C&T in NYC

He is Risen

2011-04-24T11:17:00.000-04:00

Taylor took a live sound gig this Easter morning, so we will be going to an evening service tonight. Despite not being in church this morning, it has been a very worshipful day for me. I felt it as I got an iced coffee from the corner bodega, then went to the dog park and watched the utter joy with which dogs approach life. Then I cam home and sewed a button on a jacket to the tunes of Indelible Grace. God met me in these mundane tasks, and in the simple pleasure of one of the first warm days of the year. What a good God that he doesn't require us to be in a pew to feel his Presence and Joy, especially on the day on which death was defeated and Life came to meet us.

sleep in

2011-04-16T10:10:00.001-04:00

I like to sleep with the blinds open but the curtains drawn, because I like the soft morning light to wake me. I like to know when the new day has started. On the weekends, we let Grover and Hammy sleep with us (Grover normally sleeps on the floor and Hammy on the couch because we shut him out of our room - because otherwise he'll try to convince us to feed him all night - because he's a freak). When the sun has risen, Saturday morning usually finds Grover curling up on my pillow, his head right by mine. And yes, I know, if any of you read whatever article about pets carrying diseases that could kill you, so don't let them into your bed, well, we like to walk on the wild side, okay? Anyways, today, my shoulder was his pillow and the feeling of his little puffs of breath on my skin caused me to drift back to sleep. Now, I'm sitting at our desk, sipping chai tea, and thinking, "I love Saturday mornings."

Hi.

2011-03-31T22:35:00.000-04:00

I know, I know. It's been forever - or, several months since my last post. After three years of living in the dark ages, we got home internet. We used to just glom off of free networks in our building or neighborhood. But now, we've got regular, reliable internet and I'm glad to be back on the blog.

I'm reading a book about fiction writing right now, and it is absolutely revolutionizing my life. For the first time in a long time, my passion for writing and being a writer (one day) has come into the forefront of my mind. Normally, I'm just too busy for anything but working, sleeping, eating, and Starbucks. (Yes, I have kept my priorities in line, Starbucks is still on the list.) My ultimate dream is still to be a published fiction writer. And as skeptical as I am about the internet and its implications on books, music, etc., I am realizing that I can use this small platform as a way to get my writing read, even if only by family and friends. So, I won't promise it, because my track record on here isn't exactly stellar, but I am hoping to share some of my writing with you. So, stay tuned.

In the meantime, just an update on us...we are happily living year-to-year, seeing what life holds for us and being open to the future. We still love New York, with all its glories and expenses, but if Spring doesn't come here soon, we will be needing a therapist.

This little boy....

2010-11-02T08:37:00.000-04:00

Took a lot of time and effort to bring home...
Lights up every room he's in....
Brings joy to everyone who meets him...
Was the answer to his parents' prayers...
Has a highly evolved sense of humor for a 15-month-old...
Eats and plays and lives with gusto...
Has made it very hard for me to go 30 minutes without picturing his little face...and laugh...and walk...

Fink's Farm

2010-10-17T11:22:00.000-04:00

Nervous energy

2010-08-19T23:15:00.000-04:00

I should be headed to bed (ummm...an hour ago...) but I can't shake all of this nervous energy I feel balled up inside of me. I can usually run it off, and I ran hard and long tonight, but to no avail. You see, there have been two fairly significant occurrences in the last two days that I can't seem to shake.

The First:
Last night at 2:30am, we are awakened by Grover going absolutely ballistic - barking, pacing - and then we heard thunderous footsteps overhead. We got out of bed to investigate and immediately smelled smoke and burning material. We shoved Hammy in a bag, grabbed Grover, and bolted for the sidewalk, where we found most of our other neighbors huddled and clutching their own pets. So the story goes, our upstairs neighbor introduced an unfortunate combination of a cigarette and a plant, and while no one was injured and the building damage was minor, there was the realization that this fire broke out INCHES away from a propane grill on his balcony.

The Second:
I leave work today and walk right into a crowd of people staring across the street, and I see a SWAT team surrounding a building from the sidewalk, and on the roof as well. I kept walking because I didn't want to see something terrible, but as I made my way through the onlookers, I overhead people saying that someone had or was about to commit suicide off of this 6 story building. This added to the black cloud (no pun intended) of the fire from the night before, which hung over me all the way home.

This is when I hit the pavement running, and felt almost like a panic attack might set in, so I just kept running and running, hoping to overcome the feeling. I did, somewhat, when I took Grover to the dog park and was able to observe the innocent joy of dogs interacting with one another. But now, as I should get in bed, I feel the feeling again.

