edamame brittle

I am not a candy maker. But I just had to try this recipe - especially since I'm going to a party tonight that includes a mountain of confectionery goodness.

If you're not aware of edamame, then let me educate you. Edamame is a type of soy bean that is the only vegetable that provides complete protein - yep all of the amino acids are there. Anyway, we usually buy them frozen from Sam's Club. You nuke the little pack of blanched beans in their pods and then toss them with some sea salt. Delicious.

But here's the cool thing. You can use them as a substitute for peanuts and make a super tasty brittle. In contrast to peanuts, which are high in fat, edamame a low fat, high in fiber and protein of course. So although you still use a boat load of sugar, the nutritional value is very high.

Here's Alton Brown's recipe from Good Eats - The little bit of cayenne adds a great kick - the perfect balance of nutty, sweet, salty, and savory...


Ingredients

* 7 ounces dry roasted edamame
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 pound 6 ounces sugar
* 12 ounces water

Directions

Place the edamame, soy sauce, cayenne pepper and salt into a small mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Line a half sheet pan with a silicone baking mat.

Place a 3-quart saucier inside a large cast iron skillet. Add the sugar and water to the saucier, and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until it comes to a boil. Stop stirring, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the sugar is a light amber color, approximately 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the edamame mixture. Working quickly, pour the mixture onto the prepared half sheet pan and spread thin with an oiled spatula. You will have to work quickly when pouring out and spreading the mixture in the pan. Cool completely, approximately 30 minutes, and then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

dogality

"Mom, you still haven't told to me what dogality is." "What are you talking about Titus?" "Well, you explained what personality is for a person, but you haven't explained what dogality is for a dog!" "Right you are my son. Right you are." "But mom, what would dogality be?" "Well, it would be all of the things a dog is like. Loyal, playful..." "Not bad, friendly." "You got it son."

Willie Nelson on the Colbert Christmas Special

My apologies to our sensitive readers...this was just too funny!

Too much time on his hands?

This is a really very funny video of a dude doing a real life version of Mario Kart. Don't try this at home, kids!

penultimate!

gotta love the homophones

pencil obama

A few days after the election, my students and I spent some time drawing our new president. I had such a good time drawing! I actually was the last one still working on my picture, and deciding I should probably get back to teaching rather than simply participating, I hurried through the lower part of the face...which is obvious! Anyway, here's a slide show of my drawing with a little extra emphasis on the parts I love.

remember melinda?

Last night while sitting at Starbucks, I heard "My Funny Valentine". I had flashbacks to my friend Ruben singing to Kesia at their wedding and Ray singing "Nancy With the Laughing Face" to me at our wedding, but the best flashback (sorry fellas) was remembering Melinda Doolittle's absolutely dope performance of MFV on American Idol a couple of years ago...it is worth listening to again. And again.

kansas city's holiday songbirds

So one of my dear friends, Emily, is music personified. Its just what she does. And one of the cool things she organizes is a holiday season all-girl band called "The Sugar Plums". Tuesday night I was confessing to Emily my jealousy of my friend Mindy who is singing in the band. I received an immediate invitation to join. That was easy.

We'll be doing a lot of rehearsing over the next couple of weeks and even more performing in the month of December. It should be a lot of fun. Nice to be doing something out in the community and extraordinarily nice to be singing again!

Oh, and I should add that all of our proceeds will be going to a very cool non-profit org called Wuqu' Kawoq, which supports indigenous Mayan groups in Guatemala through medical and language work.

Check us out on facebook or myspace...

one for the ages

Last night was a great culmination to months of hoping and hours of CNN watching. Like so many other Americans, this election meant more than any other I've ever been a part of. We had a great time watching the results unfold with some of our friends and got a picture of the boys on this historic night.

Today one of my students was making a power point presentation about the election. He gathered ten or fifteen pictures of Barack - one in a gray superman costume, several from the campaign trail, and then, much to my initial displeasure, several photo-shopped images of Barack's head attached to ripped abs sporting gangster tats, and throwing up gang signs.

During our conversation about the choices of his content, the student said he liked the images. Far from being disrespectful, they actually showed admiration. The images were appealing because they brought an admired man into this boy's world - the street.

Of course, part of me thought "No, he's supposed to inspire you to reach higher and envision a life outside of the violence and destruction of gangs and guns. You're supposed to want to be like him." And then I thought about the incarnation. There is great comfort in knowing that someone you admire, someone who is worlds away from you, will enter your world. That's a beautiful story.

Big is beautiful

So I went to see Broken Social Scene last night at the Beaumont Club in KC's cool and slightly seedy Westport neighborhood. I'm getting closer to something like old, as I'm feeling in almost every part of my body the hazy afterglow of a great show.

I appreciate a great power trio and opening act Land of Talk was a very tasty musical morsel. I liked them so much I bought their new CD, "Some Are Lakes." Definitely worth a listen. Lead singer reminds me a lot of early, teen-aged Natalie Merchant-era 10,000 Maniacs, when they were still punk. The title track is particularly fun.

How do I describe Broken Social Scene? Hmm...

Most things I've read about the band feel compelled to mention that they're great (which they are) and that they're from Canada, as if that's some remarkable point. I don't see why. Our neighbors to the north produced Rush, after all, still one of the greatest prog rock outfits ever. And if Iceland can give birth to Bjork, Canada certainly has the right to rock greatness.

BSS is big music.

Every once in a while the goddess of music transits her hand across the aural constellations and lines things up in the same place at the same time and something transcendent happens. In 1999, that happened in Montreal, and BSS was born, a motley crew of musical polymaths who strayed from one instrument to the other during a non-stop set that lasted two hours and was still going strong when I left the club slightly before midnight.

BSS is wonderful. They're a stone soup of influences: the Clash, P/Funk, Green Day. They love to interweave staccato guitar lines with quiet, tension-filled moments that build and build until you realize the barbarians are definitely at the gates and actually you've been overrun and you might as well slap on face paint and start dancing like everybody else. Tribal.

Co-founder Kevin Drew (below left) is the group's frontman, in as much as he sang slightly more than anyone else. If Warren Beatty's character from "McCabe & Mrs. Miller," (below right) instead of being shot to death, was transported to 2008 and made a alt rocker, that's Drew. Fellow BSS founder and bassist Brendan Canning had some fun, including some old school stage diving. It's not fair, I know, but Canning sounds uncannily like Rush bassist and lead singer Geddy Lee. Is it a Canadian thing? Either way, Canning and Drew have built an impressive stable of fine musicians, which is always a good thing.

