The Great Pumpkin - A Halloween Tradition

Ever since 1966, when It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown first debuted on prime time television, I've been a faithful fan. I've watched, loved, and enjoyed that story for forty-eight years, since I was in the sixth grade.

Credit: Paramount Pictures & Charles M. Schultz

It was a simpler time, and smack-dab-in-the-middle of my childhood. I'm instantly swept back to that time, and the sweetness of life. I've felt sweet pity for Charlie Brown forty-eight times. I've anticipated that people would drop rocks in his trick-or-treat bag again every year. How can he stand it? I wait with childlike angst, while Linus writes a letter to The Great Pumpkin, and then sits in the patch waiting for it to rise up. I dread the impending doom and disappointment. Same story. Same familiarity. Same delight in the cuteness and wisdom of Charles Schulz and the animators.

Same sense of home. That is what even these little traditions evoke. A memory of a happy time at home, for I was blessed enough to have a loving family and stable home life that included these fun nights of TV specials. And that family taught me my first lessons in community and shared experiences.

I still make plans to watch it every year during the week prior to Halloween. Since I own the DVD version, I can watch it when it is convenient. I often bake sugar cookies, decorating them with orange icing to eat one or two during the show. It is part of fall fun for me.

This year I made dark chocolate haystacks instead. Then I placed those little candy pumpkins in my cluster of chocolate haystacks that are hardening to be eaten. Fun and honoring good memories are my only goals for this event. And a tasty treat is my reward, while watching It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, yet one more time.

Why do I never tire of watching this old cartoon? Who knows! The childlike spirit and imagination in me live on, and for that I am grateful. Grateful for parents who nurtured that in me. Grateful for the strength to let it live on in my adult heart. And grateful for the sea salt sprinkled on those dark chocolate haystacks with peanuts, waiting to be enjoyed during the cartoon. Too bad the sea salt doesn't glitter in the photo.

Enjoy your fall traditions, everyone! Create some new ones. Just because it is fun. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to slip away and watch it all again.

California Convert - It Happened

I may have morphed into a Southern Californian after all, while I wasn't looking. After living here for over twenty-four years now, it was bound to happen. Here are the symptoms and causes.

• Humidity hits 10% and I complain about how humid it is. 
• I'm freezing when the temperature plummets to 65 degrees. 
• I know to expect a cement ditch (channel) when I hear about the San Gabriel River in our area, not scenic water flowing through the woods. 
• I can "go to the snow." 
• I've been in a few "sigalerts."
• I've rocked and rolled in a few earthquakes.
• I've seen a celebrity or two.
• I refer to highways by number: the 405, the 605, the 101. Oh, and the 60, the 10, and the 210, for starters.
• I'm aware of the abundance of nail shops and taco stands everywhere.
• I sold my raincoat and gave away almost all my sweaters.
• And the other day it happened. To my chagrin, I realized I actually sped up at a yellow traffic light, instead of slowing down as I was taught in the Midwest. Sigh.

But I do keep on renewing my subscription to Midwest Living magazine. I still love the heartland.

After all, it is the people you meet and learn to love that make the place home.

"God bless us, everyone." - Tiny Tim

The Big Church Vote

Today, at 12:15, my local church will have a special business meeting to vote on the candidate for senior pastor. This is a big deal day, a historic moment. The former senior pastor served for over seventeen years, so at our place this day doesn't come very often. I am excited to watch this all transpire and to participate in the vote. Then we will wait for the votes to be counted and gather again at 5:00pm to hear the outcome.

All sorts of thoughts and images run through my mind. The white smoke so significant to church leadership for my Catholic friends...

Credit: http://galleryhip.com/white-smoke-pope.html

And a more light-hearted moment from the entertainment world, the Final Rose Ceremony...final candidate, will you accept this rose?

Credit: http://www.chiangraibulletin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/the-bachelor.jpg

This is a big deal to me, to be a part of selecting the next top leader where I'm involved in a community church. "Under the influence" can have a negative connotation, but in this case our congregation will be "under the influence" of this next senior pastor for many years. So this is a serious and exciting day. The culmination of many, many months of the search.

So much work has gone into selecting a final candidate. I will not go into that here. The way a church like ours gets from the point of realizing a search for senior pastor will begin to the congregational vote to approved the selected candidate. Take it from me, it is tricky, intense, informative, and takes many people over many hours. I am the spouse of one of the Search Team Committee members. By way of simply sharing our evenings, I overheard many sample sermons from other applicants, so I have some insight into the diligence of this committee.

Today is the day. The members of our congregation will vote. If a strong percentage votes yes, a new day and a big celebration and a whole lot of relief will launch for many of us. Today, in my faith group, we wait and watch for a tangible work of the Holy Spirit in working in and guiding us all to vote accordingly. That sounds a little mysterious. Unity in a diverse group often is. 

Red, White, and Blueberries

A sweet treat for Independence Day! And it doesn't have to go together perfectly. Any attempt will come out pretty and delicious! Art in a glass.

• Bottom layer: Strawberry sorbet or raspberry sherbet - something red
• Middle layer: Vanilla ice cream
• Top layer: Vanilla ice cream blended with fresh blueberries
• Finishing touch: Whip cream and some fresh blueberries

1. Let the sorbet or sherbet and ice cream soften on the counter. 
2. Scoop the red frozen treat for the bottom layer. 
3. Spoon in vanilla for the second layer on top of the red layer.
4. Blend more vanilla ice cream with fresh blueberries for the blue top bluish layer.
5. Top it off with some whip cream and blueberries.
6. Serve with a spoon and enjoy!

Enjoy celebrating this great country with family and friends this weekend!

Summer...Advice from a Firefly

Growing up in the Midwest, along with humid summer days, came the delight of after-dark "lightning bugs," or fireflies. When I return for visits during July or August, I always look forward to watching for fireflies at night, though I no longer collect them in a jar with tiny holes for air in the lid.

Here is some whimsical advice from a firefly, by Ilan Shamir. I especially like the last one. How about you?

• Be full of bright ideas. 
• Pulse with excitement. 
• Have a healthy glow. 
• Delight in summer evenings. 
• Keep a childlike sense of wonder. 
• Set a shining example. 
• Lighten up!

Diagnosing Bibliophilosis...A Book Lover's Dilemma

"We read to know we are not alone."

- C.S. Lewis

Bibliophilosis* is not a diagnosed disease, but if you are a book lover, a bibliophile, you are at risk. Symptoms appear once you are traumatized by a lack of bookshelf space. Perhaps a move prompted meltdown. Boxing books and carrying loads to a new location. Not fun. Maybe you decided to simply simplify life, so some books have to go. You wouldn't take them in an emergency evacuation, would you? Perhaps your children are sleeping in the hall, and their rooms have been converted, even the crib, to crafty bookshelves and cozy library hideaways. You'll realize when you have a problem. It is time for an intervention.

Credit: Etsy

If you love to read and learn and hear stories, as I do, you will relate to some of these indications. If you do not, you are clearly not suffering from bibliophilosis. Curling up with a good book on a rainy day with a cup of something steamy (hot cocoa, coffee, or tea - your choice) would never come to mind. For true book lovers, a total mental picture and good feelings were just triggered by the words book and rainy day in the same sentence. So, look through this list of key symptoms, and see what speaks your truth.

