Today my friend Adam and I attended a Russian Orthodox church in San Fran. I didn't quite know what to expect even though he tried to prepare me. The outside had the great big gold Russian dome things...I hope you know what I am talking about, along with some very pretty murals on the outside. When you walk in though, WOW! It just takes your breath away.
The entire inside of the cathedral was painted with iconography (paintings/picutes/murals). It was all in very deep, rich colors but mostly crimson and gold. The floor was wooden expect for the crimson strip of carpet that was directly down the center of the cathedral and led straight to the alter at the far end of the cathedral. There was alot of wood stuff too. There was a wall that seperated the priests and elements from the congregation. The dome was enromous. It literally made you look to the heavens. I can see why at one time everything was very eloborate and grandoise. It makes you stand in awe of what is before you and at the same time (for me) reminds you how big and grand our God is and how we should stand in awe of God and all God does. It all just makes you look up to the heavens and think, wow, this is amazing!
The iconography depicted stories of Jesus' life, saints, Mary and baby Jesus, and other biblical stories. Some that I noticed were Jesus birth, his baptism, raising Lazarus, crucifixion, taking him off the cross, putting him in the tomb, empty tomb, ascension, last supper, on the mount with Moses and Elijah, and Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac. There was the body of Bishop John Maximos on display for honoring. He was the bishop of San Francisco and Shang Hi apparently. When his body was exumed many years ago, his body had not decomposed. So basically his body was in a display case and you could see his black (from death) hands. It was actually very beautiful how he was dressed but kinda weird at the same time.
There were like for pews and they were only there for the elderly so they could sit if they needed to, otherwise everyone stood! You stood for the entire service...and service lasted about 2 hours! The entire service is sung. There is a choir that sings but you never see them. They are beautiful though. It is like voices coming from heaven since you never see them and the sound just rise up into the dome at the top of the cathedral! It was all done in the Russian language. There was only one time I remember actually being able to understand what was being said and it was hard to understand even then cause it was being chanted. BUT I do know at some point the priest said something about "the armor of God".
There were little alter boys that kept going back and forth from behind the wall through the congregation and out the back. i have no idea what they were doing or where they were going. I am sure it had something to do with eucharist. They had these round gold trays and on them were 2-3 biscuit looking things and a little book.
For communion, the people made a line and would walk up to the priests, the priests would put this "bib" around the persons neck, the person would bend over and the "head" priest would serve them communion by a spoon. Apparently they put the cut up bread in the wine, and then dip out a piece of bread for those receiving communion. Apparently, not everyone takes communion each week. This week it was like all the little kids took communion. I don't know. I understood from the whole priest serving you and the bib that, we "peasants" aren't holy enough to even touch the bread or cup! I don't know that I am right but that is what it felt like!
All in All I really liked it as an experience but not as how I would want to worship regularly! Nonetheless a very cool experience!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Fire Station #2
Since I have been here in Berkeley, I have adopted a fire station! One day I was walking home from working out at the Y and the ambulance drove by and then parked a little ways up the road! I stood there in a dilemna...do I just stand here and stare, do I walk on home, do I go talk to the what seemed to be good looking firemen that just drove by...oh dear what do I do! Ah ha! It hit me...I need a station to take goodies to and this is a perfect opportunity to find a close fire station! Little did I know the ambulance parked right in front of the fire station it belonged to! So as I walked up to the ambulance I realized, Oh there is the station...so now what do I ask? So I introduced myself and told them what I wanted to do! They told me this was the station I needed to bring goodies to and shift C was the shift I had now adopted! They also told me when I come by to bring 3 dice so I could play Liar's dice game with them! I asked what is that and they just said you will have to come and learn! So I left now knowing where my station was! A few days later I made some dessert enchiladas and took it to the station, unfortunately all but like 3 were out on runs! So I gave them the dessert and one of them invited me to come back for dinner with them! Oh how cool! I already had plans that evening and so I declined but later in the evening I thought as a way of accepting the invitation but still declining I would stop by on my way to my other engagement and say thank you and maybe next time! So I stopped by and they said some other time would be fine!
Well since then, I have taken dessert maybe 3 or 4 times and I have had dinner twice with them! I have learned to play liar's dice game...it is still a bit fuzzy to me but i think i could teach others! One night they invited me to stick around and watch a movie with them. So we ate dessert and watched Iron Man!
One day I stopped by to pick up my pans and chatted with them and I ended up getting a ride on the great big truck! I rode kinda in the Tiller Box which is the box at the end of the huge truck and it actually has a stering wheel so it can steer the wheel underneath it! They have to steer back there because the truck is so long without it they would never make the turns in the city!
The guys at the station have been wonderful! They are so nice and are very funny! They have been awesome at trying to understand what I mean by sacred dance...don't get me wrong they still make fun of me but hey, what can you do?!!
Well since then, I have taken dessert maybe 3 or 4 times and I have had dinner twice with them! I have learned to play liar's dice game...it is still a bit fuzzy to me but i think i could teach others! One night they invited me to stick around and watch a movie with them. So we ate dessert and watched Iron Man!
One day I stopped by to pick up my pans and chatted with them and I ended up getting a ride on the great big truck! I rode kinda in the Tiller Box which is the box at the end of the huge truck and it actually has a stering wheel so it can steer the wheel underneath it! They have to steer back there because the truck is so long without it they would never make the turns in the city!
The guys at the station have been wonderful! They are so nice and are very funny! They have been awesome at trying to understand what I mean by sacred dance...don't get me wrong they still make fun of me but hey, what can you do?!!
Monumental birthday
Technically me birthday was celebrated on OCt 18th because my birthday present to myself was the Hot Air Balloon ride! Then when I came home over Halloween, the youth and adults gave me some cupcakes, sang Happy Birthday and gave me a coupon book!
Well my actual birthday ended up being quite a day! This year my birthday will forever be written in history! My birthday is the day the first African-American President was elected! I don't particularly care whether you are excited about the decision this country made, either way it is a sgnificant moment in our history!
At lunch, my friend Lindsay stood up and in her "big girl voice" announced to the dining hall it was my 27th birthday and they all sang "Happy Birthday" to me!
That night Alvin said his son was coming to pick him up for dinner and wanted to know if I would join them! I knew I had plans to go bowling with Lindsay but knew she would understand me spending time with his family. I had no idea that they knew it was my birthday!! Bob showed up with a little planter with a pink rose plant and a card! We went and ate at a little Thai place here in Berkeley! It was a great dinner. Ruth joined us too!
After that Lindsay and I went to Albany Bowl and danced, bowled and had a great time! Our dance moves seemed to draw attention to us! The lane next to us were shouting "Break it down girls" and "Uh-oh, look at you go!"
The next day Karen from my Tuesday class took me to lunch at a little Sushi place off of Euclid. It was awesome too! I tried tempura for the first time and it was very delicious! She is a sweetheart! It was great to sit and visit with her about her journey and to just have a friend close to my age and interested in religion! That is something I miss in Oklahoma!
Well my actual birthday ended up being quite a day! This year my birthday will forever be written in history! My birthday is the day the first African-American President was elected! I don't particularly care whether you are excited about the decision this country made, either way it is a sgnificant moment in our history!
At lunch, my friend Lindsay stood up and in her "big girl voice" announced to the dining hall it was my 27th birthday and they all sang "Happy Birthday" to me!
That night Alvin said his son was coming to pick him up for dinner and wanted to know if I would join them! I knew I had plans to go bowling with Lindsay but knew she would understand me spending time with his family. I had no idea that they knew it was my birthday!! Bob showed up with a little planter with a pink rose plant and a card! We went and ate at a little Thai place here in Berkeley! It was a great dinner. Ruth joined us too!
After that Lindsay and I went to Albany Bowl and danced, bowled and had a great time! Our dance moves seemed to draw attention to us! The lane next to us were shouting "Break it down girls" and "Uh-oh, look at you go!"
The next day Karen from my Tuesday class took me to lunch at a little Sushi place off of Euclid. It was awesome too! I tried tempura for the first time and it was very delicious! She is a sweetheart! It was great to sit and visit with her about her journey and to just have a friend close to my age and interested in religion! That is something I miss in Oklahoma!
3 hour Service!
Well I know the clock disappeared apparently sometime ago at Wickline because time wasn't supposed to be an issue for service! Even though at City of Refuge there is a clock at the back, time didn't seem to be a factor! Service lasted from 1 to 4pm! It was filled with up beat music, drama, dance, balloons, prayer, and dynamic preaching! I honestly can say I would never have assumed it was 3 hours after I arrived for worship! Everything seemed to flow into the next and it never lulled! It was very very neat service to be a part especially being a minority!
Thank Goodness They Let Me Go!
The last day Melissa was here we took an adventure to San Fran again this time with my friends Lindsay and Eric! We went to Alcatraz island and Fisherman's wharf! We took this bus their and when we got off we had to find another bus but at that corner there was a bit of construction so we couldn't find the sign that identified where our bus would stop.
I noticed a couple officers standing at the corner and it seemed logical that they would know where the bus stop should be! That assumption was not correct and it gave my friends lots of ammunition to tease me! I walked over and asked where the Muni 10 bus stop was and they were like...duh! i don't know! So I chatted with them a moment and then left! We crossed the street only to find out the bus stop was where we had been! So as we crossed back across the street, I walked over to the officers and told them..."just in case someone else asks you where the Muni 10 stop is, it is right over here!"
They laughed and i stood and talked to them a few more minutes til the bus arrived. Well Lindsay and Melissa both laugh at me cause they say I flirt with them without knowing it! I really don't know what they are talking about but they give me a hard time either way!
So we boarded the ferry to the island and off we went! The island was very neat and the tour was great!
It talked about how 3 men escaped from their cells and technically off the island but there has never been any evidnce to suggest they actually made it to land! They had spent almost a year digging a hole behind the vents in their rooms big enough for them to get out. They created fake heads to put on their beds so it appeared they were still sleeping. They somehow fashioned a make shift boat out of a rain jacket! It is so fasinating that somehow they got the supplies to make these fake heads that looked so real!
Afterwards we went to Fisherman's Wharf and ate some seafood and watched (and listened) to the sea lions!
I think that wraps up that day!
So we boarded the ferry to the island and off we went! The island was very neat and the tour was great!
It talked about how 3 men escaped from their cells and technically off the island but there has never been any evidnce to suggest they actually made it to land! They had spent almost a year digging a hole behind the vents in their rooms big enough for them to get out. They created fake heads to put on their beds so it appeared they were still sleeping. They somehow fashioned a make shift boat out of a rain jacket! It is so fasinating that somehow they got the supplies to make these fake heads that looked so real!Afterwards we went to Fisherman's Wharf and ate some seafood and watched (and listened) to the sea lions!
I think that wraps up that day!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Hot Air Balloon over Napa
4:30am two days in a row is no bueno for this girl! But we got up and at 'em! We arrived, re-signed the "if you die, you can't sue us" forms, and headed off to the launch site. This time the cards were in our favor! They started filling up the balloon with hot air! They are so huge! There were 16 of us in the balloon...4 in each of the corners of the basket! It is the largest type of passenger basket! We had to climb over the basket to get in! We were next to a very sweet couple! All of a sudden we looked down and we were like 10 feet off the ground! You couldn't even really tell you were floating! It was crazy! The sun was jusst barely coming up over the mountains to the east! Fog was barely covering the tips of the mountains on both sides. The vineyards varied in color, size, and direction creating such a beautiful display on the ground. There were about 8-10 other balloons in the air at the same time! So we could watch them rise and fall in the air! We travelled a whole 2.7 mph! It was such a neat experience! It was awesome to see God's creation from above!
this is one of the things on my list of "Things I WILL do in my lifetime"! Check! It is so cool to know i am accomplishing things on my list! :-)
Balloon or Bust
So we rose at 4:30am to get ready to head to Napa, CA for our Hot Air Balloon Ride! We arrived, filled out the "if you die, you can't sue us" form, and awaited our departure! We hopped into one of the vans that was taking us to our launch site! Our driver was very nice! He didn't talk a whole lot, well he did when we asked him questions! We arrived at our 1st launch site (yes our 1st) and they told us it was too "breezy"! Apparently "too breezy" means 7-8 mph on the ground. So they asked if you just had to fly over Napa, the vans would take you back if it was ok to fly over another area load up and they were going to take us to another launch site. So Melissa and I decided to go to the 2nd launch site. On our way there we saw this crazy driver swerving all over the road, it was so bad we called the cops! When we arrived at our second site, the wind picked up and almost blew the balloon away! So we had to reschedule for the next day!
So we decided to switch our plans for Sunday to Saturday and decided to head to San Fran. We went to Chinatown. I bought me a tea set and tried on some very cool silk jackets that I loved! We ate at a restaurant that was kinda hidden which made us laugh. We took a red cable/trolly car to Lombard street. The cable car stopped for a while in the middle of the road so we had our driver take pictures of us hanging off the side of the car! We arrived at the wrong end of Lombard street. We were on the bottom side of the gigantic hill! So we had to trek up this huge hill to get to the part that is all squiggly! Then we jumped (well not literally) on the bus and went to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was dark by this time and it was all lit up by the lights! It was a beautiful site! On our way up the sidewalk, we saw a skunk! It was walking around in the flowers and bushes!
So we decided to switch our plans for Sunday to Saturday and decided to head to San Fran. We went to Chinatown. I bought me a tea set and tried on some very cool silk jackets that I loved! We ate at a restaurant that was kinda hidden which made us laugh. We took a red cable/trolly car to Lombard street. The cable car stopped for a while in the middle of the road so we had our driver take pictures of us hanging off the side of the car! We arrived at the wrong end of Lombard street. We were on the bottom side of the gigantic hill! So we had to trek up this huge hill to get to the part that is all squiggly! Then we jumped (well not literally) on the bus and went to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was dark by this time and it was all lit up by the lights! It was a beautiful site! On our way up the sidewalk, we saw a skunk! It was walking around in the flowers and bushes!
