Sherds from a jar of clay

Big and Sad Changes for UPMAA

2008-12-22T10:20:00.002-05:00

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/36286004.html

I am just in total shock over this! I am not only sad for my friends and former coworkers but I am SHOCKED that they are closing MASCA or making it totally grant reliant!! It is an unique and internationally renowned research effort that if anything should be recieving more support and better facilities then its hidey hole in the museum basement! It has even been featured in a novel that I read. I whole heartedly agree that the exhibitions need to be updated and made more attractive to a modern audience. However if you cut off the very research that makes the info on the objects available..... pluss one of the particular strengths of any good museum but particcualrly of the UPMAA is that it has a deep collection of objects that most people would never want to see on display but which hold vast potential for research and greater understanding of the past and the human story. I do get the money issues but it seems like a sad and slightly short sighted solution to me. A bit like a three legged table having one sawed off it seems to me.

5 degrees of seperation/Paul Newman's Passing

2008-09-29T07:34:00.003-05:00

Paul Newman died this weekend. I have watched and enjoyed many of his movies from Cool Hand Luke to Butch and Sundance to Cars. But it touched me a bit more then the average fan because I had bumped up against him in person (though I never really met him) and because we shared the experience of having spent 4 years (though years apart) living and learning on top the hill that Philander climbed and prayed atop. You see Mr. Newman and I are both graduates of a special little place called Kenyon College in Gambier Ohio.
My freshman year at Kenyon they were opening and dedicating a new theater and Paul Newman returned to campus for a semester to direct his wife Joanne Woodward and a cast of student actors in a new play written just for the occasion. While he didn't strut about or dominate the life on campus he was there and campus is small. My first encounter was at a concert for campus singing group. He was there just sitting with the masses a few rows behind where my friends and I were sitting. I don't remember much but the sheer intensity of his blue eyes when I glance at him over my shoulder as my friend and I walked down the isle. My other memory was of shopping in the tiny Village Market for something and coming around the end of an isle and crashing my cart into another cart. I looked up to see Mr. Newman, he was very polite I was very flustered.
The Kenyon Website has a nice tribute to him.

Why You Should Always Sort Your Papers Before Thowing Them Away

2008-08-02T15:45:00.002-05:00

When I lived in Center City Philadelphia and walked to work in Univeristy City I walked every day down Pine Street and past the Civil War and Underground Railway Museum located in a row house there. Amazingly I never went in, partly because my hours working at a musuem made it hard for me to visit other museums. Well, I have missed my chance because they are in the process of relocating to another location closer to the historic district of the city.

Anyway, in the process of sorting and packing to move they made an amazing discovery. The have found one of the three original copies of surrender papers from the end of the Civil War. How cool is that!! I can't wait till they reopen in the new site to go and see it.

Here we go again, Archaeology and Faith

2008-07-10T08:52:00.002-05:00

I stumbled upon this archaeological find, The "Gabreil's Revelation" while on line. It is the latest in a number of recent finds in the Holy Land/Near East to purportedly challenge the veracity of Christian Doctrine and Faith. As both a Christian and an Archaeologist it is trying to watch how such finds are handled by both sides of the issue. Things so often get stated in overblown or over sure ways that don't help appreciate or advance how the two can often work together rather then at odds with each other. I found an article on the find itself, and another the interface of faith and archaeology from a Christian site more useful then many on navigating the center ground of the issue.

Ben marries Besty, Only in Philly!

2008-07-04T09:43:00.002-05:00

Last night on the evening news I caught the marriage of Ben Franklin to Betsy Ross. OK, not the real ones but two historic interpreters who fell in love and just happen to portray Ben and Betsy. They got married by the mayor in character in front of Independence Hall on July 3rd. Only here in Philly does that work with out being totally weird, I actually think its kinda cool. Happy Fourth of July everyone!

Of Post-It's and Polka

2008-06-16T14:02:00.002-05:00

OK these are light and fluffy articles and topics but they touched me as a former (and always in my heart) Minnesotan. Post-It notes were invented in Minnesota at 3M (not far from the current Mall of America which used to be the site of the sports stadium where I went to ball games and watched the 4th of July Fireworks growing up). But in all my years of using post-it notes and being proud of their place of origin I never knew there was a right or wrong way to apply them. Apparently there is!! In this little piece on a Post-It note flag being made at the Betsy Ross house here in Philadelphia for Flag Day, I learned:
1) to minimize curl you peel them off the pack side ways, not bottom up.
2) to apply best put both thumbs in the center and press out to the edges.
(There is even a training video!)

