Amen.

This was my favorite devotional someone brought to my Old Testament class. This version is found in The Little Book of Prayer.

I want to be saved... and I want to save.
Amen.
I want to be set free... and I want to free.
Amen.
I want to be born... and I want to give birth.
Amen.
I want to hear... and I want to be heard.
Amen.
Sweetness dances. I want to pipe; all of you dance.
Amen.
I want to run away... and I want to stay.
Amen.
I want to make you beautiful... and I want to be beautiful.
Amen.
I want to join with you... and I want to be joined.
Amen.
I have no house... and I have houses.
Amen.
I have no ground... and I have ground.
Amen.
I have no temple... and I have temples.
Amen.
If you look at me... I will be a lamp.
Amen.
If you see me... I will be a mirror.
Amen.
If you knock on me... I will be a door.
Amen.
If you are a traveler... I will be a road.
Amen.
This is my dance. Answer me with dancing.

--The Acts of John

God, God, God

I shared this poem with my Old Testament class awhile back as a devotional. I now want to share it with the two readers of this blog.

From the depth of slumber,
As I ascend the spiral stairway of wakefulness,
I whisper
God, God, God!

Thou art the food and when I break my fast
Of nightly separation from Thee
I taste thee and mentally say
God, God, God!

No matter where I go, the spotlight of my mind
Ever keeps turning on Thee;
And in the battle dim of activity my silent war cry
Is ever;
God, God, God!

When boisterous storms of trials shriek
And worries howl at me,
I drown their noises, loudly chanting
God, God, God!

When my mind weaves dreams
With treads of memories,
Then on that magic cloth I do emboss;
God, God, God!

Ever night, in time of deepest sleep,
My peace dreams and calls; Joy! Joy! Joy!
And my Joy comes singing evermore;
God, God, God!

In waking, eating, working, dreaming, sleeping,
Serving, meditating, chanting, divinely loving,
My soul constantly hums, unheard by any;
God, God, God!

- Paramahansa Yogananda

Mindfulness and Meditation

I haven't been visiting this space lately since it's been quite an adjustment to being a full-time seminarian. Life at Fuller was a bit easier when I was only going part-time; I had time to read everything that was assigned (and I read almost everything, save 30 pages for my Prophets class that wasn't going to show up on the final exam). One of the benefits of being a part-time student was the ease of having leisure time. If I needed a break in the midst of my reading and paper-writing, I took breaks for quite liberal amounts of time.

Life is different at PLTS, especially as a full-timer. This is one of the first times in my life I have to be selective about what I'm going to read; there just aren't enough hours in a day. I love what I'm learning, but in order to complete all of the reading and assignments, I won't have time to spend with the husband, eat, sleep, etc. That's not a healthy way to go through seminary. I'm also more aware of self-care this time around. It was good to be a part-time student at Fuller, because I was able to take the time for self-care. At PLTS, I'm learning that I need to make time for self-care.

Part of my explorations in self-care involves meditation. I used to do yoga on a regular basis when I lived in Glendale (it was wonderful there was a yoga class taught at church!). While I've been slacking on my yoga time, I'm becoming more aware of the need to meditate and become more aware of the environment around me. This is definitely an exercise for me, as my mind is usually running a million miles a minute with the things I need to do and the tasks I need to accomplish. I'm discovering my mind needs a break and needs to focus on relaxing.

My new focus on relaxing comes from the practice of mindfulness, of being more aware of the environment around you. Sights, sounds, smells, textures, and thinking about the here and now are practicing mindfulness. The mind is not permitted to wander to task completion or other thoughts; the focus of the mind is to be in the present. So I leave you with an exercise in mindfulness called "The Raisin Meditation."

Take two raisins. With the first raisin, do what you would automatically do; eat it. Quickly pop it in your mouth, maybe bite it once and a speedy swallow. And then look for the next one. For the second raisin it will be different!!

Hold the second raisin by the thumb and index finger. Look at it carefully. Note the creases. Rotate it and continue to look at it. Press it a little and feel the texture and transfer it to the other hand. Repeat the process. Now slowly bring to the mouth and place it on the tongue. Roll it around in the mouth and keep your self in the sensation. Move the raisin to the left, right and under the tongue. Repeat this process. All in slow motion. Now slowly take a bite – very very slowly. Feel the juice slowly coming out and relish it. Now a second bite – in slow motion. Continue this until it has been completely chewed and almost dissolved. Now slowly swallow it. Feel the emptiness in your mouth. Just close your eyes and savor this experience.

A Postmodern Seminary Vocabulary

This song has gone viral at PLTS, and I have to share the lyrics with you...

"A Postmodern Seminary Vocabulary" written by Matthew Black

When I came to seminary, I thought it would be neat
But I couldn't eat in the cafeteria; it's called the refectory
And I couldn't interpret the Pentateuch, cause exegesis is best
And they don't read the Bible here, they just call it the text

Cause here at seminary we love our vocabulary.
Don't try to say anything unless you have a dictionary.
It takes words you haven't heard to talk about these things.
For example, we all say "postmodern" but we don't know what it means.

Syncretism, papal schisms, and speaking of ecumenism,
The Trinitarian modalism of Iranaeus is an anachronism.
Let's deconstruct the Decalogue through redaction criticism.
And that would be postmodern, but I'm not sure what I mean.

Here at seminary we love our vocabulary.
Don't try to say anything unless you have a dictionary.
It takes words you haven't heard to talk about these things.
And we all say "postmodern" but we don't know what it means.

Don't call me "neo-orthodox" or I'll punch you in the mouth.
Defining terminology is all we fight about.
Conservative and liberal, multi- and cross-cultural.
Let's consider contextualization and be more pedagogical.

Here at seminary we love our vocabulary.
Don't try to say anything unless you have a dictionary.
It takes words you haven't heard to talk about these things.
And I keep saying "postmodern" but I don't know what it means.

Preach to me your homiletics and polity so you can use it.
Don't postpone my ordination cause I still can't spell "hermeneutic!"

J, P, E, D, Q. Deutero-Isaiah, too.
At least we get lots of free food, but is anyone else sick of soup?
Intertextuality might alter my pneumatology,
But so might being postmodern, and who knows what that means?

Here at seminary we love our vocabulary.
Don't try to say anything unless you have a dictionary.
It takes words you haven't heard to talk about these things.
And we all say "postmodern" but we don't know what it means

Twenty Centuries as Twenty Days

Greek at PLTS is very different from Greek at Fuller. At Fuller, the classes were structured as if the students were going on to get a PhD in Biblical Languages. I'm fairly certain that wasn't my track, so taking Greek at Fuller didn't last very long for various reasons (my right hand being in a cast for four months was one of the biggest reasons). I'm taking Greek again at PLTS, and it's a very different environment than Fuller. Greek here is much more laid back and taught as an application for ministry; if we're interested in learning more about the language, the professor is extremely helpful with resources to further advance our knowledge.

The professor at PLTS shared a poem with us the first day of class. It was written by Czeslaw Milosz in Berkeley in 1968. When he was in his 60s, he started learning Biblical Greek and Hebrew, and the following poem is about his experience.

You asked me what is the good of reading the Gospels in Greek.
I answer that it is proper that we move our finger
Along letters more enduring than those carved in stone,
And that, slowly pronouncing each syllable,
We discover the true dignity of speech.
Compelled to be attentive we shall think of that epoch
No more distant than yesterday, though the heads of caesars
On coins are different today. Yet still it is the same eon.
Fear and desire are the same, oil and wine
And bread mean the same. So does the fickleness of the throng
Avid for miracles as in the past. Even mores,
Wedding festivities, drugs, laments for the dead
Only seem to differ. Then, too, for example,
There were plenty of persons whom the text calls
Daimonizomenoi, that is, the demonized
Or, if you prefer, the bedeviled (as for "the possessed"
It's no more than the whim of a dictionary).
Convulsions, foam at the mouth, the gnashing of teeth
Were not considered signs of talent.
The demonized had no access to print and screens,
Rarely engaging in arts and literature.
But the Gospel parable remains in force:
That the spirit mastering them may enter swine,
Which, exasperated by such a sudden clash
Between two natures, theirs and the Luciferic,
Jump into water and drown (which occurs repeatedly).
And thus on every page a persistent reader
Sees twenty centuries as twenty days
In a world which one day will come to its end.

Old and New.

I've completed almost all of my classes this first week at PLTS. I'll admit, it felt (and still kind of feels) terrifying, but I'm also excited at the same time. I did appreciate my time studying at Fuller, but something was sort of off for three of the four quarters I was there. One of the biggest difficulties I had was being Lutheran. Don't get me wrong though, I do love being Lutheran, but it was actually kind of hard to be Lutheran at Fuller. In addition, I was (and still am) a new Lutheran, so I would ask off the wall and really naïve questions. My personal favorite was when I asked, "But aren't we all Christian?" during a philosophy study group. I can still hear the silence in my head... I talked a lot to one of the TAs my first quarter at Fuller, and he suggested I write a column for the school paper titled "The Lonely Lutheran." We came up with some funny article ideas, which I really wish I wrote down.

My last quarter at Fuller, things started to click. I had a regular group of friends I hung out with, and people I loved conversing and debating with. I also had friends that provided a safe space at Fuller, when I needed to verbalize why I was making such shifts in my life, and questioning if I was doing the right thing. I was really sad to leave my friends and those safe spaces.

Which brings me to PLTS. Wow, this is a crazy small community. The entering class is less than thirty students, so we've all had the chance to get to know one another. The second through fourth year students have been amazing guides in these first weeks of exploring campus and the surrounding areas. I've loved the opportunities for fellowship, prayer, conversation, and eating brownies and ice cream after Greek.

