"O Come, O Come Emmanuel"

O Come, O Come Emmanuel" has always been my favorite Christmas carols.  
This is probably because it was so ancient, gothic, and Gregorian chantish.  Its a Plainsong... or chant.  The first time I ever heard of the term Plainsong was in tenth grade when I bought the Cure album Disintegration.  Which is quite possibly the greatest modern album created to date.  I didn't know at the time what a plainsong was.  Here is the song.    

If you were a fan of the movie Marie Antoinette (with the girl from the "old Spiderman movie, Kirsten Dunst) you may recognize the song from the soundtrack.  There may be many criticisms of the movie, but the soundtrack is awesome.  

Anyway, back on track about the chant/carol ... 

The song was based on what in the Catholic Church is called The Antiphons.  Each verse's title begins with a title for Christ, drawn from Isaiah, and the letters are SARCORE, backwards is Ero Cras which means "Tomorrow I Come".  That gives me chills.  Here is a website which outlines the whole song....http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=958   Although I am not Catholic in my theology, I cannot deny the ancient beauty, tradition and amazing music and art of the church.

I could go on a soapbox trail on that one, citing pieces of music and artists and such, but, onto my main concept again...  

It seems as though O Come, O Come Emmanuel is very popular the past few years.  A lot of musicians have been remaking it.  Here are a few of my favorites:

The Classic Enya

The Classical Piano Guys... these guys are incredible musicians!

The Indie Rock-ish Civil War take..
Folky, Alternative, but surprisingly serene.












The one and only Sufjan Stevens, (I thought he had another name once)

And Last but not Least, the Heavy Metal take...

Of course, I can't leave out the beautiful lyrics.  Out of the original seven, only five are usually sung, but you can't have the backwards acryonym with out the seven, so here they are...

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

Refrain

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

Refrain

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Refrain

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Refrain

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

Refrain

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

Refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace. 

Refrain

There is no need for me to ramble on about what the words mean, because quite frankly, it has all been said before and quite better than I could ever do.  Merry Christmas!

Journey of the Magi - T. S. Eliot

T. S. Eliot is one of my favorite poets.  I don't know what that really says about me... he can be depressing at times.  But he is so insightful and deep.  I think I like his work because he felt life intensely and was able to translate this intensity into poetry.  

To imagine what the Magi thought is an incredible undertaking.  So little is said of them in scripture that ...well,  it started me thinking about what we do know about them.   Most Christians today would have nothing to do with "such men".  These men were star-gazers, they were men of "witchcraft" and "foretunetelling".  

And yet, they were the ones who traveled across the world to visit the Christ Child.  A very difficult journey.  They brought him extremely expensive gifts. This was a Journey of sacrifice and devotion.  I am sure every time I read this poem, I will have more concepts of what Eliot meant when he wrote this, and as of yet, I am searching for meaning in it.  The deep meaning of life and all.  I think its time to go to bed ;)

'A cold coming we had of it,

Just the worst time of the year

For a journey, and such a long journey:

The ways deep and the weather sharp,

The very dead of winter.'

And the camels galled, sorefooted, refractory,

Lying down in the melting snow.

There were times we regretted

The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,

And the silken girls bringing sherbet.

Then the camel men cursing and grumbling

and running away, and wanting their liquor and women,

And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,

And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly

And the villages dirty and charging high prices:

A hard time we had of it.

At the end we preferred to travel all night,

Sleeping in snatches,

With the voices singing in our ears, saying

That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,

Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;

With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,

And three trees on the low sky,

And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.

Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,

Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,

And feet kiking the empty wine-skins.

But there was no information, and so we continued

And arriving at evening, not a moment too soon

Finding the place; it was (you might say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,

And I would do it again, but set down

This set down

This: were we led all that way for

Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly

We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,

But had thought they were different; this Birth was

Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.

We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,

But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,

With an alien people clutching their gods.

I should be glad of another death.

