How Griffey is like the Oceanic 6

Warning. Gross overstatements ahead...
The dark chapter in Seattle life known as the Dark Years (02/00 - 02/09) is over and we can now look ahead to a bright future. Junior is back. But seriously, it feels oddly profound that Griffey re-signed with the Mariners yesterday, like a massive wrong has been righted. As you saw in my "24 Things list" (created in his honor before the rumors started swirling that he was coming back - that's right, I'm taking credit for it), I cried when Junior asked to be traded. I remember where I was when he asked and I remember where I was when the deal went through. I cried yesterday, too. Yeah, I admit it. I envisioned holding one of my nephews and pointing to Ken Griffey Jr. in Mariner Blue: "There's one of the best baseball players of all-time. You get to watch him play." So great that we get to share the experience with them.

Will he be the Griffey of '97 or even '07? Probably not. Ok, definitely not. But will I still think about getting out of my seat to go to the bathroom and decide to wait another 1/2 inning when I see Griffey is due up? Absolutely. There's still something magical about him and even if he struggles at the plate, I'm so excited to have him back. I'm excited to watch that swing again.

Last night, I woke up around 4am, recognized a feeling of excitement, and remembered Junior's decision last night. My brain spent the next 1/2 hour pondering the parallels between Griffey & LOST. (Spoiler alert for you DVD-watchers) ... Last night, the Oceanic 6 returned to the island. There was a sense that they were back where they were supposed to be, that history had course-corrected a wrong. Griffey has returned to Seattle. He is where he is supposed to be. A mistake made on February 10, 2000 was corrected on February 18, 2009.

Icy

This was my windshield yesterday morning. Usually I get a little annoyed when my car is icy because I haven't allowed time for it. Sometimes, though, I have to pause and just be in awe. I was in a bit of a hurry yesterday, but no scraping occurred. Instead of the ice scraper, I whipped out my camera.

24 Random Things About Me.

I'm still debating which end of the spectrum I fall on with the new Facebook phenomenon, but I'm going to do it because maybe it will launch some ideas for future blogs. Plus, I've loved reading others' and learned about my friends.

24 Random Things About Me... In honor of Ken Griffey, Jr.

1. For some reason I decided in high school to memorize pi as far as I could: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950 ... I don't think I will ever forget that sequence of numbers. Which is scary.
2. I need motivation to run, so I'm in the process of picking another 1/2 marathon.
3. My favorite smells are baseball glove leather, chalk, and coffee. Not together.
4. I don't own any soaps or perfumes in those fragrances. Not socially acceptable. Those tend to be along the limey, coconutty, minty lines.
5. I have spent 20 weeks total in Haines, Alaska.
6. I have also been to Italy, Greece, France, Kyrgyzstan, The Dominican Republic, and Japan. Haines wins the beauty contest by a landslide.
7. I have two older brothers who let me tag along while they played sports and such. I owe them a lot for athletic ability and more importantly, self-confidence.
8. I shed some tears when Ken Griffey, Jr asked to be traded. I was in college at the time.
9. I had an imaginary friend when I was younger. Her name was Ariana. Good times.
10. I'm working on memorizing I John. I like memorizing stuff.
11. My most memorable Halloween costumes from my childhood were Punky Brewster and ALF.
12. I love to laugh and always want to hang out with people who make me laugh and don't take themselves too seriously.
13. I teach my nephews important things like how to raise one eyebrow, the UW fight song, and how to eat like a squirrel.
14. My oldest brother named me after a girl he liked in Kindergarten.
15. I really like words and languages. I studied Spanish and Japanese in high school. I tried to learn as much Russian as possible in Kyrgyzstan. I love crossword puzzles.
16. My favorite foods all start with 'p' ... Pag's Pizza, Polish Sausage (w/ cream cheese!), Pumpkin Bread, Pineapple, Potato Soup.
17. The life verse I chose when I was baptized on 02/02/02 is Psalm 16:8 - "I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." I love the idea of God before me in all things and next to me through it all.
18. My current hot beverage of choice is a tall americano with one pump of white mocha and light room. Maybe I'm more high-maintenance than I thought.
19. My top 5 strengths according to the official book on strengths are: arranger, adaptability, relational, responsibility, achiever. Basically, I like to be productive alongside other people while considering/balancing lots of variables.
20. I can touch my elbows behind my back. Go ahead, try it.
21. My favorite number is 21. I was once kind of obsessed with the number and pointed it out whenever I saw it - street signs, whatever. Then I decided I wanted to have friends when I grew up.
22. I was born with a hole in my right lung. I have the cross-shaped scar to prove it.
23. I floss every single day.
24. I know that filling this out is going to mess up my game next time I play "Two truths and a lie." Unless, of course, any of these are lies... Which they aren't (which may or may not be true).

