ACORN

ACORN: The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, Inc.

Founded in the '70s, ACORN has worked to get low- to middle-income people in housing. They forced (by lawsuit, etc.) compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act that dictates banks to make loans to those with low incomes. In the '80s, Barack Obama was involved in these lawsuits in Chicago.

In the fall of 2008, the overwhelming impact of defaults on loans such as these destroyed major invesetment banks and forced the U.S. Congress to spend $700 billion of our money to bail out the economy.

At last, I know what a community organizer is!

Oh, ACORN is also involved in voter registration. They or their workers have been investigated for fraud in a number of states--including Wisconsin.

It has to come out sometime.

I was told recently that I needed to start posting again. I've had some great blog ideas in my head, but first I must make a confession. I may be despised by some after this. It's just something I have to get into the open.

I like Sarah Palin's hair.

I don't care what all the "experts" say. I really do like it. And not just in the new down styles. I love her updo.

I would like to think this is just the product of being a down-to-earth midwestern girl who never did understand pink spikes (not to mention vibrant colors of eye shadow done in stripes). It may be related to overexposure to ruruns of 20-year-old television shows. (The style is remarkably like Julie March in Matlock--a thoroughly classy district attorney who regularly loses to and dates the shows star.)

I'm afraid though that I may just be trying to justify my own lazy fashion habits. In the morning, I just don't feel like fussing for an hour on my hair. Let it air dry a bit, clip it up, and I'm off. I've claimed to be a beauty queen, but I'd like to think I don't look that bad.

Now you know the truth. That pic of me on my profile--taken during a special photo session. Today I sit here with hair comfortably out of my way. In an hour, I may regress to a pony tail. But I saw Governor Palin do that to although not as effectively.

I guess I should just buy a good shade of lipstick.

Ok, I lied.

I didn't post this some three weeks ago like I said I would.

The rules call for eight random facts.
Of data inane, I've no lack,
But the time to record
And post to this board
Is akin to a needle and haystack.

1. I have a habit of going through TV show phases. I watch all the episodes of some old show until I almost know them by heart. My heroes include MacGyver and Zorro (especially the 1950s Disney version with Guy Williams).
2. I'm known for making up answers that everyone believes.
3. If I look up something in a dictionary or encyclopedia, I will likely become sidetracked reading other entries on the page. As a child, I was fascinated by the history of each letter found above the heading in our Random House dictionary.
4. I put myself to sleep playing electronic Boggle.
5. I believe that in the history of the world we have forgotten more than we have discovered. I rather suspect the ancients might laugh at our "modern sophistication."
6. I like color(s).
7. I read LOTR when it was an off-in-the-corner nerdy thing to do. I lost interest when the movies came out.
8. My favorite foods involve flour and an oven. (Sorry Sarah!)

There is absolutely no one else to tag (at least, in my circle). Hannah H. has been neglecting us, however, and has been tagged 3 times. Instead of tagging, I'll see if I can get her to come over and finally post.

It's a small, small world

My friend, Anne, went to a music teachers convention recently. When she came back, she had to tell me about this Christian couple she met there. She didn't give their names, however. It wasn't until our newsletter came out with a picture and caption that I discovered it was Shelley, Jana, and Timothy's parents!

Makes me wonder who I'll run into next time I go to Walmart.

For Sarah B.

I meant to do this a long time ago. Sarah's link to her sister's comic strip reminded me.

I like food, and I really feel for those who can't have a certain ingredient since I rather dislike most substitutions. I thought it would be fun to collect "naturally gluten-free" recipes for Sarah. In other words, favorite recipes that never had gluten in the first place.

Now, Sarah, don't kill us if we make a mistake. As I understand it, we will have to avoid wheat, rye, barley, and probably oats. From the comic, it seems there may be some other triggers. Should we also be avoiding lactose? Is there anything else we need to know?

In Limbo, Part I

limbo –noun, plural -bos.
1. (often initial capital letter) Roman Catholic Theology. a region on the border of hell or heaven, serving as the abode after death of unbaptized infants (limbo of infants) and of the righteous who died before the coming of Christ (limbo of the fathers or limbo of the patriarchs).
2. a place or state of oblivion to which persons or things are regarded as being relegated when cast aside, forgotten, past, or out of date: My youthful hopes are in the limbo of lost dreams.
3. an intermediate, transitional, or midway state or place.
4. a place or state of imprisonment or confinement.
[Origin: 1300–50; ME, from ML phrase in limbō on hell's border (L: on the edge), equiv. to in on + limbō, abl. of limbus edge, border (L), place bordering on hell (ML); see limbus1]

limbo. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/limbo (accessed: October 10, 2007).

