PontifiKate

...As long as it ends.

2009-01-26T23:04:00.002-06:00

Statler: I guess all's well that ends well.
Waldorf: I don't care as long as it ends.

I've been meaning to officially call this for a while. Even if I got back in the groove of blogging, I really shouldn't allow myself the distraction so I'm'a shut this puppy down. Oh, I'm going to leave it up and everything, but I intend NEVER TO POST AGAIN... here.

And for my last act as administrator of PontifiKate, I share with you this Seminary Survival Quiz. On a good day, I score an 83% (probability of survival). On a bad day, I score a 60%. Either way, the odds are in my favor! ;o)

Peace, my peeps!

2 Golden Headsets and Several BRAVOs Later

2008-08-08T09:26:00.001-05:00

Today is my last day of work in the annuity contact center I’ve been at for almost two years. In some ways I hate moving on, but it is very evident that it is time for me to do so. Tomorrow I start packing like a crazy person, then brief vacation, then more packing, and then on to Covenant!

8/8/8 - It truly is an auspicious day.

What's He From?

2008-07-16T11:04:00.002-05:00

I often watch Law & Order episodes over dinner. While it is a good show in its own right, it's also fun for the game of tying the guest stars to other roles they've played. Most of them have extensive filmographies of largely marginal roles, which is the kind of challenge I like!

The other night, I saw part of an episode in which the criminal was extremely familiar. No one in the room was any help though. Later the same evening (while I was *cough* watching more TV), we saw a commercial for the new X-Files movie. We commented on how much, um, OLDER the leads look now. "When was that show on the air?" "Wasn't it late 90s?" "It started earlier, though, didn't it?" And the light bulb goes on! I first saw an episode of the X-Files in late gradeschool, when I was too young to not get scared out of my mind by it. :o) I was sleeping over at Sarah W's house and walked through while her dad was watching it, and there was this gross guy lunging out of a sewer - yucko! Years later I saw the episode again and it still gave me the willies. And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is the man who was the criminal on Law & Order that evening. So I looked him up.

Doug Hutchison was indeed the actor I recognized. But as with many such cases I know him from more than just the shows I put together. He was also Horace Goodspeed on "Lost", Percy Wetmore on "The Green Mile" (which I only saw once), and has been on lots of things I've not seen. Unless I've already noticed an actor, I usually can't tie them to more than one other role.

As one not on my wave length might summarize the above: yes, the man has had a healthy acting career thus far. Hey man, just don't rain on my parade.

One of the Best Picnics in Recent History!

2008-07-03T13:55:00.002-05:00

“In other words, it was one of the picnics that you attended within the last year.”

“Um, yeah.”

Just trying to lift our spirits as we were cheated out of Shakespeare last night due to inclement weather. Therefore our trip to Omaha boasts highlights of a picnic (and it was a good one) and surveying the damage from the storms and winds last weekend: boy howdy! Entire tree trunks snapped in half! AMAZING.

I Never Have to Wear It Again!

2008-05-22T12:28:00.002-05:00

We had our last Awana of the school year last night (the Awana Parents’ Party and Program). It was great. I’ll miss my kiddos. I’m sure I’ll help out again sometime.

However, I’ve decided that the next time I help with Awana, I will wear a different uniform. My shirt has always been too big, too bulky… in a word: awkward. Let’s just say that it has taken a concerted effort to ignore the fact that I’m wearing that oversized polo each week. It has done its job and I’ve worn it without grumbling (usually), but I’m at a point where it is glorious to say, “Not next time!”

The shirt looks much like the following in shape:

I’m not a fan of tucking in a shirt, but with one of this length -- believe me, it’s long! -- there’s no way I’m not tucking it in (I settle for just tucking in the back, such that it doesn't look like a short skirt). The problem is that it’s a gender neutral shirt, which means it hides a person’s form, which for me spells disaster. (Okay, I’m exaggerating. But it’s bad.) I decided that I’m donating it to Zion for whoever might someday want to avoid buying one themselves. And I, well, I will buy one of *my* choosing next time, utilizing the wisdom I now have.

And yes, I know, it’s just a shirt.

Some People Are Insane

2008-05-16T11:14:00.002-05:00

Setting: the Grand Canyon
Depth: 900 meters

I sure hope he got the shot he was after.

I got this as a forward and thought I'd share the crazy with you all. Apparently he made the jump by pressing his body up against the rock when he landed.

Makes me want to take up quilting!

2008-05-14T09:57:00.004-05:00

...in my spare time.

http://www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/patchworkz.jsp

I’d Get Along Without You Very Well, You Stubborn Tune

2008-05-12T16:40:00.002-05:00

I’ve been humming this all day. Granted, it’s a beautiful little tune to have in mind, as tunes go.

I get along without you very well
Of course, I do
Except when soft rains fall
And drip from leaves
Then I recall
The thrill of being sheltered in your arms
Of course, I do
But I get along without you very well

I’ve forgotten you just like I should
Of course, I have
Except to hear your name
Or someone’s laugh that is the same
But I’ve forgotten you just like I should

What a guy
What a fool am I
To think my breaking heart
Could kid the moon
What’s in store
Should I fall once more
No, it’s best that I stick to my tune

I get along without you very well
Of course, I do
Except perhaps in spring
But I should never think of spring
For that would surely break my heart in two

What’s in store
Should I fall once more
No, it’s best that I stick to my tune

I get along without you very well
Of course, I do
Except perhaps in spring
But I should never think of spring
For that would surely break my heart in two

This song was composed by Hoagy Carmichael in 1939, with lyrics based on a poem by Jane Brown Thompson. I’ve got Stacey Kent’s version stuck in my head – which I love, but it has hung on a little long, IMO. :o)

In a World…

2008-05-07T11:16:00.000-05:00

Idea? Check. Look? Check. Script? Often good, often meh. Overall execution? …Mostly. With that said, I mostly really recommend “The Island” starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. I saw it the other night and even though the movie is significantly flawed, I am still giving it a lot of thought. Actually, the premise is so fascinating that I'm not really surprised that I am thinking about it this much. It was almost an excellent movie. Almost. (I hate it when they’re almost great!)

The film was mostly flawed for indulgences. Indulgence in stupid jokes. Indulgence in unbelievable action sequences – and action sequences by definition are already unbelievable. I think that, generally speaking, the makers just didn’t give the viewer enough credit. There were a lot of stupid lines that to me communicated, “Get it? …Get it??” Yes, we get it. And there is a way to write those lines that affirms the same information for those not as in tune with the plot without making the rest of us aware that you’re worried about the public not being able to follow the plot. *sigh*

On the flip side, the movie also didn’t take advantage of opportunities I thought they had been setting up to flesh out information the viewer may be curious to know or see (i.e. make what is already a cool story even cooler). There could have been some really satisfying conclusions to certain plot points which they instead just kind of tied up with string with a little, “…ta da.” Disappointing.

So, why do some movie makers choose to surround themselves with yes men and people who lack judgment in the exact same ways that they do? Seriously, this movie could have been awesome, but instead I will just have to groan through the groan-worthy parts whenever I watch it – not just for the groans themselves, but because I wish I had been a story consultant, or whoever has the job of fixing/tightening a film project. It’s a tragedy that simply wouldn’t happen if the director had the humility to accept a little advice and not indulge every inclination unchecked. Oh, the human ego! (And speaking of ego, yes, I am aware that I am a wanna-be movie snob. I think I know a few things about films that I may not in fact know.)

You do NOT want to mess with Sayid

2008-04-25T09:19:00.000-05:00

The Lost episode last night was good.

A Family Hobby

2008-04-22T19:57:00.003-05:00

Well, not my family exclusively. I saw this on Anne's Blog, but it's making the rounds.

The game is this:
1. Pick 15 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb.com and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Right answers/affirmations will be posted in the comments section accordingly.
5. NO using Google or my Facebook profile or any other use of the intranets to CHEAT.

I definitely did not try to make this easier for the average person, but I think my family at least should have a decent shot at most of these. We shall see!

1. "It is I, Sidney Feldman."
2. "And when we die, and you are sent to heaven for doing your conscience, and I am sent to hell for not doing mine, will you come with me, for fellowship?"
3. "I bribed them to sing a song that would drive us insane and make our hearts swell and burst."
4. "Playing strip poker with an exhibitionist somehow takes the challenge away."
5. "You're not a god. You can take my word for it; this is twelve years of Catholic school talking."
6. "Caution is for popinjays and cockatoos!"
7. "Oh, I've got all the faith in the world in Johnny. Whatever he does is all right with me. If he wants to dream for a while, he can dream for a while, and if he wants to come back and sell peanuts, oh, how I'll believe in those peanuts!"
8. "Well, hellooo big dollop!"
9. "I couldn't help overhearing. I had my ear to the door."
10. "These eggs are positively glacial. When I run this house, senile servants will be the first thing to go."
11. "I'm not gonna say any more than I have to, if that."
12. "I'm Woodrow Wilson. Go to bed!"
13. " It's... it's... it's indescribably beautiful! It reminds me of the Fourth of July!"
14. "QUIT BAWLING! QUIT BAWLING!"
15. "Twentieth century? Why, I could pick a century out of a hat, blindfolded, and come up with a better one."

Covenant and St. Louis

2008-04-16T14:00:00.002-05:00

We went. We saw. We experienced.

Check out our trip pix.

Late-Night Packer

2008-04-09T22:14:00.002-05:00

...As in, unfortunately I am one.

Anne, Darlene, and I are heading to St. Louis tomorrow to visit Covenant Theological Seminary. It should be a fun road trip and hopefully will help confirm the call I'm feeling to go and study there this fall. I'm interested in the Masters of Arts in Educational Ministries, a two-year program which would equip me to work full-time as support staff in churches or various other ministries. I haven't yet been able to narrow down my ministerial interest to a certain focus because I just love helping with everything, so I anticipate Covenant will also be good for allowing me to search out God's more specific plan for me. Please say a quick prayer for us if you think of it!

Anyway, I guess I oughta finish packing!

I Like Math

2008-04-04T16:04:00.003-05:00

In grade school when I was in about third grade, my class somehow determined that “that quiet girl over there” would make a good student council representative. (I’m just kidding. I had friends… apparently.) In the very first student council meeting they held elections for the offices of president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. In my 8-year-old panic, I misunderstood and thought that we HAD to put our names in as candidates for one of the offices. I didn’t want to, but my thought process was this: I like math, so I guess I wouldn’t mind being the treasurer. What I would like for someone to explain to me is how this little girl actually got elected to treasurer in a room full of probably 30 kids who were mostly older than her! (I think there were about 600 kids total in my elementary school, so it’s not like we all knew each other.) I still laugh and shake my head about that run of events.

Thankfully, my responsibilities as treasurer were simple. At the beginning of each meeting, I was in charge of reading the amount we had available in our budget, which was something like $132.45. Every meeting, the presiding teacher would prompt me to stand and I would say, “We have $132.45.” I was still very self-conscious about speaking in front of a group, and never in my memory did I do so voluntarily until I was much older. The amount I read off never changed, as we didn’t spend any of the account’s funds during at least the first half of the year, nor did any money come in. (Poor little Prescott School!) As I got more comfortable in my role, I found myself saying one week, “We still have just $132.45.” I knew as soon as I said it that I shouldn’t have. One of my student council peers shouted out an incredulous, “JUST?!” Needless to say, my face turned red as I realized my error, since this really was a lot of money. This did little for the meager confidence I had built up in my fledgling attempts at extemporaneous public speaking.

So why does this anecdote come to mind? Probably because my life now reminds me of my life then. I work daily with account values, although in a more advanced manner now than in third grade. All the time I find myself saying in mock interest that a client has a balance of something like $642,539.44 in their annuity with us… a number that's just a number until I catch myself and mentally say, not unlike Strong Bad, “Whoa, that is not a small number! That is a big number!” I guess what I’m trying to say is that sometimes I marvel at how much money some people have. And then I tell myself to quit marveling and just do my job.

“I would be the best rich person…”
-Veronica Mars

RC Sproul Interviews Ben Stein!

2008-04-01T13:55:00.001-05:00

Awesome.

I heard parts of this the other day on the radio. Here’s a video of the interview online.

Laugh Attack

2008-03-06T11:52:00.002-06:00

I had a laughing fit while planning for our Cubbies preschool group last night. It happened when I was giving a preliminary read through our Bible story (which, like all of them, had those helpful, parenthetical, italicized thoughts which apparently enrich teaching). The story was about the cross and at one point it actually described how the people "made fun of Jesus" and put a crown of thorns on His head. (Was it a crown of gold? A crown of silver? No, they gave Him a crown of thorns!) At this point, the lesson plan tells you to ask the children, "Do you know what thorns are?" and then says, "(If you brought thorns, show them at this point.)" Somehow, the ridiculousness just struck me. And I laughed. And laughed.

Now, there are often one or two tricky props that are recommended each week, and I normally just breeze right past them; things like, you know, sand, a flower pot with seeds and potting soil, or a telescope... just readily available materials! The curriculum writers evidently think that planning Cubbies is the highlight of my week and that I live next door to Home Depot. It's the same story with Children's Sunday School materials. My sister and I have had many a laugh while preparing for jointly taught classes when we run into such *helpful hints*. ...Okay, I'm bashing this pretty hard, and of course I realize the merit of visual aids, especially with young kids. I'm just reporting the giggles that hit me harder than they have in a while.

The truly funny part is, while I was laughing... and laughing some more, I went walking around our apartment looking for thorns I was certain we did not have. But we did! That is, we had a dried rose that fit the bill well enough. So I did, in the end, take thorns for a visual aid. And honestly, story time last night was excellent.

The kids totally listened to our story, which was good because it was about the cross, which is serious stuff. The Cubbies lesson plans are really nothing to sneer at – I repent for the first portion of my post! – although I do freely tweak the plans to my personal liking, of course. The point being, though, that the story communicated the subject matter very well for a Cubbie's emotional and intellectual levels. They were rapt, or as rapt as is possible with preschoolers. They listened, they responded, they thought. We went way over on time, but in a way, I had to think about how I probably had the privilege of sharing points of the story with them that they had never before heard or understood. That is amazing. What a blessing!! It makes me cry.

During the evening, as I walked around our church with a dried rose, I imagine a conversation between myself and a random church member:
Them – What is that dried rose, Kate?
Me – Oh, this? I've been carrying it around ever since it was presented to me on Valentine's Day. ...Actually, no. My roommate was given it for Valentineas Day and I just had to borrow it as a prop for my kiddoes tonight. *sniff*

Ha.

Jumper

2008-02-26T16:51:00.004-06:00

I saw Jumper this weekend. Twice. The redundancy was not because I love-loved it, but just because that's just how it happened. That said, I had the opportunity to both have an initial opinion and then to refine it.

It is a fun superpower flick, although the character is too openly selfish to be considered a superhero. I didn’t recognize Hayden Christensen in the leading role, but actually had to be informed by my sister that it was him. This is a good thing, since I was not wowed by his work as Anakin back in the day. Though his character is less than likable, it was well-presented and pretty believable given his circumstances. I feel like the director got in Hayden's face and told him, "You are a selfish, conceited 23-year-old. Sell it." Sold.

The film really was very well executed (PG-13). It looks pretty and the action flows really well. In fact, I'm going to go so far as to say that I really liked the action. There's no blood to speak of -- not that that sort of thing usually bothers me much, but I find it preferable to get good action without blood if given a choice. The action itself is fun and relies on the watcher to be intelligent since we ARE talking about teleportation, after all. Not to mention all the fun that comes from the teleportation. Talk about a grand scale! The writers also are to be commended for not using dialog as a crutch to quantify the rules of teleportation in their universe. Very clear. Very naturally communicated, by and large.

The script had some minor flaws. The biggest flaw in my estimation was that the film feels like a prequel to the movie-yet-to-come where the main character actually decides to act like a superhero, developing selfless and noble characteristics, etc. I have not heard any murmurings about a sequel (nor have I looked), but the assumption of one makes the movie work way better for me. It felt very much like the back-story for Peter Parker or, to a lesser extent, like Batman Begins, but then they deprive you of the redemption portion of the story! Yes, I believe the characters are poised to be interesting with significance-packed relationships, and that the main character would have one heck of a compelling emotional journey in Movie Two, so THEY'D BETTER MAKE IT! Lots of promise... but not an excellent movie on its own.

I has silunt gygglz

2008-02-14T16:15:00.005-06:00

In case you've never checked out http://icanhascheezburger.com/, here's a taste:

Happy Valentines Day to All You Singles Out There

2008-02-13T23:23:00.000-06:00

"I have my standards where men are concerned and I have no intention..."

"I know all about your standards and if you don't mind my sayin' so there's not a man alive who could hope to measure up to that blend of Paul Bunyan, Saint Pat, and Noah Webster you've concocted for yourself out of your Irish imagination, your Iowa stubbornness, and your li'berry full of books!"