I guess I've just been reminded - slapped in the face repeatedly is more like it - that life is so fragile and so unpredictable. It also (thankfully) makes me cling to what is NOT fragile and unpredictable, and wonder how people can cope with these gritty realities when they don't believe there is any guiding purpose or stronger being than oneself.

The peace that passes all understanding.....I'm really squeezing tight to that tonight.

Amen.

Living room

2010-07-10T15:25:00.000-04:00

The room where we do much of our living has gotten a little makeover with the addition of some items from storage. I'm so pleased with the space, and apparently, Hammy is too!

This guy...

2010-07-05T14:15:00.000-04:00

is going to be an audio engineer! He's finished with his program, and here we are dressed to party!

In hindsight, I do realize the pose we're doing is slightly insinuating, but let me assure you there is no bun in that oven. :)

Some catch-up photos

2010-06-13T12:51:00.001-04:00

Since we haven't posted photos (or anything, or that matter) in quite a while, I thought I'd take some free time on this muggy Sunday afternoon to post some catch-up photos. Enjoy!

From top to bottom: Cool dudes in LIC, the New York Botanical Gardens, Mom and Sis at "Promises, Promises", Taylor at one of the public libraries, it's Grover's city and we're just livin' in it

After sleeping on it, I know how I feel about the LOST finale.

2010-05-24T10:27:00.000-04:00

Foreword: If you do not want to have the finale spoiled for you, or if you could care less about LOST, you might wanna skip this one...

I'm mad. I'm steamin'. Why? Instead of a beautiful and mysterious ending to a beautiful and mysterious show, the LOST writers gave us a relativistic (EVERY religious symbol plastered all over the chapel walls? Really???) and pseudo-catholic ending dripping in cheap nostalgia and hokeyness. I've begun to think that Abrams has a problem writing a good ending (was anyone a fan of the three ridiculous time travel episodes that wrapped up Felicity?). I've been fairly displeased this whole last season because I hated the concept of the "sidways flash" all along, and I felt that it was pure, 100% filler. I still feel that way after an ending that was based completely on explaining and justifying the sideways world. Here's what I think should have happened:

When Jack puts the cork back into the light source at the heart of the island, he should've become the smoke monster and spewed back out of the cave, landing surprised on his feet. The last scene of the show should've been Hurley and Jack sitting side-by-side on the beach. As they watch the plane carrying Kate, Miles, Lapidas and Sawyer home, they should have gotten teary-eyed and had a brief, nostaligic, music-filled mental flashback over all the relationships and occurrences during their time on the island (as opposed to every. single. character. having their own flashbacks when they encountered each other in sideways reality. That got old for me and I felt it was another cheap trick to keep you engaged in a ridiculously long finale.) After they've taken that moment to bring the audience to tears of remembrance, Jack and Hurley should've looked at each other, and begun playing that game that Jacob and the Man in Black always played, signifiying that they had accepted their new roles on the island.

I was actually surprised by how MUCH they tied up the show. If they're all dead, where does that leave any room for the mystery that the show has done so well? It seems to me the only "open end" they left was where they are all going next, once they've seated in the chapel together...but that's not even a very interesting mystery to me. Had the writers done an ending similar to mine, you'd be left wondering what happened to those who got off the island, but you'd be satisfied because they finally got off, and the ones who didn't have a specific purpose to stay.

But the two biggest problems I had with the finale were:

1. Christian Shepherd's undeservedly prominent role, especially as some kind of afterlife "guide". He was a dispicable character, and he played that role well. But his place on the show was minor enough that I found it strange that he would be the one explaining the ending to Jack.
2. THE LAST SCENE SHOULD'VE TAKEN PLACE ON THE ISLAND. For Pete's sake, the show began there, it should've ended there, not in that ridiculous Universalist chapel with so much religious memorabllia on the walls that I could barely focus on the characters.

I should clarify that I really enjoyed the episode up until those last few minutes. There were a number of scenes that were nothing short of epic, and the scene where Jack and John clash on the cliff was one of the most incredible TV moments I've ever witnessed. But as far as how the show actually concluded, I'm miffed. I feel like it deserved better.

Okay, LOST nerds, chime in please.

Enders Island

2010-05-09T22:05:00.000-04:00

We just got back today from a place so beautiful and peaceful that I just had to come back from the unintentional respite I took from blogging and share some photos. Our Episcopal church went on a retreat this weekend to a place called Enders Island, Connecticut, a tiny island which a wealthy couple who owned it and lived there left to the Catholic church in the 1950s. It is now a wonderfully-run retreat center, with beautiful walking trails, reflective gardens, and the Long Island Sound on all sides. It was a much, much needed time of reflection, relaxation and car-fume-free air, and it really felt like worlds away from our life in the city, even though we were only about 2.5 hours away. Enjoy the photos!
http://www.endersisland.com/

Beach trip, or, praise the heavens above, I got to dig my toes in the sand!

