Collaboration

Note: I realize that I am writing about going to a third exhibition in as many weeks and, well, you may be wondering how doing something like that qualifies as a new experience per my 2011 challenge. But I promise, each one was totally unique!

This afternoon Roger, his mom and I went to a reception for an exhibition at the Harold B. Lee Library, a wonderful collaboration between artist wife Jacqui and poet husband Lance Larsen, who is also an English professor at BYU.

Together they "explore animals as messengers, avatars, rescuers, wild cousins, doppelgangers and joint stewards of this wobbly planet." If you have a chance to go--it runs through February 11--I highly recommend it. Especially if you need a good dose of playfulness, hope and serendipity.

As I sat down to write this, one of our cats laid down behind the screen of my laptop, curled her front paws around the edges and peeked over the top. Every time I started to type, she'd bat at my fingers as though she was trying to guide them. Wouldn't that have been an interesting collaboration if we could have found a way to make it work?

The Magic Pot

Warning: This post reveals a stunning level of ignorance on my part.

My niece Megan posted a recipe for beef and mushroom stroganoff on her blog today. It sounded like something that would hit my comfort food spot on this icy winter day. And how perfect to write an entry about making a tasty recipe I've never made before!

Well, I had no idea how many new and out-of-the-ordinary experiences I'd have with a project that sounded so simple.

First, I have only used my crockpot once, and that was three years ago just after I got it for Christmas (I had great intentions when I put it on my wish list!). When I pulled it out of the cupboard, I had to give it a rinse. Yes, it was actually a little dusty.

Second, the only time I used my crockpot, meat was not involved. In fact, I rarely cook with actual meat. And it's not just my inexperience with cooking meat. I have no experience buying meat. I didn't even know our neighborhood grocery store doesn't have a butcher counter, though I did find out they'd cut stuff up to order in the back when a very nice employee directed me to my best options in the meat section.

Third, I have very little experience cooking with cans of creamed soup. I know that sounds fairly incredible in our culture, but it's true. I couldn't even remember off the top of my head if they are condensed, and I had to ask if I needed to use milk or water (answer: for this recipe, no).

Fourth, I did not quite believe that you could just put raw meat and a few other ingredients into a pot and they'd all know what to do with themselves. Seemed like magical thinking to me. I had to ask Megan, and my friend Wendy, who I ran into at the grocery store, and the nice employee who helped me pick out the meat if it was really true.

Right now my kitchen smells insanely good, and when I gave the dish a stir a few minutes ago it sure looked like the magic was working. If I don't report back, it's because I've got my mouth full.

A Little Child Shall Lead Them

Tonight I watched the memorial of Saturday's shooting in Tucson, which honored both the victims and the heroes of that tragedy. This is the kind of event I pray remains out of the ordinary for all of us.

From what I've heard and read since Saturday, it seems we could easily become more angry, fearful and divided than we already are. This is a defining moment that can bring us closer together or break us further apart. It is up to us, and every one of us can choose to work for the former rather than the latter.

When I first learned about Christina Taylor Green and the remarkable fact that she was born on September 11, 2001, I began to have a glimmer of hope that maybe her death, but more importantly her life, could spark something in all of us.

Like President Obama, "I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it. I want America to be as good as she imagined it. All of us -- we should do everything we can do to make sure this country lives up to our children's expectations."

My thoughts keep returning to Isaiah 11:6. And not just for our country, but for the whole world.

"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them."

I wonder if Isaiah wasn't talking about animals at all.

Sacred Harp

When I was in elementary school, my favorite days were the days Mrs. D. would roll her piano into our classroom. While everyone else sang, I sang my heart out. Eventually my friends teased me about it, and from then on I just sang.

Today I discovered a place where I can sing my heart out, and everyone around me will be singing even louder!

My friend Jenny invited me to join the Utah Sacred Harp group that sings at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Provo the second Tuesday of each month (check the link for additional times in Salt Lake City).

I'm going to go back again next month now that I've started to get the hang of it. Do come with!

One Guilty Pleasure and Counting

I've debated about posting this because I'm not entirely sure what it reveals about me. But here it goes: today TLC started rerunning the series about the Duggar family--the one with all the kids--from the beginning. Back when it was 17 Kids and Counting. I think they are up to 19 now.

And I started watching it.