Meanderings at a Horse Ranch

We recently spent the day at Tyson's Corner Retreat and Wellness Center.  Tyson's Corner is a beautiful, peaceful horse ranch in Lampassas, Texas. 
https://sites.google.com/site/tysonscorners/
My husband went on a soldiers retreat a couple of weeks ago,  where they went through Strong Bonds classes (Army approved relationship training)  and experienced some Equestrian Therapy.  Here is a story about a similar event in the local paper...
http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/story.php?id=6363

To be honest, my teenagers did not want to go.  It meant a day away from screens....(Oh my, how awful! Practically child abuse!) and a day with us, their PARENTS, with no escape. However, whenever you follow your intuition concerning what is good for your kids, no matter how uncomfortable at first, your kids usually benefit.  And such was the case this day.   By the end of an hour or so, they were mounted and riding, and enjoying the serenity of nature and the calm of being near horses.

Gene Tyson (a retired Army Chaplain) and his daughter Joanna run the ranch and retreat center.  Below is a photo of Joanna.  She patiently taught all three of my kids how to calm a horse, put on a saddle, mount, and ride at a walking pace.  Which is actually amazing since it was the first time the boys have ridden a horse at all.  

There are fourteen lovely, gentle horses at the ranch. They are so accustomed to being handled, that they are safe and easy to approach.   

Rose will most definitely be spending some time here in the near future.  She is a natural and loves, loves, loves horses.

Oh look, I shot a photo of Aragorn, I mean James... (otherwise known as "Chappy" around these parts).

 I have said before that Texas is more beautiful than I could have imagined.  This place is ultimate proof of that.  But it is a magical place as well.  A unicorn lives here, of course only some can see unicorns for what they are.  Most will see just a white mare below, but a special few will see her for what she truly is.  (If you have ever seen The Last Unicorn movie, you know what I mean.)
Her name is Bella...

Regardless if she is mythical or not, I fell in love with her.  Her amazing blue eyes were difficult to capture, sadly, with my lens that day.

To sum it all up, we had a fantastic day, and Rose and I look forward to spending more time with the horses.

The Apathy of a Generation X-er

I am so glad that the election is over.  There are SO many people who get SO worked up over such events.  And I am not sure that the process brings about the "best" in a lot of them.  I am tired of hearing the negative comments on both sides, concerning the other sides.

I have been told that I am apathetic, because I don't have faith in politics, but I am not sure I agree.  I have not lost faith in the country or mankind.  Just that we should put so much trust in the government.

During the past few days, these have been my rambling thoughts:
1.  Politicians are not usually the "best of men and women" because the people with the most humanity, compassion, integrity and goodness do not tend to choose politics as a career.  They choose to become doctors, teachers, social workers, you get the idea. Someone with those qualities don't want to control other people. Or events.  Is this judgmental of me to say?  Perhaps.  And I am sure there are exceptions to the rule.
2.  I do not want to  put a lot of faith in any government system. Governments are run by men (and women) and we all make mistakes.   Democracy is a wonderful concept, but every system has its weaknesses.
3.  One thing that I kept on reading concerning why everyone needed to vote is that our soldiers give their lives for this freedom.   Although I think it is an incredible privilege to be able to vote, I do not believe that is why soldiers give their lives or should it be.  I may be naive but I would like to believe we fight for MORE.  Things like stopping tyrants and terrorists from torturing, misusing and killing innocent people.  And to stop such terrorists and extremists from affecting our citizens and families.
4.  Someone of facebook wrote something that talked about whatever the outcome of the election is, it is not to be our main concern, if we are Christians.  Our main concern is His Kingdom, not some temporary earthly system.  And to my understanding, although the Kingdom of Heaven in the Bible is somewhat of a mystery, there are basic guidelines that we CAN understand.  Mercy, Grace, Justice, Meekness, Gentleness, Kindness, Generosity to the Poor, Compassion, Love and Hope... these are the characteristics of the Kingdom.  AND YES I DO SOUND LIKE A HIPPIE!  But, hey, its in the BIBLE.  (Matthew chapter 5)  The concept that is important is that its all in God's hands... this election, this presidency, this government...such things are of little concern when meditating about eternity.
5.  #4 does not mean that we don't get involved and take action on topics that we feel strongly about, or are plain wrong, its just that first and foremost, we trust that God is in control.  Don't stress about things you can't change.  Work hard to change society but with grace and kindness.
6.  Yes, anxiety and worry about things we can not change robs us of LIFE.  We should vote, then move on.  We should respect our leaders.  We should follow the law of the land.  We should love our neighbors AND those in power.

