A year of birds...

Each year in April on my birthday, I take the day off and spend it in meditation and prayer. I usually try to get away and to be close to water. This year, I went to Joe Poole Lake and found myself walking down a trail and sitting down on the edge of a creekbed hidden by trees.

Everywhere I looked was green. I was completely surrounded by it. In fact, I remember being a little surprised that I was immersed in a single color. As I prayed, a bright red cardinal appeared in the canopy of leaves above me. I find it important to pay attention to the incongruous, because often God is in it. Sometimes God sends things that are special like a lover sends flowers to his beloved. For me, the cardinal meant God wanted me to know He was listening.

Another morning about six weeks later, I awoke to the absolutely beautiful song of a bird outside my window. As I lay there listening to the music, I heard God say, "I know his name." When I say I heard God, it wasn't an audible voice exactly. More like a really profound thought that I knew didn't originate with me. Matthew 10:29-31 mentions that God is aware when each sparrow falls to the ground and that we are worth far more than sparrows, but there was something incredibly personal about God saying He knew their names. It would be a thought that I hung onto for the next six months because later that night, I experienced one of the biggest traumas I've ever had to navigate. As I worked my way through a gamut of numbness, anger, fear and raw pain, God sent a steady stream of cardinals to remind me He was still there...even though I couldn't feel Him at all.

The birds became such a "thing" that we set up a feeder in the backyard over the summer. It was made even more special by bright yellow escaped parakeet that came to feed each day. Our whole family became excited when they got to see him. A couple of months later, John completed the sparrow condiminiums and we put them in the backyard next to the "all you can eat" buffet.

In November, when we went with Carl & Sunny to see the movie, Enchanted on their 10th Anniversary, I sighed and said that real princesses had birds and mice to help them. John laughed and reminded me that I had both.

Today, I am reading a book by Jesuit priest, Anthony DeMello, which includes this story:

A man found an eagle's egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen.
The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them.
All his life the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken.
He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled.
And he would thrash his wings and fly a few feet into the air.

Years passed and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw a
magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky.
It glided in graceful majesty among the powerful wind currents,
with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings.

The old eagle looked up in awe. "Who's that?" he asked.

"That's the eagle, the king of the birds," said his neighbor.
"He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth--we're chickens."
So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that's what he thought he was.

I absolutely love it when God does the unexpected--like spending the year talking to me in birds.

The Wonderful World of Wii

Chase got money for Christmas and pooling his gifts together, he went out and bought a Wii.

I have to confess, I didn't think much about a new game system. I can't get into hours of trying to make a little guy jump over barrels, and I've often been frustrated when Chase or John lose hours upon hours clicking little buttons and staring at a screen.

However, this was really different. This was really fun! This was Wii.

Tonight we had plans to go to the movies with Scott and Lisa. I've known Scott almost as long as I've known John. (They sort of came together in the package.) Fifteen years ago, when Scott married Lisa, she joined our package too and movies are one of our favorite couple activities.

However tonight, we got an added bonus. Tonight, thanks to Wii, we got to go bowling before the movie and got to box each other afterward.

And it was SO COOL!!!!

For the record, I totally rocked at bowling, and also for the record, Lisa--who before now I've always known to be a sweet and gentle soul--KNOCKED ME OUT!!!

The marketing diva in me was blown away at how well done it all is. And how timely. The capacity of this gaming system to create community is powerful right down to the Mii's (the avatars) that you can create and share between consoles.

So, thanks Nintendo, for giving my friends and I a great night, and for giving me bragging rights in bowling.

The best thing about prepping for a party....

John and I have been preparing for our annual New Years Eve party. You know the best part?

Motivation.

While it is fun to work with John in planning activities, food, furniture arrangement, etc. I love it that we're actually getting to that long list of "I should do that" around the house because there is a deadline for getting it done.

That annoying plaster nick in the bathroom? Patched.

Towels without fraying edges to hang on the bar? Purchased.

That kitchen wall I've wanted to paint a lime color for two years? Done.

The coat closet that was too full to be used by guests? Purged.

The backsplash on the bar that I've intended to embelish? It's on my list for today.

We're Flamingos

John and I have been renting seasons of Boston Legal through Netflix.

One of my favorite parts of the series is the friendship between Denny Crane (William Shatner) and Alan Shore (James Spader). Each episode ends with the two on the balcony outside of Denny's office drinking scotch and discussing the day.

In one episode (2.27), they attend the firm's Halloween party dressed as flamingos. Later on the balcony, the conversation is:

Alan Shore: You ever wonder if you and I are la-la?
Denny Crane: Don't be ridiculous. We're flamingos. And good ones.

The phrase "we're flamingos" gets repeated throughout the season as a catch phrase to communicate their unique relationship.

The other night, I was sitting on the loveseat with my husband in his office as we watched the last episode of Season 3. The phrase was repeated again. With realization, I looked up at John and said, "We're flamingos."

