!) but there were some absolutely hilarious conversations going on while we did the tree.
*talking about a friend of ours*
Rebecca: He's legally blind.
The Boy: You mean it's illegal to be blind?! *imitates a cop* Hands up, sir! You're not legally blind!
Pleoless Girl: There's an apple back there! (meaning an apple ornament)
Rebecca: Apples don't grow on pine trees, silly.
Pleoless Girl: It's a pineapple tree.
Rebecca, before we started: Let's just throw out the tree and the ornaments and buy all new ones next year.
*five minutes later Pleoless Girl comes downstairs to help*
Pleoless Girl: Let's just throw out the tree and the ornaments and buy all new ones next year.
Taking the lights off proved to be a headache as some of them were wrapped around in a very wonky fashion. The Pleoless Girl and I took them off and it took a very long time.
Rebecca: Don't you two know how to take off lights?
Me: Yes, thank you, but they were put on in a weird way.
The Boy: oooh, so you're saying Dad and I aren't properly educated?
The Boy and I carried the tree outside. I held it steady while he unscrewed it from the base. "I know what it feels like to be a present now," he said as he burrowed underneath the tree.
~~~
Last night at a singing I got to sit in a perfect place for making eye contact with an adorable toddler. She grinned at me for half the songs and made faces at me for other half. Loved it.
On the way home we spent a long time radio-station-hopping as I was tired and Rebecca is ADD when it comes to radio stations. One of the stations we found was a true oldies station, playing stuff from the 1940s. We listened for a couple minutes and the Pleoless Girl said, "Everyone back then was an alto!"
^ I don't know about you guys, but I did not drool, thank you very much....; ) And all that was hilarious...I especially loved the first note and imagined a menu printed up for your meal: "Sides: Cornbread and Bean Soup singing alto. Main Feature: Lamb performing tricks." (OK, maybe I should go to bed.)
Lucky for me, I haven't had to undecorate a tree in about 8 years. Haven't been home long enough after Christmas to do it since I left home. There are advantages to living far away...
* Yesterday and today have been very good days... my cup doth overflow.
* In 2007 I read through the Bible in a year for the first time ever. I took a break from it in 2008 to study in other ways, but I'm doing the read through again in 2009 and I'm excited. Just fyi.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? Went to Europe! Was a bridesmaid (I went twenty+ years without being in a wedding and then was a bridesmaid twice in one year. dizzying). Played tennis (and enjoyed it).
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? You know what? 2008 was the first time I wrote some specific resolutions... and although I did really well on some of them, others fell completely by the wayside. I think this year I will focus on resolve every day, rather than resolutions for 365 unpredictable days.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth or get pregnant? Yes, actually. Too bad none of them live in the immediate vicinity.
4. Did anyone close to you get married? February ~ Friend we've known for as long as she's been alive.
November ~ Kristin, sister and oldest friend.
5. Did anyone close to you die? No
6. Did you travel? Yes, and it was amazing. After years of hoping and wondering about it, I finally went to Europe. London, England; Black Forest area of Germany; Basel, Switzerland; Alsace-Lorraine region of France... I am so thankful. So beautiful and overwhelming.
Also went to Texas for a few weeks and Colorado for a week-end.
7. Did you move anywhere? No, oddly enough.
8. What was the best month? There was beauty in every month.
9. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? * a BA in History :)
* a more patient and joyous heart
10. What date(s) from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I know it sounds weird as a historian, but specific dates can get fuzzy...
* the day I landed in London... stepping out of the tube at Russell Square Gardens and realizing I'd actually made it to the European Continent.
* the night in September when the Pleoless Girl was baptized (!!!) and several us spent hours in the hospital after a friend injured her shoulder. That's the sort of stuff memories are made of.
* finding out that I'd won one of Purdue's literary awards
* November 8... the day Kristin and Jeremy got married
11. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Rather superficial things come to mind first... finishing another couple of semesters of school even with Rather Huge Things going on in Real Life. But on a deeper level, the achievements that mattered most weren't mine.
12. What was your biggest failure? Lack of faith
13. Did you suffer illness or injury? I broke a toe. ;)
14. What was the best thing you bought? tickets to Europe! Although I bought those in 2007, I think...
My laptop, although not a Mac, is fantastic and I'm grateful for it. It's made this semester a hundred times easier.
And I bought a down comforter from my mother for $10 (she got it for $5). I love that thing. =)
15. Whose behavior merited celebration? * my family's, for going through many changes with grace. And for putting up with me this last semester. ;)
16. Whose behavior made you appalled and/or depressed? Mine. Humanity in general.
17. Where did most of your money go? Buying a car (but it's all mine!). Gas for said car. Travel stuff.
18. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Europe
Friends
Family
19. What song will always remind you of 2008? Too many to list
20. Compared to this time last year, are you: i. happier or sadder? more joyful
ii. richer or poorer? same
21. What do you wish you'd done more of? Praying.
22. What do you wish you'd done less of? worrying. (hm, somehow I think that if I'd done more of #21, #22 wouldn't have been as much of a problem)
23. How did you spend New Year's Eve/Day? Bible study. Then singing with friends... followed by food, laughter, and games. Today was more of the same, with a meal at the grandparents' house (where my grandfather informed me he wanted his driver's license back). Rather quiet, but quiet feels *very* good right now.
24. What was an unexpected surprise? Uhm... there were dear friendships made somewhat unexpectedly... joyous things, but I wouldn't have predicted all of them. There have been SO many "surprised by joy" moments this year.
