It is a fact that it is cold in Strasbourg. It’s been gloomy and overcast and most of us are feelin’ it. Many students are probably borderline depressed. Where is the stinkin’ sunshine???
I miss my family.
I miss my friends.
I’m just holding to the thought that in a little while I’m going to step off that plane, make my way through the crazy checkpoint counters and round that corner into the baggage claim where I’ll get to see my family. I’m gonna hug my dad and oh man, it’s gonna be so great! Like catching up on a whole year of missed hugs! And then my beautiful mom’s gonna hug me in that crazy special cool way moms do – usually right before they start crying! J And then I’m going to realize that my sister has grown up, although she better not be as tall as me, and we’ll hug too. Then in that moment I’ll be home…
Mmmm, yep, that’ll be a good day, but until then I’ll just have to take advantage of the crazy beauty and cool people surrounding me here. Sometimes, I guess it just takes leaving to realize the value of coming home. So I’ll deal. Today was just one of those days. I’ll leave you with a little thought of home by C.S. Lewis:
“The last thing we want is to make everywhere else just like our own home. It would not be home unless it were different.”
Monday, January 19, 2004
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Issues of the Heart
Happy 14th Birthday to Nomes!!!
As I gaze out my kitchen window through the accumulated condensation on the glass and shudder at the chill that overtakes me, I cannot help but imagine the T-shirt weather my family is experiencing back home, nor the birthday lunch they’ll be enjoying at Casa Corona, nor the look of excitement and gratitude on the face of my little sis as she unwraps her presents with excited urgency. Taking a deep breath at the beauty of the imagery, I utter a silent prayer of appreciation for my family and release a sigh at the distance keeping us apart.
Today is one of those crazy days when I am drastically aware of the vast expanse of ocean and land physically separating me from my stateside loved ones! Today is a special day as my favorite sis celebrates her 14th birthday. I feel her absence more than my own presence and wish with all my might to join her for even just a few precious hours…
But, alas, my hands are tied, my bank account is low and my classes demand my attendance. So, I called her to wish her my very best. Naomi, Please know that I’m thinking of you today and miss you so much! Happy Birthday!!!
In honor of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding my kid sister’s life, I wrote a little something below to merely reflect on how far she’s come and to reiterate how grateful I am for the simple miracle that is her life. I could never hope through a simple literary expression to fully illustrate the depth of my love for her or to express the measure of joy, love and delight her presence has added to my life…
As the 19th century gave way to the 20th, Dr. William Osler wrote in his textbook of medicine that congenital heart disease was of “limited clinical interest as in a large proportion of cases the anomaly is not compatible with life, and in others, nothing can be done to remedy the defect or even relieve the symptoms.”
Now, as the 20th century has so recently surrendered to the 21st, I find myself four years into this new 10-pack of decades celebrating the 14th year of LIFE of a child whose condition, as diagnosed at birth, was one not deemed compatible with life. I’m grateful that not all physicians shared Dr. Osler’s viewpoint, but rather pressed on to do great work in the realm of congenital heart disease research and remedies.
Amidst a January blizzard in a sleepy desert town, the baby we had prematurely named Caleb, entered our world and revealing her first surprise. SHE would be needing a different name and we would be reexamining that faulty sonagram we had placed so much faith in. If only this were the sole sum of our problems, but more serious matters vied for our attention. Two seconds out of the womb revealed that the grayish blue tone of her skin was indicative of some serious problems. With barely a word, she was whisked away so that educated men and women in white coats could determine the cause of the problem.
Not more than 48 hours later in a sterile hospital room, my parents listened as a very kind doctor relayed the news that their daughter had a “condition that was not compatible with life.” She was born with a condition known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), which essentially means that her heart contained only three of the four chambers. In his most expert opinion they were faced with three options:
1. Take her home and make her comfortable. 100% Fatality Rate
2. Undergo the Norwood Procedure which makes the heart function on its existing 3 chambers with an ~ 50/50 survival probability
3. Get a Heart Transplant with a ~70% success rate
As one could imagine, it didn’t take my parents long to “do the math” and choose the transplant option. Here, two huge risk factors were present; that of finding a suitable donor in time and that of rejection of the new organ by the body as a foreign entity. As the grace of God would have it, the child we decided to name Naomi, meaning gladness of heart, received a transplant within 12 days of birth becoming the youngest transplant at that time.
Fast-forward through time marked by doctor’s visits, school field trips and birthday parties to arrive at the present date of 18 January 2004. It’s a bright beautiful day and Naomi is only too excited to celebrate another milestone of God’s goodness. She’s pretty excited about the presents she gets to open as well!
Not everything’s perfect. She has to take medicine every day to keep her body from rejecting her heart and this medicine lowers her immune system so she gets sick a little easier than most kids. Overall, she’s pretty healthy; a miracle baby now turned beautiful 14-year-old young woman. She has incredible faith, strength and joy. Right now she’s into writing stories. Who knows, maybe she’ll be the next O’Brien only with a different story to tell. Maybe someday she’ll write about the things she carries, but for now I want to tell you a little bit more about them. In many ways, there is a strange parallelism between her life and those of war veterans. Both are required to carry and endure so much; most of which is too overwhelming for their individual comprehension…
“The things they carried were largely determined by necessity”*; the things she carries are a matter of life and death. They carried “pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent…matches…C rations and two or three canteens of water”*. She carries tissue, valves, medicine, and arrhythmias that are not her own. They carry the psychological and sometimes physical scars of a war we pretended did not exist. She carries the scars from the war that she won on the battleground of her own body. They were carried by the prayers of loved ones and strangers who prayed for their safe passage through the war. She was carried by the prayers of loved ones and strangers who prayed for her safe passage through the surgery.