I know that BSS is sometimes called (or accused of being) a jam band. I'll deny that 'till the day I die. Every song they played was composed. It had a pointed beginning, middle and end, with appropriate--though not predictable--rising and falling motions throughout. There was purpose to their noise making. They may share some traits with jam bands, in as much as they're very democratic while on stage. But they're not a jam band, and I don't want to hear another word about it.

One shoutout: Though everyone else had some time in the green room during the show, drummer Justin Peroff (left) sat on his throne and kept the band's musical "stuff" together. That's the hardest working man in show business these days.

Two revelations: (1) BSS has the best brass section I've heard since I last saw B.B. King, and they were used perfectly to spice things up. (2) Guitarist (and sometimes bass player) Andrew Whiteman (right) was easily the most charismatic person on stage and his playing was brilliant. Wielding his guitar like a red cape, he posed and strutted like a torero at a Spanish bull fight. Whiteman also helms the band Apostle of Hustle, and I want to hear more.

getting my bona fides

It's official. I'm now a hard-core veteran teacher of inner city juvenile delinquents. Thirty minutes into my work day, the students came down stairs. And one little fellow just wasn't going to cooperate. Who knew that a second request for him to get his binder would rouse the sleeping monster within. He let out a growl and slugged me in the right hip. Good thing there is a lot of extra padding. After my adrenaline subsided, I did feel a bit of a sting for a while.

The poor kid. He really needs to be in a psychiatric hospital setting. But until then, he better be in lock-up. Assaulting a teacher is not a good addition to a wrap-sheet.

a perfect fall saturday

Up at 6:30. Work on refinishing the front door.
8:30 go to KMart to buy a new pair of soccer shin guards.
10:00 head to soccer game.
11:15 picnic with soccer team.
12:30 drive to Bonner Springs for the Renaissance Festival.
6:30 eat dinner at Bo Lings in City Market.
8:00 watch the Hawks destroy the Hoosiers.

A perfect day!

Well, duh...

So the other day we're in the car on the way to church, talking about Cascone's Restaurant, an old school KC institution on North Oak Parkway.

Titus asks, "What restaurant?"

"It's the one we pass when we're taking you school," we reply. "The one with the sign shaped like a diamond."

"No," Titus says, "it's a rhombus."

Getting real

An interesting take on the VP debate by a couple of academics.

"Biden vs. Palin - Movement Analysis Defines Who Won the Debate"

By:Karen Kohn Bradley
Associate Professor
Certified Movement Analyst
University of Maryland

and

Karen Studd
Associate Professor
Certified Movement Analyst
George Mason University


Sarah Palin lost the room immediately after Joe Biden got real.

Until that moment, the debate had been a farrago of swirling facts, shuffling notes, and competing spins, with the occasional Palin wink and smile at the people in TV land. On a movement level, both the Vice-Presidential candidates showed a sense of urgency, and the increasing speed of their deliveries overcame whatever meaning the sound bites had. About halfway through, all of us, Gwen Ifill included, were headed into a trance, as if we were watching a merry-go-round spin faster and faster, punctuated only by those strange smiles.

What about those smiles? Not exactly heartfelt or even remotely resembling pleasure, the candidates took turns smiling during the other’s answers. Each time, it appeared that a choice had been made: to smile rather than “go negative”.

Palin was narrow in posture and gesture and directed herself to the camera, reaching forward, advancing and committing to a course of action. Biden was a little more open, gathering information and presenting a broader range of options. Both were very good at letting people see these stylistic differences, making the choice much clearer.

But then, Palin made the wrong choice. Once again she spewed her talking points, completely failing to notice that Biden had just produced an extraordinary answer — an answer not about policy, but about himself. Biden made a direct and powerful connection with the American people, the very "Joe Six Pac—soccer mom" voters Palin had been rhetorically and repetitively attempting to own. Palin was incapable of responding to this authentic moment, which was rich with nonverbal information about Joe Biden as a father, a parent, and a public servant. Instead Palin just stood there, looking straight at the camera, with not a moment of concern or compassion in response to what Biden had revealed.

Why this moment was the critical moment: movement reveals a great deal about how people make decisions, how they tackle problems, and how they relate to others. Too many "body language" experts focus on a particular gesture or body part. In our movement analysis, we look at the movement "event" as a part of the individual's style. The movement event we saw Thursday night was authentic honest emotion. Joe Biden choked up. And then he pressed on.

No pitches for sympathy, no lingering in that emotion. He felt it, squelched it, and took it to a universal level, relating his own terrible experience to that of many Americans. At that moment, millions of viewers understood the role of a leader: to take one's own struggles and challenges and to relate wisdom gained to the situations at hand.

A stunning moment indeed and Sarah Palin missed it.

Karen Kohn Bradley and Karen Studd are Laban Certified Movement Analysts, who study the nonverbal and movement behaviors of political leaders.

One of my favorite bands, Broken Social Scene, and one of their best songs, "7/4 Shoreline." I'm going to see them at the Beaumont Club on Oct. 16 in KC. Still looking for someone to join me, since it's not really Nancy's thing.

connecting with my students

Hands down, my students' favorite TV show is "Family Guy". And, as I admitted to them, I have not seen even one episode, though I do know it is an animated show. Well, in my night owl mode tonight, I decided now is the time to check it out. If all of the show is this funny, I may have to start watching it.

and out it came...chapter 1

Yesterday Titus' principal was offering to help pull out those wiggly teeth. "I have a special tool in my office that can pull those right out. Come on, Titus." "He's just kidding Mom", Titus informed me. I guess they didn't need any help.

Shortly after lunch, Titus realized that he now has only one wiggly tooth. Oops. So the search began. We had stripped the beds for the weekly laundry and a first look around the house yielded nothing. But just as I started to vacuum under T's bed, I spotted the missing tooth. There it was, hiding out under the bed. Boy was Titus glad. "Extra money for the weekend!"

Here's the obligatory gap toothed grin pictures!

Titus' First Soccer Game

Tonight the Pythons played to an exciting 2-2 tie in their first game of the season. Titus played goalie for the first half of the game and was 1-1 on saves. He also struck a few wonderful poses for the adoring soccer mom. He had a lot of fun, which is the important thing, right? And all in all, it was pretty well played - kids went the right direction (most of the time), remembered not to pick up the ball (almost all of the time), and did their best (all of the time).

It was a perfect evening - California weather, as we like to say.

Reporter Ray Brings It Home Again

Yesterday Ray attended the Missouri Press Foundation's award banquet in Columbia. Continuing in his award-winning tradition, he brought home an honorable mention award for best story in education. The piece was one about a local middle school adding vegan lunch alternatives to the menu in response to the request of several students. Here's what they said about his article.

