memories of grandma

I got a call from my mom this morning to tell me that my grandma had died. If you've read recent postings, it's my grandpa that we had been worried about, after he had broken first one hip and then the other. So I was/am pretty shocked. I was supposed to visit this past weekend, and at the last minute my mom said it was a little hectic and maybe I should wait till this upcoming weekend. So while I sit here and wait to find out more about what is happening in the coming days and weeks, here are some of my favorite memories of my grandma:

Braided rugs that she handmade and had all over her house; her bird feeders she fussed over to make sure there was enough food all the time; picking raspberries in her gardens; how much she loved her plants and wanted to give David cuttings since the two of them had this in common; when I was a kid and my brother and I slept over, I always loved that she had Museli (?) cereal that she would give me with half & half or some sort of creamy milk; short bread cookies in her cookie jars; looking under her bathroom sink to see what colors of nail polish and lipstick she had; she kept a daily calendar and would write little notes on each day of the week about what she had done that day, like "lunch with Leila" or something else completely routine and ordinary; her elegant and perfect cursive handwriting; looooong games of Shang-hi (the best card game ever) around their dining room table; during card games of Shang-hi the feisty way she'd say "I want that" when a card came up she wanted to steal; her eye for beauty and pretty things; when people would tell me that I remind them of my grandma I always felt such pride and joy to hear that; her beauty and grace; her fiery stubbornness; her advice to me when I got married: to always share and love each other - so simply, so sweet; at my wedding shower, after opening a particularly lovely piece of lingerie, it was my GRANDMOTHER who said "you'll only wear it for 30 seconds"; she figured out email and always sent me every forward imaginable; with some prompting she even created a facebook account; her recipe for peppermint bark and almond rocca; she was so excited when we announced we were moving to the Portland area, because she thought Oregon was such a "progressive state"; her strength as evidenced throughout her life as a war-time wife and mother; her faithfulness to send birthday, Christmas and anniversary cards; how she always said she was proud of me and believed in me.

organization

Exciting news - 18 months after we packed up and left Seattle, we are finally completely and 100% unpacked! Not a single box remains unopened and sorted through. It's an amazing feeling, having everything in it's right place... even if that "right place" is in the corner of a closet. Our 4th bedroom is still pretty much a disaster area. Empty plastic storage containers in one corner, several boxes of pictures and albums that we are temporarily storing for some family members (soon to be given back), a craft table, some tools, our fans (no, not our adoring public, but the fans that circulate air through hot stuffy houses), a ladder (which really should be in the garage), and our bean bag chair (which I continue to insist is not a "regular" part of our living room furniture but can be brought down when a cushy seat is desired). Sigh... these items will also need to find a new home sometime in the coming years, but I suppose for the now the "Rocket Room" - aptly named for the extravagant outer space mural that covers one entire wall - can continue its function as a catch all room.

One other note - I have finally succeeded in securing bookshelf space for my counseling books... duh duh dun... in our office! This followed by the feat of securing a whole drawer in our desk for miscellaneous pens, pencils, office supplies and notepads last fall, and I actually feel like "our" office is our office! The background to this amazing turn of events is that when we first got married, the office was my husband's "room" that he could decorate however he wished. Since the rest of the house was "mine" to decorate, he's been a bit possessive about what goes into the office. Happily, we are reaching a point in our marriage where we can share. :) Brilliant!

what does it mean to be tagged?

Well, in any case. I was tagged. So here goes:

What was I doing 10 years ago?
Graduating from high school. Yikes! At this time, I was actually already graduated and in Bolivia with my friend visiting her family and working in an orphanage. Fun!

What are 5 snacks I enjoy?
Chips & salsa
Apples & peanut butter
Sun dried tomato wheat thins
Yogurt & granola
Ice cream (it's a snack!!)

