Home Again

The basketball game was great fun -- many thanks to my parents for the tickets and the good company! However, it is so nice to be home again. We have so much unpacking to do, but our new iPod is so distracting! Once I get it all set up, it'll be a good cleaning companion.

Happy New Year to you all!

Update

We're back from California... we had a wonderful visit! More on that later.

We're in North Carolina hanging out with family and going to the UNC basketball game tomorrow night.

My new, free 20GB iPod has shipped! Get your own! (and help Richard, too!)

Merry Christmas!

Alleluia! Christ is Born!

I Love Breastfeeding

In less than six months I weigh less than I did before Kate was conceived and am at least a size smaller (with my new body shape). I now comfortably wear a size I haven't worn for six years, since I was seventeen. This creates some wardrobe problems, but happiness nonetheless.

I did get some really cute new clothes from my parents and grandma (we did Christmas yesterday) like this sweater in pink and these pants. I also got lots of other great gifts from my family (books, new car stereo...) as did Mike and Kate. Thanks fam!

Free iPod

Thank you! I got enough confirmed offers. I'll let you know how it works out...

Odds and Ends

Christmas season is so busy.

I'm so glad that Kelly won the Apprentice last night (we went to a party last night to watch the finale).

I'm also glad Carolina is doing well this season. ACC play starts this weekend. Go Tarheels!

I have four confirmed people for the ipod. One more offer goes through and I am set!

We leave for NC on Sunday, and California on Tuesday.

Christmas Cards

It costs more for 80 standard stamps than it does for 80 photo Christmas cards of smiling Kate.

Sick, Sick, Sick

Kate is on week two of being sick. I've got the cold for the second time (I gave it to Mike who gave it to Kate, who gave it back to me) and this time, it's hitting me really hard. I do not have the strength to use the suction-ball thingy for Kate's nose by myself.

In other news, We went to a wedding in Charlotte, NC this weekend. Lovely, lovely wedding and a wonderful time of getting to see some friends, both there and in the Chapel Hill area as we made our way home.

Free iPod Deal

Thanks to my husband's link and sidebar pic, more people have signed up to help me (and themselves!) get a free iPod. A note to all you skeptics, I have real life friends who have received them -- it works. All you need to do is sign up and complete an offer. I wanted to let all of you who have signed up and not completed an offer yet know that there is a free internet trial for PeoplePC listed. You can sign up, wait for your offer to go through (15 days or less), and cancel within the 30-day trial period.

There are also good deals to try Blockbuster's online and Audible.com

Under the Weather

Kate has her first cold. She's feeling pretty yucky and looking quite pathetic. She wants everyone to feel sorry for her! It's hard to comfort an infant with a cold and cough because there's not much you can do for them. Anyhow, I found it interesting that at the ripe old age of 5 months, she already wipes her nose on her sleeve if I am too slow with a tissue. It's a basic instinct, I guess!

As Promised

Kate in the aforementioned sling.

Paedocommunion

I think it was Matt Colvin who first said: "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes open and professed paedocommunion."

Well, it looks like Rev. Barach has approximately 13 months to figure out where he stands. Maybe this will open up some more dialogue on the subject.

The Usefullness of a Classics Degree

In my study of Classics, I learned about the poor people who didn't have technology. This sometimes comes in handy. Tonight, I had to do some car repairs but didn't have a flashnight. Did I fret? No, no, my friend. I was calm because I once read about a people who used candles. So there I was: working in the back of my identical Volvos by candlelight.

My wife at least found this amusing.

Sewing

I completed my first solo sewing project yesterday. I made a new ring sling in black and white toile. I hemmed all the edges. I did a french seam. It turned out pretty nice! I'll try to get a picture up of Kate lounging in it soon.

Anyhow, sewing is teaching me patience. I need to iron and pin things before I can jump in. I cannot sew straight if I sew quickly. I have to take my time, be intentional and go very very slowly. But, in the end, I get something wonderful to enjoy out of it. It's amazing how God uses everything in my life (Mike, Kate, hobbies, running errands...) to sanctify me and teach me about himself.

Games

We are totally into games right now. We got hooked on Cranium Zigity playing at Starbucks while on a date. They are supposed to all have demo copies, so you can go to your local Starbucks and play too. It's Uno, Cranium style. Very fun. We ended up buying a copy, but found a coupon inside to get a free copy. Apparently, if you buy any cranium game, you get a free copy of Zigity right now. Pretty cool! While at my parent's for Thanksgiving, we played a lot of Zigity and also a little Phase 10. I hope we get some more games for Christmas!

4 years!

Today marks FOUR years of blogging for me. I started out at one blogspot location, posted there for about 18 months, garverized for a little while (before that was the term for it!) and reemerged at a new locale. My archives on this server start there.

Anyhow, looking back, I am really thankful for all that I've learned whilest blogging and reading blogs. I am also thankful for friends that I've made, a bonus I wasn't really expecting. It's fun to look back and think that I have been following different people's blogs, and vice versa, for so long. I remember when Richard proposed to Megan. I remember before Brandon and Wendy were together. I remember when they first met. I remember when Joel and Laurel announced they were pregnant with Claire.

Thanks for the memories.

Ukrainian Elections

Alexandra's got me all interested in the election fraud and protesting in the Ukraine. Check her blog for frequent updates.

Clay Calhoun has messages like the following from former Congressman Bob Schaffer, monitoring the election on behalf of the U.S.

Russian special forces dressed in Ukrainian Special forces uniforms are in Kyiv. Ukrainian militia have been instructed by the mayor to protect the people from the Russian troops. Ukrainian militia have established a hotline for Ukrainians to report any incidents with the Russians and pledged to protect Ukrainians.

For Those Who Swing That Way ...

XML is now working for this blog. At least, it works with my "My Yahoo" page. Let me know if you have issues.

NT Wright

I have always enjoyed reading NT Wright. If anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas, there is a host of books he has written which I do not have. For those who haven't heard of him, you must not be in many reformed circles (where he is either praised or trampled upon), and you must visit the NT Wright Page.

Recently, I've been reading "New Perspectives on Paul," a lecture he delivered Aug 2003 in Scotland. A point he makes in section four, "Ordo Salutis," speaks to something I've been thinking about for a long time -- Calling. In college, christians guys often struggle and fret about their calling. "Should I go to grad school? Should I ask out that girl? Is God calling us together? Should I be in Engineering or Liberal Arts? Where is going calling me?" I've also been thinking about this post-college. Many ministers discuss a calling to this area or that area. "Calling" or "Vocation" always seems to be wrapped up in some sort of paid service which occupies my time from 8a-5p Monday - Friday. Based on a discussion in a Pauline Greek class, led by the infamous Dr. White, I have rejected this interpretation of "calling."

Well, what Wright does is interesting, or at least his phrasiology is new to me.

I have already described how Paul understands the moment when the gospel of Jesus as Lord is announced and people come to believe it and obey its summons. Paul has a regular technical term for this moment, and that technical term is neither 'justification' nor 'conversion' ... the word in question is 'call'. 'Consider your call', he says to the Corinthians; 'God called me by his grace', he says of himself. (This is why, incidentally, Krister Stendahl's suggestion that we should think of Paul's 'call' as opposed to his 'conversion' misses the point. For Paul, the word 'call' denoted not merely a vocation to a particular task but also, more fundamentally, the effective call of the gospel, applied by the Spirit to the individual heart and life and resulting in a turning away from idolatry and sin and a lifelong turning to God in Christ in believing allegiance.)

That last part, I think, should be repeated over and over and over to christian college students everywhere. the word 'call' denoted not merely a vocation to a particular task but also, more fundamentally, the effective call of the gospel, applied by the Spirit to the individual heart and life and resulting in a turning away from idolatry and sin and a lifelong turning to God in Christ in believing allegiance.

What is my calling? I have been called by God to turn away from idolatry and sin and to turn to him in faith and obedience.

P.S. That phrase "believing allegiance" is a nice phrase. I wonder if it is Wright's own.

Wisdom or Foolishness?

Two local tv stations have ran reports on Gary Ezzo's Babywise last week -- WXYZ (two parts) and KAKE. Babywise is a secular version of Ezzo's Along the Infant Way (formerly known as Preperation for Parenting). In the Christian version he explains the theological reasoning for allowing babies to cry it out -- that Christ cried out on the cross and God the Father did not answer him. Think about that for a minute. Christ on the cross dying for the sins of the world = infant in crib trying to fall asleep. Hmmmmm... Not only are his interpretation and application skills lacking, he's also been excommunicated.

To see what all the fuss is about, I started reading Babywise. Ezzo's whole arguement is based on an attachment parenting strawman and shoddy and unscientific studies. Basic scare tactics. According to Ezzo, we're doing everything wrong with Kate. Interestingly, we're getting great results. Everyone comments about how extraordinarily happy, friendly and calm she is. She's so quiet the man who lives directly above us didn't know we had a baby. Seriously. More on Ezzo here.

All I Want For Christmas

Friends of ours from church have a really fun two year old son who REALLY likes Mike.

A relative asked him the other day what he wanted for Christmas and he replied, "Mr. Stewart."

He hadn't even seen him for several days...

New Realization

One can't call in sick from being a stay at home mom.

Help Kristen Win an iPod!

Kristen is still trying to win the ever elusive iPod. So far, she has two referrals; she needs three more for a total of five. Several people signed up, but weren't able to complete the offer. After you sign up, you have to submit yourself to a trial offer that can usually be cancelled in a few days.

