Random Muses of Megret

Last night, Lanna, Karla, Julie, Ken and I watched "Before Sunrise." It is not a good movie to start if you're sleepy (it's mostly dialogue), but it was jam-packed with fascinating scenery of Vienna, Austria. Movies set in Europe (like this one, as well as "Under the Tuscan Sun" and "Enchanted April") do nothing more than fan the flame underneath my soul....the flame of the longing to travel to that magnificent continent. I narrowly missed a trip over there twice in my life, and though it pains me to regret not being able to go on those occasions, I am glad I did not in retrospect. I would have been about 9 years old when the first opportunity arose, 19 when the 2nd came along....still too young to appreciate what all I would have seen there. I am "older and wiser" now, though, and don't take things for granted anymore. I believe I would soak in every little bit of culture, sights, sounds, and personal interaction if I were to h...

I have recently been bombarded with conversations, questions, and just random things (such as news stories) dealing with harm that comes to children and families. I am the type of person who just simply cannot watch the nightly news because it depresses me too much (not to mention makes me even more paranoid than I already am). I choose sometimes to be blissfully unaware, as unintellectual and ignorant as that may sound. Yet I don't think it's coincidental that I have been faced with thinking about these tough issues lately. I believe God is truly trying to teach me how to go a level deeper in my prayer life. I think I've mentioned it before, but I am a person who can read for an hour out of the Bible, but cannot focus on more than 5 minutes of prayer (when I'm not in a group, that is). I was raised in a household where prayer was central....we prayed for EVERYTHING, from a sick relative to missing car keys. My parents went to prayer first before they got worked up over...

Stumbled across this today. Enjoy the flight back in time.....these photos make you feel like you could just step right into them and be whisked 30 years back. Wow.

I never knew what the top of the desk looked like. It's nice. It's big. And it's clean. I spent a large part of my afternoon cleaning off and cleaning out said desk. Do I really need to keep backlogs of power bills since our first apartment in the year 2000? Probably not. Do I need to keep vaccine records for our cats for the past four years? Probably not. Do I need to keep tax records in case of an audit? Yes, but now that all that other stuff is cleared out, I have room to do just that. Gardner sat nearby as I did this and just laughed softly. (Honest, he did). I had resorted to the television to keep him satisfied while I finished this task (which I hate to resort to!) Of all things, I found a Spongebob Squarepants marathon. I'd like to think he was laughing at the cartoon funnies, but I think he was laughing at me. After all, I was standing knee-deep in a pile of crumpled papers, seven stacks of keepable roughage that I had labeled in my mind (a strong wind be cu...

I am sitting here at our desk in the study, giving evil glances towards the piles of miscellaneous junk which surrounds me. These piles are piled on more piles of stuff. And most of this stuff is paper stuff. I love paper. I have always loved paper. I keep lots of paper things. Right now, I can see within eye's view grocery store sales ads, greeting cards from the past few holidays, unpaid bills, books, magazines, lists of books that I WANT to read, coupons, notebooks, envelopes, and even a souvenir offering envelope from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church (don't ask). I don't dare throw something away until I am way past sure that I won't need it again as soon as the trash trucks haul off that bag of throw-aways. I am, I will say it outloud.....a pack-rat.....and I am determined to put an end to it. Or....at least be more proactive about cleaning off my areas every week or two. That's the problem. I have stacks of stuff here that I've been meaning to "file away...

So, we went to Gardner's 9-month checkup today (read all about it on the baby blog, if you like). While sitting in the waiting room, I glanced up at the manners list posted on the wall. I thought I'd share a few of them with you, and also add a few comments of my own, judging from years and years of eavesdropping to hear what doctors and their staff say about us patients when they think we aren't listening: 1. Please arrive on time for your appointments. There are patients who have called in emergency visits who will be seen before you if you do not arrive promptly. (IN OTHER WORDS....Do the right thing and at least pick up the phone and call if you will be showing tardy. Come on, we all know every one of you has a cell phone. Use it.) 2. Please bring toys from home for your children to play with. (IN OTHER WORDS.....Don't expect us to clean the snot, slobber, and other bodily fluids off of our own purchased waiting room toys. I know some of you would rather n...

Last night, we had the "Lost crew" over for a chili cook-off, of sorts. There were three varietites of chili there....two vegetarian and one beef. All were delicious. We all 7 sat around the table and groaned after eating it and the other myriad of dippables (corn muffins and biscuits). I believe Tums were invtented by people such as ourselves after evenings such as last night. The gloriously tasty red velvet cake that Karla prepared just added to our overwhelming bloated state....we all thought we'd die after polishing that off. But man, what a good way to go. Afterwards, we shoved aside our heaviness (in body and mind) and opted for a game of Apples to Apples . What a simple concept of a game, but SO much fun. It's like a game I've always dreamed of inventing but never knew just how to bring it to fruition. We yelled, we argued (playfully), we whipped cards around like they were burning our fingers. After that, we were suddenly hyped up mentally and drained phys...

