On tuesday it rained! It hasn't rained since, or really been anything but hot and windy, but it was such an amazing rain storm. I had had a really bad day that day, said some things I shouldn't have said, got back to the people I said them about, and overall felt like crap. I sat at a park with Glen for awhile, trying to sort everything out, trying to forgive myself. I don't think I forgive very well. When I think about some girls in Junior High that asked me not to eat with them any more, I still feel bitter. Then I'm like, wait, I forgave them for that. I told them I did at least. It's stupid to be mad and carry grudges.
But especially with myself. So Glen and I got home and it started to rain. I went out and stood there and maybe did a V for Vendetta, raised my arms, and was like "God is in the rain." That's right, Terri, I was Natalie Portman for a little while! But it felt very refreshing, and I felt forgiven.
I don't know if that really makes sense, but I think God is everywhere, but especially in the rain. And it was so pretty. It wasn't completely cloudy, so behind me, on the roof it was sunny and pouring rain. Terri, you would have really liked it, spazzed, and then taken a lot of pictures. Glen and I sat in my room and watched it rain for awhile, and then I went out and danced in it. Then it got really cold so I didn't. But there was a rainbow!
I've decided there is something beautiful and amazing in every day we just have to look for them.
I've also been listening to John Denver a lot. He's beautiful too.
people actually read this?
there's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be
Ok so I've been driving/roaming around Cooper a lot and it's really beautiful. This place really irritates me but it's so freaking pretty... east Texas and all. I'm going to try and do a documentary photo project thing this summer and I'm actually really excited. I think where you come from is a big part of who you are and I feel like you should know about it so hopefully I will become enlightened along the way. Rosa and I were roaming down my road by this run down old feed store and it was especially pretty to me.
We also went and hung out at the cemetery. Not in a creepy way though. We roamed and read tombstones and talked to some dead people that had funny names. We looked for our birthdays and just at dates in general. Rosa has this theory that when someone dies someone else is born and I think it's a cool idea. That life is always constant I suppose. I noticed a lot of Septemeber 11 birthdays and death days. Maybe that date just sticks out though. We found some people with names of people we know and a man named Tobirtha. Haha Tabitha. We really went to find some war veterans because I don't really know what to do on memorial day so I feel like I should remember some people that died serving in the military. There aren't any monuments around here so I figured the cemetery was really the only place to go.
On another note... this old guy that had been sick came to church this morning and everyone was excited to see him. I talked to him after mass and he asked me if I gained weight and said it was probably all the tacos I had been eating. I thought it was really funny and it made me a little excited. And how did he know I eat A LOT of tacos?!
Memorial Day
Actually, Terri, I think we are quite interesting. And we would be more interesting if you would update and read this blog instead of sleeping and denying the existence of calories and B12. Tonight my dad and I were sitting around after supper (I cooked chickpeas and made it into a salad. It was weird. Not eating meat in limiting, but at the same time forcing me to try new things I would have never touched.), anyway we were sitting around and listening to Prairie Home Companion. It was toward the end of the show, and for all of those faithful listeners out there who are obviously reading our blog, that means it was "News from Lake Woebegone" time. For all those who claim to have "better" things to do with your time, News From Lake Woebegone is a monologue Garrison Keiller does every segment, and it ranges from being humorous, to serious, to sarcastic, to satirical. Lake Woebegone is a town in Minnesota I believe. Anyway, he was talking about it being memorial day, and all of the young men who had really big dreams, and wanted to establish themselves as an individual in this world, but were killed because of war. It was sad, made me think of atonement, but at the end of his segment, he started the crowd (it's recorded in front of a live audience) in singing the star spangled banner. My dad started to sing, so I sang, and he took off his hat, and stood, and I stood, and the dogs started to bark, and together with so many people in Fairfax (where it was being recorded) we sang.
<3s me some veggies
I'm becoming a vegetarian tomorrow. Tonight we will eat at One Guys and it will be glorious. Then tomorrow, I won't eat meat for a month. Terri's been doing it already, and since she's been feeling dizzy, I decided to look up good vegetarian nutrition so that way we can both eat healthy.
Kimber was supposed to meet with me about this, but she apparently doesn't answer her phone unless I leave her threatening voice messages.
I don't understand why it's so hard to call someone back.
Anyway, here's some information.
I found this from: http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/vegetarian.html
Carbohydrates provide energy and vitamins for your brain and muscles. Grain products, especially whole grains, fruits, and certain vegetables are very important because they provide the carbohydrate, fiber, and many vitamins that your body needs.
