So, I Met This Girl Online...

Word of the Post
Today's word is: resplendent
/re*splen"dent/ adjective
Bright, lustrous, shining; having great beauty or splendor.
A sunset, resplendent with hues of orange and red, creates an excellent picture.
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I had to take a few days to get the pictures fixed. I am sorry I took so long. Last week was a busy time for me. Wednesday evening, I had to give the DH a haircut. He was getting to be a Long-Haired Hippy. See?

This is my favorite view, the Freshly Shorn head. His haircuts have gotten easier over the years. I don't have to think or style the hair, just shave it short. I have never tried to do a flat-top. I imagine that it would be tough. I prefer to play in the hair after it has been mowed. Often during the summer, he will mow the yard, then I mow his head. It is a symbiotic relationship.

Thursday afternoon, I left home to journey north to visit Ferret (Maria) and her girls, and to meet Sally. Sally explained it pretty well on her post about our dinner. I can give you a little more background on two of us. I have known Ferret for something like 11 years. We met in college, when we both transferred to Oklahoma Christian. We had both been there for the spring semester, and met through other mutual friends in the fall. She was already part of the group that was called Teh Club. DH was already there, too. I also met him that fall.

We were close enough that, a few years later, she asked me to be in her wedding. I was a bridesmaid, and I sang. (The song is over there on my play list. Can you guess which song? If you know, please don't ruin it for those who don't.) She was not in mine, because we only had two attendants, and I had promised those posts away many years before. She and her hubby were our photographers. Today, she makes a business out of wedding photography. I babysat her older daughter, Zipper (Ani with the back surgery), when she was very tiny. Here is Zipper drumming on the back of Speedy's High Chair when we were at Pei Wei. DH is so proud that the girls are great percussionists.

Then she got nerve, and moved her family back to Wichita to be near her hubby's parents, and to be closer to her grandma. Since that time, she also got busy and had a second daughter, Speedy G (G for Gonzales, Ele, who never stops moving). Here is Speedy, also drumming on the chair. Those little chopsticks made excellent drumsticks. And both girls can and demand to eat with the chopsticks.

We all had dinner, and then sent Ferret's family home. The girls needed to be in bed sometime, and the Girls wanted to talk in a quieter setting. We retreated to a nearby Starbucks, and continued to talk. We had a great time, despite the scary roads on the way home. Look at Shannon (I have no bloggy name for her yet. When I get one I can edit), showing off that way-too-skinny-to-be-a-mom midriff! I hope that my rolls look that cute after I have kids! Here is us, from left to right: Me, Sally, Shannon, and Ferret. Some nice guy at Starbucks took six pictures for us, two each on three cameras. Thank you, dude, whomever you are.

I spent the night at Ferret's house, and went with her on Friday morning to a Bible study. Shannon was supposed to be there, too, but her kiddo got sick on her overnight. I met several more ladies at the study, and was amazed to find out that many of them were my age. I have never before had so many friends my age. Most of my friends have been two to five years younger, or more than five years older than me. It baffles me that so many people like me are out there, and feeling left out, just like me. We had a great little visit, and study. I was supposed to leave town by 2 or 3, actually hung out until 7 or so. Got home about 9:30.

Then I stayed up and packed until 12am. I was getting us ready for the couples retreat. I meant to get pictures, but the camera got left in the van... all the way across the parking lot. I decided the walk there was not worth it. I should have gotten pictures of the tiny rooms we stayed in. It was smaller than the small dorms at O.C., and they had two sets of bunk beds in them. Yes, a couples retreat where we had to sleep on different, twin sized beds. Build that love.

There was one baby there this year, a kiddo who is still mommy-fed. I got a lot of Auntie duty, and I loved it. When we were all "moving in", I got to hold the Stuff. The best and most important Stuff, the baby.

I stayed up Saturday night playing games with other couples. DH had gone to bed around 11:30, I stayed up until after 2. I actually got the babe to sleep when mommy was still playing Cranium. She was moving him too much, and he was jumping at every loud round of shouting. I didn't go too far, just put him in a position to sleep, and bounced him a little, nearer the fireplace and farther from the game. He was out in five minutes, and stayed that way with me for well over an hour. I only gave him up when I had to go to the bathroom so bad, I couldn't hold him or laugh anymore.

Sunday morning, we got up and had breakfast (the guys usually cook). This year, we had one guy who is a great cook, and we had bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, biscuits, fruit, juice, milk, and coffee. Then we had a short church service. We had a couple of men make some short talks, and we had communion. We had prayer that was relevant and heartfelt.