Day in Berkeley
Oct 16th Melissa came to visit me! On Friday we decided to just venture out and about in Berkeley. Alvin decided he wanted to take us breakfast, so we went to this little diner! We had reservations at Scharffen Berger Chocolate factory! We took the tour, saw all the equipment and tasted some chocolate! We took my mom's flat Beth with us and Flat Beth techinically helped pass out the chocolate for us to taste. Then we decided to stop at this salvage yard. It was called Omega Salvage yard. They all kinds of sinks, tubs, doorknobs, light fixtures, and tons of other stuff. While we there this guy who worked ther kept walking past us. i would occasionally say hello! So then we walked across the street to another section of this salvage yard. Melissa took a picture in one of the tubs! Then we noticed that the guy from the other side was watching us! Eventually somehow he ended up on our side and walked back across the street when we did. So we said goodbye to him and got in the car, he waved as we drove off and Melissa was like let get something to drink! So I mentioned why don't we get him a drink too! She was like what? So we bought him a Coke and drove back to the salvage yard! We went in and found him and gave him the drink! He was like what is this for, we said just cause. I said Do you like Coke? He said yep! I asked what his name was (Sean) and we introduced our selves and said Have a great day! We headed up to the PSR campus! I showed her where everything was and we ran into some of my friends! One of them mentioned they were having a Sunset watching party on the top of the dorm! So we decided to attend and we watched the sunset over the Bay! It was gorgeous! Then that evening we decided to go ballroom dancing! A fun filled day needless to say!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Dancing Church
The week after I attended the Quaker Meeting I attended St. Gregory of Nyssa. This is an Episcopalian church. I heard about this congregation from my dance class because they have a couple of congregational dances in their service.
When you walk into the church, technically you walk into a part of the worship space. It is mostly wood! The room you walk into is octagonal in shape and around the top are 90 dancing saints painted in a mural! It is quite a magnificant site! We all congregate in this room with the saints and then the priests or leaders lead us into the worship space. The congregation is divided in half and they face each other. In between the two sections of cogregation is a runway of sorts. At the far end is the area where the priest sits and some of the other worship leaders. At the closer end, are some poles with banners on them and then the lectern where the scripture was read.
They sing all of their liturgy. In addition to singing the liturgy, they just sing alot! Something I appreciated about their service was after each of the scripture readings and the sermon, they rang these bowls and everyone sat in silence to reflect and meditate on the "Word" and on the priest's message. How appropriate to reflect on what the Spirit is trying to communicate with us. Then after his message and the silence, he asked if anyone felt they needed to share soemthing with the community. Following these reflections the whole community porcessed back into the room we had originally come from by form of a dance. We were connected to each other by putting our right hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us. We processed as a congregation around the communion alter. We participated in communion and then we closed with a circle dance as a community!
It was just a very rich and neat experience. After the service, I stayed for a prayer study. The man leading it had been a monk for 6 years. He asked each of us to think about our prayer life for a minute. Then we were to reflect on how we felt about our prayer life and what we hoped to receive from the prayer studies.
It was so enriching to hear each story. To hear where their prayer life began and where it is now, some came full circle some were just beginning, some were wanting something different. but as I wrote some of the significant comments made by people it was obvious several things were at the heart of everyone there...hunger for something more, something deeper; yearning; wanting to be connected; a friendship with a higher being...it was so powerful to hear other people struggling to understand this connection we have to this great mysterious being and all of us wanting that connection to be more intimate!
WOW to think we didn't use any curriculum...we just shared our personal story of prayer! Loved it!
When you walk into the church, technically you walk into a part of the worship space. It is mostly wood! The room you walk into is octagonal in shape and around the top are 90 dancing saints painted in a mural! It is quite a magnificant site! We all congregate in this room with the saints and then the priests or leaders lead us into the worship space. The congregation is divided in half and they face each other. In between the two sections of cogregation is a runway of sorts. At the far end is the area where the priest sits and some of the other worship leaders. At the closer end, are some poles with banners on them and then the lectern where the scripture was read.
They sing all of their liturgy. In addition to singing the liturgy, they just sing alot! Something I appreciated about their service was after each of the scripture readings and the sermon, they rang these bowls and everyone sat in silence to reflect and meditate on the "Word" and on the priest's message. How appropriate to reflect on what the Spirit is trying to communicate with us. Then after his message and the silence, he asked if anyone felt they needed to share soemthing with the community. Following these reflections the whole community porcessed back into the room we had originally come from by form of a dance. We were connected to each other by putting our right hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us. We processed as a congregation around the communion alter. We participated in communion and then we closed with a circle dance as a community!
It was just a very rich and neat experience. After the service, I stayed for a prayer study. The man leading it had been a monk for 6 years. He asked each of us to think about our prayer life for a minute. Then we were to reflect on how we felt about our prayer life and what we hoped to receive from the prayer studies.
It was so enriching to hear each story. To hear where their prayer life began and where it is now, some came full circle some were just beginning, some were wanting something different. but as I wrote some of the significant comments made by people it was obvious several things were at the heart of everyone there...hunger for something more, something deeper; yearning; wanting to be connected; a friendship with a higher being...it was so powerful to hear other people struggling to understand this connection we have to this great mysterious being and all of us wanting that connection to be more intimate!
WOW to think we didn't use any curriculum...we just shared our personal story of prayer! Loved it!
Shhhh...Quakers
I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to attend a quaker meeting for sunday service! this particular meeting was unstructured which means there is no opening prayer, no "sermon", no hymns, etc. Basically the moment you walk into the sacred space, you begin your worship. There services are completely silent until someone feels the Holy Spirit has given them a message they feel is not just for them but for the community at large. The service I attended we sat in about 30-40 minutes of silence before someone stood to speak! It is very judgemental of me but this is just my perception! It seemed some were very in tune with the Holy Spirit and then others were just talking to get to talk! It was interesting to hear what people felt the Spirit wanted them to say!
There were not many young adults or children within the community. The children come in for the last 5 minutes or so. The service ends when the "clerk" starts a handshake. Everyone then begins passing handshakes. This is the end of the service.
It was an interesting service. I actually loved the silence. I liked basically being forced to be quiet and listen to God and Spirit! Isn't it sad that we have to have something force us to shut up and listen to God's voice in our life!
There were not many young adults or children within the community. The children come in for the last 5 minutes or so. The service ends when the "clerk" starts a handshake. Everyone then begins passing handshakes. This is the end of the service.
It was an interesting service. I actually loved the silence. I liked basically being forced to be quiet and listen to God and Spirit! Isn't it sad that we have to have something force us to shut up and listen to God's voice in our life!
Camp Gualala or bust!
One of the students at PSR (Pacific School of Religion) works at a church aobut 20 minutes east of Berkeley. He had arranged for his youth group to go on a retreat this past weekend but for some reason no one signed up to go. So he sent out emails to all of the young adults in his church offering this retreat to them. No takers! So he sent out an email to several students at PSR letting us know his church had reserved this camp and if we wante to go, we could and it wouldn't cost anything! So about 20 PSR students loaded up and took off for Camp Gualala about 3 hours north of Berkeley. We left about 6:30pm and arrived at Camp about 9pm. I drove and the last hour of the trip was curvy, curvy, curvy oh did I say curvy roads. At one point, I had to slam on my brakes because I couldn't find the road it cut back so much! It wouldn't have been such a big deal if the yellow lines in the center were still there but they weren't so it literally looked like the road ended and there was no where to go! Eek! At some points, in true mountain road fashion, it was one lane although it didn't warn us it was going to be one lane! Very surprising sometimes! We did make it without any major hitches! Couple of our passengers did get car sick...no bueno but no messes! :-) When we arrived, we pulled up in front of this big lodge! The bottom floor is jsut a big Great Room with huge fireplace and a kitchen in the corner. In one corner there were the log stairs that led up to the bedrooms. It was a huge log cabin basically!
In the bathroom stalls there was a sign that read like this:
Toilet Directions
( and you thought you knew)
If its pee, let it be (put toilet paper in trash can)
If its brown flush it down with tp
I can't remember what the very bottom said but basically thanks for helping with the stewardship of the water usage or something and the waste system of the camp!
That was very different! It was such a refreshing weekend! Friday night we did a processional to the river. We carried incense and candles to the river. We sang "down to the river" from Oh Brother Where Art Thou.
There was this big suspension bridge that was suspended from two enormous Redwood trees! It would swing when you walked on it! It reminded me of the bridges in moives where one of the cables starts coming apart and one side falls and everyone is hanging on for dear life! Nothing like that happened but we wouldn't have fallen very far so it might have been fun! hehehe
there were huge Redwood trees and one had a sign on it saying it was 2400 years old! That is older than Jesus! hehehe One tree had been cut down, it looked like becasue of a fire! One of the guys laid down and its diameter was bigger than his heigth. It was probably 8 feet in diameter! WOW, that is big! On Saturday about 5 or 6 of us went on a hike on the Dogwood trail! It was a very beautiful hike! There was a creek and lots of fallen trees for us to climb on and over! I felt like a kid again! I did make out with a big bruise on my thigh from hitting in on a tree!
the meals were amazing! Definitely not like any camp food I have had before! Yolanda and Tom cooked very good for us! Saturday we had pancakes, yogurt, cereal, eggs, and bacon! then we had strawberry or peach topping for our pancakes not to mention the syrup and whip cream to go on top. Orange juice and granola to go on top of the yogurt! OH it was mighty fine! Mmmm! Hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch with an awesome dessert! they had every topping you could have possibly imagined for your burger! OH so many choices! Dinner was a mexican casserole! Breakfast on Sunday was french toast, eggs, bacon, yogurt and all the fixings!
We watched some movies. I taught some ballroom dancing to some of them! We had a communion service on Saturday night! We played some games and even read some! I spent alot of time in front of the fireplace because it was pretty darn chilly there! Oh my! I actually slept in front of the fire! It reminded me of being at my grandpa's in Kansas! I would always sleep in front of the fireplace cause I'm the only one that wouldn't get too hot!
On our way home a group of us followed HWY 1 along the coast! That was breathtaking! The first 30 minutes from the camp to the HWY was right through the forrest! It was like we were in the jungle! The ocean was...I don't know that I have words for it! The coast is rocky and it would jut out here and there...rocks poking up out of the water making its presence known! Then the ocean just went on and on and on for as far as you could see! You would think this was the first time to see the ocean...it wasn't but everytime I am in awe to think the one who created me created such a beautiful landscape for me to be in awe and wonder! We stopped at a beach a ways down the coast! We cooked some hot dogs on our drift wood fire! We laid out some blankets and sheets. Admired the ocean. Felt the sand. Soaked up the sun! big breath and sign! Amazing! We played apples to apples on the beach for a bit and then we all just laid down and took a nap! It was a wonderful afternoon just cruising along the coast...once again kinda like the movies! hey it really exists in really life too! Awesome!
Just a side note: Apparently Camp gualala is for sale! Like 500 some odd acres for $1.7 million. So if you happen to have some spare cash laying around...buy it and I can think of lots of things I could do with it! And you would fall in love with it too! hehehe
In the bathroom stalls there was a sign that read like this:
Toilet Directions
( and you thought you knew)
If its pee, let it be (put toilet paper in trash can)
If its brown flush it down with tp
I can't remember what the very bottom said but basically thanks for helping with the stewardship of the water usage or something and the waste system of the camp!
That was very different! It was such a refreshing weekend! Friday night we did a processional to the river. We carried incense and candles to the river. We sang "down to the river" from Oh Brother Where Art Thou.
There was this big suspension bridge that was suspended from two enormous Redwood trees! It would swing when you walked on it! It reminded me of the bridges in moives where one of the cables starts coming apart and one side falls and everyone is hanging on for dear life! Nothing like that happened but we wouldn't have fallen very far so it might have been fun! hehehe
there were huge Redwood trees and one had a sign on it saying it was 2400 years old! That is older than Jesus! hehehe One tree had been cut down, it looked like becasue of a fire! One of the guys laid down and its diameter was bigger than his heigth. It was probably 8 feet in diameter! WOW, that is big! On Saturday about 5 or 6 of us went on a hike on the Dogwood trail! It was a very beautiful hike! There was a creek and lots of fallen trees for us to climb on and over! I felt like a kid again! I did make out with a big bruise on my thigh from hitting in on a tree!
the meals were amazing! Definitely not like any camp food I have had before! Yolanda and Tom cooked very good for us! Saturday we had pancakes, yogurt, cereal, eggs, and bacon! then we had strawberry or peach topping for our pancakes not to mention the syrup and whip cream to go on top. Orange juice and granola to go on top of the yogurt! OH it was mighty fine! Mmmm! Hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch with an awesome dessert! they had every topping you could have possibly imagined for your burger! OH so many choices! Dinner was a mexican casserole! Breakfast on Sunday was french toast, eggs, bacon, yogurt and all the fixings!
We watched some movies. I taught some ballroom dancing to some of them! We had a communion service on Saturday night! We played some games and even read some! I spent alot of time in front of the fireplace because it was pretty darn chilly there! Oh my! I actually slept in front of the fire! It reminded me of being at my grandpa's in Kansas! I would always sleep in front of the fireplace cause I'm the only one that wouldn't get too hot!
On our way home a group of us followed HWY 1 along the coast! That was breathtaking! The first 30 minutes from the camp to the HWY was right through the forrest! It was like we were in the jungle! The ocean was...I don't know that I have words for it! The coast is rocky and it would jut out here and there...rocks poking up out of the water making its presence known! Then the ocean just went on and on and on for as far as you could see! You would think this was the first time to see the ocean...it wasn't but everytime I am in awe to think the one who created me created such a beautiful landscape for me to be in awe and wonder! We stopped at a beach a ways down the coast! We cooked some hot dogs on our drift wood fire! We laid out some blankets and sheets. Admired the ocean. Felt the sand. Soaked up the sun! big breath and sign! Amazing! We played apples to apples on the beach for a bit and then we all just laid down and took a nap! It was a wonderful afternoon just cruising along the coast...once again kinda like the movies! hey it really exists in really life too! Awesome!
