mardi gras

my favorite thing about living in new orleans was getting a week & a half off school for mardi gras.

my 1989 volvo is nearing death. $750 has kept it from the grave this time.

i have finished reading shane clairborne's book. i havent read anything so convicting before. my attitude towards community and materialism needs to be searched. we'll see where that leads.

i have ordered a king cake for tonight. i can almost taste the sugary goodness.

lent starts tomorrow.

2 more days till im 24

my Lenten reading list is shaping up quite nicely. thanks to everyone who suggested books to read. please feel free to continue suggesting. i have 40 days without tv and i plan to fit in lots of words.



im looking forward to reading bonhoeffer. i havent before & i kinda feel culturally illiterate because of this deficiency.






im hearing d.a. carson preach this weekend.



















just the title makes me happy. its gotten good reviews. i think it might actually explain where i fit in-politically at least.


















because you should always reread the classics.






because im a history major. plus i got an autographed copy for christmas. plus i have a soft spot for the war.






written by one of the guys from the simply way. the simply way is an christian intentional community. these always sound so good on the days where im burnt out on suburbia.








because it will always be my favorite. i havent decided whether im reading my old copy that is highlighted according to year and all marked up or a newer copy so i get fresh impressions.

cold. brain slow. short sentences.

im iced in at my parents.
my dad has turned into that old man who always has the air on.

the curly headed roomie has left me to hang out with indians in houston.

i had parent/teacher conferences on friday. those always suck. "im sorry you're kid just doesnt have the brain cells to cut it"

i had a hair appointment on friday afternoon. two hours long. craig said some of my hair was well over a foot. the last time it was this long, i was a freshman at obu.

9 days until lent. im really looking forward to it this year.

no church tomorrow. bclr & cbf have canceled their services.

finishing "till we have faces" by c.s. lewis while listening to "the like."

prepping the lent reading list. taking suggestions.

CASABIANCA by Elizabeth Bishop

Love's the boy stood on the burning deck
trying to recite "The boy stood on
the burning deck." Love's the son
stood stammering elocution
while the poor ship in flames went down.
Love's the obstinate boy, the ship,
even the swimming sailors, who
would like a schoolboy platform, too,
or an excuse to stay
on deck. And love's the burning boy.


on another note, i started "till we have faces" by c.s. lewis last night. thought it was appropriate since it's based on cupid & psyche.

we went to canton, tx this weekend. rummaged through the junk. bought a huge necklace. and filmed several schoolbuses.

and throughout our trip i was mocked for attempting to finish a book.

its been awhile since ive picked something up & found myself instantly engaged. i devoured this book. i'll have to go back to it in a month or two for a more careful reading.

this will probably cause my book-nerd card to be revoked, but i had never read reynolds price before.
now i know my mistake. i read "roxanna slade" in 2 days. i loved it. roxanna is born in 1900 and lives well into her 90s. she is southern & honest. she says that ''very few human beings of any sex or background are called to anything grander than dinner'' and confesses that she has ''kept my chin tucked and lived my life.'' to someone who is constantly afraid of middleclass mediocrity this was a good word. roxanna deals with depression in a time when its simply called "the blues."

i think i need to find another price book.

albums i like right now

that all the cool kids probably have grown bored of by now...

1)
originally released during the heyday of female singer-songwriters. comparable to joni or carly but... somehow more organic. i admit that i have a thing for dead singers. i can never get nick drake or elliot smith out of my head.













2)
unsigned. you have to get the ep off their website. im not yet sure if they're special or simply the new band of the week. we'll see.











i hate to admit it but i like "the like." they've grown up since i heard a snippet of their ep almost a year ago. they're young (19,19 & 22) and skinny. but sometimes the lead singer channels the pretenders and their drummer's name is tennessee. one you get over the fact that they've toured with maroon 5 you'll be hooked.




finally got it. definitely worth the wait. ive listened to "all the trees of the field will clap their hands" a thousand times.

thoughts for a boring wednesday while my kids re-take a test because they failed the first one

1. is it bad that i look forward to wednesdays primarily because they're my no-gym days and only secondly because of Bible Study?

2. i'm really disappointed i didn't get a group together to play state of the union drinking games. i did however make rachel watch it with me.

3. the best moment of the SOTU was the look on hil's face after georgie made his surveillance comments. all in all the whole thing made me nervous for '08.

4. i read part of mlk's "i have a dream" speech to the kids today. i think some of them got it. is it cheesy that i get goosebumps every time i read/hear it?

5. in the counterculture book i got for the kids to use as a resource this unit there is a guide on how to dress like a hippie. lets see if i qualify.
-let your hair grow long. for best effect fo not comb. yep think ive got this. sometimes i dont even wash it!
-wear sunglasses so people think you're stoned. i wear real glasses. but im guessing that doesnt count.
-you're into nature. grow a beard. ok so no for this one. but i would date a man with a beard... does that count?
-love beads are a must. i definitely wear hippie jewelry. im rocking a huge turquise ring right now.
-sew a secret stash pocket into the lining of your vest. hmmm... i gonna leave this one alone.
- tambourine. it shows you've got good vibes-you're really into music. also good for panhandling. while i sometimes think my public school salary needs to be supplimented by panhandling this is not a step im currently willing to take.
-everyone wears jeans. the trick is to keep wearing the same pair until its worn out. then you can patch it. check.
- go barefoot whenever possible. sandals are also acceptable. fake birks-my reason for walking.

6. yesterday i was listening to music during my planning period and forgot to turn it off when the kids came in. when i got back to my desk they were all swaying to "tuesdays gone." i currently can't decide if this makes me a good or bad influence.

7. i cant mock the singles boys' fridge. i came home last night with yogurt burst cheerios, diet coke, special k bars and tomato soup.

8. this weekend im going to the flea market in canton texas and to ikea. cant decide which one im more exicted about. really i just need to get out of town for a day or two...

9. waiting for my sufjan stevens cd to come. i ordered it when i ordered the joni mitchell cd and jonathan livingston seagull book for mom. im sad.

10. so far today ive had 2 krispie cream donuts, a MEDIUM latte and half a diet coke. im just starting to wake up.

11. yesterdays latin qoute was actually ueseful. in hoc oppido lusores unici non estis. translates- you're not the only game in town. picture yourself saying it to a tacky boy who's just told you to brush your hair and put on shoes. see, isnt it great and oh so useful?