trying to get my bearings...

hiatus interruptus

2011-01-29T11:10:00.002-06:00

so, i'm still on hiatus from this blog, i guess...
at least while i think about how i want to proceed with it.

in the meantime, do yourself a favor and listen to amos lee's newest release, mission bell. absolutely, brilliantly, and beautifully sublime! the song "violin" has this gorgeous lyric that i can't get out of my head...

"oh god, why've you been hanging out in that old violin
while i've been waiting for you to pull me through?"

grace and peace,
dana

time, time, time...see what's become of me

2010-05-22T15:26:00.002-05:00

i knew it had been awhile since i posted. but, two months? wow! time has continued to march on. i guess the world really doesn't revolve around me and my little blog, huh? (smile)

it's interesting...this weekend marks the end of one of my favorite television shows, lost. i know that many folks were there in the beginning of the show in 2004 and gradually lost interest over the subsequent seasons. but i can tell you that i was loyal and have seen every episode. truly, i can't wait to see how it all ends. i have heard and read a lot of the recent commentary about how the show marks the end of an era or that it has been a journey not just for the characters, but the viewers as well. i read one article in particular of a woman who couldn't believe that she had started watching this program with her 14 year old teenage daughter and will conclude watching the series with her now 20 year old adult daughter. it seems to me that stories like that forces one to think about who you were and who you've become.

my whole purpose of starting a blog a few years ago was because i thought it might help me find a way to say the things that i needed or wanted to say. i felt the need to explore who i really was and what makes me tick...the whole "trying to get my bearings" theme in discovering my strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, convictions, and beliefs. it seemed that writing on a blog was a natural outlet for discovering this. i wouldn't have thought that in two years i had changed much, but i believe that i have. there are things that i once wondered about, but i now know for certain. i know that i want to be a mother, even if i might never get to be one. i know what i believe spiritually, despite the fact that it is radically different from the religious heritage i was brought up in. i know who in my life matters to me and who will only hurt me or use me or deceive me. i know that even though you take the girl out of where she grew up, you can't take that place and it's amazing culture out of the girl. most importantly, i know that all of my experiences - good, bad, or indifferent - have led me to who i am today and i couldn't make any of these assertions about myself without having had those experiences. and so, as a result, i think i may have found my bearings.

so does this mean that it's time to close up shop on this blog? i'm still pondering that. if i do continue, i know that my purpose in blogging will radically change as will my focus. for now i'll just say "stay tuned."

grace and peace,
dana

humbled, challenged, inspired

2010-03-20T11:21:00.002-05:00

i recently finished a million miles in a thousand years. i was humbled, challenged, and inspired to live a life that is "story-worthy" as donald miller explains in his book.

i was also humbled, challenged, and inspired by this.

grace and peace,
dana

something new under the sun

2010-03-16T16:06:00.003-05:00

have you heard of court yard hounds?

the sisters erwin - better known as martie maguire and emily robison of dixie chicks fame - will debut their side music project this week at south by southwest in austin, texas. i'm eagerly awaiting the may release of their album. i guess i'll have to be satisfied with the four song sneak peek on their web site...

i can't help but wonder if the sisters will perform any of these songs when they tour with natalie maines as the dixie chicks this summer with the eagles? we'll see...

grace and peace,
dana

love changes things

2010-03-15T13:58:00.002-05:00

last week i was in my car when i heard the news that corey haim had passed away. i had all the typical thoughts...that's so sad, i'm not terribly surprised, blah blah blah. i grew up in the era of the two coreys and was disappointed to know that another one of my generation had succumbed to a premature death.

a beloved local surgeon also passed away last week. i first learned of his death at my church where he also attended. he was flying a wwII era aircraft that crashed into the gulf of mexico taking both his life and his wife's life. he was known for his charitable work, the copious amounts of money he gave away, and for his humble walk as a christian who was just trying to bless others.

i thought about these two men - one who by all accounts lived a tortured life under the pressures of trying to remain relevant and the other who by all accounts lived a life of freedom and love that surpasses the constraints of this world. what a juxtaposition! witnessing the public reaction to both of these men's lives being cut short was a testament to me.

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i've been listening to ben harper and relentless 7's newest release live from the montreal international jazz festival. the album contains some of ben's old material, as well as some of his material with relentless 7. my favorite track, however, is the band's cover of "under pressure" originally recorded by david bowie and queen. this is one of my all time favorite songs and to hear ben's take on it is quite a treat! the funny thing is that i've sung along to that song for years now without really ever paying attention to all of the lyrics. when i looked them up this week, i was immediately reminded of the contrast of lives that i wrote about above.

"cause love's such an old fashioned word
and love dares you to care for
the people on the edge of the night
and love dares you to change our way of
caring about ourselves..."

i believe that the good doctor knew love, had accepted love, embraced love, and was giving love to others. the actor? perhaps he knew it...but i don't know that he accepted love. if he had, wouldn't he have dared to change his way of caring about himself?

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my prayer is to not only know in my head that i am loved, but to accept that love in my heart by believing that i am worthy enough to receive it. i pray that i will embrace love fully, without reservation, and then life a life of sharing that love with others. i just want to continue the cycle of receiving and giving, so as to bless others.

i pray that you will do the same.

grace and peace,
dana

shake the dust

2010-02-14T20:39:00.001-06:00

beautiful and brilliant...just shake the dust!

grace and peace,
dana

gotta have faith

2010-02-05T13:47:00.002-06:00

i have posted several times before about my love for my home state of louisiana and the nostalgia i feel for the sights and sounds of home. perhaps it's never been as strong as it is now as the new orleans saints prepare to go to the super bowl for the first time in their history. i think that those of us who grew up accustomed to the spontaneous eating, drinking, dancing, and partying of the region were even a little surprised when this happened after the championship playoff game.

you have to understand that for years, a losing season was just the norm around new orleans. when i was growing up, my neighbor used to say that the saints would never have a winning season or go to the super bowl because it was sacrilegious to name a sports team after something so sacred as a saint. in fact, a long time sportscaster in the new orleans area popularized the nickname "the aints" and encouraged fans to wear bags over their heads to endure the embarrassment of always losing. this sportscaster passed away before he could make good on his promise to wear a dress and dance in the streets on the day that the saints made it to the super bowl. thank goodness that many others could step in on his behalf!

you may think you understand the excitement...but really, this feeling goes a lot deeper than football. the excitement that you see is not just the culmination of all those years of having faith that someday this team would pull off a super bowl bid. it's also - on some level - an affirmation of the hope and faith that so many louisianians have held on to in the last few uncertain years. i won't try to explain it myself because this does such a better job. i'll just suffice it to say that when i am cheering on my saints during sunday's game, i will remain mindful that common miracles do still happen. you just have to stay hopeful and above all else, you gotta have faith.

grace and peace and who dat,
dana

haiti

2010-01-25T19:02:00.003-06:00

my heart is still aching for the thousands of haitian families whose lives have been permanently changed by the earthquake that rocked port au prince on january 12th. several years ago, i read tracy kidder's amazing book mountains beyond mountains detailing dr. paul farmer's work in haiti with his organization partners in health. if you haven't contributed to a relief organization yet, i encourage you to give to this one. pih was on the ground in haiti long before january 12th and will continue to be there as long as there is a need for health care.

it was encouraging to read that the hope for haiti now telethon was able to raise upwards of 55 million dollars this past weekend. here's a link to my favorite performance of the night. don't forget that you can purchase the songs on itunes with all of the proceeds going to the important work still to be done in haiti.

grace and peace,
dana

easy like sunday morning

2010-01-24T13:30:00.002-06:00

it's a bit overdue, but happy 2010 to you!

i haven't had much to say lately. the past month has been dominated by personal difficulties. and because i am loathe to use this blog as a venting outlet, i haven't had any desire to expend any of my words on the specifics of the past month. something about having you read about my problems just seems exhausting and very "high maintenance" to me. suffice it to say that i am resolved to put all these difficulties in perspective and turn over a new leaf to become easy like sunday morning! so on to more positive things...

i can't stop listening to vampire weekend's new release. if you enjoyed their self-titled debut, you won't be disappointed with their second album contra. the upbeat syncopated rhythms just put me in such a great mood. check it out!

on the recommendation of an old friend, i'm reading donald miller's latest book, a million miles in a thousand years. donald miller's book blue like jazz is one of my favorite books because it really challenged a lot of my notions about what it means to be a christian. a great book is one that stays with you and continues to make you think and reflect long after you have closed it and placed it back on the shelf. though some of don's work since blue like jazz hasn't captured my attention in quite the same way, when my friend suggested that i read his new book, i thought i'd give it a try. i'm really glad that i did! i'm only about 10 chapters into the book and yet, i'm already thinking about my life in a new and slightly different way. the premise of the book is based on the idea of turning blue like jazz into a movie. when don is approached by movie producers and basically instructed to edit his life into a more "movie-friendly" version, he has to grapple with his own story and what he's done with his life thus far. so the obvious question is...what am i doing with my life to make it count? am i merely going through the motions of living, or am i fulfilling the purpose for which i was made? am i living a life that is meaningful or am i just existing? somehow i think that if i were really living a life that is in line with my purpose on this earth - perhaps i would have a few more of those days that feel "easy like sunday morning." just something to ponder...

grace and peace,
dana

i just like to smile...smiling is my favorite

2009-12-26T01:46:00.003-06:00

i've shared before that one of my favorite christmas movies is elf. perhaps my favorite line of the movie is the title of today's blog: "i just like to smile...smiling is my favorite." i love this simple quote. isn't it amazing the way your face feels when you smile - just light and free? or what about the feeling of pure joy when you see the way a smile lights up the faces of those you love? oh there's nothing like it! i suppose that's why i love proverbs 15:13 which says "a cheerful heart brings a smile to your face..."

i hope that you have had many smiles in december and in 2009. this has been a hard year, but trust me...i am keeping my heart open. i have found reasons to smile even in this season of trials. and with a smile, i am looking forward to all that is to come in 2010.

wishing you a very merry and bright season of joy and love.

grace and peace,
dana

thankful

2009-11-23T21:22:00.002-06:00

it's the week of thanksgiving - the time when our society pauses to reflect in gratitude for all that we have been blessed with. however, i'm experiencing a season in my life right now where i find i have to purposefully look for the blessings (as i tend to want to get mired down in the muck). so, in focusing on what i am thankful for, i've taken a slightly different approach to my list this year. in no particular order, i am thankful for...

1) my infertility: amazing blessings come through our struggles, right? because of this, i know that if and when we are blessed with a child that he/she will be treasured and cherished beyond my wildest comprehension. each time i deal with the symptoms of my hormonal imbalance or feel depressed because of that imbalance, i redirect myself to think about the reward once all of the medical issues are resolved. being someone's mother after the long wanting and waiting will be so, so sweet. i am grateful that - one day - i will know and absorb every minute of the blessing of being a mom. it will be a precious gift that i will receive with such a full and open heart.

2) the challenges of my sister and her ex-husband: this one sounds a little strange, i know. my sister has not lived a charmed life - while married or divorced. her ex-husband has also faced enormous trials and demons. the constant challenges that they both have encountered have obviously impacted the life of their daughter...my adored niece. and yet, as a result, my niece is one of the strongest, most courageous people i know. her capacity for patience and forgiveness exceeds my own feebly limited ability and i am in awe of her. would she be this person if not for what she's lived through? never! so i'm grateful for all of the painful struggles because through them, i have been blessed by my niece's gift of fortitude.

3) my mother: she is my mentor and the most generous, selfless person i have ever known. she has strength i could never muster, she has hope i can not comprehend. i cannot fathom the favor of God to allow me the honor and privilege of calling her my mother. watching her as she battles illness and as she now prepares for whatever lies ahead, i am thankful that i have had these years with her and am grateful for the time i will have with her.