The Novice Learns a Trick

2008-02-06T15:12:00.000-06:00

This story involves admitting that I fraternized with the vending machine yesterday, but as it was the day before Lent, I’m counting on you all being understanding.

So, I went to the VM, chose to get the Chex Mix, paid, hit “vend”, and… it got stuck. Now, this is often the case with Chex Mix in that machine (okay, so I indulge more often than just on Fat Tuesday), so I went through my normal routine of modestly shaking the vending machine and waiting for some guy to walk by and help me with it. Actually, about half of the time I can get it myself, but about half of the time I end up needing the Strong Guy. :o) [Well, let me make a distinction and say that the guys often offer help me before I get to the point of giving up, so I’m not quite as helpless as I may appear given the stats.]

Okay, back to yesterday: I shook the vending machine and just really wasn’t getting anywhere. A random guy walked by and I could see in the machine’s reflection that he paused and was conflicted about whether to stop or not… and then kept going. Ah, well. I can’t really entirely blame him.

I was just about to either give up or pay for another (chancing just getting one for the price of two), when a couple of gals walked by and noticed me standing in contemplation facing the vending machine. They offered a supportive, “Oh, did something get stuck?” and I replied in the affirmative. Then one of them approached and said, “Yeah, I don’t know if I could get this one myself… ” then turned and body-checked the machine with her bum! And topple-topple, down came my Chex Mix. I was so shocked and happy and tickled that I laughed. I thanked her, and I continued to giggle. I complimented her on her nifty maneuver and she seemed rightly proud. The best was her meek presentation of her skill. All that to say, I learned a new trick!

For Everything There is a Season Month

2008-02-01T14:07:00.000-06:00

You’ve got to love the random tidbits that come from the daily e-mails you get in the workplace -- or at least in my workplace. Every day, we get little nuggets of wisdom and/or some useless facts for our lives. :o) I really don’t mind, but it’s usually stuff that makes me smirk.

Today we got an e-mail listing all of the (supposedly) celebration-worthy topics specific to February. They are:
“Black History Month”
“Valentine’s Day” (though it feels a little like Valentine’s Month)
“National Wedding Month” (what does that even mean?)
“International Expect Success Month”
“American Heart Month”
“Relationship Wellness Month”
“Library Lovers Month”
“National Bird Feeding Month”
“National Cherry Pie Month”
And, of course, the invaluable…
“Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month”

Apparently, we are just leaving January’s newest Special Observance*: “National Mentoring Month”, now a true, American holiday.

And since it has become the craze to add our own druthers to the mix, I hereby deem February, “Kates are Awesome Month” in honor of the up and coming little Kate Meredith O. who could potentially share my birthday!

Which ones do you plan to celebrate? ;o)

*Galatians 4:10 - You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

Trial by Fire

2008-01-30T11:04:00.000-06:00

I know this is how we learn fastest and usually best, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. At work, I am learning another branch of annuity products, those that come from kind of a sister company we will now help field on the phone. This means learning new products, different rules, and facing changes in the evaluation of my service. Altogether, I would explain it as “blech”.

Actually, I have technically already learned (note the past tense) the information for these new calls, which means I am currently taking them. Very yuck. My FIRST CALL this morning was on a new contract (new to me) and I got a question which I, of course, was unable to answer. I had to try to locate my resources – both paper and people – and try not to lose too much credibility with the client while I searched, put them on hold, and searched some more. Ugh. I had forgotten how miserable it is not to know what you’re doing! One of my greatest satisfactions is conquering a skill and then just enjoying the comfort that comes in utilizing that skill with ease. Now I’m back to feeling like a Know-Nothing. *sigh*

I tell myself that this is good for me. I know this to be true… but it doesn’t make it any more fun. I find myself praying that the next call NOT be a “new” one but one of the “old” ones I’ve been getting for over a year now. And yet I appreciate the fact that the longer I postpone getting many of these “new” calls, the longer I will remain in ignorance of how to handle them. Ugh. Better to bite the bullet and learn one hard call at a time, because then at least I can become comfortable and return to my preferred level of confidence. Ha.

It’s good to be reminded every now and again that I, too, am a wuss that fights change. I tend to think of myself as someone with a "pioneer spirit" which, though often the case, is not universally true. Apparently. :oP

Bless Anne and Her Theory

2008-01-21T09:17:00.001-06:00

Anne, BHH*, decided one day that listening to the dreams that someone wants to share in their still-foggy state is Important. The commitment not having originated with me, I can't really comment as to whether it was the result of her frustration one day at not being able to have her groggy say, or if she just came to that conclusion through observation and reflection. Either way, I've been thankful for her philosophy more than once.

I mention this because yesterday I actually found time for a Sunday nap(!) and woke up to the late afternoon living room chatter of my siblings and father. I had a burden to share my dreams, and, as is often the case, would have been prevented from doing so had Anne not firmly encouraged, "Let's listen to Kate's dream. I think it's important." I shared the part that I considered the most entertaining, but it's just so hard to communicate well when you're still waking up. I got a little frustrated at not being able to articulate myself, but even more so by the growing realization that they were all just humoring me. I probably could have remembered more of the dream, but quit early since circumstances were not ideal. Now I only have the memory of the part I shared with them. The rest of the dream is lost.

Part of my personal burden to share dreams is because I hardly ever get to. I very rarely remember my dreams, and even more rarely are they anything but b o r i n g. I dream things like checking something off my To Do list, or forgetting to close a software program at work. *sigh* This dream was actually interesting -- at least somewhat so.

Just to satisfy what I'm sure is now a nagging curiosity in your minds, what I had was a little dream about time travel. The gist was that I went to a restaurant with Anne after which we had to travel back to the near past. As a part of our recon we decided I needed to go to that same restaurant and ask them a question. I did so, and as I was leaving a waiter asked me if I wanted a table. I smiled and replied that I had just eaten, enjoying the irony that it hadn't actually happened yet. After leaving the restaurant, I further chuckled at myself when I realized that that same waiter was the one who would be serving Past Anne and Past Kate when we entered the restaurant 10 minutes later. Ha. Yeah, only mildly interesting, I know.

So that's that. And in case any of you were wondering, I did post my Card Collection on Flickr. I'll be adding card decks to it from time to time (I have more than 60 in all), so if that kind of thing interests you, you may want to keep track of that set.

*Bless Her Heart

I Really Love You Guys.

2008-01-08T15:52:00.000-06:00

No, really, I do!

To explain the unfriendly "This blog is open to invited readers only" which has plagued potential PontifiKate perusers for the past few months, I must divulge my reasons. First, I pulled the plug on it rather suddenly because I reached a point at work when I started to feel uneasy about having this kind of intimate access to what makes Kate G-- tick (I am constantly giving out both my first and last name, and people are resourceful, let me tell ya!). Pontifikate was the first Google hit for my first and last name, and though I took pride in that for a long while, I ended up blocking it as a knee-jerk reaction to a specific case... but didn't erase it completely because I am a self-proclaimed packrat, and my weblog is definitely worth keeping a record of for posterity, right? ;o)

So anyway, please forgive the rude snatching away of my blog, though it's not like I was using it regularly, anyway. I'm not even promising to renew my efforts (I'm very fickle, you know), but wanted to have it available for historical purposes, if nothing else. Ha!

Maybe I'll post a photo album of my card collection as a Welcome-Me-Back post...

How to get Kate all het up on a Monday morning:

2007-10-01T10:21:00.000-05:00

Have Kate’s good friend Adrian go on a rant against predestination when it’s clear that the extent of his understanding on the subject is that he doesn’t like the basic idea of it and is therefore willfully misunderstanding the implications of it. *sigh*

Last-Minute Harry Potter Guessin’

2007-07-19T23:45:00.000-05:00

Today is THE last chance I can legitimately call the shots in advance for the finale of Harry Potter, and I have to take it. As a disclaimer, most of these theories came out of discussions with my family, so I don’t claim many of them as specific to me. Click on “comments” for my thoughts or to add your own.

A Very G-- Road Trip

2007-06-20T15:32:00.000-05:00

G-- Girl 1: Is that a bank?
GG2: It’s a church.
GG3: Banks don’t have steeples.
GG2: “The First Bank of Christ”
GG3: “Jesus Saves”

As in vay-cay? Road Trip!*

2007-06-13T00:26:00.000-05:00

Just a brief note to let you all know that I am officially out of the blog-o-sphere for the next week. I leave today (Wednesday) for Kentucky with Bess and Anne. We will meet up with Mom, Grandma, Aunt Amy, and Cousin Jake at Grandma’s in KY in the evening -- provided all goes well. I plan to get back next Tuesday night after a nice, relaxing week.

Hooray for vacations!!

*The title is a quote from Legally Blonde, which, I must admit, I like quite a lot.

A Call to Unity and Submission

2007-06-10T23:40:00.000-05:00

My home church's building burned down Saturday morning, for those of you who don't already know. We were scheduled to break ground for a new educational wing Sunday morning, but evidently God had other plans! Now, we're just working to catch on to His. :o)

courtesy of Brother Joe

Many have documented the event. Here are some links for those interested:
The Journal Star
Keith's blog entry
Keith's photos
Bess's pix
A blog entry of Rebecca's
Rebecca's photos
Gary's photos
Renae's post

As my title indicates, unity and submission are two things greatly on my heart at this time. Zion Church is a strong body, but the stress of change can do funny things. Though I don't anticipate division, hardship is certainly upon us and we would be foolish not to be wary of such a visitor. Oh, how good it was to worship this morning with the body of Christ! It was wonderful to gather together and know that our communion together has not changed. How dearly I love my brothers and sisters!

But along with big decisions always come strong opinions. I joyfully anticipate the contribution of ideas for how Zion could move forward, though I pray fervently that God will give us each the grace to submit to our leadership once they come to definitive decisions. May we trust our leadership implicitly, may they be unified in Christ, and may God guide our steps as we seek to be faithful with all He has given us!

Katherine Mary, Quite Contrary

2007-05-27T22:38:00.000-05:00

I feel very contrary right now. I feel contrary about a variety of things because I'm in one of "those" moods, but my concentration in this post is concerning a pet peeve I was very satisfied to identify one day: I hate when people play the devil's advocate but don't tell you until the conversation's over -- if at all. If I've had an entire conversation with a person (who is so difficult and stubborn, all of the sudden!), but who at the end laughs it off and says, "I love playing the devil's advocate," it completely nullifies the connection with them I've been working to establish all that time. I've been trying to win them over because I care about them and now I find out that they've misrepresented themselves for the purpose of playing with me (which, essentially, is their game). An uncharitable read on the situation, yes, but I don't believe in having a staged debate unless everyone's in on it.

And there it is.

By the way... hi. Sorry I've been gone so long!

Go Tug On Your Ears*

2007-04-01T01:20:00.000-05:00

First: I love the Moseman family. They’re just awesome. I was closely mentored by Bart & Carrie for my five years at UNL and have so much to thank them for. I love each of their three kids so much it’s unfair to all the rest and LOVE the excuse to spend time with them when I babysit twice a month.

Second: Babysitting this week was a very special kind of fun. Early on in the evening the girls started pressing me for a story -- any story. I kept expecting it to subside so we could just play, but when it didn’t, I thought I’d quelch it with a page or two of Harry Potter 1, which I’d brought over and was anxious to start in on. The girls were not opposed to my idea (other than asking, “It’s not scary is it??”) so I started in. And they sat still, and they followed the action, and they asked good questions, so we read a chapter-and-a-half!! I still can’t believe they were into it for that long. We only stopped because it was bedtime and we had to. It was SO FUN reading a children’s book like that to real-live kids! It really is geared towards children, after all. (As Moseman girl1 proudly pointed out, “I could read that on my own, too, because I think I know almost all of those words.”) I just love Harry Potter and I love sharing it even more. What fun!

Third: As some of you may already know, the Mosemans are expecting a

Fourth: Woo hoo!!!

*The title is a reference to the strategy used by Moseman girl1 to distract Moseman girl2 when Moseman girl2 found out she could scare Moseman girl1 by referencing You-Know-Who in frightened tones. “Hey, maybe You-Know-Who--” “Aah! Go tug on your ears!” to which Moseman girl2 laughed so hysterically that she forgot about scaring her sister. How endearing. Did I mention I love those kids? :o)

Family Life

2007-03-05T16:06:00.000-06:00

Scene: Dad arrives home Sunday evening to find the house emptier than usual.

Dad: Did Anne go home already?
Me: Yeah. She left pretty early tonight.
Dad: And Bess went home, too?
Me: Yup. She took off a little while ago.
(pause)
Dad: So, you all only stay over here if we have a working TV, is that it?
Me: I’m only still here for the washing machine.

Ah-pee Buh-thdeh Tooo Yoooou, Keht...

2007-02-28T07:43:00.000-06:00

Imagine a three-year-old. A three-year-old boy. A French three-year-old boy. Singing "Happy Birthday" in English. OPERATICALLY.

Huh-LAR-ious.

Oh, it's my birthday today. Twenty-six!!

Jesus, Lover of My Soul

2007-02-14T09:29:00.000-06:00

1. Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide,
’Til life’s storm is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
Receive my soul at last.

2. Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, oh leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
In the shadow of Thy wing.

3. Thou, O Christ, are all I want,
More than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name,
I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am;
Thou art full of truth and grace.

4. Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,
Let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart;
For all eternity.

http://igracemusic.com/igracemusic/hymnbook/hymns/j04.html

Sweet Sorrow

2007-02-06T22:25:00.000-06:00

Sorry. Apparently, blogging has worked its way right out of my schedule. It’s nice to know it’s here when I need it though (…she said selfishly).

So in the course of my job on the annuity phone lines, I talk to the recently widowed, widowered, and orphaned. However, there’s a special department that handles death claims, so usually I don’t have extended conversations with the grieving.

But every now and then I handle a call in which their loss comes up and, having a bleeding heart, I try neither to dwell on it nor to rush past it. Most often I talk to women who make disclaimers about their many annuity questions, since they “never had to do this before (so-and-so) died.” My sympathies for any in that situation are one hundred-fold since my mind immediately returns to my grandmother in Kentucky who has been on her own for the first time in 58 years since my grandfather’s death in November.

But I sympathize every bit as much with men in that situation, and today I spoke with an older man who almost made me lose it. We had a minor connection early on in the call when he read back a phone number I’d just given him in Spanish, and I confirmed it with a, “si.” (Thank you, Sesame Street!) His Spanish was good, and he seemed like a neat man, even then. I digress. :o) So, we were talking about his options concerning his annuity as he wanted funds from it, etc., when it came up that his annuitant/beneficiary (sorry for the shop talk!), who was his wife, had died sometime last year, though he never reported it to us. When I brought up him needing to name a new beneficiary, he told me that he no longer had any living family. Whoa. He said that he met his wife when she was 12 and he 13. He said he told her then that he would marry her one day. He said they traveled a lot and so never had any children. He said he taught her how to fly a plane and ride a motorcycle. And then, after many happy years, he lost her. Why, he asked with a tremble in his voice, would God separate them like this? I said something about His reasons being mysterious, but obviously couldn’t actually get all theological/counselor on him. The call wrapped itself up pretty quickly after that. May God bring him comfort! (Too deep for customer service? Undoubtedly, but it’s abnormal, to say the least!)

Through handling these calls, I’ve had what could be considered a somewhat trite realization. Now that I’m confronted with it, I just can’t think of anything that better illustrates the tearing of Jesus’ heart for His bride than the separation of a couple that’s shared a lifetime as one. In the coming generation there will probably not be many stories like the one I heard today (which, granted, is lacking in the joys of children!). With couples marrying later and divorcing often, how many will be able to say that they honestly don’t know how to live without the other once they’ve gone? Can I allow this as a reminder that my Bridegroom sorely misses me and aches to be reunited with His Church? Oh, how that puts in perspective the sacrifice He made in leaving for a time and the fact that He wants nothing less than my ultimate good!

These are the things work provokes me to ponder. :o)

A Recommendation

2006-12-27T00:25:00.000-06:00

We Have Five Whisks

2006-12-05T20:59:00.000-06:00

I moved. About a month ago. I moved into an apartment with two friends and I really like our new place! Voila des photos:

The dining room

The living room

My shared bedroom

It’s been fun setting up house, although most of it was done without my help since both my roomies brought with them communal apartment items and, additionally, we’re babysitting about half of a couple’s household stuff while they spend a year out of state. (Thus us ending up with the aforementioned five whisks. Overkill, wouldn’t you say?) But I’ve found ways to contribute to the cause as well and the place is really coming along nicely.

The apartment is actually quite spacious. It’s older, giving it character, but was just recently redone due to a fire last January (I think). We’re the first tenants in our apartment since it’s been opened back up for business, which is cool, except that you run into things like, “Hey, there’s still no outlet in the bathroom…”

P.S. - Did you spot the theme party residue in the top photo? :o)

Papa Yahnig

2006-11-15T09:57:00.000-06:00

My mom’s dad passed away unexpectedly yesterday afternoon. Please pray for the family as we grieve, though we also praise God for the knowledge that he is now enjoying our dear Lord’s presence. The funeral’s in Kentucky and I leave tomorrow.

“HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

2006-10-23T23:16:00.000-05:00

As a language lover, one of the joys of my daily life last year was helping Audrey (17) with her English homework. I had never really cared for English as a subject myself, though the further I got in college, the more I began to realize that I actually love it, in a way.

So anyway, the other day I was pleased to receive an e-mail from Audrey with a subject line of, “HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” It was nice to know that in addition to being missed as a sister, I am still considered a resource for her tougher English assignments. :o)

This assignment was a “put the sentence together in the correct order” exercise. For example:
city/is/the/Scotland/capital/Edinburgh/of
Edinburg is the capital city of Scotland.

Audrey did four out of five of these things on her own with only incidental mistakes, but one of them came to me like this:
stands/on/Liffey/a/surrounded/plain/Dublin/along/hills/the/River/by
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????

THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is today’s Quick Quiz for Grammar Buffs. Brother Joe and I did the best we could (even involving a side geography lesson of our own) and sent back our best guess. I, for one, would like to see your best guess. And no peeking at the other responses before you try! So, can we English speakers come to a consensus on the sentence order, or am I going to have to ask Audrey for the answer key? ;o)

Well, whether I was right or wrong, Audrey sent me a follow-up e-mail to say, “MERCI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I know, I know, I yem zuh best. [Possibly my favorite French catch phrase. The French don't even try to put on an English accent for this one, and I like it that way.]

Five Seven?

2006-10-13T23:08:00.000-05:00

At work this week, I left the training environment and began "transition". (Again, I work in a call center answering client questions about annuities.) During transition, we begin taking real calls from real customers -- with real finances that we could potentially really screw up. Proceed with caution? You betcha! Therefore, my fellow trainees and I have a supervisor available at all times to answer any questions we're bound to have (1 trainer per 4-6 trainees). I'm actually liking it all quite a bit. I think it brings out a few of my strengths, and it's nice to have some practical application after the three weeks we spent in tax training and the like (yawn!).

I think I do well with the whole customer-service-on-the-phone thing. I've answered phones for previous jobs and feel generally good about my professionalism and friendliness, though there’s room for growth, no doubt. The company is big on having us try to connect with the clients or agents we speak to, but only to keep business running smoothly, of course.

SO, one call I got this week was from, let’s just say “Dan”, the rapport of the call being what I’d call a normal good. A couple minutes in, I was loading some requested information when he said, “Five seven?” like it was part of the conversation we’d been having. Pause. “I’m sorry?” I responded. “Five seven?” Dan repeated. I had no idea where those numbers came into things and asked again for clarification. “Are you five seven?” he said, finally spelling it out for me. PAUSE. Okay, let’s take this the comic direction, since it is that, whatever else it may be. “Heh, that’s really funny. Uh. NO,” and I chuckled as I revealed that I am, in fact, five one. Then I promptly picked up again with the information he’d originally called to ask about.

So… I guess I sound tall. Or at least not short. :o)

Bring on the Cute!

2006-09-20T22:59:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the first assemblage of Awana at Zion. I’m a helper and, more specifically, I get to help the Cubbies (preschoolers) work on their Bible memory verses. We had 21 Cubbies tonight(!) which we will be splitting into two classes, each with two teachers and a helper. It was exciting to see kids I don’t recognize from Sunday morning there already. I was expecting that kind of growth later, but it’s cool to have it right off the bat, too!

“Cubbie Bear”, the Cubbie’s symbol -- the same visual
they used in my Awana youth

Kids seem to be my lot in life this fall. :o) I’m also this quarter’s Toddler Teacher on Sunday mornings. This is a relatively new position (which I feel like I explain anew each week to my ever-changing coworkers) which was created mostly just so there’s some extra consistency throughout the morning and from one week to the next for our little ones. After just two Sundays I can tell that some of these kids already recognize me and feel more comfortable having me there with them!!

I love kids. I just need to remember not to dwell on how much I’d like my own. :o) Someday, maybe, and I'll leave it at that.

As Time Goes By

2006-09-12T14:14:00.000-05:00

Well... I got a job! A quick shout out to Kelly Services for the part they played in that. It is, in fact, a short term position (6 months) with an insurance company, starting Monday. I’ll be doing customer service for policy holders -- not selling, just informing. I’m actually pretty interested to learn the ins and outs of insurance and like the interpersonal component because it’ll help the work from feeling too static. Well, we’ll see.

In other news, I woke up this morning and remembered what September 12th was like for me last year. That was the day I left for France. It basically combined with the 13th to form THE LONGEST DAY EVER: I woke up, finished packing, drove to Omaha with my folks, had lunch with them, said goodbye (cried), got on a plane, flew to Chicago, switched planes, flew to Paris (losing seven hours, hardly sleeping, and arriving around 9am), met up with Elissa, took the metro with all of our luggage to our hostel, rehydrated, had lunch, took a brief nap, and went on a Paris biking tour. We got back at, like, midnight. I think the definition of exhaustion goes something like that.

And here I am a year later. I’m still kind of amazed that I was out of the States for almost ten months and am still kind of overwhelmed about the bigger questions of my future. But all is well. It looks like my next life step is in place, which will give me the freedom to spend some time both trying to process what I went through last year and trying to determine how God wants to use me in the next several years. I take suggestions. :o)

You know, they’re always looking for subs…

2006-09-01T11:29:00.000-05:00

Two months ago I returned from France. Tired (a word my French sister always mispronounced), I laid low for a while before really beginning the job hunt in earnest. Well, the hunt’s been on for a while now, and while I’m the first to admit that I don’t exactly have tunnel vision about it, I’m kind of surprised that I’m still looking. I guess I’m just a weird mix of completely open and kind of picky when it comes to job options. Of course, it’s all complicated by the fact that I’d like a decent job now that I can keep while I examine other, more long-term possibilities, etc. and it’s hard to get a good job when you can’t promise to stay very long (not that I’m advertising that fact).

For a long time, subbing in the public schools was my ace in the hole. “If all else fails, I’ll just sub when school starts.” There are four things that people always say about subbing. 1) It’s hard work. 2) It’s good pay. 3) It’s really flexible. 4) They’re always looking for more people to sub. I already know that I can teach and that I like it fine, though I don’t have plans to make a career out of it at this time. I’m a musician and speak French, making me a desirable replacement for any who teach in those areas. But mostly, I considered subbing because I thought it’d make a nice place holder while looking for something more stable. SO when school got close and I still didn’t have anything, I turned in a subbing application. Guess what I found out!

The first problem with subbing is that “local substitute teachers” (those who aren’t certified to teach) can only sub for 37 days each school year. Puh-lease. The only people who can sub year-round are certified teachers who probably want a class of their own. The second problem is that it takes three stinkin’ weeks to get your “local substitute teacher certificate.” The third is that the application process will probably take a month in all because LPSDO has to do checking before you can apply for said certificate. And once you’ve jumped through all those hoops, you’re only allowed to sub for just shy of two months! Basically, why go to all that trouble if you’re not in school planning to get your REAL teaching certificate, in which case you’ll probably hope to do more that just sub, leaving the schools AGAIN with a lack of substitute teachers. No sympathy here.

And that’s the main reason that I probably won’t pursue an occupation in teaching. I just can’t stand all the hoops which, in the end, don’t necessarily keep poor teachers out and good teachers in, but merely ensure that all your teachers are hoop-jumpers. More power to ’em! In the words of Derek Zoolander, “Sorry, Maury. I’m not a gymnast.”

So all that makes me… still looking! But I’ve got other stuff in the works, and something should happen pretty soon, so save your pity -- but thanks. :o)

Mourner for Hire

2006-08-18T11:49:00.000-05:00

This week I sang for the funeral of a 96-year-old woman I’d never met. I’ve never been hired for a funeral before! The interesting thing is that it apparently happens all the time. In contrast to weddings, where the couple often asks semi-talented friends and family to do their music, those in charge of a funeral often go a more professional route to find musicians, probably mostly because it’d be nearly impossible for family or friends to make it through without becoming emotional, but also because I think they want to send the deceased off with something high quality. (By the way, I’m definitely just a wannabe professional whose quality is rather spotty.)

And so I was contacted, available, and excited about working up some classical pieces for the first time in a while (and boy howdy, if my range hasn’t shrunk a little bit since the last time!). But as soon as I said yes, I thought to wonder whether the woman was a Christian. Thankfully she was. I just don’t like the idea of having to sing for someone I’m pretty sure the other way about! It’s bad enough feeling like I’m crashing a somber event for close family and friends without being in charge of bringing words of comfort that I don’t in actuality think apply. But in this instance I had the pleasure of proclaiming truth to the woman’s family, which is largely non-Christian. I say all of that because there are singers that actually do give their names out to funeral homes so as to be contacted when there’s a need, and while I’m almost interested in that, I'm mostly not because I’d have to really work through what I think about it all ethically first. I’ve started to ponder such matters, but not enough to spell anything out on here. Anyway.

The funeral itself went fine. The message was very “she was such a good person”-themed and talked a lot about her church involvement before (as I understand from my source) she actually accepted Christ. Huh. The music definitely struck me as more theologically sound and meaty than anything they said from the pulpit. (“human family”?? – uch!) I got to sing the 23rd Psalm and, from the Messiah (and Job 19:25-26 and 1 Co. 15:20), “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the firstfruits of them that sleep.” How cool is that?! I just hope people listened to the words instead of being distracted by the music or the vessel (me), both of which ideally are supposed to enhance the message. Well, who knows.

Now that’s a thought path upon which I’ve never before trodden!

The Eye Doctor

2006-07-26T20:25:00.000-05:00

I realized something today: If I say that I’m going to the dentist, someone’s waiting to commiserate with me about how they’ll be asking me a bunch of questions about myself while I’m on my back with my mouth open, etc. Similarly, if I say that I’m going to the doctor, someone’s waiting to joke about how they’ll no doubt make me wait for a long time, scantily clad, in a cold room. But if I say that I’m going to the optometrist… crickets. And because of this hole in the collective knowledge of society, I’m going to demonstrate how I would have commiserated with myself this morning, for I -- that’s right -- had my yearly vision checkup today.

“Oh, you have to go get your eyes checked today? Don’t you just hate it how after they’ve had you cover each eye, etc., do whatever it is with that hot air balloon image, take the flutter peripheral vision test, and get that puff of air in each eye that makes you cry, they make you go wait for the doctor in that “other” room? And they don’t even give you anything to do in there! You don’t have your contacts in, so to you the posters are just blurry drawings of magnified cross-sections of infected eyes with tiny writing you’ve no hope of reading from that uncomfortable chair they instruct you to wait in. Oh, and they make you set your purse across the room so that you have nothing interesting to do where you are. And that blob in the opposite corner past your purse is, of course, the poorly-positioned magazine tray. And while you know that you could always get up and examine any of those things while you wait, you risk them popping in as soon as you do so, and then feeling like they caught you being naughty or something since you were supposed to stay in that darn chair… for twenty minutes. Heh. Yeah, have fun with that.”

Determination, Thy Name is Linus

2006-07-25T12:14:00.000-05:00

(Or, “Disobedience, Thy Name is Linus”)

I was gone for two hours this morning, but I posit that it doesn’t really matter how long we’re away. I think that our beagle Linus sets to work escaping the upstairs containment area as soon as he hears the front door close. Why? Good question. He doesn’t have to pee (yet), he has plenty of comfy spots upstairs, and we’re not home, meaning he couldn’t prefer being downstairs because he’s closer to us -- unless you count the fact that he greets us sooner by being at the door when we arrive. He often gets kind of panicky being alone, so I’m sure that fuels his determination and amazing successes.

“Amazing successes”? Well, yeah. The baby gate we bought to corral him upstairs (the result of investing in new carpet downstairs) has undergone several modifications since the day Linus first decided he needed to get past it. As Dad said in his post last August, the gate at first was merely a psychological barrier, and it had worked for a good long while. Then Dad was forced to extend it, then he extended it even more, barred the gap, and hung it on hooks so that Linus couldn’t push through, and finally he placed another two hooks at the bottom, so that the gate really wasn’t going anywhere. That model lasted for a long time. But this last Sunday, Linus learned how to beat it. (And people say dogs are dumb!) Linus has simply decided that he will not be contained.

When I left this morning, I halfheartedly pushed an overturned chair up against the gate with a huge dictionary on it for extra weight. Result: Linus had gotten down, of course.

...and once downstairs, he reposed upon the nice sofa with the soft blanket as his reward.

DERN DOG!!

He’s so cute though.

Back to “Normal”

2006-07-12T23:43:00.000-05:00

So, after spending almost ten months abroad, here I am back home in Lincoln, Nebraska. Wow and ahh.

Actually, being back is at once relaxing & familiar AND stressful & different. I’m having an excellent time just taking it easy (and indulging a bit much, to own the truth) and having fun rediscovering all the things I love and appreciate about life here in the States: “Oh -- you don’t have to say hello and goodbye when entering and exiting stores!” “Oh -- I’m not obliged to keep both hands in sight at meals anymore, am I?” “Oh -- I forgot about Bunny Tracks ice cream!” :o) But then, on the other hand, I returned to find myself in a serious state of limbo, as I need a job, a car, and to make decisions about lodging, etc. in pretty short order. Not to mention that throughout my day I encounter any number of little changes: “Oh -- we don’t have to drive Joe around anymore, do we?” “Huh -- there’s a curtain there instead of shutters!” “Wow -- the skyline over here is a little busier than it used to be, isn’t it?” Not that there’s anything wrong with change, but it's noted, you know?

Anyway, I’m back and very happy to be so. Anne’s and my travels were great. We made it home safely, without any real crises, and with some excellent memories. It’s a little early to say what all I miss about France, though I miss the people, of course. It’s been excellent to start seeing folks around here again, though somehow bizarre (a good bizarre, of course!). I get overwhelmed when I think about everything I’ve got on my list of things to do, both in terms of picking up after a hasty exit from France and in terms of etching out a new place for me here. Good stress, yes, but stress nonetheless. :o)

In summary: All is well. Praise the Lord!

Bienvenue!

2006-06-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

Bienvenue à mes élèves de Cheval Blanc, Maubec, et Taillades! Je suis contente que vous avez trouvez mon site! Sentez-vous libre de me laisser des mots ici si vous voulez... en anglais ou en français. :o)

Pour voir mes photos, cliquez ici.

Vous me manquez déjà!!

-------------------------------
Just a little note welcoming my kiddos -- I mean, my students. I had my second of three "last days" today (three since I have three schools). Today I thought to put my blog up with my contact info, and they all thought that was mighty cool. We'll see how many actually make it here. :o)

My kids are so, so sweet. They've all been giving me presents, lots of sticky/slobbery/what-have-you bises (kisses -- they do three in Provence: go R, L, R), and some even cried: aww!

Ready or not, here it comes!

2006-06-15T07:23:00.000-05:00

The end is upon me.

That is to say, my time here in France is drawing to a close at an alarmingly quick rate!

So many lasts. So many things I’ve wanted to do, but didn’t (more in terms of poor communication than of missed experiences). So many things to decide -- and quickly, because my Internet access is going spotty as the household here is going to change servers AND because Anne and I embark on our French adventure (Adfrenchure, if you will) next Thursday/Friday! And, too, so many posts about my experiences here that I never had time to put up. :o)

In honor of the fact that I’ll be spending more time than usual on foreign computers in my hunt for Internet sources, I’ll post an entry that’s been waiting in the queue all year for a good time to be posted:

Zhqt Iù, Trying To Sqy
2006-06-15T07:20:00.000-05:00
Translation: What I’m Trying To Say Is…

Oh, the joys of typing on foreign keyboards! It’s not enough that you're overcharged for Internet time, you’ve got to tangle with a different keyboard as well. :P

Top Offending Keys:
Z when I want W -- examples: zhen, zithout, ze, nez
W when I want Z -- examples: emphasiwe, apologiwe, wero
Q when I want A -- examples: qnd, Kqte, Qmericq
; when I want , -- example: red; white; and blue
ù when I want ’ (which is way over on the 4 key) -- examples: Iùll, itùs
, when I want M -- examples: ,ove, e,ail, ,o,
: when I want . -- example: maybe later:::
The . not only being where the , normally is, but necessitating the shift key!
All of the number keys on top which require shift or caps lock for the numbers rather than the symbols -- examples: &st, énd, "rd
Qnd ,qny ,ore1 -- And many more!
(I just can't help but think of The Red Green Show: "My o and e aro rovorsod.")

On the other hand, I love having French accents built into the keyboard. For years I’ve been cutting and pasting them in from the Character Map. I know I should just get some French software (with spellchecker and the rest) and even tried to once (problems and more problems!), but now that I’m on Gmail, I can cheat and just use the spellcheck on there. :o)

And I've actually gotten pretty good at the French keyboard. It's crazy to me that our brains, muscle memory, etc. can handle two slightly different systems without much difficulty. I type just about as quickly on the French keyboard as on my own. Of course, some days all is well while for others my brain and fingers just kinda forget how, but I guess that's to be expected. The worst, though, is when my brain stays in foreign mode when I'm on my American laptop. That's supposed to be easy! That usually doesn't take too long to wear off, though.