Despite your theological stance on the state of the (various) dead, you have probably used the phrase in limbo in reference to this life. Usually, we mean something akin to definition 3 above. This would relate to the Roman Catholic Limbo of the Patriarchs or the more evangelical OT hades: a state of waiting for an indefinite amount of time. For those in such a state, however, it quickly gains definitions 2 and 4: a definite sense of stuckness.

I achieved such a state ca. 2000. Around this time, I graduated from college. My first attempt at a job somewhat related to my degree was less than successful. I had not met the love of my life. For that matter, I couldn't even seem to meet reasonably eligible potentials. A couple other major events left me emotionally unable to take steps forward. I was in limbo.

I thought it would pass. To a certain extent, I suppose it has. At least, I am not just sitting on my thumbs. I keep very busy. I enjoy my work. Slowly, over a long time, I have found some immediate direction for my daily activities. But the feeling of waiting has not left. Singleness has a knack of doing that to a person. I am constantly aware that a Big Event (translate as you will) may occur to change everything.

What has passed is my discomfort with this state. It's not that I want any less to be married or to be embarking on some exciting venture. It's just that I've realized the benefits of being stuck. As long as I lack strong direction, I look to God for it. When I am unsettled, I am more available to be moved to where He wants to use me. Waiting is not pointless if I am waiting on Him.

Yes, I am forming some goals. I still hope deep down that I will not always be "set on the shelf." But my greater hope, my prayer, is that I never leave a state of limbo this side of heaven.

Lamentations 3:24-26
24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

Does anyone here use Facebook?

Maybe I'm getting too old. I had no trouble understanding the concept of and uses for email. I didn't start chatting right away but had no difficulty with it. Blogs make sense--both the evolved form as part newsletter, part personal soapbox, and the original form as a web log. When I came to Multiply, it took something like 24 hours to see the advantages of this system and transfer all my old posts.

But I don't quite "get" Facebook. I'm on it at the invitation of a friend. I know how to use it. But I'm not really sure why I would use it. Am I missing something? When I'm there, I definitely miss blog posts and being able to browse the pages of people who aren't my contacts. But, it's such a hit with all the young people in this area.

Can someone explain this for me?

Laughing

Ok, I have to confess that I use LOL too much. I use it when I'm not actually laughing--out loud, that is. The problem I have is that when chatting online I can't use facial expressions to respond to comments. =), :P, and ;) just don't express the right emotion. If I had a rolling eyes emoticon, it might help. For now, I will use the following, more honest declaration of my reaction:

(chck)

It stands for "chuckling on the inside." At least I won't be lying anymore. :P

Geek status

My sister says I'm barely below geek level. This is supposed to be a compliment. Actually, geek status was the desirable level, and she was consoling me that I'm almost there (in her mind, at least).

I guess I can't succeed in everything.

The Whole Shebang

I know this is long. Often only the first and last verse is given, but I tend to like "unabridged" versions.

When I Read the Bible Through

By Amos R. Wells

I supposed I knew my Bible
Reading piecemeal, hit and miss,

Now a bit of John or Matthew,
Now a snatch of Genesis,

Certain chapters of Isaiah
Certain Psalms (the twenty-third);

Twelfth of Romans, First of Proverbs
Yes, I thought I knew the Word;

But I found that thorough reading
Was a different thing to do,

And the way was unfamiliar
When I read the Bible through

Oh the massive, mighty volume!
Oh, the treasures manifold!

Oh, the beauty of the wisdom
And the grace it proved to hold!

As the story of the Hebrews
Swept in majesty along,

As it leaped in waves prophetic,
As it burst to sacred song,

As it gleamed with Christly omens,
The Old Testament was new,

Strong with cumulative power,
When I read the Bible through.

Ah! Imperial Jeremiah,
With his keen coruscant mind;

And the blunt old Nehemiah,
And Ezekiel refined!

Newly came the minor prophets,
Each with his distinctive robe

Newly came the song idyllic,
And the tragedy of Job;

Deuteronomy, the regal,
To a towering mountain grew,

With its comrade peaks around it
When I read the Bible through.

What a radiant procession
As the pages rise and fall,

James the sturdy, John the tender
Oh the myriad-minded Paul!