He paused and looked back meaningfully. "Yes, we are."

Singing Opera with the Dogs

We have three dogs. Casey--the main dog. Lucky--the spare auxiliary dog. And Toby--the don't-ever- take-your-14- year -old-son- to-the-pet-store and say, "Sure we can look at the dogs" dog.

In case you are wondering, yes, three is too many dogs. One is a lot. Two sort of events things out because they keep each other company. And three... Well, three is just too many.

The funny thing about having multiple dogs is that they live in a pack. Remember in school when they talked about "pack order"? Well, in our house, it is John, me, Chase, Bethany (most days), Casey, Toby and Lucky. Dogs enjoy doing things in a pack, as long as the pack order is respected. We are very careful to hand out treats in order. When the dogs walk, we always let Casey walk slightly ahead of the other two, and for the record, John taught me this before the Dog Whisperer came along. (Part of his "growing up in the country" education.)

One of the favorite pack activities is singing opera. I usually start. Then Casey goes to find John to ask him to join in. Then, the five of us (well, not so much John) begin singing opera all together. The fun part is that we don't confine ourselves to classics like La Traviata. Instead we do Opera of the Mundane and sing about things like Chopping Broccoli, Wrapping Christmas Presents or my personal favorite, the Scion Aria.

I understand not everyone appreciates the musical genius of this, but the dogs do every time.

Grace under fire

Grace was a concept introduced to me by Dr. Bill and Anabel Gillham.

I think if you had asked me if I believed in grace before I'd met them, I would have said, "yes." After all, grace is sort of a cornerstone of the Christian faith. However, in the Southern Baptist tradition I grew up in, grace was mostly just a word. People said they believed in grace, but they judged their own lives and the lives on others based on works. In other words, if you drank, smoke, swore, divorced, had sex outside of marriage, or the unforgivable--confessed you were attracted to the same sex...then they had to be able to fix you or you were out.

Though I learned about grace in working with the Gillhams, I didn't actually experience it for myself until my senior year of college when I got pregnant with Chase. Being a young girl with a rushed wedding at a small Southern Baptist University was possibly one of the most difficult experiences of my life. I was young. I was scared. And I had already seen how the people in the university had treated others in my situation. In many ways, I knew what to expect. In others, I wasn't prepared at all.

My friends began to stratify into heartbreaking camps. One that I loved like a brother called me a slut. (He didn't say it to my face. Another helpful friend relayed that information.) Others spread the gossip. Still others simply dropped out of my life completely. But a precious few, like Lynette, the Cowgirl, Rhonda of the Comic Strip Pantyhose, and my college roommate Marti, proved themselves to be the most grace-filled people on the planet. They never once told me I'd messed up. (As if it would have escaped my notice.) They were simply happy for me and celebrated my new marriage and baby. (A baby who grew up to be one of the great joys of my life and is now an incredible young man.)

My advisor, Dr. Steve Erickson, moved mountains to ensure I could finish most of my credits early before moving to Denver to be with John. (If you ever run across this while googling yourself, Steve, I need you to know your care and efforts greatly impacted my life.)

But more than any of that, God was right there through the whole thing. And as my plastic Christianity got burned away in the fire, grace is what remained.

Calvin Miller has an interesting introduction to the beginning of Chapter 18 of his book, The Singer. It's a pair of definitions actually.

Vengeance. noun. Eye for eye and tooth for tooth; a fair, satisfying and rapid way to a sightless, toothless world.

Mercy. noun. The infrequent art of turning thumbs up on an old antagonist at the end of one's rapier.

The thing is that people screw up. Badly. Sometimes raining pain on all of those around them. The thing about mercy and grace is that they are offered anyway. It doesn't require adjustment. You just ask for it and it comes. It doesn't eradicate consequences. It doesn't erase our mistakes. But it does offer forgiveness. Not that kind of suck-it-up- and-pretend-all-is-okay -because-i'm-stuffing -down-my-emotions forgiveness, but the actual dropping of stones without throwing them at the guilty.

Maybe grace is rare because it is hard. But for those of us who have received it, it is quite possibly not only the most important thing, but the only thing.

Nancy, the Insightful

I've been praying for Nancy-the- Insightful this week. You see, she and her husband and sons drove up to Kansas City to spend time with her parents. Normally, this is a joy, but this year it is difficult because Nancy's mom has Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's is an ugly and cruel disease for the people who love the person who suffers with it, and Nancy and her father are stumbling through. Trying to make the best decisions they can when the only options seem to be bad and worse.

Knowing this was going to be a difficult week, Nancy asked some of her friends to pray for her, and in typical Nancy fashion came up with a way that we might remember. Now, I have to pause for a moment to tell you that Nancy has a memory device. If you ever see Nancy with her right hand ring sitting on top of her wedding ring, you know she is trying to remember something. The device Nancy sent us in her e-mail had to do with powder rooms and was completely hilarious. I simply couldn't do it. I didn't want my friend forever associated with white tiles and....never mind. But I am wearing my wedding ring on my right hand this week so that I will remember. It's odd how often I notice it. And a very cool reminder to pause and pray for my friend.

