i just "love" living in snow-country..... today's class: CANCELLED!

simplify.

2006

i'm back!!!! (in VT that is.....)

wishing you all a very blessed and joyful NEW YEAR of 2006!!! can you believe it's 2006?? i mean.... remember celebrating the switch from 1999 to 2000?? now it's 2006!! can time be stopped??

here's just a quick little update on the last month:

VERMONT: i tried finishing strong for the last few weeks of classes.... it was insane and there were moments where i wondered if the headaches and stress were all worth it. i won't preach to the choir, since i know most of you know what student life is like.... there were several times when it crossed my mind that i wouldn't mind if my computer somehow "fell" into the wastebasket and accidentally got dumped, if it meant that i didn't have to write another paper for the rest of my life...... good news is, that i passed all my classes.... whoohooo.... first semester behind me!

ALABAMA: break started with a quick weekend trip to southern AL for Hannah's wedding.... it was a beautiful, big southern wedding, centered on Christ and on living life together with Christ as the bond... it was a privilege to be a part of the Hannah's and Chris' special day.... THANKS!!

MICHIGAN: a 16 hour car ride back from AL to MI says it all.... hahahaha.... i spent two days in the metropolis of H. and not only got to visit with folks at hope, but met up with the gang for dinner.... kilo, carol, andy, sinchan, amy, elizabeth, and dennis..... you guys are such a blessing to me.... seeing you sitting at the restaurant as i walked in made me realize how blessed i am to have you as friends..... you guys are solid! after that i spent a week up-north at the funny farm..... and it was good to be able to relax and be with my family... i realized just how much i really miss being with my family.....

MEXICO: sigh.... i made it there before New Years!!! and it was soooooooo good to be with rodrigo again.... i was so tired of doing the whole internet, phone, webcam thing with him for four months, that i enjoyed being with him in person and catching up face to face.... there was plenty to talk about..... ;) an extra bonus was being able to see two dear mexican friends while there.... ana & sarah.... again, i was impressed with the colorful beauty of mexico, the warm-hearted people, the laid-back culture, and of course, the sunshine and warmth... i was able to visit some really beautiful areas and fall even more in love with that land... and of course, even more so with el muchacho.... ;) saying goodbye has never been my strong point and this time it was especially hard to leave.... it's hard not knowing what lies ahead..... it's good that we can trust the Lord to move in His time and that we are committed to waiting for His will. here's to another four? five? six? seven? months of webcam, internet, and phone conversations.... sigh....

VERMONT: back in school..... leaving sunny and warm mexico and stepping off the plane into freezing rain is a slap in the face... whew..... classes have started.... and i'm trying to get back into the swing of things.... more to be told as it happens, i guess....

.... and that's where i'm at right now.... :) so, happy 2006 to each of you..... looking forward to catching up with you at some point!

c'est moi??

so, i'm a bit embarrassed that i've been absent from blogging for so long.... where, oh where, has the time gone.... actually probably nowhere, since i've been sitting on on my hill.... still surrounded by the woods & fields.... and hitting the books..... the one change perhaps is that the leaves have been replaced by sporadic snow.... 1.5 weeks left to the semester.... that's 1 final paper and 3 more group presentations and papers to write.... "i think i can, i think i can, i think i can....."

so, on my yahoo account i've found something new.... you can create yourself.... this was as close as i could get....

Ibdaa Cultural Center

had a chance this afternoon to watch 20 palestinian kids share history through dance. these kids from the dheisheh refugee camp near bethlehem are traveling through the u.s. to perform amazing dances with energy and joy. it was really special to be able to see them and learn just a little bit more about the Palestinian struggle in the refugee camps especially. i'm always so struck when i hear palestinian youth speak... even at 10 years old, they are very eloquent in talking about the struggles of living in camp and the justice they want seen. i groaned when i heard the first question out of the mouth of an audience member... "what do you think about america?" one young boy answered that he likes the american people, but he does not like the american government.... the room exploded in applause.....

www.dheisheh-ibdaa.net

Halloween 2005

can you name them all??
from l-r: fairy, business man, shooting star, 70's star, farm gril, pippi longstocking, red hot chili pepper, pumpkin, zorro, chalk outline


I think I can honestly say that Kendra W. is my link to Halloween.... she introduced me to this special day by including me to go trick or treating with her family a few years ago... this year was the first time in probably 16 years that I have dressed up for Halloween..... Kendra, I now have the costume ready to go.... next year..... that is, if your boys still go!

Comfort

ARE YOU REAL?

ARE YOU REAL?
by Kallistos Ware

The isolated individual is not a real person. A real person is one who lives in and for others. And the more personal relationships we form with others, the more we truly realize ourselves as persons. It has even been said that there can be no true person unless there are two, entering into communication with one another.

This idea of openness to others could be summed up under the word love. By love, I don’t mean merely an emotional feeling, but a fundamental attitude. In its deepest sense, love is the life, the energy, of God in us. We are not truly personal as long as we are turned in on ourselves, isolated from others. We only become personal if we face other persons, and relate to them.

let it.....

SNOW.... YES, friends.... today was the first day of snow in Brattleboro, VT!

life according to kacki - episode 1

... have you ever tried going down a flight of stairs without bending your knees? how about using your arms without bending your elbows? my dear suitemate, kacki, is helping me keep life in perspective (even though it's at the most random times!). tonight after dinner she started walking without bending her knees... which was accompanied by a five minute talk about the use of knees and an actually test of us trying to get downstairs without bending our knees..... HAPPY KNEE APPRECIATION DAY!!!