Ken and I were trying to wind down last night after all of our friends left home group. It was after 11pm, and I was finding myself busying about the house, and talking 90-mph to Ken as he settled into bed (Please....refrain from comments about women and how we like to talk. I usually don't fit into "that mold!"). I just didn't stop. I kept thinking of things to talk about, things on which to take my stand verbally, questions that I was burning to ask him (that really weren't imperative at 11pm on a Tuesday night). "I just don't know why I'm all keyed up. Must've been the good discussion during group tonight." Ken nodded in agreement. "I mean, I'm all buzzy. My heart is racing, and I just can't focus on one thought for more than a second or two before it turns into another one. I can't imagine what I'd be like if I had drank caffeinated coffee instead of that decaf you brewed." Ken got really still. His eye...

I am a library junkie. I can't stay away from it. I mean, we all pay this thing called "county taxes," part of which goes directly into the local library funds.....so why not milk it for all it's worth!? Living in Columbia for almost two years, I became incessantly spoiled by the very vast array of choices available to me at the downtown Richland County Public Library . Their DVD checkout collection was about as good as any locally owned video rental store. Their CDs were the kind of music Ken and I flocked to.....especially their well-stocked jazz section. I won't even begin to talk about their children's department. Let's just say that a huge, 3-D mural and cutouts of "Where the Wild Things Are" invited you inside. If I would have had Gardner back then, we would've been there every afternoon. Alas, we moved away from this enchanted library, complete with every cookbook imaginable (literally....why buy them?). I still have my RCPL card in my...

Yesterday was Father's Day, a day which slips right past some of us, or like Memorial Day, is just another excuse to unveil our grills and have a big cookout. It is a momentous day, though, in that its purpose is to celebrate our dads, the ones who gave us life and then inspired us to live it to the fullest. I cannot speak for everyone, but I can testify about my own dad. In my eyes, he is the world's greatest, and I am in no way biased. :) He is a man of God that I looked to growing up for a perfect example of what to look for in a husband, and I was blessed enough to receive Ken in an answer to those prayers my parents no doubt sent up over the years. Now I see Ken growing into someone our son will soon be able to articulate as the "world's best daddy." The tenderness and the strength coexist perfectly. Tiny Gardner surrenders his cries when Ken clutches him close. Ken inspires him already to be the best he can be, even if it is just pulling up onto his feet for...

We just arrived home from a three day trip to the North Carolina mountains. The summers are remarkably milder just a few more feet in elevation, and so the temperatures held near 77. Gardner slept like an angel; it's almost as if he knew he was supposed to rest more on vacation. We ate at some cool places, played some hilarious board games, and took in some beautiful nature. What a good weekend. Now. To catch my breath, unpack, and try to re-relax here at home. I think the first night home from vacation is always tough. The suitcase contents are jumbled, the cats are clingy, and the refrigerator is almost bare. :) Photos of our excursion will be posted shortly to the Photos of Megret blog link above.

I just want to give props to all of you wonderful girlfriends of mine who made me feel quite at ease while my significant other was out of town part of this week. It wasn't easy being separated from him, especially with the challenges of caring for an infant alone. Thank all of you for your love, your encouragement, your inspiration, and your sweet gestures (you know who you are!). I am so blessed to have friends like you.

So, we are headed to the mountains for a couple of days, to spend time with Ken's family. Ken just arrived home late last night from a convention in Chicago, so he's exhausted. We plan to pack up the car and trek up the mountains after lunch. I have made some of Ken's homemade almond-cranberry granola for our journey.....so I guess you can really call us crunchy granola. Either that will do it, or the myriad of other miscellaneous organic goodies I've also stashed away will. Stay tuned for stories and pictures; I'm sure there will be plenty. :)

Funny how ten years fly by. Ken and I are both approaching our ten year high school reunion celebrations (his this year, mine in 2006). We all sat around tonight at home group and discussed the ins and outs of this event (that, face it, we never thought we'd get to....we're getting old!): Funny how.... - ....the people you never heard much from (or much about) in high school are the ones who are making it big....starting up businesses, becoming famous musicians, winning Nobel Peace Prizes, having plants named after them. - ....the biggest things we used to worry about in high school (i.e., what type of makeup we used, and whether our pants were just the right length, not too wide, but not too ankle-binding, either) are now silly. Those are all things you worry about before real life (and mortgages) hit you. - ....you would get all nervous when you saw a teacher outside of school ten years ago, but now you see them as just another adult, someone to go up and socialize with....th...

