Cards, cake, species analysis

As I enter a new decade, there is lots of reflection. I'm happy about my new decade.
This was the year of cool homemade birthday cards. Observe:

and a cool gift bag too! kewl.
Thanks, special friend. :)

And the announcement you've all been waiting for, I know the suspense has just been too much. I'll knock a few points off your collective blood pressures with this long awaited disclosure.

Q: What was the cake this year?

A: Tiramisu. And it was gooood. Even though it came from a place called M&M Meat Shop, which does not sound like it would have good tiramisu. It sounds like a butcher, but do not be deceived. Or maybe it is bad tiramisu, and I am simply an easily-pleased not-connoisseur. The person who originally introduced me to this Italian treasure will not believe me, but this post was composed (though not posted) before we re-connected. Honest.

Anna is so funny.
Anna: IS God the sun?
me: No, He made the sun.
Anna: But He is light, right, He makes light all around Him. He put a light bulb on His head!

me: Anna, can you hand me my crochet hook from the counter?
Anna: Ok. *gets it and hands it to me*
Mary: Anna, you're so good to help your Mommy!
Anna: Ya, I try to help the old lady.
*laughter erupts, first hesitantly and in some shock, then more freely*

I was nursing Niamh and she started laughing. "Hey! You're a MAMMAL! You give milk, and you are HAIRY!"
Yes Dear, thank you. It sounds so flattering when you say it that way.

It is difficult to keep much pride when you have children around.
That is of course one of their purposes in our lives, and one of their many great values to us.

I have sooo many posts simmering, I can't find the time to sort it and type it. I am a boiling pot right now, my lid sputtering around the edges. I am eagerly awaiting this elusive phenomenon known as personal time.

Impetus of Encouragement

There are some things I can neither explain nor quantify but I cannot refute them. I have seen it too many times. While I can't give anything conclusive or logical about the following topic, I have to share my experience.

There are many Proverbs of this variety, "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones". (Proverbs 16:24) That sounds all sweet and poetic, but MAN it is true! Encouragement is incredibly powerful (as is the crushing power of discouragement, conversely!), and I am all but stumped before it as I observe its impact on my psyche.

I have even blogged about the excitement and warm-hearted feeling from receiving packages, and also about a trip recently from which I felt such renewal.

This is the part I can't explain, but also can't deny. I came away from that trip with motivation for life. Seriously. It sounds as if I'm overdramatizing, but I'm just being honest. After experiencing malaise for quite a long time, I found it very difficult to motivate myself to live better, to improve my skills and make good choices regarding health etc. Why am I juicing and training, jogging, and hitting a heavy bag so I can sit around my house and change diapers? Why should I practice music if the only thing I ever play is Twinkle Twinkle for Anna?

However, after this trip, I was so psyched and driven to be as healthy as I could be, to exercise, study, learn, improve, work hard, you name it. All this, because I wanted to be more able to optimize opportunities like that one. What good is it to go on this great trip but not be able to leave your hotel room because you are too tired, or not be able to go on walks because you are too weak, or play music at different places because you are losing skills?

SO I came home with a huge smile on my face, and found myself with strong desires for living the best I could. Before that, status quo sufficed. Day to day life didn't require too much; I seemed to be getting by fine without juicing or exercising etc. But if there are chances to do more? Good grief, I want to be up to it! I guess without these things, and over time with no change in daily life routine, I didn't feel the need to bother. Inspiration provided impetus.

I felt the exact same way, curiously, last night, after talking to an old friend: dearly beloved and much missed. I left our little chat wanting to be healthier, stronger, and not lazy in my grasp of life, but Carpe Diem, even though we hadn't talked about anything like that. It was merely the encouragement and strengthening my heart felt from the love and support of friend.

That is so powerful. I find it remarkable. The power of life and death really are in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).

New Year 2009

May it be happy.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

Lord, may I not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

Because it is in giving that we receive, 

in pardoning that we are pardoned, 

in dying that we are born unto eternal life:

Amen.

Prayer of St. Francis