"For some, this would've been 'in other business' in a school board story. Good eye to see potential here."

In addition, the paper he writes for was selected as the number one paper in its class (papers with the largest circulation) of weeklies.

It is exciting for him to working for such an outstanding paper and a group of talented colleagues.

The current award is based on articles he wrote from his date of hire, August 1, 2007, through the end of the 2007 calendar year. I expect he'll get more awards next year when they have 12 months of stories to select from. Can you tell I'm proud of my hubby?

PS. Speaking of being proud. Titus recently was evaluated for the gifted education program in NKC schools, called Sage. The report indicates his IQ is in the top 0.4% of the population. Pretty cool, huh?

What I Love About Sarah Palin

Believe it or not, I am a Sarah Palin fan. Especially after watching her interview with Charlie Gibson.

SP definitely is a woman of great courage and vision. She conveys the strength that one could easily follow. I like her for that. I like her for standing up to public scrutiny and believing in her self. I want to be like that. I am in some ways. And in the ways I'm not, I am challenged to forge on. (I'm also curious about her inner dialogue. Does she ever doubt her self? Does she ever think she can't make it in the face of criticism, criticism that says "you're not good enough"?) Sarah Palin inspires me because she is a woman who has and continues to stand in sectors historically occupied by men.

For all of that I say, "Go Sarah! Uh-huh! Go Sarah!"

But that is where it ends for me. I love Sarah Palin the figure, but would never want her to represent or govern the United States of America on a international level. She knows about Russia because she can see it from Alaska. Well, what does she know? She already backed herself into a corner committing our country to war against Russia should they invade Georgia. Which they did. Crap. Another tough talking saber-rattling leader.

She thinks we can march right into Pakistan without their consent or cooperation if we have reason to do so. Yikes. Now we're warring with Pakistan too. Think of it. What if Russia, her next door neighbor, brought their military right into Alaska in pursuit of someone they were hunting ineffectively for 7 years with all of their military force destroying homes, infrastructure, civilian lives - rounding up "evil doers" and holing them in Russian prisons - all with no regard to our wishes. We are all spooked because Russia is doing military exercises with Venezuela. How does she think the rest of the world sees us?

And then there are the bureaucracies and efficiencies. What? I could talk in such generalities about what our government should do.

So my objections are not to her. I really do kind of like her. I admire a lot about her. The problem is she is ignorant when it comes to national domestic issues and international issues.

My husband always likes to use the phrase "The Peter Principle" - when one rises to their level of incompetency. They work their way up to increasingly larger stages - say, PTA pres, small town mayor, governor of the least populated state in America - and because of their success they get an opportunity to do something for which they are imminently unqualified. SP fits the description, wouldn't you say?

mccain highlights

gotta love the kcmo school district

I just read in the KC Star that the KCMOsd board is going to ax the reading curriculum they have had for the past two years. Duh. It takes a longer investment to get good data on the results. That is just one problem. How about this? They are axing it for this school year, which starts on the 25th.

I just spent the past three days being trained to do reading instruction with Success for All, our district reading curriculum - well, until last night, that is.

A response to the article posted on the Star website by a district parent/teacher said that part of the problem is that the board makes decisions without consulting the teachers & administrators. What a mess. There was also an accusation of board members getting kick-backs from publishing companies for using their materials. What a mess.

I'll just have to remember that in the midst of all this mess that I am diving into are some kids who really need someone to believe in them and teach them. I'm just wondering what in the heck I'm supposed to use to get that job done!

ozark mountain get-away

When I was a kid we'd meet my Oklahoma cousins in the Ozarks for a week of skiing and family fun. I couldn't help but reminisce this week as we swam in the same lake, drove the same winding roads, and took in the same scenes of beautiful southern Missouri.

Though Branson is now over-run with live shows, we took in only one - Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede. I'm a huge Dolly Parton fan, which may surprise some of you. She is one of the most talented song-writers and business minds in American history. If you can see past her cartoon boobies, and look at her career, you'll find an amazing woman. OK, so the show was a bit hokey, but it was very well produced, fun, and entertaining - yes, there were pig races, ostrich races, and horseshoes played with toilet seats - but, like I said, the gestalt was impressive and enjoyable.

Beyond that, our time consisted of mini-golf and a day on the lake. Titus and Ray played a total of four courses. (I sat one out and went shopping.) But the hands down favorite was the Pirates Cove course. We decided early on that we needed a moratorium on complaining about the heat - we dripped sweat every time we went out and unfortunately the resort pool became an over-sized hot tub. The only way to cool down was to take a cold shower and hang out in the AC - a remedy we also practiced regularly.

Enjoy some pix...

free at last

I got the call today. The good news call, that is. I will be the lead teacher at Jackson House, an alternative residential center with the KCMO school district. Although the facility is not conventional, the position is classified as a standard teaching position which means a regular school day, vacations, in-service workshops, benefits, etc.

My commute will be about 15 minutes. If you're familiar with KC at all, I'll be working just a few blocks from the Crown Center. I have much to learn about the facility. All that I know is that it is a boys only facility for kids involved with the courts system. We have a max of 15 kids at a time, and they use an educational software program called Plato. I will be part of a team, with specific responsibilities for the academic portion of the day. Kids will be there from 2 or 3 days to 2 or 3 weeks.

Beyond that, I have no clue! What an adventure, huh? I feel equipped for what lies ahead and know that at least prep and grading will be minimal. As the director said, what these boys need is someone to love them and care for them. I'm up for that.

Perhaps the best part is that my 11 month stint as an emergency dispatch operator at ADT is DONE!

about the job

Well, I just opened the flush letter from NKCSD. If you read our blog, talk to me, or see my facebook page, you know I've been waiting for a LONG time to hear the verdict on my three interviews. You also know that I've been pretty confident that I'd get the job.

Yesterday we got a little insider info that suggests I won't be getting an offer. I'm very bummed. But I'm also able to keep things in perspective. It still is my dream job, and maybe one day I'll get to work there. But for now, it looks like I'll be doing something else which will probably not allow me to walk to work.

I had an interview this morning with the KCMO School District for a teaching position with their alternative schools. There were three options, two of which are teaching, the other working as a discipline coordinator in support of teaching staff at a K-8 building (not something I'm interested in for a variety of reasons). They plan to let me know next week. Both would be challenging and rewarding work. I'm kind of leaning in preference toward being the lead teacher at a facility called Jackson House, a transitional housing facility for boys. I would coordinate their academic work. The boys are there anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. The other option is a more traditional alternative school for grades 9-12 where I would teach language arts.