Eet Eez Nut Beecuz Yoo Ah(r)

2006-06-08T08:07:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things about coming to France has been the increase in my exposure to well-crafted franglais, particularly of the French variety (meaning it's "in English", but with a heavy French accent and French vocabulary thrown in for the more complicated stuff, making it more fun for the Francophone than the Anglophone). Many of the hard laughs I’ve had this year have been from films in which there are some choice franglais excerpts. What can I say? It gets me!

In my opinion, to appreciate franglais, you need only a basic understanding of the other language, although the more you know, the more you tend to catch and enjoy. To succeed in speaking franglais, you really don’t need anything save a good/bad ear and a student's understanding of the other language. “Good or bad?”, you ask. Well, if you’re good in the other language you need a really good ear (so you can choose to revert back to bad pronunciation), and if you’re bad in the other language you’re set! (Because the whole point is to speak the other language as a foreigner does, to comedic effect.) The hardest, in my opinion, is crafting comedic franglais. It helps to have a really good ear and a good knowledge of your own language and of the other, though it more from a student’s perspective. Mediocre franglais is easy to create, but quality, comedic franglais is an art. Says me. :o)

Recently, I’ve been to several BBQs at my German friend’s apartment. She, an American guy, and three French brothers sit around with guitars and sing together frequently. One of their staple songs made me laugh pretty hard the first time I heard them all perform it. It still makes me grin every time. The guys do a great job with it -- even the American, who’s got a pretty good ear for the French accent. The song is...

It is Not Because You Are
(Words and music by RENAUD)

When I have rencontred you,
you was a jeune fille au pair,
and I put a spell on you,
and you roule a pelle to me,

Together we go partout,
on my mob it was super,
it was Friday on my mind,
it was a story d'amou-our.

Refrain:
It is not because you are,
I love you because I do
c'est pas parc'que you are me,
qu'I am you, qu'I am you
“fin of the refrain”

[click here, then click "clique pour écouter un extrait" in the middle of the page to listen to the next verse]

You was really beautiful
in the middle of the foule
Don't let me misunderstood
Don't let me sinon I boude

My loving, my marshmallow,
you are belle and I are beau
you give me all what you have
I said thank you, you are bien brave

(refrain)

[click here, then choose #14's "preview", third from the bottom, to hear the next little bit of the song]

“this is the musical bridge”

I wanted marry with you
and make love very beaucoup
to have a max of children
just like Stone and Charden

But one day that must arrive
together we disputed
For a stupid story of fric
we decide to divorced

(refrain)

You chialed comme une madeleine
not me, I have my digniti
you tell me: you are sale mec!
I tell you: poil to the bec!

That's comme ça that you thank me
to have learning you English?
Eh! that's not you qui m'a appris,
my grand-father was rosbeef.

(refrain)

Anyway, I laughed.

That said, it's lamentable that nothing wipes the smile off my face faster than inferior franglais. If your accent stinks, I'll have to force a laugh, and I hate to do that. Quelle snob, I know. I myself rarely attempt it, and don't make a big deal of it when I do. It just doesn't flow for me. Darn! :o)

My Kids Are CUTE!

2006-06-06T01:31:00.000-05:00

[“My kids” meaning my students, not my kids.]

So, there are certain things that I’ve come to do at the beginning of every class, and in a certain order. NOTE: As I wasn’t (entirely) trained as a teacher, there are bound to be easy ways to improve upon my methods, but with only three weeks left, I don’t really want to know what I’ve been doing wrong all along. :o) (I fly home in exactly a month!!!!!)

1) I enter the room. Duh, right? I mention this step because one class always stands when a teacher enters the room, and I always have to tell them to sit down again because they won’t do so until they’re “permitted” by the authority figure!

2) Once I’ve put my stuff down and the teacher gives me the go-ahead, I begin with a “Good morning!” or “Good afternoon!”

3) That is directly followed by “How are you?”, which often begets an “I’m fine” though occasionally they’ll answer by saying “I’m good” or “I’m so-so” or, if they’re really clueless, they’ll repeat “How are you?” -- not out of politeness, but because they don’t know what it means and think we’re working pronunciation. *sigh* Some have started asking me how I am on their own, but usually I have to coax it out of them. (Last month one kid asked me, “How do you do?” which was so far from anything I expected that I thought he was mispronouncing “How old are you?” I was glad to be corrected!)

4) After that I ask them, “What’s the date today?” to which, if they answer in French (and they often do!!), I’ll add a mock-exasperated “…in ENGLISH!” As a student feeds me the information, I write it up on the board (for example), “Tuesday, June 6th, 2006” and once it’s complete, I have them repeat each piece after me. (They’re getting pretty good at “tyoo-fowzund-seeks”. Really though, some even pronounce it right!) Of course, it’s always good to work on numbers and the “th” rules (as in 6th, 1st, 12th), as well. It’s a shame the “th” rule matters, because it ain’t easy!!

And then I get on with the lesson. :o)

The funny thing about this is that now they’ve started not waiting for me to commence my spiel. Instead, they pelt me with “Hello!”, “I’m fine!”, etc. just as soon as I walk in the door! While I find this endearing, I put on my best poker face and wait for such efforts to subside before I start things up the “correct” way.

Lo and behold, last week I entered one of my classes and they, as a class, beat me to the “How are you?” and what’s more, had already written the date up on the board! Definitely the teacher’s idea. Definitely a child’s writing. Aww! I was so proud -- and they’re one of the younger classes, too, at 8(?) years old. And they’re a GREAT class, too: well-behaved and darling!

Some of the only pictures that exist of me teaching are from when Mom, Bess, and Aunt Amy visited me in April. Here's Bess's set and Here's a starting point in Mom's France set. And here's one including the date, just for kicks.

Prominently Featured on the List of Things the French Need to Learn:

2006-06-01T05:53:00.000-05:00

Gates only keep honest people out.

An Update For Y’all

2006-05-31T06:54:00.000-05:00

It occurs to me that I’ve neglected to post just regular ol’ updates here on my blog, which was one of my core PontifiKate intentions. Oops! Hopefully my faithful readers have been able to piece the big things together just through being observant, though I’m sorry that was necessary. :o)

SO, here’s the current scoop on me:

I continue teaching English here in France through Thurs. June 22nd. On Fri. June 23rd my sister, Anne, will arrive in Paris and we’ll travel around together who knows where, as our itinerary is yet to be decided. It’ll be AWEsome, whatever it includes! :o) We return to the States together on Thurs. July 6th. Wow, that’s soon!!

I plan to “land” at home in Lincoln, though I’m not sure how long I’ll stay there. I hope to find a decent paying job that I *like* and can keep for a year or two, while I get good and stable, financially speaking. (If you all have employment leads, please send them my way!) After that, I’m thinking ministry, though I have no idea where, what, or how. I’ve got lots of ideas, but need to give them time to settle, I think, and reflect upon what will be the best way for me to move forward.

So that’s about it. I know that I’m in for a mental trip, what with leaving one continent/life and returning to my home continent/life. It’ll be strange and stressful, but it’s definitely TIME.

If I left anything out, I’m happy to field any questions -- within reason ;o) -- so feel free!

Unexpected Rewards

2006-05-26T06:13:00.000-05:00

This morning I went to the store for chocolate chip cookies ingredients (mmmm! afternoon project!). I was going about my business with what I’m sure was a scowl of concentration when I was greeted by a happy little “Hello!” I looked around and found a smiling 6-year-old boy watching me expectantly as he passed with his mother. “Hello,” I replied, returning the smile. He grinned and watched me ’til I turned the corner, oh so pleased with himself. Ah. There’s just something so rewarding about moments like that.

I actually see my students around not infrequently, which is somewhat surprising since most of them don’t live in my town, but in smaller towns around it. But they do errands with their parents and visit their nearby grandparents, etc. plus I teach an easy 350 kids each week, so I guess it’s not that surprising. But it always brightens my day to see them and be seen by them. And it’s so funny because they really are kind of in awe of teachers doing every day things, like shopping. They even spy on us teachers (“us teachers”!) while we’re eating lunch in the salle des maîtres (teachers’ lounge) -- ha! They’re cute. And so very proud to successfully speak English to a real-live American.

My Mind

2006-05-22T07:50:00.000-05:00

Scary as it is, I’d like to invite those of you who care to take a peek into the workings of my mind: the good, the bad, and the other (but not in that order).

Okay, the embarrassing one first. :o) Not really. I love this story!

About five years ago, my family went to the theater to see the first Harry Potter movie. Maybe 30 minutes in, we meet the character Oliver Wood, played by Sean Biggerstaff. At this time my sister Anne leaned over and informed me that, “Wood is HOT.” (This was actually an adapted quote from Space Ghost Coast to Coast, so don’t y’all get all hung up about our usage of the term “hot”.) Not long after, we went to another big movie. A little ways in and this time it was I who leaned over to Anne encouraging her to, “Check out Blondie!”, meaning Legolas, meaning Orlando Bloom. Two of the shallowest moments in our lives, I know, but what can I say? We are girls. :o) So we both had our little Hollywood crushes that lasted about as long as crushes do. (It wasn’t long. And then I saw him in another role and that killed it dead). So now we get to the good part. I visited a family in Marseille this weekend and it worked out that I got to stay in the room of their 14-year-old boy, who was away camping with his scouts group. I was in his room for about five minutes before I noticed what was hanging on the wall: not one, but TWO Legolas posters! I totally laughed. Oh, how I laughed.

Okay, on to My Mind, Part 2! (This is mostly for the musicians out there.)

I walked home from the train station after returning from Marseille yesterday with my backpack, duffle, and purse. It’s always fun to try to position everything so that it’s good for walking a ways in what one hopes is reasonable comfort. I realized after a few minutes that I had a steady, interesting beat going on in my head which, of course, was because of the gate of my walk. And the rhythm was cool, even! I had the steady 1-2-1-2 from my steps, and then there was a quicker 1-2-3-1-2-3 which came from the duffle hitting my legs: R-L-R-R-L-R, since it was mostly on my Right side, meaning it hit my Right leg (1), hit my Left leg (2), and was kicked back up by my Right leg (3), only to fall back onto my Right (1, again). Both rhythms at once gives you 1 2 & 3, 1 2 & 3, the 123 obviously being the triplet of my duffle, and the 1& being the 1-2 of my walking. Sorry, but it’s hard to explain it any clearer than that. :o) Maybe not interesting to most, but I was fascinated and my mind engaged for quite a while.

Part 3 of My Mind came to me as I was back on the train returning to Cavaillon. I was too tired to “redeem the time” by reading, writing, or what have you, so I was just enjoying the countryside as it zipped by. At one point, we crossed a bridge with a metal design through which one could see the scenery. I found myself in awe for three reasons. 1) Creation is beautiful. 2) Being made in God’s likeness, we create things both useful and attractive (like the bridge), using what wits we have. 3) God fashioned us with such intricate care that my eyes will automatically track that beautiful creation through the closer iron pattern. That’s amazing! Praise be to God: Creator, Father, and Lord!

…but the one variable they forgot was LOVE

2006-05-18T00:45:00.000-05:00

I tell ya, if I didn’t think this was exceptionally funny I wouldn’t even consider posting about it (because some may find it in bad taste), but I think it’s h y s t e r i c a l. I probably especially like it because I’m so familiar with the original stuff and because I’ve seen the real trailer, which helps in appreciating how well crafted it is. It’s been around since February so maybe you’ve already seen it, but if not, ENJOY!

Anyway, I laughed. And then I laughed some more. And I’m still chuckling.

Classically Cheesy Fun

2006-05-16T01:05:00.000-05:00

My host sister, Audrey (17), just took her finals (although she still has a few weeks of school left -- what’s with that??). She homeschools, and I’m allowed to give her a certain amount of help even on tests… though not TOO much, obviously. :o)

So last Friday, very late, we worked on her English final. We both had just too much fun doing it (late night giggles, anyone?), so I’ve included our work below for those who care to take a gander. And yes, there are mistakes in the final product. We both thought it was best to leave some of her original errors in, just so that it wasn’t TOO clean. After all, it’s not every English student that “gets” to have an American as a resource (in their space, sharing their shower, etc.). Plus, the mistakes give it that endearing French flair. :o)

-------
Directions: Imagine your phone call to the police station because you have recognized Oscar Carso, public enemy number one, in a restaurant in Chicago. You want the police to tell you what to do. Write a dialogue, introducing structures expressing advice and suggestion.

ME: Hello. Is this the police station? I must speak to the chief!

CHIEF: Yes, this is chief G-- of the Chicago police department. What can I do for you ma’am?

ME: I am currently in a ritzy restaurant in downtown Chicago, and sit in front of me is no other than…

CHIEF: Who?

ME: Oscar Carso!

CHIEF: Who? Oh, the public enemy number one! Dear me! What can we do? Agent Vergin, get me the FBI on the phone and get reinforcements to…

ME: Why not react more discreetly? Couldn’t we do that?

CHIEF: Yes, ma’am! Uh, your idea is not bad. This man is an dangerous criminal. Above all, you should keep your calm, you ought to stay natural, look like happy and if I were you, I’d smile, but you shouldn’t stare! What is he doing now?

ME: He is standing up!!!

CHIEF: For the love of America, find something we can do!

ME: OK, I’ll go to ask him for an autograph.

CHIEF: Our country thanks you. Help is on the way!
-------

Kudos to Audrey, head of her class and one of my favorite students. :o) She really did do almost all the work herself.

Some Time Ago…

2006-05-15T05:14:00.000-05:00

I went to England. For three days. It was brilliant.

For those of you who don’t follow closely, that was actually back in February after Sweden and a few days in Paris with Mary Ann. (“Yeah, and then I spent a few days in Paris,” she said casually.) I traveled Easy Jet to London on Thursday, Feb. 23rd. I went to visit Rena and Lindsay, two Nebraska pals who were studying in Oxford. Rena and I stayed in the house of her very generous friends, Alison & Nick. And the girls showed me around!

In brief, THURSDAY I arrived in Oxford. Rena and Lindsay showed me their hall and room, we supped, and they took me to Alison & Nick’s where we gabbed and spent a nice, long evening talking about such things as architecture and Princess Diana. :o) I had my own room and a double-bed all to myself for the first time in… a real long time! Ah, vacation.

FRIDAY was a full day in Oxford. It is a very pleasant town. So very England-y, you know? I walked around, saw more of Lindsay & Rena’s college, walked around some more, visited the Covered Market, went to evensong at Christ’s Church (and got to glimpse a Harry Potter staircase on the way in and out -- I know, I shouldn’t be so excited about that!), and went inside the Eagle and Child pub. We also did things like eat and have coffee, of course. That night there was a Mardi Gras party for their hall: on Friday because weekday parties weren’t allowed. :o) It was fun to meet their friends and acknowledge Mardi Gras apart, as it fell on my birthday this year.

see my Oxford in February photo set

SATURDAY was London. Very cool. We got tube passes and used them throughout the day. We tried to get tickets to a show that night, but we were too last-minute, which didn’t shock me. :o) We walked around and I got to see lots of stuff like the Millennium Bridge, the Tower Bridge, the Tate Modern, the Globe Theater, and the Big Ben/Houses of Parliament area. An excellent day. Even the weather was agreeable -- cold, but agreeable.

See my London in February photo set

SUNDAY I flew from London to Marseille and got myself back to Cavaillon. All I could think about was how completely spoiled I am this year, getting to do such things as this. Yeah, that was an excellent vacation.

A Recurring Question: la suite

2006-05-13T08:37:00.000-05:00

(la suite, pronounced “lah sweet”, meaning “the continuation” or “the sequel”)

Yeah, I have more to say about fluency than I had time to lay out in the last post. Anyway, thanks for the responses I got. :o)

I guess I’ve just got some baggage associated with this topic. I’ve always had a really high concept of what it means to be fluent. In fact, you could very easily call me a snob about it. I’ve always thought of fluency as meaning that one can speak effortlessly and coherently in a language. In terms of a foreign fluency I tend to tack on the skill of having a minimal accent, as having one at all often hinders communication with native speakers.

Of course it’s a slippery topic in terms of definition. Dictionary.com has the following to say about fluency:

Fluent, adj.
1: a. Able to express oneself readily and effortlessly: a fluent speaker; fluent in three languages.
b. Flowing effortlessly; polished: speaks fluent Russian; gave a fluent performance of the sonata.