Nancy truly is one of the most insightful people I know. She can often can perceive things the rest of us can't see. You would think this would be a gift--and in fact, to our company, it is. Almost like having your own Betazoid onboard (Star Trek reference). Nancy interviews people, checks references, serves as an executive liaison, and is a barometer for our team.

However, it is a two-edged gift. While it is wonderful to have someone notice all the special things about you that no one else seems to, I've noticed that not everyone appreciates having hidden intentions exposed or being confronted with something they aren't dealing with in their life. In fact,if Nancy ever starts a sentence with "it occurs to me," you should run. Because whatever she is going to say to you, it is probably true, and you probably would prefer to continue living in your own personal denial.

Of reasons and seasons....

Truth be told, I can't get into signing all my Christmas cards, "Jesus is the reason for the season" or "Keep the Christ in Christmas." It seems to me that people who worship Jesus are going to do it anyway, and people who don't just find it annoying.

What I find amazing is that the beauty of Christmas crosses belief systems. Even atheists can't be blind to the abundance of joy, giving, awe, and wonder that Christmas brings. The celebration of the birth of the Christ child causes food pantries to be filled, the homeless to have coats, loved ones to be given gifts and adults to celebrate the joy of being a child.

And that is far more powerful than a phrase on a bumper sticker or a sign in the front yard. That is the real, living breathing Christ in Christmas.

My favorite ornament

Each year, we buy an ornament for our tree, which has created this eclectic collection of glittery, sparkly things that sort of tell the story of our years.

For example, we have some handmade by the kids from various ages, there is an American flag ornament from 2001, and a brightly colored plane that was typical of the new style of our new house from 2005. This year, I bought a cardinal because it has significance for me. (Something I'll probably blog about later.)

But my favorite ornament by far, is this one. A mailbox with our name on it and a tiny package and miniature Christmas cards inside. I saw it in 1991 at a craft fair on the army base in Panama. The thing is, I couldn't afford it. It was a mere $7.00, but I was on too tight of a budget to spend that on something for the tree. I told the woman sitting at the table how beautiful it was and admired the hand drawn Christmas cards--which were completely out of my range--and moved on to find what I'd gone there for in the first place, stocking stuffers for John and Chase.

The next year, I went to a Christmas party for my women's Bible study. Still on the tight budget, I brought something I had made myself for the woman whose name I'd drawn. (There are benefits to being artistic.) When I opened the gift under the tree for me, tears filled my eyes. It was the little mailbox. The woman who had drawn my name was the artist who created them. She had no idea how much I had wanted one. A year had passed. We didn't remember each other from the fair. Included with the ornament was one of the hand drawn Christmas cards.

Some might chalk this up to happy coincidence, but for me it was more than that. For me, the little mailbox represents the year that God remembered something special I'd wanted and gave it to me. A little thing I know, but God knew what it would mean to me.

The best thing is that I receive the gift again and again each year when I decorate our Christmas tree.

Carol, the Lionhearted

In case you haven't noticed by now, almost all of my friends have taglines.

For years, Carol Martinez was Carol-my- walking- buddy, but when John and I moved the logistics of walking together each day weren't practical (though we tried for a good six months) and now, Carol needs a new tagline.

The one that popped into my head as I was considering this was Carol-the-Invincible. Carol is one of the strongest people I know, but she isn't strong in an untouchable sort of way. Her strength carries a grace with it that is very, very beautiful. So, I looked up the word in a thesaurus to find something appropriate. Skipping over the word bulletproof (which is completely wrong), I found courageous, fearless, gallant, game, heroic, indomitable, intrepid, lionhearted, resolute....Lionhearted?.

Not exactly a word you hear every day, but as I picture a female lion standing with her head raised, hunting with her sisters, bravely defending her pride or tenderly caring for her cubs, I think it might be, well...perfect. Carol, the lionhearted. Yes, it is a fit.

Carol and I got to have coffee together at her house yesterday. It's difficult to explain the relationship built by sharing all your mornings together. There is something about that daily connection...the sharing of the mundane and the profound. Anyway, it left a big hole when I ceased getting to see her every day that doesn't get to be filled in a couple of hours of catching up over coffee.

I miss getting to see her each day. Everyone should get to have a friend who is lionhearted.

Night in Bishop Arts

Last night, Dianna- the- personal- trainer, Robin-the -Artist, and Rhonda-of- the-comic -strip -pantyhose and I hung out together in Bishop Arts.

Wow, I have missed this.

There was so much to catch up on. There was a lot of figuring out how to be together now that Dianna is single, but that was made easier by Dianna's signature frankness. There was no pretending. It isn't easy...for her....for her kids...for her husband, who is also still our friend...or for any of us. And, best of all, she didn't ask us to pretend that everything was okay.