The seminary sits at the top of a hill, and the view cannot be described in words. I'm amazed with the view of the San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the hills south of San Francisco. It is absolutely breathtaking. The view never gets old. I hope it never will.

Dreamland is coming to a close.

I think I'm finally coming to the realization that the husband and I are not on a very long vacation. We were living a very unsettled life for the first two weeks in northern California. We were surrounded by boxes, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, and all of our earthly possessions.

Most of the boxes have been unpacked and collapsed. The blank canvas that we entered three weeks ago is starting to feel like "home."

Even though the house is feeling more and more like ours, I'm still in a type of dreamland. I've been very thankful for this time off, otherwise the house would be in a complete disarray and the husband and I would probably go some kind of bonkers. The dreamland, though, is starting to wear off in a series of small events. The first small event was my online student loan counseling. The second was an email from the dean of students. The third was an email from my student advisor, asking me out to coffee next week.

Another funny sign of my eroding dreamland status: trying to figure out how to get to campus. It looks like bicycling is out of the question, especially after reading this link. Interesting to know the route to school is known as "Death Climb 1." Looks like I'll be bicycling to the North Berkeley BART station, then catching the Martin Looper to campus.

The Rhythm is gonna get ya

The husband and I had a very comfortable rhythm while we were living in Glendale. We normally woke up together, sat on the sofa, drank a cup of coffee and talked about the plans we had for that day. We would go our separate ways, the husband to the office and I would go to school. We would meet up again around 6:30PM, have dinner together, then have an open evening.

One of the hardest yet most exciting things about relocating is trying to find a new sense of rhythm. I probably won't find mine until I start school. In the meantime, I've been unpacking the house, and I have been grateful for this time. It's been interesting seeing how our old lives will transform into new lives in a new place. While there are still boxes around the new place, it's not as overwhelming as it was the day the movers showed up will all of our stuff. Each day, more and more of the boxes are being unpacked and collapsed. The contents of those boxes are finding new places to live. One of the more exciting unpacking adventures involved wedding china, crystal, and flatware. The husband and I have been married for five years, yet our full wedding china set never left the gift boxes. Trying to piece together what pieces we had was kind of fun. We placed the china, crystal, and flatware into a lovely built-in china cabinet in our kitchen. We plan to break in the fine china with pizza from Amici's; hopefully the same Amici's where we had dinner for our first wedding anniversary.

The adventure continues.

New beginning

I'm sitting on the floor of our new house typing this post. Our possessions are currently en route. It's actually been nice to live without our stuff for a few days. Living without our possessions is making the husband and me realize that we don't need "stuff." The arrival of our stuff seems like an end to our adventure. Our new lives and new experiences are going to hit us head on.

So much has happened since my last post. The husband and I traveled to Berkeley to find a new place to live. We were blessed when we found a house less than three miles from PLTS. Alas, the drawback is that the husband will have to commute quite a ways to the peninsula. This will be a change from his 15 minute bicycle commute he had in Glendale. But we're hopeful that we'll find our new rhythm and new routines before long.

I preached my first sermon, which was an incredible experience. It was an experience I got to share with so many people from such different phases of my life. Annie, my friend since the 7th grade, flew in from Denver. Karl's family was also there. So were many of my friends from Clemson. And friends from Fuller. New friends the husband and I made while living in Glendale. Leigh was there too; she's the catalyst that started this adventure.

I turned 30. Funny though, I don't feel 30. I feel like I'm 18, getting ready to go to college and preparing to start a new adventure. It was fun to celebrate with so many friends and family.

Then we packed up all of our possessions and moved north. It was really difficult for us to leave Glendale. Our last Sunday at Salem Lutheran was very emotional. The husband and I said our goodbyes to our church family. I missed UniLu when we moved from SC, but this move and detachment was emotional on a different level. The husband and I didn't want to leave. We did a lot of second guessing our last week in Glendale. It was hard to close the door to our apartment the last time, leaving what was once our home for three and a half years as an empty canvas.

Which brings me to the empty canvas the husband and I will be calling home for awhile...

Homiletics Crash Course

1. Spending the morning at church talking to Pastor about my upcoming sermon. Lots to think about. I then met with Matt to talk about VBS activities. I'm looking forward to this year's program, which is "Paul and the Underground Church of Rome."

2. Speaking of sermons, I had a crash course in homiletics today. Clay was so kind to take time out of his day to give me a VERY condensed version of his class.

3. Talking to Pastor Marcus. I cannot wait to see him on Friday evening!

4. Making dinner with a recipe from "The Art of Simple Food." I made plain and simple pork chops with a ridiculously simple pan sauce.

5. More leads on rentals in Berkeley. We'll see how it goes starting tomorrow! Eep!

Last day to tap away.

1. Tap class. It was my last class with Laura Fremont, who has been a fantastic teacher. It was fulfilling a childhood fantasy. I hope I can find a class in Berkeley...

2. Green grapes right out of a refrigerator.

3. Lots of leads on apartments in Berkeley/ Albany. I just hope that the husband and I will be able to find something.

4. A lazy afternoon mostly to myself.

5. A rechargeable battery pack for the Wii Fit. This way, the husband and I don't waste tons of batteries.

Back to yoga.

1. Being able to attend my yoga class after such a long hiatus. My physical therapist didn't want me to attend yoga, since I wouldn't be able to support my weight in some of the poses since it would put too much pressure on my wrist. But I finally got the okay, and I finally had the time to spend a peaceful hour at class this morning.

2. Getting some great leads on places to live in Berkeley. I pray that the husband and I can find a new nice place to call "home."

3. Getting rid of a lot of clutter. Four large trash bags exited the apartment today.

4. A brain check session. So thankful for those!

5. Homemade turkey reuben sandwiches for dinner.

Potluck Sunday

1. Making Leigh's mac and cheese for the church potluck. I have ever so fond memories of that mac and cheese.

2. Sleeping in and going to the 11AM service. The husband and I normally attend the 8:30AM service; it was a nice change of pace.

3. Talking to the husband's parents.

4. Sorting through old birthday cards and notes. Many wonderful memories.

5. Time for needed rest.

June 13

1. Sleeping in. Even if I woke up at 7:30AM, it's still sleeping in.

2. Cleaning out closets and finding quite the cache of unused and mostly unopened wedding presents.

3. Peach and mango licorice.

4. ODing on old Gilmore Girls episodes.

5. A quiet day.

A wonderful Friday

1. Leisure reading. I started and finished The Plain Janes, which was a fun and simple read. It's from a publisher called Minx, who produces graphic novels specifically for teenage girls. Janes had an overall positive message, which makes me wonder what Minx will publish next?

2. Meeting Joyce for lunch. What used to be a weekly tradition seems to have turned into a monthly tradition, but a tradition nonetheless.

3. Visiting The Life Giving Spring Orthodox Bookstore, which was such an interesting experience. I wish I knew about this bookstore while I was in my Early Church History class. It was amazing to look at all of the icons on the walls. In my discussions with Amanda, we talked a lot about Mary Magdalene and her differing histories between the eastern and western churches, especially the her eastern interpretation as the "equal of the Apostles." I spoke with the owner of the bookstore, Anastasia, who has her MDiv degree, but since she is Greek Orthodox, cannot be ordained. It was wonderful to talk with Anastasia about the differing ideas of east and west. I hope to hang an icon of the equal of the Apostles on my wall soon.



4. New running shoes. My knees have been wonky as my old running shoes are getting old. I've stuck with the same brand for the past few years (Ariel, made by Brooks), but in test running shoes (yes, the store lets people test run shoes), I ended up with a pair from Saucony. I hope these shoes and I can become good friends.

5. Getting to say my goodbyes to Clay and Aphuno. Clay is so wonderful. He's giving me a crash course in homiletics in preparation for July 12th.

A Final Day at Fuller.

1. Taking my last exam of the spring quarter. With this came the realization that it was also my last exam at Fuller, which was cause for both mourning and celebration.

2. Part of that celebration involved celebrating with my Early Church History study group. We all survived, and with the knowledge that we were still alive, we went out to celebrate over frizen yogurt.

My treat for finishing exams. A combination of pomegranate blueberry, pineapple, tart blueberry, and plain frozen yogurt covered with strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

Our "tough" picture. This is almost everyone from the Church History study group. Daniel couldn't celebrate with us since he had three papers due, but said he would take a rain check.

3. Coming home, dropping my backpack on the floor, and napping until the husband came home from work.

4. A supportive family. My parents and the husband's parents have been the best cheerleaders. And the husband isn't a half-bad cheerleader either.

5. Attending my last Thursday Bible study group at Salem. I've learned so much from that class, and have met so many incredible people in that class. We read a devotional that talked about moving and transitioning lifestyles, but through all of that change, God's love remains constant. I couldn't help but cry.

T minus one and counting...

1. The weird curvy chairs outside the Hubbard Library. They are oddly comfortable!

2. My early church history study group. A bunch of funny guys talking religion and politics. I'm really going to miss them!

3. Left over birthday cake.

4. The Casa Verdugo branch of the Glendale Public Library. A nice place to study, and I saw Jackie Ramm from my old Bible study class!

5. The wonderfully cool weather.

I finished my Prophets class. When do I get to take applied prophecy?

1. My Prophets exam. This may not seem like an item of grace, but let me explain. The professor gave us six essay topics, stating that only three of his choosing would appear on the exam. Statistically speaking, I had to learn the material for all six essays. And honestly, I knew some better than others. While waiting for the exam to be handed out, people in the class were predicting which three essays would appear on the exam. When the exam was handed out, all six questions appeared, with the instructions that we were to write on *any* three. Wow. Grace at work. I heard the sigh of relief, and I admit, I sighed as well.