Technically I have seen bits and pieces of the Duggar shows in the past, so the family is not entirely new to me. But the desire to watch the series from the beginning is new. And when desire meets opportunity, well, that's how something like this starts. I confess the show is now programmed into my DVR.

The thing is I find that family so intriguing! I am in awe of their organizational skills and how the parents deal with their children so lovingly and patiently and how they are living their lives so deliberately. They are calmly passionate about their commitment to their values, which sounds like an oxymoron, but in their case it's not. They stick to their principles, but exude no sense of superiority or condemnation of others. And even as they work to stick to their principles, they laugh about their missteps. They run a tight ship, but they don't seem to stress when things go off task or schedule.

I have been sucked in because I want to figure out how they do it.

Mystery Solved

A few times in the past month or so, I've noticed bits of something in Jack's hair. I wondered if he had a dry scalp. Or maybe he wasn't rinsing all of the bubble bath or shampoo out of his hair properly. I even asked for a professional's advice when he got his hair cut this week, but she didn't notice anything unusual.

At church this morning I glanced over at Jack and noticed bits of something in his hair that I hadn't seen while we were getting ready. Then he leaned forward, and I gasped when I saw a huge swath of bits across the back of his head.

I pointed them out to Roger. He laughed when he realized it was dust and put two and two together. Jack had crawled under our bed just before we left for church to drag one of the cats out. He's been doing that for ages--we can't leave the cats alone in our room while we are gone because they climb the curtains. But I think in the last few months Jack's grown enough that he can't do it without whacking his head up against the underside of the box spring! (And who cleans that? Well, I guess we might now!)

I tried to brush the bits out of Jack's hair with my hand, but they were stubborn. Roger and Jack slipped out of the chapel to work on it (luckily we were in the back row because we were late). I thought they were just headed to the restroom, but Roger ended up taking Jack home to vacuum his head. Whatever works!

Airing Our Dirty Laundry

Note: This post should especially appeal to people who like websites like this.

Here is a picture of the way my closet looked when I woke up this morning. I've had trouble with the front of my sock drawer falling off, and my hanging clothes need a bit more breathing space.

So I got some nifty bins for my socks and underthings that fit on the shelves (unlike the drawers that I had hoped would when I got them years ago).

Now my hanging clothes have a lot more breathing space.

Flipping my shoe shelf on its side means that a couple of pairs of shoes have to rest on their sides now, but it also means I could fit some pairs of shoes in single cubbies. Hmm. What can I do with that extra space?

And yes, that is our family's dirty laundry in the baskets.

Music Therapy

I picked up my guitar while I was waiting for Jack to come home on the school bus. It's probably been more than a year since I've played it. While I only know a few chords--even though I've owned it for a dozen years--I have fun with it. Creating music is good for my soul.

This week has been a roller coaster. Dad flew to Nairobi to help my brother, who has been hospitalized for more than a month with Guillain–Barré syndrome. He's in the ICU and keeps suffering complications and set backs. I started a new semester. I found out that our community would not be getting a grant that I had worked hard on applying for and was especially excited about. Someone I was really rooting for got the news that she may be separated from her young children for years (which sure puts the whole grant thing into perspective!).

I need to remember more often that creating music is good for my soul.

Update: Roger just told me he heard a story on the radio yesterday about a woman who donated guitars to the troops in Afghanistan. She said "Music is my passion, and I know how important it is for me to play the guitar every day. I can't imagine being deployed overseas and not having your guitar." Click here to listen to the story called "Donated Guitars Lift Spirits of U.S. Troops."

A Cabinet of Curiosities

This afternoon Jack and I went to see the special collections exhibit Roger curated at the BYU library. Click here to read the press release, which starts: "Hippo teeth, sharp daggers and a window from Hitler's bunker are just a few of the unusual artifacts that will be featured in the Harold B. Lee Library's new rotating exhibit, 'Cabinet of Curiosities,' opening Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011, to celebrate the library's semicentennial."

Such a fun project for Roger! He did a fabulous job selecting items, writing exhibit signage and pulling it together. And if you're wondering why he included the hippo teeth, let me just ask: Have you ever actually seen hippo teeth?!

Megan Loves Bollywood

I met 40 new people today. Teaching at Utah Valley University is awesome like that.

On the first day of class, I ask my students to share one interesting bit of information about themselves. I think we're in for a rollicking good time this semester!