In many ways, Robin, Rhonda and I have been like kids who desperately want their parents to get back together. Last night, we all had to accept that they aren't. And though Dianna has been dealing with that for awhile, it was a new concept for us.

So through hours filled with sangria, tapas, interesting quirky stores, and eventually coffee, we were simply together. Together in a way we hadn't been in a year.

And hopefully, we'll all keep the promise we made while parting and do it again.

More than Statistics

For the past 15 years, John and I have been blessed with a group of the most amazing couple friends.

It’s difficult to find couple friends who are well matched where the husband fits into the group as well as the wife and vice versa--which is what made the chemistry of these friends so amazing. All of them intelligent, funny, dynamic people.

Sometimes just the wives get together. Robin-the-Artist, Dianna-the-personal-trainer, Rhonda (of the comic strip pantyhose epiphany) and myself. We haven’t been together as a group since New Years. It’s been a weird year. Dianna moved out of her home this summer and the divorce was final yesterday.

Statistically, it was bound to happen. Still, that doesn’t make it any easier.

When someone has a loser spouse, I could see being relieved when they finally decide to end it, but both Dianna and her husband are amazing people. It’s hard to watch their family be undone. Hard to watch friends make decisions that have forever results.

If you move to another city to take a new job, and decide you don’t like it, you can always move back. But if you decide to move out of the life you’ve built across 18 years and start a new one…well, the people you leave are forced to start new lives too, and it can be a long process.

Tonight the four of us will be together for the first time since we rang in 2007 at our annual New Year’s Eve party. And though I’ve looked forward to it since we scheduled it--because I adore the company of these women—I find at the moment, I’m apprehensive. Isn’t it going to be weird? Did she leave us when she left him?

I guess I find out tonight.

The Storytelling Epiphany

The only blue ribbon I ever won was at a UIL competition in the first grade for Storytelling. (I relay these credentials to you simply because I can.) However, it wasn't until junior high that I learned the true value of the art of storytelling.

Laura Coston--my best friend in the world at the time--had the gift of making people laugh, but not in a Robin Williams sort of way. Laura was much lower key than that. Part of her repertoire was what we came to call the "Celeste stories" which we would make her tell over and over....

In Laura's science class, the desks were in rows. She sat in front, Celeste sat behind her, and the cutest guy in school--Jay Dill--sat behind Celeste. Laura had a huge crush on Jay, and Celeste--being Celeste--decided to take advantage of that one day. As they were listening to the teacher, Celeste tapped Laura on the shoulder. Laura always mimicked Celeste's giddy face. She handed Laura a folded up note and said, "Here. This is from Jay!" Laura mimed opening the note.

Laura was excited and nervous. She unfolded the note, and in big letters it said, "Will you go with me? Check yes. Check no." So Laura checked a big yes, folded the note up and handed it back to Celeste--who wadded it up and shoved it in her pocket since she was the one who wrote the note in the first place.

Laura didn't hear another word the teacher said that day, because she was so excited about what just happened. When the bell rang, Celeste asked Laura what was in the note. "I'm going with Jay Dill," Laura said. (Having absolutely no idea that Celeste already knows that.) "C'mon," Celeste said, "Let's go tell all our friends." So, they did. Then Laura saw a girl walk by and slap Jay on the back and tell him how cool it is that they were going out together. Laura always mimed Jay's WHAT?? face, then Celeste falling on the floor in laughter, as she suddenly understands what happened.... (Luckily all worked out in the end and Jay and Laura had a brief middle school romance.)

Laura had multiple stories about Celeste, and it hit me in high school--when we asking her to tell them for the 100th time--that there was a reason they were significant.

As an adult, my whole day job is about the power of story. There is something about the retelling of events that provides both context and connection. We loved the Celeste stories, because we had all had friends just like her.

But it was Laura--with her humorous narratives--who gave us the power to laugh at them.

The Digital World Meets the Christmas Card

I've been wondering what I should do for a Christmas card this year. Hoping for something digital. Fortunately, today, I discovered Jib Jab on my lunch hour. Check out our family Christmas card!

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Guys Night / Girls Night

Tonight, I went to a very "girly" activity. I went to a ladies ornament exchange with the women's group at church. Each woman brought an ornament (and cookies!) and we drew numbers. It was one of those crazy gift exchanges where you can select something unwrapped, or steal from someone who has already opened something. Elsa-the-poet and I worked out an intricate strategy so that I stole the gift she wanted, then she stole the gift from me (third steal which froze the ornament and made it hers) leaving me free to steal the gift that I wanted. (A very cool jeweled gecko!)

John's friends came over for chips, beer and Monday night football. The new big TV is in John's office so it was a little crowded, but they are guys watching football with beer in HD, so I don't think anyone really cared. Plus, the fantasy football league they are all in generated some fairly good natured kidding, like "does my butt look big in these pants?" Code for "I am WAY ahead of you."

