Holiday from Heaven

On an evening in November, the people of Mexico and other Central and South American countries gather to celebrate Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. You may be thinking, sure--just like we have Halloween, a night when the dead rise from their graves to terrify and torment the living. Well, you would be wrong. Like Halloween, on the Day of the Dead people get together and have a good time, but it’s a lot more than running around in a scary mask and gorging oneself on candy.

On this day, families get together, make a meal, clean and decorate their relatives graves, and celebrate the lives of those who’ve past on. They sing songs and dance and eat little treats in the shape of skulls. They build shrines to their family members and adorn them with marigolds, a flower thought to bring the soul to the surface. Although some images of this cultural holiday may seem morbid at first, it is a celebration of love and devotion and above all--life.

Instead of tripping from house to house begging candy, Mexicans sit down to share dinner with their departed. They honor their loved ones’ memories with a meal and a party. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.

So, I’ve decided to hold my own little dinner party--a heavenly one. Filled with those who’ve gone before me, who’ve journeyed to that last resting place in the sky. And while they are not my relatives, they are people who I’ve always wanted to meet, who by now could probably use a little break from the afterlife to take a seat at my table and enjoy a good meal. (Although I must preface this by saying that I’ve broken my own rule . . . there is one at this party who has yet to pass the portal, but I couldn’t help inviting her. And anyway, every rule deserves at least one good break right?)

I quickly sent out my mental invitations and accepted rsvps (100 percent attendance, of course!), and before I knew it the day of the party came and went, like a dream. We had pork roast with apple chutney, side salads with plenty of blue cheese crumbles and vinaigrette, and death by chocolate cake (just for kicks) and blackberries for dessert. It was fantastic, and the best part was that I finally had an excuse to pull out my late 19th century style evening gown . . . all in my mind of course.

Would you like to know how it went? Of course you would. Here’s a quick group shot, although Emily refused to turn around for it (deep in conversation as she was) and only Mary would smile.
It was really interesting to see who would end up getting along well. Although I was mostly interested in talking with each person individually, it was also telling to hear what they had to say to each other.

Elizabeth was actually quite a conversationalist, though she was a bit stand-offish. I love how she’s giving me the cold shoulder in this picture. Wolfgang was probably trying to shmooze her as he does everyone. Elizabeth doesn’t really fall for that sort of thing, having been a queen and all. She’s very well spoken and can see through just about anyone, I think.

The biggest surprise of the night was Emily and Gandhi hitting it off right away. They had endless things to talk about, which I could only imagine centered around differing opinions of English tradition and the taste of heat during an Indian summer. Ernest kept a respectable distance, but I could tell he was heavily observing our table scene, and locking away every word. And Martin was eyeing Gandhi all night. I could tell he was just itching to get over and take Emily’s place, as Mary tried to keep him entertained. I can’t imagine what she talked with him about, but I was happy to see her 60s flip do was in perfect order.

The brooding award went for a tie between Vincent and Abraham, though I did my best to draw them into the conversation. Vincent wouldn’t hear of it (hehe), although I think Abraham was loosening up by the end of the evening. I overheard a wonderful interchange between him and Aristotle, once Audrey had let him go (she does love a man with a beard), something about the dynamics of consistency--if that makes any sense at all.

Overall, it was a lively evening, with only a few tiffs (that Vincent is a hothead) and no complaints. A wonderful, dreamy night with so many people I’ve admired. As part of the evening, I took some time to announce how each person, from A to Wolfgang, had impacted or influenced my life. It was rewarding to see each face turn and eyes light with surprise and satisfaction at my story.

What will you have at your Dia de los Muertos celebration? Who will you invite? I definitely plan on doing it again sometime with a new heavenly guest list . . . so many people, the possibilities are endless. Perhaps we’ll have salmon next time.

In case you need a hint, from left to right:
1. Aristotle, 2. Audrey Hepburn, 3. me, 4. Elizabeth I, 5. Wolfgang A. Mozart, 6. Vincent Van Gogh, 7. Martin Luther King Jr., 8. Mary Tyler Moore, 9. Emily Bronte, 10. Ernest Hemingway, 11. Mahatma Gandhi, 12. Abraham Lincoln. {Continue Reading}

Give, Oh Give

Well, I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, but for some reason, I haven’t been able to get it out on “virtual” paper. So, I guess I’ll just start here. I started a new section in my sidebar awhile ago to highlight some of the charities or other worthy causes that I like. It seems only appropriate to keep adding to that list. Soon, I’ll have to turn it into a feature because there won’t be any room left. =)

This past week, a woman from my church took a moment to speak about Haiti. Apparently, she’s from Haiti, which I hadn’t realized. There are a lot of people and we haven’t had a chance to meet them all yet. She’s a delightful woman and also has a lovely voice, which we all got to enjoy during the Christmas program last month. In light of recent events, she just wanted to tell everyone at once that her family was alright but that we should keep the people of Haiti in our prayers.