Fluency, n
1: powerful and effective language [syn: eloquence] 2: skillfulness in speaking or writing 3: the quality of being facile in speech and writing [syn: volubility, articulateness]

So, I guess the dictionary agrees with my idealistic notion. But yes, I do grudgingly agree with my family that I’m too idealistic on this point. And yes, in the end I guess I’d call myself fluent. After all, everybody else seems to (even the French, and that's saying something!). :o) BUT I feel like it’s false advertising since sometimes the French part of my brain gets stuck OR I just don’t have the knowledge to understand and/or be understood OR someone can't understand me because of my accent (which comes out now and then) OR… you get the idea.

But I am still the snob of yesteryear. I have to admit that I think the term fluent is highly abused. People call themselves fluent who seriously aren’t, et ça m’enerve! (pronounced “eh sah may-nehrv”, meaning “and that annoys me like no other!”) *deep breath* :o)

I really do think it just loses all meaning if it’s used too broadly, but whatev’.

A Recurring Question

2006-05-06T07:18:00.000-05:00

I have a question for y’all, and while it’s true that I’m asking it now just because I haven’t blogged in a while (too long) and am leaving town (and free Internet access) for the weekend, I am actually very interested in your responses, too, as I've had this question for a while now. :o)

My question: how would you define lingual fluency? Or, to restate it another way: what would you say makes one fluent in any given language?

Thanks. Have a good one, everybody!

“She eez back!”

2006-04-25T09:03:00.000-05:00

(flamboyant Mariachi trumpet solo)

whew Yeah, I’m back. During my vacation I was in Avignon, Paris (Asnières-sur-Seine)*, Avignon, Cavaillon, Maubec, Gordes, Roussillon, Les Taillades, Cheval Blanc, wilderness at the feet of the Petit Luberon, the Abbaye de Sénanque, Bonnieux, Avignon, Les Baux, St. Rémy, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Avignon, Paris, Paris (Versailles), Vernon, Giverny, Paris (Asnières-sur-Seine), Paris (Vincennes), Lyon, Ambérieu-en-Bugey, Jujurieux, Pérouge, a neighboring town I forget the name of, Ambérieu-en-Bugey, Lyon, Avignon, and finally back to Cavaillon. Again: WHEW!

[*bold cities indicate where I slept]

Yes, I have stories. Yes, I have photos. Yes, I still plan to post about England in the near future. But yes, I return to teaching tomorrow! So for now, I have a project for YOU: Would you help me brainstorm traveling songs? My “host aunt” (if you will) is in a cabaret that’s putting together a show as though they’re flying around the world. That means that any general traveling, flying, or fun destination songs are fair game. English, French, or other languages… this is just the brainstorming phase! Here’s my current list:

-42nd Street
-500 Miles
-500 Miles Away From Home
-A Cappella in Acapulco
-A Whole New World
-America (West Side Story)
-Back in the U.S.S.R.
-California Dreaming
-California Girls
-Come Fly With Me
-Fly Me to the Moon
-Georgia On My Mind
-Hollywood
-Hotel California
-I Left My Heart In San Fransisco
-Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
-Kokomo
-On Broadway
-Somewhere Beyond the Sea
-Sweet Home Alabama

Suggestions or comments are welcome. :o)

Humm hm hm-m-mm… (On the road again…)

2006-04-04T08:11:00.000-05:00

I just think of that scene every time I leave on vacation. :o)

This, actually, is a very special vacation: my mom, sister Bess, and Aunt Amy are coming to spend ten days with me! If all goes to plan, I’ll be able to greet them at their gate in Charles de Gaulle tomorrow morning. Praise God a lot because things have already come together much better than such a procrastinator as I deserves. I marvel at how He directs my path!

Please pray for safe travels and connections all around. Thanks!

April’s Fish!

2006-04-01T11:35:00.000-06:00

In France, April 1st is referred to as Poisson d’avril (pronounced “pwah-saw (nasal) dah-vreel”, meaning “April’s Fish”). The day’s traditional blague (pronounced "blahg", meaning "joke") is to stealthily attach a paper fish to the back of an unsuspecting victim. However, there’s always the freedom to branch out. :o) Oh, and of course once the stunt’s been pulled, you point and laugh at the butt of the joke and say, “Poisson d’avril!”

No foolin’.

Calendar Woes

2006-03-28T05:43:00.000-06:00

So, “summer time” began Sunday. Don’t ask me why it starts at a different time than DST in the U.S. (which, again, is different from many other countries) but it does, so I’m now EIGHT hours off from home rather than seven. “But just for the week!” -Mr. Warbucks

On Friday I spoke with a guy who’s visiting from England. He told about trying to find a card for his mother for Mother’s Day this Sunday (the 26th) since he would be gone, etc., etc. and it caused me a tense few moments, let me tell ya! But then I realized that it really couldn’t be Mother’s Day because my siblings aren’t clueless nor are they the kind to leave out a monetary contributor. :o) Not to mention it’s always in all my memory been in MAY. It didn’t take me long to decide that I had encountered another cultural calendar alteration. Why isn’t something like that standard across the globe? Oh well. (It’s the 2nd Sunday in May, if anyone’s wondering. France is the 4th Sunday in May, and England is the 4th Sunday in Lent!).

Oh, and France’s prominent calendar layout is totally weird! While the format intrigues me, I prefer calendars that are more visual than chart-like and thus remain loyal to the way I grew up with. Check out the following yearly calendar (which is from the inferior planner I had no choice but to buy back in January):

If you click, you’ll both see the picture better and get a full explanation of what all’s going on in that complicated design.

And by the way: I still think "radnelac" whenever I spell calendar. Dad wasn't even teaching me the spelling, but my sister, and yet it sticks with me!

Is Kate a Bum?? You Decide!

2006-03-24T16:10:00.000-06:00

Yeah, it’s been a month and I’ve hardly even looked at my England photos, let alone had time to blog about them! To make a case for my defense I’ve done some (quick) research on one central, contributing factor: E-MAIL (including e-mail chats -- half of which is business these days!).

Of course, number crunching only shows so much about what’s actually going on, but I like the concrete, condensed aspects of it as a source of information. Anyhoo, here’s what I found.

Since Feb. 27th (my first full day back from vacation):

I have received and sent 259 e-mails, which is roughly 10 e-mails per day.
I have received and sent 200 personal e-mails, which is 7+ e-mails per day that warranted my attention.
Looking briefly at my e-mail history from the past several months showed that I have, indeed, been receiving twice as many e-mails as usual since the end of February. The percentage of personal e-mails was also markedly higher, and the nature of the personal e-mails I’ve been receiving seems to be more time-consuming, usually requiring that I search out information before I can reply.

And some disclaimers:

Of course I fully realize that lots of people deal with many more e-mails in a day than that, but I don’t, so it’s taxing to me.
And this is not to say that I don’t love getting e-mails and certainly not that I don’t love getting personal e-mails, because I really do! I firmly believe that correspondence is a large part of what keeps me going here in foreign France, which is oh so far from home.
Many of these e-mails have to do with the coming visits of family and friends, and while I don't at all want to give the impression that I find these e-mails cumbersome (I'm way pumped to see these people!!), I will admit to them having that *taxing* element about them.

So, now that you’ve read the whine -- I mean post -- you decide: Is Kate a bum??

I’m gonna have to answer in the affirmative. :o)

The Girls From France, Part 2

2006-03-20T03:34:00.000-06:00

On WEDNESDAY (Feb. 15th) Cristin, Mary Ann, and I went to Göteborg where we were shown around by Jonathan, a church guy that goes to the university there. We ate at a Pink Panther restaurant, saw a couple of churches, walked up a sheet of ice to a big fort-thing, saw an old school, visited the Fish Church (market, really), and talked philosophy & laughed with Jonathan. I really liked Gothenburg. That night back in Tranås we went ice skating (click for photo set), which was fun even though I didn't skate much. Towards the end they got out a little ball and played a sort of soccer on ice skates which made me nervous, as I'm a total mom about such things. :o) Of course, it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt... only someone did get hurt -- thankfully not badly!! There was a banged head, some blood, and later stitches, but it was all handled calmly and all seemed to be well in the end. Good grief! and *whew*

see my Göteborg photo set

Mary Ann and I went to Linköping (again, that's “lin-shuh-ping”) on THURSDAY. We walked the university campus a little, visited a couple of churches, had fika :o), shopped, and grabbed some Burger King (which is sorely lacking in France). We had a fika/game night back at Cristin's apartment as it was our last night in Tranås. We played Tongues (a variation of Spoons) and Psychiatrist, which is one of my favorite games. I like those people!

see my Linköping photo set

On FRIDAY we said goodbye to Tranås. Before leaving we had a quick fika with Christine, her sister Elin, and her son William, which just made me wish we could stay around longer to really get to know all these folks! We had a little trouble paying on the train out as our train cards were expired, we didn't have enough cash, and none of our five credit cards worked in their machine (which was strange, since one had worked just fine a couple of nights before). They generously didn't do any kicking off of the two bungling Americans who were just trying to make their connection to Stockholm. :o) We were met in Stockholm by Daniel, who was our guide and gracious host (who gave up his apartment to a couple of strangers!). He cooked us an excellent meal directly after which people began arriving for the Westminster Society, THE reformed Bible study of Stockholm (there's no reformed church there at this point). The people were great and the talk was good. The topic of the evening was the Sabbath, which is always good to reconsider. It's fascinating because the reformed community is so very small in Sweden that their faith community spans cities more easily (meaning they all know the folks in Tranås). Huh!

SATURDAY was our day in Stockholm. We started it off with the Swedish royalty's summer palace or whatever it is, technically speaking. We got acquainted with the beautiful (but cold!), extensive grounds while waiting for it to open. Inside, we once again experienced payment issues and were thus actually let in for (heh heh) free. We lunched somewhat late which meant that by the time we got going again, around 4:00, it was already starting to get dark (meaning most of my photo set is of stuff in the dark -- but that didn't stop me)! We got to see a lot of sites and decided that Daniel makes an excellent tour guide as he loves history and to laugh. :o) This was the one night in Sweden we really dined out, so we tried to do it "right". I tried reindeer mash (sorry, but that's what it was called), wiener schnitzel (wrong country, I know), and fried camembert with a regional berry sauce for dessert. All interesting and, as always, I liked everything.

see my Stockholm photo set

And then SUNDAY was another travel day: Stockholm to Paris, although it's not really as straight-forward as that. It's more of a "bus from Stockholm to outside Stockholm, fly to ouside Paris, bus to Paris" operation, all of which takes most of a day if you're talking about going from home base to home base. The flight itself was two hours and some.

So, towards the end of the week I complimented one of the pastors in Tranås on the church's multi-city hospitality, as they seem to have it down to a friendly science. He told me that one of the reasons they stress hospitality so much in their church is that it encourages those who are received to pray for the ministry there. It's definitely worked on me! I got to see the ministry, meet the people, and hear some of their future aspirations and I'm just plain excited about what God's doing in and through them! So if I may, I'd like to ask those of you who pray to send up a quick word asking God to bless the efforts of His people in Sweden, specifically those associated with this MTW-affiliated ministry. It's so cool to get a window in on what God's doing throughout the world!

So that was our trip to Sweden. Praise God, again, for safe travels and for a very good trip. It'd be really fun to go back there sometime, but we'll have to just wait and see what happens!

The Girls From France, Part 1

2006-03-17T05:47:00.000-06:00

"The Girls From France" was how our Swedish hosts referred to Mary Ann and I both prior to and during our visit. It made me smile. (That's me!)

The Backstory: So how did we hook up with these wonderful hosts of ours? Well, some Zion/RUF friends got me talking with their MTW friends (thanks Karen, Joe, Tim, and Gary!), and that, as they say, was that! The MTW Sweden people were über helpful and involved throughout our time there. They told us what we needed to know, helped us plan daytrips, and roped in some unsuspecting church folk to be our personal guides. :o) They even gave us somebody's old cell phone so that we could be in contact with whoever we needed during our stay! I could go on and on, but in short, they were GREAT.

The Setup: We stayed with an MTW intern named Cristin, whose apartment is in a building that’s one of 15ish in a grouping that share a rec. center, computer center, playgrounds, etc. The church space is on site as are many of its members. So what you get in the end is basically a parish model, meaning that daily Christian community and sharing of life is allowed to happen with ease -- COOL. Mary Ann and I were all too pleased to have the opportunity for such quality fellowship in English (since almost everyone speaks it very well). I guess I didn’t realize how wearying it is to pursue my faith in a foreign language!

And now, as promised, I'll fill y'all in (as briefly as possible!) on what we did in Sweden.

SATURDAY (Feb. 11th) was a travel day from Paris to Stockholm to Tranås (pronounced “tra-nos”), which was our Swedish home base. We flew Ryanair, which was kind of hilarious. Talk about your cardboard box operation! Praise God for traveling mercies! I have to remind myself that even though traveling's never exactly cake, it can be so very bad. We got off easy, only missing one unimportant train the whole of our time there, I think!

On SUNDAY we went to church in the morning, ate lunch with Pastor Gary's family and other guests, went to church in the afternoon, and had dinner with a church group. What an excellent Lord’s Day!

see my Tranås photo set (This set includes stuff from throughout the week, but begins with the above-mentioned dinner.)

MONDAY morning we played in the snow with three of the now eight children of one of the pastors. We spent the day getting to know Tranås a little. That evening Mary Ann and I went with others to a Bible study in Linköping (pronounced “lin-shuh-ping”) and had the opportunity to practice our French with a new gal from Morocco who knows French better than English. How cool that we "happened" to be there to welcome her (newcomers though we were)! The Bible study itself was good and refreshing, as it was much more in the style of the American Bible studies I'm used to.

TUESDAY (Valentine's Day) we visited the town of Gränna (pronounced "greuh-nuh", I think; known for it's candy!) and the island opposite it, called Visingsö. We went with Tim, Cristin, and Jenny (the only non-American of our fivesome!). We had much fun exploring and examining the ruins of Viking castles and just taking in the cold, winter beauty. When we got back to Tranås, Mary Ann and I were invited to help make some very girly, very fun Valentines for the six, single, on-site guys in the church. That was a hoot. Afterwards was their first annual Valentine's Volleyball Tournament and then another Bible study. I like having church stuff every day of the week!

see my Gränna photo set (be forewarned: this set has 98 pix! I just couldn't whittle it down any more.)

see my Valentine's Day photo set

The rest of the week's adventures are soon to come!

Sveeden, Yah!

2006-03-09T06:44:00.000-06:00

a.k.a. - Winter Postcard Land

Before I launch in to what Mary Ann and I actually did during our time there, let me present you with some Fast Facts on Sweden, as I imagine you all may need just as much help making it a distinct entity in your minds as I did.

[BIG OL’ DISCLAIMER: I was only in Sweden for one week and my window into it was limited. These were just my observations and understandings.]

Sweden’s the place where…

the smörgåsbord originated
Swedish meatballs, or köttbullar, really are “a thing”
cheese slicers look like this (they probably have these in America too, but I’d never noticed them)
they like their candy. Most stores have what seems like an excess of aisles dedicated to candy (which, of course, I have no problem with). Some Swedish specialties are their peppermint candy canes and licorice
the vikings had their day
they’re trying hard to make socialism work: interesting
The Pippi Longstocking books were born
Kirsten Larson, the American Girl, comes from
they hold Lucia Celebrations (the candle wreath atop the head of a female, etc.)
most houses are painted bright colors like barn red or yellow
there’s a surplus of deer, elk, and reindeer

it’s snowy and darn cold in the winter (“You’ve gotta come back in the summer,” says everybody)
daylight is precious in the winter and abundant in the summer (we had 8-9 hours of daylight each day we were there)
Midsummer festivities include maypole dances

I learned that in Sweden…

one says, “Hej!” (pronounced “hay”, meaning “hello”). I just thought it was funny to arrive in even more socially formal situations and still have people saying, “hey!” to me as I entered
everyday clothing is casual and comfortable, but not without style (whereas in France it’s all about style and dressing on the higher end)
one often pauses for fika, which is like England’s afternoon tea but more frequently and with coffee as the main event. Coffee is highly cultural and I often had 3-4 cups a day without even trying
food and meals are more relaxed as they are in America -- a HUGE change from formal France. Mary Ann and I spent the whole week trying to figure out when people eat!
sports are widely loved and ’most everyone participates
their English is, like, perfect! They younger generation, especially, is very bilingual. You can get by without knowing Swedish as long as you know English. Yeah, I didn’t really learn any Swedish to speak of
they seem to travel a lot. Many of the folks we met had been to the States and various other places. That would be the socialist distribution of wealth hard at work, I guess
there’s a good dose of trust in public honesty that’s usually not disappointed (the "We're all in this together!" mentality)
technology is generally a frequent and well-used tool
school is bizarre because, since everyone’s equally valuable, there’s little incentive to do well and you really, really have to try to fail
an American can feel comfortably at home. The only rules that need following are to take off your shoes when inside and to take one -- not two, not none -- of all offered food. Mary Ann and I decided that Sweden feels most like Colorado or Washington (though I’ve never, uh, been to Washington)
Swedes and Americans are highly compatible! Of the couples we met, many (most?!) were a Swede and an American that met up somehow and tied the knot. (Of course I was in among the Christian crowd which has limited choices due to a lack of, you know, other Christians in Sweden.)
they’re nice to foreigners! I decided that this was for me a cultural vacation: from rigid codes to friendly grace. Ahh!