Our Foxy Lady

No fear, dear reader (hi Mom!), blogging less was not my New Year's resolution. Instead, my New Year's resolution was to get a dog and convince my parents' to let her live at their house.

So, inspired by the puppycam, we found our very own Shiba Inu, Kitsu (short for Kitsune, which is Japanese for "fox"). We couldn't love her more! And so far, joint custody has worked out quite well.


So, now you see the actual reason for my absence from blogdom: taking time to write would have robbed me of puppy time. And that's just not acceptable. I mean, she already will fetch a tennis ball and sit on command! No fawning over her is too much fawning. However, I still have Christmas stories I need to write and I intend to do so - even if it means a little less time gazing at Kitsu while she sleeps, saying, "She's so cute!" Further proof:

Hope

Rick Reilly is one of my favorite sports writers and you owe it to yourself to read this piece. Where would any of us be without hope?

Who is My Neighbor?

Snow in Seattle will always be magical to me. I can remember sitting near the back sliding door updating my mom every 2-3 minutes on the status of the snow from the time of the first snowflake. "Still snowing!"

We all know the snow is fun for snowball fights, sledding, and snowman-making. It's a great excuse to skip work for many people and it turns our gray worlds into bright white snowglobes. I love the absolute silence that comes with the snow. Any time I go for a walk, I make it a point to stop so I no longer hear the "swish" of my pants of the crunch of the snow beneath my boots. It is very rare that we have utter silence in our lives these days. As I write, I hear the whir of the VCR, the ticking of a clock, and the engines of the cars going by; but Sunday morning as I walked to work, I stopped and heard absolutely nothing for several minutes. It was a glorious awe-filled silence that spoke louder to me than anything audible possibly could.

I know the hazards of snow, too. One check of the facebook status updates of my virtual friends tells me there are many who are stir-crazy, some stuck at airports, and others simply ready to get on with their normal lives. I understand those plights and have certainly found myself frustrated at times as well. Of course, there are others facing even more dire circumstances, for whom the sky is their roof and the snow is a cold, unwelcome visitor to their home. As the snow fell last week, I couldn't help but think of those living in Nickelsville particularly, which tempered my excitement.

But today's events won me over for snow and reminded me of its magic. My day was bookended by good Samaritans. This morning, as I struggled for the second time to get the chains on my tires, cars whizzed by for 20 minutes. I thought about how great a second pair of hands would be for the task as a suburban slowed down, stopped 20 yards down the road, and backed up. The driver rolled down the window to ask if I needed help. I can't remember if I said anything or if the frustrated look on my face gave me away, but he immediately pulled over in front of my car, hopped out with his friend and they helped me get the chains on the tires of the Vibe. (Ok, by "they helped," I mean "they did everything.") It took 10 minutes or so and I got to know a couple of mortgage bankers who would be great to call if I ever actually make enough money to buy a house. No, they did not stop to make a customer. Yes, I did get a business card. Yes, they will get a Christmas card in the mail from me.