2010-03-17T09:38:00.000-04:00

I was able to visit my oldest friend for a long weekend in March. She lives at the beach and I live in NYC, so we kinda like this "I visit you this year, you visit me the next" arrangement. She's so much fun to be around, and it's really cool for me to have one person who has known me all of my life, and through what were apparentley several years of bad bangs, not just a couple of months like I thought!

Here's a photo recap of the weekend, including the glorious moment I first stepped into the cooooold salty water:

Can you tell who lives at the beach and who's a city-dwelling mole-person???

I had queso and the angels sang a hallelujah chorus. It's true.

We visited a sunny, picture-perfect little town called Fairhope, AL.

It even had its own French Quarter!

This made me wish I had a little boat so Grover could ride in the front like this...except Grover would have abandoned ship pretty quickly.

The sun was out for a final beach walk!

Ash, thank you for being a wonderful host and a true-blue friend all these years! If adults still did yearbooks, I'd save a page for you every time! :)

A dark post in bright weather

2010-03-09T15:41:00.000-05:00

On Saturday morning, the sun was shining brightly and the temperatures were already creeping their way towards 60. We had brunch at our local grocery store, then did our shopping for the week. You could feel the hope and happiness in everyone. Vitamin D was pulsing through our cells for the first time in months.

It turns out that while we were brunching and shopping and seeing our neighbors out and about, someone decided in a moment of pure irony, that the day upon which New York was getting its first taste of spring would willingly be their last day on this earth. They hired a broker to show them an apartment on the 20-something floor of one of the residential towers in our neighborhood, and when the broker moved into another room, that person climbed off the balcony and leapt to their death.

We learned of this when we were playing with the dogs on our patio later that day. An upstairs neighbor brought his dog down and with a very dazed look on his face told us how he had happened to be walking his dog by moments after this happened. My stomach felt sick and I immediately glanced at the tower, which we can see from our balcony, and couldn't help but picture a body falling in the bright sunshine. I found myself wishing I could have had a few final moments to find out why this person felt they just couldn't bear another day.

This event hovered over me the rest of the weekend. I couldn't shake re-imagining the scene and what the broker must have thought right after. It made me examine what a dark world this is, darker for some than others. Even on the first bright day of the year, some can't escape the darkness. I am thankful to believe in a God who conquers darkness. I am even more thankful that the world that awaits us after this one has zero darkness, zero death. And I hope and pray that the mystery person who chose Saturday as their last day, has finally found the peace that this earth obviously didn't offer them.

DSE

2010-03-02T09:46:00.000-05:00

No, it doesn't stand for Digital Signage Expo. Or Detroit Speed Inc. Or data storage equipment. (All results from a google search for "DSE".) DSE stands for Duncan Stott Edwards, the beautiful name for my beautiful new nephew!!! Yes, my sister and her husband received the packet of information containing their baby's name and vital stats. While I can't share any pictures on here yet, let me just say that he's A. the cutest baby ever and B. there is no cuter baby anywhere.

It is so surreal to think that our nephew is halfway around the world, being taken (exceptionally good) care of by strangers. This little guy that I'm going to know his whole life, who'll spend summers in NYC when he's older (I don't think I've informed you of this yet, T&K, but it will be so), who I'll buy birthday and Christmas gifts for every year....he exists and he's doing his little baby thing over in Uganda. Surreal is the best word I can think of.

Now, there are still some kinks in the Ugandan court system that must be worked out before T&K can get their baby home. Our family and friends and church small groups have all begun praying that Baby Duncan would be home before his first birthday. I'd like to enlist all you readers of this site to begin praying for this as well.

Oh, and in case you were curious, the Digital Signage Expo - the World's largest international trade show and conference dedicated to the digital signage - was last month, so you missed it!

Communion and self-awareness

2010-03-01T15:27:00.000-05:00

I've learned something about myself recently. It was one of my 2010 goals to be a little more introspective, get to know myself a little better, if you will. Last night while taking communion at our Episcopal church, I became joyful and certain of how much I love high church. I love drinking real wine from the common cup at communion. I love standing on the sidewalk after church talking to our Episcopal priest in his full robes and collar. I love hearing hymns that have stood the centuries played on the organ and piano. I love to see the choir in matching robes. I love hearing our priest, with his delightful Welsh lilt, reciting the Collect of The Day. I love reading aloud the Lord's Prayer, the Nicene and Apostle's Creeds.

I suppose there is a certain point at which high church is too high. In the handful of really high churches (all Catholic) that I've visited, there can be an air of informality and inaccessibility (although "modern" churches can suffer from that as well). I am thankful that our priest (doesn't that word just sound stuffy?) does a great job of maintaining a personable air to the services in the midst of the wonderful formal aspects. It's a nice balance, really.

The unfortunate side to this type of church is that very few younger (read: under 40) people are drawn to it. As much as we adore our Episcopal church, it is a concern that we are the youngest there by at least 10 or 15 years.

Why do you, my few and far between readers, think this is? Is high church too boring? Too inaccessible? Too.....what? I can only see through my own blinders, so I'd love some insight from YOU!

Writer's Block

2010-02-17T16:26:00.000-05:00

I have writer's block.

I've got a deadline rapidly approaching for an article I'm writing for work, and I can't even eek out one measly sentence worth seeing the light of day. While this is not a serious problem (or at least, it won't be for another week or so), it is worth noting on here because it is the first time I've ever had writer's block. Ever. Even as an English major writing 3-4 papers a week on a regular basis, I never struggled with writer's block. Maybe I had a hard time choosing a topic sometimes, but writing has been so second-nature to me that I usually had a harder time stopping than starting!

For one whole week now, I have been staring at a blank word document, all of my research beside me covered in notes and yellow highlighter. I'm actually writing about this now, on here, because a google search for the phrase "how to cure writer's block" told me that I should drink half a glass of water, do a vocal exercise where I list out all of my emotions and go do some other writing just for pleasure. Given that I drink enough water as it is and work in a very public cubicle surrounded by co-workers, I decided to try the third suggestion.

I'll report back as to whether it worked or not. If my next post is a plea for job recommendations, it probably didn't!

How fantastic!

2010-02-11T11:57:00.001-05:00

The latest Faulkner discovery reveals where much of his inspiration for buildings, characters, scenery, even certain events, was gleaned. A peek into the mind of a genius, what a treasure!

A little about my sister

2010-02-03T10:49:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about my sister on a run yesterday, when I usually my most focused thinking sessions. I was remembering the day we arrived in NYC, stuffed full of pets and furniture in a U-Haul, and how good it was to see Toria and Kyle's familiar faces in that sea of newness and uncertainty.

Toria and I have been there for each other through all our life changes and challenges. Our move to New York was one of my biggest life-changers, and she was right there hauling furniture up 6 flights of stairs. When I got married, she was my one and only bridesmaid. And later this year, she and kyle will be bringing their baby home from Africa, and I greatly anticipate when I board a plane to go and be there for that.

On a side note, she's beautiful in a very special, could-be-a-character-in-a-novel sort of way. I think Daisy from "The Great Gatsby" might have looked a lot like her....except blonde. Daisy was most definitely blonde.

Here's to you sis, and all the life-changers to come!

A wonderful weekend in the Smokies:

2010-01-19T21:13:00.001-05:00

There was gallery hopping:

Pub visiting:

Hiking:

Baby showering:

Wii dancing:

Dog loving:

Birthday celebrating:

And creepy brother-in-laws skulking:

Hammy, a.k.a. Hammy-cat, Hambone, etc.

2010-01-12T11:25:00.002-05:00

I've been a bad blog-owner. It's true. For some reason, I've felt little motivation to post on here lately. I hardly ever remember to take pictures of anything we do, and also, we do very little. But, out of fear that we'll lose the 2 readers we have (Hi Mother! Hi Sis!), I thought I'd try to do a little something on here today.

Hammy is certainly worthy of a post dedicated just to him. He is the weirdest creature I've ever known. And I've known some weird ones. Lord knows we had enough pets growing up that you'd think I'd seen it all. But no, Hammy had a whole new set of "tricks", which he revealed shortly after we brought him home.

I chose Hammy out of about 15 other cats in the Kroger (or was it Wal-Mart?) parking lot, where a woman who owns the organization "Forever Friends" in Paris had a booth set up. It was a cold, windy day. We wanted to get a second cat to be best buds with our Siamese kitten, Sydney. Taylor quickly fell in love with a gorgeous cat named "Frodo". He was big and beautiful, but sparks didn't fly for me. I kept circling all the cages, coming back to this cage that had 2 cats in it. Both were cuddled under a towel, but only one cat was actually visible. I can't explain why, but I just had to see the face of the cat that was hidden under the towel. I asked the woman just to "pull his head out" so I could see it. She did just that, and I saw the cutest, sweetest little kitty face I'd ever witnessed! That was it, end of story. Luckily, Taylor was smitten too and Hammy became a Franks. His name was already "Ham", by the way, we can't take credit for that. When asked about his name, the woman replied, "I named him that because his is a ham. No other way to describe him." And that, my friends, was the understatement of the century!

