...Introduction to Photography.
Hello, Dali: Introduction to Modern Art Appreciation"
-a partial class list inside love among the walnuts , by Jean Ferris  (a light, yet dramatically wonderful book that I stretched out to two days, and which can be found in libraries in: Montgomery County, Kenosha, Orange CA and Minneapolis).

Tblog tracks those who visit our sites.  I don't know how it works, because it notes me as me even when I'm not logged in.  It's kind of spooky, but kind of cool.  A lot of people come up as mysteries, but there are a few people who check every day.   When I checked my page this morning, a friend also did within two minutes.  Crazy, huh?  Things like that make me feel more connected to the world.  Although I think that in many ways we can isolate ourselves, literally not leave our houses in this day and age, I am very grateful for the devices we can make do with in order to stay connected, when it's impractical or impossible to see them in person.

I've found a rather ideal 'security' job.  One that doesn't require a gun or even a walkie talkie.  Some call it 'receptionist.'  I do basically what I did as an officer at Great America- make sure that the people coming in are employees (minus the search), and I know the office well- but in addition to being aware of potenial hazards, I'm also stocking certain things.  I have to wash my own uniform... hmm the anaolgy ends here.  I like having a stable job and the people I work with.  Now I'll look into where to move to.

It's official.  We need to be moved out on the 10th.  I knew it was a possibility, because it's more important to help widows than young adults, but still...  The apartment search has been somewhat disappointing.  I make a little more than Amber, but even if we went based on my salary, it's a pricerange that here is devoted only to the slums.  I don't need or even want luxury, but I'd like us to not get raped or have our cars stloen (or live in fear while in our neighborhood, thinking of such pleasantries).  The good news is that the cities we both work in are the safest/nicest in the county, the bad news is that the ones in-between aren't, so one of us will have more of a hassle.  With that said, we have a lead on a basement apartment that is within our budget, and I'll check it out tomorrow.  It may not be ready for us in time, though (by a couple days) but I'll talk to the owner about that.  There is only one bus that goes there, and that is only select hours M-F (and none on weekends), so I couldn't stay out after work until I get my car in a month, and the commute is and extra hour (about 2 total one-way).  By car, it should be closer to 40-something minutes, which is what Amber unfortunately is currently doing.  Amber calls this time in my life a 'learning' one, like I'm just beginning to see some facts of life (which I can't much disagree with).  But why can't I just logically know something without actually experiencing it?  (a co-worker of mine lives in another county, goes all the way to DC on the way to work!)  I miss DC a little.  at least it is convenient to get to.  I miss the idea of family.  Don't get me wrong, I miss my family and friends, but today has been one filled with people, but interacting with each other and not me.  Cousins, sisters, smiling faces...  That's one thing that's missing here in my own life.

The cold weather, a rude sales clerk, and the frustrations of moving have led Amber on a Florida Campaign.  She almost sounds like a realtor sometimes.  Don't get me wrong, I like Florida and all, and she's talking about the only place I've gone there (Tampa-Orlando region), but I'm just beginning to get settled here, and have a full-time job with benefits.  The cost of living may be lower there, but the salaries are, too.  And I like my seasons.  It is nice to wear skirts year-round, but no white Christmas?  I digress.  It's only our back-up plan anyways.

In Outlook (e-mail) today, the spellchecker tried to change my 'you're' in ...make sure you're covering... to 'you is.' why?

I have a new favorite: The Fray . I'm been listening to their clips on a loop all day. I already knew one of their songs before today, but didn't know they were that good or interesting. I reccommend their website , as each band member contributes something different (pictures, restaurant reviews). Unfortunately, they're sold out for most of their concerts except the one closest to my hometown. If I'm 'home' next week, I'll be sure to go. Vienna and All at Once are the songs I relate to the most currently.

How Would You Know if You Are Iron Deficient ?
You could be iron deficient if you.....

..... are unusually tired;

..... have reduced ability to exercise comfortably;

..... have poor stamina;

..... get frequent infections; or,

..... if you are lethargic.

There are certain foods (like pizza!)that aid in iron absorption, and some that hinder (tea). Isn't that what some people are like in our own lives? I certainly think so. Since 90% of women don't get enough iron, I took notes from the site.

Also, today's devotion was about how God doesn't like it when we're stubborn- that we need to let go of control and admit when we're wrong, etc., and simultaneously, I've been in this whole 'proud to be Irish' stint. I've almost got my St. Patrick's Day outfit picked out, and I had a green-sprinkles doughnut this morning. hmm...