“What they carried varied by mission…Other missions were more complicated and required special equipment.”* She had nothing with which to equip herself , but relied solely on the skills of others and the grace of God. They carried the title of Vietnam vets; she carries the title of innocent child. They were soldiers, she was unaware of the concept of war. They were mostly 18 or 19 years old; she was barely 12 days old. They were transplanted into a foreign environment to fight a war they didn’t understand. She had a heart transplant to save a body she couldn’t understand.
She leads a normal life now with the exception of carrying a lower-than-normal immune system. Most vets lead a normal life now with the exception of carrying experiences that only vets can understand. She carries the heart of a little girl from Oklahoma who died in a car crash and one day she will carry the realization of what that means. They carry the emblazoned memory of the look on the faces of the men they’ve seen die. She carries the scars from her body being cut open to remove the old heart and give her another one. You could say she was given a second chance at life; so were several vets. She carries the daily regiment of medicine in her body to get her through. They sometimes feel the need to take liquor for “medicinal purposes” just to get through the memories of the day and the dreams of the night. She carries the strength of someone who’s been through something incredible and lived. They carried the strength of someone who’s been through something horrible and didn’t stop breathing; some of them have already stopped really living. She carries the hopes of her future; they carry the memories of their past. She and they both carry souls, memories, hurts, and joy. She and they both have things in common and things they cannot share; things that they can tell us and things they must save for themselves. She and they are to be loved and respected for the simple fact that their hearts beat in time with ours and their presence on this earth is an amazing gift to be cherished by all.
Okay, so this turned into a book! Allow me to finish by saying that Naomi is an awesome young woman and I am honored to love and know her. Sure, she can be a punk kid sometimes! (c’mon I have to say that, she’s my little sis for cryin’ out loud) But I love her so stinkin’ much and cannot overemphasis my gratitude for her life literally and how much beauty she’s introduced into mine! And the stories she writes are awesome too! Maybe I can get her to send me some so I can post them. With that I leave you with this crazylong motha’ of an update and bid you goodnight!!!
*Check out Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried on Veterans of the Vietnam War, it’s a quick read and he weaves a great story! Also, click here for info on Loma Linda University Medical Center Cardiac Institute or here for more facts about organ donation.
Remember!
Don’t take your organs to Heaven; Heaven knows we need them here!
As I gaze out my kitchen window through the accumulated condensation on the glass and shudder at the chill that overtakes me, I cannot help but imagine the T-shirt weather my family is experiencing back home, nor the birthday lunch they’ll be enjoying at Casa Corona, nor the look of excitement and gratitude on the face of my little sis as she unwraps her presents with excited urgency. Taking a deep breath at the beauty of the imagery, I utter a silent prayer of appreciation for my family and release a sigh at the distance keeping us apart.
Today is one of those crazy days when I am drastically aware of the vast expanse of ocean and land physically separating me from my stateside loved ones! Today is a special day as my favorite sis celebrates her 14th birthday. I feel her absence more than my own presence and wish with all my might to join her for even just a few precious hours…
But, alas, my hands are tied, my bank account is low and my classes demand my attendance. So, I called her to wish her my very best. Naomi, Please know that I’m thinking of you today and miss you so much! Happy Birthday!!!
In honor of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding my kid sister’s life, I wrote a little something below to merely reflect on how far she’s come and to reiterate how grateful I am for the simple miracle that is her life. I could never hope through a simple literary expression to fully illustrate the depth of my love for her or to express the measure of joy, love and delight her presence has added to my life…
As the 19th century gave way to the 20th, Dr. William Osler wrote in his textbook of medicine that congenital heart disease was of “limited clinical interest as in a large proportion of cases the anomaly is not compatible with life, and in others, nothing can be done to remedy the defect or even relieve the symptoms.”
Now, as the 20th century has so recently surrendered to the 21st, I find myself four years into this new 10-pack of decades celebrating the 14th year of LIFE of a child whose condition, as diagnosed at birth, was one not deemed compatible with life. I’m grateful that not all physicians shared Dr. Osler’s viewpoint, but rather pressed on to do great work in the realm of congenital heart disease research and remedies.
Amidst a January blizzard in a sleepy desert town, the baby we had prematurely named Caleb, entered our world and revealing her first surprise. SHE would be needing a different name and we would be reexamining that faulty sonagram we had placed so much faith in. If only this were the sole sum of our problems, but more serious matters vied for our attention. Two seconds out of the womb revealed that the grayish blue tone of her skin was indicative of some serious problems. With barely a word, she was whisked away so that educated men and women in white coats could determine the cause of the problem.
Not more than 48 hours later in a sterile hospital room, my parents listened as a very kind doctor relayed the news that their daughter had a “condition that was not compatible with life.” She was born with a condition known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), which essentially means that her heart contained only three of the four chambers. In his most expert opinion they were faced with three options:
1. Take her home and make her comfortable. 100% Fatality Rate
2. Undergo the Norwood Procedure which makes the heart function on its existing 3 chambers with an ~ 50/50 survival probability
3. Get a Heart Transplant with a ~70% success rate
As one could imagine, it didn’t take my parents long to “do the math” and choose the transplant option. Here, two huge risk factors were present; that of finding a suitable donor in time and that of rejection of the new organ by the body as a foreign entity. As the grace of God would have it, the child we decided to name Naomi, meaning gladness of heart, received a transplant within 12 days of birth becoming the youngest transplant at that time.
Fast-forward through time marked by doctor’s visits, school field trips and birthday parties to arrive at the present date of 18 January 2004. It’s a bright beautiful day and Naomi is only too excited to celebrate another milestone of God’s goodness. She’s pretty excited about the presents she gets to open as well!