I'll keep you all posted. Seems like I'll be offered a position, but who knows.

the end is near

Hey sports fans...I just got home from my final interview for the counselor position at Northtown. It went very well, I'd say. I interviewed with the principal and the two co-chairs of the counseling department. The word is that a decision will be made and the central office notified tomorrow. Who knows how long it will take the central office to notify me of the status...

So...thanks for all of your encouraging words, your prayers, and your expressed interest. I hope to have news real soon...and let it be good news, right?

horrible news

Our dear friend Jeremy was killed in a motorcycle accident last night. Jeremy was one of the liveliest guys I've ever known - bright, warm, caring. Please be praying for Jeremy's fiance, Tina, and their little boy, Quentin, who turned one this spring, as well as Jeremy's family. They are all so dear to me and Ray.

SWISHER - An Iowa City man was killed and five other people were injured — including three young children — when a motorcycle collided with a car Sunday.

Jeremy R. Brenneman, 23, was pronounced dead after the motorcycle he was driving collided head-on with the car on Highway 965 at Cou Falls Road south of Swisher around 6:30 p.m., according to the Iowa State Patrol. Deputies reported that Brenneman was southbound on Highway 965 when he collided with the car turning west on Cou Falls Road. He was thrown from the bike.

The driver of the car was Mohammed A. Alterbal, 33, of Cedar Rapids. He was injured, along with Lisa Alterbal, 33, Aliyah Alterbal, 3, Hazma Alterbal, 1, and Bethany Campbell, 9, all of Cedar Rapids.

They were all transported to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where information about their conditions was not immediately available.

An investigation into the incident continues.

anticipation

I realized yesterday that I am now completely exhausted by this interview process. It has been over two months since I interviewed with the district, and a month since I found out that the school was still looking for someone to hire. I'm still thinking I have a great shot at being offered the job, but I have almost no emotion left.

So...today is Monday. My interview is at 1:30 this Thursday with the counselors. I expect it will go well, and I will feel like I had every chance at putting my best foot out there to be evaluated.

The other night, Titus prayed - "help me not to be too excited if my mom gets the job, and help me not to be too sad if she doesn't get the job". As you can see, our whole family is feeling the impact!

And last night I told Titus that if I get the job, there is not going to be any celebration that is too much - there will be dancing, and shouting, and jumping...and then he rolled his eyes at me!

this is kind of cool

Our friend JR is a designer for a publishing company. He recently asked to shoot Titus and Ray for a book cover...here's a look at our boy.

happy birthday dear titus

A good time was had by all.

birthday cake

I decided to make an Indiana Jones hat-shaped cake for Titus. I didn't think to take pix until I was part way through putting on my crumb coat, but at least you can get an idea of how the cake is put together. It is going to be a neapolitan cake - strawberry and vanilla cakes with chocolate frosting. I also braided a whip out of black licorice and will place them on a map for the centerpiece...should be pretty cool. I'll add some more pix tomorrow as I comes together.

job update

So I had my interview Monday morning. It was the best interview I've ever had. I REALLY like the principal - easy manner, similar philosophy about working with kids, open - I would feel very comfortable working with him. And, the possibility is still there, although I have one more interview. Next Tuesday I'll be interviewing with the counseling department co-chairs. I've already met one of them; she is one of the people who recommended me to the principal.

The principal said they want to make a decision in June, but obviously time is running out. Things are pushed back a bit due to one of the counselors being out of town. The bottom line is that things are looking good, and I've made it to the next round...the waiting is the hardest part...

I'll keep you posted. Check back next week.

another hoop

Today I got a call from the North Kansas City High School principal offering me an interview for a school counselor position. Yippee, yahoo! This is my dream job, and I'm pretty confident I'm going to be offered the job. Counting my little unhatched chickens, you say? Well, the fact is that I met a co-chair of the counseling department last week. She gave me the inside skinny. They had offered the job to someone else, but that person declined. She was lamenting their predicament - no other interviewees had any high school experience and none had knowledge of the SASI program used to schedule classes.

I was a bit perplexed at why they would not have interviewed me, since I have both experience at the high school level and have not only used SASI, but also was primarily responsible for its implementation at IMS (the school in Iowa where I used to work). She encouraged me to contact the principal, who replied with a hopeful, but curious statement.

"Complete the on-line district application, and I'll have the central office get in touch when they have your records." Odd. I did that last winter. I suspected that my double last name had once again been the complicating factor, an assumption proven true today when the district confirmed they were looking for me under "Weikal".

At any rate, I'm very thankful for all of the people who were a part of getting me this far in the process. Northtown is a great school. I did a lot of subbing there this past year and love the climate which has been cultivated. It was by far my favorite of the three schools in which I subbed. For that reason alone, it would have been my pick. But, it gets even better. My "commute" (should I get the job) will be 1/6th of a mile! No joke. The school is around the corner from our house.

If you want to check out the school's website, click on the picture. Also, note that the rounded portico is the entry to the student services office where the counselors are located...I'll keep you all posted!

some thoughts on politics and faith

Last fall I picked up Jim Wallis' book entitled, "The Soul of Politics" at our local used book shop. This week, I started reading it again and am blown away by Wallis' timely assessment of the religious and political landscape of America (the book was published in 1994); the seeds he saw happening then have now flowered. I guess I should expect it. He, more than any other individual (in my opinion) over the past thirty years, has thoughtfully wrestled with questions of faithful Christlike living and American politics/culture.

Anyway, I am reading this book at just the right time. Funny how we pick up just what we need on the journey. I can tend to get a bit burned out and discouraged by the political partisanship, the faith communities unproductive alliances, and the media's inability to understand the role of faith in public life.

Just look at how the media and general population has no idea what to do with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Father Pfleger, and Rev. Hagee. I'm not saying I agree with their positions or their choice of words, the attitudes they reveal, etc. I mean to say that in the entire public conversation, I have heard little that articulates the prophetic nature of faith communities. Roland Martin, a CNN commentator, tried to get at this point, referring to the radical nature of Dr. King's message and life as well as the long tradition in African-American churches of speaking against injustice regardless of the perpetrator. (Yes, that means even the USA can be an oppressor at times.)

I am comfortable with this voice, probably due in large part to my years spent among the Mennonites. I didn't always understand the positions presented - nuclear proliferation in the 1980's, pacifism in general, conscientious objector status, an opinion that GW Bush would put us in a war, immigration issues, the call for forgiveness of foreign debt, etc. But more and more, I get it. Point by point, I confess my blindness. I learn, as my Mennonite friends have taught me well, that I am first a citizen of heaven, with allegiance to the way of Christ over ANY man-made political power structure, be it nationalistic, ethnic, or economic to name a few. I get it now today more than yesterday; I repent humbly and try to move ahead with greater integrity in living the Kingdom life. It is a Kingdom here and now as much as we will make it so - following in the way of Jesus, infused by the Spirit.