2. Taking a nap to recharge my batteries. It was much needed.

3. Eating a chocolate chip cookie the husband brought home from work. His office makes the best chocolate chip cookies ever.

4. Listening to the Foo Fighters "The Colour and the Shape." It's one of my favorite CDs, and I haven't listened to it in a long while.

5. Talking with Eric at the bookstore. We have very similar stories of what brought us to our faith, and our signs of affirmation. It's been great getting to know him this quarter in church history. I think one of the things I'll miss the most this quarter is my Early Church History study group. It's been wonderful getting to know my study buddies, and being able to call them friends.

Happy Birthday, Husband!

1. Celebrating the husband's birthday first thing this morning. We shared a cup of coffee together, which was wonderful. We had take-out for dinner, and we'll have cake later this evening. :)

2. Receiving a bracelet I've wanted for five years. Yes, five years. It's a bracelet designed from two forks, with their tines woven together. It's pretty spiffy. The person who created the bracelet also sent me a picture of two kangaroos that are under his care.

3. Therapy. One of the big questions that came out of today's session concerned how classes this quarter have impacted my faith. This is an entirely different blog topic, one that I hope to address once finals are over.

4. Getting to have a nice, long conversation with my mom this afternoon. Life has been sort of hectic and we haven't had much time for a long conversation.

5. Leigh sent me her recipe for heart-stopping mac and cheese. (It really is heart stopping; it's loaded with everything that clogs arteries, but I have many fond college memories attached to that mac and cheese!)

Last day of classes at Fuller.

1. Kindness of my classmates. It was kind of a wonky day with an odd start. I forgot silverware when I got my lunch, and Kevin got me a fork, which he didn't have to do. Then my audio recording crapped out in the middle of Early Church History, and Jon was kind enough to share his audio file with me when class was over.

2. Gummy tummy penguins from Ben.

3. Getting to meet with Henry on campus. We attended the biblical colloquia this afternoon, which was just fantastic. I wish I could have taken a class with Dr. Goldingay while at Fuller. And I'm going to miss Henry so much when the husband and I move.

4. Meeting Amanda for coffee. It's been so wonderful to know a fellow Lutheran woman at Fuller who feels called to enter ministry. We talked a lot about our fears, but also about the great joy we've had thus far on this amazing experience.

5. The husband made me a yummy sandwich for dinner. I'm the luckiest wife in the world.

June 3.

1. Rain. In June. In southern California.

2. Misinterpreted Facebook status updates led to a funny misinterpretation. Especially when messages and phone calls started coming in yesterday, there was a comical need to clarify just what was going on.

3. Getting to sleep in this morning, which was a bit unexpected. The husband had every intention of letting me sleep in, but I'm happy that I woke up before he left for work.

4. Getting to pick the husband up from work. More minutes we get to spend together. :)

5. Getting to talk to Leigh... It sounds like she'll really be here in a month and a half.

June 2

1. Getting to have dinner with my tap dance class. I had to skip out on class this evening since it's too close to crunch time for exams, but the class met for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Much fun was had, especially when the fortune cookies came out!


2. Getting to talk to my church history professor about the multitude of saints and how it's very similar to gods within the Hindu pantheon. Still much food for thought for common dialogue...

3. Damian gave me an assortment of cardboard boxes. He saw them at work and thought of the husband and me, so it was very nice of him to pick them up for us.

4. Getting to talk to my mom and brother. It's been hard with our mishmash of schedules as of late.

5. Talking to Pastor Marcus. It will be wonderful to catch up with him in a couple of weeks!

Primero de Junio

1. Getting to talk to Aretha this morning. I miss seeing her in class so much! It was fun to catch up, and I'm hoping she, Ben, and I can do a final pancake breakfast at the end of the quarter.

2. Finishing all of the reading for the quarter this afternoon. Now I just need to study for finals!

3. Date night.

4. Sharing the raspberry chiffon pie with my old Greek TA.

5. Getting a nice brain check this morning.

Happy birthday, church!

1. Celebrating Andrew's birthday yesterday, which was a lot of fun. It was great to see our Clemson west friends, as well as meet new people.

2. Naptime.

3. Sending my Prophets paper to my professor this morning. It was as done as it was ever going to get.

4. This morning was confirmation Sunday at Salem. The lone confirmant, Kimberly did an absolutely wonderful job delivering her statement of faith to the congregation. And it was wonderful to see so much red at church this morning.

5. The husband and his doppleganger (Matt, the youth minister) were worship assistants, which cracked me up. Seeing both of them in their albs and red cinctures was almost too much. When the husband took off his glasses and the husband and Matt stood side by side, you'd think they were brothers!!!

6. Tasked with a fun and interesting activity. How to rewrite the lyrics for "Roam" from the B-52s to reflect Salem's VBS theme: Paul and the Underground Church in Rome.

Last Friday in May... how did this happen?

1. Finishing the content part of writing my Prophets paper that's due on Monday. I really hope to have it done and sent away on Sunday night...

2. Blueberries were on sale at Ralphs, and I bought some for the husband since he loves to snack on them, but doesn't get to eat them very much.

3. Since fruit was on such an awesome sale, I also purchased some raspberries to make raspberry chiffon pie for Andrew's party tomorrow.

4. Getting out for a small walk to the grocery store. I'm usually cooped up in the apartment the days I'm not on campus, so it was nice to get out, even if it was just for a few minutes.

5. Finding a particular piece of jewelry I've been looking for for six years. It's a bracelet made out of a dinner fork.

Thursday...

1. Giving Ben his birthday cupcake. Nice way to start the class day.

2. Looking at the movie poster Jon and his group created in 30 minutes in NT2. The movie's title on Revelation? "The Amazing Jesus." Coming soon to a cosmos near you!


3. Pulling out my first study Bible I received from my in-laws when the husband and I were dating. It was so wonderful to look back on the notes I made concerning the questions I had. My study Bible and I became great friends in 2006, when I started regularly attending Bible study at Salem. It was nice to relive those memories.

4. Steroids, but in this case, used to treat an allergic reaction. I had a wicked reaction last week and am still suffering from the results. Not fun, but at least it didn't require a trip to the hospital.

5. No more additions to the Prophets study guide! I actually went "Woo-hoo" after the professor made the announcement, which elicited a good laugh. And laughing about Elephantine (pronounced Elephantini...), joking about how I was going to drink one after class.

Wedensday Graces

1. Coffee time with the husband first thing this morning.

2. Helping Leigh look for plane tickets out to LA. I sure hope she'll be able to come out here in July. And people have been super helpful in sending me ticket price comparison websites...

3. Finding a jumbo cupcake at the Ralph's bakery. Perfect to take to Ben for class.

4. Getting an email from Lillia. I'm happy to hear she's doing well.

5. The husband made guacamole from scratch in his molcajete. This means we got to eat part of our dinner out of a piggy carved out of stone. Awesome. :)

A Tuesday that feels like a Monday.

1. The presents the husband and I ordered for our dads actually showed up! That means we can send stuff out in time for Father's Day!

2. Banana bread with chocolate chips. The husband makes yummy banana bread...


3. A shocking piece of mail. The husband and I are still trying to process it. It sounds negative here, but really, it's not. We're just super confused.

4. It was cloudy when I drove to campus today; it was wonderful and sunny on the drive home.

5. Watching "Ted Koppel's Big Night Out."

Memorial Day Monday

1. Spending the morning with the husband. We went to Pasadena in the morning to look at a wedding present for a friend, then off to sample the many kinds of frozen yogurt at Squeeze and Scoop.

2. Getting to watch part of the L.A. Marathon on television. I'm absolutely fascinated with long-distance running and endurance; it was interesting to watch first thing this morning.

3. Getting to sleep in. The husband slept in too. That rarely happens.

4. Catching up with an old friend from Clemson days of old.

5. Receiving an invitation to my birthday.

Ascension Sunday

1. Serving as assisting minister in church for both services. It was an amazing experience, and am so grateful to the leaders of Salem to let me have such an awesome experience.

2. Hugs. Never gets old.

3. The husband made Swedish pancakes from scratch for lunch to celebrate my first day as an assisting minister.

4. Getting to finally talk to the sister-in-law.

5. Getting to have a long conversation with Steve's mom. She's one of the most wonderful women I know and I love catching up with her. She made it very clear at Steve's wake that she wanted to catch up with all of Steve's friends, and she truly meant it. I cannot wait to see her in September.

This week's graces

1. Calamine lotion, and lots of it. It even makes me a happy shade of pink, and happy thoughts can go a long way right now.

2. Receiving my Prophets midterm grade. All I have to say is... dude.

3. The husband made scones from scratch.

4. Starting my Prophets paper, more than a week before it's due. I'm hoping to finish it to enjoy Andrew's birthday party.

5. Getting new cross stitch projects for the summer. Babies are on their way (not mine, might I add), and I want to make them blankets!

6. Being asked to be an assisting minister at church. My first attempt is tomorrow... I've just been praying to God that I perform as an act of worship in His name.

7. My Early Church History study group going out for frozen yogurt. They said they didn't help me study for my Prophets midterm, but they sure wanted to help me celebrate my grade.

8. Laughing a lot with my husband and my brother on our theories on the space-time continuum. It's been great entertainment.

9. Getting to see one of my childhood friends perform at the El Rey Theater, and open for the Indigo Girls to boot! I'm so awed by Matt's musical talent, and it's wonderful that he gets to do something he truly loves.

