tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42806940865691482042012-02-09T17:08:43.746-05:00Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.comBlogger1691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-59511041432158812992011-10-28T14:32:00.002-04:002012-01-11T12:51:51.246-05:00

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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-65740566869949363582011-05-18T16:20:00.003-04:002011-05-18T17:02:54.766-04:00

I have had a momentous year, but there's little to show for it here. For the last nine months, I have been doing a different kind of "posting". My best art and insight has been "posted" with 28 cents and the help of the mailman. If you are a regular reader of my blog, it's not that I've abandoned it. It's just that you're not on my mailing list. Sorry.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-8642780454517031902011-04-22T23:26:00.004-04:002012-01-11T12:55:27.046-05:00

Tim, our church's intern, has a new pet he collected at China Camp State Park. It lives in my old candy jar on his desk in my old office. I saw it, and I was reminded of a poem sent to me by a friend some years ago. He sent it to me because I was studying prayer. ISKANDARIYA by Bridget Pegeen KellyIt was not a scorpion I asked for, I asked for a fish, butmaybe God misheard my request, maybe God

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-72508974222752891012011-03-12T20:15:00.003-05:002011-03-12T21:14:33.022-05:00

No one tells you that freedom first feels like death. I met with my spiritual director this week and confessed that I want to go home every day. And I have wanted to turn around and go home nearly every day since I got here. Those of you who get postcards from me don't really get ones that say that. But I do. I drive around, taking in the beauty of Marin, and still saying aloud to myself, "I want

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-91199185623604054142011-03-12T02:36:00.003-05:002011-03-12T03:43:58.615-05:00

I have been looking for my favorite knee-high boots for ten days. I had looked everywhere for these boots, concluding today that they had fallen out of my car in my travels and they were gone forever. Today, I get into the room I share with Kaelyn, and I see these boots on the floor by the ottomans. These ottomans are hollow and have been nicknamed "Doom" and "Despair". No one wants to look

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-11714986235168063302011-03-07T14:28:00.003-05:002011-03-07T14:42:40.567-05:00

I find myself missing my lunches with this wise and funny teacher-friend weekly. 1. Life makes more sense when there are fewer American taboos. 2. Life requires irreverence. Just laugh. 3. Life requires at least three languages to explain it properly. 4. People are what's really important. 5. Actually, being a mom is pretty awesome.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-63412667876297557702011-03-01T16:51:00.001-05:002011-03-01T16:52:59.968-05:00

#31. Try to find a tattoo artist who doesn't miss. In this industry, precision is the highest virtue. It's tied with hygienic.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-37133466862246342662011-03-01T15:41:00.002-05:002011-03-01T16:54:22.525-05:00

Continuing the series, my greatest friends have been my greatest teachers. Top-5 Lessons I learned from Jennifer Strahl: 1. The line between dressing and costuming is a fine one, and it's worth crossing occasionally. 2. What this situation needs is cupcakes. 3. If some is good, more is better. 4. You can be fearless if you have a map. 5. Never underestimate what Love can accomplish. When I first

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-83265990262010457152011-02-28T16:31:00.004-05:002011-02-28T16:40:39.265-05:00

As a teacher, my greatest blessing is the friends who are also my teachers. The Top-five Things I Learned from Troy Urquhart: 1. The search for Truth depends on the search for the Right Question. 2. Someone answered that question for you already. Go read. 3. There is no shame in being an elitist or connoisseur. 4. There is no excuse for the unwillingness to work hard. 5. To start with "So

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-13029570037755096682010-11-30T16:55:00.002-05:002010-11-30T16:58:20.097-05:00

A Levenger catalog came in the mail today, and it featured THIS interesting thing. Why didn't we think of it sooner?

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-40625164099843337612010-11-25T17:39:00.002-05:002011-03-01T16:54:22.526-05:00

Whenever I tuck her in, or when it is her turn at dinner, Faith prays. I love to hear Faith pray because she hits all the important things every time. "Thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Kaeyln, Tyler, Zack and (recently) Jess. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for my grandparents and friends. Thank you for this world. Please heal the sick people. Please take care of Kafui. Please bless us. Amen." I am

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-40810845804437936822010-11-16T15:53:00.002-05:002010-11-16T16:23:06.890-05:00

For those who asked and those who didn't: Heretics: The Annotated Edition, by G. K. ChestertonHow to Read a Painting: Lessons from the Old MastersHow to Read a Modern Painting: Lessons from the Modern Mastersneutral density filter, skylight filter 52mmRalph Lauren Style perfumeCoco Chanel Madamoiselle perfumeA new Red True Writer Classic Fountain Pen. The cap on this favorite pen of mine broke.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-70466193114885976982010-10-28T00:44:00.003-04:002011-03-01T16:54:22.527-05:00