So, in conclusion, I am not apathetic.  I just don't think that our hope and trust should rely totally within any political system or person.  I think the President needs prayer and support.  He is in this position in an extreme time.  He must make terrible, tough and mindblowing decisions.  I certainly wouldn't want that responsibility.
So there it is... the Apathy of a Generation X-er.

Sansa Stark and her Dragonflies

I was asked to make a necklace like Sansa Stark wears in the Game of Thrones series.

   I am a huge fan of the series and I am currently reading the books.  However, I never really gave Sansa too much thought.  Her character is introduced very early on and she is superficial, selfish and , basically a spoiled brat. A "cheerleader".  I never had much time for girls like her.  Now, Danaerys... she is an awesome, strong character.  Arya is spunky and brave.  The Greyjoy girl (Asha in the book, Yara in the series)  commands a ship.  And all this time, Sansa is vying for the affection of a despictable Lannister. 
   But then I realized, I misjudged .  Sansa is a little girl of 11, in the beginning, who loves tales of romance and chivalry.  She loves pretty clothes.  She wants people to like her.  She is actually a lot like I was at that age.  I was mean at times to my little sister, as well.
   I came to this realization  while researching the dragonfly necklace.  I think that her act of wearing the dragonfly is a sign of rebellion against the Lannisters.  Quiet rebellion of her heart against the murderer of her father.  She does not wear the Lannister pendant any longer.  She chooses the dragonfly. 
   The only dragonfly reference I could find was of a song.  In this song, the Prince of Dragonflies was a Targaryen prince who fell in love with a common girl named Jenny of Oldstones.  He should have been the King of Dragons, but gave up the throne for love of the girl.  He was given the nickname, the Prince of Dragonflies.  Sansa wearing the necklace proves she has not given up on love, or chivalry,  but it is also a nod to the great enemy family of the Lannisters.  She is wearing the symbol of a Targaryen prince.  I say...nicely done, Sansa.
   It is interesting how adversity can bring out a person's true character.  Fictional characters can often help us analyze our own character and help us aspire to be more.  Or help us see our shortcomings.
Sansa initially is a spoiled brat who has no sense of reality.  She becomes the girl who although is surrounded by the manipulative Cersei and sadistic Joffrey, knows that she does not want to be like them at all.  She chooses, through various acts and situations, to show kindness and softness.  She decides that she wants people to obey her and help her because they love her.  Not out of fear.  
I am only up to book 3 right now, but I can't wait to see how she prevails.

My finished piece:

 

Outtakes

We went on a trip to San Antonio, and I took tons of photos mostly of buildings and such for inspiration (PHOTOS check out here).   I also attempted to take some photos of my family.  They do not like it when I take pictures of them.  It is a little frustrating. At least I have not been adding onto the piles of photos which need to go into albums .  I haven't scrapbooked in 8 plus years. 

This is my typical good shot!

I like this picture of father and son walking together.  Ethan has the coolest shirt on that I found on a clearance rack.

 The above photo is a pile of rocks which my daughter shot.  She's just like me. And below is my lovely shot of them in front of the Alamo.

 Despite the profanity, I had to post the below pile of bullpoopey......   Only in Texas, Right?

 I was looking for a present for my mother, whose birthday was that same weekend.  I kept finding stuff like this.  Needless to say, I didn't find anything she would really like. 

Ransom's idea of "posing"... they seriously see my camera and turn away all the time!  Or cover their faces.  Or hide behind their siblings.

Hey, if you can't beat them, why not join them?  We have a lot of "fun" memories from the trip, if not pretty pictures!

The Surreal Life

This is my third attempt to write this post. So much has happened this past week.

 I originally thought that I wouldn't have to write anything particular about my husband's job for me to write about our family's adventures.  I am not even sure how much is appropriate to discuss.  Of course, most details, I wouldn't even know.  There is a lot of confidentiality and all with his position.  And even now, I am not sure what is prudent or not.

