Friday, November 30, 2007

Mel is Getting Skinny




So, I went for a research study follow up and I was going to put a chart on here with all of my numbers, but I lost the paper that I wrote it on. So here goes: I now weigh 227.4. That is a 29 pound weight loss in 4 months!! That is like five of the beg ones below and 4 of the little ones. These are models of what 5 and 1 pounds of fat look like:





Sick! Well, that is all off of my body and now I'm moving closer to my goal of one hundred pounds in a year!!

Please pray for me as I continue my cardio and weight training 3 times and week and I stick to a low GI diet.


In other News:
my students, JT, and I will be going on the overnight hunger simulation tonight (see previous post on World Hunger Farm) so please continue to pray that we will be changed through this process. I rely on food for comfort, while others can't even rely on it for sustenance. That's almost sicker than the fat model.

Grace and PEACE

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

A sticky little secret



I had someone ask on my other blog how I got this hairbow to stick to Little Squishy's head. I tried EVERYTHING to get them to stick to The Princess's head when she was an infant. KY, Karo's Syrup, etc. They would just fall off and leave a sticky mess. I just resorted to brain squeezers, which aren't my favorite, but what do you do?

When I had The Pea, a darling nurse in the hospital told me a little secret. Use Elmers Glue. It is water soluble and if you just get their hair wet before you wash the rest of their body at bathtime, by the time you get around to washing their hair, the glue is soft enough to be scrubbed out. Make sure you catch the ribbon. I have had more than my share almost go down the drain.

WIP Wednesday

I usually remember to post WIP on Mondays, but execution is a different thing entirely...

I made a little something for Zoe, but incase she's perusing the blog, I have to just give a hint...


I agonized a little over making Winter Solstice cards this year, what with the "waste" of paper and all, but I decided to go for it anyway. Recycle your cards, everyone!


I got two more huge log cabin blocks done...


and I've finally found some fabric for the artsy quilt, which I also now have a plan for...

Sunday, November 25, 2007

The Daily Bite: It IS easy being green



Every once in a while, my inbox is blessed with the presence of the Ideal Bite, short and sassy emails about green living. Ideal Bite offers small ideas for "light" green living, so if you aren't interested in selling your car and buying a moter scooter or switching to washable feminine hygiene products just yet, this may be the site for you.

I really love the small changes that I have been able to make through these emails. Recently, I took a personal oath to bring my own travel mug to the coffee shop or at least ask for a "for here" mug. I'm currently working on knitting my own coozie, so that as a last resort, I at least can forgo the paper sleeve. Let me know if you need a knitted coozie of your own.

Another big-small difference I have chosen to make is to swear off plastic bags. I made my own shopper purse out of an old t-shirt (photos coming soon) that I take to the store to transport my goods.


Calculate your ECO-FOOTPRINT using one of these websites (or google eco footprint):
Earth Day Eco-Footprint
Conservation International Eco-Footprint

and then check out the ideal bite website or blog (in my links section) and find out some practical things you can do to reduce this footprint on the world.

Coming Soon: My reflections on THanksgiving with JT's family.

GUIDE: HOW TO GET AN EMO HAIR

Emo hairstyles are similar to the hairstyles of music artists in the 1980s and the punk hairstyles in the past decade. Commonly, emo hairstyles include straight black hair with long bangs or fringes styled to one side, covering part of the face and eyes. However, the emo hairstyle is not limited to this anymore; styles have evolved so that anybody who wants to have an emo hairstyle can get one.

CHECK THE SHAPE OF YOUR FACE

The shape of your face is important when choosing a specific emo hairstyle. For people who have longer faces, a longer emo haircut would fit. For those with rounder faces, long fringes and short hair at the back would look best.

FIND A PICTURE

Now that you know what kind of emo hairstyle would look good with the face of your shape, the next thing to do is find a picture with the kind of emo hair you want. There are numerous sources of emo hairstyles from the Internet, especially musicians. Bring this along when you go to your hairdresser, and have your stylist cut your hair the same way.