Tonight, I got home and discovered the plows had left piles of snow (that was now ice) between the road and the parking alongside the road. To my dear vibe, piles of icy snow are insurmountable mountains. So, I somehow wedged my way over near the curb and went to get a shovel with which to clear a better spot and conquer that mountain so that my life will be easier in the morning. As I finish my task, a man approaches and asks if I'm trying to get my car out. I immediately think he wants my parking spot or doesn't want me parking in front of my house or needs to fit his car in front of mine. Then I see the shovel he's holding and he says, "I was just talking on the phone and I looked out the window and saw you shoveling and thought I'd come help." I talked to Paul, my neighbor for several minutes, discovered his wife works at Safeway, he's lived in Seattle his whole life, and his house was built in the 1930s by the same people who built the house I'm renting.

I repeat: I TALKED TO MY NEIGHBOR. In this age of not acknowledging anyone, I'm struck by how a little snow can create a human connection between us and prompt us to reach out to each other. College students were using brooms to get snow off the tents in Nickelsville last Thursday. People at the bus stop acknowledged each other and had full conversations. I talked to my neighbor.

We were made to connect with people. We can see God in people we've never met before and we are called to serve all those in need. I think we suppress that need for connection, but it's so innate that it only takes a little snow to bring it to the surface. I heart snow always and forever. (Unabridged version)

Who's Right?

"Nobody's perfect"
or
"Practice makes perfect"

...because I'm not sure there's room for both sayings in one language.

I'm Back... Now Where Did I Leave that Soapbox?

I’m back from my month-long inpatient rehab and though the detox was painful, I have learned there is still reason to live and ways to spend my time other than refreshing bbc.com. For instance, I can take up my soapbox issue: The misuse of “literally.” I know, I know, there are better causes to stand for, but this simply needs to be brought into the light and it distracts me from the world of politics. I heard three absolutely egregious abuses of the defenseless word that must be called out:

“It literally reeks of desperation.” – The writer (a professional writer) did not go on to describe any kind of actual odor. He just compared the concept of a Grammys Nomination Concert to something about Fantasy Football. Do they bottle “Desperation?” I bet it actually smells mysteriously seductive.

Commercial: “If you don’t buy your windows from (insert company name here), you’re literally throwing your money out the window.” – No I’m not, you just happen to use an English idiom to create a clever pun. Perhaps I am figuratively throwing said money, but no cash or coins will actual be expelled from my window.

Sports commentator: “They are literally shooting themselves in the foot right now.” I don’t remember which team was Coug’ing it at the time, but I do know Plaxico Burress was not involved.

The sad thing is, I think our VP-elect is one of the worst abusers of this word… And then there's this. D’oh!

… I might need to check back into Politicaholics Anonymous rehab.

Do They Have a 12-Step Group for This???

Hi, my name is Becky and I'm addicted to political and election news. It's official. I have an addiction. To something more than coffee, that is.

I should have seen the warning signs:

• Watching Rachel Maddow on TiVo before sunrise.
• Getting home from the INN feeling too tired to brush my teeth, but good enough to see what Jon Stewart had to say.
• ...And Colbert too.
• My newfound ability to name a dozen different polling agencies.
  
• Confusing Sarah Palin and Tina Fey.
• Waking up to realize Sean Hannity and Keith Olbermann were in my dream.
• Considering Anderson Cooper and Campbell Brown two of my closest friends.

Now that there is a proverbial light at the end of this pundit- and pander-filled tunnel, I'm starting to wonder what I'm going to do with my time. Most people will say they can't wait for this season to be finished so they won't have to watch the ads anymore. I can't help but wonder if they are secretly suffering from the same disease as I am. It's not the ads. It's my inability to turn away from the ads. I should not feel as though I'm on a first-name basis with most of the people pictured.

