Like a River in my Soul

This post is part of today's One Word Blog Carnival…hop over to Bridget's to read more posts about this week’s word-peace.

Once upon a time there lived a happy family. They made their home in a place where rivers run into the bay...some of the happiest days and hours and moments of their lives were spent aboard their boat on one such river. The boat was always squeaky clean since the Mr. Captain loved to polish and shine. And there were food and drinks aplenty on this boat because the Mrs. First Mate saw that it was so.

The mermaid child and the golden haired miss…. they are there too in the river memories. Their tote bags packed with hats and books…brightly colored towels, flipflops and sunscreen. The mermaid child and the golden haired miss…the fair skinned beauties.

Bumpers stored, hats tightened, ropes let loose. A careful hand on the wheel as the boat slipped from the dock and floated gently down the river. There was a place where the river grew wide and it soon came into view. “Everybody holding on?” was yelled over the wind and the water and the engine as the Mr. Captain accelerated and the boat seemed to fly. The happy family would laugh and let the wind blow their hair and the sun hit their faces and the water splash their skin until the flying slowed and they were once more floating round one bend and then another. The Mr. Captain knew the river well, where the water ran deep and the sand ran high.

And then they were there. In Red House Cove. No other boats, no other people, just still water and soft silence. The quiet hum of the boat's motor settled as the anchor was dropped and they let the silence of this space wash over them all. How lucky they were. So very many boaters on the river near the bay, but not here... Red House Cove was like a secret space, unspoiled and serene.

The sun rose higher and the air grew sticky and hot. They spent time swimming and napping and thinking. They watched a blue heron whose home was in the marshy grass at the waters edge. They had long talks and they made big plans. Worries seemed smaller here…dreams seemed more than possible. And in this place of quiet beauty God felt close enough to touch.

The clock ticked and the anchor was lifted. With reluctance the slow ride back began. They liked to watch the water sparkle as the sun danced one final waltz upon her surface. They marveled at God’s creative genius streaked like paint across a fiery sky. They wondered how a world could ever deny Him...'The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of His hand.' Psalm 19:1

Peace wrapped itself around each one like a warm soft blanket. It settled in the soul. No words were needed. None were spoken.

Guess what? We're Normal

Have any of you published your blog into a hard cover book? I did this just before Christmas and I love it. And I'm especially glad I've inundated you with pictures in every post because who doesn't love a book with pictures? I used this site and I'm happy with the finished product. And this really has nothing to do with anything except my mom has been reading my 'book' which reminded me that I wanted to mention it here.

Just giving you the heads up....My husband is traveling so I may have more random words than usual this week.

Saturday was a beautiful day...sunny and almost mild. For January anyway. My husband flew to Japan on business Saturday morning so the pup and I drove to my moms house to spend the night. We went to church on Sunday morning then drove back to my house to spend a few days together. That's something I love about my new home...I'm only a short two hour drive from my mom.

Speaking of things I love/don't love about my new home...Friday was good. Several people asked me what repatriation is all about. I wrote about it in this post but in a nutshell...when you move to a foreign country you experience culture shock. Over time you adapt to your new country's customs, speech and way of life. You live in the foreign country for several years. It becomes home. And then one day you return to live in your real home country. You experience something known as reverse culture shock. And every now and then you need to talk about it with someone who understands the feelings and the phenomenon. And Friday was our day to do just that.

We talked all day. I only cried once. Besides all the talking we did a few exercises that went something like this-

List three things you miss about life there-

1. the village life

2. British humor and language

3. my friends

only 3?

List three things you are happy not to have to deal with here:

1. ridiculously narrow parking lots and spaces

2. a dorm sized refrigerator/freezer that is not frost free

3. 17 varieties of lightbulbs in a single house

List three things you are happy to have here:

1. closets

2. big wide roads and car parks

3. an ice maker

etc. etc. etc. It felt good to talk and laugh and set some goals. Oh, and to be told we are normal...always nice to hear that. Have a great Monday!

Seven Years and a Few Million Memories Later

My Friday is going to be filled with talking. And a little reflecting. And some analyzing. And a whole lot of remembering. A woman is coming to our home today to meet with the hubs and I as part of our repatriation package. Sorta like repatriation counseling? Actually I’m not exactly sure what’s going to happen today but I know she is going to be here all day.

We had expatriation counseling prior to moving overseas and the wonderful woman who met with us way back then spent two full days at our home in Maryland. When my husband told me she was coming and that we should plan on two full days I remember thinking WHAT? Two days? To talk about life in England? Where they speak English? Seriously? Ignorance is bliss y’all.