But the tragedies which have hit James' battalion , and even his sister battalion, this past week are surreal.  And pointless.  And so extremely sad.  He will be holding his first memorial service within the next few days for three soldiers (one of them from the other battalion, two were his soldiers).  He has seen first hand what happens when despair and hopelessness take control of a person's heart and mind.  I don't really know how to support him or help him.  He is working hard at helping others with grief management, and host of other tasks that are before him.

On a positive note, he was able to give the invocation for a homecoming celebration on Sunday.  It was an incredible experience.  These soldiers were deployed for over a year, and the excitement and love in the building were so inspiring.  The funny thing is that as the soldiers entered, they did this smoke thing to build the excitement, and the fire alarms went off.  The whole ceremony (which was around 5 minutes long) was drowned out by the alarms, so no one heard a word of it.  Not that they would be listening anyway.... they hadn't seen their families for over a year!  Anyway, James can reuse the prayer he wrote and no one would know!

This weekend we will be going to San Antonio for a marriage retreat.  He will be teaching/facilitating the workshops or whatever they are called.  The Army believes that strong families = strong soldiers, so chaplains do a lot of marriage building events.  I am looking forward to taking some photos of some old missions and other sites.  I want to go see the Alamo too!

My dream world...

I have had some extremely vivid dreams the past two nights.  In them, I am in a park or woods or other beautiful place of nature, and I want to capture the beauty in a photograph.  By the time, I position myself, and get my Canon out, the scene has changed, or the lighting, and I miss the moment.  I don't know a lot about dreams, but I assume there must be some meaning to it.  Especially since the dreams are very colorful.  Last night, I kept on finding misty ponds with wildflowers growing around them.  The night before, I was in Hawaii (and I have never been there in real life) but I think I was really in Texas, in the way of dreamworlds.... and the ocean landscapes and waves were the boldest blues. 

In real life, I keep on seeing pretty things, but usually only have my camera phone with me, and I miss it.  I love my dslr camera, but it is big and bulky.

Since I don't want to forget them, I figured I would try to find some similar images online.  

This photo is very much like my Hawaii dream, but the waves were bluer and really big.

Anyway, this is not what I usually blog about, my dreams, that is, but that is the beauty of blogging.  Maybe these dreams are more about my desire to see the world, and the ability to see more now, being part of a military family.

Texas Musings

One would think that being a bohemian at heart, one month of living out of suitcases wouldn't be too difficult.  The movers took our stuff on August 9th and tomorrow on September 5th is when we will have our boxes and furniture delivered.  It is a long complicated boring story.  Next move, I hope to move ourselves.
So, before I receive the sea of boxes, I wanted to jot down some reflections. Texas is so beautiful.  Here is the lake which is right off Post, which offers every type of outdoor recreation imaginable for military families.  Everything from horseback riding to paintball to huge water slides. 

Texas is more beautiful than I had thought it could be.  The sky is large and beautiful, and unlike the big sky of Wisconsin, (where we lived for five years) it is full of color.  In the day, bright blue with large fluffy white clouds.  In the evening, pinks, yellows and every  other imaginable hue.  (Did my best trying to capture it while riding in a moving car with my phone).

The flowers and plants are awesome.

Some prickly pear and a hidden trail behind my house.....

The schools on post are very nice, and very close.  Walking distance, but since the times for the elementary and middle school are not staggered, I am still trying to figure out how to get both kids.  Ransom has a 45 minute bus ride to school, but he doesn't seem to mind.



 This flowering tree, whatever it is, is so pretty....


We have a quiet, tranquil backyard with a gorgeous view of the golf course.  So far, Ethan is learning how to golf in the back, and Ransom is skate boarding every day.

There are so many thoughts in my head right now, but I think this is good for now.  A week with no internet survived and ready to blog some more artsy stuff once I am unpacked.

 And for the most important part, James.....
he is a Battalion Chaplain and he has around 1600 soldiers to serve.  He was made for this job. But it is not going to be easy. Anyone who has family in the military or has served in the military knows what challenges he will be up against and the situations he will be trying to aid. So if he is in your thoughts or prayers... THANK YOU!

