School Stress, Work Stress

I'd been begging for an assistant in our department for years, and when I started grad school, we started looking for someone to help with the work load. We hired ReDonah, it was immediately obvious that she was far more than a department coordinator, and within weeks I didn't know how I had survived without her. Then, just in time for the last three months of grad school, ReDonah went on maternity leave. I miss her all the time (and not just for the work that she does), but I know she's doing something amazing in caring for her little girl.

So how have I been dealing with the stress of working without ReDonah? Simple. I send her texts whenever I get too stressed out asking for baby pictures to remind me why she's not here. Plus, who could have a bad day after all this cuteness? So for all of you who are stressing out, I share with you some of the most sickeningly sweet baby pictures ever.

Royal less than 24 hours after stealing her mom away from me. But how could I possibly compete with a face like that?


Royal reminding me to chill out and not worry. She'd let me have her mom back in a few months.


Royal pops by for a visit. Shh...don't tell the boss, but productivity might have been down that day.


Oh the horrors! I'm blinded by the cuteness!


She's waving hello before we head into the longest week of the year, preparing for our annual convention.


Good thing I have Alex here. She's totally had my back while ReDonah is gone. Plus, she likes baby pictures, too.

So ReDonah comes back to the office soon. In fact, she comes back the day I leave for my final residency at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Unfortunately, I won't have any cute baby pictures to send ReDonah to remind her why I've left her with all the work. But I do promise to bring her back a picture book or two.

ReDonah and Alex and all of my other coworkers have supported me through this MFA program. They've encouraged me and asked me about my work. They've never complained when I leave for two weeks twice a year to attend residency. They're understanding when I'm exhausted after pulling an all-nighter to get an assignment in. And they've made sure to tell me that they've seen my writing improve, even though I write healthcare editorial content for work and stories about teenagers for school.

I honestly don't know how long Royal will be in my life—I'd like to think it will be for a good, long while—but I do know that her mom is a huge part of why I've been able to get my master's degree. And maybe someday Royal will pick up one of the books I worked on while I was in grad school, and it will help her through something she's dealing with in her life. But for now, her cuteness is enough to take the edge off the stress.

Catching Up, or The Very Snowy Winter

Hello, blog, my old friend. Do you remember all those times I used to post about fun book events I was going to? Or news stories that impacted my life? Or random thoughts that would pop into my head and bring enlightenment to an issue I was deal with? Yeah, I miss those days, too.

There's too much to catch up on all that has happened in my life, so let me sum up.

I was a bit sad (as sad as someone who hates snow can be, anyway) when I got to Vermont for my last winter residency at Vermont College of Fine Arts to find it slushy and brown. But I wasn't there for the weather—I was there to learn and write and have fun, all of which I did. And just as I was ready to head home, the snow fell. After my flight got cancelled, I took the train from Vermont back to DC, only the snow decided to join us on the train, freezing the water in the restrooms and the doors shut, and what should have been an eight-hour train ride stretched into 16 hours. It was quite the adventure.

Back in DC, I got to attend the signing of my friend's second book (Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd), which was a blast. I also might have gone a little fan-girl on Stephanie Perkins—but come on! It was freaking Stephanie Perkins! My leopard gecko Harper thought this was Megan's best book so far.

I celebrated handing in the first packet of my last semester with a quick trip up to New York City for my friend’s book launch. Heather Demetrios (author of Something Real and the upcoming Exquisite Captive) is talented and funny, and I'm so lucky to call her my friend. We had a blast at her party and then spent the night dancing at her favorite club, and there may or may not have been a impromptu performance of "Sisters" from White Christmas at some point. It was a brilliant weekend away.

While I was up in NYC, my good friend's baby boy decided he couldn't wait any longer to meet us all and made an appearance a month and a half early. So the day I got back from NYC and the day my other friend just happened to fly in from Ethiopia (where she's stationed for the next year and a half) for some training, we went to visit Heather and her son. Healther Bingham is an incredibly talented opera singer, and while she's taking a few months to enjoy being a new mom, I look forward to seeing her back on stage soon. (Sorry, no baby pictures as I'm not sure Heather wants her son exposed online just yet.)

And then there was more snow. Six inches of snow between midnight and 5 a.m. meant DC was shut down for the day and I didn’t even bother getting out of my PJs. We've had four snow days this season, with four more delayed starts because of icy conditions. That brings the total snowfall for this season to 23 inches, eight inches above normal. But I could be back in Chicago where that total is 68 inches, which is 42 inches above normal. Small blessings.