Again, I was only there for a week but those are my gleanings and impressions. There are bound to be multiple errors therein, so don’t go believing all o’ this. :o)

Now I’m a Believer

2006-03-07T03:41:00.000-06:00

So sorry for the lack of blogging! Things have been a little nuts since my return from vacation and I’m still waiting for them to normalize. In the mean time stuff continues to pile up, so I'll be officially busy for the next little while. *sigh* Oh, and Sweden and England posts are soon to come!

Anyway yes, I admit to being in the wrong and am now a believer. There, I said it. What changed my mind? Well, I think that would have to be the moment Sunday night when, as I fought my way through the wind on my way to meet friends, I actually had to put my full weight against it in order to keep moving forward. I laughed aloud. It was windy for three days straight, and that instance, for me, was the pinnacle. In short, I can no longer deny that this region has a persistent, exceptional wind all its own.

But I still maintain that it's silly to refer to lesser regional windiness by the name Mistral just because the term is sometimes merited. Wind here is mostly just that, but I'll give them the term on this and other extreme occasions. :o)

As Is the Tradition

2006-02-28T00:42:00.000-06:00

I know I owe you all some trip anecdotes, etc. but I’m putting that on hold because, well, it’s my birthday!

Nathalie, my French host mom, informs me that this is a grim birthday for someone in my position -- or at least that November 25th will be a day of special humiliation if I’m not rescued from my plight before then. :o) What Nathalie did was acquaint me with St. Catherine’s Day, which I’ve been meaning to look into as I’m a Katherine myself. “What’s the deal with St. Catherine’s Day?”, you ask? Well, Catherine just so happens to be the patron saint of, uh, single gals. And guess when the spinster clock begins a-ticking (according to tradition): good old twenty-five, which is my age as of today! Should I be in France on Nov. 25th this year (doubtful), friends might bombard me with green (for wisdom) or yellow (for faith) outrageous hats for me to don for the day, throughout which I should make my prayers to St. Catherine for, you guessed it, a husband.

Ha! Don’t worry, I know the Sunday School answers regarding singleness and, to my complete astonishment, I generally live them. God has given me a peace in my single state that I imagined at one point to be impossible for someone who wants to marry. It’s truly amazing that I can be content, even having the desire for something else. How does God do that?!

-------
In other birthday news, I got my card from my dad’s folks yesterday. To explain anew, my grandpa makes these birthday cards himself, always with a long salutation denoted only in initials on the front. One is to “break the code” before opening the card up to the answer. This year’s salutation was as follows:
To Our Favorite
GNK
WSLAL
TETFK
ATTCT
WLY
WAG!
I was confident of all but “ATTCT” before I checked inside, but even for that I had divined the two key words. Any guesses before I reveal the real deal?

Off Pleasure-Bent Again

2006-02-11T03:27:00.000-06:00

Well, I began my third two-week vacation on Saturday. Due to an unforeseen series of events I find myself in, of all places, Sweden. Never thought I'd go to Sweden, but I am so completely glad to be here.

I'll give details at a later date, but the long and short of it is that Mary Ann and I left Paris on Saturday and flew to Stockholm. We're staying in Tranås (which is south and central) through Sunday, the 19th. It feels like we're visiting friends, which I guess is true, now that we've met them. :o) We're spending all week with the church community affiliated with MTW and they are taking excellent care of us. We have no lack of things to do and are steeped in sweet fellowship.

I'd love to write more now, but let it suffice to say that I'm safe and having a great vacation. I'll try to check back in soon.

God's blessings on you all!

La neige!

2006-02-08T06:44:00.000-06:00

Did I mention that it snowed the other week?? It began snowing early in the morning on Friday, January 27th (which was right in the middle of when I was “playing catch up”, thus me not reporting it then).

As you’ll note below, the early morning snow was fierce with treacherous implications. School was, of course, cancelled. :o)

This was the beautiful image I got to take in all day. Late in the afternoon I trudged through it (as I love to do!) with Audrey to the nearest everything store. This is probably the wettest snow I've ever experienced. We were dripping when we entered the store and when we arrived back home -- still snow, but practically water.

It wasn’t long before that we had stood by this very spot -- without coats -- to have our apéritif (pre-dinner drinks and munchies). Winter here really is a mix of cold and warmish.

Alas, it was kind of too warm for snow. The next day it rained and melted it all so that by afternoon things were back to normal. That was probably good, as most folks here are scared to drive on ANY snow, which kind of brings life to a standstill. As for me, well, I was just jazzed to experience snow in Provence!

London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down…*

2006-02-05T10:23:00.000-06:00

There’s nothing that gets you thinking about metaphorically, spiritually falling down like actually, physically falling down.

That’s right: I went ice skating the other night. Let’s just say that I was glad to have friends right behind me when it happened -- both times. :o) As the night progressed and I became a little more stable and independent, we three (Kerstin, Rianne, & I) didn’t necessarily skate together. That was a good thing, but I couldn’t keep myself from wondering just what I’d do if I had another spill, this time without them. Duh, I’d get up, obviously. :o) But I know how I’d feel trying to get up all alone -- and on ice skates, no less! What embarrassment! What helplessness! And to add injury to insult… well, yeah: OW!

I started trying to notice (without looking like it, and without neglecting my own balance issues) the people who fell. I think that every single one had friends or parents at their razor-sharp heels, which made me pray even harder that I wouldn’t fall again -- especially as I’m a foreigner and would probably “give myself away” in a vulnerable moment such as that. And again it came, as some hotshot whizzed right past me: the mental picture of falling without friends near by. Hey, that’s kind of like life! When I fall, I really don’t want to be alone. I’ll need help up. I’ll need help to the nearest bench. I’ll need reassurance that I won’t keep on falling. I’ll need my support network.

I often wonder how people survive without a support network. You feel alone, defenseless, and like an easy target, and guess what: you are! As much as people harp on in loud arrogance about standing on their own two feet, it’s just not practical, nor often very true. When (as is bound to happen) people crumble under a set of personal circumstances, they either seek refuge in relationship or, as a result of pride or true isolation, endure the mental and emotional agony of trying to get through it on their own. No, thank you! I’m weak and apt to lose my balance, and admitting it allows me the joy of inviting others to watch my back, and me theirs.

I could go on, but you get the idea. :o)

*For y e a r s I thought the words to this song were “London Bridg-es falling down.” NOW it makes sense. Or, at least, more sense.

My Lovable, Loving, Beloved Mother

2006-02-03T06:52:00.000-06:00

I'm openly stealing the following from my father's blog yesterday. (Thanks, Daddy!)

February 2nd is my Mom's birthday, you see. And because I love the woman so much, I wanted to toot her horn on my blog as well. The following puzzle-card -- made, as usual, by my grandpa -- expresses the sentiment as well as anything could:

I only got as far as "And Only Daughter-In-Law Who... ...World... ...What A Gal!" before I was stumped. I'll put a little more effort than that into my own, of course. :o) The salutation in full is as follows: And Only Daughter In Law Who Has Children Scattered All Over The World, Holds Down A Job, Teaches Piano, And Keeps Order In The Home - What A Gal!

Hear, hear. I love my Mom.

Also in honor of my mother, I'd like to share my favorite entry on Dad's blog since I left (link and scroll down). I love it because, though I am in fact on the other side of the globe, I get a window in on the action at home. Boy, do I miss it (well, them).

Playing Catch Up, Part 4 of 4

2006-02-01T14:32:00.000-06:00

Day 9: Sun. Oct. 30th -- ROUEN, CAEN

This day was kind of a bust. The plan was to go to Rouen’s Notre Dame Cathedral (the subject of a series for which Monet did almost 30 paintings) for mass and then catch our train to Caen, where we’d make our way to the Côte de Nacre/Omaha Beach site and anything else that interested us. We went to the cathedral for the 8:30 service, tried to go in, but the man at the door wouldn’t let us, saying something like that it didn’t open until 8:00. Huh? But it’s 8:20! Whatever. So we walked to the nearest church (closed for renovations) and the next nearest (no service times listed and closed-looking). Plan B: breakfast. While on the way we saw a huge clock that was just hitting 8:00. What?? We stopped, discussed, and finally pulled out my calendar to find that Daylight Savings Time had indeed started, and that yes, apparently they do that in France, too. Sooo not on my radar! We had breakfast, attended mass, and took the train to Caen. The Office de Tourisme was closed, so we were on our own. Some free advice from me to you: if you want to see Omaha Beach, go during tourist season or rent a car. Public transportation completely failed us and it was too far out of town to walk. Daa-aaang. We hurriedly saw the Château Ducale, the Musée de Normandie (can you say free bathroom?), and the Abbaye-aux-Dames, but since we (ahem) liked Rouen better, we took the early train back. We went to a showing of Corpse Bride in honor of “Halloween Eve”.

see my “Caen, Normandy” photo set

Day 10: Mon. Oct. 31st -- ROUEN, PARIS, BREST

I liked Rouen, too. It was bigger but not big, and most importantly manageable in size. It had character, history, and a river to boot. Anyway. Mary Ann and I had decided to go to Bretagne because it seemed a shame to be so close and not go. Plus, we wanted to glimpse the Atlantic coastline that was supposed to be breathtaking. To get there, we had to backtrack through Paris once again! Brest was a very different kind of town as it has a port, a naval base, a château, and is fairly modern due to its being subject to bombings back in WWII. We went to the Tour de Tanguy, which is now a museum documenting the development of Brest over the centuries: fascinating. We took a walk with a good view of the Château de Brest, naval port, etc. which was nice. We walked and shopped. We dined at Le St. Ex Restaurant. I ate a good, full meal and ventured a calvados at the end (a regional digestive). Stuh-rong! Definitely the strongest alcoholic drink I’ve ever tried -- but boy, did it do wonders for helping me digest all the food I’d just eaten! We had to walk all the way back to our budget hotel (post-buses, you know) which was fine, save that it was Halloween and things were minorly strange. But it really wasn’t bad because Halloween isn’t very big over here yet, so only pockets of people were “celebrating”. It’s on the rise, though. :o)

see my “Brest, Bretagne” photo set

Day 11: Tue. Nov. 1st -- BREST, PARIS, AVIGNON, CAVAILLON

This was a big travel day. We got up early so that we could have a leisurely breakfast for once before boarding the train. Ha! No such luck. This was a French holiday, so there were no buses and we had to walk all the way to the station. We, once again, had a rushed breakfast before scrambling on the train. :o) We had to hurry again in Paris because my train to Avignon left from another station with not much time in between. Mary Ann was kind enough to see me safely to my train, and then we parted ways. She was a great traveling companion (and will be again very soon, it seems!). More rushing in Avignon because, once again, I left from a different station than the one I arrived in. Blaaah! I actually took the bus from Avignon back to Cavaillon. Eva (German) and Helen (English) were kind enough to take me in that night, as my French family didn’t get back until the following day. I got to meet their landlords and Eva’s family that evening, which was fun even though I was road-weary. I didn’t think about it at the time, but Eva and her father had picked me up when I arrived in Cavaillon rather than letting me walk to the apartment, as is normal. It wasn’t until later that I found out about the riots and the unrelated local murder. Yikes. Welcome back to real life, Kate!

So there you go: my journey through the Loire Valley, Normandy, and Bretagne. The trip was very, very good on the whole. I hope you enjoyed reading about it, even though it’s more than a little after the fact! Oh -- did I mention that this break was in honor of Toussaint or All Saints Day? Three cheers for the French academic calendar and four 10-day vacations!

Playing Catch Up, Part 3 of 4

2006-01-28T03:58:00.000-06:00

Day 7: Fri. Oct. 28th -- AMBOISE, PARIS, ROUEN

Did I mention Amboise was my favorite European city yet? I liked it quite a lot. I’m going to go back there someday. This was the part of the trip where it began to be very apparent that Mary Ann and I hadn’t planned ahead much. :o) We found out we couldn’t “just pass through Chartres on our way to Rouen”. We actually had to pass through Paris to get there, which was a little out of our way and didn’t allow for us to see Chartres at all. Shoot. (It was weird, too, because we had to take the metro and change train stations and everything in Paris.) We got to Rouen, Normandy (I sang the song all throughout my stay) in the late afternoon and booked whatever transportation we were sure we needed at that point. We found out that we also couldn’t “just stop through Mont Saint Michel on our way to Bretagne” -- meaning its elimination as well. Double shoot. We really wanted to see that! Oh well. We were introduced to Rouen’s métrobus, which was a nice and handy service. We hit the Office de Tourisme, which we decided by the end of the trip really makes or breaks one’s visit to any unknown city. We self-consciously went to a Tex-Mex place for supper, which was bizarre because, 1) “Tex-Mex in France?” and 2) “Tex-Mex in France mere days before Halloween??” They were wearing costumes, had a cauldron full of “witches brew”, and were playing lively Mexican music -- which I loved. Ran-dom.

see my “Rouen, Normandy” photo set

Day 8: Sat. Oct. 29th -- ROUEN, VERNON, GIVERNY

Giverny was one of the first things I remember wanting to visit way back when I first started learning about France. The other thing I knew early on was that I wanted to visit the Loire Valley’s châteaux. Done and done! Giverny was everything I thought it would be. The house was interesting and the gardens were beautiful. We had good weather and it wasn’t crowded. We had time for lunch in town and a quick trip to the church where I believe Monet was buried. Mary Ann and I got back with time for a full evening, so we filled it. :o) We walked the shops for a while. I finally found a salon with an opening (I’d been looking all this time) and got my hair cut. We went to an Italian buffet (both “Italian” and “buffet” meaning things slightly different than usual) and ate supper to French Halloween music for kids: odd. There was a “fun fair” going on across the Seine, so we walked the river for a while, taking in the sights and sounds. It was a beautiful night. It was at times like this that I would turn to Mary Ann and say, “No offense, but I really wish you were a good-looking Christian guy.” The feeling was mutual.

see my “Giverny” photo set

Playing Catch Up, Part 2 of 4

2006-01-23T14:51:00.000-06:00

Day 5: Wed. Oct. 26th -- AMBOISE, BLOIS

French banking discovery: I’m not allowed to withdraw more than 300 Euros in cash per week! (Not to shock anyone, but this little jaunt cost more than that.) Things worked out in the end. My France guidebook said there were buses and tours available for visiting area châteaux, but Mary Ann and I had difficulty finding them. We went to Blois ("blwah") in the hopes of finding a bus tour for the Sologne, which the book gave its own spread and made look very appealing. Nothing. But we did find a bus to the Château de Chambord. We had about six hours to explore this château, which was a great leisurely pace. It was originally built as a hunting lodge for François I, so there were taxidermy pieces in many rooms. Uhh… thanks for that. It’s known for the double-helix staircase (probably designed by da Vinci) which ensured that a person descending wouldn’t meet a person ascending. Huh. It’s also known for its illogical layout, as bedroom leads to bedroom leads to bedroom… the last one of which finally leads to the hall. :o) I think my favorite part of the day was sitting outside and enjoying the view while chatting with Mary Ann. Ahh.

see my “Chambord” photo set

Day 6: Th. Oct. 27th -- AMBOISE, TOURS, & four area châteaux

Since we wanted to cover some major château ground, we found a (not free) tour to take us around. Our driver was a guy named Pascal, who ended up being this touring business’s owner. He was really nice and spoke English very well (though Mary Ann and I invited him to speak French when the rest of the tourists weren’t around). He had narratives ready for just about everything we saw, which rendered our trip through beautiful country landscapes interesting as well. In the morning we hit Villandry and Azay-le-Rideau. Villandry is known for its grounds and we actually didn’t even pay to go inside since our time there wasn’t very long. Azay-le-Rideau was, in my opinion, probably the (heh, heh) homiest château we visited. Surprise, surprise: It was one of the few that was designed by a woman. (I’m not sayin’. I’m just sayin’. You know what I’m sayin’? And a shout out to the Shing.) I liked Azay’s size and the size of its grounds. The afternoon began with Chaumont, which may have been my favorite château (also designed by a woman). It wasn’t as touristy and was nicely kept. Chenonceau ended the day. It had sprawling grounds and was HUGELY touristy. Oh, and there was a wedding getting ready to happen! The bride, at least, was an American. Can you say, “Wow!”???

see my “Four Châteaux in One Day” photos

Playing Catch Up, Part 1 of 4

2006-01-19T10:58:00.000-06:00

I traveled a good bit back in OCTOBER. Here’s the summary version of my journeys, installment the first.

Day 1: Sat. Oct. 22nd -- CAVAILLON, AVIGNON, PARIS

I spent nine hours at the TGV station in Avignon. Why? Because even with a Eurail Pass, you need a reservation to ride the TGV and because, while the TGV station is technically in Avignon, it’s kind of removed from the rest of civilization. However, it ended up being a nice, forced break. I got in to Paris at 11:45pm and was met by Mary Ann (a Zion and UNL friend) and her roommate, who accompanied me back to their apartment.