Not everything’s perfect. She has to take medicine every day to keep her body from rejecting her heart and this medicine lowers her immune system so she gets sick a little easier than most kids. Overall, she’s pretty healthy; a miracle baby now turned beautiful 14-year-old young woman. She has incredible faith, strength and joy. Right now she’s into writing stories. Who knows, maybe she’ll be the next O’Brien only with a different story to tell. Maybe someday she’ll write about the things she carries, but for now I want to tell you a little bit more about them. In many ways, there is a strange parallelism between her life and those of war veterans. Both are required to carry and endure so much; most of which is too overwhelming for their individual comprehension…
“The things they carried were largely determined by necessity”*; the things she carries are a matter of life and death. They carried “pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent…matches…C rations and two or three canteens of water”*. She carries tissue, valves, medicine, and arrhythmias that are not her own. They carry the psychological and sometimes physical scars of a war we pretended did not exist. She carries the scars from the war that she won on the battleground of her own body. They were carried by the prayers of loved ones and strangers who prayed for their safe passage through the war. She was carried by the prayers of loved ones and strangers who prayed for her safe passage through the surgery.
“What they carried varied by mission…Other missions were more complicated and required special equipment.”* She had nothing with which to equip herself , but relied solely on the skills of others and the grace of God. They carried the title of Vietnam vets; she carries the title of innocent child. They were soldiers, she was unaware of the concept of war. They were mostly 18 or 19 years old; she was barely 12 days old. They were transplanted into a foreign environment to fight a war they didn’t understand. She had a heart transplant to save a body she couldn’t understand.
She leads a normal life now with the exception of carrying a lower-than-normal immune system. Most vets lead a normal life now with the exception of carrying experiences that only vets can understand. She carries the heart of a little girl from Oklahoma who died in a car crash and one day she will carry the realization of what that means. They carry the emblazoned memory of the look on the faces of the men they’ve seen die. She carries the scars from her body being cut open to remove the old heart and give her another one. You could say she was given a second chance at life; so were several vets. She carries the daily regiment of medicine in her body to get her through. They sometimes feel the need to take liquor for “medicinal purposes” just to get through the memories of the day and the dreams of the night. She carries the strength of someone who’s been through something incredible and lived. They carried the strength of someone who’s been through something horrible and didn’t stop breathing; some of them have already stopped really living. She carries the hopes of her future; they carry the memories of their past. She and they both carry souls, memories, hurts, and joy. She and they both have things in common and things they cannot share; things that they can tell us and things they must save for themselves. She and they are to be loved and respected for the simple fact that their hearts beat in time with ours and their presence on this earth is an amazing gift to be cherished by all.
Okay, so this turned into a book! Allow me to finish by saying that Naomi is an awesome young woman and I am honored to love and know her. Sure, she can be a punk kid sometimes! (c’mon I have to say that, she’s my little sis for cryin’ out loud) But I love her so stinkin’ much and cannot overemphasis my gratitude for her life literally and how much beauty she’s introduced into mine! And the stories she writes are awesome too! Maybe I can get her to send me some so I can post them. With that I leave you with this crazylong motha’ of an update and bid you goodnight!!!
*Check out Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried on Veterans of the Vietnam War, it’s a quick read and he weaves a great story! Also, click here for info on Loma Linda University Medical Center Cardiac Institute or here for more facts about organ donation.
Remember!
Don’t take your organs to Heaven; Heaven knows we need them here!
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Things Remembered
WHOOOOHOOOO!!! This just in!!! We just got our exam grades back from the killer exams we had at end of term. Thank you Lord! I not only passed but also significantly improved my score from last time!!! But enough of that!
So I was sitting in class today learning about satellites, transponders and antennas, etc., and in all honesty, the presenter from NASA Glenn was great. He took a fairly boring subject and made it interesting and fun. Nice break from the Team Project (TP) Feedback Session we had the previous hour. Now, that was fun, but I’m in a decent mood and don’t want to go back to that. Suffice to say our team got a mark that in the realm of ISU and European grading systems falls into the category of “Very Good” so I’ll take it and spare you the rest of the related drama there…
Anyhow, I was making a card for my sister’s upcoming 14th birthday and I started listing cool things we’ve experienced and such. I realized that there are a bunch of really random but cool things I really appreciate about my town/family and thought I’d list them here:
Trails' Vanilla Cokes
Four Wheeling on “The Moon” (a dry lake bed near our home)
HumVee’s (broken or otherwise)
Dirt-biking
Sledding (on a shovel from the back of a truck)
Debbie Tsubota’s Cherry & Apple Pies (respectively)
Sharon Blevin’s Biscuits & Gravy
Hanging out at Sharon’s house as a kid when she was baking cakes and the warm freshly baked cut-off tops I got to eat
H.L.’s Accent and Invented Words
Hanging out in general with my amazing grandparents
Aunt Nanci laughing til we cry
Mom’s Roses
Grandma’s Christmas Cookies
Apple-Cran juice from Gram and everything else in her sweet drawer
Grandma’s Stories
Grandpa’s "Rain Dance"
Grandpa’s Hugs
Naomi’s Stories, Hugs, unconditional love and faith in myself and others she loves…
10 pm trips to Ridgecrest for Taco Bell after summer swims
TP and all of its creative uses
Fall Fest complete with chili cook-offs, pie auctions and costume contests
Dad’s Halloween/Birthday Parties
Mom’s Cookin’
Mom’s omnipresent & unconditional love for my person, her broad knowledge of Scriptures and the artful way she almost always places a pungent rose beside my bed when I return home from far away
Working on music that we’ve written with my mom in an empty church
Mom playing Ballade Pour Adelline and classical pieces while rehearsing for a wedding
The crazy peace that overwhelms my house when Mom sings
Movies with Jerm, Pete and Elroys
Laughing with Les till our sides hurt and then not even really remembering why…
Street Football
Car Singing
Sunday Potlucks
Shannon Ferguson’s Bear Claws
Babysitting the Elroy 5
Steven Soden’s big blue eyes, beautiful friendship and of course his mad football skills
All the kids/teens in our church and their beautiful, fun and wacky perspectives on life and the resulting joy they’ve introduced into mine
Mom’s 50th Birthday Party
Saxophone Wake Up Calls
NOT the way my mom lets Les jump on me or Bri throw hackey-sacks at my head to wake me up!