So now you're all caught up on my life. Or at least some of the highlights. And only for the next few days until I bury myself in homework once again and forget to blog for awhile.

My Holiday Newsletter

I hope that everyone had as wonderful a Christmas as I did. Chicago was snowy and freezing, but to spend time with my family and childhood friends, I'll put up with the miserable weather. If you follow me on twitter or Facebook, you've seen most of these pictures, but I think they're worth sharing again.

My friend and I discovered coconut nog this year. Yes, dairy-free eggnog! My excitement over this is probably completely disproportionate to how good it actually is, but I miss eggnog.

I'm sure you are aware, but my immediate family is just about as nerdy as you can get. My brother decided to nerdify the Christmas tree as well. So we had the TARDIS from Doctor Who as the topper, and Star Wars snowflakes as ornaments. Next year I'm planning on getting him some more nerdy ornaments for his collection.

My cousin is teaching in Thailand for the next year, and she's incredibly homesick. So a bunch of us crammed onto my aunt's stairs to say hello to Emily. You'd think that with so many people, one person wouldn't be missed, but we always miss those who can't be with us on Christmas.

We had two little miracles born into the family this fall. I'm holding Zackary, who gave us quite the scare by coming two months early. My aunt weighted him on her kitchen scale on Christmas morning, and he had finally hit eight pounds exactly. My other cousin's baby wasn't able to join us as he was just diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy and had only been released from the hospital a few days before Christmas. Instead of exchanging gifts, my extended family all made donations to the Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation on Ryaln's behalf. (Yes, I did include the link there so you can donate as well if you feel so inclined. In fact, I encourage you to keep the Spirit of the Season past the New Year and find a charity to support throughout the year.)

As part of our Christmas tradition, we pass around a fiber optic poinsettia to be displayed in the recipient's home until the next Christmas. On the tenth anniversary of the poinsettia, my cousin Tim handed it off to my brother Michael. As my brother and sister just moved in together, Tim got double the laughs--my sister had it five years ago.

Just in case you were worried that I didn't treat myself to anything, I had fun putting together this "Leopard Gecko Palace" for Harper. I've actually been working on it for about six months--growing the plants and finding the terrarium decor that I wanted. I'm happy to report that Harper LOVES his new digs. It used to be that he'd fight me every time I'd try to put him back in his tank, and now he tries to crawl back in whenever I take him out.

Last year was a...difficult year for me, and this year has been filled with trials for a lot of people I hold dear. My family has gone though some incredible challenges, but we are all making the best of our situation. The worry and heartache have made us express our love and emotions in a way we've never had to before, and we find ourselves relying on each other a lot more. A good friend of mine was in critical condition after a hit-and-run driver, and I often found myself praying for the well-being of many friends serving in the military or living in volatile places overseas. Far too many friends and family members have been too close to tragedy for comfort--including friends attending the Boston Marathon, others who work at the Navy Yard, and still others in the path of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and tsunamis. In many ways, 2013 was an anxiety-filled year, but my family and friends have been lucky. And to the many individuals who have not been so lucky this year, I grieve with you.

Someone at my hometown church asked me how my year was, and I told him it couldn't be better. And reflecting back on that answer, I have to say my response was totally sincere. My life is incredibly fulfilling, and I feel the love and support of a lot of people every single day. I might complain about school wearing me down and work stressing me out, but I love what I do, which far outweighs all of the negatives. I'm probably happier now than I have been at any other point in my life. And don't think I'm unaware of just how special that is. I am grateful every day for all of my many blessings.

It's been awhile...

I know, but I've been busy. You know with:

being a baseball fangirl.

camping in the wilds of New England.

taking a dip in nature.

getting my cosplay on.

And I believe there was some school crammed in there somewhere. Did I mention that I'm working on my thesis this semester? Yeah, that's fun.

Putting Off the Apocalypse

Tomorrow is 12/21/12, and there's no way the world can end. I have big plans for 2013, and after the rather harrowing year I've had, I'm looking forward to many good things in the year to come. It's become a bit of a tradition for me to look at the past year while setting some goals for the next. So here's a look back as well as a peek at what's to come.