I also enjoyed this piece on the demise of polka in northern Minnesota where it has been a big thing but is not being embraced by younger generations. I can remember traveling to central and northern Minnesota with my dad (an Episcopal Pastor) to attend to just the kind of Polka fests and Polka Masses described here. It was fun and kitchy all at the same time. The polka training a got a start on then became necessary to survival at the many wedding receptions I attended during my Grad School days in Milwaukee Wisconsin. It made me want to grab a partner and roll out the barrel!!!

What it means to be a Boy Scout

2008-06-16T13:59:00.002-05:00

I was both pleased and surprised to hear such a touching and positive commentary on NPR about the Boy Scout Tragedy in Iowa. I was never involved in Scouts my selve but know many who were and respect the organization. This commentary touched me, reminded me of what kids are capable up when "challenged up" and made me cry. So you may want to grab some tissues before listening

Informal Political Poll

2008-04-16T15:18:00.002-05:00

Both the weather and the politics seem to be heating up here in Philadelphia, with just a week to go till the primary elections. We, well at least the democtates, will get to have more of an impact then usual for Philadelphia. Today, while walking our 5 block circut to the thrift store and back, my son counted 11 lawn or window signs for Obama and only 2 for Clinton. So while the state as a whole my be closing the gap our corner of West Philadelphia, our at least those who are willing to show thier preferences via a lawn sign, are favoring Obama. The same seems to be true over in sacradoctrina's corner of the burbs too!

Maya Blue

2008-02-28T08:13:00.002-05:00

There was an article in the paper today about the mystery of Maya blue pigment being solved. I am probably one of only a few people who would notice or care. It is exciting on a number of levels.
First: I used to be an Mesoamerican Archaeologist who specialized in pottery analysis. Since this blue pigment is found on some pottery I think it is cool to know more about how it was made.

Second: This article pointed out that the discovery was made because of remnants found in vessel that a researcher found in the storage shelves of the Field Museum in Chicago. I also used to be a Museum Registrar. In a time when funding for museums and the arts can be hard to come by, especially for less glamorous projects like appropriate storage and climate control, it is great to have the role of museum objects in new discoveries highlighted. It has long been the argument of museums that their role in preserving and documenting cultural history is as important as new expeditions and excavations. It may even be more important as the ability to do new expeditions becomes more difficult, dangerous and expensive.

Third: It involves two great institutions I care about. The Field Museum in Chicago is a great place and probably one of the reasons I wanted to do arcaeology and museum work in the first place. Wheaton College also in Chicago is a wonderful Christian College and a number of good friends are alumni or current students, one is even in the anthropology department that made this discovery. (Wheatons site has a great longer article too!)

Book Awards

2008-01-15T09:54:00.000-05:00

For those who don't know or don't follow those kinds of things the Caldecott and Newbery Awards for children's books have been awarded. As a lover of books, especially children's books, I am always interested in seeing what wins. Often I find they are books I don't know yet or that I know and don't like or know and find too politically correct for my taste. So I was very excited this year to find that I already knew and loved the two top choices. Those who know my personal preferences will also know I am excited that both are also historical fiction!!!

The Caledecott winner (for children's picture book) was The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick set in a 1932 Paris train station. There was apparently some controversy/discussion over the selection of this book since it is not a traditional picture book and is not aimed at the preschool/K set. It weighs in at 544 pages (most of them are beautiful black and white drawings) and it is listed as intended for the 9 to 12 crowd. Victoria read it easily over the summer and really enjoyed it. I may try it with Andrew this summer, we will see, some of the story line about an orphan can be just a bit scary.