I don’t hear much about what’s going on these days. I used to listen to the news everyday on the radio on my way to work. Since the change in my schedule, I haven’t really worked out what my daily routine will be yet. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard about the earthquakes in Haiti, but it might as well have been, since I hadn’t really given it a lot of thought.


Pictures from the Boston Globe
The next day, as I was channel surfing during breakfast, I saw a story about a man who stood outside the remains of the building that had been his wife’s workplace every day since the earthquake. Days after the catastrophe, it’s now unlikely that they will find a lot of people still alive who have been trapped in the rubble. But, this man was still hopeful--he knew there could be a chance, so he wasn’t going to give up until he found out for sure.


And sure enough, that day, he heard a voice--a feminine voice. It was his wife, and she was trapped and her fingers were broken, among other injuries. Rescue efforts are working as fast as they can, but unfortunately, they are in need of even more resources. They were able to get her water and feed her a microphone so she could talk to her husband. She wanted to make sure he knew she loved him, in case she still did not survive. After awhile, they were able to get a rescue team and the equipment they needed to get her out. And get her out, they did. As they pulled her onto the stretcher, she began to sing hymns as she smiled through her pain. After she was treated, she drove off with her husband, with whom she had been speedily reunited.

It was a great story and brought emotions to the surface. Others may not be so lucky, but it was wonderful to hear such a story of hope at a time when there has been so much death. You can watch this story below from the Today show, similar circumstances happening to several families.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

It’s wonderful that people are answering the call from all over the world to help these people who are in so much need. Not only to rescue those who are trapped, but to bury those who have died, and to feed and clothe and shelter the survivors. And in the months to come--rebuild a country.

There are many ways to give. Here are a few I’ve heard of:


The Red Cross was founded in 1881, and I don’t think I have to tell you what amazing work they do. There are many different funds you can donate to through the Red Cross to benefit Haiti. View those here.


If you are a fan of Conan O’Brien, you may have already heard of this charity. The organization is the brain child of Ben Stiller, who is working with Save the Children (through which you can also donate) to improve education in Haiti. Right now, they are donating all funds to the relief effort. Click here to learn more.


Oprah is doing her part. Download these songs today and the proceeds to will to Hope for Haiti Now, a relief concert benefit going on this weekend in London. Click here to download Rihanna. There will be a telethon on Friday as well. Click here for details.


I know about this one because it’s my church. Your own churches may also have avenues for donations to Haiti. One thing I like about it is that the work is based on volunteer service, freeing up costs, so that %100 of the money donated goes directly to the area of need. Although, I know the Red Cross and other charities do great work as well. I have been a recipient of disaster relief (gas leak) before, so I know our local chapter does an excellent job. But, I like donating this way, too. To learn more, click here.

This is by no means an exclusive list--there are many worthy charities out there doing great things to help. If you’d like to investigate other ways to give, you can view this list from the Today show, too.

I'm small I know but wherever I go
The grass grows greener still
Singing, singing all the day
Give, oh give away

{Continue Reading}

A Day in SLC

I had big plans for how I would re-enter the blogging world after my short-ish blog break. But alas, this is all I could come up with and so I hope it will be interesting enough for you, faithful readers. Since I'm sure by now, no one will ever come and back and read my blatherings. But oh well, I like writing, so I'll just keep doing it. =)

I didn't quite make it back to my keyboard before the holiday, but I guess just after counts. We've moved and settled in, and now all is well--for the most part. I was cut off from the world for some time while we were working out the kinks of the mysterious internet set-up. (Oooo... you plug it in there and it works?? No kidding.) But, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that you have a happy new year, too.

To kick off my return to blogging, I thought I'd do a little day-in-the-life post. So, this is not exactly what my daily life is like (I wish), but it was an excuse to spend the day reading, and for some weird reason it felt like an adventure, so here goes . . .


It all started with a perfectly gray morning--the best way to begin a bookish day. I started it off right by not missing out on breakfast. I devoured a cinnamon roll roughly the size of my head at this charming cafe. Then it was time to scope out a good spot to settle down to a few good page-turning hours. So, I found a stately cushioned chair (er, "throne," rather--I was crowned Lord of the Reading for one day), right next to this most-perfect of Christmas trees.