4) my husband: i am blessed...plain and simple. any other man couldn't (or wouldn't) show me the mercy and grace that my husband shows me. he has seen me at my absolute best and unfortunately, at my absolute worst, and has still been a constant champion for me every day. how do i ever express my gratefulness for that kind of unconditional love?

5) my savior: i have traveled a very long road to get here! it has been all at once painful and freeing, yet God is so good to me. this part of my life is still so incredibly fragile, but i know that i am a child of God. i am loved - beyond anything i could ever ask or imagine. and i know that grace...perfect, amazing grace...has saved me. really, that's all i need to know. i trust that the rest will fall into place exactly how it should - and for that, i'm eternally grateful!

wishing you and yours a blessed thanksgiving!

grace and peace,
dana

dislodge (dis-`laj) v. to drive from a place of defense

2009-11-08T19:53:00.006-06:00

in eastern medicine, there's the idea that qi, in essence one's energy, passes through your body. when qi becomes "blocked" somewhere in your body, it is believed that illness ensues. eastern practices, such as acupuncture, are predicated on the idea that qi can be "unblocked", thus restoring the patient to health and vitality.

my heart has been going through some big changes lately. in fact, i believe that something - i don't know that i'd call it qi, but something - has been blocked. and trust me, it was completely impacting my physical and mental health. but most importantly, it was sucking the lifeblood out of my spiritual health and precluding any growth.

for the first time, i really made a conscious decision to let go of some old hurts and open up my heart to forgiveness and possibility. see, i had been holding on to a byproduct of those hurts: defensiveness. in my defense (smile), i did that as a feeble attempt to protect myself from being hurt even further. when i finally decided to be honest with myself, i realized that whole system wasn't working too well for me. so, about six weeks ago, i made the decision to forgive. why now? why after all this time? quite frankly, i was tired. it's exhausting to hold on to hurts for as long as i've been holding them in a death grip.

it began with just a little whisper...but almost instantaneously something dislodged in me. and then over the next several weeks? well, imagine the worst clogged drain you've ever seen...yeah, it was beyond that! but i can tell you now that my gracious, amazing, magnificent, and holy god has dislodged my hurt and fear and guilt. the best part? he's been filling up that empty space with such indescribable love and grace and peace. everything i've known and everything i see has taken on a new sheen and i can tell you in no uncertain terms - i would much rather have this perspective than the one i had a few months ago!

i guess it may not take acupuncture for me to be restored. rather, maybe it just takes a lot of love. i'm good with that because i know that love never fails (i cor 13:8).

grace and peace,
dana

love affair

2009-10-20T16:18:00.002-05:00

my affair with the chorus of ps 22 is still going strong. take a look at what this year's group has already accomplished.

simply wonderful!

grace and peace,
dana

divine moments

2009-10-10T18:26:00.002-05:00

this past week, i was able to attend catalyst conference in atlanta. this was my second time attending. while my first trip a few years ago was an incredible experience, this year is almost indescribable. i have so many ideas and thoughts now burned into my conscious that keep floating to the front of my brain and are forcing me to consider them. one of the overarching ideas of the conference was shared by andy stanley. he stated that you often don't know your greatest defining moment - the moment that you will leave your "mark" - until long after it's happened. this idea has really rocked me a bit and i'm still processing it...

i think it's true that most of us have no idea of the impact of a moment until it's passed. and perhaps i have already made my mark and am unaware of it. however, i hope that my greatest defining moment or my greatest contribution to humanity is yet to come. i feel that i still have so much to give.

but i also wonder, who's to say that a person's greatest defining moment has to be big? i mean we aren't all mother teresa or albert einstein. maybe your mark is just simply in the imprint you leave in another person's life. the person i am today is the sum result of all of my life experiences - which have mostly been defined by people with whom i've interacted. i think of the impact my family, my friends, and my mentors have made in my life. most of them will never know if or even how something they said or did affected me and steered my path in a whole new direction.

i guess that the bottom line is that every moment we are alive has the potential to be a defining moment - one in which what you think, or say, or do, could leave echoes on others for a lifetime. my prayer is that i really consider my thoughts, words, and actions and allow them all to be used to create divine moments in the lives of those around me.

grace and peace,
dana

a currency of leaves

2009-10-03T15:33:00.003-05:00

fall is here...my favorite time of year has arrived! we have had some cooler, beautiful weather this week and it has made me want to run out and buy pumpkins and mums. i can't help it. i'm a sucker for this season!

but it's not just autumn that has contributed to my perpetual good mood. i'm pumped about several things. in no particular order, here are some things i'm eagerly anticipating and currently enjoying this season:

1) once again, it's time for these happy days!
2) the new tv season is upon us and yes, i'm becoming a gleek...
3) and i admit it, i can't wait for this!

grace and peace,
dana

a humble heart

2009-09-29T23:04:00.003-05:00

just a thought...

the more acquainted i become with real grace, the more convicted i become that i am called to approach life with a meek and humble heart. consider this quote by bruna martinuzzi:

"something interesting happens, too, when we approach situations from a perspective of humility: it opens us up to possibilities, as we choose open-mindedness and curiosity over protecting our point of view. we spend more time in that wonderful space of the beginner's mind, willing to learn from what others have to offer. we move away from pushing to allowing, from insecure to secure, from seeking approval to seeking enlightenment. we forget about being perfect and we enjoy being in the moment."

oh, to be...
james 4

grace and peace,
dana

illuminating

2009-09-10T20:35:00.002-05:00

i've dusted off an old fave this week - david crowder's illuminate. i just can't get the song "stars" out of my head and one portion of the lyric in particular:

"and you should hear the angels sing
all gathered round their king
more beautiful than you could dream
i've been quietly listening
you can hear 'em now, i hear em now

and how could such a king
shine His light on me
and make everything beautiful

and i wanna shine
i wanna be light"

as i try to get my bearings in life, this is what it all comes down to. i want to illuminate, or by definition, i want to reflect light.

my prayer is to shine light and shine love.
matthew 5:16

grace and peace,
dana

good to great

2009-09-07T13:38:00.003-05:00

last week i had the opportunity to see a really amazing video. it features dewitt jones, a photographer for national geographic. the video is about 20 minutes long - but i believe it would be worth your time to watch it. i really appreciated dewitt's encouragement to celebrate what's right with our world and to move your good outlook to a great outlook. check it out here.

grace and peace,
dana

i'm in love

2009-08-29T13:07:00.002-05:00

life has been a little nutty lately. but then again, as i am learning, everyone is carrying life's heavy burdens and everyone has their ups and downs. through all of this, one thing that has brought me so much happiness is that i'm in love. yes, in love. with the ps 22 choir from staten island.

have you heard these kids? they've recently generated some buzz through npr and other media outlets. and let me tell you - they are amazing! certainly there is raw talent in these kids, but it's being harnessed under the guidance of one incredible teacher. this guy is the best of what my profession is all about and i'm so proud to know that even if it's virtually, i can call him a colleague.

check these kids out singing one of my all time favorite songs.

grace and peace,
dana

bon appetit!

2009-07-28T17:22:00.002-05:00

i recently stumbled upon a fellow blogger, stephanie o'dea, who chronicled her year of slow cooking with her crock pot on her blog. a WHOLE year of cooking with a crock pot. wow!

i must admit...i am really fascinated by a crock pot. i mean, you put the ingredients in, leave it alone, and mere hours later, you get a delicious meal! my mom was always a big fan of the crock pot when we were growing up. the second principal that i worked for gave all the new brides in our school a crock pot as a wedding gift. i think everyone falls into the "pro crock pot" category or the "i could care less about a crock pot" category. so, i'll admit it, i'm in the former. stephanie o'dea had me at slow cooking...

not only only did i read many of her entries, i tried a few of the recipes that she offered. some didn't work out...but that could admittedly be because they were recipes with 4 hour cook times and unfortunately, they cooked more like 6 or 8 hours. YIKES!

all in all, she has a wealth of recipes to share and i will keep her blog (and perhaps even her upcoming book) handy. plus, cooking along with the recipes somehow seems like a great blog companion to my current read, julie and julia. i can't wait for the movie to arrive in theaters on august 7th!

to you and yours, bon appetit!

grace and peace,
dana

small town saturday

2009-07-18T11:08:00.002-05:00

one of the unexpected blessings from the hurricane that shall not be named (you know - THAT one), was my parents moving closer to us. for the past three years, they've lived about 10 minutes from our house. though i don't see them as often as you'd think i would, i drive through their little town every day on my way to work. it's a quaint, homey little place and there's a lot of community pride. this little town has consistently ranked in money magazine's top 100 places to live in the u.s. and it's just all around small town goodness!!! earlier this morning, i happened upon a blog maintained by one of their fellow citizens that tells all about the happenings there.

now here it is, an absolutely beautiful saturday, and i think my mom and i are off to enjoy some lunch at their new downtown cafe, la reunion (relocated from clairmont ave. in birmingham), and then head to the farmer's market set up in their local park. you can check out both of these locations by clicking here and here.

grace and peace,
dana

i and love and you

2009-07-15T22:49:00.003-05:00

it's no secret that i adore the avett brothers. their newest ep release "i and love and you" is a 3 song collection that is absolutely terrific! (thanks, steph!)

but as i have said before - to appreciate the avetts is to see them live. and recently, they completed a tiny desk concert for npr. (thanks again, steph!) so do yourself a favor: take a 15 minute break today and watch these guys. all i can say to the avett brothers is i and love and you!

grace and peace,
dana

so much to say, so much to say

2009-07-12T21:55:00.002-05:00

i've caught myself feeling the need to write a lot lately. whether to get out ideas, thoughts, feelings - whatever. the craziest thing, though, is that i find when i am at the computer, poised and ready to unleash, i can't find the words to communicate what i want to say.

i inherited a (sometimes) annoying trait from my family...i ramble. it is very hard for me to just get to the point and be succinct. maybe that fear of droning on is stifling me? hmmm...i'll just have to keep working on saying what i mean, and meaning what i say.

that's all for now. succinct enough?

grace and peace,
dana

a little homesick

2009-07-05T22:50:00.002-05:00

yes, i'm homesick for blogging...but i'm adopting the blogging without obligation idea, so no further comment on that.

however, lately, i'm also feeling a little homesick for my native louisiana. most of you know that i grew up right outside of new orleans and went to college in baton rouge. a few times a year, i get this overwhelming nostaglia and just an incredible sense of longing to go home. it's been so much more difficult to go back regularly since my parents have moved away, but we still have managed to visit friends there on several occasions.

but really, it's not just a sense of "home" that i miss. as anyone from louisiana understands, it's the food. and the music. and the accents, along with the verbage. and the culture. and the beautiful trees and water. it's even the sticky, can't escape it, i think i'm gonna pass out humidity! it's the feeling of never meeting a stranger and knowing we're all in this together.

i felt it when we had some delicious gumbo for supper tonight. i felt it when i talked with various friends about their recent visits back home. i felt it when my dear friend and her family visited last week. i felt it when my amazing lsu tigers won the college world series. and i felt it when i stumbled on to this rendition of a song that played on the radio during my childhood (and if you're really lucky, you'll still hear it on occasion).

oh, my nola...i miss you. it's time you and i scheduled a date.

grace and peace,
dana

danke schoen, ferris

2009-06-14T20:27:00.004-05:00

after a month of craziness at work preparing for a huge event that my organization sponsors, i spent this weekend in a lazy state of relaxation and recuperation. lucky for me, one of my all time favorite movies (because of its imprint on my formative years) was on tv: ferris bueller's day off. what a sweet homage to taking the day off to relax! i was so inspired that i thought i'd share with you the top ten things i learned from this movie...

