Life in pictures (and words)

The rains have stopped for now, and the squirrels have been out in force, gathering acorns while they may. And we've had plenty of "rainbow weather" days, bringing shadow and light and color to the hills.

Another game, another win. The most exciting thing is that it was a team win. Everyone got a rebound, all but one teammate scored.

#3's stats: 13 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists, 1 block.

Unfortunately, Saturday was a day I needed to be in two places at once. We quickly made our way up the hill from a harp lesson, checking in with the peanut gallery for updates. We parked and RAN to the gym .... and the buzzer went off right before we got in the door. We made in time to see the high fives and to hug a sweaty boy. We had to settle for the blow-by-blow, color commentary details, and it made us all the more excited for next Saturday. Go Heroes!!!

And most importantly: order has been restored to our universe, the crack in our fragile eco-system has been repaired. After weeks, eternal weeks, of trying to make a defective espresso machine work, we gave up and ordered a new one. This is our only coffee maker, our fountain of dark roast morning joy, our source of zip for the swing shift of life. It was a relief to smell the drips filling the carafe, to hear the whoosh of the steamer creating stiff foam, to take that first, smooth sip. Aaaahhhhh....we are complete once again.

Thinking about...

Only words that would not be trite in the presence of a dying man, only ideas that would not pale in the face of the rising sun or in the midst of a violent earthquake:


"God is One"

or:

"Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts..."

may be used as metaphors
in speaking of God.

~ Abraham Heschel

I Asked for Wonder

Afternoon

After a crazy week of here, there and everywhere, the afternoon quiet, with the rain falling on the hillside, is a welcome change of pace. I keep seeing raindrops ricocheting off the hummingbird feeder, jumping up and around and back down to join the welcome rain as it soaks into our parched ground. The pond down the hill is filling, making our winter water fowl ecstatic, and the creeks and rivers seem to be sighing in relief as the rain falls and falls and falls.

In the last week we've been to Irvine and back for our annual southern trek in speech and debate. It was a fantastic week. We shared car and hotel with friends, and somehow managed to coordinate six people through a maze of Starbucks, mirrors and make-up, crock pot meals, showers, straight ties, clipped back hair, Jamba Juice runs, debate rounds and cozy sleeping digs. Shared cost, shared driving, shared hearts all made the time fly with smiles and relaxation amidst what can only be called an insane schedule.

Amidst it all, though, I made a new in-real-life friend. Susan from Short on Words came to the tournament twice, with dudes in tow, and we grabbed the time to talk and figure out what path we took to find each other online. Like most of the cyber-becomes-real life connections I have made, it all began at The Well-Trained Mind message boards. Many a welcome thread has been woven into my life from that origin.

Susan, being the spectacular photographer that she is (proof ), did that "camera over the head" thing, and snapped a photo:

Di and Susan

My job now is to be in regular contact with Eldest Dude and convince him that his life is incomplete, at best, without speech and debate. Come, join the insanity!

Debate results were encouraging all around. Our club did extremely well, and our boys were both part of the club success. When you work so hard, both in and out of the debate round, seeing faults and working hard to improve them, seeing strengths and learning how to focus those and make them effective, it is a joy to see diligence win. The truth is that hard work does not always equal a win, but this time it did. I wept with joy when my sons were able to advance to the outrounds. It was a gift I will not soon forget.

Debaters let loose

When it was all over, we hit the beach at Huntington for some relaxation and play. Winter is not the right word for the weather that day...even if it was January. As I looked around the group, seeing serious senior debaters digging in the sand, splashing in the water, buying plaid sunglasses, I was reminded once again what a gift it is to have such rich fellowship in these fun and wild years of parenting.

While we were gone, the basketball show went on. The youngest again showed his prowess on the rec. league court. No pictures were taken, but the daddy is stat man, so we know the glorious facts: 20 points (9 baskets and 2 free throws), 2 assists, 11 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 blocks. And most importantly, another win. They are now 2-0. You heard it here, folks: get your autographs while they are free (-:

Another huge splash hit the blogging shores while I was gone: Blogless Lynn has begun the already infamous Hannah Coulter Book Club for Copy Cats. All I can say is READ THE BOOK and join in the great conversation. Lucy and Ethel are at the wheel, and there promises to be tears and cheers and plenty of thought-provoking discussion.

Hours after I began this post, the rain is still falling, with an occasional break for rainbows and puffy clouds. The afternoon has passed with quiet reading, the sound of typewriter keys typing away at debate evidence, and a little bit of Hannah Coulter to keep me company. It's a gentle slide into the week-end which promises to be a peaceful blend of activities and tidying up the home front. It is good to be home.

Introducing....

the newest members of the family.

Named for two of the many aunts in P.G. Wodehouse, we are happy to have

Daphne

and Dahlia.

Life is a thrill a minute

The first game of the season: twelve points, seven rebounds, four steals, one assist.

And a win: 26-10.

We're ready for what promises to be a very competitive and fun season!

More on Father Neuhaus

From Rev. Robert Sirico, via the blog of the Acton Institute:

"The loss of Neuhaus to the effort for an honest ecumenism, a robust and stylish debate over matters liturgical, cultural, political and literary in his death is monumental. Who will replace him? Indeed, I can almost hear Richard’s deep, sonorous voice countering me, “Robert….we are each unrepeatable, irreplaceable.”

Still, in the death of Richard John Neuhaus, America has lost one of its most capable and finest interpreters and the Church has lost (or better, gained for ever) one of her most loyal sons. As he wrote:

Death is the most everyday of everyday things. It is not simply that thousands of people die every day, that thousands will die this day, although that too is true. Death is the warp and woof of existence in the ordinary, the quotidian, the way things are. It is the horizon against which we get up in the morning and go to bed at night, and the next morning we awake to find the horizon has drawn closer.

He sought to teach how to live better lives and die good deaths. Now we must learn and embrace an old-fashioned practice that is nonetheless essential: grieving. I will grieve over his good death in all the days that I have left and count myself honored beyond words, to have been a friend."



HT: Wittingshire

Rest in peace

Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, a leading voice of Catholic conservatism in America, and one of those rare theologians and spiritual leaders whose influence vastly exceeded the boundaries of their religious community, has died at 72.

If you are not acquainted with Fr. Neuhaus, then you are not a subscriber to First Things.


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Thank you, Father Neuhaus. May you rest in peace.

Happy New Year!

I'm here. Really I am. But so are the debaters. They are tapping on my shoulders, reminding me that the first tournament is on the 14th. Of this month! Coming too soon. And there is evidence, just waiting to be found, and briefs to write, and speeches to prepare...and, and, and.

And so I hand over the laptop to my desperate crew, and my lists of books and my fascinating musings will have to wait for yet another day.

But have no fear - I will be here, sipping my coffee, working through the latest math lesson, reading Poirot mysteries, and trying to find Mr. Rochester in all the fog swirling around our house.

And I will be listening to speeches, trying to laugh at the right places (I am terribly famous for laughing at the WRONG places).

And I'll be watching basketball. One more boy joins the basketball swirl, and his second season promises to be a joy.

So be patient, and enjoy that sidebar of links. It will lead you to worthy destinations.