My Dad’s sense of adventure and unyielding dedication to his family
The way so many people in my town care for each other
The way they work together to make things special whether it's a wedding, birthday party or our education...
Swimming in Valley Wells & Langston’s Pool (Marco Polo)
Great Falls Trips
Mrs. Langston’s Catalina Salade
Late night talks parked in the middle of a street and nobody caring
Breyer’s Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Camping in the Wash
Capture the Flag
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS both the actual event and all the prep “work”
Mrs. D’s Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings
Cards at the Darlings
Family Camp with all its fireside talks, moonlit beach walks and time shared with precious people
Prank Wars
Afternoon talks on life, love or the Lord held in various living rooms across the span of my life
Bottle Rocket Battles
Nighttime Summer Bike Rides
Sunsets on the Porch with Dad
Summer afternoons on the porch with Grandma & Ruth
Spite & Malice Games
Gina’s Chocolate Cake, Rainbow Jello and allowance of our taking over of her living room on a constant basis
Mr. Haleman’s “visits” to the learning centers
Weekends home from college with my friends
Paintballing
Ditch ‘Em
Teens
Launching Rockets on the Lake Bed
The manner in which the Milky Way stands out against the pure black canvass speckled ever so perfectly with undeniably breathtaking stars that twinkle in coordination with your heartbeat to create a truly awe inspiring nighttime summer sky that when combined with the cool reprieve offered by the night from the oppressive sun is like nothing I’ve ever experienced…
Learning to drive in the desert
Hiking behind my house
That certain shade of purple that the mountains surrounding our valley turn just as the shade falls upon them and a moment before the sun sets in its golden glory transitioning into hues of pink and red before finally dipping behind to say goodnight…
Fly-bys over my house
B2 Bomber fly overs at 10 o’clock break in grade school
All 3 snow days
Exploring the Charcoal Kilns
Christmas Tree Springs
Exploring Old Mines
Any of hundreds of adventures with our Dads
The Old Building – Our Special Place
Building the Playhouse
The crazy cool pulley/rope system connecting the tree off the deck of my playhouse to another tree all the way across the yard and the Tarzan method of transportation to cover the distance…
Our Hot Tub on Cold Winter Nights
Desert Skiing
Indian Joe’s Trips
WOW! This turned out to be quite the list! And there’s so much more! I just got to thinking about all the things I love about home and I had to stand back for a second and think, “Man! God has been good to me! I’ve got such great memories, so many cool experiences.” I’m not homesick, but I do appreciate home and will be happy to enjoy it anew! So basically, for all of you punk kids still living there - and even the adults – Take advantage of what lies before you. There are so many possibilities for adventure right in front of you. And if you leave, there’ll be new adventures of a different sort, but don’t get so anxious to move on to the next thing that you miss out on crazy cool opportunities before you right now. Ok, ok, I’m not preaching, really! Just take advantage of our crazy home! Go rock climbing at the Falls, four-wheeling on the moon, hiking behind any of our houses or simply take a crisp evening walk and capture whatever piece of sunset you can get before heading in for apple cider by a hand built fire.
Talk. Laugh. Work. Love. Learn. Invent. Explore. Discover. Dream. Aspire. Do.
That’s all from me for now, all my love to all of you and wherever you call home!
Drink Deeply of the Beauty,
Brooke
So I was sitting in class today learning about satellites, transponders and antennas, etc., and in all honesty, the presenter from NASA Glenn was great. He took a fairly boring subject and made it interesting and fun. Nice break from the Team Project (TP) Feedback Session we had the previous hour. Now, that was fun, but I’m in a decent mood and don’t want to go back to that. Suffice to say our team got a mark that in the realm of ISU and European grading systems falls into the category of “Very Good” so I’ll take it and spare you the rest of the related drama there…
Anyhow, I was making a card for my sister’s upcoming 14th birthday and I started listing cool things we’ve experienced and such. I realized that there are a bunch of really random but cool things I really appreciate about my town/family and thought I’d list them here:
Trails' Vanilla Cokes
Four Wheeling on “The Moon” (a dry lake bed near our home)
HumVee’s (broken or otherwise)
Dirt-biking
Sledding (on a shovel from the back of a truck)
Debbie Tsubota’s Cherry & Apple Pies (respectively)
Sharon Blevin’s Biscuits & Gravy
Hanging out at Sharon’s house as a kid when she was baking cakes and the warm freshly baked cut-off tops I got to eat
H.L.’s Accent and Invented Words
Hanging out in general with my amazing grandparents
Aunt Nanci laughing til we cry
Mom’s Roses
Grandma’s Christmas Cookies
Apple-Cran juice from Gram and everything else in her sweet drawer
Grandma’s Stories
Grandpa’s "Rain Dance"
Grandpa’s Hugs
Naomi’s Stories, Hugs, unconditional love and faith in myself and others she loves…
10 pm trips to Ridgecrest for Taco Bell after summer swims
TP and all of its creative uses
Fall Fest complete with chili cook-offs, pie auctions and costume contests
Dad’s Halloween/Birthday Parties
Mom’s Cookin’
Mom’s omnipresent & unconditional love for my person, her broad knowledge of Scriptures and the artful way she almost always places a pungent rose beside my bed when I return home from far away
Working on music that we’ve written with my mom in an empty church
Mom playing Ballade Pour Adelline and classical pieces while rehearsing for a wedding
The crazy peace that overwhelms my house when Mom sings
Movies with Jerm, Pete and Elroys
Laughing with Les till our sides hurt and then not even really remembering why…
Street Football
Car Singing
Sunday Potlucks
Shannon Ferguson’s Bear Claws
Babysitting the Elroy 5
Steven Soden’s big blue eyes, beautiful friendship and of course his mad football skills
All the kids/teens in our church and their beautiful, fun and wacky perspectives on life and the resulting joy they’ve introduced into mine
Mom’s 50th Birthday Party
Saxophone Wake Up Calls
NOT the way my mom lets Les jump on me or Bri throw hackey-sacks at my head to wake me up!
