keeping feet

Mist

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Saturday morning, I was up early, and this is what I woke up to.

As much as I Do Not Love Fall, this scene took my breath away and sent me running inside for my camera. Also, earlier this week, when the sky was perfectly clear in the middle of the night, and the cool air and sliver of a moon made the stars shine brighter than a normal night and I spotted Orion, I was reminded of the constant beauty of everything, and how I, in my hurried way, miss all of it.

That is all.

Free Microchipping!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:39:00 +0000

When we got Casey, the details were fuzzy on his history. We were told he had purebred papers- but the people who we were getting him from didn't have them- the previous owners did. We were told he had a microchip. We were told he was neutered. At least the last one was true!

Saturday, the Hamilton County Humane Society held a free microchipping event at a bank not far from where we live. The event started at 10am, and we got there not long after 10- the line was around the building. And it was cold. But I stood out there with Casey anyway, because I knew this was important.

The bank was great- I assumed the event would be in the parking lot, but they actually let the dogs into the bank for the microchip shots. There weren't any sales people going up and down the line harping on term life insurance policies or investment accounts- they did offer a low-pressure pitch for an direct deposit account that, when we open it, they'd donate $25 to the Humane Society- but that's all. Anyway, on to the pictures

Did I mention the line was long?

Also note that the line contains ALL SMALL DOGS. Casey so badly wanted to play with some fellow dog citizen, but all these little dogs either shied away or growled at him. Most small dogs we've met are intimidated by our big dog's size. He's never growled or done anything threatening toward another dog, small dogs just don't like him. Poor Casey. He didn't know what to do, so he did what he does best, and charmed their humans with his good looks and glowing personality.

The one small dog behind us was destined to be a big dog. I LOVE Bernese Mountain Dogs. So cuddly.

If you want your own charming pup, the Hamilton County Humane Society is at a critically-full level right now. See their featured pets here and all their adoptable pets. The shelter had a few adoptable pets at the event, and I met Nala, a sweet, sweet red Aussie (same breed as Casey, different color). She was gorgeous and calm and apparently is way lower-key than our Aussie. She's not good with other dogs, so we couldn't take her home. Not that I'm allowed to get any more dogs. I'm not. But I can dream, right?

Another plug for my pup: Saturday is the last day to vote in Pet Supplies Plus' Shiny Coat Tangle, and Casey is REALLY close to the leaders. Would you vote for him?

In Real Life

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:57:00 +0000

Some friends I just don't get to see often enough.

I mean, we talk often enough, but it's often through a screen, with Google Chat or Twitter as an intermediary. To actually hang out and visit face-to-face happens only two or three times a year. Each of those times, I'm left wishing these friends lived closer and that we could spend time together more often. Right now, the distance that separates us doesn't allow for it. Alas.

Friday, we drove up to Muncie to have dinner with Matt and Alisse, who were in town for Taylor's homecoming and a wedding. Our time to visit was limited only by the fact we had already overstayed our welcome in a two-hour-limit parking lot. I've had experience getting my car towed in Muncie, and it's not something I wanted to repeat. Ah, but what a breath of fresh air it was to visit with old friends! We had seen them just the month before in Chicago, where they live, but every minute we get to hang out is so refreshing.

Last Saturday was packed full with Weekend of Service activities and the corn maze adventure, so, although we had other friends who were in town, we stuck to the Indianapolis area.

Sunday was the big get-together day when Beth and family and Ashley and family both came to my house for dinner. This was the first time a few of the family members had every met! Levi is four months old, and Savannah was almost two months. I was excited to meet Savannah and see Levi again- I first met him when he was about two days old! He was much happier this time around.

Me with Levi:

Me with Savannah:

I think Olivia, Beth's 4-year-old, was the most excited to meet the new baby:

Seeing these friends blossom into young mothers (or, in Beth's case, a seasoned mother-of-three) is awesome. Visiting and talking to 2am reminded me of college days, even if this time around the discussion centered around diapers and breastfeeding and how to burn belly fat after baby rather than the next day's tests. Catching up face-to-face has more meaning than the quick, distracted online conversations we have. Extending hospitality to these families that I see far too infrequently was a delight, even as they put up with my simple meal of pizza and garlic bread :)

Also, holding babies was fun, I'll admit it.

Check all the pictures from the visit:

Friends and babies

Adventures in a Corn Maze

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:31:00 +0000

This fall and winter, we have a lot of gift-giving opportunities, but everyone we know has enough "stuff," so we're trying to think outside the box when it comes to gifts. Our nephew's 5th birthday was earlier this month, and for it, I wrapped a mini-pumpkin and decorative corn. He opened the package and was very confused- then I asked him, "Can we take you to a pumpkin patch and corn maze?" "Yeah!" The symbolism may have been lost, but the trip was appreciated.