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Tour Europe for a couple months
Buy a beautiful new Craftsman style home on acreage
Buy a cabin on the coast to use for vacations with family or friends
Help my parents make sure they can enjoy their retirement years
Counsel, mentor and disciple high school and young adult women

7 jobs I have had:
Nanny
Office Assistant
High School Youth Leader
Short-term Missions Coordinator
Admissions Applications Coordinator
Undergraduate Admissions Representative
Admin for the Doctor of Ministry program (aka Assistant Director :) )

7 places I have lived:
Idaho City, ID
Bellevue, WA
Issaquah, WA
Seattle, WA
Renton, WA
Vancouver, WA
Only 6 and almost all in Washington - how boring!

5 favorite hobbies or wanna-be-hobbies:
Hiking
Kickboxing/Pilates
Reading
Theology
Singing

If you read this, it's your turn!

hot stuff

Yes, it's true. We happened to be a store that had Dance Dance Revolution for the Wii available, and we decided to go for it. Sadly (or happily?), I am completely addicted. The first night I attempted the routine to "Hot Stuff" over and over until I felt I had pretty much mastered it... at the beginner level, of course.

my new theme...

IN PROCESS

Synonyms: unfinished, incomplete, uncompleted, fragmentary, partial, ongoing, in progress, not whole

My central theme for life right now is "in process". Not yet perfect (okay... never going to be perfect). It's playing out in all areas of my life, and most significantly within my own heart as I take an honest look at myself, the standards and expectations I have created, and the reality of life on a fallen earth lived out with fallen people.

Many themes of the Christian life fit well with the idea of "in process": journey, path, the way. We live in an "already, but not yet" state; yet I think I've lived most of my life with an expectation for "already."

Some verses that have hit home:

Galatians 5:25 - Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Romans 8:1 - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Musings from one who is "in process"...

what's new with me?

Work: Busy. I've had 2 doctoral class almost back to back and have a to do list over a page long of items that have taken a back burner so that I could focus on preparing for the classes. Since I like having all the loose ends neatly tied, this has been stressful for me. I have piles of things all over my office of different projects that are awaiting my attention.

School: Intense. I am only taking one class right now, on career and lifestyle development, but summer class are done as intensives, so it's a full 3 credit class crammed into 6 weeks. This one is over at the end of the month, and then I have two in July - a class on ethics, and a class dealing with the integration of counseling and the Christian faith. I like my career class, though. I'm working on a presentation right now, dealing with how the church can be more involved in career guidance. The idea is that God builds people for a purpose - each individual has unique talents and gifts that can be applied in a career, whether that is ministry or business. Seeing a person discover their giftings, realize their passions, and figure out how these can be used to meet a need in the world is exciting to me.

Internship: None. I get a break! I finished up at the college in May, and will start at Open House Ministries in September. I am glad to have a little more room in my schedule.

Family: Complicated. My Grandpa broke his hip about 6 weeks ago, and has been in the hospital, then a rehab facility, and now an adult care facility. He probably won't be able to move back into the retirement apartment where he and my grandma lived before, because it's likely he won't regain full functioning and the retirement apartment is not able to provide the care services he will need. This means that he and my grandma - who have been married for 65+ years - probably won't be able to live together anymore. Wow. I can't imagine. My mom has been spending a lot of time with them, and is drained in all ways. I'm too far away to do much, and feel completed out of the loop. On the other side of the family, David's parents moved down to Vancouver to be closer to us, and his mom's sister whose whole family is down here.

Friends: Fabulous! I've been intentionally making time for coffee and other fun times to relax, and this has paid off. Whoever said that thing about each man being his own island (or whatever) was nuts! We're made for community; we're made for relationships; and no matter how introverted a person is, they've got to have the support of at least a few key people.

David: Well, he's having to put up with me dealing with all of the above. We've got plans to hike to the crater at the top of Mt. St. Helens in July, and then spend a few days down at Crater Lake in August. I'm excited!

So. If anyone does still happen to check my ill-kept and outdated blog, that's an update on me!

creative endeavors

Before starting my first counseling internship

After completing my first counseling internship

These are a couple collages I made from magazine clippings to depict my feelings before I started my internship last fall, and after I completed it this May. I haven't made a collage in years (probably high school?) but this was a fun way to let the other side of my brain take over for a bit. I was surprised at the pictures and images that jumped out at me. :)