New England

Ok, now for my first fluffy post... I love New England!! I'm excited to be heading up there today because it's been a while for me. I had to cut out my 2 weeks in Connecticut this summer so I could be here for our bathroom "remodel" while T was in Brazil. Those 2 weeks I spend up there every summer are very important for my sanity, so I am actually on New England withdrawal and it's not pretty!

The three things I love the most about New England are Spring, Summer and Fall. I could actually do without Winter in any location! The one thing I dislike about New England is the money; this includes the money that most people have and a few select do not, how it is flaunted and how much it costs to just be/get there. It's almost like going to Disney World without the magic! Of course, growing up in Fairfield County didn't help in the money department, especially growing up without money. My father was an "inner city" teacher in Norwalk (haha) and my mom stayed home with us. How did we survive? My dad was a cheap Scotsman, as he so proudly put it. Fortunately, I can look past all that and see the beauty of that area of the country. New England has so much to offer in such a small area, and it is rich in Early American history. From Mt. Washington, to Boston Harbor, to Plimoth, Newport right down to Mystic the sights are numerous and all take you back into a time past.

Needless to say, I am excited to be heading up to luxury vehicle country, where I will arrive tonight on the coast and drive 2 hours north on Friday and be in the mountains of Mass. I'm hoping for a glimpse of some gorgeous color on that drive. The price I have to pay? Well, some unbelievable amount in gasoline and precious time spent digging out all my sweatshirts, sweaters and jeans that I have not needed her in Maryland for some time! I'm going to consider it well worth the effort even before I've left!

I love New England!

The Farm, the farm and the farm....

Em and I just got back from a preschool trip to the farm! Because she LOVES animals, this was a trip made in heaven for her. Because I love variety this might be my last chaperoning job for this class. Apparently, they have 2 more farm trips scheduled for this year. Hmmm... The next farm trip is the "Pumpkin Patch" trip and then in the spring we take our big bus trip to, yes, another farm. I actually think it's rather unfortunate! Of course, Em will love each trip because watching her today you would think she grew up on a farm!!

I leave tomorrow for Connecticut. My mom, sister-in-law and I are taking off Friday to go the Yankee Candle flagship store in South Deerfield, MA(?) and then heading into Hartford for the Women of Faith conference. It should be mighty fun, I hoping even for a sneak peek at some fall foliage in New England. I am not looking forward to the temperatures!! Of course, I would be even more excited if Beth Moore were included in the WOF lineup for Hartford, but she is not. All the same, I'm sure it will be refreshing.

Well, I need to go tend my 4 1/2 year old who can't be trusted out of my sight!

OH, YEAH!: Em also has a classmate whose mother has a Ph.D. in some kind of dairy farming field and she has connections!! She can get us into a dairy farm so the kids can have a hand at milking cows. That would make FOUR - yes, 4! - farm trips in one school year. I'd give anything to go to the zoo, the aquarium, the beach.... Save me!

Katrina: God's Punishment or Answer to Prayer?

So, I've been reading some comments on a blog that I read occassionally. Actually, I've only been reading it because T put it on my bloglines list!! The author, Alex McManus, poses the question "Is Katrina God's punishment on the US?" Now, I can understand this question but I'd counter it with, "Can God answer a prayer for revival with a hurricane?"

I am amazed how God has, for me personally, allowed me to witness what I think is the closest thing to an Acts church that I've ever seen through this tragedy of Katrina. T and I know a pastor in the NO area and I have been following the most amazing stories through his church's website. I can see that God has mobilized His body in NO in a way that I only wondered about as our pastor back here in MD spoke this summer on the book of Acts.

Now, I'm not saying that I'm praying for a natural disaster to come my way, but I think maybe it is just way too comfortable where I sit to really experience what it means to be an active member of the body of Christ in the most primitive way. There is certainly a psychological toll to pay, Christian or non-Christian, for these people involved, but I honestly look forward to these updates at their website because God is just being so real moment by moment with them - I'm excited and scared for them all at the same time!!

So, I guess my real question is, how can I be a truly active member of Christ's body without devastation?? Unfortunately, I think God knows that in order to get our attention, sometimes He has to pour out His wrath. And His wrath? Well, I think it's much, much bigger than New Orleans or Katrina or Rita. I hope as His body, that we can be mobilized and active and spiritfilled before his true wrath is poured out on us.

OK - now I'm just rambling...

El Primero

So, I finally did it! My blog. T will be so proud of me. He has resisted allowing me to spew out my mind on his old blog and now I'll have my own place to rant. Of course, he'll have to help me with the important stuff, like how this thing looks. All I really know how to do is write - everything else is Chinese to me (haha). I'm guessing this will end up being more of a diary for me than a voice in the world and that's OK. I might even change that title...

BTW - even after 6 years of Spanish, I can't speak a lick of it!! How embarrassing!