Megan loves Bollywood. Cory is a wedding deejay. Jimmy was voted "most likely to die laughing" in high school. Natalie is double jointed. Nadia was born in Ukraine. Cameron loves Irish sports. Sammy taught English in China last semester. Conner plays the French horn. Christopher has never had a cavity. Chandelle is an aspiring country singer. Christy once shaved her head on her brother's dare. Brooke was mute as a child and would only communicate using signs. Caitlyn is a vegetarian. Collin is a sky diver.

My new students represent 10 different states, including Hawaii and an unusually high number of southeastern states, and 5 different countries, including Taiwan and Brazil.

Jealous?

Manga

One of my former students who loves manga gave me a copy of this book to introduce me to the genre. I read it today. It was darn serious. Three angry teenage boys. Lots of trauma. Real.

I'm not sure why, but I have to work hard to follow a story when it's presented in comic strip format. And even harder when it's read back to front and right to left.

I suppose I could get used to it. But I don't think I'm going to try.

Even though I'm not a manga convert, I'm glad for the experience. I especially enjoyed translated lines like: "What's with that fro?" and "Japan's so messed up! There's no place to play ball except at school!" and "How'd that cute kid turn into ugly with attitude?"

I also learned interesting stuff in the editorial notes. For example, "takoyaki is a savory snack filled with bits of octopus." If I come across takoyaki during this year of adventure, I promise I'll try it. A little bite at least.

Outside the Inside World

I woke up this morning to the pain and comfort of the old routine. Roger went to work, I took Jack to school, and then I piddled around on this and that, avoiding the work I need to buckle down and do to prepare for a new semester. I scrubbed the bathroom counter and wondered what I'd blog about on such an ordinary day. I emptied the dishwasher. I cooked up scrambled eggs for breakfast. I made a phone call. I let the cats out to play. I got the mail. I put in a load of laundry. I ran some errands. Same, same, same.

And then suddenly I witnessed something I'd never seen in person before. I saw a man get out of jail.

As I was coming out of the main lobby of the jail after taking care of some school business there, I noticed him walking toward the parking lot wearing a short sleeve polo shirt and jeans. I thought, "Man, it's barely twenty degrees out here! Where's his coat?" And then I realized that he had just been released. The only clothes he had were the clothes he was wearing the day he lost his freedom.

His excitement was palpable, especially when he caught sight of his family coming toward him. His children were grinning wide grins as they broke into a run. I smiled to myself and headed to my car. I turned and looked back at the man and his family. They were walking with arms around one another, he in the center.

He didn't need a coat to feel warmth today.

Inside the Outside World

Today we went to the Ansel Adams: Early Works exhibition at the Kimball Art Center in Park City. A perfectly inspiring activity for a new camera owner.

Did you know that he had to choose between being a photographer and a concert pianist? That is the something new I learned today.

As we drove home through Provo Canyon at about sunset, the sky was overcast and the mountains and trees were blanketed with snow. Except for occasional tail lights, it felt like we were living in Ansel Adams' black and white world.

I'm guessing he would have stopped the car to get a better picture.

Say Cheesy!

Roger gave me a new camera for Christmas! As many of you know, I have completely depended on Roger for more than 20 years to take the pictures in our family. He's very good at it. I'm not so good. Here, for example, are the first two pictures I took with my new camera on Christmas day:

Yeah, I need some practice.

Today I sat down with the manual and learned how to use my new camera. I wanted to take a picture of the camera to include here, and told Jack it was ironic I'd have to use another camera to take that picture. He said, "Just take a picture of it in the mirror." I said, "You are brilliant!"

So here is a picture of my new camera taken with my new camera. I'll need to work on proper focus, but I did learn (1) how to turn off the automatic flash so I could snap the shot in the mirror, (2) how to download the picture to my computer, and (3) how to reverse the image so it shows up properly here.

I'm feeling optimistic about documenting many of my new adventures this year with photos. Or, more precisely, I'm feeling optical-istic!

En Francais

Thought I'd get a jump on my 2011 resolution to blog about something new (to me) or out of the ordinary (to me) every single day in 2011. Usually I will focus on just one thing, but today I have trois poules français to share.