Fat is needed by your body to stay healthy. Fat provides essential fatty acids and helps your body absorb certain vitamins. Vegetarians need to include sources of fat such as nuts, oils, or avocado.
Protein is needed for your muscles to grow. Vegetarians have to be careful not to just cut meat out of their diet, but to replace the meat with high-protein vegetarian foods. Nuts, peanut butter, soy foods, and legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils all provide protein. Protein is also found in dairy foods like milk, yogurt, and cheese for vegetarians who eat these foods.
Zinc is important for growth and your immune system. Zinc is found in whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, dairy products, soy foods, and legumes.
Iron is important for your blood and is found in beans, seeds, soy foods, fortified breakfast cereals, and dark green leafy vegetables, like spinach. Vitamin C helps your body to absorb iron so eating foods rich in vitamin C, like citrus fruits and certain vegetables (like tomatoes) is important, as well.
Calcium is important to build strong bones for later in life. Calcium is found in dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese and dark green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach. Some foods are not naturally high in calcium but have calcium added to them; these foods are called calcium-fortified. Some soy products, orange juices, cereals, and cereal bars are calcium fortified. Look at the food label to find out which brands are highest in calcium.
Vitamin D is important for strong bones and is particularly important for people who live in colder climates because you need the sun to make it. During the winter the sun is not as strong and you are not able to make the Vitamin D you need, so it is especially important to make sure you get Vitamin D from the foods you eat, such as fortified dairy products and soy milk.
Vitamin B12 is the only nutrient that needs to be added to a vegan-Blogger: sing to the trees - Create Postvegetarian diet. Nutritional yeast flakes, fortified soy milk and cereals contain vitamin B12.
Terri, are you getting your B12. I bet NOT.I'm also including a website to a food rainbow!
http://www.dietitians.ca/news/downloads/Vegetarian_Food_Guide_for_NA.pdf
oh snap
Terri changed the lay out. It really confused me.
Terri, I thought you didn't like gray. i thought you liked "earth tones"
Anyway, I went to a Taizé service at Covenant Presbyterian church, yesterday. Taize is (according to Wikipedia)
The community was founded in 1940 by Frère Roger (Brother Roger), who remained its leader until his death on August 16, 2005. The ecumenical community is made up of more than a hundred men from many nations representing Protestant and Catholic branches of Christianity. Life in the community focuses on prayer and Christian meditation. Young people from all over the world visit Taizé each week to join in the community life.
The community, though Western European in origin, seeks to welcome people and traditions from across the globe. This internationalism is reflected by the music and prayers where songs are sung in many languages and increasingly include chants and icons from the Eastern Orthodox tradition.
At the heart of Taizé there is a passion for the Church. That is why the community has never wanted to create a “movement” or organisation centred on itself, but rather to send the young back from the youth meetings to their local Church, to their parish, group or community, to undertake, with many others, a “pilgrimage of trust on earth.” In many places across the world, ecumenical prayers using music from Taizé are organised by people, young and old, who have been in touch with the community. These times of prayer are very varied and are integrated in appropriate ways into the life of the local Church.It was really cool. I came in kind of late, and when I got there, everyone was sitting, facing a pulpit of candles. Some sang, some softly chanted. It sounded so pretty with the flute music, and cello, and clarinet. Barbara introduced my mom to it, who introduced me. It was very relaxing.
I'm used to church being a long process, not an hour of quiet meditation. And sometimes they sang in latin, sometimes English. I tried to sing in Spanish, and usually failed.
Afterward, Barbara took me out back and showed me the church's labyrinth.
This is what they usually look like:
Aren't they cool! The one at the church was made of stone though, and had a pretty little garden around the edges. The idea, I think, is to go in with a problem, and meditate on it while you're walking the labyrinth. I think it takes a while, and I guess, when you come out, you have had some time to think, and hopefully solve whatever you were facing.I think it's a really cool idea, and we should all walk it when we get back into Lubbock. Not necessarily together.
God is in the rain
because of video games apparently. And Mrs. Farmer doesn't look like Lara Croft (Craft?) from Tomb Raider. And when things don't come as easily to them, they shut down.
This may be true, but I think a lot of it has to do with how the information is being presented. But I'm staying out from their argument. I'm putting on music, because I don't really want to hear them rant about our generation.
Mrs. Farmer is over to help my mom with Kristin's graduation invitations. Fun.
I was going to update about Big bend, but you know how you tell people about it, and then it just feels like over kill to write about it.