I am here to reach the lost and build an organization capable collectively of doing so. In building the organization, I must equip the saints with good communication, required supplies, and sufficient space in which to work.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-45164972564141661812010-10-26T01:11:00.000-04:002010-10-26T01:11:00.573-04:00

I was delighted by a friend's list of unrelated items. It did what good blogs do for me. It made me think "Me, too! I can do that!" 1. With the help of a wise new friend, I figured out where the time in my day is going: to people. I feel like I used to be able to accomplish more in a day than I do now (which may be inaccurate). It's not that I have less to do, necessarily, I just do less. I

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-58304795729604605012010-10-23T12:02:00.005-04:002010-10-23T21:08:43.802-04:00

It is the fourth anniversary of my blog, and my 29th birthday. Or at least it was when I started this post.A friend said that after today, I'm rolling toward 30 like a snowball headed for Hell. It's a colorful analogy, but I'm hoping its loaded with hyperbole. I had a really lovely birthday. I got a badass leather jacket in the mail from my mom, as well as trip to Nordstroms in a little silver

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-70318686219066153072010-09-22T06:34:00.004-04:002010-09-23T01:57:04.823-04:00

I can't seem to help myself. I don't need anything else. I know I don't. The thing is, I have been posting a birthday list for three years. Although it is a bit later than usual and I live really far away, I thought I'd maintain the tradition. Heretics: The Annotated Edition, by G. K. ChestertonHow to Read a Painting: Lessons from the Old MastersHow to Read a Modern Painting: Lessons from the

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-61940373856852474922010-09-10T11:48:00.006-04:002010-09-10T14:10:38.429-04:00

"If you were stranded on a desert island, what is the one (fill in the blank) you'd want to have with you?" It's annoying when people say "The Bible", because we never know if they mean it. When getting ready to move, this question doesn't exactly count as packing strategy. But the process of selection and rejection is an interesting one. People wouldn't ask about desert islands if what is

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-1520349376362344732010-09-09T08:17:00.006-04:002010-09-09T11:46:24.008-04:00

Arizona was a special state that deserves it's own post. It was the best state we visited for these five reasons: 1. Listening to On the Road by Jack Kerouac with Megan. I can't believe she actually liked it! We would pause it to discuss what the author was saying, cultural history, and who was who, and she would have me write down lines for her. It was such a pleasure to share such a wacky

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-50321611890134496592010-09-08T23:14:00.000-04:002010-09-09T04:10:51.524-04:00

It's been a big month full of change and adventure! I have lots of catching up to do, and though I posted the photos on Facebook, here's some running commentary:Top-Five Roadtrip Highlights: 1. Jackson Square and Cafe Du Monde, New Orleans. After dinner at Maspero's, Meg and I wandered the Old French Quarter and listened to a Jazz band while eating beignets and drinking Chickory coffee.2.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-51728780702995891372010-08-20T12:25:00.004-04:002010-08-21T02:17:32.091-04:00

I know. I skipped a few letters. I was having trouble with H. Even Jadepark, who inspired my list, had trouble with the Letter H. I am working on something, but there is too much going on to wrestle with that letter anymore. I have a list and I'll complete the 26 letters, but the sing-song order no longer feels like an imperative. So I forsake it.And T is for truth.Today, in the span of 30

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-5404460299208245112010-07-28T21:51:00.001-04:002010-07-28T21:51:16.976-04:00

On My Way

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-91931394622467886252010-07-05T19:40:00.001-04:002010-07-05T19:42:51.330-04:00

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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-21989263463757060042010-07-04T15:17:00.004-04:002010-07-04T16:00:02.133-04:00

I've wanted to work in pyrotechnics since high school. My dad blames my high school chem teacher, Mr. Griffiths.Griff was truly great. I had him only one or two years before he retired. Instead of languishing in the classroom, boring students and biding his time, he chose to blow things up. When I met him, he had no eyebrows because he had blown the windows out of the lab trying to make rocket

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-59274113465566529972010-07-03T16:40:00.000-04:002010-07-04T18:52:01.965-04:00

During the school year, not unlike my students, I'm consumed by academic material. Teaching 2-3 AP classes and 2-3 classes outside my field (whatever that is) will do that, I guess.But summer is the season to remedy that. All my media consumption feels like dessert to hearty, nutritious year.First up: the abandoned magazines. I have several months of Vanity Fair, InStyle, Real Simple, and

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-41602930280422216312010-07-01T20:41:00.000-04:002010-07-01T23:45:53.390-04:00