Well, this has turned into a far too lengthy post. If you care to read some excerpts from Wallis' book, read on. I hope it whets your appetite for more of his writing!

When religion becomes conformed to the culture, it can no longer provide a reliable path to spirituality, and our public life loses its moral compass. The two dominant forms of religion in our time have failed to provide the spiritual guidance that might inform a politics of moral conscience. Both conservative and liberal religion have become culturally captive forces that merely cheer on the ideological camps with which each has identified. And religion as a political cheerleader is invariably false religion.

Conservative religion has become preoccupied with words and dogma. Correct religious language and doctrine have replaced an emphasis upon faithful living and action. A certain lifestyle is associated with conservative religion, but it reveals more about the cultural and political biases of its adherents than about the meaning of authentic faith. Personal piety has become an end in itself instead of the energy for social justice. Religious language has little or no connection to moral action in society. In a bargain for power, some conservative religious leaders have aligned themselves with reactionary political elements, creating a particularly bizarre and frightening combination of religion and politics. In the most materialistic culture in history, conservative religion has produced a gospel of prosperity. In a society whose inequitable distribution of resources has become obscene, conservative religion has become a defender of the wealthy. Within the greatest military superpower in the world, conservative religion has become a primary advocate for extending American hegemony and a consistent defender of the nation's every war. In an already divided and polarized society, the religious right has drawn even firmer boundaries. It has been a white religion, has fueled the backlash against women's rights, and has used blatant caricatures and attacks on homosexuals as highly successful fund-raising techniques.

The confusion and rejection of Christian faith caused by this unholy alliance of religious appeals and right-wing politics are now pervasive. Liberal religion has made its own pacts with political power and has aligned itself with the liberal power centers of the society. Often its "political correctness" reflects the values of liberal elites more than the authentic voice of the powerless, in whose name liberal religion often claims to speak. Reforming our language for the sake of, for example, racial and gender justice is important. But ideological conformity undermines prophetic integrity.

..... Prophetic spirituality is the alternative to the current manifestations of conservative and liberal religion. Much older than either of the contemporary religious options, the prophetic biblical tradition is rooted in the Hebrew sages, Jesus, and the early Christian community. Prophetic spirituality has found expression in virtually every renewal and reform movement in history that has sought to return to radical religious roots. ... a prophetic spiritual movement for social change has been steadily growing and is making a difference in the institutions of both religion and society. ... It relates biblical faith to social transformation; personal conversion to the cry of the poor; theological reflection to the care for the environment; core religious values to new economic priorities; the call of community to racial and gender justice; morality to foreign policy; spirituality to politics; and, at its best, it transcends the categories of liberal and conservative that have captivated both religion and politics.

** The art is a painting by Jay Lonewolf Morales entitled "Humility Holds on Flesh Falls".

they say it's your birthday

I'm blogging at the end of a very long day. I've been up for almost 22 hours now. Tonight we hosted a surprise birthday party for Ray. It was a pure delight. He had no idea and was thoroughly pleased with a houseful of friends and rich desserts. I realize this is the perfect arrangement, me throwing surprise parties for Ray. He loves surprises. I love anticipating things, planning, scheming, plotting, cooking, and creating a wonderful evening of great food & friends enjoying it all. I'm having a bliss hangover.

And if you weren't with us this evening, you should know we had perfect weather in which to enjoy our quintessentially American front porch, freshly scrubbed and adorned with cafe lights, purple potted flowers and candles, we ate tiramisu, chocolate cheesecake, key lime pie, baked brie with apples, and strawberries, we had fresh roasted coffee and three kinds of dessert wine (thank you Kathleen for your contribution), lots of laughter and good jokes (many told by the Titus himself). It was an evening when our house held the sounds and tastes and smells of the life we love. We are very blessed with wonderful friends and very glad to have Ray as a friend, father, and loving partner.

no such thing as a free lunch

Ray scored some free Royals tickets through work for today's baseball game against the Cleveland Indians. Pretty nice perk, huh? We sat directly behind home plate in the shade in the lower section. NICE seats.

The only problem is that along with the free tickets were two Royals caps for Titus and his friend, Raj at $9.95 a piece - two BBQ sandwiches at $7.25 a pop, two hot dogs totaling $7.50, peanuts & cotton candy at $5.50 each, a frosty malt for $4.25, two flavor-ice popsicles $7, two sodas about $10, $5 for a program, and parking for $9...I don't think I left anything out. I suppose the free special edition river otter wearing a KC Royals cap and holding a KC Zoo fish compliments of Build a Bear Workshop has some monetary value...but the bottom line is...BEWARE taking two kindergarten boys to an MLB game even if you score some FREE TICKETS!

P.S. In spite of the significant financial investment in an afternoon at the ball park, it was a very fun day - the Royals even obliged us with a six run winning effort! Something totally unanticipated!

P.P.S. In about the 8th inning an ad popped up on the jumbo screen scoreboard. "Don't forget! Every Sunday is Family Day at Kaufman Stadium! 4 Tickets, 4 Hotdogs, 4 Sodas, 4 Bags of Peanuts, and a Souvenir Program all for $44!" ... Did I mention we had free tickets today?

one down, twelve to go

Titus finished up his first year of school. Yep, kindergarten is in the books. He won some awards at the end of year assembly for teamwork in PE, completing the reading challenge every month, and getting published in the district K-12 anthology called Lodestar. Following in his father's footsteps already!

Here's his writing sample selected for excellence among all the kindergarten students in the 20 North Kansas City School District elementary schools.


The Right Kind of Fries

McDonald's makes the kind of french fries I really like. They're salty and skinny. I pick um up, dip um in some ketchup and then chew um. Then I just wipe my mouth with the napkin and I'm done.

Ok, my turn:

1. One movie that made you laugh?
Jackass, The Movie

2. One movie that made you cry?
Shindler's List

3. One movie you loved when you were a child?
Star Wars

4. One movie you’ve seen more than once?
Dr. Zhivago

5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it?
The Chronicles of Riddick

6. One movie you hated?
Muholland Drive

7. One movie that scared you?
Alien

8. One movie that bored you?
Pirates of the Carribean II

9. One movie that made you happy?
Finding Nemo

10. One movie that made you miserable?
Mulholland Drive

11. One movie you weren’t brave enough to see?
28 Days

12. One movie character you’ve fallen in love with?
Lara from Dr. Zhivago

13. The last movie you saw?
The Return of the King

14. The next movie you hope to see?
Prince Caspian

15. Your favorite movie?
Lawrence of Arabia

my movie favorites

So this is appearing on the blogs of some friends of mine. I'd be interested to hear your responses too!

