TulipGirl

What has happened down here, is the winds have changed
Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain
It rained real hard, and it rained for a real long time
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline

The river rose all day, the river rose all night
Some people got lost in the flood, some people got away alright
The river had busted through clear down to Placker Mine
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline

Louisiana, Louisiana
They`re trying to wash us away, they`re trying to wash us away
Oh Louisiana, Louisiana
They`re trying to wash us away, they`re trying to wash us away

President Coolidge come down, in a railroad train
With his little fat man with a note pad in his hand
President say “little fat man, oh isn`t it a shame,
What the river has done to this poor farmer`s land”

Oh Louisiana, Louisiana
They`re trying to wash us away, you`re trying to wash us away
Oh Louisiana, oh Louisiana
They`re trying to wash us away, oh Lord, they`re trying to wash us away
They`re trying to wash us away, they`re trying to wash us away

–Randy Newman/Aaron Neville

. . . .

Down here the river meets the sea
In the sticky heat I feel you open up to me
Love comes out of no where, baby, oh, just like a hurricane
And it feels like rain
And it feels like rain

Lying underneath the stars right next to you
And I’m wondering who you are, and how do you do, how do you do baby
Oh, the clouds roll in across the moon, and the wind howls out your name
And it feels like rain
And it feels like rain

We never gonna make that bridge tonight, baby
Set across the Pontchartrain
And it feels like rain
And it feels like rain

Batten down the hatches, baby
Leave your heart out on your sleeve
Looks like we’re in for stormy, stormy, stormy weather
That ain’t no cause to leave
Just like
Let it wash away the pain
And it feels like rain
And it feels like rain
Baby can you feel it, can you feel it
It feels like rain
Baby can you feel it, can you feel it
Feels like rain
Let your love, let your love come down
Oh, down on me

–Aaron Neville

. . .

Family has evacuated from New Orleans. Praying for our friends and family, for the people who have shown their strength rebuilding and renewing. Praying the hurricane dissipates before any harm is done.

Rebecca muses:

“Some of us have the luxury of working with our little ones in tow. Some of us don’t. Some of us have the luxury of being self-righteous about our work choices. Some of us forego that luxury. But the real women among us, especially the mothers — we all work. And often it’s with a baby in a sling.”

“Governor Palin is exposing the lie to all that. She is completely, unashamedly, unapologetically, a mother. I found another picture of her online, in her office, with Trig in a sling, while signing some sort of important-looking document, acting as if this was the most common-place thing in the world.”

Read the rest from Rebecca. Rebecca has been a great source of mommy-inspiration to me for the past decade or so, and once again points to the high calling we have as mothers.

Eta. . . More from Rebecca, honest and humble. . .

Do not wait; the time will never be “just right.”
Start where you stand,
and work with whatever tools you may have at your command,
and better tools will be found as you go along.

George Herbert, via Camille

Reluctantly, dragging my feet, resistant to let go of ritual. . . At the prodding of my pastor of all people, I am finally embracing RSS and using Google reader to keep up with my online friends.

After church today, our pastor led a mini-seminar on utilizing web technology in a positive way. Afterwards, one gentleman told me he was “too old” for that sort of thing — and then waxed eloquently about his iMac and how he frequented the pastor’s blog. Too old? No way! Though, it has taken a little bit of prodding for my grandmother to like her new laptop. . . still she’s checking her e-mail and looking at family pics online now.

From time to time I come across an article or academic research that points to problems with technology, cautions about the web being a barrier to community. I think those warnings are very valid. And yet. . . So many times in my life I’ve been physically isolated (at home with small kids, a move to a new state where I’ll only live a few months, on the other side of the ocean from family), and yet have been able to maintain relationships, continue communication, stay sane because of this same technology.

How often it just comes back to the same refrain that is true of so much of life. . . Balance.

“These are the different stems of the Hebrew verbs. The Qal stem is used when the verb is active, Niphal for simple passive or reflexive, Piel for intensive active or causative, Hiphil for causative active, Hitpael for reflexive. The consonants in the root verb stay the same, but you can tell which stem is being used based on vowels or additional consonants added to the root.” — my friend who knows this stuff

Good info to know when looking this up on BLB:

Lexicon Results for shakach (Strong’s H7911)

שכח

1) to forget, ignore, wither

a) (Qal)
1) to forget
2) to cease to care

b) (Niphal) to be forgotten

c) (Piel) to cause to forget

d) (Hiphil) to make or cause to forget

e) (Hithpael) to be forgotten

My boys woke at 4 am this morning (yes, four!) to start their training for men’s gymnastics. Now, they haven’t actually seen men’s gymnastics, but the neighbor kids’ enthusiasm is infectious. I told them they MUST go back to sleep (they already had the mattresses off the beds, ready to tumble!) and train when they woke at a more sane hour.

