Tolkien at Year's End...

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.

-- J.R.R. Tolkien

The last day of the old year.  A time for reflection and resolution...

Spent some time with someone a few nights ago and was reminded of the wonderful gift it is to be friends with a person who can always answer the question, "so what are you reading?"  So few people read nowadays, and finding a Tolkien lover is an added friendship bonus :)  Our bookish convo reminded me that winter is possibly the best season for enjoying tales of hobbits and elves and kings, so I am taking my Tolkien down from the shelf and revisiting those old friends...

I am praying that my relationship with the Lord in 2011 will be one of renewal and restoration -- I am trusting that some of the "frost" of the past year has not damaged the deepest roots of who I am in Christ.  Currently, I'm reading 1 John.  Five chapters.  Immense truth.  This year, I want to rediscover my King :)

Happy New Year, everyone.

Mississippi-less-ly?

Got my first spray tan last night.  It was hilarious and, thankfully, not like the episode of Friends when Ross goes in for his spray-on tan.  Thankfully, mine was not a spray booth; mine was actually applied by airbrush by a lovely woman named Michelle at Island Tan in Columbia, SC.  I highly recommend Michelle, as she takes away any question of whether or not to count "Mississippi-less-ly" or not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD2N2eqCjC0

Grades Are Finished.

The three sweetest words of any semester. 

And now, to celebrate grades being uploaded, faxed, copied and completed -- and in an attempt to continue teaching even AFTER my courses are finished, I pass along this epic wisdom for the ages.  Office-style. 

Enjoy, my friends. Enjoy.

Careful of the Icy Patch

The fact that someone on youtube made a montage of "the icy patch" clips from Muppet Family Christmas absolutely MADE MY DAY :)

Here's to family, old movie memories, and being careful of The Icy Patch!

Epic.

Ridiculously, Fabulously Asinine

"You'll read it.  And then you'll read it again. 

And then you'll hug it." 

-- the ACTUAL words to a radio advertisement I heard today for a recently-published novel.

It was so ludicrous, I couldn't help but adore it.  In all its ludicrous-ity-ish-ness.   I mean, really.  REALLY.  What an asinine way to advertise a novel.  Sigh. 

"Hey honey, I bought you this book -- it's so good, you're gonna hug it."

...whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

I read Psalm 84 the other night, and I was struck by the beauty of the word "pilgrimage" -- the newer translations don't use it (they favor "highways" instead). That small difference captured my attention, and I found myself journeying on a mini-pilgrimage through the translations, haha.  I read and re-read Psalm 84 in the NIV... the NASB... the ESV... the Living Translation... Sigh.  The beauty of scripture never ceases to amaze me, and I live with such bounty -- all the various translations, all the places online to read it!  It's incredible, as are the truths in this Psalm.  The bold, italicized verses were my favorites this time around...

Psalm 84 (NIV)

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

 ¹ How lovely is your dwelling place,
   LORD Almighty!
² My soul yearns, even faints,
   for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
   for the living God.
³ Even the sparrow has found a home,
   and the swallow a nest for herself,
   where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
   LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
   they are ever praising you.^[c]

 ⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
   whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

⁶ As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
   they make it a place of springs;
   the autumn rains also cover it with pools.^[d]
7 They go from strength to strength,
   till each appears before God in Zion.

 ⁸ Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty;
   listen to me, God of Jacob.
⁹ Look on our shield,^[e] O God;
   look with favor on your anointed one.

 ¹⁰ Better is one day in your courts
   than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
   than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
   the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
   from those whose walk is blameless.

 ¹² LORD Almighty,
   blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Brew Me a Cup

Brew me a cup for a winter's night.
For the wind howls loud and the furies fight;
Spice it with love and stir it with care,
And I'll toast our bright eyes,
my sweetheart fair.
~Minna Thomas Antrim

Doing My Part

Today on facebook, one of my friends posted that she was super-excited to be going on a date with her husband.  Apparently, folks, married people go on dates.  Married people with older children go on dates.  But married people with young children do NOT go on dates!  As someone who is unmarried but a lover of great dates, I feel that we, the single people of America, must put an end to this travesty. 

Therefore I declare this Christmas ... drumroll please ...

The Christmas I Give A Little Time to Help Married People Go On Dates.

 I googled "free babysitting coupons" and found a snazzy-looking one at this site:
http://www.rd.com/home-garden/10-printable-holiday-coupons/article171180-3.html

I'm printing some, adding a few Christmas cookies, and attempting to do my part to Help Married People Go On Dates this Christmas :)