Tunesday: Glosoli

Song: Glosoli
Band: Sigur Ros
Album: Takk

The Sound of Music

Forget few and far between. The posts this past week were pretty much non-existent. The Sound of Music went very well, I think. A big thank you to those who came out to see the show!

I had such a good time. It was probably the most fun I've ever had doing a show. I've missed my Van Trapp kids today. The day after a run ends is always somewhat bittersweet. You're happy for a job well done, but there's a sense of loss. It's like waking up from a dream. The goal for which you've worked so hard is gone. Done. The moment vanished. Glimpses only in pictures. Quiet. No music, no lines. No applause. It's still, and it's healthy. It reminds me it's a job, something I do. Not something I am. I'm incredibly thankful for a husband who not only encourages me, but leads me, to do the things I love to do.

There have been some requests for pictures, so here ya go!
"Van Trapp children don't play. They march!"
Do Re Mi
"I am 16 going on 17..."
"Um...you want me to wear...that?
My new mother
The Festival
Kids taking a bow. It doesn't get much cuter than this.
The Cast
Now that's one handsome guy right there.
The Van Trapp Children

Tunesday and Other Things

The posts will most likely be few and far between this week. Crazy rehearsal schedule and stressful last minute details to work out for The Sound of Music.

There's a great discussion still going on here, if anyone wants to jump on board. Baptism required or not required for salvation? Church fathers. Who holds the authority to interpret Scripture? Alot in one thread, really. But if you haven't been following and would like to, go for it.

Staying true to Tunesday, I MUST post this find by my new blogging friend, Shelley. Anyone ever watch Neverending Story? You won't want to miss this. Who knew the tune was sung by this guy? Ha! And if Shelley doesn't mind, and I hope she doesn't because I didn't ask her permission, I'm using her question. What's your favorite part of this video? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours.

Song: The Neverending Story
Artist: Limahl

Embedding is disabled. Click here. Please!!!! Just do it. Click. You won't regret it. I promise.

Get Ready. It's Contagious.

Many of you have probably already seen this. I found it on Brant's blog, and I loved what he had to say about it.

It's Here...

The release of Book 7.

Potter fans crowded into Barnes and Noble at midnight tonight to pick up reserved copies. And oh yeah, we were there. One copy for Seth. One copy for me. I can't write much. Need to go read. Harry better not die. Snape better not be evil. And Dumbledore better...oooh I better not give it away if you haven't read Book 6.

Catholicism: Beginnings

I wrote earlier that I believe it beneficial to look at the ways Catholics and Protestants agree. So, I quote here two statements from the Catholic Catechism, which is basically a very long and detailed statement of faith. They are both taken from the prologue to the Catechism. The very first statement of the prologue, before getting into the thick of it all, is a prayer of sorts. It reads:

"FATHER, . . . this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (Jn 17:3) "God our Savior desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim 2:3-4) "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12) - than the name of JESUS.

I find it stunning, this statement. Already, it dispells widely held misconceptions of Catholic belief. From this prayer alone, we can conclude that:

1) The Catholic Church views Scripture as vital and meaningful for the instruction and direction of their faith.

2) The Catholic Church does not view Mary as Redeemer of mankind, nor as equal to the nature of God.

3) The Catholic Church does not view the Pope or/and the priests as Redeemer of mankind, nor as equal to the nature of God.

And then, Section I:1 of the Prologue reads:

"God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life."

Again, beautiful. Already we see the appropriations of the Trinity, or the different operations given to the three persons in one nature/substance of God. We see God initiating salvation by drawing close to man. And to accomplish such a salvation, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior, that in the Holy Spirit we would be placed into an inheritance of eternal life as children of God. And that it is all done out of His goodness.

This is an important agreement. It means that Protestants cannot view Catholics in the same manner that they can view Mormons. The nature and operations of God are believed to be the same between both P's and C's. How many times have I heard, in the same breath, both Catholicism and Mormonism given as examples of cults. Catholicism and Mormonism are not the same, not even close.

Tunesday: Danny Boy

I've shared it with you before. I bring to you, again, my most favorite tune to be sung by Muppets.