I decided the empty space in my life needed renovating. It caused me a great deal of grief and anxiety, made worse by my poor attempts to fill it with the wrong things.Slowly, I changed the way I thought about "emptiness".I read an Annie Dillard piece about changing seasons--how she longed for "the North where unimpeded winds would hone me to a pure slip of bone." She says, "Winter is the real

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-43008050698193974512010-06-30T22:14:00.002-04:002010-06-30T22:21:28.482-04:00

I read some breathtaking poetry today.Much of it was in Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, but that'll see proper post later.In the meantime, meditate on this: Death is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered. He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-18914140644083895832010-06-29T22:19:00.012-04:002010-06-30T00:13:14.071-04:00

From Ireland 2009A year ago I was in Dublin, completely alone. But no one is ever alone for long in Dublin. It is, by far, the most hospitable city I know. I had never been there and knew no one, but it never felt like that was the case.A corner cop helped me locate my hotel, The Pembroke House. It's around the corner from the American Embassy, and it had an Italian concierge who laughed and

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-65440329330873925292010-06-26T17:20:00.007-04:002010-06-26T21:08:52.982-04:00

We went to a great bookstore today, even if we had to drive to Timbuktu to get there. It was so terrific, I hardly knew I was in Central Florida. It got me thinking of a few other places, where, though it's far away, help me forget I live in a place I hate:My top-five almost-too-good-to-be-in-Central-Florida-places:1. The Social -2. Brightlight Books 3. Sam Flax - the best art supply store in

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-17427088603135243102010-06-22T17:44:00.000-04:002010-06-27T20:41:34.124-04:00

5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Revelation 21:5 (KJV) 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-27272848450539855102010-06-18T23:03:00.006-04:002010-06-18T23:45:45.380-04:00

It was the end of the day before I noticed how great it was. It was the first day I felt like I was on summer vacation. I know I'm starting it about a week behind everyone else, but today is what it's all about.I woke up to a relatively clean apartment, which I actually had time to tidy yesterday. I drank the full press of coffee, Whole Foods Organic Red Sea Blend. Delicious. I didn't have to

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-45752176529731611842010-06-17T19:43:00.001-04:002010-06-18T22:59:57.756-04:00

I've found I really enjoy movies about high schools, not in the John Hughes sense, but movies whose main character relationships are between teachers and students. Okay, maybe not main ones, but secondary ones at least. I'll concede that the movies are usually about student-student relationships. I might be the only one I know who really loved the new Harry Potter movie. I like the Harry Potter

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-5817878494130838432010-06-16T20:07:00.004-04:002010-06-17T01:06:59.085-04:00

I am writing this as I watch Game 6 of the NBA Finals--cheering for anyone playing the Celtic, as I was instructed to do.This spring, to the amazement of everyone around me, I learned to follow a sport. Basketball.It's no secret that I am a stranger to the sports world, and this certainly didn't change that. It's also no secret that I didn't pay attention to basketball for the love of the game.I

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-23297575823958818172010-06-15T19:15:00.001-04:002010-06-18T22:36:09.708-04:00

In my last post, I mentioned that Annie Dillard wrote my favorite two pages in anything I've ever read. I don't know if they'll be as powerful for you as they were for me, and I'm sure I don't have permission to post them, but there they are: Thomas Merton wrote, "There is always a temptation to diddle around in the contemplative life, making itsy-bitsy statues. " There is always an enormous

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-18640263144457613712010-06-14T17:19:00.003-04:002010-06-18T22:36:09.709-04:00

If you spend any time at all in conversation with me, guaranteed I reference this author. It's no secret that I really like Dillard - her voice resonates in me like it's coming from my own chest. She starts the conversation between her readers and their everyday worlds, and it continues long after the reader closes the book.I finally finished Pilgrim at Tinker Creek this spring, about a year

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-76599225857793917952010-06-13T17:59:00.002-04:002010-06-18T22:36:09.710-04:00

I'm embarrassed by my posting performance for the six months - maybe this whole year. I'm not embarrassed because I think I'm letting anyone down - heavens no, there's only a handful of people who read this - I'm embarrassed because I should have made a better public record of all I've learned and read and taught.I should have deemed the lessons important enough to write out, organize, and post

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-8240056328712243542010-03-31T14:05:00.013-04:002010-03-31T17:22:16.279-04:00

A friend of mine just had a birthday, and I sent this to him as a present. It is one of my favorite pieces I've ever created. The iconography is based in eastern mysticism and the process of enlightenment, which reflects my recent reading about Christianity from a non-western, pre-Enlightenment context.The front is about the enlightenment process in its eternal context. I chose to depict that as

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-22828847584518197742010-01-03T12:43:00.001-05:002010-01-03T12:46:20.889-05:00

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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-62595695702642127642009-12-31T20:38:00.001-05:002010-01-03T12:47:22.889-05:00