Giosué Orefice: "No Jews or Dogs Allowed." Why do all the shops say, "No Jews Allowed"?
Guido: Oh, that. "Not Allowed" signs are the latest trend! The other day, I was in a shop with my friend the kangaroo, but their sign said, "No Kangaroos Allowed," and I said to my friend, "Well, what can I do? They don't allow kangaroos."
Giosué Orefice: Why doesn't our shop have a "Not Allowed" sign?
Guido: Well, tomorrow, we'll put one up. We won't let in anything we don't like. Why don't you like?
Giosué Orefice: Spiders.
Guido: Good. I don't like vampires. Tomorrow, we'll get sign: "No Spiders or Vampires Allowed."
Life is Beautiful as quoted on amazon

Mine would say, "NO FIRE ALLOWED."  or "NO IGNORING ME ALLOWED."  Those are things that I am most afraid of, and not being or doing the right thing at the right time.  There are things that make me turn away, like operations, and some pyschological things get to me, but not most things.  As far as being ignored goes,  I do really like and admire others, so sometimes it's hard to not be acknowledged.

"It's as slow as Christmas." (said an apartment reviewer about the internet connection.)  Have you ever thought of Christmas as slow?  Sometimes it seems like it is a long ways away from me, but then the next thing I know, I need to finish wrapping gifts to make it on time.  I wish Christmas day was slow.  For my family (and I'm sure many others,) it is a rare treat to have everyone together.

The cold wind blew
It seemed to chill my bones
Sitting on the radiator left dents in my skin
My soul hasn't seemed to warm

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I've been enjoying a collection Edgar Allan Poe's works.  Among my favorites thus far are 'The Raven' and 'The Gold-Bug.'  Our 'Lord of the Rings' marathon is delayed until further notice.  Amber and I had planned on making our Presidents Day afternoon into such an event, but much to my dismay, someone rented 2 of 3 movies from the library before I made it there.  Anyone who wants to join us in the future is invited to, but sadly, we may not live in your town.  We may have to move at the end of the month (our apartment may be leased to someone else), so the search is on, but I hope we can stay here forever (the rest of the year).  I'm sooo ready for a trip somewhere.

"By their fruit you will recognize them." (Mat. 7:16)

"Movin' to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches" (Presidents of the United States)

"In addition to keeping the seed safe, fruit can help the tree to make more trees. Because fruit is colorful and juicy, it attracts birds and animals. They eat the fruit, but the hard seeds are not digested. The seeds go right through their intestines, fall to the ground and, if conditions are right, a new tree will grow." (Fruition )

"The berries have detrimental effects on all species of livestock, but seem to be most appealing to hogs. The symptoms of poisoning in humans include a burning sensation, in fact if the berries are handled too much, they will even cause this burning sensation on the hands. If ingested, they will cause intestinal cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, vision problems, convulsions and possibly even death." (Purdue )

The cost of living is very similar between Orange County and this part of Maryland. Two things that stood out as costing less here are peaches and ibuprofin. I venture to guess that the high amount of stress and nerves here results in more a bigger bulk of such medication, therefore lowering the cost. As for the peaches, that's anyone's guess. I know we're not supposed to 'judge a book by its cover,' but at some point, what we do reflects who we are. Whatever it is that is flowing through us will be seen for what it is, no matter how much honey we use to sweeten it up. Sometimes I trick myself into thinking that what I do does not affect others. It does. And I don't want someone getting sick or dying from being around me or from what I've produced.

Scene:
Lady sitting on the bus, directly behind back doors.  People are entering.  One man, about 40, sits next to lady.  She proceeds to safety pin the hem of her pants.  He proceeds to help her so it doesn’t bunch.
Lady- “Thank you.”
Man- “You’re welcome.  When you get home at night, you’re too tired to sew.  The tailors would charge ten dollars.”
They continue to talk about such topics as work and public transportation, and then where they are from.  The lady wonders why he asks, because does she really stand out?  So after they briefly talk about the wonderful things of the Midwest, she asks him.  At first he seems hesitant, but then proceeds to basically convince her that India is a wonderful place to visit- all of the sights, fresh everything, the abundant prevalence of God-- too much to pass up.  The lady thinks about her recent answer to the question, “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?”  It was India.
As he gets off at his stop, he invites her to his house sometime, thanks her for “being helpful” (she’s still confused about that), and hopes they meet again.

