Thursday, January 29, 2009

GenJones and me

I'm not sure what rock I've been living under...



...but I had never heard of the term "Generation Jones" until I read this recent article in USA Today. (Well, I think I might have heard the term somewhere in passing, but didn't really pay any attention to it.)

As it turns out, these are my peeps!!! Generation Jones refers to the group of people born between 1954 and 1965. I was born in '56. (And, since he was born in 1961, our new president is part of GenJones too.)

According to the LA Times:

Members of Generation Jones…were too young to really experience the tumult of the 1960s, though some of them were around to see it…Obama's peers were defined by Watergate, stagflation, gas lines and 20% interest rates… Their cultural touchstones were groups like the Carpenters and Steely Dan (on cassette or eight-track tapes, of course)… in Hawaii, young Barry Obama was tuning into "Soul Train"… They tend to be…more pragmatic and a lot less likely to get bogged down by the shibboleths of the 1960s, according to historians, marketers and pollsters.

This makes sense to me -- I always knew I was on the late side of the Boomers. (And I gotta say I'm one of those people who actually like the Carpenters -- although it is always a bit embarrassing to admit it...)

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Happy B-day to one of the coolest people on the planet!

Hey Blog-pals! Please join me in wishing a very Happy Birthday to Offspring #1!
(Here's a recent picture of her -- with Mr. Tumnus!)



And of course I had to do a video slideshow.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

and still more of the white stuff...

Yep, we had a little more snow today. The amount of snowfall so far this winter in our area is the most we've seen since we've lived here (22 plus years). There really wasn't enough snow for snowshoeing, so Hubby and I went 'shoe-snowing' -- i.e. we just put on our regular footwear and walked in the snow. But I do like the term 'shoe-snowing'. Wonder if I can submit it to Merriam Webster.

Anywhoo, we went to Hoyt Arboretum, a greenspace just a couple of miles from downtown Portland.

Day 11

And the silence continues.



But I'm not removing the link on the sidebar.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Frost/Nixon

We saw Frost/Nixon last night, and it was goooooood. In fact, it's up for 5 Oscars including one for best picture and one for director Opie Taylor, er, Ron Howard. (He'll always be Opie for me.)

The film has been called a 'thinking person's Rocky' because it's like an intellectual boxing match between two vastly different men -- an ambitious TV personality and the disgraced politician. Michael Sheen's Frost plays a good underdog, floundering in the early going. Frank Langella is convincing as Nixon, and he portrays him as a complex, tragic figure.

This is not to say that Nixon is let off the hook, but he is given some humanity and we gain insight into the motivations for his political actions.

Here's the trailer:



(I think there are lots of really good movies out right now. Bring on the popcorn!)

Friday, January 23, 2009

Friday Five: Cabin Fever

Singing Owl Writes:
Here in snow country we are settled in to what is a very long stretch of potentially boring days. The holidays are over. It is a very long time till we will get outside on a regular basis. The snow that seemed so beautiful at first is now dirty and the snow banks are piling up. Our vehicles are all the same shade of brownish grey, but if we go to the car wash our doors will freeze shut. People get grumpy. Of course, not everyone lives in a cold climate, but even in warmer places the days till springtime can get long. Help! Please give us five suggestions for combating cabin fever and staying cheerful in our monochromatic world.

1. Go play outside! Depending on where you live, bundle up and go snowshoeing or grab the rain gear and go for a hike.

2. Hop Amtrak to the nearest fun place (in my case Portland). If your cabin fever is reaaalllly bad, while on the train you can act out a 'train scene' from an old movie. For example, go to the dining car and sing "Snow" from White Christmas:



3. One word: Netflix! (And of course this can help you find potential 'train scenes' for #2.)

4. Another word: PROJECT! Dive into a project such as genealogy or creating a photo book on Blurb.

5. If all else fails, throw a Cabin Fever party. If you do have such a party, having the group sing this song is mandatory:

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Aretha Rocks!

There was a lot of buzz today over the crystal-studded bow/hat that Aretha Franklin wore to the inauguration. (I wasn't able to watch the inauguration since I was working, but saw clips after I got home.) Her hat was definitely not in the subtle category. But I love Aretha -- She is a legend in her own time and can do and wear whatever she wants!



Actually, I don't usually go for the 'out there' fashions, but I was so taken with Aretha's hat that I called up Presbyterian Gal and Bobby... and we all agreed. Next year when we do the Elf Dance, we will be sporting Aretha Bows.