This year I made most of my gifts for family and friends. Below is a set of paintings Ben commissioned for his sister-in-law(He chose the colors) , and at the very bottom is a jewelry set I made for my sister. I'm really quite proud of these! Acrylic, 12x12 Detail 1 Detail 2 Necklace, Bracelet, and Earrings, Ribbon Closureturquoise and silver glass

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-76089535859517532232009-12-30T17:37:00.002-05:002010-01-03T12:47:22.890-05:00

Each year, my mom buys us a Hallmark ornament to commemorate something important to us from the year, or because the ornament shows one of our favorite things. We are each responsible for hanging our respective set of ornaments on the three. Some ornaments have a lost history, resulting in the occasional fight over ownership. These ornaments, however, have unmistakable owners.Dad's.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-71784092051294226472009-12-29T17:26:00.000-05:002010-01-03T12:47:22.891-05:00

My mom was Real Life's Christmas Decoration task force this year, and it spilled over into her home. She put up three trees and put Martha Stewart to shame with the present wrapping. All of her Christmas festivity was so lovely I couldn't resist taking photos.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-32430083799010732832009-12-27T15:50:00.004-05:002009-12-27T15:59:51.837-05:00

Students,I am here to encourage you in your search for truth or help you begin it;To refine your capabilities of discernment and expression;And to challenge your understanding with good-faith information and argumentspresented in a careful, loving way.You are here to humble me with your talent, strength, and potential;To refine my capabilities of discernment and expression;To challenge my

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-12757945444481465682009-12-04T20:13:00.002-05:002009-12-04T20:16:30.494-05:00

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-83682150478078386372009-09-12T13:50:00.003-04:002009-09-12T18:37:53.639-04:00

Mom asked for my birthday list. Since I was making it anyway, thought I'd post it. anthropologie Aloha candle<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Batang; panose-1:2 3 6 0 0 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:바탕;

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-48256756711466017682009-06-21T21:22:00.003-04:002009-06-21T21:55:01.240-04:00

I was thinking about things I wanted to bring back from Ireland, and a souvenir named Conor Larkin is among them. That will be difficult because Conor's an Irish, rugby-playing, artisan blacksmith and poet from Northwest Ireland--and also from Leon Uris' fictional work Trinity. I can't bring home a fictional man, obviously, even if he is the man of my dreams.He's also not the only literary male

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-57333654067126670702009-06-06T22:14:00.004-04:002009-06-06T23:39:47.940-04:00

Reading Yancey's book on the relevance of prayer, I spent time with his section on "The Grammar of Prayer," where he explains ways we can pray effective, theologically-sound prayers, even when we don't "feel like" praying.One method is to use scriptural prayers or the fixed, liturgical prayers that are part of something like a Book of Hours. But then he made an interesting departure, and pointed

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-7002573026452248772009-06-05T14:51:00.006-04:002009-06-05T15:43:56.297-04:00

I came across the most annoying thing the other day: I was reading and in the middle of the book, for three chapters, the pages were out of order! 148, 152, 151, 150, 149, 153, 154, 155, 156, 161... and on. I have never had a book where the printing flaws were so debilitating! I figured it's because I only paid $.75 for it at a used book sale, but still! Someone should have put a warning sticker

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-75998273958180223162009-04-07T11:46:00.001-04:002009-04-07T11:49:25.802-04:00

Refine Me Jennifer KnappI come into this place, burning to receive Your peaceI come with my own chains, for wars I fought for my own selfish gainsYou’re my God and my father, I've accepted Your sonBut my soul feels so empty now, what have I become?Lord...Come with Your fire, burn my desiresRefine meLord...My will has deceived me, please come and free meRefine meMy heart can't see, when I only

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-6481896934138776662009-04-07T11:37:00.003-04:002009-04-07T11:51:45.192-04:00

Martyrs & Thieves Jennifer KnappThere's a place in the darkness that I used to cling toIt presses harsh hope against timeIn the absence of martyrs there's a presence of thievesWho only want to rob You blindThey steal away any sense of peaceThough I'm a king I'm a king on my kneesAnd I know they are wrong when they say I am strongAs the darkness covers meChorus-So turn on the light and reveal all

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-45333316419984245912009-04-07T11:35:00.001-04:002009-04-07T11:37:09.672-04:00

Psalm 139:23-24“ Search me, O God, and know my heart; know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way of the Everlasting.” (NIV)

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-75054748865920970812009-03-27T11:37:00.003-04:002009-03-27T16:14:22.835-04:00

