Just a quick one. Yesterday, I played through the 4 movements of Bach that I'll be playing in April. From memory. This means I just about kept my goal of having it memorized in one month. Mind you, it's not read-for-concert memorized, just get-through-it memorized. But still.
Today, I baked bread. I do that a lot, but today, for the first time, I baked bread using my very own sourdough starter that I've been faithfully feeding for over a week. And you know what? It was very good!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
16 months
Alina has been 16 months old now for 5 days. Among her favorite toys are Russian nesting dolls and keys. She's ALWAYS liked keys, but now she actually tries to put them into locks! She loves her BIG Little book and the Foot Book and spends hours looking at her board book Bible, often while sitting on the potty chair! When she gets to the page with Zaccheus, she holds her hand out and makes a sort of dribbling motion. The motion for the beginning of the "Zaccheus was a wee little man" song! She still loves peek-a-boo. She loves to sit in chairs. One of her favorite games is to put her fingers in or on your eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. I think walking can finally be considered her preferred method of locomotion. She also loves to pluck the guitar's strings and often makes it be known that she wants to get "her" violin out. She knows the rosin goes on the bow, and that the screw turns somehow. Somehow she'll even stick out her neck so I can put the violin on her shoulder. She LOVES animals. Whenever we're out for a walk, she'll point and make little excited noises whenever we see a dog or a cat. I don't think her grandparents' cat is so enamoured with her, though. Her grandparents, on the other hand...
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Supermodel
Here at long last is Alina modelling the skirt that I made for her. Now, I just need to make her another...
Monday, February 18, 2008
Elections
It is local election time in France. This is our first election since we've moved back to Melle, and it's proved an interesting experience. In France, there is only ever one question on a ballot. Not like in America where you have to vote for tons of individuals for different offices as well as referendums and such. One question. Short and simple.
Because of the one-question principle, local elections are organized around "lists." There are not candidates, but lists of candidates. In Melle, they are lists of 27 people. Presumeably, the first person on the list is the mayoral candidate, the next couple are deputy mayor candidates, and the rest are city council member candidates. In Melle, there is sometimes only one list. What choice! In that case, it's a socialist list, because Melle is a predominantly socialist town. This year, there are the socialists (left), and also a second (farther left) list. The guys from the right are trying to put together a list, but they only have til Thursday, and as of this weekend they were missing 2 people. When you vote, then, you can't pick and choose individuals from the different lists. You choose your list and it's all or nothing.
This has affected our lives because Thomas is now scared to leave the house. Every time he does, he runs into at least two people who want to know if he's on a list, and who might ask him to be on one since he's not. He was active in politics before his little Parisian stint, and I guess people thought he might want back into the game. In France, protestants usually vote for the left (liberal Catholics, too; the conservative ones vote right, of course!).
We'll be glad when Thursday is past and the lists are official. Then Thomas can once again go on his daily walks in peace, and we'll keep you posted on how Melle's voting goes. At least, if it's interesting.
Because of the one-question principle, local elections are organized around "lists." There are not candidates, but lists of candidates. In Melle, they are lists of 27 people. Presumeably, the first person on the list is the mayoral candidate, the next couple are deputy mayor candidates, and the rest are city council member candidates. In Melle, there is sometimes only one list. What choice! In that case, it's a socialist list, because Melle is a predominantly socialist town. This year, there are the socialists (left), and also a second (farther left) list. The guys from the right are trying to put together a list, but they only have til Thursday, and as of this weekend they were missing 2 people. When you vote, then, you can't pick and choose individuals from the different lists. You choose your list and it's all or nothing.
This has affected our lives because Thomas is now scared to leave the house. Every time he does, he runs into at least two people who want to know if he's on a list, and who might ask him to be on one since he's not. He was active in politics before his little Parisian stint, and I guess people thought he might want back into the game. In France, protestants usually vote for the left (liberal Catholics, too; the conservative ones vote right, of course!).
We'll be glad when Thursday is past and the lists are official. Then Thomas can once again go on his daily walks in peace, and we'll keep you posted on how Melle's voting goes. At least, if it's interesting.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Picture
I realize that for some of you out there, the primary purpose of this blog is to act as a vehicle of pictures of Alina. For all those Alina fans out there, hope this brightens your day!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Thanksgiving
We celebrated Thanksgiving today. I know, I know, usually Thansgiving is in November. But, the thing is, on Thanksgiving day last year, we had house guests from America, and it was a little complicated, so we didn't really celebrate in November. And, today marks the one-year anniversary of our move to Melle. One year ago, we left the bright, shiny, crowded capital for greener pastures (literally!). We decided, therefore, that celebrating Thanksgiving today would be appropriate. We had a (simplified) Thanksgiving meal for lunch. Chicken legs on a bed of stuffing, with cranberry sauce and a salad.
We're so thankful for the things this last year has brought us: Alina who continues to grow and delight us, our relationship, this wonderful house, Thomas's jobs at IMA and now in full-time ministry, my job at the music school, innumerable walks and evenings spent with friends and family, our visit to the States last May, good health for everyone...
Giving thanks today is truly appropriate.
We're so thankful for the things this last year has brought us: Alina who continues to grow and delight us, our relationship, this wonderful house, Thomas's jobs at IMA and now in full-time ministry, my job at the music school, innumerable walks and evenings spent with friends and family, our visit to the States last May, good health for everyone...
Giving thanks today is truly appropriate.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Little Gorilla
Alina has a book that has a gorilla on one page. Now, every time we get to that page, she yells and beats on her chest. We are so proud.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Non-Frenchified
To be complete, I feel the need now to share with you ways in which I will never be "Frenchified:"
I will always find it normal and healthy to walk barefoot.
I will alway find it abnormal and unhealthy to send a three-year-old to school all day, 5 days a week.
I will always find myself in situations where I'm unsure if I should use the formal "vous" or the informal "tu."
I will never see the point of taking the seeds out of the tomato before putting it in the salad.
I will occasionally experience that awkward moment where I'm not sure if I should greet someone with a kiss on the cheek or a handshake. I will hesitate, and the moment will go by with me doing nothing, even though I know that THAT is not the right thing to do.
I will never want kids to have to do a whole year of music theory before they can even touch the instrument of their choice.
My clothes budget will never equal that of your average French woman.
I will not see the point of going to the doctor every time I have a stuffy nose. Nor the point of taking mountains of medicine for aforementioned stuffy nose.
I will always leave my shutters open to let in the very last rays of evening sunlight.
I will always find it normal and healthy to walk barefoot.
I will alway find it abnormal and unhealthy to send a three-year-old to school all day, 5 days a week.
I will always find myself in situations where I'm unsure if I should use the formal "vous" or the informal "tu."
I will never see the point of taking the seeds out of the tomato before putting it in the salad.
I will occasionally experience that awkward moment where I'm not sure if I should greet someone with a kiss on the cheek or a handshake. I will hesitate, and the moment will go by with me doing nothing, even though I know that THAT is not the right thing to do.
I will never want kids to have to do a whole year of music theory before they can even touch the instrument of their choice.
My clothes budget will never equal that of your average French woman.
I will not see the point of going to the doctor every time I have a stuffy nose. Nor the point of taking mountains of medicine for aforementioned stuffy nose.
I will always leave my shutters open to let in the very last rays of evening sunlight.
Blessed Sunday
As I'm typing this, I'm waiting to see if Alina will wake up in time for she and I to go to church this morning. If she doesn't, I'm not waking her up. Last Sunday, we spent the entire last half of the service including the message outside. In the freezing cold. When we had both been sick. And I didn't have my coat.
Our congregation is blessed to own a building which is entirely paid off. This is great. It consists of the sanctuary and a small furnace room/storage room with bare concrete floors. Glaringly obvious by their absence are the words bathroom and nursery. I've discovered that it is extremely difficult to convince a toddler to be quiet (still would be nice, too, but we'll settle for relatively quiet) during a church service. If Daddy is up front and Mommy is at the organ, it's pretty much impossible. Last week, I was so frustrated. She had gotten away from Marc's wife who was watching her, joined me at the organ, then starting vocalizing her discontent. More screaming and a couple of trips between the back and front of the room, and that's how we ended up outside.
For the first time in my life, I seriously asked myself the question, "Why bother?" I certainly wasn't getting anything out of the service, we were distracting Thomas, and I'm sure we were keeping everyone else from really concentrating. Wouldn't it be better just to stay home? Even as I ask the question, something inside me screams that that is not a good solution. But it sure seemed logical at the time.
And think about this: If I, with my background and commitment that church should be a place for everyone including and maybe especially children, ask this question, what must a family with no church-going background think? If they bring their kids to our service once, you can almost bet that, barring a miracle from our sovereign God, they won't be back. Who can blame them?
I'm hoping and praying that we will find a solution that works for our family and also for those who might come to visit us.
Have a blessed Sunday. I hear Alina.
Our congregation is blessed to own a building which is entirely paid off. This is great. It consists of the sanctuary and a small furnace room/storage room with bare concrete floors. Glaringly obvious by their absence are the words bathroom and nursery. I've discovered that it is extremely difficult to convince a toddler to be quiet (still would be nice, too, but we'll settle for relatively quiet) during a church service. If Daddy is up front and Mommy is at the organ, it's pretty much impossible. Last week, I was so frustrated. She had gotten away from Marc's wife who was watching her, joined me at the organ, then starting vocalizing her discontent. More screaming and a couple of trips between the back and front of the room, and that's how we ended up outside.
For the first time in my life, I seriously asked myself the question, "Why bother?" I certainly wasn't getting anything out of the service, we were distracting Thomas, and I'm sure we were keeping everyone else from really concentrating. Wouldn't it be better just to stay home? Even as I ask the question, something inside me screams that that is not a good solution. But it sure seemed logical at the time.
And think about this: If I, with my background and commitment that church should be a place for everyone including and maybe especially children, ask this question, what must a family with no church-going background think? If they bring their kids to our service once, you can almost bet that, barring a miracle from our sovereign God, they won't be back. Who can blame them?
