wasabi soy almond, anyone?

So the way to this girl's heart is through an assortment of flavored nuts. Whoa, that sentence sounds a bit weird. Eh, I'm not going to delete it. You see, I received the best care package ever today. Ev-er. And nestled among all the lil' treats was a new treat: wasabi soy alonds. Um, yum. These are dang good. Good call Mom and Emi!

The rest of the parcel was jammed-packed with love notes and things that make me happy and colors that make me sing.
All good things, such as:
textured.tights.and.family.photos.and.itunes-moolah.and.gold.earrings.
and.manhattan.plumb.nail.polish.and tapatio.(big.yay.).and.tabasco.too.
and.corn.tortillas.(mexican.food.is.sorely.missed.in.deutschland!).
and.a.'pegasus.crossing'.sign(not.lying.--.thanks.meltita!).
and.even.a.funky.vintage.ring.from.my.grandma's.jewelry.box. <-- [that may be my favorite surprise out of everything].

Plus, if that all wasn't enough, there was this major outpouring of love from family and friends and friends who really should just be called 'family'. Thanks to all! Seriously though, your notes (and good taste in stationary!) made my month. That's right. They didn't just make my day. They made the whole month shine brighter -- and it's already been a very bright month. And, it's not even over yet...

I might not be able to share my wasabi soy almonds with you, but I do send my love and gratitude and good thoughts through this blog. I'll write back to ya' now too -- hooray for new pen pals and the best birthday package ever.

Vielen dank'!

twelve-foot mountain trolls

I recently began reading "Harry Potter" [hopefully you inserted a British accent as you read his name] on my lil' trip to London -- a fitting place to delve into the series, wouldn't you agree?... Yeah, I know, I'm lagging over a decade behind on this one... no time to start like the present though, right? Especially when the present (at this particular juncture in life) means I have the freizeit (free time) to generally do as I please and read each day simply for leisure... because I sure do like a good read. : )

Everyone who has recommended the series to me since middle school is right; these books are quite good! J.K. Rowling is such a clever writer; I especially enjoy (what I would interpret to be) her definition of what it means to be family, to be in community with one another:

"From that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them."

-- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, pg. 132

Even pulling that quote out of context still does it justice, because it's true.

We often make the assumption that those who we share very little in common with/those who might tend to annoy us (like in the case of Hermione & Harry) can't really be our friends. I know I've had that thought before. But, after walking through a particularly difficult circumstance together, (for instance, knocking-out a twelve-foot mountain troll), we end up not only tolerating each other but we even like each other.

And isn't that a good and right thing?

don't look back

bob or bust.
in berlin.
for my birthday.
that's right.

.can.not.wait.

workin'-it.

So this is me at work. In case you wanted to see what I do all day. Basically, I play with our web-site (try not to pull my hair out in the process) and work on the Eurasia newsletter: Where Worlds Meet. I like what I do. And I like the people I work with. And hey, did I mention I like where I work... as in Switzerland? Or Germany? Depending on which answer I feel like giving... I kinda' live in both places, both countries at the same time. Which is weird, I know. I'll post another blog about the complexities of Büsingen sometime.

If you want to check out our web-site (don't judge, 'cause it's a continual work-in-progress), click here: www.eurasianazarene.org

Let me know what you think...

hands open to the world

“Prayer is first and foremost listening.... People who pray stand with their hands open to the world. They know that God will show [God's self] in the nature that surrounds them, in the people they meet, in the situations they run into. They trust that the world holds God’s secret within it, and they expect that secret to be shown to them.”

-- Henri Nouwen

-- (Show Me the Way: Daily Lenten Readings, "Prayer", p. 34-35)

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

As we pray...
we stand with our hands open to the world.
Trusting that You will show Yourself
in the nature that surrounds us,
in the people that we meet,
and in the situations we encounter.

We come with the expectation
to hear from You, and
we come with the desire
to be shaped in this season.
Help us to listen to Your voice
in new ways today and
throughout this season of Lent.

It is through You that
we learn to listen with
hands open to the world.