TWELVE SYMPTOMS TO IDENTIFY BIBLIOPHILOSIS

Credit: http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4vbluunjQ1r09f27o1_500.jpg

1. The Lie: I promise I won't buy one more book until I've read the others I own already.
2. The Reality: I won't buy one more book until I hear about one that interests me. 
3. The Challenge: (If, when you read non-fiction, you are a confessed chronic highlighter/margin note writer, this is for you.) When I've finished studying -- a.k.a. reading, then what? Now it is extra difficult to part with the book. Ugh. [Note: I've improved in this area since someone recently said to me, "I love seeing people's notes in a book!" - Homeland Security Agent. OK. It wasn't a snoop or Homeland Security Agent. But you never know, do you?] 
4. The Fear: What if I give away this unread book sitting around, and then miss something good? Where will I ever find that nugget of wisdom, that engaging character, that page-turning suspense, that great how-to list to solve my problems if I give away the unread, shelf-space-hogging books on my "Read someday" shelf? [Oh, yes. The library. The Internet. For starters.] 
5. The Inner Argument: My thoughts nag me. "Oh, sure, you're really going to read that someday,” mocking my sweet intentions year after year. After year. I sincerely vow to read that book. Soon. Maybe even this year. 
6. The Tension: Just because I love books, that doesn't mean I want to marry them - commit to them for life. Parting with the good ones hurts just a little and sometimes it is downright stressful! Momentarily.
7. The Choice: When the quantity of books owned exceeds shelf space, do I a) Get rid of some books, b) Buy more shelves, c) Sentence myself to purchase e-books from now on, or d) Other. 
8. The Caution: I do not loan out my books. People never return them.
9. The Guilt: I keep books I've inherited or been given by other people, even though I know I'll never read them, and the person who gave them is no longer in my life. Why? Why?
10. The Creative Illusion: I buy books to simply safely store my bookmarks. [Unless, of course, you are a one book-at-a-time person. I've always admired those types, though it seems so controlled and dull and functional.]
11. The Determination (Also known as Book Lover's Attention Deficit Dilemma): I will finish this book before I start another.
12. The Dream: I wish I had a day all to myself just to read. And if, perhaps, it is a rainy day and there is a cozy fire to sit near, even better!

Did you recognize any of the symptoms in yourself? If you identified yourself as a book lover, how do you balance your love for reading, the delight in owning a new, real, published, hold-in-your-hand book and your life? Is there any hope? Or will we all just die over-booked and content? Can you ever own too many books? Too many cats? Yes. We've heard stories about those folks. But too many books? Never.

“I’d rather give up my husband than my books.” – Anonymous

"When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes." 

- Desiderius Erasmus

*Treatment of bibliophilosis is currently not covered under most medical insurance plans. You'll have to pay for more bookshelves yourself.

Credit: http://littlemisseverything.files.wordpress.com

 

Chasing Summer - Charting Joy

Organizing summer? Are you kidding me? Isn't summer when we relax? If you, like me, are a chart and list kinda girl, this may appeal to you.

Summers...woosh...and another one is gone. How do you define summer? How do you make the most of this season? Another one is almost over.

Zuma Beach, California

Back when I worked in the business sector, summer still came with an exhilaration for anticipated enjoyable times with friends and family, even if I only had two weeks off. Yet, I still thrilled at the longer days, a more relaxed sense of life, and plenty of time outdoors. [Note: During my business years, I lived in the Midwest, so that explains my comment about more time outdoors. Now that I live in Southern California, the time outdoors can happen all year.]

I now measure summer in different ways, and I practiced summer appreciation. I am now an educator with an annual summer break. That does spoil me, and changed my perspective. Still, in summers past, I've found myself frustrated and disappointed at the quick end to the season, which always seemed to sneak up on me. I was motivated to change that.

So, if you count the days between Memorial Day to Labor Day, at least this year, you'll come up with 100 days. What a perfectly round number of summer days! And doesn't 100 days seem generous? And when summer is connected to the calendar, not days off, my state of mind shifted. Put yourself in a summer state of mind Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The second summer time frame came from the eleven weeks I had until school begins again. Well, that has flown past. School begins again tomorrow, but it can still be summer until Labor Day, right?