Tales of a Big Sis

Like I said, it's great being a 16 year old, with all the games and giggles and family fun. There's another perk I haven't experienced in a long, long time...until today.

Theater etiquette demands that while waiting in the wings for an entrance onto the stage, the actor is silent, or at least as quiet as humanly possible. For multiple reasons, the obvious one - so people in the audience can't hear you. But another reason, so that you focus on what's happening on stage so as to not miss your cue.

So tonight at rehearsal, my brothers, sisters, and I have just exited stage right and are waiting for our next cue. Rather, I'M waiting for our next cue. Which is for sure the most stressful cue of the whole show and entirely up to me. I have to, with a pitch pipe, give our pitches to begin "The Sound of Music" in 3-part harmony, acapella, from off stage, at exactly the right time during the ongoing dialogue on stage. And then we walk on singing. Uh, that's really hard. For multiple reasons.

1) Children can't always hear 3-part harmony when there is no accompinament.

2) I don't have a pitch pipe yet, so I'm guessing.

3) These children haven't learned yet how to BE silent off stage in the wings, and they are dramatically hyper.

4) Most children haven't a clue as to how to WHISPER.

So here's how it went down today:

We exit after Captain Van Trapp orders us to STOP PLAYING AND CHANGE OUR CLOTHES. (I will hereby refer to the children by their Van Trapp names...)

Brigitta and Marta (off stage): Ah HA HA HA! Ah HA HA HA HA! Did you see when....? hee hee hee (squeal) I know! HA HA HA!

Kurt (off stage to Friedrich): Would you PLEASE keep your head down when we're leap frogging! I can't jump over your big ole' head!

Friedrich: I'm sorry, Geez.

Gretl (hits Friedrich): I don't LIKE YOU very much!

Friedrich: Stop HITTING ME!

Me: Guys, please stop talking. This is important. I need to hear my cue.

Brigitta and Marta: Hee hee hee! (squeal) Hee hee hee!

Me: Seriously guys, you really should NOT be talking right now!

Brigitta: (stops, looks at me, then at Marta); hee hee hee hee! HA HA HA!

Me: OK, here we go. Pitches....

Friedrich: No! That's too low!

Me: Shhhh! Friedrich, just do it!

Brigitta: (sings an entirely wrong pitch)

Me: No! Guys listen. I just gave you your pitches.

Everyone: What? No! hee hee hee! Hmmm Hmmm Hmmm, is that right? No, it's too low!

Director: (from audience): THAT WAS IT! LIESL!!!! THAT WAS YOUR CUE! HELLO? GUYS!

So. What did I do? You bet I did.

I told on them all.

If you're not gonna listen to me, you're gonna be in trouble. That's how it goes. I marched myself right out on that stage and said, "Excuse me. Would someone please come back here and remind us that we can't talk off stage. Because everyone's talking and NOBODY's listening for the cue or to my pitches. NOBODY. I tried giving them 3 times. But NOBODY was listening."

That pretty much did the trick. They were scared of me for the rest of rehearsal. It was awesome. Tattletaling kicks major A.

Sound of Music Update

The Van Trapp ChildrenMinus Friedrich (who wasn't at rehearsal for some reason or another)

Rehearsals for Sound of Music are going well. I'm not sure what could be more fun than spending four hours a day pretending to be 16 years old. Life doesn't get much better than that. I have the best little brothers and sisters in the world. Today during break we formed a line, joined hands, and did "the wave" back and forth for a whole five minutes. Then we played "Down by the Banks," that game where you make a circle and sing and slap each other's hands...OK, I have no idea how to explain it but it's great fun when you're allowed to act 16. I even get in trouble for talking during rehearsal because I forget that I'm an adult and that I should know better.

Seth says I come home from rehearsals glowing. You would, too, if your only care for the evening was how to act like a kid. My little sister, Marta, is a friend of mine from church. She's in 2nd grade. Her mom told me that when she started acting a couple of years ago, she came home from rehearsal, laid down on her bed, and said, "Mom, where has this been all my life?" I know exactly how she feels.