Remarkably, Hammy came from several abused homes before he ended up in ours. His little spirit is amazing because he is so gentle and loving when he had little reason left to be so. But, on to the good stuff.

On the way back to Nashville with our new cat in the car, Ham's cuddly nature came out right away. We let him out of the little travel crate and he crawled up and laid across my shoulders. He didn't move or make a peep the whole 2 hour drive (this is to be directly contrasted with the squirmy creature who cried like a baby all 18 hours to New York). We got him home and he and Sydney became immediate buds. That was the first odd thing about Ham. He didn't skulk or hiss once, like every other cat on the planet does when encountering a fellow cat (and as Sydney did). In fact, I've never heard Hammy hiss. not once.

Well, this is where it becomes necessary to list Hammy's quirks. If you've met Hammy, you probably have a favorite from the list. Here we go:

~Hammy has a special fondness for going into a corner, putting his paws up, and looking upside down behind himself, meowing

~He enjoys licking the paint on the walls in our bedroom - I think it gives him a little buzz

~He has absolutely no stealth - when he wants to play fight with Grover, he comes right up to him and lets out a "war cry" - like a loooooong meow. Go figure, Grover gets the first hit in every time.

~He enjoys his time in the litter box. He spends minutes at a time in there, flinging litter around and wiping his paws against the inside

~If we leave the toilet seat up, he plays in the water. You don't realize this until, of course, he jumps on your lap and tries to touch your face with his wet paws. The water bowl will do if the toilet seat is down

~Hammy enjoys rolling around in the leftover water after one of us takes a shower

~Hammy has never purposely scratched a person. If he does scratch, he was getting cozy on your lap and started kneading his paws a little too hard

~Ham loves to be held on his back, like a baby, and extend his arms straight into the air, and let his head hang backwards. We like to shout out church-y things when he does this, because it looks like he's worshipping - things like, "Praise Him!" and "Amen!"

~If he is in someone's presence, he must, I mean must, have human contact. He can't be without it for more than 24 hours or he starts to have emotional distress.

~Hammy's best friend is named "Richard" - Richard is a scrap of material left over from one of those toys on a stick. Every night, without fail, Hammy brings Richard into bed with us. He doesn't want to play with Richard when we try, he just wants Richard in on the snuggle time. Furthermore, if we say "Go get Richard", he will, most times, run away and come back with Richard dragging behind him.

(Feel free to leave any antics I've forgotten - and I'm sure there are many - in the comments section)

And this is why Hammy is the weirdest, sweetest, funniest, most alien-possessed cat I've ever had!

"I wanna wash my hands, my hair, my face in snow"

2009-12-20T17:31:00.000-05:00

And that was very easy to do this weekend, as we had the Blizzard of '09! 6-10 inches all over the tri-state area. It's gorgeous and we had a ball playing in it!

Enjoy some images from a very white weekend!

Oh Sparky, it's just not Christmas without you...

2009-12-18T10:28:00.001-05:00

I have watched this movie twice so far this holiday season. I am not much for watching one movie multiple times, but this is such a masterpiece of a film that I never, ever tire of it! The movie is full of subtle humor and brilliant dialogue, not to mention such unique characters! In the spirit of Christmas, and my love for this movie, I thought I'd share my favorite quote with you (pardon the language, but it's part of what makes it so funny!):

"Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no! We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here! We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny [expletive] Kaye! And when Santa squeezes his fat white a$$ down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of a$$holes this side of the nuthouse!"

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, friends, family, jolly a-holes, and readers of this blog!

Great quote, had to share.

2009-12-15T12:57:00.000-05:00

“Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.” ~midcentury theologian Reinhold Niebuhr

Thoughts? Specifically in light of the current US mission in the Middle East?

Open House

2009-12-06T22:08:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, we had the pleasure of hosting a Christmas Open House with our upstairs neighbors/friends G&L. It was a lovelier time than we could've planned for! Dozens of cookies were baked, and 6 lbs. of Swedish meatballs were rolled!
Many Redeemer folks came out, as well as a good portion of our apartment building, and even some old college friends! Here's some pictures of the food and Christmas decor (as usual, I forgot to get my camera out and get action shots):

Mulled wine ingredients...

Turned out very strong (and very tasty!)

The cookie spread:

Thank you, Williams Sonoma!

Hangin' Hammy

We hope everyone's holiday season is in full-swing and full of joy!

Who could ask for more?

2009-12-03T12:01:00.000-05:00

A beautiful story was shared in our small group last night that I simply had to re-tell on here.