GET YOUR HAIR CUT

Before you can get an emo haircut, you need to grow your hair a little first. This allows your stylist to cut in the emo style into your hair. Ask your stylist to cut the sides and the back of your hair in layers. The bangs should be made choppy. Although emo bangs usually have one side longer than the other, some emo styles can also have bangs cut straight across, covering the forehead. The hair at the crown should also be cut short, keeping it spiky with hair products.

HAVE YOUR HAIR COLORED

Have your entire hair dyed black or dark brown. If you want to add highlights, you can do so in a variety of colors. Emo hairstyles tend to use unusual hues in order to create a glaring contrast to the black hair – white, blue and even bright pink, for the more outrageous, are typically used. Highlights are usually added under the bangs and at the nape.

STYLE YOUR HAIR

Having emo hair is high maintenance. Styling emo hair typically involves the use of a lot of hair products. You can choose to either straighten your hair with a hair iron or create a messy, unruly look. For those with curly hair, try straightening even just the front part of your hair. When ironing your hair, remember to do so in small sections so that you go through all the parts. If you are a guy, you can also spike up the back of your hair, while keeping the front pat down. You can also use funky accessories and clips to style your hair.

CONCLUSION

Getting an emo haircut is an important part of living the emo lifestyle. Although these are simple guides on how to get a basic emo haircut, it is important to incorporate your personal ideas to create your own one-of-a-kind emo hairstyle. Try it!

GUIDE: HOW TO GET AN EMO HAIR

Emo hairstyles are similar to the hairstyles of music artists in the 1980s and the punk hairstyles in the past decade. Commonly, emo hairstyles include straight black hair with long bangs or fringes styled to one side, covering part of the face and eyes. However, the emo hairstyle is not limited to this anymore; styles have evolved so that anybody who wants to have an emo hairstyle can get one.

CHECK THE SHAPE OF YOUR FACE

The shape of your face is important when choosing a specific emo hairstyle. For people who have longer faces, a longer emo haircut would fit. For those with rounder faces, long fringes and short hair at the back would look best.

FIND A PICTURE

Now that you know what kind of emo hairstyle would look good with the face of your shape, the next thing to do is find a picture with the kind of emo hair you want. There are numerous sources of emo hairstyles from the Internet, especially musicians. Bring this along when you go to your hairdresser, and have your stylist cut your hair the same way.

GET YOUR HAIR CUT

Before you can get an emo haircut, you need to grow your hair a little first. This allows your stylist to cut in the emo style into your hair. Ask your stylist to cut the sides and the back of your hair in layers. The bangs should be made choppy. Although emo bangs usually have one side longer than the other, some emo styles can also have bangs cut straight across, covering the forehead. The hair at the crown should also be cut short, keeping it spiky with hair products.

HAVE YOUR HAIR COLORED

Have your entire hair dyed black or dark brown. If you want to add highlights, you can do so in a variety of colors. Emo hairstyles tend to use unusual hues in order to create a glaring contrast to the black hair – white, blue and even bright pink, for the more outrageous, are typically used. Highlights are usually added under the bangs and at the nape.

STYLE YOUR HAIR

Having emo hair is high maintenance. Styling emo hair typically involves the use of a lot of hair products. You can choose to either straighten your hair with a hair iron or create a messy, unruly look. For those with curly hair, try straightening even just the front part of your hair. When ironing your hair, remember to do so in small sections so that you go through all the parts. If you are a guy, you can also spike up the back of your hair, while keeping the front pat down. You can also use funky accessories and clips to style your hair.

CONCLUSION

Getting an emo haircut is an important part of living the emo lifestyle. Although these are simple guides on how to get a basic emo haircut, it is important to incorporate your personal ideas to create your own one-of-a-kind emo hairstyle. Try it!

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Hello, this is my first post here, so I thought I'd just say something. I'd wanted to get a blog for quite some time now, and I thought it was time to do something about that... I really love writing, and I think it would be nice to express my thoughts and dreams, and whatever is on my mind like this. This blog will be about anything - at least for now.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

I am thankful for...

...Eric. I am thankful for having Eric in my life, and for the opportunity to share every day with him. He is all I could ever dream of in a partner, and I love him with all of my heart.