Booyah!

Monday, January 19, 2009

there's cool and then there's not so cool

Yep, gotta admit this is Cool:


Obama Steps to Door of White House--and History (Seattle Times article and picture)

Obviously Obama faces some daunting challenges, but I think he's up to them. And I like the symbolism of Obama being sworn in using the Lincoln Bible.


Of course I simply must comment on something that is Not So Cool



Jill Biden said on Oprah Monday that her husband had his pick between the vice presidency or the Secretary of State nomination that eventually went to Hillary Clinton, a slip that Joe Biden tried to shush. Full story here. According to the article, "Clinton's spokesman declined to comment about the suggestion that she was the second choice."

Good response, Hillary.

There were pages of reader comments over at the Huffington Post on this topic. Here's my favorite:
"Thank God Joe isn't Secretary of State. These people can't keep their mouths shut."

Anyway, Biden will be fine as VP and Hillary will be great as Secretary of State. I say let's move on and get to the business of the country.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

MLK, Jr. Day

Tomorrow, of course, is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service when many Americans will honor Dr. King by doing volunteer work. According to the official website, "More than 11,400 service projects are taking place across the country, more than double last year. Americans will make it a 'day on, not a day off' by delivering meals, refurbishing schools, reading to children, signing up mentors, and much, much more."

I think that's great -- as opposed to, say, Columbus Day where the main thing that seems to be going on is that you can't get your mail. I wish I could say that I was going to be part of a cool service project tomorrow, but I have to go to work. I'll be doing a little of this:



and a little of this:



(However, I do have clothing donations I plan to drop off at Goodwill tomorrow after work. Does that count a teensy bit?)

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found the cartoons that made you groan via google images

Saturday, January 17, 2009

yes marble can

Marble was a big Hillary supporter, and he had a rather lukewarm reaction when Obama won. (Of course he sleeps a lot, so it's hard to tell one emotion from the other.) But now that Hillary is going to be Secretary of State, Marble is ridin' the Obama Express. He even made his own Obamicon (after stealing the idea from Processing Counselor.)



All you cool cats out there can make your own here.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Friday Five: Take Me, Baby, or Leave Me

Inspired by the song from Rent, Songbird asks:
Whether it's new friends or new loves or new employers, what are five things people should know about you?

Ummm.... how about...

1. I like driving in the snow. (Oh, you might not think this is important, but let's see how you feel when it's a snowstorm and you need to get somewhere.)


2. I have been told I sometimes snore. However, I am in denial about this.



3. I don't like clutter, but it nevertheless seems to surround me. De-junking my house is an ongoing mission.



4. I am fiercely loyal to my family and friends. (Roar!)



5. While I am a good planner, I also like to do things (e.g. outings or short trips) at the spur of the moment -- which often drives others crazy.



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googled alllllll those pics

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

the friendship award (and a dead bunny)


My good blog-friend mompriest included me in her list of friendship awards. Thanks, mompriest!

Here's the 'fine print':
"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

So now I will pass the award along to these nice blog-buddies. (I know some of you have already received it, but that's ok. Enjoy it a second time!)

Processing Counselor
Ruth
Laura
Presbyterian Gal (I included Presbygal just as predicted by Rev SS.)
Hot Cup
Purple
Jennifer
Diane

I was going to include Dust Bunny, but she pulled the plug on her blog.



(Wow, you can find a picture for ANYTHING on google!) Anyway, let's hope Dust Bunny will revive her blog some time.

Monday, January 12, 2009

the great book giveaway


Once upon a time I was involved with trying to help a mainstream church become more relevant. (Rev SS can vouch for me!)

Long story short, that didn't work too well for me. So now I am dechurched and have 15 (count 'em, 15!) books for which I would like to find new homes.

If any of you revgals want any or all of these books, let me know and I will mail them to you for FREE! (Granted I will send them cheap book rate.) Just leave me a comment -- then we'll e-mail and I'll get your address that way. First come; first served.

If there is no interest, I'll take them to Powell's Books and trade 'em in. They are all in good shape.

Here are the titles (you can read more about them on amazon.)

1. Reimagining Spiritual Formation: A Week in the Life of an Experimental Church by Doug Pagitt and the Solomon's Porch Community

2. Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church from the Inside Out by Robert Lewis and Wayne Cordeiro

3. Revolution: Finding Vibrant Faith Beyond the Wall of the Sanctuary by George Barna

4. Carpe Manana: Is Your Church Ready to Seize Tomorrow? by Leonard Sweet

5. Emerging Worship: Creating Worship Gatherings for New Generations by Dan Kimball

6. The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church by Reggie McNeal

7. An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Church God Had in Mind by Erwin Raphael McManus

8. The Gospel Unplugged by Rich Wagner

9. The Relevant Church: A New Vision for Communities of Faith edited by Jennifer Ashley

10. More Ready Than You Realize: Evangelism as Dance in the Postmodern Matrix by Brian D. McLaren

11. The Church on the Other Side by Brian D. McLaren
Now I'm on the other side of the church... Oh, the irony!

12. A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey by Brian D. McLaren

13. a.k.a. "Lost": Discovering Ways to Connect with the People Jesus Misses Most by Jim Henderson

14. The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st-Century Church by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch

15. Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture by Michael Frost

Saturday, January 10, 2009

you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone

It's just as I predicted. Marble, despite his cranky attitude towards Mr. Tumnus when he was a houseguest, now appears to miss the 'Tuminator'. I found Marble all curled up in Mr. Tumnus' bed, and I'm pretty sure he was dreaming of the 'good times' of being relentlessly pestered by Tumnus.



Then again, he might just be saving up his energy for the next visit of Mr. Tumnus. (Avoidance behaviors are energy intensive...)

Friday, January 9, 2009

toads and crows

I attended a Neil Diamond concert last night. Originally I was just going to drive my mom and her friend to the concert in Portland, then go to Powell's Books while they were there. But my mom's friend was sick, so my mom bought her ticket and gave it to me. I'm always up for things, but I must admit I wasn't overly excited about going because the last couple of times I have heard Neil on tv, he has sounded like this:



So, being the nice daughter I am, I said things while traveling to Portland like "We're on our way to hear ol' Croaky Toad!" And, "You sure seem to like performers who are past their prime." (We've got a funny family story about the last time we heard Don Ho.)

However... the concert was surprisingly really good. Neil's voice was definitely un-toadlike -- almost like his vocal cords were in a time warp. He did a nice job on the oldies and the not-so-oldies, plus he has a great band. It was a fun time!

So this is what I'm having for breakfast:

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

we be wet


Yep, we are having some flooding issues here in the Pacific NW. Our house is ok (it sits fairly high on our lot), but the golf course adjacent to our backyard is flooded. As I proudly mentioned to Dust Bunny (who resides on a hill in town), we now have lakefront property.

The streets near our house are also flooded. The picture below was taken just at the end of our block. (I'm not sure who took the picture -- it was posted on the website of our local newspaper.)

It can stop raining now. Really.


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credits
savage chickens here
newspaper here

Monday, January 5, 2009

groovy!

The 70's: Coolest decade ever? You be the judge:



(That's Hubby in his David Cassidy-like threads.)

Hubby and I have decided that 2009 is the year we get serious about organizing old family photos. AND...When the weather gets nicer we are going to have an "attic party" -- where we clean out the garage attic. (We're calling it a party to fool ourselves into thinking it will be zany madcap fun instead of work.)

I'll let you know during the year how both projects are going. Blog-accountability might help ensure success.

(If you don't hear anything by June... not a good sign.)

Friday, January 2, 2009

winter break is ending...

Mr. Tumnus goes back to his home (at college with Offspring #1) tomorrow.
Marble has mixed feelings about the departure of this house guest.

On the one hand, Marble has repeatedly been saying things like:



And:



On the other hand, I believe he's been thinking:

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year!

I have but one New Years Resolution: To photoshop (and post) Presbygal once a month. January: check! Off to a great start.

Yes, there we were enjoying a little bubbly on New Years Eve. We looked angelic, didn't we?

Actually...
We had an especially quiet New Years Eve. We usually get together with the Dust Bunnies (for eating and board games which is also quiet but I digress)... but Mr. Dust Bunny was called into work so Hubby and I stayed home and watched a netflix movie -- The Holiday (with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, and Eli Wallach).

The plot, according to IMDB, is "Two women troubled with guy-problems swap homes in each other's countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love." It was cute.

After our roof troubles this past week I couldn't help but notice that the roof on Kate Winslet's quaint country cottage looked like it was about to cave in: But she didn't have any leaks, so go figure.

We did pause the movie to watch the ball drop at Times Square -- and I was happy to see Hillary setting that process in motion. Symbolism? I think so. (I had to say that to annoy Rev SS.)

Happy New Year, everyone!