I'm hoping and praying that we will find a solution that works for our family and also for those who might come to visit us.
Have a blessed Sunday. I hear Alina.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Frenchified II
A while ago, I posted a link to our friend Mentanna's website where she talks about the ways she's changed since she's been living in France. After some thought, I have to add a few myself:
I've begun to suspect that Velveeta is not really cheese after all.
I occasionally think in centimeters and kilograms.
I catch myself referring to my jeans in the singular and my hair in the plural.
Given a choice between two brands of bottled water, I actually have a preference.
I assume that any meal besides breakfast will have multiple courses.
I forget to use ketchup as a means to get my toddler to eat things.
I never buy bottled salad dressing.
I've begun to suspect that Velveeta is not really cheese after all.
I occasionally think in centimeters and kilograms.
I catch myself referring to my jeans in the singular and my hair in the plural.
Given a choice between two brands of bottled water, I actually have a preference.
I assume that any meal besides breakfast will have multiple courses.
I forget to use ketchup as a means to get my toddler to eat things.
I never buy bottled salad dressing.
Time
A time to laugh
A time to nap
A time to tickle
A time to read
A time to discover
A time to explore
A time to cuddle
A time to grow
A time to look at pictures
A time to pluck guitar strings
A time to play peek-a-boo
A time to sing nursery rhymes.
There is a time for everything
Or, at least
Time for all the important things.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Prayers for France
Hi, although we do not have any connection with the groups involved in this initiative, we wanted to mention it. Thank you for your prayers for the church here in France.
MARIETTA, Georgia, January 30, 2008 - /Christian Newswire/ -- Next week, the international prayer coalition, Pray for France, is inviting Christians from around the world to intercede for France from February 6 through March 16.
"Things are happening in France." said David Broussard, president of the Christian Community Foundation of France, one of the coalition partners. "In addition to the recent elections, France will assume the presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2008. Spiritually, there is more unity among Evangelicals, an increasing spirit of collaboration between Protestant and Catholic communities, and a surprising amount of attention from the international Christian community."
France is one of the most strategic countries in the world to spread the Gospel. Geographically, politically, and socially the center of Europe, France has one of the lowest percentage of Evangelical Christians in all of Europe (.8%) and is over 30% atheist. Only 18% of the country's Catholic population believe in a personal God. Every day that goes by sees the continued deterioration of secular humanist philosophies and cheap consumerism that only leaves the French bitter and unfulfilled.
This year's prayer campaign is encouraging France's Christian population to reclaim the authority they have in Christ to live out and make known the Kingdom of God within their communities. The theme for 2008 is "Because He Reigns, Let Us Take a Stand."
This year marks the seventh year of the prayer campaign's existence which began in France through the efforts of the French organization Objectif France.
Objectif France mobilizes Christians to pray for France during these 40 days through a comprehensive prayer guide. The guide, drafted each year after collaborating and praying with a committee of key people in France, is now available in the United States through Pray for France.
Pray for France is a coalition of four non-profit organizations in three countries - Objectif France (FR), United Prayer for France (SA), Sentinelle de Prière (FR) and the Christian Community Foundation of France (US) - that are dedicated to mobilizing prayer for France.
# # #
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Web site: www.ccfof.org
MARIETTA, Georgia, January 30, 2008 - /Christian Newswire/ -- Next week, the international prayer coalition, Pray for France, is inviting Christians from around the world to intercede for France from February 6 through March 16.
"Things are happening in France." said David Broussard, president of the Christian Community Foundation of France, one of the coalition partners. "In addition to the recent elections, France will assume the presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2008. Spiritually, there is more unity among Evangelicals, an increasing spirit of collaboration between Protestant and Catholic communities, and a surprising amount of attention from the international Christian community."
France is one of the most strategic countries in the world to spread the Gospel. Geographically, politically, and socially the center of Europe, France has one of the lowest percentage of Evangelical Christians in all of Europe (.8%) and is over 30% atheist. Only 18% of the country's Catholic population believe in a personal God. Every day that goes by sees the continued deterioration of secular humanist philosophies and cheap consumerism that only leaves the French bitter and unfulfilled.
This year's prayer campaign is encouraging France's Christian population to reclaim the authority they have in Christ to live out and make known the Kingdom of God within their communities. The theme for 2008 is "Because He Reigns, Let Us Take a Stand."
This year marks the seventh year of the prayer campaign's existence which began in France through the efforts of the French organization Objectif France.
Objectif France mobilizes Christians to pray for France during these 40 days through a comprehensive prayer guide. The guide, drafted each year after collaborating and praying with a committee of key people in France, is now available in the United States through Pray for France.
Pray for France is a coalition of four non-profit organizations in three countries - Objectif France (FR), United Prayer for France (SA), Sentinelle de Prière (FR) and the Christian Community Foundation of France (US) - that are dedicated to mobilizing prayer for France.
# # #
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Web site: www.ccfof.org
Singing Kitties
I just found a hilarious video, for those of you with Sunday school background. You should have seen Alina rock out to this!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)