Edited to add: The boys really DID train hard today — and ended up worn out and took a two hour nap this afternoon!

1. ـTulip, 2. Brie, 3. 1991, 4. Blue, 5. None, 6. Tension Tamer Tea, 7. Diving with Whales, 8. Gambino’s Petit Fours, 9. Author, 10. Hubby and Kids, 11. Ambivalent, 12. TulipGirl

Here’s how it works:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker. Choose 3 columns with 4 rows.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to? (or, What year did you graduate high school?)
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name. (kid version: favorite animal?)

Like Megan, if you want to join in, consider yourself tagged!

While Hubby now has his master’s, I’m still plugging away at school. My parents gentle encouraged me to finish my bachelor’s before getting married, but with stars in my eyes I just wanted to marry and have babies. (That combined with a disillusionment with the system of higher education, tending towards the autodidactic, and wanting real-life experience. . . well. . . I’m surprised I finished my associates before tying the knot!)

Eleven years and four babies later, I started back at the local university a few semesters ago. With Hubby in school, and the boys homeschooling, it just seemed like the right time for me to start back. The boys have been my biggest cheerleaders, and we’ve had the fun of all sitting around the dining room table doing math homework. They’ve also been tolerant of the end-of-semester push to finish papers and study for finals, even when that’s meant a grumpy mommy.

We’re still working on our plans for the boys’ homeschool year, but I’m registered for classes and begin next week — Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Religion in America and Bible (Old Testament) as Literature. See a theme? I’ve been focusing on the intersection of psychology and theology (even though the local uni doesn’t exactly offer much direction there.) At this point, I’m on track to graduate in December. (!) Blogging tends to go by the wayside during the semester, though. . .

The women’s Bible study at our church is going through Judges and Daniel. It seems like it is an excellent complement / counterpoint to the classes I’m taking. Even though I’m not able to go every week, this Bible study has been just what I’ve needed. And between the Bible study and the OT as Lit class, I’m starting to read through the OT, something I confess I haven’t done in years. This morning I woke up before the alarm clock, and it was as if the Lord were nudging me. . . Go on. . . spend some time in the Word now. . .. It was good.

“Thou art our Shepherd; we are Thy flock.

Thou art our Redeemer; we are the people Thou hast bought back.

Thou art our God; we are Thine inheritance.

Therefore, be not angry against us to correct us in Thy wrath. Recall not our iniquity to punish it, but chastise us gently in Thy kindliness.

Because of our demerits, Thine anger is enflamed, but be mindful that Thy name is called upon among us, and that we bear Thy mark and badge.

Undertake, rather, the work that Thou hast already begun in us by Thy grace in order that the whole earth may recognize that Thou art our God and Savior.” Amen.

–a prayer of John Calvin

Yes, the comments are wonky here at TulipGirl. For some reason, most people who try to leave a comment get a message about needing to enable java and cookies in their browser. Behind the scenes, my friend Her Royal Geekness is trying to find the glitch. Thanks for your patience!

And if you just HAVE to comment, you can reach me at tulipgrrl AT gmail DOT com .

UPDATE: Thanks to the the nitty-gritty codewonking of a friend, comments are back on!

Colorado, July 2008. Papa and Mo with 6 of 7 grandkids.

The 7th was asleep in a sling.

R9, T10, C7, Jh2, Th7, J12

Two weeks, eight states and five thousand miles. . . Hiking mountain paths, rafting white waters. . . Sketchbooks and pencils, reading by dim car light and moonlight. . . Throwing up in a plastic cup. . . Long flat endless plains, sulphery gnatty bayous, crazy curvy cliff-edge roads. . . Photos, sketches, stories told. . . Great-grandmother, great-uncle and their cats. . . Grandparents, itty-bitty cousin, family reunion. . . Real cowboys, roadside trinkets, route 66. . . Texas barbecue in Colorado, New Orleans seafood on David Street, cousins cooking dinner. . . Sweeping grandeur, rocky mountains, breathtaking canyon. . . Elk, deer, hawks. . . Waterfalls, alpine lakes, hot springs. . . Chasing cousins, climbing rocks. . .

We’re home from the best family roadtrip ever.

Hubby has done it. He has finished his master’s program. And he has finished well.

He started working towards his history degree in 2006. His major is in Modern American and minor is Modern Europe, with a focus on transnational migration. He plugged away steadily at his schoolwork and research. His research led to him having his own room at the library and a microfilm reader in our living room. He translated countless newspaper articles, teaching himself Ukrainian along the way. And while commencement is a beginning, for now we are celebrating this significant completion.

Along with his studies, Hubby also homeschooled our four boys boys and worked. How did he do it all? Tenacity and grace, determination and faith. Looking at him in his cap and gown. . . I don’t know how he did it all — but he did it, and did it well.

The heights of great men reached and kept,
Were not obtained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept
Were toiling upward in the night.
–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow