We Interrupt The Dead Air With This Brief Message

Mr. M gave me a sewing maching for Christmas. I'm so excited I can hardly stand myself.


I had a sewing machine-- it used to be my mom's, worked perfectly well, but weighed about a thousand pounds. I really wanted to love using it, but I didn't. Because I've been teaching myself to sew, starting from scratch on a non-intuitive machine (even though it was sturdy and faithful and cool) was tricky. I started sewing by hand when I was still a single-digit, so I just avoided the behemoth and did things the slow way.


My new machine is wonderful, and I'm so excited by how easy it's been to use.


So, I made a little makeup brush pouch for a girlfriend. It's not perfect, but it's functional and it was fun to make. For a first machine project, it's not too shabby!








(Meanwhile, yes, there are other posts coming, and someday I may also reply to email, too. *sigh*)

Friday FiveI've Got My Eye On You!

Sophia gave us a fun Friday Five this week:

1. What color are your beautiful eyes? Did you inherit them from or pass them on to anyone in your family?

A college buddy once referred to them as "pond-water green." They kind of match my mom's old USMC uniforms, if that's a helpful reference. I don't know how I wound up with them-- mom's are blue, and dad's are brown!

2. What color eyes would you choose if you could change them?

I'm happy with green, but would have liked them to be more emerald than moss!

3. Do you wear glasses or contacts? What kind? Like 'em or hate 'em?

I switch back and forth between the two. It's actually time to get new frames, which I dread a little... it's hard to find a pair I like.

4. Ever had, or contemplated, laser surgery? Happy with the results?

Haven't had it, and am pretty squeamed out by the idea! I love that it works for people, though.

5. Do you like to look people in the eye, or are you more eye-shy?

I definitely look people in the eye, unless I'm really mad. Then, not so much. Fortunately, that's pretty rare.

Bonus question: Share a poem, song, or prayer that relates to eyes and seeing.

The classic, gorgeous cummings poem comes to mind:

i thank You God for most this amazing

day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth

day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any--lifted from the no

of allnothing--human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

Friday Five Advent Longings

Sally is very thoughtful this week, and shares this lovely Friday Five:
"Imagine a complex, multi-cultural society that annually holds an elaborate winter festival, one that lasts not simply a few days, but several weeks. This great festival celebrates the birth of the Lord and Saviour of the world, the prince of peace, a man who is divine. People mark the festival with great abundance- feasting, drinking and gift giving....." (Richard Horsley- The Liberation of Christmas)
The passage goes on, recounting the decorations that are hung, and the songs and dances that accompany the festival, how the economy booms and philanthropic acts abound....
But this is not Christmas- this is a Roman festival in celebration of the Emperor....This is the world that Jesus was born into! The world where the early Christians would ask "Who is your Saviour the Emperor or Christ?"
And yet our shops and stores and often our lives are caught up in a world that looks very much like the one of ancient Rome, where we worship at the shrine of consumerism....
Advent on the other hand calls us into the darkness, a time of quiet preparation, a time of waiting, and re-discovering the wonder of the knowledge that God is with us. Advent's call is to simplicity and not abundance, a time when we wait for glorious light of God to come again...
Christ is with us at this time of advent, in the darkness, and Christ is coming with his light- not the light of the shopping centre, but the light of love and truth and beauty.
What do you long for this advent? What are your hopes and dreams for the future? What is your prayer today?
In the vein of simplicity I ask you to list five advent longings....

I'm a natural longer and hoper (despite a recent lapse), so the hard part for me might be limiting it to five... or it might be sharing the ones that I don't want to jinx by naming them out loud! My husband and I do this crazy thing where every New Year's Day we have a Visioning Date, and just recented we've added Planning Dates every two months to evaluate, strategize, and change course when needed. I really look forward to these, and can hardly wait for our Visioning Date this year, because it seems like there are so many possibilities in front of us. Here's a little start of my longings:

1. More closeness with the gorgeous Mr. M. He's quite lovely, and I can be a bit skittish.
2. I'd like to find a new church home.
3. I want to take time to just sit and hold hands with God more.
4. New bits of family have just gotten in touch. I'm scared, but I think I'd like to (sloooooowly) get to know them a little better.
5. Don't we all need a little mystery? ;)