We have had over 12.75 inches of rain since March 1. Seven (and then some) inches came in the course of a three day storm two weeks ago. It started raining again on Monday morning... and hasn't stopped.
As a child, I learned the little ditty: "Rain, rain, go away, come again another day." It never made sense then... it only rained about 10 days out of every year. We celebrated thunderclouds, danced down the driveway in monsoons, waited ten minutes, and then everything was dry again - sometimes for another 100 days.
Now (on the other side of the country and 20 years later), roads are closed, there's a giant erosion-induced pothole in front of my driveway (which is "fun" to try to avoid every time I come home), we live in a state of emergency (in addition to the state of MA), sandbagging volunteers will stay up all night tonight to keep the rivers and dams from flooding and breaking, and there is a new river outside the building where I work (diverted into the sewer system this time instead of our first floor offices, thankfully).
It's the last days, folks. Keep an eye out for the signs of the times, and listen hard in General Conference this weekend.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Palm Sunday
Thus beginneth the Easter season. It is one of my favorite times of year. This morning as we sang the closing song in Sacrament Meeting, the words resonated with me like never before:
It is not just the music that touched me - the haunting melody and the beautiful transformation from a minor to major key - it is the stunning reality that the Savior of mankind exercised His power over pain and death so that I could conquer fear. Fear of failure. Fear of death. Fear of not being loved (or loveable) enough. Fear of being alone. Fear of ... you name it. It's on the list.
Through the infinite power of His Atonement, I have conquered fear. And on the other side of the fear came an immeasurable happiness and joy.
The atonement and resurrection of our Lord deserve at least a week of our attention (if not more), beginning this joyous Palm Sunday through Easter Morning. May it be a spiritual feast for you as well.
That Easter morn, a grave that burst
Proclaimed to man that "Last and First"
Had risen again
And conquered pain.
This morn renews for us that day
When Jesus cast the bonds away,
Took living breath
And conquered death.
Thus we in gratitude recall
And give our love and pledge our all,
Shed grateful tear
And conquer fear.
It is not just the music that touched me - the haunting melody and the beautiful transformation from a minor to major key - it is the stunning reality that the Savior of mankind exercised His power over pain and death so that I could conquer fear. Fear of failure. Fear of death. Fear of not being loved (or loveable) enough. Fear of being alone. Fear of ... you name it. It's on the list.
Through the infinite power of His Atonement, I have conquered fear. And on the other side of the fear came an immeasurable happiness and joy.
The atonement and resurrection of our Lord deserve at least a week of our attention (if not more), beginning this joyous Palm Sunday through Easter Morning. May it be a spiritual feast for you as well.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Random Saturday Thoughts
This morning I figured out that if your kitchen sink stinks, you can take out the black rubber thingy at the top of the drain and clean off the underside where all the scum grows. It makes it smell much nicer, and is much more effective than spraying Clorox on the already clean parts.
Around lunchtime I decided that I still don't much like cleaning the bathroom.
When the sun started shining in through the windows on the west, I went to Target and bought my own router to replace the one I've been renting along with my internet for the last two years (and have paid for once over and then some, by the way). Now comes the hard part: figuring out how to hook it up, convincing the internet people to flip the switch on their end that makes it work (maybe?), and returning the rental (which is so old, by the way, that they don't sell them anymore).
Then I had an adventure and discovered what a lovely little beach town Gloucester is. There is something wild and romantic about watching the waves break over a rocky shore. It is a place wherein a wander along the beach would be most desirable... but the weather was so cold that one was better off enjoying the view from inside. Which I did. And I would love to go back - in the summertime.
Around lunchtime I decided that I still don't much like cleaning the bathroom.
When the sun started shining in through the windows on the west, I went to Target and bought my own router to replace the one I've been renting along with my internet for the last two years (and have paid for once over and then some, by the way). Now comes the hard part: figuring out how to hook it up, convincing the internet people to flip the switch on their end that makes it work (maybe?), and returning the rental (which is so old, by the way, that they don't sell them anymore).