When Elsa and I left the gift exchange, we both giggled about our conquests. She said, "This was really, really fun."

It was.

The guys had fun too. In fact, they are still having fun as I'm typing this. And Minnesota is holding Chicago to low points and Peterson is doing well, which I think means John's fantasy team is winning. (Not that I understand any of what I just typed. I'm just overhearing it while blogging.)

It Feels Like Christmas when...

I often hear people in Dallas say, "It doesn't feel like Christmas, yet." I'm not sure if this is a common experience everywhere or if it is simply the lack of snow in Texas that makes people say that.

For me, the defining moment of when it starts to "feel" like Christmas has nothing to do with snow. Nor is it about having my shopping done, baking gingerbread, lighting a fire or even putting the tree up. For me, the feeling of Christmas always lands at some point during the children's Christmas production at church.

There is something moving about listening to children sing carols and relay the story of Jesus' birth. Something magical about kids in costume, looking about, forgetting lines, letting the person next to them know they need to be on the other side of the stage.... Something holiday television specials simply can't deliver.

John says it makes me nostalgic for when our kids were little, but I think it is more than that.

I think maybe somewhere in the throng of adoring parents armed with video cameras, that Christ is right there beaming too. And that is exactly, what makes it Christmas.

The Company Christmas Party

Today we had our annual company Christmas party. Eleven years ago, when I attended my first one, it was six couples in Craig Janssen's living room. Now, the party encompasses 25 families with children of all ages.

It's become quite an event.

The thing about the Christmas party is that it is the one time all year that we have our whole team in the same place at the same time. The point is to let each of them know how much we appreciate them. (A pretty big task for a four hour event.)

For the past six years, we've had the event at the Circle R Ranch in Flower Mound. The party usually follows the same flow. We meet for lunch, have a small presentation, have activities in the afternoon, then meet back for the "wild and crazy" gift exchange.

The magic happens by all of the things people do to put it together. Kathy Smith does an amazing job of selecting gifts that are perfect for each of the children. (She even comes equipped with batteries, box cutters, screwdrivers and scissors so that it is easy to get them all opened and assembled.) Brian Elwell--the most amazing "Santa" I know--creates these beautiful moments interacting with the kids, even charming the adults and making them laugh out loud.

For some reason, at my first party at AD (before it became my job to plan it), I created Barbie and Ken dolls that looked like each of the people with special packaging that featured something about each of them. There was "Travel Fun Craig" and "Audio Angie." For Stu--who I barely knew at that point--his was "The New Guy."

This has now become an annual challenge to celebrate the individuals on our team. To catalog some of the gifts, there's been: the National Enquirer (AD Version), The AD Book of Quotes, business cards with people's REAL titles, movie posters, comics, a storybook, and this year's--a parody of the Bud Lite Real Men of Genius commercials. Erin came up with the idea, and together we wrote scripts for all of the different disciplines: audio, acoustics, video, lighting...there were 12 in all. There was a lot of laughter, which is the thing you wait for when you do something like this. Because really, you never know.

In fact, it almost didn't come off. Thursday night, we hit a snag. Erin's dad had created the music bed, but his computer crashed and he was unable to do the voice over. Jim Burdette--the best impersonation artist on our team--saved the day. He got us some studio time at Prestonwood, and did the VO with me singing backup. Erin directed from behind the glass and thanks to the magic worked by mix engineer, Larry Cassidy, the spots turned out amazing.

As always at the end of these events, I'm exhausted. Mostly it is an emotional thing. It takes energy to watch the group dynamics and manage the flow of the party. It's a bit of an art, and anything that doesn't work gets tweaked for the next year.

For me, the the party isn't successful because people laugh, or because the Guitar Hero competition rocked, or because many rode horses though it was bitterly cold--or even that I was told they enjoyed it. For me the party is successful if people come away knowing they belonged there...that they are part of something special. And maybe that is the real art.

That Whole Left Brain Right Brain Thing...

A few months ago, I read Dan Pink's book, Whole New Mind which hypothesizes that we are moving from a "left brain" driven world to a "right brain" driven one and that the new essential aptitudes will be Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning.

That's good news for us that are primarily right-brained.

The company I happen to work for is an odd mix of both. On paper, it would appear that I work with engineers, but the reality is that these people whose degrees say they should be linear and logical are also artistic and intuitive. One of the reasons AD has been so successful is that we bring each to the table in the design process. After all, a core part of what we do is to create spaces that support an experience for large groups of people, and that experience, be it a concert, worship service, or sporting event is intensely emotional. Though it takes left brained skills to work out the physics and engineering of the systems, it takes right brained skills to understand the context of it all and to design things in a way that has meaning as an end result.

Today, Casey Sherred sent me an online test from the Art Institute of Vancouver to measure which side of the brain is dominant. I didn't actually need the test. Anyone who would actually spend time morphing a photo of her own image into a digital art piece just for fun....well, you know....