1. Due to my general lack of enthusiasm for house cleaning, I have struggled--and failed mightily--to keep our tile shower clean in a satisfactory way. I am hopeful about every product I try, but the ones that actually do work as advertised are the most unpleasant to deal with. A couple of weeks ago I picked up this lovely solution at Target:

I keep a scrubbing sponge in that nifty little holder designed right into the bottle so it doesn't get scummy. It handles our hard water, it makes my shower smell like a spa and it's way easier to rinse off than other gritty cleansers. C'est un miracle!

2. Roger always makes me smile on Christmas with thoughtful gifts, and this one will keep me smiling as long as I can make it last:

While I love my Kindle, I truly love a real book. Especially a book about/by Julia Child, who I find vraiment fascinant.

3. We discovered the baguettes and croissants and all of the other wonderful things you can find at a real boulangerie at Eliane French Bakery in Orem. The friendly man behind the counter speaks French and assembles pastry orders on a silver tray before packing them up for customers. It is dangerously close to the UVU campus where I teach. Particulièrement dangereux!

Resolved

I've missed blogging. I blame it on facebook for making updates so quick, easy and appealing to my lazy--er, efficient--nature.

I am also itching for adventure, but I lack the kind of travel budget that could really scratch that itch in the way I'd like. I need to figure out how to have the spirit of adventure in my everyday life.

So here's what I'm going to do to address both issues. I am going to stretch myself with this commitment (yikes!): I am going to post an entry on this blog every single day in 2011 that reflects a new or out-of-the-ordinary experience I have had that day. It might be visiting some place new, meeting a new person, or learning something I didn't know before. It might represent a change in routine, a change in perspective, or a change in attitude.

Please start sending me lots of ideas. I'll be needing 365 of them!

A Boy, a Snake, and a Rat

The other night Jack's friend Cameron invited him to go rat shopping. Cameron and his family were going rat shopping to feed their boa constrictor. I would have let Jack go, but he had another obligation (and, by the way, I am proud of Jack for giving up doing something really, really cool to meet his obligation without whining).

The next night I learned from a neighbor that Cameron once showed up on her doorstep with the boa constrictor wrapped around his arm.

The following day I sat Jack down for a serious talk.

"Jack, you know that your friend Cameron is always welcome in our home, right? But you have to know that your friend Cameron with a boa constrictor wrapped around his arm is not welcome in our home."

This statement of mine didn't really come as any surprise as Jack. Roger and I have had a long-term understanding that snakes are not welcome in our home. (I choose to ignore their addendum "that you know of." I know they love me and will always respect my wishes on this point. Right?!)

Anyway, as soon as I laid down the law I saw Jack's wheels turning. I saw that gleam in his eyes. I smelled a rat.

"I'm coming up with lots of loopholes, Mom."

I'm sure.

"What if the snake is wrapped around my arm? What if Cameron is carrying the snake on a board? What if . . ."

"What if we talk about the spirit of the law?" After all, a boy who is smart enough to know about loopholes is smart enough to wrap his brain around that concept. Right?!

The Pizza Thief

The other day we had a bit of a pizza party. Since our dining room table is permanently covered with Lego and Jack and his friend took the kitchen counter, Roger decided to sit on the couch and use the coffee table.

He gets all set to eat when Doublestuff the cat jumps up on the table and starts eyeing his plate. Roger shoes him away. Doublestuff basically ignores him and settles in about a foot away. Roger starts eating. 

Then Roger notices Doublestuff's front paw inching toward his plate. The cat is not looking at the plate; in fact, the cat looks like he is actually trying to be discreet by looking away.

Roger takes another bite. Doublestuff continues to look away nonchalantly. His paw creeps closer. Roger continues to eat. The paw creeps closer. The cat is still looking away. The paw creeps closer. The paw actually slips under the edge of the plate. Roger takes another bite.

Then whoosh! Still looking away from the plate as if him not seeing it means Roger doesn't see it either, Doublestuff whips his paw out from under and aims for the pizza. 

He didn't get his prize, but we sure had a laugh. That darn cat.

Society, not socialism. Community, not communism.

Before class last night one of my students came to me with a copy of the daily paper. She pointed to an article about health care reform and told me it said that children with pre-existing conditions would no longer be barred from getting insurance. She looked me straight in the eye and said, “Is this really true?” I said that it would be soon, once the details get sorted out.  She visibly shook with relief as she told me how she had been unable to insure her six-year-old son due to his mental health problems. Her eyes were wide with hope.

