Mommies are cool (among other things)

Congratulations to Ben! - and that team from Pittsburgh, too. The recovery post-XL was short and sweet. Unfortunately, the hacking-cough-sinister-sinus-slime virus hit shortly thereafter, and our fight, while valiant and vigilant, is ongoing. Thanks to a little something called the immune system, and a little something else called antibiotics, recovery is imminent. Amazing, isn't it, how wonderfully we are made?

So, I piled the family into the car this morning, and trekked off to the Starbucks for a latte. (I really should buy a stove-top espresso-maker. Much cheaper to "make-your-own".) Then, we walked, scootered, and tricycled through the green, and stopped at the shops. BTW - I'm always thankful for those establishments that buck the trend on opening/closing times. For me, part of the thrill of shopping is to have the impression that the world is completely unaware that you are getting something wonderful. Then, you have the thrill of springing it on them later at a most amazing and opportune time. At a lovely little shop two doors from the toys and trains, I bought a ring. Well, it's a ring to me; others more likely use it to whip unruly locks into a chignon. Now, my children think I can grow a flower on my finger. "One of my many talents," I tell them. Mommys are so cool.

Today's conundrum: At what point do you have enough? I've been giving considerable thought to the book "The Number". I haven't read it yet, but its concept thoroughly intrigues me. You should know that I believe money to be the root of all evil. Having it - and any form of it - bears great responsibility. I worry about stepping-back and gaining perspective on what it means for my children, and raising them to be respectful stewards of all that's been given to us by God. Apart from Him we are - and have - nothing.

Future conundrum: Although I love them, are EZ-Passes, IPasses, or whatever they've named them in your area really tools used by the government to track your every move? Are we being lulled into denial by convenience and our obvious excitement about all-things-tech?

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It's all about the XL

Detroit: the Bus stops there.

"This is the inveterate optimist SuperBowl special. Reporting live from the heart of Cardiac Kids country..."

Today will be an interesting day in sports. Superbowl XL + the run-up to the winter olympics = hyper-happy-drive. Anything going on in tennis or world cup or yachting that I should know about? I am relieved that Madden finally made it into the HoF. Reggie White, too. But Aikman? I'm optimistic(inveterately) that someone out there has a D-fence for that one, and I'd like to hear it. Why not LC? - or Richard Dent? By-the-way, da Bears have more HoFers than any other team. "Time there was a time there was a time..." But, now..." Here we sit waiting for 6:18pm EST. Waiting for that clean-shaven no.7 to take the field and take command. Waiting for the Bus to run - and run - and run. Waiting for the hype to over-Alexander-ate the reality. Waiting for something to better "wassup" or Nike. Waiting for Polamalu. Waiting for Monday to officially quarterback the game.

Today's conundrum: Are gummi bears truly gummi and bears? Or are they harvested and candied from their Black Forest homes as my husband terrifyingly proposes to our children?

Future conundrum: Why, when we are freed by our salvation in Christ, are we still tethered to our freedom-less sin? Makes me think, and think, and think...and then act, with His help and encouragement.

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An adventure on the soapbox

Globalness. My husband, in his business, actually distinguishes between "being international" and "globalness". There you go. Sit back; have a laugh. No, it's not a word. But some concepts are just bigger than any word in the known English language. Globalness sounds pretty big to me. To his credit, my husband is working to eliminate the rampant use of "leveraging" in the documents his firm produces. ("Leveraging" - pervasive in the colloquial, but also not a word.) Truly mesmerizing, isn't it? Especially when you hear something frequently. It matters not how incorrectly words are used. (That was a VERY correct sentence, wasn't it?) What matters - and does so conclusively to the detriment of our lovely language - is the frequency with which you are exposed to the misuse. Please know that I am not immune; and when I realize my errors, I stand corrected. (By the way, how did that phrase - "I stand corrected" - come to be?) Therefore, I admonish you to consider your communications - verbal or otherwise. Little (and big) ears are listening.

Today's conundrum: Why are there boys in the Girl Scouts? Conversely, why are there girls in the Boy Scouts? Hey, everybody!...(imagine Grover hollering at...well, everybody)...girls and boys are different! We are interested in different things. We learn and experience life differently. We react to life differently. God made us wonderfully unique as genders. What is going on? - big leap - Will history bear out just how horribly the "I-know-better-than-you" baby-boom generation, who gave us the glorious 60's revulsions, destroyed the better fabric of our republic? I certainly hope that posterity will see what I see. Long live John Adams! Huzzah!

Future conundrum: When will "black" be the "new black"? I go through phases where I see no need to wear color as anything other than an understated accessory. Of course, I call them phases because there are times when black plays that same understated role.

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Bears win! Bears win!...

Oh, wait. I already tried that. The Steelers won, which is good, and now Ben will get a chance to shave and dress for THE big game. I won't watch, and maybe he'll win. That's not inveterate optimism; that's just what you do to help your team win. That's why I miss whole seasons of Yankees games, particularly 1996 through 1999. Right now, I'm wondering if I should have watched less Alias and ignored Keen Eddie altogether.

By the way, today's mantra is "forgiveness". In the memorable words of Ken Medema: Give it up...let it go...throw it down.

Today's conundrum: Where in the world is Carmen San Diego? I loved that show, and the computer game. Please note that while I enjoyed my childhood/youth, I do not want/desire my children to relive my life. However, I certainly think that the value/enjoyment of that show/game would be beneficial to them. Do it Rockapella!

Future conundrum - Will animal prints, either in decor or in fashion, ever truly be stylish? OK...stylish, maybe, but classy? Tasteful?

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Bears win! Bears win!

OK...so that's what I wanted to post. But, as the song says, "two out of three ain't bad". Actually, the Pats lost, too. But, you didn't necessarily know that I was rooting for them. So, one out of three is just 33%. We'll get 'em next year. (See...the inveterate optimism is real!)

Todays conundrum: Does anyone, other than Martha Stewart, actually cook every recipe in a cookbook? It is my personal goal for this year to do just that. My super-hyper goal is to achieve that once each quarter of 2006. My first "victim" is Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson. LOVE her. My husband and I actually make ourselves giddy imagining that, were we to move to London, we would of course be friends with her and Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp, from "Location-trebled".

Future conundrum: Will the real silent majority please stand up? And who is silent, anyway? Everyone I talk with definately has an opinion, though some are better than others at both articulating it and doing so respectfully.

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