Life's Adventure

Something Pretty

2012-02-13T14:08:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite "for-fun" websites is Cake Wrecks, which usually displays professional cakes created by less-than-talented bakers. The exceptions are Sundays, when cakes created by truly gifted bakers/artists are on display.

Some of these Valentine's Day cakes were just so pretty that I had to share...

Sunday Sweets: Be My Valentine?

Finishing What I Sta...

2012-01-31T10:25:00.000-08:00

I get distracted easily. And I get bored quickly. Usually, if I want to work on a project that will take more than thirty minutes, I will plan breaks into the task. If I don't, it feels like torture to work through to the end. (I just don't understand you task-driven people who like to do the whole thing at once, even if it takes all afternoon!) Sometimes, that strategy works great; I think it's better to work with your inherent personality rather than against it when you can.

But when a project gets really long-term, I tend to burn out and lose interest. Crafts and scrapbooking are really hard for me; my teaching portfolio is a lot of papers in a binder that aren't organized (I've taught so many types of classes that I just grab some as needed for the particular job for which I am applying); I have lots of half-novels, half-stories, or even stories that were written but never revised to the point that they would be publishable. Sometimes it's the fact that something becomes mundane; other times, it's the fact that it becomes difficult.

I've come to realize over the last few months that while I am great at completing externally-enforced tasks, I tend to quit things that have to be intrinsically-motivated, especially if there's any type of opposition. Oh well, I think to myself, maybe that just wasn't meant to be, maybe it's a sign I'm not really supposed to get involved, or the story wasn't any good in the first place, or these people know better than me so if they think it's a bad idea, I shouldn't pursue it any further.

But lately, God has really been convicting me that I should finish what I start. Difficulties are an inherent part of life, and most things worth doing take some kind of struggle. For the first time in my life, I've been thinking that maybe, in addition to me learning from those who disagree, perhaps they also have something to learn from me, and I should pursue my goal and voice my dissent.

So I will keep revising my novel, and I will start writing posts about why I care so much about clean water, and I will stick with the ministries with which I'm involved at church, and I will continue reading through the Bible even though I'm in the major prophets and I've always quit there before. I'm not saying there aren't times to let go of an idea. I just tend to swing the opposite way, so, persistence, here I come.

Who's Critiquing You?

2012-01-15T11:33:00.000-08:00

One of the best things I've ever been part of is my writing critique group. Initially, I asked a writer friend to be part of it (and she brought one of her writer friends) because I just wasn't writing. I was in graduate school at the time, and had been earning my bachelor's degree before that, so I hadn't really committed myself to writing anything for a long time. I wrote occasionally when inspiration struck, but as many writers know, that happens approximately three percent of the time, so laziness and business kept me from really pursuing anything.

It was time to get serious. It was time to get accountability. So I formed a writing group with my friends Rachel and Christine, and it turned out to be even better than I thought.

It's not just the accountability, the fact that I know have to produce something readable for them every two weeks. Having Rachel and Christine constantly critiquing my writing has made me a much better writer, and according to them, I've helped them in the same way. So I started thinking about how and why these critiquing meetings are so helpful, and how these elements apply across a variety of arts and other disciplines.

My advice? Whatever your art or discipline, consider getting a critique group of peers. Here's why:

Writing (practice). Writers, editors, and teachers will tell you that if you want to become a better writer, you need to write. Same goes for any field. The more you do it, typically, the better you get.
Reading (learning and inspiration). These same writers, editors, and teachers will also tell you that reading is a key to better writing. I love reading for fun, but sometimes life gets busy. Even if I don't pick up a single fiction book between meetings, I read and think about anywhere from twenty to forty pages of fiction from Christine and Rachel. (Similarly, watching other teachers has given me a lot of inspiration and great ideas and techniques.)
Receiving criticism. Nobody likes to hear that a particular character was boring, or the moment you thought was so climactic fell flat. But if no one tells you, you won't fix it, and you may not change your approach in future projects. No matter what your discipline is, you not only have to be open to criticism, but you have to actively request it from people you trust. That's the beauty of my writing group: we've been working together for so long that we are really honest. Brutally honest. We are not unnecessarily harsh, but we don't hesitate to say, "I don't think that worked" or "I just don't think this chapter made any sense." Occasionally, one of us leaves the meeting close to tears. But fixing your issues teaches perseverance and hones your craft, and our writing is always better for it.
Different perspectives. I recommend opening up your art or discipline to a variety of people, because especially when it comes to art, there are some things that are just plain subjective. That is why having three of us works so well. Usually, if two of us have the same criticism, the author takes it as a genuine problem that needs to be fixed. But sometimes the two readers will completely disagree on whether or not a particular issue is a problem, or how one character's action can or should be interpreted. When that's the case, the writer usually decides whether they agree that it's a problem that needs to be addressed or whether the interpretation is one they like. Not everyone likes the same thing. Having different people critique you helps you know when you actually have a problem and when it's just one reader's opinion.
Offering criticism. This may be one of the most difficult parts of a critique group. When a plot doesn't work, a character is unbelievable, or the tone is inconsistent, it can be difficult to precisely pinpoint how the problem happens, and sometimes even more difficult to offer a truly helpful solution for how to fix or improve the problem. But being specifically constructive in your feedback does three things:

It helps you become a better writer, because you've worked through a writing problem and can be aware of it in your future efforts.
It keeps you humble. It's so easy to criticize and point out what you don't like. It's harder to solve problems.
It builds trust. Your writer friends know you're on their side, that you're not just in a bad mood that day, but you are trying to help them write better because you've taken time and effort to really address the issue.

I do think it's worth noting that you probably want your critique group to be formed by your peers. Of course, you want to get help from the masters: great teachers who've been working for thirty years, professors, published authors, CEOs who have successfully led companies for years. They can help you grow by leaps and bounds. But a critique group formed by people close to your level means that no one is too far ahead (and so gets bored or finds it painful to examine your work on a consistent basis) or too far behind (and thinks everything you do is amazingly wonderful). Christine, Rachel, and I write at similar levels. We are each strong and weak in different areas, so that helps us help each other, and I don't think it would work the same way if we were had vastly different abilities.

Whether you write, sing, paint, lead Bible studies, knit, teach, preach, counsel, or guide a team, make the effort to get a few people you trust who will constantly offer you feedback about how to get better, and will hopefully offer to do the same for you. It usually leads to better art, or whatever it is you do. :)

Sunday Mornings

2012-01-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

I love Sunday mornings. They are different from what they were when I grew up, but I really appreciate what they have become for me.