10. Acquiring a hummingbird squatter. He likes to sit on the tomato cage, and normally sits there all day long.

11. Cherry season. I actually saw Rainier cherries at the grocery store, and that made me smile.

I'm back!

Life has run away with me a little bit. It's been an odd week, but with many good points.

1. Getting to see old friends on both Friday AND Saturday. Friday was spent at the Howard Hughes Center, eating dinner at Islands, and watching "Star Trek" in the Director's Lounge, which was pretty neat. Saturday was spent catching up, playing board games, and eating insane amounts of food.

2. New life. Lauren had a baby boy this week. Manika had a baby girl. Marissa found out she's having a boy. Just...wow.

3. Passing my Early Church History midterm. I felt ridiculously schooled after the test. When the professor announced he had our grades, my heart leapt into my throat. When I got my grade, I about did cartwheels out of the classroom, hugging members of my study group. I guess you could say I was a tad excited.

4. I made tiramisu, and it was wonderful. Unhealthy, but wonderful. And everyone who ate it lived to tell the tale.

5. Assistant minister training at church. I was filled with a great amount of awe and fear standing on the other side of the altar. I'm still questioning if I can handle this, and I'm still trying to figure out what "this" is.

6. My in-laws are coming to town for my first sermon and 30th birthday.

7. The husband made pizza from scratch. Well, at least the crust and the sauce. He didn't make his own mozzarella, even though he does have a recipe to do so.

Midweek Graces

1. Painting my fingernails and toenails. They are nice, bright, and fairly obnoxious pink.

2. Finally finding marscapone cheese for the tiramisu I'm making for Saturday's game day. I've been to three different stores looking for this cheese!

3. Taco salad for dinner. So easy to make, and so yummy!

4. Getting back in touch with an old friend from SC. I'm happy to know he and his wife are doing well and are going to be parents in July!

5. Taking a slow day. I did get classwork and reading done, but most of the day was spent as "me" time, which was a nice change of pace.

Miss you, Steve.

I'm thankful for my friendship with Steve. Today would have been his 30th birthday.

Sunday.

1. The sermon at church this morning, given by a missionary pilot who's based in Bangladesh. His words hit a little close to home concerning love for God and service. I could relate too well. Especially with turning the lives of surrounding family members upside down.

2. Finding yet another birthday present for another friend. Lots of May birthdays!!!

3. A church BBQ. The husband won a toy in a drawing. We were sent home with cucumber tomato salad after the BBQ was over. And the cat's out of the bag at church; more people know the husband and I won't be with our beloved congregation for long...

4. Getting to spend a fairly relaxing weekend with the husband. It's been grand!

5. Sitting with the husband and Emily in church.

Beachy Saturday

1. Sleeping in. Sooooo wonderful.

2. Going on a random outing to wander around Venice Beach and Santa Monica.

3. Seeing a lot of baby ducks swimming around the Venice canals.

4. Finding a bracelet made of coconut shells for one of my Denver friends.

5. Splitting a Kinder Egg with the husband.

A belated Friday

1. Lunch with Joyce in Burbank.

2. A lazy half day where schoolwork did not exist.

3. Walking to get dessert, and while walking by church, running into Matt, who invited us into Youth Night for a bit. Wonderfully random.

4. Movie night with Ben & Jerry's Cake Batter Ice Cream.

5. Watching the last five minutes of "Dollhouse." The husband bears a strikingly strange resemblance to Alan Tudyk...

Tired Thursday

1. Midterms are over. Done. Fin.

2. After class, three friends and I went to Squeeze and Scoop for frozen yogurt. It was much fun, even if I was really brain dead.

3. The husband took me out to dinner to celebrate the end of midterms.

4. Running into Aretha on campus. I about knocked her over I was so happy to see her!

5. Kiona giving me a part of her apple before my midterm.

Midterming Monday.

1. The husband and I cooked dinner together. It was springtime pasta, one of my favorite simple dishes that leaves oodles of leftovers, which is perfect for midterms week. For the two of you who read this, the recipe is here.

2. Leigh might be coming to visit! I'm soooo excited! And it will be crazy, because she too is trying to fly out for my 30th birthday/ first sermon weekend.

3. Living within a walking distance to a library. Not so I can check out books, though. Today, it was more of a different place to study for midterms so I wouldn't try to clean the apartment in a fit of procrastination.

4. Getting in touch with a long-lost friend from elementary and middle school days. Facebook is a funny thing.

5. Sitting out on the deck for a few minutes watching the hummingbirds fly by.

Youth Sunday

1. Youth Sunday at church. One of the best services of the year, which is planned by Salem's amazing youth group.

2. At Youth Sunday, getting to listen to and sing along with The Beatles (All You Need is Love), The BeeGees (How Deep is Your Love?) and Bon Jovi (Livin' on a Prayer). It was interesting to have the service changed up quite a bit. It reminds me of when I was first attending church and had no idea what was going on!

3. Getting to talk to Annie, who is flying out here for my 30th birthday and also to hear me preach my first sermon!

4. Watching a TV show about badgers on PBS. It was the first time I've ever seen a badger, actually.

5. Comfy track pants.

Silly squirrel Saturday

1. Studying outside at the Garth. Jon and I couldn't find a place indoors on campus to study, so we sat outside. We were accosted by a brave (or hungry) squirrel that was eating bread crumbs around our table. It was hilarious to see this same squirrel run across the Garth with a golf ball in its mouth.

2. The husband bought cherries from the farmer's market as a nice surprise. It's finally cherry season!

3. Skip-Bo. Chuck and Sarah brought this game over a few weeks ago when the husband and I invited them over for dessert. It was a fun and simple game. The husband bought Skip-Bo and UNO, which have been welcome study breaks.

4. The jasmine plant on the porch is getting ready to bloom. I can't wait!

5. My gerber has produced three beautiful red daisies!

TGIF

1. A calm morning, having coffee with the husband.

2. Getting to talk to Jill. I miss her, and I'm glad she's willing to listen to by bizarre questions and that she has an open mind when she listens to my theological babbling.

3. Getting to have a long conversation with my brother.

4. Multicolored Goldfish crackers.

5. Old U2 CDs.

Wednesday's here

1. A nice spring day. No more of this crazy oppressive heat.

2. The husband made me a sandwich to take to school for lunch. That was very nice of him.

3. Index cards. I use them a lot.

4. Hearing that Alana bought a house! Yay!

5. Getting to sleep in for a little bit.

Tuesday. Tired.

1. Getting to watch the last few minutes of "Reading Rainbow" before leaving for campus. "Rainbow" was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid; it was nice to see it's still on!

2. Finding "Chinatown" at the grocery store for four bucks. The husband and I tried to check it out from both the Glendale and Pasadena libraries, but both libraries lost their copies. Renting it from Blockbuster will cost about $4.25. So random to find in the freezer section of the grocery store. We also purchased "The Greatest Story Ever Told."

3. Settling on a date for my first sermon. July 12th...

4. Watching a hummingbird fluff itself.

5. Morning coffee from a french press.

A Monday that turned into a Tuesday

1. Finding old CDs from high school and college. Very fun to listen to in the car!

2. All is well, according to my physical.

3. Salad with veggies from the farmer's market. Never gets old.

4. A peaceful day with one phone call (from the husband during lunch).

5. Air conditioning.

Summery Sunday

1. Being able to stand outside and greet people at church this morning. It was such a beautiful day, I didn't want to do my ushering responsibilities in the narthex. So I wandered outside to greet people before entering the church.

2. Pastor's sermon this morning. It had the congregation laughing a lot, but most importantly, it made many of us think.

3. Taking a nap on the couch with the husband. At least I took the nap; he was watching "Gilmore Girls."

4. The husband and I were so inspired by the eating habits on "Gilmore Girls," he went out and got us a pizza.

5. Getting to catch up with friends and family throughout the course of the day.

Cold Wednesday...

1. I'm married to a man who's so patient, it's almost absurd. He's so patient, he helped me revise my paper that's due tomorrow.

2. Hot tea. It was cold today, and I drank lots of hot tea.

3. Hot soup. I sense a theme...

4. Chocolate for breakfast. Not the healthiest food for breakfast, but it was sure yummy.

5. The husband checked with his boss. His boss wants a start date. This means attending PLTS is becoming more and more blessedly real. Wow.

Graceful Tuesday

1. Cold red grapes from the refrigerator

2. Easter candy remnants

3. Watching one of my favorite old episodes of "King of the Hill."

4. Season three of "Gilmore Girls"!

5. Hugs from the husband when he came home from work.

Day after the resurrection

1. A wonderful dinner last night with leftovers tonight. The husband made Easter dinner consisting of peppercorn pork loin and cheesy vegetables.

2. Going out for a nice walk in the morning. I used to walk a lot almost every morning; I've been lazy (or sick) for the past month and fell out of practice. I wandered around for about three miles.

3. Scholarship forms or PLTS. I pray this works out.

4. Watching a squirrel on this morning's walk. We had a bit of a stare-down, standing two feet from one another. The squirrel was awfully cute.

5. Napping on the big green sofa.

Vigil

1. Playing card games with the husband in between readings for classes. It was nice to use the brain, but not in maximum overdrive.

2. The husband made homemade guacamole in the molcajete I got him for Christmas. It was some damn fine guacamole.

3. Getting a chance to catch up with the husband's parents. It's been a busy time for them. It was nice to chat with them for awhile this morning.