The Newbery Winner was Good Maters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz. It is a beautifully illustrated book that captures a feel of Medieval life. It is not really a novel/chapter book but rather a series of short poems, dialogues or prose pieces about different children in a medieval village. The author is a librarian in Baltimore and wrote it to be used as preform aloud pieces for the sixth graders studying Medieval history because they were having trouble with finding resources they could relate to. I found it at a used book store this fall and picked it up to use as review for the medieval history we had just finished studying since I too had found grade school level things hard to find for that time period.
I think it is especially cool that she is a school librarian and went into work on the day she won where the students gave her a plastic tiara to wear. Ok, I am a total nerd who was good friends with all my school and local librarians and still think it would be a cool job to have.

In linking Amazon to this book I noticed she has also written a picture book on the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann that I will have to check out.

Good Tree

2007-12-08T19:59:00.000-05:00

We bought our Christmas Tree today and got it put up. It has been a much better experience then usual. The new tree stand we bought at the end of last season worked great, went together easier and faster, meaning much less grumbling to "humbug" the experience. We had a working saw to trim the trunk (in past years we have broken saws or had to borrow from neighbors). Vicky counted the rings in the cut and it was a 16 year old tree.
Best of all the tree itself is full and beautiful, one of the best we have had in ages. It was also an easy purchase, it was only $30 and the guy running the lot was VERY helpful and patient in showing us a number of trees till we found what we wanted. He even let Andrew help carry it to the car and showed him how he was tying it on.
I hope you to have a good tree experience this year. If you live in the W. Philadelphia area (or drive through it going to burb land) and still need a tree I would give this tree lot a try, all trees were #30 no matter what size, the guy was helpful and it felt good to support a local person rather then a big operation.

The Lot is on 61st and Lancaster Avenue across from the Kentucky Fried Chicken (hey you could grab dinner while you are there too!)
Happy Decorating

Anthroplogical & Archaeological Find Updates

2007-12-06T15:35:00.000-05:00

No, they are not my personal finds. The most interesting things I find these days are more likely to be from under the couch cushions then under the ground, or to be the notebook, bracelet, slotted spoon and white bowl left by our relatives on Thanksgiving. Instead this is one of my periodic updates of interesting Archaeological findings in the news:

1) Hot Cocoa : A vessel showing the earliest use of cocoa (chocolate) by the Maya was found in the Ulua Valley in Honduras in an area not far from where the group I worked with used to dig. The analysis on the residue in the vessel was done by the MASCA group at the University of Pennsylvania Museum where I used to work. So this is the most interesting and most personal find for me. It always amazes me what we can find out and it is also interesting how creative man has been over time in his use of the natural resources that God has given us and the many wonderful treats God has hidden there for us to find as we explore it.

2) Early Roman Worship: The finding of a cave turned place of worship that possibly commemorates the founders of Rome: Romulus and Remus. Even if Romulus and Remus are a myth this is a fascinating find and an interesting look at early pagan religions and worship in ancient Rome as well as the art and technology of the time.

3) More From Pompeii/Herculaneum: They have just found a royal throne, significant because up to now they were only known through depictions in art. Though it is a very grizzly site in some ways I continue to find Pompeii and Herculaneum fascinating. The nature of the catastrophe there has left so much for us to learn from, both about art, religion and daily life in an ancient Roman city but also about the fragility of life and the fleeting nature of all that we store up on earth and think is so important and lasting. The UPMAA where I used to work had a fair number of objects from there in the collection and one of my coworkers was doing her PHD research work on the excavations there. However, I had never seen in person (only in photos) the casts made by the eruption of those who were trying to flee but didn't make it. This Oct. while we were in Minneapolis we got to see a traveling exhibition on Pompeii that included some of the casts, they were very moving. It was a very well done exhibit complete with a kid level free audio tour. I am not sure where else it is being shown but if you get a chance to see it you should.

4) Michelangelo Sketches: The Vatican has just fund some misplaced sketches Michelangelo did for the dome of St. Peters.

5) da Vinci Lost art/found?: They are using modern technology to try and find out if a famous work started by Leonardo da Vinci is still there behind a fresco put up by a later artist. Modern technology and the ability to even investigate these things non invasivly is just amazing.

Cartoons Imitate Art

2007-12-04T06:44:00.000-05:00

We were recently on a family weekend trip which (among other fun) meant the treat of cable TV for my kids. (Yes, we live in the dark ages and don't have cable). They were watching a Jimmy Neutron Cartoon** where it was Valentines Day and the boys were going to make some sort of love potion. My 6 year old son looks up and says "Mom, it looks like this is going to be a Midsummer's Night Dream Story!" My husband looks up at me with a look of shock on his face, all I could do was shrug my shoulders!!