One of the wives in our group has a grandfather who is experiencing aggressive dementia. His wife of 50+ years has been put through the ringer, caring for him and managing her own health. A remarkable moment occurred between the two shortly before Thanksgiving. The grandfather was staying at the hospital overnight and his wife was getting ready to leave for the night. She said to him, "If you don't need anything else, I'm going to head home." In an increasingly rare moment of clarity, he placed his hand over hers and looked staright into her eyes and said, "We've had a good life." At that moment, his wife knew she would be able to let him go with peace in her heart as his mental state decreased over the next few weeks.

What more could any of us possibly want than this, at the end of our time on this Earth? To reach our 80s and feel absolute confidence that we had in fact lived a good life. Rich and blessed and long...what more could we ask for out of a life?

God bless you, Jack, and may He bring you home to Himself soon...

What a Turkey (Day)!

2009-11-30T22:27:00.002-05:00

The Franks and Watts (T's side of the family) clan piled onto planes and arrived in NYC on Wens. A whirlwind of parade-attending, wine-consuming, shopping, and of course, eating followed...Our Thanksgiving was a geographically mixed one, made up of Tawian, Boston, Connecticut, and Atlanta natives! I especially enjoyed the comparison to a certain Ms. Martha Stewart - I like to think I made her proud with my cooking, hosting, and table setting this weekend!

Up at 5am for the Macy's Parade!

Franks cafe open for business

Ready for 9 Thanksgiving guests

This was unintentional, I swear!

So happy to be together!

Cafe Henri - a hit with every woman I know!

Like father like son...

NY Public Library - Main reading room

Ice skating in Bryant Park

Thank you, family, for making the long trip to spend your holiday weekend with us! It was certainly one to remember, ranking right up there with my Thanksgiving spent on a houseboat (more on that another time!)...we love you!

*And an extra special thank you to G&L for being so generous with your home (and TV for the Alabama Auburn game)!

A post that may only interest my brother-in-law...

2009-11-17T12:07:00.003-05:00

Lately I have been exploring a heightened interest in Christian church history. This is a subject which, until recently, has bored me to tears (I repent, I repent!). My recent quest for knowledge began with a curiosity of the specific differences between the various denominations (another topic for another time, perhaps?). T, who is really well-versed in such things (if you've ever met his father, you know it's in his blood), gave me a couple of books that I wasn't even aware we owned! In these books, I read huge words that I have never seen before in my life, and most of which I still don't understand. But one in particular stuck with me.

Now, I know nothing of the modern Moravian church, but in my recent reading I've learned that their history is rich and important! For instance, "The Moravian missionaries were the first large scale Protestant missionary movement...They were also the first to send lay people (rather than clergy) as missionaries, the first Protestant denomination to minister to slaves, and the first Protestant presence in many countries." This is big stuff, from only one obscure denomination! What more is there to discover!

This is just one of many jewels I'm learning as I try to actually understand where it is this Faith that I build my life around (or aspire to) comes from!

~C

Friday night on the town

2009-11-10T21:58:00.001-05:00

Here's some shots from last Friday - we made an evening of it and had a lovely dinner, then saw Tracy Morgan at Carnegie Hall. We were in the cheap seats, but it was a great time in a beautiful venue!

Ready to go out

T and his best bud

4th level balcony at Carnegie

Opening act leaving, Tracy taking the spotlight

Tracy doin' his thang

And a good time was had by all.

Oh, now I remember...

2009-11-06T12:16:00.000-05:00

T & I are going to hear Tracy Morgan (of 30 Rock and SNL) do stand-up at Carnegie Hall tonight. We've been so excited about this since I bought the tickets back in August! You see, it's easy to forget exactly what is so wonderful and romantic and glamorous about living in New York when you're poor. From the hurried crush of people everywhere you go, to the inability to afford eating out more than once every couple of weeks, to the exorbitant price of kitchen staples such as cereal ($6) and canned soup ($3), being poor in New York flat-out stinks a lot of the time. No doubt about it, this city was made for, and run by, the wealthy and elite.

However, then I reflect back on special things we've been able to do here that we could never have done living anywhere else. Whether it's my nightly run along the East River where I ponder the significance of the color of the lights on the Empire State building (it's been blue and white for the Yankees this week), to Saturday afternoon treks through Central Park - home of countless engagements, tourist photos and movie shoots, to cheap world-class jazz in the East Village, live performances by beloved entertainers, and even to hearing Tim Keller preach in-person every Sunday; New York offers what no other place really can (at least for me).

So, even if we have to scrimp and save for special nights like tonight, it reminds me of why it's all worthwhile. God bless you, NYC.

Dylan on a Wednesday

2009-11-04T10:43:00.003-05:00

If Dogs Run Free

Bob Dylan

If dogs run free, then why not we
Across the swooping plain?
My ears hear a symphony
Of two mules, trains and rain.
The best is always yet to come,
That's what they explain to me.
Just do your thing, you'll be king,
If dogs run free.

