Motherbrain

It's always been a dream of mine to write and talk for something I'm passionate about. I am working on a novel (very slow going lately), but I don't see that being something that I could maybe, someday, support my family through. However, I might have found something.  Finding a community of people who are passionate about at least some of the things that are important to me has also been a dream since the Vagrant Cafe shut down.  The team at Nerdnalist love a lot of the same things I love, and they smile indulgently when I go off on a tangent that isn't their specific area of passion.  That makes me happy.  I can write about pretty much anything that comes to mind and as long as it's coherent, interesting to the readership and well-formed, I can post it to a much wider audience than I have here.  So, having said all that, our website is a simple "Blogger" setup at the moment. We're working very hard to change that.  We've got grand ideas and a...

I'm an Episcopalian. I've only been going to the church for five years or so, but I'm pretty sure it's where we're supposed to be. I've gone to a lot of different churches and denominations throughout my life, and I've come to really love the rhythm and dialogue of the Episcopal church. One of the things that strikes me almost every week is a line in the Eucharist (Rite II) that our priest says while he's offering up the elements. “Unity, constancy and peace.” To me, that is the core of the Christian faith. Unity: We don't all agree. In fact, one of the draws of the denomination is that most people will not agree with your personal theology. You find touch points here and there with everyone, but there's an individuality that allows for the pull and stretch of the muscles of the Body of Christ. It's less of a balance and more of a pull between the two, giving each believer a place somewhere along the continuum of id...

This summer has been rough for us financially, and I've been thinking a lot about how we as a nation relate to those who are less fortunate than we are.  The solution as many see it is to have government programs that will feed, clothe and take care of those "below the poverty line" to increase their standard of living until they're not in the same position anymore.  A discussion with my children fomented this post.  By its very nature, need is unfair.  I don't have the same needs as you do. My family does not have the same needs as yours.  Keep that in mind for a moment.  Our government, at least the constitutional republic we live in, is based on the principles of fairness and equality.  Every person is given the same rights and privileges as a citizen of the United States.  So, when the government hands out food and money, it must be fair. Even when there are levels of need, the government hands out the same amount of money to the people w...

I've been thinking about this for a long time: where is critical mass? My sister is going through a difficult time -- please remember her in your thoughts and prayers -- and it got me to thinking. In government, in our personal lives, where is the line? When do we just stop, stand stock still, and say, "Here I stand; I will go no further?" I have heard it said that it is a personal choice. That no one else can tell you what is personal or governmental tyranny. That may be. However, as I was explaining to the kids, some things are only effective if there is a common effort. One voice in solo is beautiful. A chorus of voices, even singing in unison, is breathtaking . Noticeable. I believe there are two facets to finding that line and holding it. Firstly, education. I'm not talking about facts and figures. I'm talking about the ability to reason something out, to discuss it rationally, and to make an informed choice. That choice may change in later life when the i...

So, this summer has been good, but difficult. (Isn't that the way it always goes?) DH is waiting on a job interview, and we're getting to spend the time together as a family. That's good, but, uh... Needless to say, we've been relearning, "living by faith." That's always amazing and challenging in the same moment. The kids, especially Thing One, have been more palpably worried, but we're explaining that everything will be okay. Maybe not at all how we expected, but okay. I'm rambling. The other day, I just got so tired of everything. Tired of the computer needing fixed, tired of the food in the house being not what I was hungry for, tired of the worry and the fear of the whole situation. I whispered to myself: "I give up." The quiet response I got was startling in that profound way. "Good," the Still, Small Voice whispered emphatically in my ear. "Good. It's not yours anyway." I realized I'd been carrying ...

Happy Fourth of July everyone! Remember that the best laws are the ones that allow the most people to do the most for themselves (including stupid things) while not endangering another. Liberty is freedom plus just laws, and is what the founders wanted. God bless America.

My man just started his first blog, and if you're a photography fan, it'd be worth it for you to follow. It's at Desert Rat Photos . It's pretty self-explanatory, but to do it justice, my husband has been a desert dweller for almost all his life. Lately, with the purchase of his new tablet with a decent camera, he's been getting more good nature shots. His mission is to give you a different view of the desert, a glimpse into the beauty and diversity that we find in our dry, sandy world.

The LEGO Movie is in theaters (and drive-ins) now.  We went to watch it tonight.  To phrase my experience in "Tumblr lingo," 5/5 would recommend.  I won't spoil the movie for you, because that's a loser thing to do. What I will tell you is what I learned, what I enjoyed (in general) and why it was a really... awesome thing to do with my LEGO crazy boys and girl. My husband has been buying and manipulating LEGO since he was a tiny little thing. He loves them. So, when there was a story on screen with LEGO as the theme, the setting and the storyline,  we were all in.  There were a few LEGO in our house, but they were combined with Loc-Blocs, and another set we called "Funny Stuff" because it was a flexible building set that sort of worked between the other two.  Since I married, though, I've been a LEGO convert.  The movie was very good. The whole setting was set up with LEGO, and all the parts were made of bricks.  The fourth wall was there a...