Some pictures that Jim captured over the weekend:
Early in the day, before it was really bad...The view from our street (still early on in the day)...
Jim got closer to take these later on in the day...
Archive for the 'Adventures in blogdom' Category
Our weekend was rocked by the fires around us. Literally all around us, on all sides. There were no fires in Placentia (none that were newsworthy at least), but there were serious fires in the cities that surround us (Brea, Yorba Linda and nearby Chino and Diamond Bar). Our house and yard ended up covered in ash, and for the last three days the air has been incredibly smoky. So smoky that we run straight from the car into the house and slam the door fast. And so smoky that we haven’t been able to open any windows.
But what we had to go through was nothing, actually less than nothing. It was a cakewalk compared to the devastation that so many have faced. Many of our friends were evacuated and many of their neighbors lost their houses. Such huge devastation.
Yet through it all, it was amazing to see the kindness, camaraderie and selflessness that rose through the devastation. I heard stories of neighbors that stayed in neighborhoods that were evacuated and continued to fight the fires and ended up saving many houses… I knew so many that offered their houses as refuge for those who were evacuated…. And in church on Sunday it was such an amazing spirit of community. The church is going to help anyone in the congregation who was effected and in need because of the fire.
All of this kind of made me think of those verses in Isaiah:
(The Lord has sent me to) provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations. Isaiah 61:3-4
I was tagged by Momma Shoe in the game of “Eight Things About Me”.
The rules are: 1. Each player starts with eight random fact/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose people to get tagged and list their name.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and to read your blog.
So here they are folks. I don’t promise to captivate or amaze… only to follow the rules.
1) Chocolate? I can take it or leave it. Give me Jelly Belly’s or any kind of gummy candy any day.
2) From an early age, when pink and purple were all the rage with my little friends, I declared that my favorite color was green ( and it has been ever since). However, in more recent years my love for green has expanded to include many different shades. In fact, if we ever end up remodeling our kitchen (or ever move to a new house) I would love to decorate my kitchen with accents of lime green.
3) I love to travel and have been to 12 countries, and 49 of the 50 states. (Have yet to do Alaska, but it is on the list for sure.) However, according to my “Where I’ve Been” application on Facebook, that still means that I have only been to 19% of the world. I guess that’s what I love about travelling, there is always somewhere else to go…
4) I can do a cool trick where it looks like I flip my tongue completely upside down.
5) I think the 80’s got a bad rap as a decade. Secretly it was my favorite decade. (Guess it’s not a secret anymore…) White Lion was my favorite (just found out they released a new album this year!!!). Also loved Erasure, Tears For Fears, Depeche Mode…
6) I am not pleasant to be around before I have had my morning coffee.
7) I am a natural night owl although motherhood has almost completely squelched this tendency. (But you can still occasionally find me reading or on the computer at odd hours of the night when I am yielding to my wild side…)
8) I love to read but strongly prefer non-fiction to fiction. (The only fiction I really care for are some of the classics I suppose.) In fact, I can’t remember the last fiction I read.
So there you have it. Now I am tagging my friend Emily at Boo-Nanna. You’re “it”!
You tell me…
Published July 25, 2008 Adventures in blogdom Leave a CommentTags: coffee, hairspray, Psalm 121
(A recent fun gift from my husband…)
Hmmm… what do you think?
Ha ha. : ) But before you write me crazy comments on my post- yes, I do know where my true strength comes from. Even so, I still enjoy the strong coffee and hairpsray…
Meet my new accomplice!
Published May 29, 2008 Adventures in blogdom Leave a CommentTags: Fujitsu, Lifebook, S6510
I have been posting very sparsely lately because my late laptop succumbed to a slow death. Because of that, I had been confined to posting from our older model (dinosaur) desktop. I didn’t realize how much more efficient I was with a laptop, until it was gone. I could get work done in the backyard watching Jackson or in the living room when he wanted me there with him. The best, was being able to multi-task by doing travel work/posting to the blog/keeping in touch with friends while watching a movie at night (especially if it was a movie chosen by one of the male members of my household).
Anyway, I would like to introduce you to my new accomplice, the Fujitsu Lifebook S6510. It was ordered on Mother’s Day and finally arrived yesterday. When shopping for a laptop, the things that were most important to me were size (I liked the smaller, lightweight versions) and ruggedness/durability since I often travel with my laptop and tend to be pretty rough on it. This was the only model I found that was both thin and lightweight, but also rugged (complete with shock-mounted hard drive and spill-resistant keyboard).
I’m hoping this is the start of a great (and long) relationship!
As I was stashing a few more items away in my hope chest this past weekend, I noticed something that made me laugh. Something I had forgotten about that might possibly be blog worthy.
It was a mixed tape I had made in 1994 (the year I graduated high school). As soon as I read the titles of the songs on the tape I was transported right back to the days of my first car, Homecoming games, youth group, choir concerts, and hanging out at the coffee shop with friends while we were cutting class.
It might seem strange to you that Petra, Tiffany and White Lion would all make it onto the same tape. But this is who I was. (Or who I am, since 1994 will always be a part of me.) So although I feel just a wee bit vulnerable (no laughing, okay?), I thought I would share it with you, since it might spark a memory of your own.
(In fact, feel free to reciprocate by commenting with your own retro mixed tape version from high school.)
Side A
1) More Than A Feeling –Boston
2) Love In The Light –Michael W. Smith
3) Book of Days –Enya
4) Beyond Belief –Petra
5) Little You Know/In My Life –Les Miserables
6) St. Elmo’s Fire –John Parr
7) Chorus -Erasure
8) Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus –Newsboys
9) To Know Him –David Meece
10) It’s Not A Song –Amy Grant
11) Rise Like The Lion –Violet Burning
12) What Am I Gonna Do –Steve Vai
13) Tell Me –White Lion
Side B
1) Time Runs Wild –Danny Wilde
2) True Love –Kim Boyce
3) Dance –Petra
4) It’s Only Forever –David Bowie (from Labyrinth)
5) Undone –Violet Burning
6) Whenever There’s A Night –Mike Reno (from Dream A Little Dream)
7) Hungry Like The Wolf –Duran Duran
8) Feelings of Forever –Tiffany
9) Farewell To You –White Lion
10) Don’t You Forget About Me –Simple Minds (from Breakfast Club)
11) Sad Face –The Choir
12) Always With You, Always With Me –Joe Satriani
13) You Surround Me -Erasure
New Year’s Resolution Number One (check)
Published January 5, 2008 Adventures in blogdom 5 CommentsTags: Adventures in blogdom, resolutions
Yea! So I finally did it. After wanting to start a blog for the past two years, I finally have. What took me so long? Partially, I feared lack of inspiration. But recently it has become evident that my life is full of inspiration. (I just have to choose to see it as such.) Secondly, I wanted to avoid that dreadful, guilty feeling I get when I know I should be doing something. But I have resolved not to be motivated by guilt, but to instead write when I darn well want to write. (Thank you!)
Anyway, this was one of my (very short list of) New Year’s resolutions. Yes, this one was gratuitous, but it also feels good to have one resolution already checked off the list.
Most likely, those of you who dare to venture to this space, will find musings on the “marble” and “mud” that make up my life. Most of the time this will probably be (in no particular order): travel, food/recipes, music/worship, books, quotes, spiritual formation, motherhood and my son Jackson.
Stay tuned for “T-day quotes” (quotes on Tuesdays and Thursdays) and “Foodie Fridays” (recipes tried by me or someone more successful).
See ya around!