Day 2: Sun. Oct. 23rd -- PARIS

Mary Ann and I attended a France Mission church (the same denomination as my church in Cavaillon) in Asnières where the folks were friendly and the Word was preached. We browsed the Asnières market and grabbed lunch at a Chinese restaurant (because sometimes you’re just not in the mood for French food). We metroed our way into Paris-Paris where we walked the Champs-Élysées, talked plans at a café, shopped a little, and met up with another American assistant for fondue. I like Paris.

Day 3: Mon. Oct. 24th -- PARIS

This day was a good bit of trip-planning and a little sightseeing. We decided on a route and reserved our first two “budget hotels”. We would’ve begun our journey, but didn’t for booking reasons. We got our train tickets for the next day (I used up the rest of my Eurail Pass during this vacation). We visited the Sacré Coeur, which I really liked -- partly because we happened in during a service and partly because the hike to the top proved to be majorly worth it. Afterwards, we ate at a nice café at the foot of the Sacré Coeur.

see my “Paris in October” photo set

Day 4: Tue. Oct. 25th -- PARIS, AMBOISE

We took the train to Amboise, which is in the heart of the Loire Valley and Château Country. Our budget hotel turned out to be really nice and cute… more of a bed and breakfast, really (which was understandable, because we did pay a little more than we wanted to for it). I loved Amboise. It’s a charming, not-too-big town, complete with château! We visited the Château d'Amboise and then Clos Lucé, the Leonardo da Vinci place, which I thought was well-conceived.

see my “Amboise, Loire Valley” photo set

Stay tuned for Part 2.

Soldes for 50% off!

2006-01-14T13:00:00.000-06:00

(pronounced "sold", meaning "sales" or “reduced pricing extravaganza”)

So, this is kind of a big time for the French shopper. For two weeks every January there are major reduced prices everywhere in France. They call this time soldes, although that name can be used for lesser, localized sales as well.

I’ve looked around a little and might look some more next week, though I’m really not much of a sales shopper. My philosophy is that I either need something or I don’t. If I don’t need it, I don’t tend to go looking. Rather than filling my tank, “window shopping” usually drains me. Plus, I might end up finding something I like therefore spending money I wouldn’t have otherwise, and as a general rule, I kind of need money for the larger stuff of life. But if it’s a bargain on something I wanted anyway, so much the better. [Disclaimer: This makes me seem like the very essence of self-restraint when it comes to shopping, which isn’t exactly the case. This, however, is one sub-area I tend to shine in, so I thought I’d point it out. :o)]

I went out in search of two little items today and was pleased to find both of them -- and at reduced prices. Maybe I like soldes after all!

Voici Baptiste

2006-01-10T13:23:00.000-06:00

(pronounced “vwah-see bah-teest”, meaning “Here is Baptiste”)

Baptiste is two-and-a-half. Here’s an account of a conversation we recently had, complete with visual documentation. The following has, of course, been translated from French.

“Gimme the camera.”
“No, Baptiste.”

“Gimme the camera!”
“No.”

“Gimme the camera, Kate!!”
“Hang on… I’ve gotta get your picture first.”

One of my favorite things about my situation is the linguistic heaven I’m in. I live in a region with a notable accent yet with a family from the Paris area (therefore with the standard Parisian accent) which, further, has small children who are still learning how to speak correctly. It’s all just too interesting and fun!

Baptiste was just beginning to learn how to express himself when I arrived back in September. In fact, he couldn’t even say my name correctly at first and so called me “Go-Kate” because he already knew how to ask to ride his toy “Go-Kart”. :o) Since then he has learned a multitude of things (including my name), most recently “C’est pas à toi, c’est à moi” (That’s not yours, that's mine) and “C’est fini dodo?” (Is naptime over?) and “J’ai pas envie!” (I don’t wanna!). The cutest, though, is when he’s trying to situate something by himself and he says absentmindedly, “Vvvoila” (There).

A Little Help, Please

2006-01-09T05:03:00.000-06:00

A while back I came home after teaching to find three of my host-siblings in the living room. One of them asked me to play and sing a song I’d taught at school that day: The Hello Song (a handy little song I learned over here). I did so, and it happened that five-year-old Naϊs already knew it from pre-school. It turns out that she then mentioned at school that she has an American living at her house who knows how to play the guitar. (That’s a total overstatement, by the way. I know a few chords on the guitar and have mastered the Down Strum, but that’s about it.) In short, the maître (teacher) asked if I’d be willing to show up once in a while to sing some songs in English with his class. Sure!

SO, now I have to choose songs to teach them. Of course, it’s a little tricky because they don’t really read yet (even French), so we’re just talking simple songs with lots of repetition. I’m trying to remember the songs I learned when I was little and I’m having very limited success! Of course I’ve been using some with my 8- to 11-year-olds already, but some of those are too advanced for little kids.

All that to say, here are some songs and my thoughts on teaching them. I’d love any additions or words of wisdom you all have to share. I really want more options that are just American kid standards, if you know what I mean. Thanks!

ABCs -- Probably not, because they‘re still trying to master them in French.

*Are You Sleeping? -- Useful and easy because they already know the French version and there‘s built in repetition.

*The Colors of the Rainbow -- Basic. Easy.

*Happy Birthday -- Yeah.

*Head and Shoulders -- It‘s a good one.

The Hello Song -- Yeah, even though they already know it.

I‘ve Been Working on the Railroad/Dinah Won‘t You Blow -- Lots of words, but with repetition and it might be fun for them. I dunno...

The Itsy Bitsy Spider -- Probably, because of the actions and the fact that it's so standard.

*The Months of the Year -- I learned this one over here. It‘s just the months of the year put to music, which makes it über useful.

She‘ll Be Coming Round the Mountain -- Lots of repetition but random, probably difficult vocabulary. Thoughts?

Skip to My Lou -- Would probably be good, but I have to learn all the verses first. :o)

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star -- This might work well. At least they already know the melody.

*Where is Thumbkin? -- Yes, same tune as Are You Sleeping?, but simple, useful, and with fun gestures.

Obviously, I don’t need much, but I like the idea of having lots to choose from. Of course, this is beneficial for the kids it’s my job to teach, too.

Ohh, the MisTRAL

2006-01-05T14:57:00.000-06:00

(pronounced "mee-strahl")

I’ve heard from many sources that when one moves to southern France it is usual to first hear tell of the Mistral, then to pooh-pooh the Mistral, and finally come to the point where one says, “Ohh, the MisTRAL!” I must admit that I’ve been wanting to make such a progression myself as it’s part of the southern France experience, but so far I’ve not been tempted to say any such thing. The only thing along those lines which I think has escaped my lips is, “Huh, now that is really cold wind.”

I guess I’m just a hardy Nebraska girl. I didn’t buy a winter coat until the end of November while others first began wearing them more than a month earlier. People say, “Oh, it’s so cold!” and I say, “Yeah, I guess.” Sometimes I manage to resist adding, “but it’s nothing like Nebraska in the winter,” but sometimes it jumps out before I can stop it! I’ve only felt one wind that to me was exceptional (the cold one), and while I’m not sure NE winds get quite that cold, they get darn close. I even had to ask someone, "So, have we experienced the Mistral yet this winter?" because I wasn't sure. The woman was surprised at my ignorance and assured me that the answer was yes.

One of the teachers I work with just got back from the Alps. She was talking about how cold it was there: -18 degrees! I whipped out the Celsius-Fahrenheit chart that lives in my purse (thanks, Bess!) and said, “Oh, so it was zero? Yeah, that’s cold, isn’t it?” successfully withstanding the urge to add how frequently I’ve, for example, awaited busses in that or a colder climate.

Apparently I’m a big ball of Nebraska pride when it comes to the weather, even though I’ve never taken pride in it before. But I love when people ask me about the weather “where you come from” and then being able to tell them about the extremes we experience as a matter of course. I love feeling so undisturbed by the “weather” that has the rest of the region all a flurry. I feel so, I don’t know, above it all...

I love my home!

Footnote: Mistral is also the name of a guy who lived in this region of France -- a poet, to be specific. I guess he was... wait for it... long-winded! (nyuk nyuk nyuk)

With a Glass in One Hand

2006-01-03T14:28:00.000-06:00

I had the immense pleasure this year of making my New Year’s resolutions with a glass in one hand. No, it had nothing to do with alcohol. But it had everything to do with Psychiatrist.

Psychiatrist, for those of you who don’t know, is a game, and it was my great delight to introduce it to my host family over the holidays. In it one or more people (the psychiatrists) have to determine the disorder of the group (their patients). The disorder can be any number of things, ranging from everyone thinks they are the person on their left to people wearing jeans are chronic liars. If someone fails to answer in accordance with the disorder, someone calls, “Psychiatrist!” and the group all switches seats.

We played Psychiatrist New Year’s Eve where we lied whenever we held our drinking glasses. We laughed a lot. The fun part, though, was continuing the game after it was over. We could say whatever we wanted, get the desired response, and then raise our glass as if to say, “It’s okay. See?” I particularly enjoyed doing this when the talk turned to New Year’s resolutions. My host dad, champagne in hand, looked at one of his daughters and asked if she wasn’t going to study hard this year, to which she picked up her cup and heartily agreed. I raised my glass and said how much I’m going to read this year. (They know how much I actually avoid reading -- though I love reading in theory.) It felt so good being able to say that, good intentions and all, without feeling obliged to actually keep it (even though I’ll secretly try!).

------------------------
In other news, school is officially back in session as of today. Let me just say that I love having a job where "the alphabet" is a lesson plan. :o)

Bonne Année!

2005-12-31T12:55:00.000-06:00

(pronounced "buh-nah-neh", meaning "happy new year", literally "good year")

This was my belated Christmas gift from the visiting extended family of my host family (photo taken in October 2005). Can you say, “perfect”? What a thoughtful and perfect gift!

I posted the above because this is the clan with whom I’m ringing in the new year. There will be fine food, we’ll get dressed up, play games, etc. And we begin the festivities any minute now!

And, of course, “neener neener” because I get to 2006 first. :o)

Bonne année, everyone!

On a Personal Note

2005-12-30T11:19:00.000-06:00

(but not so personal that I won't blog about it)

I just sent out a big e-update at the end of which I mentioned my thoughts about what the coming years might hold for me. I had a woman respond (kindly) because she feared that I had omitted marriage and motherhood from my list because I think I have a higher calling, or something. Oh! Yeah, I guess I did leave out the marriage possibility, didn't I? Now, why would I go and do a thing like that when in truth I'd like nothing better, and as I believe that to be as high a calling as any?

Well, as I've sought to be faithful and contented as a single, I've learned that the best way to do so is to operate in light of what I know about my present circumstances. Right now there is no guy, so I'm planning the next little while without him -- although I must admit that I tend to make choices I could see being compatible with "meeting someone". Of course it's a personal choice of mine, but I think that constantly referring to the possibility of marriage in my future makes it harder to be content as a single now. It's always in the back (or middle or front) of my mind, though, and I do desire it quite a lot.

The problem is that there are girls that become disillusioned because they expect to marry right after college (or whenever), they reach that point, and they still haven't met their man. I decided years ago that I didn't want to be that girl. It's possible that choosing the path of contentedness in the sober light of the possibility that God might not have a husband for me has made me appear not to have the same desire as the girl who is busily preparing herself for nothing but motherhood. Maybe I've not been pursued by someone who would have had I seemed to want or expect it more. God only knows! But God also knows what’s best for me, and I don’t think that includes me planning on something that, for all I know, might not happen.

I hope that my efforts at contentedness haven’t kept guys away, although my current take on it is that that mindset should actually be an attraction to the kind of guy I’m hoping for. I dunno. All I can say is that I’m pursuing faithfulness in singleness the best I can, and boy, is it a lot of mental work! I’ve often thought that I could write a book about living faithfully as a girl in the world today, since I‘ve thought so much about such issues. If I do (and I might!), an adaptation of the above will probably make it in somewhere. :o)

Quatre. Quatre. QUATRE?!

2005-12-28T07:50:00.000-06:00

I don’t have too much trouble with numbers here (time, money, phone numbers, what have you). It took lots of brain-power initially, but has become easier over time. However, I’m still at a point where I usually have to think actively when I encounter them.

So, today I went to the pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions. Before going, I read and reread the sheet the doctor had given me, but still wasn’t sure what I’d actually have to get. I was thinking along the lines of “less is more” and “I only have 60 euros on me,” so I was grateful that I only ended up needing two of the scribbles listed on the sheet of paper. And then she asked me to pay. I got out 41 euros and she looked from it to me. She pushed 21 of it back at me, repeated the euro-part of the price, and asked if I didn’t have anything smaller. I was confused. She said it again, “Quatre.” Oh!! You mean, like, un, deux, trois, quatre-which-means-four! I apologized, got out a five, apologized again, and explained how expensive medication is in the U.S. By the way, it’s REALLY cheap here! Usually not this cheap, but cheap just the same. Doctor’s visits are, too. Everything is more than cut in half! It kind of makes it worth the mess of paperwork it takes to live in France. :o)

Have I mentioned euros are totally pretty?

Christmas in Cavaillon

2005-12-24T08:35:00.000-06:00

Wow -- Christmas is tomorrow! Don’t get me wrong. It still feels like Christmas, just… DIFFERENT.

So, you all probably want to know what the Christmas season is like here in France, huh? Well, I’ll give you my very limited observations and perceptions and you can take them for what they’re worth. :o)

*While Christmas is a big deal here, it’s a bigger deal in the States, I think. It’s hard to pinpoint the reasons for this impression, but I think it’s just.

*The town’s major streets have decorations and the centre ville (downtown) has holiday music playing. My favorite decoration is the bedecked étoile, the marble star of the main roundabout. (Sorry, no photo!) It’s all very festive.

*Do you all have those hanging Santa-with-backpack decorations? Actually, here they’re hanging Pères de Noël (since Santa doesn't exist over here). They’re e v e r y w h e r e! It’s quite a trend. Not many people decorate their houses apart from them. A few have Christmas lights, but not like in the U.S. Here are a few shots I snuck of my neighborhood’s collection:

*I just found out that Christmas Eve is a big affair. I don’t believe most churches do a Christmas Eve service, though the Catholics have their midnight masses. The evening is spent at home (with family, friends, or other party goers -- as the case may be) and includes a meal that’s just as big as Christmas Day's, complete with singing and celebratory fun afterwards. The evening is usually very late.

*Tradition states you put your slippers out for Père de Noël (when he comes in from the 40-degree "cold") and carrots for his reindeer to eat. They don’t really do stockings. Full-sized trees are more of an option, and not the rule. Here’s ours, with the crèche (nativity) beside it.

*Christmas Day, while for family, could just as easily be spent with good friends rather than extended family. It doesn’t seem to be as family-focused, is I guess what I’m getting at.

Again, I’m no authority! I’m sure that some of my impressions must be wrong, though I’ve tried to be as accurate as possible. Culture is one slippery thing to try to get a hold on!!

Merry Christmas to my loved ones in many places!

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

2005-12-21T16:30:00.000-06:00

My host dad made this for you all, apparently. :o)

Here’s my abbreviated, modified translation:

And at last, a photo of the infamous pizza taken before we ate it up (courtesy of my “host aunt”, if I‘m allowed to have one of those).

If you’re interested in making messages of your own, check out www.letterjames.de/

(Can you say, "All your base are belong to us"?)

I Had a Dream…

2005-12-20T07:48:00.000-06:00

…with French subtitles! Really. I woke up laughing because of it, as I‘m sure you can imagine.

I blame it on the Bollywood film I watched last night. There was supposed to be an English language track, but the DVD player wouldn’t let us access it! The only subtitles were in French. The film in its original form was in Hindi with smatterings of English. What with that linguistic mess and the fact that I watched it with a German… well, it was a funny scene. Kerstin had seen it twice but in English so, as she is German, she was missing some of the finer points of the plot. It got particularly tricky when we were trying to talk through a plot point (in Franglais*) with the 3.5 hour film still going, and me trying to keep current with the French subtitles. I worked hard for that film!

So it’s no wonder that I dreamt what I dreamt last night. I only remember a couple of lines which were delivered by one of the Indian actors from the film, and in the same somewhat cheesy, dramatic style. (Though dreams are always somewhat personal, in this instance the funny far outweighs any embarrassment I might feel in relating the subconscious workings of my mind to any who might read this!)

Actor in Hindi (w/ French subtitles) to the girl he loves: “...something in Hindi...” (Mon p’tit lapin./My little rabbit. --> a made up term of affection in my dream)

Actor in English (w/ French subtitles), a sorrowful shift to the serious: “It’s done.” (C’est fait.)