1. One movie that made you laugh
Nacho Libre

2. One movie that made you cry
Crash

3. One movie you loved when you were a child
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again

4. One movie you’ve seen more than once
The Bourne Supremacy

5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it
Pulp Fiction

6. One movie you hated
Train Spotting...does that count? I couldn't even make it past the first 20 minutes.

7. One movie that scared you
A Thief in the Night

8. One movie that bored you
Lost in Translation

9. One movie that made you happy
Ratatouille

10. One movie that made you miserable
There Must Be Blood

11. One movie you weren’t brave enough to see
Blair Witch Project or any horror flick - but I don't equate it with bravery...

12. One movie character you’ve fallen in love with
Mel Gibson as William Wallace

13. The last movie you saw
Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer

14. The next movie you hope to see
Midnight Express - it is the movie we currently have from our Blockbuster queue

15. Your favorite movie
I can't choose just one! Are you kidding? If it is witty, smart, a good 'who dunnit' element, beautiful, clever .... then I'll probably like it a lot ... here are some ... Run Lola Run, Crash, The Bourne trilogy, Finding Nemo, Little Miss Sunshine, Stranger Than Fiction ... just off the top of my head

a few updates

For those of you who follow our lives via Weikalpedia, you'll be glad to know that Titus did indeed stop eating his boogers! (What a relief to finally find an incentive for him!) We opted for the Star Wars Legos, specifically Luke Skywalker and his star fighter over the dino Legos. Titus is quite pleased. I am very proud of his self-discipline and very gratified by the additional lesson he learned regarding lying. Hopefully that one will stick around for a long, long time.

I have had some unpaid time off work lately at ADT, which has been very helpful. I guess they are overstaffed on the day shift right now. At any rate, it has allowed me to finish up my three on-line classes with UMKC which I needed for my educator's license renewal. If you aren't aware, I have decided to find a job with the schools and continue seminary studies on the side. I love working with youth as a counselor and teacher and the benefits of a professional salary, weekends and holidays off, and breaks that correspond to Titus' schedule kind of make it a no-brainer.

I had a first interview with North Kansas City Schools last Friday. The first step was a screening interview with one of the Associate Superintendents. Next would be an interview with a building principal. The exciting thing is that the school I am most interested in has an opening for a counselor for next year. It is the most diverse school of the district's four high schools and is located less than two blocks from our house. I'm carrying a lot anxiety and haven't been able to find peace with the process yet. Keep praying for me.

Also last Friday, we all got to have a special pancake breakfast at Titus' school because we attended all of the previous three "Breakfast with Boooks" events. It was a fun morning of visiting with Titus' t-ball coach, watching out for flying pancakes (The guy who cooked them is a world record holding pancake flipper and he would flip them without warning half way across the gym onto random plates.), and a few good books shared with my boy.

my first dinosaur legos

I get some dinosaur Legos this Thursday. To get my Legos, I shall not eat my boogers.

It has been very, very hard, to tell the truth. Sometimes I think I should tell a lie when I really did eat my boogers. But my mom said from now on whenever I tell a lie she would not believe me and she would ask me if I'm telling a lie. I am going to start telling the truth because I started telling a lie when we at a restaurant named O'Dowds. Then I snuck under the table and I ate my boogers and then I told a lie. Mom said to me "Are you telling the truth?" And I keep saying, "Yes". And then my mom once said, "I believe you." I felt kind of bad.

Today I told a lie and then I told the truth. My dad came and my mom told him about lying and then she told him about telling the truth. She told me that she could feel the badness in her heart when I was lying. And I said I felt it too. And then she told me that she could feel the goodness in her heart when I told the truth. And then I said I could feel it too, in my heart. I was feeling better when I was not lying and not feeling so good when I was lying.

what a weekend

We finally had a beautiful spring weekend and lucky me, I was on my new work schedule so I actually got to enjoy it with family and friends. We had a last minute bbq Saturday night, lunch with some friends after church Sunday, and an afternoon meander through the Brookside Art Fair. All in perfectly delightful "California weather".

Some of our best friends here include Laura and Nathanael Lyons. (She has the long hair and glasses, he has the long hair.) Laura wants to be theology/philosophy professor one day and Nathanael is looking into nursing. (I think he might have studied international policy or something politically minded in his undergrad days...he's also a CUBS FAN! Yippee!) These guys are great fun and super with Titus.

The other couple pictured is Mindy and Josh Hancock. In addition to being our pastors, they are our friends...maybe that should be stated the other way around. We love spending time with these guys and feel so blessed by their vision for and leadership of our church.

friday evening

Last night was a beautiful spring evening in NKC. We all went for a walk to Macken Park and snapped a few pix of our lovely boy.

the great american past-time

Titus starts t-ball tomorrow. This is his first year to play. He's very excited. And I am too. His team, if you can't put 2 and 2 together, is the Dodgers. He didn't get to do soccer because by the time I sent in the registration it was full. So, we'll look forward to lots of games at the Macken Park ball diamonds for the next two months. Watch for some pictures. (And I'll admit, it does bother me that he has to play for an NL team that is not the Cubs! Hey, but at least it isn't the Cardinals, right?)

That was really cool.

I had my first official Chris Farley moment at the Education Writer's Association convention in Chicago tonight. The keynote speaker was Steve James, the guy who made "Hoop Dreams," one of my all-time favorite films. After his talk, James was surrounded by a throng of admirers. I, of course, was one of them.

Pretty freakin' cool, if you ask me.

Love this town

Dearest loved ones,
I made it safely to the place they call "The Windy City," and boy, was that true, as I purt near got bucked out of my plane seat. I took the "orange train" to Roosevelt Station. People are very nice here and they sure are pious. They talk about Jesus Christ all the time. They also talk about their mothers a lot, though not necessarily in a kindly way. Anyhow, switched to the "red train" (didn't see any communists, though) and got off two exits too late. Had to turn around at Grand, I think, right next to the Really-Blowin'-Snot-That's-Expensive Mile.