10. some of the best music you'll ever hear will be on a soundtrack to a movie.
9. charismatic slackers can rally people without even trying. charming, charismatic slackers can begin a movement.
8. lukewarm gummy bears are not an especially inviting treat.
7. you may just find true love in a police precinct.
6. staying in the movie theater through the credits might just bring you a little bonus!
5. always question what your car is doing once you've parked it in a garage.
4. when visiting an art museum, pay attention to the art you're observing.
3. if you should be so lucky as to happen upon a parade, stop and dance.
2. never underestimate the rejuvenating freedom of a day off - even if you have to play hooky.

and the most important thing i learned from ferris bueller's day off:

1. "life moves pretty fast. you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it."

grace and peace,
dana

sounds like melted buttah

2009-05-15T15:55:00.005-05:00

one of my all time favorite bands has just released a new album. check out paper empire from better than ezra over on the left bar of the page. so good!

and then when you're done, go treat yourself to another great listen. love the avett brothers and love their cover of "glory days" as part of the hangin' out on e street tribute. they are so amazing!!!

grace and peace,
dana

gardening for enthusiastic dummies

2009-05-02T20:50:00.004-05:00

we are in the process of prepping our street side flower bed for a makeover. however, we are also dreaming up a landscape design for the backyard that will include two raised beds - one vegetable/herb and one flower. as i research, i keep going back to my girl gayla at you grow girl. but i've also found a few other gardening sites that i thought i would share with you.

the dervaes family have created an intriguing site called path to freedom. not only do they also maintain a great blog about their efforts in urban homesteading, but they've also created a social networking site for gardeners called freedom gardens. i've also located the hip chick digs blog that gives me hope as we begin this journey. i will post pics as we progress...

and on another note, it's no secret that wilco is one of my favorite bands. but...here's another reason that i love them so.

grace and peace,
dana

musings

2009-04-26T14:08:00.003-05:00

here are a few of my recent new fave finds:

love, love, love a band from arizona - obadiah parker. they are as yet unsigned, but they have some amazing covers of a few of my favorite songs. check them out on itunes (over to the bar on the left) or on their website. i've also discovered the amazing kim taylor. if you like rosie thomas, maria taylor (no relation to kim that i'm aware of) and their contemporaries, you'll love kim's voice and songwriting. simply beautiful!

a few years ago, i enjoyed reading the very charming no. 1 ladies' detective agency book series by alexander mccall smith. i loved the intriguing cultural setting of botswana and i adored the gutsy heroine, precious ramotswe. now that hbo has based a tv series on the book series, i am enjoying it thoroughly, too! i must say, i thought very highly of singer/actress jill scott before the series, but i believe she is on the cusp of something really incredible!

and while we're talking tv, the talented bea arthur passed away this weekend. though i know her acting roles were numerous, she'll always be the witty and wry dorothy of golden girls to me. found this hilarious video of some of her best quips from the show. enjoy!

grace and peace,
dana

i still love you new york!

2009-04-11T21:08:00.010-05:00

thought i would just post some highlights from our recent trip to new york. what an amazing city...it never ceases to leave me breathless!

from the top of the rock at twilight...
the sphere sculpture from wtc, now at battery park...hey there, lady liberty! say hello to your mother for me...
if only immigrants at the turn of the 20th century had this beautiful entrance to ellis island...
gorgeous grand central...i could people watch for hours!
ahhh...one of the most beautiful bridges in the world!
we also took time to visit hubby's alma mater. yes, i too thought we were at hogwarts!

grace and peace and happy easter to you,

dana

not funkytown

2009-03-29T12:36:00.004-05:00

i've been away from my blog for a bit now. in part, i've been away because i was traveling. a wonderful get away to new york with my best buddy was a welcome respite. but i've also been away...in a funk. and no, my funk didn't take me to funkytown in my travels. (but, that would've been fun!)

i thought this would be a great opportunity to share with you an organization that is helping numerous folks battle their issues with depression and addiction. it's a non-profit group called to write love on her arms. even if these issues aren't impacting you or anyone close to you, please still check this group out. they are raising awareness in a world that all too often would rather look the other way.

grace and peace,
dana

calling 'em out

2009-03-15T20:37:00.004-05:00

to fully disclose, i am a fan of jon stewart and the daily show.

but regardless, i really appreciate the fact that this guy will call folks out when they need to answer to the public. when you have a minute, check this out and this and this.

grace and peace,
dana

springing forward

2009-03-07T12:35:00.004-06:00

i've been in a bit of a blog slump as of late. i am hoping to use my metaphorical defibrillator and bring it back to life by changing the look a smidgen and getting back to posting regularly. thanks, steph, for the inspiration!

i'm going to apply the k.i.s.s. method and just post one thing. slow and steady gets me back in the game, right? so, here we go:

ben harper is back with one of his new projects - relentless 7. the album white lies for dark times will be released in may, but can be pre-ordered now. check out the song "shimmer and shine" here.

grace and peace,
dana

hey economy, thanks for the memories...

2009-02-11T13:54:00.002-06:00

it's a sad, sad day.

first, because of the economic downturn there was the end of this.

now, i can thank the economy for the end of this too.

sad, sad day indeed.

blessings to you,
dana

(blogger's note: i understand that many in our country are facing very dark and despairing times due to our economy. while i do mourn the loss of these two enjoyable rags, i in no way mean to equate this with the plight that many are enduring. just so you know i'm not totally heartless...)

can you dig it?

2009-02-05T07:38:00.003-06:00

tim brantley is my artist-du-jour. this guy has been described as being able to channel that am gold sound so prevalent in 70s rock. being a child of the late 70s and the 80s, i am digging this guy's sound.

the icing on the cake is that birmingham is blessed with the ear of a local radio guy named dave rossi. dave is spot on in picking artists who go on to become something amazing. kid you not, dave can be given a lion's share of credit in boosting the career of john mayer. john built a huge fan base in birmingham early in his career due to the fact that dave gave him major radio play. i mention all this because dave picked up on tim brantley's sound about a year ago and well...let's just say that tim has built a pretty solid following around the birmingham area. he's already had a couple of local shows here and performed on local tv. not bad for a guy just getting started, right?

his album won't "drop" until april, but it is available for digital download right now. check it out. let me know if you dig his sound, too!

blessings to you,
dana

the heart of the matter

2009-01-31T21:09:00.003-06:00

several years ago, don henley (of the eagles) released a song called "heart of the matter." the lyrics say, "been trying to get down to the heart of the matter...i think it's about forgiveness." this line has stuck with me all these years because of the complexity of the idea cloaked in the simplicity of the lyric.

i've been thinking about forgiveness a lot lately. in so many events in my life, both past and present, the heart of the matter really has come down to forgiveness. having a forgiving heart can be a most difficult thing; our hurts often block the path to forgiveness. but as a follower of jesus, i realize that it's what i'm called to do. in luke 6:37, i'm told "do not judge, and you will not be judged. do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. forgive, and you will be forgiven." in colossians 3:13, i'm told, "bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. forgive as the lord forgave you." if i am really striving to wear his name and to act as a follower is called to, then i had better get my forgiveness on!

aside from forgiveness being 'the right thing to do' - i know it is also the crux of healing. i think about a quote from alan paton, author of the amazing book cry, the beloved country. he advised that "when a deep injury is done us, we never recover until we forgive." part of my new year's resolution to bring healthy back requires me to really let go of the hurt that has built up inside of me, and forgive those who have trespassed against me. from a holistic point of view, it's the only way to undo some of the stress placed upon my body over the past few years. it may very literally be at the heart of my matter.

so here i go...off to forgive others. or at least try my very best.

blessings to you,
dana

speechless

2009-01-24T09:46:00.002-06:00

so...um, yeah.
uh...
well...
this is going well, don't you think?
right...
how's the weather?
how 'bout those saints?!

yeah, i have nothing to say.

i'll be back when i do.

blessings to you,
dana

flippin' hilarious

2009-01-05T10:46:00.003-06:00

what hole have i had my head in that i missed the amazing talent of flight of the conchords?

so if you don't know who i am referring to, flight of the conchords is the "fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo" from new zealand. jemaine clement and bret ("brit? bret. brit? bret.") mckenzie are the geniuses whose hbo series is just about to kick off its' second season on january 18th. in an effort to get caught up, we spent our rainy saturday in a flight of the conchords marathon frenzy watching the 12 episodes of season 1 (thank you charter on demand!). oh, merry day!

don't wait another second...go get caught up on the goings-on of bret, jemaine, murray, dave, and number one fan mel. as one reviewer sees it, it's "spinal tap for the 21st century indie kid." as this fan sees it, it's just flippin' hilarious!

blessings to you,

dana

bringing sexy back

2009-01-01T19:58:00.002-06:00

happy 2009 to you!

have you followed the tradition of making any new year's resolutions today? for the past few years, i have honestly thought it was a bit silly because i never seemed to follow through (just like millions of others out there). but this year, i am resolved. i'm bringing sexy back.

okay, maybe that's going too far. i'll settle for bringing healthy back. of course, i'm talking about that dreaded resolution of getting in shape. this year, i feel a bit more motivated. this time, this resolution feels a bit more relevant, a bit more critical for my overall health.

maybe i won't be like the recent winner of the biggest loser. but at least, i'm aiming for it.

here's hoping that you and your resolutions are successful!

blessings to you,
dana

a magical holiday

2008-12-29T00:29:00.004-06:00

here's hoping that your christmas was full of wonder and that your new year will be happy and healthy, too.

mr. bingle echoes my sentiments. really.

blessings to you and happy 2009,
dana

giving the perfect gift

2008-12-23T15:05:00.004-06:00

perhaps you are like me and sometimes need a bit of a reality check during the holiday season. i fall prey to that feeling of having to find perfect gifts for those i love. but in getting caught up in the all the commercialism of the holidays, i forget what's most important.

i am a little belated in finding this site this year, but perhaps it may help you to remember. this time next year, i'm in - with my hands and my feet and my heart.

blessings to you,
dana

a holiday tradition

2008-12-18T14:06:00.003-06:00

growing up, my mom and i frequently attended our town's local dance homage to the season - the nutcracker. several years later, my older niece participated in a much larger production with the baton rouge ballet theatre. of course, both ballets were lovely. (but you know me...i was just as transfixed by tchaikovsky's music. to this day, i get chills when i hear those first few strands of "dance of the sugar plum fairy." on a side note, check out bela fleck and the flecktones's unique version on itunes. it's superb!)

last night, pbs's program great performances showcased a special dance in america: san francisco ballet's the nutcracker. it was incredibly beautiful and perhaps the best performance of the ballet i've ever seen. the company made the production their own by drawing inspiration from the 1915 world's fair. you can see a short video describing it here.

blessings to you,
dana

deceit

2008-12-17T13:38:00.007-06:00

lately, i've been thinking about deception. not just the act of deceiving someone, but also the echoes or ripples of that act. as it should be, great literature provokes one to think. i've read two fantastic novels recently whose authors caused me to think about deception because they directly and indirectly interwove the theme of deception into their work. the thought-provoking culprits? atonement and water for elephants.

atonement by ian mcewan, in my humble opinion, is a modern day masterpiece. i so wish that i had not already seen the movie when i read the book because mcewan's ability to paint images with his words is like no other author i've ever encountered. if only i had the privilege of letting my imagination conjure up the scenes he creates...sigh. if you're not familiar with either the book or the motion picture, atonement is the mesmerizing tale of the tallis family and the deception that destroys their family unit. it's fascinating to me that while one of the characters, briony, genuinely sought atonement for the deception she unwittingly facilitated as a child, it's as if she somehow never fully believed that she should receive it.