If you're around these parts, come on out and see the show! Here are the dates, times and info:

Friday, July 27: 8 PM
Saturday, July 28: 8 PM
Sunday, July 29: 3 PM

Buy tickets online at www.fortbendtheatre.com or call 281.208.3333.

The performances will be here, directions to the theatre here.

Hope to see you there!

Airport Scene

I flew to Tulsa today to help my parents move and unpack and whatnot. They've just moved from Dallas to Tulsa. Traitors to Texas! It's alright, though, because we're from Oklahoma anyway. I was born in Oklahoma City, but only lived there for five years. It's weird how Oklahoma people have the same look about them. It could almost be considered plain, but pleasant. Bright, kind eyes set against thin, sharp facial features. Maybe it's all that Indian blood. While I haven't lived in Oklahoma for years, I always feel completely at home when I come back here. Awful, isn't it?

Of course, the trip to the airport was eventful. Flying is always eventful. One event particularly enjoyable:

I saw a young, blonde woman in a business suit, wearing too much makeup, sitting on her carry-on suitcase as she waited in the "B" line to board our plane. I was in the "A" line. (Yesss.) After waiting for about 5 minutes, she halfway stood and reached forward for her purse. Upon sitting back down on her luggage, she unknowingly pushed it back with her bum before placing her entire weight on the suitcase. She sat, but the suitcase was no longer available. Poor girl made a ruckus falling onto her luggage rather than sitting on it.

I tried not letting on that I saw. I quickly looked away, glancing furtively at the scene whenever I thought it was safe. A bushy-eyebrowed, rosy-cheeked man with gray thinning hair atop his large round head stood behind her, and when she fell, yelled with an unforgettable Oklahoma twang, "Woah!", while extending his arms to break her fall. He failed at his admirable task, but being the country gentleman he seemed to be, the man helped the girl and her luggage off the ground.

"Aw, nobody saw ya but me. I sure saw ya, though!"

A bright red glow attempted to rise to the surface of the girl's caked on face. "Oh, I'm sure plenty of people just saw me completely fall on my ass. But it's Ok. It's ok, I don't mind. I'm fine."

She turned around, once again, sitting on her luggage, the round-faced man standing silently behind her. With each stealthy glance that I dared take, I noticed the man's mouth ferociously fighting an upward turn, finally quivering into a pinched smile, his eyes glittering with laughter. I dared not take any more liberty to look. I dared not make eye contact with the man. I stood straight ahead and wondered if the look on my face resembled his.

That was my favorite part of flying today. My least favorite part was when, hurrying into the airport, my heel slipped off my lady bug sandals, thus breaking a strap and making it impossible to avoid walking with a limp, or barefoot. I tried walking both ways today in the airport. Barefoot was much more fun.

Catholicism Yet Again Misunderstood

God has gifted me with a kind disposition, a smile that comes easily, and a relatively positive outlook, save for the normal depressive seasons of an artistic soul. I am thankful for these personality traits. They come with no human effort, but through God's goodness and creativity. But with certain good gifts come certain tendencies that work to my disadvantage, and at times, to my advantage.

One tendency being, when I display any irritablility, any anger, any sadness, any tiredness, with my facial expression or actions or words, the emotions come across rather...dramatic. It's beneficial whenever I teach high school choir, because it knocks students into a sort of healthy fear. I have a secret weapon. They don't see it coming. They think, oh she's gonna be a real pushover. We're gonna be able to get away with anything. But, they soon learn that I have a look from Hades that sends them into the utter recesses of despair and repentance. I love it. I would assume it will prove useful with my own children as well someday.

But the tendency can become an obstacle. Take for instance, yesterday, when I taught a piano lesson at an hour much too early for an actor who rehearsed until midnight the previous night, and suffers from a severe case of insomnia, or, as C-ham'n'eggs reminds me, a whacked out sleep schedule. The disadvantages ensue when said piano student's mother calls me as I am driving to the lesson to tell me she'll be late, and already exhausted and perhaps...grumpy?...all I can think is how I could have slept precious few more minutes. My tone in response to her must have shown my irritability, for she responded back with such curtness in her own tone, and then proceeded to tell me later, after the lesson, that I haven't been myself lately. I don't know what that means...haven't been myself....because it seems only fair to me that I would be allowed the irritability that anyone else is allowed, and it could still be considered "myself", that I was being myself, just an irritated self. But! Such cards I am dealt, and as Kddub's grandfather reminded us in a recent post, it's not what cards we have, but how we play them that counts.

