Vacation

Bailey

I'm going camping/rafting/hiking in Utah for the next week, and I'm sure going to miss this little fuzzball and the guy who took her picture most of all.

I swear I'm getting work done (promise!)

Don't Do It For the Kids: Of Hymnal Revision and Young Adults 

"The group that was most resistant to the idea of revising the hymnal are those under 29 years of age. They are the most resistant by a large percentage. The report concludes..., 'Respondents in their twenties and younger are statistically different than the rest of the respondents, reporting the least interest in desiring worship music to reflect their personal musical tastes. This proves counter to the “common knowledge” theory that younger congregants are looking for a more modern or popular-music experience at church.'"

"We sang over and over “They’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.” Over and over. We, us, our. We, us, our. We, us, our. Have I mentioned us lately?"

Strength Coach Andrea Hudy - KU's Secret Weapon (is a woman!)

"I tried to go into corporate fitness," Hudy said. "I was basically training people who were getting insurance deductions because they were working out. They'd start sweating and stop. I'd say, 'No, now is the time you've got to push harder.' I thought everyone was like me. I thought everyone wanted to exercise. There are very few people, in the grand scheme of things, that actually enjoy exercise."

Jacob and the Guitar Player {video}
Busker shares the joy of music with an 8 year old blind and autistic boy in my hometown. (There may be tears.)

Mermaid or Whale for this line:

"We women, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom and knowledge that there isn’t enough space in our heads, and it spreads all over our bodies. We are not fat, we are greatly cultivated."

Eventful

What an emotional week! So many things have made tears well up - loss of MCA (where have you been?) and Maurice Sendak, and utter joy at my President admitting (I say admitting because I think he's always believed it) that he believes everyone should have the right to marry whomever they wish.  Also, relief because my cat decided to go exploring for 6 days without leaving a note as to where he was headed and just when I was starting to get slightly worried he came scratching at the door. So, yeah.  Emotional few days.

How to Explain Gay Rights via buzzfeed

hug abuse

 

If I don't show up for work on Monday, it's probably because my cat killed me in my sleep. #revenge

texts with my brother

Chuck: New Haircut. I look like a jerk.

Me: You look like Ronaldo missing his PK last night. Not good.

Chuck: Never ask me how you look.

Me: You're the one who said you look like a jerk. And I compared you to Ronaldo.

Chuck: You're not supposed to rub it in.
             But at least he looks good
             Right? Like, a handsome jerk?

Me: Right, you know he's a jerk, but he might be the best looking jerk in Europe.

Cristiano Ronaldo (missing his penalty kick v. Munich)

Call Me Ishmalia

The files in my office go back decades, so there is an absolute treasure trove of old, wonderful, beautifully unique names that I come across from time to time.  I wrote some down last week that I found especially delightful and/or interesting (and I put a <3 next to my favorites) :

Effie Effie was #63 in 1880
Lenora
Murvin
Gwenice
Delbert
Cletus
Myrtle
Arlie <3
Fern
Freya
Harlan <3
Annette
Emery
Jerome
Elva another popular turn of the century name
Marzella peaked in 1881
Wilma
Maro
Myrtis
Eldon <3
Rhoda <3
Lida
Winfield  <3 an especially good Kansas name!
Monte that pink isn't a mistake!
Neva in the top 500 until the 1940's
Elnora
Lorel
Johnita misspelled Juanita? I also found a Waunita!
Etta
Atha hasn't even been in the top #1000 since 1908
Dagmar a guy in our file, but in the last 100 years it's been more commonly a female name
Ila <3 peaked at #250 in 1911
Ione <3

Info from www.ssa.gov

Ruby days

Tonight all of East Lawrence smelled like lilacs.

68 degrees is the perfect temperature for an 8 o'clock walk with the dog, and the 8 o'clock light is the perfect light to see and not be seen.

Every time we walk a route we've gone even a hundred times before, I find a new front porch I've never noticed. Like the streets are shuffling around the houses and yards so when I walk by I feel like I'm in a new place. Maybe they jump back to normal when I've passed so when the people in them walk out, they don't suddenly have new neighbors and can't find their cars. It's like the world is changing and staying the same at the same time.

I know it is, of course, but that doesn't make the feeling any less magical.