Anyway, the test actually breaks out the types of processing. I scored 50% on "random." (Given the name of this blog, go figure.) And this is what it had to say...

Random Processing
Random processing is a method used by the right hemisphere for processing information. The information that is received is processed without priority. A right-brained person will usually jump from one task to another due to the random processing by their dominant right hemisphere. Random processing is, of course, the opposite of sequential processing therefore making it difficult for right-brained individuals to choose to learn in sequence.

Your Random Analysis
You have some ability to process data randomly. You are at times able to make "leaps of logic" and discover unique things by thinking "outside of the box." However, you may tend to ignore your random processing thoughts unless you are desperate for a solution. It is important you recognize this skill as not grasping at straws, but a viable way to discover new ways of approaching a problem.

See, John??? Viable. Completely and totally viable.

Yoga Class

I'm a yoga dabbler. I took a class about six years ago, bought some DVDs and have maintained a mostly sporadic practice.

The cool thing I've learned from yoga--besides to touch my toes--is how to create a sense of quiet on the inside. When you give your body a set of tasks to accomplish that requires some concentration, it pushes the litany of mental chatter out of the way.

This time last year, I was pretty actively pursuing the meditation part of yoga through the Christian practice of contemplative prayer. But life sort of got in the way, and I lost the discipline.

One of my goals for 2008 is to develop a consistent practice. In anticipation of that, tonight I went to the yoga class at the gym. In my mind, I thought it would be soothing music and flowing vinyasas. But, this is the gym. It was really, REALLY hard.

So, tonight, before bed, I'll be popping advil. Namaste.

The Amazing Christmas House

In the neighborhood across from ours there is a couple who puts together the most amazing Christmas display each year. They remove their garage doors and put plexiglass in its place, then set up the most beautiful Christmas scene. Think 1940's department stores in December.

Sledding snowmen, a train, a waiving Santa and other incredible antiques are set in motion each year for passersby to enjoy. Not only do they have the garage display, but they also have thousands of twinkling lights. It truly is a magical place. They even have Christmas music playing in speakers out on the lawn.

Not only is the display wonderful, but their Christmas cheer has inspired many of the other neighbors to do the same. Tonight, John, Bethany and I went for ice cream...well, sorbet for me...and decided to swing by. Driving through the neighborhood puts me in the mood for the holiday like nothing else.

Now, I really can't wait for Santa to get here!

Half Price Books

A few years ago, when the kids finally became old enough not to need a babysitter, John and I decided to take back Saturday nights.

Though it's been a great opportunity to try new restaurants and see new shows, we've wound up with a few favorites. Cosmic Cafe, Studio Movie Grill, Glowy Golf (Indoor putt putt under black lights)...and the place we wind up at the end of almost every date....Half Price Books. (On really special nights...like last night, we wind up at the huglobulous one on Northwest Highway.)

I'm not sure what it is about used book stores, but there is something magic about them. At HPB, nothing is cataloged. It is complete luck of the draw as to what you might find in the stacks. Also there is something about the smell of the paper and the old bindings.

The great thing about the main store is that it is unbelievably huge. Cookbooks, art, religion, classic fiction, children's books, sci-fi (John's favorite), DVD's and music. I've found out I get frustrated when I go there to find a specific title, but for date night, it is about discovery. Stumbling upon something wonderful and sharing it with the only person on the planet who would appreciate it besides you.

I love Saturday nights.

Digital World Toolkit

Disclaimer: If you are a digital native, this post may read as pointless.

Once again, Friday night at dinner with friends, the conversation turned to "that Facebook thing" and went on to encompass texting, e-mail and other communication tools of the digital world. Overwhelmingly, there seems to be a perception among my 40+ friends that digital interaction is replacing personal interaction and that we are losing something as a culture. My friend, Nancy-the-Insightful, made the point that it isn't replacing personal interaction....it is actually facilitating it.

Marc Prensky talks about digital natives (a person who has grown up with digital technology such as computers, the Internet, mobile phones and MP3) and digital immigrants (those of us who grew up without digital technology and adopted it later). For example, while a digital native might refer to their new "camera"; a digital immigrant might say "digital camera".

So, for digital immigrants, I thought I'd come up with a "digital toolkit" for what is out there and how you might want to use it. Note: You don't need all of these to get started, but it's a good overview.

1) Publication. Mass communication used to be held by those who had the money to own a magazine, radio station, or television station. Blogger, podcasting, and YouTube distribute that power to anyone and everyone. (I often laugh that this blog is a magazine written by me that covers only the topics and people I am interested in.) If you ever wanted to be a writer, public speaker or television producer, you no longer have to wait for someone to approve and air your stuff. You simply put it out there and see if other people enjoy it too.

2) Digital Camera. The digital world is highly visual. Carrying around a digital camera allows you to capture and share moments with others. This is more than scrapbooking without the glue. It can be journalism or art. Your choice.