**"LOVE POTION 9.368"A laboratory mishap exposes the boys to a powerful pheromone that causes each of them to fall madly in love with the next female he sees

PS to Cheryl: If they learned about pheromones while watching this can I count it as science? LOL

Overheard at Burger King

2007-10-22T22:53:00.000-05:00

Tonight after leaving my parents we stopped at a Burger King with a climb/slide play tubes things so the kids could get their wiggles out after a day of errands. There were a few other kids there including a boy about Vickies age. I listened in on this conversation:
Kid: Where do you go to school
V: I'm homeschooled.
Kid: Well, your missing out.
V: Why?
Kid: Well does you mom and dad have art and gym and stuff?
V: Ya, mom does art and we have coop every week.
Kid: What's coop?
V: We do art and music and gym, its good.

You go girl!!!!

staple head

2007-09-24T16:10:00.000-05:00

Don't try this at home!! staples should only be put in your head by a trained ER professional. This was part of today's lesson for the day. This morning at 6:30 am I passed out in the bathroom and conked my head on the bath tub. Fortunately the resounding thud woke up Paul and the kids. After Paul splashed water in my face and woke me up we discovered a nice 1.5 inch gash in my head on the upper right side and a lump on the lower left. So it was off to the HUP ER for a fun home school field trip. (Andrew brought his favorite snugly for me and Vicky brought a Bible "in case we needed them") 6 hours later I was discharged having had clear EKG and blood work and having had 4 staples put in my scalp to close the wound. I feel achy and groggy but hopefully I am ok and it was just combo of intestinal distress and blood pressure.

My Thanks go to my husband for keeping a cool head, taking the day off and doing some laundry and school with the kids after seeing me ensconced in the ER. (the schedule sb helped me with made the school part easier) To my friends Cheryl, Tina, Lisa, and Stacy for kicking some prayer support into action for even managing a short notice meal to be delivered for us tonight so I could rest when I got home. I am so thankful to God for preserving me from worse damage and for giving me such a loving family and sisters in Christ to support me.

Paul thinks its too bad they will be out by Halloween claiming I could add neck bolts and have an instant costume.

How's school going....

2007-09-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

Today my friend Cheryl came to return our car which she had borrowed and arrived as we were finishing lunch. The kids launched them selves out the back door to say hi to "Aunt Cheryl". From inside I overhear her ask Andrew "How is school going?" The answer was "Oh, we aren't doing school, Mom is just reading to us about Leonardo DaVinci!"
(the book referred to was actually the latest Magic Tree House book "Monday with a Mad Genius" which just happens to be about he Renaissance and Leonardo DaVinci, exactly where we were starting in history this year! We love this book series and us the themes and research books as tie ins or jumping off points for our school work often)

Bits and Pieces of the Last week or so

2007-05-30T21:05:00.000-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been long and full some of the things included have been:
-I attended the Christian Homeschool Association of Pennsylvania Curriculum Fair. It was in Harrisburg, PA and one of the highlights is always driving up with my friend Cheryl and her daughter and staying at friend of her's home with other homeschoolers and have a chat fest into the night. Oh yeah, I bought some good curriculum and used books and came back encouraged for the task.

-I celebrated a birthday and got to have dinner out at a local restaurant, Abbraccio, here in W. Philly and really enjoyed the meal and not having to cook.

-My kids finished up their homeschool coop and we got to hear them sing and had a special PE day.

-Finished reading a good book called The Camel Bookmobile which my dad had sent me. It was good, it raises lots of questions about culture and cultural perspective/expectations, learning, identity, what constitutes "help".

-Started a new book from the library called The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik. It is a FAT, heavy book, for juvenile readers, part prose, part drawings. I had heard good things about it and am enjoying it a lot so far.

-Went hiking in Ridley Creek State Park with my family for Memorial Day. This is a favorite family destination and always fun. My son had fun blazing the way (both on and off the trail) and my daughter brought her sketch book and spent time going slowly and observing and occasionally recording in word or drawing what struck her fancy. The funny thing was that when Paul asked them if they wanted to "do school" that day they didn't realise that they already where.