This summer, I started making my own books. I really love my Moleskine, but I wanted something with the same design of different sizes, distinct appearance, and varying page count. I need to tell one notebook from another.From my moleskine design, I kept:blank, non-lined paper (a must! also hard to find in notebooks instead of sketchbooks)a closurea hard coverpocketa bookmark ribbonand hand-sewn

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-13910568212226849892009-03-25T10:41:00.000-04:002009-03-27T11:28:17.560-04:00

I took a class when I lived in England taught by an Art History professor called “Art and Museums”. We met once a week at a gallery somewhere in the city, which made me explore art galleries AND the city. Apart from being a fun class, it changed the way I spend my time in a gallery.First, we go there to see the art, not the collection. With Art Museums, in order to “survive them”, we

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-70289812172318138802009-03-18T19:04:00.005-04:002009-03-26T18:55:19.551-04:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan;

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-13062895678478938652009-03-18T07:51:00.003-04:002009-03-18T11:59:53.429-04:00

I have more writing coming, but I thought I would put these up since I have them ready.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-16040744596933165102009-03-16T11:38:00.004-04:002009-03-18T11:56:27.636-04:00

I've spent a lot of time in airports this week, which got me thinking about my travel routines, particularly when I travel alone.Five things I always do in an airport: 1. Buy magazines. I rarely indulge my appreciation for the Economist or The New Yorker.2. Buy a bottle of water-- because I can't carry one through security. 3. People Watch. I usually travel alone, so while I am in the airport,

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-22473152621217599082009-03-06T11:38:00.004-05:002009-03-18T12:00:44.045-04:00

I read some more of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek this morning. I'm 2/3 of the way through it. It's summer in the book, and there's been a devastating flood because of a tropical storm.Even her most benign descriptions move me, and I hardly ever know why.At the end of this week, we looked at the Art of Modernism in my AP Class: Hopper, Stieglitz, Okeefe, Demuth. I showed Demuth's The Figure 5 in

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-69863352469418150822009-02-26T10:20:00.002-05:002009-02-26T14:22:43.150-05:00

A few recent things challenged my resigned separation from the church.So yesterday, I called my friend Allen.He recently became pastor of an unconventional church just north of San Fransisco. I called him because, even after delivering a sermon called "I hate people" (and he meant it), he still has a place in and for a church.I asked, "How can you love the church after what the institution and

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-84042966357118779302009-02-24T11:50:00.005-05:002009-02-24T11:57:09.930-05:00

A student just gave me a pile of maps that came out of some National Geographic magazines. He's Chinese, so I am not sure where he came by ones that were ten years old, but he presented them with a flourish."I think you like these," he said.He has no idea. Maps are some of my very favorite things. My dad got National Geographic for years when I was growing up, and we were allowed to look at the

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-43713118268593689542009-02-23T23:19:00.001-05:002009-02-24T11:50:13.372-05:00

I eat dinner with my friend and her family most Mondays. She's Italian, and quite an accomplished cook. I never know what we'll eat, but it's usually the best I've ever had of its kind. She makes well some very gourmet and complicated dishes, but the best part of Mondays are often their simplicity: Last night she made--from scratch, as she makes everything--ravioli with sauce and meatballs. It

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-691504422294896022009-01-27T08:01:00.000-05:002009-01-27T09:26:44.949-05:00

One of the things that explains my fixation on Facebook is that it functions as a repository for funny turns of phrase, which I can post as statuses. At the same time, many people see their Status as a kind of self-identification and expect some authenticity in it. What do I do with turns of phrase that should not be authentically applied? Here are a few examples:is senora pantalones del

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-59502785344127129772009-01-23T14:59:00.003-05:002009-01-23T18:48:29.870-05:00

A few of us at school share the same specific group of students. We joked with them today by nonchalantly tossing the phrase "sexy beast" into our instruction, wondering if they'd notice the pattern. For the record, another colleague started it, but I played along by pointing to a portrait of Abe Lincoln in my classroom and told them to focus on "that sexy beast (pointing) instead of their own

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-24459969046771543372009-01-21T14:18:00.005-05:002009-02-26T14:22:54.170-05:00

I came across an outstanding definition of "Worship" the other day, from Ravi Zacharias:"Spring[ing] forth out of gratitude and tak[ing] into full cognizance the mystery of my being before the One who is the cause of my being and who Himself can never, not be.... It is a response of apprecation... of awe, of surrender, of hunger to be consummated in the Spirit..."Zacharias offered this defintion

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-83366997717241126792009-01-11T17:49:00.006-05:002009-01-11T18:54:19.703-05:00

I am really looking forward to Brett Dennen and Erin McCarley on Friday.And I was thinking, with deep gratitude for my musically savvy friends ( him and her), how much incredible music I've had this year. A Paste article inspired me to make one of my top-five* lists.My Top-5 Shows in 20081. Iron and Wine, at The Plaza Theatre in April. There was a version of "Trapeze Swinger" and one of "