3) Photo editing software. Because my day job relies heavily on graphic software, I have Adobe CS2. But there are tons of options of affordable software for cropping and repairing digital photos. (In fact, you usually get a basic easy-to-use piece of software free with the camera.) If you want more functionality than that or want to explore creating digital art, Corel's Paint Shop Pro is a great equivalent to Adobe Photoshop for a fraction of the price.

4) Join a digital network. Though I'm enamored of Facebook at the moment, there are thousands of web based communities out there and most of them are free to join. In addition to Facebook, I'm a member of one for sugar glider owners. Use your friendly neighborhood search engine to find out what's out there on topics that interest you.

5)Text messaging plan. Get a text messaging plan for your cell phone...unlimited if possible. I have to say, I didn't get it at first. How could my daughter, Bethany, exceed her 1500 text a month limit? I've since learned this is more than the digital way to pass notes in class. You can send the text "Starbucks" along with your zip code or "weather dallas" or "news soccer" to 466453 (GOOGLE) and get back immediate results on your phone...for free. You can also update your status on Facebook by sending a text to 32665 (FBOOK) once you set it up. Of course, sending notes is also fun. I love it when I get a digital hug from my husband randomly during the day.

6) Switch to Flock Once you have this digital stuff down, scrap whatever internet browser you are using and download Flock. (Flock.com) It integrates all of your contacts from Facebook and MySpace, pulls in the blogs you track (RSS Feeds) and pulls in Media Streams you enjoy. It takes some time to set up and teach it what you are interested in, but once you do, it is FABULOUS!!!!

Early Resolutions

Last night I talked with my friend Anna who now lives in Denver. We were discussing the concept of personal branding.

Most specifically, Anna's and my discussion centered in on how much weight plays a role in how people perceive each other. (We also covered smoking, the use of slang, corporate dress, hairstyles, Clinton and Stacy and the whole "What Not to Wear" thing.)

Anna said, "I know what I need to do, it is simply a matter of doing it."

Isn't that the truth? Sigh.

My company has a gym about 15 feet from my office. It is fully equipped with weight training and aerobic machines, and--best of all--it is completely free. So why is it that the only time I've ever stepped into it was to sponge some hairspray?

After six years of walking a few miles each morning with my friend Carol at my old neighborhood, I've done nothing. John and I were running together in the evenings during the summer, but with shifts in schedule caused by Bethany's basketball, John changing jobs, daylight savings time, etc. it simply isn't practical.

Three things I've learned about myself with regard to personal fitness since I was a young mom taking the bus to the gym (with Anna actually) with a three-year-old in tow.

1) I have to do something that has a consistent schedule to it.
2) I need the accountability of a friend.
3) It has to be fun. (The friend part helps with that part.)

This week after an overindulgence in cider and gingerbread, I hit a wall. If want to be fabulous when I'm 91, I can't simply do nothing at 41.

So, John suggested he shuttle Bethany to early morning basketball practice (I so love that man!) and Nancy-the-Insightful said she would join me in my venture. For two days in a row, we've hit the treadmills.

As with any new routine, there were some glitches. For example, I don't have a wedding ring on today, am wearing the socks I worked out in and had to wash my hair with bathsoap because I forgot to bring shampoo.

Minor glitches aside, the cool part is how the new routine has colored my day. I feel really good. Energetic actually. And I don't think it is entirely about the exercise. Maybe the best part of working out has to do with image. Not on losing weight or getting healthier but in how you see yourself for trying.

Reframing what is possible: Parkour

Yesterday's post was on the digital world removing the barriers on what is possible. The thing is, the shift is more about mental models over advances in technology.

Consider Roger Bannister and the "4 minute mile"... The most significant impact of Bannister's achievement is what immediately happened to the world of running. 37 runners broke the 4 minute barrier during the next year. The barrier--thought to be physical--actually turned out to be mental.

A great illustration of this exploration of what is possible by changing mental models is Parkour. It isn't a sport or a martial art exactly. Wikipedia says it is an activity with the aim of moving from one point to another as efficiently and quickly as possible, using principally the abilities of the human body. But still, parkour isn't something you can easily describe. You really have to see it. Fortunately, we have YouTube.

Digital Literacy

Rex Miller wrote an amazing book called The Millennium Matrix. The big takeaway of the book is that every time the way we communicate changes, the way we think and process changes, and therefore culture changes. Rex references the huge shift in culture when we moved from an oral culture to a print culture (the reformation); the turmoil in the shift from a print culture to a broadcast culture (the 60's); and talks about the shift we are seeing now from a broadcast culture to a digital culture.

Here's the thing. In each shift, there were people who really, truly didn't see a need to change. Imagine..."Why do I need to read?" to "Why do I need to trade my radio for a TV?" to "What is Facebook?"