I have a point to all this.

Tuesday I reacted strongly to an AP article about Pope Benedicts's document addressing Protestant "eclessial communities." I hope that you read the comments which followed, because it turns out my reaction was premature and unnecessary, and that the article was misleading and erroneous on many accounts. And I fear that my reaction came across as stronger than I intended.

Pope Benedict was present at the Second Vatican Council, though at the time known by the name Ratzinger, and since the council, he has done much work to dispel false interpretations of the Unitatis Redintegratio, a Decree of Ecumenism issued by the Council. I encourage anyone interested to read it. It is beautiful and encouraging, when seen in the correct light, that is when viewed in light of unity of all Christians. Keeping in mind that Catholics view the Reformation as sinful in regards to a separation from what they know as "the true Church," consider the following quote from the Decree,

"The children who are born into these Communities and who grow up believing in Christ cannot be accused of the sin involved in the separation, and the Catholic Church embraces upon them as brothers, with respect and affection. For men who believe in Christ and have been truly baptized are in communion with the Catholic Church even though this communion is imperfect."

When re-reading the Vatican II decree, I came across this admonition, directed to Catholics but relevant to me as well.

"We should therefore pray to the Holy Spirit for the grace to be genuinely self-denying, humble. gentle in the service of others, and to have an attitude of brotherly generosity towards them. St. Paul says: "I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace".

My attitude and tone in my previous post did not reflect such a worthy calling. I am sorry for any confusion or misunderstanding that my dramatic ranting inspired, or for any offense taken at my anger.

Another example of how Catholicism has been wrongly conveyed, and how if we as Protestants don't take the time to dig further, we will be in danger and at fault for accepting what is untrue.

Backwards

Pope: Other Christians Not True Churches
By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer

"Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.

Benedict approved a document from his old offices at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that restates church teaching on relations with other Christians. It was the second time in a week the pope has corrected what he says are erroneous interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 meetings that modernized the church.

On Saturday, Benedict revisited another key aspect of Vatican II by reviving the old Latin Mass. Traditional Catholics cheered the move, but more liberal ones called it a step back from Vatican II.

Benedict, who attended Vatican II as a young theologian, has long complained about what he considers the erroneous interpretation of the council by liberals, saying it was not a break from the past but rather a renewal of church tradition.

In the latest document — formulated as five questions and answers — the Vatican seeks to set the record straight on Vatican II's ecumenical intent, saying some contemporary theological interpretation had been "erroneous or ambiguous" and had prompted confusion and doubt.

It restates key sections of a 2000 document the pope wrote when he was prefect of the congregation, "Dominus Iesus," which set off a firestorm of criticism among Protestant and other Christian denominations because it said they were not true churches but merely ecclesial communities and therefore did not have the "means of salvation."

In the new document and an accompanying commentary, which were released as the pope vacations here in Italy's Dolomite mountains, the Vatican repeated that position.

"Christ 'established here on earth' only one church," the document said. The other communities "cannot be called 'churches' in the proper sense" because they do not have apostolic succession — the ability to trace their bishops back to Christ's original apostles...."

Go here to read the complete article

Excuse me for being so blunt, but

What the hell?

..."Therefore did not have the 'means of salvation.' Because we don't claim apostolic succession? Last time I checked, Christ said He loved the whole world and whoever believes in Him should have eternal life. Not whoever believes the Pope succeeds directly from Peter and that Rome holds authority over all believers.

I'm mad. I'm mad because here I am reading about Catholics, finding the faith beautiful and meaningful, attempting to understand what I don't believe, and all in the name of Christ. And now...I have no means to salvation? That makes me want to stop. That makes me want to put all my books away and quit.

