This is much more interesting

Okay, the comments from the "Authority" post have been about the most interesting thing on this blog in quite a while. So, although I have my own thoughts about all of this, I think I will just keep quiet for a little while (forever?) and let you all continue this interesting dialogue. To keep things on track, I would like to pose what I think is the next logical question:

Who decides what is (or is not) "acceptable" behavior?

Of course you may comment on any other point that you feel is worthy, or pose your own question, for that matter. Whatever you do, it would be helpful if your comments included examples or explanation.

Please keep in mind that I have editing power. So, refrain from personal attacks, or I will edit/delete your comments.

Yippity Doo-Da

We got our I-171H from the Department of Justice yesterday. It's the "approval" we have been waiting for to bring Ms. Bao into the country. I will fax it to our agency tomorrow so they'll have it on Monday morning. They will notarize it, state certify it, and send it to the Chinese Consulate for authentication. We are hoping that there are some other families "ready to go" by the time that process is finished. The agency sends batches of dossiers to China. So, if no one else's is ready, we will have to wait for them before our stuff gets sent.

But, it's one step closer, so I am thankful. :)

---------------------------------
Paul took the kids to a basketball game last night. For the first time, Ms. Boo took note of the cheerleaders. She couldn't remember what they were called, but her memory of what they did was crystal clear. She put on a clinic for me after she got back, and it was all I could do to keep from laughing. I could "see" in my mind's eye what moves she was trying to do, but what came out of her body was absolutely hilarious. Perhaps I will have to get out the video camera for the next session.

I taught her a few moves too. Now she runs around pointing her finger in the air and shouting "WOOOO, [mascot]!"

Love that kid.

Thanksgiving

I am thankful for:

• God's grace to me.
  
• Paul - He is a fantastic guy. Not too many people know him very well. But I do... and I like how calm he is. And he is faithful and unselfish. And, he's cute too.
  
• Ms. Boo - especially when she "spells" words.
  
• Mr. Bug - I love to ask him what a frog does. He responds by bending over, jumping about an inch off the floor and shouting "hop!" over and over again.
  
• Ms. Bao - I don't know who she is yet, but I already love her!
  
• My life - I like my life.
  
• A new pastor - coming soon to a church near me. YAHOOOOOO!
  
• Sewing
  
• Long weekends
  
• Getting to go to Wittenberg - to visit, but also as a student.
  
• Helen
  
• Shelby
  
• Maureen
  
• Shelah
  
• The Smiths
  
• The O Family
  
• Getting to stay home with my children
  
• perspective
  
• God's love and how it transforms me into someone I could never be on my own.
  
• play-doh
  
• Post Great Grains cereal - yum.
  
• my warm house, and my warm bed.
  
• Being able to buy Christmas presents for my kids.
  
• eating turkey!
  

On My Mind

Authority.

We all live under authority, though we don't necessarily realize it. I think that trying to share my many thoughts about authority in this post would end up being completely frustrating for me. I'd do better with a conversation. So, I will leave it to Psalm 33 to say some of what is going through my head.

The Lord frustrated the counsel of the nations;
He thwarts the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of His heart from generation to generation.
Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord - the people He has chosen to be His own posession!
The Lord looks down from heaven;
He observes everyone.
He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth from His dwelling place.
He alone crafts their hearts;
He considers all their works.
A king is not saved by a large army;
a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.
The horse is a false hope for safety;
it provides no escape by its great power.
We wait for the Lord;
He is our help and shield.
For our hearts rejoice in Him,
because we trust in His holy name.
May Your faithful love rest on us, Lord,
for we hope in You.
-Psalm 33:10-22

If you haven't noticed

I am getting bored with this blog.

But, by way of update, I must say that the trip to Wittenberg last week was very fun. I got to sit in on two informal q&a sessions with Dudley Herschbach, as well as hear his two lectures. He was great fun to listen to. He knows so many people... and all their stories too. I was particularly interested in the history of the development of NMR, which I studied at Penn State, and the different perspectives that physicists and chemists had on the same problems. Fascinating.