Just a side note: Apparently Camp gualala is for sale! Like 500 some odd acres for $1.7 million. So if you happen to have some spare cash laying around...buy it and I can think of lots of things I could do with it! And you would fall in love with it too! hehehe
Riding bikes with Alvin
just from the title I'm sure you have already said "oh no!"...well that is exactly what I said when Alvin asked if I wanted to ride bikes! First let me back up and explain how I believe this came up!
I decided to go outside and read my school books instead of being cooped up in the house on such a beautiful day! So as normal Alvin tends to follow me and see what it is that I am doing! He comes out and asks what I'm doing...I reply reading books for class! So he begins to just wander around the backyard where I'm reading. In the basement are two bicycles, Bob (his son) brought for me to use if I needed them. I haven't used them much because I think it is easier to walk up the gigantic hills than to ride up them! Anyways I notice Alvin became fascinated with these bikes! I almost already had a sense this wasn't going to be good, but he forgets things so I thought that might happen! Well he went back inside and I went in to check some things on the computer and he comes up and asks the magical question...would you like to go ride bikes? Well several things went through my mind 1) You just turned 89 years old, when was the last time you rode a bike? 2) you have demensia...this could be interesting 3) I still had things I needed to work on but i knew it would crush him... So I said sure I'll go ride bikes with you!
We pull out the bikes and we take them over to the street. It was quite apparent it has been a while since he had been on a bicycle. He just couldn't get it going! So he tells me he is just going to use the downhill slope to get going! Oh no! So he turns his bike to go down hill and off he goes! Somehow he ends up on the sidewalk and out of my sight! I feel like I am watching my kid and now I can't see him! AAAaaaahhhh! Finally, there he is! He is stopped by this point but still heading in a direction that will give him some boost for his ride. Well we both get going and things seem ok! Just keep in mind this is with several times of him trying to get his bikes going, him scooting along on the bike! We get to a street that is very busy so I tell him we have to turn around. We head back toward the house and since we have stopped it takes him quite a bit to get going again. I decide there is a block we can go around and be pretty confidant there won't be much traffic. So he is scootin' along and gets going. I am ahead of him just a bit and see a truck coming along the road we are going to turn on so I circle back to just let him know to watch for the truck...thinking he won't stop but just watch out! Nope! He stops! So this means he has to get going again and for some reason he stays right next to all the parked cars to do this. So he is bumping into cars and scootin' and refuses any help! So we get to the corner to turn to go back to the house and I am once again just a bit in front of him and I hear and see him fall! He didn't fall all the way down but he and the bike fell into a car and then the bike continued to crash to the ground. He caught himself on the car! so I rush over to check on him. He hops up and I urge him just to walk to bike back to the house..."No I'm fine. I can do this" Me- "I know you can do it but the house is right there." Him- "No I'm fine. I'll ride to the house!" There is no use arguing with him!
So I think that once we get back he will be done with it. As many times I am, I am wrong! We put the bikes up and I am getting ready to go into the house when I notice he is getting his bike back out! What are you doing, I ask. Him- "I'm going to just practice here in the back yard until I get it down." Me- "I think you have done good for today. Why don't we put the bike up and we can practice tomorrow." Him- "No, I won't take it on the street but I am going to practice here." Me- "I'm just afraid you will be sore tomorrow and you won't be able to move" Him- "No, I won't be sore tomorrow. I won't take it on the street but I'm just going to practice here in the back yard."
I will say that was probably one of the most frightening and sad moments of my life! He wanted to ride so bad and yet just couldn't quite get it! I hope I always have the courage to try something even though it seems impossible to do so! Oh the lessons Alvin is teaching me!
I decided to go outside and read my school books instead of being cooped up in the house on such a beautiful day! So as normal Alvin tends to follow me and see what it is that I am doing! He comes out and asks what I'm doing...I reply reading books for class! So he begins to just wander around the backyard where I'm reading. In the basement are two bicycles, Bob (his son) brought for me to use if I needed them. I haven't used them much because I think it is easier to walk up the gigantic hills than to ride up them! Anyways I notice Alvin became fascinated with these bikes! I almost already had a sense this wasn't going to be good, but he forgets things so I thought that might happen! Well he went back inside and I went in to check some things on the computer and he comes up and asks the magical question...would you like to go ride bikes? Well several things went through my mind 1) You just turned 89 years old, when was the last time you rode a bike? 2) you have demensia...this could be interesting 3) I still had things I needed to work on but i knew it would crush him... So I said sure I'll go ride bikes with you!
We pull out the bikes and we take them over to the street. It was quite apparent it has been a while since he had been on a bicycle. He just couldn't get it going! So he tells me he is just going to use the downhill slope to get going! Oh no! So he turns his bike to go down hill and off he goes! Somehow he ends up on the sidewalk and out of my sight! I feel like I am watching my kid and now I can't see him! AAAaaaahhhh! Finally, there he is! He is stopped by this point but still heading in a direction that will give him some boost for his ride. Well we both get going and things seem ok! Just keep in mind this is with several times of him trying to get his bikes going, him scooting along on the bike! We get to a street that is very busy so I tell him we have to turn around. We head back toward the house and since we have stopped it takes him quite a bit to get going again. I decide there is a block we can go around and be pretty confidant there won't be much traffic. So he is scootin' along and gets going. I am ahead of him just a bit and see a truck coming along the road we are going to turn on so I circle back to just let him know to watch for the truck...thinking he won't stop but just watch out! Nope! He stops! So this means he has to get going again and for some reason he stays right next to all the parked cars to do this. So he is bumping into cars and scootin' and refuses any help! So we get to the corner to turn to go back to the house and I am once again just a bit in front of him and I hear and see him fall! He didn't fall all the way down but he and the bike fell into a car and then the bike continued to crash to the ground. He caught himself on the car! so I rush over to check on him. He hops up and I urge him just to walk to bike back to the house..."No I'm fine. I can do this" Me- "I know you can do it but the house is right there." Him- "No I'm fine. I'll ride to the house!" There is no use arguing with him!
So I think that once we get back he will be done with it. As many times I am, I am wrong! We put the bikes up and I am getting ready to go into the house when I notice he is getting his bike back out! What are you doing, I ask. Him- "I'm going to just practice here in the back yard until I get it down." Me- "I think you have done good for today. Why don't we put the bike up and we can practice tomorrow." Him- "No, I won't take it on the street but I am going to practice here." Me- "I'm just afraid you will be sore tomorrow and you won't be able to move" Him- "No, I won't be sore tomorrow. I won't take it on the street but I'm just going to practice here in the back yard."
I will say that was probably one of the most frightening and sad moments of my life! He wanted to ride so bad and yet just couldn't quite get it! I hope I always have the courage to try something even though it seems impossible to do so! Oh the lessons Alvin is teaching me!
Honk, Honk, there's a Bonk!
Well Tay I used your amazing phrase to title this blog! This is more of a vent than anything! It is unbelievable (side note as I was typing this a song that was on the radio was singing unbelievable...that is just unbelieveable!) how many people honk here! I mean honk at anything and everything at anytime! I was walking the other day and a car coming from the top of the hill was already honking because a car at the bottom was trying to turn! HOOOOOOOOOONK! coming all the way down the hill! Crazy! Then someone who has the right of way was going around a curve and a car who was supposed to have been stopped was trying to turn into the path of the car with the right-of-way and started honking at said car! Crazy! I would be interested to know the percentages of horn repairs in California compared to Oklahoma!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Quaker Meeting
This past Sunday my friend Lindsay and I attended a Quaker meeting for Sunday morning service. Quaker services are usually unstructured. This means there is no formal opening, no hymns, sermon, liturgy etc. They believe all people are ministers if they allow the Holy Spirit to speak to and through them. So when we arrived, we walked into a square room with pews all facing in towards each other. They had cushions but then they had these cute little pillows sitting in the pews. In a sense, when you walk into the worship space you enter into your silent service. So we sat down and entered into silence. For about 30 minutes we sat in silence, then people began speaking. It was one at a time. According to the brochure we received as vistors, you are supposed to allow time for contemplating after each time someone speaks. The first lady spoke about a conversation she had with a Lutheran friend. The Lutheran was talking about how his church was in the process of looking for a new pastor and how they hoped they would have good sermons. She asked him, Why do you go the service? Is it for the sermons? She said, I began thinking about the question she asked him and was thankful he didn't ask her the same. She didn't think she could have given an answer at the time. She at first felt there were many differences between a Lutheran (or other structured service) and the Quaker service because of the sermons. She began to realize the pastor giving the sermon hopefully has done the same thing each person within a Quaker service has done and that is wait for the Spirit to provide direction and words to speak.
I know this is very judgmental but as I sat in silence I would listen to those who were speaking and I couldn't help but feel that several were very led and directed by the Spirit and that others seemed to be talking to hear themselves talk!
I know this is very judgmental but as I sat in silence I would listen to those who were speaking and I couldn't help but feel that several were very led and directed by the Spirit and that others seemed to be talking to hear themselves talk!
Things you learn when you have a blog!
So if you have read my blog, you know one of the blogs is about why my page name is dancin dolly! I told you my grandpa used to call me that when I was little! Well my mom had read my blog and she told me the reason he called me his dancin dolly was because in my very first dance recital we danced to a song called dancin dolly. We had big bonnets and from then on he called me his dancin dolly! I remember so very clearly when he died, I signed the card that went with the flowers "your little dancin dolly"!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Dinner Conversation 3
It is interesting what you talk about at the dinner table at seminary! There were about ten of us at the table and one guy, Warren mentioned I should sit in on some “academic classes” so I know what everyone is going through! So I asked what classes he has and if he liked them. He began by talking about his “Spiritual Disciplines” class, which all first year students must take. He said it is too touchy feely for him. He also said how the professors encourage all students when in class or reading to look for and acknowledge the assumptions within a given statement. One statement that is being used within this class is “nourish your soul.” Warren says there are at least 3 assumptions with this statement. 1) That we individually have a soul 2) that our soul can be nourished 3) that WE can nourish it Interesting, I would never have thought any of these things! So I asked, “So you don’t think we have a soul?” He said he thinks we have a soul but it is only within the community. He doesn’t think personal prayer, bible study, meditation, etc benefits one’s own soul. He did say it may make them more able to contribute to the whole but that we are not individually connected to God. It is only within community that we have soul. There was a lot more to the discussion but this is where I will stop. All of this made me think, I know I believe community is a vital part of ones life-spiritually and socially-but I don’t believe I personally don’t have a one on one connection with God. My mind began to wheel though, WHY do I believe that! I don’t know exactly and that bothers me! For me, a blue-orange according to personality tests, things are pretty feely! I feel God in my personal life. I think if it was just me on a deserted island, God and I would still have a connection! So I always feel this is how things are but I don’t know that is good enough! My other reaction was almost disgust with myself. Here I am saying I believe we personally can have a connection to God, yet I fail to regularly connect with God. I almost felt like a liar! If I believe I have an individual connection, by george, why am I not taking full advantage of it! So since that day, I don’t think I have missed my devotion or prayer. I have also meditated at least once everyday (my goal was twice a day, oops!) But he, without even knowing it, challenged me to be better at what I believe! So I encourage you 1) why do you believe what you believe 2) live what you believe. I also ask that you check up on my progress about why I believe I, personally, can have a connection to God. Not next week but in a few weeks ask me and see if I have any answers for you!
My time here is incredible and so valuable in many ways! My dance classes are great and very interesting! The things I have been and will be able to do is awesome too! I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to chase this dream! I have found out about several more sacred dance groups and I plan on checking them out while I am here! Hopefully I will be able to synthesize all this and create an awesome program when I get back!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
My time here is incredible and so valuable in many ways! My dance classes are great and very interesting! The things I have been and will be able to do is awesome too! I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to chase this dream! I have found out about several more sacred dance groups and I plan on checking them out while I am here! Hopefully I will be able to synthesize all this and create an awesome program when I get back!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
Thursday, September 11, 2008
There's a Rat in the attic
Pretty much from the first day I have been here I have heard these very loud scurries from above my room! As most people would assume, I thought there were mice or rats living in the attic and this poor old man couldn't hear them! So one day I awake to the thudding comig from the attic. And I begin to realize it has to be a rat or rats, because the sounds are much to loud for it to be a mouse. It almost sounds like a cat or a small dog running over the top of my room. I tis almost so loud that it terrifies me! I almost am afraid I may be eaten by whatever is living in the attic!
So in my bedroom is a skylight which i love! It allows the sunlight to come in all day long and i don't ever have to turn on the lights! It is awesome! So one day while I was at the desk in my room I heard the thunder from above me, I look up and happen to see this squirrel sitting at the edge of the skylight! About that time it takes off and the "rats" I have heard coming to get me in all reality is a squirrel! He is always up there! He also like to run around in the pear tree just outside the house! So I have now named him...Max! Not sure why Max. I came home today and he was in the tree and i was like hello Max so from here on out his shall be called....Max!
So in my bedroom is a skylight which i love! It allows the sunlight to come in all day long and i don't ever have to turn on the lights! It is awesome! So one day while I was at the desk in my room I heard the thunder from above me, I look up and happen to see this squirrel sitting at the edge of the skylight! About that time it takes off and the "rats" I have heard coming to get me in all reality is a squirrel! He is always up there! He also like to run around in the pear tree just outside the house! So I have now named him...Max! Not sure why Max. I came home today and he was in the tree and i was like hello Max so from here on out his shall be called....Max!
Oh Alvin
Alvin and i are still getting along great! When I arrived home on Monday, I got here in time to put down my big bag, change and rush off to class. Alvin must have heard me come in so he came back and gave me a big hug. You are back! Yes I am but I am off to class ok! I could tell he knew i had been gone! he still doesn't remember my name! I showed him a video of my family, the youth and Melissa. After I video taped each one I video taped me saying Hi I'm liz! I'm your roommate. Each time I would pop up he would laugh like oh there you are again but you could tell each time he still didn't know my name!
Last night for youth I had Alvin come over and talk to the youth. He told about himself. He sang a song a couple times. At first he didn't realize the youth on the computer screen were live. He thought it was just a picture on my computer screen. It wasn't until they started clapping for him that he realized it was live!
Today I went and worked out just before lunch and usually he walks to the senior center around
11:45am. So i tried to leave the gym so that I could meet him at the senior center. Well about the time i was showing up to the senior center there he came walking down the sidewalk. So I met up with him, he was like: where did you come from...did you follow me? I said no I just came from the gym. So he and I had lunch together. He almost got two salad bowl because he forgot we had already gone through the salad line! Then the two ladies at the table with us started talking politics and religion! Never good! One lady was very open minded (she would be a good United Methodist) but the other one was pretty set in her ways and wasn't going to hear anything else! Roxanne was very friendly and also very patient with Alvin. The other was Frnacesca! What are the odds! Although she is nothing like our Frannie! Francesca doesn't think we should read the bible because we don't know what it says. There are so many interpretations and that is why there is the priest. (She was Catholic) I don't think Roxanne and I quite realized this because Roxanne said that the Jewish tradition they are free to ask more questions within their faith. That is isn't told to you and you have to believe. So we were talking about this and Francesca really didn't like what we were saying. She got kinda defensive so Roxanne and I stopped talking about it. After Francesca left we picked up our conversation and said that politics and religion won't be discussed the next time we are all with Francesca!
So it has been an interesting day!
Last night for youth I had Alvin come over and talk to the youth. He told about himself. He sang a song a couple times. At first he didn't realize the youth on the computer screen were live. He thought it was just a picture on my computer screen. It wasn't until they started clapping for him that he realized it was live!
Today I went and worked out just before lunch and usually he walks to the senior center around
11:45am. So i tried to leave the gym so that I could meet him at the senior center. Well about the time i was showing up to the senior center there he came walking down the sidewalk. So I met up with him, he was like: where did you come from...did you follow me? I said no I just came from the gym. So he and I had lunch together. He almost got two salad bowl because he forgot we had already gone through the salad line! Then the two ladies at the table with us started talking politics and religion! Never good! One lady was very open minded (she would be a good United Methodist) but the other one was pretty set in her ways and wasn't going to hear anything else! Roxanne was very friendly and also very patient with Alvin. The other was Frnacesca! What are the odds! Although she is nothing like our Frannie! Francesca doesn't think we should read the bible because we don't know what it says. There are so many interpretations and that is why there is the priest. (She was Catholic) I don't think Roxanne and I quite realized this because Roxanne said that the Jewish tradition they are free to ask more questions within their faith. That is isn't told to you and you have to believe. So we were talking about this and Francesca really didn't like what we were saying. She got kinda defensive so Roxanne and I stopped talking about it. After Francesca left we picked up our conversation and said that politics and religion won't be discussed the next time we are all with Francesca!
So it has been an interesting day!
Dance
As far as my classes go, they are amazing! My teacher for both classes is Carla De Sola. She is a pioneer inthe field of liturgical dance. She has danced and taught dance for decades. She is probably 80 years old and is a ball of fire. She is a lady and when you look at her, you can tell she is full of wisdom. It is so hard to descibe what takes place in our classes and what we are learning. It is not what I expected but yet exactly what I expected. In one of my classes, there is a wide range of dance abilities, ethnicity, ages, male, female, etc but yet when we begin to dance everyone is on the same page some how! The purpose of the motions are definitely conveyed through the movement and the people.
I worked with two gentlemen for our processional dance this past tuesday. Both were probably 40-50s. neither of them have any dance experience. One is from Peru and one is from Korea. It was interesting working with them. They were great though. They jumped right in there and helped with our project!
My other class only has about 4-5 people in it. This class has only met once so I'm not real sure how this class is going to go! We will see over time! Either way it will be fun cause I am dancing! She thought about not keeping the class. So I am glad she decided to keep it!!
If you have any questions about my classes I will try to explain via email or whatever!
I worked with two gentlemen for our processional dance this past tuesday. Both were probably 40-50s. neither of them have any dance experience. One is from Peru and one is from Korea. It was interesting working with them. They were great though. They jumped right in there and helped with our project!
My other class only has about 4-5 people in it. This class has only met once so I'm not real sure how this class is going to go! We will see over time! Either way it will be fun cause I am dancing! She thought about not keeping the class. So I am glad she decided to keep it!!
If you have any questions about my classes I will try to explain via email or whatever!
Environmentally Friendly
I know alot of people think of this area as tree huggers and hippees and while that maybe right in some degree, I must say this area sure do a great deal more to save our planet. I don't mean this in a radical sense but just in their daliy living.
They conserve energy with skylights and the new light bulbs (which I know alot of people in OK doing the light bulb switch, I know i have and so has the church).
They recycle basically everything and they sort it out in different containers and set them out for the city to pick up.
They walk or ride their bikes. They also use alot of pubnlic transportation-B.A.R.T (Bay Area Rapid Transit) or the bus. These are great and cheap ways to get from here to there pretty quick. They have a thing called City Car Share. This is basically where you rent a car for so many hours and then turn it back in. There are stations to pick up the cars in a variety of locations. Usually this is used when you are going to the grocery store or market or shopping and you will be bringing back more than you can manage walking or riding. So it costs like 10/hour but you don't have to pay for insurance or taxes or any of that stuff.
They also have lots of places for people to get or create a compost pile.
They take cloth bags to the store to carrying groceries home. If they have to use a bag from the store they usually pick paper because it can be recycled.
They very rarely use paper or styrofoam goods. They also use mugs instead of paper cups for coffee. They use compostable goods if they have to use take home containers or to go stuff.
They also try to conserve water, especially now since they are in the middle of a drought! So water is not automatically served. You have to ask for it. The dorms on campus also have a certain amount of water they are supposed to use. So they encourage the students to take really short showers, turn water off when washing your face or bruching your teeth, etc. These are simple ways of conserving water. Melissa (my roommate in OK) and I prefer to just take showers on a more every other day routine. That is as long as we don't stink! hehehehe!
Things are also very organically farmed here. There are tons of Farmers Markets and they are highly used. Most everything sold there is organically grown. I went to the store yesterday and almost everything is organic. Most of the products you and i know from Wal-Mart are not sold here. Things are more expensive on a general basis and really the organiz stuff is not that much higher BUT here is the kicker. I decided to buy organic stuff. So I bought some bread, peanut butter, and jelly (preserves). I had the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich EVER!!!!!!! The bread was so good and fresh! The peanut butter....wow! I have to say the taste surprised me at first becuase it tasted more like peanuts. Weird right...well I know that when I have looked at the ingredients of a Jiffy jar of peanut butter there is tons of sugar and extra stuff in it and it tastes more sweet than peanuty! When I looked at the ingredients it said: organic roasted peanuts, less than 1% of salt. WOW if it isn't organic we had a whole lot of random stuff to our food! Guess what was in my Strawberry presevers: strawberries, sugar, fruit pectin and lemon juice concentrate. That is about what my granny puts in her preserves! I read a sign at the Y yesterday that said children between the ages of like 6-18 or something like that were tested. Some ate all organic and some ate "regular" stuff. If I remember right, they linked those eating organic foods with have a lower risk of getting cancer because there was less pesticides in their foods. This makes a lot of sense to me. Even if it had nothing to do with pesticides, but merely the fact that the organic stuff doesn't add in all the dyes, colorings, these phates and those phates I bet we would be much heathier. I think because of the things in our food we are seeing the side effects now. Just my opinion...i'd like to know yours.
All of this to say, I think if you are reading this and you live in Oklahoma and are not currently doing anything to be good stewards of the earth God gaves us to "culitvate" (Genesis 2) then I would encourage you to see how you could make a better impact on our earth and maybe even try an organic diet for a while and see if there is any difference in your body after a month or so. yes it is a bit more expensive but I think the long term effects are worth it!
They conserve energy with skylights and the new light bulbs (which I know alot of people in OK doing the light bulb switch, I know i have and so has the church).
They recycle basically everything and they sort it out in different containers and set them out for the city to pick up.
They walk or ride their bikes. They also use alot of pubnlic transportation-B.A.R.T (Bay Area Rapid Transit) or the bus. These are great and cheap ways to get from here to there pretty quick. They have a thing called City Car Share. This is basically where you rent a car for so many hours and then turn it back in. There are stations to pick up the cars in a variety of locations. Usually this is used when you are going to the grocery store or market or shopping and you will be bringing back more than you can manage walking or riding. So it costs like 10/hour but you don't have to pay for insurance or taxes or any of that stuff.
They also have lots of places for people to get or create a compost pile.
They take cloth bags to the store to carrying groceries home. If they have to use a bag from the store they usually pick paper because it can be recycled.
They very rarely use paper or styrofoam goods. They also use mugs instead of paper cups for coffee. They use compostable goods if they have to use take home containers or to go stuff.
They also try to conserve water, especially now since they are in the middle of a drought! So water is not automatically served. You have to ask for it. The dorms on campus also have a certain amount of water they are supposed to use. So they encourage the students to take really short showers, turn water off when washing your face or bruching your teeth, etc. These are simple ways of conserving water. Melissa (my roommate in OK) and I prefer to just take showers on a more every other day routine. That is as long as we don't stink! hehehehe!
Things are also very organically farmed here. There are tons of Farmers Markets and they are highly used. Most everything sold there is organically grown. I went to the store yesterday and almost everything is organic. Most of the products you and i know from Wal-Mart are not sold here. Things are more expensive on a general basis and really the organiz stuff is not that much higher BUT here is the kicker. I decided to buy organic stuff. So I bought some bread, peanut butter, and jelly (preserves). I had the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich EVER!!!!!!! The bread was so good and fresh! The peanut butter....wow! I have to say the taste surprised me at first becuase it tasted more like peanuts. Weird right...well I know that when I have looked at the ingredients of a Jiffy jar of peanut butter there is tons of sugar and extra stuff in it and it tastes more sweet than peanuty! When I looked at the ingredients it said: organic roasted peanuts, less than 1% of salt. WOW if it isn't organic we had a whole lot of random stuff to our food! Guess what was in my Strawberry presevers: strawberries, sugar, fruit pectin and lemon juice concentrate. That is about what my granny puts in her preserves! I read a sign at the Y yesterday that said children between the ages of like 6-18 or something like that were tested. Some ate all organic and some ate "regular" stuff. If I remember right, they linked those eating organic foods with have a lower risk of getting cancer because there was less pesticides in their foods. This makes a lot of sense to me. Even if it had nothing to do with pesticides, but merely the fact that the organic stuff doesn't add in all the dyes, colorings, these phates and those phates I bet we would be much heathier. I think because of the things in our food we are seeing the side effects now. Just my opinion...i'd like to know yours.
All of this to say, I think if you are reading this and you live in Oklahoma and are not currently doing anything to be good stewards of the earth God gaves us to "culitvate" (Genesis 2) then I would encourage you to see how you could make a better impact on our earth and maybe even try an organic diet for a while and see if there is any difference in your body after a month or so. yes it is a bit more expensive but I think the long term effects are worth it!
INTECH...or REDHAWKS???
So the plane ride back to California was quite an interesting one as well! Melissa took me to the airport around 10:30am. My flight was supposed to leave until Noon or so. I hadn't eaten yet so I went to Sonic and bought me a breakfast burrito. Mmmm was it good! As I sat there I noticed three good looking well dressed guys walk in to the sonic area and then wave at a guy sitting a ways on down restaurant area. I didn't think much of it and continued to eat my burrito. About 3 other guys come walking down the terminal and they wave at the three guys in Sonic and the guy on down the way. A few seconds later a lone man walks in and all these guys say hey and invite him to sit with them. Well this continues to happen for a few minutes and of course it peaks my interest. Why do all the guys seem to know so many other guys. So the logical answer is there must be a convention or something but they seemed a little to personal with each other for just meeting them at a convention. So I decided I would ask. So I walked over to where about 7 of them were sitting at this bar top and I asked one man, " I know this is probably going to seem weird but I noticed how you all seem to know each other. How is that?" He said, "Oh we are with Intech!" "Oh really," i say. "What is Intech?" He says, "We are computer programers or computer drafters." I said, "So are you all from here or what?" "No, we are from all over, I'm actually from Dallas." "So you are all going back to your homes?" I asked. "yes." So I said thanks and have a great day. I went to my gate and sat down.
I began to notice several of these Intech guys were going to my gate. So i thought to myself...this plane is going to Phoenix and then to Los Angeles. Yes, I'm sure several of these business guys are going that direction. Then I noticed the guy "going to Dallas" by my gate. My thought was...I bet his flight isn't for little bit so he is coming over here to hang with his friends until they leave!
I board the plane and the aisle seats and window seats are filling up. Near the back of the plane there are about, oh maybe 8 rows that haven't filled up yet but I find a seat a bit further up next to a window so I sit down and get comfortable. Well several of these Intech guys and by several I mean most of them are beginning to fill up the back of the plane. Now basically the only seat left are the middle seats. An older couple has made it to the back of the plane and haven't found two seats together. I overhear the man tell the wife we are going to just have to sit wherever, there aren't any seats next to each other. So I tapped the man on the shoulder and offered my seat because the middle seat was open and they would be able to sit next to each other. The lady says, you don't have to do that. I said I am by myself, I can find a single seat. So I traded places with her and ended up sitting in a middle seat in between two ladies and in front of some of the intech guys.