So is that document considered ex cathedra? I know there are liberal Catholics who believe otherwise. Are all Catholics now required to believe what that document says? I haven't read the entire document. I should read it. I don't know where to find it, but I should read it.

Vatican II was a positive step, in my opinion, and this is backwards. I don't understand this. I apologize for the ranting and raving but.... One of the things I admired about the Catholic faith was the interpretation by the Magisterium. I feel that we as Protestants think we can interpret Scripture any way we see fit, and if it's different, we just start another church, and it's all good. I appreciate the standards of authority put in place by the Catholic church. But I can't respect this. I have a really hard time respecting this. I just don't understand.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding something here, like I've misunderstood Catholics in the past. I guess I'll try to find that document....Any clarification on this would help...

Tunesday: Eva Cassidy...Different Song than Before

Ohmygosh. This is so irritating. I can't get the thing to embed. Trying something new that didn't work. I wanted to show you one song, but I can't.

For all of you who've already been here and listened, I'm sorry. I'm changing the tune again. The link below wasn't working for me. Nothing's working! I'm irritated.

Anyway, here is Eva Cassidy's "Over the Rainbow." No one sings it like Judy Garland, but Eva's a close second. I'm sure most of you have heard of Eva, but if not...she was relativily unknown outside of her hometown of Washington D.C. when she died of melanoma in 1996. Since then her records have sold more than 4 million copies. She's one of my favorite singers.

This version was played at our wedding - voice and classical guitar. Beautiful. The tune was also a part of Seth's proposal, but I'll share that later...someday...maybe.

DISCLAIMER: This track contains awful synthesized sounds toward the middle of the track. PLEASE IGNORE.

Song: Over the Rainbow
Artist: Eva Cassidy
Album: Songbird

Listen here. For real this time.

Patriotic Plans Gone Awry

This year's Independence Day, I was particularly looking forward to the underlined activities below:

Taken from Fort Bend Now, July 4, 2007

"Sugar Land invites the entire community to celebrate America’s 230th birthday, at the 21st annual Red, White and Bluefest, from 5-10 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4...

The evening begins with a Faces of America parade featuring Sugar Land’s culturally diverse residents displaying their various patriotic roots, followed by the Patriotic Pet Parade contest in which pets dressed in their finest red, white and blue get a chance to compete for the title of Sugar Land’s most patriotic pet. Throughout the event, the city will provide more than a hundred acres of food, games and good old-fashion American fun with jugglers, magicians and stilt walkers....

The evening closes with a 20-minute fireworks spectacular...."

Wow! That's some celebration right there. I was very much looking forward to it.

Sugar Land's "parade featuring culturally diverse residents displaying their various patriotic roots" could be translated as, "We here in Sugar Land are proud of our Indian population. We diplomatically strive towards inclusion when celebrating our country, so hey! Why not include theirs in the celebration!" But I'm OK with that. And the Patriotic Pet Parade. What a show that would have been! I was equipped with camera and all to snap my favorite pictures and share them with you. Who cares about the games. Free food and stilt walkers. Does it get any better than that?

We packed our car with two $8 folding chairs we had bought for but were not allowed to use at the Ben Folds concert and headed to the park. But alas, our local event was canceled due to a previous rain and a few leftover clouds. Seth was convinced there was a terrorist threat. Why else would they cancel flippin fireworks on the fourth of July! he exclaimed. Perhaps they were scared of rain, I calmly reasoned.

After a brief walk in a park whose existence was previously and sadly unbeknownst to us, we left hungry and dissappointed, the use our nifty folding chairs equipped with cup holder left for yet another day.

Can't Sleep

Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep.

Can't sleep.

I'm trying a new cure for insomnia. Type the same words over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over

I think it might be working. I'm getting sort of tired sort of tired sort of tired sort of tired sort of tired sort of tired

It's an alternative to counting sheep. one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen

Except that I'm sitting up at the computer so I won't be able to just fall asleep.

Sleep is a funny thing. I mean, isn't it weird that we just have to shut down for hours at a time. That we're still alive but our whole body is unconscious. Shut down to such a degree that I don't even hear things or remember things, except for dreams of course. And those are weird too. That my whole being is barely conscious but my subconcious is creating something in my mind. Crazy. What if right now I were sleep-typing instead of sleep walking or something? No, I'm not. I promise. Just can't sleep.