And for once I got to be an unexpected surprise, coming home from Texas several days early.
25. Did you fall in love in 2008? Love of God is getting deeper...
26. What was the best concert you've been to this year? mmm. I went to almost none (only one??). That's sad.
27. What was your favorite TV program? Ugh. Didn't have one... am feeling slightly nauseous on the subject, actually, after seeing quite a bit of TV earlier this week in a clinic waiting room. Lame, lame, lame.
28. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn't dislike this time last year? Loads of people. :-P (yes, definitely sarcasm)
29. What was the best book you read? Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer
30. What was your greatest musical discovery? I listened to Coldplay this year and really liked them.
31. What did you want and get? an excellent GPA (I know, I'm shallow)
continued to have the strength and support of friends and family.
32. What did you want and not get? uhm... Life is good.
33. What was your favorite film of this year? I was going to say Amazing Grace, but that's 2007... Wall-E, I think. (how I wish Icould say Prince Caspian!)
34. What did you do on your birthday? a meal with my family. Something related to school. Hunted for lilacs.
35. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? working with a spirit of more purpose and joy
36. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? This assumes I HAD a personal fashion concept.
37. What kept you sane? God is the fountain whence...
38. What political issue stirred you the most? I know the election happened, and I was interested, but I'm sort of withdrawn from politics right now. I don't think it's apathy. There's only so much I can do, though, and my eternal citizenship is somewhere else.
History doesn't really repeat itself, but studying the subject does help with perspective. Kingdoms rise. Kingdoms fall. This is the way of life.
That said...
I am rather disgusted with the adulation Obama receives right now. He is treated as the New Messiah when he's actually done very little.
Not in favor of the bailout. Why don't we just start calling ourselves the United Socialist States of America?
~~~
And we're still murdering children.
But you didn't get to come to the HS Campout... :(
We watched Prince Caspian last Sunday. I wish you could say it was the best too, but considering how it turned out, I would have been disgusted with you if you did. ;) It started off fairly good... But then it turned horrible.
I believe your grandpa said "They said something was wrong with my brain so they took my license away. I want it back." I almost asked him if he wanted his brain back ;)
+ We're going to my grandparents' for Christmas Dinner tonight. The main meal will consist of enchiladas and tamales. Not quite traditional North American, but I love it. I found myself thinking of the many meanings of the phrase "melting pot" recently. My family seems to take it somewhat literally when it comes to food.
Yesterday I made egg rolls for dinner. Cabbage, carrots, Chinese 5 Spice, cooking wine, ginger, sesame oil... all wrapped in the goodness of a wonton wrapper and fried to golden goodness. Every time I make rolls (admittedly not very frequently, as they're rather time consuming for a family our size) I remember the day back in Kindergarten when my mom and I went to a classmate's house so her Korean mother could show my mom how she made Asian food. Her fingers moved nimbly, and I remember an exciting array of ingredients.
It isn't all zesty main dishes, though. There's the cookie dough in the fridge, for example. My grandmother's very German family has made these cookies every Christmas for at least five generations (the recipe card lists the genealogy of The Cookie Makers, starting way back with Grandma Fleischer. :-)
So. Germany. Korea. Mexico. Three continents in one kitchen!
+ Grades are posted for the semester and I am so thankful for them. The stats class is DONE forever, perfect attendance gave me an A+ in tennis, and most exciting of all, I made an A in Spanish. Earlier this semester I had a high B. With all the work I was putting into my history papers, I really didn't think I was going to be able to pull an A in Spanish. But I did... and I think I nearly gave the Pleoless Girl a heart attack with my shrieking once the grades had loaded.
+ The free reading time I have now is fantastic. I'm almost done re-reading Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot (wonderful, wonderful book). I'm working my way through the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke (yay for fantasy). And I'm slowly going through Darwin's Black Box. I'm also supposed to keep up with thesis research over break, but I think that will consist of reading an antebellum journal... hardly arduous.
+ You know how exciting it is when you've been discussing an issue or a Bible passage with someone, and then that very thing comes up in a Bible study or sermon just a short time later? It's as if the support of God's word becomes more visible, more tightly knit together. I rather think that (in my life, at least) these exciting intersections would be a lot more common if I spent more time in the Word and in discussing it with others. Hard for there to be a meeting point of thought and scriptures if I haven't been building my end of the bridge.
From what I've seen, most people get a lot more excited over good grades than I do. Not trying to be conceited or anything, but I'm guessing my not being able to remember when I last failed to get an A might have something to do with it.
^^I think you'd probably be a little more excited over good grades if you were a senior in a university that made the top 100 Universities in the world list.
^^ Probably. :) I would probably appreciate them more if it took much effort to get them. :P At Metro, at least in my experience, I have found it quite simple to get it. I suppose, I was a bit surprised that I got on in the English Composition 1 class, because my teacher didn't seem to care for my paper, largely because of my view point on the topic, I think. But she gave me one anyway. :)
^ A teacher can disagree with the topic, but if you write it well and make a good argument, you can get a good grade. You must have done well on that bit : )
Through high school and in community college, I always got A's on my rough drafts, so that's what I turned in.
Then I went to a small liberal arts college with an older English professor who knew a first draft when he saw one. I valued his criticism even more than I valued anybody else's compliments.
"...the things we feel most deeply we ought to learn to be silent about, at least until we have talked them over thoroughly with God." ~ Elisabeth Elliot