The window guy (Jason) said, "Better be ready, I'm gonna give you a hard time." I said, "As long as you can take it." He says, "Oh you're sassy!" I laughed and sat down. Well the older lady that was next to me ask where are all these guys from? Thinking I know the answer I kinda turn in my seat and say they are with intech...and looking at the guys behind us say, " you are with intech, right?" The one in the middle (Drew) says yeah and Jason says "No, we are baseball players." I said, "yeah right, you aren't baseball players!" He says, "Yes we are!" About that time, Robbie (if that really is his name) sits in the aisle seat in the row behind me and is laughing his head off! He tells them all how he told me they were computer programmers working for Intech! By this time the whole baseball team is looking at me and laughing. Jason says, "do we look like computer programmers. " "I thought you all were really cool looking computer programmers." So I turned around and looked at the lady, she giggled. I asked what baseball team and they said the Redhawks and she asked if that was a farm league for a team. I told her for the Rangers.
They told me they were going to play in Sacramento and I should come watch them play. I told them I might come and watch them!
So my friend Lindsay and I drove to Sacramento on Tuesday. We got there about 30 minutes late. First we parked in a place where we didn't have to pay...should have known it was to good to be true. A officer asked if we had a permit, we said no...she said parking is that way and pointed on down the road. So we pay for our permit and the guy points to a black car and says park next to the black car...with eyes are the target I begin to accelerate and then I hear Lindsay yell, "Liz watch out for the orange cone!" So I bust out laughing cause that is really funny. I am about, oh, 5 inches from the cone! By now all of the parking attendants have turned and are laughing. So I pull away from the cone and into the parking spot. We get out of the car and one of the attendants says, its probably because you are from Oklahoma. Hey now! He said, "did you all come here just for the game." at first we were like yeah...then we realize he thinks we drove from Oklahoma for the game...we told him we are going to school in Berkeley and then Lindsay is like you have to tell him the story about why we are here.
So I told him about how I got duped by the baseball players. He laughed and then I realized I had forgotten to make a sign that said "Go Intech" So I asked him if he might have any posterboard or card board for us to make a sign. He said I just might, lets go see. So we walked over to the big building where I guess he worked and he found us some cardboard. So we thanked him, laughed and walked to the front gate. So we get to the front and we go up to buy our tickets and asked the lady if there were seats still available to sit in the Home Run Hill. She said yes and so we bought two tickets...then I asked by any chance do you have a permanent marker? She said I might why? So she starts looking for markers and Lindsay is like you have to tell her the story! So I begin to tell her why we are at the game and how I was tricked by the baseball team to think they worked for intech. She started laughing and said, well I hope you all have a great evening. have fun! We said Oh we will!
So we head out to the hill and sit down where we are right behind the Redhawks bullpen. We stand up and yell "Go Intech!" Well a while later, a guy in the bull pen asks what my sign says. So I told him that I was the girl on the plane that #4 lied to about them being computer programmers and working for Intech! He said, "So you were the one laughing really loud at the back of the plane!" I said, "that would be me!" So by the end of the game, we had 6 tickets for Wednesday nights game, if we wanted to come! they lost 8-4 on tuesday.
Wednesday night 5 of us ventured over to Sacramento and watched the second game, we had free tickets, free parking and we won 11-2! Go Redhawks! We were not well liked by the crowd. There were about 12 of us all sitting next to each other that were rooting for the RedHawks and we were very spirited! We received many not so nice looks, 5 year olds sticking their tongues out at us, and fans booing us! It was terrible! I would encourage everyone while at a game remember to be good sports about the game! So all in all it was a great time!
Go Intech or Redhawks....which ever you prefer!
I began to notice several of these Intech guys were going to my gate. So i thought to myself...this plane is going to Phoenix and then to Los Angeles. Yes, I'm sure several of these business guys are going that direction. Then I noticed the guy "going to Dallas" by my gate. My thought was...I bet his flight isn't for little bit so he is coming over here to hang with his friends until they leave!
I board the plane and the aisle seats and window seats are filling up. Near the back of the plane there are about, oh maybe 8 rows that haven't filled up yet but I find a seat a bit further up next to a window so I sit down and get comfortable. Well several of these Intech guys and by several I mean most of them are beginning to fill up the back of the plane. Now basically the only seat left are the middle seats. An older couple has made it to the back of the plane and haven't found two seats together. I overhear the man tell the wife we are going to just have to sit wherever, there aren't any seats next to each other. So I tapped the man on the shoulder and offered my seat because the middle seat was open and they would be able to sit next to each other. The lady says, you don't have to do that. I said I am by myself, I can find a single seat. So I traded places with her and ended up sitting in a middle seat in between two ladies and in front of some of the intech guys.
The window guy (Jason) said, "Better be ready, I'm gonna give you a hard time." I said, "As long as you can take it." He says, "Oh you're sassy!" I laughed and sat down. Well the older lady that was next to me ask where are all these guys from? Thinking I know the answer I kinda turn in my seat and say they are with intech...and looking at the guys behind us say, " you are with intech, right?" The one in the middle (Drew) says yeah and Jason says "No, we are baseball players." I said, "yeah right, you aren't baseball players!" He says, "Yes we are!" About that time, Robbie (if that really is his name) sits in the aisle seat in the row behind me and is laughing his head off! He tells them all how he told me they were computer programmers working for Intech! By this time the whole baseball team is looking at me and laughing. Jason says, "do we look like computer programmers. " "I thought you all were really cool looking computer programmers." So I turned around and looked at the lady, she giggled. I asked what baseball team and they said the Redhawks and she asked if that was a farm league for a team. I told her for the Rangers.
They told me they were going to play in Sacramento and I should come watch them play. I told them I might come and watch them!
So my friend Lindsay and I drove to Sacramento on Tuesday. We got there about 30 minutes late. First we parked in a place where we didn't have to pay...should have known it was to good to be true. A officer asked if we had a permit, we said no...she said parking is that way and pointed on down the road. So we pay for our permit and the guy points to a black car and says park next to the black car...with eyes are the target I begin to accelerate and then I hear Lindsay yell, "Liz watch out for the orange cone!" So I bust out laughing cause that is really funny. I am about, oh, 5 inches from the cone! By now all of the parking attendants have turned and are laughing. So I pull away from the cone and into the parking spot. We get out of the car and one of the attendants says, its probably because you are from Oklahoma. Hey now! He said, "did you all come here just for the game." at first we were like yeah...then we realize he thinks we drove from Oklahoma for the game...we told him we are going to school in Berkeley and then Lindsay is like you have to tell him the story about why we are here.
So I told him about how I got duped by the baseball players. He laughed and then I realized I had forgotten to make a sign that said "Go Intech" So I asked him if he might have any posterboard or card board for us to make a sign. He said I just might, lets go see. So we walked over to the big building where I guess he worked and he found us some cardboard. So we thanked him, laughed and walked to the front gate. So we get to the front and we go up to buy our tickets and asked the lady if there were seats still available to sit in the Home Run Hill. She said yes and so we bought two tickets...then I asked by any chance do you have a permanent marker? She said I might why? So she starts looking for markers and Lindsay is like you have to tell her the story! So I begin to tell her why we are at the game and how I was tricked by the baseball team to think they worked for intech. She started laughing and said, well I hope you all have a great evening. have fun! We said Oh we will!
So we head out to the hill and sit down where we are right behind the Redhawks bullpen. We stand up and yell "Go Intech!" Well a while later, a guy in the bull pen asks what my sign says. So I told him that I was the girl on the plane that #4 lied to about them being computer programmers and working for Intech! He said, "So you were the one laughing really loud at the back of the plane!" I said, "that would be me!" So by the end of the game, we had 6 tickets for Wednesday nights game, if we wanted to come! they lost 8-4 on tuesday.
Wednesday night 5 of us ventured over to Sacramento and watched the second game, we had free tickets, free parking and we won 11-2! Go Redhawks! We were not well liked by the crowd. There were about 12 of us all sitting next to each other that were rooting for the RedHawks and we were very spirited! We received many not so nice looks, 5 year olds sticking their tongues out at us, and fans booing us! It was terrible! I would encourage everyone while at a game remember to be good sports about the game! So all in all it was a great time!
Go Intech or Redhawks....which ever you prefer!
Peanuts are made in a facilty with peanuts!
So these are some observations from my plane ride to Oklahoma! First of all, we had a very very funny flight attendant. He made the mandatory instructions pretty entertaining! When we had landed in Phoenix for some to get off, he said Peace Out! then he paused and said Word! For those of you who apparently have never heard this phrase it means like, "Yeah you know. or peace out." It could mean a couple different things. Well there was a lady a couple rows in front of me, leaned over to a man and said, "Did he just say 'word'?" hehehehehehe it was so funny! I ust never thought someone wouldn't know what that means! It just cracked me up! But it just goes to show the gap between the generations. Just in language...my dad had never heard that word used that way! It just make sme smile!
Then they passed out peanuts packs. So in the package is peanuts right? the package reads ingredients: peanuts, salt! Then just below the ingredients it says: Produced in a facility that processes peanuts and other nut. hehehehehe really? peanuts are processed in a facility with peanuts! that is weird! i find it so funny that is on the package! Now, yes I know maybe Bob is not allergic to peanuts but is allergic to wlanuts and wlanuts are processed in the facility with peanuts...i get all this but then why doesn't the package just say "produced in a facility that processed other nuts!" hehehe just makes me laugh!
Then here is the deep thought! (i know hard to imagine I would have a deep thought) But I stood there watching most of the plane unload while I waited in my seat ( i wasn't getting off yet). Each person walked by, some with smiles some with frowns, some frustrated and some oblivious to their surroundings. It made me think, what is their story! Each person has a story. They all have something from their past that haunts them. they are all probably currently under some sort of stress. Everyone of them interacts with someone else because of those stories. How things might be different if we began to see each person as someone who has a story I don't understand yet. When we are yelled at...what is their story? When we have a stranger pick up our dropped groceries...what is their story? When we pass a homeless person...what is their story? I always think...we were all children at one point. We all had a full life ahead with no worries, no stresses, God's love was fulfilling.... Then I think something changed in that child's life at the age of 6 when they were abused or at the age of 16 when their dad committed suicide or at the age of 33 when they had a family of 4 and they just lost their job!
We all have a story and we must realize our stories affect our lives and we must understand it is our responsibility to understand the stories others have and to love them unconditionally without the preconceived notions of who they are or why they are like they are!
Then they passed out peanuts packs. So in the package is peanuts right? the package reads ingredients: peanuts, salt! Then just below the ingredients it says: Produced in a facility that processes peanuts and other nut. hehehehehe really? peanuts are processed in a facility with peanuts! that is weird! i find it so funny that is on the package! Now, yes I know maybe Bob is not allergic to peanuts but is allergic to wlanuts and wlanuts are processed in the facility with peanuts...i get all this but then why doesn't the package just say "produced in a facility that processed other nuts!" hehehe just makes me laugh!
Then here is the deep thought! (i know hard to imagine I would have a deep thought) But I stood there watching most of the plane unload while I waited in my seat ( i wasn't getting off yet). Each person walked by, some with smiles some with frowns, some frustrated and some oblivious to their surroundings. It made me think, what is their story! Each person has a story. They all have something from their past that haunts them. they are all probably currently under some sort of stress. Everyone of them interacts with someone else because of those stories. How things might be different if we began to see each person as someone who has a story I don't understand yet. When we are yelled at...what is their story? When we have a stranger pick up our dropped groceries...what is their story? When we pass a homeless person...what is their story? I always think...we were all children at one point. We all had a full life ahead with no worries, no stresses, God's love was fulfilling.... Then I think something changed in that child's life at the age of 6 when they were abused or at the age of 16 when their dad committed suicide or at the age of 33 when they had a family of 4 and they just lost their job!
We all have a story and we must realize our stories affect our lives and we must understand it is our responsibility to understand the stories others have and to love them unconditionally without the preconceived notions of who they are or why they are like they are!
Thank your Preacher!
Well the Sunday of Labor Day, my friend Lindsay and I decided to try out one of the United Methodist Churches out here. I must say we both walked out of there asking each other what the sermon was about! I know the scripture was on Moses and the burning bush! Her sermon title was "Axis of Right Relationship" at some point she mentioned the axis of evil. When this was said, Lindsay said she thought of an SNL skit where George Bush put every country on the axis of evil list and I thought of Austin Powers! Don't think those were the images she was going for! The sermon lasted about 10 minutes and then it was done!
I was like, "Hey, I got jipped. Wheres the rest of the sermon?" I have no idea what the point was or what i was supposed to have learned. I can tell you that Moses asked two questions and he received two answers from God. Questions: Why me? and Who are you? God answered respectively: I will be with you. and I am who I am. Once again don't think these were the answers Moses was looking for!
All of this to say...you should call up your pastor (whoever it is) and say, "Hey, thanks for being such a swell pastor! You rock my socks off! I am so thankful for your 30 minute sermons because there is actually a point to them, even if I don't like what you are telling me!"
So go and tell your pastor thank you!
So I want to say how thankful I am to have Pastor Mark Barnett as my pastor. I am thankful for his guidance and his support even when I screw up (and I do on a very frequent basis). I am thankful for his leadership and his example. I am thankful for the times he apologizes for his mistakes. It helps me know I can fess up to my mistakes too! I am thankful he seeks the spirits guidance for his sermons and that the spirit trully works though his messages and speaks to everyone in the congregation! I am thankful for Wickline and am so proud to be a member! I love you Pastor Mark and my Wickline Family!
I was like, "Hey, I got jipped. Wheres the rest of the sermon?" I have no idea what the point was or what i was supposed to have learned. I can tell you that Moses asked two questions and he received two answers from God. Questions: Why me? and Who are you? God answered respectively: I will be with you. and I am who I am. Once again don't think these were the answers Moses was looking for!
All of this to say...you should call up your pastor (whoever it is) and say, "Hey, thanks for being such a swell pastor! You rock my socks off! I am so thankful for your 30 minute sermons because there is actually a point to them, even if I don't like what you are telling me!"