Eric and I had thanksgiving dinner at the Spiral Farm with Frank heading up the cooking with a menu of Indian food, and Matte deep frying a farm raised turkey. Company was enjoyed, nearly full moon on a cloudless evening was admired and we went home stuffed and happy.

turkey a-fryin'....


two pages of Indian recipies!


baby naan....


and by the time we headed home, it was pretty chilly out....

Sunday, November 18, 2007

all gone!....continued

What, you're not satisfied with a shot of my amputated braid? You want to know what my remaining hairs look like? Alright, here you go....

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Another Emoboy with a Heart

cute emo hair

Got this tru email. Another hot emoboy with a really nice emo hair. His name is Charles Brindle. Visit his myspace profile and be inspired.. He also cut his own hair and do the same for his friends.. talented..

I'm a fairly extroverted person who enjoys reading, hanging out, poetry, artwork, and computers. I spend a lot of time working on artwork and reading particularly. You'll find me in coffee shops most of the time, probably working on one of these things. I absolutely love coffee and without it I probably wouldn't get as much done as I do. Starbuck's frapicinos rule 2, along with BK Joes, and Sheri's coffee. Helps to curve my ADD anyway (at least that’s what I keep telling myself.)

Right now I'm running a small business and trying to make my way through college. Life for me is usually crazy but I've been living in a mad world so long I find it more enjoyable then a boring life. Better to live your life as an adventure then not live it at all. I also really like to help people out however I can. I personally think that the greatest way to spend your time is to be spending it helping others.

If you feel like you ever need someone to talk to, send me a message and I'll do my best to get back to you. The time I spend here is not to judge people, just here to help them out as best as I can.

I've got a lot of problems and I'm far from perfect. Actually I'd say I'm a pretty screwed up person and I'm trying to rebuild my life from the ashes of other people’s mistakes. But God is there to help me along the way, and I believe I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today without Him. If you don't believe in God or share this view that’s okay. I think people should have the choice to believe in what they want (shouldn't everybody have the right to that?)

-Charles Brindle

Another Emoboy with a Heart

cute emo hair

Got this tru email. Another hot emoboy with a really nice emo hair. His name is Charles Brindle. Visit his myspace profile and be inspired.. He also cut his own hair and do the same for his friends.. talented..

I'm a fairly extroverted person who enjoys reading, hanging out, poetry, artwork, and computers. I spend a lot of time working on artwork and reading particularly. You'll find me in coffee shops most of the time, probably working on one of these things. I absolutely love coffee and without it I probably wouldn't get as much done as I do. Starbuck's frapicinos rule 2, along with BK Joes, and Sheri's coffee. Helps to curve my ADD anyway (at least that’s what I keep telling myself.)

Right now I'm running a small business and trying to make my way through college. Life for me is usually crazy but I've been living in a mad world so long I find it more enjoyable then a boring life. Better to live your life as an adventure then not live it at all. I also really like to help people out however I can. I personally think that the greatest way to spend your time is to be spending it helping others.

If you feel like you ever need someone to talk to, send me a message and I'll do my best to get back to you. The time I spend here is not to judge people, just here to help them out as best as I can.

I've got a lot of problems and I'm far from perfect. Actually I'd say I'm a pretty screwed up person and I'm trying to rebuild my life from the ashes of other people’s mistakes. But God is there to help me along the way, and I believe I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today without Him. If you don't believe in God or share this view that’s okay. I think people should have the choice to believe in what they want (shouldn't everybody have the right to that?)

-Charles Brindle

all gone!


I did it! The ponytail is off to Locks of Love, and I am experimenting with orange peel sculpting goo... My head is finally free!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Hip Hop and Worship




Last Sunday and today I worshipped at Church Under the Bridge here in Waco. CUB is an interdenominational church that gathers outside under the I-35 bridge every Sunday, rain or shine. The congregation is truly multicultural and consists of homeless brothers and sisters, a local biker group, Baylor students and faculty, high school kids, etc. As I walked up under the bridge I watched as people from all walks of life greeted each other with the peace of Christ. How beautiful is the body of Christ!



As the band finsihed up, Pastor Jimmy Dorrell (director of Mission Waco and Truit Seminary proffessor) approached the microphone and spoke of the man posessed by demons that Jesus cast out into the pigs. Jimmy and I have worked together in the past and as I try to expose my students to people that are different than them he has been very instrumental in bridgeing the gap between "the us" and "the them." He took 15 of my students on an "other side of waco" exposure tour, where he drove us around town to the places that most Baylor students do not usually get to experience. As we came back to Mission Waco, Jimmy pointed out the youth building. Graffiti was purposefully sprayed on the side of the building (words like peace and joy) and Jimmy explained to us that he hopes to turn one of Mission Waco's buses into a HipHop Christian Party bus.



This week I have been thinking about an article that Jimmy wrote about HipHop church services. He feels that there is a great need for these types of services. In fact, CUB holds HipHop church services from time to time.

I was informed that in South Bronx, an Episcopal church that has a HipHop service and Father Alex at the Episcopal Student Center let me flip through his copy of the HipHop prayer book.

(excerpt) Psalm 23 as adapted by Ryan Kearse
The Lord is all that, I need for nothing.
He allows me to chill.
He keeps me from being heated
and allows me to breathe easy.
He guides my life so that
I can represent and give
shouts out in his Name.
And even though I walk through
the Hood of death,
I don't back down
for you have my back.
The fact that you have me covered
allows me to chill.
He provides me with back-up
in front of my player-haters
and I know that I am a baller
and life will be phat.
I fall back in the Lord's crib
for the rest of my life.




Some say that the HipHop church thing is weird and too strange, possibly too much. Some say that it is the embodiment of loving people, and that you have to be truly intentional about getting to know those that are different than you.

I think I'm going to take this week to reflect on what Paul means when he says to "be all things to all people."

(photos by Matt Lester)

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Irvine: day 2

I drove out to Ridgecrest yesterday -- a region of California that I am not at all familiar with. It was nice driving, good weather and there was a quilt shop at the end of it. On my way, I stopped at the Victorville Starbucks, ordered a drip coffee and selected a vegetable and pesto dip snack. As I approached the register, the woman standing behind it was beating on the computer with her index finger, explaining that they'd been having computer system failures all morning. Since she couldn't ring up my order, she just gave it to me, "on the house". I offered to wait for a few minutes to see if the computer came back online, and I did, but it didn't. So she shooed me out the door, off with my free coffee and veggies.

When I passed through Victorville on the return trip, the sky was looking lovely as the sunset was fading....

Sunday, November 11, 2007

WIP monday, or Socktoberfest: What the @%#$ was I thinking?!?

Now, I had no -- not even one -- delusion about actually finishing one sock, let alone a pair of socks during Socktoberfest, but I guess I would have at least liked to have been a little deeper into my preparation-for-sock-knitting project: the baby hat on double pointed needles (dpns). I have pulled it out thrice now, as I seem to have an uncanny ability to put the project down, come back to it and start again, this time knitting inside out and/or backwards.... I think I have finally devised a system to get that part right, but now I am not sure that dpns and I are meant to be in the same room together (or, as I am increasingly finding, in the same airplane together). I'll be knitting along on the one needle, coming up to the second one, taking a quick peek around at the rest of the project, only to find that the second needle has lost three stitches in the form of three tiny, fragile loops hanging between the second and third needles. I put my blunt fingers to work trying to rescue the loops, and this time it worked, but I don't hold out much hope for next time.... I may just stuff it all back into the bag and go back to knitting scarves on regular needles with lovely little stoppers on the ends. I love scarves. I could really get into scarves. Working in only two dimensions could be theraputic.

All of this raises the question: am I absolutely certain that socks can't be quilted?

Irvine: day 1

Have I ever mentioned that my niece Zoe is the cutest thing to grace the face of this earth? Well, now I have.

After a beautiful flight (see Mt Rainier and Lake Shasta, below), I arrived in Irvine for a quickie at the office this week. They never have to ask me twice, since Zoe lives right down the street.

mount rainier, from my window view....



lake shasta, though I tell you that the colors were much more vibrant to my eye...