After much deliberation, we ended up at Stuckey Farm, a pick-your-own farm that has a huge, Abraham-Lincoln-themed corn maze. We passed on picking apples and buying anything in the farm store, though both were tempting. The corn maze wore us out! Here's why:

Kaden decided to run the maze. The. Whole Time. Wait, that's not true. He paused periodically at the activity stations, to make a crayon rubbing on his booklet:

To give you an idea, here's the size of the maze, with our navigator examining the map:

No weight loss supplements necessary when you're chasing a kid around a maze that size! Exercise works!

We got out of the maze very quickly the first time through, but had only found 3 of the 9 activity stations, so we went back in, and ended up taking much longer to find our way out again. We were tired of walking, so we searched the (very picked over) pumpkin patch for a pumpkin with no luck then went back to the pile of pre-picked pumpkins, which were all orange and not rotting, unlike the ones left in the field. One of the highlights of the trip: The wagon ride to and from the corn maze & pumpkin patch.

Kaden picked out his very own pumpkin, and chose a pie pumpkin, because he liked the size.

Perfect for him to carry! That's going to be my rule for our kids- you can't pick out a pumpkin bigger than you can carry. Sounds fair to me.

See all the Corn Maze Adventure pictures here:

Corn Maze 09

So far, the experiences-rather-than-stuff gifts have been a success. We'll see if we can think of ideas for everyone on our list!

Weekend of Service 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:34:00 +0000

When I think "church service," I think of the hour on Sunday morning where a bunch of people dress up and gather together to sing, pray, and listen to a sermon before going out to eat for lunch. Church service.

Really, though, what service is being done? Who is being served?

Last weekend, at my church, there were no services, as we think of them, anyway. No sermon, no congregating in a sanctuary, no dressing up.

But service? There was plenty of that.

This weekend was the second annual Weekend of Service, when the church closes its doors and, instead of sitting and singing and doing the typical church-service thing, thousands of church members went out and did service. You know, actually served.

What did they do?

Ran a half-marathon to raise money to battle AIDS

Put together meals for hungry families

Beautified a downtown school's garden

Collected food in local neighborhoods

Sorted clothes to be given to needy families

Painted. Built. Sorted. Organized. Fed. Clothed. Healed. Helped.

What did I do?

Last year, we went with an organization called Rebuilding the Wall and helped demolish parts of a house so it could be rebuilt for a needy family. I discovered that, although Josh does love swinging a sledgehammer, demolition isn't one of my spiritual gifts. This year I wanted to work on something I felt I could use what I'm good at a little more.

We ended up at Third Phase- a women's shelter, food pantry and thrift store. It's the biggest food pantry in our county, and the only emergency shelter. There were lots of volunteers there on Saturday- some to do yardwork, some to sort donations, some to organize the food pantry, some to revamp the thrift store- all sorts of things. We were there to do a very specific task- test electronics that had been donated to the thrift store, to see if they worked and if they could be sold. There were 4 of us testing electronics, and a couple others cleaning the dust and grime off of them. Third Phase has an entire basement room stacked floor-to-ceiling with these donations, so I felt what we were doing was definitely helping out. I chose to start testing microwaves and household electronics, knowing that if I was short on money, these were things that would be necessities. Josh worked on testing computers, mice, keyboards, and TVs.

All through the day, I was being reminded, Do not despise the small things. What we were doing was small, but it mattered. Because we tested, cleaned, and priced the microwaves, a mom working two jobs can still get dinner cooked for her family. Because the computers were evaluated, a father out of work will be able to get his resume put together and printed. A heater I found that DIDN'T work won't be sold and set someone's house on fire. Little things, but they matter. I tend to focus on the big, systemic issues like global poverty, affordable health insurance, clean drinking water... and I forget that the little things that are easier to accomplish do make a difference.

Best news of the week so far? All those small things added up. Everyone who participated in the Weekend of Service brought food for the food pantry, and many projects went to nearby neighborhoods to collect food. All in all, 257,000 pounds of food were collected by the projects for Indianapolis-area food pantries. The hungry will be fed, because lots of people gave a little.
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Part of the crowd, before we left for all the projects:

Gathering at Third Phase:

Newly-organized thrift store:

All my Weekend of Service pictures:

Weekend of Service 09

BONUS: Most unusual electronic of the day? This:

Any guesses as to what it is?