I've been having insomnia for about a week now. I hate it. At least I usually get to sleep pretty late in the morning. Which always makes me feel like a lazy ass, but I've reconciled that by now. I'm a musician and that's just how it goes. Musicians get sleep late passes. It's just how it goes. Has anyone ever heard that Ben Folds song, "Not Tired." That is one rad song. He played it at the John Floofyhair concert, but I also heard him play it with the Houston symphony and that was friggin amazing.

OK, so I'm gonna try to go to sleep again. G'night.

Riddle Me This (4)

Fancy: If it rains one more time in this forsaken town...I swear it's gonna be like that movie...what's the name of that movie?...The one with Kevin Costner...Aqua Land? Somethin' like that.

Seth: Um. Water World?

Fancy: Yes.

*********************************************

I can't remember the context of this next one, but it's the newly created word "submotage" as in:

The office employee brainstormed ways to "submotage" his co-worker competing for the raise.

Dangerous Prayer

I found these quotes from The Anchoress.

Once conform, once do what others do because they do it, and a kind of lethargy steals over all the finer senses of the soul.
- Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired.
- Mother Theresa of Calcutta

There is just one life for each of us: our own.
- Euripides

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.
- e.e. cummings

Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
- Oscar Wilde, De Profundis, 1905

How much easier is self-sacrifice than self-realization.
- Eric Hoffer

If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise.
- Johann von Goethe

"One of the most dangerous prayers to make, in a world full of dangerous prayers: Lord, help me to be what you have made me to be. Lord, help me to be myself, in all the vulnerability that comes with authenticity." - The Anchoress

Catholicism: Where To Start?

The science of the voice has much to do with the utility of breath. When one learns to sing properly, the singer understands that breath is essential to creating beautiful sounds. However, when the singer first begins to use the fuller capacity of the lungs and executes rapid exhalation procedures for more challenging phrases, or to reach that fearful high note, the singer can often become dizzy or light-headed.

I am inhaling the Catholic Church at a rapid rate and find myself a bit disoriented.

And I haven't even skimmed the surface.

Where do I even begin? Thousands of years of doctrine and history, all of it fitting and weaving together, one doctrine depending on another, and leading to yet another. Colossal movements of history defining where Christianity is today.

A bit overwhelming, really. But! I stay the course. Well, first I should decide on one...a course that is. And I think that it would help us all to first look at areas in which we agree. It may be safe to say that we are not all assured of where those agreements lie. It's tempting to get right down to it and throw darts at the statues of St. Peter and the Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven. But I'm not sure our aim would be skillful, or we'd find ourselves aiming at only illusions of what we suppose our intended targets to be, our darts passing right through, and the attempt, ridiculous.

If, along the way, dialogue ensues that reaches into those depths of differences, then by all means, please proceed forward. Or if questions arise or topics change, good. Most assuredly, I will post on the most desired of topics in time, those which highlight our differences, but I welcome any such discussion that occurs before, as it only helps me as I learn.

Which brings me to an important point. I believe it is necessary, while studying the Catholic church, to remain open minded when faced with theological ideas foreign to the thinker. Not to do away with judgement altogether. Of course not. But to realize that one cannot make an educated conclusion on anything without considering there be truth somewhere in that thing before excluding it.

I thought I would make a new blog for all of this, but it seems the success rate in the multi-blog area is low. What's the point really? I'll post here. If you're interested, then read it. If you're not, then don't.

So there we are. Rules stated. I'll get on with it soon. I promise.

Things I Learned From My Husband...

How to make the most kickin'A ham and cheese sandwich:

**Of your two pieces of whole wheat bread, spread one with equal amounts of mayo (Miracle Whip in our house) and mustard.

**Sprinkle salt, pepper, and oregano on top of the mayo/mustard combo. (Yes!, she exclaims gleefully. Oregano!)

**Add desired ham. Try brown sugared ham for the best results

**Add swiss cheese. Cheddar or Pepperjack will suffice.

**Add sliced deli pickles. For best results, use Claussen Sandwich Slices. I like good 'ole dill. He likes dill or hearty garlic.