Emily and I had a lovely afternoon, dining on lox on bagels on the patio (overcast, but warm enough for short sleeves) and then a walk through the Irvine Regional Park (note: the zoo closes at 3:45 every day). Zoe walked and walked (with help). Back at their house, I made a little movie of her walking (and through my cinematographic genius, the subplot is revealed as Lucky the dog yawns)....



I love visiting these guys. After Zoe finishes cleaning the floor and retires, Miles and Emily and I have wine and Thai food and intelligently silly conversations.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

How to Recycle

Check out this local Waco Video put together by the UBC Green Team. (For those of you at home, that's David Crowder's Church.

WIP wednesday

Between writing an essay for class (on which I earned a 3.93 out of 4 and a "bravo!" from the TA) and studying for the midterm exam (Villa Almerico-Capra was built between 1566 and 1591 was designed by A. Palladio as a farming villa in Vicenza, Italy), I haven't gotten much done in the way of crafties. But I do have this necklace, which I just love, but am not sure if the pendant is too weighty/massive for the piece. What do you think?

nevermind that it has no clasp yet -- it (a silver square toggle clasp) is coming.


(natural light on a rainy day makes for a cloudy photo, but I think you get the idea)

google earthiness

Happy day! My Three Hole Point photo was selected to be included in the upcoming version of Google Earth.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

A Visit to the World Hunger Farm


On Thursday morning I got a chance to visit the World Hunger Farm right outside of Waco. I spent the some time touring the farm and then I was invited to stay and eat lunch with the interns. Some of my students and I are going to spend a night at the farm November 30 participating in a hunger simulation.
The World Hunger Farm is an intentional Christian community that is(taken from mission statement)committed to the alleviation of hunger around the world. God calls us to:

* Train individuals in holistic ministry that equips them to work with communities in developing sustainable farming techniques
* Educate those with an economic abundance on methods of conserving and sharing resources
* Participate in local and international sustainable development programs

Our philosophy . . .

is to live simply, helping those who struggle to meet their basic needs by sharing and investing in others what God has given to us


At the hunger simulation, 11 of my students and I will have the opportunity to sleep in a one room building with no plumbing or electricity, use a homemade composting toilet, farm and cook our own food, shower with collected rainwater, etc. The facilities we use are just like what you would find in impoverished Nicaragua.

That night the rest of my organization we be invited to the farm to participate in a Hunger Banquet, where each participant is given an identity of someone around the world. About three people will get to eat steak (upper class) at a table while some eat a nice meal of beans and rice, and then others will sit at the floor and share a small bowl of rice, etc. What a great way to bring it home.
Participate in your own virtual hunger banquet where you "choose your own adventure" at The Hunger Banquet Website

Exposing myself and students to the ways of the world is so important to me. It is so important to bear the burdens of the body of Christ, wherever they are in the world. It is also so important for us (the rich) to be at least a little more responsible with all the "extras" we have. I mean, really, it is so easy to recycle, for example.

I think as Christians, rather as people, we have the responsibility to complicate ourselves by exposing ourselves to critical issues and to think critically about how these things affect the way we live our everyday lives. The learning outcomes that I have established for my students go a little something like this:
To understand the interdependency of all people and establish a commitment to be a local, national, and global neighbor.
and
To be able to articulat critical issues facing leaders today and be able to identify practical ways in which we can address these issues now and in the future of our vocation/calling.

These are things that we cannot ignore as we live are normal lives in Waco, Jackson, Clarksville, Germany, Denver, New York, LA, Russia, Asia, Canada.

The more I know Christ and the way he interacts with me, the more responsibility I have to interact with his people in the same way of grace and compassion. Essentially we are called to die for our fellow man, just as Christ died. Even if we are not willing to do that, the least we can do is stop spitting in their faces by taking all our privilege for granted.

A friend once told me that America is poor, blind, and stupid. I agree. The only way we can truly see is if we rip away from ourselves all of the things we collect in order to hide ourselves from the true freedom we were meant to experience.

I'm not sure how I am supposed to do this, but I think spending the night on a cold concrete floor with 11 18-19 year olds is a start. I have a feeling that on November 30, the 12 of us will be fuller than we have ever been.

World Hunger Relief Website
World Hunger Farm Blog