On Music, and What's More, My Favorite Songs of All Time

I've been thinking of music frequently lately. This is, in part, due to the fact that we're planning for "real church worship services" (please read all sarcasm into that phrase, as I do not in any way think that a real church is just about the worship on Sunday morning) that will begin in the fall. A big part of all that planning is the music-- what style, what tempo, what musicians, what key...

The other reason that I've been thinking about music is that I've been taking the time to clean out and organize my iTunes, and I'm once again amazed at the random cacophony that is my musical library. Abba is next to Ani DiFranco is next to Chris Tomlin, and there are still dozens of CD's waiting in queue to be imported. I like it that way.

Music is important to me. More than any other art form, music touches me, makes me cry, reminds me of specific moments in time. I will, I will cry during worship songs in church (and I'll try to hide it for a little while, then I'll give up and just let the tears roll down my face, so be prepared. And thanks in advance for the Kleenex). I'll listen to the same song 3 times in a row when a specific lyrical phrase or turn of the piano catches my ear. I'll make Steve and the kids listen to it, too, and then feel a twinge of disappointment when they don't get it. I'm one of those unfortunate people who are just musical enough to realize they aren't musical enough.

What's my point, you rightly ask? I've been taking a lot of walks this week, and as I walk, I've been trying to put together a list of my top 5 (maybe 10) favorite songs of all time. It's a struggle. I'm not even requiring of myself that I put them in any kind of chronological order (that would be too much commitment for a promiscuous music lover such as I). I simply want to give credit where credit is due: "Joe Musician, you touched my life." I can't seem to narrow it down, though. Too many songs have touched me, made me cry, sung me through a breakup or a breakdown or a breakthrough. But I'm working on it.

Sunday Afternoon and It's All Good

I'm thrilled. The kiddos have started watching the DVR'd episodes of So You Think You Can Dance with me. The perfect way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon, I think.

You Delivered Again, NYC

A perfect summer evening...
Thanks again, New York, for making my citylove a two-way street (because unrequited love is never any fun).

This is why it's good to leave and return

I'd forgotten how much I sweat here.
What I mean is -- how much I would sweat if I weren't a lady, because we all know ladies don't sweat. Going from a cool, air conditioned apartment to the humid, 90 degree temps outside to the humid 110 degree temps in the subway station to the mildly air conditioned subway cars and back again... well, it seems to break some internal body temp regulation. And, like I said, if I weren't a lady, I might just start to have some sort of strange, sweaty hot flash experience.

I'd forgotten how much I appreciate the beautiful eccentricities of New Yorkers.
When I sat down on the subway and pulled out my pink ipod, the man next to me pulled out his pink ipod and said, "Nice pink ipod." I smiled and glanced down. We were also wearing matching toe nail polish (red).

I'd forgotten how great it is to discover new places to meet friends, like the very chill Bohemian Beer Gardens in Astoria, where we were last night. (I'm gonna miss you, Joe and Kristen. Portland doesn't know how lucky it is.)

I know I say this often... but, my friends, I love this city in big way. When I leave and return, my love is absolutely affirmed. I'm not being naive; this place presents its sweat and dog pee smells and crazy expensive cost of living and all its other multiple challenges upfront and clearly. Yet, I love.

And the city loves me too, I know it. As a little welcome back gift to me, I found $40 on the sidewalk today. Thanks, New York, I love you, too.

PS- I did ask all the people around me if they had dropped the cash, and I received plenty of strange looks, but no takers...

PPS - I recently downloaded Justin Nozuka's album, Holly, and am blown away. I highly recommend a listen.

Down on the Farm

What a joy it was today to visit the Kuperus Farm...
to gaze out upon the rolling fields,
to drink iced tea out of Mason jars,
to breathe in the scent of hay,

to have a chicken hop on my shoulder.

No Words, Just Pics

Michigan Means Cousins and Superheroes

4th of July Potato Salad

I find it a bit irksome that, when mixing up a bit of potato salad for this afternoon, I saw a small piece of potato fly out of the bowl, and I could not for the life of me locate its final resting place.

I suspect it may be stuck to the back of my shirt.

What? I was mixing vigorously.

So please, if you happen to spy a little bit of something on my tshirt or perhaps in my hair later today, kindly pull me aside and let me know. We're all in this together.

Roadtrip Playlists

This Sunday morning, the kiddos and I are hopping in the (rental) car, rolling down the windows, turning up the tunes, and heading for the homeland. 12 blissful? hours later, we should be rolling in to Michigan for two weeks of cousins, cookouts, and chaos.

Always important in preparing for a roadtrip is creating mixtapes. Mixtapes must set the proper ambiance, and the best mixtapes will walk the fine line between soothing the savage "Are we there yet?" beast and energizing the "I've been staring at the road for far too long" doldrums. This time around, the kids each made their own mix.

Chloe's Mix
Don't Tell Me - Madonna
If I was a Rich Girl - Gwen Stefani
Let's Get it Started - Black Eyed Peas
Hey Ya - Ludacris
No Air - Jordin Sparks
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
Breakin' Up - Rilo Kiley
Jungle Gym - Jack Johnson
Through to Sunrise - Girlyman

Jonathan's Mix
YMCA - The Village People
Celebration - Cool and the Gang
You're the First, the Last, My Everything - Barry White
Walk the Line - Johnny Cash
I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
Upside Down - Jack Johnson
The 3 R's - Schoolhouse Rocks
Diner - Martin Sexton
Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash

Jonathan Calls Them The Eye Statues

Right. Eyes or otherwise, I'm going to go with Jonathan's title.