Then I had an adventure and discovered what a lovely little beach town Gloucester is. There is something wild and romantic about watching the waves break over a rocky shore. It is a place wherein a wander along the beach would be most desirable... but the weather was so cold that one was better off enjoying the view from inside. Which I did. And I would love to go back - in the summertime.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Things That Make Me Happy
Friendly banter among colleagues.
Thirty minutes on the phone with a totally awesome ten-year-old.
Peace among friends in a sacred place.
Knowing - not just believing.
Growing.
Motherhood.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
On Learning
Last night I decided that if my 8 year old niece can do a poster presentation on the Great Barrier Reef, I can learn something useful during all the time I spend on the internet.
So I read Wikipedia's article on the Great Pyramid of Giza. And I thought about the children of Israel when they were in bondage in Egypt (see Exodus, first 8-10 chapters) and how they had to make bricks every day as their job, and then thought about how maybe they would have built the pyramids, too, but that doesn't seem super likely considering they made bricks using straw (not quarried stone) and it doesn't ever reference building anything but granaries ("treasure cities"), so maybe not. It was interesting to learn about how mathematically beautiful the pyramid is, though, and other things.
And when I finished reading about pyramids last night, I knew more than I did when I woke up yesterday morning. Thanks, M, for inspiring me to learn (even though you don't know you did it... it was the gchat with your mom!). It was fun. What else should I read about?
Perhaps next I'll learn about how to make bricks, and why it required straw.
So I read Wikipedia's article on the Great Pyramid of Giza. And I thought about the children of Israel when they were in bondage in Egypt (see Exodus, first 8-10 chapters) and how they had to make bricks every day as their job, and then thought about how maybe they would have built the pyramids, too, but that doesn't seem super likely considering they made bricks using straw (not quarried stone) and it doesn't ever reference building anything but granaries ("treasure cities"), so maybe not. It was interesting to learn about how mathematically beautiful the pyramid is, though, and other things.
And when I finished reading about pyramids last night, I knew more than I did when I woke up yesterday morning. Thanks, M, for inspiring me to learn (even though you don't know you did it... it was the gchat with your mom!). It was fun. What else should I read about?
Perhaps next I'll learn about how to make bricks, and why it required straw.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Family
My friend was married today. As I watched her interact with her new husband and with her father and with her mother, I felt some of what they all must be feeling. Father hoping the best for his treasured daughter as they danced and conversed together. Mother expressing her love in a sweet surprise gift for the bride and groom. The bride looking into the eyes of the groom, love communicated between them without words, and anxious to start their new life together. A match, and a sweet celebration to commemorate it.
I don't have much of the someday wedding planned, but I know now that there will be a dance with dad before that night is over. Like in the olden days, when he taught me swing to Scott Joplin ragtime playing on a record player.
I don't have much of the someday wedding planned, but I know now that there will be a dance with dad before that night is over. Like in the olden days, when he taught me swing to Scott Joplin ragtime playing on a record player.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
On Order
There is something very satisfying about taking a mess and turning it into a beautifully organized arrangement. It turns out that I'm not the only one who thinks this way, either. That is also satisfying. I work with some friends who are almost as good, if not better, at this than I am. How fantastic!
We have had some interesting times this week trying to consolidate people and stuff and fit into a much smaller space than we are all generally used to. Today, I organized our kitchen space. You can fit a lot of stuff into a small space if you just put in a little effort. It took a few hours, but I was able to gather up and put away everything that had been boxed up, moved up, and strewn around our kitchen, so it hardly looks like anything happened. On Monday, we had a disaster. This morning, we had a mess. This evening, we had moved much of the mess into another space, organized it into neat piles, and put the rest of it away.
Order is wonderful.
We have had some interesting times this week trying to consolidate people and stuff and fit into a much smaller space than we are all generally used to. Today, I organized our kitchen space. You can fit a lot of stuff into a small space if you just put in a little effort. It took a few hours, but I was able to gather up and put away everything that had been boxed up, moved up, and strewn around our kitchen, so it hardly looks like anything happened. On Monday, we had a disaster. This morning, we had a mess. This evening, we had moved much of the mess into another space, organized it into neat piles, and put the rest of it away.
Order is wonderful.
