idontbelieveingrammar

I love live music. Except for the fact that most concerts start after my bed time….and ticket prices are ridiculous ( even more ridiculous when you factor in a baby sitter).
Last night we went to the Palladium to see Tegan and Sara. The show was greatness. You can read about the last time we saw them here: http://idontbelieveingrammar.blogspot.com/2007/11/pushing-30-at-house-of-blues.html.
But this week I decided to do a live playlist…meaning only bands that I have seen perform live.

1. The Chair – George Strait. ( this was my first concert ever and I think Patty Lovelace opened….I wore acid washed Guess jeans and baby blue boots and thought I was sooooooo cool. Keep in mind that this was College Station and I was limited to mainly country artists.

Next concert
2. To Make You Feel My Love -- Garth Brooks (yes more country. College Station remember, and I was in high school………I don’t think Boys 2 Men and their matching outfits ever made it to the big BCS. Sure some of my friends had already…

The other day, I found my first true grey hair.
A big thick one that I am sure will be filled in with more as the year go by.
And lately, my hair isn't the only thing turning grey.

Back in high school, my world was pretty black and white.
Rap music was from the devil.
I thought pot really was the gateway drug.
I was super homophobic.
Anything over 1st base was a ticket straight to hell, or atleast guarenteed for teen pregnancy.
I wrote speaches in English class on prayer in school.
If they had those christian fishes eating a darwin fish ( the ones with legs) ...I probably would have put it on my car.
The tv show Friends was nothing but a bunch of fornicators ( even though I watched it religously).
And Micheal W. Smith could bring me to tears almost on cue.

I am not saying I was perfect.
I cussed like a sailor.
I snuck beer when I could.
and of course Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog couldn't be silenced for very long.
but at least I felt guilty for these things.
and my sins were the socially acceptable k…

Greif and anguish aren't easy to witness. Usually we need to do enough in response to make ourselves feel better. Send a card. Offer our prayers, and then thank our God that it wasn't us.
But after the initial shock, it is just easier to forget.
I don't think we really forget, but it is just so hard to know what to say when something goes horribly wrong.
The test results come back positive.
A loved one is lost.
or yet another friend is laid off.
The moment forces us to respond. And most of us do. Sometimes well. Sometimes not.
That isn't the moment I am talking about.
I mean the one 2 weeks later. Or a month later or even a year.

For example, almost a year ago my neighbor lost her husband. I brought flowers and later food. But still every time I see her my heart breaks a little. I often think I need to inviter her over for dinner, or at least stop by and chat. Instead the most I usually do is wave across the driveway. A little too eagerly.

But I have another friend who lost a ba…

No not me.
I haven't owned a bottle of hairspray since high school.
I won’t even mention the Stiff Stuff or bottles of foot long Vavoom I used back in the day for my 2 curls back one curl forward 80s bangs.
This post is about Beth Moore.
And well when I think Beth Moore, I think hair.
And of course Hebrew and Jesus and hard questions and margins and some serious study.
And part of me doesn’t want to like her.
Because she seems a little too something. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe it is too Southern Baptisty or too perfect or perky or sappy. And I like to picture myself as a little more of an Ann Lammott than Beth Moore kind of girl.
But I every single book or study that she has written (and I have probably read close to a dozen) has spoken to me.

Big hair and all.

I have been reading her blog lately and bought her latest book so that I could participate in the study online.

And let me tell you this book has a giant picture of her and her slightly less big but still perfect hair on the…

Tomorrow I am hosting a brunch for a local Women’s Shelter……..and I’m feeling the girl vibe. So today’s list will be in honor of all those women who have such a heavy load to carry. And 10 is just not enough……but I'll try to cap it at a dozen.

1.Tori Amos– Silent All These Years (neither Tori, nor this song, need any commentary…and is pretty fitting for the occasion)
2.Fesit – I feel it all (this group just makes me happy)
3.Kendall Payne – Scratch (so many songs to choose from, but this is my favorite-est…and yes I know that isn’t really a word, but it should be).
4.JJ Heller _ Hands ( favorite new find. Watch the video below and you too will fall in love)
5.Priscilla Ahn - Dream ( this song is heaven)
6.Schuyler Fisk – Fall Apart Today (ridiculously hopeful without being sappy)
7.Katie Sawicki – For the Quiet (could listen to this song a hundred times in the car and drive forever…warning it is sad and quiet like that).
8.Indigo Girls - Mystery ( takes me back to lying flat on my …

(repost I wrote for a Lenton devo a few years ago...but equally fitting for today and the ashes I recieved last night)

The school cafeteria always served fish sandwiches on Fridays during Lent. I hated most things from the school cafeteria and wasn’t too fond of fish to begin with. Combine the two and it made for some hungry Friday afternoons. For the longest time I thought this was what Lent was all about. Fish on Fridays. The symbol for Christians was an icthus, or a fish. I thought it was related.

Like so many things in the Christian faith. I didn’t get it. A few years later, I thought I did. Lent meant giving something up. Giving up sodas or my watching 90210 for forty days would somehow better help me understand the sacrifice Christ made for me on the cross. If he could lay down his life, maybe I could lay off the caffeine for awhile. I never chose anything too difficult to give up. I always picked something that I would miss, but would be good for me anyways. Hey, I can be holy an…

Last night I happened to get to the Y minutes before a popular Zumba class was starting.
If you don’t know what Zumba is it is a cross between salsa dancing, aerobics and those naughty moves from dance videos that you never want to see your kids doing.

This class is always full and I have watched it from my treadmill a few times. I’m not really sure why, but last night I wandered in.