I guess I'll write about one thing I really haven't mentioned that really isn't significant in any way.
When we arrived at the Barker House (which is in Bigbend, on the rio grande, right across from Mexico!), it started to rain. It was really hot when we got there, and there isn't any air conditioner. So we all stood outside in the rain, all of us, looking out across Mexico. My dad went inside, warmed up some food, and then we all ate out in the rain. It wasn't pouring or anything, it was just drizzling, but it was really cool.
It made me think of V for Vendetta, when one of the girls says "God is in the rain."
Burma...
Just in case anyone hasn't lost their hope in humanity yet:
here are a series of articles about Burma
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1739066,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1738729,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1739053,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7397012.stm
Bos-ni-a-your mom notes
First off- Simon Scott, the author, is a NPR reporter who was in Sarajevo at the time of the killings.
He is on Saturday mornings from 7-9
Sarajevo has a plaque where Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated. This assassination began the First World War. (June 28th)
14th century- defeat of Serbia by Turkish Empire. Muslims begin oppression of Serbians.
This caused ethnic hatred between Christian Orthodox Serbs and Muslims. (esp. Kosovar Albanian Muslims)
WW1- 1 million Yugoslavians were killed mostly (mostly) by other Yugoslavs.
-Croatian fascists became notorious for killing Serbs, Jews, gypsies, etc.
Serbs were rural, where Muslims were urban.
Serbs considered inferior.
End of WW11- formation of Yugoslavia (where all of this is taking place) under peace agreement (formed by US, Britain, and Russia) Led by a man named Tito, who was considered a pro-Serbia.
Tito died in May 1980.
Milosevic comes to power in 1980s. He changes Serbia’s constitutions, and voided the autonomy of Kosovo. He begins oppression of Albanian Kosovars.
1999-7,000 Muslims massacred by Serbs at Srebrenica.
600 Muslim bodies discovered in Kosovo. All of this was televised.
Milosevic is dead. He played the Serbs against the Muslims. (That’s what he did)
These conflicts arose because, like Africa, we grouped countries together with no regard to culture and language.
In Sarajevo, the river divided the city into a Muslim and Serbian side.
This is all I have. Hope it clears some confusion.
Pretty Birds
we should probably talk about it, right? Wasn't that supposed to be the point of this blog, TERRI. since no one reads it but you, anyway.
SO what did you think? Did you like the ending?
I'm trying to think of deeper questions, but I can't really...
did you like the appearance of Osama Bin Laden? I was like "wtf' when I read that.
Mostly, at first I really didn't like how they had the party thing near the end, because I was like "wtf, there are people DYING right outside your door step, and you guys are having a play"
but then Glen pointed out that we have to do that. We have to go on living our life. They can't be completely captured by all the suffering and murder, or else why go on living I guess?
So I kind of think of that when I read about Darfur, Somalia, Iraq, Burma, etc.
Does that make sense?
how to wear the garment of salvation
So yesterday my sister, mom, and I went to Paris to do a 5k "Run for the Arts." I got to see all the old people I swim with during the summer. Also I saw Mark Homer, my congressional representative, whom I recently wrote a letter to. It made me a little bit excited. I really didn't want to run, mostly because I was tired, mostly, and we had to leave my house at 6:30 in the morning. Once the race finally started I was glad I was running. I got stuck by this old guy that was hacking up stuff from his throat and spitting it out every 10 seconds or so. It was super annoying and we were pretty close to each other and neither of us were slowing down or going faster. Once we got to the second mile though he took off out of no where and I was just like... hmm go ahead.
I had to take my grandma, mom, and sister to Greenville to return a coat we bought for my grandma in December. I don't know why it took 5 months to take it back... We also went to a wig shop... my grandma wants a wig or something? Some weird hair piece that no one has or knows what she is talking about. Tracey and I think that she makes up products that don't exist and looks for them just so that she has a reason to look and to complain about how things aren't the way they used to be. Who knows... but she is always looking for something that she can never find... perhaps we all are.
A really bad storm came in last night and wrecked havoc on Cooper. The winds were crazy and my mom thinks that it was a small tornado... I kind of doubt it. Trees and roofs were blown down and are in the roads. The whole town is in chaos and everyone is freaking out. The talk of church this morning was, "How long was your power off?" The power being off was nice. It kind of disgusted me how dependent we are on electricity.