But I’m not ignorant on this whole ex-pat/re-pat thing anymore so when hubs said the person coming today asked for a full day I didn’t even blink. I have snacks and lunch ready, I’m putting on the coffee and I’m steeling myself to spend an entire day discussing our experience as ex-pats and our gradual transition ‘home’.

And thankfully on Wednesday someone gave my husband this -

I think it is quite likely I will be breaking into it before the day is over.

Let's Review Shall We?

It was one year ago today that I entered the blogosphere. What kind of word is that anyway? A totally made up word is what kind. Anyway, it means that today is my blogaversary. Again, the word? Also totally made up. And aren't you glad to know that after one full year of blogging I can still use so many words to say so little?

I had absolutely no idea what I was doing back on January 21, 2009. My husband had been encouraging me to start a blog because apparently I have a lot of words and also a lot of opinions and he needed them to go somewhere besides pinging around the inside of his head. Technology is not my friend but I jumped in anyway, muddled through the set up, and relied a lot on the kindness of my children and strangers. I remember being completely surprised at my first comment. Huh? Someone who doesn't know me is reading this? Oh wait, they do know me. My first comment was from our former Young Life leader in England. Oh I do love those Young Life people. I envisioned my blog as a journal of sorts and I guess that's more or less what it has turned out to be. Some days serious, some days not so serious. I like it that way I think so for now no major changes. I am trying to post more regularly mostly as an exercise in self discipline...writing about nothing takes an enormous amount of self discipline y'all.

I have a little giveaway going on in honor of my blogaversary (we need a new word here Mr. Webster) and I'll announce the winner in a minute. I thought I'd steal borrow an idea from Letterman (not a fan anymore, sorry) and do my own 'Top 10'....be sure to read all the way to the end to see if you won my fabulous prize. My pretty good prize I mean.

Top 10 telltale signs that you're a blogger

10. You have a camera and you're not afraid to use it.

9. You don't even try to hide the fact that, yes you are actually taking a picture of your dessert when you are dining out.

8. Your family all piles in the car to go somewhere which could be France or could be the dry cleaners...and your child and or your spouse says, "Mom/Honey do you have the camera because you know you'll want to write about this."

7. You steal ideas use recommendations from people you have never met for paint color, barbecuing pork chops, furniture rearrangement and establishing some new holiday traditions.

6. A black bear leisurely lumbers through your back yard while you are standing on your deck and you think, "Wow, I hope he comes back so I can get a picture for my blog."

5. You start cleaning out closets, organizing the pantry and finally de-junking the basement, not because you have suddenly acquired more self discipline, but because you are thinking those before and after shots will be good for three or four posts- minimum.

4. You re-evaluate your sense of pride and decide yes, it is fine to discuss- your age, the anguish of ab flab, the fact that your internal thermometer has gone haywire, and a whole litany of child rearing issues beginning with potty training right on thru how and when to have 'the talk'.

3. You're glad you have a pet because not only does she love you unconditionally but also because she can always be counted on for 'material'. Same goes for small children. And teenagers. Really kids of any age.

2. You begin to pay closer attention to all that is beautiful in this big wide world...you notice and appreciate more of the little things...a changing leaf...a rainbow...a tear.

1. You are grateful for the strangers who have come into your life. People you have never actually met but who make you forget that you have never actually met. People you would someday love to sit with for coffee or a glass of wine while you have a nice long face to face and heart to heart chat. Strangers you call friends.

And most especially you know that while there is much heartache and sadness in this world there is also much kindness and joy. And it is meant to be shared.

Thanks for reading...for sticking with me through my move and my moods and my musings...for your encouragement and humor.

And now without further ado, the envelope please...well, the tiny little folded up piece of paper my husband drew out of a basket this morning please....the winner is...

That's you Lumberjack's Wife...Congratulations! You can email me your address and I will send some goodies your way.

And yes, I realize I should have photographed the prizes unwrapped for all the world to see but my favorite little shops always ask, 'Would you like that gift wrapped?' and I cannot say no.

I may still have a few things to learn.

A pre-party Random

I'm joining in the weekly random over at Lid's today. You're invited too! Just answer the questions on your own blog and link them up over at 2nd cup of Coffee. Also, I'm having a little giveaway on my blog on Thursday in honor of my one year blogaversary. If you mention it in a comment your name will be dropped into the official hat making you eligible for a prize. I wrote about it here if you'd like to join in the fun. Now on to this week's questions-

1. I was thinking about how Jon Bon Jovi never seems to age much. His hair is smaller nowadays, but he still manages to look like a boy somehow. And then that made me think of the story of Dorian Gray. Question: If you physically lock in one age for yourself, which would you choose and why?