in sara gruen's wonderful water for elephants, small acts of deception consistently peppered the plot line. whether it's to save lives - like camel's or rosie's lives...or to keep up appearances - such as jacob being a veterinarian...or to not get caught - to avoid august's rage...deception served as a tool for the characters to just exist in some state of peacefulness. what i found fascinating was that until the characters fully and honestly embraced themselves and their desires for who and what they truly were, they constantly relied on deception to create a front to present to others.

i was intrigued at all the synonyms i found for deceive: ensnare, cheat, mislead, delude, and beguile. i mulled over how deception can be so tantalizing to me like a get out of jail free pass, just to then clamp down shackles and keep me in bondage to it. i also thought about how we all participate in deceitful exchanges daily. for example - have you ever answered "fine" or "good" when someone asked you how you were...and you really weren't? it's not that you are lying to that person. but are you really being truthful, authentic, and real? if i deceive you by answering "fine" then perhaps i don't have to really tell you that i'm behind in paying my bills or that i had another fight with my spouse or that i'm just feeling bloated today. and do i really want to tell you all those things? maybe it's just better to deceive you because then you won't really know me and all my baggage.

just thinking. because that's what good books should make you do.

blessings to you,

dana

that christmas feeling

2008-12-11T20:56:00.004-06:00

whoa! where did november go? i have gotta get on the ball to be ready for this christmas!

one of my all time faves, jack johnson, is helping me get in the spirit. have you heard his brushfire records' new christmas compilation this warm december? it and sufjan's christmas discs are on constant rotation for me right now. perhaps they'll get you in the spirit, too.

and if not, then try this! (smile)

blessings to you,

dana

thankfulness

2008-11-27T19:17:00.005-06:00

i love that we have a reflective holiday that celebrates our thankfulness for all that we have been blessed with. i have been blessed by so many events, opportunities, and interactions this past year - some joyful, some painful - that all fill me with such overwhelming gratitude for having had those experiences.

i'm especially introspective today as i also turn a year older. my bearings have righted themselves a bit more each day this past year as i have invested in my passions and as i have listened to myself closer and more carefully. i am so grateful for my "north" or my priceless friends and family who steer me homeward when i go astray. for me, today offers a dual purpose...this holiday allows me to be thankful for so much, but it also serves as the threshold through which i can pause, reflect, and then walk on - taking all of this year's lessons with me as i enter a new year of my life.

i just have this feeling of thankfulness now...for what's to come. i'm just thinking that 34 is going to be a very momentous year. i'm sure there'll be some alterations, some growing pains, some mountains and valleys - but then, i'm thinking there'll be some belly laughs and opportunities to catch my breath in pure wonder. i just can't wait...

thank you, for coming along for the ride thus far. i hope you'll stick around. but just so you know - i'm one of those people who scream and laugh hysterically or cry on roller coasters! who knows how i'll behave through all that the next year will hold? (smile)

blessings to you,
dana

i tried not to, really...

2008-11-16T14:52:00.002-06:00

so, last week i'm flipping the channels and i find that cmt is running an episode of their show crossroads. i'm always intrigued by singer/songwriter pairings and so i paused to see who would be on this episode. i near about fell off the couch...it was def leppard - metal rock extraordinaires of my adolescence and taylor swift - country music wunderkind. seriously?!!? i couldn't believe that these two artists were paired for so many reasons - least of which was i wondered if taylor swift even knew who def leppard was?! i mean, the group mates are all old enough to be her father and then some. but alas, i watched...anticipating a train wreck and of course, not being able to look away. i was prepared to turn the channel and soon! then, something extraordinary happened...i found myself enjoying it.

oh, gosh - okay, i wrote it and it's out there. please let me explain. i didn't want to like taylor swift or her music, really. but i found myself thinking "wow - this teenager can write some good lyrics!" and then i found that what i always perceived as her smugness or arrogance or something is actually her youthful spunkiness. this girl is not too bad! also to her credit - she gave the guys of def leppard their proper respect as 80s and 90s rock giants.

and so with that i must confess, i bought taylor's new album fearless on itunes. as much as i hate to say it...it's good. check it out.

blessings to you,
dana

autumn days

2008-11-08T15:29:00.004-06:00

it's another beautiful day in birmingham. the leaves are vibrant - olives, rusts, ambers, golds, burgundies, chocolates - and rustling along in the wind. i can't wait to go out and capture some photos as the sun sets today...

sunset has always been my favorite time of day. i have a lovely memory - it's about 18 years old now - of my brother and i driving in his car at sunset during the week of thanksgiving. it was chilly and crisp outside. the colors of the sky were only matched by the colors of the leaves that were falling. bono's voice and the edge's guitar accompanied us as we aimlessly wandered roads near my grandparents' house.

i'm thinking that today a bit of grant lee phillips and his fabulous nineteeneighties will be my soundtrack. no? maybe a little glen hansard and the soundtrack from once? hmmm...something edgier? maybe my favorite guy ben and his innocent criminals and their beautiful lifeline? or really edgier? like my faves from wilco or the shins?

i'll just have to post some photos and tell you which music captured the moments perfectly. until then...

blessings to you,
dana

yes we did

2008-11-05T19:29:00.003-06:00

oh my. what a dream come true...what a phenomenal victory...

i won't pretend to understand what this historical vote means for my friends of color. but i will always, proudly, remember the moment when it was announced that barack obama will be our next president of the united states. i am so grateful that my own future children will not have to someday wonder (as some of my students have in years past) why our presidents have only been "old, white men."

the sun was shining here in birmingham today. but in more ways than one, it was such a beautiful day!

blessings to you and to our america,
dana

blessed are the...

2008-11-02T17:52:00.004-06:00

i am a christian - a follower of jesus christ. i define myself as a child of god and i strive to make my words and actions each and every day be consistent with the words and actions of jesus.

i will vote this tuesday. when i vote, i will proudly and fully give my vote to barack obama. do i agree with every issue that barack obama supports? no. but i believe him to be a superior candidate than the alternative and i believe his leadership will be a much needed salve for a wounded nation.

i do not - in any shape, form, or fashion - see obama's "agenda" as being a direct contradiction to my beliefs. as a matter of irony, obama is the only presidential candidate who has openly discussed his spiritual beliefs and openly revealed the role that his faith has played in his life. as with any candidate in any election, i have taken the time to see where my beliefs align with the presidential candidates' beliefs (including third party candidates) and found that i most closely align with obama. i also found that obama has well organized plans for dealing with issues - dare i say, biblical issues - such as poverty and peacemaking.

this past week, an icon in evangelical circles - james dobson - and his focus on the family organization released a fictitious letter by an american in the year 2012. this letter was meant to depict what an america led by barack obama would look like in four years. i was very grateful to see that a well-thought-out and tempered response was supplied by jim wallis. i am linking it here for two purposes: 1) i find that jim's ability to respond is noteworthy and admirable (as i know that were it my place to respond...i would probably falter or resort to screaming or name calling) and 2) should you have the time to read the comments, i think you will find an excellent example of how we initiate respectful dialogue with those with whom we disagree.

though i've been in prayer about this election, between now and tuesday, i will be praying especially about the outcome of the election. should obama win (and i certainly hope he does), i pray that americans support him...even those who don't agree with him. jesus called his followers to go out into the world and serve others in his name. infighting among christians does nothing to further this command. there are too many people on our tiny, fragile planet who can't put their needs on hold while bickering and back-biting continue. they need our help now! besides, we americans already have enough enemies. we must work together...there is no alternative. and so, my earnest, fervent prayer is that this election will help to serve as a catalyst for christians everywhere to step up and show how peacemaking really works. and then, we can get about the business of serving others.

blessings to you,
dana

where are my manners?!

2008-10-31T19:04:00.006-05:00

i have been remiss...i have been reacquainted with some wonderful ladies recently and did not introduce you to them. forgive me! please meet emma and edna. edna and emma meet the blog readers. um, well, yeah - these two characters would have no clue as to what a blog is!

i am, of course, referring to my readings of jane austen's emma and kate chopin's the awakening. remember i was reading these awhile back? i just completely got side tracked and didn't talk to you about them!

what a perfectly contrasted set of heroines! for the austen fans, you know our dear emma...quite the lady. she socializes in the right circles, is well-raised and well-appointed, and frequently is more than content to trifle away her days on silly frivolities - such as matchmaking and the like. and then there's edna...

her inner turmoil, restlessness, and almost incessant discontent are palpable. though her days are pleasantly common enough, edna longs to be someone other than the woman whose life she's leading. she's tragic and tormented in the sense that she just longs to escape.

on the surface - these characters are polar opposites. emma - the lighthearted one; edna - the burdened one. yet - here are two female characters who fill their days with distractions as a form of escaping themselves. though emma is educated, she's totally out of touch with herself, her desires, and her needs because her attention is spent on the activities of her friends and neighbors. and edna, well, she uses her opportunities to sketch or socialize with her peers as a means by which to avoid the true longings of her heart.

both characters do eventually find their ways to their true selves - but both do so at a cost. to understand that...you must read the books! (smile)

blessings to you,
dana

observations from an invalid

2008-10-19T20:49:00.003-05:00

i've been sick this weekend with some kind of bug - so i've naturally puttered around on the internet a bit. here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite finds:

1) how much do i love colin powell?!! woo hoo!!!
2) when i was growing up, i had a friend who had this car. it was orange, too. so great!
3) don't forget that it's breast cancer awareness month. my mom is a survivor and i'm so proud of her! please visit this link to help the fight.
4) i highly recommend this new cd! it's so sublime.
5) i'm eager to read this and this.

have a great week!

blessings to you,
dana

forever ago

2008-10-14T15:02:00.002-05:00

i recently found justin vernon's music, recorded under the name of bon iver. i really enjoy the stripped down sound of his music on his album for emma, forever ago. if you are a fan of music from iron & wine and the like, i think you'll enjoy it also.

some people associate smells or sounds with their memories. i do that somewhat - but i've found that i more often associate my memories with music. many of my life's most definitive moments are forever linked to certain songs. within seconds of the beginning of some songs, the notes will evoke a powerful rush of emotion derived from something in my past. it isn't necessarily that the lyrics match a scenario i've lived out...but rather that the song may have created a backdrop for the event that occurred.

right now, my past and my present seem to be intersecting a lot. today and "forever ago" are meeting on a regular basis. my grandfather's death on sunday has naturally caused me to reflect on my beautiful memories of him and his life and the stories of him that others have shared. since sunday, i've been listening to for emma, forever ago quit a bit. i imagine at some point in the future i'll associate this beautiful, quiet album with the equally beautiful and quiet passing of my grandfather. in the meantime, the understated elegance of this album is a soothing respite for me. i hope you enjoy it as well.

blessings to you,
dana

sunset

2008-10-07T13:56:00.003-05:00

i've been listening to "i will rise" by chris tomlin a lot lately. my sweet granddaddy's life is coming to a close. what a precious man - a true gift in my life. i will be sad to not physically see him anymore...but i have never felt such peace about a loved one leaving this life. i am happy to let him go...to rest and bask in glory.

"i will rise

when he calls my name

no more sorrow

no more pain

i will rise

on eagle's wings

and before my god

fall on my knees..."

blessings to you,

dana

live.loud.lovely.

