Christmas time came too soon
The bells rang loud and I’m hitting snooze
Buy some time if I weren’t broke
But I owe I owe I owe I owe
I owe I owe I owe
My credit card is full of doubt
The government won’t bail me out
This year I must take it slow
I owe I owe I owe I owe
I [...]
Category Archives: Family
So all I have is me to give. 2
Keeping the lights on. 3
When I was younger, we always went trick-or-treating. My dad loved Halloween and wanted us to love it too, so he told us exciting tales of pillowcases full of candy. We weren’t allowed to dress as witches or fortune-tellers or demons, but we were encouraged to enjoy the holiday. I watched this change over time, [...]
Categories: Family, General, Introspection
For as long as I can. 5
Every year on September 11th, I visit Tomato Nation and read what Sarah Bunting wrote about her September 11th experience. I still remember reading it the first time, when the pain of what had happened that day was so sharp. I read blog after blog after blog to hear people’s experiences, to try to understand. [...]
Categories: Family
The most famous split infinitive. 4
I vividly remember the day that “The Best of Both Worlds, Part II” aired. That was the fourth season premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Wikipedia tells me that it aired in September of 1990. I don’t know when it was, exactly. I just know that we had been anticipating [...]
Work it harder make it better do it faster makes us stronger. 3
After months and months of lackluster running, I have suddenly turned a corner. Out of the blue, my endurance has improved and I have been able to run for longer around the neighborhood. I blame Jillian, that evil woman. I am about to say something incredibly stupid: Who would have thought that, [...]
Guide us to thy perfect light. 4
Our Sunday School class has been going through Philip Yancey’s Soul Survivor, and this week was Annie Dillard. I am quite a fan of Annie Dillard, and have quoted before this favorite passage of hers:
“On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have [...]
Categories: Family, God, Introspection
But of going through life feeling numb. 1
Eef Barzelay’s new CD has a song called “I Love the Unknown,” which was also on the Clem Snide CD Your Favorite Music. We are big Eef fans in this house, and I have been listening to his new CD a lot. As I was singing “I Love the Unknown” in the shower [...]
Categories: Family, Introspection, Music
Fathers and sons. 3
The first time I saw my younger brother as a man was at my dad’s memorial service. At the last minute, and unbeknownst to me and my mom, he decided to share a few thoughts at the end of the service. As he stood there, sharing his thoughts and doing his best to [...]
Categories: Family
On clean mugs, house hunting, and Indiana Jones. 3
Almost every morning, I come downstairs and find my travel mug cleaned out and draining beside our sink. It is especially difficult to open, and Mike knows that, so he opens it almost every morning and cleans out yesterday’s coffee. It’s one of my favorite morning things, to turn the kitchen corner and [...]
An easy life. 3
I just finished The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, and while I didn’t like it quite as much as I liked Dairy Queen (I never wrote about that book, but I thought it was pretty fantastic), the ending really got me. Now, those of you who think that you might be interested should [...]
These are actual Trivial Pursuit questions. But there is no need to be afraid. 3
Mike would like for me to tell you that he beat me at Trivial Pursuit. Which is fine. I enjoy a good friendly competition. My hat is off to him. He should definitely be proud. After all, while I was getting questions about Confederate generals (which I answered correctly) and [...]
Categories: Family, Funny Stuff, Marriage
Tried to amend my carnivorous habits. 4
I don’t like to brag, but . . . in my hometown there is a restaurant that serves the best cheeseburgers in North Carolina. The Charlotte Observer says so. I would link to the article, but, unfortunately, it’s not available online. Here’s a quote from the article on the best cheeseburgers in [...]
This poem is for my mother, who taught me to love basketball. 5
Women Watching Basketball by Marisa de los Santos
For us, five writers, it’s partly
to do with the language, little spells,
hyphenated, elegant lingo,
words swirling like whiskey in the mouth:
pump-fake, post-up, two-guard,
pick-and-roll. We are casual.
Like Whitman–who’d have been a fan
for sure, adoring and bearded,
tossing his hat in [...]
It turns out that my brother and I might actually be related after all. 3
Yesterday was Bright Sunday at my church. It was the first time we had ever celebrated Bright Sunday, which is the day (usually celebrated in Eastern Orthodox churches) when we dress in bright colors and celebrate with holy laughter the miracle of Christ rising from the dead. This website says that, “The custom [...]
Double Love and Secrets by Francine Pascal 7
Random House is re-releasing the Sweet Valley High series, with updated references (this means cell phones and Elizabeth writes for the website instead of the newspaper) and character descriptions (this means “perfect size four” rather than “perfect size six”). In honor of this glorious event, I would like to share a treasured photo with [...]
Categories: Books, Family, Funny Stuff
Who are afraid of being left by those we love, and who get hardened by the hurt. 1
This year, our church’s Lenten theme was about restoration. Every week, someone gave a focus on how God has restored some aspect of their lives – a woman who was abused as a child has now become a counselor; a man who spent many years focusing on himself is now married and he and [...]
Categories: Family, God, Introspection
Happiness. 6
So, I mentioned that my cousin who lives in Brooklyn is expecting a baby at any time. We were very close when we were little – our moms are sisters, and we both lived in Greensboro, so we spent a fair amount of time together. He was the closest thing to a big [...]
Categories: Family
In which Joseph and Mike achieve ultimate fulfillment in the form of red meat. 7
Over the weekend, we flew to Florida for my uncle’s surprise 70th birthday party.
Now, when I tell you that we flew on a private plane to go to a surprise party at the yacht club, you know that’s not how my life normally goes, right? But it was nice to pretend that it was. [...]
Categories: Family, Funny Stuff
We’re a strange old pair, me and eternity. 5
It’s hard to live a life filled with wonder. I get glimpses of it when we play with kids, when summer nights stretch out hot and humid in front of us, at Christmas, when I eat something that tastes amazing, when something I have been looking forward to finally happens. But most of [...]
Categories: Family, God, Introspection