If you are wondering what we are up to....

The end of summer is approaching fast.  At the beginning of CH-BOLC (Army Chaplain Training Course), it seemed as though 13 weeks would never end.  But now there is only three weeks left, and the last week, we will all be down in Columbia, spending the week at Fort Jackson.  The movers are arriving on August 9th to pack up.

We have been in a very fortunate position.  Since we live only 100 miles from Fort Jackson, where James is training, he has either been able to come home on weekends, or I have gone there. So, the basic training was  not nearly as difficult as it could have been. (for me, atleast, I wasn't the one waking up at 4 am to run and do extreme physical exercise)  Not only could I see him, but he was able to fix stuff that would break during the week.  And a LOT of stuff has broken.  The latest is the kids' shower head.  I couldn't turn of the water yesterday.  I envisioned a flooded house, and no way to sell the house after it was said and done.  Ransom was able to disassemble the faucet and stop the flow, but I am glad  J will be home this weekend to put a new piece on.  I really need to learn how to do that kind of stuff.

On August 17th, James will graduate from the course.  The Army gives us 10 days to move ourselves across country (all of our belongings will already be on the move) and on August 27th, he will report in to Fort Hood, Texas.  We will have to live in temporary housing (hotel) for atleast a few days.  We are on the waiting list for on post housing.

I am very proud of my handsome husband.  This is the culmination of  7 years of pursuing a goal, and not giving up.  It has been 2 1/2 years since he decided to pursue the chaplaincy.  It was a very, very long process including the year long ordination that is required for our denomination.
Out of the hundred and twenty something soldiers in training this summer, only 12 of them will be Active Duty, the rest are either National Guard, Reserves or part of a Candidate program (for seminary students). Out of the 12,  7 of them know for certain they will be deployed within the next few months.  James may be as well, we just don't know yet.  If he is, that is what he has trained and prepared for.  To be a support and a help for soldiers who  are in the midst of war.

At the banquet the other night, there were quite a few soldiers who were finishing up AIT to become Chaplain Assistants.  (Chaplains don't carry guns, so the Assistants are not only their constant aid, but their protection as well).  It was shocking how many of these young men and women had between 6 and 8 stripes on their arms.  This meant that they have been deployed for 3-4 years (6 months for each stripe).  If you have ever read the book Fahrenheit 541, there is a war going on but no one really talks about it.  There is a little bit of coverage in the news, but it is a distant affair which doesn't concern the average person.(until the end, that is).  That is how I felt that night.  That the reality of what our country is fighting is not truly understood by those of us living within our safer borders.  My point is that this war is real and affects a lot of families in this nation.  It is a serious undertaking that James will be involved in.  I know he is perfect for the challenge.  Although he is firmly planted in reformed theology, he is able to talk to and advise people of all belief systems.  He came away from CH-Bolc  with  friends who were Buddhist, Muslim, Catholic and most surprisingly, even a Baptist or two.  The different belief systems he was around all summer truly indicate the components of the U.S. Military.  In this job, you had better have compassion, love and understanding for those of different beliefs.  After all, Jesus did.  He showed love, compassion, healing, and support for those who needed him, regardless of nationality or religious background. If someone followed Him, it was because of His love for them, not because he told them they were going to hell for not believing in Him.

Now, we are just fervently praying that our house sells.  Quickly.  I didn't really think it would be a problem, I thought it would just happen smoothly, but now as we are getting into crunch time, I am starting to stress.  I really don't want to have to deal with owning property across country while we are starting a new lifestyle all together.  We could rent, but that is risky. And a pain.  Unless you know the people well, and I don't know anyone who is looking for a rental house.

I feel as though there is a lot more I could write, but I just wanted to update on the essentials.  The kids will be attending the public school system in Killeen Texas, where more than half of the students will be military kids.  I plan on keeping them active in sports, school, church, and transitioning everyone into this new life.  I will attempt to get my jewelry up on Etsy again and possibly find a few shops to sell in. Rose wants to take horse back riding lessons, and the boys are all of a sudden into skateboarding again.  Basketball camp next week, and then the big move.  Bring it on.  