Although this chair looked like a good pick from afar, after about 20 minutes, I had to scope out a new spot. It was not made for short people--my feet kept falling asleep because they barely reached the floor. But, I was in luck because there were chairs for the short-legged nearby. There I spent many blissful hours.


Then, it was time to hit the city for some lunch. So, out I went among the buildings . . . and along several outdoor "hallways" made to detour the public from the construction going on everywhere right now. I love how they've put up these plastic banners with little fake picture windows in them. Each window lets you spy on a cute little holiday scene: a pengiun ice skating, for example, or a little family snuggled around a fireplace. When I was a kid, I used to love cheesey stuff like that. I'd always imagine how cool it would be if the window was real and there was some way I could open it up and step through the portal to a magical cartoon world. Anyway . . . back to lunch.

I really wanted to go to Schlotzsky's, which has been a family favorite (my mother lovingly refers to the sandwich as a "slot-ski"), but because of the construction, I was unsuccessful and had to content myself with a cheeseburger and some chicken nuggets. Not as satisfying, but hey, I didn't go hungry.


Then, it was time to hop the Trax! And head out for the main event: the city library! I got really excited when I saw this picture, and I was not at all disappointed! I'm a lucky girl to be living so close to this beauty!


They have little shops on the bottom floor of the library, and in front of one, they sell used books that have been retired from the library shelves for dirt cheap. Proceeds go to buying more books of course. And, I found an entire Jane Austen shelf. I had visions of collecting as many versions of each novel as possible, and then quickly dismissed it. But it was still a joy to see them all lined up, waiting to be discovered.

The inside was a dream. They have an entire section of graphic novels! I could hardly get my hands on any at our old public library. They also had several displays up to help you find books you would be interested in: there's a space dedicated to "browsing" only, with different books prominently featured; there's a section of books lined up which have been picked by the librarians who work there, with printed lists you can take with you; they also had little displays for certain authors, and one was, you guessed it, Jane Austen. So fun! I had a great time looking around, and adding more titles to my tbr list, of course.


So, then I picked out some books I've been meaning to read and found a comfortable chair, yet again, to dig in. I read one chapter of each book, round robin, and then over again. And then, I promptly fell asleep, as the afternoon was wearing on and that cheeseburger was sitting heavy in my stomach. =) But after a little cat nap, I was again ready for action. I read until it was time to meet my better half for dinner. It was sad to leave that beauty of a building, but I took a little of it home with me, on loan of course!


Then, I concluded this day of reading with a some one-on-one time with my husband. A little dinner and a Christmas concert, and we were on our way home. Sigh. Someday I'll do it again. =)

P.S. So happy to be back!! {Continue Reading}

Come and Get 'em!

My blog break is hereby interrupted so that I may bring you--
BUTTONS!
Here are a bunch of new buttons for our adoption blog. If you'd like to link to our adoption blog, please feel free! The buttons on the left are 150 pixels wide, the ones on the right are 200 pixels wide. Don't you want to dress your blog up with one of these?! =) Hehe. (C'mon, everybody's doing it. =)

Birdie Button:

<a href="http://www.michaelandcamie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt76/20Gret15/Adoption%20Buttons/birdiebutton.jpg" /></a>

<a href="http://www.michaelandcamie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt76/20Gret15/Adoption%20Buttons/birdiebutton200.jpg" /></a>

Blueberry Stripes Button:

<a href="http://www.michaelandcamie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt76/20Gret15/Adoption%20Buttons/stripesbeveled.jpg" /></a>

<a href="http://www.michaelandcamie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt76/20Gret15/Adoption%20Buttons/stripes200beveled.jpg" /></a>

Art Deco Button:

<a href="http://www.michaelandcamie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt76/20Gret15/Adoption%20Buttons/theblues150.jpg" /></a>

<a href="http://www.michaelandcamie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt76/20Gret15/Adoption%20Buttons/theblues.jpg" /></a>

Ampersand Green Button:

<a href="http://www.michaelandcamie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt76/20Gret15/Adoption%20Buttons/ampersandgreen.jpg" /></a>

<a href="http://www.michaelandcamie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt76/20Gret15/Adoption%20Buttons/ampersandgreen200.jpg" /></a>

Ampersand Purple Button:

<a href="http://www.michaelandcamie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt76/20Gret15/Adoption%20Buttons/ampersandpurple.jpg" /></a>

<a href="http://www.michaelandcamie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt76/20Gret15/Adoption%20Buttons/ampersandpurple200.jpg" /></a>

If you'd like to see the older buttons, click here. If you decide to link to us: thank you, thank you, thank you! We really appreciate it.

Want to read more about adoption? Click here.

Ok, now back to the regularly scheduled break. I'll be back to blogging in awhile. See you soon!