This is one example of what seems to happen every day to me.  In fact, the only time I remember it not happening recently was after work, when I had my arms crossed, and was dozing off.  It’s a privilege to meet so many wonderful people, and I’m grateful that they feel comfortable enough around  me to talk.  Everyone’s story is unique, and interesting to hear about.  I imagine being an ambassador, a peacemaker, to countries around the world.  I’ll talk with the friend(s) that I’ve met from that country, and find out the best (and least offensive) way to approach the situation. . .  I don’t think that it(whatever it is that attracts people to my side)’s an ingrained thing.  It’s not me.  It’s the Holy Spirit, or God’s love, I hope.  I don’t take credit for it or think that I’m all that great.  There must be some purpose for who I meet or what we say, but I don’t know that I’ll ever know what.  For my part, I try to be encouraging and bring something good to their day, not feed on the negative.  It’s easy to complain, but where does that lead?  “… you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious--the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse” (Philippians 4:8 Message).

I’ve likened myself to King Nebuchadnezzar.  He was a king of Babylon around 600 BC, and general regarded as villainous (but with some notable characteristics.)  In Daniel 4 in the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar thinks he deserves the palace, and all of the good things that have come to him, and pretty soon is eating grass.  Whatever it is that brings these strangers together with me, I thank God for, and give Him the credit.

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In the timeliness of St. Valentine’s Day, I’ll leave you- no matter if you have a ‘sweetheart’ or not- with this thought:
”For I am persuaded that neither life nor death, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39 KJ21).

I would be freaked out, too, if I rode a roller coaster with Spiderman!

(picture courtesy of Washington Post)

Unfortunately, I didn't scroll through the 'pictures of the day' (31st) enough to get the captioningon this photo.  You can, if you like.  Also, if you have any books or on-line shenanigins that you'd recommend, please share!  (I'm finding more free-time lately and I intend to make the most of it).

I'm all for affection and against anger.  Who would vote for anger?  I've got a bit of a temper myself, but I try to give others the benefit of the doubt, and make their lives better.  I'm thinking specifically of irrate drivers and affectionate couples.  I see the first daily (at least) and the second all too little.  If I were to judge the general attitude of people in this area solely from how they behave while driving, it would not be a good impression.  Honking, flipping off, glaring, etc. are all too common.  Sometimes it seems like every driver is driving like they're getting a woman in labor to the hospital.  I've looked, and seen no such women so far, but try to excuse them- maybe there is something deathly important going on (work at 9?) that I can't see from the street, so their rudeness may be somewhat justifiable.  Maybe it's just that I'm less uptight than I normally am.  That's part of my New Year's resolution- to unwind, and analyze less, and give people the benefit of the doubt.  I am grateful to take public transportation and not deal with the headaches of a car, especially in the current icy conditions.

PDA: I should begin by clarifying my unwavering support of it by defining PDA (to me).  I'm talking about the sweet "Have a good day, Honey," kind.  Not the "I don't let my kids watch PG-13 movies, I certainly don't want them to see this," kind.  I understand the need to respect others, so excessive bonding (especially in an enclosed area, like a bus) can understandably make those subjected to it uncomfortable.  And I may be more comfortable with PDA in general, because I like the philosophy of it, but maybe holding hands, endearing smiles, and warm, short kisses don't count as PDA?  It is so refreshing to see what appears to be two people genuinely caring for each other, especially after others so easily share their contempt or general disregard for those around them.  I encourage all who have the courage, to show some affection toady.  You don't have to have a 'special someone.'  Hug your roommate good-bye.  Smile at those you pass.  Give your fellow passengers a break by ending the conversation with your mom with, "I love you, too" at the beginning of your commute together.  We all have been blessed, and need to share that with others, not hog it.  I know sometimes I want to, thinking maybe I deserve it or need to hold onto it as long as possible, because it may never happen- but that's faulty thinking.  Recently, I've seen more of how easy I have it, or at least some of how I've been blessed.  I don't know why that is, except that God is good and maybe whatever lessons or fortunes I have now can be used later.

<courtesy of Linkin Park>
How can I not try to fit someone into a box?  We were reminded Sunday that our view of God is very limited- we try to limit him to the pool in our backyard, yet he's bigger than all of the oceans in the world combined!  I can see more now why Jesus came as a man.  If He hadn't, then how much more clueless would we be of how to live, or what's expected of us?

When I've been meeting new people lately, it's very hard not to box them, either.  The way I understand the world and someone's place in it is through the ideas and concepts of those I've already met.  For example, I could compare new person A with Amber's athletic and dramatic abilities, so-in-so's sense of humor, and his-or-hers look.  How can I start from scratch?

It's intriguing to me that there are always new things to learn.  I don't know why that is, seeing that there's no way possible for me to even know a fraction of what's going on in the world, but still, it is an interesting experience to get stretched and confused and have no clue how to respond to or make sense of a situation/person.

I can't even understand or completely know myself, so how could I think I can of another (person)?  That doesn't discourage me from trying, though.