And it is through the One who
was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days,
the One who remained faithful to You,
the One whose life, death, and resurrection
marks this Lenten journey towards the cross,
...it is in this name, Jesus Christ, that we pray.

amen.

talking heads

I am posting this Talking Heads video simply because I just realized how insanely cool it is.

"This Must Be The Place". I love this song. You could say I dig it. Big time.

And is it not way ahead of its time? Or maybe we are now just living in the throw-back of this era... I mean just look at the background video and the clothes -- especially on the three ladies... hello 2009 -- except this was 1984. Much of today's art is just echoing this video. We're trying to emulate this look, this vibe. Look closely and tell me I'm right? Or, you have groups like The Arcade Fire and MGMT trying to cover this song -- and they're stylistically good, real good, but there's still nothing like the original.

Go ahead and pull out your best lamp dance moves for this one (David Byrne's the man here). Or just rock-it-real-cool-like, just as the background singers do. This, my friends, is what we call a jam.

signed, sealed, & delivered to stevie

What a treat, actually I'd even say what a gift, to be able to watch Stevie Wonder honored at the White House on-line just now. He received The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize a few days ago, but I didn't have a chance to watch it until tonight. PBS has the whole special on their website -- in its entirety -- no clips to have to shuffle through, and of course no commercials. I love PBS. Really, I do. Follow the link in Michelle Obama's quote (I echo her words) to watch the special for yourself. 60 minutes that is well worth your time.

Tonight it is a huge thrill for me as we honor a man whose music and lyrics I fell in love with when I was a little girl.... It is with tremendous pride and delight that I now introduce one of the world's greatest artists, and one of my favorite people in the whole wide world, Stevie Wonder - in performance at the White House.

-- Michelle Obama

Two of my all-time favorite artists are included in the special as well: Ms. India.Arie and Paul Simon! So great. And the love that India and Paul both have for Stevie is so very evident. They get what Stevie is about. It's also fun to see Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Mary-Mary, and one of my more recent favs: Esperanza Spalding all honor Stevie, but in truth, no one sings Stevie as well as Stevie does. It's the truth.

Here's what President Obama had to say about Stevie:

Stevie has always drawn on the incredible range of traditions in his music. From them he's created a sound that at once uniquely American, uniquely his own, and yet somehow universal. Indeed, this could be called the American tradition - artists demonstrating the courage and talent to find new harmonies in the rich and dissonant sounds of the American experience.

Tonight's prize is also personal for me. As Stevie knows, I'm a huge fan. And he has been a great supporter. When I was first discovering music, just like Michelle, it was Stevie's albums that I found and his songs became the soundtrack of my youth. Through them I found peace and inspiration, especially in difficult times.

And I think it's fair to say that had I not been a Stevie Wonder fan, Michelle might not have dated me. : ) We might not have married. The fact that we agreed on Stevie was part of the essence of our courtship.

And I'm not alone. Millions of people around the world have found similar comfort and joy in Stevie's music, and his unique capacity to find hope in struggle, and humanity in our common hardships. This gift that music affords us, transporting us from the here and now, relieving us of our burdens, even if it's just for the length of a song. And this gift given to us by artists like Stevie is something we can all share.

So, it is my extraordinary privilege to present the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular song to an artist who has stirred our hearts and our souls for a generation, whose music knows no boundaries, an inspiration to us all. Please give it up for Mr. Stevie Wonder.

-- President Barack Obama

Finally, here's one of Stevie's best quotes from the night, while he was graciously accepting the award:

And to those in this country and throughout the world - if you can put down your spirits of hate, and open up your hearts to receive God's ever commitment of love, then we can be a united people of the world. If we can think that big, and feel that strong, then I believe, as is said to me by my God, impossible is unacceptable. We don't know the miracles that will be bestowed on us because of that. So I'm looking forward to you doing that, so that in my lifetime I can write some more songs about love, about unity, and real songs of passion.

-- Mr. Stevie Wonder

That's it. He says it. He speaks to the human condition. And ultimatley he speaks of love. Word, Stevie.