The Military "Ball"

A couple of weeks ago, my husband informed me that we were invited to a Chaplain Banquet and Ball.  So, I panicked a little, but I was really excited.  The highest ranking Chaplain, a 2 Star General was going to be attending. It would be an honor to be present at such an event.  So, I started planning for the 237th Anniversary Regimental Army Chaplain Military Ball. Did I mention that I have never been to such an event before?

My first dilemma was, of course, what to wear.
Did I need to wear a dress like Cinderella? It is a Ball, after-all. 
In actuality, the modern Army Dress Uniform is similiar to the Prince from Cinderella's uniform, except for the color.  There is a lovely gold stripe on the blue pants.

Personally, as far as Cinderella goes, I prefer Ever After.  Drew Barrymore's character is one I identify with. Stubborn, outspoken, opinionated, and her dress was awesome. But, this one didn't seem right for the event.  The wings were a little much.

I asked friends who have attended such events, and read military wives' blogs regarding proper etiquette and dress for military balls.  I became terrified!  And I am not one to really care if caddy women look down on my style, but still.  According to some of these blogs, there are always a gaggle of awful women at these events that look for any excuse to look down at you.  And according to these blogs, you must wear full legnth gowns and not show any cleavage.   Since I didn't have much time, finding the perfect dress was going to be a problem, I looked in a number of stores, but didn't see anything that I would want to wear, even if it was appropriate.  I don't care for sequins, or strapless styles, or rhinestones, or hot pink.  I wanted a simple brown, or black dress that was classic, but with definite style.
My husband, who loves my style and was not worried that I would embarass him in the least, initially told me that I should go with a Lauren Bacall look.  He says I look like her, which is a huge compliment.

So I decided to go for the gloves.  Opera Length, and I didn't really care if they are what's in style right now.  Because they should be.  They are awesome, and instantly give a girl glamour and style and sophistication.

So the above look was what I was going for,  and I happened to have a singer-songwriter-actress friend who has a wardrobe of awesome dresses.  I borrowed one of her black dresses, and I am so glad I did, because after going to several consignment shops and other stores, I found NOTHING I liked half as much.

So, this is what I ended up wearing.

It was a lot of fun, and the dress was so comfortable.
My thoughts on our first Military Ball the day after...
1.  Nobody really cared what I wore, except for my husband ;), everyone was too concerned about themselves to care what a lowly First Lieutenant's wife wore!  So I basically stressed over nothing, I was going to wear this outfit from day one, and only considered doing something else because of all of that silly online advice.

2. The food was awesome, and during dinner was an excellent live JAZZ band!  I was so ready to get up and dance but dancing wasn't until AFTER the formal events (the schedule is pretty serious).  Unfortunately, the dance music afterwards was a modern dj with the electric slide, and hiphop music.  I didn't have enough to drink for THAT kind of dancing!  I was a little disappointed.

3. I now know what to expect.  Every range of formality in dress was present, from mother of the bride formal to prom dresses, to fancy church dresses.  I don't think any kind of dress would have stuck out.

4.  I LOVE my husbands dress uniform.  Call me silly, but it is so classy, and I felt like he was my Prince Charming ;)  Which is true, anyway.


5.  It truly was an honor meeting the 2 Star General.  He had such a strong, gentle, humble air about him. A true hero.

6.  I hope someone finds this blog, who is worried about their first military formal and is able to relax about the event and enjoy it!

THREE AND 1/2 weeks until we leave for Fort Hood, Texas!   So excited about our new military life!

Rambling On

I have always struggled with naming my online usernames and such.  I have gone through a few different ones and they never seemed right.  And then it came to me.

My dad always called me Rebikulous.  It was a rather a clever play on my name Rebekah and the word ridiculous, of course, which seemed to fit my illogical actions and ideas ever since I was a small child.    He had other descriptions and names for me too.  BEKALAH, Dolly, Daisy...

So, now I am resurrecting the old name and using it.  I am ridiculous and I am not going to try to escape the truth any longer.

My husband always thought the name was hilarious.
When POD came out with a certain song, in which "ridiculous" was being sang over and over, guess what he sang instead...