Here's me and my new beauty spot at the train station exit (why is my nose taking a left turn?).
Everyone seems to be in a hurry here, so I authoritatively set out down the street and walked two blocks in the wrong direction. A nice man at a bus station let me know that "the lake is that way." Phew, thank you, sir! Got back on track and again tried to act like the locals, which mostly seems to involve stepping in front of turning taxis. Arrived safely at the hotel and got some latte in the smallest Starbucks I've ever seen, about the size of Titus' closet. Finished my last story for the week while sipping my drink in the hotel lobby. Was eventually allowed to check in. Here's me with my room's view of other buildings.

This afternoon, I walked with a couple of other reporter types to the Tribune building for a session about how to use technology to make reporters work a lot more than they already are. Once again, we set off with authority up Michigan Ave. After two blocks, the woman we were with started saying, "I thought the Tribune building was that way" while pointing in the direction opposite our own. Our little band's alpha male (not me) kept saying, "No, no. Trust me. It's this way." That was until he stopped and said, "Isn't the river north of us?" (negative)
Reorientated, we found the inconspicuous Tribune Building and made it to the session.
Tomorrow, I hope to get lost on the way to Lou Malnatti's.
Peace and love,
Ray

From Sojouners ...

Imagine by Jim Wallis

In The Great Awakening, I wrote,

Imagine something called Justice Revivals, in the powerful tradition of revivals past but focusing on the great moral issues of our time.

Imagine linking the tradition of Billy Graham with the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr.

Imagine a new generation of young people catching fire and offering their gifts, talents, and lives in a new spiritual movement for social justice.

Imagine disillusioned believers coming back to faith after many years of alienation, while other seekers discover the power of faith for the first time.

Imagine politics being unable to co-opt such a spiritual revival but being held accountable to its moral imperatives.

Imagine social movements rising out of spiritual revival and actually changing the wind of both our culture and our politics.

Last week in Columbus, Ohio, that vision came to life. The first night, as I stood on the stage looking out over a church filled with 3,500 people inspired by Matt Redman's opening worship music, I felt a sense of amazing grace. Over the next three evenings, more than 10,000 people attended. There would have been more if they could have gotten into the Vineyard Church -- this largest church in Columbus seats 3,500 people, but it turned out to be too small for the crowd. Pastor Rich Nathan of Vineyard and Bishop Timothy Clarke of the First Church of God, the co-chairs of the revival, led the services. My three sermons focused on the call to conversion, the call to community, and the call to justice.

Hundreds of people came forward to commit their lives to Christ for the first time, and thousands came down the aisle to commit themselves to the social justice that is core to the kingdom of God, to the "least of these" whom Jesus calls us to care for. The Columbus Dispatch headlined a story, "The Justice Revival: Faithful aim to aid poor, as Jesus did," and wrote:

The revival ... is a call to walk the walk and dig into issues about which Jesus preached, such as helping the poor.

Our call to the churches was to make the city of Columbus their "parish" – that the churches of the city together take responsibility for what happens in their city. The whole spectrum of the churches, from the most conservative to the most liberal, supported the revival. On Thursday evening, 50 pastors from those churches joined on the stage for an altar call to make Columbus the parish of the churches in the city.

Friday evening, an inspiring challenge by Dr. Gene Harris, superintendent of Columbus Public Schools, asked for mentors who would develop relationships with the city's children led to hundreds of responses. On Saturday following the revival, the Dispatch wrote that the "Revival's faithful take good will onto streets":

About 2,000 people -- many of them teenagers, college students, and young adults -- took to the streets of Columbus yesterday for community-service projects that put their Christian faith into action.

Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio came to our "City Leaders Lunch," as did Mayor Michael Coleman of Columbus, city council members, many nonprofit organizations, and many more pastors. They spoke together about communication and collaboration, and the partnerships among them that could change the city.

Billboards announcing the Justice Revival were all over town and simply said, "Love God? End Poverty." By the end of the week, the stories of how people wanted to follow Jesus into relationship with the poor of Columbus were changing the image of Christianity in the city. And that change will continue, as one local pastor said in the press:

Bethany Christian Church's co-pastor, Elaine Fennell, reminded the volunteers that their mission didn't end yesterday. "We cannot sleep, not until poverty is no more and no child is hungry and they all have shelter and clothing," Fennell said. "You are the beginning of a revived movement. We are going back up the mountain, and we cannot rest."

It was an extraordinary week, even more than I had hoped. As we discern how to move forward, many other cities now want Justice Revivals in their communities. Just imagine!

why i'm still awake at 0400

Titus is asleep in my bed.
I don't want to lug his 50# body to his bed.
My sleep machine is in my room.
Facebook keeps suggesting more people I might know and want to be friends with.
I drank a nasty cup of coffee at 11:30.
Titus is asleep in my bed.
I don't want to lug his 50# body to his bed.
I can't collapse on the couch.
My sleep machine is in my room.
Titus is asleep in my bed.

*Ray admiringly calls my cpap machine get up my "alien egg layer" - I thought the picture was appropriate - love you honey!

Cyberpunk angst

This song says it all:

Dumpster Diving on Quality Hill

There are a few things that my husband endures when it comes to my personality and the sometimes questionable antics it tends to produce. Dumpster diving with no shame is one of those questionable antics. Well, tonight he indulged me. Maybe it was because it is birthday week. Maybe it was because spring has finally arrived to the KC metro area. All I know is that his willingness to go along with things tonight scored us a very nice chaise lounge.

Here's how it went down. After a slightly above average meal at Manny's, I suggested we take the long way home with a little tour through Quality Hill. (If you're not familiar with KC, Quality Hill is a downtown neighborhood with great views such as the one above. It is a mix of a few old mansions and newly built row houses.)

We zigzagged our way through the neighborhood, fantasizing about an alternate lifestyle that would involve higher paying jobs and money for private school, but mostly just enjoying the lovely neighborhood. And then it happened. "Whoa! Honey, turn around. There was a great chair in that dumpster back there." It really just sort of spontaneously slipped out. I knew that Ray would not humor me without further cajoling. " Just drive me back there and let me check it out. You can duck or go park the car a block away and pretend you don't know me. But please, can I at least look at it?" "You don't know how hard this is for me", he said as made a u-turn in the next intersection.

Now I don't mean this in the literal sense, but two angels suddenly appeared in the form of hip young ladies who obviously lived in the area. "Oh, you're taking that great chair!" "Yeah! And for the record, my husband in no way approves of what I'm doing here. But reduce, reuse, recycle, right?" "Absolutely! (OK, maybe they didn't say absolutely - but they did OBVIOUSLY approve of what I was doing!) Did you find the cushion for it? I saw a cushion with the same fabric in a dumpster in the upper lot. Just go down here to the corner and take a left then another left." "Thanks!"

