You Ask, I Answer, Take 1

This is it folks, the newest blog feature, named by Christianne, when my brain failed completely last night.  The first question is here, and you'll find new answers sporadically over the next days, weeks, and months.  AND, I'm counting on you all to keep me supplied with questions, so if you have a follow-up to one of these answers, or something totally new entirely, you can either leave it in the comments of one of these posts, OR you can email it to me, using the email address in my profile.

So, the first question to be answered, was the first one that was left, on the original post I put up, asking for your questions.

The question comes from Ian, who wrote:

Grey's Anatomy? really? haven't you seen stuff like The Mentalist? Dr. Who? i've got to think that you'll agree with my wife and say that Patrick Jane is just so dreamy.

Ian, I laughed so hard when I read this question!  So hard!

Yes, Grey's Anatomy, really!  But it's because I've been in love with the characters of Meredith and Christina, and watched and many times deeply related to their emotional development over seven seasons.  In many ways, through the years, my own journey of growth and healing has paralleled Meredith's in particular, and God has met me very uniquely in that, revealing things to me about myself, and my heart and mind and relationships.  It's also because I love the monologues that start and end the show each week, and because God has also very often spoken to me through the truths of those monologues.

That said, I've seen The Mentalist for the first time just recently, and yes, your wife is right, Patrick Jane is definitely nice to look at!  I'm not huge into crime dramas, but I have enjoyed that one for it's quirkyness and characters. 

As for Dr. Who, can't say I've ever seen it... maybe I'll have to check it out sometime!

Spanish Sewing

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with A, and baby N.

A. is from South America, has been a good friend for probably close to ten years now, and we had a great time together, laughing and catching up on the last month or so of each others lives, talking about where God is working, and enjoying the chance to sit and eat together.

I'd asked her a while ago if she would teach me to sew, since her mom is a fashion designer and A has been sewing since she was a really small child.  I frequently compliment her on a piece of clothing she's wearing and she'll say, "oh, I made it!"  In the past we've laughed over the fact that because she learned to sew while still living in South America, she doesn't know the English terms for many sewing implements, and only knows them by their Spanish names!  We talked about how if she taught me to sew, she'd have to help me with my quest to learn Spanish at the same time.

Today we talked about it again, and ended up in a fabric shop.  I hit a sale, and bought fabric and thread to make two simple skirts under A's direction for only $15!

We then contemplated when we'd get together to sew, and she decided she'd simply return today!

We've long taken time to pray together when we gather, so this afternoon we're going to cuddle baby N, and spend time sewing in Spanish and praying in English!  I'm quite looking forward to it!  So few of the friends that I can share intimate times of prayer, and truly enjoy sharing life with live locally, so to get time with a friend like A, and her daughter two days in a row, and to get to learn a bit of a new language and a new skill, and spend time talking together with Jesus is truly a blessing for me, and one I can't wait to enjoy!

(For those of you who are regulars, watch this space later this morning for the first installment of me answering your questions!)

Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 301

Today's Daily 5:

1. an unexpected and grace-filled late night conversation last night
2. laughing over a Garfield cartoon
3. catching and killing the mosquito that somehow got into my bedroom BEFORE I feel asleep and got eaten by it
4. a chuckle over this blog post
5. a morning walk, and the corner store having the item I needed to finish baking
6. the smell of banana bread baking, as it fills the house
7. baby N's giggles
8. recognizing healing
9. encouraging conversation
10. the beginning of an impromptu project
11. the joy that I find in watching friends and family eat and enjoy something I've prepared
12. "redemption comes in strange places, small spaces"
13. laughing over kid's Sunday school songs stuck in my head ("Life without Jesus is like a donut, like a donut, like a donut.  Life without Jesus is like a donut, 'cause there's a hole in the middle of your heart."  "Hip hip hip hippopotamus, hip hip hooray God made all of us..." "Have patience, have patience, don't be in such a hurry..."  "I've got a river of life flowing out of me, makes the lame to walk and the blind to see..." and any number of Psalty and/or GT and the Halo Express tunes were floating through my head)
14. jello
15. the blessing of online friends

I Need Your Help

Okay everyone, either tomorrow or Wednesday I'm planning to start posting answers to some of the questions you left for me.  But, here's the problem.  I need a fun name for this series.  And I'm drawing a blank.  So, I need some help. 

What should we call it?

Reasons This is Going to be a Good Monday

I woke up from some kind of rough dreams this morning, and I'm not feeling great.  So, I'm lying here reminding myself of the lovely things I have to look forward to today:

• Because three hours from now, my dear friend A, and her daughter N are coming to hang out with me for the afternoon
• Because it's Bachelorette day
• Because I have another full week of housesitting ahead of me
• Because there is leftover Banana cream pie in the fridge
• Because the weather forecast for the day is fairly warm and mostly sunny
• Because I'm going to make jello
• and banana bread
• and maybe cookies
• Because there is chocolate in the world
• and some of my favorite television shows are available on DVD
• Because I have reasons to smile, and I'm going to choose to enjoy them