In case you don't know, when I was a kid, I vowed never to marry a pastor for a variety of reasons, which are too many to discuss now. One of those was that I wanted a "normal" family life, which included, in my mind, a husband with a regular work schedule and the fact that we could go to church as a family on Sundays. (And yet I did marry a pastor... I am grateful that God had a different plan for me, and since Ian was already a pastor when we met I would have no one to blame for this lapse in commitment anyway. :)

Ian works on Sunday mornings, doing a variety of things for and during the three church services, and often for afternoon or evening gatherings and meetings. So we usually go to our Saturday night church service, and he goes to work on Sunday mornings while I stay home with the baby.

In spite of the fact that this arrangement was never something I envisioned, I've come to appreciate it. I like going to a church service in the evening because I am alert for worship, fully awake to focus on God and process the message, and more relaxed and less rushed than in the morning.

And Sunday mornings are a time that I really enjoy. Ian leaves very early, and so when the baby wakes up, she and I have some time with just the two of us. Since Ian's not around, we have breakfast and get dressed and take it slower than on weekday mornings. Ian's cousin usually leaves for church around nine-thirty or ten, which coincides with Alexandra's morning nap, so then I have a couple hours to myself. I typically allow a bit of extra time for prayer and Bible study, and I look over the sermon notes from the night before. Then I have time to write or clean up the house and to prepare myself mentally for the rest of the day and the week ahead. Sunday mornings allow me to kind of ease out of the weekend and into the week, instead of feeling pushed headlong into Monday morning.

This doesn't happen every Sunday; sometimes we have commitments on Saturday nights, or if I am doing something for church services, I have to be there on Sunday morning. But most of the time, I am able to use Sunday morning as a refreshing time to gather my thoughts before the week starts.

Perspective

2011-12-19T12:08:00.000-08:00

I was humbled the other day, and I thought the story was worth sharing because I think it's good to have your perspective widened and adjusted every once in a while, to be reminded that not everyone's life is like yours. I am even more aware of these things now that I have a child, because there are so many good things in our lives that she will grow up with that I take for granted.

I support a child in Lesotho, Africa, through World Vision, and I get periodic updates about what World Vision is doing in the community through their Area Development Program. Among the things that the ADP assisted with in the community this year:

Participation in a Children's Mock Parliament, where children were able to debate child welfare issues, including lobbying for a law to prevent child abuse
Birthday packages that included school socks, notebooks, pens, and paper for covering books
Training on property rights for orphans
School textbooks
Learning to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS
Once-a-month prayer clubs for children, where they learn about God's love through the Bible
Construction of a school building so children can learn without being distracted by adverse weather
Construction of teachers' living quarters so teachers can focus on their work and not traveling long distances every day
Teaching those affected by HIV/AIDS about accessing social grants and improving their nutrition through proper preparation of food

I was excited to see what exactly was going on in the community with my monthly $35. At the same time, I realized what a different world Lesotho, Africa is.

I NEVER wonder whether Alexandra will have to regularly sit outside on a cold day to learn, or possibly not have access to a textbook she needs for a particular subject. I live in a country where there are already laws against child abuse. Notebooks and pens were everyday items when I grew up; that's not something we would really even consider a birthday present. I had parents who taught me what I needed to know about God and the prevention of HIV/AIDS from a young age; I truly can't imagine not knowing that Jesus loves me or that there are easy ways to prevent STDs.

So I had my perspective changed, and as I read the letter from the program manager, one Morake Rakhoba, I came across this line: "We appreciate the sacrifices that you have made, especially in these challenging economic times, to better the lives of others less fortunate than yourself." And I stopped reading.

I haven't made any sacrifices. I can give $35 a month and still have a warm house, two cars, all the food I want, eat out once or twice a week, go to Starbucks once a week, buy new clothes whenever I need them, feed my dog and take him to the vet, have access to healthcare and vaccinations for me and my daughter, buy Christmas presents for friends and family members, and drink, bathe in, and even bathe my dog in clean water whenever I want.

I am truly not trying to make anyone feel guilty. Please don't! Guilt is usually not productive. But I do want to encourage you that if you've been thinking about giving to a charity or a good cause, please do. Using what God has blessed you with to bless someone else can only help make you more grateful and offer a healthy, humbling perspective. I've found that viewing most of my life as a luxury rather than a necessity actually makes me happy, and more willing to give to those who don't even have the necessities. Generosity is truly one of the areas where God gives the most joy.

So Far, So Good

2011-11-30T17:19:00.000-08:00

This is my first full week as a full-time stay-at-home mom. I didn’t work last week, but I didn’t really feel like I was playing homemaker because we had some friends from Iowa come into town on Sunday and leave on Monday. Then, of course, Thursday was Thanksgiving, and on Friday Ian and I went into the California woods with some friends to cut down our Christmas tree (all legally, of course; we stopped in Hallelujah Junction to buy our permit).

So with all of that going on, it was a nice distraction from not being at work anymore. I have to admit, even though I missed Alexandra every day and wished for a less hectic schedule, part of me was a bit nervous about being home all the time. I wondered if I would get bored, or if my brain would start to turn to mush. After all, housework and interacting with Alexandra can be challenging, but not in a way that seems mentally stimulating. I wondered if being at the house would make me go stir-crazy in a matter of days.

But so far (three whole days in!), it’s been great. Obviously, the best thing about it is time with Alexandra. She is fun, happy, beautiful, and learning new skills every day. I love making her laugh, discovering that she loves carrots, and watching her babble at her toys. I realized that I only have a limited time with her (God willing, eighteen to twenty-three years, and unfortunately I don’t think I can expect to remain her favorite person in the world that whole time) and I am determined to enjoy as much of it as I can and be grateful for every second. She is such a precious gift from God and I never want to take her for granted. It’s crazy to me how much you can love one person, and it’s something you never know until you have a child (sorry, Ian :).

Also, after playing Working Mom, I am realizing the advantages of Stay-at-Home Mom. For example, even though your day consists of repetitive, mundane tasks such as laundry and washing dishes, most days you have time and energy to read a little, write for fun, play the piano, or catch up on episodes of Star Trek: Voyager while you eat lunch. You can take walks because you’re not at work the whole time it’s light, and unless baby is having a napless day, a bit of midweek exhaustion can be cured with a short siesta.

Goodbye, Fun Students

2011-11-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

It’s over. My time at the Davidson Academy is done.

Okay, maybe it’s not quite as dramatic as the above sounds. After all, I am remaining on the substitute list, so I may show up every once in a while. Also, I still have some final assignments to grade and return to the regular Spanish teacher, so I have to come by sometime next week.

The students were great. I felt very loved and appreciated on the last day, which is a great feeling for a teacher. So often when you’re teaching, some days end and you feel discouraged, untalented, antagonized, disrespected, tired, or all of the above. While I had relatively few of those days over the last several weeks, it was still great to be encouraged at the end. I got a candle, a sweet card, and a Starbucks gift card, and many thanks and affirmations of my teaching.

A couple girls also made me a video, which is a great gift, because not only do you receive the encouraging messages, but you have a lasting memento of your students’ faces and voices, and you get to remember their mannerisms and the little things that make them fun and unique. They interviewed various students from my classes and recorded both things the students like about me and humorous things they remembered from Spanish class. It was very touching and SO much fun to watch.

(It also made me realize I should maybe be more careful about the random things I do occasionally, because one girl said one of her favorite memories was when I told the girls that once they had been pregnant, their belly buttons would never be the same. Also, one student has pictures of me sitting under a desk, gripping its legs and demonstrating my fake terrified expression, taken during an earthquake drill. It was fun at the time but not very dignified in hindsight.)

They are very thoughtful students, and I feel really grateful for the time I got to spend with them. And now I am looking forward to all the time I will get to spend with my daughter!

Thanks, Anne Lamott

2011-09-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

I have been reading Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. It is her book about writing, and I am finding it to be very helpful, not just in writing but also in life. I always thought I would enjoy her books, because I am a huge fan of Donald Miller and I once heard him described as a male Anne Lamott, and it turns out to be true. It is so nice to read someone who either expresses things you've always believed or puts into words for you things you didn't know you believed.

Also, I can relate to a lot of what she says. I don't know if it's a writer thing or a human thing, but I tend to go around talking to myself a lot. Not out loud (what would people think?), but if I turn off one conversation another one pops up, so unless I can be distracted by an imminent and wholly engaging task, I don't bother trying to stop it. And lo and behold, I read in Bird by Bird the following: "Left to its own devices, my mind spends much of its time having conversations with people who aren't there."

It's not just me!

I also read these lines this week: "Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life...." True, I think. I keep reading quotes and hearing speakers who deal with taking action in life, doing what you know you're supposed to do, having difficult but necessary conversations, taking risks at your job or hobbies or relationships in the hopes of making them better, and so I think maybe God is hinting something to me.

I have always been cramped by perfectionism. 'Tis better to never try and never fail than try and maybe fail, is often my motto. I am beginning to believe it's false, because most of the best things I've done in my life have been somewhat risky (or at least their outcome has), and I would have regretted never doing them. Even when the risk didn't necessarily pan out to something good, I was glad I did them.

The moral of the story: don't let perfectionism keep you from trying.

Eavesdropping on Genius Kids

2011-09-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't done much blogging lately because I started my long-term substitute job, and it turns out working almost full-time and having a baby doesn't leave much time (or, perhaps more importantly, energy) for blogging. But I am teaching at a school for profoundly gifted students, and I had an experience the other day that sort of summarized the culture I am in. In a lot of ways these kids are just typical kids, but they are also very smart, and sometimes I overhear things that remind of that.

The other day we learned the word for "kiss-up" in class, and someone asked if the word meant "brown-noser."

"Sí," I said.

"What's a brown-noser?" asked a different kid.

"A sycophant," explained another.

"Ah, okay."

All was explained.

Why I Love My Job

2011-08-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

I realized that I perhaps ought to clarify why I love my job, instead of just stating that I do love it. So, here are the reasons I love teaching Spanish:

1) I get to do something different every day. Not just different tasks. Some days involve more direct instruction, other days involve student-led activities. If a particular topic is difficult or boring, the next section of grammar or vocabulary is often interesting. I love my job because I don't feel like I'm doing the same thing over and over, and there is progression.

2) I can move around! I can be in my office, in the classroom, at my desk, at the whiteboard, standing in the back to watch student presentations, roaming the room to make sure everyone is speaking Spanish, etc. Once upon a time I had a job as an editor. The company for which I worked was great ("Fun" was one of their top ten core values) and I had great coworkers, and of course I enjoy editing, but every day I would arrive and sit for several hours at the same desk in the same cubicle staring at the same computer and doing similar, repetitive things.

3) I get to interact with people. Again, as much as I love reading, writing, and proper grammar and spelling, being alone eventually makes me feel isolated and sullen. Interacting with people gets me outside my own brain and gives me new perspectives. Plus, people are just plain interesting.

4) I have creative control. This is similar to being able to do something different every day. Even though I usually follow a syllabus prepared by a world languages department, I can take the day's topic (exciting things like "Indirect Object Pronouns" and "Food-Related Vocabulary" and do almost whatever I want with it. We can play games, have conversations, perform skits, fill out worksheets, create menus, role-play, or do a number of things. It's a fun challenge trying to guarantee that neither my students nor I become bored with material.

5) I get to help people. (I must note here that a number of my students might claim that forcing them to learn Spanish is not helping them. They are wrong.) There is nothing more fun that seeing something click in a person's brain. Through explanations, input, guided practice, and structured output, I can help people learn to communicate in another language. Students go from knowing very little Spanish to writing entire compositions, and there is something so exciting to me about being part of that.

That's why I love my job.

So now my question for you all is (and this is assuming you love all or part of what you do): Why do you love your job? Whether you work full- or part-time time, inside or outside the home, why do you love what you do? It's fun finding out what people enjoy because then you get to know them better.

I Want My Brain Back

2011-08-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

I've always been a little spacey. My husband would probably say that I am very spacey, but I'm not sure that being spacey and unobservant are the same thing. Anyway, I am already off my main point.

I became even more spacey when I was pregnant. It was like my brain was continually in a fog, and I would misplace things, forget appointments and anything in my schedule that was even slightly out of the ordinary, misspeak, and be unable to remember details, words I wanted to use, the last thing that was said to me, or the second half of the sentence I was in the middle of uttering.

Well, finally I wasn't pregnant anymore, and my brain seemed to emerge from its foggy surroundings, but unfortunately the spaceyness is just as bad as it was when I was pregnant. This is not due to surging, raging hormones, but rather to the lack of sleep and the fact that I'm now keeping track of details for two people instead of one. I don't feel like my mind is foggy, but rather that there are huge black gaps in my thoughts. I am still losing things, forgetting things, and trailing off in the middle of sentences while a smile slowly spreads across Ian's face and he finally repeats what I've said so far so I can remember where I was.

I became especially frustrated yesterday evening when I opened the cabinet, excited about my evening snack of a banana with some Nutella, and discovered a half-full gallon of milk in there. I don't remember having milk since my morning coffee (not that my memories mean much anymore), and the milk was room temperature, so I can only assume it sat there all day. I neither noticed the milk in the cabinet earlier nor noticed its absence in the refrigerator. And Ian doesn't drink milk, so unfortunately I had no hope of blaming him.

Ahhh (<--that's supposed to be a sigh). I can only hope that as I adjust more and more to motherhood, I will gradually recover the use of my brain and eliminate both the fog and the blank spots. Maybe my mom friends can give me hope that even if my mind never fully returns to normal, I can at least operate around my new levels of spaceyness.

I Heart My Job

2011-07-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

I do! I've been feeling grateful because I didn't even realize how much I like what I do (teaching Spanish) until this summer. I opted not to teach any summer session courses at UNR because I wanted to spend the whole summer with Alexandra. I am very glad I did so, because I love hanging out with my baby girl and I don't think I could handle working just yet.

But I have a friend who teaches Spanish at UNR and who is currently teaching one of the summer session courses. He's going to be out of town for a couple days next week, so I'm teaching his classes one of those days. He's not giving me anything for teaching his class, and I had to make sure that Ian could watch Alexandra, and I'll have to get up early and teach an 8:00 a.m. class that lasts two hours on a day that is typically my most busy day of the week.

And yet when he asked if I wanted to cover his class, I felt like he was doing me a favor.

And that's when I realized how fortunate I am to be able to do what I do. It's fulfilling and fun, and I'd want to do it even if I wasn't paid (and I could afford to not make money, of course).

I love my job!

She Smiled

2011-07-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I dropped Alexandra off at my mom's house so my best friend (Kristen) and I could go shopping for my bridesmatron dress for her (Kristen's) wedding. Before I left, Alexandra smiled and my mom caught it on camera. My baby girl smiles often, but I haven't managed to photograph a smile yet.

Here it is!

On Doing Nothing

2011-06-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I like being sick.

For example, yesterday I woke up with a cold and bad allergies. Usually I get up at 6:30, because that's when Alexandra likes to wake up and eat, but yesterday I got up briefly to feed her and then went back to bed and slept while she slept. I also took an early afternoon nap while she napped, then a late afternoon nap when Ian got home. I watched some movies and read more of Hebrews and Harry Potter, but other than that and caring for Alexandra, I didn't do much.

Normally this kind of day would drive me crazy, but feeling sick and needing to rest gave me an excuse to feel okay about doing nothing.

The most difficult adjustment I've had to being a mom is how little I get done on some days and how unpredictable my schedule can be. I started to realize within the first couple of weeks after she was born that I might not always be able to shower before noon or finish all the thank-you notes in one day or mop the floor as soon as I would like. I know the routine will come eventually, but in the meantime I have to put my agenda on hold.

I never realize how much I base my self-worth in completing tasks until I'm not getting anything done. Besides the tiredness of caring for a newborn, part of my "baby blues" included the feeling that I wasn't being productive. I experienced a similar sensation when my husband and I first moved to Iowa and I didn't have a job. It's fine to tell myself that my worth is based on being made in the image of God, in who I am and not what I do, but that's hard to believe when I think I'm not doing all the right things.

So again I'm learning the lesson that my worth is not found in society's measures of productiveness, which tend to value tasks and accomplishments over people and rest. And in reality I'm not doing nothing; I'm taking care of my baby!

But sometimes it's still nice to have a reason (such as being sick) to enjoy just holding my sleeping baby while I watch TV for an hour instead of thinking about what I should be doing.

Blogging, Attempt #2

2011-06-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

Introduction/Recap

So, the last time I had a blog, I didn't keep it up. Partly it was because of busy-ness, since I had four part-time jobs (I taught Spanish at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, taught a homeschool Spanish class in Winterset, taught piano lessons, and was freelance writing). I tend to be a procrastinator, and when it comes to writing I'm a perfectionist, and the two traits combined mean that I don't want to start things unless I am convinced I have enough time at one stretch to finish them completely and perfectly. Writing is scary enough as it is, because it's never exactly what you want it to be. Unless you have a deadline, you could work on a paragraph forever to make it say exactly what you want it to say, and of course with a blog there's not really a deadline. A procrastinating perfectionist's nightmare.

So what made me decide to start blogging again?

1) Several people asked me to/said I should.

2) I want to be able to keep my friends and family up-to-date about what I'm doing even if we don't see each other that often or they live far away.

3) I will attempt once again to get in the habit of writing regularly.

4) I enjoy reading my friends' blogs, because it's fun and enlightening to view life from someone else's perspective.

Topics

And what will be the topic of this blog? That is more difficult. They say that blogs should have a topic and a theme, that you should write what you know. So I'm going to make my everyday life my topic. Too broad? Perhaps. But I will likely focus on five categories:

1) Teaching Spanish.

2) Writing.

3) Being a new mom to a baby girl.

4) Funny things that happen to me.

5) Things I am reading and learning. These may be serious, like my current study of Hebrews, or they may be fairly light (almost enough so to spell it "lite"), depending on what fiction I am reading. (Right now it's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which I would put in the category of light but not lite. It does have its dark and deep moments, but it's certainly no Brothers Karamazov, which I will finish someday.)

Don't Drink the Water!

2010-03-10T06:28:00.000-08:00

So, obviously, I am terrible at keeping a blog. But I do have something odd that happened to me the other day...

Because so much of Iowa is farmland, we're a state at risk for high levels of nitrates in our drinking water. A friend of mine who is a nurse was warning one of the ladies in our Bible study (who is pregnant) against drinking Winterset tap water because of its high level of nitrates.

"I drank bottled water nearly the whole time I was pregnant," she said. "I mean, if you run out every once in a while it's not a big deal, but in general you should drink bottled water."

One of the other ladies said that her family buys the gallon jugs of distilled water from Fareway, refilling them at the distilled water station inside the store.

All this talk of nitrates was making me feel somewhat iffy about drinking the tap water, and a few times I considered buying distilled water or bottled water for myself and Ian. After all, if it's so harmful for fetuses, what's to say it isn't somewhat harmful in the long run even for adults?

I hadn't gotten a chance to buy any bottled water yet, so when I was at Fareway on Friday, I asked my friend Jordan in the meat department to point me toward the already-filled jugs of water. He did, and as I stood in the aisle considering whether a gallon of Fareway-distilled water was worth 69 cents, a low voice reached my ear.

"I wouldn't buy that if I were you." I turned to see a short, middle-aged woman with long, crimped blonde hair, a serious face, and slightly askew blue eyes looking up at me. "Aquafina's the way to go."

"Oh, really," I responded, waiting to see if she were joking or not. I had never seen her before.

"No, for real," she said. She was already standing inside my personal bubble, and now she leaned even closer and placed a hand on my forearm. "My husband works at the water treatment plant, and based on what he says... I would never, ever buy that water. Seriously, Aquafina is the best." The warning tone of her voice and the intensity of her facial expression told me she was not joking.

"Oh, I see," I said. She continued to stare at me with at least one of her slightly-askew blue eyes. "That's good to know," I responded, because I wasn't sure what else to say. I started to step away, and she stepped back to her cart.

"No, seriously," she said as she started to push it away, her voice beginning to quaver slightly like someone telling a ghost story. "Don't buy that." Her pitch got louder. "Not if you care about your family!"

And then, like a guardian angel who had appeared just in time, she turned the corner of the drink aisle and was gone. I stood there in the aisle and laughed to myself.

I am not making this story up.

Only in Winterset.

Iowa State Fair, part 1

2009-08-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

So, Ian and I went to the Iowa State Fair last Friday, one of the largest fairs in the United States. It was a fun day, with a lot of walking, and we were pretty tired when it was finished. There were many very interesting elements, so I took some pictures to let you all know some of the things you can see at the fair.

That's right, folks: it says "Hot Beef Sundae." Mashed potatoes with meat and gravy over the top, and cheese sprinkled on top of that. Ian had one, and it was actually quite good. Reminiscent of shepherd's pie, of which I am fond.

This large fellow was advertised by a large sign outside his barn that said, "SuperBull," complete with the Superman logo and everything. Of course, after seeing that, we had to go inside and take a look.

And here are his stats. He must have terribly strong knees to do much of anything at 3400 pounds. Also, it's true that there is a town in Iowa named What Cheer.

I thought this reindeer was pretty exciting. Look at his antlers! (I almost typed "horns," but Ian is always on me to be more precise with my language.)

Ian and I like to show our support for Iowa and pork whenever possible.

Ian makes some new friends.

The draft horses were amazing! I don't think you can really tell from this picture just how huge they are, but up close they are very scary. Well, at least to someone like me, who has no idea how to control horses.

Anyway, apparently one of the things the ISF is known for is the variety of food you can find on a stick. They have chicken on a stick, pork chops on a stick, salad on a stick, frozen bananas dipped in chocolate on a stick (the Bluths, anyone?), and other things on a stick. They also have the usual fair fare (ha ha!), including deep-fried Snickers and Twinkies.

Our tour guide was a girl from our church. She is very involved in 4-H, has horses, and her dad teaches agriculture, so she knew a lot about the various reasons for why animal owners would groom them in certain ways for judging purposes. Apparently it's good for sheep to have a completely straight-across back and large hindquarters (indicating strong muscles) and for cows to have a bit of a peak at the top of their tails before they hang the rest of the way down. I was glad she was there because there is nothing like having an expert with you to increase your appreciation for completely foreign territory.

More pictures will follow soon!!!

This Is What Love Looks Like

2009-08-08T14:34:00.001-07:00

When Ian picked me up at the airport on Tuesday evening, I noticed right away that he had cleaned my car. Upon arriving at home, I discovered that the house was neat and these were waiting for me on the kitchen counter:

(The roses are self-explanatory; notice the popcorn is the caramel-flavored kind and not the butter toffee.)

My man knows just what I like!

Madison County Fair

2009-07-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

The air outside our house smells faintly of dung, and Thursday morning I woke up to the sounds of cows mooing, horses neighing, goats bleating, pigs oinking, sheep baa-ing (is that a word?). I felt like I was living next door to a farm. So what was it?

The Madison County Fair! The fairgrounds are only a few blocks from our house, and I don't know if it's because Iowa is so flat, or maybe it was just that the wind was blowing the right direction, but that morning I could hear all the animal sounds, and often the air around our house smells a bit like a farm.

The fair reminds me of those movies where people in the 50s go to a little county fair, and they see the quilt and baking entries, and walk through barns and look at all the horses and cows and pigs (I discovered this week that a barn full of pigs smells TERRIBLE-it made me never want to eat pork again). The only thing is that it's not the 50s, and there is no old-fashioned ferris wheel, only other carnival rides that look unsound.

I did enjoy watching the 4-H kids demonstrate their horsemanship, although I was a little out of the loop on some of the 4-H jokes. The announcer would say something, and the crowd would burst into laughter, while I had no idea what was going on.

Sadly, I did not have a chance to go to the mud run, the rodeo, or the demolition derby. I was somewhat disappointed, but those were extra money and I did not feel like paying. Maybe next year this will change. I feel like I shouldn't let my cheapness keep me from experiencing Iowa.

Too Long

2009-07-03T07:52:00.001-07:00

Yikes!

It's been so long since I posted. So, just to catch everybody up, here's what I've done in the last two months.

MAY: My parents and brothers came out for a visit. We had a really nice time, eating a lot of good food, watching good movies, hanging out, and enjoying all the fun that Madison County has to offer. Speaking of which, I did not realize how exciting the Madison County Historical Museum would be (I am not being sarcastic, I actually like museums. Ian says it's the homeschooler in me). And we saw all the bridges of Madison County, because my mom is goal-oriented and likes to be thorough.

Then, we spent two weeks playing parents. A couple in our church took a mission trip to Uganda, so we watched their house, three kids, and two dogs. One of the dogs ran away for three days (some might say that I lost it), so there was much searching, praying, and tears, at least on my part. I think Ian only participated in the searching and praying. No tears.

JUNE: Ian went to Reno/northern California for almost two weeks. I would have been lonely, but I had Abbie and Kimi, the two summer missionaries (who were teenagers here back when I was a summer missionary) to hang out with. Petey became very attached to Kimi, and we wondered if he thought she was the new Ian. I did miss my husband, though.

When Ian got back, we participated in running a day camp in Des Moines at the Friendship Center, an inner-city ministry. It was fun, but very tiring. I liked getting to know the kids and discovering that I had retained many of my basketball skills, in spite of not playing at all for the last three years.

Also, I've been doing a lot more freelance writing and a lot more fiction writing, which is fun but resulted in my letting the poor blog go by the wayside. But now I'm back! Hopefully for good.

Worlds of Fun

2009-04-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

This last weekend, Ian and I and several other adults took a bunch of kids from our church to Worlds of Fun, a theme park in Kansas City, Missouri. The park was hosting a few Christian bands (including Skillet and Switchfoot), so we left early Saturday morning and drove south for three hours. I was quite excited to go to Kansas City and to be in Missouri, since that's one state I still hadn't visited. (Now I have completed the whole column - Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana.)

We had a great time! It was fun hanging out with the kids and getting to know them better. There were some really good rides, particularly one called the Mamba. It was so fast that my eyes were watering, and I was completely terrified the whole time (in the good way, of course), so the thirteen-year-old I rode with accused me of crying at the end and laughed at me. (Let the records state that I was not crying. It was windy and I was laughing hard from terror.)

The concerts were good, and we spent the night in two guest apartments at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. We were expecting to sleep on the floor, but they had provided several mattresses in the both the girls' and guys' apartments. The next morning we went to a small church there that a friend of ours attends. It was really neat because the community was from a lot of different cultures and we got to sing "How Great Thou Art" in Swahili. Then we drove home, and everybody was absolutely exhausted by the time we arrived in Winterset.

All in all, a good time.

Bikes!