So go and tell your pastor thank you!
So I want to say how thankful I am to have Pastor Mark Barnett as my pastor. I am thankful for his guidance and his support even when I screw up (and I do on a very frequent basis). I am thankful for his leadership and his example. I am thankful for the times he apologizes for his mistakes. It helps me know I can fess up to my mistakes too! I am thankful he seeks the spirits guidance for his sermons and that the spirit trully works though his messages and speaks to everyone in the congregation! I am thankful for Wickline and am so proud to be a member! I love you Pastor Mark and my Wickline Family!
Trip to San Francisco
My friend Lindsay and I decided to venture over to San Francisco on Labor Day. Our day started kinda late because we each had things to do and wrap up before heading out so we left Berkeley around 3:30 or 4 and jumped on the BART heading to San Fran. We had found out while at the game on Saturday, to be prepared for the cool evenings so we had packed some long sleeved shirts. We got off the BART and took the bus to the Golden Gate Park. While riding the bus, we passed through some of th e downtown areas or at least the shopping district. Basically all the stores we might see in a mall are lined up along the streets. It is definitely different seeing Abecrombie and Express and American Eagle not in a mall. At least for me, it was different. The bus driver was kind enough to let us know the museums and things were going to be closed in the park because 1) it was late and 2) it was Labor Day! Duh, we should have thought of that! But we took off through the park! The first thing we came to was the conservatory! It was this huge white Victorian building with a giganitic dome on top!
It is like a great big greenhouse!
I hope to go back there in the near future! To the south (i think) was this very large open area with flowers, trees, and people everywhere. It is what one might typically think of San Fran or New York City. People were riding bikes, walking dogs, roller skating, sitting under a tree with their significant other, people reading books, kids playing and a saxophone playing from the bridge! The grass was so green and bright; the flowers were unbelieveable! It was quite a site! We kept walking, trying to take it all in before it got too dark! We went by the DeYoung Museum. This is apparently a pretty well known museum. Right now a well renowned glass blower has his stuff on exhibit.
I hope to go back there in the near future! To the south (i think) was this very large open area with flowers, trees, and people everywhere. It is what one might typically think of San Fran or New York City. People were riding bikes, walking dogs, roller skating, sitting under a tree with their significant other, people reading books, kids playing and a saxophone playing from the bridge! The grass was so green and bright; the flowers were unbelieveable! It was quite a site! We kept walking, trying to take it all in before it got too dark! We went by the DeYoung Museum. This is apparently a pretty well known museum. Right now a well renowned glass blower has his stuff on exhibit. We walked past it to the Japanese Tea Garden.
We were able to get in to it. It is a garden designed with Buddhuist style. There was a great big Buddha statue, water falls, zen garden (the one with the tiny rocks), dwarf trees, pagodas, peace lanterns and much more. There was a beautiful waterfall and little ponds. In the middle of it was a tea house where you could have tea in the little teeny tiny cups and tea pots. I plan on getting me a tea set, since I love tea so much! But this place made you relax and take a deep breath. There was such a refreshing spirit about this place. It was so calming. We walked through a Rose garden after we left the tea garden. The roses were so pretty!
Then we decided we still had some time, we would go to the beach. So we got back on the bus and headed for Ocean Beach. We walked up and the beach seemed like it went on and on for ever! The beach was probably a 1/4 mile to the water and who knows how long on the shoreline. The sand was so fine! There were dogs playing catch, couples drinking wine as the sun went down, kids splashing in the frigid water, and the sun hanging in the sky! I rolled up my pant legs and went and splashed around for a bit but it was a bit too cold for me! Lindsay and I just sat on the beach for a while and then decided to walk on down the beach to just scope things out. Well as we were walking down the beach, Lindsay yells, "Oh no, we are in the middle of a football game!" So I actually take notice and sure enough there were two guys trying to play defense and two trying to play offense. Well Lindsay took off running out of the way and I stood there held up my hands and said, "I'm open, I'm open. Throw it to me!" So the guy finally threw it to me and I ran and scored a touchdown! Go Liz! So the guys all laughed and were like, "Well you know what this means right? You two have to play! We laughed and then said ok, sure! So we ended up playing some football on the beach! As we finished up the game, the sun was just on the horizon and the sun set was so beautiful! The sky was changing colors and the sun was right on top of the water! It was awesome! That was about it for this adventure to San Fran!
It was a great day!
Then we decided we still had some time, we would go to the beach. So we got back on the bus and headed for Ocean Beach. We walked up and the beach seemed like it went on and on for ever! The beach was probably a 1/4 mile to the water and who knows how long on the shoreline. The sand was so fine! There were dogs playing catch, couples drinking wine as the sun went down, kids splashing in the frigid water, and the sun hanging in the sky! I rolled up my pant legs and went and splashed around for a bit but it was a bit too cold for me! Lindsay and I just sat on the beach for a while and then decided to walk on down the beach to just scope things out. Well as we were walking down the beach, Lindsay yells, "Oh no, we are in the middle of a football game!" So I actually take notice and sure enough there were two guys trying to play defense and two trying to play offense. Well Lindsay took off running out of the way and I stood there held up my hands and said, "I'm open, I'm open. Throw it to me!" So the guy finally threw it to me and I ran and scored a touchdown! Go Liz! So the guys all laughed and were like, "Well you know what this means right? You two have to play! We laughed and then said ok, sure! So we ended up playing some football on the beach! As we finished up the game, the sun was just on the horizon and the sun set was so beautiful! The sky was changing colors and the sun was right on top of the water! It was awesome! That was about it for this adventure to San Fran!
It was a great day!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
A Night on Tightwad Hill
Well yesterday, my friend Lindsay and I decided we would go walking around the UC campus to check things out! Well game day activities were in full force and people were milling around and heading to the game! Lindsay mentions how a friend of hers told her there was a hill where you can watch the Cal games and it is a great view! So we were like lets go check it out and see what it is like!
The first journey was trying to find the stadium! We knew it was on the far end of the campus but exactly where it was, was a mystery! So we did what any person would do...we followed the crowd of navy blue and gold! They proved to be trusty for the stadium laid before us!
(side note: many of you may have seen on the news recently the many people living in the trees! Well it is along the street near the stadium where you will find such persons! The campus is planning on building a new building and these fine folks feel very deeply the trees should remain where they are! There signs say, "Trees help us breathe!" "Save the trees"! There were several people still living in the trees! There are even a couple way up in the tops of a tree some 30 feet up! They had a crane! )
So we get to the stadium and the questions remains...where does this hill stand? So we looked to the left and it looks as if only students or those with tickets can pass that way, so we decided to the right we must journey! So we take off up this hill (side note: this area is either uphill or downhill there is no flat land...my legs should look pretty good after four months of hills! let's hope!) and we find a gianormous line of people! So we ask what the line is for (make sure we don't cross any boundaries we aren't supposed to) and then we ask where the hill is! They told us go on up this hill and tightwad hill will be over there! Now they didn't tell us this hill was forever away at least it seemed like it!
We begin to walk along this wooded path that on one side is residential and the other is a softball field! We started discussing the porbabilty of this hill be somewhere on the other side of the field and someone over heard! They asked if we were looking for Tightwad HIll and we reply yes! He told us if we continue down this path we would come to the end of the fields and could cut across the parking lot! Found the parking lot now where is this hill?
We come to a point where we have to have a ticket, climb this hill to our right that we aren't real sure if it is THE hill, or turn around and walk home the very, very long way we came! So we notice a fence and in the fence was an opening! Score! So we ventrued through the fence and up the hill and we begin to see and hear people...this must be the place! Sure enough, we get to a point where we are overlooking the entire stadium and the entire Berkeley area and the bay! San Francisco sat directly opposite from Tightwad Hill!
Tightwad Hill in case you haven't put together is where all those without money or those who don't want to spend the money for tickets can go and watch the game with a pretty good view of the whole field! We thought it was just going to be a few people...oh no! imgaine like basically a whole other section of the stadium on the side of this mountain! Tons of people...i'd say somewhere close to 200! So I don't know if it is just on the hill or everywhere but they made anybody with red (Stanford's colors-big rival of Cal apparently) and anybody with green (Michigan State's colors-who they were playing) take it off! so people were having to take their shirts off to be able to stay on the hill! Thank goodness most of them had something on underneath or something else with them! There were guys singing songs they had made up over the course of a few years or maybe that night! One was in spanish, it was "we are the bears" !
Several people about fell down the mountain! It was quite an experience! One I shall not forget!The next home game isn't until Sept. 27th! So I have a month to recover and prepare for the next!
The first journey was trying to find the stadium! We knew it was on the far end of the campus but exactly where it was, was a mystery! So we did what any person would do...we followed the crowd of navy blue and gold! They proved to be trusty for the stadium laid before us!
(side note: many of you may have seen on the news recently the many people living in the trees! Well it is along the street near the stadium where you will find such persons! The campus is planning on building a new building and these fine folks feel very deeply the trees should remain where they are! There signs say, "Trees help us breathe!" "Save the trees"! There were several people still living in the trees! There are even a couple way up in the tops of a tree some 30 feet up! They had a crane! )
So we get to the stadium and the questions remains...where does this hill stand? So we looked to the left and it looks as if only students or those with tickets can pass that way, so we decided to the right we must journey! So we take off up this hill (side note: this area is either uphill or downhill there is no flat land...my legs should look pretty good after four months of hills! let's hope!) and we find a gianormous line of people! So we ask what the line is for (make sure we don't cross any boundaries we aren't supposed to) and then we ask where the hill is! They told us go on up this hill and tightwad hill will be over there! Now they didn't tell us this hill was forever away at least it seemed like it!
We begin to walk along this wooded path that on one side is residential and the other is a softball field! We started discussing the porbabilty of this hill be somewhere on the other side of the field and someone over heard! They asked if we were looking for Tightwad HIll and we reply yes! He told us if we continue down this path we would come to the end of the fields and could cut across the parking lot! Found the parking lot now where is this hill?
We come to a point where we have to have a ticket, climb this hill to our right that we aren't real sure if it is THE hill, or turn around and walk home the very, very long way we came! So we notice a fence and in the fence was an opening! Score! So we ventrued through the fence and up the hill and we begin to see and hear people...this must be the place! Sure enough, we get to a point where we are overlooking the entire stadium and the entire Berkeley area and the bay! San Francisco sat directly opposite from Tightwad Hill!
Tightwad Hill in case you haven't put together is where all those without money or those who don't want to spend the money for tickets can go and watch the game with a pretty good view of the whole field! We thought it was just going to be a few people...oh no! imgaine like basically a whole other section of the stadium on the side of this mountain! Tons of people...i'd say somewhere close to 200! So I don't know if it is just on the hill or everywhere but they made anybody with red (Stanford's colors-big rival of Cal apparently) and anybody with green (Michigan State's colors-who they were playing) take it off! so people were having to take their shirts off to be able to stay on the hill! Thank goodness most of them had something on underneath or something else with them! There were guys singing songs they had made up over the course of a few years or maybe that night! One was in spanish, it was "we are the bears" !
Several people about fell down the mountain! It was quite an experience! One I shall not forget!The next home game isn't until Sept. 27th! So I have a month to recover and prepare for the next!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Dinner Conversations 2
So today during lunch, a couple of us who were in the dinner conversation about ca, were accompanied by a few others and he and I began talking about spreading the ca. He mentioned how he had used it with a friend online! So we shared our discussion with those who were new to the conversation! While discussing this whole topic again...the question was posed...are there ever any new ideas or are there just recreated and adapted ideas? hmmmm? interesting thought...maybe the recreated idea could be seen as a new idea but techinically if it orginated from somewhere else is it really new? and to think that no one else has ever had that idea...isn't that kinda i don't know arrogant to think we are the only one who has ever thought of something!
All of this coming from "Honey if you love me, will you please smile." maybe that wasn't a new game, maybe it was just adpated from something else...just a thought! We spent quite a while pondering this today! Although someone else mentioned how this is acutally kind of a pessimistic way of looking at creativity! Yet I don't think creativity is bad or what not but just that maybe there aren't any truly brand new ideas! this thought was also held by others at the table! one guy had actually written a paper in college about new ideas and by the time he had finished his paper he had, in his own mind, proved himself wrong and he doesn't think there are any new ideas!
what do you think and why?
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
All of this coming from "Honey if you love me, will you please smile." maybe that wasn't a new game, maybe it was just adpated from something else...just a thought! We spent quite a while pondering this today! Although someone else mentioned how this is acutally kind of a pessimistic way of looking at creativity! Yet I don't think creativity is bad or what not but just that maybe there aren't any truly brand new ideas! this thought was also held by others at the table! one guy had actually written a paper in college about new ideas and by the time he had finished his paper he had, in his own mind, proved himself wrong and he doesn't think there are any new ideas!
what do you think and why?
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
Dinner Conversations
the other day several of us were having lunch on the patio and struck up a conversation! This conversation was not necessarily productive or intellectual but it sure was fun! I believe it began by someone mentioning the game "Honey if you love me, will you please smile?" After all of us had said we had heard of this game, I posed the question how does something like that get started and spread all over the place? I mentioned I had never seen this in a game book! This began the dialogue of how something might happen. One suggested maybe it was played somewhere and someone liked it and shared it and then someone else shared it and so it was! But that then raised the question, who started it! There must have been a sole starter! How does one do such a thing?
This then brought up the topic of popular phrases like "true story"! how did that become such a well known phrase? Did someone say it and it just stuck, was it on a movie or commercial? This conversation continued and somehow moved to text language! lol, brb, ttyl...how did these become text lingo? laugh out loud-that isn't really even used in day to day talk so how did it become the language on the computer or texting? One person at the table mentioned how he read most of those acronyms began from a single forum some time ago! either way...someone had to sit down and be like, "hm, we will soon have texting and it sure would be easier to abreviate everything so I will create this new language for all to use!" or did they just say, "bob, lol!" and bob was like, "Benny, lol? what does that mean?" "bob, that means laugh out loud!" and so it began!