Maybe you just had to be there. :o)

*Oh, and if you're looking for a film with some choice Franglais, let me recommend La grand vadrouille/Don't Look Now - We're Being Shot At, a 1966 WWII comedy with mostly French, some English, and some German dialogue. (Yes, I know the following poster is in Italian, but I think that adds to the fun!)

Stop. Breathe. Reflect.

2005-12-16T16:53:00.000-06:00

My Christmas vacation started a little early (a welcome surprise!) because my classes were cancelled this afternoon due to holiday fun for the kiddos. I kicked off my two-week vacation properly by spending the afternoon giving my room a much needed cleaning. :o) I’m livin’ it up in France, my friends!

Even though not going home for Christmas makes July (and my return to the U.S.) seem ever so far away, knowing that I’m already one third of the way through my contract in France makes me realize how short my time here is! There are still so many things I want to visit, so much about the language & culture to discover, and almost all of my 280(ish) students’ names to learn, as it is my earnest hope to do. What with those and the rest of my long list of goals for this year, I’ve got my work cut out for me! :o)

Let me, again, just thank all of you who have prayed for me. It is oh, so evident that Someone has prearranged every moment of every day I spend here. I’m dealing with so many obvious blessings this year -- though that’s not to say that everything’s cake, either! Please pray that I trust God just as much when things are easy as when they’re hard, and that I don’t let myself get into a comfortable rut as I continue on into the new year.

God be with you all as many are traveling to be reunited with loved ones. And praise be to Jesus, the Son, the Savior of the world!

A Poem

2005-12-14T14:48:00.000-06:00

I was talking with Audrey last night and she brought up this poem. I've never seen it before and got such a kick out of it that I thought I'd share. (They probably use it in America too, though I've never heard tell.)

Rain, reign, rein,
English is a pain.
Although the words sound just alike,
The spelling’s not the same!

Bee, be, B,
I’d rather climb a tree
Than learn to spell the same old word,
Not just one way, but three!

Sight, site, cite,
I try with all my might.
No matter which I finally choose,
It’s not the one that’s right!

There, their, they’re,
enough to make you swear.
Too many ways to write one sound,
I just don’t think it’s fair!

To, two, too,
So what’s a kid to do?
I think I’ll go to live on Mars
And leave this mess with ewe!

As Promised: Fête de Noël Photos

2005-12-12T01:59:00.000-06:00

A big thanks to Kerstin (a German assistant) who was kind enough to photograph the occasion for me. The following are some photos that I believe are representative of the afternoon.

We did several carols with all who were assembled. (I found out the morning of that I was on keyboards. I’m pretty sure they had asked me last month, but it seems I forgot or didn’t wholly understand the proposition or something! It went fine anyway.)

“The Prison” mime was well done and its soundtrack was very good. The first picture is Satan mocking all the people he’s locked up during the sketch, and the second is Christ earning the right to the keys of death.

The “Wisdom and Folly” sketch was probably my favorite. I wish I could’ve watched it more carefully, but I was busy corralling 2-year-old Baptiste.

The skit I was in was called “The Temptation” which was about the Fall as though it took place in a restaurant. I was Adam & Eve’s conscience in the form of a pesky old lady who is on the same doctor-prescribed, apple-free regime as Adam & Eve. The maitre d’ is, of course, Satan, who is encouraging his customers to order apple this or that. The fun part was my costume, though there isn’t a good picture of it. My wig was actually a Santa beard, but it worked perfectly as a frizzy, white, eccentric hairdo. (Beforehand, my host dad told me that if I acted well in the sketch he’d let me eat with the family that night -- he likes to tease, you see. I told him that when he saw my costume I’d earn the right to eat with them all month. Afterwards, he grinningly conceded that it was worth two months, at the very least.)

I also read the entire book of Jonah aloud in French, which took about seven minutes. I had happened to bring with me to France copies of the Jonah children’s storybook I grew up with, in which Jonah is a mouse, the “great fish” is a goldfish, the Ninevites are cats, etc. We made transparencies of those images and projected them throughout the reading. I think it “worked” very well. *whew*

The finale was a procession of the kids & youth to a Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring recording. Each had a candle and recited scripture. (You can see little Baptiste -- on the right, with the “T” t-shirt -- trying to blow his candle out. Fuh-nny.) It took me until seeing my pictures to figure out that the t-shirts spell out “L’Étoile du Matin/Star of the Morning”. Ohhh.

A big THANKS to all of you who prayed for the Fête de Noël. As with all such events, there were many who were invited who didn’t come, which is disappointing. However, our location was pretty well maxed out as it was, so it’s hard to complain! People lingered afterwards for food and talk, and I think a good time was had by all. Pray for God’s continued work in the hearts of all who attended. And praise because I feel like I got to know the church better and they got to know me better through this effort.

Fête de Noël 2005

2005-12-07T15:27:00.000-06:00

So, my church's Christmas program is this Saturday, the 10th. For those who are interested, I'm including the schedule below along with who's involved with what (just for fun!). And for any Christians reading, I ask that you please pray for this event. Pray for the preparation, execution, and follow-up, and that God would use our efforts to change the lives of those who attend. Lots of people come who aren't associated with any church. It should be an exciting and fun celebration! (Oh, and pray that my voice will be strong enough for my part, as I'm getting over a cold. May it be so for His glory!) Thanks, all!

-------
Start time: 2:30pm

Welcome (Natalie)

Song : «Voici Noël/Christmas is Here» (with all assembled)
Song : «Les anges dans nos campagnes/Angels We Have Heard On High» (with all assembled)

Sketch : «Noël chez les Chouans/Christmas With the Chouans» (Léopoldine, Esther, César, Bernard)
Reading : «Psaume 23/Psalm 23» (Nadine)
Song : «Toc, toc, toc/Knock, Knock, Knock» (the little kids: Naïs, Laure, Sterling, Eléonor, Sonnette)

Marionettes : «Au-dessus d’un bourg de Judée/Near the Town of Judah» (François)

Song : «In Christ alone» (Kate)

Sketch : «La sagesse et la bêtise/Wisdom and Folly» (Sylvie et Jean-Joseph)

Poem : «La naissance de Jésus/The Birth of Jesus» (Samuel, Kevin, Paul, Matthieu)
Song : «Il est né le divin enfant/He Is Born, the Divine Christ Child» (with all assembled)

Projection, Reading : «Jonas/Jonah» (Kate)

Sketch : «La tentation/The Temptation» (Marine, Audrey, Esther, Kate)
Song : «Celui qui a changé ma vie/He Who Changed My Life» (Marine, Audrey, Kate)

Mime : «La prison/The Prison» (Paul, Alden-John, Chantal, Stéphanie, Jacques et Samuel)
Song : «---»

Finale (The 14 children & youth)
Song : «Salut blanche étoile/Good Day, White Star» (with all assembled)

Thanks (Patrice)

Conclusion (Patrice)

Surprises (Magali)

End time: 4:00pm

Goûter/Snacks
-------

This translation is imperfect, to say the least. I haven't seen anyone else's material yet, and this is just the information that I received. Anyway, there it is. Again, any prayers would be appreciated!

Guess Who

2005-12-04T16:57:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in my last post, my friend Mary Ann (who has the same job as me, only in Paris) visited me this weekend. We had a good time together. :o) One *memorable moment* was when we left the house to find two women standing at the gate. And who do you think they were? JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES. IN FRANCE. (Did you know that? I didn‘t know that!) And as I‘m sure you can believe, it wasn‘t enough that I said I lived in that house with a pastor and his family, it wasn‘t enough that I agreed with everything she said that wasn‘t containing falsehood, and it still wasn‘t enough when I recited the Lord‘s Prayer with her in French! (I would have been happy to “rock the boat” -- even in French -- but Mary Ann & I had a schedule to keep.) sigh Anyway, they talked until Patrice drove up, at which point they wrapped things up pretty quick-like, almost as though they didn’t want to stay and try include the pastor in the stimulating one-sided conversation…

Guess Who Else

Last night, Mary Ann and I missed an evening in front of the TV watching Miss France. (Miss Languedoc won.) I caught just a snippet of it and found myself simultaneously sickened, outraged, and highly amused. Man, I haven’t watched or even thought about one of those things in many years. It’s *almost* sad that my girlhood dream of competing in the Miss America pageant as Miss Nebraska has passed me by completely unnoted. Now I’m too old (just), don’t exactly meet the residency requirement (ha), and continue to be so over-short that I could never even consider such a thing in the first place. :o)

I like when life is ultra random!

Things That Make You Go, “Aaaaa!”

2005-11-30T02:26:00.000-06:00

Here is my *abridged* To Do List for the rest of this week:

-translate “In Christ Alone” into French (so folks can follow along when I sing it for the evangelistic church Christmas program in a week-and-a-half)

-decide how much of the biblical Jonah narrative I’m going to read (with excellent pictures, for the above mentioned Christmas program)

-sweep and treat my room’s wooden floor

-buy Christmas gifts for The Fam and my French family

-buy Eva (a German language assistant) a birthday present

-go to Eva’s birthday parties (tonight and Saturday)

-tutor a 10-year-old girl in English for the first time

-prepare for my friend Mary Ann’s visit this weekend

-help Audrey with her math, English, and possibly physics homework (yes, in French)

-watch the second half of Gone With the Wind with Kerstin (another German assistant)

-prep. my medicine information for when I see the doctor on Friday (I need refills)

-prepare to be observed duirng one of my classes on Friday (well, the teacher's being observed, but during my teaching time. Hmm.)

-and of course, go see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ASAP (with Helen, an English assistant, and/or Mary Ann)

-…Oh yes, there’s more!

As you can see (I hope), these are all good stressors. I’m really happy with what fills my days these days (…these days…), though they’re often very full, causing a little bit of, “Aaaaa!”

Thanksgiving on Wednesday

2005-11-26T04:47:00.000-06:00

As promised, here are some photos of the meal (as documented by my host family).

À table!/Time for dinner!

Please observe the different plates on the table. The larger white ones were brought out specifically for this occasion. They call them “American plates” because they’re so dang big. :o) (Really, it's just the cultural difference between having the whole meal at once and having courses.)

Oh, and the menu was as follows:
Main dish -- Ham Noodle Casserole
Side dishes -- Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, and Dinner Rolls
Dessert -- Banana Bread
It wasn’t exactly what I’d initially envisioned (just try finding stuffing or canned pumpkin in France, or in Cavaillon at least!), but I was pleased with it in the end.

Serving the food:

"Eating American":

And just for fun, here’s one from when I made cookies last week. This first batch was a little burnt. I’m still perfecting the execution of this recipe in France.

Anyway, the meal went well, even if it wasn’t a traditional Thanksgiving meal in most respects. However, it was great to get to celebrate it -- even if it was turkeyless, pieless, stuffingless, and on Wednesday.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2005-11-23T07:11:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know it’s Wednesday, but this is the only Thanksgiving I’m going to get here in France -- and it’s actually shaping up to be a pretty good one!

I’m going to make a Thanksgiving-esque meal for my host family for dinner tonight. (I couldn't do so tomorrow because I have to work all day!) I’ve made them cookies, but this is going to be a full-out meal. It’ll only somewhat resemble a normal Thanksgiving meal, but it should be good (I hope!). Actually, I think this is the first time I’ve been in charge of making a meal: menu, shopping, prep, and all. It’s fun, but ten times harder because, 1) everything’s in French (including measurements!), 2) I'm in a foreign kitchen, and 3) things are packaged in the French way -- if they even exist over here! (I’ve been obliged to change the menu a few times.)

And now for the super good news: I walked home from the store this morning in the falling snow! Or rather, in the littlest flurries you can possibly imagine. But I was giddy about it, anyway. People here have told me that it might snow every other year here -- might. So I was trying to prepare myself for no snow at all, and I was surprised to find that I disliked the prospect more than a little! Anyway, I got my fix on my faux holiday, which makes me very happy. PLUS they say that it might *actually* snow tomorrow or the next day. IhopeIhopeIhope!

Oh, and here’s a picture of the back yard today. There are tiny flakes coming down, but you can’t see them, of course. I just think it’s interesting because the grass is green (as it is all year round) and the bare mulberry tree has Christmas lights in it -- and you all get to see my back yard. :o)

Happy Thanksgiving, you all… tomorrow. :o)

And now, I choose to recite a list.

2005-11-19T06:59:00.000-06:00

…Wisconsin, a book of matches, next week, a lot of money…

In somewhat of a bold move, I actually did recite a list to my students this week -- a long one -- and they even listened to it! I had decided that it would be good for them to choose an English/American name for class because that was always one of my favorite things to do in my French classes (and because they’d been asking me about names anyway). The other reason I did this was simply because I like names. You may have noticed the link on the right called “Baby Names”. This is not because I want a baby (one thing at a time!), but because I find trends in names fascinating.

Anyway, in case you’re interested, here’s the list I came up with, put on a handout, and distributed in my classes. I tried to choose typical American names with some new, popular ones, and some older standards -- but with the knowledge that these little French kids were apt to choose any name on there, and might choose Mildred if I included it. I also jazzed things up by putting in italics the top ten names given to babies (girls and boys, respectively) in 2004, according to the (government affiliated) Baby Names site.

And now, I choose to recite a list. :o)

Girls Names: Abigail/Abby - Alice - Allison - Alyssa - Amanda/Mandy - Amy - Ann/Anne - Anna - Ashley - Bethany - Brittany - Brooke - Carol - Carrie - Charlotte - Chelsea - Christina/Christy/Tina - Cindy - Danielle - Diane - Elizabeth/Liz/Beth/Betty… - Emily - Emma - Erin - Hailey/Haley - Hannah - Heather - Heidi - Isabella - Jamie - Janet/Jan - Jennifer/Jen/Jenny - Jessica/Jessie - Jillian/Jill - Jodi - Judith/Judy - Julia/Julie - Kaitlyn - Karen - Katherine/Katie/Kathy - Kayla - Kelsey - Kimberly/Kim - Kristin - Laura - Lauren - Linda - Lindsey - Lisa - Lydia - Madison - Maria - Mary - Megan - Melanie/Mel - Melissa - Michelle - Molly - Nancy - Natasha - Nicole/Nicky - Olivia - Patricia/Tricia - Rachel - Rebecca/Becca/Becky - Sally - Samantha/Sam - Sarah/Sara - Shannon - Stacy/Stacie - Stephanie/Steph - Susan - Tiffany - Tracy - Victoria/Vicky

Boys Names: Aaron - Alexander/Alex - Andrew/Andy/Drew - Anthony/Tony - Austin - Benjamin/Ben - Bradley/Brad - Brandon - Brian/Bryan - Bruce - Cameron/Cam - Charles/Charlie - Christopher/Chris - Corey - Daniel/Dan - David/Dave - Dean - Derek - Dylan - Eric - Ethan - Evan - Frank - Fred/Freddie - Gary - George - Gregory/Greg - Jackson/Jack - Jacob/Jake - James/Jamie - Jason - Jeffrey/Jeff - Jeremy - John - Jonathan/Jon - Joseph/Joe - Joshua/Josh - Justin - Keith - Kenneth/Ken - Kevin - Kyle - Lewis/Louis - Lucas/Luke - Mark - Matthew/Matt - Max - Michael/Mike - Nathan/Nate - Nicholas/Nick - Oliver - Owen - Patrick - Paul - Peter/Pete - Philip/Phil - Raymond/Ray - Richard/Rick - Robert/Rob/Bob/Bobby - Roger - Ronald/Ron - Ryan - Samuel/Sam - Scott - Sean/Shawn - Steven/Steve - Taylor - Tomas/Tom - Timothy/Tim - Toby/Tobey - Travis - Tyler - William/Will/Bill - Zachary/Zach

I already know that I omitted some important names (but you've gotta stop somewhere, right?), but I’d be interested in knowing where you all think I screwed up. As I said, I love names, so I hope you all aren’t bored to tears, because I’m sure not!

Teaching the Songs of My Childhood

2005-11-16T11:09:00.000-06:00

As a musician, I have made it a priority to seek out songs that are good for teaching English to grade schoolers, not only because I like music, but because I know it to be an excellent teaching tool. From source to source there are a lot of repeats, as well as a few new ones to make continued searching worth my while.

One song that I was surprised to see pop up again and again was Ten Little Indians, I guess because it’s considered politically incorrect these days, but also just because I’d simply forgotten all about it. You remember how it goes,

One little, two little, three little Indians,
Four little, five little, six little Indians,
Seven little, eight little, nine little Indians,
Ten little Indian boys.

Anyway, I’ve used it two days in the classroom. The first day’s students have song sheets while the second day’s students have been copying the songs in their notebooks by hand as we get to them. The second day’s students were quick to bring an interesting grammatical point to my attention by saying, “Isn’t there supposed to be an ‘s’ on ‘Indian’ in the last line?” Good point! I went on and tell them how in English adjectives don’t agree with the subject, and that while “Indians” is the subject in every other line, “Boys” is the subject of the last line, which means that “Indian” does not have an “s”. What a handy song: numbers and grammar all in one!