Update

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:39:00 +0000

Sorry, friends, for being the super-blogging-slacker that I am. Being sick for half a week puts me really behind in the Chores department, and makes me extra tired. Hopefully, I'll be 100% soon.

And hopefully that 'Soon' comes in the next few days, as I'm having super-exciting out-of-town guests this weekend, and more for dinner. Also, it's the Weekend of Service, and we're taking my nephew to a pumpkin patch for his birthday. So, I'm totally looking forward to the weekend, but it's gonna be full. I'm gonna need an Outer Banks beach rentals vacation when it's all over!

After all this excitement, my small group is welcoming new members Monday- going from 8 adults, 5 kids, 1 on the way to 12 adults, 7 kids, 2 on the way. I can't wait to see the 5 three- or almost-three-year-olds all together. It will be hilarious. Or pure chaos. Or both. And, yes, we'll be the only couple in the group who doesn't have a child born in the last half of 2006. I just have a dog born during that time period. But he's not invited on Monday. He would certainly add to the chaos, though!

Speaking of the small group... we just finished reading Justice in the Burbs by Will and Lisa Samson. The book really hit home, and both energized and encouraged us to do more of what we're doing as well as challenged us to do some things differently. Josh & I are still processing it. Definitely worth a read, especially if you're wondering where or how (or why) to get involved in justice issues. Now we have to figure out what our next step is...

Fortune Cookie FAIL

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:16:00 +0000

For those of you who don't follow my Twitter postings... I've had the flu this week. Monday I came home from work with a low fever, I stayed home Tuesday with a low fever, Wednesday I felt awful, and today I'm doing better after a really long night of sleep. I think I went to bed at 7 last night, and got up after Josh let this morning, just before 8.

Anyway, needless to say, I didn't feel like cooking last night, and I sent Josh out to pick up Chinese. Rice sounded good. And egg drop soup. And chicken and mushrooms. At the end of the meal, I opened the fortune cookie set by my plate, and I laughed out loud.

Josh suggested taking this photo:

That was one of my lower temperatures of the day, by the way. "Good health will be yours for a long time" because now you have immunity to one strain of the flu? That must be what the Fortune Cookie Fates were thinking, right?

5 years old!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:38:00 +0000

My nephew Kaden, in October 2004, with Josh:

Six month ago, at 4 and a half, May 2009:

Last weekend, I sat in the FREEZING COLD park to watch this kid play soccer, while my almost-7-year-old nephew sat on my lap to keep me warm. Today, Kaden turns 5 years old. When he was born, he was such a wiggle-worm, it was hard to hold onto him. He hasn't stopped moving since! Happy Birthday Kaden!

Shiny Coat Tangle

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:42:00 +0000

My favorite pet supply store, Pet Supplies Plus, is having a dog photo contest. I uploaded a picture of Casey I had on hand, but probably should have taken a more up-to-date one...

Anyway, if you'd do my puppy a favor and head over there and look for Casey's picture and vote to let the world know he's a FIVE-STAR dog!

To add, I say that PSP is my favorite pet store for a variety of reasons:

They don't sell dogs or cats. This is huge, as the overpopulation problem should convict ALL pet stores to never sell dogs or cats. Also, pet store puppies come from puppy mills, most often with inhumane conditions. Not at all what I want to support- Even if I'm not buying a puppy, I won't shop at a store that sells them. Period.
They sell good food. Grocery stores and big chains sell the national brand name dog foods that are usually junk. Casey came to us eating some of that food- and horribly overweight and itchy because he was allergic to the sub-par ingredients. PSP has a great selection of good foods and pet supplies, and I get excited about that.
They host community events. There's this photo contest, sure, but I have also participated in the low-cost well-pet clinics that come to my store every month or two, and the $5 nail clipping every Wednesday. They encourage good, healthy pet ownership and make it affordable. This is in addition, of course, to the weekly adoption events that happen at the store. We looked seriously at some of the rescue dogs at the store on the weekends before finding Casey.

Now, Go Vote!

If you haven't noticed, I've been in a blogging funk as of late. I have a list of things I need to blog about, but haven't been in a writing mood- as the days get shorter and colder, all I want to do is bake and hibernate. Muffins, pizza crust, and a good amount of sleep are what came of the weather this weekend. I will hopefully be back soon!

Meet Jaden

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:05:00 +0000

Within the last year, a friend & coworker's oldest son was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, and immediately their family's world was turned upside down.

Jaden's walking in the JDRF Walk To Cure Diabetes in just over a week. If you'd like to learn more, join them, or sponsor them, check out Team J's page. They've already done an awesome job fundraising, but every little bit will help, until there's a cure!

