Contemplation

I started off this blog saying I was going to use it as a place to reflect on various aspects of my life. So far I haven't done a very good job. Today I might do a little better . . .

I've put a new picture up on this blog. It is of my youngest son, Nathan, and myself. I took this a couple days ago on my new Moto Q. I was just trying out the camera, and I know it came out a little overexposed on Nathan, but something about the light radiating from his face makes me love this picture.

Those of you who know me know how special Nathan is. For those of you who don't, I'll tell you. In January, 2002, shortly after his first birthday, Nathan was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a very aggressive and very rare form of cancer. I can remember coming home from the hospital after that first stay and the feeling of surreality that surrounded that home that had once been "normal" and which now housed a baby who had an oncologist. I can remember sitting in a chair alone that evening after the kids were in bed, mouthing and saying the word . . . oncologist. The words Nathan and oncologist in the same sentence seemed so foreign and so wrong.

I'll not go into the details of the year of radiation and chemotherapy that followed. As a single mom, with two other young children, it was a life-changing experience. Today, Nathan is a happy and healthy 7-year-old boy. He is an extremely intelligent child, a delight, and my joy.

Why have I bothered to put this in my blog? I have to come to grips with the fact that this is and will always be such a large part of who I am. I suppose the people who encounter me frequently may get tired of hearing about Nathan. I think that I have a need to share some of his story as a way to keep it fresh in my mind, lest I begin to forget how precious Nathan, and life itself, is.

We all go through our lives so busy and so immersed in the things that we think make us happy. Don't forget to spend the best of your lives with the people who are actually capable of composing your happiness.

Reflections On My Afternoon Off and May Wine Pick

So my last post let you know that my building had been evacuated. Turned out that a building across the street which housed hazardous chemicals had some kind of a leak and so they evacuated five buildings surrounding it. They ended up telling us that it would be hours before they could clear the buildings and let us back in, so we got to go home. Woot!

With my extra time, I decided to stop at the post office to buy stamps for the postcards I need to get mailed out for my high school reunion, but the nice lady at the post office said they were all sold out. Now I have to figure out another way . . .

Then I stopped at the store to buy some stuff and came out with three bottles of wine - go figure. One of the wines I will make my wine pick for May - Robert Mondavi Private Selection Vinetta. It is a red wine blend, very smooth, and priced right!

So then I came home, got some things done in SL(tm) and have been sitting in my room, hearing the noises coming from the rest of my house and I started thinking - uh oh - blog post time!

I'll try to keep this short (wait, I've already gone on a little too long). Oh well. The short of it is that, listening to the sounds of my five kids in various rooms throughout our small house, two daughters with phones attached to their heads (boyfriends on the other side), three boys each watching TV or playing on another computer, I feel blessed. I have great kids. I have a great husband who is a great father to my great kids. I love my life. If I die from inhaling hazardous chemicals today, I will die a happy person!

Go forth, be happy, and drink more vino!

Fun, fun

Well, I'm standing at a public computer writing this blog post. The building I work in was just evacuated because another building across the street has a hazardous chemical leak. *sigh* It's odd how quickly after hearing about a chemical leak my throat hurts and my head is aching . . . hmmmm

Stay tuned!

Is Peace Possible?

What if you answered a knock on your door and found a person standing there who told you that their ancestors used to own the land you are on and they are taking it back because it is rightfully theirs? What if you and your own family had lived on and worked that land for many years? How would you feel?

This is how the talk opened up on Sunday night when I went to see Rev. Mel Bishara speak about the history of unrest in Israel. Reverend Bishara has a unique perspective -- he grew up in Israel as a Palestinian Christian. I have to say, at first I was a little uncomfortable. Once I realized Mel was able to give us an account of the unrest in Israel from a Palestinian perspective, I was forced to come to grips with some truths I had not previously understood.

Becoming very passionate when he pointed out that from Palestinian perspective, every loved one who has been killed, every house that has been leveled, has been a result of a tank or missle or some form of destruction that says "Made in U.S.A." on it. He was quick to point out that he doesn't in any way condone what Palestinian terrorists do, but he was able to see their perspective on it.

I was totally unaware of the civil disregard Palestinians face on a daily basis - having special license plates on their cars so everyone knows they are Palestinian, facing severe travel and work restrictions, being forbidden to go certain places - I realized I was listening to something even bigger than our own civil rights issues before the civil rights movement.

I don't know what the answer is. I found myself after the talk thinking that now I know more about what's going on, but definitely know less about what the solution is. While Mel brought up the original statement I opened my blog with to showcase how Palestinians felt when they lost their land, I couldn't help but see that the same story would be told by Israelis if the Palestinians were returned their homeland now. It seems to be a no-win situation.

