For Gina
Here’s the fun and funky bag, made from the purple batik fabric I bought from a street vendor in Kisii, Kenya…
Weekend randomness
It was a lovely weekend. Here are some random bits.
– I did a lot of walking this weekend. Spring is finally upon us, and the weather is perfect for walking. The sidewalks are still a little treacherous – lots of puddles and some slippery bits – but it was worth the effort. On Saturday, the girls and I walked to the mall and back (about a mile one way). On Sunday evening, I walked to church and back (almost 2 miles one way). This morning, I walked half way to work (almost 3 miles). My feet are a little surprised to be put to so much use, and they’re protesting a bit, but they’re just gonna have to suck it up!
– On Saturday, I walked into Wal-mart for the first time in about a year. The girls thought I might break out in hives, ‘cause I have such a strong dislike for that place. I dislike what they stand for, I dislike the way they treat people, I dislike the way they exploit people in developing countries, I dislike the fact that they gleefully shove consumerism in our faces, AND I dislike their yellow smirky-faced logo that implies I should be HAPPY to be there. Fortunately, I was just returning one of Maddie’s birthday gifts (that didn’t fit), so, for a change, THEY had to give ME money. At least I can find some pleasure in THAT.
– Yesterday, I sewed a funky purse/bag out of some batik fabric I’d bought in Africa last year. I also sewed a skirt, but I’m particularly fond of the bag. I carry it with pleasure and pride. I think I may have to find some more funky fabric to sew a few more bags.
– Have you ever walked a labyrinth? Our awesome church painted one on the floor, and yesterday’s service was a time of meditation, music, and labyrinth-walking. I can hardly describe it. It was incredible – peaceful, worshipful, sensual, and transformative. I want to do it again.
– Nikki and Julie got their report cards late last week. (Warning – bragging about children ensues.) Julie, as always, is astonishingly school-smart. She counted 44 “Excellents” – out of approximately 50 categories. The problem is, she’s bored with school and I’m not sure how to make sure she’s challenged. She rarely does homework because it’s a waste of time (why practice your spelling words if you get 10 out of 10 on the first try, or why do “homereading” if you devour a more challenging book almost every night?) Nikki, on the other hand, is not as “school-smart”, but she’s smart none-the-less. Not surprisingly, the places where she excelled were things like “takes responsibility for her own work”, and “diligent and dependable” (this is the kid who tells her friend, on Saturday afternoon, that she can’t chat on MSN because she wants to do her homework – which isn’t due for another week). The comment from the teacher that she showed particular interest and aptitude in the unit on politics thrilled me to no end – she is her father’s daughter in more ways than one.
– Did I ever mention how much I love bookstores (or at least GOOD bookstores)? An hour or two in a bookstore is about as good a way to spend time as any I can think of, and I got to do that this weekend. Yay!
– I like Friday nights. Every Friday night, whichever members of my family are in the near vicinity at the time get together for supper – usually at our house. This time is was just ccap and her boy, and the cutest-baby-on-the-face-of-the-earth. I like them. They make me happy. I also like the OTHER members of my family, but I don’t get to see them as often.
Picnic
Earlier this week, I phoned home from work and talked to Maddie. She told me that she and daddy were getting ready to have a picnic lunch in the play tent in the basement. Now if that doesn’t warm the cockles of your heart, then you must be heartless. Or at least cockle-less.
When I got home from work, I discovered that they’d taken pictures. C’mon, surely it’s GOTTA be warming those cockles NOW…
They’re free!
This morning, when the alarm reminded me that it was time to roll out of bed, the first thing my foggy brain registered was the voice of Terry MacLeod telling me (and all the other listeners out there in radio-land) that the three members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams had been released by their captors in Iraq. Hurray! What a long and painful time it must have been for their families, waiting, hoping, and praying for this day to come. I can hardly imagine the anquish. At the same time, their day of celebration must be somewhat bittersweet, knowing that one of the four hostages did not make it out alive.
Perhaps because it was my waking thought, it’s been on my mind for much of the day. I had a striking thought. In the spirit of John Lennon’s song, “Imagine”… imagine if all the countries involved in the “war on terror” were willing to spend as much money, and send as many people overseas to work on peacebuilding (the kind of work the CPTs were doing) as they do for their armies and warfare. Imagine if their policies were less about “protecting our citizens against the axis of evil” and more about working toward global peace. Imagine if there were as many people willing to serve with CPT as there are in the U.S. Army. Imagine…
Yes, I know I’m a bit of a dreamer, but wouldn’t it be a powerful thing if we all had the same dream? In that spirit, I plan to sent a donation to CPT. I figure if I’m willing to pay taxes, some of which goes toward supporting our army, then I should be willing to spend a little money supporting peace too.
Magazine
I like magazines. Or at least I WANT to like them. Especially when I have to spend alot of time in airports and airplanes where I have a bit of time to read, but I’m not really focused enough to get lost in a book. That’s why it’s so frustrating for me to stand in front of rows and rows of magazines in the store and realize that there is a dull and predictable sameness to them. I suppose they’re not ALL the same – I could pick up Popular Mechanics or Motorcycle Repair – but those that are marketed for women sure look homogenous to me.
Seriously. Here’s a list of the headlines you can find on the front of almost every woman’s magazine:
“Spice up your love life”
“The diet that will change your life”
“Dr. Phil’s relationship tips”
“Tips for managing your household budget”
“Fashion feature – clothes for the real you”
“Simple exercises to fit into your busy day”
“Five meals you can make in under half an hour”
If I were to start a magazine, I would call it “Smart Woman”, and this would be my list of criteria for its contents:
– There would only be ORDINARY women featured on its pages. NO airbrushing
– There would be NO fashion tips – or if there were any, they would include SENSIBLE SHOES
– There would be smart articles for women with IQs higher than Paris Hilton
– Dr. Phil would NEVER be quoted. NEVER.
– The word “diet” would be banished from the pages. Anyone who dared to use the word would be forced to do penance by eating the whole magazine, cover to cover.
– The index would be easy to find – on the FIRST page (now there’s a novel concept!), not buried in the middle of sixteen pages of advertisements
– There would be book recommendations by ordinary people, not those who’d been courted by big publishing companies
– There would be less assumption that women are self-centred, egocentric airheads and more assumption that they are smart and worldly-wise, caring about things like the environment, the millions of people dying of hunger and HIV/AIDS, and the world outside their walk-in closet
– If there were any celebrities featured, they would be the people who had shown strength in the middle of adversity, lived a moral and ethical life, made a difference for social causes, or proved that a marriage and family can stay together even in Hollywood – REAL inspiration
– It would NEVER mention anything about the assumed battle between stay-at-home moms and working-outside-the-home moms because it would assume that women are REALLY smart enough to respect each other’s lifestyle choices
– In every issue, it would include some piece of writing that was of literary value – a poem, essay, or short story. Again, it would assume that women are smart enough to want to read that kind of stuff.
– It would also include artistic images – photographs taken by someone other than the fashion photographer, paintings, etc. There would be visual surprises throughout – things that made you just stop and stare at a page for awhile.
– It would not assume that EVERY woman is interested in scrapbooking and stamping
– Some of the recipes included would be about SLOW cooking, not just about FAST cooking
Anyone want to subscribe to my magazine?