Not Allowed

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:03:00 +0000

Casey is NOT allowed on the furniture- not at all.* If he climbs up on the couch to take a look out the window, I yell at him "Off!" and he dutifully climbs down.

But, today, I sat in the chair, and he climbed up on my lap. It's as if the rule doesn't apply if he's sitting on me rather than the chair. (The chair barely fits me and the 50-lb dog in my lap. He must think he's a smaller lap dog, or that we've been giving him weight loss pills, so now he fits in the chair. Neither is true.)

So, did I yell at him, "Off!" and push him to the ground? I couldn't bring myself to. The cuddles in the chair were too sweet- I couldn't tell him No. I complain about his hair everywhere, but when I get to bury my face in his coat, I don't complain one bit. I love 'im, I really do. I mean, how could you not love this face?

* He's not allowed on the furniture while we're awake. He's figured out he can sleep on the couch at night and not get yelled at. Hence all the hair all over the couch he's not allowed to climb on.

Numbers this morning

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:24:00 +0000

Mice caught in traps last night: 1
Mice caught in traps since July 27: 8
Mice caught by Casey last weekend: 1

Cups of tomato sauce made from overripe tomatoes at my house yesterday: 12
Tomatoes still ripening in my kitchen: At least 8
Tomatoes still ripening on the plants: Too many to count
Number of times I wish I had a stainless steel backsplash: 1, this morning while I was using the hand mixer to break up chunks in the tomato sauce, and watching the tomato sauce splatter all over my walls.

Friends writing about their babies: 3 (here, here and here)
Volunteer spots left for the Weekend of Service: Over 2,000 (Why haven't you signed up yet?!)
Dollars saved at Meijer this week: 55
Dollars spent at Meijer this week: 14
Number of tickets I won to the Indy Jazz Fest from WQME: 2
Times my development environment has crashed today: 2

Peek Saves the Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:14:00 +0000

My humble little Peek, oh how I underestimated you...

I don't get online much over the weekends. I'm in front of a screen all week, and there's so many off-screen tasks I need to accomplish. I have my phone and my Peek if anyone really needs to get a hold of me.

We were out and about Sunday morning. Right before we left, I hopped on the computer to check email. I had pretty much seen all of it already on my Peek, so I archived it, and we got on our way. In the car, I pulled out my Peek to clear off the already-read emails, and one jumped out at me. "Ebay User ID Reminder". It was definitely from Ebay, and definitely had our Ebay ID in the email- so it wasn't spam. The real mystery was, this email, now sitting on my Peek, never appeared in our email box. At least, it wasn't there a few minutes earlier when I checked before we left the house. Josh didn't request our Ebay user ID and neither did I- we both know what it is.

I get home and hop on the computer. The Ebay message is nowhere to be found in Gmail- not in the inbox, not archived, not in the trash. According to my Peek, it was sent at 10:30 the previous night- when neither of us were on the computer. The only conclusion I could come to was, someone had our email password, requested our Ebay ID, then deleted the resulting email, and deleted it from the trash. I can only assume they wanted to try to see if our Ebay password was the same as our email password, to get them into our Ebay account as well. Obviously I changed our email password, and Josh changed our Ebay password too, just to be safe.

I'm a tad freaked out that someone could get in our email account, but without my Peek, I would have never known the intruder was there. The Ebay User ID request email would have been deleted and out of sight. Our email password would not be changed, and the stranger would still have access. Because ALL my email, regardless of what I do with it in my Gmail box, gets forwarded to my Peek, I don't miss any of it. And, you better believe, I'll be paying attention to it for now on!

Peek FTW!

In Defense of Martha

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:28:00 +0000

I "get" Martha.

That's what I admitted to during two of the four services at my church this weekend, in front of hundreds of people. Let me tell you, it's not easy being asked about your struggles with spiritual disciplines and focus on God in front of your faith community. Because I don't have it figured out- not even close.

So back to Martha.

The pastor asked- "So, you sit down, you're ready to start a quiet time with God, you've got your bible, your pen and journal and... Nothing. What is it that would make you experience this?" For me, the answer was easy. I can totally picture myself in that situation... I'm sitting in my living room, Bible on my lap, ready to start reading- when I look around the room. From where I sit, I can see the dishes that need to be done, the floors that need to be cleaned, the dog that's whining at me to play or let him out. I have a visual to-do list around the room, and what am I doing? Sitting still rather than getting up and it all done. Later, my pastor asked, "Like Martha?" I said, "Oh, I totally get Martha." Want to hear the exchange? Josh recorded it for us, and it'll be up on the church website, at the beginning of the podcast for 9/20.