Don't get me wrong, I pay attention to politics all the time and I also realize nothing really changes on November 5. It's not like I'm being forced to quit cold turkey. This seems analogous to those who are finishing a great novel in one of those (seemingly) never-ending series. Harry Potter comes to mind. I can't wait to see how the story ends, but I will miss it once it's over. In fact, I already went back and re-read the whole metaphorical book before I finished the last chapter. That's right, this weekend - the weekend before the election - I watched a retrospective of the 2008 presidential campaigns. It was a sentimental journey through debates, 3am phone calls, lipstick on a pig, and a few Joes (Biden, Six-pack, and The Plumber). Those were the days.

The first step is admitting you have a problem, right? It's time for me to look up steps 2 through 12. Let's just hope the headaches aren't as bad as when I try to give up coffee.

Favorite Photo Friday

Taken August05 with Canon EOS Digital Rebel in Spokane, WA

I'm pretty sure this was Cameron's 2nd birthday. Which means that this picture was taken back when he was my only nephew. River was born a month later. I'm not the biggest fan of the composition of this picture, particularly the shadows of the trees. I do love everything this picture symbolizes to me, though; when I look at this photo, I conceptualize guidance and safety. My brother is such a great dad. From the moment I took the picture, it reminded me of another picture:

(I didn't take this one...)

Beware the End of the Age

Just overheard on The Daily Show:
"All hell broke loose, quite literally."
I wanted to give you a heads up because I don't think these kinds of things can be contained locally, so it could get ugly everywhere.

Favorite Photo Friday

Taken 19Sept08 with Canon EOS Digital Rebel near Mt. Baker, WA

This is really the first picture I've posted that I took because of my concentrated effort to take more pictures. We were at the Firs Chalet near Bellingham for our student leadership retreat and I decided to go for a walk one morning. The lake right outside was as smooth as glass. I played around a lot with the manual setting and loved capturing the moment. I'm sure a few of the other pictures from that morning will make appearances on FPF. The pictures themselves are fine, but I love the moment they catch - the quiet of sunrise in the setting I love the most: mountains.

Don't ask why the text is so small. I've tried to change it several times and it looks right in the WYSIWYG. I blame blogspot.

The Great Depression

Ok, it's time for me to weigh in on the issue that seems to be on the mind of everyone I talk to these days. It makes sense that this topic has become so ubiquitous - who could ignore such an historic crash? It makes sense that I get sucked into the bad news and lose sleep over it regularly. I mean, just a few years ago, things were looking pretty good. Numbers were up and there was a reason to be optimistic about the future. Now, on this side of the crash, it's hard to see how things will ever improve. I find myself worried that things will take a long time to improve, or (shudder): they will get worse.

I'm talking, of course, about the state of my favorite sports teams. As can be seen in this picture of a man forced to watch a Carlos Silva start after learning how much he was paid this season, the sports year in Seattle has been vomit-inducing. The brilliantly insightful and humorous Bill Simmons (AKA, "The Sports Guy") recently called this "the single most depressing season for a city in the history of professional sports." Oh, the agony it is to admit that he's right! Unfortunately, though, he's only scratching the surface. Throw Division 1 NCAA teams in there - at least the ones people will pay money to see - and we're talking devastation of epic proportions for this city.

Let's face the facts: it couldn't possibly get much worse than this.
Over on Mountlake, the Huskies' basketball team underachieved when it failed to play in any postseason tournament at all. The football team's recruiting class was getting rave reviews which made me a believer. Certainly they would contend for a bowl this year, right? My optimism was quickly squashed. Now I don't even get to watch Jake.

My beloved Mariners had the 9th highest payroll in Major League Baseball this year. What did that earn them? The second worst record in the game. To top it off, they mortgaged their future with the Bedard trade last winter, so "there's always next year" never rang so hollowly.

The Seahawks depressed us with a drubbing at the hands of Green Bay in the playoffs last January. Now they look like they may make the meteoric fall from 5 straight division titles to a 1-15 record. Looking at their schedule (and their injury report), I'm predicting a 6-9 finish at best and a windfall for local sports medicine doctors. The one team we've been able to count on lately is letting us down.