If dogs run free, why not me
Across the swamp of time?
My mind weaves a symphony
And tapestry of rhyme.
Oh, winds which rush my tale to thee
So it may flow and be,
To each his own, it's all unknown,
If dogs run free.

If dogs run free, then what must be,
Must be, and that is all.
True love can make a blade of grass
Stand up straight and tall.
In harmony with the cosmic sea,
True love needs no company,
It can cure the soul, it can make it whole,
If dogs run free.

Amen.

October happenings...

2009-11-01T17:03:00.000-05:00

Peruvian pride festival on the Upper East Side

The new Highline Park in Chelsea - old above-ground railroad converted to a modern greenspace

Only in New York - a very talented jazz band plays on a stoop

Check this guy out - he's seriously good!

Ugly Twins for Halloween

Our Redeemer small group - bag of jellybeans, zebra, beatnicks, ugly twins

school dedication Sunday at First Church - the Saint Alban's staff being introduced

Let's play a game:

2009-10-28T09:39:00.000-04:00

It's called "Dodge the Umbrellas! Don't Lose an Eye!"

It's been a very rainy year here - June alone brought only 4 days without rain, I think! I don't like rain in New York for a number of reasons, but one in particular stands out. On already crowded sidewalks, add a 3-foot expanse of vinyl umbrellas around each person and you've got a real obstacle course. Then, for some reason there are many who have those absolutely enormous umbrellas that could host a small circus underneath! But no, not a circus, just one black-clad New Yorker who doesn't seem to realize he now takes up 6 feet of an 8-foot wide sidewalk. But don't step off the curb to go around him, or you'll get splashed by a speeding taxi!

Doesn't this sound like a fun game? Wanna play?

If you drink coffee...

2009-10-27T09:51:00.000-04:00

you've got to buy it somewhere, right (unless you're a go-to-Starbucks-everyday person, as I used to be, sniff sniff)?

Well, would you please consider getting your coffee from this company:

http://www.justlovecoffee.com/toriaandkyle

70% of the proceeds will go to assist my sister and brother-in-law in their adoption of a baby from Uganda! Please, help us become an aunt and uncle soon! (And, more importantly, help Toria and Kyle bring their baby home as soon as possible - they're simply going to be the best parents ever and you can play a part!)

C&T

A cake...for me?

2009-10-22T11:29:00.001-04:00

No, not for me, but for another Chelsey on her 6th birthday. Clearly, her parents wanted a bunny on it; clearly, the cake-maker only knew of one kind of bunny:

This beauty is from the "Cake Wrecks" blog (www.cakewrecks.com). The pictures are hysterical, but the commentary is even better!

T.G.I.S.???

2009-10-16T15:10:00.000-04:00

At first I thought it was a joke when one of the husbands in our small group suggested it. Never one to be embarassed to share a thought, he talked about how he missed having slumber parties like when he was a kid. Then, we all started chiming in that we missed that too!
So, on Saturday night, 3 married couples and 2 dogs will be piling up in one 500 square foot apartment on a cold and rainy New York night to watch Labyrinth in their jammies, eat popcorn and play board games.
Is it Saturday yet????

Visit from The Nanbop

2009-10-09T11:26:00.000-04:00

My grandparents, who are in their 80s, came to NYC on their own last weekend, and they wore this 24-year-old out! We covered a lot of ground, including several sights I had yet to see. Here are some photos, aren't they just the best grandparents you ever saw?
-C

the skyline on their first night in NY

Nanny and (big) Spiderman

us on-screen at the Sony Tech museum

brunch at Cafe Henri

pooped - resting on the patio!

Papaw at the Central Park Zoo

Un Petit du Paris

2009-10-06T09:37:00.000-04:00

Proof that sisters give the BEST gifts!

October...is here.

2009-10-01T10:28:00.001-04:00

Hard to believe it! But, the nip in the morning air as I walk to the subway, and the perfect relevance of the sound of Sting's voice are dead giveaways that Fall has arrived. New York in the fall is a spectacular sight. T says I say this about every season, but fall is (really) my favorite time to be in NYC! In the summer, the heat and car exhaust get dirty and overwhelming. In the winter, the black slush on the sidewalks has been known to soil many a pair of leather boots. Spring is, well, wonderful too, but somehow I still prefer fall. Have I sold you on making a trip here in the next few months? No? Ok, a little visual imagery will surely do the trick:

A birthday in LIC

2009-09-29T10:02:00.002-04:00

This weekend I celebrated my birthday with my dear girlfriends, who came to visit New York from Nashville and Chicago. It was a hilarious time of wine, food, shopping, cupcakes, coffee and showing them the gem that is Long Island City! (If you're wondering where T was in all of this, he jet-setted to Chicago to be with the guys for the weekend.)
These are priceless friendships that go back 5 and 6 years, so here's the recreation of a photo - 2006 and 2009:

New York Wisdom

2009-09-22T13:18:00.001-04:00

Here's the advice I offered to a friend who is heavily considering a move to NYC. This being the first time I've sat and compiled my reflections on the subject, I thought I'd share just in case anyone reading this has a fledgling dream in the back of their mind of making NYC their home:

Ok, so first things first, I would NOT recommend moving here without a job lined up. The trouble is, most employees will immediately discard your resume if it doesn't have a NY address. Every job here is so bombarded with resumes that it's one quick way for them to narrow down. You might consider putting our address on your resume, to up your chances.

Next step is housing - if signing a new lease, the up-front cost is pretty shocking. You might get lucky, but most places require 2 months rent up front along with a security deposit. Again, each apartment is so bombarded with potential residents that landlords do this simply because they can. This can get very, very expensive, and some landlords even require 3 months rent with security (our first place did).

Thirdly, you'll want to plan on your general expenses here to be approx. 1/3 higher than your used to. Groceries, in particular, and any eating out, movies, etc. The monthly subway pass is $89, so you can figure that into your budgeting.

Ok, that's the practical stuff, on to the intangible advice. I don't know your plans for this upon arriving here, but it is virtually impossible to meet quality friends in New York outside of church. The "20s scene" in this city, in particular, is entirely based on partying. The bar scene is overwhelmingly huge here. In light of this, I do need to say that to move to New York and not be involved in a church/small group would quickly equal a very lonely, frustrating existence.

The loneliness is something you'll want to plan for. It's just inevitable at some point in your first months here. You'll find that you're taking long subway rides alone, spending many nights eating alone, running errands alone, which will wear on you after a while. The loneliness is simply a part of the adjustment here, and mostly wears off when you make friends as it would anywhere else. I just want to warn you because it's an unexpected feeling in such an enormous city.

Because New York is such a hard-as-nails place, that too will wear on you. It is easy to become downtrodden here because there are few aspects of the city to lift you up spiritually. This city runs off of, and feeds on, money money money. Again, you have to be very intentional in seeking out people to lift you up and bring you out of the dark feelings that New York can shed on a newbie.

That brings me to the last thing, which was also the hardest adjustment we had to make here. You have to fight really hard for everything in this city, even down to the necessities. Niceties are nonexistent. From jobs, to apartments, to good service at restaurants, the "consumer" is viewed as so easily replaceable (because they are), so no one is going to help you out or see your individual situation as special. It is very easy for a landlord or potential employee to toss you aside for some arbitrary reason just because there's 40 more of you waiting down the line. Therefore, you have to fight hard, really hard, to make your way here so just get yourself in that mindset. You also have to develop a really thick skin and just keep pushing forward regardless of how much like a "low person on the totem pole" that you feel you are. Thick-skinned, yep, that's a very important part of life here.

Have I made it sound unappealing enough for you? :) Hopefully not, but these are things Taylor and I would have really appreciated knowing before we blindly thrust ourselves into the glorious insanity that is New York City!

Awkward-Thing-About-NY-That-I-Don't-Recall-Dealing-With-Anywhere-Else #1

2009-09-21T15:35:00.000-04:00

This seems to happen to me frequently on the busy sidewalks around my office: I find myself walking at EXACTLY the same pace as the guy next to me, and regardless of whether I speed up or slow down, we stay right next to each other. Twice when this has happened, I felt so awkward that I stopped altogether and pretended to be looking in my purse for something.
Does this happen other places? Does this ever happen to anyone else? Or am I just crazy and unknowingly being stalked by various people on the sidewalk?
-C

Friday cuteness indulgence...

2009-09-18T11:57:00.001-04:00

Here's a photo of Grover and Hammy, our "babies" (no, I'm not ashamed to say it), because cuteness was made to be shared...
Happy Friday!
-C

We're new to these parts...

2009-09-16T15:46:00.001-04:00

Hello any and all readers who are faithful enough to follow us to our THIRD website home! We started at Freewebs, moved on to Weebly, and now we're here at Blogspot in further proof that Google products are slowly consuming our life!
We made the change mostly because Blogspot seems more straightforward and streamlined, which I (C) think will be nice. Secondly, any of you who use GoogleReader (see, I told you!) can now add us and be saved the inconvenience of having to click a link to our site ever again! Any posts we make will automatically come your way! You're welcome.
Ok, welcome aboard - I doubt we'll be moving again, so thanks again for sticking with us!
-C