Thirdly, consider the autumnal equinox, that high brow official term for a change in light resulting in a change in our seasons. The Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere are illuminated equally. That's almost romantic. How does that happen? A little research will reveal that day and night are the same on equinox days because the line or plane of the earth's equator passes the center of the sun. So brush up on geography and geometry and science and read all this again, if that doesn't make sense. Or jump on the Internet for a diagram. [Note: That really helped me understand!] So, it is technically summer until September 22 this year. A few more weeks to jam summer fun into your calendar.

Regarding the actual summer time off, in my current career within education, five weeks and four days was my official summer break this year. I count that as my vacation, not my definition of when summer begins and ends. This year, I did that intentionally, anyway. It added fun to see it as a long break from work tucked inside summer, instead of defining it as my summer. Expanding my view of summer made it all seem nicer and comfortably long.

Do you hear others bemoaning and complaining about summer going by too fast and how they didn't get enough done this summer and all that? I have. Some of that complaining came from me in previous years. What a downer! I decided to flip and expand my perspective and put a positive spin on summer with a "choice chart." It made a difference. You might be surprised how summer seemed more luxurious, without adding any additional days, when you recall all the opportunities that came your way.

A Paper Source Calendar

It has been a good summer. Things still didn't get done, but my perspective was more aware. I granted myself permission to stop and smell those roses, stop and be present, stop and enjoy today, instead of grumbling and listing regrets.

So, here's that "choice chart" I tried this summer. Since it was the summer of 2013, I created a Summer of '13 chart to motivate action on things that would make it a good summer. This was a new idea. It was rewarding and fun. I created a chart of categories of activities I enjoy, and added thirteen spaces under each category. My Summer of '13 "choice chart" became a bit of a game, while subtly provided some focus. The Summer of '13 motivated me to aim at activities I value, completing them thirteen times before summer ended. My categories included:

• 13 Books Read
• 13 Places Visited/Tried (places, restaurants, etc.)
• 13 Movies Watched
• 13 Guests Over
• 13 New Recipes
• 13 Queries Sent (I'm a writer)
• 13 Days of Fitness (defined as a minimum of 30-minutes of steady physical activity)
• 13 Pounds Down 
• 13 Times in the Pool
• See 13 Friends (times connecting with buddies)
• 13 Acts of Service
• 13 Times of Learning
• 13 Containers Organized (defined as a drawer, cupboard, box, etc.)
• 13 Dates (with the husband of mine)
• 13 Unscheduled Days (days with nothing planned; get up and see how the day unfolds; protected time)

So how did it go? Well, I am pleased to report I experienced some great success and also have categories without much happening. That is just fine because I was alert and aware to what the days of summer brought my way. Instead of, as I've typically done in the past, arriving at September unable to truly remember all the good that happened over the summer. I now have my happy little list. I can look at my chart and see all I did get to do this summer. And I am GRATEFUL and feeling positive. I am nicer to be around.

The Summer of '13 Chart

Are you curious about my results? Maybe. Maybe not. If so, here you go. And be aware that it is not Labor Day yet! I may add a few more to my boxes. I experienced success in the categories listed above that are highlighted in bold pink. If you'd told me I had thirteen unscheduled days over the summer, I would be shocked unless I'd recorded the actual days! Evidence that I actually slowed down! Less than success happened in new recipes (tried one), queries (none), and pounds down (oh, well). Still, I did read nine books, saw ten movies, had eight people over, got in six days of fitness, jumped in the pool seven times (after none last summer), and shared in eight acts of service. On top of all that, what encouraged me the most was keeping things that are important to me foremost in my mind by playing this little game. I did much better at priorities and focus over the summer.

If you created a chart called Fall of 2013, what categories would make the season fun and meaningful for you? What could you become more intentional about, so that your life doesn't fly by unnoticed? I cheer you on to create a simple chart. Fall is busier, so I'd have fewer categories, but maybe I'll try it again. Join me. I have more books to read.