When it was over, we all went back to clean up the mess hall and kitchen, and then clean our rooms after we got all our stuff packed into the cars. As a group, we always try to leave the place cleaner than when we arrived. The fact that we clean at all actually seems to be an improvement over other groups the camp hosts.

I ended up sleeping for most of Sunday and Monday to recuperate from all the late nights in a row. I had a great weekend, and honestly have still not quite recovered. I am staying away from baby Molly for another day or two, just to make sure that I don't spread anything. I don't think I have caught anything, but you never know. Lack of sleep is a very good way to catch a cold. I have to stay away from milk for a while, too. Can't be too careful.

What Is Your Name?

What is in a name? What makes a name such a defining bit of information? I have read fiction and folklore that make a point of a person knowing and not sharing their True Name, because it would be power to know another's True Name.

Is a Title different than a Name? President, Senator, Boss, Teacher, Person, Christian. Each of these terms defines more what a person IS at their job, education, and especially at their core. We like to name things. Inanimate objects like pens, computers and cars get names. We are good at personifying animals at the zoo and pets in our home, as well as things like shopping carts and shoes.

Tawnya did a Thursday Thirteen last week about names that were forever ruined for her. I thought about doing the same, and then decided it couldn't be thirteen. It would either be fewer, and I would feel silly, or it would be more, and I would be forced to do this more than once. Either way, I am not limiting myself to thirteen, nor am I making an effort to get up to thirteen. Not that all of these names are truly bad, just that they are not something I wish to use. Don't get mad at me if one of your names is on my list. It has nothing to do with you, I promise. I am sure there are more names that are truly ruined, but these are some I can think of today. Here you go, in no particular order:
Names that are ruined for ME
1. John (I love many people with this name, but I won't add more to the mix when I have kids.)
2. Chad (met more bad than good people with this name)
3. Sean
4. Michael/Michelle (wouldn't torture a kid with such a common name)
5. Christian (what if the kid turns out to be an atheist?)
6. Schuyler/Skyler
7. James
8. Abigail
9. Chastity/Prudence/Happy (a personality trait? what if they never measure up?)
10. Chlamydia (I kid you not, I have heard this at the store. Diseases are not good kid names.)
11. Charles (again, more bad than the many good)
12. Daniel
13. Simeon
14. Christopher
15. Ann/Anna
16. Kelly
16. Eli

Wacky spellings are out too. DH and I have discussed this at length. We don't mind interesting names, but the traditional spelling is a requirement. We don't want a child named Michelle, and spell it Mi'shealle or something. Honestly, my mother has to be able to pronounce it. I don't want to give her another reason to feel lingually inept. The oddities of the English language do enough of that without my help.

Now, this is not all to say that I would be upset at creating or discovering a "new" name. I know many people with names that I would not have thought of, and they are all distinctly beautiful. Foreign languages, combinations of friend or family names, words or characters from Fantasy writing all have a place in my interest in names. I used to keep a log, a list of names that might end up in my writing. I have a whole notebook full of names. Through all of that interesting collection, I keep settling on the same few "normal" names. I have a desire to come up with a name that others have not invented, but I also have an inclination to not think too far outside the box.

All of this leads me to announce for some of the distant friends that we are welcoming Molly as the newest member of Teh Club. For pictures and a little more detail, go visit her parents' blog, here. Congratulations to the whole family, all over the country. I have not met her yet, but since she lives just across the street, I will do so soon. I have to make sure that I am not carrying the yucky stuff that everyone I know seems to be getting. I don't want to make Molly or her mom sick. I will put off being friendly to keep everyone healthy.

Wordy Wednesday

I have not enough brain power to put a word up today. Enough about me being hard on myself. I am taking a day off. Today is the first of many "Be Nice To Chelf Today" days, and I am celebrating. I am hoping to get lots of rest. Soon, I shall be taking a little trip north, to visit a friend, and make two new friends. I am going to meet the lovely Midwest Girl in person. I can't wait! I will bring back pictures (if I remember to take them!) and blog a little about our adventures. If I am allowed to, and not sworn to the silence of Girls' Night.

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's day. I don't really care to celebrate a day named for a guy I never even met, and that Hallmark seems to have immortalized. Our Blog Buddy Meet was planned last week, before I was reminded that THAT Thursday was a special day, and our hubbies might object to a Girls' Night Out on the National Holiday. So, we quickly changed to this week. Which makes me a busy woman.