I don't even know what to say about the Team Formerly Known as the Seattle Supersonics. This is the team that won the National Championship - the only significant national championship in Seattle (sorry Storm fans) - two months after I was born. Memories of watching Gus Williams, Jack Sikma, Nate McMillan, "Big Smooth" Sam Perkins, and Gary Payton definitely gave me an emotional bond with the green & gold. (We're ignoring their brief flirtation with red right now). Not only did this team suck this year, but they were stolen from us! If I ever meet David Stern or Clay Bennett at a 4-way stop, I am NOT letting them go first. They are bad people.

Poor Seattle. Clearly we have much more important crises to worry about. But sports are supposed to be our diversion and the place we can turn to be cheered while the world going you-know-where in a you-know-what. That might be the case in many parts of the country (curse you, Boston!) where hope abounds, but not in the otherwise glorious city in which I live.

Do you think we could convince the federal government to consider a bailout of professional sports in Seattle?

How depressing.

Favorite Photo Friday

Taken October05 with Canon EOS Digital Rebel in Spokane, WA

This picture combines 3 of my favorite things:
1) Nephews. My very favorite "things" there are.
2) Fall. Again, sorry to belabor the point.
3) Pumpkins. The perks of which I have previously enumerated.

Therefore, how could I not love this picture? A nephew dressed as a pumpkin, two nephews in front of hundreds of pumpkins on a beautiful fall day. It does not get any better than that.

Favorite Fall Foods

Rumor has it that today was a beautiful warm day in Seattle. I'm not really sure because I spent less than a minute of daylight hours outside today. I'm ok with that because I'm done feeling guilty for not being outside more. Another reason I'm glad fall is here. Back on that subject, my list of the best fall foods. Do you have any to add?

*Candy Corn. I was a late adapter to the candy corn phenomenon, only starting to like it a couple years ago. I'm not sure what's not to like, though. There's nothing wrong with pure sugar.

*Pumpkin anything. I'm a huge fan of the pumpkin... Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin bagels, and pumpkin doughnuts are among my favorites. Pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin pie (which is near the bottom of my pumpkin list, but still good), pumpkin pancakes... Yum.

*Chai Tea. Nothing says fall like drinking chai somewhere inside when it's not-so-warm outside. I personally prefer Tazo (milk only, no water) to some of the sweeter chais like Oregon, but any chai will do.

*Soup. What a great food category soup is. I love how easy it is to make in a Crock Pot. I love how easy it is to heat up as leftovers. I love what a great conduit it is for eating bread.

*Apples with Caramel. Just good. And so fall.

I don't really eat/drink any of these in the summer and many of them are so seasonal I only have a 2 month window to partake. Yes, indeed, welcome back fall.

Here's that Pumpkin Bread recipe. This makes one loaf. I almost always double it:
Mix: 6 T butter, 2 eggs, 1/3 c. milk, 1 t. vanilla
In a separate bowl, combine: 1-1/2 c. flour, 1-1/3 c. sugar, 1 t. baking soda, 1/4 t. baking powder, 1/2 t. cloves, 1/2 t. ginger, 1 t. cinnamon (I add slightly less ginger & cloves and slightly more cinnamon...)

Add 1/2 the flour mix to the rest and mix. Add 1 c. canned pumpkin and mix again. Add the remaining flour mixture (don't forget this part) and mix. Add 1/2 c. walnuts (if you want to ruin the bread with walnuts) and mix.

Bake at about 350 for about 50 minutes. (This recipe is written in the back of a book because someone recited it to me in Core Group 7 years ago. I have to get the book out every year to make this bread because I've never bothered to transfer the recipe... And I don't have the temp or time written, so I make it up. It works much better when you turn the oven on.)

The Cluster that Just Was

I know, right? I don't post for three weeks and now I post twice in one evening. But, I have 44 minutes to spare, I need to stay awake, and I already had date night with TiVo this weekend. So, it's either this or read and I did that all afternoon. I can only bleach the sink one time before I get labeled OCD. Besides, what just happened needs to be chronicled for posterity.