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-61494012397087020522009-01-07T10:25:00.007-05:002009-02-26T14:22:43.151-05:00

Over Christmas break I undertook some significant pen-repair projects. After extensive online research, I found the causes of scratchy nibs and limited and skipping inkflow. Over the last couple of days, I repaired the first one I ever bought, the Rotring Freeway.My first year of teaching, a student knocked it off my desk and, uncapped, it landed on the tip of its nib. It never wrote the same

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-84696623859435872142008-12-31T15:21:00.001-05:002009-01-12T09:40:23.184-05:00

they should consult the following tableau: The only significant thing missing is George Herbert, who is 2 years old today.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-22875599586180648262008-12-30T15:50:00.004-05:002011-03-13T15:12:19.712-04:00

It being the end of the year, my ipod's Shuffle and I were reflecting on some of our most significant moments. We came up with the following list of our fifty favorite songs this year (give or take a couple of months)."A Billion Bees" - Kevin Devine"A Perfect Fit" - Tilly and the Wall"Bad Education" - Tilly and the Wall"Big Casino" - Jimmy Eat World"Cemeteries of London" - Coldplay"Chase This

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-18703951532843634872008-12-24T21:46:00.004-05:002011-03-13T15:13:23.349-04:00

Over the years, working retail has demolished all of my appreciation for Christmas music. There are too few songs played far too often. I have noticed them trickle in as early as Halloween! This year I was fairly successful at avoiding not only Christmas music, but the whole run up to Christmas. As every year, much of this can be blamed by school's end-of-term madness. I miss out on a lot of

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-24106707117403942412008-12-04T19:16:00.000-05:002008-12-04T19:17:53.381-05:00

From the Google Reader Blog:Hide unread counts We've heard you loud and clear. For some of you (and some of us on the Reader team), unread counts are a source of anxiety and can feel more like a to-do list than the random awesomeness of the Internet. So to help you sleep better at night, we've added the ability to turn off unread counts for each section of navigation independently. Subscriptions

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-50718441342751705262008-11-29T17:03:00.003-05:002008-11-29T18:54:24.824-05:00

Today we went to the Winter Park Farmers' Market. We found fresh crepes, kettle corn, herb plants, and scones! Afterward, we spent a gorgeous morning walking up and down Park Avenue.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-47891563439104425032008-11-28T22:23:00.000-05:002008-11-29T00:21:53.945-05:00

In following the lead of one of my fellow bloggers, I, too, post my 2008 Christmas Wishlist. You may recognize a few of these things from previous lists. A flash for my camera Finding Ireland Moleskine City Notebook Dublin The Blair Decade, PBS videoa British passportDavid Gray, Shine: The Best of the Early YearsA fine art umbrellaa globe for my classroom stovetop espresso makerpersonalized

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-82191572345120273182008-11-27T21:30:00.002-05:002008-11-27T23:17:07.330-05:00

Yesterday I was working on my Christmas list, as is some kind of blog protocol, and I remembered I probably have the wrong holiday. I think I am supposed to be listing the things in my life I'm glad to already have.Often people say "what they're thankful for" before they get to eat, but we missed this around-the-table prelude because there were 25 people around our table.In all of the fuss of

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-36986553993612935412008-11-24T19:38:00.002-05:002008-11-24T19:41:42.475-05:00

Today my family went to the Gaylord Palms Resort to see their ICE! Sculptures exhibit. We spent about an hour in weather that was literally nine degrees. And while it was really pretty, an hour was enough.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-42806560081487125202008-11-22T21:38:00.001-05:002008-11-22T22:55:34.492-05:00

Those of you who read The Strand might have noticed my attention to the topic of prayer, recently. A colleague of mine pointed out a familiar quotation by Emerson on the subject:"Prayer that craves a particular commodity,—any thing less than all good,—is vicious. Prayer is the contemplation of the facts of life from the highest point of view. It is the soliloquy of a beholding and jubilant soul

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-89022857746286595492008-11-20T21:20:00.002-05:002008-11-22T21:38:26.740-05:00

Dillard writes, "Hasidism has a tradtion that one of man's purposes is to assist God in the work of redemption by hallowing the things of creation."Today I was walking to the dining hall and I saw of flock of cobalt dragonflies. I was startled by the depth of my delight. They are bugs, after all, and I have made this walk to lunch a couple hundred times.But in that moment, they didn't look like

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-20116180622892291812008-11-15T19:05:00.002-05:002008-11-15T19:27:34.570-05:00