So how can I defend Martha? She's the "bad guy" in the Mary and Martha story, right? The one chastised by Jesus? Well, I'm not sure. Disclaimer: I read into these stories possibly more than I ought. I hate it when people do that. Call me out on it if my assumptions are way-out-there.

Like Martha, I have one younger sister (Nowhere does it say that Martha's older than Mary, but the passage does say they went to Martha's house. Also, Martha acts like an oldest child). I'm task-oriented and fact-oriented and practical to a fault. I love extending hospitality, but when large groups come over, I'm running around trying to multitask and make sure everyone will be comfortable and fed. I'm an introvert, so I show my appreciation for friends and guests by serving them, and less so by visiting (unless there's no one else to entertain them).

All that to say, I understand what Martha's trying to do. I understand why she's "distracted by all the preparations that had to be made". Jesus + 12 disciples + 2 sisters + (probably?) Lazarus, their brother + who knows what other friends or followers = a 16+ person dinner party. Single-handedly, that's a hard event to pull off. So, I also totally understand why Martha asked her sister, who was just sitting around visiting with the guests, to be an extra pair of hands in the kitchen, you know, so they could eat at some point. Always practical. Trying to serve her guests. I get that. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've done the same thing to Josh, while he's sitting still and I'm trying desperately to clean the house and tend whatever's on the stove and in the oven before 13 people show up to our house. I've been there.

My entire picture of Martha is not shaped by this one dinner party story or a second dinner party, where Martha serves (again), and Mary does an outlandish thing and douses Jesus with perfume, in an emotional act of love and gratefulness. She and Mary show up elsewhere, and from the other story, I gained a better understanding of their personalities- and the way God deals with each of us as individuals, reaching us just at our point of need.

Mary and Martha's brother Lazarus dies four days prior, and Jesus was just now getting to Bethany, even though he could have made it to their town before Lazarus died. Both sisters were mourning, but in their own way. Martha hears Jesus is close and goes out to meet him- possibly because she wants to talk to him, as an introvert, one-on-one, and she's overwhelmed by all the people because "many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother"? I know that's how I would feel.

Martha meets Jesus and says "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." She knows he's "Lord." Always-practical Martha had hoped her friend who does miracles would have known to come, to save her brother at the last minute. She has faith- and knows intellectually all is not lost, even though her heart is mourning.

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." - rather than offering nice words, he gives her facts. This may seem odd, but again, I get this. In my biggest struggles with faith, when I come back to basics, the truths I know I can lean on, my faith is strengthened, and I'm able to put some questions to rest, or find answers in the bedrock of my faith. Martha answers with agreement, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Intellectually, she knows this truth. It's probably gotten her through these last few days- knowing she'll be reunited with her brother again in the future.

Again, Jesus asks her to acknowledge her faith, giving her another fact:

Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?'

"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

Again, she acknowledges the spiritual truth. Jesus knew this is what she needed- an affirmation that God is still in control. She knew this intellectually, but being reminded of it, as seemingly random as it is, is a comfort when the world around her is falling apart. She is fact-oriented and knows this is something she can lean on. The Messiah is here. Everything will be OK. (In both of these "facts," Jesus is alluding to the miracle he's about to do, bringing Lazarus back from the dead, but there's no reason Martha should have picked up on that, and, to be fair, Martha acknowledges a miracle as a possibility in the first thing she says)

So, does Jesus repeat this scene with Mary? Not even close. Martha goes back to the house, and tells Mary Jesus is on his way and asking for her. Mary- who, I'm guessing is more social and emotional based on the previous stories, was followed by the mourners who were in the house with her. She headed to find Jesus, and, when meeting him, said the same thing Martha did. "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her and the others weeping, he cried along with them. Mary did not need what Martha needed- Martha needed a reminder of truth to strengthen her faith as she mourned on her own. Mary needed people to cry with her as her emotions all spilled out. Jesus knew just how to comfort each sister, as different as they are.

I get Martha. Totally and completely. Is she the "bad guy"? I hope not, because I see so much of her in me. Jesus is never harsh with her, but gentle, and meets her where she's at. I'm glad he treats me the same way.

A Million Miles

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:44:00 +0000

Donald Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life is different than his previous books. I'm one of the few that liked Searching for God Knows What better than Blue Like Jazz- though both are fabulous. They're just different. If you haven't read anything by Miller before, do start with Blue Like Jazz, because it will put A Million Miles in context.