4. Getting to help out at church this morning to prepare for the Easter pancake breakfast. Lots of funny stories...

5. Vanilla ice cream

Good Friday

1. A girly pedicure this afternoon with Mary Ellen. It was wonderful to just chill, talk, and get a niiiice foot massage. I also love the bling-colored polish on my toes.

2. Having Chuck and Sarah over for veggies, dessert, and SkipBo.

3. A quiet early afternoon of killing precious brain cells for a bit while watching "Twilight" with the DVD commentary. Nice, thoughtless pictures on a screen with meaningless words was nice and numbing. A nice way to follow reading from Early Church History.

4. Whipped cream, and not from an aerosol can or a Cool Whip container. Just light, sugary bliss.

5. Using the record player after a very long hiatus!

Maundy Thursday

1. Someone drove by me while I was walking to class. This someone yelled out their window to me, "Jesus loves you!" I yelled back, "Jesus loves you too!"

2. Marcos yelling at me from his car, asking me if I've seen "Outsourced." I yelled back that I haven't. Today seems to be the day of people yelling at me from their cars.

3. The husband took me out for dinner to celebrate winter quarter grades.

4. Getting a chance to go out for a nice walk. The walk was with the husband to the restaurant, which was extra nice.

5. Today's devotional in Early Church History. I was about in tears when the class prayed after the devotional.

Jammin Wednesday

1. Making homemade jam for the first time. And it jammed! And the husband and I are still alive after eating it!

2. Meeting Joyce for lunch. I miss her a lot.

3. U2 tickets are still on sale in Atlanta. I was happy to call my brother with the news. I hope he'll be able to go!

4. Getting a ton of reading done for my Prophets class.

5. The husband offering to do dishes after the jam adventure. He's the best :)

Tappin' Tuesday

1. Tap class, which was an awesome workout tonight.

2. Taxes are gone! Woohoo!

3. Blueberry bagels.

4. Pandora Online Radio, a recent and awesome discovery!

5. Walking home from tap class with the husband, under an umbrella.

Monday graces

1. A wonderfully warm sunny day.

2. A salad made from vegetables entirely from the farmer's market. Such a good dinner!

3. Being able to finish all of this week's church history reading today. Now if I could just read everything for Prophets...

4. Getting to know my new phone. It's getting easier to use.

5. An afternoon nap.

Palm Sunday

1. Palm Sunday services at Salem. Surprisingly, today was my first Palm Sunday service at Salem. In 2006, the husband and I were still searching for churches. In 2007, my best friend was married over Easter weekend and I was the matron of honor in the ceremony. In 2008, I was in St. Louis, helping out my mother-in-law who was recovering from back surgery. I loved this morning's service. It was beautiful, uplifting, yet sad all at the same time. I cannot wait for celebrating Easter!

2. An impromptu date day with the husband. I had plans with the youth minister's wife, but she had to cancel since she had to catch up on schoolwork. So the husband and I went out for lunch at a great Mom & Pop pizza place and saw a movie. It was wonderfully random!

3. I got a new cell phone. I totally think it could do laundry and the dishes. I just have to find an application! iPhones are fun, yet sort of overwhelming!

4. Being able to eat a bowl of Cheerios for dinner, and no one telling me 'no.'

5. Coffee. Sweet, sweet coffee.

Saturday graces.

1. The Burbank farmer's market. One of the best places to buy produce!

2. A new take on the grilled cheese sandwich. The husband and I used cinnamon raisin bread, and used apple slices and sharp cheddar for the filling. It was really, really, really good.

3. Taxes are done!

4. Today was a beautiful and sunny (but not overwhelmingly hot) day. Great for a walk to the grocery store.

5. Being able to get a weekend paper again. I've been without it for a couple of weeks...

Friday...

1. The husband and I went out for a walk to Kenneth Village. We wandered around a new Armenian market. We also stopped at the pet store, and a cute bunny was in the window.

2. Taking a nice, long afternoon nap.

3. A fish sandwich with extra tartar sauce. Wonderful...

4. Clean clothes from the dry cleaner! Yea for clean clothes!!!

5. Getting a brain check.

Magnificent

1. Getting to spend part of the afternoon with Rona. I'm happy she came to Fuller and that we became friends, but I'm sad that she's going back to the Philippines tomorrow. I don't know when we'll see each other again. We met after class and drove to Glendale singing the Spice Girls' "Wannabe." Our first stop was to get frozen yogurt. Then we had the brilliant idea of getting a pizookie at BJ's Brewhouse immediately after eating frozen yogurt. Spending time with Rona was so worth the crazed sugar rush.

2. Interesting classes this quarter. It's a bit daunting with all of the reading for both classes, but I've had a hard time putting down what I've been reading for the past couple of days.

3. Sitting on the couch with the husband, eating leftover Chinese takeout, watching "Gilmore Girls" DVDs. We've made it to the second disc of the second season. It's nice to have some down time together.

4. Seeing more friends on campus today; it's been fun to catch up with people!

5. Finding my orange Camelback bottle when I thought I left it on campus.

Wednesday happenings

1. Rona's mom is alright. They had a health scare last night and went to Glendale Adventist; because Rona's mom has Kaiser health insurance, they trucked them out all the way to Bellflower very early this morning. I got a call from Rona in the afternoon letting me know her mom was okay. I drove to Bellflower to pick them up. Rona's mom is now resting comfortably at home.

2. Chinese take-out. A lot of celebrations have been delayed in this household. We're starting the celebrating tonight.

3. U2 tickets for October 25th at the Rose Bowl. Yea for pre-sales!

4. Skyping for the first time with my college roommate. I miss her so much!

5. Hugs from the husband.

Back to school again

1. Seeing familiar faces in my new classes.

2. Fuji apples. They are ridiculously good.

3. Lipton Vanilla Caramel Truffle Black Tea. Yes, it is Lipton, but it's like drinking something divine!

4. A warm day filled with sunshine. I drove part of the way home with the windows rolled down.

5. Drinking caffeinated coffee. Oh sweet nectar, how I've missed you... and now my stomach is able to tolerate you again!

Late graces

1. The husband and I made it home safely from SC. It was nice to crawl into our own bed at 1:15 am.

2. Getting a chance to worship at University Lutheran in Clemson. It's such a special place for me to worship; I feel it's the place where I came to know God's love.

3. The husband's boss said he didn't see issue with us relocating to the Bay area. This means the wheels are turning. I sent my statement of intent to PLTS this morning...

4. A lazy morning where I have not been throwing up. I'm so thankful for today's slow start.

5. Being able to grocery shop for solid food.

Guess who's back? Back again.

I know I've been tardy in my daily graces. But this is something I don't want to give up.

1. Seeing "Monsters vs. Aliens" and watching the husband's name scroll by on the credits. He works hard at his job, and the movies are the reward... I'm so proud of him.

2. Having dinner with Jason at TD's. I am forever indebted to Jason, as he is the person that introduced me to the husband all those years ago at a third of July party. It was so much fun to reminisce with Jason.

3. Being able to eat real food. One of the reasons I have been unable to update was because I was spending so much time in bathrooms due to a horrible intestinal bug. It's nice to eat real food (and most importantly, keeping that real food down!)

4. Visiting Booksmith, one of my favorite independent bookstores in SC.

5. The husband and I getting a chance to visit my parents and brother.

Elsa's Day

1. Celebrating Elsa Rasche's long and eventful 101 years. It was a beautiful service, and wonderful to talk about everyone's memories of Grandma Rasche.

2. Time with the in-laws. I married into a wonderful family.

3. A sunny afternoon. It rained early in the morning, but the weather was beautiful on the drive to the memorial service in St. Charles.

4. Getting the food items ready for the lunch and dinner. It was all made. On time. Whew.

5. Sitting in the family room with the immediate in-laws, hearing funny family stories.

Friday, but a day late.

1. The sister-in-law's safe arrival from GA.

2. Finding my dance recital outfit. At Wet Seal. In St. Louis. Wonders never cease to amaze.

3. Not killing my in-laws with cooking dinner. I'm sure they're thankful as well.

4. Lunch with the mother-in-law's dad.

5. Listening to the in-laws' memories of Flip the dog.

Final four start.

1. Finding Wensleydale cheese in St. Louis.

2. Getting a chance to talk to my mom.

3. Telling the husband's mom the husband's reasoning as to why he is wearing his orange fleece pullover.

4. Going on a neighborhood walk with the husband and the father-in-law.

5. Getting a chance to read for leisure.

St. Patty's Day

1. Tap class.

2. Finishing the winter quarter.

3. Meeting Joyce for lunch.

4. The Glendale Public Library.

5. Headphone splitters.

St. Patty's Eve

1. Study group. Yes, it was an intense four and a half hour session, but it was fun at the same time.

2. Study group breakfast. I brought a breakfast casserole. Aretha brought her waffle iron and batter. Ben made fruit smoothies. It was good food fuel for studying.

3. Getting to talk to my brother. I'm glad he had a fun time in Myrtle Beach, otherwise known as the Redneck Riviera.

4. Sunshine. It's nice to have springtime weather.

5. Caramel and vanilla tea. Wow, was that good!

March 15

Today is a difficult day, but even in this difficulty, grace can be found.

1. My husband's grandmother is with the heavenly Father. My husband and his family are mourning, but all we can do now is hope for a reunion at the eternal banquet. Pastor prayed with my husband when we found out (the husband got a phone call with the news right after first service), and Pastor's parents were there with hugs.

2. The ability to get airline tickets to be in St. Louis later this week.

3. My husband wearing a bright orange fleece pullover. His grandmother called it a gay fleece because it was a bright, happy color.

4. Watching more of the first season of "Gilmore Girls" to keep occupied.

5. Holding my husband and telling him I love him.

Saturday musings.