Much Love. {Continue Reading}

Reflection

I’ve always enjoyed a good book. But there are times in my life where I enjoyed them more than others. There are times when books are my saving grace. Sometimes, they are what gets me through the day. One of those times was the summer after I graduated college.

My husband was still in school—madly trying to finish his undergrad so he could study for and take the LSAT that fall and apply for graduate school. And I got a job. I’d graduated with a degree in English and an editing minor, but there just weren’t a lot of editing jobs to go around in our area.

And, before long, I found myself behind a big receptionist’s desk, connecting phone calls, writing up emails, and tracking spreadsheets. It was my temporary fix until my big break came along, and it eventually did, about six months later when I applied for an editing job with an education company off of monster. But, until then, I was stuck. I never felt a deep-seated hatred for my job, but it was monotony on steroids, and some days, I could hardly take the drudgery.

So, I relished that hour-long lunch break every day, and looked forward to it like a kid looks forward to the last day of school. I would drive over to a park a few blocks away, sit on a shaded bench, and unload my lunchbox. Once I was all set up, I’d pull out my book and read the hour away. It was as if my soul relaxed right into the story—even when it was a sad story. And when that inevitable moment came, as I’d look at my watch and know it was time to pack it in, I felt renewed and able to face the rest of the afternoon with a secret smile in my heart.

I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith that summer. It became one of my favorite books, and Francie became one of my favorite characters, the girl who wanted to read the whole library from A to Z. When I think about her, I still can feel the sun on my face, the hot summer wind, the courage she gave me to go on. A lot of characters have joined Francie, and they each bring to my life a certain something—something I can’t quite explain but can’t live without.

As life gets more hectic and I feel the pressure to succeed more acutely than ever before, I sometimes wish I could have that time back, when I would get an hour out of the day to enjoy the brilliant summer sun and a good book and no one could bother me. Nothing could touch me or scare me or make me wish I was anything more.

Now those times have morphed into late-night flashlight affairs, keeping my poor husband from a comfortable sleep, or a weekend at home where I lock myself away and watch my pile dwindle as I devour each book. It’s making me a faster reader, that’s for sure. I’ll take those “lunch hours” wherever I can get them. I can’t afford to lose them now. And like I said, I’ve always enjoyed a good book.
And so, I am taking a brief hiatus from blogging, to focus on some other things for a bit. My blogging-mind has slowed, so I’m giving it a little respite. I hope to have a nice arsenal saved up for you when I return. (And never fear, I will return—I must!) I’m not sure when that will be, but rest assured that it will be before the new year at least, most likely long before. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I will see you again soon! Tchüß! {Continue Reading}

Runaway

Well, it’s happened. And not once--but TWICE, people! I think I will write a screenplay about this inspirational story and sell it to the Hallmark Channel or Lifetime. Something along the lines of Tyler, A Real Hero. Ok, perhaps that’s taking it a little too far, but it feels like an accomplishment of enormous proportions in my case. And here’s why: I like running about as much as oil likes water. We just don’t jive. When we’re thrown together, we part as quickly as possible. You can stick us together as much as you want, we will never get along--never.

Until now. Yes, folks, it seems like there is even hope for oil and water these days. I can be taught! The DH and I have been running mornings all summer. Ok, not such a long time, but I’m still going strong, and I’ve learned a few things that I’d love to share. Those of you who are long-time lovers of things athletic will probably get a kick out of it, but those of you who are like me--listen closely--for us there is hope! Hope, I tell you!



1. If you can walk faster than you can run--still run. It may seem counter-productive, but it’s really not. If you’re running--you’re running--and it will still help you build up for the future. Even though those kids walking to class in the morning are looking at you funny and pointing and laughing because you are “pacing” them, just don’t look them in the eye and you can block them out. Anyway, lots of people underestimate the energy and agility of an 8-year-old walking to school! Don’t sweat it.

2. If your feet are falling asleep, that means you have wimpy calf muscles! And, unfortunately, your calves are strangling your ankles, contricting the blood flow to your feet. When you feel your toes tingle, run through it as much as you can and then just stop and stretch, and then keep going. It’s wicked annoying, but eventually, as your legs get stronger, it will go away. Calf raises also help, and stretching out those calves before and after running will help too.

3. If you are burping and you haven’t eaten breakfast yet, it’s probably time to stop guzzling large amounts of Mountain Dew the night before. First of all, it’s empty calories, and second of all--well, just take my word on this one. What you eat can make a difference in how you feel during and after running (uh, yeah, stating the obvious, sorry), so putting the Twinkie down is also a good idea.