My Dad’s sense of adventure and unyielding dedication to his family
The way so many people in my town care for each other
The way they work together to make things special whether it's a wedding, birthday party or our education...
Swimming in Valley Wells & Langston’s Pool (Marco Polo)
Great Falls Trips
Mrs. Langston’s Catalina Salade
Late night talks parked in the middle of a street and nobody caring
Breyer’s Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Camping in the Wash
Capture the Flag
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS both the actual event and all the prep “work”
Mrs. D’s Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings
Cards at the Darlings
Family Camp with all its fireside talks, moonlit beach walks and time shared with precious people
Prank Wars
Afternoon talks on life, love or the Lord held in various living rooms across the span of my life
Bottle Rocket Battles
Nighttime Summer Bike Rides
Sunsets on the Porch with Dad
Summer afternoons on the porch with Grandma & Ruth
Spite & Malice Games
Gina’s Chocolate Cake, Rainbow Jello and allowance of our taking over of her living room on a constant basis
Mr. Haleman’s “visits” to the learning centers
Weekends home from college with my friends
Paintballing
Ditch ‘Em
Teens
Launching Rockets on the Lake Bed
The manner in which the Milky Way stands out against the pure black canvass speckled ever so perfectly with undeniably breathtaking stars that twinkle in coordination with your heartbeat to create a truly awe inspiring nighttime summer sky that when combined with the cool reprieve offered by the night from the oppressive sun is like nothing I’ve ever experienced…
Learning to drive in the desert
Hiking behind my house
That certain shade of purple that the mountains surrounding our valley turn just as the shade falls upon them and a moment before the sun sets in its golden glory transitioning into hues of pink and red before finally dipping behind to say goodnight…
Fly-bys over my house
B2 Bomber fly overs at 10 o’clock break in grade school
All 3 snow days
Exploring the Charcoal Kilns
Christmas Tree Springs
Exploring Old Mines
Any of hundreds of adventures with our Dads
The Old Building – Our Special Place
Building the Playhouse
The crazy cool pulley/rope system connecting the tree off the deck of my playhouse to another tree all the way across the yard and the Tarzan method of transportation to cover the distance…
Our Hot Tub on Cold Winter Nights
Desert Skiing
Indian Joe’s Trips
WOW! This turned out to be quite the list! And there’s so much more! I just got to thinking about all the things I love about home and I had to stand back for a second and think, “Man! God has been good to me! I’ve got such great memories, so many cool experiences.” I’m not homesick, but I do appreciate home and will be happy to enjoy it anew! So basically, for all of you punk kids still living there - and even the adults – Take advantage of what lies before you. There are so many possibilities for adventure right in front of you. And if you leave, there’ll be new adventures of a different sort, but don’t get so anxious to move on to the next thing that you miss out on crazy cool opportunities before you right now. Ok, ok, I’m not preaching, really! Just take advantage of our crazy home! Go rock climbing at the Falls, four-wheeling on the moon, hiking behind any of our houses or simply take a crisp evening walk and capture whatever piece of sunset you can get before heading in for apple cider by a hand built fire.
Talk. Laugh. Work. Love. Learn. Invent. Explore. Discover. Dream. Aspire. Do.
That’s all from me for now, all my love to all of you and wherever you call home!
Drink Deeply of the Beauty,
Brooke
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Interim Posts on the Way it Should Be
So this is sort of a pre-amble to a longer blog to come later today. It seems that I have made a gross error and in keeping with my strict adherence to a standard of high accuracy in blogging, I have laid everything aside to remedy the problem.
MAD BLOG PROPS go to SARAH, fellow aviation enthusiast and the apparant source for the so highly acclaimed FLYING magazine sent to me earlier!!! Also, SUPERIOR BLOG PROPS to her again for her use of the word "DUDE" in her first ever communication with me. Dude, that's like my favorite word. Nice. I'm still grateful to Becca for actually passing it along to me without which action I could not thank either of them! Maybe you two could start some sort of competition to see who could send better stuff and get the best blog props? heh? heh? Just a thought! ;)
Thanks again! Oh, and by the way, I found two Aviation Weekly Mags in the free bin in the library. NICE!
AND KEVIN. YOU ARE NOT MY FRIEND, WE ARE NOT SPEAKING EVER AGAIN. I mourn for the Packer's loss this past Sunday...
K, ta ta for now. more soon....
MAD BLOG PROPS go to SARAH, fellow aviation enthusiast and the apparant source for the so highly acclaimed FLYING magazine sent to me earlier!!! Also, SUPERIOR BLOG PROPS to her again for her use of the word "DUDE" in her first ever communication with me. Dude, that's like my favorite word. Nice. I'm still grateful to Becca for actually passing it along to me without which action I could not thank either of them! Maybe you two could start some sort of competition to see who could send better stuff and get the best blog props? heh? heh? Just a thought! ;)
Thanks again! Oh, and by the way, I found two Aviation Weekly Mags in the free bin in the library. NICE!