1. Being in contact with family today. Today was a difficult day and it's hard to wait for the inevitable. But having the support of family is incredibly uplifting.

2. Going out for a short walk.

3. With today's events, it's actually a blessing to know that while studying is important, it doesn't take precedence.

4. Watching old episodes of "Gilmore Girls" on DVD. It helped the husband laugh.

5. Hugs. They go a long way.

"The one you love is sick"

"My mother is gone."

My mom cried those words into the phone three years ago when her beloved mother, my sweet grandmother, passed away. It was especially hard for my mom, because she couldn't return to India in time for the cremation ceremony. I remember my brother and I both took a day off from work to talk about our Nani. Both my brother and I didn't want to interact with the outside world that day;that day was reserved just for us to mourn. My brother and I returned to work and our regular lives. One of my coworkers tried to offer comforting words, but I remember feeling incredibly upset. He said something along the lines of, "Well, she was old, right? She led a good long life. Her death may have been for the best." I was upset when he mentioned that her death may have been for the best. At that point in my life, I didn't understand. I could not comprehend how death could be for the better.

Fast forward to this morning. My husband and I are sitting on the couch, drinking our morning coffee. We just got off the phone with his mom and dad, talking about sweet gumballs, yard work, the stock market, and life insurance for young adults. We hung up the phone, only to have it immediately ring again. My husband's mom was on the line, crying. While we were chatting on the phone, my father-in-law's cell phone rang. It was the senior home where his mother, my husband's grandmother, lives. My mother-in-law told us that it was bad news, and that she and my father-in-law are on their way to the senior home. We were left with this information, and the knowledge that my husband's grandmother has pneumonia.

My husband's grandmother is a remarkable woman. She's 101 and incredibly feisty. She's strong-willed and also very funny. My husband's family jokes about her being the Energizer Bunny as she keeps going and going and going. Another comparison was a Timex watch, as "She takes a lickin and keeps on tickin."

My husband started to cry. This is his grandmother, who he has fond memories of visiting in Frankenmouth, drinking Verner's ginger ale. This is his grandmother who made meringue cookies every Christmas. As I'm holding my husband, he cries on my shoulder. There are no words to say that can comfort him. I cannot and will not tell him, "Oh, she's 101. She led a good, long, happy life." I cannot and will not tell him, "Well, it's her time to go." The only words I can say are, "This blows." Because it does.

In a new understanding, all I can really think about is "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." My husband and I are sitting by the phone, not knowing of what is happening with his grandmother. We do not know if she is still with us in her physical body. But I do know that the Lord is with her, as He is with my husband's entire family as they await for news. I also know that the Lord is the resurrection and the life.

A good Friday the 13th

1. Running into Marcos. I haven't seen him in forever, and it was great to catch up with him and to meet his girlfriend!

2. Using my Staples gift certificate to buy a few boxes of 24-count crayons. I hope kids somewhere around the world will experience joy and fun coloring with crayons.

3. Going for an evening walk with the husband. The weather was nice and brisk.

4. Talking with two of my old bosses at Clemson. It will be nice to see them in a couple of weeks!

5. Happy birthday to Niharika-di!

Last class Thursday

1. Getting my last Gospels paper back. I had such a hard time trying to write the paper and I gave it my best effort. I about died from shock when I looked at the grade. But it's good shock.

2. Meeting with Emily. We've missed each other at church, and she's on campus the days I don't have class. Today we had the chance to catch up and share our scholarly adventures with one another.

3. Spring cleaning. Salem's youth group now has a new-to-them boombox to take to the beach.

4. A quiet night to myself. The husband and his best friend are headed out to a concert tonight. I plan to drink tea, study, and go to bed early.

5. Getting to talk to Pastor Chris and share my good news with him.

Oh. My. Goodness.

1. I. Got. Accepted. Into. PLTS. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. I received an email from the Director of Admissions. Oh my goodness.
"Hi, Tuhina. And congratulations! The Admissions Committee has completed its very positive review of your application, and you have been admitted to PLTS. I look forward to welcoming you on campus.

I understand that you had a good visit with my admissions colleagues last week; I'm glad that went well. I wish I could've been there too; but my health issues are being taken care of in good order, and it was best that I stayed and got things taken care of.

I am down in southern California periodically doing admissions work in various places; perhaps we will have a chance to meet this spring or summer.

Soon we will send you a hard copy mailing--an official letter of admission, plus some other paperwork for your attention.

Blessings to you. You'll make a great addition to the PLTS-GTU academic and faith community! May your continuing studies this semester (quarter?) go well.

In Christ,

Steve"

2. Peace and quiet. I've missed that. The phone has hardly rung today, which is wonderful.

3. A working heater in the apartment. I'm spoiled with climate control!

4. Getting a few book recommendations from my professor. I've been having a difficult time communicating the Gospels with some of my family members. The difficulty is not through them wanting to hear about what I've learned, but the lack of a common vocabulary of eastern and western thought. My professor sent me some books that will hopefully close up that gap.

5. Thinking of picking out my leisure reading, which will commence at 10AM on March 17th... Sarah Vowell just released "The Wordy Shipmates," and I really want to read it!

Tuesday

1. Getting to spend quality time with my brother while he was in town. He left this morning to go back home, but the husband and I will see him (and my parents) in a couple of weeks!

2. Date night with the husband before the mad brain cram begins.

3. All of my paperwork is at PLTS as of today. Recommendations, applications, essays, financial aid, the whole shebang. It is no longer in my hands.

4. Meeting Joyce for lunch.

5. Finishing all of the reading for the quarter. Now I just need to see if this all makes sense!

Monday

1. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The husband and I have been meeting with a financial counselor to make sure our finances are in order, especially that we're on one income right now. The husband and I want to make sure were financially stable, especially in the case of an emergency. Our financial counselor is also a wonderful woman to work with.

2. Walking with the husband partway to work this morning. It was nice to get extra time together.

3. Finishing one of my books for Gospels. I cannot believe the quarter ends next week!

4. My mom and dad's wedding anniversary. They've been married for 39 years!

5. Multiple washers and dryers being open in the apartment complex. I was able to wash five loads of laundry in a matter of a couple of hours!

Even more sun this Sunday.

1. The nice people at the Apple Store fixed my MacBook without any huge issues. I am so relieved, as I've come to rely on this little computer more and more each day...

2. Kleenex with lotion. My nose is extremely thankful!

3. The brother came back to Glendale early this afternoon, which meant he, the husband, and I had a fun afternoon together. We traded CDs and DVDs at Amoeba, then finally took the brother to our favorite restaurant in West Hollywood. Caffe Angeli has a rotating menu based on seasonal vegetables, and the food is so wonderful, words cannot describe how good the food tastes.

4. Daylight Savings Time starting. An extra hour of sunlight means longer walks in the afternoons!

5. Playing with my food. An orange wedge looked like a whale, so it seemed like a good idea to make whale sounds while peeling off the pith. The husband then pretended his wedge was a manatee. Then he took a bite and decided that the deformed manatee looked like the state of South Carolina.

Saturday

1. Getting to spend some quality time with three of my friends at the Huntington Library. We started with an early lunch at the tea house, then wandered around the Japanese and Chinese gardens. The gardens were beautiful, but later this spring, I think the gardens will be spectacular in full bloom. It was so great to walk around the gardens, catching up with one another. It was also neat that our men had their respective boys' day as well.

2. Going for a walk with the husband. It was a short walk since we're both stuffy with colds, but it was a good walk nonetheless.

3. Ben and Kathy called to check on the husband and me. That was very nice of them to see how we were doing.

4. Watching "Juno."

5. Randomly wandering inside the Pacific Food Mart. The husband and I went in there on a whim... their pastries and desserts looked beautiful!

Friday Graces.

1. Getting to see a movie with my brother.

2. Surprising my brother with a copy of "Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life." He'd been looking for the book for a couple of months; I randomly found it yesterday while running errands.

3. Coffee time with the husband. Best way to start the day.

4. Watching U2 perform on "Good Morning America."

5. Finally completing all of my financial aid paperwork.

Thursday Graces...

1. Vitamin C in its various forms. Vitamin C pills, oranges, orange juice, clementines... you name it, I probably ingested it today to ward off the sickies.

2. Lemon chamomile tea. Good way to start off the morning. And that Fuller's refectory doesn't charge for hot water if you bring your own cup and your own tea bag.

3. Finding a suit after weeks of looking. And buying that suit for a steal!

4. A much needed nap. My body is demanding rest, and I'm blessed to be able to take a nap in the middle of the day.

5. Getting the birth announcement for Matthew James Madrill! I can't wait to meet the little man in September!

Wednesday...

1. My brother is here!!! YAY!

2. A nice warm jacket for today's cold weather.

3. Oranges from the farmer's market.

4. Hugs from the husband!

5. Raisin cinnamon bread for breakfast.

Sing, Sing, Sing. And I've sung!

1. Getting to have lunch with Joyce. I haven't seen her in a month and I've missed our weekly lunches. Silly when this little thing called life gets in the way.

2. Tap class. And the relief that I only have to learn two routines for the summer recital. I thought I had to learn three. There's only so much room in my brain to spare!

3. Reading completely absurd books in Barnes & Noble this afternoon. Especially "The Complete Idiot's Guide to 2012." Weird, but great for killing time.

4. "No Line on the Horizon" on vinyl. I'm so happy more albums are being produced on vinyl again...

5. After a few months of searching, I finally found a replacement for my worn out Target canvas sneakers. This entry is bittersweet, as the near-deceased pair of sneakers was purchased for $2.50, and I definitely got my money's worth, as I purchased them almost five years ago. (Can you tell I have a hard time letting things go?).