If I learned anything this past year, it is not to take myself too seriously, so I am not sure if this will be part of my new art/business as I move, but I am considering it.  

What do you think?  Art by Rebikulous?  Rebikulous Art?  Rebikulous Designs?  

Stone Heart

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

C. S. Lewis

The journey begins..

About 8 years ago, my husband told me, "I need to go to school to be a pastor."
I thought he was joking.

He was in his early 30s at the time.  He was a successful regional sales manager for GE.  He sold high tech access control systems to large corporations and he covered all of New England and upstate NY.  That day, he had been sitting outside of an office of a CEO of some large company, waiting.  He was about to do some demo or sales pitch.  Suddenly, he was overcome with  the sense that he wasn't doing what he was supposed to be doing.  That he needed to do something else, and that had to do with ministry of some sort.  I think it was a supernatural epiphany. 

I thought he was joking, because he jokes about everything and also because my husband does not fit into the "pastor" mold.  He enjoys heavy loud music with angry lyrics, not christian contemporary.  He drinks beer and enjoys cigars.  He doesn't shy away from controversy or difficult situations, he embraces them.  So, no, a typical church probably wouldn't work.  We have had several friends tell him, "I don't go to church and I am not a church person, but if you were the pastor, I would go." Maybe it would have worked, but not as well, as what he has been chosen for.

About six months ago, he received a call from Washington DC informing him that he was chosen to become  an active duty Army Chaplain. He began his basic training last week. It is ironic because it will be 20 years this August since he went through basic training the first time.  (He was a reservist for 7 years).  I am extremely proud of him, I can't think of a position which is more necessary right now. 

Now, to deal with everything falling apart while he is gone....
the refrigerator leaking,
the food disposal leaking,
the tick I found on me in bed,
the dog running away,
teenage boys trying to disappear,
a little girl who misses her daddy terribly,
not to mention the garage that needs to be cleaned, but alas, there are black widows in there and I am terrified!

Ransom - Son of the Shield

We are calling my oldest son the Kingslayer around here now.  Ransom has had a very eventful year.  He is my child with the least consistent education.  What I mean is that he has hopped around more schools than the other two.  First he was in public, then my husband was teaching at a private school, he was there, then he moved to the school I was teaching at, then I home schooled them, only because I thought we would be moving midyear.  I put the younger two in public as soon as I learned otherwise, but since the middle school was going to change the following year, I kept him home.  That was last year (when he was in 7th grade)  This year, is his first year in public school since 3rd grade. Academically, he doesn't have to try very hard to get good grades.  This year he didn't try hard at all , but I didn't  have to follow up and make him do any work.   He just does it.  Minimally.   He could do better, of course.  He gets by with somewhat good grades with little or no studying. He does his homework in the class before its due.  He is the classic slacker.
Anyway, he was trying out for the middle school baseball team a couple of months ago, and as I picked him up from school, he tells me that he got in trouble.  Apparently, he wrote his name in wet cement.  There is no other kid by his name in his school, or probably the whole town, or the state, (actually the only other Ransom I heard of was an old man in Vermont) so it really was not the slickest move.  Yes, the principal called, but I don't think anything happened to ruin his academic career.

But I believe that the thing that will go down in the annals of the school's history is how he came to the aid of a fair maiden and punched an annoying rogue in the jaw.  That was yesterday.

There is a certain kind of kid that always tries to test his limits.  He is the type of personality, that no matter how big or tough the guy who touches him, he won't put up with it.  So, several times this year, especially being a new kid in the school, he has gotten into some..... altercations.  Mostly in the bathroom, he always tells me what happens.  A few days ago, a kid called him a name, he said something back and then the kid followed him into the bathroom.  A few of his friends followed them both.  Nothing happened that time except for some colorful language.

But back to the fight yesterday.  At first, I assumed he was telling me that he got in a fight to prepare me for a call from the authorities.  I didn't get a phone call  from the principal, but a friend left me a message about how her twins were talking about Ransom and liked him better than they did in the morning.  Apparently, the kid he punched in the jaw bullied a lot of kids, broke their calculators, and especially liked to hit, kick and punch girls.  Teachers actually saw his magnificent punch, and looked the other way, glad that someone did it.

