Eucharisteo

This is only a prologue of the book that could catch "bethanitely" up with where I am. Life hit hard -- luckily I was prepared for a good, hard, life-hit. I know because I tweeted this a week ago:

Chuck Jones just painted a hill-tunnel-train coming towards me. It'll flatten my cartoon body and I'll role off screen. Ehh, what's up, doc?

Bugs Bunny was the man. Well, he was the rabbit. But he was the rabbit.

In speaking of rabbits, I'd like to remark that I'm thankful for moments like rabbit spottings while gardening. It's one of the only times I'm allowed to have an obnoxiously loud, high voice. Today, I named a shivering little bunny Thumper. Thumper almost got eaten by the dog. But now he's safe, Diva is asleep in her doggy-bed, and the weeds have been rudely awakened from their beds. All is well. Except maybe for the weeds.

I'm thankful for so many moments. Now that I'm reading this absolutely delightful book called One Thousand Gifts (Yes, yes, I recommend!), I'm diving deeper into the concept of thankfulness. Eucharisteo is where the author, Voskamp, decided to set up camp -- right there in the Greek. Grace and thanks and joy... all wrapped in that Greek "eo" burrito. I wish I could explain. I can explain! But later, later, later.

There are mason jars filled with flowers in the guest room of the Conner house. Some of the black eyed Susans have bowed out, but the rest are still kickin' after a week. Next to one of the jars sits a recipe moleskine -- another gift. I can't wait to fill it. Next to the moleskine is coiled a bike lock, which I will latch to Karen Conner's bike all year long -- unless I'm heading to class or going on a little bike ride of my own. I could never properly elaborate how giddy this borrowed item makes me. I could bubble right over.

The past week and a half has been weddings and card games and Planet Earth and hurricanes and delicious food and dog barking and theological discussions and quite a bit of smiling. And I will elaborate, but for now I'm filled only with thoughts of grace and joy and thanksgiving. So I'll let those ideas punctuate the page.

Juxtapose

LAST semester (not including Staff Breakfast at 7 AM, because... it didn't fit on screen)

This upcoming semester

Alright. I'm being serious. Now it's your turn. Let's hear your schedules. Out with them.

Sunday on Maple Street

What a beautifully relaxing day.

Spring Valley's new pastor is fired up about outreach and leadership and change and IT'S SO AWESOME. Good for him. I hope he has a lot of people praying for him and that he continues to draw his strength from God, because he looks like he's working on all cylinders.

Baby baptisms are interesting. Catholicism is interesting. The concept of Holy Water is interesting. One time, Noah Koch splashed his hands in the Holy Water because he thought it was a fountain. One time, toddlers Zac and Sam took handfuls of communion crackers in their chubby hands. Both times, Karen and Jeff were dumbfounded.

Jordan and I make good eukre partners. Kelly and Noah, less so.

Sunday naps are... refreshing.

Noah and Zac are home from Legends, Sam is back from DCI, and all 5 of the kids are finally in the house -- 5 plus me. We celebrated with pizza and s'mores and nort-nort (partners nerts). Needless to say, Sam and I (the "Legswookies") crushed our competition with grace... and war cries. Then I taught Jeff, Noah, Zac, and Jordan spicy uno! Jordan and I signed the most, followed by Jeff and Zac, followed by Noah. It was so much fun. :)

You know what I've done? I've downed some Tylenol PM and I'm going to read. And, darn it, I'm going to fall asleep before 3 and wake up before 10!!! I am so thankful for my life. My family and my second family and my friends are so loving and I am having so much fun just being a part of this crazy life on Maple Street.

Gotta be jet lag?

Well, the benadryll didn't work. So since Jurassic Park ended and everyone went to bed, I've been cutting and folding and adhesive-ing the name placement things for the wedding. Seinfeld is keeping me company. It feels like midday; I couldn't be less tired.

I got to talk to Mike for a few minutes, so that was good.

This is so bizarre!

Searching for a plan B

My loan was declined. Okay... okay. Okay.

God can work this out. I just have no idea how.

I really liked The Little Prince!

