Tweets of the Week

Posted on 01.Feb.09 by | 1 comment

+ Let them eat dirt – http://is.gd/hr56 2:47 PM Jan 27th from web
+ Woke up warm under down comforter hearing rain. L came in for a most satisfactory cuddle. K arose saying, “Lexi disturbed my sleep!” 7:30 AM Jan 28th from web
+ @tom_cannon Somehow in our CG SF discussion, a request was made for you to play bass one Sunday, “bandanna optional, sweat-bands required.” 11:35 PM Jan 28th from web
+ Hooray! Kate’s friend is headed home! I am afraid our visiting and playing has given K&L the impression that the hospital is fun. 6:07 PM Jan 29th from TwitterFon
+ At church getting ready to tell a story from Godly Play and share abt the children’s ministry. 10:57 AM Jan 31st from TwitterFon

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Posted in general

Too Many To Dos

Posted on 28.Jan.09 by | 2 comments

The problem with too many to dos is that there is never a time when they are all done.

It’s been a busier month then expected. Good-busy, but still busy. And the near future doesn’t show any stretches of rest for awhile. I’ve been clinging to my little pockets of rest in the day, lying in bed just to lay, or catching up with the DVR. It’s never enough, but something is better than nothing, after all. The to-dos can wait until after LOST.

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Posted in general

Boomtown by Nowen N. Particular

Posted on 27.Jan.09 by | Leave a comment

Boomtown is a fun story, overall. Zany and goofy characters and plot twists abound, and in general I like that in a book. It may be a tad too colorful and crazy, but I can forgive that. Clearly, the author was influenced in some respects by one of my favorite children’s books, the Twenty-One Balloons.

In spite of these positives, it’s supposed to be a story for tween readers, and I am struggling to see how they will connect with a story told by a forty-something minister narrator. He was hard for ME to relate to. In general, he seemed weak and ineffective as a father, and not especially pastoral. Actually, the church/pastor angle bothered me quite a bit, I would have rather him have another profession than have the church seem to be just another civic organization or gathering as it appeared in this book. Continue reading →

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Posted in books, reviews

My Antonia by Willa Cather

Posted on 23.Jan.09 by | 5 comments

This novel is simple, but the descriptions are lush and realistic, the characters interesting, the setting unique for a classic. The balance between the male narrator and female subject worked well for Cather. I tend to read more Southern and British literature, and very few things set on the prairie, it’s not a place I am naturally drawn to. But My Antonia made the prairie come alive to me, full of beauty and very hard work. I enjoyed it a great deal and wondered why I hadn’t read it before, the content is very appropriate for a young adult reader and it seems like it would be a good fit for a high school literature class. (9/10)

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Posted in books, reviews

Couch Potato of History

Posted on 20.Jan.09 by | 2 comments

I’ve spent a lot of time today watching t.v., enjoying the pomp and the fashion, reflecting on our great nation. Kate is really interested in Barack Obama, probably because she finds his name irresistibly fun to say, and has a goal of meeting him. I know he will be the first president who is really hers, the one she remembers, to whom she will write one of her first letters. For me, that president was Ronald Reagan. Looking forward to their generation’s growing up, and how watching the Obamas in the White House will be one more step towards becoming a nation where race will not divide us.

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Posted in politics

Dolls

Posted on 16.Jan.09 by | 2 comments

I made Kate and Lexi dolls for Christmas, like the doll I made a few months ago.

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They are pretty fond of them. Referring to them as “Kate-doll” and “Lexi-doll”, the girls play-act out ordinary life and how they see themselves. It’s honestly pretty interesting! They obliged to be photographed with the dolls in their princess outfits: Continue reading →

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Posted in crafting, photo love

Women Need Women I

Posted on 15.Jan.09 by | 14 comments

If you are an expecting mother, or ever expect to be a mother, there is one key factor I have observed for a successful, natural childbirth: having a woman who has been there with you. You can (and should) read the books, take a class and think of coping strategies. But I have seen that having a trusted friend, your mom, or even a professional attendant (doula) with you is unparalleled. That woman can look you in the eyes and talk you through labor in a way no one else can. I was listening to a friend’s account of being present for another friend’s birth (a VBAC) and I was so excited for the both of them to have shared that experience, together. When I was preparing for Kate’s birth, I thought I wanted an intimate delivery room, with just the medical personnel and Michael. I was lucky to have a great nurse and a friend who came when I called from the hospital and asked her to, though I ended up with an epidural, I remember how soothing and comforting their presence was to me. With Lexi, I had the midwife (who has 10 kids, most of whom were born at home, including twins) and my mother to talk me through things. I am glad Michael was there as well (they are his children!) but there’s something about having someone who has done it there with you to say, “You can do this, too.” I’d be glad to be there for anyone who asked, if I was logistically able, and I think most women who have had a natural childbirth feel the same way. Don’t be afraid to ask!

I’ve been thinking about some situations where women need women, I will probably write a few more posts on this.

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Posted in culture, parental ponderings

It’s Up

Posted on 14.Jan.09 by | Leave a comment

My wedding website can be accessed through http://kstewartphotography.com/

Still tweaking a bit, but I am happy to have a presence online!

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Posted in general

New Stage

Posted on 11.Jan.09 by | 4 comments

With Lexi’s third birthday last month and potty training a distant memory, we are in a new stage of parenting. The girls spend more time playing on their own and are much more patient to listen to longer read alouds at bedtime, etc. Decidedly, this new phase agrees with me. They are hilarious and interesting to talk to. It helps that Lexi is still a cuddlebug, which propels Kate towards more snuggling as well. As far as picture books go, Lexi loves Corduroy and they both enjoy Angelina Ballerina books a great deal. Drawing is a daily activity, I need to do better to get out the paint more regularly. Kate is taking ballet and they both enjoy dancing and singing. Kate has learned a lot of hymns and carols (Red Mountain style), Lexi still clings to “Row Row Row Your Boat” as the ultimate in song. I love having a pair so close together, watching them help each other dress up and listening to them talk to one another is such a joy to me.

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Posted in family life

Leaving, in a car with friends

Posted on 09.Jan.09 by | 1 comment

It has been a good week. Many people spent time in our home. We had a lot of time as a family. Working hard on my wedding website. So much life I didn’t get much time to blog, or to read. (Somehow Twitter rarely suffers.) I am off to a women’s retreat, more life to be lived. The introvert in me will catch up soon.

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Posted in family life

Willimon on Ehrman

Posted on 07.Jan.09 by | 2 comments

Bishop William Willimon reviewed Dr. Bart Ehrman’s latest book for the Christian Century. Love it!

A past TCL musing on Dr. Ehrman.

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Posted in theology

Packing Up Christmas

Posted on 06.Jan.09 by | 3 comments

I can hear the rain falling heavily on the sidewalk outside, as I take a break from packing up Christmas. Epiphany has come, and the ornaments are being tucked into their off-season homes, the big advent calendar into it’s tidy box. Slowly, our house is being transformed into its common state, for a common season. Perching on the mantle, our accumulation of Christmas cards begs for a new home where smiling families might be seen for a little while longer. When Yuletide ends there is a mixture of sadness and joy, the sadness of knowing that every day cannot be a holiday, but the joy of knowing that each season brings newness and fresh delights.

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Posted in family life