The only thing that would have made that aspect of the trip better would have been if the lady who kept interrupting his technical talk had not attended. She actually interrupted him THREE TIMES. Once, she even said "If I may illuminate your point," and then went on to make a total idiot of herself, obviously knowing nothing about what he was saying. Seriously, a Nobel prize winner in chemistry having his point illuminated by someone who knew nothing about chemistry. I was embarrassed for her, but mostly I just wanted her to shut up.

Got to have lunch with Drs. Finster and Cline. Got to see (from a few rows back at the lecture) my old p-chem prof. He is still wearing the same hat! And, we got to experience Dr. Sartoris's "1-iodoisopropyl people ether" joke again. Ate at Young's and Mike and Rosie's. Lovely.

Last but not least, Jenny came with me... great fun. We chatted til one in the morning about just about everything. It was interesting to learn about stuff that happened 10 years ago that I never knew was going on. And it was fantastic to have someone to talk about chemistry with again... even though neither of us could remember half of what was being taught in the classes we attended. Oh well, at least Dr. Cline said "dropknocker."

Good stuff.

Unofficial Poll

What are you living for?

Sometimes I wonder...

...why they don't make that Halsa henna shampoo anymore.

...why electrons travel around protons, and not the other way around.

...when the USA won't exist any more.

...how you land the job of naming colors of nail polish.

...which is less wasteful: eating off of paper plates and throwing them out, or eating off of regular plates and washing them.

...what cool stuff God is going to let me be a part of.

...what stinky stuff God is going to let me be a part of.

...when I am going to die.

...how I am going to die.

...where we will be living in 10 years.

...if the prayers I sometimes pray for strangers who pass by have resulted in better lives for them.

...why God loves me.

...how many times I have hurt someone without realizing it.

...how many times I have encouraged someone without realizing it.

...why anyone would name their child Steven Stevens.

...why it is "acceptable" for men to wear a striped shirt with a paisley tie, but not for a woman to wear a striped shirt with a paisley skirt.

...if it is possible to find a paisley skirt anymore.

Unfinished Thoughts

It doesn't matter to me that...

I can't wait for...

Whatever...

I don't care if...

I don't know why...

So?

I knew that...

Why did I need to know...

That wasn't very...

This is my way of getting it out, without saying anything that is not profitable for those who hear.

Can't stand the excitement

Little things mean a lot:

I made the switch. After ten years of the same purchasing decision, I decided it was time to make a change, and it happened yesterday. I am now using scented fabric softener. I like it.

Someone at church requested prayer for our adoption on Sunday night. It was nice to know that other people remember and are praying for that.

Last night at the super fabulous local Donut Shop, they made cinnamon donuts AND white cake w/ chocolate icing. They don't usually make either one! Faced with the dilemma of which of these two favorites I should choose, Cecil suggested that I just get one of each. So, I did. Delicious.

The kids were in bed at 8:30 last night. It was a whole new world!!!

I got to IM with Shelby last night. I like Shelby. I like to IM.

Big things mean a lot too:
On Tuesday, my old college roomie and fellow chem geek, Jenny, and I will make the trek back to Witt. Dudley Herschbach, a Nobel laureate in Chemistry, will be giving two lectures. We will attend those as well as some chem classes and senior seminar in the chem department (which will be an informal q&a with Herschbach.) We have a hotel reservation and a lunch planned with Dr. Cline for Wednesday. I am looking forward to this... talking chem and feeling like a college student again for two days. Lovely, just lovely.

Tonight, dinner with Ami and Steve and their kids. Ami and I met at MOPS and are quickly becoming friends. Her daughter is three and her son is 2. Her husband, Steve, likes to run. I have been praying for a family that we all enjoy hanging out with. And these guys are an answer to prayer. We have fun whenever we hang out with them. Looking forward to tonight.

I feel so important

In the last week, we have received calls from George W. Bush (twice,) Laura Bush, Rudy Guiliani, and (the senior) George Bush. I wish I could say "thankfully" we weren't home when the calls came, but it really doesn't matter. Our answering machine doesn't let us delete messages until they have been played through completely.

Two of these calls came today! These are in addition to the call on Sunday asking how I'd vote, and the call today reminding me to do it.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, to celebrate this all-important day, I thought it might be appropriate to do another unofficial poll. So, here it is:

Unofficial poll: How long do you think it will be before we know who the next president is? (No need to rail, just answer the question.)