Note: only one person per mailing address can sign up, or the offer is voided.

Slate on Grant

Timothy Noah of Slate disagrees with Dr. Grant on the Electoral College. I think his thoughts are best summed up by "Grant's book, which is elegantly written and tightly argued--kindly note this blue-stater's respect for red-state evangelist evangelical* scholarship--is preoccupied with states' rights, which the Electoral College does indeed enhance (at the expense of the voters)."

* correction made by me, because liberal journalists are morons.

Genetic?

I believe I suffered from this addiction as a child. Perhaps it's genetic. I might need to watch out for Kate!

Breaking News!

Rick and Rachel are back at capezza.org/beautiful feet!

Letters

A letter to Jay Nordlinger of the National Review, as posted in his column:

<><><><>

Dear Jay, I just received news that Luis Dominguez, my great-uncle, died last week. My father sent the news along with some of Luis's favorite jokes about Cuba. These are jokes told by Cubans to illustrate their disgust at the Castro regime and conditions in their country. . . .

Luis died without ever seeing his country regain her freedom. I pray he is the last in my family to do so. As my father said in his letter, "Que Dios lo tenga en la gloria" - "May God keep him in glory."

*****

A Communist stands on a street corner yelling, "Fidel delivered us from our chains!" A drunk stumbling by answers, "And our watches, rings, bracelets, and necklaces."

Before the revolution, people died and became skeletons. After the revolution: skeleton first, die later.

The teacher asks Pepito, "What systems are incompatible with the Communist system of government?" Pepito answers, "The digestive system and the nervous system."

Another teacher asks Pepito, "Tell me three benefits of the Communist revolution." Pepito answers, "Nationalized health care, education, and defense." "Great! Now tell me three challenges the country faces." Answers Pepito, "Breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

Still another teacher shows her class a photograph of President Bush and asks if anyone recognizes him. Absolute silence. She continues, "Let me give you a hint: It is because of this man that we Cubans go hungry." Pepito jumps up and says, "I didn't recognize him without his beard and uniform."

<><><><>

Kristen and I found these to be funny, especially the last few.

Milestone

Kate turned 4 months old last week and decided the way to celebrate was to start rolling over both ways. Considering how little time she spends on the floor, she really started rolling quickly. She is now little miss dangerous when she's on the floor alone. She can manage to traverse several feet in less than a minute!

[cross-posted with All Things Kate]

Consequences of Abortion

Who knew that a society with abortion has few kids than one without? In an article about Europe and the rise of Islam, especially since the brutal murder of a Dutch filmaker, comes this line:

In December, European Union leaders will decide whether to overlook widespread public objections and move ahead with membership talks with Turkey, a Muslim nation of about 70 million people and a galloping birthrate that could push it past Germany's population in a generation. (My italics)

Hmm ... one reaps what he sows.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

It begins ...

The unofficial campaign for Hillary Clinton has begun. Her husband, that is, former President Bill Clinton recently gave a speech to the Urban Land Institute, where he urged Democrats not to whine, but find a "clear national message."

RedState.org is beginning to throw out names to replace DNC chairman, Terry McAullife. The rumor is that some are suggesting Democratic presidental wannabe, Howard Dean.

The question is: what is the future of the Democratic party? Descending into the far, far left? or moving towards the center and given the Republicans a run? Hillary certainly isn't a centrist, but I think she's definitely to the right of Dean.

New Links

All of my new links are connected to one another, and to me by extension! How fun!

Dave is the boyfriend of my dear college friend, Meadow. Michelle and Lynn are the wives of Dave's former roommates from Covenant, where Rebecca also attended. The latter three are all mama-bloggers who have very cute kids!

By the way, you can access our links from the nav buttons on the left.

[ED. 11/6/2004] In case you haven't noticed, the Rench and Gunn bloggers are linked now as well.

For Allison

I really enjoyed Roth's Plot Against America. It was realistic and fairly well written for a modern novel. Not as well written as The Brothers K, but much better than the average novel. The whole "alternative history" was a neat idea. I recommend it!

She voted.

Kate turned 4 months old today. I gave her an "I Voted" sticker.

Happy All Saints Day!

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
All are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor's crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
And singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

I feel so... Suzy Homemaker

I am now learning to sew on my machine.
I'm knitting for the winter.
I'm contemplating switching to cloth diapers.
I have a freezer full of food, including several meals worth of Tomato Basil Soup I made with the last of the fresh basil from a friend's garden.

Another shopping tip

Oldnavy.com has some great prices, but icky shipping rates. I saw a nice fleece for Kate (that matches a hat and mittens she already has) for $8.49. Guess how much they were going to charge me to ship it? $6! So, I went to my local Old Navy, which didn't have it, but they placed the online order for me from the store. When you do that, the shipping is free (and it still comes right to your doorstep).

Argh

So, what's up with reformed people thinking John 6 is not about communion? What sort of Zwinglian crack are they smoking?

*help* Feminine Modesty Tapes

It's been a long time since I listened to Doug Wilson's Feminine Modesty series (and when I did, it wasn't as carefully as I should have.) Can someone tell me how specific his recommendations get? I am making modesty-related recommendations to my dear friend, who happens to be a campus minister's wife. She's trying to collect resources for the collegiate girls they work with. Any help would be appreciated!

M.I.A.

So, I think my wife is going to slowly take over this blog. Well, I think she has done it, but I really didn't fight. I've been so terribly busy over the past few months. Things are going really well at work. On November 4th, I'm speaking at Open House on the topic of "Why Latin?", then on November 8th, I have to send the board members of our school a short polemic on why 3rd/4th grade latin should be taught by a dedicated Latin teacher (this isn't too hard) and why we should begin teaching greek along with latin beginning at 3rd grade. This is going to be a difficult sell because of practical issues that affect education; however, the board is open to the suggestion and I have many allies at school, in the administration, and on the curriculum committees.

I'm actually tremendously excited about my job. In addition to my upcoming deadlines (and teaching!), I'm planning out the latin (and soon, greek) curriculum for the grammar school and beginning to plan out potential classes for the upper school in years to come. If we adopt Greek and Latin instruction beginning at 3rd grade and continuing through 12th, the possibility for classes in the upper school are endless. Imagine what your NT class could become with students who are more than comfortable working in the greek NT; Ancient History/Lit when you can actually read the primary sources (instead of translations of primary sources). I've been thinking about teaching an introductory elective on Indo-European, courses on Linear B. Phew, I get excited just writing about it.

Kate is also growing right before our eyes. It is amazing to hold her and then look at a picture of when she was just born. The comparison is extraordinary. She's becoming such a big girl, yet she's still my little girl. Her ability to recognize faces and voices, her tendency to smile and laugh with daddy warms my heart.

Okay, now back to my wife's regular posting.

Smart. Real Smart.

And no one even bid on the auction.

All Things Kate

After reading Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott, I decided I really needed to record some of the day to day fun of being Kate's mom. Well, I am awful at pen and paper journalling after four (!) years of blogging. I'd also been struggling with how much Kate to include on This Classical Life.

The easy solution -- a new blog. All Kate, all the time. There will occasionally be cross posts with this blog as well. You can find it at All Things Kate.

Why I Still Read Bunnie

Even though she's a crazy confessional LCMS person who would refuse to serve me communion, I still love Bunnie's blog for posts like this:

Competing kid polls came out today. Scholastic, which publishes children's reading material, ran a poll for kids that declared Bush the winner. Nickelodeon, which reruns episodes of Full House, administered a poll showing Kerry the winner.

So children who read pick Bush and children who watch Who's the Boss pick Kerry.

Update on Kate

Well, she's been sleeping upright and has been doing well ever since. Back to the old 7 hour, eat, 4 hour nights. We were at my parents this weekend and Kate started crying as she has been and my mom commented, "she is definitely in some kind of pain." So I am glad that I recognized that and did not just shrug it off as boredom or some sort of baby disobedience. My new favorite likely culprit is teething. She's not really spitting up, so I doubt its reflux. It was my first guess because I have it, and sleeping upright helps it. However, I think sleeping upright would also help alleviate the pain of teething. I don't know. What I do know is, my baby is happy again!

Photo Updates

I added a few more pictures to the September album and started an October one. Access them here. Now that we have a faster internet connection, I'll probably upload them a few times a week.

Have you seen it?

Charles Krauthammer's column in today's Washington Post is a must-read.

15 seconds of fame.

Mike was quoted in World Magazine a few weeks ago and we almost missed it! Mike talked to John Dawson about Dr. White last December, and we have never looked out for the article. I randomly happened upon it reading back issues of World online. We wish we subscribed, but it's a bit too pricey for us.

Sleep, where is thy rest?

So, to commemorate the completion of her third month, Kate slept about seven hours (and then another three or four after eating) for a week. Since then, she has regressed to going about five hours between feedings and waking up 8-15 times a night needing a pat and a pacifier, etc. The thirty minute sleep chunks are killing me. Last week, when I was at my parents, I tried cosleeping for a night and that was just as bad. Moms, any suggestions? Right now I am desperate enough to want to add a little rice cereal to my milk in a bottle to give her right before bedtime to see if that konks her out.

UPDATE - 10/15 - After a week of nightwaking, I was concerned something might actually be wrong with Kate (other than a lack of sanctification and good sense). I put Kate to sleep in her carseat. She woke up once, after 6.5 hours, for a feeding, then slept another 4 hours. Maybe she's getting reflux sleeping flat. Who knows. More nights of sleeping upright to follow.

Baby Gap

So, Kate got over $100 in cash and more in target giftcards after she was a month old, and had most of what she needed. So, I've been slowly spending her money to get her really cute church outfits, a coat, etc. Here's the key to get the most for your money at Baby Gap.

1/ Never ever buy anything until it is on sale. It WILL go on sale. Everything does, after about 5 weeks.
2/ Buy it on sale and save your receipt.
3/ Take your receipt in after 10 days or so, and get the price adjustment (they will do one within 14 days of purchase).

I have gotten several $50+ outfits for $20 or less that way. Gymboree and The Children's Place don't discount as much, or as quickly, and I've never asked about price adjustments because I've never bought anything there myself. Anyway, these observations are courtesy of living less than a mile from the mall, which makes such stalking possible.

On the Debate

I've been reading a great deal of commentary on the debate on blogs and newsmedia, and no one has picked up on my favorite piece of terrible logic. After been asked about federal funding of abortion, Kerry said that we needed to provide the rights the constitution affords to those who can't afford them. Okay, then, Senator Kerry, I'll send you the bill for a new house and gun, because the constitution certainly gives me the right to bear arms and to hold property, and we can't afford them. The taxpayers are supposed to pick up that bill, too, right?

News

We've had a busy last few days. On Thursday, Mike went on a Logic School retreat, and Kate and I headed to North Carolina, where we caught up with folks in Chapel Hill and Wake Forest, including Andy, Bekah, Jamie, et. al. We both returned Friday afternoon. All weekend, our church was holding its annual Faith and Life conference. Michael Scott Horton spoke on suffering. Kate has been quite fussy all weekend, for no apparent reason. Mike has also had a bad cold all week. We are all quite tired.

From the Washington Times

"Carrboro, NC, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Police were called to quell a slap fight between two University of North Carolina students that began with an argument over who Jesus would vote for president.

James Robert Austin, 19, and Robert Brooks Rollins, 22, apparently let their passion get out of hand after watching the U.S. presidential debates Thursday night, the Durham Herald-Sun reported.

Austin reportedly slapped Rollins and Rollins slapped back -- and the slap fight escalated to where Austin fell on a concrete patio, hitting his head, police told the newspaper.

Rollins called an ambulance and Austin was taken to UNC Hospitals for examination, then released.

Both students decided to turn the other cheek and declined to press charges."

More Pictures

The latest Kate pictures can be seen here.

Public Rebuke

Jen W------, you are hereby banned from reading this blog until 2:45 PM CST on Saturday. If Texas has a newly aquired loss on their record, your sentence will be expanded to two weeks. This is a response to recent evidence displaying moral corruption and general distaste. Exhibit A, Second Picture. You have been caught red-shirted. When asked for comment, Kate responded, "ah-goo." Translated, this means, "I am very disappointed for your insensitivity towards me and my family at this time." I think this means you are also suspended from fan club duties.

Hook 'Em!

Marcus T. Cicero?

We recieved our monthly apartment newspaper recently, and it had a list of quotes, one of which was attributed to "Marcus T. Cicero".

Marcus T. Cicero? Who in the world has ever referred to Cicero as "Marcus T. Cicero"? It makes him sound like an American hack-job essayist.

Rich Mullins Often Says it Best

Sometimes my life just don't make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small ...

And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It's so hot inside my soul
There must be blisters on my heart

So hold me Jesus, I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

As Seen on Blog 9

Football Fans for Truth. Hilarious!

"If You Love Me, You Will Love the Church"

Since I bit the whole "objectivity of the covenant" bullet, I've had a quite different view of the church. (I guess reading Against Christianity also helped.) A couple things recently reminded me of some of the things I was thinking about back then, and some new thoughts spurned as well.

John Kerry, George Bush and Michael Peroutka are all Christians. To my knowledge, they all attend worship services with some regularity (unlike, say, Reagan.) I honestly believe that there is no "Christian candidate." I am a political Augustinian, at least pragmatically in this age. As long as Christians are not getting persecuted, I'm going to be okay with the result of this election. I thrived in the Clinton years. My citizenship is ultimately in heaven, and that's what's most important. I do vote -- even in primaries and odd year elections. I think it's wise to not let others control the government without your voice. But, even as a postmillenialist, I think this nation will not be truly Christian in a theonomic sense for quite some time. And that's okay. Thanks be to God, we have freedom to worship, to educate our children the ways we think best, we have freedom of speech. I'm longing for the heavenly city, but I'm glad to sojourn in such a place as this.

Very Blessed

Sometimes, I get a little down about things like not having living room furniture. I convince myself that my life would be exponentially better if I had comfy seating for six or so. I think, "Woe is me! I cannot show proper hospitality! I do not have the furniture!" And then I get mopey about the state of my life.

Then I hear about a dear friend's brother and sister-in-law, who lost their first baby at four months last year to a rare genetic disorder. They thought their baby born this summer had been spared, but have just discovered that she is dying also. Suddenly, that living room furniture doesn't seem so important anymore. It's pathetic that I need babies dying to convince me that I am very blessed.

And, please pray for this little family, that God would comfort them in the midst of these overwhelming losses.

Thanks

Thanks everyone for your advice on the previous post! I promise to try to make subsequent posts less exclusive in nature.

Ummm... I mean this in the humblest way possible, but can someone explain to me the rationale behind voting for a third party candidate in a two-party system?

*help!* (breastfeeding stuff)

So, I am really getting a bit frustrated with breastfeeding. During the month of August I got mastitis not once, but twice. (The antibiotics, of course, led to thrush, etc.) The culprit was the same plugged duct, which has been plugged again for the last 10 days. I have tried EVERYTHING (nursing every possible way, pin, lecithin etc.) and it won't come unplugged. Argh. Also, Kate often gets frantic in the middle of feedings, while she is latched on. It's not every feeding, but particularly in the evening. I've found that when I pump at that time, I get really watery milk. Do I have oversupply and foremilk/hindmilk issues? (Stool is very green, often watery). Thanks!

*sigh*

So, yeah, after the DSL fiasco, now the dial-up we signed up for ceased working. The last several posts have been from my parents house or the library. I haven't been able to send email from Outlook sinced we moved, so I haven't even sent out a "here's our new address and phone number" email. It's more than a little frustrating. I wish we could afford the >$60/month for cable internet. I'm really enjoying Richmond, but it's hard to be in a new place and to feel so disconnected from friends. I'm literally tearing up in the library now, so I better stop writing such a "woe is Kristen" post.

On to the happy things -- Kate is more fun all the time. She really enjoys reading. Her favorite book by far is _Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?_. It's really cute! She gets her first shots tomorrow. I'm glad she can see the doctor again, since it's been almost 8 weeks. We'll try to check in as the opportunity presents itself. I know our blog has totally digressed to only family updates, but that's what you get when we don't have internet access at home :o/

Public Service Announcement

There is a new album of Kate pictures uploaded.

Lord Peter

It all started when Mike picked up the Lord Peter complete short stories volume we have after we unpacked our books. Obviously, we are now racing through the Dorothy Sayers LPW mysteries. They are so fun! I've never read them before, and am reading them all (including the short stories) in chronological order. We have seen some of the movies, and I recommend the Edward Petherbridge BBC versions. They are top-notch. Also, we are taking applications for Bunters. We don't want just a butler, we want a Bunter.

IDMA THG

I have consulted with several other people about this, so I know it's not just my own conclusion:

Virginia has more personalized license plates than any other state.

About 15-20% of the cars on the road have personalized license plates. Some are more clever than others. Some are so cryptic, I worry about rear ending them while pondering the great meaning of their plate.

Sewing

My parents and siblings came up today to surprise me for my birthday (a day late) which was really nice. My parents bought me this sewing machine for my birthday! I need to make sure that it can handle bottomweights and other heavy fabrics well (as they comprise most of what I envision sewing in the near future) so I decided to carefully open it and try it out. Easier said than done! I have no clue how to use a sewing machine. After following the instructions as carefully as I could, I still didn't get it. As soon as I tried to sew, the thread broke. I need a sewing mentor!

Hilarious

As seen in a Google Ad --

You don't support the Democrats. Why should your ketchup?

Thank You!

I've got more than enough friends signed up to help me get a free iPod. If you are still interested, sign up to help by clicking here.

Getting Older

Everyone's getting older, all the time. I guess that's how life works. Kate just turned two months old. I turn twenty-three this weekend. It's funny, I used to look forward to my birthday. I remember when I was so anxious, I always tried to make sure my party fell a few days BEFORE my birthday, instead of after, so I wouldn't have to wait so long. Now, I am not opening my gifts until a week late and I'm really not disappointed at all. It helps when you already know what you've gotten... :o)

Speaking of which, I need one more person to sign up for the Free iPod thing. It would be a very nice birthday gift...

Ongoing Saga

So, two weeks after we ordered the service, and six days after we received our DSL box, Verizon called to inform us that we can't get DSL on our phone line because we are too far from a hub or what-have-you. Bear in mind, we live less than half a mile (as the crow flies) from a mall, a Barnes and Noble, etc. Ergh. We have dial-up for now, but still...

Free iPod

I never believe that those "get a free ________!" schemes work, but apparently, this one does, according to Wired. You can get a free iPod, and it's pretty easy. You sign up on their website, providing them with a working email, name and address. Then you sign up for an offer -- these are from legitimate companies like AOL, Columbia House, BMG, etc. I signed up to get a free trial of netscape dial-up, which I am about to cancel (incuring no cost to us). You wait a few days, and the offer company gets back to them and confirms you signed up. You get five friends to do the same, and you get a free iPod. Here's one guy's experience.

If you're interested, please use my referral link. Once I get my five referrals, I'll put someone else's link in.

UPDATE: JT (Mike's best man) has a friend who has gotten a free iPod and a free 27' flat screen TV from the same company. It's really legit.

Cheer and Jeer

Cheer - Blog9 is back.

Jeer - We signed up for a free dial-up trial to access the internet, and I wrote several emails since I had my address book accessible through Outlook, but our ISP is blocking all the typical smtp ports and I can't connect to the server and send the emails, which include the requisite "here's our new address" email.

Baby Cake

We drove out to Lynchburg on Saturday to hang out with the Okimotos before life gets busy with their new addition. We had a great time. I've met them before (minus Ashley), but Mike hadn't. The girls were really entertaining and fun. They really enjoyed Kate and I am fully confident that they are eager for their new roles as Fiona's big sisters. Ashley (who will be two around Thanksgiving) persisted in calling Kate "Cake" for the entire visit. To a toddler, Cake must seem to be about the best name around! We adults played a round of Cranium Hoopla, which was really fun. I am really competitive (lurking friends such as Lori could confirm this) and this game is good because everyone is on the same team. It reduces my sinful tendencies to gloat!

Grrr... Internet Access

So, after determining that Comcast's cable modem service was a rip-off to those who don't own TVs/want cable TV, we decided to go with Verizon DSL. It took about 10 days for our DSL box to arrive via UPS, and though our phone line is "DSL enabled" they still say we won't have service until September 8th. I know it takes a little more effort to make a phone line ready for DSL, but to get Road Runner in Austin, we called one afternoon, went and picked up the box, and were using it by early evening. Three weeks seems a little much.

Help!

Moms, Kate has 12 adorable 3-6 month outfits. I've heard that 3-6 is a very short size for most babies, and they stay much longer in 6-9. If so, I'd like to exchange a few outfits for larger sizes while I still can. What has been your experience?

Almost Back

Okay, we're getting a phone line next Monday and DSL on Friday. Hopefully, then, Kristen will be able to update some more and get onto a regular posting schedule. We'll also be able to update pictures of Kate, as she is growing so much!

Things are going well. We are in our apartment, but still unpacking. Kate is sleeping in her crib; the highlight of this past week.

Quick Update

We're finally in our apartment. It's fantastic. No internet yet. Kate and I are in NC for the day, and I uploaded some pictures from our last NC trip off my parents' computer. Enjoy!

Kate Date

Valerie came up from Baltimore yesterday to meet Kate. A good time was had by all! Not having my cable to connect the camera to the laptop, the photographic evidence is forthcoming...

Fast Food

Since we've been vagabonds lately, we've eaten our fair share of fast food. As I ate a delightful Chargrilled Chicken on Wheat from Chick-fil-a this afternoon, I started to rank my favourites. Here's what I came up with.

Best Fries (Traditional): In-N-Out Burger
Honourable Mention: Burger King

Best Fries (Non-Traditional): Chick-Fil-A
Honourable Mention: Arby's

Best Deal in Fast Food: Wendy's $.99 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger

Best Sweet Tea: Bojangles

Best Chicken Sandwich: Chick-Fil-A Chargrilled (Is there really any competition on this one?)

Best Burgers: In-N-Out Burger

Best Overall: Chick-Fil-A

In Maryland

We're in Maryland until Friday. Mike's in new teacher training and Kate and I are along for the ride. When we return, we'll be moving into our new apartment! It has everything we wanted and needed and is in a nice area of town. Kate stole the show at her first wedding this weekend. Note to readers: "You better hang on to that baby, somebody might kidnap her." is not the best way to tell parents their child is cute.

In Richmond

We're all in Richmond, living out of suitcases and waiting for approval and cleaning at our apartment of choice. Mike's enjoying teaching Latin Camp each day, we're all enjoying the hospitality of our friends, and we celebrated our first wedding anniversary yesterday evening by going out for a nice dinner sans Kate. We love her, but it was nice to get away for a few hours! I can't wait for life to get settled here. I think we're all really going to like it...

Update

Okay, time for a Stewart Family update.

On Tuesday, some of Kristen's friends came over and started packing. It was great that the started so early, because later that evening some guys from the church came over and started loading the boxes into the truck. We had planned on loading most of the boxes, but leaving the bed and bathroom stuff for me on Wednesday. Well, we got all into it, and loaded up everything and spent the night at a hotel.

On Wednesday, Kristen and Kate flew out at 6am to RDU, where she was greeted by her parents and siblings, and Kate was passed around. I went back to the apartment, cleaned up the remainder, and left Austin. I was a bit delayed by a faulty "leg" in the car carrier, and I had to wait until the manager's office opened to turn in my keys. I started driving at 11am and finished for the night at around 2am somewhere between Jackson and Meridian, MS. There was a fun hour-long delay near Jackson when I locked my keys into the Penske truck at 12am. Lesson learned: Penske will not help you with a lock-out, neither will AAA if you are in a Penske truck. I called a nice locksmith who got me back on my way.

On Thursday, I slept for a few hours and left at 6:30am, contining on I-20. Around Atlanta I turned onto I-85 and managed to survive, despite the efforts of crazy drivers in Atlanta. I finally made it into Wake Forest, NC at 9pm that night and saw my wife and baby. Kristen was still being greeted by family and friends, and Kate was still being passed around.

On Friday, I left around 10am and drove to Richmond, VA. I dropped off the car carrier with Penske, dropped off the truck at a friend's house, and drove the Volvo all around Richmond. I was able to visit Veritas -- prep for my class on Monday -- and look at several apartments. Lesson learned: never, never seriously consider an apartment that you have only seen online. I quickly discovered what were the shadier areas of Richmond and had to look elsewhere for an apartment. At the recommandation of a friend, I visited Hugeunots Apartments -- great name, no joke -- and loved it. I took a lot of pictures and drove back to Wake Forest. Kristen was greeted by more friends and Kate was still being passed around.

Today, I left at 6:30am and drove to Richmond to put our application in at Hugeunots Apartments. I'm now at the library, checking nearly 200 new messages, and preparing to drive back to Wake Forest. Kristen is having a baby shower where she is greeted by friends and family, and Kate is being passed around ... is there a pattern? :o)

Our apartment will not be ready for at least another week, which is the frustrating part. I have to unload the truck (ick!) at a friend's house and repack and remove it all in a couple weeks. C'est la vie. We don't have internet connections and neither does the in-law's new house (yet), so this is it for awhile.

Oh, in case you were wondering, I will be driving back to Wake Forest tonight and returning to Richmond Sunday evening and will start teaching "Latin Camp" on Monday.

Stewart Family Portrait Post Baptism

Ch-Ch-Changes

In two days, Mike's mom and sister come for a quick visit.
In three days, Kate will be baptized.
In six days, Kate and I will jet off to North Carolina.
In seven days, Mike will meet us there with our stuff in a truck.
In eleven days, Mike starts teaching Latin Camp for new students in Richmond.

Wow.

More on the Ninja Child

I took a series of pictures within a minute or two where you can see Kate's ninja tendencies. All photographs were unprovoked and can be found here (scroll to bottom).

Sewing Machine

I'm really interested in buying a sewing machine. My birthday is coming up pretty soon (a month and a half...) so I'm considering asking for one then. I'm a novice, so I don't know much about the specs and capabilities I should be looking for. I want something I can sew simple projects on, including ones with multiple layers of heavier fabrics (bottomweights, etc.) Do y'all have any recommendations?

Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting

I'm not sure if it's just all this hype or what, but sometimes I'm convinced my daughter is a ninja in training. If she hadn't slept through our entire dinner with Wayne, I'd think it was his samurai genes rubbing off on her.

Sweet Movie

Go out and see Napoleon Dynamite if you are into quirky little movies. Written, directed, produced and starred in by BYU film graduates, its good, clean fun. But don't worry, it's not like ghetto evangelical subculture, it's award-winning and being distributed by FOX Searchlight. And Mike and I liked it. They've got free screenings in some cities, and it is showing generally in select cities. We caught a free screening and even got free t-shirts...

Kate 101

Things I have learned since Kate came along:
1. If you wash and dry an entire load of cute baby girl clothes, the lint is very pink.
2. It is possible to hiccup, sneeze and poop at the same time.
3. Babies smile -- and not just gas smiles.
4. Diapers are really, really expensive.

From Josh: Real Lutheran Power

Yes, our fearsome pirate has uploaded "The Official Lutheran Webpage", though it is not nearly as funny as the presbyterian version.

Kate better not get any ideas...

Teen no longer called to do chores.

Tour de Lance

Here in Austin, people are cheering on our hometown hero as he races towards a record sixth Tour de France win. As a billboard we saw today proclaimed, "Go, Lance, go!"

Megachurch Madness

I was reading this article [reg. req.] about the 30,000 member Lakewood Church moving into the old Compaq Center in Houston, and this sentence struck me -- "A swath of stadium seating has been torn out to make room for the waterfalls that will bookend the 200-person choir.' Does anyone else find this bizarre?

Kate's First Trip to the Doctor

We all went to see Dr. Griggs today [photo], who is an excellent pediatrician and a Deacon at Redeemer. He said that Kate looks excellent; she is especially beautiful -- which all doctors and nurses have been saying, is it required? She has NO hint of jaundice at all, perfect skin. She is back to her birth weight (6lb, 8oz), has a healthy heart, lungs, etc... As for her feeding, they say, she is a tiny baby, but seems to be getting enough. She is doing great in the poopy diapers dept.

Keeping Kate Awake

Overall, Kate's doing really well. We're enjoying her so much! So, here's my first new parent question: how do you keep a sleepy baby awake long enough to feed? I have been changing her diaper, keeping her unswaddled, occasionally wiping her down with a cool washcloth and blowing on her (or aiming a fan at her) and she still barely makes it ten minutes. She's usually fighting the sleep off after the first two. Any other ideas?

Home Again

We're home! It's a great feeling. We actually begged to be released early, as we were slotted to be set free tomorrow morning. All the doctors agreed, so here we are. I haven't slept for more than two hours since Tuesday evening, so the prospect of another night of being bothered all the time by people other than the baby was more than I could bear. Kate enjoyed her first car ride and is sleeping soundly in her own bed. I'm doing really well, thanks to those who asked. Mike's official birth-announcing email did express that, but the blog post was more centered on the fact that she arrived just when he predicted. The birth was great and my doctor was on call, which was a neat blessing. More pictures have been added, where you can see her awake and see her sweet little head of hair. If you are into that sort of thing, there's sure to be more where they came from, so just check in frequently.

Kathryn Lilia

In case you missed it below. Kathryn Lilia was born early Friday morning (12:50am), exhibiting a fine balance between obeying her father (who predicted the 2nd) and wanting to see her father (and mom too, I guess). She's a beautiful little girl.

Some early pictures are uploaded. Enjoy.

And so, we wait

The doctor seems pleased with my progress and thinks the advent of the child could be any time now. I'll continue to strike through the days as they go by on "The Waiting Game - Update" post so you know that we haven't gone to the hospital... if you care about these things! I walk by her pack 'n play with the bassinet insert in our bedroom, and look at the little mobile and sheet and think, "Everything is ready and waiting for you, sweet baby girl!" The bags are packed, the carseat is installed, diapers are bought, the last of my thank you notes are written... we're as ready as we'll ever be!

We've Got the Power!

You know you want some Presbyterian Power! I found this while surfing and found it hilarious. You need to see the Real Ultimate Power website first to truly appreciate the reformed parody.

The Waiting Game - Update

Guesses on the baby's arrival date from comments on Friday, June 18th
June 21 - Tricia
June 23 - Jamie
June 25 - Nicola
June 27 - Neely
June 28 - Reba
June 29 - Kathleen (Amy)
June 30 - Jen K-M. (Nicola, Alexandra)
July 1 - Kristen (Jessie)
July 2 - Mike (Jenni) 12:50am
Kathryn Lilia, 6lbs 8oz, 19in, 3 kiloHelens
July 3 - Valerie [sans initial]
July 4 - Sora (Brad)
July 5 - Shane (Kari)
July 6 - Jen W.
July 7 - Valerie S.
July 31 - Sarah

Irony

It is highly ironic to read in an email a reference to "Wilson and his cult", especially when the gentleman is a lutheran.

Sure, he has a point. Some people are WAY too into Doug Wilson, but the irony is still there.

To End All Wars

Has anyone seen the movie To End All Wars? It was released three years ago, starred Kiefer Sutherland (among others) and is based on a true story about Allied POWs forced to build a railroad through the Burmese jungle in WWII. It's overtly Christian in its message, so I guess that's why it wasn't widely distributed or well known, but I recommend it.

Hurray for Books

The soon-to-be Mrs. Mosley sent our baby two fantastic literary gifts -- The Runaway Bunny and a set of Introducing the Little Prince board books. We are all sure to enjoy those!

Justification

This has been commented on by Doug Wilson and Mark Horne; however there is a point that jumped out at me that I haven't seen anyone else make.

The statement is by Dr. Hywel Jones, and Doug Wilson cites it as being from Christian Renewal. Dr. Jones says: "Justification is the realization that one is pardoned of all sin, accepted by God without works of any kind, and this motivates and supports one in doing the will of God as nothing else does."

Rev. Wilson and Rev. Horne both jumped on the phrase "Justification is the realization ... " and said, "Not uh!" Thanks to my undergraduate courses in NT and Early Church, the first red flag that jumped in my head was: "Justification is the realization? What a gnostic!" That is flat-out, grade A, 100%, "you're justified by what you know (or realize)" gnosticism.

Shesh, won't these heresies ever go away?

Home Again

I'm putting the finishing touches on cleaning the big house we've rattled around in the last three weeks and returning to our humble little apartment this afternoon. I'll miss some of the comfort of the big house (and the pool) but it was way too big for us, even not using the upstairs at all. We could go hours without seeing one another. I'm happy to be going home to our sweet little apartment, where there's a pack and play with a bassinet insert set up next to the bed, and everything is ready for the arrival of Miss Stewart!

You Read the Blog, Now Buy the Car!

Yes, that's right. Kristen and I are having our first-ever, buy one of the Stewarts' car sales. In all seriousness, we have two cars. Can only take one to Virginia. Cutlass will sell much easier -- and for more -- than the Volvo. Plus, I just pumped 2k into the Volvo and don't think it would make that back. Anyhow, this all means that the Olds is for sale.

http://www.thisclassicallife.com/forsale/

NOTE: I designed the site using a MAC, for the very first time. No, Wayne, we haven't converted; we're house-sitting. This all to say, I haven't viewed the site with a PC and can't vouch for the perfection of the design. When I get a chance, I'll tinker and fix it. For now, if you or someone you know needs a car, let me know. There may also be special "covenant blessings for covenant members" if you know the special handshake.

Waiting Game

Blogging has been slow, here and elsewhere, lately. So, we're waiting for the arrival of our daughter, which could technically be any time now. On Wednesday, I was 1 cm dialated, 50% effaced, -2 station. My doctor is on vacation next week. Any guesses as to the date she'll arrive? (Limit one person per date). The winner gets... I don't know. That's yet to be determined.

Strange and Bizarre Happenings of Today

FUN, BUT STRANGE - Today I received in the mail a Western Union money order for $35 with no note and no return address. The handwriting looks unnaturally sloppy, and the postmark is from the Raleigh-Durham area. Any clues who the mystery benefactor is?

INFURIATINGLY BIZARRE - Today I went to my local HEB and asked for ten brown paper bags to mail care packages to soldiers serving overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan and South Korea. After twenty minutes of debate they told me I could not have TEN brown paper bags. I'm big, pregnant and patriotic. It's ludicrous they would not give me ten brown paper bags. i am going to make a real effort to not patronize the HEB on Riverside Drive for the rest of my tenure in Austin.

What I've Been Doing... What I Wish I've Been Doing

I've been: reading somewhat trashy fiction, playing Rise of Nations, pretending I am on bed rest.
I wish I've been: writing thank you notes, reading great works, packing.

New Moms

Dawn, Lenise and I have a little new moms email group started up. Email me (see right) if you are interested in participating!

How Secular Journalists See Christian Publications

Check out The Revealer's guide to the Christian press. Its analysis of Christianity Today, World, and Relevant made me smile, but its thoughts on the Chalcedon Report made me laugh so hard I cried.

New Links

Just in case you don't diligently follow our links page, here are some blogs for you to check out:
+ Matt and Elizabeth Harper are blogging. You all know Matt. Or you know someone that does. There's some sort of a rule about that in reformed circles. Keep up with him, get to know his wife and more.
+ Amy and Courtney, friends here in Austin, are now part of WorldMagBlog's Generation W. Courtney is spending the summer in Senegal, so hopefully she'll be able to make some exciting posts from there. And Amy is very cool, even if she is not in Senegal. Check them out!
+ Bunnie is also a Generation W blogger. I've been reading her for quite some time, and just recently remembered to add her link. You'll learn a lot about politics, spelling bees, CCM and more from reading her blog.

"Free" Speech ...

... and by "free", we mean: "that which agrees with us can be shouted, especially if it disturbs conservatives who are in class and still trying to be productive students."

Sorry, I'm still a little peeved from the "Anti-War" rally at UT that we had before the war. I remember sitting in my Biblical Hebrew class, unable to learn; the teacher was unable to teach. Bloody liberals. They should have protested the war by dropping out of school.

Okay, to my point. Tyler Harper was suspended from school in California for wearing a shirt that communicated God's thoughts on homosexuality, providing support from Romans.

Tyler Chase Harper, 16, was suspended from Poway (California) High School for wearing a T-shirt during the annual Day of Silence, an event held on high school and college campuses throughout the country "to recognize and protest discrimination and harassment against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender students," according to a report in the "San Diego Union/Tribune."

The problem wasn't that Harper's T-shirt endorsed the Day of Silence but that it opposed homosexuality. On the front the T-shirt read "I Will Not Accept What God Has Condemned," and on the back it read "Homosexuality is Shameful, Romans 1:27."

The administrators said Harper's T-shirt violated the school dress code, which provides that it is unacceptable to wear clothing that promotes "violence or hate behavior including derogatory connotations directed toward sexual identity." Harper was told his T-shirt would have to go; the assistant principal even told him to "leave your faith in the car." When he refused to remove the T-shirt, Harper was suspended.

A double standard is at play. Free speech is permitted to students whose T-shirts endorse the ideology behind the Day of Silence but not to those who oppose it. This meant Harper was out of luck--and out of school. Now he is suing the Poway Unified School District.

Sorry, I wouldn't dare send my kids to an average public school in California. It was bad when I was there; now, it appears to have gotten worse, and my siblings still have to go through with it.

Making Gifts and Making Friends

I had a little shower this weekend that was really fun. Overall, we've pretty much accumulated the stuff we need for the few weeks we'll spend as parents in Austin, so I feel pretty good about that. Everything else is able to wait until after we move. Our sweet daughter has already received THREE homemade blankets. I love them all. One is from one of my students, who has been learning to use a sewing machine. She picked out the fabric herself and did a very good job. Another one is from my sweet friend Sarah, who is a sewing whiz. It is the prettiest material, large and square, perfect for swaddling. She's a nurse, and spent several years on the maternity hall, so she knows about things like that. The last is from Mrs. Olasky, who knit her a really cute blanket. I can knit, but Susan Olasky can REALLY knit. Well, significantly better than me. I am also knitting a little hat/blanket combo for our daughter for this winter, something to throw over the infant car seat when she is outside for a short period of time. There's something wonderful about knowing that someone put time and effort into making a gift for you and your baby. I have been trying to do this lately with varying success, and getting some homemade gifts is good motivation to keep persevering with it.

I've lived in Austin now for almost ten months. It has been, by far, the craziest ten months of my life. Figuring out how to be a wife and a teacher pretty much filled up my time, but I was pleasantly surprised by the friends I have made, like Lori and Sarah, who threw me a shower, and the older women in church and at school who have looked out for me. I'll truly miss some people here. I spent a lot of time talking to someone new on Sunday afternoon, and it was sad to think that I am just up and moving off, just as a friendship could have begun. But making friends is good practice, I suppose. I'll get to Richmond and be in good form for getting to know people.

Bibles and Lectionaries

Kristen and I are real ESV-bible nerds. The translation has been in print for, what?, two years? We each already have three different copies. We both have our Classic Reference Hardback, Leather Thinline, and tonight we bought two Compact Trutone Editions with the diamond design. We probably won't buy anymore, except if they fall apart and when we buy bibles for our kids. Though if they came out with compact, black-letter, with the Apocrypha, we'd probably be first in line.

One area where I'm not-so-dedicated is in my lectionary choice. The 1928 BCP uses the Apocrypha, and I don't have a decent bible translation with it (see above). The more recent BCPs conveniently edit controversial passages out of the lectionary. Also, Kristen and I have found that having to read passages from about four different sections of the bible each day was a bit much. I've heard that a liturgically-trained Anglican knows how to link all the passages together. Any hardcore Anglicans willing to comment?

He is... Bradley Dad

In our Bradley (Natural/Husband-Coached Childbirth) classes, we often cracked jokes about the workbook's mention of "the coach's card" -- which is given to husbands upon the completion of the course. Apparently, back in the day, expectant fathers had to prove they took a childbirth class to be present in the delivery room. So, the workbook mentions bringing your coach's card to the hospital, showing it to the nurse, etc.

We were on our way to the hospital for a tour yesterday and I turned to Mike and asked, "So, do you have your coach's card?" He didn't, but he then expressed his desire to turn it into a badge and wield it with a heavy hand. "Excuse me, Bradley dad, coming through. Bradley dads -- the few, the proud, the douloi." I must admit, after hearing men ask the most ludicrous questions on the tour such as, "Dialated to 8 centimeters, is that how long the baby is?" I am glad to have a card-carrying husband who knows SOMETHING about the labor and delivery process.

Books, Books, Books, Books

One of the great things about housesitting for one's elders, is the sheer number of great books in the house. Books I've been wanting to read: Jeff Meyers, Doug Wilson, Mathison, GI Williamson, et al are all readily available.

Wahoo!

Another Book Review By Special Request

I read Azar Nafasi's Reading Lolita in Tehran for a book club made up of a few women from our church. It's a memoir of a group of women who read English literature together in secret in post-Islamic Revolution Iran. It was a worthwhile and interesting book, but it certainly had its own challenges.

First, memoirs as a genre can be difficult to read, as authors tend not to want to cut memories to which they have strong emotional ties. A novelist can more easily recognize that a scene or incident doesn't fit and cut it than a writer who is, in essence, cutting off a pivotal moment in his or her own life. There were several times I felt that the book could have been strengthened if the author was more choosy with what she included. Another difficulty was that the book was arranged and themed around great works of English literature. I had read some of them (The Great Gatsby, Lolita, Pride and Prejudice) but she often discussed them in greater detail than I was familiar with, and she spent a lot of time citing more obscure works of the authors, and I felt like I was missing out on some of the parallels Nafasi was drawing with her memoir.

Overall, it wasn't a good way to learn more about English literature, but it was an interesting insight into the lives that women lead in fundamentalist, Islamic cultures. I remember one of the students talking vividly about going on vacation and being without a burka, and feeling the wonder of the wind blowing against her cheek, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a decade. All of these women longed to leave Iran, even though they loved their homeland. Even those who were good Muslims were not comfortable in a state where their religion, which they held dear, was forced upon others and shoved down their throats. Other women, of course, longed to wear jeans. But they were all longing for somewhere more free and peaceful. I enjoy learning about different cultures and their unique struggles and triumphs, and I enjoyed this book because it was a window into a world I knew little about, but a world that is growing in influence and importance in global society. I recommend it.

Fairy Tales Can Come True...

My last set of narrative report cards are turned in. My classroom is cleaned up and ready for next year. Our Bradley classes are finally over. We're housesitting in West Austin for the next three weeks at a nice big house with a pool and good books -- and all we have to do is water the plants (and Mike'll mow once.) My dreams of spending the month of June floating in the pool, reading and/or eating cantaloupe are coming to fruition...

Update

I switched the books read list, so the latest books we have finished are on top. Feel free to request reviews via email... the last post was for Katie, who asked me to talk about all the Chaim Potok I've been reading.

Mike is alive, for those of you who are wondering. He walked at graduation, finished his tenure as a PE teacher, and is spending his time working on curriculum and supplementary materials for his Latin classes next year. This weekend, when we were watching the boys (ages 7, 9 and 13) he took on the role of disciplinarian and Super Smash Bros. competitor. He should be returning from his unannounced blog hiatus any time now...

Chaim Potok

I think this is turning out to be the year of Chaim Potok for me. I am going to attempt to read or re-read all of his novels in 2004. I most enjoy his books about the "Ladover" Hasidim in New York City (a thinly-veiled version of the Lubavitch) and other ultra-orthodox groups. I took 4 or 5 classes in Judaism at UNC, and many of them spent time lingering in the study of these groups. I've been to services at a local Chabad House (Lubavitch outreach). Having a basic understanding of the background makes these stories come alive to me. At the same time, these stories make my study of Hasidic Judaism come alive, in ways that even the best of academia cannot.

There's a magic in the way that man wrote. He's creative and engrossing, and his use of the first person allows me to connect with the protagonists in ways that I can not in other authors' works. His writing has truth and goodness and beauty, and is proof of the common grace that we experience as people made in the image of God. If you want to know where to start, start with My Name is Asher Lev. Read along with me, we'll start a Potok book club.

Summer Fun

School's out for the summer, and we're spending the long weekend babysitting three of the four sons of friends of ours, and then we're going to housesit for another family while they go to Italy for three weeks. It's nice to get to live the high life in West Austin while other people trampse around the globe :o)

One more childbirth class, and one more week before I switch to every-week appointments with my OB/GYN. Things are really progressing...

Crazy Life

Tomorrow is the last day of school. After I write narrative report cards and clean up my classroom, I'll be ready for retirement. The end-of-school is accompanied by an enormous amount of chaos. This has been compounded by the fact that my daughter and digestive system, which have always been at odds, have begun a season of more intense combat. There has been some real joys amidst the frantic state of things, particularly having our families here to visit last weekend and being thrown a surprise shower by my class today. Also, I've felt very reassured lately of God's provision and his kindness to us. I can endure the last month or so of pregnancy annoyances. Or at least, Mike thinks so...

Sweet Tea

I've finally found several sources of decent sweet tea in Austin (besides making my own), just before moving away. You can look for Austin's own Sweet Leaf Tea at a store near you!

Busy-ness

It's the last full week of school, I've just discovered the joy of swimming while pregnant, and Mike is walking at graduation on Saturday, so we have a dozen family members flying in this weekend. Life is hectic, but fun. I owe both Pennocks posts about books I've read this year and I will write them soon...

I Love Launchcast

I started using Yahoo!'s Launchcast Radio and I'm totally hooked. You rank artists, CDs, songs, etc. and they mix it all up for you, adding in some things they think you'll like based on your previous ratings. If they play a song you hate or an artist that grates your nerves, you can rate them "never play again" and it'll never play it again! There's actually a good selection of CDs, from Belle and Sebastian to Wilco to Derek Webb to Jazz to Old School R&B to Bluegrass to Classical...

I highly recommend it. If you are curious to my eclectic tastes, my user name/station is unckristenmarie.

Pastor Just An Actor?