This morning, my golden son, showed me a bunch of tweets and facebook statuses about him and how he did what so many wished they had the guts to do. 

A neighbor girl ran up to me today, and although she was mad at my son last week, she thought he was cool today, because of what he did (the bully had punched her and called her names as well)

I don't know what to think of it all.  I don't like violence, but I am glad my kid would punch another kid for punching a girl.  I just don't know why any of these girls didn't punch the kid himself.

Avengers Personality

I have heard said that the superhero you love, or identify with the most, can tell a lot about you as a person.  Just watched the Avengers today.  It was great.. a little too much to process in one sitting, the story could have been better handled as a miniseries, but that is not what the big screen is about. 

Anyway....

1.  Thor.... noble, arrogant, archaic.  I have to admit, I love Thor.  It is not even the fact that he is from Viking mythology.  Ah... who am I kidding.  Of course it is.  But he is funny.  He says stuff like, "You people are so petty, and tiny".   That is great. 

2.  Loki... the original trickster.  You can't trust him.  But you want to believe there is some good in him.  But there is not.  He is all bad. 


3.  Captain America.  Justice, Honor, Integrity, Loyalty.   I am married to Captain America.  I am not joking, my husband is Captain America in many ways.  Mostly because he has that heroic, throw himself on a grenade to save others type of mentality.  And his love for God and Country.  And he is displaced in time, I believe, and would fit in better in a different era.  I just had a cake made for him.. this proves it. 

4. Hulk.  The incredibly intelligent scientist who has an untame-able beast waiting to emerge. 

5.  Black Widow.  I like her a lot.  I am nothing like her, but she is cool.  Totally in control of the situation while pretending to be weak and not in control.  Plus her gymnastics were really cool.  

6.  Hawkeye.  Modern day Legolas.  Doesn't mind taking a minor role, unlike the rest of the characters.

7.  Iron Man.  Tony Starks.  Rich, super intelligent, arrogant, playboy, powers all come from his suit.  Personality wise, he is a lot like Batman, but more arrogant and self serving.  However, he was heroic in The Avengers. 





I guess that brings me to who do I identify with the most.  She is not in this movie.

Russian Writers and British TV

Someone once said that there are two types of people in the world.
 There are those who have read Brothers Karamazov and those who have not. I only know 6 people who have read it.  It is my mission this summer.  I can not let my husband be in a class of people which excludes me.... even if I can never beat him in a game of  Word with Friends or Risk.  I read the first 10 pages and reread them, because my mind is mush and has been further mushified by reading such wonderful tales like Twilight (yes I cringe to admit it, but I couldn't put them down, no matter how terrible they were).  I am almost done with the first Game of Thrones book, and that has most definitely helped to bring my brain back from zombie land.  (Which by the way was a funny movie). 



Game of Thrones is awesome, both the books and the show, which is similar to a medieval fantasy version of War and Peace. 

It is exciting when out of the void of mindless t.v. (which of course sometimes you need) emerges amazing shows.  It was a while after Lost ended, and it seemed that nothing would ever be close in comparison.  Although I could talk about a few shows other than the Game of Thrones, such as The Walking Dead, Mad Men and Once Upon a Time, I am quite addicted to Sherlock.

Sherlock is awesome.  It is magnificent.  It is SO good.  Robert Downey Jr. may be a good Tony Starks, but he is not Sherlock Holmes.  His Holmes movies are entertaining, but they do not come close to possessing anything Conan Doyle.  Benedict Cumberbatch is different. He is Holmes.  The show has quite a fan base, and for good reason. The funny thing is that my parents told us about the show, because they are hip, and are always on the search for good BBC shows.  (Actually not only BBC, they were watching Lost before us, as well)

At first I was skeptical, because really..... how could anyone translate Holmes into the modern day?  Well... the people who create shows about Time Lords perusing through our galaxy and Torchwood saving the world can, that's who.

The Reichenbach Falls has to be my favorite.   The downside to the show is that each season only has three episodes (although each episode is movie length), but I think that is because Watson had to go be Bilbo for a while, so that is understandable.