2008-09-26T11:00:00.003-05:00

i had the amazingly good fortune to see one of my new favorite bands recently - the avett brothers. their sound is so unique, their lyrics are genuine and simple, but it's their live show that pushes them into a whole other realm. please, do yourself a favor: if they come anywhere near your town - do not hesitate, go see them! get a taste of them singing my favorite song here. so, so good!!!

blessings to you,

dana

when pollyanna left town

2008-09-14T18:37:00.002-05:00

do you know pollyanna? it is a much loved book that has been made into various movies. pollyanna was optimistic and hopeful in every situation - believing in the best of people and circumstances. i guess the slice of sunshine that pollyanna was biting off of unnerved some folks because it wasn't too long before calling someone a pollyanna became a bit derogatory. as in - she's such a pollyanna in thinking that they aren't talking about her behind her back.

i can be a pollyanna. i always am shocked when i learn that good people do bad things. you know, like the enron scandal from a few years ago...i couldn't believe that some could be so greedy as to misuse/steal other's hard earned and hard saved retirement investments. i mean, those investments are people's dreams! you don't mismanage and squander people's dreams! and then, on cue, you could've said to me - quit being a pollyanna, dana, people are greedy and are only looking out for themselves.

while it may be endearing to be a pollyanna, a bit refreshing among throngs of skeptics and cynics, here's the truth: being a pollyanna gets you hurt. see, you trust that people are good and honorable and don't act selfishly or manipulative towards others. and then - inevitably when people act bad, dishonorable, and selfish and then manipulate you or someone you love - well, then hold on to your hat because it hurts. it really, really hurts.

so the question is do you follow scripture and turn the other cheek, forgiving people seventy times seven if necessary? do you keep looking at the world through fresh - maybe rose colored - eyes? or do you do what i'm considering? do you pack up pollyanna and get her on the first train out of dodge?

people can be selfish and cruel, thoughtless and destructive with their actions. i don't want to fight back, but i also don't want to keep believing that good people always choose to do good things. they don't.

maybe when i'm ready, pollyanna can come back to visit or even to stay. but right now, there are too many deep breaths to take and too many tears to wipe.

blessings to you,
dana

hungry?

2008-09-03T19:24:00.001-05:00

i'm conventioned out. democrat. republican. i'm just done. let's get on to the debates, people. and on our way there, here's some food for thought...

blessings to you,
dana

meditation

2008-09-01T12:38:00.004-05:00

my last post showed my family's 43 years worth of belongings out on the street. katrina did a number on us - as it did to anyone with any ties to new orleans, the northshore, or southeast louisiana in general. there are some things in life you never forget - you know things like where you were when you heard about 9/11, etc. for me - i will never forget the anxiety of waiting on sunday night, august 28, 2005, for my parents and husband to arrive safely at my home post evacuation. i will never forget all the stories spun out of control on the internet about the destruction in my hometown (my favorite being that a water tower - just near my high school - had toppled). i will never forget the sinking feeling i had when we learned, via my life-long sweet neighbor "miss" jerry, that my parent's house had become a pond of fetid water.

so i completely understood the panic that everyone was feeling about gustav (not that it helps when ol' c. ray nagin calls it "the mother of all storms"). my only ironic consolation the last few days being that all of my family have left louisiana since katrina. i still worried for my friends, for their families, and for the places that were the backdrop for most of my formative memories. i know that any disaster creates a brotherhood or sisterhood of individuals who "get it" and bond because they've lived through it. i guess that is why i have turned yet again to a familiar friend, times-picayune columnist chris rose.

prior to katrina, reading chris's columns were fun and enjoyable. post katrina, they were therapeutic for me. this time around, with gustav, it's like having a comforting conversation with someone who understands where you are coming from and is helping you to make sense of all the madness. if you have a chance, check out this recent post of his. you're sure to chuckle.

and while you chuckle, check out this blog spot. you gotta love the weather channel's jim cantore - but i tell you, the guy is a little...what's the word? hmmm...i'll let you come to your own conclusion! :)

blessings to you and to all on the gulf coast, especially in my louisiana,
dana

not again

2008-08-27T19:41:00.003-05:00

three years ago this friday, hurricane katrina hit southeastern louisiana.

or as i tend to think of it, life as i knew it ended.

my childhood home was reduced to this:

i hope that gustav doesn't decide to mimic katrina.

i am praying for protection for all on the gulf coast.

august 16, 1970

2008-08-16T11:08:00.005-05:00

today is my best friend's birthday. i thought i would devote my post to him.

we met at a transitional time in both of our lives...i was about to leave home to begin college and he was a newly graduated cadet, about to begin his officer's basic course as a second lieutenant. it might seem strange that we would meet at such an chaotic time. however, in the years that have passed, we have realized how often our paths crossed in the years before we met. i am a big believer in things happening if they are meant to be or are destined to be, and so i often wonder if our paths continued to cross throughout our lives until they actually intersected at the exact same point. there is a chinese legend that talks about a red thread that connects a couple from birth and it continues to shorten until the two are face to face. i think that is such a beautiful and apropos illustration for us.

we have now celebrated 16 of his birthdays together. my constant prayer is that we will celebrate so many more. but if that were not to happen, i would be so grateful for what we have had. i am so blessed in that the real birthday gift on this day all these years has been in being able to have my best friend in my life.

happy birthday, my love. i hope on your birthday and in the years to come that i can bring you as much joy as you have brought to me, our family, and our friends. to steal a quote...you make me "incandescently happy." i love you.

how do you say...happy?

2008-08-10T18:07:00.002-05:00

it's sunday evening - early august. for many, many years this exact time of the week would bring anxiety and stress for me. sunday nights would always find me wrapping up lesson plans and preparing for the week - often in my classroom at school. well...not tonight. and hopefully, i will never again feel that sunday night stress (at least not in the way i described).

this past monday i started an amazing new job. i will be a math specialist serving local teachers who have participated in a statewide math initiative over the past 3 years. there are so many lovely perks from not having to ask someone to cover for me while i go to the bathroom, to the fact that my office is a 15 minute drive from my house!!! but the greatest perk is one that i cannot really even believe that i am going to type. it is...professional respect.

i have 3 degrees. i have taught for 11 years. i have received exemplary yearly observations all 11 of those years. i have clocked enough professional development hours as both a teacher and a trainer that theoretically - i could not lift a finger again and still ensure my certification renewal for the next 20 years. i have several professional association memberships and a large network of colleagues with whom i have collaborated. however, none of those accolades mattered when it came to professional respect in my previous position. my purpose here is not to air any one's dirty laundry or to write anything disparaging about others. my point is only to say that i believe i have earned the right to be treated with professional respect and unfortunately, i often questioned if i was. in contrast, this week i have seen in both big and small ways that professional respect is the cornerstone upon which my new position has been built. and for that i am:

joyful, content, pleasantly surprised, excited, energized, hopeful, relieved, encouraged, and...
oh - that's right...happy.

blessings to you,
dana

new and old faves meet

2008-07-27T19:32:00.002-05:00

we spent a rainy saturday doing something we enjoy - just in a new way. we've enjoyed visiting pepper place on saturday mornings on occasion these past few years to buy local produce. however, yesterday we decided instead to check out the alabama farmers market. it definitely isn't as glitzy - with cooking demos and musical performances like pepper place has - but was still an adventure. we spent just $35 dollars and got more tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, okra, watermelon, and peaches than you can imagine!!!

we also checked out a movie this weekend that my friend katy enjoyed and recommended. rocket science was just the sort of quirky movie that i enjoy, so i'm glad we checked it out. the added bonus was that the music in this movie was so good. there were lots of musical references to the violent femmes...but the real musical star was the endearing quality of the characters and the plot which was captured beautifully by the film's music director, eef barzelay. and why should that matter? well, eef barzelay is the lead singer of clem snide - one of my favorite bands. i had no idea that he was involved at all with this film - so what a nice surprise!

my new sunday night addiction is about to begin, so i'll sign off...we've become big fans of hbo's miniseries generation kill. the miniseries is based on reporter evan wright's account of his time embedded with marines in iraq in 2003. it's definitely fascinating television!

blessings to you,
dana

summer nights

2008-07-20T18:33:00.002-05:00

thought i'd share this beautiful sunset we captured while traveling recently. here's to long summer days (and nights)!

blessings to you,
dana

game night

2008-07-15T23:39:00.005-05:00

a game of chess tonight for hubby and i...

but little ol' gus couldn't stand all the excitement!

blessings to you,

dana

all kinds of goodness

2008-07-14T15:38:00.005-05:00

on saturday, i was a hostess for a friend's baby shower. i think everyone had a good time and our friend received some beautiful gifts. her baby girl is due in september and it will be her first child...how exciting!

as it was a brunch, we had some yummy food! my good friend steph made the barefoot contessa's blueberry muffins that were delicious! paula deen and martha stewart never steer you wrong! we used their recipes for baked garlic cheese grits (minus the chicken broth) and for bacon-wrapped dates. we also made breakfast casserole, peach salad, a fruit tray, and had edgar's strawberry cheesecake. yum - i'm getting hungry just thinking about it all!

good times, good food, good friends. that's what it's all about.

blessings to you,
dana

***post script...i found out that the bacon-wrapped dates recipe referenced above - while i'm sure is delicious - is incorrect. the recipe used by my friend steph is this one. and yes, they are so good!!!

rage and hormones

2008-07-08T18:18:00.002-05:00

i have some health issues. no big shocker to anyone who knows me. but what may shock you is the utter rage that courses through me. it's hard to be the sweet, demure girl i was taught to be when i feel betrayed by my body.

a few years ago, i was diagnosed with uterine fibroids. one fibroid was so large that it had to be removed surgically. it surely wasn't a walk in the park - but in my case, it was better than the monthly complications of living with a mass in my uterus equivalent to that of a 24 week old fetus.

for the last year, i have had another small fibroid growing in me. but i also discovered that i have a hormonal imbalance because of a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome (pcos). best case - you manage it. worst case - it manages you. bottom of the barrel worst case - you cannot have children.

the last several days i have been very sick. while i'd like to believe that it was just a stomach virus - and you can imagine all that goes with that - the truth is that about once a month, i get something like a stomach virus. and while truth is out here on the table, each month gets harder and harder to get through. i regularly find myself battling through what most women find to be annoying and inconvenient. i guess the good news is i have experienced this before. but the bad news is that the last time led up to a meeting with my gynecologist/surgeon in an operating room. all of this courtesy of my uterus and my endocrine system. thanks, girls.

so here i am. trying to hang on to my life by my finger tips. trying to believe that hope and help are on the way. trying not to feel as if i'm damaged goods. trying not to lash out at people who don't appreciate their precious children. just trying.

i'm all rage and hormones.

happy declaration of independence, everybody!

2008-07-04T13:33:00.003-05:00

ever the teacher, i must admit that when i hear folks on tv say things like, "today is america's birthday," i cringe! and i know that the real point here is for americans to take a moment today and honor our wonderfully unique and blessed country. but i cringe because today is the anniversary of the ratifying of our declaration of independence from england. it's not, technically, our birthday. the united states of america did not become a recognized, autonomous country until later...september of 1783, actually.

so today, while you are eating something barbecued or watching some fireworks and reflecting on being an american, please take your moment to be grateful for the men who came together (after a LOT of yammering) and decided that we were nobody's fools and we could govern ourselves, thank you very much king george III and parliament. and then, later this summer as you watch the leaves begin to turn and fall to the ground, you can have your red, white, and blue birthday cake, okay?

just doing my part to educate the masses. :)

but truly...

happy fourth of july, everybody! i hope your day is filled with fun!

blessings to you,

dana

stress relief

2008-07-01T17:37:00.003-05:00

i'm feeling stressed today. i needed some stress relief and thought of some of my favorite videos that always bring a smile to my face. here they are, in no particular order. enjoy!

the mysterious ticking noise

blessings to you,
dana

happy birthday little blog!