**Close sandwich with other piece of bread.

**Enjoy

And Things My Husband Learned From Me

How to replace the above items to the proper place from which they came:

**bread, complete with twisty tie, thus sealing its freshness

**ham, tightly sealed in container and in the drawer of the fridge, not just anywhere in the fridge

**cheese, contained within ziplock baggy, in the drawer with the ham

**salt, to the cabinet

**pepper, beside the salt

**oregano, likewise

**mayo, with lid screwed completely on

**mustard, without excess yellow splurts dripping down the side of the bottle

**pickles, with lid screwed completely on, so as to prevent pickle juice from spilling on hand, fridge, and floor at next sandwich opportunity

**knife, rinsed and placed in sink

Tunesday: Folsom Prison Blues

Johnny Cash is a hero of sorts to me. I loved his autobiography and highly recommend it.

I read somewhere else of his beginnings with his band, the Tennessee Two. Johnny had come back from the Air Force and wanted to start a band. He met these guys, Luther and Marshall, and so they'd all get together to play. Problem was they all strummed a guitar, and that's pretty much it. Not much of a band there. Johnny had the voice, and that was OK with everyone, so he'd sing. But they needed a bass player, and they needed a lead guitarist. So Marshall buys a cheap upright somewhere and finds a friend who could teach him how to tune it. Since none of them knew how to play an upright bass, Johnny, Marshall, and Luther sat around finding where the notes were on the strings, and marking them with noted sticky tape. Johnny'd play a note on his guitar, Marshall would find it on the bass. He'd mark it, and onto a different note.

So lead guitar went to Luther. He'd practice for hours and hours, day after day, weeks upon weeks. It didn't come easy, and when it finally came, it still wasn't easy, so he'd stick to the same line every time, methodic, simple, direct, but clear and precise.

It was this fumbling that brought them the sound for which they became famous. A train-like boom-chuck-boom kind of sound. I love that: the sincerity in music, stripped of its pretense, played by guys whose weaknesses became their corporate strength. The idea that what you have to give, nothing more, is good enough. It's liberating as a musician. So here is:

Song: Folsom Prison Blues
Artist: Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Two

Father's Day Flub

I mailed my dad a Father's Day card that never arrived at my parents' house. After cursing the American mail system, and amicably arguing with my mother, insisting that it is highly unlikely someone would have intercepted the card along the way in hopes of finding cash, I decided that I would send my dad a card that couldn't be lost. At least not in the immediate future. Here it is.

Dear Dad,

Remember when I was 6, and Grandmother gave us her piano, and when it arrived at our house in Corpus Christi, I stood behind you and watched you play.
Remember the family "rassling" matches where our chief objective was to find out how in the world to tickle you without getting tickled first, and how you could somehow pin me, Eric, and Mom down with one arm and tickle us all at one time. We won on occasion, but only because mom got free and was the only one who could make you laugh.
Remember how you taught me to pitch in slow-pitch softball, and how we would practice in the front yard for hours. I could strike 'em out because you taught me how to pitch with an arch high enough to fool the batter, but drop right behind the plate. It got'em every time.
Remember how I could usually get out of a spanking with No daddy No daddy No daddy, pleeeeeease!
Remember that game we used to play, where I tried to match my footsteps to yours.
Remember how you could always help me with my math homework.
Remember how I used to show all my friends that came over this picture of you:
because I thought it was so cool that my dad used to have an afro, and "he even got it permed sometimes." (Heh heh)

I remember how you never missed a show, or a solo, or a game, or a recital, even if you had to drive miles and miles. That you've always encouraged me to follow my dreams, that you've always been right behind me, smiling, nodding, helping. That mom is the love of your life, that your work gave me opportunity, that your worry was my security. That I could look at you and know that my husband should be like that. And he is.

Thank you for loving me....
for better....

or for worse...

I love you, Dad.

Happy Father's Day,
Your One and Only Daughter....