From what I remember (I read both the books years ago), Blue Like Jazz was seemingly disconnected stories from Miller's life, with some reflections thrown in, and Searching For God Knows What was mostly reflections, with a few stories. A Million Miles is much closer to a narrative- the stories seem to happen in chronological order, they're less random, and they're tied together much better. Reflections on the stories are woven in seamlessly, and the stories are woven together in such a way the reader is pulled into the narrative along with Miller, as he discovers the meaning of Story in his life.

What does he learn about stories both writing a good story and living a good story? He learns that the core of a story is "a character wants something and overcomes conflict to get it," which he keeps coming back to, and he reflects more deeply on how Story plays out in his own life. Here's a few snippets:

"You don't know a story is happening to you when it starts happening. You slide into the flow of it like the current in the ocean; you look back at the beach and can't see your umbrella and your hotel is a quarter-mile back."

"...the story is not about the ending, but about the story itself, about your character getting molded in the hard work of the middle."

"People who live good stories are too busy to write about them."

"The great tragedy of our lives seems to be that we are smart enough to ask the question of meaning but too dumb to really figure it out"

"Lucy [Miller's dog] does not look for a rational explanation for her existence; only humans do that. And I don't think it's something we were designed to do. I think, rather, we were designed to be distracted by life, by story, by naming animals and building huts and loving spouses and giving birth to children, by tending land and fishing streams, by drinking wine and laughing with friends, by enjoying sunset with one another and by fearing snakes and mending cut hands and by enjoying a camaraderie with a God who does not need for us to understand Him, but rather only wanted us to know Him."

That last bit really hit me. I definitely feel like I "get" life, like I'm living a better story and doing more of God's will, when I'm actually living, doing things, rather than striving to figure out (and worry about) minute details about God. Maybe God does want us to fully live life in the story He's put us in, and some of the silly theological arguments and pursuits and unanswered questions are OK to put to rest, trading the academic pursuits for a deeper relationship with Him in all parts of my life.

While learning about what a good story is and what sort of story he ought to be living, Miller actually does start to live an exciting, compelling story- traveling, meeting people, and going on adventures. Instead of vacationing at a Myrtle beach golf course, he climbs a mountain in Peru, bikes across the country, and kayaks with friends. His journey made me look at my own life- what is my story like? Where is it going? What is it I want and what conflict am I overcoming to get it?

The book appears to be (almost) entirely available on Google Books, so check it out there or order it on Amazon. Definitely, definitely worth the read. Possibly his best book yet, seriously. Without a doubt, his best story. Also check out Donald Miller's blog where he posts about being part of God's story, too.

People You Might Find in Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:16:00 +0000

We were in Chicago this weekend for a quick getaway, and to let my sister use our car while we took over her apartment. One of my favorite things to do in Chicago is people-watch- you never know who you'll run into!

Lego people

People in kilts

People dancing

People at a Tea Party

People walking silly-looking dogs

People playing in water

People getting married

People talking about their lute

People waiting to eat pizza

People admiring themselves

And, of course, there's always a chance of meeting a really handsome guy!

That's a round-up of People You Might Find In Chicago- though there are people that are harder to find. Like Waldo.

No, we didn't find him. We were visiting with friends on the north end of the boundary area, and didn't get out to look. Sounded like fun, though.

Ma and Pa Visit the Big City

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:34:00 +0000

From chicago09

From the Archives: Remember.

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:06:00 +0000

This was first posted September 11, 2006

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I was in Economics class that fateful Tuesday morning, my senior year of high school. We were in a different classroom than usual, because half the school (my sister included) was taking ISTEPs (Indiana graduation exams). A teacher popped her head in and told us to turn on the TV. We were watching when the towers fell. We didn't have class that day. Only my math class actually tried to cover material. No official announcement at school was made until ISTEPs were over for the day- at lunchtime. They didn't want to upset the sophomores and other students trying to concentrate on the test they had to pass to graduate. The school was silent. The day didn't hit me hardest till 3 months later.

12/11/01 was the day I boarded a bus with a group of students and staff, headed for downtown New York City. We were on a dual mission- as ambassadors of our school to a 'sister school' that was located caddy-corner from the WTC complex, and as help for Student Venture, a Campus Crusade ministry that was trying to reach out to students affected by the tragedy in their backyard.

