a life beyond running shoes.

reading one heavy novel necessitated two fluffy. little bee . by chris cleeve. nigirian refugee at a british immigration center meets british liberal editor of a woman's trash magazine with an insipid husband and a lackluster infidelity. while i can say it is a compelling and intriguing story. what i can also say is that the infidelity bothers me.... it might not bother all but it is a storyline that i find problematic and unsettling. perhaps, it is my moral high ground but i read the synopsis of some of his other books and the topic is repeated. anyway, an event on a nigirian beach bring sarah and little bee together.  the book deals with the atrocities of nigiria as the "black gold" country and the complicated issues of asylum and immigration. the times reviewer said that it is not just a political novel but a story of human triumph.  i found very little triumph in the story actually.  so there  you have it.  not a huge fan of the author but was glad to...

hubbie and i actually got to attend a conference a couple of weeks ago thanks to my  mom for coming up and keeping our kids. kevin twit came and spoke on how songs shape our souls . here is his article titled "why we still need hymns." he was awesome. our hymn sing was a sweet balm to my soul. here was one of the nuggets that he shared with us that i have been attached to ever since: Beams of Heaven ©2004 Christopher Miner Music.  Words: Charles Tindley.  Music: Christopher Miner. 1. Beams of heaven as I go,  through the wilderness below,  guide my feet in peaceful ways,  turn my midnights into days.  When in the darkness I would grope,  faith always sees a star of hope, and soon from all life's grief and danger  I  shall be free someday.  I shall be free someday. 2. Often times my sky is clear,  joy abounds without a tear;  though a day so bright begun,  clouds may hide tomorrow's ...

hiking to turtle rock with daddy. sonoma to train town and olive oil tasting. sausalito for the bay discovery museum.     point reyes for whale watching and elephant seal sightings.  so cool!!! i've been whale watching before but have never actually seen a whale....we saw at least five (or perhaps it was one whale that we saw five times). and lots of movies in jammies for rainy days in between. 

if you know me, you  know i will find a topic and then read a few things about it: barefoot running eating locally and now...... olive oil. got this book for christmas which of course, lead me to other books. extra virginity: the sublime and scandalous world of olive oil by tom mueller frankly, i just love the subtitle. it was a fascinating read. the history of olive oil, the parallels to the wine industry, the scandals that have changed the italian wine industry and how little has changed in the olive oil industry. i loved learning about something that has such beneficial properties, but have almost none when diluted or marketed as something it is not..... like extra virgin.  it has lead me to explore some local olive producers and even gone taste testing here in northern california.  second book: the passionate olive: 101 things to do with olive oil by carol firenze oh....she gets creative.  but first she almost summarizes what i read in the ...

this year for lent i decided to read a biography of someone whose faith would encourage my own.  i read about amy carmichael.  a chance to die: the life and legacy of amy carmichael by: elisabeth elliot i found amy carmichael to be of the most resolute faith, but of someone who would intimidate me greatly should i ever meet in person.  she was focused and determined.... i often thought about my own faith as i read about her life and ministry of prayer....which was the point of reading about her during lent.  but i also found elliot's writing very documentary like.  i would have like it to be more narrative, a story woven around a culture and a woman whose faith remained ever steady in times of woe and sorrow. i loved how elliot would site the hymns that amy would remind herself of... and how rich the story was told through amy's own poems and letters BUT i have to say, elliot's writing was not compelling.  i guess it didn't need to be in order to con...

was full..... we had a passover meal and a good friday service. it was delightful. then an easter morning with egg hunts and friends over for lunch. can't complain at all.  strange not to celebrate with our normal brooklyn crew or a house full after service but still quite able to celebrate a risen savior. and a side note, i ran a 5K over the weekend and got my fastest time yet (28:27) for a new PR..... there was even a hill in there. i was actually second in my age group. that is just crazy! 

it is hard to figure out what to blog about.....  so a month has gone by and low and behold another birthday. peanut is 7. he is enjoying first grade. we are all slowly making friends.  it is not home yet..... it will just take time. but we had a great time celebrating number 7. favorite part....the shoes (from princess sweet pea herself). bowling and sushi. (and i did not make the cake..... a new high school friend did). (thanks to mimi who caved on the sushi when learning that he had to choose between the two for a birthday celebration.....oh, what are mimis for?)