PAST: My year started with a trip to the ER followed by emergency surgery. While it took my mom a couple of days to come take care of me (I'm always glad to have my mom visit), there was an amazing community of people right here in Northern Virginia who stepped in when family couldn't. Friends brought me to the hospital, picked me up, made meals for me, changed my bandages, picked my mom up from the train station, and kept me company while I recovered. I will always be grateful for the family I've discovered in my own back yard.

FUTURE: I look forward to the many opportunities I'll have to show my love and appreciation for my friends. I look forward to attending kid's soccer games, going out for celebratory dinners and finding the perfect gifts for baby showers and bridal showers and graduations and birthdays. While I might not look forward to it, I'll happily help friends move, grieve with them when they lose a loved one and take them to a movie when they need a little break.

PAST: Working with writers' groups have not only made me a better writer, but they have also made me some wonderful friends. Together we've explored new worlds and learned about the past, laughed at silly boys and gone on great adventures. These men and women encourage me and teach me and love me, and in the past year, I've never needed them more. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention what an honor it is to be a member of SCBWI and work with my local chapter. Becoming a member of that organization four years ago was the best decision I ever made.

FUTURE: There are so many amazing books I'm looking forward to reading next year. I'm fortunate to have a lot of really good friends with upcoming publications, so bare with me as I do some name dropping. Sara Zarr, Mike Martin, Megan Shepherd, Lisa Papademetriou and Anne Marie Pace already have books slated for release, and I'm sure I'll read a dozen more.

PAST: Starting grad school was terrifying and thrilling all at once. I never realized it was possible to be stressed out and totally at peace at the same time. I had an amazing adviser who taught my to write broadly until you find your story and encouraged the poet within me to be brave. I quickly made some of the best friends I could ever imagine in my fellow VCFA classmates. School also allowed me to discover Vermont summers and cross the boarder into Canada where I actually used my rusty French in real conversations.

FUTURE: Right after the New Year I get to see what White Christmas was really all about when I go to Vermont for my second residency. I'll bring my new ice skates and winter coat to play in the snow as well as a fresh notebook and plenty of hot cocoa to get me through lectures. For summer residency I'll go up a few days early, and (hopefully with my brother in tow) visit Cooperstown and hike in the Adirondack Mountains.

PAST: I discovered my Natitude this baseball season. Excuse me while I get a little misty-eyed just thinking about it. I have loved baseball all my life and the White Sox will always be my first love, but I've watched the Nationals grow from their very first season into a championship team. I was in agony when Jayson Werth snapped his wrist, heartbroken when Rick Ankiel didn't make the cut, excited when Bryce Harper and Tyler Moore were called up, and astonished when Teddy finally won the race. I was at Game 4 to cheer on their first post-season run, and it will be an experience I'll never forget.

FUTURE: What more could a life-long baseball fan ever wish for? Oh, yeah, to see their team play in the Wold Series. I can't wait for April.

PAST: With my project for grad school, I've learned a lot about my family this year. I've spent a lot of time combing through documents and listening to family members tell stories. In doing this, I've also learned a great deal about myself. Mainly I learned that I come from a long line of kick-ass women (my mother, grandmothers, aunts and sister among them) whom I can only hope to be like.

FUTURE: My little brother comes home from Hawaii next summer, and I'm excited to be a lot closer to him once again. I'm sure my sister and parents will be down for visits, and I know I'll see a few aunts, uncles and cousins throughout the year. I love my family, and more than anything, I hope the New Year brings them happiness and success.

I know the past year has been very difficult for many people. People I know and love continue to struggle financially, and words cannot describe the horrible loss that happened last week. The world is full of war and hunger and unhappiness. But there is also goodness, kindness and hope in the world. I hope in the coming weeks we can all remember the things that are worth living for. From this natural-born pessimist to you, may 12/21/12 be just another day in this holiday season and may it bring you a little closer to family, friends and joy.

Second Grad School Reading List

I was helping some friends move yesterday, and probably my favorite part of "helping" was playing with their four-year old to keep her occupied while her parents tried to get something done. After her nap, all Little Miss M wanted to do was read books. It didn't matter what they were about or how old they were or what type of illustrations they featured as long as she got to hear a story.

M is often my source for picture book recommendations. Her mom takes her to the library and lets her pick about a dozen books to check out. With very little guidance, M ends up with a good mix of award-winners, best-sellers, old favorites, and some odds and ends. If we get through the entire book, I know it's a good one. If we talk about it afterwords or read it more than once, I know it's a keeper.

So in honor of M, here is my eclectic reading list for my second grad school submission.

