Oversharing?

Katie is a great source of interesting articles. Here's one shw sent me about blogging and privacy.

Loneliness

This girl asked people to leave an anonymous voice mail about loneliness. She turned the results into this video.

Interrwining Lives

All I can think of to start this blog with are cliches.
"What a wonderful Christmas."
"I'm so blessed."

These last few months were the roughest of the year. To say that I actually enjoyed Christmas/this weekend is a pretty big deal. And enjoy I did. Immensely!

Christmas Eve to Friday night, my brother and I spent a lot of time together. Being the only two siblings at home, we had to entertain each other. Which we did.


Christmas saw the whole Waldron side together, minus Jill, Pat, and Beth. Quite a feat and one that hadn't been accomplished in quite some time.

Friday, Ben and I went to town with Mari, Dan and their son Eli. I love these guys. We later went over and played their Wii.



When we got back from their house, Jill and Pat had arrive. We got to spend some time with them before Ben and I ventured to Lansing to pick up my friends.

Jes and Amber did not make it up because of the weather, but Jeremy and Brian braved the cold/snow/fog. They got into Lansing around 11:30 and Ben rode with me. Some crazy fog we drove through, but made it back to the house around 2:30am.

In the morning we exchanged gifts and my mom bought the guys some socks. The rest of the day consisted of eating and playing games. I showed the guys Vestaburg, or at least what they could see of Vestaburg, since the fog was so thick. Poor Brian, he had never been to MI and this is what he had to come to. Jeremy kept assuring him that MI was not always like this.

Saturday night we drove back to GR, stopping to get a space heater. Then a tour of GR, a stop at the park that over looks the city, and then a hot beverage at The Bitter End. There, an employee showed us a sweet trick, he then recruited Brian to teach to other. We had a great time and good conversations.

Early Saturday morning I awoke the first time to the monstrous wind and then again to Brian's cell phone playing, "Pour Some Sugar On Me," at top volume. We have no idea why it went off then, but it became the joke for the rest of the trip.

Sunday morning we went to Mars Hill. The guys are pretty big fans of Rob Bell. Ed Dobson taught and we all agreed the message was powerful. Wolfgang's for lunch and so much food! Jeremy and I took Brian to the big red button, but after a quick photo opt, we hustled back to the car. FREEZING.



The afternoon we spent chatting, and playing Halo II. Katie ended up losing power, so she spent the night and so did her cats. Around dinner time, the guys, Katie, Lakeri, and I piled in the car to go to The Cottage, only to find it closed. The Green Well-closed. Piertro's-closing. We ended up at Applebee's. Sarcasm was the humor of choose and I drank it in.

After returning home, we all talked for a while and then went to bed. I love late night conversation after the lights have been turned out. Probably one of my favorite things.

This morning we had a very busy house as everyone was getting ready. After dropping LaKeri off at work, Jeremy, Brian, and I headed to Lansing. And thus ended our adventure in the Meijer parking lot.



One thing I learned is that Jes is my picture enabler and as you may be able to tell, I hardly took any pictures, which I now regret to a certain degree. I really missed Jes.

I'm so glad these guys made it up. There is something very special about them. It amazes me how God can intertwine the lives of people. Six months ago, I did not know these two existed. I'm lucky for these intertwinings.

Okay, I am sooooo over winter, and off street parking, and GR roads, and broken heaters. I woke up to the sound of our furnace running at 5:30am. It had been running for a while, but my room was freezing. I drifted in and out of sleep for the next few hours. At 7:45a I got up to turn down the thermostat. I figured it's just too cold outside for our house to get warmed up and we shouldn't have let it run all night (Sidenote: we got our first bill. Oh my! $$$). So without turning on a light I turn the thermostate lower and crawled back up in my bed. About 8:19 I figured I should get up and leave some time shovel my car out. I pulled up the blinds and shared in SHOCK! All the work LaKeri and I did yesterday was already filled in. Not to mention it was freezing in our house and there's air coming in through our front door.

