Going to school

As I was going to school today three snapshots of others going to school were presented to me. Each made me smile.

1. Olive-skinned mom in her fuzzy blue bathrobe held her steaming mug close as she watched the three kids trudge down the sidewalk.
2. Peach jogger mom pushed the 2 year old, while the 8 year old trodded ahead.
3. Brown-curly haired older brother tugged along a poutting younger brother as they crossed a neighbor's lawn.

101 Reasons...

Ladies, I was looking through my files and came across this list that we started a while back. I just thought I'd post it as a reminder to us all :-)

101 Reasons why Leila & Beth are NOT getting married

1. I like my last name.
2. It’s too stressful.
3. No unnecessary “project sex”; i.e. no pressure to make your body look good for someone else.
4. No need to worry about family planning.
5. Don’t have to have a day of torture where you are the center of attention.
6. I save a lot of money
7. I have freedom to go anywhere!
8. Freedom in ministry.
9. No need to pick out china.
10. Freedom to leave your roommates whenever you want.
11. No mother-in-law.
12. No embarrassing bridal showers.
13. No need to write a million thank you notes.
14. I get to sleep in my OWN bed.
15. No chance of a broken engagement.
16. I can go to Chad with Margit
17. I’ll have more free time
18. No need to always be talking about our relationship
19. I can work with Margit in her clinic in Chad
20. Where’s Burma???
21. I don’t have to have people at PIONEERS asking me “personal” questions
22. I don’t have to cook and clean house for anyone else
23. Margit & I will have so much fun in Chad
24. I like my last name
25. No need to worry about birth control options
26. No day of torture
27. No “project sex”
28. No need to pick out China
29. Save money
30. No embarrassing bridal showers
31. No need to write all those Thank You notes
32. I get to sleep in my own bed
33. No chance of a broken engagement
34. No silliness about a really short engagement
35. Too stressful
36. Freedom to leave my roommates whenever I want
37. Margit won’t be lonely in Chad without me cuz I’ll be there!
38. I don’t have to leave my family and cleave to someone else
39. I don’t have to ask other people to buy expensive bridesmaid dresses
40. No months of planning an elaborate event that will be over in 4 hours leaving me exhausted!
41. I like my last name.
42. It’s too stressful.
43. No unnecessary “project sex”; i.e. no pressure to make your body looks good for someone else.
44. No need to worry about family planning.
45. Don’t have to have a day of torture where you are the center of attention.
46. I save a lot of money
47. I can go to Chad with Margit
48. I have freedom to go anywhere!
49. Freedom in ministry.
50. No need to pick out china.
51. Freedom to leave your roommates whenever you want.
52. No mother-in-law.
53. No embarrassing bridal showers.
54. No need to write a million thank you notes.
55. I get to sleep in my OWN bed.
56. No chance of a broken engagement.
57. I can go to Chad with Margit
58. I’ll have more free time
59. No need to always be talking about our relationship
60. I can work with Margit in her clinic in Chad
61. Where’s Burma???
62. I don’t have to have people at PIONEERS asking me “personal” questions
63. I don’t have to cook and clean house for anyone else
64. Margit & I will have so much fun in Chad
65. I like my last name
66. No need to worry about birth control options
67. No day of torture
68. No “project sex”
69. No need to pick out China
70. Save money
71. No embarrassing bridal showers
72. No need to write all those Thank You notes
73. I get to sleep in my own bed
74. No chance of a broken engagement
75. I can go to Chad with Margit
76. No silliness about a really short engagement
77. Too stressful
78. Freedom to leave my roommates whenever I want
79. Margit won’t be lonely in Chad without me cuz I’ll be there!
80. I don’t have to leave my family and cleave to someone else
81. I don’t have to ask other people to buy expensive bridesmaid dresses
82. No months of planning an elaborate event that will be over in 4 hours leaving me exhausted!
83. I can go to Chad with Margit
84. I can work with Margit in her clinic in Chad
85. Where’s Burma???
86. I don’t have to have people at PIONEERS asking me “personal” questions
87. I don’t have to cook and clean house for anyone else
88. Margit & I will have so much fun in Chad
89. I like my last name
90. No need to worry about birth control options
91. No day of torture
92. No “project sex”
93. No need to pick out China
94. Save money
95. No embarrassing bridal showers
96. No need to write all those Thank You notes
97. I get to sleep in my own bed
98. Too stressful
99. I can go to Chad with Margit
100. No silliness about a really short engagement
101. Margit won’t be lonely without me in Chad cuz I’ll be there!

None of the things listed are meant to offend anyone, nor make marriage look like a bad choice. Mostly, its just in jest.

California Dreamin'

The sun has been shining brightly the last few days, and more than once the poolside has won the "#1 Place to Study Today" award. The envigorating power of the sun is quite an amazing thing.

In other news, women are still getting pregnant and having babies over at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. As of now, the count is at 8 births. Last night was kind of a slow night, and humbling as I was faced with a situation that I had studied over and over, but felt like a deer in the headlights when I actually had to meet it head on. Despite the humiliation, it is a good thing, because I'm learning.

10 days and counting down until I get to see my dear Dinner Woman and other La Miradans at the Wright-Van Deusen wedding. How I wish the rest of my Fairvillains would be there too! Se la vi. Has anyone heard from La Guerita recently??? I wonder what is new in the Windy City.

My stomach is telling me it is time to eat, so off I go in obedience, probably to have some yummy soup that we made on Monday night--oh to get home to Fairvilla variety!

I love you girls! Iceberg, I'm praying for your time with your family and transition. Happy Glad, how's teaching and the job search? Do you think you'll stay at the same school come Fall? Princess Fiona, I got your email and I'll respond shortly. Hgarrry (I know you're not a Fairvillain, but I have to include you anyway)--how's it going? Thanks for the quick message last week! Dinner Woman, I'll see you soon! How's Romans 4 coming???

Life at Fairvilla

These days, Fairvilla is filled with the faithful hum of the sewing machine, the crackling fire, the giggle of a bride-to-be, the tapping of coordinating computer keys, the teachers' sighs of frustration, and the laughter of these sometime silly women who still have little girls deep down inside.

The garden grows well with all this rain. The kitchen is beautful, the washing machine is broken, home-grown fresia scents the window sill while I contemplate what tomato varieties to plant this year, the piano needs tuning but we play it anyway, and life moves on,
goes quickly on,
but questions linger.

Moments of pondering

-a pigeon walking down the bird seed aisle in Walmart. What was he doing? Grocery shopping?
-to what size candy would we compare the hail we just had? --Skittles? Nerds?
-a lone duck standing in Sutherland courtyard, quietly enjoying his solitary reverie