The glimmer of hope Mel pointed out was that in schools and hospitals in the country, people of all faiths and races are working together for good. If only everyone would realize that God wants us all to live peacefully together, no matter what our faith, and quit trying to say that only one type of person should live in Israel, peace could be achieved.

In the end, I'm left with prayer being my only solution. I'll pray diligently for the peoples of Israel and the Palestinians and hope for peace in the future.

Back from Easter

This morning, as I was dropping off my kids at school, I watched a teacher walk in. She had that look on her face that I knew meant - oh God, I have to teach again. It was at that moment that I realized how much I don't miss that part of teaching. Although I no longer have the nice spring break, summer, etc., I am glad that I work at a "regular" job now. For me, I think the emotional roller coaster of work, no work, work, no work was just too hard. I had way too good of a life at home and being torn from it at the end of summer, end of winter holiday, end of spring break, was really hard. My thoughts are with the teachers today!

David and I spent our three-day weekend staying at cool places, sort of a getaway without really getting away. To back up a bit, last weekend we drove my three kids to Kansas to stay with their Dad. On the way home, we stayed at a four-star hotel, The Waterford, in Oklahoma City. It was a really nice and historic hotel. We walked to Bellini's Italian Restaurant which was truly exceptional.

So, this weekend, we took a couple days to get back to Kansas to pick up the kids. Thursday night we stayed at a fabulous B & B called the Victorian Garden Inn in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Although a Victorian style home, we had all the creature comforts, including a nice big jacuzzi in our room! The hostess had all the details planned out - cookies and chocolates in our room - she'd even bought our favorite soft drinks to stock the in-room fridge! It was a great stay and we'll definitely go back again.

Friday night, we stayed at a hotel I'd wanted to stay in since way back when I lived in Kansas, The Hotel at Old Town in Wichita. A converted warehouse, the hotel was also a sort of museum, housing artifacts from the company who had built the warehouse, Simmons Hardware, who made and distributed Keen Kutter tools. It was cool walking through all the floors, looking at the old tools, appliances, and photographs. Friday night, we drove to a really nice Italian restaurant called Bella Donna, which had a fabulous red wine flight and terrific food. Then we went to a movie and back to the hotel to sit at the piano bar and listen to some good music.

All in all, I'm very well-rested after my little weekend excursion. It was just what I needed!

January is Already Gone!

Okay, so I missed January altogether. What can I say? I'm a busy person (and nobody is reading this, anyway, so it's all good!)

I made a major change in January, changing jobs! I am no longer a classroom teacher, and I probably never will be one again. You can read my blog for new teachers called "Cruel Shoes" to find out why. I'm now working at Southern Methodist University and it looks like I'm really going to like it!

I'm also in rehearsals for a murder mystery dinner called "Mayhem in Mayville", which will be performed on February 15 at FUMC Hurst. It's my acting debut, and I'm having a lot of fun with it, but I will be glad when it's over and I can get my life back!

Since I missed January, I'll go ahead and give you two "wines of the month":

First up, a new varietal (for me) called Carmenere. It is a French grape from the Bordeaux region and it makes a really nice red. My favorite so far is Castillo de Molina. It is a very dark red, almost purple, and very smooth!

Next, I'll choose another Shiraz. This time, it is Frei Brothers Syrah from California. This bottle of wine will cost you a little more, but you'll find that drinking it is like pouring silk down your throat. Very smooth, with a slight hint of spice, this wine is good to see, smell, taste, and experience!

Awesome Bed & Breakfast and Laner's Wine Pick of the Month!

Hello, everyone!

I hope the Christmas holiday was a good one for you all! I spent Christmas in Kansas. All my sisters and brother were there, so I got to visit with people I haven't seen in quite awhile. We stayed at an awesome Bed & Breakfast, so I thought I'd put a plug in for them. It was a place in Stafford, Kansas, called the Henderson House. Henderson House is part of a group of older homes in Stafford, all in the same neighborhood, that have been renovated and are currently used as bed and breakfasts. There is even an old renovated church, so if anyone wants to have a wedding and house the wedding party in the old houses, it would be a cool place to do so! The house we were in was wonderful. Beautiful antique furnishings, interesting architectural features, and an owner who has ties to the Hendersons, which made the history of the home very available to visitors, all made for a wonderfully charming Christmas. The house was already decorated for Christmas, and I found myself wishing that we'd planned on having our own family Christmas there. We'll definitely find a reason to stay there again in the future!

Laner's Wine Pick of the Month:

Barossa Valley Shiraz. It's an inexpensive Shiraz with an exceptionally silky texture. A hint of spice finishes off this dry red. As a person who has "graduated" away from most Shiraz, I am happy to be able to include Barossa Valley Shiraz as one of my favorites. I was reminded of the quality of this wine on my recent trip to Birmingham, Alabama, where the hotel bar served me two bottles of Barossa Valley over the course of three days! Run out and buy one - let me know what you think!