Barnett, Mac. Oh No! Not Again!: (or How I Built a Time Machine to Save History) (or at Least My History Grade) by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Dan Santat: I like seeing how text and illustrations work together to create a narrative, but the illustrations carry this book. But it is a creative concept that plays up on funny moments.

All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg: This book is my favorite read from this packet. It’s great poetry, a solid plot and complex characters all rolled into a tight package. I’ll probably come back to this one again.

Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra by Stephen Costanza: Interesting theory on why the Four Seasons include poetic notes. Love that this is based in history but interjects plenty of artistic license. Gave me some good ideas on how to mix history and fiction.

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher P. Curtis: When I started this book, I found the stories mildly amusing, but after awhile, the vignettes about the town and its quirky residents got a little old. There was so much story here, and it wasn't coming together. Then, about two-thirds of the way through the novel, everything changed. The action started and the vignettes began to come together to create a powerful plot. I also liked the way the author used sound (specifically onamonapia) to add another dimension to descriptions.

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going: The ambiguous ending feels like another beginning and makes me keep writing Troy and Curt's story in my head. For a child of the '90s, I felt an especial affinity for the homage to Kurt Cobain, yet this book manages to be contemporary and authentic, which can probably be attributed to it’s fantastic dialogue.

My Garden by Kevin Hanks: This book was sweet, cute and imaginative, but it was missing Hankes' usual flair for vivid characters, which is why I picked it up in the first place. I was hoping to see how is used character to drive plot in such few words. The “punch line"” at the end was clever even if it did lack the power Hankes' books usually carry.

Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne, illustrated by Sal Murdocca: I will admit, I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I love Jack and Annie's relationship and how they work together to solve problems. This is a great example of how simple details can build characters in a short manuscript.

Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace, illustrated by LeUyen Pham: This is a cute story that uses plot well. It’s kind of a high concept picture book: Twilight meets Ballet Shoes maybe. It was an interesting choice to use a second-person narration, but it works with this content.

Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose: This is one of those books I’ve wanted to read forever but has sat collecting dust on my bookshelf since it was published. I’m really glad I finally picked it up as it contains some great theories on how to read looking at craft but still allow yourself to enjoy it.

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder: So I have this thing about emotionally manipulative books, and I think novels in verse are the biggest culprit. While I read this book fairly quickly and stayed engaged in the story, I was also slightly annoyed by it. Why the line breaks? It felt like the poetry was used as a framework for being overly emotive rather than being a catalyst for the story.

Girls' Night at the Ballpark

The Nats lost, but it was more the company than the game that made it a great night.

Friday Five: TGIF

For today's list, the five things I'm most excited for this weekend. It's a simple list, but then again, everything seems a little simpler on the weekends.

1. Writing: It's been a rough week at work, which makes it difficult to come home and write, but the weekends mean I can leave work at work and focus on writing. Here's to getting one more chapter finished.
2. Chaos: I'm planning on finishing the Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness. These books have kept me on an emotional precipice since I picked the first one up two weeks ago. Seriously, I think this roller coaster might be even worse than it was with The Hunger Games.
3. DC Adventure: Some good friends are moving next week, so as a farewell, we're having a clue-based race around town to visit all their favorite places. I haven't done one of these since I was a teenager, and I can't wait to see where the clues lead.
4. The Avengers: I watched Captain America this week and I'll watch Thor Saturday afternoon, all so I won't be behind on Joss Whedon's newest film. I might not actually have time to see The Avengers until next week, but this superhero kick is kind of fun.
   
5. My Mom: Being so far away from family is never easy, but on Sunday I have an excuse to be a little homesick. I'll get to call my mom and tell her I love her, and I'll get to hear her say it back to me. What better thing to do on Mothers' Day?

A librarian, a writer and a program director walk into a tiny house...

...and the writer falls down a ladder.

No really, that's what happened. My roommate, a friend and I went to see a really cool Tumbleweed house that was on display in DC this past weekend, and while climbing down from the loft, I lost my footing on the tiny ladder and slipped. After falling three rungs, I managed to catch myself before hitting the floor, but thanks to an old shoulder injury, I probably should have chosen the floor.

Of course I didn't notice the stiffness and bruising until the next day, so I got to enjoy the house pain free. I loved all the clever uses of space and minimalism, but I don't think all of my books would fit. Plus, there is that tiny ladder.