I stood and stared until I resolved myself that I was just going to have to shovel some more. About that time LaKeri came out and told me, my car had been plowed in. We also deduced that the heater was not working. I bundled up and almost cried when I saw the condition of my car. 45mins to shovel it out. I kept pushing on, knowing that if I could just get it in the driveway, maybe I wouldn't have to worry about this tomorrow morning. WRONG!

I should have learned from yesterday. My car cannot go in the driveway, because of a slight incline. Another hour and 25min, plus a 25lbs of kitty litter. When my car had made it as far as half way in the drive and half way in the road, I saw a Hummer turn the cornner. I thought to myself, "There is no way that idiot's getting around my car." It pulls to the side and it's Mike, our landlord. He helps LaKeri and I get the car unstuck and I park it in the plowed out lot of the landremat down the block.

Mike brought us some space heaters and plans to get the heating guy out tonight, but maybe not until tomorrow. Meanwhile I'm bundled in my coat and scarf.

I'm wrecked!

Jes and Jeremy+Brian and Amber+VBurg/GRap=One excited Amanda

That's right! Jes and Jeremy will be in MI in less than a week and this time they're bringing friends. Brian from Huntinton is coming with Jeremy and Amber, Jes' best friend, will both be visiting. We're going to be spending some time with my family and then back to GR. Oh I cannot wait. I just hope the weather cooperates.

We are so lucky to have been able to see each other every month since we met! PHOTO MONTAGE!

July: Resterant in Cavin, Ireland. Back when we hardly knew each other.

Aug/Sept: Hiking on a trail in Virginia!

Oct: Lake Michigan

Nov: Hanging out in West Virginia

Dec: MI
Jan: VA

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.

Here are some pictures from the big dig out:

Thoughts on a Snowy Day

-I'm so glad I'm no longer on-call!
-Douglas St. did not make the list of priority streets to plow.
-I don't think I've used a shovel since high school.
-I reveled in the fact that I over came a slushy mess that a truck had trouble getting though.
-Sometimes it's nice to just stay in.

Grasp

Sometimes faith reminds me of those '90s optical illusions. The one that you stare at and see the 3D image. Sometimes there are brief glimpse and you celebrate at what you saw. Other times you strain and stare and become frustrated when you cannot see anything.

Right now, in random spurts, I see it. I will keep trying.

Is This a Metaphor

“The Slip” by Wendell Berry

The river takes the land, and leaves nothing.

Where the great slip gave way in the bank
and an acre disappeared, all human plans
dissolve. An aweful clarification occurs
where a place was. Its memory breaks
from what is known now, begins to drift.

Where cattle grazed and trees stood, emptiness
widens the air for birdflight, wind and rain.

As before the beginning, nothing is there.

Human wrong is in the cause, human
ruin in the effect-but no matter;
all will be lost, no matter the reason.

Nothing, having arrived, will stay.

The earth, even, is like a flower, so soon
passeth it away. And yet this nothing
is the seed of all-the clear eye
of Heaven, where all the worlds appear.

Where the imperfect has departed, the perfect
begins its struggle to return. The good gift
begins again its descent. The maker moves

in the unmade, stirring the waters until
it clouds, dark beneath the surface,
stirring and darkening the soul until pain
perceives new possibility. There is nothing

to do but learn and wait, return to work
on what remains. Seed will sprout in the scar.

Though death is in the healing, it will heal.

White Rooms

Days like this make me want to crawl in my bed and cry. Days with no contentment. Days I spend looking up programs and new places and new ideas. Hoping one with catch and I will find a purpose to my days against. Days where I want to feel rooted here, but don't. Days when I don't feel like I have a place; where I'm not making a difference. Many door seem to have closed and I find myself in a circular room with no options of exiting. And thus winter begins.

I'm getting out of town this weekend. Sometimes Grand Rapids is suffocating.

My friend!

Katie's a published writer. Check out her poem

http://theotherjournal.com/article.php?id=462

Tis the Season

I wish I didn't feel like I have to be the person you want me to be. I wish your expectations weren't so pounding. Beating me down.

Because then...

Maybe I could LIVE!