Rex positions the concept in terms of literacy. Prejudices and equating illiteracy with ignorance aside, there is a very real barrier for people in our culture who cannot read. And no matter what you think about current television programming, people who do not watch television miss out on a large element of American culture. For example, if I use the phrase "low-talker" or "man-hands" if you aren't a Seinfeld viewer, you miss the context. If I say, "he's a Dwight Shrute" or "they have a Pam/Jim relationship", people who have seen The Office know what I mean in a more connected way than if I simply said "they like each other, but keep missing each other relationally."

This morning at our weekly Bic's meeting, Nancy Jumper mentioned that she has developed new relationships with her nieces and nephews over the past year. The reason is that she's recently become literate in their language....Facebook.

Craig Janssen tells the story of his daughter Brooke getting a scratch on her back. "I want to see it," she said. "You can't see it," her mom explained, knowing that even with a mirror it would be out of sight. "Sure I can. Just take a picture with your phone."

Whether it is texting, IM, e-mail, digital pictures or quick access to anything and everything via Google, digital communication is removing barriers opening up new worlds--just as print and broadcast did before it. As it does, the way we think about what is possible changes. But your thinking can only change, if you engage.

After all, digital literacy comes about by using the technology.

Odd Snap of the Lens

On my way home from work, I was crafting a post in my head about my commute, traffic in Dallas, and superpowers that would allow me to pick up crazy drivers and set them off to the side where they could do no harm. (John once promised that if he had that power, he would only use it for good. Hmmmm....)

In the end, I abandoned the concept because it turned out to be not terribly interesting, but the photo I tried to shoot to go with it was. I used Bethany's technique of reaching my arm out and snapping the shot. The thing is that the light was so low that I thought the shot had taken, then as I pulled the camera back the flash went off with unexpected results. I like the look on my face, which, I'm pretty sure I experience at least once almost every commute. The light artifacts were kind of fun too.

Shannon of the Six

Tonight I got to have coffee with my friend, Shannon.

I first met Shannon about twelve years ago when she came to tour the school my children went to. I showed her around and instead of enrolling her two daughters, she decided to teach there. When the educational consultants I worked for sold the school and I went to work for AD, Shannon kept my children.

It was great. Every day, after work, I got to sit on her couch and we would catch up on the day.

A year later, she and her husband decided to move to McKinney. They were expecting another child and had found a wonderful house. The day she told me, I cried and cried. Though McKinney is only 40 minutes away, it was too far to have the kind of friendship where you know where everything is in each other's kitchens.

Since Shannon's move, our lives have traveled very different paths. My day job evolved from a job to a passion, and Shannon began homeschooling Tori, Alex, and Brianna at their home in McKinney. Then over the years, she and Efrem added three more to their family: Mia, Levi and Sophie.

I can't imagine the fun and crazy family life six children would provide. It was cool tonight to hear Shannon talk about her kids' individual personalities and talents. And though I thought homeschooling would be really, really difficult it actually sounds much more fun and flexible than public school. (Don't worry, Bethany...I know I'd make a dreadful teacher!) The best part is that because Alex plays on a homeschool soccer team that practices just a few blocks from my house, Shannon and I can meet for coffee again.

Shannon's going to have to get busy to learn where things are in my kitchen.

Decorating for Christmas

One of the things about my son being 19 is that we can't take holidays for granted anymore. Though he still lives at home, between work, college and a social life, we have to schedule family traditions if we want him to be there.

Tonight was one of those nights. Two weeks ago I asked if he and Nichole wanted to help put up lights and decorate the tree. The thing about scheduling is that it actually gets to be an "event."

Bethany and I baked gingerbread men, as Chase and John pulled everything down from the attic and worked on the lights. I cooked a huge pot of chili and made cornbread for dinner. We even had the cider that my sister served at Thanksgiving.

The best part of the evening was when it was all done and we roasted marshmellows in the fireplace and simply hung out talking. Family moments with all of us are even more precious now that they don't simply happen randomly. We have to make them happen.

Avenging Ashley

When I was fourteen, Jackie Gee drove myself, Lynette-the-Cowgirl, Laura Phillips, Laura Coston and her daughter, Kristi, to tee-pee Craig Carlisle's house. Under cover of darkness, we exited Jackie's station wagon parked down the street and went to work with our rolls of Charmin.

The thing about toilet papering someone's house is that coverage is key. The lawn should look almost snow covered when complete. Within 10 minutes, we'd achieved our goal and ran back to the getaway car. Jackie put her hand over the dome light as we piled in and drove away.

The five of us were celebrating our coup when I felt something grab my neck and I screamed--reaching an octave only a teenage girl can. I was only partially relieved to find that the hand around my neck happened to belong to Craig Carlisle. He had snuck into the back of Jackie's station wagon while we were hard at work.

The worst thing about tee-peeing is getting caught, because then you have to go back for the clean up. (Which we did...sigh.)

Tonight, Bethany and friends kept the tradition alive. They went out on a revenge mission to "get" the guy who "got" Ashley. I snapped this photo right before they left on their adventure. Best part of the evening? They didn't get caught!