2008-06-28T20:49:00.004-05:00

i realized this week that this little blog has aged a year and i forgot to wish it a happy birthday. so...happy birthday little blog! and thank you friends and family who check in with us here. many of you know my woes with phones - either the ringer is on silent or when i can make a phone call, it's usually not at a "normal" hour. i know, i know...blah, blah, blah. :) but at least through this blog we can stay in touch and i can let you know how we're faring and what's new with us.

i think just like with any birthday, i have been thinking about what has happened over the course of the last year. several friends have welcomed little ones (big shout out to lily and caroline!), while others are on the way (whoo hoo to my preggers friends). i have closed one door in my career and am ready to cross the threshold into another. but i have to wonder...am i any closer to finding my bearings? here's what i've learned about myself this past year:

1) happiness and joy are not the same thing. happiness can be fleeting. joy sticks around - even when things look bleak. i pray that i am always joyful, no matter my circumstances. i thought about this when i recently found a great quote by louisa may alcott: "i am not afraid of storms, for i'm learning to sail my ship." that's joy.
2) were there only two musical artists i could listen to for the rest of my life, i would choose ben harper and jack johnson. yep. i really would. love them.
3) my family may be native alabamians who transplanted to louisiana, but i am a native louisianian who transplanted to alabama. it has taken me a while to realize the impact of one's cultural surroundings when growing up. i must say...i was fortunate enough to hit the jackpot on this one! i am so grateful for every bit of louisiana's continued influence on me.
4) our lives are defined by our relationships. sure your deeds are great, but your relationships are the crux of who you are. i am so blessed, but there's so much more i could do to nurture my relationships. i really want to become more demonstrative in this area of my life.
5) grace is priceless and should be fluid. give it freely. receive it freely. i am still working on the receiving part!

here's to another year. i am grateful to share it with each of you.

blessings to you,
dana

a hope and a prayer

2008-06-22T23:20:00.005-05:00

monday is an important day for a friend of mine. i wish i could be with her, but since i can't, i will share a couple of hopeful thoughts to see her through...

"love is the answer at least for most of the questions in my heart." ~ jack johnson

and because i believe that to be true...

"i offer you peace. i offer you love. i offer you friendship. i see your beauty. i hear your need. i feel your feelings." ~ mahatma ghandi

my hope wouldn't be complete without some flowers. so...

know that i am praying hard for you.

blessings to you,

dana

the mighty muffin man

2008-06-21T09:19:00.004-05:00

here he is...introducing the mighty muffin man! a real sweetie and gentle as can be.

if you are looking for an addition to your family - or know someone who is - let us know.

we are loving having him here, but having 3 inside dogs is giving our vacuum a real workout!

blessings to you,

dana

mayberry version 2.0

2008-06-15T21:26:00.006-05:00

back from the reunion...sweet people, fun memories, a lot of laughs. husband did an amazing job (along with his co-chairs) of pulling together a really special weekend in his little home town. it's funny how people change over time - and how some never change! and though i'm not a reunion kind of girl, it made me miss my wonderful group of long time friends. no matter what you go through in life, there's something comforting about being with the people who knew you way back when.

here are some pics from the festivities. enjoy!

blessings to you,

dana

back to the future

2008-06-07T12:59:00.003-05:00

my sweet husband is old. i'm just kidding! well...

no, seriously, next weekend he and his buddies will celebrate their 20th high school reunion. courtesy of his lifelong best friend, he was volunteered to be a co-chair for this event (did you catch that? "was volunteered to be" yep!). so for his part, he has kept up a wonderful web page informing his small group of fellow graduates (from his little ol' high school located in mayberry, u.s.a.) of the festivities for this weekend. we've had a literal blast from the past this weekend as we made, and then cranked up, the soundtrack for the saturday evening get-together of the class of '88.

i have to say that my husband and his classmates have a really special connection. maybe it's because they grew up in a small town. maybe it's because they were all a little more country than city. maybe it's what 20 years removed from all the foibles, blunders, and embarrassing mistakes of high school does for you. maybe it's just them...but there's not an ounce of pretentiousness among these people. they all seem to just be genuinely happy to catch up and know that they are all healthy and happy. i really admire that.

for now, i'll leave you with a picture sent in from one of the classmates for the slide show that's being prepared. buckle your seat beat - it may be a fast ride back to the 80s! see if you can figure out which one is my old man! :)

blessings to you,

dana

enough said

2008-06-03T19:29:00.003-05:00

there's only one thing to say - and i'll say it courtesy of a t-shirt design by the great folks at dirty coast...

blessings to you,

dana

love in the time of cholera

2008-06-01T19:05:00.002-05:00

i finally finished this beautiful book. it took me quite some time because of not having many quiet opportunities to read. but it also took me awhile because of the book's vocabulary. i had thought myself pretty astute with vocabulary, but whoa! love... made me feel as if i was a teenager again trying to decipher one of the classics for an english class! not to take anything away from marquez's prose, but i wonder if part of the gorgeous density of the language was a result of the translation from spanish to english? what came across crystal clear, however, was the torment of the protagonist as he continued to love over time and distance. it was hard to read and not feel something between astonished admiration and disdainful pity for him. i am still trying to process the ending of the book and what i think of it. but in the meantime - if you haven't read it, i urge you to do so. i now understand why it is thought of as one of the 'new' classics.

with summer upon us, i am delving into two other classics...emma and the awakening. unlike love..., i have read these two before and have wanted to revisit them. i'll check back in with you when i have finished them. here's hoping that it won't take me as long to read these two books as love... did!

blessings to you,
dana

decapitated chicken running a marathon

2008-05-29T23:15:00.002-05:00

i feel like i've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off...such a gory metaphor, but true. as this week prepares to end, i am finally...yes, finally (as of 4:00 today) done packing my classroom and have brought ALL of it home. how we're going to live among all the paraphernalia is beyond what i can comprehend right now. but i've got something now that i haven't had for awhile: time. i've got time to sort through it all and clean it out. i think...

there's so much right now that needs my attention...how about my amazing husband who has not only put up with my emotional roller coaster these last few weeks but has also moved other people's stuff EVERY WEEKEND IN THE MONTH OF MAY and is utterly exhausted? do i even need to mention that sweet dog who needs to be rehabilitated and socialized so that he can make a wonderful pet for some family? or what about my sister who's recently moved to town and needs a lot of love and a ton of grace to recover from and adjust to the upheaval of leaving "home" after 40 some odd years? and still yet there's my precious niece who needs assistance with a host of things ranging from setting up doctor's visits to airfare by which to return to her college for her summer job...

ARGH! running around like a chicken with my head cut off indeed! but at least i have my new secret weapon of time. i just wonder how long it takes a decapitated chicken to run a marathon?

blessings to you,
dana

all in the family

2008-05-18T10:35:00.002-05:00

to have a blog is especially odd for me. that's because growing up, we were the kind of family that was private to a fault. i'm so programmed in this way. which is why, though i write about happenings, i tend not to include names of my family members or friends in my posts (with few exceptions). however, blogging does open up your life for others to read...

we are about to foster an adorable dog named muffin. muffin has been in our extended family for a number of years. however, for reasons i really don't want to share - or feel as if i can't share because of the whole privacy-to-a-fault thing - he's not been cared for in the best of circumstances. though his caretaker tried, she was only able to do what she could given her situation. muffin was going to have to be surrendered to a local animal shelter this weekend. given his age and medical condition, his future and any adoption prospects looked bleak. so...muffin's coming to our casa tonight.

tomorrow morning he'll get some much needed medical care and then the adventure begins. though i've tried to explain to gilligan and gus what's about to happen, they are either not interested or don't believe me! we'll see how the three boys get along!

in the meantime, if you - or someone you know - are interested in adopting a sweetie pie, please let me know. i will post some pics of him later on this week. given what he's been through, muffin is truly a remarkable dog. isn't that amazing about dogs? they can be resilient and loving no matter what they've been through! if only we humans could do that too...

blessings to you,
dana

why does it always rain on me?

2008-05-15T16:38:00.005-05:00

oh, blue skies - where have you gone?

poor gus needs the rain to go away!

blessings to you,

dana

the beginning of the end

2008-05-04T23:52:00.002-05:00

excited. relieved. nauseous. scared. exhilarated. peaceful.
here lies the cycle of feelings i'm experiencing lately. i have fifteen days left of teaching. i've never been so happy. i've never been so sad.

i added a link to a website for a teacher, heather renz, who i thought had fallen off the face of the earth. i even had the fleeting thought of "wow, even she had had enough!" not so; she just moved schools. my friend steph first introduced me to this website about four years ago. i've gone back to it time and time again. to me - this woman exemplifies that master teacher who everyone wishes they could have. or could be. even me. i linked her here simply because i think she has something on her website to offer to all learners - no matter our age.

she also has an amazing quote on her page. it's by albert einstein. it reads:

"teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty."

here's hoping that my indefinite "hiatus" affords me the opportunity to reclaim einstein's idea, refresh my perspective on teaching, and renew my personal energy reserves.

blessings to you,
dana

wandering

2008-04-26T23:58:00.003-05:00

i've written before that i grew up in a "religious" home where my world operated in black and white. though i would certainly call my parents godly people, i can't, with any honesty, say that they created a "spiritual" home that centered around jesus or missional living. and so, in the years since leaving the blind security of my parents' home (and their brand of religion), i have been wandering on a spiritual path and trying to figure out who i am as God's child and what i believe that means. some days i think i am beginning to figure it out - other days i feel like i've taken one, and only one, very small step down this path.

one of the main reasons i ever considered writing a blog was because i hoped it would give me the courage and the gumption to write of my constant struggle with spirituality versus religion. yet, here i am, almost a year into blogging, and it's the topic that i still fear writing about the most. i have had enlightening moments during this time that i've wanted to share - but then words to describe them seem to escape me. a lot of these moments have been when some kind soul has stopped to pick me up as i hitchhike down my spiritual road. the insights and the thoughts that they share in conversation have helped to shape my thinking and my understanding of what it means to be a follower of jesus christ. and sometimes, fortunately, these individuals have already found the courage to share their thoughts about spirituality with others. many of those individuals can be found here.

but another such person is julie clawson. i first read - and wholeheartedly agreed - with her ideas here. then i found that she has some really interesting thoughts here and here. give it a read...i would love to know what you think.

blessings to you,
dana

yeah, you wright!

2008-04-20T13:54:00.004-05:00

have you seen ian wright's new show on the travel channel? it's called america the wright way and it's great. okay - i'll own up...i've enjoyed ian's style of travel guide extraordinaire since his days as a host of the uk's lonely planet (oh, i miss that show). the concept of this new show is ian's mission to present america in the "wright" way - not in the cartoonish, elvis presley-ish, goofish way that many around the world view america and her culture.

we watched an episode this weekend about - you guessed it - new orleans. of course, it made me tear up - seeing the culture, the food, hearing the accents and the music. it never hurts to hear a local shout out with a big ol' "yeah you right, dahlin." i guess you never know what you've got until it's gone, so to speak. but then, i kid you not, in this episode ian says, "it's not hard to get your bearings in new orleans."

maybe that's my answer...you take the girl out of southeast louisiana but you can't take the southeast louisiana out of the girl because she loses her bearings! (smile)

just something to think about...

blessings to you,
dana

sweet memories

2008-04-17T18:22:00.008-05:00

i have been sick the past several days and, sadly, have missed a lot of work and a lot of fun activities this week (dinner w/ friends, a super fun field trip with my kids, a special work day today at school complete with some team building fun and roasting our principal in honor of her 10 years at our school, just to name a few of the activities). i really hate that i missed all of these. however, i am so glad that i didn't miss one of the most special activities from this week...

on sunday, my grandparents celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. we had a small reception for them at my granddaddy's nursing home. it was a sweet, sweet day. i adore them - not just for being my grandparents - but for honoring their wedding vows for all these years. that's so special - i can only hope that i can celebrate that with my husband someday.

blessings to you,

dana

glorious light

2008-04-12T22:42:00.005-05:00

"the light of God surrounds me;

the love of God enfolds me;

the power of God protects me;

the presence of God watches over me.

wherever i am, God is."