2009-04-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

Ian and I used part of our tax return to buy bicycles for ourselves. I didn't have a bike, and Ian's was really old and he had to leave it in Reno when we moved. So we got new ones. His is a mountain bike, since he likes to bike on trails and do stuff that I would consider scary, and mine is something that's a cross between a mountain bike and a street bike (see how little I know about them, I can't even remember what they're called), because I'll probably do most of my riding around Winterset, though it would be nice to ride on trails every once in a while.

So I rode five and a half miles from our house to Clark Tower this morning. It was very fun, and a good workout. Let's just say I am very out of shape, thanks to my wimpyness about getting out in the cold over the last few months.

There is also something satisfying about riding short distances on your bike instead of in your car. It makes me feel like I'm exercising and saving fuel at the same time, and as my friend Cory would say, provides a "false sense of moral superiority--the best kind of moral superiority." (Sorry, Cory, I used this quote without permission. I thought it was funny.)

One More Thing...

2009-04-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

Oh yes. And cleaning. That's one more thing I forgot to mention when I was speaking about my new glamorous lifestyle.

Now that Ian has a full-time job and I do not, I do most of the cleaning, and washing dishes by hand, since we don't have a dishwasher.

Lest you think my life too fun...

Life Update

2009-04-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

Different people have asked me if Ian and I like Iowa, if we miss Reno, if I have found a job yet or am worried because I haven't. I was thinking about that this morning, about how God has been taking care of us and has done a lot of unexpected, new things since we came to Iowa.

I am the kind of person to freak out and stop trusting pretty much as soon as things don't go according to my plans. As soon as there's any kind of snafu, or if I have to wait on God more than, oh, a day, I become impatient and start worrying. This has happened a few times in Iowa, like when I first started looking for a job, but in the meantime, God has provided in a lot of ways, and so I just wanted to share with you all how good to us He's been and how many things He's done since we got here.

Here in Iowa, I am doing exactly what I wanted to do for the last year. It never happened because of school, work, being busy, the crazy life we had in Reno. But God has taken away a lot of things that were really important to me, yet replaced them with opportunities I don't think I would otherwise have.

So this is what I am doing in Winterset, for all of you who wonder how I spend my time:

-I am writing stories again.

-I am translating documents from Spanish to English, and making money at it.

-I am reading for fun!

-I am doing a lot with our church; I help with high school and junior high students on Wednesday nights, Sunday nights, and Sunday mornings; I lead a women's small group (meaning I study and prepare Bible verses/topics, and then facilitate discussion when we all get together).

-I am giving piano lessons.

-Occasionally I interpret for the police station here.

-When I run into someone I know at the library or at the store, I actually have time to have a conversation with them.

-I am spending more time with Ian.

-I have time to take a short nap most days.

-Most days I can drop everything if I want to and go to Des Moines with Mrs. Terri or Adrienne. (I'm not saying this happens very often, but if it does, I can!)

-I have applied for different jobs teaching Spanish in the fall, and have put together my dossier for easy assembly every time a new job opportunity comes up.

-I have time to observe, and to think, and to watch Lost, The Office, and Lie to Me every week.

In other words, I have the life I wished I could have for a long time, especially the writing part. I just never had any time to spare. It probably sounds kind of boring to some of you, but I like it, and I'm able to make just enough money to pay for what I need every month. We were so busy in Reno, especially the last few months we were there, that it felt like my life was spinning out of control and everything else was controlling me, instead of me having any kind of control over my life.

I do look forward to having a real job in the fall, and to being a little bit more occupied. But for now, I am amazed at how good God has been, especially since at first all I could notice was all the things He wasn't giving me, like a job. So He didn't give me a full-time job, but He gave me everything else I had been wanting for the last year. That's so amazing!

Windy and Music

2009-03-31T07:31:00.000-07:00

So, the weather here turned cold again and then warmer yesterday and today is rather cold, cloudy, and windy (but the grass is still green!). I am sorry to talk about the weather so much, but I honestly find it fascinating here. Having never lived in the Midwest before, I have no idea what to expect.

In my last post I said I had not posted for a while because I was busy, so I thought I should explain why. I had taken a job playing the piano for recitals at the high school here. So every morning I went to the high school for a couple hours and practiced along with the students, and I also spent a lot of time practicing at home. Since I was paid based on how many hours I was at the school, and I have not yet obtained full-time employment, I was greedy and asked for many hours, not realizing that I would then have three weeks to learn twenty songs of varying degrees of difficulty.

I did not realize until I started trying to learn these songs how much of sight-reading and learning a piece is (at least for me) based on intuition, muscle memory, and sound. Some of the songs were very old Italian or German songs, and the chord progressions and melodies were unlike anything I had ever heard before. This made sight-reading very difficult because what my ear would want to hear next and my fingers want to play would not be what the notes said to do. And, because a lot of playing for me is muscle memory, it was hard to train my fingers into twenty new songs with their own patterns in just three weeks.

So I had to spend a lot more time practicing than I had expected. But the recitals seemed to go well, and now I have a binder-full of new music that I am capable of playing. This is exciting, even though I am sure that I will never play some of the songs outside of a high school music recital.

Magic

2009-03-25T09:13:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone,

Sorry it's taken me so long to post. I was actually kind of busy the last week in February and the first two weeks in March, and then I was just so out of the habit that I didn't post anything for a while. Plus, nothing terribly exciting has happened, so I wasn't sure what to write about.

But now I have a story to tell you all...

I remember spring days in Reno, when the weather would finally become consistently warm enough that people with lawns would decide that it was time to make them green again. So you'd go out and water, or turn on your sprinkler system, and maybe do some fertilizing or aeration. And you would carefully and consistently work at it until, hopefully, your lawn was revived. If you didn't care you might not put quite as much work into it; however, the bottom line was that if you wanted to make your lawn look nice, you had to make the decision and put in effort.

Well, I have discovered that here in Iowa, lawns turn green on their own. It's like magic!

The weather has been warming up quite a lot. It's been a few weeks since our high was below fifty for more than a day, and many days it has been in the sixties or even as high as the low seventies. And, in the midst of all this warmth, I noticed that the lawns (including my own, to which neither Ian nor I have done anything) were slowly starting to change color. Then, the other night, we had an amazing thunderstorm and heavy rain for a few hours, and the next morning the lawns were noticeably greener.

They look so healthy and happy and alive, and all this without any effort from anyone! I realize that if you are from Iowa this might not be quite so thrilling, but I spent a lot of my life in deserts. When you live in the desert, you have to work to make things grow.

Best Birthday Gifts Ever

2009-02-26T07:47:00.000-08:00

While I received many wonderful birthday presents this year, there were some that were especially memorable, and show just how well the people who sent them know me. And now, posted in the order in which I received them...

Now, while some people would have wanted to send a lovely homemade cross-stitch picture with a welcoming statement or a Bible verse, my best friend chose to send one with a quote from one of my most favorite movies ever:

As she noted, sage advice.