When it first began to storm I was in the kitchen with my dad, mom, and sister watching the rain. My dad recently got in his head that he needs to plant pecan trees around our house so he bought some and had them set up around the yard. The wind picked up and blew over his tree. We laughed and he said, "Marcie, go on and stand up my pecan tree." It was funny because it was pouring rain and the wind was blowing really hard and he wanted my mom to go stand it up... like it wouldn't just blow back over. I was still confused why he would possibly want to spend his time planting pecan trees when there were a million other things to do around our house. And we already have a ton of pecan trees everywhere.
Tracey and I read by candle light. It was nice and I played in the wax and burnt myself kind of a lot. I finished Pretty Birds... eh. The other books you recommend better be more interesting Laura. Just kidding!! AHAHA! But seriously it was pretty good. It made me appreciate everything that I think is bad, beacuse really it's not.
I dreaded going to mass this morning because I would have to make small talk of college and what I would be doing over the summer with all of the towns people . Our preist, Father Gary, always gives a good homily. Today the part that I actually paid attention to was about forgiveness. He was saying that a lot of people think of it as forgetting that something ever happened. He disagreed and thought that it was silly to pretend like things never happen, becasue, well obviously they do. He said that biblically to forgive someone is to tell them that they "owe you nothing." I kind of liked that. It's kind of like what's done is done, it will be alright and you don't have to do anything to make up for it. I don't understand why it's so hard to forgive.
bibles
Apparently you are supposed to bury a bible when you no longer want it.
Just thought you guys should know.
oh dear...
Ok so when I got home yesterday I went next door to see my Grandma. She is a very frail small old woman and my Dad has been making her count her calories so that she will eat at least 2,000 a day because she has been starving herself. She just doesn't really like eating I guess and she can't gain weight. But anyways....
She hugged me at least 10 times, (so I got my 10 hugs a day to feel loved) and she is just so tiny and boney. I don't remember her being so small. We were in her kitchen and she saw a wasp flying around. She was freaking out and yelled, "Where's my fly swatter?!" She searched through the kitchen and the rest of her house while talking to herself about how she could kill it on her own if she just found her fly swatter. Finally she got it by stretching and almost falling to reach it on top of the fridge. She wouldn't let us help her. (My sister was there too) After she got it she commented on how she just needed to grow a little bit more.
The wasp landed on a cabinet and she climbed on a chair to swat it. She told Tracey to turn her head. (Tracey doesn't like killing anything.) She hit it and had a mini celebration for it's death. It was still up on the cabinet so she took off her socks and climbed on top of the counter with a paper towel to feel for it and make sure it was dead. After a while she found it and starring at the dusty wasp corspe paper towel said in a quite whisper, "You aren't going to fly anymore now are you?" It really creeped me out.
So basically I've decided to spend more time with my Grandma. She's has been really lonely for a long time and we're all she has, well besides her cats... But I just can't imagine doing the same thing everyday by yourself and never having anything new or exciting happen. She's stuck in the past because she is living the same day over and over again. So while I am attempting to read all the books on our list I think I will do it over at my Grandma's house and watch old Western movies with her. I am actually kind of excited about it.
re-doing room
I'm redoing my room, because I don't think I can live with faeries this summer.
I tore apart my bookshelf and got rid of a lot of stuff, but I came across an old journal my mom gave me that she kept when she was at a difficult time in her life, I guess. I think she was trying to get through a bad break up. Anyway, I found a poem/words of wisdom that made me feel kind of good.
"It's okay"
It's oaky to be afraid
of the things we don't understand.
It's okay to feel anxious
when things aren't working our way
It's okay to feel lonely
even when you're with other people
It's okay to feel unfulfilled
becaue you know something is missing
(even if you're not sure what is it)
It's okay to think and worry and cry.
It's okay to do
whatever we have to do, but
just remember too,
that eventually you're goin gto
adjust to the change life brings your way,
and you'll realize that
it's okay to love again and laugh again
and it's okay to get to the point where
the life you live
is full and satisfying and good to you
and it will be that way
because you made it that way
-Laine Parsons
People we like
Here is a picture of Professor Caswell. One of the most amazing professors you will ever meet in college.
he took us on a trip to Palo Duro, can't beat that.
Reading List!
Ok, so we are soul searching this summer and we thought a good way to start would be to educate ourselves by reading about things that we actually are interested in and care about. So far this is our list...
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert M Pirsig
- The Citizen Artist, Linda Frye Burnham and Steven Durland
- Mapping the Terrain, Suzanne Lacy
- 1984, George Orwell
- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hessey
- Pretty Birds, Scott Simon
- Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
- Every book that Ed Check has ever recommended
- something about Ghandi
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Communism
- Genocide
Posts