- james dillet freeman

blessings to you,

dana

musings on the last 24 hours

2008-04-05T20:33:00.006-05:00

just thinking about some things...

i love british humor. i have loved it since, maybe, junior high-ish??? i can remember watching shows on pbs and thinking how funny it all was. anyway, i adore monty python. and so, last night hubby and i went to see the touring production of spamalot. absolutely hysterical! we laughed so hard. in fact - i can't remember the last time i laughed that much for that long. so, so good!

earlier today, the movie reality bites was on tv. i can vividly remember when this movie came out. i remember hearing that this movie was supposed to be a statement for my generation - just like kurt cobain was supposed to the spokesman for my generation. honestly, i thought that was a bunch of bunk. i was 19. but now, at 33, i realize that this movie was not only a reflection of what was happening for many people my age - but years later - it would serve as a little time capsule illustrating how pop culture shaped me and my generation. what other movie has quotes like "melrose place is a really good show" and "cuckoo for cocoa puffs" - i mean, c'mon, that's priceless! (and kurt cobain and nirvana? well, let's just say that we now have more than one nirvana cd in our collection.) but seriously, it brought back such fond memories of living with my best friends at sharlo apartments. those were good times...

i'm also kind of addicted to the show iconoclasts on sundance channel. today i saw the pairing of dave chappelle (who cracks me up) and maya angelou (who i think is just amazing). i thought that my favorite episode was, and would always be, this season's pairing of musician wynton marsalis and chef john besh because of their connection to new orleans (not to mention that john besh is from my hometown). but dr. angelou and dave chappelle may be giving wynton and john a run for their money! oh my goodness...it was so powerful! i will admit that maya angelou could read the side of a cereal box and i would probably weep. but nonetheless, her wisdom and perspective clearly moved dave chappelle. and the fact that dave's insight was so valuable to her - she didn't patronize him or belittle him - it was good stuff.

let me say thank you for the prayers and thoughts you've been sending my way about my future opportunities. right now it doesn't look as thought any of them are going to work out. but i'm okay with that because i have faith that something amazing will come my way. i'll keep you posted.

blessings to you,
dana

i heard a rumor

2008-04-01T20:09:00.003-05:00

standardized testing blows. yeah - it's that time of the year.

i feel for my kids - i really do. i mean, as a ten year old child, when else do you naturally sit still for - at the very least - an hour and recall random facts? and then indicate your answer by filling in a circle? so crazy. poor kiddos. but it is what it is.

such needless stress can only be countered by foolishness. we're having some of that around the ol' workplace. see, this is also the time of year when folks begin to speculate who will return next year and who will leave the school. my teammates and i have heard some doozies this week about each of us and our plans for next year. we had such a great laugh as NONE of them are true. so now, we are thinking of having some fun with all the nonsense circulating and create a whingdingdilly whopper of a rumor - just to see how long it can be sustained around our little school. right now i'm thinking about something like i'm not returning next year because i'm having plastic surgery or maybe i'm going to live in a commune? do you have any suggestions? i'd love to hear them...the more outrageous - the better!

blessings to you,
dana

amber - i mean green - is the color of your energy

2008-03-29T10:23:00.011-05:00

here's another reason why i love portland...

these people are smart. they completely understood - many years ago - that too much air pollution can be a bad thing. as a result, they developed an amazing public transportation system. whether by light rail, streetcar, or bus, you can access pretty much any neighborhood in the metro area in a matter of minutes. definitely a plus in cutting down on air pollution and preserving our environment!

while i was there, i kept thinking about how the rail system in portland - for the most part - was built into the street or built just adjacent to the interstate/highway and how stinkin' easy it would be to have that in birmingham. we have such an enormous commuter population here that it would certainly be desirable to have a more efficient means by which to travel into downtown.

however, to be honest, i am just not sure that opinions and attitudes about public transportation are as evolved here as they are in portland. it still shocks me sometimes that i live in a region where, nearly 50 years later, people still vividly remember bus segregation and bus boycotts (and therefore attach those notions to public transportation). i guess we'll fight an uphill battle to diminish that viewpoint here in birmingham and overcome our history. but we'll only do that if people begin to build relationships outside of their comfort zones, provide access to all members of our community, and work together to accomplish that. i think making public transportation accessible and desirable to all of the population would make inroads toward that. and the bonus - we'd cut down on a lot of our air pollution!

if we hadn't used the public transportation options available to us in portland - we might have missed the chance to meet an amazingly cheerful and sincere bus driver we dubbed judy (because we forgot to ask for her real name) and an equally personable driver from our hotel named eric. i have to say that meeting judy and eric - and their friendliness and good humor - was a true highlight of the trip to portland!

okay, so just to give a few more snapshots of portland, here are a few from our visit to the japanese garden. it was oh-so-beautiful and peaceful. and...green!

blessings to you,

dana

p.s. if you didn't know, people around the world are going dark for one hour tonight to raise awareness of climate change. check it out for yourself at www6.earthhourus.org

if james lipton asks...

2008-03-23T20:39:00.005-05:00

me the question (you know - from the bernard pivot questionnaire he gives every actor at the end of his interview on inside the actor's studio?): if heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

here's my answer:

"welcome to powell's books."

this is reason number one that portland rocks. there are more reasons to come.

blessings to you,

dana

p.s. all joking aside, there is an opportunity regarding my future that i REALLY want and have been praying a lot about lately. can i ask for your prayers that i accept - with a grateful heart - whatever God's decision for me may be? thanks, friends.

i heart portland

2008-03-21T14:17:00.003-05:00

locavores? yep. liberals? yep. lush and green surroundings? yep.

could i live in portland? i'm not sure. it is awfully rainy and overcast a good bit of the time. but here's what i am sure about: i heart portland.

i'll tell you more later. for now...

blessings to you,

dana

oregon bound

2008-03-15T23:11:00.002-05:00

this time tomorrow, i will be in portland. how exciting!

any opportunity i have to travel with friends - i grab it. so when the idea to travel to portland with my friend, stephanie, came about (gosh - about a year ago???) i was in! steph and i have taken one other trip together and had a great time, so i'm sure portland will be fantastic as well.

i think this trip is going to be kind of cathartic too, in a way. i know how very blessed i am ("blessed beyond measure and fit to be envied" a coworker of mine would say). i don't for a second believe that i deserve any of the material things that i have been given. but after a heartbreaking 9 months or so, after trying to 'just survive' such a stressful time in my life, the very human part of me feels that i should have a getaway. and because steph had a terribly trying experience last school year, i think we're both due for a getaway. maybe we can release all those hurts accumulated from our similar teaching experiences together! even if we can't, i'm sure we'll have a ball and a lot of laughs.

i'll be sure to share some of our adventures with you when i get back later this week. for now i am off to pack...and hopefully catch some sleep!

blessings to you,
dana

can you hear me now? part deux

2008-03-12T21:49:00.002-05:00

okay - so ear wax was not the most tasteful topic. but you can't say that i'm not putting myself out there for you, dear reader!

seriously though, i am so glad that i can hear clearly now. because that means that i can hear my phone ringing, right? and i am also so glad that god made steve jobs. who founded apple. who later created the mac. then the ipod. and then...the iphone. dana has one now. and dana likey. see why i'm so glad i can hear???

you know the best part? my ringtone. "are you gonna be my girl?" by jet...super sweet.

blessings to you,
dana

can you hear me now?

2008-03-09T17:03:00.006-05:00

since moving to alabama from louisiana ten years ago, i have experienced chronic sinus infections, ear infections, colds - you name it. i'm sure that just the change in the types of mold and pollen from one region to another naturally contribute to this, but it is still a pain to feel congested 90% of the time! the biggest pain of all (literally and figuratively) is the impact on my ears from all this mucus buildup. about 5 years ago, i was introduced to the holistic practice of ear candling. and i gotta tell you, there are many out there who will think i'm a kook for what i'm about to write, but candling has been a lifesaver! and while it might not be for everyone, candling has seemed to help me. but be warned! ear candling is not for the faint of heart. however, if you've ever had the sensation that people sound as if their voices are muddled or it seems as if sound is transmitting to you through water, then trust me, you'll find your courage to do this just as i did!

since i've been having to ask the "what did you say?" question a lot lately, i knew it was time for a good candling. i've read that proponents suggest that you do not candle your ears more than 4 times a year. i think it's actually been about a year since i last did it so i knew i was in good shape. anyway, because this activity brings me and hubby such odd and freakish delight, i thought i would share our experience this weekend with you. so without further ado...

the idea behind ear candling is that by lighting a tapered "candle" cone made of muslin, cotton, or a similar material, the flame at one end of the candle will create a vacuum at the other end of the candle. so, taking care to drape yourself (to protect yourself from any embers or ashes), you then insert the candle through some kind of protective cover (such as an aluminum pie plate), light the outer end of the candle, and insert the tapered end into the very outer rim of your ear canal. if the correct angle is being used and you've created that vacuum-like seal, you'll begin to hear a low crackling noise and a steady roar much like when you hold a seashell up to your ear.

when you have allowed the candle to burn down to just a few remaining inches, you extinguish the flame, douse it with some water, and then begin to unravel the cloth. this is when that "ooh, that's so gross but i can't help but be fascinated" moment begins. you will literally see whatever has had your ear plugged up. in my case, uhhhh...ehwwwwww...nasty!

okay, so maybe i just shared too much with you? i guess ear wax is a bit personal. but on the upside, if verizon asks me to do a commercial spot anytime in the near future, i'm their girl. yes, i can hear you now!!!

blessings to you,
dana

when the sun goes down...

2008-03-03T21:23:00.003-06:00

this weekend was so beautiful! it was so nice to be outside in the sunshine. however, when the sun went down, i must admit - i was a tvaholic.

on friday night, we caught the new vh-1 show "free radio." absolutely hilarious! you have to check it out.

then on saturday, the amazing wilco performed on snl. i was so happy to see jeff tweedy and his guys in such a big way. wilco is such a talented group and deserves the recognition from a national audience.

do you really need to know that i have a closet addiction to "rock of love 2" and "scott baio is 46 and pregnant" and watched them both on sunday? no - i didn't think so.

blessings to you,
dana

organized, schmorganized

2008-02-23T13:00:00.003-06:00

so, i'm not organized. i want to be. i think i used to be. really. but, alas, it is not a strength area for me.

a few years ago i came to know about a web site developed by a sweet southern lady. she calls herself "fly lady" and her purpose is to help you declutter, clean, and organize in order to "fly" through life. laugh if you will at the idea of someone telling you how to do these things, but i find it very helpful as i try to get organized. i mean, seriously, this disorganization permeates every area of life - you have no idea! thank goodness my sweet husband is, well, obsessive, about paying bills. we wouldn't be in too good of shape if it were up to me, i'm afraid!

now, i'm always full of good intentions. i'm good to "prepare" things - write out the check or buy the card, but then the date creeps up on me and then...well, you can fill in the rest. i need one of those, like, talking alert thingies to remind me of deadlines and appointments - but especially birthdays! i really wanted to start off 2008 with remembering birthdays, sending cards on time, etc. but, well, yeah, that hasn't really happened. so, indulge me for a minute and allow me to spread some good wishes here.

to my four girlfriends who've all had birthdays in january and february...you guys are amazing and wonderful and i wish i could've celebrated with you in person. perhaps then i could've given you the cards that are sitting here right beside me on my desk! i love you guys! happy belated birthday to each of you!

and for my brother whose birthday was this past week...i'm thinking you probably won't see this, but i will still say that i love you and happy belated birthday. i have always thought that you are one of the funniest and most loyal people i know. i wish we could spend more time together. i hope that your birthday was fantastic. if your kiddos had anything to do with it, i'm sure you had a great day!

okay, so who have i forgotten? uhmm...oh! my husband's best friend. yeah - his birthday was back in january. and then of course, one of the girlfriends i mentioned above, well, her son has a birthday this week. there's my friend/co-worker's daughter who is celebrating her second birthday this weekend. i also missed some special holidays, too! so happy belated birthday to dr. king, president lincoln, and president washington. oh - and j.lo's new twins! happy birthday to both of you...yesterday!

maybe it's not really organization that i need. maybe i just need some focus! sheesh! here's hoping that you have an organized and focused day!

blessings to you,
dana

holiday...celebrate...