My mom, knowing how much I love the color red, knitted me this set for the terrible cold here. Notice the wonderful cable pattern...

...and how excited I am to be wearing them! I wore the fingerless gloves one night and found them to be surprisingly warm. But, as Ian commented, "Millions of homeless people can't be wrong."

And then, finally, my friends from my writing group sent me a camera for my computer. Now we can do our meetings face-to-face instead of by chatting online through text or audio. It is easy to use and works wonderfully.
You can't really see Rachel (which is good, because I have this idea that you shouldn't post pictures of people on the Internet without their permission), but my face is the one in the little box in the left corner.

How exciting!

Taking a Walk Around Winterset

2009-02-18T11:50:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I am going to take you on a tour around southeast Winterset. These are just some of the interesting things I have seen when Petey and I are taking walks. Now, do not get too excited; none of these images are going to blow your mind. However, I selected them because they are the kinds of sights that I don't remember ever seeing in Reno.

I came across this old, rusty tractor in someone's backyard in the middle of town. Large antiques are not just for country yards! It makes walking so much more interesting.

This suit of armor is sitting (or standing, I guess) on a porch. I thought it was quite charming, and it stands almost three feet high. If I ever see a for-sale sign, I will try to buy it. Who doesn't want a knight guarding their front door?

Welcome to Winterset's Middle School! Here, we have an elementary school, a middle school, a junior high, and a high school. It sounds confusing, but it's not, and it's all apparently due to some overcrowding and building-rearranging that went on at some point.

The buildings you see here are some of the shops that are on the outskirts of the square in Winterset. They are all some type of brick or stone and are all connected, and most have apartments above (although not all the apartments are actually in use). But I took this picture because you can see the courthouse tower rising above, and you can see the courthouse spire from a lot of places, including several miles away as you approach town on the highway (just a testament to how flat this area can be).

And here is the town square itself, with the courthouse in the middle. Everything else in Winterset spreads out from the middle here, which, I have discovered, most people refer to as "uptown." Since this is the center of the town and the most commercial and touristy area in town (excepting John Wayne's birthplace a few blocks away), I am not sure what Winterset's "downtown" is.

Now, I was quite excited when I discovered this signpost in this front yard. I have no idea how long it's been there or what struck someone to put it up, but I thought it was interesting...

Notice that you can gauge the distance to various destinations away from Winterset. It would appear that San Francisco is approximately 1,785 miles west, while Ft. Lauderdale is 1,514 miles south. Good to know.

This is a sight that amused me quite a lot, which may actually belong on one of those "FAIL" blogs. Notice the second-story door, and the lack of something onto which you can actually step out. They must have had a deck, or been planning on a deck, at some point.

So, that is all for the first installment. I may include more pictures as I walk around different areas of town.

Too Many Beetles

2009-02-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

Ian was in my office just a few moments ago sucking up some Japanese beetles with his shop vac.

I don't actually know what they are. They look like ladybugs, but everyone in Winterset assures us they are "Japanese beetle-type things." Apparently they stink and bite, but they haven't yet afflicted us in either way. But on sunny days they come out of nowhere and crawl all around the inside of my office window and in between the inner and outer window panes. I have been sucking them up with our vacuum because I hate touching any bugs, but then I have to empty them out of the filter later. So Ian used his shop vac to avoid filter problems. I am so grateful to have a strong man with a shop vac to rescue me from tiny beetles!

Anyway, pictures really are coming soon... I just still have to select the best ones.

2009-02-11T06:36:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

Just a few quick updates. Nothing particularly interesting had happened for a while, so that's the reason for the long delay between posts.

It's an overcast and rainy day today. It's enjoyable living in a place where it actually rains when it gets cloudy, and where the rain is more steady than a drizzle and lasts longer than fifteen minutes. It seems like one gets to more fully experience various types of weather in Iowa than in Nevada (except, of course, completely dryness). The last few days here have been beautiful- in the fifties every day, which feels like springtime after weeks of below freezing.

Anyway, I've been seeing a lot of interesting things as I walk Petey around Winterset. I will post some pictures soon.

A Good Week

2009-01-31T08:27:00.001-08:00

I am quite content this morning. I slept in and had coffee and a quiet time when I woke up; now I am just stalking my friends on Facebook and leaving comments on my brothers' blogs (I must figure out how to link to those. I am sure it is something very easy, but since it involves technology, I am intimidated) and eating Apples and Cinnamon instant oatmeal.

This was a very good week. Examples to back up my thesis statement:

On Monday Ian and I found out we finally have a renter for our house, so thank you to everyone who was praying for us.

I did my first bit of freelance writing for the company for which I used to edit, and I got in contact with someone about a possible job at a university here, so unemployment is no longer the only thing looming on the horizon.

Yesterday I talked to two friends on the phone (I miss you Sarah and Alison!) and got to have an evening to myself since Ian was out of town.

I have been in contact with a few professors from my M.A. program, which may not sound exciting, but when you are in a degree program that trains you to seek the approval of certain people time and time again, then even after you graduate you get a rush every time they affirm you. Better than drugs, I say!

Small World!

2009-01-29T13:15:00.001-08:00

So, I am applying for a teaching position at one of the colleges here in Iowa, and I discovered yesterday that the professor with whom I have been in contact also got her M.A. at UNR more than twenty years ago, and she knows several of the Spanish department professors that I studied with there.

Crazy!

All About Fareway

2009-01-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

I went to Fareway today, the local grocery store and midwest chain. I love going to Fareway. I'm not sure how much of this is the fact that I actually like the store, or just that I am going a little stir-crazy and enjoy pretty much any time I get out of the house.

I also think I enjoy it because it's local and so small. I know that there are other Fareways, but this is the only one I've been in, so it feels unique to Winterset. It's also nice to not have to wander a really long way just to get from the frozen vegetables to the milk. There are slightly fewer choices than you would get in a Wal-Mart or Safeway, but since I am not decisive, this pleases me. And the prices are good... they are actually somewhat similar to Wal-Mart, and things that are on sale are cheaper than you can get them at the Wal-Mart in Des Moines.

Also, Fareway can be a social time because it is a major employer here in town. About half the kids in the youth group work at Fareway, so if I go after 3:00 or so I get to see people I know.

So anyway, grocery shopping is fun again.

Homesick

2009-01-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up homesick for the first time since I've been here. I miss a lot of people in Reno.

2009-01-19T16:17:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, I just wanted to give you all an update. I realized that I haven't written much about what has actually been going on in Winterset since I started the blog, so I thought I would let you know how things have been going for the last three weeks.

Bottom line: things are going well.