Monday, March 15, 2010
In Case of Emergency
Let's talk about how reliant we are on computers.
Without them you wouldn't be reading this.
Without them, companies shut down. In Boston, some areas are flooded today... rivers have swollen with rain and runoff. Sewer lines are backed up. The grocery store parking lot that slopes down to the entrance of the store has become a lake. Office buildings positioned at the bottom of a hill are knee deep in water. Roads are closed from flooding. You get the idea.
So here's the quandary: if you can't get in to the office, or if you can't remote access your server, or if the grocery stores close down, or if your home floods, how will you react?
It certainly makes me rethink my own emergency preparedness plan. Have I checked the basement today to see if the sump pump works? What would I do if my roof started leaking? Do I have critical documents copied and saved in a flood-proof location? Could I find the name of my insurance agent if I needed to call about damage? It makes me glad I have food storage, but there's a long way to go before I'm ready to call myself "prepared" for an emergency like this one.
Without them you wouldn't be reading this.
Without them, companies shut down. In Boston, some areas are flooded today... rivers have swollen with rain and runoff. Sewer lines are backed up. The grocery store parking lot that slopes down to the entrance of the store has become a lake. Office buildings positioned at the bottom of a hill are knee deep in water. Roads are closed from flooding. You get the idea.
So here's the quandary: if you can't get in to the office, or if you can't remote access your server, or if the grocery stores close down, or if your home floods, how will you react?
It certainly makes me rethink my own emergency preparedness plan. Have I checked the basement today to see if the sump pump works? What would I do if my roof started leaking? Do I have critical documents copied and saved in a flood-proof location? Could I find the name of my insurance agent if I needed to call about damage? It makes me glad I have food storage, but there's a long way to go before I'm ready to call myself "prepared" for an emergency like this one.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
Today was one of those days wherein I anticipated with hope the days when we will have all three hours of church in the same building. It was sort of a soggy day, with rain falling and wind blowing and ruined umbrellas and cold wet nylons, where some churchgoers surely decided which Sunday School class to attend by the distance they had to walk outside instead of the quality of the teacher (or the subject matter), and where two or three faces peeped out of every window near every doorway, apprehensively looking to see if there would be a break in the downpour or anxiously looking to see if that certain someone was coming. As I avoided puddles on the way to the car and zig-zagged from one side of the walk to the other in the process, I thought happily of the days where, when our church is built or rebuilt (depending on which one we're referring to), we will have all three meetings in one building, and we won't have to worry about remembering umbrellas & coats from class to class. Don't get me wrong... I am very appreciative that we have space to meet in at all, even though it encompasses four buildings, especially after I thought this afternoon, as I looked out the window at the continuing rain, that I am grateful I'm not a pioneer walking to Utah this weekend. I can't even imagine what that would be like... outside, walking, in a downpour, for three days at a time (the downpour, not the walking). Never dry, not even for a minute, for three days. I was chilled and ready to be done after 5 minutes just walking out to my car! (Of course, the pioneers didn't wear knee length skirts and nylons and heels to walk to Utah, so maybe it wouldn't have been so bad.)
Thus endeth the very long paragraph with very long and probably run-on sentences. It was the perfect day for lying on the couch under a blanket and reading. So I did.
PS - Happy Pi Day.
Thus endeth the very long paragraph with very long and probably run-on sentences. It was the perfect day for lying on the couch under a blanket and reading. So I did.
PS - Happy Pi Day.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Sunshine In My Soul
Embrace sunshine. Soak it up. Enjoy it! We have had four days of it in a row, and every morning I consider it a miracle. I have decided that leaving the desert has only one downside: there are not 300 days of sunshine every year. Oh, and it is harder to procure tasty fresh citrus. But I think we solved that one for now.
In fact, I like it so much (sunshine, that is) that I had our FHE group sing the hymn "There is Sunshine in my Soul" last night for our opening song. If we can't have it radiating from the sky (the sun had already gone down), let's have it radiate from somewhere! It was followed by an interesting discussion about the temple and the impact it has had on our family member's lives. And a few really tasty treats. And some good conversation. The perfect kind of FHE... everyone should do it. Good friends (who double as family), good music, good discussion, good food.