And then there was the night we went to Ground Zero. The dust was still in the air. I saw workers hosing off store awnings, trying to remove the layer of dust, trying to make things look 'normal'. The makeshift memorial we all saw on TV, on the chain link fence alongside Ground Zero, was not just on TV for me anymore, but right there in front of me. Workers went to and from the area of fenced-off debris. While we were there, they were working to take down the last, largest remaining piece of the buildings. Sparks flew. The most poignant moment, however, was when I stood next to a guy from the New York high school- a couple guys we had visited that day had come with us. It was their first time back to Ground Zero since 9/11. He pointed to a spot in the air: "We watched as the second plane hit, right there." (He pointed to a building still standing) "We thought the explosion hit that building too."

Later on, I was standing back from the Indiana group, taking everything in, as the group was up at a fence, down an alley, looking at the destruction. One of the NYC high schoolers was near me, the other was also away from the group, pacing the alley. I somewhat insensitively asked, "What's wrong with him? Is he OK?" His friend said, "His uncle died in those buildings." These were real people, really affected. Kids my age. I wonder where they are today, 5 years later.

I dug around for pictures from the trip. They aren't all mine:

NY Dec 2001

Dec 12, 2001 - 17 Photos

Coupon book winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:41:00 +0000

Congrats to Lindsey, Connie, Abby, and Stacy! I'll be emailing you shortly for your addresses, to get you your Discover Indy coupon book. Enjoy! And, thanks for playing, everyone!

Discover Indy Coupon Book Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:55:00 +0000

We all know I love to save money.

As I mentioned on my food blog recently, I love to cook, but going out to eat is my vice, and it can get expensive! For the last couple years, we've invested in coupon books to take the edge off of eating at restaurants- usually saving 50% on meals at places we'd want to try anyway!

Locally, the Zoobook was the go-to coupon book for the Indianapolis area. Well, Zoobooks has changed its name to the Discover Indy Savings Book, and it's as good as ever! I got one of these coupon books to leave in my car for when the urge hits to eat out or do something around town, and I'm impressed at the variety of establishments represented. This year, there's even a whole page of free, no-purchase-necessary coupons- Josh used one just last month to grab lunch at Rally's when he forgot the one I packed for him at home. Check out all of the offers, or follow DiscoverIndy on Twitter to get updates on coupons.

All of the Indianapolis area is represented- some of the restaurants and entertainment venues are on my side of town, but I'm looking forward to exploring other areas and new-to-us restaurants too! Even if you're just in Indianapolis occasionally, the book will more than pay for itself after just one or two uses. The 2010 books just went on sale last month, full of coupons that don't expire until December 2010. Buying the book earlier will allow you to get more for your money.

Want to win a Discover Indy Savings Book for your family? I have FOUR books to give away to my readers! How to enter:

Leave a comment here letting me know your favorite thing about living in or visiting central Indiana (Required for entry)
Tweet about the contest, and include @KeepingFeet and @DiscoverIndy, and leave a comment saying you tweeted (Extra entry)
Blog about the giveaway & link back here. Leave a comment with your blog link letting me know where to check your post out. (Extra entry)

I'll draw the FOUR winners next Thursday, September 10th. Make sure I have your email address so that I can contact you if you win! Good luck!

Links for today

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:16:00 +0000

To make up for the not-so-great witness of the Going To Hell booklet I posted about, go and read Curtis' open letter to those who have been burned by the church, and take it more seriously than my last post :)
We're going camping this weekend (Woohoo!) and will be in Chicago the following weekend (Sept 12/13) Imagine my excitement when I learned there'll be a life-sized Where's Waldo game going on while we're there. I think this might get added to the To-Do list. I'll let you know if I find Waldo. Also, if any of my friends in Chicago *i'mlookingatyoumattandalisse* want to hang out, drop me an email.
CS Lewis on capitalism and socialism
Our church has a newly-redesigned website! It's snazzy. Check it out. Alas, the library page is no more. A big thanks goes out to church web guy Kiel and super-designer Brad.

Not a Joking Matter

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:42:00 +0000

This "book" was donated to the library a while back. I just now got these pictures uploaded.

I say "book" because it's really more of a 8.5x11-sized tract. With a cover like that, full of big, threatening letters and Having Every Single Word Capitalized, it may just make you throw up your hands and say:

Authentic! Startling! Astounding!

UPDATE: Click on the photo of the man to go to Picasa. Click the magnifying glass to get bluray-like detail to zoom in on the picture. Read the bottom banner.
"EVERY HOME SHOULD HAVE THIS BOOK!"
Be advised.

I've been in church my whole life, and heard lots of theologies about Hell, but I did learn something from this booklet. Here it is:

I had no idea Hell was housed in the spherical, molten core of our planet, but it all makes sense now. "Does the center of the Earth have a bottom? NO!"