Thursday, I go north. Friday I come back south. Saturday, DH and I go north again, but not so far. We are going to our church's Couples Retreat. We go to a campground north of here, and spend a night or two (varies by year) studying God's Word about marriage and related family issues, and playing board games and sitting up all night talking to other couples about all sorts of subjects. It is funny to me, that this campground has rooms, like a college dorm. With Bunk Beds. Two Twin sized bunk beds. Yep, we get to sleep separately for our retreat. Now before anyone suggests ways to co-sleep, let me inform you that DH is 6' 6" tall, and I am 5'4" and... fluffy. We can't fit on a twin together for real for all night. We tried to put the mattresses on the floor side by side, and it didn't fit. The rooms are TINY. There are a lot of ways to grow as a couple. Sleeping separately is not my best idea of a way to grow. However, the weekend usually is filled with other ways to be intimate. Sunday, we come home again.

DH and I have been going to the local dollar theater on their $0.50 night. We have seen The Golden Compass and August Rush this week. OK, August Rush was on Friday night, not Tuesday. Either way, we have seen cheap movies. Then we go to Vintage and play Scrabble. I don't know why I like that, but I do. I suppose part of it comes from the fact that we don't have a kitchen table set up right now. We play board games across a folding wooden tray. It is fun to play Scrabble in a quiet little coffee shop.

Friday night there were some guys there, who were going to compete in a talent contest the next day. They had written a song, and were practicing it. Two guitars, three guys, and a lot of laughs. They were creative. One of the guitar players works at the shop, so I hope to ask him soon if they won anything, even an honorable mention for their guts and creativity.

Yes, you saw that right, I went to see the Golden Compass for myself. I spent the least amount of money possible, so as to not support the author too much if I didn't like it. I liked the movie. I personally thought that it was an interesting combination of good CG effects and bad acting. I like the girl that played Lyra. She seems to have a gift. Having not read the books myself, and having read lots of reviews, critics and friendly discussions, I have come to a borderline conclusion. I liked it, for the fantasy fiction it is. I did not like it, because it seemed somewhat lacking in plot and depth. It felt rushed. It felt as if it were a cheap imitation of good fiction.

Now, I don't know how the books would feel. I don't care to find out. I saw a fun quote recently. "Never judge a book by it's movie." AMEN and amen. (Book snobbery showing through) So... I have judged the movie without the book. If the point was to get me to read the book that would try to snag my innocent daemon out of my body, and make it walk around like a puppy learning to heel, then it failed miserably. If the point was to pique my curiosity about this daemon idea, and to lure me into believing the morality of the compass, it still failed. I hate to say it, people, because I shouldn't have to. Kids (those old enough to really read these books) and adults alike should know the difference between fact and fiction. This is fiction, and kids know it better than some adults. Same with Harry Potter, same with Star Trek, same with Star Wars. Fiction, all of it.

Fiction can draw you a verbal picture, and can show you a little different way of thinking than you once had. It can seep into your open heart to the possibility that there is something bigger than yourself out there. But Fiction cannot tear you from God's Love, cannot change what you know to be true, cannot excuse weakness of faith. This movie is not for small children, it is not for anyone questioning their faith to use as a guide, and it should not be marketed through Scholastic. This watered-down depiction is simply designed to tease you, to make you think that the God-killing ideas this man writes are soft, and cuddly.

I can hear the hiss of the serpent in his ideas. You don't have a real moral compass, and you don't need one. You know what is right better than anyone else. When lying gets you a good result, it is OK. Age is a terrible thing, don't trust adults because they lie to you, they only want to hurt you. Children always know better than adults. Go with your gut, not instructions. Folly. The man was clever, and the movie studio more so. Parents should definitely be on their guard. If nothing else, for the gory way the Ice Bears fight. I would never have thought to kill a bear would require punching his jaw off, literally. That was gruesome.

So, I wasted fifty cents and a couple of hours of my life that I can never regain. Eh. I have wasted far more money and far more time on far less eventful distractions. Now I know not to bother reading, until my own future children want to. Then I shall do as Niki suggested, and read WITH my children, and discuss the topics as they emerge.

August Rush was not so great as I had hoped, either. It is a good movie, but not so great. I liked it. I may actually buy it when it comes out. If it fits into my budget, which it will likely not. It had good music, it had Robin Williams (so it couldn't have been that bad), and it had a family healing in the end. It seemed a little fairy tale when August gets to go to Juilliard. That kind of education isn't cheap, and he was a street kid. But, it was a speech to adoption, coincidence, hope and music. "You just have to listen." I cried. I am doing that a lot more in recent years... crying over movies that shouldn't impact me so much. I can't relate to being a 12 yr old wandering the streets of NYC. But knowing that the music brought them all together, as August hoped it would, touched me.

I know that tunes and smells are the two most powerful triggers of memory. A song on the radio can take you back a week or a decade. A smell can bring your childhood to your moment. Go explore your world for the scents and songs that take you back, and enjoy the mini vacation!