Annie Dillard writes through a moment when she says her "mind is a slope," and then lists a dozen bizarre and disparate moments, "ghosts" she calls them, "that drift across the screen from nowhere." "It's insane," she says. "The engineer has abandoned the control room, and an idiot is splicing the reels. "I read, astounded. How did she do that? How did she record, with great importance--and

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-79681371939276337922008-11-14T22:15:00.000-05:002008-11-15T17:24:31.139-05:00

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-86593490858198264872008-11-13T08:39:00.007-05:002008-11-13T10:14:11.479-05:00

Today I'm reading for the MVA Poetry Club's Poetry Jam that is part of Fine Arts Week. (I wish I had something of my own to read, but I can't afford to dwell there today.)I am reading these three poems I found on the Underground in London:'I saw a man pursuing the horizon' I saw a man pursuing the horizonRound and round they sped.I was disturbed at this;I accosted the man."It is futile," I said,"

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-44935663334938393622008-11-12T20:01:00.004-05:002008-11-12T20:12:12.936-05:00

I keep meaning to write about my Coldplay show from last weekend, (and I even have some images to post) but I can't seem to get to it. Worse, I'll have another show tomorrow that will also be worth a post. Rats. Two behind now.I've also been looking at those daily photos, still. It got me seeing, and I took these outside the front door of my apartment. Look! Our own fall colors!

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-71890174397663504682008-11-09T14:01:00.005-05:002008-11-09T15:08:40.611-05:00

I've been thinking about three things a lot lately:Time vs. Eternity Predestination vs. pre-determination Garfield Minus GarfieldThe time and eternity contemplation comes from reading Dillard.The predestination vs. pre-determination comes from my entertaining a pentecostal perspective on prayer in a book study group.And Garfield Minus Garfield is the only comic strip I read with any regularity

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-7690270830588949312008-11-07T10:02:00.003-05:002008-11-08T11:24:15.012-05:00

I made a delightful discovery today.I've added a new student to my google reader, and she shared this photo. I was surprised by the blue cornflower in the bottom corner--a little poetic irony that made me smile. It reminds me of being delightfully startled by yellow daisy-like flowers on the way to school Monday morning. It's like the funny, ironic turn at the end of our recent Collins

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-57784158216776621952008-10-31T10:49:00.005-04:002008-10-31T11:10:02.810-04:00

I wouldn’t consider myself a “people person.” Lately—and I say lately because there’s a small chance I wasn’t always this way—I tend to prefer island living. This is where I visit the mainland (other people) for supplies or amusement, but I always have the option of sailing back to solitude. Worse (or better) it’s a sovereign island. But also lately, I’ve begun to realize this is not a

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-38004016979294790432008-10-24T10:04:00.004-04:002008-10-24T11:52:58.174-04:00

I read this today, shared by a friend. It made me think about how often people blog about blogging, or not blogging as the case may be.I was also talking to another friend about his blog entry, posted after a long RSS silence. When I commented how we let those blogging gaps happen, he said he just wanted to make sure what he posted meant something--that he didn't post "just for the sake of

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-15683063336095412092008-10-22T17:02:00.000-04:002008-10-24T16:08:47.057-04:00

My Tree Frog

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-31452859745849540012008-10-22T16:15:00.003-04:002008-10-22T16:19:02.561-04:00

I thought I would a list of my terrific finds from the book sale in Gainesville on Saturday, but this seemed a little more efficient:

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-44044198355955404552008-10-18T22:17:00.005-04:002008-10-19T09:42:26.639-04:00

I just watched the movie Once, and it was as lovely as everyone said. Its earnestness was captivating. As I watched the Dublin scenery, it made me really excited for the trip to Ireland I'm planning. But then I thought the Dublin in the movie does not exist in the touristy city-centre where I'll likely be. I'd have to live there to find it. I remember seeing that landscape in Belfast--gritty,

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-14807109749672391732008-10-10T21:47:00.001-04:002008-10-14T12:01:00.135-04:00

Tonight when I came home there was a tree frog, curled up the size of a baseball, on my door handle. I have come to this door in the evenings 1000 times, and never before found anything on my door, especially nothing as exquisite as a giant tree frog. My dog George who normally scares away innocent things was too busy peeing on bushes to notice it. I couldn’t enter my apartment without most

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-88164437966614278712008-10-06T12:38:00.000-04:002008-10-12T12:47:08.896-04:00

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-57543728861100510832008-10-01T15:04:00.000-04:002009-02-26T14:23:28.647-05:00

Top-five Things I Love About Being a Teacher that Have Nothing To Do with Instructing:The process of getting coffee on campus: having to wash my mug in the bathroom, going to get the coffee in a colleague's room, then having to go get milk from the workroom fridge becomes less about obtaining the beverage and more about all of the detours on the way.Summers off.The excuse to buy school supplies