(Oh, it's good to be home...)

A Whole Lot More of Nothin'

Sunrise, Monday, 6:30 a.m.

















We watch the storms roll in almost every afternoon (I've come to appreciate the storms; I'm usually a crispy freckly mess by that time, anyway). The storm Monday brought a water spout with it.

A Brief Vacation Observation

"Nothing" on the agenda is so, so much better when it doesn't rain.
And with margaritas.

With rain, "nothing" becomes watching Caddyshack and Ghostbusters on VH1... which is still a break from the norm at home, where we would be watching LazyTown or Backyardigans. Without margaritas.

Nothing's Not So Bad

Today, 3:30. View from the patio.

Agenda

We leave for Florida tomorrow morning.
Here's what's on the agenda:
1.




I'm curious how long I'll be able to hold together such a strenuous and tightly-packed calendar.

Honestly, I imagine that it really will be difficult for this Type A personality.

A Necessary Deceit

I had made one of those off-hand promises. You know the ones? Where you're completely focused on a task, and your child approaches and asks something, and you nod or say, "uh-huh," which really means "hold on a sec, I'll be right with you but I've got to finish this one thing," but which your child takes as an affirmative answer and goes away happy, and you return to your task and forget the whole conversation ever happened? One of those.

(Or am I the only one who does that? Wait. Don't answer. I don't have time for parental insecurities this morning. I've got to tell you this, and then I've got to prepare brunch for 15 wonderful CFC folks.)

So allegedly, I had told Chloe that she could stay up 'til midnight on Friday. She reminded me on Friday morning just as I was leaving for work, and after a small conversation in which the words, "I said that? When?" and "Are you sure?" and "Mom, you said I could!" may have been used, I did, indeed, recall some vague whispers of the topic.

But seriously, midnight? I understand the mysterious romance and intrigue Chloe felt about that magical hour, but we all know the ramifications of a 7 and a 4 year old staying awake until midnight on a Friday -- a Saturday with extraordinarily increased levels of tears and whining and general misery. Plus I wasn't even sure I could stay up until midnight myself, which would present chaperoning issues.

At work, I relayed the situation to my friend, Rick (who I must say is not necessarily as devious as much as he is an experienced father of two).

"Easy," said Rick. "After it gets dark, distract the kiddos with a movie or something. Then move the clocks ahead two hours."

Brilliant.
Midnight came at 10:00, and we were all safely tucked into bed.

On a Good Day, the walk from our apartment to the playground is a series of "long-cuts." Today it took 45 minutes to walk about an eighth of a mile.

(respectfully) skipping pennies on the police officer memorial pool

the maze through the hedges

Spidey scales the wall

running hands through the water is a necessity


wishing the folks on the party boat a fair journey

Checking out Pioneer's sound display dome

"take my picture up here, Mom"

New canine friends

walking the plank

Making sure the ducks haven't had babies yet

And...the destination.

Life Lessons

Chloe called to me from the bathtub tonight:

Mom, I lost the last three games of Life that I played. You know why? Cosmetic Surgery. And it's like you don't even need it!

Yep.

Summer Church

It was exotic. It was exciting. It was the old wool blanket from the trunk on dry, prickly grass with the occasional lazy, buzzing bee checking out the clover. It was the smell of hot car engines and the sound of insufficient sound systems and gospel organ.

It was summer evening outdoor church at the drive in.

My siblings and I preferred it above "regular evening church," by far. And while I now could muse for quite some time about how a drive in church is missing the point in many ways, I'll spare you that and simply say that changing church things up for the summer does have some merit.

Recognizing that Hamptons and the Jersey shore have siren calls, and you've got to get to the Stone Street Oyster Festival early or you'll miss the best of it, and the pace of the city slows just a bit, City Fellowship Church is doing something a little different for the next few months. We've moved operations back to the our apartment, and instead of a "regular" worship gathering, we're sharing brunch, we're singing together a bit, we're talking together about Galatians, we're journaling, and we're praying. It's been a real blessing to me--an uncomplicated, low-key time of renewal. And thanks to the Galatians study, we're re-considering how the gospel is enough. For everything.

The gospel is the way that anything is renewed and transformed by Christ -- whether a heart, a relationship, a church, or a community. All our problems come from a lack of orientation to the gospel. Put positively, the gospel transforms our hearts, or thinking, and our approach to absolutely everything.

You're welcome to join us, you know.

Instead of Sudoku, Try Solving This

Jonathan wrote a story this afternoon.
Can you solve the little problem he presented to me?
Read aloud and be impressed was the implied directive .

"thestoREubawtthedragianandthePRisis"

Need a hint? A picture of a castle was underneath the title.

Need the answer? I'll put it in the comments.

Sweet, with a Hint of Scary

See where Spidey's top lip is a tad faded? Jonathan fell asleep on the subway on the way home from a rockin' birthday party in Central Park. He sucks his thumb in his sleep, which wore off the little 'stache area. Steve had to hold his hand on the top of Jonathan's head to keep him upright and prevent any red paint transfer onto Steve's clothing. Sleepy, upright Spiderman, sucking his thumb. I wish the camera could have been there.