bird by bird

It's going to be a self-tanner kind of summer; I can just tell. :(

I've been avoiding it.. but I think it's about time I tell a story of my own, instead of just copying and pasting what other people have to say. So here it is.. the first segment of my "Nun Series: Stories of last summer" Nun story #1: Piano Man Sister Ida, my favorite sister and also one of the oldest and sweetest at Mother of God Monastery, was my Wednesday night driving/teaching buddy. Every Wednesday at 7:00PM I would pull up to the Monastery to pick her up, she would greet me with a warm hug, and we would head down Highway 81. Together we taught ESL to Spanish-speaking farm workers at a little country church 30 miles away. I always looked forward to our car rides and conversation as well as class itself because I couldn’t wait to hear what would come out of this sweet little nun’s mouth. Before setting out, we would pray for animals to stay out of our driving way (for each specific animal in fact, deer, cats, rabbits, etc.) and for our students to continue

Here are my top 100 all-time favorite songs.. at least for today. I am sure that I forgot some really important tunes so I might have to make revisions later. The great thing about listening to a great song (particularly these great songs) is the ability they have to take me to a specific place or feeling or time or person in my life. That, or they're just really great to dance to. :) This list spans many generations and genres, including a category that I like to call 'guilty pleasures'. Please don't judge. I am a self-proclaimed music non-snob, hence the Jojo and Sir Mix-A-Lot, and I'm proud of it! ok, enough blabbing/blogging.. here's the list. Feel free to comment with additions I should hear. In no particular order... 1. American Pie- Don McLean 2. Night Swimming- REM 3. Secret Heart- Feist 4. Samson- Regina Spektor 5. Wheel- John Mayer 6. You Shook Me All Night Long- AC/DC 7. Don’t Stop Believing- Journey 8. American Woman- The Gue

I miss having mustard in the fridge. Not because I like mustard, but because he did.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97 Wear sunscreen If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth ; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday . Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing

[lyrics i like] Calm down Deep breaths And get yourself dressed instead Of running around And pulling all your threads and Breaking yourself up If it's a broken part, replace it If it’s a broken arm then brace it If it's a broken heart then face it And hold your own Know your name And go your own way Hold your own Know your name And go your own way And everything will be fine Hang on Help is on the way Stay strong I'm doing everything Hold your own Know your name And go your own way Hold your own Know your name And go your own way And everything Everything will be fine Everything Are the details in the fabric Are the things that make you panic Are your thoughts results of static cling? Are the things that make you blow Hell, no reason, go on and scream If you're shocked it's just the fault Of faulty manufacturing. Everything will be fine Everything in no time at all Everything Hold your own And know your name Go your own way Are the details in the fabric (Hold your

I fell off a big horse this year, and I'm not ready to get back on.

Mom: “That’s a very good idea Amanda, I just don’t think it’s a very good idea” _______________________________________________________ Mom: “Your sister wants to go to Salon Dion in Omaha” Me: (to self: “Why does she need to go to a Salon in Omaha?”) “Oh, you mean Celine Dion!” Mom: “Yeah, that’s what I said.” _______________________________________________________ When talking about getting a new computer… Me: “I really just want an apple!” Mom: “Well you can look in the fridge but I think we just have oranges.” _______________________________________________________ Mom: “Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask you if you know what happened to our computer keyboard. I needed to type something but it’s missing!” Me: “How could our keyboard be gone??...... Did you pull the drawer out?” Mom: “Oh.” _______________________________________________________ The first time my mom texted me: Hi+its+mom+are+you+safe+ (She couldn’t figure out how to make spaces) __________________________________________

Whitman and I are often at odds, especially since I'm in the midst of writing a 20 page seminar paper about ecocriticism and nature writing in Leaves of Grass ... BUT when I put down all the critical BS, and pick up the text itself, I sometimes find something that really moves me. This is what I found today: “This is what you shall do. Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of man, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and