Good night.
In fact, I like it so much (sunshine, that is) that I had our FHE group sing the hymn "There is Sunshine in my Soul" last night for our opening song. If we can't have it radiating from the sky (the sun had already gone down), let's have it radiate from somewhere! It was followed by an interesting discussion about the temple and the impact it has had on our family member's lives. And a few really tasty treats. And some good conversation. The perfect kind of FHE... everyone should do it. Good friends (who double as family), good music, good discussion, good food.
Good night.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Wherein I Decompress
I should totally be in bed right now. But before I go... here are the random thoughts for the day.
I saw a mouse in the basement of the building where we have church. At least, I think it was a mouse. I was over here, and it was over there, and there were about 20 feet between us, but it was small and grey and had a tail, and was hopping along cheerfully on the tile floor. It disappeared when someone came running down the stairs. I thought about all the ways I could react to seeing a mouse, and then decided that no reaction was the best one. Certainly better than sneaking over there and kicking it across the room with my grey boot (well, it did cross my mind! but I resisted...) So the little mouse and I have a secret. I know he's there. And I never want to put my purse on the floor in that building again.
Just in case you don't know: we don't have church in an LDS church building. We're temporarily housed in another building until ours is finished rebuilding after the fire. But there is a roof now, with shingles! Progress!
I wondered today as we talked about Isaac and Rebekah from the Old Testament what must have been going through Rebekah's mind as she agreed to journey to a place she'd never been to marry a man she'd never met, which opportunity all started because she had the presence of mind (crazy idea?) to offer to bring up water for some random guy's (read: Abraham's very faithful and faith-filled servant) 10 camels. She must have been some woman. I want to meet her someday.
Happy birthday to three men I know - all of whom are very good men. If you were born on March 7 you are in good company. Eat pie, cake, jelly beans, and all things yummy in celebration.
I am grateful for faithful, good, constant friends who love me. And it's true - getting eight hugs a day does contribute greatly to your emotional well being. If you don't believe me, try it.
I saw a mouse in the basement of the building where we have church. At least, I think it was a mouse. I was over here, and it was over there, and there were about 20 feet between us, but it was small and grey and had a tail, and was hopping along cheerfully on the tile floor. It disappeared when someone came running down the stairs. I thought about all the ways I could react to seeing a mouse, and then decided that no reaction was the best one. Certainly better than sneaking over there and kicking it across the room with my grey boot (well, it did cross my mind! but I resisted...) So the little mouse and I have a secret. I know he's there. And I never want to put my purse on the floor in that building again.
Just in case you don't know: we don't have church in an LDS church building. We're temporarily housed in another building until ours is finished rebuilding after the fire. But there is a roof now, with shingles! Progress!
I wondered today as we talked about Isaac and Rebekah from the Old Testament what must have been going through Rebekah's mind as she agreed to journey to a place she'd never been to marry a man she'd never met, which opportunity all started because she had the presence of mind (crazy idea?) to offer to bring up water for some random guy's (read: Abraham's very faithful and faith-filled servant) 10 camels. She must have been some woman. I want to meet her someday.
Happy birthday to three men I know - all of whom are very good men. If you were born on March 7 you are in good company. Eat pie, cake, jelly beans, and all things yummy in celebration.
I am grateful for faithful, good, constant friends who love me. And it's true - getting eight hugs a day does contribute greatly to your emotional well being. If you don't believe me, try it.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Triumph!
Tonight, I enjoyed a nice dinner out with two of my girl friends. Then I went to Target to pick up the three things on my list. I came home with about 25. Oh, the joys of shopping at Target... that almost always happens. But let me tell you... I found the most awesome thing that I have been looking for for years and years and years, and had almost given up hope, but every now and then I take another look, just in case someone has it, but I had never found it until tonight... and now, I am proud to say I am the newest owner of
A 3/4 cup measure. And the rest of the set of measuring cups - purple, no less!
So there you have it. Triumph!
A 3/4 cup measure. And the rest of the set of measuring cups - purple, no less!