Tomorrow morning I'm hosting the UMin staff meeting at my house. That entails basically having coffee and a few snacks for the 14 folks I work with. No problem; I love baking. Janie requested pumpkin bread, one of my specialties (and something that should have been listed in the previous post as something I love about fall. Perhaps "Fall Foods" needs its own listing. I digress.)

This evening, I go to make the bread thinking I have everything I need. I even had a can of pumpkin because I knew fall was coming. Around 9, I go to the kitchen to start the project only to find that I don't have milk, so it's off to Safeway for me. I get home, work my magic with my lovely Kitchenaid, get the batter in the 2 loaf pans, and put them in the oven. Then I start cleaning up the mess - something that gives me an odd pleasure. I get the Kitchenaid bowl filled with soapy water, measuring spoons & cups, spatulas, and anything else that needs cleaning and fits inside. While that soaks, I go to wipe the counter. Only to find a bowl with about 1/3 of the remaining flour mixture. D'oh!

I rush to get the loaves out of the oven thinking they hadn't been in there long enough for it to be too late. I found out quickly they had definitely been in there long enough to burn my fingers off (apparently 5 minutes or so is long enough to need a hot pad). YOW! I put my hands under cold water for a few seconds before rescuing the bread from the oven. How badly was I burned? Let's just say I don't have to worry about those crimes I recently committed because my fingerprints on my thumb and first two fingers of both hands has now been altered. I wish I were kidding. I cannot feel the keys as I type.

So, after a little while longer at the sink, I return to the pumpkin bread. All the batter returns to the now-clean mixing bowl and I add the remaining flour, remix, throw it back in the oven, and return to cleaning. I throw the kitchen mat in the washer since I have to wait 50 minutes for the bread anyway. The sink gets scrubbed. My hands periodically return to the cold water. I go ahead and pull out the tea and mugs for the morning. I look at the oven. Two minutes left. Sleep is near. I take a peek. They are just as I had put them in. Once again: D'OH! I.am.brilliant. Apparently in my anger at the oven for heating so quickly and burning off the pads of my fingers, I had turned it off. "That-will-show-it." Except I forgot to turn it back on. Yes, brilliant. So, this project I went into the kitchen to start at 9 that was supposed to still get me in bed by 10:30 continues even now. I tell you what, whatever comes out of that oven 21 minutes better be damn good. Now how should I spend that time?

This blog needs some fall colors.

Welcome Back

September is what you might call a busy month for me - hence the three week hiatus from blogdom. September is also the month that ushers in my favorite season. I absolutely love the fall. Let me count the ways:

*Football starts. I love the sport even though the Dawgs and Hawks have both struggled to different degrees. I also, though, love the rhythm that football brings. Baseball has a beautiful steady consistency throughout the summer. Football paces itself, bringing pace to my own life.
*The weather. Oh, how I have loved breaking out jackets, sweaters, and jeans again this month. One can only wear flip-flops for so many consecutive days. I'm ready to pack the shorts for a while. Seattle in the fall is the best. We even get respites from the gray on days like today (70s!?!). But there is something comforting about the gray, too. Of course, the shorter days also bring the beautiful leaves. Oh, the leaves.
*New beginnings. There is no reason for us to pretend the year starts mid-winter. We all know that in the rhythm of most lives, the new year starts in the fall. With school starting around the country, the idea that it's a whole new start - a second, third, or 29th chance - is in the air. My resolutions come in September, not in January.

It might get into the 80s tomorrow. I will enjoy it because I know there aren't many more of those Seattle can eke out this year. But when the gray comes back, I will be waiting and I will be excited.

It's kind of odd that in nature, spring brings new life and fall in actuality is the beginning of the slow death of so many things. Because in the life of us humans it seems there is something very life-giving about the fall. The cool air refreshes, the new beginnings invigorate. I absolutely love this season. Welcome back, fall.

Literally Speaking...