How is it already March?

1. Walking the husband partway to work. We parted ways at Grandview and Glenoaks. He walked to work; I wandered around Kenneth Village for my morning walk.

2. Seeing daffodils on the morning walk. After seeing the daffodils, the husband and I reminisced about the wild daffodil rescue when we lived in Clemson. We rented a fabulous house on a half-acre lot, and all around the lot were wild daffodils. Before the landlord came over to mow our lawn one morning, the husband and I were madly digging up daffodils from around the yard and replanting them near the porch steps to save them from being mowed over.

3. Meeting with four wonderful women this afternoon. These weren't just any women, though. They were ELCA seminary representatives, and it was wonderful to get a chance to talk to them about my discernment process.

4. News and pictures of the snow down south. I miss my friends, family, and yes, even the state of South Carolina.

5. A wonderful husband. I don't know how he ended up married to me, but he's a blessing that cannot be described by mere words.

Sunny Sunday

1. Getting to visit Andrea and Josh. We got to see their new home, gave them cupcakes, and returned their copies of Settlers of Catan.

2. Playing a game of Scrabble with the husband.

3. Finalizing Women's Day Out for Saturday morning.

4. First day of March! Springtime is closing in!

5. Getting to watch "The Waterboy" on television. It's not a wonderful movie, but gosh, it sure is funny.

Game Day Saturday!

1. Game day with friends. We got to play Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, and Funny Friends. Good food and good times!

2. A lazy morning with the husband.

3. Reading "Tales of Beedle the Bard."

4. Decorating cupcakes. I didn't get to finish because I got tired and ran out of frosting, but it was an adventure nonetheless!

5. An abundance of fresh fruit. The husband bought navel oranges from the farmer's market this morning. Ben brought over two huge bags of clementines (there's about 20 in each bag!) and Nathan brought over a pineapple. Yum, yum, yum!

Friday's Grace

1. Meeting Aretha for breakfast without our textbooks and class notes. It was nice to just talk about the impact seminary has had on our lives...

2. Baking. Cupcakes are cooling, just waiting to be decorated! The apartment smells like cake, which is heavenly.

3. Nap time.

4. Leisure reading later tonight. I'm still trying to decide between "Tales of Beedle the Bard" and "How to Train Your Dragon."

5. The husband and I are going to make homemade chocolate ice cream tonight!

Laughing with God.

"The best way to make God laugh is to make plans."

My friend told me this years ago at Clemson. It's now one of my favorite quotes, because it's incredibly true. It plays into the small parts of grace for today.

1. I received my interview date from the Synod for March 26th. This process is becoming increasingly real, and not the abstract idea it once was. I will walk into a room filled with people I don't know, and these people I don't know will tell me 'yea' or 'nea.' It's pretty daunting... One hiccup, though, is that the husband and I bought tickets to visit family. Alas, our departure date was for March 25th, but it works out because I was...

2. able to change the departure date for the tickets. Departure is scheduled for 11PM on the 26th.

3. Handing in my paper this morning. It's now completely out of my hands. Henry told me, "Writing a paper is like landing an airplane; you know you're okay when you live through it."

4. Date night with the husband. No homework, no work discussions, no moving discussions. Just a night where we get to have fun and enjoy being together.

5. Driving to campus this morning. There's something amazing about being able to see rays of sunshine breaking out from clouds.

Ash Wedensday.

1. Calling the paper done. There's only so many rewrites and revisions a girl can do without entirely changing the paper each time.

2. Getting to have a long conversation with Leigh, one of my closest friends. I miss her so much!!!

3. Anticipating Ash Wednesday service at Salem tonight. I love the readings for tonight, beautiful and contemplative.

4. Warm oatmeal for breakfast on a chilly morning.

5. Cleaning books off the dining table. It needs to be a dining table again, especially for Lenten meals.

Laissez les bon temps roulez...

1. Getting my midterm back. Whew.

2. Stopping at church to pick up the lector reading for Ash Wednesday service. There's always an adventure and someone to stop and chat with you at church. Today was no exception. I thought I was just going to sneak in, grab my readings, and head home. I stopped to talk to Cheryl, who was wondering how classes were going. Then I ran into Pastor Kurt, which was really interesting. He wanted to look up dates when I would be available to give a sermon... A SERMON!?!?!?! Which is awesome, but also super scary at the same time! And running into Matt, who was wondering if I could serve as a chaperon for the National Youth Gathering this year... never a dull moment in the life of Salem!

3. I'm married to a wonderfully patient man. This man is so wonderful and so patient, he will even read my discombobulated term papers and help me see the forest through the trees.

4. Gummy Tummies Penguins from Trader Joe's. Cute and tasty!

5. A couple of quiet hours to myself this afternoon to do nothing in particular. Just time to be, which is nice.

It's Just Another Manic Monday

1. Getting a phone call from Pastor Marcus. Pastor Marcus has been such an integral part of my faith journey. Through our long discussions, the meals we've shared together, and watching him lead Salem's congregation out of a dark period, I greatly admire and respect him. Getting a chance to talk to him is such a joy!

2. A wonderfully long conversation with my mom. I talked to her four times when she and my dad were in India for a month, with each conversation lasting about 7 to 10 minutes. When my mom is stateside, I talk to her everyday... which resumed today! (I also talked to my dad, but he was really sleepy and still jet-lagged).

3. Making it to six pages for my Gospels paper. I've been wrestling with the paper topic because there's either too much to write or nothing at all to say. I'm fascinated that I was able to write anything at all!

4. Being able to do two loads of laundry at once! All of the machines on our floor were open today, which was an awesome way to start the morning. Since it wasn't raining and pouring, though, I did not sit in the laundry basket today.

5. Watching a hummingbird clean its beak on the tomato cage on the deck. It was ridiculously cute!

Slumdog Sunday

1. Getting to talk to my mom and dad, who safely returned from India this morning.

2. MY BROTHER IS COMING TO VISIT IN A WEEK AND A HALF! He just purchased his tickets today. Can you tell I'm excited?

3. Matt and Jen are engaged! That's such wonderful news!

4. Getting to usher with Elaine at church this morning. I haven't seen Elaine (and her husband Diego) in such a long time, and it was wonderful to worship with her this morning (Diego was on communion assistant duty; the husband was on counting duty).

5. The husband and I tied on our Oscar ballots. It was a fun and laid back evening.

Santa Monica Saturday

1. Getting to see Matt and Jen, even if it was for only a few hours. We went on a couple of adventures early this morning, which will follow in the list. But just getting to spend some time with them was great.

Matt stretching his arm waaaay out to get a picture of the four of us.

2. Finally getting to visit Randy's Donuts! And their donuts are actually pretty good! Donuts were followed up with a real breakfast in Santa Monica, a walk to the pier, and then to the airport.

Karl and me in front of Randy's Donuts with edible merchandise in hand. Yum!


Matt looking at me giving Karl the funky camera eye.

Autotimers are fun and awfully handy.

3. Getting to take a little nap after such an early morning adventure.

4. Recipes for raspberry chiffon pie and chicken piccata... I can't wait to try them out.

5. Reading through "Walking San Francisco." I'm excited to try out some of the walks... hopefully soon!

Vendredi. I should be working...

1. Meeting with Dr. Symington to discuss my paper-craziness. Therapy is awesome; people shouldn't knock it till they've tried it!

2. Oranges! Yummy!

3. A great conversation with my brother. I miss him so much!

4. A cup of coffee and a Bible reading with the husband first thing this morning.

5. Sleeping in, even if it was just for a little bit! I'll take what I can get right now!

Tequila Thursday. Well, not really.

1. Getting my research paper topic okay-ed by my professor when I thought it was out in left field.

2. A design bonus, not what I actually thought to be a flaw, in my fleece jacket. It's too obscure to explain online. I can tell you it involves snaps on the wrists of my jacket, and what I thought to be a hole in the jacket lining... If you see me in person, I will explain it to you.

3. Mike singing part of his "Old Testament: The Musical" in Bible Study this morning. The song involved God, Satan/ The Accuser, Job, and tequila.

4. Rachel listening to me and talking me through my "I have to write a paper on what!??!!? I don't get it!!" episode.

5. Henry suggesting a book to read for my research paper, and having that same book in my backpack. Weird, but cool! Maybe I'm not as far off as I thought concerning my topic!

Mistaken Identity

I was leaving the grocery store today when I was approached by someone seeking donations for their organization. The solicitor greeted me and asked how I was doing, but it came in very rapid Spanish. This isn't the first time this has happened to me in Glendale, though. One of my favorite places to visit is a Cuban bakery on Brand Boulevard. On a couple of occasions, I was greeted with conversational Spanish. I at least know enough Spanish to have a very basic conversation, but it's a very limited vocabulary. I've laughed with the people behind the counter concerning my mistaken identity, but sometimes, mistaken identity has really hurt my feelings.

In my candidacy essay, I shared a negative churchgoing experiences as a practicing Hindu. I was curious about Christianity and thought visiting a church for a Sunday service would help satiate some of that curiosity. I stated in my essay,"I attended local churches out of curiosity. The comical experience (which was actually NOT comical at the time), was being mistaken as a foreign exchange student."

I attended this church with one of my high school friends. I was not regarded as her friend, but as "the other," the foreign person that lived with her family. I was filled with hurt when I explained, in my non-existent accent which revealed my Midwestern American childhood, that I was in fact born in the United States, a resident of the state of South Carolina with my biological parents, and had a pretty decent grasp of the English language.