AND KEVIN. YOU ARE NOT MY FRIEND, WE ARE NOT SPEAKING EVER AGAIN. I mourn for the Packer's loss this past Sunday...
K, ta ta for now. more soon....
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Sore Losers Redeemed, FLYING Beccas & Pensive Weekend Plans
Well, well, well. I guess we’ve established that some folks are sore losers!!! Like my unnamed Seattle friend who emailed me just to tell me that we’re no longer friends. Jeesh! Can you believe the nerve of this guy? I even sent him French chocolate for Christmas but all he can say is we are no longer friends…AH, but in reality, he called last night so getting to talk with an old friend made me forgive the rash statements spoken in what must have been a mire of despair at how poorly his team performed last Sunday. So, we’ll move on….
Let’s see, well, school is definitely back in full swing and with it all the responsibilities of such. Like the crazy random remote sensing assignment that we are expected to spend “several hours” outside of class working on. For my part, I get to research the laws of transponders on boats, etc…as well as the fishing industry in Argentina. Don’t ask. Well, I guess you could, then I’d have to tell you that our group was assigned the task of using remote sensing to detect oceanic pollution and illegal fishing activities. Crazy, but at least with transponders, I can pretend they go on airplanes…
Speaking of Flying, I gotta give props to Cari’s friend Becca for sending a FLYING mag along my way. I finally devoured it in a hotel in Prague and save for the AOPA magazine that I checked out in Kehl when we went gliding, it’s the only hard copy flight reading I’ve had since I’ve been here. And it should be pointed out that only one article was in English in the German mag. So super props to Cari’s friend Becca for the flight fix. And to answer the semester long question regarding which Becca is which. No, I am so sorry to say, I could not distinguish them in a line up. My girl, Cari, has just got way too many Becca/y/uckles type friends to keep up with!!
Oh, ya, and speaking of Cari…She just returned from her “winter” vacation cruise to South America. She’s sunburned. No, I did not stutter. I haven’t even seen the sun and nearly lost a finger to frostbite while removing my gloves to eat a hot dog in Prague and she comes back sunburnt!
I received word through a fellow student that Boeing internship is looking “bright.” That’s nothing guaranteed, but it sure made my day!
One last note, I’m trying to schedule my traveling agenda, well my whole agenda including traveling, for the upcoming semester and I’m thinking about going to Dachau for the day this weekend.Dachau is an old concentration camp near Munich. I wanted to visit Auschwitz but it’s all the way in Poland! Since I can’t really see myself wanting to do much else but ponder and journal after such an experience, I don’t want to incorporate it into another trip. I think I just want to go by myself on a day trip. We’ll see how it goes.
So, I wish all of you a good night and great day depending on which side of the flip you are now.
WAIT! Two more things, the last I promise, 1) I’m working on the Christmas/10 country stories and so, like the slow and steady turtle I will deliver and 2) If anyone has info on how a couple of Americans can manage to watch the Super Bowl over here, I’d be much obliged!
Let’s see, well, school is definitely back in full swing and with it all the responsibilities of such. Like the crazy random remote sensing assignment that we are expected to spend “several hours” outside of class working on. For my part, I get to research the laws of transponders on boats, etc…as well as the fishing industry in Argentina. Don’t ask. Well, I guess you could, then I’d have to tell you that our group was assigned the task of using remote sensing to detect oceanic pollution and illegal fishing activities. Crazy, but at least with transponders, I can pretend they go on airplanes…
Speaking of Flying, I gotta give props to Cari’s friend Becca for sending a FLYING mag along my way. I finally devoured it in a hotel in Prague and save for the AOPA magazine that I checked out in Kehl when we went gliding, it’s the only hard copy flight reading I’ve had since I’ve been here. And it should be pointed out that only one article was in English in the German mag. So super props to Cari’s friend Becca for the flight fix. And to answer the semester long question regarding which Becca is which. No, I am so sorry to say, I could not distinguish them in a line up. My girl, Cari, has just got way too many Becca/y/uckles type friends to keep up with!!
Oh, ya, and speaking of Cari…She just returned from her “winter” vacation cruise to South America. She’s sunburned. No, I did not stutter. I haven’t even seen the sun and nearly lost a finger to frostbite while removing my gloves to eat a hot dog in Prague and she comes back sunburnt!
I received word through a fellow student that Boeing internship is looking “bright.” That’s nothing guaranteed, but it sure made my day!
One last note, I’m trying to schedule my traveling agenda, well my whole agenda including traveling, for the upcoming semester and I’m thinking about going to Dachau for the day this weekend.
So, I wish all of you a good night and great day depending on which side of the flip you are now.
WAIT! Two more things, the last I promise, 1) I’m working on the Christmas/10 country stories and so, like the slow and steady turtle I will deliver and 2) If anyone has info on how a couple of Americans can manage to watch the Super Bowl over here, I’d be much obliged!
Monday, January 05, 2004
GO PACKERS!!!! See ya Seahawks!
Good Morning, Good Morning!!!!
To All my North American Friends, that is. And it is a good morning indeed, isn’t it?
Why, you may ask. Well for those of us who enjoy football (not soccer for all you daft Europeans who just don’t get it) but real AMERICAN football. Anyhow. Hear ye, Hear ye, and let it be known henceforth throughout the land that the PACKERS sent the Seahawks packing right back to Seattle cryin’ after their 6 point defeat earned in overtime. So Sorry to Shell and Kev, but high fives to Katie, Les and Rach! Sorry kids, try again, but the Packers press on with their 33-27 victory, and prep for Philly next Sunday.
