pandemic

The summer between my junior and senior year of high school I read the Left Behind series. In retrospect, the writing wasn't that good; I would have gotten more sound teaching fro scripture; and I shouldn't have watched those awful movies. Regardless, I read each and every one. When September 11 hit, my friend (one of my few Christian friends at a public high school) and I began to wonder if this was the end. Turned out, not to be the case.

The one thing I did take from those books was the magnitude of God's judgment. It's going to be big, it's going to be scary, but in the end, Jesus will come back and reign victorious!

Now that we are on the eve of a pandemic--last seen in 1918 and the bubonic plague--I began to wonder if this is a rumbling of the end. It's definitely big and scary, and it's definitely a way of getting people's attention. The way the news keeps describing all the outbreaks, it's like the plot for a "6-degrees-of-separation" TV show. Global panic makes the world seem so small, and not in a cute, Disney World sort of way.

I don't want to be worried. I have a God who is so much bigger than this, but living in one of the most diverse zip codes in the country, I do feel a little uneasy. I wonder if when it will be unsafe to go to the grocery store and ride the bus. Until "they" let me know, I'm going to keep going about my daily routine. I do need milk, mustard and peanut butter, after all.

I am almost done . . .

It has been quite some time since I updated this thing. The primary reason being the crazy busyness of this semester. But, the end is fast approaching. I have persevered, and now all I have left is to finish my Masters Essay!

Here is a list, in no particular order of things I am looking forward to once I graduate:

- reading fiction and other books I had no time to read before
- finishing a crochet project
- moving into a new apartment with a huge kitchen!
- spending time with friends without feeling guilty that I'm not doing hw
- seeing NYC for the first time
- the new Harry Potter movie coming out July 15!

Things I will undoubtably miss:

-learning (I know, I am a geek/nerd at heart)
-watching missed TV shows on library laptops
-school friends
-the structure of the school year, especially around the holidays

Daily Epiphany: February 22

Things I realized this week:
1. Frozen potato soup does not defrost well.
2. Ricola Cough Drops are amazing. Halls tend me make me feel nauseous, so I'm glad I found a better brand. Plus, they help in the over all feeling-better process, not just a sore throat.
3. I think I was born in the wrong music era. I am really loving Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Bobby Darin (also contemporary covers by Barbra Streisand and Michael Buble).
4. Water is amazing! Hydration is both healthy and beautiful.
5. For all the snow that fell yesterday, there isn't very much on the ground, and I am ok with that.
6. Some of the stories in the Old Testament are pretty crazy/ God works in mysterious ways.
7. I crave sweets when I have a cold.

In honor of Valentine's Day: An ode to clean romantic comedies

I went to go see He's Just Not That into You with a friend this weekend. I didn't read any reviews, so it's mostly my fault, or maybe it was just wishful thinking, but I wanted a feel-good movie. While this movie was a "chic flick," it wasn't a romantic comedy. The art of romantic comedy has gone down the tubes. Even recent movies correctly labeled as such are mostly overly sexified eye-candy.

Where are all the good old-fashioned romantic comedies that didn't need to be rated PG-13 for tickets to sell? Like You've Got Mail, While you were Sleeping, Sleepless in Seattle, One Fine Day, Return to Me . . .
Or even the classics adapted from the likes of Jane Austen, Lucy Maud Montgomery and Louis May Alcott.

I want to see a PG "chic flick" that is not about a teenage girls or Disney princesses. There's gotta be someone out there willing to engage in the making of wholesome entertainment that tugs at our heartstrings.

Daily Epiphany: February 12

Being a student of history, I am often so focused on the past, and being a human, worried about the near future that I forget about eternity. I forget that I have citizenship in Heaven; that I was not made for here, but to spend eternity with my Savior. When I do remember to be "kingdom" minded, I am reminded that my actions should be first and foremost pleasing to God.

I think that is why I was having such a hard time coming up with a good topic for my Masters Essay. I didn't want to write just any old research paper. I wanted my work to have purpose, to be relevant to who I am and what I am studying. This morning (with the help of my adviser) I finally found a topic! I will be asking the question, "Is family history public history?" However daunting this research endeavor may be, I am excited. May that excitement last!

My Sweater!

Working on the said sweater . . .

Completion!
I decided to go with 3/4 length sleeves because it was already a pretty warm sweater, even though it is holey. I also made it a button-down, instead of closing it with a belt, as the pattern suggest. Final alteration: it was supposed to go down to mid-thigh. I thought that was too long.

Daily Epiphany: January 31

Last Monday I finished crocheting a sweater. I am quite proud of it. I will post pics as soon as my sister uploads them to her computer (hint, hint, hint).