But this is our human nature. As humans, we're faulted. We make mistakes. We make judgments, even when we declare our open mindedness. Even the people we admire, the ones we look up to and hold dear to our hearts can make these same mistakes.

One of my favorite pastors made prejudiced judgment. Someone of eastern Indian origin attended service at the church he was serving. After the service, he asked this person if they liked the church service, and if it was the first time they attended church. Much to the pastor's surprise, the eastern Indian said they loved church services, especially in their native India, where their uncle served as a bishop in the church. The pastor was horribly embarrassed assuming that appearance can reveal faith.

When I was baptized, someone gave me "The Lutheran Handbook" as a gift. One of the entries that still resonates with me is "How to Tell a Sinner from a Saint." The entry has a picture of a saint and a picture of a sinner. Funny, the pictures are of the same person! Saint and sinner both? Or that their external appearance does not reveal that they are a saint, or a sinner? Yes. Sinner and saint, but that they way a person looks, their clothing, their hair, the color of their skin, their handbag, their shoes, their odor... they are your brother, my brother, your sister, and my sister in Christ.

Mercredi. As I'm loaning out my French dictionary.

1. Not having to drive my car today. I love days where I don't have to drive my car, which are few and far between.

2. Having a great discussion with the husband's best friend. He was kind of scared to ask me why I'm attending seminary. It was a very enlightening discussion, which opened the door to a continued conversation.

3. Sunshine!

4. Getting to talk to Jill! Yay! I don't get to talk to her very often, but when I do, it's wonderful. She's been one of my biggest cheerleaders in this seminary adventure. It was also nice to hear her Abby chatting it up in the background. Weird, to think the husband and I met Abby the day she was born; now she's keeping Jill and Eric on their toes!

5. Post-Its, which contribute to organizational awesomeness.

Conversations

When I was in high school, student council members participated in an activity called, "Coffee Cake and Conversation." Student council members would partner up with three teachers for the school year, and once a month, we would try to get together to talk to one another. I miss CCC from high school, getting to know teachers out of the context of the high school classroom. I miss the act of detailed conversation with many of my friends. Being able to converse with close friends is what made today extremely special.

1. Running into Rowena on campus. I last saw Rowena during one of BJ's curry lunches on campus; after that, life got in the way. I had my nose in a book trying to synthesize all of the information from my Gospels class. Rowena was trying to synthesize information for God's call on her life. After running into each other on campus, we sat in the library lobby for a good long while, reminiscing on our first quarter at Fuller, talking about this amazing journey, and being open with each other about our fear of God's call. Sometimes the awesomeness (both positive and negative) of God's impact on my life leaves me speechless. When I am able to form words, I'm sometimes scared of sharing them. I'm so thankful for Rowena, since we've had similar situations in our seminary journey, and that she's my safe space where I can be bluntly open and honest. I'm also honored to be her safe space. I'm so blessed to have her as a friend.

2. Randomly catching up with the youth minister at church. I was at church to borrow some of the Pastor's books concerning a paper I'm working on. I saw that the youth minister was in, so I dropped by to say hi. We had an interesting conversation, spanning the mortality of our parents, life abroad, how to properly bow in Japan, building a "green" house, and how spouses keep their partners sane.

3. Dry socks. Especially when the ground is wet. I've learned to carry an extra pair of socks in my backpack.

4. Accidentally bribing the TA with a cookie. Really, I was just trying to get rid of the cookies in my backpack, not bribe the TA for a good grade on my yet-to-be-written paper. It's nice to know the TA is a funny person.

5. Pastor's willingness to share the books from his library, especially when Fuller's library is in chaos and I'm trying to whittle down my paper topic.

Chilly Monday

1. The husband had today off. An entire day! Which means we had a three-day weekend together!
2. Fleece blankets, especially the "fleece blanket for two" the husband and I received as a wedding present, and our "Boo" blanket (a black fleece blanket covered with little ghosts and the word "Boo").
3. Rain. Even though the temperature has been on the cold side (you'd never know that I grew up in Colorado with how cold I've been), the rain has been so needed. My favorite part of the rain is driving by Griffith Park on the 5; the hills are lush, green, and ALIVE!
4. Looking up recipes for homemade ice cream for a friend's birthday.
5. Getting a good laugh at the grocery store. The husband and I purchased cappuccino chips on a whim. On the back of the bag was a recipe for cappuccino chip kisses, which seemed to be a fun baking project for a cold, rainy day. The one ingredient we didn't have was sweetened condensed milk. I haven't had sweetened condensed milk since I was a little kid, when my mom would use it to make Indian sweets. Since we were by the grocery store, we stopped in, picked up a can, and went to the check-out line. We placed our lone can on the conveyor belt and heard someone laugh behind us. We turned to see that the man behind us in line was laughing, as he was making the same exact purchase. It's funny and cute in my head; I guess you just had to be there.

Sunday

1. Getting to talk to my parents. My mom mentioned how she and my dad washed in the Ganges River seven times to wash away their sins. It reminded me of this morning's OT lesson at church from 2 Kings about Naaman's healing from bathing in the Jordan River seven times.

2. Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. My favorite meal.

3. Watching documentaries about Abraham Lincoln on PBS.

4. Getting some leisure reading in for the weekend.

5. Snuggling.

Sweet Saturday

1. Spending the entire day with the husband. We went to the farmer's market in Santa Monica, had brunch at a crêpe restaurant, and walked around the Santa Monica staircases.
2. A rain-free Saturday to wander around Santa Monica.
3. Keeping up our Valentine's Day tradition of renting movies and getting Chinese take-out for dinner. Going seven years strong on that one.
4. Cooking shows on PBS. Today's fare was Ming Tsai, Rick Bayless, and Lidia's Italy!
5. Hershey's Hug and Kisses. And real hugs and kisses.

Freaky wet Friday

1. The Glendale Beeline. My car was in the shop today, and I was able to use the bus to get from point A to point B for the whopping cost of a quarter!
2. The Glendale Public Library. The husband and I have culled our book collection; the library prevents me from destroying our cull attempts.
3. Henry. He found some notes on Luke and the kingdom of God I might find useful for my research!
4. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Southwest California Synod. They've been so helpful in starting the candidacy process.
5. A particular panda and a menagerie of zoo animals.

You may think that I'm out of hand, that I'm naive, I'll understand

Unfortunately, I did something not so intelligent yesterday... If I drink too much caffeine too quickly, I tend to become violently ill. I unfortunately forgot this in the midst of studying for my midterm. My study group met at IHOP yesterday morning, where I ordered a pot of coffee. Our waiter constantly refilled my cup, thereby providing me an endless stream of coffee. By the afternoon, I was really, really sick. I'll spare you the gory details, but let's just say it wasn't pretty. This not-so-pretty picture now leads into my five grace items for the day.

1. I did not barf all over my blue book for the midterm. I also did not barf all over the test paper. This is not good only for me, but the TA who will grade my test, and the professor who will record my grade.

2. I had ice cream for lunch. It was yummy.

3. I was able to attend Bible study at church since I finished with my midterm at a decent time. I was only five minutes late! We finished up Ecclesiastes, which was definitely interesting. We especially got a good laugh out of 12:12b, "Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh." Especially since I took my midterm right before Bible study. Lee and Carol just laughed and patted my arm. After Bible study, I was able to talk to Henry about my paper that's due in two weeks. Henry's been such a great support system in this seminary journey. I'm so blessed to know him (and of course, my fellow students and wonderful Bible study leader!!!).

4. The husband selected my music for the drive to campus. It was nice to listen to New Order again. Especially the first verse of "Regret."
      "Maybe I've forgotten the name and the address
      Of everyone I've ever known
      It's nothing I regret
      Save it for another day
      It's the school exam and the kids have run away"

5. The husband and I are going to see a play tonight for our date night. It's called "Ixnay," performed by the East West Players. Included in the cast is Matt Braaten, the husband's doppelgänger and the youth minister at Salem!

I'm so tired, but I'm sticking with this...

1. Study group at IHOP. We ordered a chicken fajita omelet and a breakfast sampler. We then split all the food into thirds and had a filling brunch while studying for our midterm.
2. Cascadian Farms Chocolate Chip Granola Bars. I cannot eat many granola products since it's usually processed on the same equipment with nuts, but the Cascadian Farms bars are nut-free and good studying fuel.
3. Today was much warmer than the past few days. I was able to leave my coat in the trunk of my car.
4. Naps. Today's power nap was much needed.
5. A caring husband who is my best friend, even when I'm half-crazed and sleep-deprived.

Tuesday Musings

Please grant me a few moments of procrastination!

1. Blue sky. Not just blue sky with a tinge of brown, but a bright, vibrant, and beautiful blue sky. The rain washed away the brown cloud that hangs over the LA area.I took this picture with my cell phone while wandering around campus. Such a beautiful day! And a camera that takes pictures, which can them email the pictures to my Gmail account! (I remember back in the day when phones just made phone calls...)

2. Going out for a walk. I was in the library studying for my midterm and was feeling sort of restless. Since the sun was shining this morning, I thought to myself, "What a great time for a walk." I dropped my backpack off in my car and wandered around Colorado Boulevard for a bit. While wandering around, I looked up and saw #1 on today's list.

3. Getting my book review back. And I far exceeded my own expectations concerning my grade. Whew! And this led to further book recommendations from the class TA, which I'm pretty excited about...

4. An onion bagel with neufchatel cheese, a slice of turkey meat, and a tomato slice. I like bringing my lunch from home!

5. Receiving an email this morning notifying me that Christopher Moore is coming out with a new book. Awesome!