Let me preface this with a few things.
I don’t do formal aerobics.
Not since that crazy aerobics fad about a dozen years ago where you slid on a slippery pad with these little footie things and I slid completely off and about broke my face.
Or the time I took out not only my own “step” but also the two people’s next to me in step aerobics and the instructor kindly encourage me to try the circuit room.
Or the time I managed to almost knock myself out in kickboxing.
Or my perpetual fear of farting during pilates/yoga ( and I’m just not stretchy like that).
Or not being able to sit down for a week after spin class.

I…

Today a friend called me up with an extra ticket.
To the ballet.

I said yes, even though I’m not really into that kind of thing.
Because I like hanging out with the friend who asked me.
Because I like doing new things.
And well, I didn’t have anything besides laundry planned for the afternoon.

Another friend, called and asked me what I was doing that day.
I warned her that it was a little bit random for me,
But that I would be attending the ballet at Bass Hall.
And she responded with, “You are going to run your butt off!”
Huh?
She misheard and thought I said that I was going to be a valet, not go to the ballet.
I quickly corrected her and she responded;
“Wow that is really random!”
Apparently because I have about as much culture as a bag of chilli cheese fritos.
And my friends are more comfortable with the idea of me working as a valet at Bass Hall than actually attending the ballet.

So I got dressed up ( meaning I shaved my legs, wore black and used an iron).
I was relieved to learn that the ballet …

In honor of Valentines and my honey this list will ALL be love songs.....particuarly our songs (even though Shaun won't claim all 20).....and I couldn't choose just 10..

1. Fade into you - Mazzy Star ( our dog is named Mazzy for this very song!)
2. The Sweetest Thing - U2 (this was was a toss up between One also by U2)
3. Both of Us'll Feel the Blast - Waterdeep ( the best morbid love song there is)
4. Forever - Ben Harper (had me at "not talkin bout a year, no not 3 or 4)
5. Paperweight - Josh Radin (this song is in Dear John, but it has been on my ipod for years)
6. The Luckiest - Ben Folds (always a sucker for some good piano in a song)
7. Ice Cream - Sarah McLachlan (if I wrote this song it would be "your love....is better than chips and salsa"
8. Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson (Shaun makes way better pancakes than me....and I love lazy mornings with him)
9. It's oh so Quiet - Bjork (this song is magical, like falling in love over and over again)
10. Such Grea…

Outside it is really cold.
And wet
And nasty.

But it is beautiful.
All covered in white and the snowflakes continue to come down.
And I wish that I was out there.
Snapping pictures and shaping snowballs.
And maybe even make a snow angel or two.
Rather than in here in my concrete classroom without a window.

Because snow does that.
It makes ugly and miserable inviting.
And you forget that your nose and hands tingle and that your socks are getting wet.
It covers up everything.
The cars and naked trees and the rooftops until the sparkle
in their dusting of white.
and sometimes even me.

Psalm 51:7 “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

The other day I was off to a dinner at a swanky place downtown. I was running a little late and not feeling so great about my outfit choice.
At the red light I was checking the makeup (or lack there of) in the vanity mirror when I saw a hunched figure in the background.
She was on the side of the road digging through one of the many plastic bags she carried.
Which probably held everything she owned.
She wore a Cowboys jersey and an old worn coat. Her face looked weathered but I tried not to look and to keep driving.
So I hit the gas instead of the blinker when the light turned green.
As I drove past the next two side streets I kept thinking that I should turn around. Run through a drive through for her or offer her some money.
But I kept going straight.
And not really because I was short on time and cash (which I was), but because I was afraid.
Afraid of what to say.
Afraid of her response.
Afraid that she would want more from me than my small bills would be able to provide.
Afraid of the awkward…

I hope Peyton's parents are suiting up, so he can throw it to them.(and let's just pretend that I don't still have some Christmas decorations up).

Ok, Going to try something new and start a Friday playlist.
Or my own personal top 10 for the week if you will.

My taste is a little ecclectic. Try not to judge if you see a little Miley Sirus or something equally embarrassing thrown in to the mix. Currently my tastes run a little sleepy-folky with the occasional bad workout song thrown in ( blame kid kraddick). So here goes......

I also take suggestions........b/c well my cool factor has totally worn off. (30+, 2 babies and the cartoon network will do that to a girl). And am hoping for an excuse to spend more time and dollars on itunes. Anything in the name of research, right?

1. Love you Now - Madi Diaz.
love her. and this song. and pretty much all her others :)

2. Alligator -- Tegan and Sara
just a warning, i have tickets to T&S late this month and there will probably be one of their songs on the list for weeks. They are the finest thing to come out of Canada ever...and they almost make up for Celein Dion and Shania Twain.

3. Umbrellas…

For the last few weeks in class I have been teaching about circles.
No, I don't teach math.....but physics.....which I guess is close enough.
We have spent the last few weeks on centripetal force and torque and the likes. My head has been spinning on pretty much a million other subjects.

Today, I met my friend Beth at Panera.
And we ordered coffee and we talked about friendships and careers and babies and fiber and loss and secrets and sex and coffee and music and friendships and careers and babies and fasting and loss and friendships and futures and husbands and sisters and hope and friendships and jesus and facebook and blogs and bagels and friendships....
and well i think you get the idea.
we jumped in and out of topics and back in again seamlessly.
Suddenly I looked down and it was two and half hours later and we had made lots of loops.

And there is no magic formula for good conversation but I am pretty sure it involves coffee and plenty of circles.

I mean this title literally.

Lost: my wallet.

Broken: my laptop (and our one and only home computer).