I think it's about time for me to weigh in on the Summer Olympics. I miss those darn Olympics. Because they are over, I am reduced to watching the end of a 7-2 Mariner game (or, I suppose) doing something productive.

My favorite Olympic sports to watch this year were volleyball, gymnastics, and of course swimming. My favorite Olympic sport to play this year was "Listen to the announcers misuse the word 'literally.'" I think I would have received at least the silver in that event. I have to warn you, fair reader, that this is a pet peeve of mine. "Literally" has become so overused and misused, that we're going to lose it entirely soon. We must not let it happen!

These were the heinous offenses overheard during the Olympics (even the Canadians screwed it up once; no one is immune!):

- "He is literally that good." (Referring to a baseball player who is so good, he could hit a double.) No. He just plain is that good. He's "very" good or he's "really" good, but what point were you trying to make, Mr. Announcer? "He's not just figuratively that good, people. He's literally that good." What? While we're at it, find another adjective. "Good" is boring. You're paid to describe things with words for a living.
Ahem, sorry for the tirade. It gets worse, though.

- After the Americans won a baseball game: "They literally swept the table with them."
What table? Perhaps they swept said team, in the figurative sense that we have come to use that word meaning they beat them every time they played, but they certainly did not actually break out brooms to do it. If I'm wrong and they did, why didn't they televise that?!?

- While watching diving: "She literally fell apart during the semi-finals."
Ewwwwwwww. I'm glad I didn't have to clean that up. I hope they had doctors on hand to put her back together.

Seriously, people, we can do this. Together we can unite for a better English language. (But don't look to our politicians to bring this change; the presidential candidates have been some of the most egregious offenders I've heard.) "Literally" is an important word and we need to save it. I implore you:

-Let's not use "literally" to help us exaggerate: "He is literally 10 feet tall!" No... No, he's not.
-Let's not use "literally" when there is no figurative option: "He is literally 6 feet tall" is unnecessary unless we are prone to lying and even then we should really say, "He is exactly 6 feet tall," or something to that effect.
-And for goodness' sake, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let us not use "literally" when we mean the exact opposite: "He was so mad, he literally exploded at me." I certainly hope not.

I'm no English teacher nor am I a grammar scholar. I'm simply one woman who wants the word "literally" back for the world's children.

Favorite Photo Friday

Another week, another blogless 7 days. Alas, I have 3 hours to post a photo at least.Taken 30June08 with Canon EOS Digital Rebel in Rhodes, Greece

Not much to say - I just like this picture. I love playing with focus on foreground and background. In this case, I love the metaphor that this is to my life verse: "I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." Setting the Lord always before us means we will see everything we do through Him...

Favorite Photo Friday

After a week at staff retreat, it's already time for Favorite Photo Friday again. Which just reminds me that I took 0 (zero) pictures this week.

Taken 30Sept07 with Canon SD400 in Seattle, WA (Safeco Field)

I melt when I look at this picture because it combines some of my favorite things: Seattle, baseball, Safeco Field, and River. I love that Riv laughs at me a lot. River is one of my "nephews." In other words, we are not related by blood, but we are related by heart. His mom and dad really are my sister and brother. I see him and his younger brother Truss about once a week and I get to see them tonight. I'm so excited. A few weeks ago, we had a "mom's dinner" - when Jamie and I have dinner with both of our moms. At some point, Jamie's mom asked River if he liked it when Becky came to visit. He said, "Yeah, it makes me feel good inside." If that doesn't melt my heart, nothing will. I would do anything for any of my nephews.

Oh, and... The Mariners won this, the last game of the season 4-2. Felix pitched a brilliant game giving up 4 hits in 8.2 innings. AND, the game was over in less than two hours which means Jamie was happy and I had hope for next season (which was violently squashed this past April).

River will be three years old in one month. If you say anything in his presence about baseball or the Mariners, he will loudly declare, "Ken Griffey Jr. is the best Mariner ever!" just because he knows it will elicit a high five and loads of verbal commendation from me. I have taught him well.