When summer decided to hit, it hit hard. I think the official first day of summer is a week off, but today is what I will label the real first day of summer, in that it is supposed to top 90 degrees. How on earth did I handle summer last year, 6 months along in my pregnancy on top of summer heat!? Wow. I think the blistering, mindboggling heat can best be summarized (and expertly humorized) by none other than the wonderful Robin Williams. Obviously, the following excerpt from "Good Morning Vietnam" has been *edited for content.* Enjoy nonetheless. Cronauer: "Hey, uh, hi, can you help me, what's your name? "My name's Roosevelt E. Roosevelt." Roosevelt, what town are you stationed in? "I'm stationed in Poontang." Well, thank you, Roosevelt. What's the weather like out there? "It's hot. Dang hot! Real hot! Hottest things is my shorts. I could cook things in it. A little crotch pot cooking." Well, can you tell me what i...

I have to openly admit that prayer has always been one of my weak points. I never had much trouble sitting down each day to read my Bible or complete a chapter of a devotional workbook. Yet when it came to prayer, I tended to say a quick, breezy set of words and be on my merry way. They always said something about our safety, health, for God's will for the world, and thankfulness for all His blessings. That was as specific as it got, pretty much, on a daily basis. This is all changing slowly, however, and for the better....and thanks to my husband's influence. Prayer is one of his strongest points, and he is continually encouraging me to join him in this activity. Oh, yes, we pray together about the big things....such as when we were battling over whether or not to accept a job transfer to another city. And also when we were finding out what God wanted us to do about when to start our family. The small things, however, also get mentioned by Ken in his prayers....the little thi...

It is so easy to get bogged down within the "what if's" of life. I find myself guilty of this time and time again. I am weighed down at this very moment with fleeting thoughts of things that will probably never come to pass, and it affects my ability to concentrate and above all to rest in the arms of Christ without flinching. I have to remember and make myself fully believe that God won't let our loved ones leave this earth before He's ready to accept them home. A passing of a second cousin's wife (unexpectedly) this past week makes me even question that.....she had so much left to live for!! She had overcome a car accident that nearly killed her ten years ago, and was just starting to get her life back to normal....now this. I'm sure I am not the only one who questioned this outcome. If we could all just remember that His ways are not our ways, and they are most certainly HIGHer than our ways. Hard pill to swallow, that is. I still like to think o...

Here are just a few of the interesting websites I've stumbled upon recently. Just for your pure amusement and enjoyment: Langenberg's Language Translation (Never know when this might come in handy....really. I have used this countless times.) Noggin (A kid's television channel website, but by far the coolest interactive tools and games I've seen for youngsters....and youngsters at heart. Turn up your speakers for this one.) Ikea (A European home and office product manufacturer. Their prices are insanely too good to be true...are they? You can't order most things online, but there is a store opening in Atlanta this summer.) The Longevity Quiz (See how long you're expected to live based on lifestyle choices and habits.) Excerpts from the Gallery of Regrettable Food . (A hilarious look at retro cookbooks and the recipes within them. Be sure to check out the coffee section.) Perhaps all of you computer guys out there (such as my wonderful husband) would l...

10. Eat Chinese food from a REAL Chinese cook (or any other Asian ethnicity). While living in Ft. Polk, LA, I had two Korean friends and one Chinese friend, and I have to say that the real food is much better (and healthier....er, and more authentic, too) than what you find at buffets. 9. Waterski. I only tried this twice. Once I pulled a hamstring. The other time, I got a wedgy that remained there for a week. But at least I can say that I did it. :) 8. Drink Coca-Cola with salted peanuts in it. For those of you non-Southerners, this may sound strange. Believe me, I'd never heard of it, either, till Ken told me about it. It's strangely tasty. 7. Go to Disneyworld. I have been twice, most recently on a senior trip. I am not kidding when I say that you can stay there a week and still not do everything you want to do. It's not just for kids. 6. Listen to Handel's Messiah in its entirety. I have a friend from college whose Dad used to lock himself in his room once a ye...

Imagineers....the term that Walt Disney created to refer to his animation and creativity experts who helped him with his films as well as the theme park designs. I think it's an awfully cute little nickname, don't you? I'd love to have the job title of an "imagineer." It has the scholarly aptitude-sound to it in that it ends with the same "neer" as "engineer," but the "imagin" part at the beginning exudes creativity and right-brained qualities. I remember seeing Sesame Street characters tell me at the tender age of three...."Use your imagination." It didn't take me long to start doing so, even before I fully understood what the word actually meant. I was the kid who picked pinecones, berries, holly leaves, pebbles, and dandelions, only to combine them together with water to create a heavenly "woodland stew" to "serve" to my neighborhood friends. I recall a big pile of sand behind our house in Gr...