Vast apocalyptic glories
Wheel and thunder, flash and flame,

While the church triumphant raises
One incomparable name.

Ah, the story of the Saviour
Never glows supremely true

Till you read it whole and swiftly,
Till you read the Bible through.

You who like to play at Bible,
Dib and dabble, here and there,

Just before you kneel, aweary,
And yawn thro’ a hurried prayer;

You who treat the Crown of Writings
As you treat no other book

Just a paragraph disjointed,
Just a crude, impatient look

Try a worthier procedure,
Try a broad and steady view;

You will kneel in very rapture
When you read the Bible through.

How we walked

I was talking with a man today about his children (now in their 20s). He mentioned how the personality of his eldest showed even when he was learning to walk. He never fell. He walked early enough but was so careful that he never fell. The next child, however, walked later and fell often. Apparently, she is like that to this day.

I remember hearing that my mom would never fall either. If she felt the least bit unstable, she would sit down. She has always been the cautious type. The only thing that would get her out of her comfort zone is the conviction that God wants her to do something.

I asked her about my early mobility habits. I am more of a risk taker--but not flippant about danger. She said I definitely wasn't afraid to run. I figured out there was someplace to go and I wanted to get there. Yeah, sounds like me. My sisters, on the other hand, crawled. They crawled fast. It was almost a race. But it didn't seem to occur to them to get up and go on two feet. Strange? Not if you know them. How many times have I suggested a better way to do something only to get the response, "This is working fine for me."

I wonder if anyone has ever done a study to predict an individual's personality based on early walking habits. Sounds like a good way to waste some tax money, don't you think?

Signing off for now...

So many things I want to say and--I need to go to bed instead. I thought of a really stupid rhyme to put in here announcing my temporary departure, but I forgot it already. I wonder what else I've forgotten.

Tomorrow I leave for a Bible conference in Indiana. I will not have internet access so I'm looking forward to returning and reading all the interesting things posted in my absence. By the way, here are the blogs I haven't posted, being too busy getting ready for afore-mentioned conference:

• Piano playing and thoughts on service
• Why victory over sin is like dieting (in other words, "Chickens, not horses")
• Elijah (I'm trying to remember what this one was about...)
• I'm a Bibler
• Cell phone
• Great Expectations
• The Prophet (hmm... I wonder if this was related to Elijah. I don't think so.)
• Colors
• Limbo

I wonder if there were some great thoughts in those that now I've forgotten. I may never know.

Is this what parenting is like?

I just did something I've never done before. I sent my mother off to camp. Well, a writer's conference (grown-up camp). We realized last night that she has left to spend a night or two when my grandpa had cancer or other family emergencies. But she has never gone off for this long. Really weird!

Exciting, too. This is not just a learning conference. Everyone goes with projects and plans. Publishers come and those attending get to try to sell their work. Emphasis on the word try. It's best not to expect huge things. But I still hope. Mom does have a couple nice pieces in her portfolio.

And we finally have cell phones so she can keep us up to date. She has instructions to check in regularly. She even took copies of our schedules so she'll know when to call. We were also checking her packing list up to the last minute. If I ever have kids, they're going to think I'm the most over-protective parent in the world!

Now that's clean!

Just got home from the dentist. (Ok, I checked two email accounts, two forums, and posted two replies before this.) It was my six-month so I only saw the hygienist. There's nothing quite like paying $67 and spending an hour of my day to let someone else brush my teeth.

El grupo de español

Anoche asistió un grupo de conversación española. Es un grupo nuevo de personas que estudian español. Era la cuarta reunión de este grupo pero era la segunda vez que podía asistirlo. Cuando era la hora de salir, yo no quería ir. Sin embargo, sabía que debía ir. Ahora me alegro que asistió.

Había siete personas. Había dos hombres que están jubilados. El uno enseña inglés a los mexicanos. Trabaja con la organización "Literacy Volunteers of America." El otro ha matriculado en la universidad para estudiar español. Desea viajar a españa y a los países latinoamericanos.

También había un hombre más joven que recentemente se graduó de la universidad. Enseña las lecciones de piano como yo. Ha viajado a Ecuador. Quiere viajar a Brasil para trabajar con los niños del calle en Rio de Janeiro, pero no habla portugués. Tengo amigos (misioneros) en Brasil así que ha querido aprender portugués. Tengo un amigo aquí que sabe portugués y español. ¡Ah! ¡Hay tantas cosas de aprender!