We also discussed how do people really laugh out loud when they have typed lol? and if you haven't why do you type it? you should put down something that reflects what actually happened not something false!
We have no idea but what we did decide was we want to be THAT person! we want to start something and have it catch on and one day come back to us from someone we never shared it with! This is what we came up with! We think most people don't really laugh out loud but they probably chuckle to where it can be heard thus...ca! ca, you ask, what does that mean? It means chuckle audibly! So we would encourage each of you to begin using "ca" in your text lingo and im lingo and computer lingo! We want to see this catch on! Help us start something that spans the entire country and maybe even the world!
Oh, and that is something else we talked about...do people in other countries use the same lingo...do people in china use lol or do they have the lol equivalent? or do they even abbreviate things! maybe that is just a sign of the fast paced, instant gratification of the USA! Hmmm...we wonder! if you have any thoughts on any of this please share it with me!
Donn't forget....ca! chuckle audibly!!
have a great day!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
This then brought up the topic of popular phrases like "true story"! how did that become such a well known phrase? Did someone say it and it just stuck, was it on a movie or commercial? This conversation continued and somehow moved to text language! lol, brb, ttyl...how did these become text lingo? laugh out loud-that isn't really even used in day to day talk so how did it become the language on the computer or texting? One person at the table mentioned how he read most of those acronyms began from a single forum some time ago! either way...someone had to sit down and be like, "hm, we will soon have texting and it sure would be easier to abreviate everything so I will create this new language for all to use!" or did they just say, "bob, lol!" and bob was like, "Benny, lol? what does that mean?" "bob, that means laugh out loud!" and so it began!
We also discussed how do people really laugh out loud when they have typed lol? and if you haven't why do you type it? you should put down something that reflects what actually happened not something false!
We have no idea but what we did decide was we want to be THAT person! we want to start something and have it catch on and one day come back to us from someone we never shared it with! This is what we came up with! We think most people don't really laugh out loud but they probably chuckle to where it can be heard thus...ca! ca, you ask, what does that mean? It means chuckle audibly! So we would encourage each of you to begin using "ca" in your text lingo and im lingo and computer lingo! We want to see this catch on! Help us start something that spans the entire country and maybe even the world!
Oh, and that is something else we talked about...do people in other countries use the same lingo...do people in china use lol or do they have the lol equivalent? or do they even abbreviate things! maybe that is just a sign of the fast paced, instant gratification of the USA! Hmmm...we wonder! if you have any thoughts on any of this please share it with me!
Donn't forget....ca! chuckle audibly!!
have a great day!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
Happenings Yesterday
Well just random things I thought I would share!
I went on a nature hike! I saw a spider that builds a wed that is in the form of a dome and apparently they sometimes build like little condos with several domes on top of each other.
I took a walk down Shattuck which is like the main drag of Berkeley! As I was walking down the road, some high school students who had just been dismissed from school were throwing eggs at each other and at cars. Two police on bicycles rolled up and grabbed one kid and snatched his back pack! It was weird seeing kids running around with hand fulls of eggs! If I ever see my kids throwing eggs at people or cars, you will have to deal with me!
I saw a man who was basically just a torso! He was rolling around on a skateboard! Not sure how else to describe it but it was different! I had never seen that before!
And right after that I passed a lady who must have had terrets! She was yelling at the top of her lungs something which I couldn't understand! She just kept yelling and yelling! All of the last 3 things happened with in 3 minutes of each other! It was like bam, bam, bam!
I watched a movie with Alvin! I think that is about it for today!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
I went on a nature hike! I saw a spider that builds a wed that is in the form of a dome and apparently they sometimes build like little condos with several domes on top of each other.
I took a walk down Shattuck which is like the main drag of Berkeley! As I was walking down the road, some high school students who had just been dismissed from school were throwing eggs at each other and at cars. Two police on bicycles rolled up and grabbed one kid and snatched his back pack! It was weird seeing kids running around with hand fulls of eggs! If I ever see my kids throwing eggs at people or cars, you will have to deal with me!
I saw a man who was basically just a torso! He was rolling around on a skateboard! Not sure how else to describe it but it was different! I had never seen that before!
And right after that I passed a lady who must have had terrets! She was yelling at the top of her lungs something which I couldn't understand! She just kept yelling and yelling! All of the last 3 things happened with in 3 minutes of each other! It was like bam, bam, bam!
I watched a movie with Alvin! I think that is about it for today!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Landscape of Life
So it was interesting to me as I traveled to California all the different land forms! I saw mountains, shrubs, mesas, plateaus, hills, tall trees, cactus, desert, sand, canyons, and so much more! As I watched it changed and was amazed everytime, I began to think how similar that is to our life! We are on this journey called life and over the course of our life we go through several different land forms! We go through places in our lives that are flat and easy to travel! We seem to be able to see for miles what is coming our way and then it seems as if out of no where we are in the midst of a desert! Things are hot and dry! We become weary if we don't hydrate ourselves with refreshing water! We can become dead almost in life, faith, and spirit! We don't seem to produce much fruit from our land! Then we get into a place where things are more green! We have began to see growth and life! Things are getting better! Then we begin to go uphill! Maybe these are the struggles of life! These are some of the obstacles we face along our journey! But within the ascent to the top, we still see beauty and wonder! We can still see growth and new life in the grass and animals! Evergreen trees reminding us of everlasting life! yet we can feel in our bodies the work and stress of climbing such a steep mountain! BUT then we reach the top! From there we can see the whole place! We can see where we came from and the great joys and blessings it has brought us! We see the lessons we learned and how we have changed over that trek! We see the sun in all its glory, rays of sunshine beaming through the clouds and over the fields! We can smell the rain awakening the valley! The rain bringing a cleansing spirit! I then think about the Petroglyphs I stopped and visited in Albequerque! These are the things along our path that remind us of our past! Some of these may be good memories and help us to move forward! Some of them may actually keep us from continuing the journey to which we are called! We keep staring and gazing at what has been and what used to be, what happened to me instead of seeing it as just an exit on this journey and getting right back on the highway of life! We many times allow these exits to be overnight stays when they should just be a point to stretch our legs!
I know I can think back into my life and see all types of land forms in my life! I am very grateful for each and can see a lesson in each! I try to remember some of those areas I might have been able to avoid or quicken had I been more diligent in my time and relationship with God! The dry times in my life...was not only dry in the things happening but also in my relationship with God! The mountaintop experiences were the times when I felt the closest to God, my relationship was first priority!
Oh the things we learn while on the road of life!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
I know I can think back into my life and see all types of land forms in my life! I am very grateful for each and can see a lesson in each! I try to remember some of those areas I might have been able to avoid or quicken had I been more diligent in my time and relationship with God! The dry times in my life...was not only dry in the things happening but also in my relationship with God! The mountaintop experiences were the times when I felt the closest to God, my relationship was first priority!
Oh the things we learn while on the road of life!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
Orientation
Well honestly so far this week has been just meeting after meeting after meeting! Really alot of the stuff doesn't apply to me since I am not entering into a degree program but there has been some interesting information shared and things I have picked up! Everyone is very friendly! We all eat together in the little dining hall (nothing like what you have pictured in your head) but almost everytime everyone sits with someone different so are able to meet new people and get to know the faces of those in the new class! I'm kinda the joke of the group because I am the only one with the "Special Student Status" so when we go around and introduce ourselves...I say, "I'm Liz, I'm the 'Special Student'. I'm from Oklahoma" They all laugh! I've had alot of people wonder what "Special Student Status" means...so I try to fill them in!
I have already enrolled in my two dance classes! So I think all I have to do is pretty much done!
Everyone I talk to says, "Carla is amazing! Have you had any classes with her before?" Carla is the instructor of the dance classes! It is funny they ask if I have taken any dance classes with her, especially since I am a new student!
Each night they have different activities to get everyone acquainted and mixed up! So Monday night they had an Ice Cream Social! Last night we went to a place called Shattuck Down Low. We sang some Karaoke! That was alot of fun! For dinner tonight all of the seminaries associated with the GTU (which PSR is a part of) will be having a BBQ at one of the seminaries! If you want to see the seminary through which I am taking classes go to http://www.psr.edu/ ! It will give you some insight into the school! Tonight I'm going to watch a performance by a group called Wing It! It is a performance group from the program Interplay! Interplay is the other program I plan on gettin involved! It does alot of spiritual body movement, play and storytelling! I am really excited about that! If you want to go check out the website for Interplay to get a better idea if what I'm talking about go to http://www.interplay.org/
I have already been asked to help with the worship/chapel service for next Tuesday! One of the girls is choreographing a dance and I will be one of four dancers for the service! I am pretty excited about that! At that point I won't have even had a class yet! hehehe
Alvin is doing good! It is funny because I know he recognizes me and knows I am supposed to be there but I don't think he remembers my name still! Yesterday was kinda sad cause I got back to the house about 7 and then turned around to leave for Karaoke and he seemed so sad I wasn't going to be there to talk with him!
Well for right now that is about it! Can't think of any else! I love you!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
I have already enrolled in my two dance classes! So I think all I have to do is pretty much done!
Everyone I talk to says, "Carla is amazing! Have you had any classes with her before?" Carla is the instructor of the dance classes! It is funny they ask if I have taken any dance classes with her, especially since I am a new student!
Each night they have different activities to get everyone acquainted and mixed up! So Monday night they had an Ice Cream Social! Last night we went to a place called Shattuck Down Low. We sang some Karaoke! That was alot of fun! For dinner tonight all of the seminaries associated with the GTU (which PSR is a part of) will be having a BBQ at one of the seminaries! If you want to see the seminary through which I am taking classes go to http://www.psr.edu/ ! It will give you some insight into the school! Tonight I'm going to watch a performance by a group called Wing It! It is a performance group from the program Interplay! Interplay is the other program I plan on gettin involved! It does alot of spiritual body movement, play and storytelling! I am really excited about that! If you want to go check out the website for Interplay to get a better idea if what I'm talking about go to http://www.interplay.org/
I have already been asked to help with the worship/chapel service for next Tuesday! One of the girls is choreographing a dance and I will be one of four dancers for the service! I am pretty excited about that! At that point I won't have even had a class yet! hehehe
Alvin is doing good! It is funny because I know he recognizes me and knows I am supposed to be there but I don't think he remembers my name still! Yesterday was kinda sad cause I got back to the house about 7 and then turned around to leave for Karaoke and he seemed so sad I wasn't going to be there to talk with him!
Well for right now that is about it! Can't think of any else! I love you!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
Monday, August 25, 2008
The First Encounter!
Well as I said before I arrived at Alvin's house around 5pm on Sunday evening! When I got here, there weren't many places to park so I found a spot that was just a bit down from where I thought the house was! As I got out of my car I noticed a man sweeping the driveway! The plan was for Bob, Alvin's son, to meet me around 5pm so I thought maybe this was Bob! So I am walking his way with a gigantic smile on my face cause I'm thinking surely he will realize it is me since he is expecting me but he doesn't say anything...he just smiles real big at me too! So I finally say are you Bob? He grins and says, "I wish I was!" hehehehe We both laughed and he said you are here to be Alvin's roommate, I have heard about you! He told me Bob wasn't there yet but should be soon!
The man's name is Jude and he live next door to Alvin! He has lived there since he was a kid! He and Bob grew up together! So we chatted for some time and he asked all kinds of questions about what my plans were! About 5-10 minutes later Bob pulled up! So we introduced ourselves and then we went in and I met Alvin!! When I walked in, he was brushing his teeth! I have to say, he is one of the cutest little old men I have seen! So I began to unpack my car and bring stuff in! He and Bob both helped me! So that evening we went out to eat at a little cafe called Cafe Rogue! It was very good...very expensive...it will probably be the one and only time I ever eat there but I enjoyed it! We just chatted...getting to know each other! Bob is an orthopedic surgeon! He works in Oakland! He is married to a woman named Hillary and she works with childrens books but I am not exactly sure what she does!
Alvin is a former marine as most of you know! His wife, Dorothy Louise, was in W.A.S.P. This stands for Women's Air Service Pilot. This group of women flew domestic flights so the men would be free to fly over seas and be in combat! He and Dorothy met while they were in the service. They met through Dorothy's sister, Ruth. Ruth was dating one of Alvin's service buddys and Alvin and Dorothy hit it off! Dorothy died about 15 years ago from a heart condition she had from a very young age! This is a story they shared with me about her getting into the service! Due to her heart condition she knew she would pass the tests to get into the service! So her doctor told her how she could hide the murmur in her heart by applying pressure to something, not sure but either way it made the murmur basically silent! So it came down to the final exams and everything and they were required to take x-rays of their chest. So while standing in line, she struck up a conversation with the young lady behind her. As they began to talk the young lady mentioned she really didn't want to go into the W.A.S.P., so Dorothy and this young lady switched x-rays so it appeared Dorothy had an excellent heart and the young lady had an enlarged heart! WOW! How crazy is that! Anyway, it is very apparent Alvin misses her greatly and loved and admired her dearly! Ruth, her sisiter, lives within about 2 miles of Alvin and regularly checks on him and talks to him!