I don’t know if I can pick a particular year but I believe it was about age 42 when things started going awry. So definitely pre-42. If we’re talking strictly physical appearance then I’d probably want to be in my 20’s again. Why? It’s pretty simple…my perfectly flat stomach. However, if we're talking anything other than physical appearance then I would not want to be in my 20s again. I like my age and with age comes a certain amount of wisdom.

2. What is the best dish that you cook or bake (your piece de resistance?)?

Hmmm…I like to cook and I like to bake. I make a good Italian Cream Cake. Lemon bars. Enchiladas courtesy of my mama. (My mom is an excellent cook and most of my cooking skill came from her)

3. When you feel blue, what is one strategy you use to help yourself back to normal?

Pray, take a walk, bake, do something nice for somebody else, call my mom or my sister, play carefully chosen music, eat peanut m & m’s.

4. When was the last time you danced in public?

November 13, 2009. How’s that for specific? We went back to our university for my husband’s fraternity’s '55^th anniversary-on-campus' celebration. We danced a lot....in fact it was so much fun that for a minute I forgot I wasn’t 22.

5. Do you consider yourself a realist or dreamer?

A dreamer.

6. As a parent, what is one thing that you have done well?

I have prayed for my children every day of their lives. I’ve spent a lot of time with my girls…we’re close. We talk. I try to listen. I try to remember what it was like to be 12...16...21. Mostly though I’ve prayed a lot and I think that has been everything.

7. Which is your favorite character on the Andy Griffith show?

We're huge Andy Griffith fans in our house. I love Barney but I'm going to say Opie, especially the very early episodes. I married him. Well I married his clone. Except 'my Opie' still has all his hair unlike the grown up Ron Howard.

8. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you know about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?

I would give myself a pretty high mark here, maybe an 8. I taught in the city of Richmond Virginia and on MLK day every year all the faculty in the city schools attended a huge event centered on his life and legacy so I’ve been pretty well educated.

9. Have you never been mellow? Have you never tried … to find a comfort from in side you? (Sorry, Jorge was singing that song just now, and it just seemed to be perfect timing as I was creating this week’s questions.) REAL question: What is your #1 driving pet peeve?

That was my first 8-track cassette tape. Loved Olivia! And I know some of you have no idea what I’m talking about but I know Linda will get it.

My driving pet peeve? People driving slow in the fast lane (passing lane). AAAHHH. This makes me bonkers. I know I talk a lot about the challenges of driving in the UK but I will say this…you never see this happen there. People get in the fast lane to pass and then get back in the slower lanes. They do not drive slowly in the fast lane. And if you drive in the fast lane other than for passing you will very likely get a ticket.

10. Which color best represents your mood today? Care to elaborate?

Oooohh…very Barbara Walters-ish. Yellow. I’m mostly always yellow. Yellow makes me think of sunshine and happiness. In general I'm a pretty happy person.

11. If your spouse were an animal, which would he/she be?

Again with the Barbara Walters line of questioning…I’ll say a lion? I found this description of a lion personality here:

'Lions tend to be aggressive go-getters. They are not afraid of taking risks and are visionary in nature. They are fast-paced and are task-oriented. Words like pioneer, direct, confident, and bold describe the Lion. The most important thing to a Lion is being in an environment that achieves results.'

That about sums him up. Except he also has a bit of the otter personality in him too. From the same site-

'Otters love to be around people. They are a party just waiting to happen. Words that best describe an Otter would be fun, spontaneous, enthusiastic, fast-paced, and people-oriented. An Otter wants to be in an environment where they are appreciated and liked by others.'

He is task oriented when he needs to be but he is a total people person too and somehow finds a balance between the two. He’s a good guy. If you were having a party and none of the guests knew each other my husband would have them all bonded as if they were life long friends before the night ended.

12. What activity takes up the bulk of your time on an average day?

Probably all things meal related...planning meals, shopping for meals, cooking meals, cleaning up after meals. I can drive my family crazy by asking them first thing in the morning what we should have for dinner? But someone has to always be thinking about that right?