With the donations to the church library, we first decide whether to include them in our collection, then decide whether they're appropriate to donate to the prison ministry or another ministry that takes them. If none of those are good matches, we put the books in a FREE pile in our library for passer-bys to pick up. This booklet, I couldn't bear to send to any of those places, but it was too compelling (hilarious) to just throw away.

I would consider passing it on to another good home if someone would like to read more of the 28 pages of illustrated, full-color instructions on avoiding hell and why you might want to do so.

* I could have dealt with the more serious issue of evangelistic scare tactics, the effectiveness of tracts, and other theologies of Hell, but this booklet really speaks for itself- and I think anyone would have a hard time taking it seriously, so the above issues are moot.

Canning count

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:50:00 +0000

Canned so far:

9 pints tomato sauce
9 pints peaches
12 pints, 1 pt pickles
12 pints, 25 qts (!) green beans

Not canned, but saved for winter:

35 lbs potatoes
A few heads broccoli in the freezer
Raspberries in the freezer
Some more peaches, in the freezer

What's left?
I expect to get some pears or apples at some point, and make some applesauce or pear sauce or just can pears. Tomatoes are still coming in- if I feel totally bombarded by them, I may have another canning day. That's not the case right now. Also, Casey ate a bunch I left on the kitchen table last night. Stupid dog. If I get more cabbage or cauliflower or broccoli, I may try to freeze it. The cucumbers are (finally) slowing, so I may still try to make spears, and I may not.

Why bother?
There's something to be said for eating local, seasonal food year-round. It's not expensive to buy a can of green beans at the grocery store- even organic green beans- but to know that the green beans in the can I open for dinner are from my backyard, even in the dead of winter, is comforting. Besides, they taste better, too. Thanks to my work up front, my grocery lists are shorter for the rest of the year- also a nice perk.

I think the work is worth it, and I'm thankful for the friends that have taught me to can and to garden. Y'all are awesome!

Butterfly in the sky...

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:29:00 +0000

Butterfly in the sky...
I can fly twice as high...
Take a look,
it's in a book-
Reading Rainboooow!

I can go anywhere...
Friends to know
And ways to grow...
Reading Rainbooow!

I can be anything...
Take a look,
it's in a book-
Reading Rainboooow!

Now, that's gonna be stuck in your head all day. Thank me later.

I have never known a world without Reading Rainbow. It began its run on television less than 6 months before I was born. Tomorrow, the world will be without Reading Rainbow. Listening to that NPR story on the way in to work made me tear up. Sesame Street taught my generation how to read, but Levar Burton on Reading Rainbow taught us to love reading. A love of reading is secondary to knowing the alphabet, for sure, but gets at the heart rather than the head. Literacy creates functioning society members- a love of reading creates lifelong learners.

NPR explained that research is partly to blame for the death of the show:

The decision to end Reading Rainbow can also be traced to a shift in the philosophy of educational television programming. The change started with the Department of Education under the Bush administration, he explains, which wanted to see a much heavier focus on the basic tools of reading — like phonics and spelling.

Grant says that PBS, CPB and the Department of Education put significant funding toward programming that would teach kids how to read — but that's not what Reading Rainbow was trying to do.
...
Linda Simensky, vice president for children's programming at PBS, says that when Reading Rainbow was developed in the early 1980s, it was an era when the question was: "How do we get kids to read books?"

Since then, she explains, research has shown that teaching the mechanics of reading should be the network's priority.

My hope is that learning "the mechanics of reading" won't make kids consider books a solely academic pursuit. Reading Rainbow showed kids enjoying reading, and went beyond the books to get kids thinking and interacting with issues they were seeing on the pages. The books were fun, and the show featured other kids talking about books they like. I'm kind of sad my kids won't ever get to watch a new episode- obviously the old episodes (and books they review) will still be available, but I wonder if the dress and style of the show will feel hokey and be less appealing as time goes on. After today, the show will only exist in the memories of my generation and in home theaters on DVD. And on YouTube, of course.

"But don't take my word for it..."
Reading Rainbow

Summer of Babes

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:53:00 +0000

First, in June, it was Levi. Then, in July, Jasper. Then, in August, Ashlyn.

This weekend, Savannah joined the world! Welcome, little girl!

Head over to Ashley's blog to wish her & Paul congratulations, and check out the little beauty on their flickr album.

Next up: Tree & Dan's bundle of joy, expected in a couple weeks.
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UPDATE: Seriously an hour after I posted this, Timothy Edward joined Tree & Dan's family! Get over to their blog, too, and congratulate their new family of four!