So many people I know are angry and resentful, even downright fearful about health care reform. Though I reserve judgment about the specifics of the plan, I've done lot of research from a variety of sources to cut through all sorts of misinformation, and I am honestly hopeful.

What I see when I look at health care reform is an attempt to solve a serious and growing problem in a humane and pragmatic way. Will it actually solve it? Can’t imagine it will, but it’s a start.

I see a messy and imperfect product of a democratic system we cherish (and that thankfully includes an amendment process).

I see an attempt to preserve stellar private health care delivery while reversing the trend of increasing exclusion from a health insurance system that (for good and bad) has essentially become the gatekeeper of access to health care.

I see a law that, though passed without bipartisan support, is full of bipartisan substance. Two of the key components—the individual mandate and the exchange—originated with Republicans and were supported by Republicans until a Democratic majority chose to embrace them.

I see a call for citizens to step up on behalf our nation—a reminder that civilization involves responsibilities, not just rights. I see value for all of us in having a healthier population in much the same way as I see value for all of us in having an educated population.

I see more freedom to pursue career and entrepreneurial dreams instead of being chained to the wrong job for fear of losing coverage. (And maybe, someday, if the exchanges work, we'll have a system that untangles health insurance coverage and employment.)

I see more women with access to prenatal, obstetric and pediatric care that may feel freer to choose life for their children.

I see “we the people” leveraging the power of joining together and pooling our resources to spread risk and to increase access to health care, especially when we—and it could be any one of us—need it the most.

I see my vote as my willingness to participate.

I see society, not socialism. I see community, not communism.

If it helps to ensure that my student’s six-year-old son can have access to health care, I am happy to make sure that I have insurance myself. 

Snapshot

I realized that this blog may not exist in the virtual world of the Internet forever and so I spent some time today copying blog entries into a file on my laptop. My blog entries represent some of the only journaling I've done in the past few years. It would be sad if I lost them. 

Anyway, I got up to April 2007 and came across an entry called "Snapshot," in which I made note of a few details of my life at that moment. I've been meaning to get back to blogging more regularly, and thought a snapshot would be a good way to start. I make no promise, though, that this won't be a false start. 

Here goes:

Favorite moment of the week (besides when Jack's teachers told us how much they enjoyed having him in their classes at parent teacher conference): Watching Jack and his friend Brett perform a puppet show--written by Jack--at Cub Scout pack meeting. Here's his synopsis: It's about a nerd named Steve who built a hypersonic laser to "make him not a nerd" and it accidentally turns him into a piece of cheese. The last line: "Oh no! I've turned into a piece of cheese! But at least I'm not a nerd anymore. My invention is a success!"

Current mindless time waster: Playing FarmVille on Facebook. Jack got me started, but I have to confess I play more than he does now. I even talked Roger into letting me be a tenant farmer on his Facebook page so that I could have another neighbor to trade gifts with. It feeds my entrepreneurial spirit.

Book that Jack and I are currently reading together: The Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. I loved this book when I read it a few years ago and am happy Jack is old enough to appreciate it now. I will keep reading to Jack as long as he wants me to. It's one of my favorite parts of each day.

Current paying job: Teaching English 2010 at UVU. I was assigned to teach night classes this semester, which tend to have more older students in them. Class discussions are always better when there are some older students. Classes full of 18-year-old freshman tend to just stare at me.

Current church calling: Teaching the six year olds in Primary with Roger. They are cute and funny and have gotten to know us well enough now that they feel free to be rowdy in class. We prefer to take that as a good sign. 

Current daily irritant: Cats running into the pantry every time I open the door. Sheesh.

Last out-of-town trip: Roger, Jack and I spent four days in San Francisco in January. We toured a WWII cargo ship, shopped in Chinatown, spent hours in the Exploratorium while it poured rain outside, walked on the Golden Gate Bridge, and hung out on windy beaches looking for rocks and shells and getting wetter than we intended. We loved the neighborhood around our hotel, especially the pet store where we bought souvenirs for the cats, the grocery store with racks out front overflowing with fruits and vegetables, and the fabulous bakery where we ate croissants and washed them down with exceptional hot chocolate. 

Greatest success of the day: Doing three whole loads of laundry without forgetting about them. I'm embarrassed to confess just how often I put a load in, go off to do something else, then remember the wet load after I've gone to bed.