Mama please take my kodachrome away

Have you ever felt so totally and completely overwhelmed by a task that you think about it almost 24/7 but you don't actually do anything about it 24/7? Well that is where I am with my scrapbooking/photography. Holy moly I am the queen of procrastination when it comes to sorting, filing, copying, and scrapbooking my most recent photos. And I am using the term 'recent' very very loosely. I mean recent may refer to photos we took in NYC over Christmas and it may also refer to photos we took in Athens Greece in 2007. And it may possibly even refer to photos taken pre-out of the country move which occurred in 2003. Yeah.

I did some scrapbooking in the UK...slow and steady but steady nonetheless. Then we got crazy busy with blogging move preparations and I told myself that I'd put it aside and really get it organized and caught up once we moved. After all, I wouldn't know anyone in my new little town and I would have hours to fill happily scrapping away. Well that's not happening. Somehow I am filling the hours and it's not with scrapbooking. It's not even filled with organizing the scrapbooking.

We have a huge walk in closet in our office and when we bought the house I had visions of organizing all my scrapbooking supplies in this closet. We had a closet organizer out to give us a quote on customizing the space and we decided we needed to pay college tuition instead so the closet sits un-customized. And unorganized. And I need another quote or at the very least a trip to Michaels and Home Depot to diy it. I have another huge walk in closet in a bedroom upstairs and half of my scrapbooking supplies are sitting in that closet. Also unorganized. Then there are the old photo albums and boxes of pictures that have been in storage but are now sitting in my basement. Guess what? They also need organizing.

Am I giving you a headache? Because just thinking about this job gives me a headache.

My husband is going to be traveling quite a bit in the next two months and I have decided to make this my project while he is racking up the frequent flyer miles. I am determined to dig in and make sense of the boxes and photos and supplies currently residing on all three floors of my house. My husband is neat. Very very neat. I know the scrapbook chaos makes him a little bit crazy so he tries not to open those closet doors. I try not to either but I see it in my sleep. I don't need to open the door to know the closet fairy has not come because, oops, I am the closet fairy. Time to dust off my wings and get busy.

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod...aka a post about sleep

I'm trying to write more in this new year but I'm realizing some days I don't have a lot to say. It doesn't stop me from saying stuff but when I stop and think about what I'm writing sometimes even I roll my eyes.

We had a pretty low key weekend. The highlight for me was flipping our mattress around so that I am now sleeping on the correct side of the bed. We bought a new mattress for our bedroom when we moved into this house. And we got one of those mattresses where you lay down in the showroom and tell the salesman about all your aches and pains and they adjust accordingly. And your side of the mattress may be different than your husbands side of the mattress because apparently I have neck, shoulder, low back pain and he's got nothin'. Incidentally I got a new pillow too and voila, neck pain is gone. Don't you like that I can work a French word into a post about nothing?

Anyway, because we got this special mattress we each have a designated side to sleep on and as it happens when they delivered the mattress I had them set it up so that after 25 years of marriage I'm now sleeping on the 'wrong' side of the bed. And I didn't even notice. My husband commented on it the very first night. We got in bed and he said, 'Why am I on this side?' Hmmm. We have a set side? Yes, yes we do as it turns out and after 8 houses and 25 years of marriage I should know this. And it also turns out that my husband cannot sleep on the 'wrong' side of the bed. And it has taken me six months of having his knees in my back and clinging to the edge of the mattress to realize that he is never going to be able to sleep on the wrong side of the bed and consequently I will not be able to sleep. So on Saturday we flipped the mattress and all is right with the world once more.

So this weekend we slept. We saw a movie. We took down the outdoor lights since the bushes are no longer drowning in snow. And you know I don't mean 'we', I mean hubs took down the lights because that's his department. We made a big pot of white chili. We napped on the couch. And we watched a lot of football and tried to decide which team we actually support because we feel a certain amount of loyalty to a number of teams. This is part of the baggage that comes with a lot of moves...no clear cut 'home team'. On the bright side though, having a lot of 'home teams' means there's bound to be someone we like in the Superbowl. Which we can watch live as opposed to how we saw it in England which was- we didn't. It started around midnight so yeah...never saw it. Plus football is not something the Brits get excited about. Unless of course we're talking about 'football' and then they get crazy excited. And when I say they get excited about 'football' I'm actually saying they get excited about soccer. Oh and don't ever call it that should it come up in conversation with an Englishman.

And while the weekend may sound a little bit low key aka boring it was not. We've had so much going on for the past week/month/year that this was actually nice. In the words of that ancient Greek
bloggerpoet Homer, 'There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.'

Just make sure you're on the right side of the bed.