Las mujeres incluye la una que organizó el grupo, una que ha vivido en México (si yo recuerdo correctamente), y una que asistió la universidad al mismo tiempo que yo la asistió. Es muy interesante llegar a conocerlos. También este grupo me anima a estudiar más.

Tengo la intención de asistir la semana que viene.

The mystery is solved

Scene: The kitchen drawer
Victim: The plastic wrap
Suspects: The usual--all family members

Notes:

It is only natural, after removing a segment of this useful material, to replace the box in the same direction one is holding it. This allows for easier removal of future pieces since the box will open toward the right allowing one to grab the wrap and pull out the desired amount. On finding the box frequently facing the other direction, I felt investigation was necessary.

First, I question Mom. It was entirely possible that she had some reason for placing it a different direction. Indeed it was certain that she would have a reason, and the kitchen is her domain. If she wants the plastic wrap backwards, then so be it. She, however, agreed with my original assessment. Further questioning revealed no clues to the culprit.

Then Dad questioned me. Having overheard our discussion, he wanted to know what the "right" way was. We quickly determined that he was not guilty either.

I let the matter rest for some time. Then I caught her in the act. Jennifer was removing plastic wrap with her left hand! Of course. I should have known. My sisters are twins and I have long theorized that they are mirror-image (evidence includes earlobes and cowlicks). In my thinking , they should have opposite handedness. I, therefore, nominated Jennifer to be the leftie.

We laughed at this new validation of my theory and continued to chat as she reached for the microwave with her left hand. A minute later she removed the wrap from her heated plate with her left hand. Faced with testimony of such impeachable witnesses (Terry was present as well), she has confessed to other deeds such as locking the door left-handed.

There is some satisfaction in being proven right although I rather suspect I will have to continue to turn the box around in order to get at the plastic wrap since I am (unfortunately) not left-handed.

Mi testimonio

I would like to be able to run two blogs--one for English and one for Spanish. But until I figure out how to do that on one page, I guess I'll just randomly add Spanish entries.

Puedo ver el futuro. Pues no sé por cierto lo que ocurrirá mañana. No puedo predecir las bodas ni los cambios del empleo. Pero ya puedo ver el futuro.

Veo que viviré mi vida. Trabajaré mucho y haceré y aprenderé mucho. Llegaré a ser una maestra buena y produciré la música bella. En sequida, moriré.

Debo tener una razón para la vida. Trataré de influir en mis estudiantes para que hagan lo bueno y amen la verdad. Les enseñaré mucho. Cuando he muerto, ellos ya están vivos... pero enseguida, ellos también moriráan.

Todo esto me deprime. Todo es vano.

Luego miro la eternidad. ¿Qué puedo hacer que vaya a continuar por siempre? Guardaré la verdad que nunca se destruye. Adoraré a Dios que vive de la eternidad hasta la eternidad.

Haceré el trabajo de Dios porque me ha comprometido que me recompensará. Y Él es fiel de completar la obra.

One more try...

It must be something about March. I blog in March. And March is almost over so I'd better get busy.

Actually, I'm going to make an effort to renew this blog. Hannah, you can keep me at it. Bug me if I don't write often enough, ok?

As for direction, it's hard to say where the blog will go. The title still fits. =)

Heart and Mind

I've been reading some in Ecclesiastes. Quite depressing, actually. Definitely Solomon was depressed. All that wisdom, all that knowledge, and his conclusion? "Vanity, vanity. All is vanity."

I totally understand his reasoning. We work hard and save and--die. We build a life and then leave it. What use is all the effort? Why not "eat, drink, and be merry"?

His father David contemplated some of the same topics. He also struggled with how the wicked so often prosper from their evil-doing. But in nearly every case, he reached the point of despair and took one more step: the step into the eternal. What Solomon could not reason out, David experienced. What the son could not learn, the father knew. With the confidence of one who "will dwell in the house of the Lord forever," he states his desire and expectation: "As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."

God gave to Solomon understanding and riches and power. David was called "a man after God's own heart." Though "[w]isdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom," I would choose the heart of God.

Whose assessment?

Who determines the worth of a thing? Would the world be as pretty if even one color were missing?

Is the brightest star the greatest? Is the mystery of a thousand distant points of light a stronger force? Or does it make a difference from which planet you view them?

Is the performance before an audience of a thousand greater music than the song realized in a child's lesson?

Can I measure my day in tasks accomplished? Or are my moments like notes that die to the hearing but not the heart?