2008-02-18T13:40:00.004-06:00

there is nothing like a day off from work. a beautiful, breezy, full of sunshine day off of work. ahhhh...

i am so enjoying this holiday to just relax and "get my power back" as my sweet niece used to say. i am mindful, though, of why i have today off of work. it is president's day and today we honor those who've served in our country's highest leadership position. just thinking of that makes me think of the primary season and of what we americans face in the months to come leading up to the election of a new president.

though for most of my 15 years as a voter i have tended to vote for more conservative candidates, for several months now i have had a link here on this blog to demonstrate my support for barack obama. since he spoke at the democratic national convention in 2004, i have thought that this man was something rare and special. when he spoke last year in springfield to announce his candidacy, i was hooked. never, never in my life have i felt so convicted by what a politician has said. obama has caused me to think what if and has inspired me to have hope that even when we differ on opinion, we can still be a united group of citizens who love, honor, and serve our country and work for the betterment of her people.

over on alicia paulson's "posie gets cozy" blog today, she posted a letter written by a friend, david kline, who supports obama. he writes far more eloquently than i could ever dream of and states this:

I'm excited because Obama is actually NOT just another politician, at least not in terms of what he can accomplish. No, make that because of what he has already accomplished. He has gotten new people involved and doubled voter turnout in every primary so far. He's broken through every racial identity barrier and now appeals to the majority of young, old, women, men, whites, blacks, and even now Latinos (at least in Virginia, with Texas next on the agenda). And he has demonstrated an almost supernatural ability to win support from not only Democrats and Independents, but from quite a few conservatives and Republicans as well. In fact Susan Eisenhower, a lifelong Republican activist and granddaughter of the late president, said in a Washington Post editorial that she was supporting Obama because "he is the one presidential candidate today who can salve our national wounds and both inspire and pursue genuine bipartisan cooperation."

to me, all of these characteristics are what i want in the leader of my country. and though obama is not currently the president of this country - this kind of spirit, this kind of hope, this kind of respect that he demonstrates for the citizens of our country - this is what i want to celebrate on president's day.

blessings to you,
dana

sleep through the static

2008-02-08T17:09:00.000-06:00

jack johnson's new cd came out this week.

in case you don't know, i think he's dreamy. seriously, if i were stranded on a desert island with only one cd, i think it would have to be one of his. his music fills me with peace like nothing else i can describe. his latest cd, sleep through the static, is just as fantastic as his previous releases. i read a review by someone (i forget who) who said that this latest cd is "just more of the same old jack johnson." the comment was written to be a negative statement. but i choose to look at that as a plus. yes, it's "just more of the same old jack johnson," and it's marvelously melodic and soothing.

the one major difference though (between this album and jj's previous efforts) are the lyrics. the lyrics on this album immediately caught my attention because they are seasoned with maturity and tell of the prizes and pitfalls of life. i appreciate that one of my favorite artists is writing music that reflects his life as it is right now in this moment. i appreciate that kind of honesty and sincerity in music. if you do too, give the album a listen. i think you'll enjoy it.

blessings to you,
dana

got hope?

2008-02-04T20:26:00.000-06:00

tomorrow is a very important day. it's the day that you have the ability to make tremendous, unfathomable change occur.

please go vote for the candidate of your choice.
i'll be voting for mine.

together we can create change.
yes, we can.

blessings to you,
dana

truth serum

2008-02-03T17:01:00.000-06:00

i've known for awhile that the truth hurts.
but i didn't know how it could hurt.

i have avoided making a decision about a major part of my life for quite awhile now. i knew the truth - but i didn't want to face it. i have a history of that...knowing the truth and not wanting to face it.

but anyway, truth's here now and she's smacking me in the face and telling me it's time to make a change or else. or else - all the things i've been putting off will never happen or will be lost. my relationships, my health, my family, my friends...all have suffered as i totally immersed myself in being a teacher. that's the truth. and it hurts.

so the decision is - i need to leave teaching. i'm not saying forever, but i am saying for now. it hurts because i can't imagine leaving something that i truly love - probably too much, in an unhealthy, dysfunctional kind of way. but it hurts because i can't imagine staying and continuing to feel as if the very life of me is being sucked out of me everyday. i'm burned out and i need some time to gain a new perspective.

i don't know what's coming in the near future or what opportunities are there for me to explore. but i am going to say a prayer, take a very deep breath, and open up my arms wide, ready to embrace whatever is on its way.

i think this is part of getting my bearings.

blessings to you,
dana

what is the what?

2008-01-26T13:55:00.000-06:00

i haven't shared the book i'm currently reading - what is the what? by dave eggers - with you. i will readily admit that it is taking me some time to finish this book. not because it's a slow read. it is not. but what it is, is heartbreaking.

i think that all readers could agree that your purpose when selecting something to read - whether a magazine article, a book, a web page - is always to either inform or entertain (NOT because it is at your appropriate instructional reading level, contrary to what the talking heads at the state department of education will tell you, but that's a rant for another day!). while i do love to read for entertainment, i'm finding that most of the books i have chosen to read in the past year have been more to inform me. this is absolutely true with what is the what?

the gist of the book is the harrowing experience of the lost boys of sudan. one of these lost boys is valentino achak deng. it is his story that drives dave eggers novel. eggers records deng's experience in first person. however, because some of the ordering of events have been changed or some characters have been created to illustrate the composite experiences of these displaced individuals, the book is categorized as a fictional novel.

the title, i think, is one of the most intriguing aspects of this book. throughout the book, deng often retells a story that his father shared about "the what." reminiscent of adam and eve in the garden of eden, the story tells of god offering a man and a woman either the gift of self-sustaining cattle or "the what." the couple wants to know "what is the what?" but they aren't told and still must make a choice. they choose the gift of the cattle. as deng shares this story with others, he follows the retelling with asking the listeners what they think "the what" might be. framed within the context of this book, that's a very difficult question to ask. "the what" can be so many different things, given the events that occurred in sudan and in the subsequent exodus of so many of her people.

i chose to read the book because i knew so little about the violent history in sudan and how it has shaped the lives of so many who now live in exile in the united states. i am amazed at the resiliency of deng and of his peers. i can't help but sit in awe at the beauty of hope that remains in our world despite the magnitude of evil that exists. reading the book renews my gratitude for all that we take for granted - our freedom, our faith, our health, our homes, our education, and on and on and on...i am left only to count every one of my blessings. and then to pray for...

blessings to you,
dana

crazy/beautiful or random/weird???

2008-01-24T20:13:00.000-06:00

one of my favorite blogs to read is alicia paulson's "posie gets cozy." in one of her recent entries, she wrote that she was tagged by a fellow blogger to share 7 random and/or weird things about herself. i thought about what she (and the blogger who tagged her) shared as being random and/or weird about themselves and clearly it has everything to do with perspective. some of their insights seemed beautiful to me and not at all random. i guess that our personal quirks can be crazy or beautiful or random or weird - it just depends on who you ask. i offer up 7 things about myself and i'll let you decide if they're crazy/beautiful or random/weird...

1) my favorite time of the day is at dusk - especially in late fall or early winter. at that time of day as the light fades, there almost seems to be a blue hue cast over everything. i think it's very magical.
2) when i make eggs, i always scoop out that white stringy looking thing that is attached to the yolk. it reminds me of an umbilical cord. plus, my mom always did it. and her mom always did it.
3) my sister and her then fiance took me to my first concert at the uno lakefront arena. it was cyndi lauper. i was 11. i was in heaven!
4) if i had the talent and the determination, i would have loved to be a musician or an actress.
5) i was once crowned the junior miss of my hometown's annual fair. (don't be a hater!)
6) i am told (though i truly don't remember this) that when i saw my husband for the very first time, i leaned over and told a friend, "i am going to marry that guy."
7) i absolutely love and am obsessed with dogs. should i ever win the lottery (i guess i would have to play it first), i would buy a placid, tranquil farm with rolling hills like the one my grandparents had in tennessee when i was a child. i would bring every abandoned, lost, or stray dog i could find to live on my farm. picture it as a refuge with me serving as something between a female cesar milan and a dr. doolittle.

okay - your turn. what are your 7 things? i can't wait to find out!

blessings to you,
dana

snowy day

2008-01-20T19:14:00.000-06:00

yes, i've talked about my louisiana "home" a lot lately. but i do love my current home, birmingham, too! it's a city full of tradition and history - some good and some bad. full of eccentrics and lovely folks. full of sunshine and snow...WHAT?!!!!? did i just type the word snow? oh yes - you read me right.

that little southern miracle of frozen precip happened right here in the outskirts of the magic city yesterday. our little jokester, gnomie, could hardly believe his eyes!

in the midst of it all, we drove over to my parents' house. the view of their back yard was so beautifully foreign to all of us!

days like yesterday here in the deep south are just quiet, pure, and completely magical.

blessings to you,
dana

home

2008-01-17T16:48:00.000-06:00

how proud am i of my lsu tigers? sigh.

i got to see all of the fan pride up close and personal when visiting friends last weekend. it was a beautiful, cool weekend. the sun was shining. people were smiling. it was good to be home.

i couldn't help but think and ponder on my drive back home - six hours with yourself affords you that! i am always surprised after visiting with my friends or visiting my hometown and my college town at how i feel. when i am in louisiana, i feel this ethereal connection to a part of me that i have long since forgotten. it's almost as if i suppressed the real me when i moved away ten years ago. the me that replaced her is likeable enough - but she's only a shadow of me. it's odd, because i never realized this until about a year or so ago. what's more, i have never felt it as strongly as i did during this visit. i found myself being able to completely relate to tim mcgraw's song "louisiana" when he sings:

A part of me is gone

I don't know when it slipped away

I guess I left it in Louisiana

what i do know is that i felt more at peace with myself last weekend than i have felt in a very long time.

blessings to you,
dana

bittersweet symphony

2008-01-05T18:35:00.000-06:00

a few years ago, my friend stephanie introduced me to this little music store in nearby homewood called laser's edge. as most of the "indie" music stores have closed up shop in the last decade or so, it was such a treat to find a store like this. feeling comfortable and welcome was a given. but you always felt as if you were in some marvelous musical secret society whenever you were there. sure, you could always buy a cd at a place like target or (as i'm doing increasingly more often) buy the cd at itunes - but are you going to talk to anyone about the cd before you buy it? get any ideas of similar artists you might like that you've yet to discover? possibly even see that artist perform in-house? needless to say, the store soon became one of my favorites. sigh.

but just as all good things must come to an end, sadly, this little slice of heaven is closing it's doors soon. not because of financial woes - but rather because of knowing the inevitable digital purchasing future of music and wanting to go out while still on top. the store's owner, fred, is such a savvy guy and decided it was time to call it a day. while i understand and respect fred's motives, i feel like i'm losing a friend.

i stopped in last wednesday for one last experience. i couldn't help but think of all the music i've been introduced to as a result of this little store. while i flipped through the remaining cds, i heard strands of all these artist's tunes playing in my head like a symphony. so as my own little tribute to laser's edge and all of the amazing music i've found while browsing there, i thought i'd list some artists here that - thanks to either discovering or purchasing at that little store - i've come to know and love. perhaps you might find a new favorite among these. enjoy!

arcade fire, the decemberists, wild sweet orange, cary brothers, psapp, the oohlas, mutemath, clem snide, mason jennings, the graham colton band, kim richey, landon pigg

blessings to you,
dana