I have not had internet in my apartment since I returned to Chicago from winter break. I would like to say that this has helped me manage my time better (by not spending absorbent amounts of time perusing Facebook, etc.), but it hasn't. I am as swamped and stressed as ever. Partly because I don't have internet access to look up books and articles for class. And partly because when I get lonely, I tend to get lazy and procrastinatory (yes, I just made up that word).

Winter is getting to me. And I don't like it.

On a totally different note: on more than one occasion, friends have commented on how observant/practical I am. I used to take pride in this trait, but now I am beginning to wonder if it just annoys people. . .
I do take notice of my surroundings in a very logical way. I'm not sure when this started, but I think it has something to do with why I love history, and connections that can be seen throughout time and place. Maybe that's why I love Madeleine L'Engle and C.S. Lewis so much, too.

Along those same lines . . . I often become deeply acquainted with certain places, to the extent that when I visit them, I almost feel "loved" by my surroundings. The summer camp I attended for fifteen years is one of these places, as is the Art Institute of Chicago.

On Thursday, some Public History students took a field trip to the museum for the free evening hours. It was just what I needed on a cold, dreary day. Being surrounded by familiar walls and works of art was immensely comforting. It was also dark outside, which made the museum seem oddly surreal. My favorite exhibit was in the children's education wing. I was a tiny display of illustrations by Bill Peet. They were so simple, just the drawings that went into his children's books, but it made me so happy. Story-book drawings standing alongside the great masterpieces of the ages!

Enough spewing my heart. Back to reading I must go.

Obama, FDR and MLK Jr.

As Barack Obama's inauguration fast approaches, here are some thoughts. I am sure they are not very intellectual or radical, but my thoughts nonetheless.

1) 2008 marked the 75th anniversary of FDR's New Deal(1933). Obama was elected President in 2008 and quickly paralleled to FDR [although one must be very careful with these comparisons. Most of them are ungrounded, yet throught provoking].

2) Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President on January 20, 2009, the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Very interesting. Wouldn't it have been an honor to see MLK Jr. celebrate this historic day?

Textbooks and Snow

Winter break was good and restful. The family did our annual trek across the barren midwest to Colorado. We hiked a lot, hung out with my Dad's side of the family, and I started crocheting a sweater. I am about half finished. I also re-read all of Madeleine L'Engle's Austin series! She is such a genius. If anyone asked me who I would like to meet from the past, she might be the person.

But all good things must end. I'm back in Chicago and have been working non-stop at the Loyola Bookstore. I am super grateful to have a job (one, to keep me busy and not lonely before classes start, and two, because nothing is certain with this silly economy), but I am soooo sore from standing on my feet all day and lifting heavy textbooks.

That, on top of all the shoveling today, is giving me some nice upper-body strength. Speaking of shoveling . . . my friend lent me her car while she is in Florida for a week. But with all this working, and all this snowy weather I haven't had time to drive anywhere. Nevertheless, I was obligated to shovel off the foot of snow that has fallen in the last couple days. I really was quite a feat, no pun intended.

My classes start on Tuesday. This is my last semester of grad school. What!?! Where did all that time go? Anyway, I have two classes and my masters essay to write, plus the Public History oral exam. It's going to be an adventure.

Merry Christmas friends! This is the image/words I used for my cards this year.

Asher's little book, take two . . . and other things

Hannah Greenberg and I revamped our little book this evening. We added a title page, dedication page and some more color. Have a look!

In other news, I am done with my second to last semester as a graduate student! Time sure does fly when you're having fun. Next semester might just find me as a puddle on the floor.

On Friday (right after I handed in my last assignment), I took a journey to Target and bought some twinkle lights. So very exciting! I also bought all the ingredients for those yummy Hershey kiss-pretzel thingies.

I think with those, and an amazing little paper Christmas tree from my friends Liz and Jes, will complete my Chicago-based pre-Christmas celebration. The rest will take place in Mad-town and the Springs.

A historic tour of my home kitchen

Over Thanksgiving, my sister went picture-happy. She documented every moment (most of which are posted on Facebook). As a result, I have some pretty spiffy pictures of my home kitchen.
So, in honor of hanging out in this amazing room almost all of Thanksgiving day, I would like to show off the kitchen in my parent's house. Most of my inspiration for culinary greatness came from this lovely place. The house was built close to the turn of the century by Madison Mayor, John B. Heim (1848-1919). The kitchen hasn't changed much.

Ok, ready? We're about to walk in . . .

Here's a look as you walk through the door.

The frig. Notice the plentiful photographs of family and friends. :-)

Our stove, Old Faithful. That thing is a tank. Circa a long time ago.

The lovely original (refurbished) wooden cabinets and counter.

Windows and the trust-worthy butcher block.

The original sink and hutch. (Me walking with a knife, as well).

I hope you enjoyed this historic tour. :-)