Celebration?

Celebrate!

Orange-rum cupcakes with cream cheese icing!

"Watch out for the ice."

Greeted by a couple fellow pedestrians; I was reminded that sometimes Jersey City is kinder than it looks.

I was also cautioned to be careful of the icy sidewalks by a woman who had just had her hip-replaced. Kind of her to think of me.

Ran in to our neighbor. "Do you have a camera?" "Yep, just taking pictures of the snowy buildings." He seemed unconvinced. I should have offered to take his picture. I think that's what he actually wanted. Also I think he wanted to ask me if I'm pregnant. They always do that the older generation: they always want you to be pregnant. I am not pregnant- just fat. It's easier than being pregnant.

Inspiration

Not only did Bethy post in my honor she is always sending me these great blogs to enjoy. This is one of my favorites.

Little Brown Pen describes herself: "I photograph Paris. Obsessively." Some of her entries are organized by color. I feel quite inspired. At first I thought that I could photograph New York City. Obsessively. But I think I might prefer to photograph Jersey City. Obsessively.

I like to think that there is hidden beauty here. Small beauty. I think it would be fun to find those moments. Maybe I will start tomorrow in this snowy snowy cityscape.

Also- maybe I will make ravioli. I was quite uninspired today. I feel a different day coming.

Birthday

My long time friend and her love came to the city to celebrate my birthday!

She also posted this for me!

I love balloons!

Winter

Reminder

Last year around Spring Concert time I talked in worship about this sign that I had seen. It is a red sign and at that time it was vibrant red hanging in a store front window on our route to school. It has since faded in pink and I rarely notice it anymore.

Spring concert time is a stressful time around our school, and this red reminder enabled me to do just what it says: Keep Calm and Carry On. Apparently this was a poster that was printed in 1939. They were designed by the British Government to reassure the citizens that they would be protected in the midst of the war.

I like it's pragmatism.

I like the idea of everyone tending their own garden and not getting so caught up in things we cannot control.

But what of social justice? What about change? What about interacting in the world? I guess I am taking a more passive role on these questions these days. The truth is change is hard and we aren't going to change the world for the better. All we can do is live our lives and I think in the living of our lives we effect change, more lingering change.

That is quite humanist of me. Let me restate. I think that God sustains us with common grace. And this common grace is why people do not act as evil as we really are. Because of God's mighty grace we are freed from thinking that we have to change the world. We are called to love and serve those around us: I consider this tending our own gardens. We care for the people God has placed before us and through God's power and our own simple practices we keep calm and carry on.

I am coming to see that our simple practices remind us of the power God has in our lives.

Humbled

Last Saturday I attended the memorial service for C's grandmother and aunt. The memorial was bilingual and I was immediately wondering how we dare to integrate so many cultures; how we dare say that students are struggling with language development when there are so many differences.

And then of course being in the presence of those who mourn is undoing. Some women wailed loud shrieking cries. When I went to hug C, she melted in my arms- dissolving into loud sobs. I, of course, did the same.

Humbled because we dare to bring various cultures together. Humbled because the only reason I know C is because I am her teacher. Anyone could be her homeroom teacher, but it's me.