rocks, rocks and more rocks

Did you know that the smallest pebble in our bodies can create havoc on the body?

Bobby likes to save his kidney stones that pass naturally. The dot in the picture above was one of the last two that he passed. Just big enough to be seen, but small enough to not make him too sick.

The two above are earlier ones, and the one on the right is the third largest one he's had. He passed one slightly larger than this, and the biggest one to date had to be blasted.

Why am I telling you all this? Because we are once again waiting on a rock. We had three days of minor symptoms, and today he must have really decided he didn't want to go to the couples retreat, because he came home from work sick. (Just kidding! about the couples retreat, anyway) We'll go tomorrow to see what the deal is. Until then, it's just rocks as usual.

bizarre

This weekend Bobby and I were shopping at Target, and were comparing two different sizes of the same washing powders. (Do we still call them powders if it's a liquid?) One container says 120 oz, 35 washing loads. The larger container on the shelf below it says, 145oz, 38 washing loads. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe the designer at the printing company didn't bother to track someone down to verify their facts, maybe that truly is accurate, but why on earth would 25 ounces of detergent only produce 3 more loads of clothes while filling up a bottle twice the size and costing almost twice as much? Am I missing something somewhere?

Belarus

American Ambassador to Belarus, Karen Stewart, was pressured to leave Minsk last week. Lushanko, as a protest to America's sanctions, is requiring the US Embassy to cut its staff back from 40 people to 30. In return, the US is temporarily halting all visas from Belarus to America. At this point we don't know whether or not or munchkins have received their visas, or if their paperwork is in the pile on someone's desk awaiting a stamp. ABRO director Joe Strong says until we hear otherwise, all groups are to continue to plan as if the children are coming.

We ran into a similar situation last year when political unrest over the "presidential elections" caused disruption in various services, including flights out of their only airport. By the end of April things had calmed enough for paperwork to be processed and sorted. So I'm not apprehensive, but I'm also aware that the possibility of a quiet summer is also likely.

a political rant

lest you think I've lost my mind, I don't agree with all of Obama's policies and beliefs, but I do heartily agree with the following excerpt from Zane's article in today's News and Observer:
...Wright, for example, is not the first person to link U.S. foreign policy to the Sept. 11 attacks. And his view that America is a deeply racist nation "controlled by rich people" is expressed routinely in the halls of our universities, in the pages of leading liberal magazines and on the streets of our cities....
That others share Wright's views does not make them wise or right. But it should stop us from pretending that his views are only his. That he speaks for no one but himself. That by denouncing him, we're done with his complaints..."

It startles me that people continuously want to brand Obama with the socialist, racist label, while ignoring that Hillary's policies and views are exactly the same. It also amazes me that people act as if Obama's former pastor (he resigned the church a few years ago) is the first to express such views. Does the name Dixie Chicks ring a bell? I remember after 9/11 talking with friends who are teaching in China, and their horror at total strangers walking up to them on the streets and making such comments as, "I'm glad that happened to America. The big giant is finally getting what it deserves." and other such comments. And when I look at certain situations in China, there is a slight validity to their comments. I remember reading my cousin's comments as he traveled with his Marine Unit through Egypt, preparing to enter Iraq. He talked of the looks of hatred, of people spitting towards their ship, and children running alongside shaking their fists. Did we have governmental approval to be there? Certainly. But just because governments sanctify and allow certain things to happen, doesn't mean the citizens of that country are in agreement with it. And I think that's the crux of the whole matter. People in countries who dream of having our opportunities of free speech cannot fathom that its citizens do not have the freedom to change things. Many of my Chinese students thought I could pick up the phone and call the president of the US and tell him whatever I thought. That one always made me laugh, but it's the resounding truth of how powerful the notion of free speech truly is. People think we can change the world with it. And maybe we can. Maybe that's why the Rev. Wright's speeches have so many Americans outraged, just like the Dixie Chicks did years ago.

Perhaps this is why we were always taught in theology class to start with the book of John, "In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God."

And that leads me to my voting dilemma. I disagree, strongly I might add, with both Democratic candidates. I don't like McCain, either. But Obama, as much as I disagree with him, from what I've observed the last three years, has been unwavering in his policies, votes, and actions. Just as I endorse Bush because he's not a push-over, Obama presents that same steadfastness. Steadfastly wrong, perhaps, but steadfast nonetheless. And I think that is one of his attractions among young voters: we're looking for hope and steadfastness.

Happy Easter!
(or Happy Live Again Festival! as the Chinese say)

my snoopy

When the puppies were first dropped off near our house last summer, the only spotted was one was dubbed "Pig" for various reasons, all of which pertained to food. As we started saying good-bye to puppies as they found their homes, I found myself relieved every time my spotted pup wasn't chosen. And then one day he was. But two hours later, the college student returned, asking if we'd take him back. Turns out his roommate was allergic to dogs and his parents gave him a resounding "NO!" Not long after, we were down to two dogs, one of which became known as Lucy. To my silly mind, it made perfect sense that if one female dog was to be Lucy, then her brother should be Linus. Bobby suggested Snoopy, since he is my all-time favorite beagle, but Linus just never exhibited any Snoopy-like characteristics - until today. He has learned to crawl on top of his dog house, where he spent a good portion of the day. At one point I became fearful he was stuck up there and couldn't get down, but once I opened the back door and headed toward the pen, he hopped down. The minute I came back inside, up he went again. I guess that gives him a better view.

quilts

When I was a child, one of my favorite memories was spending time at my Grandma's house. We called her Rea-Rea. She had this huge quilting frame that my uncle made for her, and she quilted all the time. On the days when all of us grandkids were dropped off, our Moms would spend the day cooking and quilting. Sometimes we would hide from the boys by crawling under the quilt frame, which always made Rea-Rea fuss. I was memerized by the different movement patterns of needles. Rea's was always the fastest; you barely saw her needle, just the thread whizzing through the material.

Fast-forward thirty years, and I'm now trying to decide which quilt project to start. After we got married, I briefly joined a quilting circle in Raleigh so I could learn the correct way to quilt. The quilt top I made there is finished, but the layers have yet to be quilted together. My plan was to start it in January. Needless to say, it's still in the container. Two weeks ago, my plan was to put it together this weekend and get started. Then we got the announcement that Bobby's niece is expecting, which means a baby quilt. My brother is also steadily dating someone, and if Granny Rea were still around, she'd already have a wedding quilt made for him. So now I'm in a quandry. Do I start Bobby's quilt, the baby quilt, or a future possibility wedding quilt?

I'm seriously considering looking into getting a quilting foot for my sewing machine. That would make things go so much faster. My mother-in-law thinks machine quilting is sacrilege, but the quilting part isn't my favorite part of quilting; it's the piecing of the top that I like. I have a LOT of material that I've accumulated into piles for quilt tops I want to piece, but dear hubby who is ultra organized can't quite comprehend why I would start another project until the old ones are finished. I have an aunt on the other side of the family who enjoys piecing as well. One she gets it pieced, she'll send it off to have it quilted. I don't think that's cheap, but then I think of the HOURS you spend hand-quilting and you probably come out ahead.

Decisions, decisions!