I used wordle to make a word cloud of chapter 21. It's been on my mind every once in a while recently. I haven't been able to sleep. Writing, reading, drugs, food, darkness, sheep counting... nothing has worked. Maybe I'm looking forward to the wedding and New Jersey? Maybe I'm jet lagged? Hmm?

I slept til' 5 pm

TONIGHT I'm taking melatonin. So goodnight, sweet void.

I'll have to include a few other quotes from You've Got Mail, just to be fair:

• Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.
• 'Joe. Just call me Joe.' As if you were one of those stupid 22-year-old girls with no last name. 'Hi, I'm Kimberley.' 'Hi, I'm Janice.' What's wrong with them? Don't they know you're supposed to have a last name? It's like they're a whole generation of cocktail waitresses.
• Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today I saw one. I couldn't believe it. It got on at 42nd -- and got off at 59th, where I assume it was going to Bloomindale's to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake. As almost all hats are.

Flight 274 and beyond

• A woman asked me to give her my aisle seat. Little did I know that happily consenting would result in smiles, compliments, hugs, and lots of talk from all of the flight attendants.
• The older gentleman next to me was shocked that I was planning a Bachelorette party that didn't include getting hammered.
• A teenage boy, whom I will affectionately call B 29 (that was his position in line at the airport) asked me a lot of questions before we got on the plane. He also gave up his aisle seat -- I think for people who wanted to sit together. He, however, did not get praise from the flight attendants. I meant to tell him he did a nice thing!
• The airport didn't lose my baggage. They did, however, hide it from me for a while.
• Sam, Max, and Kelly all came to pick me up! I love them like family.
• A very drunk man at Wendys spent a good 5 minutes hitting on me. Something about "enjoying the finer things of this world," I want to say. His soliloquy was slightly repetitive, very jolly, and ended with, "And it's not just about what I'm lookin' at, it's about your personality." He was a smooth-talking drunkard. Look out, Mike.
• Kelly and I went through our keepsake boxes and I realized... I've always been this way. And Kelly has always been that way. We're a funny pair. :)
• Reeses Puffs. Jet lag jet lag jet lag jet lag.

As I wait for flight 274

The cutest little boy just wandered past me. Wearing all green, he had huge headphones over his ears. I recognized him because I passed him earlier as his mom was saying,

"Here, I'll let you listen to something. What would you like to listen to, honey?"

Just now, as he walked by, he was saying loudly, "Mommy? MOMMY?? I'm lost. I'm lost. Mommy? I'm lost."

With that, he grabbed the heartstrings of everybody in my sitting area with his chubby little fingers and pulled.

At the same moment, 15 feet away, his mom looked up and said, "I'm right here, honey."

He turned, and ran towards her crying. It was the scariest moment of his life. This kid isn't going to like puffy headphones or the color green for the rest of his life, and he'll never quite know why.

Now he's running back and forth in front of his mom, not allowed to leave her sight, but full of so much toddler energy. He might burst.

Oh my loans

After a lot of calculator-ing and a lot of paperwork and a couple months of financial rigamarole, the possibility begins to loom that my loan might not be approved this year.

The clouds are only grey in the distance, so hopefully that storm passes safely.

My poor dad looks like a car-accident victim with his arm cast. He's got stitches in his palm after "successfully" cutting Graham's hair. I left a note for him this morning and called him Edward Scissorhands. Too soon? You know, his middle name's Edward. It just works too well.

He's being a good sport, not crying over spilled milk (or... well, blood), and is still working one handed. The rains'll let up in a couple weeks on that life-hiccup.

The Secretary

Phone calls! Planning! Organizing! E-mails! Cleaning!

I found an elephant trunk in a box.

Worker bee

If my day was an animal, it would be a worker bee. My mom took me to Taco Bell and a FroYo, I watched Antique Roadshow and Jeopardy with my dad... I hung out with Graham a little... and I continued the process of de-room-anizing my room.

The day flew and was filled with work and relationship. It was chill.

I also read this article on the craziest rulers in history. It really solidifies my thankfulness for everything starred and spangled. Not that I'm going to go all Americana, but still.