Not to be thwarted by the daunting task of getting an overstuffed chaise lounger into a VW Passat, we lifted the cumbersome chaise into the trunk and secured it with jumper cables. At this point my gratitude for Ray's agreement to go along with my whole escapade was making it almost tolerable for him. Plus the affirmation of two young successful looking women eased his embarrassment. And to top it all off, our McGyver-ing the chair into the trunk had just enough tinge of mechanical genius to make him the slightest bit proud.

Our trip up a pretty steep incline on the way to the pot of gold ...er, uh... I mean the upper lot dumpster that supposedly held the cushion to said chaise lounger, convinced us that the chair would indeed make it across the river to our house. But all of that satisfaction was eclipsed by adolescent exuberance when I spotted the cushion. The angels were right! There it was! My little end-zone celebration was a moment of complete glee. And to my surprise, even Ray was grinning, although later he said it was not so much about the chair, but about my obvious delight in the whole thing.

What a lovely story, huh? Well, chapter two wouldn't be so great. The honeymoon was quickly over when we lumbered up the steps to the back door and realized that this chair was a BEAST! But after one hour of flipping and pushing, two doors being removed from their hinges, door jambs being popped off for the first time in 80 years, and a few words on the "Titus don't ever repeat what Mommy just said list" ... we finally got that thing upstairs to the playroom. We each took a turn lounging in the chair and declared it a worthy dive indeed.

* Here's the denoument of the story line. I guess I have just signed up for my first upholstery project. The chair actually could use some new foam on the arms. It is very solid, just needs some padding. When I suggested getting it reupholstered, my sweat-soaked hubby declared "NO! This thing is NEVER leaving this room."

High anxiety

As close as I'll ever come to that trail:

Free movie score music from Moby

Yet another reason why Moby is one of the coolest humans of the planet:

"no handlebars" by the flobots

an awesome song by a hip hop outfit from Denver:

freaked OUT!

So we had a great spring afternoon here in KC. After picking up Titus at school, we did homework and then headed to the garage to stain our bamboo blinds. Deciding it was really a grown-up's job, Titus opted to ride his bike around the drive way. I need to back up I guess.

Titus had already run down the street, four houses away, to see if his buddy Evan could play. He immediately came home saying that Evan was at someone else's house. That is when we headed out to stain the blinds and ride the bike.

After about 15 minutes or so. Titus heard Evan's voice. "Mom, can I go see if Evan is home now?" As always, I followed up my affirmative answer with "come right back".

Being engaged in my staining project, I didn't keep track of the minutes. It must have been 10 minutes later - maybe 15 - could have been 20 - and I realized - no Titus. I made the trek up the street, paint brush in hand, a bit irritated with my boy who was, no doubt, playing at Evan's. But his mom said, "nope, Titus isn't here. He came by about an hour ago and I told him Evan wasn't home." After a brief discussion about suspicious dog deaths in our neighborhood, I said I needed to go find him. "I expect he came back home and went inside. See you later."

I called for Titus in the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, his bedroom - upstairs, downstairs. No response. Outside under the front porch. No answer. Still figuring that he was playing somewhere with Evan, I was miffed. And just a tad bit concerned. Down the alley, his name being called out with increasing volume - no answer. Back inside. "Answer me, Titus. Where are you?"

Now I'm equally mad and scared, but still in control. Another trip up the street. Another round through the house. Another look under the porch and down the alley both ways. Nothing. Evan and some other kids peered out on the next block over. "Have you seen Titus?" Up the street again, another kid - "have you seen Titus?" Back down to our house. "Titus!" Across the street again, "Is Titus hiding? I need to know if he's with you?"

I can no longer say I don't know what it feels like to lose a child. At least I now know the initial feeling a parent has when their kid has disappeared. One more time through the house, this time through sobs, my voice losing control a bit. Elizabeth, who is living with us, came out of her room. "Titus is missing." Quickly she came out, looking across the street, headed around the corner. I'm sobbing now. It has been 25 - 30 minutes since he left to see if Evan could play.

I was walking toward the back of the house when the switch flipped. This is it. This is our son. We are the crying parents on TV - amber alert - how could I let this happen - Ray's going to be so mad at me - oh God, where is he? Titus!

I grabbed my phone and called 911. The woman on the other end told me I needed to calm down so that she could understand me. "I can't find my son. My son is gone. He's five." Still sobbing, still calling out his name, answering her questions. "Where did you last see him?" Now Evan's mom is on her porch holding her baby. Evan and the other kids across the street are calling for Titus.

All of the emotions were there. He was really gone. And then Elizabeth yells from the alley, I could see her between the houses - I found him! "We found him." I told the 911 lady. He's OK. We found him.

I sat and held my baby. Right there in my neighbor's drive way. Small boy. My boy. He was lost and now found. He was OK. Still alive. Still mine. Still safe.

*I needed to write this. I'm obviously glad this had a happy ending. But believe me. Even though we had a happy ending, I spent a solid 5 minutes thinking my only child was gone - taken - abducted. My emotions were 100% of the "my baby is gone variety". It was intense. I feel like I was run over by a truck physically. Emotionally, I quickly recovered. But the pure adrenaline driven emotion of losing a child is like nothing I've ever experienced in my life. I wish I could put it into words. Such a solitary experience. I'm so sorry for all of those parents who have not had the happy ending.

burning down the house

Great '80s tune. Bad Friday evening activity. Frustrated this evening by the March wind, I pulled our little charcoal grill around to the side of the house and made a windbreak by stacking two very large and heavy cardboard boxes. Titus and I went inside while the coals got hot.

About ten minutes later Ray came home from work. Very tired from a long day of cranking out stories, he was confused by the fact that he saw a cardboard box on top of the grill. Perhaps Alton Brown and the Food Network are to blame for his curious yet nonchalant reaction. Instead of doing anything about the burning box (which was also touching our house), he came inside and asked if it was supposed be like that. Later he said, "honestly, I thought it was some sort of homemade smoker you had devised after watching Alton Brown".

Well, I ran out to look at it, pulled the box off, ran back in to get a rug, and told Ray to to get some water. I did my best Smokey Bear routine, stomping out the flying bits of flaming cardboard and smothering larger chunks of the box with my rug. We burned about a two foot section of our yard, and ended up with a surprisingly small pile of ash in the drive.

We're glad it all was OK in the end. But MAN WERE WE BOTH DUMB! Ray and I honestly couldn't figure out who was dumber - me for setting cardboard boxes by an unattended burning grill adjacent to the house - or Ray for inspecting a fire and doing nothing about it before asking his wife. We concluded that alone we're both dangerous! Good thing we've got each other!