-Watched a movie called The Big Kahuna with Paul. It is not a movie to watch when drowsy because much of it is dialogue based. It is very interesting and well done though and a great movie for discussing issues of faith and the faith/work/witnessing intersection.

-Went opening weekend to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End with my friend and her two teen daughters. It was a fun movie and fun to share it with these friends. I am a big Johnny Depp fan (ever since his 21 Jump Street Days) (there I go giving hints on what birthday I just had) but even given that you can't go wrong with watching him and Orlando Bloom be swashbuckling for 2 plus hours it was great fun. It also has a lot more story line and moral/theological content then it is given credit for. (see link on my husband's web site).

-Today they were preparing our street for repaving so we got to watch all kinds of trucks and activity (field trip with out leaving home) we found out what certain trucks were for, why they hooked one up to the fire hydrant, why one had an extra pair of tires that didn't seem to touch the ground, looked at a broken pieces of road paving stuff and shared watermelon slices with the workers during lunch. The highlight was when they asked if Andrew wanted to come up in the drivers seat of the big stripper truck. What a great day. To find out what we learned you will have to ask Andrew, and yes I took pictures and no I don't know how to add them to my blog like my younger and saavier sisters in law.

-Oh yeah and Vicky is reading Winnie the Pooh ("This is the real story by Mr. Milne not the movie story Andrew")out loud to Andrew (her choice not my suggestion)

So TTFN

Nature Trips: Real and Imaginary

2007-05-04T19:55:00.000-05:00

We have had a couple of forays into nature this week. The first was imaginary: On Tuesday on the way to the dentist the kids decided they were going to be Rain Forest Explorers. They turned parked cars, sidewalks, streets, stray cats and garden plants into rain forest components and had a grand time expanding on the theme for the the rest of Tuesday and part of Wednesday. I was converted into an equipment trailer (nothing like type casting) with my backpack acting as a portable data base center where they could enter or find information. At the library after the dentist Vicky headed not for her usual destination of the video but for the Dewey decimal poster to figure out where to start looking for rain forest books. She had five in her hand before I caught up with her including one at a level Andrew could read without too much help.

Friday we accompanied another family from our home shool co-op on a trip to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum. We had a great time wandering around a small portion of the facility on a lovely day. It is a protected marsh land. The two boys my 6 yr. old and their 9 yr old. Quickly had sticks that became light sabers or swords by turns. The girls my 8 year old and their 14 year old were more interested in using their binoculars and sketch books. It was great to be outside, to see my kids forming friendships, enjoy nature etc. It also made me miss my Mother in Law who is a knowledgeable out door person but especially is a birder and photographer. We saw the following in the 2 hours or so we were there: Great Blue Herons (3), Canada Goose, American Robin, Red Wing Black Bird (many), Barn Swallow (lots, some very up close), Duck (mallard?) and a number of other birds we didn't ID. We also saw painted turtles, a rabbit, a groundhog, a fish, deer hoof prints, butterflies of various sorts.
We will have to figure out how to get there on public transit and should take Grammy on her next visit.

Digging up the Presidents House

2007-05-03T15:59:00.000-05:00

For those of you who aren't aware of it the President of the United States didn't always live in Washington DC. The first official residence was right here in Philadelphia on Independence Mall, across the street from Independence Hall. Recently they have been doing some archaeological work on the site where it stood. In part this is being done to investigate the history of slavery in colonial times since slave quarters were also probably part of the complex. They are making some interesting discoveries that show how written documents don't always show the whole story and how archaeology can add to our understanding. If you can make it down to the mall in the next few weeks it looks like you would be able to view the excavations. If not check out the web site for the project where there are photos, video, floor plans and updates on finds.

Homeschooling with TMBG

2007-04-18T11:34:00.000-05:00

OK, admittedly this post is mostly for my husband, and my friends Tina, Steve, Ruth and Richard who are TMBG fans. They should go listen to track 4 of the Flood album (brief audio clip here if the album is not handy) and they will know what we covered in history lessons today.

