Archive for the 'ramblings' Category

Happy Humboldt

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shan
on June 24, 2008
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Yesterday, we drove up highway 101 to Arcata. The trees and mountains are beautiful! It’s hard not to take it all for granted. I’m trying to soak in everything. A bit of the way was smokey because of the fires in Mendocino County, but we soon past that and the drive was great. We stopped off by the road to check out an old road that headed up the side of the mountain. It was kinda creepy… like Blair Witch creepy, so we just took some pictures then headed back to the car.

We’ve been having a great time with Johnny and Alyssa. The weather has been beautiful and today we went to the river to take a dip and enjoy the wildlife. The water was freezing. Alyssa spotted a bald eagle. It was great. Tonight we did some hiking in Trinidad had dinner at a great restaurant in Arcata. Our plan is to just wing it for the next couple of nights while heading to Portland. I love road trips.

Cool Catz

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shan
on June 23, 2008
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We’re finally on our road trip! Last night, we stopped in at Santa Rosa to visit some old friends Dave and Amanda. It has been so much fun. We had a beer at Russian River Brewery and then out to dinner. Later, we hit up this great beer garden where we got a free magic show from a local magician, Ron Blair. Amanda spotted him across the way and Dave asked him to do some tricks for us. It was amazing! This morning, I’m sitting in Coffee Catz, an awesome coffee shop in Sebastopol where Amanda works. She’s roasting coffee and we got to watch and learn a bit. So interesting. Next, we’re headed up the coast to Johnny and Alyssa’s in Arcata.

Outside of Coffee Catz, there’s a small tree with a sign asking people to fill out a tag with what you’re grateful for and hang it on the tree. I’m grateful for “Friends and road trips.”

Freshly roasted coffee smells soooo good!

Sleepy

Published
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shan
on May 19, 2008
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Dreaming about R.E.M. next weekend. (sigh)

Bun in the Oven

Published
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shan
on May 7, 2008
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No, not my oven… My sister’s. She’s prego! I found out this last weekend while visiting. She’s about six weeks along and she’s so excited. Out of the three of us, this will be the first baby in the family. What a crazy feeling, to add another branch to the tree.

She’s due around or on Christmas Day. Fun. Merry Christmas to all. I’m dying to know if it’s a boy or girl… or both. Her husband’s a twin. Wouldn’t that be a trip. Ok, I already have tons of crafty baby projects brewing. Stay tuned for updates to come.

Endless Possibilities

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shan
on April 28, 2008
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Enjoying… tomato soup, Cinematic Orchestra’s mellow beats, coffee house conversation, time for thought, thankfulness, colors, perfect temperature, flip flops, pride, life without expectation or assumption. Steve’s at band practice, the dog is safely kept at home, and I’m sitting here also feeling shocked and a little overwhelmed by the possibilities that lay ahead of me. I’m only 26. I shouldn’t be this blessed. God, what the hell are you thinking? I’m not complaining… I mean, this is what I’ve always wanted. I’m extremely thankful. I guess I just didn’t really expect this to happen until I retired at like 55. When one is faced with the option to not work on a daily basis, it seems they would be elated and have all these aspirations of things to accomplish and dreams to fulfill, wouldn’t they? I haven’t had time to prepare myself so, I’m not sure what my aspirations or dreams are just yet… or maybe I’m freaking out because I can now actually work toward them. I have to make something of myself. I don’t have an excuse anymore. Here goes everything…

Happy Easter

Published
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shan
on March 20, 2008
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Easter is a Christian holiday. According to Christian scripture (a book called the Bible), it’s the day that Jesus Christ is said to have returned from the dead. Christians believe that Easter is the holiest day in the year. Easter is a Catholic Holy Day celebrated on the first Sunday, following the first full moon, following the first day of spring. Some people who are not Christians celebrate the beginning of Spring on Easter. The word Easter comes from the ancient German word for April.

Christians believe that Jesus was killed on the cross about 2000 years ago by the Romans in a city called Jerusalem (most of which is in the modern country of Israel). The people who killed him did so because they believed that he was causing trouble for the government and because he was claiming to be God. When they crucified him (meaning they nailed him to a cross), they even hung a sign over his head to make fun of him for this reason. The day he was crucified is known by Christians as Good Friday.

Christians believe that two days after Jesus was killed (on Easter Sunday), his followers searched in his tomb and found that his body was gone. Later, Jesus is said to have appeared to them and preached to them. It was because of this that his followers knew that Jesus was God, just as he said.

Definition provided by www.simple.wikipedia.org. Read more about the Easter resurrection of Jesus Christ in the book of John, chapter 20 of the Bible.

Rosa

Published
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shan
on March 18, 2008
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img_1307-400.jpg Three days ago we brought home our new addition to the family. Rosa Lee Reinhardt. She’s an 8-week old Chihuahua but I’m going to consider her a newborn baby. She comes with all the attachments; feeding, crying all night, teething and potty training. I guess this is great preparation considering we are planning to have kids in the next couple of years. About a year after we were married, we got our Siamese, Fanny Mae. She came with some responsibility, but for the most part, she’s very independent. So, this is a big jump for us. But a good one.

img_1353-400.jpgSteve’s step mom, Denise, was given Rosa as a gift from her neighbor. They already have three dogs, so she offered her to us. She has been so much fun. What a little personality. Fanny is slowly adjusting to the idea. I found them curled up together on the couch today. So cute!

New York New York

Published
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shan
on November 12, 2007
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subwayphoto.jpgFrom my observations, New York City consists of a sea of individuals, dressed in black, all in a hurry to get somewhere… all the time. I just got back on Saturday. What a fun trip it was!

I went with my mom and sister to “just hang out” for a week. We experienced Broadway, went shopping at all the hot spots, road the subway, oohed and awed over the Statue of Liberty, and paid our respects to Ground Zero. Great city! I would love to go back someday.

The Greatest of These

Published
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shan
on October 8, 2007
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Autumn is here and it reminds me how much I have to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. A time to gather with family and friends and observe the greatest purpose of living, to love. Here’s a list of things that I’ve been blessed with…

A dad that teaches me patience and to love unconditionally.
A mom that teaches me to laugh and be strong when I need to.
A sister that teaches me friendship and hope in the future.
A brother that teaches me humility and to see the world in a new way.
A husband that challenges my faith and teaches me to love others where they are.
A community of friends that teach me to have fun and live each moment to it’s fullest.
A home to rest, learn and fellowship with those I love.
A faith that opens my eyes to what’s important and true.
A peace that only comes from trusting God.


1 Corinthians 13

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self–seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

The Road Not Taken

Published
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shan
on October 8, 2007
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Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost