Finally Dawned on Me

One of my dreams has always been to start my own business. Lately I've been thinking that this will have to be one of the things I do once our children (I hope!) are graduated from high school and moved on and out. My priorities are my husband and family; there will be plenty of time for starting my own business later on in life (and if there isn't time, or time is cut short, then I will be glad that I didn't spend all my years busy with a business when my top priority was my family).
I used to say that I wanted to run a coffee shop, especially after such a good time working here. Love the idea of creating a space for people to meet with friends, or work on their own projects while enjoying a hot beverage. BUT, unless you are a major coffee chain, it doesn't seem like the best business plan, to open a shop where people spend hours of their time and only $3 from their pocket. That hardly pays to keep the lights on, or to have a barista to make the drinks. Most Ma&Pa coffee shops that I know have to do other things in order to keep afloat (sell other merchandise in their shop, or include a lunch menu, or cater, or, or, or, or). I also thought it would be fun to have a bookstore, but we all know how well bookstores are doing these days, sadly.
Another idea that I have thought of is a slow-food restaurant. Where you come in, order off of the limited and changing menu, and then I make you your meal from scratch. The menu would probably contain all of my comfort foods (soups, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, bread, cheese, etc). There would be a greenhouse attached to the back of the kitchen that grew some of our produce. And in both of these dreams we would roast our own coffee, of course. But I've always thought it would be too stressful to run a restaurant. So many regulations, and as always working with perishable items seems risky to me. Order too much and you end up wasting. Order not enough, and you're constantly running out of food and running out of customers. I do like the idea of restaurants who are only open until they run out of food each day. That does ensure a freshness, and probably less waste, I would guess.
Another idea I've more recently had, that doesn't include perishable items (at least not very many) would be a handicraft shop, that would provide three services.
1. It would sell handmade items made by myself and other local people.
2. It would sell crafting supplies.
3. It would provide space for people to work on their projects.

Fun, right? Maybe that is how I will spend my retirement?

And then it dawned on me. I can do all these things without having to try to figure out the business-side of things AND while making my family my first priority (well, actually Jesus is my first priority, but that is regardless of whether I have a family or a job or where I live or what I do. It is a given for me).
In raising a family, I definitely can plan and make healthy and from-scratch meals and work on whatever my craft is to benefit my family. I can support my husband in his work and ministry by opening our home and providing space for people to meet with a friend, read a book, drink a hot beverage, eat a good meal, be creative, study, think, etc. You guys, in just a shade over half a year, we will have the privilege of working with 20-30 young adults in a new Discipleship Program. Why is this just now dawning on me? Perhaps this is what all these dreams are about?

Here is a promotional video for the new discipleship program. Perhaps you know of someone who would be interested in applying? They should go here to find out more information and apply!

Simplifyyyyyyyyyy

One of my goals, always, is to simplify.

Lately I have been feeling the ache of clutter. We are in a time of transition, of temporary-ness, and we are half unpacked, half packed. A time of waiting, if you will. And I think you will. We did just get done with Advent, after all. 

In this time of waiting, I've come to realize that we have managed to survive for....over half a year without using some of our stuff. Longer for some of it. Some of it, I miss, and wonder if I should just go unpack it, or just wait until we are wherever we are going to move to. Most of it, I don't miss. And I wonder, WHY ARE WE KEEPING ALL THIS STUFF? We clearly don't need it. Someone else might. Like our extra coats and blankets for example. Or all the sweatshirts and shoes I don't wear. For example.

So an obtainable goal, I think, is to go through a box or a drawer, just one a night, and get rid of stuff. Regardless of where we live after this place, I don't want to keep carrying around STUFF that we never use or don't need.

I am aware that simplicity does also come with natural complications. For example, if I want to get rid of a bunch of clothes, perhaps I will have to do laundry more often. Or maybe not....if I already only wear the same 4 outfits all the time anyway. Or maybe, if we decide to eat more simply. Only foods with ingredients we can recognize. Or only foods that we can prepare at home. Well that means that preparing meals or grocery shopping might seem more complicated for awhile. I am aware of the complications that come with simplicity.

Ultimately, it comes down to what we value. Do we value stuff more than people? What do we treasure?

Here are some especially convicting Scriptures (for me).

Matthew 6:19-21: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."

And

Acts 2:42-47: "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved." Emphasis my own. This community sounds amazing.


In related news, I am really enjoying -- looking forward to even, my daily blogging on the lectionary. I am working ahead, in case I fall behind. Either way, the goal is the daily study of Scripture. They are scheduled to started being posted on the first of January.

To do. Indefinitely. Goals.

1. Don't be so attached to screens. Computers. Phones. TVs. The like. Spend less and less time on social media.

2. Eat homemade as much as possible. Homemade and from scratch. Frozen pizzas* and cake from a box, though made at home, do not count. As homemade or as food, likely.

3. Search local stores first when shopping. 

4. Learn/hone skills in making handcrafted goods.

5. Learn about gardening/composting, etc.

6. Simplify. Less stuff. Priorities.

7. Build community wherever you are. Live and be present wherever God has placed you.

8. Read Scripture daily. Pray continually.

9. Go to bed earlier.

10. Spend at least an hour a day outside.

Essentially I want to be Amish, but keep my iPhone. And dishwasher.

*Unless it's a pizza that you made from scratch and then froze.

A new city to love

Well, we've been here a week. What's that, you say? Yes, we've moved. And yes, I'm a terrible blogger. Most people are.

We moved back to Minnesota! We are thrilled, but also feeling a little culture-shocked, and a little bit like we're just visiting still. We haven't lived in Minnesota for seven years, and we haven't lived in small town Minnesota for even longer. We will adjust, but it will take some time (as any transition does).

Tonight we took a stroll up and down the Main Street of our new town (Steve lived here a long time ago, and I've never lived here, only visited...so yes, we can call it our new town). You can kind of see what it once was, but there is a lot missing. A lot of empty buildings. Seems like other places we've lived, eh?

Let's count the pros: there is a bakery, a Mexican restaurant, a pizza place, and a new coffee shop opening soon. And a really cool little food co-op.

There are a few more businesses I can't remember...and TWO optometrists. TWO.

Of course we can see all this potential, and start dreaming about what could be, and ways we can best love our new city. How can we support local businesses? How can we encourage new businesses? How can we spend our money wisely in our town, yet still value making things at home, from scratch.

Oh! I just remembered, a farmers market is also coming soon. So that is exciting.

Still lots to learn about this community and its needs. At one point I even wondered out loud what it would be like to plant a covenant church in one of the empty buildings on the Main Street.

Of course I walked around like a tourist snapping pictures of the cool old buildings (which will all be found at the end of this post, since I'm posting from my phone). Excited to see how we gradually make this place our home. Determined to take on the challenge of serving this community. What would it look like if we only shopped/spent our money locally? Who are the people, and what services do they need? 

My heart's desires

I spent a little time this evening (a very little, actually, when I think of the amount of time I could have spent) reading through old blog posts of mine.

Ran across this one, and was very encouraged to see how God has worked in my life over the past few years. I turned 30 this past November, and am happy to report that I was able to finish seminary and have a baby right before 30. 

Looking forward to seeing what God has in store for the current desires of my heart over the next five (or so) years.

Also was reminded that I used to be a much better, thoughtful, and more consistent blogger.

Productivity

I'm working on a project...a Lent project! It will look verrrry similar to my Advent/Christmas/Epiphany project, and will start, Lord willing, on February 10: Transfiguration Sunday! Ash Wednesday isn't until the 13th of February, but like the other project, sometimes it's nice to get started a couple days in advance.

As always, I hope you enjoy (and even if you don't, I enjoy. So this is what you get, dear blog reader!).

Reviewing 2012

Well, apparently I made some resolutions last year. Six of them. Let's see how I did, shall we?

1. The Birthday Project 
I did not do this, nor did I make an effort to. I can't say that I will do better next year on my birthday. The only thing I can hope for is to hopefully do 30 acts of kindness before I turn 31. But I'm not making that a resolution for 2013.

2. Less Snark, More Positivity
There were plenty of opportunities for this in 2012, that's for sure. There isn't really measurable way to know if I was less snarky, but I like to think I was. I am continually working on being more positive, even if it just means that I refrain from saying the snarky thoughts that so quickly come to my mind.

3. Show Interest
Trying to. Hard when all I really want to do is talk about my baby. But like #2, it is something I consciously am thinking about when interacting with people. Whether I take action on these thoughts is still iffy.

4. Soap

I did not open an Etsy shop (well, actually I did, but I never posted anything on it or told anyone about it). Being pregnant and soap-making did not go hand-in-hand for me. But I do want to continue to make soap. I do love it. But as it is now, I think only for a hobby and to give away, not to sell (I really can't compete with all of the million other soap shops on Etsy at this point). My sister on the other hand, *did* open an Etsy shop. And I am happy to promote it here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/emvintagethrift

5. Finish Well
I did. Yay for completing seminary and having a Master's degree!

6. Blog more
The numbers don't lie. I blogged very little in 2012. Still trying to figure out what this blog will be in 2013. Probably expect more things like the Advent project, if anything. In trying to be less snarky, I've also had less to blog about in 2012. Which is telling. 

It probably won't turn into one of those "mom blogs" if you know what I mean. You're welcome. Like soap shops, I can't really compete with the billion other mom blogs out there. Nor do I want to.

Getting back to my French roots

Yesterday (or was it the day before?) I read a review for a book that intrigued me. After reading as much of it as I could on Amazon, I decided that I needed to finish the book. Not wanting to spend any money on the book, I decided to see if the three libraries I have at my disposal could help me out. Turns out, this one could! Hooray! Since the book didn't seem to be at the library closest to me, I put in a request for it yesterday afternoon. This morning I had a voicemail saying I could come pick it up anytime. Woohoo! Talk about instant gratification.

Anyway. I've only read through the first chapter (again) so far, and really like it.

Hopefully in a couple days I will be able to tell you if it's worth the read.

(I think it probably will be).

A book to help me not pass on my picky eating skills to the Babe.

Holding Cross - a bookmark

For graduation, my school sent me a Holding Cross. I am in cleaning mode and would like to throw away all of the packaging and information about it...but would like to keep the content. Hence the shameless posting of it on here. A bookmark of sorts.

Here's a picture, to keep you interested:

I just recently became an Instragram type of person. Fancy.

Even as I'm typing this out, I'm seeing that a lot of the information can be found online. Score. That saves me a lot of typing. Here is the Holding Cross website.

Isaiah 61:1 was our class verse:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound..."

Also included were some things to get you started in prayer....I will just put the headlines, and then someday when I am looking for them, I will google them...or click on the link (clearly this post has no plan whatsoever!). The last prayer I couldn't find anywhere, so I just typed it.

Micah 6:8

Prayer for the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit

A Collect or Short Prayer for the Renewal of Life

A Collect or Short Prayer for Purity

Psalm 19:14

Luke 11:2-4

A Prayer of Renewal using the Five R's

Jesus, I Repent of my sins that I have done (be specific) and those left undone (be specific). I am sorry and ask for your forgiveness.

Jesus, I Renounce the things in my life that block your love from coming into my life and accepting you totally and completely as Lord of my life. I renounce (be specific) Lord, I willingly give up any power they have over my life.

Jesus, I Receive you as my Lord and Savior. Please come into my life; be my Lord and be my Savior. I give you my life, my work, my family, my recreation. I give you all of me.

Jesus, Release you Holy Spirit in me to guide me in all truth, all wisdom, all understanding and in all my ways. I give you, Holy Spirit, all power to set me free to live my life for Christ. Empower me and fill me.

Father, I now Rejoice giving you the glory for what you have done, what you are doing, and what you will do in me. I thank you for your favor and faithfulness to love me even when I am unloveable. Thank you, Lord, for saving me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen

Looking ahead

As you may or may not remember, I am terrible when it comes to blogging in Summer. Perhaps you also remember that I spend a lot of Summer dreaming about Fall, Winter, and Spring. Anyway, today is no different, and here I sit getting excited for the Christmas Markets that are close by, coming in November.

This year Pittsburgh is going to have a holiday market in Market Square. I am super excited. First annual. From November 24-December 23. Every day! Come visit us, people. We'll go to the Pittsburgh Christmas Market. Here are some pictures of Market Square in the summer. Just picture it being winter and you'll get the idea. Also, there will be Christmas decor and vendors selling Christmassy things. And ice skating.

Secondly, the Toronto Christmas Market. We failed to go last year, due to scheduling conflict, but this year we will try, try again!  We have a smaller window (every day from November 30-December 16), and a little bit further to drive, but it just looks so lovely. Ahhhh. If you come visit us then, bring your passport! Here are some pictures of Toronto's Distillery District in Spring. Like before, just imagine it being Winter, and you'll get the idea. Or just watch the video, and prepare to get your heart warmed.

(Ok, this is not the Distillery District, it's Nathan Phillips Square, where ice skating takes place. But the following pictures are where the Christmas Market is)

And here is the video. I think I've posted it a few other times on this blog...but in case you missed it (it should work in your reader just fine...but if you are watching it straight from the blog it is better to watch it on youtube, to get the whole picture).

The start of a project

I've been getting some ideas via Pinterest for some DIY baby decor. A mobile, to be specific. After combining a bunch of ideas, I decided to try my hand at making some felt owls of various colors that will hang from the mobile. Here are some pictures of the first one:

Going for complementary colors.

With wings.

Just need to sew the back on and add a little stuffing.

Perhaps a picture when the whole project is done. Don't hold your breath though, I'm hand-sewing these bad boys, and I am SLOW at it. Might be a few days.

Make Soap Outside

Well I did it. I made soap outside.

After being as careful as possible in every way, I still ended up locking myself and the lye out of the apartment (grabbed my driver's license instead of my ID card....I would blame it on pregnancy brain (which does exist), but this isn't my first time locking myself out. It is however my first time locking myself outside with a pitcher of hazardous material and wearing (in addition to my regular clothes) goggles, a bandana over my mouth and nose, an apron, and rubber gloves. I hope the neighbors were watching.

Anyway, I did remember to keep my phone in my pocket, so I called Steve who was thankfully able to eventually come and rescue me.

Aside from locking myself out, I think the soap turned out pretty good! It was a new recipe that I cooked up, including an ingredient that I hadn't used in soap before: beeswax (which I had left over from making my own deodorant).

Simple bars of soap. I think at least one of these will probably eventually be made into laundry detergent..

Summer

Back in February, I was dreaming of a time where I would have hours a day to devote my time to hobbies. I was also hoping, fingers-crossed, that by this time, my morning (and afternoon....and evening) sickness will have alleviated (it has, thank God) and I would be able to also eat and be awake for the summer. Of course I didn't mention all this, because we hadn't publicly announced our pregnancy at that time. Yes, we are old-fashioned and waited awhile to share our exciting news with the public. Yes, we are old-fashioned, and are not going to find out the baby's sex until the baby is born. And though we have a few names picked out, we are not settled on any yet, and will probably wait to meet the baby before we officially give a name, to make sure the name fits. Soapbox aside, we are excited, and we won't blame you if you want to do all the opposite things of us, announcing your pregnancy the day you find out, and the name on the same day you find out the sex. A parent's prerogative. And this post is about summer, anyway. Not about opening Christmas presents in August.

And I need some motivation. Apparently when I have hours a day and no structure, I lean toward spending a lot of time playing Angry Birds. Not only is that not on my list, but it is not fulfilling in any way. Also, even though doing nothing and having nothing pressing to do sounds awesome....it can get old fast. I need some structure. So back to my old list. Also, I will add some more things and give some explanations (in purple).

Here is the list I made in February:

1. Figure out container gardening. Because our yard is not our own...and because the idea of planting and growing some of your own food is so appealing. I pinned it awhile ago, and there is some information here. I need to get started on this. Also, if all else fails, there is a Farmers Market in my city every Monday. I just need to remember it sooner than Monday at midnight (when it is apparently no longer open).
2. Relearn to crochet, and practice with the giant hook you bought (perhaps you know that I crochet extra tightly. I would like to crochet in such a way that it is enjoyable (more crocheting less wrestling to get the hook through my tight tight knots), less painful for my hands, and more productive (it takes me forever to accomplish anything. See the parenthetical thought next to "enjoyable."). I think I will make a couple of cute baby hats. If I can get the hang of it in a non-tightly-wound way.
3. Finish that mini-quilt you started a last year. The quilt is tiny and fall-themed and gender neutral, just like the Babe! Who would have known?
4. Master making your own laundry-detergent (using a bar of soap you made). I did actually do this already, and have used it several times. It works just fine, thank you. For next time, I will grate the soap even smaller, so it blends better with the other ingredients. It takes some effort, all that grating, but other than that it is super easy to make your own laundry detergent.
5. Read for fun. So far I have been mostly rereading for fun. I have read the first two book in the Chronicles of Narnia (The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), and plan to finish them all soon. Then I will move on to rereading the Harry Potter books.
6. Canning. If I ever grow anything, or remember to go to the Farmers Market, I will have something to can.

Things I am adding to the list:

7. Make soap outside. Other than feeling sick and tired and busy for much of the semester, I also haven't been making soap lately because, even though our apartment is quite drafty, it is not well ventilated when it comes to making soap. I am a cautious preggo, and don't want to breathe in any unnecessary fumes (that may or may not come from soap-making) and cause unnecessary injury to the Babe. But now that it is summer, I think I will try to bring the fume part of soap-making out on the stoop and make it there.

8. Get the Babe's room ready. We aren't going to paint or anything (not planning on living in this apartment for the next 50 years), but still need to get the appropriate baby furniture set up (still need to make some room in there, since it is currently both a guest room and an office....and a secret closet).

9. Sort through all of our stuff and see which things we really need to keep, and which things can be given away/tossed/sold. Spring cleaning, in other words. This might help with number 8.

10. Read up on parenthood. My instincts on parenthood are low-ish, and I would still like to figure out a way to make cloth diapers work (and which ones will work best for us). Since we share laundry with students, we are wondering if it is an ok idea to hold a monopoly on the machines to wash poopy diapers on a regular basis. I still think we can figure this one out. Just need to be creative.

Well, I better get on some of this stuff. It is always in the back of my mind that I should be searching for  jobs, because I just graduated and all. And even though I am obvs preggo, people still ask me what my plans are now that I've graduated. Well, my plans are to be an awesome stay-at-home mom with a Masters degree, for the first year at least. 

I sometimes wonder if I should get a summer job, but then I remember that we are planning on going to visit our family in the middle of summer, so I would need to take off then, and I am not getting any less pregnant as the summer goes on. If you would like to hire me for something temporary, that allows me to take a couple weeks off in July, does not require heavy lifting or coming in contact with potentially toxic material, then let me know! Also, I need frequent breaks to eat. And pee. I will need to be done by September. Thank you for your consideration.

The last batch of successful soap I made. In January. Before we knew we were preggo. Because all blog posts are better with a picture.

Investigation station

Well. It would appear that even with the structure of having a possible photo each day, I am unable to blog on a regular basis. I have stuck it out longer than some, but I am dwindling fast.

Recently I have been challenged to rethink my Enneagram number. You may remember that I have been spending some time thinking that I was a 4 with a 5 wing. Well this may not seem like a big change to you, but I am just now starting to chew over the fact that I may actually be a 5 with a 4 wing.

Identity crisis. But should I really be shocked if my top four strengths are learner, futuristic, input, and intellection?

I still need to spend some time thinking about this (obvs I spent quite a while thinking about being a 4 as well).

Here are some things that I read on the Enneagram website:

On Fives mistaking themselves for Fours (makes me feel comforted to know that it is common):

"Fours and Fives can resemble each other in that both are withdrawn types, both can be individualistic and eccentric by mainstream cultural standards, and both can be highly creative. Of course, there is a greater risk of mistyping with 4w5s and 5w4s.

Fives are more likely to mistype as Fours than vice versa, primarily because of simplistic definitions of the types. Some Fives have learned that Fours are more feeling-oriented, and Fives are more intellectual, and seeing that they have deep feelings presume that they must be Fours. (This is especially true with female Fives.) Also, Fives are often portrayed as scientists or engineers while Fours are creative artists. In fact, it is true that Fours are less likely to be scientists than some other types, but there are as many Fives who are artists as Fours, although their styles are somewhat different." 

(I bolded the part that made me not want to be a five at first. I always pictured fives to be robots, and I am definitely not a robot. But I was apparently being too simplistic).

And, the part in the description of a relationship between a Five and Two (Steve being a Two), that made us both laugh (and there is always a bit of truth in things that make you laugh):

"Twos bring...a desire to improve the Five's living conditions, style of dress and eating habits—and many other marks of thoughtfulness-as signs of affection and genuine interest. Fives are usually not unaware of these, though they may not outwardly react to the expressions of affection of Twos, Fives are secretly pleased that anyone cares and is being attentive to them."

Oh, self-awareness.

Here is a recent picture, that I did not make, obviously because I have been too busy getting a Masters degree.

Type 5?

Deodorant is Made.

If you have the cooking skills of a hot day, you can make your own deodorant.

The hardest part was all the time spent trying to figure out what some of the ingredients were, and where on earth to find them.

The recipe and instructions and benefits of making your own deodorant can be found here.

And, though it took some looking, I was able to find all the ingredients without having to buy them online. Bonus. Lots of them I already had, either because of soap-making, or because they are pretty normal kitchen type things to have.

Here's the quick list of ingredients, and where I found them:
2 TBSP Arrowroot Powder (found this at Health Hut....apparently it is a sort of starch that you use to thicken fruit sauces...or you could make cookies with it. Glad to know I have options if the deodorant doesn't work out).
2 TBSP Baking Soda (already had)
2.5 TBSP Coconut Oil (already had for soap...you can find this almost any place that sells groceries, next to the other cooking oils and shortenings).
1 Heaping TBSP Beeswax (preferably pellets, for ease of measuring and melting, the recipe says. This was the hardest one to find...had to make some calls, but finally found it at Pat Catans).
8 Drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil (this and all other essential oils I got at Health Hut).
8 Drops of Lavender Essential Oil.
2 Drops of Castor Oil (also already had this for soap-making...you can find it in the pharmacy section of most stores...or at an actual pharmacy. It is a laxative for its day job).
8-10 Drops of any other essential oil for scent.


Anyway, as I type this, it is sitting for a couple hours (or, really, overnight). I have no idea if it will work or not, but am willing to try it. I may smell earthy from here on out, people.
Here are some pictures of the making of the deodorant.

Ingreds.

All of the ingreds before adding heat and stirring.

Stirring. I was afraid that it didn't have enough liquid.

But given some time, nearly everything melted. The beeswax pellets took the longest.

At the sudden time it reached the temperature where beeswax melts, everything looked like this.

Dumped it into a recently washed out deodorant container. I was worried about what to do in the event that it overflowed, but it turns out that it didn't even fill it up.

About 3/4 full. After it hardens up a bit (which it probably already has), I can twist the bottom and smooth out the top.

Trying it tomorrow! There are no other options in the apartment for me, so hopefully it doesn't suck (though apparently it takes the body a little bit of time to adjust to the lack of chemicals that you are putting on it). We shall see!

winnings

Just read this article, about the 3 teachers in Maryland who won the mega lottery, and are not only planning to keep their jobs, but also planning on remaining anonymous.

Without reading the comments (which are always the negative, squeaky wheel types), I came away from the article thinking:

1. Wow, how noble that they love their jobs so much that they still want to keep them after winning millions of dollars. Their schools and students are lucky to have people that love to teach so much. I think this is also a wise decision, because it will help them to keep some sort of normalcy in their lives (though if they hated their jobs, this is their chance to go do the job they felt they couldn't afford to do). Remaining anonymous will also help them to maintain normalcy as well. Of course they have plans to travel, buy houses, and put their kids through school, but nothing that will send them over the deep end.

2. My second thought was, how on earth are they going to remain anonymous? The article gave away so many details about them, they could have just as well said their names. The article gave genders, approximate ages, general job descriptions, and their plans for how they wanted to spend the money. If I were a student or other teacher at the school, I would probably have it figured out.

After reading the comments, I am going to maintain my thoughts, even though there were a lot of disparaging comments about how rich people don't want to help people get jobs, and that if these three would quit their jobs, they would be providing some young teachers with jobs. They are being selfish by keeping their jobs, is what a few people implied. Silly, foolish people. How are three people who each hold multiple jobs going to create many jobs by quitting theirs? At most, they will create a small handful of jobs (a couple of them had to work multiple jobs). But it seems that the young hopeful teacher that would pick up these jobs would also then have to have a second or third job. I'm not trying to say there isn't anything wrong with the situation of people not being able to find a job, but that three teachers who won the lottery giving up their jobs that they love is not the solution. Plus, they will be providing jobs in other ways, by buying new houses (and selling their old ones), putting their kids through college, and traveling. Think things through, people.

Anyway, squeaky-wheels aside, I think, off the top of my head, that I too would want to remain as anonymous as possible if I won the lottery. Of course, if CNN described me in the same way that they "anonymously" described these three teachers, I'm sure it would be hard to keep it a secret. And even though I don't really have a job right now, I would like to say that I would still want to be productive with my time.

Here is what I would do with my millions (sorry I'm so boring. But it is seriously what I would want to do)....Top Ten:

1. Pay off school loans (and any debts that our immediate family might have).
2. Repay the amount of the generous scholarship that I received in order to be able to go to seminary, so that the school can send someone else to seminary. Probably would give 2-3 times that amount, because why not?
3. Fund a couple of people to go and work or teach here for 5 years. Probably would send us too, after a few more years.
4. Fund Steve to get a PhD.
5. Donate some to this school, with specifications that they have to use it on student housing repairs.
6. Set up some sort of program where people who want to do some sort of year or two long mission commitments can give up their home to long-term missionaries who are home on furlough. Not sure how this would look. It just came to me.
7. Start a business that employs, trains, and treats well, single mothers (daycare provided as a benefit).
8. Oh man. It is so hard to spend this money. I guess "invest some of it" should go here (as if these other ones aren't investments!).
9. College funds for our kids (and a few others...perhaps set up some sort of scholarships for those who need it).
10. Cottage in Estonia (had to have one frivolous one in there).




Can you tell that Learning is my number one strength?  Ironically I'm sitting here spending money I don't have instead of doing the homework that so desperately needs to get done. Futuristic is my number two, so it keeps me dreaming. Nothing ever gets done though.

How would you spend your lottery winnings? (If lottery isn't your thing, pretend you are related to an old, rich benefactor).

Dream Big.

First off let me start by saying that I have already driven a car today.

...

But while I was driving, I was daydreaming a daydream I often have, about how I would love it if cars weren't "necessary." Now of course I got a taste of this living in Europe, where we didn't own or really even drive a car for 2 years. Yes, sometimes it would have been more convenient, but mostly, we didn't miss it. I liked having the grocery store and work and church, etc, all within walking distance. And with sidewalks that led to these places. And for a reliable bus system that had bus stops within walking distance for those days when your destination seemed to be too far away. For longer trips, we were within easy walking distance to the train station and bus station. There were always shuttles to and from the airport. There was always a way to get to where you needed to go without having to worry about taking care of a silly car.

Here in the US (or, at least where I live), we don't have good sidewalks. We don't have reliable bus systems. I can't just walk to the grocery store, or to church. I can't walk somewhere that will shuttle me to Pittsburgh, or to the airport, or to a bus station. People complain about gas prices all the time, but really it falls on deaf ears* when you're talking to me. I don't think the "solution" is for someone else to lower gas prices. I think the solution is for us to drive less...but unfortunately we're not set up for it. 

But I wonder how my life would be different if I insisted on not driving for most of the time? Would I be able to survive on the few groceries I could scrounge up? Would I be willing to walk all the way downtown to buy a few groceries (uphill on the way back...and 1.1 miles away). What sort of things would I have to give up? In what ways would we benefit?

Maybe a project for this summer. If it isn't 1000 degrees fahrenheit out every day.

The first picture I could find on the computer that had people walking.

*Pun recognized. I know I am hard-of-hearing.

Things for this summer

Ongoing list of things for this summer (starting in mid-may, after I graduate and have time for hobbies again). I may add to or subtract from this as I see fit. Most of my ideas can either be found on this blog somewhere, or on my pinterest. Perhaps if I am successful in trying to do some of these things, I will post a picture or two.

1. Figure out container gardening.
2. Relearn to crochet, and practice with the giant hook you bought (perhaps you know that I crochet extra tightly. I would like to crochet in such a way that it is enjoyable (more crocheting less wrestling to get the hook through my tight tight knots), less painful for my hands, and more productive (it takes me forever to accomplish anything. See the parenthetical thought next to "enjoyable.").
3. Finish that mini-quilt you started a last year.
4. Master making your own laundry-detergent (using a bar of soap you made).
5. Read for fun.
6. Canning.

A few things to get you through.

1. Here are a few songs to listen to while you read.  You are welcome.

2. Here's my latest from Twitter, if you aren't already into that kind of thing: Philippians 1:18 is what I think about whenever anyone brings up Tim Tebow, which is all the time. http://goo.gl/IvTyd

3. I need to go and get my ears checked. Not because I suspect that I have hearing loss, but because I know it. I've been putting it off for a while because: a) I am pretty good at lip reading, b) Hearing aids cost the same as a nice computer and are not covered by insurance, and c) I am pretty horrible about going to the doctor in general. Lately though, I feel I've been missing out on a lot of conversation details, and the constant ringing in my ears never fails to remind me that I probably should have an audiologist figure it out. This past summer a doctor prescribed some allergy medication to see if that would help me to hear better. I am not sure that it worked. The doctor never tested my ears in the first place to see what level my hearing was at, and then I never went back to get them checked again after a month of the medication (and really, what would they compare it to?). We were probably both at fault. Really though, I think I need to just go to a place that knows what they're talking about when it comes to hearing.  In the meanwhile, here are some misconceptions that I would like to clear up.

          a) People who are hard of hearing didn't hear you because they weren't paying attention. On the contrary, we probably pay twice as much attention just to be involved in a conversation. Especially a conversation with a group of people. Sometimes when someone laughs at me because they've been apparently talking to me/trying to get my attention for a little while, and I haven't heard them...sometimes I will say, "sorry, I wasn't paying attention," since they are clearly already feeling uncomfortable at this point. But really, I just didn't hear them because they didn't already have my attention (or were talking softly, or not speaking clearly, etc). Being bad at hearing is way different than being bad at listening.

          b) People who didn't hear you must be dumb and not understand the content of what you were trying to say. Not true either. Dumb and smart have nothing to do with whether or not people can hear. Some people that can hear perfectly well are not so bright. Anyway, it is kind of insulting when you furrow your brow and say, "what?" and people start speaking in a slow, loud voice, dumbing down what they originally said....and some get confused when you simply ask for enunciation.

          c) I am judging your snaggle-tooth and want you to cover your mouth when you speak. You wouldn't think this is a problem, but it is! Stop covering your mouth when you speak, people. If I can't read your lips, and you are already a soft talker, covering your mouth is not going to help me hear what you are trying to communicate. I don't care if your teeth are crooked. I'm looking at your mouth because I can't hear you, not because I am judging you.

          d) People who can't hear must just need to clean their ears out. Well, that might be partially true. That certainly could be the cause of some people's hearing loss. But not everyone's. More than one doctor has remarked about how clean my ears are. Well, thank you for noticing. I clean them quite regularly because I don't want wax to block my already dull hearing. My hearing loss is likely hereditary, as a large percentage of people I am related to has a hearing aid. I almost never listen to music with headphones, or do anything else to cause my poor hearing. On the contrary, I try to preserve what little hearing I have, thank you very much.

Sorry. Just realized that this has become quite the rant. Just trying to raise awareness, people. And please don't look at me like I killed your grandmother's dog when I confess to you that sometimes I don't think it is worth saying "what?" and instead pretending like I know what's going on in the conversation. Sometimes it isn't worth it for someone else to get all frustrated because you can't hear them. And I've heard people talk about other people who can't hear, and how annoying it can be to communicate with them. Why would I want to bring that on myself?

Anyway, communication is a two-way street. I will go get my ears checked if you promise to speak clearly and look at me when you're talking (and to be more sensitive in general to those who can't hear).

4. It's that time of year, people. The time of year where I automatically start to think about where we will be living next fall and who our friends will be (if any) and which friends we will try to keep in touch with for a little while, and which friends will unfortunately slip through the cracks.  Since we've been married, Steve and I have moved every two (school) years. We are now at the beginning of the second semester of our second (second) school year here at Geneva, and I've naturally started thinking about friendships. This is the time of year in Higher Education when people have to start making decisions about their future (the next school year). Will I stay here, or will I move on? And while we have no real plans to move on just yet, I still have to think these thoughts, because A) this has been our pattern, and I have had to think about this sort of things every two years, and B) as is the nature of working (or shacking up with someone who works) in Higher Education, even if we stay put, there is a really great chance that some of our good friends will be moving on and out. It happens every year. Which gets me to thinking about a profound speech I heard toward the end of my freshman year of college. It has really stuck with me all these years, probably because it is always always practical. The speech was on friendships, and how there are those who are "friends for the road," and those who are "friends for the journey." Friends for the road are those who are friends (close friends even, but not always) for a time. They are not necessarily lifelong friends, and that is ok. It does not diminish your friendship now, and its importance. You should not stop being friends with someone because you suspect that they might be friends for the road (though it is sometimes hard during this time of the year). Friends for the road are still important for now. You need them. They need you. Don't miss out on something good, even if it is probably temporary. It is ok to have seasonal friends. Friends for the journey are those lifelong types. The ones where, even if they live halfway across the world, you will both make a point to communicate with each other, and carve time out of your schedule to see them, even if it is only once or twice a year, or via skype.  Sometimes, unfortunately, you can even lose touch with those who you thought were friends for the journey. Life just happens that way. Sometimes there are friends for the road that stay on the road with you for a little longer than others, and they can seem like friends for the journey. This analogy was much more beautiful when I heard it 10 (10!) years ago. But you get the gist. Anyway, this time of year, I start to wonder who my friends for the road are, and who my friends for the journey are. I hope that I don't give some friends for the road (or even those who are in it for the long haul) the shaft as we transition out of each other's lives. I will have to work extra hard to show my appreciation for their friendship, and wish them well in future endeavors. I don't know who this season's friends for the road and friends for the journey are yet. And that's ok. It's probably something that's better figured out in hindsight.  Plus I don't want to diminish friendships with people who will also be sticking around for another year...and with those who we don't yet know. You never know when you will meet another wonderful friend.

5. Sorry for the snark, lately. I deleted a couple of posts that I thought were too snarky. Sorry if you liked them. And sorry for my snarkiness in #6 of my resolutions. If you don't want to follow me in a reader, that is your perogative. I should just be thankful that you take the time to think of me. So thank you for that. I still probably won't heavily promote my blog, if it's all the same to you. You can promote it, if you want though.

6. On a lighter note, I am getting a haircut tomorrow night!  Woohoo!! For someone who loves getting haircuts as much as I do, I am a bit of an enigma (in the past few years I've only gone to get a haircut...twice a year tops). But it makes it a treat. Here are some of my ideas.

7. No new pictures, so you will have to settle for some old ones, made in Toronto's distillery district. I love red brick buildings with green doors.

6 Things For 2012

Happy New Year! I started to write these a month in advance, so that I could think about them a little bit before posting them. Also, this way I could add to the list as I think of things, over the month of December. Anyway, does it matter? It is January 1st, and thanks to scheduled posting, I am free to start this post in December and not have it post for a whole month. It's the little things, people.

Anyway, this list should average out to working on one thing every other month. Though some of them are likely ongoing. I am going to try to be realistic this year, and also not double up like last year. Last year had me going to Canada like every other day.

1. The Birthday Project 
Remember this for my Birthday (November 10th, if you want to start saving for my present...and because I took it off of Facebook to see if anyone would remember anyway). Basically a couple years ago, this lady spent her birthday doing one act of kindness for every year of her life. She involved her family, and ranks it as her favorite birthday. To prepare myself, I would like to just be a person who is kinder in general. Hopefully I will do some acts of kindness before my birthday in 2012.

2. Less Snark, More Positivity
In the same vane (Vein? Vain. Probably vein. Anyone grossed out by veins? Sorry.) as being a more kind person, I am going to try try to not take all my snarkiness out on the internets. So if I'm in a snarky mood, or even if I'm not, I'm going to try to be less snarky, especially when I'm on my various social medias. I have a better control of my snark* in real life, but I will try to keep it under wraps (raps?) there, too. Only positive posts. If I can't say something nice, I won't say anything at all.

3. Show Interest
From my November 25th, 2011 Twitter post: Ask more & better questions, & take to heart Philippians 2:4 (which says, "Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too."). I would like to be a better question asker, to accurately reflect the true interest I have in people. I would like to come across as less aloof.

4. Soap

We already know that I like to make it. And I can only give away so much. So be on the lookout for an Etsy page in 2012. I am excited to: make lots of soap, take pictures of it, and market it shamelessly. I am nervous about: actually selling any, getting good reviews, and knowing how to properly and legally have a small business (um...does anyone know anything about doing taxes? Me neither.). Oh! And I'm also excited to blog about soap, and educate the masses about it.

5. Finish Well
In May I will finish my time at Seminary. Holy shmokes, time flies. What not so long ago was on a list (or two**) of things to do is now almost complete. It's been a good ride, I've learned a lot (and still a full semester's worth of things to learn!). For January term, I will be taking an intensive called Sex, Gender, and The Gospel, and then I have a full load for the rest of the semester: Global Anglicanism, Classical Readings in Christology, Biblical Foundation for Mission, and Capstone. I will graduate with an MA in Religion, focusing on Christian History and Theology. What's next? I'm trusting that God will open some doors, until then (best viewed in your reader):

6. Blog more
I know it must seem like this is something that gets talked about all the time, but I'm really going to try it. Blog more than what, you ask? Blog more than I post on any other various social medias, that's what. But I'm probably not going to advertise it much. It's 2012, people, if you haven't figured out how to add my blog to your reader, then me reminding you every day is not going to help you succeed in life. That was harsh. And a little snarky. You will have to remember that I'm writing these in 2011 (when it's still ok to be snarky). Sorry about that. But seriously. When you follow blogs on a reader, then you only have to remember to check the reader. It's only one thing to check each day instead of however many blogs/twitter accounts you follow. So, if you see that I am posting a million things a day somewhere else, but haven't updated my blog in a month, you have my permission to call me out on it. But don't really call me. I hate talking on the phone. Texting is better. Text me out on it. Or just tell me to my face, which is infinitely better than texting. What was this about again? Oh yes. I will blog more in 2012.

*Snark...according to some sources, "snark" is one of many words invented by Lewis Carroll. I am using it to mean me being negative or un-encouraging or whiny. Or overly and unnecessarily corrective. It's a good thing to decide to avoid, especially in election years. Which reminds me. I once resolved to make some sort of decision about being a good citizen by 2012. Crap.

**This list needs to get re-visited soon. I still really like it.