I always knew that some pastors were really just trying to give a performance. I mean, American Christianity does have its history of televangelists, but this looks like the read deal. Parkside Church pastor, Alistair Begg, everyone's favorite Scottish radio preacher, had a significant and meaningful role in the new movie with Jim Caviezel (you know, Jesus), Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius. According to Christianity Today, "Begg played the cursing and liquor-drinking Maiden, Bobby Jones' Scottish golf instructor" and Begg isn't even Lutheran!

Great quote from Begg:

I hadn't seen a script until I arrived on the set for the first day of shooting ... When I read the first line, I said to the director, 'What have you done to me?' He had assured me it was rated G or PG and was a family film. But in the end, I was playing a real person and being true to that person's character. Most of my lines were exact quotes from Maiden.

It's an example of a small man having a big influence ... There would have been no Bobby Jones if there hadn't been this rather blunt and taciturn Scotsman to guide him. The national flower of Scotland is the thistle. It's beautiful, but when you grab it, it grabs you back. The smallest of actions can have profound effects on others, for good or ill.

Now, I think I'll go and see the movie. Let this be a lesson to movie producers. If you want to capture the Christian crowd, it must have some decent morals and include either Jesus or our celebrity preachers -- it doesn't matter which one.

Coming this November, Schwarzeneggar and Sproul star in Church & State when a fiery preacher and muscular politician deal with the ethical issues of discrimination and Islamic Jihad.

Want To Be Royalty?

Simple! Go to the local pub and check if there is some Prince hanging around the joint.

Mary Donaldson, the Tasmanian commoner, ... married Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik in Copenhagen last night ... her engagement to Frederik was announced last September, three years after the couple met at the Slip Inn pub in Sydney

[Emphasis mine]

On Education

These thoughts were fueled by Jen's post at Blogs4God about public schools, so you probably ought to read it first, if you want to know why I am chosing particular things to emphasize. This is not going to provide compelling theological reasoning as to why Christian parents have a biblical obligation to either send their kids to a good Christian school or homeschool, though I think that such writings are correct and useful.

Practically speaking, other than cost, there is no compelling reason for Christian parents to send their children to public schools if they have other options, particularly for their K-8 education.

1. Children are formative beings, they are imitators and learners. As Paul said to imitate him as he imitates Christ, so also should we be providing godly teachers for our children to imitate. I teach at a Christian school committed to social and economic diversity, a school which does not require families to be Christians to send their children there. We have several families who don't attend church, and even a practicing Ba'hai student in our 70 student PK-8 school. In a lower elementary class where over 3/4 of the students have wonderful, Christian parents and attend church every Sunday, the affect of the 20% who don't means that every child in that class knows every swear word (even f*&k) in both English and Spanish and has seen their share of intense rebellion and misbehavior. However, in a Christian context, the children who are rebellious are taught to turn from their sin and to reconcile biblically with both adults and classmates. They are not coddled, they are not excused, they are not merely branded as troublemakers -- they are loved and corrected, in biblical ways (shepherding a child's heart, etc.) I have seen students grow leaps and bounds in that class as they learn to consider others more highly than themselves and to take responsiblity for their actions. What would happen in a public school classroom, even with a Christian teacher? The teacher would have to use public school sanction discipline, which is usually reward-oriented (and never heart-oriented). Things like sin and God could not be mentioned. For the children who don't misbehave as frequently, seeing biblical correction being administered to others helps them to understand how God deals with our sin, instead of confusing them with notions that we obey for rewards (like candy or extra recess.)

2. Children can not be expected to remember everything they learn and regurgitate it to you so you can evaluate the worldview with them. You send your child to school every day from 8:00 to 3:00. That's seven hours. Your child will come home from school and sit down to do some homework. You'll ask, "What happened in school today?" and receive an account of that seven hours condensed into one to five minutes of what your child selects for you to know. Worldview is subtle. Children aren't going to necessarily get red flags about what their teacher says unless it directly contradicts what you've said at home. However, differences don't have to be direct to undermine your teaching at home. In fact, the small compromises are often the worst in deconstructing a worldview. Jen also suggested parents get in the classroom and volunteer. I'd encourage every parent to do that, no matter what school their child goes to. However, spending one hour a month in the classroom doesn't give you a clue about what the other 139 hours that month are like. You can't fully supervise your child's school education unless you go and sit with them in class, no matter what sort of school you choose. If I'm going to allow someone else to educate our child in our stead, I'm going to make sure that school's philosophy is nearly identical to our family's and church's, so that we are all working in tandem and not pulling the child in three different ideological directions. I don't care how smart your child is, no six to ten year old can be expected to understand a Christian worldview well enough to know when it is being compromised.

3. Children cannot be expected to stand up for the beliefs that they are still just barely beginning to grasp. Christian children are just at the beginning of a life-long process of sanctification. You can't expect them to "do the right thing" in the midst of a crowd doing the wrong thing when they aren't even sure what the right thing is. They need to be surrounded by loving, godly adults who help them to see what choices are right, and what choices are sinful. I can tell you with authority that children who have been baptized, read the Bible and profess to love God and want to obey him still act in remarkably cruel ways. I want my children to be in an environment where this will not be shrugged off as, "kids will be kids" but that they will be forced to confront their sinful attitudes and be reconciled to one another, and to Christ. When my child is the victim of teasing, and they go to an adult for comfort, I want that adult to tell them that they were fearfully and wonderfully made, in the image of God, that Christ loves them, and that they are secure in that. That's truth. "You're a very special child with special gifts" is the best a public school teacher can do.

4. Christian schools can and should be places of diversity. Our school has multiple Hispanic, African-American and Asian families, even with only seventy kids. I'd venture to say that most of the classrooms at my school are more diverse than the classrooms the upper-middle class students would be in if they went to their neighborhood schools. Christian schools need to be proactive about recruiting socially and economically diverse families with aggressive scholarship programs, and it's sad that so few schools accomplish this.

5. Educationally, public schools aren't cutting it. Granted, there are LOTS of mediocre Christian schools. However, the classical school movement has really helped to develop a great deal of rigorous Christian schools where students are taught with their developmental stage and also taught basic skills for the sake of basic skills instead of being taught things based on state testing goals. My class practices narration and other forms of reading comprehension (quizzes on the literature we read, etc.) so they develop the skills to know intimately what they have read. We've never read a random passage to practice reading comprehension. We don't practice every week for standardized tests. We read what is relevant, and learn to comprehend as we go along. Novel idea, no? If you study anything about contemporary US education vs. the rest of the world, or the history of education, it becomes apparent quite quickly that the way public schools operate is a mediocre way of educating children. I could go into examples, but this is way too long as it is.

In conclusion, there are special cases where I would say it might be wise for an individual family to choose public schooling. For example, if the only Christian school around provides a mediocre high school education and it seems detrimental to the goal of getting into college, attending a public high school to be able to take AP classes seems like a reasonable exception. Some parents can't afford private schooling and aren't able to homeschool their children because they just aren't at all gifted in teaching. I recently met a rising fourth grade homeschooler who can't read at a first grade level. It happens. I'd rather see the child go to a public school and be literate than stay home and suffer. A single Christian parent who has to work ought to be given a scholarship by the best local Christian school to support her, but if she isn't, and she can't homeschool (no way to work from home), I'd say that's a failing of the church and we ought to be ashamed of ourselves.

Update: I changed the date on this post because I was a mean husband and posted two long things too soon after Kristen wrote this, and this is a better discussion. --Mike

Why I Probably Won't Become A Lutheran

I have a nasty habit of tormenting my wife by saying, "Honey, I think I'm becoming a Lutheran." I'm really not, but it is my way of saying acknowledging something I find attractive about Lutheranism. Early today, I was reading some of the info put out by the worship committee for the LCMS. Their liturgy seems pretty nice. I've wanted to work in the sign of the cross. I've never really cared for the Anglican "read four different sections of the bible a day" style of Lectionary. I like that they have adopted the ESV. They don't get wishy-washy about their theology of baptism. This sparked an aforementioned comment to my wife.

Then, I saw a link on Bunnie Diehl's blog to a new book, Why I Am A Lutheran by Rev. Daniel Preus, who is the LCMS first Vice President. At first glance, I'm really interested in the book, but I have a major question. Does he present ideas that pretty much any Christian would affirm, or is he offering ideas that only a Lutheran could affirm. That is, is he convincing me to not be a pagan or not a Presbyterian. I'm looking for something that says, "Hey, you're a Presbyterian? You should read this and considering being a Lutheran!"

Well, to my horror, I found out that this guy appears to be somewhat controversial. Apparently, post-9/11, an LCMS pastor presided in an inter-religious "prayer" memorial. This is an obvious no-no in a denomination that wouldn't accept even Reformed, liturgical, Protestants (a la Jeff Meyers & co.) to communion, question their -- as a LCMS friend put it -- "doctrinal purity." Anyhow, I DO NOT want to get into a discuss as to whether this is right, I only bring this fact as evidence that the inter-religious prayer is obvious a No!No! Well, Rev. Preus spoke out against the LCMS pastor who participated. Therefore, those in the LCMS for doctrinal purity love Preus, those who are (from comments I've read) pro-church growth, etc... don't necessarily love him.

This I found helpful info. If a guy is even *somewhat* controversial in a denomination, I'd like to know.