And Lord knows I love Texas, but I have always hated the Cowboys and whoooeeee! Those Carolina boys sent the Cowboys back home on the range! Honestly, ’Boys, aren’t you supposed to be tough, corn-fed cowboys? If all you can muster is 10 terrible points in an NFL game to Carloina’s 29 it just seems right that you get on outta here! It’s alright, maybe they can work on some new country music while they’re training for NEXT season, because clearly, they’re finished here!
Indianapolis beat Denver 41 to 10 And Tennessee beat Baltimore 20 to 17…
So now, we wait til SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY for the next round of excitement...
To All my North American Friends, that is. And it is a good morning indeed, isn’t it?
Why, you may ask. Well for those of us who enjoy football (not soccer for all you daft Europeans who just don’t get it) but real AMERICAN football. Anyhow. Hear ye, Hear ye, and let it be known henceforth throughout the land that the PACKERS sent the Seahawks packing right back to Seattle cryin’ after their 6 point defeat earned in overtime. So Sorry to Shell and Kev, but high fives to Katie, Les and Rach! Sorry kids, try again, but the Packers press on with their 33-27 victory, and prep for Philly next Sunday.
And Lord knows I love Texas, but I have always hated the Cowboys and whoooeeee! Those Carolina boys sent the Cowboys back home on the range! Honestly, ’Boys, aren’t you supposed to be tough, corn-fed cowboys? If all you can muster is 10 terrible points in an NFL game to Carloina’s 29 it just seems right that you get on outta here! It’s alright, maybe they can work on some new country music while they’re training for NEXT season, because clearly, they’re finished here!
Indianapolis beat Denver 41 to 10 And Tennessee beat Baltimore 20 to 17…
So now, we wait til SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY for the next round of excitement...
Sunday, January 04, 2004
Catching Flicks
Master And Commander
Ahoy, Maties!
So, listen all you sea-lovin’ folks out there. If you dig boats and/or Russel Crowe go and see Master and Commander. I saw it last night with the usual suspects and just the fact that it was in sweet English was good for me, but it was a good movie too. Clean even, I think my mom would dig it! Lots of adventure, swordsmanship and gunnery. Be careful though, it’s two hours but does seem a bit long. If you are my friend who happens to be a sail instructor, then you must go and take dad and mom too…
So, ya other than sleeping and watching movies with the roomie that’s about all I’ve been up to lately. Ruey just got his new laptop so we have a dvd player and it’s divine!!! School starts on Tuesday and then all my friends come back and life gets crazy again…
Oh WAIT!!!! Listen!
When I woke up and looked out the window, to what did my wandering eyes did appear? No, not a little tiny sleigh or eight tiny reindeer, BUT the streets of Strasbourg were covered in SNOW!!! YAY!!! So three cheers for a right proper snow!!!
Ahoy, Maties!
So, listen all you sea-lovin’ folks out there. If you dig boats and/or Russel Crowe go and see Master and Commander. I saw it last night with the usual suspects and just the fact that it was in sweet English was good for me, but it was a good movie too. Clean even, I think my mom would dig it! Lots of adventure, swordsmanship and gunnery. Be careful though, it’s two hours but does seem a bit long. If you are my friend who happens to be a sail instructor, then you must go and take dad and mom too…
So, ya other than sleeping and watching movies with the roomie that’s about all I’ve been up to lately. Ruey just got his new laptop so we have a dvd player and it’s divine!!! School starts on Tuesday and then all my friends come back and life gets crazy again…
Oh WAIT!!!! Listen!
When I woke up and looked out the window, to what did my wandering eyes did appear? No, not a little tiny sleigh or eight tiny reindeer, BUT the streets of Strasbourg were covered in SNOW!!! YAY!!! So three cheers for a right proper snow!!!
Saturday, January 03, 2004
NYE - Strasbourg Style
Crazy Times…
What is that Jars song, “these are the crazy times?” Ya, well, welcome to New Year’s in Strasbourg!!! I was looking forward to a fairly mellow kick-back get together with 5-7 fellow friends stuck in Strasbourg for various reasons… ya, right!
After Ollie and I went shopping for snacks and Champagne, etc to ring in the New Year, we realized that we indeed already had enough to feed an army, not even taking into consideration, what everyone else was bringing. Oh, well, at least we wouldn’t go hungry!
Getting off to a bit of a late start, I headed off to catch the tram to Port de L’Hopital. So here’s where I gotta say how much I love the French and their “reliable” tram system. The next tram wouldn’t arrive for at least 15 minutes, so I just walked. Frustrated, cold and entirely unimpressed with the local boys who were heckling me, I showed up to load into the car and head to Jess and Will’s.
Man, I don’t know how they managed it, but they actually have a very cool flat with an almost American kitchen and even a canal view! Sweet! Everybody was just chillin’ til about 20 to midnight when we decided to head out to Place Kleber to check out the festivities of the city which we had heard was crazy and borderline riotous during NYE, but not before Kelly (who kept insisting it was Halloween and singing Ode to Halloween) donned her black curly wig and I borrowed Jess’s purple flapper wig – both from their respective Halloween costumes. Properly prepped, we embarked upon our adventure.
Talk about crazy! Now, I know I’m a small town girl who’s used to mellow New Year’s playin’ games, hangin’ out and setting off a few fireworks and maybe doing a little, eh, late night home decorations for random people, but nevermind about that…Still, I have been to Paris too with racial riots descending upon the Champs-Elysees like nothing I’ve ever seen before and been trapped in a pub until 3am because of the fights going on right outside, so I think it’s fair to say I have seen a bit of crazy. But Strasbourg….