I will tell the rest of you that I had my kids dancing in the kitchen to the tune "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by this fun and quirky band that I only became aware of when I married Paul. It was a great way to end our brief study of the Ottoman Turks and the fall of Constantinople and bought me some time to get lunch on the table. It also induced some aerobic movement and dance that my playing of classical music seldom does. I thank TMBG (They Might Be Giants) for a fun moment on a dreary day!!

God's caring fingerprints

2007-04-12T15:15:00.000-05:00

My Dad went into the hospital last night with some heart arrhythmia (sp?). He seems to be doing better now, for an 82 yr. old overweight man on dialysis that is. My mom is struggling because the stress of it all makes her dementia and confusion worse. I of course am halfway across the country and my sister is two states away so we are trying to manage it all long distance while managing our own children, families and jobs. Can you say Sandwich. Any way one of the things I do when these crises arise is to call in prayer power and notify people in the town where they live and who love my dad to pray and be on standby to help. You see my dad through 50 years of ministry has touched countless lives and many of them are there to help him back whether he is willing to ask or not.

It always amazes me how God provides and supports in the big and little ways in moments like this and even manages to encourage us. When we share the burdens and the love we can see Gods finger prints everywhere. Here are some examples of God's work and care from the last few days:

From an email from a "kid" who grew up next door to us and who we drove to church each week:
"....So I'll just keep whispering their names at the appropriate time in the prayers of the people and keep them in my own prayers. My thinking is that all these quiet little prayers count as being from the whole congregation anyway.Here's a little story I'd like to share with you and Emily, which I haven't told many people. Soon after my mother's cancer surgery several years ago,she wasn't recovering at all well and they put her in intensive care. I wasn't religious at all back then, but in our fear and despair I looked upward and managed a little prayer -- "Lord, send us an angel." Your father came walking through the door a few minutes later."

From a women who runs a service organization my mom was active in during her adult years:

"God is indeed working in this world. I just tried calling your Mom tonight, as I've had several of our older members in mind lately. She was very rattled and said she couldn't talk due to an emergency. Obviously, I was very concerned about what it might be and told her to "take care". Thanks for letting us know. I'll pass along to the other members."

Another couple who do so much for my folks and help keep me in the loop said this:

"... one of us will go over there this afternoon and make sure she (my mom) is okay and take her to see your dad if he is in the hospital and we can do so with her. I will also make some calls to people to put them on their prayer list, so I am glad to have the names of the ones you have already alerted. Keep in touch by phone today with any needs you have, and I will contact you with any concerns or an update.I know how hard this is for you and your sister; my sister and I had the same situation and it is a worry. We were lucky their were cousins and aunts and uncles available to help in our parents home town. SO, know that I am praying for you, too. Take care of yourself"

Also, It just happens that my son was scheduled to have an EKG today to verify that some fast heart rates he has been having are normal. He was nervous and as the little stickers and leads went on it helped him to know that Grandpa had the same things on him (and he has to have them on longer) and will hopefully help him to pray for grandpa in a new way. My best friend and her daughter also came and shared a McDonald's lunch with us before the appt. to help distract him and provide me with some support.
I had also been "charged up" and encouraged Tuesday night when my homeschool mom prayer group brought the meeting across town so I could participate. God knew I would need the fortifacation of that time of prayer prior to facing Wed. night.

Like I said, God's finger prints, look for them in a life near you, it will do wonders for your day.

Behold How Good...

2007-04-02T07:23:00.000-05:00

Psalm 133:1 Says "Behold how good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity"

Sometimes in our current cultural situation it can seem like there isn't much unity (war, violence, politics, different "world views") both with in and outside the church. It is also hard in busy modern lives where we often don't live near each other to just have fellowship of believers outside of Sunday morning. This can make it harder to "bear one another's burdens" and to "rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep".

This weekend I had a wonderful dose of that sort of fellowship and unity of brothers and it was balm to my soul and a reminder that God is operating in our midst....

-Friday, a friend and 7 of her 8 home schooled kids came and joined us for a few hours to process some books to be added to the church library. The littler kids played together in the living room (with not fights!!) while my dining room became a work room for getting books ready to be added to the shelves. It was just great to see fellowship and service work hand in hand and the kids (and moms) enjoying not only each other's company but the work at hand.