It was great fun to have Steph come for a visit, and I'm glad she got to see her tiny house.

In honor of tiny houses, here are some books:
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Llama Llama Home with Mama by Anna Dewdney
The House Baba Built by Ed Young
Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt
A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery
House of Night Series by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

A House Full of Bibliophiles

Easter Bunny Gets an Assist from Knuffle Bunny

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

I love when my roommate's nieces and nephews come to visit because they love books just as much as I do. The first thing they wanted to do when I got home from work was have me read Knuffle Bunny (1, 2 and 3) to them. It doesn't matter that the oldest is 12 and the youngest is three, they all want to laugh and shout out lines and beg for me to read "just one more" ever time we see them. And though their 21-month-old cousin is a little young for the interactive reading, she carried around my stuffed bunny all weekend.

Hunger-Mania

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The boys (12 and 10) thought I'd be able to convince their dad to let them see The Hunger Games movie, but alas, I took their dad's side mostly because it's a parent's job to set boundaries and rules for their children but also because violence enacted on the big screen is much different then violence theorized in print. But I'm not heartless. I took the boys in my car for the two-hour drive to Gettysburg and listened to the soundtrack and answered all their questions about the movie. Even I got my fill of The Hunger Games by the time we got to Pennsylvania.

Three Score and Twelve Hours Ago

The Big Book of the Civil War by Joanne Mattern

I swear I learned about U.S. history in school and I live in the middle of the most history-saturated area in America, but I needed a reminder of the significance of Gettysburg. So I pulled out my favorite kids' reference on the Civil War, and we read about the battle, the cemetery and President Lincoln's speech, which helped give us context for our walk through history. More than 50,000 Americans died in that three-day battle, and the fields still resonate with these words:

"From these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

—Abraham Lincoln
16th president of the United States

He Is Risen

The Children's Illustrated Bible by Selina Hastings

It wasn't until rereading Lincoln's words after our visit I realized how befitting they are for the Easter season. I once heard that for a Christian to truly understand the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we must each walk through our own Gethsemane. In more secular terms, we need to remember the suffering and sacrifice of others to be able to give hope to future generations.

Saying Goodbye to the Chaos

A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na

I might be happy to have my bathroom to myself and not be woken up far earlier than usual by the pitter-patter of little feet, but I'll really miss having everyone around. I'll miss being able to snuggle up with the girls and some books before bedtime and talking about upcoming fantasy novels with the boys. I'll miss playing games with the adults and forgetting I'm lactose intolerant for long enough to eat ice cream on the porch. I'll miss seeing the city through new eyes and going on adventures surrounded by some of my favorite people. But I especially look forward to doing it all again when we see each other in the fall.

Rain vs. Rang vs. Reign vs. Rein: A Battle of Four Verbs

Rain (v) to send down in great quantities, as small pieces or objects. From Middle English reinen, meaning...er...rain, also related to Gothic rign.

I was very much looking forward to the Kite Festival this year, unfortunately, one of the most common signs of spring is rain. And rain it did on Saturday morning. So instead, I did laundry and mending and cleaning and shopping and reading. My life is so tough.

Rang (v) simple past tense of ring; to resonate, echo or sound. From Old Norse hringja and German ringen, meaning to wrestle or struggle.

After a lazy weekend, it's been rather difficult to respond to my alarm clock this morning. The funny thing is, I was awake long before it went off, but there's just something about a warm bed and a good book first thing in the morning that makes me not want to move. I think it's just the calm before the storm.

Reign (v) to have control, rule or influence. From Latin noun rēgnum, meaning kingship or royalty.

It's spring break for most of the country, and DC is flooded with tourists. My usually calm Metro stop is now overrun with school groups and families hailing from such exotic places as Milwaukee and Portland. But despite the newcomers not following the etiquette of walk left/stand right on the escalators and forming long lines at the ticket kiosks because they don't understand how the pricing works, I actually enjoy when the tourists take over the city. Mostly because that's when old friends come to visit.

Rein (v) to curb, restrain or control. From Latin retinēre, meaning to hold back.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to corral four children hopped up on Easter candy who have spent four days in a van? Yeah, I'm sure you do. My house is usually such a quiet, peaceful place, but every once in awhile, chaos can be a lot of fun. For the holiday, my roommate's brother brought his four kids on a road trip to visit us from Michigan. Her other brother and his wife are also on their way from North Carolina with their 2-year-old daughter, my friend flies in from California by way of Greece, and my other friend's family took a last-minute trip to Massachusetts so she's driving down from Maryland to spend the weekend. We have a rather full house this Easter, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

The First Amendment and Faith

I often blog about censorship and freedom of speech. It's an issue that I feel has great relevance to our day and has the potential to make a stronger, more peaceful society. So when my friend posted about an event for the Religious Education Freedom Project at the Newseum, I was intrigued. (And when I found out it would get me out of doing laundry Thursday night, I got on the attendance list right away.) That is why I went to hear John M. Barry talk about Roger Williams, the man who first introduced the concept of the separation of church and state to the English-speaking world.

(Library of Congress Digital Archives)

"Man hath not power to make laws to bind conscience, he overthrows such his tenent and practice as restrain men from their worship, according to their conscience and belief, and constrain them to such worships (though it be out of a pretense that they are convinced) which their own souls tell them they have no satisfaction nor faith in."

—Roger Williams
theologian and author of A Plea for Religious Liberty

A lot of my political views on religion stem from Williams' theories. He was a man of great faith who believed that religious freedom comes only when all religions (not just Christian sects but "the most paganish, Jewish, Turkish, or antichristian consciences and worships") are allowed to flourish. And this freedom can only come through a complete separation of church and state.

"When you mix religion and politics, you get politics... Nowhere in the Constitution does it mention God. It's a completely secular document."

—John M. Barry
author of Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul

I was most intrigued by Barry's concept that religious tolerance is not enough as it is merely a "watered-down" version of freedom. Tolerance can be removed and rejected at any time, yet freedom is a God-given right to all men.

I consider myself a faithful Christian. I attend church, was baptized and take the sacrament (or communion). I believe that it is through Christ that I can be forgiven of my sins, and his teachings and example show me how to be a better person. But I also believe that God allows us choice, and it is not for lawmakers to impose Christian beliefs and practices through the governance of America. I loved spending the evening thinking about how my faith in God gives me a better understanding of the First Amendment.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

—U.S. Constitution

Thank you Mormon Insider for telling me about this wonderful event. I hope I will be able to attend more in the future.

The Religious Freedom Education Project is presented by the Wesley Theological Seminar, hosted by the Newseum's First Amendment Center and sponsored by the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation. I wanted to provided links to each of these organizations as they work hard to increase religious and cultural understanding by utilizing the principles established in the First Amendment.

Life Update and a Special Birthday Greeting

First of all, I'm doing very well after my emergency gall bladder surgery February 2, and life is pretty much back to normal if a little more slow-paced than usual. I know gall bladder surgery is pretty common fare these days, but I've only every been sewn shut, not sliced open (stitches twice before kindergarten and one brief ER visit in college). So the past month has been a little traumatic for me. I'm really not used to feeling helpless and being so dependent on the kindness of others. Good thing others are generally very kind, and I was well taken care of by some truly amazing friends. Plus I got this awesome pair of socks.

My little brother in Hawaii also happened to have eye surgery exactly two weeks after my surgery, which meant we spent a lot of time on the phone together complaining about how tired we were, recommending movies and audiobooks to each other, and comparing notes on how Vicodin gives us both bad dreams. Why wallow in self-pity when you can wallow with someone you love?

By some small miracle, I was able to get the last of my grad school application material in the mail less than 24 hours before I ended up in the hospital. And I'm starting to hear back from them. I'm excited to say I'll be going to school again this year. I'm still not sure which program I'll commit to, but I'm blessed to have a choice as well as some scholarship offers to help in the decision making. If you would have told me even a year ago that I'd be excited to head back to the classroom, I would have laughed in your face. But now, I can't think of a place I'd rather be than studying children's literature and creative writing. So rather than talking about books and literacy only from experience, I'll have some credit to my name. I'm still not sure if that's a good thing.

One final note: today is a very special someone's birthday. And while it is indeed the birthday of George Washington, it is also my dearest friend's birthday.

Tammy (right) and our friend Yuri during a visit to Mt. Vernon, George Washington's home and plantation.

Tammy is my sister by choice, in part because she's the sweetest, most caring person I know. Though she lives 2,000 miles away, I feel her love and friendship every day. (I also miss her terribly every day.) Happy birthday, Tammy! May this year bring you joy and success and hopefully on a plane to see me. Also, your gift is in the mail but might be a couple days late because, you know, it's been a bit of a rough month.