So, this poor guy Jon, tries to make a comment that he's "not sure that his book would present the most positive view of the Lutheran faith to outsiders" and Preus' "views (at least on that issue) are offensive to a lot of non-LCMS Christians." Well, Bunny Diehl is one of those "loves Preus" LCMS people and so is "Defensor Fidei" (which is actually the title the Pope gave to Henry VIII, how ironic a Lutheran would adopt it as a nickname?). It slowly becomes known that Jon is actually *gasp* a member in the ELCA. This spurs on a 60+ comment discussion about how Jon has no right to criticize Rev. Preus because the ELCA is hotbed of liberalism going to hell in a handbasket. I think something about the Reformed being evil or something bad also slipped in, but I've read enough of Josh's blog to ignore it.

This ALL being said. The ELCA is, sorry Rick, too liberal for me. The LCMS is too closed for me. Not that I think we should bring all the witches, warlocks, and fuzzy bunnies into the pulpit, but to those who are a little theologically confused ... show some love and be pastoral.

Christian Solidarity

Yes! The Catholics get tough and kick out a pro-Abortion politician.

Doh! He becomes a Protestant!

Newsday.com - National News: "I will look for other options to express my faith and will probably join another Christian church,' Kenny told The Inquirer."

The Church and Prison Abuse

For the past week the world has been seething from the pictures of abuse. Pictures of U.S. troops abusing Iraqi prisoners. The world has reacted: "Amerika sux!" In the United States, the photos have become, appropriately, political. These pictures have political consequences. However, the response from the church has been silent. The most we've heard is when particular Christians simply repeat whatever their particular political party is saying: the conservatives parrot the republicans, the liberals parrot the democrats. Where is the Christian response?

Also, worse news: Yahoo! News - Lawmakers Say New Abuse Photos Even Worse. Authorities are stressed over whether to release these are not. I, and my pessimistic foreboding, fear the worst. Democrats will demand their release under the pretense that this is a democracy and the people should view the photos. The real reason (smart) democrats will want the photos released is because it will stir a desire for change in the American people, namely a change in the White House. Republicans will try to keep the photos from being released under some pretense (security?), but the real reason will be to protect the White House. In the end, the White House will relent or the photos leaked, and both sides will be totally unprepared for the tidal wave that will come.

First, I fear that Americans will not be even remotely safe outside of our borders, for fear of our heads -- which was made more real this past week. Second, a (righteous?) war against the immoral, unjust Americans -- their words, not mine -- will be unleashed against the United States. How ironic this would be? We portray ourselves as a righteous nation and it will be our moral corruption -- even the moral corruption of a few -- that will be our undoing. And the church will still be silent, as the "separation" between Mrs. Church and Mr. State developed into a gag and restraining order. Lord, have mercy.

Remember: being postmil means the Church will triumph ... not the United States. How quickly we equate the two.

UPDATE: I read Dr. Grant's May 12th post, and I'm starting to feel a little better.

The Affect of Fiction

I think Mike is taking his fiction a little too seriously. Reading about Captain Aubrey, et. al. has made him investigate living in a houseboat and he's taken to drinking grog. Well, there's a lot of truth in fiction, so I'm glad he's reading some anyway.

Lazy Saturday

It's 4 p. and the only productive thing I did today was make homemade pesto. Luckily, I make pretty dang good pesto, so I guess that helps up the productivity points.

From Someone Who Has Been There

I'm posting in response to the discussion regarding abortion and if it is ever permissible found on Jake's blog. The posts in question are titled, "Life of the Mother."

One of the things I have learned in academia is to keep the free-flowing, theoretic discussions in the classroom. If they must leave the classroom, or if the discussion takes to a new venue, avoid being dogmatic. Be dogmatic about particulars (e.g., Bob must not do X on Thursday!), but avoid it with generalities (One should always do Y.)

For disclosers sake, let me, um, disclose. First, I happened upon the conversation WAY too late, haven't read most of the comments, and haven't bother leaving any comments myself. Second, I live day-to-day dreading that something is going to happen to Kristen or our daughter. I read of the complications that could go wrong in pregnancy, and the pessimistic foreboding (thank you, Kate Chopin) begins. That all being said, it was really hard for me to read and not get emotional when kids are dogmaticly claiming that it is so immoral to think of aborting a child when the death of the mother is certain.

Yes, I understand that all people must consider situations and ideas. Jake makes an excellent point that he, especially as a young man, should think ahead and try to prepare himself for potential situations he may face in the future. Yes, do think on these things, especially a topic like this. But, please, please, for those of us who may fret about these issues daily, avoid being dogmatic until you have had to make the decision.

I'll confess. In that situation, it may be a sin, God may smite me there in the hospital, but I would rather mourn the lost of my daughter with my wife, than mourn them both alone. You don't have to agree, but surely we can discuss and avoid vitrolic dogmatism.

Long Time, No Blog

I've chanced upon a most splendid thing lately. It seems to go by the title: fiction. Yes, my wife has been teasing me because I tend to read non-fiction, but I have stumbled upon a series that I'm becoming facinated with: Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series.

I watched "Master and Commander" at the dollar theatre a few weekends ago. Shortly after, Kristen and I went on a "B&N date" to Barnes and Noble. I forget what she was reading, but I picked up the first in the Aubrey-Maturin series "Master and Commander". The book was wonderful. I recently finished it and began the second in the series "Post Captain". I'm about 70 pages into the second, and I can begin to see the differences already. The first was filled with descriptive prose and an introduction to sea life. O'Brian lectures the reader, as the midshipman lectures Dr. Maturin, on the different components of a ship. Particular detail is made regarding the ways of ship and the sea in general. It is a facinating portrait of words.

The second book has started with a good share of dialogue. Most of the action is on land, back in England. The war with France is over and O'Brian seems to be really developing his characters and revealing pieces of them through the dialogue, which is, so far, making the second a faster read.

Another wonderful consequence is a renewed interest in naturalism. Dr. Maturin is a self-described naturalist, but not a philosophic naturalist -- did they exist in the early 19th century? -- but, what we might call, a natural history or scientist, perhaps. He enjoys studying creatures and people, land formations, ecology, etc... A very erudite man who excels in all languages that have come up in the books. In the movie, the shadow of Darwin hangs over Maturin, because of the role of the Galapagos Island, but I haven't detected a trace of Darwinistic foreshadowing in the books or Maturin. He also converses naturally in Latin, which should be the defining mark of a gentleman! This is all to say that reading and discovering the character of Dr. Maturin, has been encouraging me and driving me towards expanding my areas of study. Actually, this is ironic, because it could be the thing that encourages me to read non-fiction again.

Ha ha, off to bed.

Really Great Article about CCM

Read it at your leisure: My Faith is in the Rock and My Name is on the Roll from The New Pantagruel.

She's Back

Go visit The Thought of Being Free Has Entered Many Minds, the latest and greatest blog of my dear friend, Jamie.

Note to Self

I wish sometimes I could send a memo to myself that would arrive ten years from now, reminding me of my pet peeves regarding parents so that I don't do the same thing to my childrens' teachers.

My Life as a Countdown

3 more weeks of school
8.5 weeks until the baby is due
12 more weeks until we're scheduled to move to Virginia

No Big Surprise.

The Washington Post will run a story tomorrow entitled "Breastfed Babies Less Likely to Die, Study Finds" which says that breastfeeding decreases the risk of dying during the first year of life by 20%.

Rick and Rachel Update

Rachel's trial has been postponed. Let's pray that their trial is over swiftly and that they are found innocent on all charges. I'm sure life would be nice having all your old friends back.

Top House Dem Says She'll Take Communion

From Yahoo: "I fully intend to receive Communion, one way or another. That's very important to me," Pelosi told reporters during her weekly press conference.

But, apparently, not as important as abortion.

Pregnancy Stuff

So, I don't know if we ever posted about this, so here goes. I know that this will severely disappoint some readers, but whatever. We're giving birth in a hospital with a doctor. This decision was made when we weren't sure where we were going to give birth (since we knew not where we would be moving, and when we'd have to move). It seemed easier to transition traditional care than a midwife. Also, I never considered having a home birth in the one bedroom apartment we live in. It's not comfortable to live in day to day, let alone to give birth in. Anyway, we're taking Bradley classes and trying for the whole natural-birth-in-a-hospital thing. I actually feel way less confident about giving birth now than I did before we started the classes. I don't think that's how it's supposed to happen. I feel very overwhelmed with the thought of birthing, and of parenting. I really still feel bad all the time, though in quite a different way than the first twenty weeks. My body does not agree well with pregnancy. Nine and a half more weeks until the due date.

Changing My Mind About Kerry

John Kerry is slowing working his way into my heart. Well, no, perhaps just his hands around my vote. Today, in the NYTimes, I learned just how similar Kerry and I are. I mean, he has his butler Marvin taking care of him, and I have, well, um, .... okay, maybe John Kerry is NOTHING like me. Shesh, reminds me of the article in The Onion about Kerry campaigning from a yacht.

Tuesday Night Trashy Novel

I admit it: I spent almost two hours curled up at Barnes and Noble reading The Devil Wears Prada. It's not a particularly great book, but I enjoyed it. I like to escape from my little world and B-contemporary literature is the new primetime lineup for me in this post television era. At least, as my husband told me, my trashy novels are New York Times bestsellers. I did notice several errors the copy editors should have caught, and I found the writing to be a little weak considering that the main character was aspiring to write for the New Yorker, but most of the time I was just enjoying the distraction of the story. I give it 3.5/5 stars on a scale devoted solely to trashy contemporary fiction.