Alvin is an interesting fellow because he has a very bad memory! I told him my name probably 15 times the first night I met him! I have heard many of the same stories many times! I have been asked many of the same questions many times! This morning he walked over to me and said, "Now I'm sorry but I have forgotten your name and what is our relationship to each other, why are you here?" It was very apparent he recognized me but wasn't quite sure what the arrangements were! I reminded him his son Bob had arranged for me to be his roommate! He said, "Oh great, how long will you be here?" I told him til December! He said, "Oh well I think I can live with that!" He said, "Now how long are you going to be here?" It is actually very sad to know he doesn't remember a whole lot! He is so sweet and very excited to have me here! He took me to the Senior Center today for lunch! The senior center is less than 1/2 mile from his home! He seems to be able to remember how to get to and from the center! He eats at the center everyday of the week! But apparently he forgets what day it is, so he soemtimes walks to the center on Saturday and Sunday (when they don't serve meals) and realizes they are serving meals so he has to find lunch somewhere else! He loves musicals and Oklahoma is one of his favorites! I have heard several times about his trip to see Oklahoma live! He was a paratrooper for the marines! I think I have understood him right! From what he has said he worked very closely with the Navy! He was an observer pilot! So he would watch for targets and then give the coordinates to either the land artillery or to the battleship and they would fire! I think I am saying all that right! I do know he has told me about a tower they build at some State Fair and then after that the Marines used it to practice jumps! They had some arm that would swing out and the troopers would practice their jumps from that tower! He has two sons, Bob, who has set this arrangement up and then Eric. Eric lives in Massachusetts! He is a yoga instructor! Eric has never married but is apparently dating someone at this point in time! Neither one of the boys have kids, so Alvin has no grandkids! Alvin is one of nine siblings. I believe this is correct! This would be one thing we have been over many times but it seems to change every time! He asks me how many are in my family and then he tells me how many are in his family! These are his siblings: Otto, Herman, Henry, Robert, Joe, John, Esther, Clara and then Alvin! Henry died in Solomon Islands in war. Herman died in France. I can't remember if it was in war or something else! Otto was a chef and I believe he has died. Clara and Esther live in Maryland! They live pretty close to each other and apparently keep in contact! Alvin is very fond of Esther and kinda sounds like she is his favorite! Not real sure why but that just is the vibe I get! Due to the rule made because of the Sullivan brothers, how brothers had to be split up, he and his brothers were split when they went to war!
Dorothy was a big church goer and she attended a Methodist church here in Berkeley! He said he has never felt like he needed to go to church! He said he has lived a good and moral life but never felt he needed to go to church! He never felt a connection! He didn't eloborate much but I'm sure this conversation will be continued down the road! Well that is all I have for now! There will be more I am sure!
I love you all!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
The man's name is Jude and he live next door to Alvin! He has lived there since he was a kid! He and Bob grew up together! So we chatted for some time and he asked all kinds of questions about what my plans were! About 5-10 minutes later Bob pulled up! So we introduced ourselves and then we went in and I met Alvin!! When I walked in, he was brushing his teeth! I have to say, he is one of the cutest little old men I have seen! So I began to unpack my car and bring stuff in! He and Bob both helped me! So that evening we went out to eat at a little cafe called Cafe Rogue! It was very good...very expensive...it will probably be the one and only time I ever eat there but I enjoyed it! We just chatted...getting to know each other! Bob is an orthopedic surgeon! He works in Oakland! He is married to a woman named Hillary and she works with childrens books but I am not exactly sure what she does!
Alvin is a former marine as most of you know! His wife, Dorothy Louise, was in W.A.S.P. This stands for Women's Air Service Pilot. This group of women flew domestic flights so the men would be free to fly over seas and be in combat! He and Dorothy met while they were in the service. They met through Dorothy's sister, Ruth. Ruth was dating one of Alvin's service buddys and Alvin and Dorothy hit it off! Dorothy died about 15 years ago from a heart condition she had from a very young age! This is a story they shared with me about her getting into the service! Due to her heart condition she knew she would pass the tests to get into the service! So her doctor told her how she could hide the murmur in her heart by applying pressure to something, not sure but either way it made the murmur basically silent! So it came down to the final exams and everything and they were required to take x-rays of their chest. So while standing in line, she struck up a conversation with the young lady behind her. As they began to talk the young lady mentioned she really didn't want to go into the W.A.S.P., so Dorothy and this young lady switched x-rays so it appeared Dorothy had an excellent heart and the young lady had an enlarged heart! WOW! How crazy is that! Anyway, it is very apparent Alvin misses her greatly and loved and admired her dearly! Ruth, her sisiter, lives within about 2 miles of Alvin and regularly checks on him and talks to him!
Alvin is an interesting fellow because he has a very bad memory! I told him my name probably 15 times the first night I met him! I have heard many of the same stories many times! I have been asked many of the same questions many times! This morning he walked over to me and said, "Now I'm sorry but I have forgotten your name and what is our relationship to each other, why are you here?" It was very apparent he recognized me but wasn't quite sure what the arrangements were! I reminded him his son Bob had arranged for me to be his roommate! He said, "Oh great, how long will you be here?" I told him til December! He said, "Oh well I think I can live with that!" He said, "Now how long are you going to be here?" It is actually very sad to know he doesn't remember a whole lot! He is so sweet and very excited to have me here! He took me to the Senior Center today for lunch! The senior center is less than 1/2 mile from his home! He seems to be able to remember how to get to and from the center! He eats at the center everyday of the week! But apparently he forgets what day it is, so he soemtimes walks to the center on Saturday and Sunday (when they don't serve meals) and realizes they are serving meals so he has to find lunch somewhere else! He loves musicals and Oklahoma is one of his favorites! I have heard several times about his trip to see Oklahoma live! He was a paratrooper for the marines! I think I have understood him right! From what he has said he worked very closely with the Navy! He was an observer pilot! So he would watch for targets and then give the coordinates to either the land artillery or to the battleship and they would fire! I think I am saying all that right! I do know he has told me about a tower they build at some State Fair and then after that the Marines used it to practice jumps! They had some arm that would swing out and the troopers would practice their jumps from that tower! He has two sons, Bob, who has set this arrangement up and then Eric. Eric lives in Massachusetts! He is a yoga instructor! Eric has never married but is apparently dating someone at this point in time! Neither one of the boys have kids, so Alvin has no grandkids! Alvin is one of nine siblings. I believe this is correct! This would be one thing we have been over many times but it seems to change every time! He asks me how many are in my family and then he tells me how many are in his family! These are his siblings: Otto, Herman, Henry, Robert, Joe, John, Esther, Clara and then Alvin! Henry died in Solomon Islands in war. Herman died in France. I can't remember if it was in war or something else! Otto was a chef and I believe he has died. Clara and Esther live in Maryland! They live pretty close to each other and apparently keep in contact! Alvin is very fond of Esther and kinda sounds like she is his favorite! Not real sure why but that just is the vibe I get! Due to the rule made because of the Sullivan brothers, how brothers had to be split up, he and his brothers were split when they went to war!
Dorothy was a big church goer and she attended a Methodist church here in Berkeley! He said he has never felt like he needed to go to church! He said he has lived a good and moral life but never felt he needed to go to church! He never felt a connection! He didn't eloborate much but I'm sure this conversation will be continued down the road! Well that is all I have for now! There will be more I am sure!
I love you all!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
Dancin Dolly
Just a fun fact for all to know! You may and may not be wondering where Dancin Dolly came from! Well I'm sure the dancing seems logical enough but what about dolly! Well I am not sure where dolly came from but this is where Dancin Dolly came from! My grandpa Jackson, my mom's dad, called me his little dancin dolly! He died when I was in Fifth grade so he never really saw me grow in my dance! So when I was asked to put down what I wanted my address to be...it just seemed appropriate!
Gramps I hope you are proud!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
Gramps I hope you are proud!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
The Drive
Well I started my journey to California Friday around 4pm. The intention was to leave a little earlier but in true Liz fashion it ended up being a little later! I packed up what seemed like lots of clothes, some personal knick-knacks and some food and headed out! I made a stop at the largest Cross in the western Hemisphere! And kept driving! It is amazing how the scenery changes and kinda doesn't change! I drove to Albequerque, New Mexico! (just FYI, I spent about 5 minutes trying to figure out if I spelled that right, so if I did, my bad!) I stayed in an Econolodge just off the highway! That ended up not being the best hotel I have ever been in! The carpet on the floor had several stains or bleach spots or something! There was wall paper coming off the wall and you could just tell it wasn't in the best shape! Not to mention there was a small black bug on one of the pillows! Yeah! good times! The next morning I found several more critters on the floor! So don't stop at that one if you are going that direction!
I started out the next morning around 10:30am. Just a few minutes into my drive, I noticed a sign that said Petroglyph National Monument! Well it has been a while since I was in a history class so I had forgotted what a Petroglyph was! So, hmm, that sounded interesting to me! So I took that exit and found my way to this monument! Come to find out, petroglyphs are basically pictures drawn on rocks by the early indians! These are thought to be drawn by the early Pueblo Indians. So just imagine, small hills of these big black rocks! And some of these rocks have little pictures drawn on them. So of them were like little stick people, some were faces, some were just circles or squares but all cool nonetheless! While I was there, I ran into a little old man named Yunz! I think that is how you might spell it! He was on his way from Michigan to the Grand Canyon! He was traveling by himself and was taking some pictures of the petroglyphs! So I jumped back in the car and started back on the road! I drove until I made it to Barstow, California! Barstow was a neat little place. Well, not really little but where I stopped was just a cool atmosphere! It is a big train depot spot or at least alot of trains go through becasue the McDonald's was set in train cars. It was probably one of the coolest McDonald's ever!
So on Sunday morning from my hotel room, I video conferenced with the kiddoes during their Sunday School hour! Now just in case you don't know California is two hours behind Oklahoma. So it was 9:30am in Oklahoma and 7:30am in California! After I packed up that morning, I headed out with Berkeley being my next stop! I arrived in Berkeley around 5pm! As I was driving through Berkeley, I just kept getting more and more excited to meet Alvin and to begin this new adventure! I can't thank you all enough for allowing me this great opportunity!
I have had several of you say you are thinking about me and praying for me! Well it was definitely noticed on the drive! I passed many cars having problems on the side of the road! Every time I prayed for their safety and help but I thanked God for protecting me and not letting me have any problems! So THANK YOU for all your prayers! They helped!
Just some other random thougths about the trip here! I saw a mini van that looked like a giant collage literally! I really think they cut pictures and words out of magazines and mod podged them on the side of the van! Not only that but on the top of the van was a big George Washington head! Not sure what it was all about but definitely an interesting site! I saw a spot where there were about 7 or 8 multi-colored cars sticking out of the ground. They all had the front of the car stuck in the ground! It was on the east bound side of the highway so I could stop and find out what that was all about but I guess that leaves me something to do on the way home in December!
I think probably the neatest thing was watching the landscape change! We think Oklahoma is flat and treeless, there are other places a lot less treey (is that a word?) than Oklahoma! You go through areas where the hills are rocky, then the hills are sandy, then the hills have trees and grass, then there are no hills! There are places where there are beautiful mesas and plateaus and beside them are pointed mountains! It just makes you think about why are these flat on top and those right next to it pointed! It just astounds me to think of the great and awesome creation our God put together for us to marvel at! I going to make another blog about my thougths on how the land is kinda like our life journey! so for now that is it...oh what you want to know more about Alvin? Well that is going to be another blog as well! So much to say...I figured I would break it up for you!
Love you!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
I started out the next morning around 10:30am. Just a few minutes into my drive, I noticed a sign that said Petroglyph National Monument! Well it has been a while since I was in a history class so I had forgotted what a Petroglyph was! So, hmm, that sounded interesting to me! So I took that exit and found my way to this monument! Come to find out, petroglyphs are basically pictures drawn on rocks by the early indians! These are thought to be drawn by the early Pueblo Indians. So just imagine, small hills of these big black rocks! And some of these rocks have little pictures drawn on them. So of them were like little stick people, some were faces, some were just circles or squares but all cool nonetheless! While I was there, I ran into a little old man named Yunz! I think that is how you might spell it! He was on his way from Michigan to the Grand Canyon! He was traveling by himself and was taking some pictures of the petroglyphs! So I jumped back in the car and started back on the road! I drove until I made it to Barstow, California! Barstow was a neat little place. Well, not really little but where I stopped was just a cool atmosphere! It is a big train depot spot or at least alot of trains go through becasue the McDonald's was set in train cars. It was probably one of the coolest McDonald's ever!
So on Sunday morning from my hotel room, I video conferenced with the kiddoes during their Sunday School hour! Now just in case you don't know California is two hours behind Oklahoma. So it was 9:30am in Oklahoma and 7:30am in California! After I packed up that morning, I headed out with Berkeley being my next stop! I arrived in Berkeley around 5pm! As I was driving through Berkeley, I just kept getting more and more excited to meet Alvin and to begin this new adventure! I can't thank you all enough for allowing me this great opportunity!
I have had several of you say you are thinking about me and praying for me! Well it was definitely noticed on the drive! I passed many cars having problems on the side of the road! Every time I prayed for their safety and help but I thanked God for protecting me and not letting me have any problems! So THANK YOU for all your prayers! They helped!
Just some other random thougths about the trip here! I saw a mini van that looked like a giant collage literally! I really think they cut pictures and words out of magazines and mod podged them on the side of the van! Not only that but on the top of the van was a big George Washington head! Not sure what it was all about but definitely an interesting site! I saw a spot where there were about 7 or 8 multi-colored cars sticking out of the ground. They all had the front of the car stuck in the ground! It was on the east bound side of the highway so I could stop and find out what that was all about but I guess that leaves me something to do on the way home in December!
I think probably the neatest thing was watching the landscape change! We think Oklahoma is flat and treeless, there are other places a lot less treey (is that a word?) than Oklahoma! You go through areas where the hills are rocky, then the hills are sandy, then the hills have trees and grass, then there are no hills! There are places where there are beautiful mesas and plateaus and beside them are pointed mountains! It just makes you think about why are these flat on top and those right next to it pointed! It just astounds me to think of the great and awesome creation our God put together for us to marvel at! I going to make another blog about my thougths on how the land is kinda like our life journey! so for now that is it...oh what you want to know more about Alvin? Well that is going to be another blog as well! So much to say...I figured I would break it up for you!
Love you!
Blessed Adventurer,
Liz
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