Faceless International - Be The Change

Faceless International is up for an Impact Award!

"If we get the most votes between now and April 1 – we will have enough money to build a much needed school in Southern India – and be able to send teams there to help the locals with the construction! This area of India is in a tough location – they were hit by the tsunami a few years ago, and it is an area where human trafficking is very prevalent." Lori Lenz (my friend and board member)

Those of you that have a Myspace account make your vote count now.

Myspace.com/impactawards

Slavery is not something I have ever been able to wrap my head around. I don't understand how anyone could ever think it was or is okay. Even as a child it freaked me out. Of course, as a child I only knew about the slavery of the past. It wasn't until I witnessed it with my own eyes that I realized the horror continued and was accepted as normal by many people. And my horror grows as I learn that many, many of the items we purchase here in the states are made in whole or part by slaves.

Faceless International has a great website full of detailed information and good links.

So, to quote from one of my favorite movies,

"Here, educate yourself."
Pleakley in Lilo and Stitch

Pacing, Pressure, and Championship Basketball

A few weeks ago I could be found sitting, or actually, pacing at a basketball game. Here are some of my thoughts:

I'm sitting at the Regional II Division I NJCAA Championship game. It's half-time and Eddie's team is down. This game has been proof to me that it's a good thing I'm not my sister. It takes a very special person to be a coach's spouse. I couldn't take the pressure. I can't take the pressure as the sister-in-law! Sarah looked at me at one point and asked if I was okay. I wasn't. I felt green and not in the environmentally friendly way. I don't know any of these girls personally, but right now they might as well be my flesh and blood.

The game continued. I don't think I sat during the second half. The top row was clear and I paced while texting my brother the scores and minutes left. My sister was pacing the balcony isle and Eddie's sister had a corner in the upper level walked out.

The Cowgirls came back from being 25 points behind and it was back and forth and back and forth. They were ahead until the last couple of seconds. The other team sunk a 3 pointer putting them one point ahead. As I was staring at the clock in shock I glanced down just in time to see a Cowgirl make a basket on the buzzer! It was UNREAL! The place went nuts!

I'm so proud of Eddie, even though I have nothing to do with his coaching abilities. And I'm proud of my sister. And I can take credit for that. Every good thing she has ever learned came from me! Hahahaha! I really don't see how she does it. I would be a complete and total basket case during basketball season.

So, congratulations to the Connors State College Cowgirls on their 30-5 season. I'm so happy I was there for that amazing game.

Those Are Cows

We live in a city of 250,000 people. We also live within mooing distance of a farm that often has cattle and sheep and horses and llamas roaming the pastures. It isn't unusual to see a cow here and there on a weekly bases. My parents live on a farm. Cows move about the pastures surrounding them. So do goats, mules, circus ponies, and an occasional camel and elephant, but that's another story.

The point is: Callie has seen cows and sheep before .

So imagine my surprise Sunday as we were driving in Southern Oklahoma up I35, Callie looks out the window and says "Look! They have sheep!"

"Those are cows."

And the thing is they were just plain, ordinary brown, black, red mixtures.

Not pure bred white Charolais with little white fluffy calves running around that might be confused as sheep.

And, for the last couple of hours we had been passing pastures and pastures of cows.

What was it that made her suddenly say that? Why did she make the statement in Oklahoma and not in Texas? Why did she notice the animals there and not before? What was it that made her think they were sheep? Exactly what was going through her head? Will I ever stop being surprised?

Carmel Camels and Green Maggots

After three weeks needing to be away doing other things I was back out at Coventry on Thursday. It was delightful. As much as I love Coventry, I didn't miss it because I was exactly where I needed to be, doing what I needed to do. But, Wednesday I was chompin' at the bit to get there.

I guess being away made it easier to see how some of the Stars have grown over the past three weeks. The growth is subtle and being gone for almost a month made it really stand out to me. Sort of like when you don't notice how much your children have grown until you're away for a week. Not like the times they shoot up over night and you realize the shoes you just purchased for them last week will no longer fit.

It still amazes me how much they love and watch out for each other. They know what everyone is working on, such as focusing or sitting up straight in their wheel chair or strengthening the right side of their body and brain. Stuff like that. So they do a good job of gently reminding and cheering each other on. It is beautiful to watch.

Yesterday I hung out in glazing which was new for me. The staff is trying out new things, so everyone had different assignments and station arrangements. I loved being in glazing, but then again, I love anything I do out there. We renamed two of the glazes. One was Oriental Carmel. I thought it said Oriental Camel, which to me made more sense than Oriental Carmel. But, by the end of the day I was calling it Carmel Camel. Then there was Green Agate. Nelda accidentally called it Green Maggot. And it was all over. That is what it will be from now on.

Running

I dream about running. I love the thought of running. I think running is romantic. I don't know why.

My brother coaches track, so the other day I asked him what to do about shin splints. I've battled them forever. He was so sweet and told me I need to lose weight. I just LOVE him. He also suggested that I might be running flat footed.

I knew I had a problem in the running flat footed department. I started making a serious concentrated effort to use my whole foot. I'm glad no video cameras are around when I run. Concentrating so hard on my feet placement makes the rest of my body do weird things. People probably think I'm having a seizure or something.

You know how when little kids pretend they're horses and they bob their heads and hold their hands a certain way to prance around? I'm pretty sure that's what I look like at the track which might fly if I were five or a horse.

My right hand curls up and starts making a rocking motion mirroring my right foot. My left arm crosses my body and swings from side to side instead of front to back. And my head bobs up and down. It is lovely!

BUT...

My shin splints are gone.

I now just have to get used to the stares of astonishment and confusion.



2 Timothy 4:7 This is the only race worth running.