Actually, it's been really neat to see how people have welcomed us into Winterset. On the day we arrived in town, a group of women had already cleaned out house up, so I didn't need to clean the bathrooms or wipe out any cabinets. They left a variety of cleaning supplies (paper towels, clorox, Lysol bathroom cleaner, etc.) and grocery staples (bread, cereal, etc.) on the counter. Eight different people showed up to help us move into our house, and since then, several people have had us over to their house for dinner or taken us out to eat.

Everyone has been extremely welcoming and kind, and it's been great. I'm realizing that the sense of community here is much greater than in Reno. People wave when they pass each other driving, and pause to have long conversations even when you both are in the middle of tasks. I had a long conversation with the librarian who gave me my library card (now you see where my priorities are), and she said that she had lived in Winterset her whole life, and she had heard that other places had much faster paces of life.

"It's true," I told her.

"That's hard to imagine, because it seems pretty fast around here sometimes," she said.

I didn't say it, but I was thinking that other places, she wouldn't have time to talk to me for so long, and that's how you can tell the slower pace of life. It's great.

So... Ian is working hard and getting some of his first tastes of Southern-Baptist-ness through the state office (not so much our church). We have made several renovations to the Studio, and we are getting to know people at the church. I look for jobs and read and write and hang out with students at the Studio and play homemaker. This is what most of our days are like.

If you would like to pray for us, please pray that I will get a job soon and that we will be able to rent out our house in Reno soon.

Thanks! I will talk to you all next time.

What Sixteen Degrees Fahrenheit Feels Like

2009-01-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

So, my poor dog had not been for a walk for two days, because on Wednesday the high temperature was less than 10˚ and Thursday the high was 0˚. I was not anxious to go outside on those days, but today the high was supposed to be a balmy 16˚, so I thought I would take advantage of the nice weather and walk Petey.

The walk was only fifteen minutes long, but about halfway through I realized that my face was numb. My cheeks seemed too stiff to smile, and it felt like my nose was running, but you can't be quite sure when your face doesn't actually have any feeling. So I zipped my jacket all the way up so that the collar covered part of my face, and walked a little faster, which was difficult because my thighs were also very numb inside my jeans. By the time we got back to the house, my calves were also beginning to lose a bit of surface feeling.

But my cheeks had turned a fantastic, naturally red color that looked way better than any makeup I'd ever worn. If only one didn't have to freeze to get that look!

It is fun experiencing new daytime high temperatures that are so low, just because they are so new to me.

Pictures of Our Road Trip, Pt. 3

2009-01-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, so here are the pictures from the last part of our journey, from half of Iowa and all 450 miles of Nebraska.

So, this is evening of Day 2. We are entering Nebraska at this point, and pretty much what you see here is what we saw during daylight hours there. But at least people there live the good life. And I didn't realize that Arbor Day had a home.

This is sunrise in Nebraska on Day 3.

There was a pretty little church in the distance. This is also what Nebraska looked like. Note that my window if rolled halfway down because it was very dirty.

And, skipping a few hours...

Here's our front yard and the trailer in Winterset! About eight people from the church came to help us move in (unloading in an hour and a half what it took us three days to load). It takes a long time to attach the trailer to the suburban, so when it was time to haul the trailer to the church to unload Ian's office furniture, one guy offered to bring over his John Deere tractor to shorten the process. O, the beauty of living in farm country!

Pictures of Our Road Trip, Pt. 2

2009-01-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, so here's what we saw the first two days of the road trip:

These are some of the mountains in Nevada, just outside of Reno. While brown and ordinary most of the time, they were quite pretty when dusted with snow.

We stopped for lunch in Winnemucca, where it was VERY snowy.

This is the start of Day 2. See the pretty Utah sunrise! Really, from I-80, I'd have to say Utah was the best-looking state.

Here we are, still in Utah, headed for Wyoming's capital. (At this point, it was still about 400 miles away.)

This is a lot of what Wyoming looked like: hills, vast expanses, big sky, light snow, and long, straight roads.

Also in Wyoming, there were many hilltops lined with rows of these huge windmills. They were absolutely enormous and very cool-looking.

See how cool-looking this is! From the picture you can't tell how huge it is. (That's what she said.)

Now, at some places there was a lot of snow blowing across the roads. It wasn't actually snowing, but the winds, those high Wyoming winds that we were warned about, blew the snow piled on the sides of the road across it.

Finally, here is another scene of Wyoming. All along the highway, they had these fences built, I'm guessing to block wind or what the wind blows. This was a pretty mountain to the south of I-80. The southern side of I-80 was consistently prettier than the northern side. It's like they purposefully divided the state in half.

Pictures of Our Road Trip, Pt. 1

2009-01-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed a new hobby of driving photography while we were on the trip. In Ian's parents' driveway, right before we left on Saturday morning. These people came over to say goodbye to us.

As we drove out of Reno... notice the back of the trailer. This is what I looked at the whole way, all twenty-five hours of driving.

Things I Learned Driving Across the Country

2009-01-07T14:38:00.000-08:00

1. Wyoming is the most dangerous state to drive in - ever.

Having lived next to the Sierras, I expected to see a few "snow tires and chains required" signs here and there on our winter drive. But what I didn't expect to see were all the other signs that appeared in Wyoming:

"Warning: High Winds next 8 Miles" (There were about four of these all in a row, so I wondered why they didn't have just one sign warning about high winds over the next 32 miles.)

"40+ mph Winds"

"Chains Required When Flashing"

"I-80 Closed When Flashing - All Vehicles Must Exit"

"Interstate Highway Closed When Flashing - Exit Now."

Note that there were no signs of this type in any of the other states. All I can say is, if you are driving, STEER CLEAR of Wyoming.

2. Trying to draft off the large trailer in front of you doesn't work in the winter.

Let's just say that I was hoping to increase my Honda's fuel economy, but the amount of ice and sand on the road made it perilous for my windshield.

3. Moving mix CDs are best when made by friends and not oneself.

Thanks for my best friend Kristen and Ian's cousin Ben, we had three new CDs of moving music to listen to on the 25-hour drive. I also had made myself a moving mix, but I could only listen to it once for enjoyment, instead of the suspense, novelty, AND enjoyment that are available when listening to an unknown CD.

2009-01-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

Introduction

2009-01-04T14:24:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone!

I am starting this blog so I can keep everyone who's interested updated on what Ian and I are doing in Iowa. This way, no one will receive mass e-mails or be placed in the awkward position of having to ask to be removed from an e-mail list. (Just in case I assumed you're interested and you're not, or maybe you are interested but not that much.)

So, just in case you didn't know, Ian and I moved to Iowa almost a week ago so Ian could take a position at a church here. Basically, we moved because we were convinced that God was calling us here. The long version of the story is on Ian's blog (see Ian's blog here).

Anyway, I will try to keep this updated with anything interesting that happens.