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-2890866491997794132008-09-30T19:15:00.004-04:002008-10-01T11:29:01.961-04:00

I am really excited about my birthday this weekend. I'm hosting a French wine tasting, which promises to be a night filled with cheesy berets, eyeliner mustaches, and something other than Chianti (my obsessive favorite).Here are the beautiful invitations and envelopes my friend Melissa made for the event:

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-1215407121660900772008-09-29T14:39:00.003-04:002008-09-29T15:07:22.082-04:00

I was thinking about this idea of "seasons" as I was comforting a struggling friend. Seasons are important to the grieving because Solomon reminds us in Ecclesiastes that everything has its own season, and that God makes everything beautiful in His time. In trying times, sometimes Peace flows from these, sometimes not.Annie Dillard wonders in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek "Assuming you hadn't noticed

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-86980486406803982882008-09-14T18:20:00.002-04:002008-09-19T10:37:17.632-04:00

This is my set list from the Inkwell show on Thursday night. At the end of the show, we went to go say hello to the band. The frontman gave it to me, right after I asked him to play a song that makes him miserable--at which point I would have stopped talking to me. He was so personable, and I liked him so much, that the details he shared about his upcoming album made me so excited for him--almost

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-42920086445641068612008-09-13T18:57:00.005-04:002008-09-16T19:02:32.313-04:00

An interactive birthday list:A fine art umbrellaa polarizera subscription to Smithsonian magazineMoleskine City Books, Boston and Dublin Moleskine large plain notebookLong-sleeved J-Crew tees, XL personalized stationeryanthropologie Aloha candlean electric kettleNew car adapter for my ipod.a new French Press (mine broke)anything from my Amazon Wishlist stovetop espresso makerProg by The Bad

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-70635292191403562332008-08-21T21:42:00.000-04:002008-10-06T15:05:59.023-04:00

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-63503120830938486192008-08-08T18:38:00.013-04:002008-12-05T16:24:33.076-05:00

Today my friend Anna and I finally made it to the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, FL. It is said to be the best art gallery we have here in Florida, which isn't saying much for a theme park state. Still, the gallery boasts more than a decent cast of characters. This is my first time visiting it since their renovation and since my brief teaching foray into "art history," and both of these

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-19944602604705549602008-08-02T17:27:00.002-04:002008-08-02T17:33:06.009-04:00

One of the highlights of my recent time in London was a long walk along my blog's namesake, The Strand. Check out my tabblo of the photos from that stroll:See my Tabblo;

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-80308161032603447492008-08-01T15:09:00.006-04:002008-08-01T15:38:15.895-04:00

Yesterday, I took a friend to one of my favorite places in my area, the Windsor Rose Tea Room in Mount Dora, Florida. The tea room is more English than almost any I found in England. Their scones are dense and sweet, they have a dozen teas to choose from (Yorkshire Gold was my choice), and the atmosphere is all at once everything quaint about the English. It is where I go for my British fix, even

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-15230713447400139432008-07-28T20:11:00.003-04:002008-07-28T20:32:42.354-04:00

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-80315335438039655612008-07-27T20:04:00.004-04:002008-07-29T16:42:56.592-04:00

The other night I couldn't sleep, so I pulled out my paints and watercolor pencils. I didn't know where to start, so I painted a card for a friend.I mailed it today, so I don't have it anymore. I notice this because as I think of it, I want to inspect it again--criticize it, fix it, or add more to it (which might actually be taking away from it). I don't remember doing all of these things "

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-42677609474783870942008-07-26T23:30:00.000-04:002008-07-28T17:43:02.517-04:00

"I have three candles here on the table which I disentangle from the plants and light when visitors come. [My cat] usually avoids them although once she came too close and her tail caught fire; I rubbed it out before she noticed. The flames move light over everyone's skin, draw light to the surface of the faces of my friends. When the people leave, I never blow the candles out, and after I'm

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-25275858220713254692008-07-25T14:03:00.012-04:002008-07-25T15:32:38.907-04:00

Happy is England! I could be contentHAPPY is England! I could be content To see no other verdure than its own; To feel no other breezes than are blown Through its tall woods with high romances blent: Yet do I sometimes feel a languishment 5For skies Italian, and an inward groan To sit upon an Alp as on a throne, And half forget what world or worldling meant. Happy is England, sweet her

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280694086569148204.post-89760663335086522042008-07-24T16:57:00.004-04:002008-07-24T23:18:06.552-04:00

"Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."~Isaiah 55:2I was reading Isaiah this morning, again, and I found some questions that seem to have been present in the conversations I've had this week. I have been reading about Robert Coles, prolific

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06064389445760920579noreply@blogger.com0