And I threw in the matching teaspoons for good measure. (hehe) Why is that so awesome? Because when you make chocolate chip cookies with my favorite recipe, you can make the entire batch of cookies with a 3/4 cup measure and a one-teaspoon measure. A whole lot of goodness, and almost no dishes to wash! (It's just not the same when you have to use a 1/4 cup and a 1/2 cup...)
So there you have it. Triumph!
Friday, March 5, 2010
A Shout Out for the US Postal Service
Back when I was a teenager, before the days of email, chat, blogs, web forums and (gasp!) iPhones, we wrote letters to keep in touch. I had brothers living in other states - and other countries - for a good portion of my young adult life. Last Christmas, I found some of the letters we wrote back and forth. Well, I found the forth ones, anyway ... you'll have to ask them about the back ones. At any rate, I have found them enjoyable to read and discovered that they help me remember what life was like in "the olden days".
With that in mind, and the fact that there were some bonus surprises (!) in my box of grapefruit and oranges from Arizona today, I have decided to blog about mail. I know, I know... save the talk about the irony of this situation for later.
I don't know about you, but I love mail.
Bills are ok - they remind me how fast time is going by. Junk mail ... just fills up my recycling bin. But real mail? Real mail is kind of like chocolate.
You open it carefully; savor it; enjoy it; then put it down and pick it up again later, just to enjoy it a second time. The flavor depends on the personality of the sender. You tell your friends about the best ones ... they are the highlight of your day - sometimes even your week!
There is nothing quite like walking to the mailbox, pulling out the stack of stuff, and finding a letter - bona fide communication from another human being - addressed to you. It says, "I love you. I'm thinking about you." like nothing else can - way more than the "thinking about you" that firing off a quick email conveys.
The instantaneous communication available in our electronically connected world has its place, but I appreciate the personal touches of wrinkled & folded paper with beautiful handwriting or a child's cursive on a pen-and-ink, pictures-in-the-margins, hearts-and-hugs-in-the-P.S.'s letter.
Makes me wonder why I don't write them more often.
With that in mind, and the fact that there were some bonus surprises (!) in my box of grapefruit and oranges from Arizona today, I have decided to blog about mail. I know, I know... save the talk about the irony of this situation for later.
I don't know about you, but I love mail.
Bills are ok - they remind me how fast time is going by. Junk mail ... just fills up my recycling bin. But real mail? Real mail is kind of like chocolate.
You open it carefully; savor it; enjoy it; then put it down and pick it up again later, just to enjoy it a second time. The flavor depends on the personality of the sender. You tell your friends about the best ones ... they are the highlight of your day - sometimes even your week!
There is nothing quite like walking to the mailbox, pulling out the stack of stuff, and finding a letter - bona fide communication from another human being - addressed to you. It says, "I love you. I'm thinking about you." like nothing else can - way more than the "thinking about you" that firing off a quick email conveys.
The instantaneous communication available in our electronically connected world has its place, but I appreciate the personal touches of wrinkled & folded paper with beautiful handwriting or a child's cursive on a pen-and-ink, pictures-in-the-margins, hearts-and-hugs-in-the-P.S.'s letter.
Makes me wonder why I don't write them more often.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
I Heart March
Welcome, March. Good riddance bye, February. That's all there is to say about that.
Sometimes, the Lord answers prayers we aren't even aware we need to be asking yet. This time, it didn't involve anything big - no lightning, no angels, no dramatic entrances. It was just a little thing... a friend, a movie, a bowl of kettle corn, some chatting, and a lighter heart.
It is with awe that I contemplate the greatness of God & the vastness of His creations, and at the same time know that He will pay intimate attention to the state of my heart, prescribe the antidote I need, and open a way for it to be received.
Sometimes, the Lord answers prayers we aren't even aware we need to be asking yet. This time, it didn't involve anything big - no lightning, no angels, no dramatic entrances. It was just a little thing... a friend, a movie, a bowl of kettle corn, some chatting, and a lighter heart.
It is with awe that I contemplate the greatness of God & the vastness of His creations, and at the same time know that He will pay intimate attention to the state of my heart, prescribe the antidote I need, and open a way for it to be received.
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