-Sunday School was a parenting class where we shared the joys and struggles of being examples/models to our kids in living a Godly life. To be reminded that your struggles and needs are not unique and that we are living it out together was great.

-After church we attended a new members lunch at the pastors house as representatives of our parish. It was good to see the kids all playing nicely together (many too busy and excited to bother to eat), adults talking, women working together to get the potluck meal organized, on the table and to fill in any gaps by sending willing bystanders to the corner store (a practical out working of loaves and fishes) There was also just a good informal hum of conversation between old friends and people making new friends.

-In the midst of the lunch a church elder who we don't know especially well casually encouraged my husband both through his talking to him in the first place and in commenting positively on his place and ministry in the church and the value it adds to the body.

-Evening church brought a chance to welcome a visitor and help her find the sanctuary and to help a mom from the morning Sunday school class find some resources in the library where I had gone before worship to do some other tasks (which got set aside).

-Evening church also showed the lighter side and sense of community of our church, which can sometimes seem large, impersonal or stodgy when some gold fish appeared in Pastor Ryken's water glass just before his Window on the World segment (April Fool's from family and friends). It worked in perfectly as a segway to the evenings window on taking risks.

May God show you the joy of the fellowship of the community of believers he has given to you this week too!!!

Got a Giant Cup of Coffee??

2007-03-19T16:00:00.000-05:00

Just heard about this natural but rare phenomenon on NPR. So get a BIG cup of coffee and have a brief and cool science/snow moment with a Snow Doughnut.

I'm an Aunt Again!!!!

2007-03-19T13:14:00.000-05:00

Paul's brother and sister in law (Rich and Trish), just had baby number 4!!! Welcome to the world Christopher Robert Duggan born at 1:02, 7lbs 20 in. . Mom and Son are doing well. I can't wait to get to meet him. That brings the count to:
On the Duggan Side: 5 nieces and 4 nephews (a real total of 6 and 5 if you count my kids)
On the Smith Side: 2 nephews

I love them all and don't see any of them nearly enough to know them as well as I would like.
But I can still thank the Lord for giving me the large family I always wanted growing up with one sibling and no first cousins.

"He Gave His Life For Tourism..."

2007-03-15T22:08:00.000-05:00

This week my husband, kids and I went to see Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs at the Franklin Institute. I had also seen "King Tut" back in 1977 when it toured the US, I had loved it and as an aspiring archaeologist at the time it was a very special thing for me, made more special by the ends my mom went to in working it's Chicago showing into our college visiting trip. So it was a priority for me to share it with my kids.

It didn't get the greatest of reviews and I had talked to a number of friends who were a bit disappointed. Having gone to the show I can better understand that but feel that it is more a function of over hyped or misleading publicity and a lack of clear pre understanding of what is and or isn' t in the exhibit then anything to do with the exhibit itself.

You are led to believe or at least not disabused of believing that you will see A Lot of really cool really Big and spectacular Tut stuff. In fact at least half the exhibit is taken up with historical context and lovely artifacts from his great grandparents, grandparents and parents. I appreciated and enjoyed both these objects and the context. But hey I am a geeky archaeologist and a museum professional to boot so I skew the sample. It would have been nice if somewhere, other then just in the exhibit catalogs the exhibition writers had explained why some of the bigger pieces were not included (for their safety and to safe guard from wear and tear) and to perhaps have included some life size pics of them for context.

I am glad we went, even though I was sick. It was a blast to share it with the kids. Andrew kept getting bored and even the stand by of find which object in this room is your favorite started to wear thin. But if the number of times he came to drag me from what I was looking at to see something he liked or remembered from when we studied Egypt last year where any indication he actually did like it. Vicky seemed to be soaking it up. She was looking at it with her artists eye while I looked at it with my archaeologist eye and criticized or admired display and lighting.

One of my favorite things was the last room where they had a raised platform with a changing display of catscan slices of the mummy with photo overlays of some of the object found on the body which were also displayed in the room. the floor surrounding the platform had concentric rectangles of brass showing the location of the many sarcophagi that encased the mummy.

If you go I recommend an early weekday trip, it was very uncrowded then which made for more relaxed viewing, especially with the kids.

If you don't recognize the blog title you are too young and should check this out classic SNL piece by Steve Martin.