Picture this: we arrive on the scene and there are at least 1000 people there. People everywehere, most of them drunk on the only day that fireworks are even legal in the country and everyone has and is lighting at random fireworks. And we’re not just talkin’ sparklers either, big ones too! You had to watch your step and even then…well let’s just say that I was standing there minding my own business when I heard a sound and looked down right in between my feet just in time to see it go off!! Man!! It scared the stinkin’ oh my goodness out of me! Still it was super fun, if not a bit like a war zone that has almost surely impaired my hearing!
Kodak Moment Award goes to the look on Will’s face when he was smothered by four French guys who were so excited to hear he was from New York and responded with a crazy group hug and kisses. Oh, man, if ever there was a time I wish Ruey Chao was handy with the camera, it was then. It was this crazy mingled look of fear and shock that is forever etched in my memory bank under “hilarious, bewildered fear!!”
We decided to take our leave for fear of permanent hearing loss and had to cross the war zone of the Kebab guys who are the firework vendors and apparently have wargames of their own. It was our misfortunate error to attempt traversing through it. We seriously had to run, duck and nearly cover, but alas, we were victorious!
The rest of the night was pretty chill and we watched a random but funny movie called Royal Tannenbums. It’s weird.
So, overall I’d give Strasbourg a 2 thumbs up for New Year’s as long as you’re a local and have the luxury of just observing the madness for a brief time before retreating to the comforts (and quiet) of home. The fireworks are a marvel; I don’t know how people don’t get killed! It’s so chaotic. We were a bit disappointed to not get to see the legendary burning of cars (their local symbol for tourists) that supposedly happens to display their love for the droves of stupid people that descend upon their city without bothering to learn their language…but hey, guess you can’t have it all! And Ollie, who owns a car with foreign plates, didn’t seem as disappointed as the rest of us. Can’t imagine why!
BONNE ANNEE a Mes Amies et Tout le Monde!!!!!!
What is that Jars song, “these are the crazy times?” Ya, well, welcome to New Year’s in Strasbourg!!! I was looking forward to a fairly mellow kick-back get together with 5-7 fellow friends stuck in Strasbourg for various reasons… ya, right!
After Ollie and I went shopping for snacks and Champagne, etc to ring in the New Year, we realized that we indeed already had enough to feed an army, not even taking into consideration, what everyone else was bringing. Oh, well, at least we wouldn’t go hungry!
Getting off to a bit of a late start, I headed off to catch the tram to Port de L’Hopital. So here’s where I gotta say how much I love the French and their “reliable” tram system. The next tram wouldn’t arrive for at least 15 minutes, so I just walked. Frustrated, cold and entirely unimpressed with the local boys who were heckling me, I showed up to load into the car and head to Jess and Will’s.
Man, I don’t know how they managed it, but they actually have a very cool flat with an almost American kitchen and even a canal view! Sweet! Everybody was just chillin’ til about 20 to midnight when we decided to head out to Place Kleber to check out the festivities of the city which we had heard was crazy and borderline riotous during NYE, but not before Kelly (who kept insisting it was Halloween and singing Ode to Halloween) donned her black curly wig and I borrowed Jess’s purple flapper wig – both from their respective Halloween costumes. Properly prepped, we embarked upon our adventure.
Talk about crazy! Now, I know I’m a small town girl who’s used to mellow New Year’s playin’ games, hangin’ out and setting off a few fireworks and maybe doing a little, eh, late night home decorations for random people, but nevermind about that…Still, I have been to Paris too with racial riots descending upon the Champs-Elysees like nothing I’ve ever seen before and been trapped in a pub until 3am because of the fights going on right outside, so I think it’s fair to say I have seen a bit of crazy. But Strasbourg….
Picture this: we arrive on the scene and there are at least 1000 people there. People everywehere, most of them drunk on the only day that fireworks are even legal in the country and everyone has and is lighting at random fireworks. And we’re not just talkin’ sparklers either, big ones too! You had to watch your step and even then…well let’s just say that I was standing there minding my own business when I heard a sound and looked down right in between my feet just in time to see it go off!! Man!! It scared the stinkin’ oh my goodness out of me! Still it was super fun, if not a bit like a war zone that has almost surely impaired my hearing!
Kodak Moment Award goes to the look on Will’s face when he was smothered by four French guys who were so excited to hear he was from New York and responded with a crazy group hug and kisses. Oh, man, if ever there was a time I wish Ruey Chao was handy with the camera, it was then. It was this crazy mingled look of fear and shock that is forever etched in my memory bank under “hilarious, bewildered fear!!”
We decided to take our leave for fear of permanent hearing loss and had to cross the war zone of the Kebab guys who are the firework vendors and apparently have wargames of their own. It was our misfortunate error to attempt traversing through it. We seriously had to run, duck and nearly cover, but alas, we were victorious!
The rest of the night was pretty chill and we watched a random but funny movie called Royal Tannenbums. It’s weird.
So, overall I’d give Strasbourg a 2 thumbs up for New Year’s as long as you’re a local and have the luxury of just observing the madness for a brief time before retreating to the comforts (and quiet) of home. The fireworks are a marvel; I don’t know how people don’t get killed! It’s so chaotic. We were a bit disappointed to not get to see the legendary burning of cars (their local symbol for tourists) that supposedly happens to display their love for the droves of stupid people that descend upon their city without bothering to learn their language…but hey, guess you can’t have it all! And Ollie, who owns a car with foreign plates, didn’t seem as disappointed as the rest of us. Can’t imagine why!
BONNE ANNEE a Mes Amies et Tout le Monde!!!!!!
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