4. Find out your neighborhood's garbage pick-up routes and schedule. I know that sounds weird, but you'll find--especially if you run in the morning--it is quite essential. If your neighborhood is like ours, people have to put their overflowing trash bins out front for the truck to come get it, and running by that at 7:00 a.m. is not happy-making. Don't give yourself another reason to quit. Because trust me, it's a legitimate reason. Run in the sections of your area on the days they aren't having trash collection.

5. The zone is real. I cannot stress this enough: THE ZONE IS REAL. For all of you haters out there who say, “Oh, I’m just not a runner,” let me tell you from the Queen of Running Hatred: EVERYONE can be a runner! And I can say that with a bit of certainty because I’m the most unlikely person to run that I know. Once you hit that zone, you’ll be so happy, you will forget all that pain that got you to that point--and you’ll just want to do it again and again. It sounds masochistic, but I promise you it’s worth it. Think about it like childbirth: the zone is your cute, pudgy, pinch-those-checks exercise baby. The benefits far outweigh the risks.

6. Don’t run to lose weight. At least not to begin with. Run for the other advantages--there are tons of them, by the way: healthy heart and lungs, improved bone health, enhanced mood (bring on those endorphins! I’ll say it again: THE ZONE IS REAL), better coordination, more energy. If you start out hoping to lose weight, you’ll just get sick of it and quit before you get anywhere because running is hard and you have to build up some stamina before you start losing any weight. Don’t get me wrong, running is a great form of exercise to lose weight, just start out with many other motivations--you’ll stay on track that way.

7. Go to bed. I don’t care how cool that late night program is, or how riveting that novel is, it will not be worth it when you try to pull your sorry, lazy rearend out of bed in the morning. And it gives you too good of an excuse to sleep in and then tell yourself you’ll run “tonight” or “tomorrow,” and we all know what that means. So, listen to your mother, and hit the sack early.

8. Get an iPod. This is probably somewhat akin to my cell phone thing, I’m most likely the last person in America to get one, so when I say get an iPod, you’re probably thinking . . . uh, ok, done. But if you are like me, I don’t really listen to music that often, and when I do, I’m always by a computer, so I just listen online. However, running with an iPod can really help to distract you as you find your way to the zone (I know what you are thinking, but the ZONE IS REAL. I SWEAR it.) so that you don’t give up. I also like to listen to podcasts because when I’m listening to a story I get all caught up in it and I forget that my calves are on fire. There’s a lot to be said for distractions, which I learned from a very skilled nurse who took my blood once. Don’t underestimate that power.

9. Chant a mantra. An example of an inappropriate mantra would be “stop now or you’re going to die!” which is what I said over to myself in my head for the first week. Yeah--surprisingly, it didn’t help. If you can’t do anything else, just concentrate on one step at a time. And I don’t mean that in a figurative sense--that’s completely literal. Just tell yourself, “one more step” every time your shoe hits the pavement, and soon you’ll find you’re done before you know it. Or . . . sometimes it drags on forever, but it’s really worth it, so just keep going. Sooner or later, it WILL go by faster than you think. Another mantra I used was “it’s supposed to hurt.” You’d think that would be depressing, like watching Hope Floats when you get dumped, which is equally contradictory, but somehow it always made me feel better. Find a mantra that works, and chant it.

10. Running hurts--you just have to get used to it. It really is supposed to, so don’t try to make it into the same kind of enjoyment you derive from sitting in front of the telly with a bag of potato chips. It’s not going to happen. If you’re going to get anywhere, you are going to have to push yourself. Pushing yourself hurts--take it from someone who really, really enjoys sitting in front of the tube with an array of snack foods. Running can be fun, but it’s a whole different kind of enjoyment. But nonetheless, it IS enjoyment, so don’t give up, the zone will come and find you. (Folks, it’s REAL, cross my heart.)

Honestly, the thing that has kept me going is that zone. And the days I can’t find it, the promise of it keeps me going. I can still remember that first morning, when suddenly I could hold my head up and breathe again, my feet drumming against the road at a steady rhythm. My legs seemed to go on autopilot, and I felt like I could just kick back for the remainder of the flight, an energy boost going off like a nitro injection. As a longtime disbeliever, I was seriously in shock to find out that the zone is in fact real. Not only that it’s real, but that it even works for people like me, people who “aren’t runners,” people who don’t take naturally to chasing after invisible targets. When I say you can get there, I mean the most unlikely candidates--including yours truly. So, get out there and hit the streets! You won’t be sorry you did.

And, just for your listening pleasure, I’ve included my running playlist here. Enjoy!

[Why yes, that is a picture of me . . . but how did you know?]

{Continue Reading}