With Bells On

Lately, I've found myself repeatedly using the expression "I'll be there with bells on." Curious, I googled it, and found this. Personally, I use the expression to convey enthusiasm not just for parties, but for any meeting or gathering (business or pleasure). With the expression, I want to convey the fact that not only will I be there, but I am supremely looking forward to it.

This would be a fun phrase to use ironically, would it not? Say, when making an appointment with the dentist? "Root canal tomorrow at 10? I'll be there with bells on..."

Weekly Wordle

I recently became a member of Atlanta Mennonite Fellowship. During the worship service this Sunday, the commitment of new members will be formally acknowledged. Given that fact, I've been thinking lately of AMF's covenant: here is the covenant itself, and below, a word cloud thereof:



(Click to enlarge.)

Back, with measuring cups

My blog called me this morning in tears.

"Jackie," the blog said, "How could you? It has been nearly seven weeks! I thought we had really gotten somewhere over the summer. Our relationship had ... blossomed. I though you had grown, changed even. I thought we were in this for the long haul this time. I thought ... "

"Blog," I answered, chastened, "You are correct. I have been negligent in my commitment to you. I understand if you can't take a chance on me again, but I hope you will. 'Cause honey, I'm still free."

My blog graciously consented to give me a second chance. My hope is that you, dear reader, will as well.

Confession time: I have a thing for measuring cups and mixing bowls. It doesn't matter how many I own; I always feel like I could use just one more set, especially if they are thoughtfully designed and splashy like these. Don't you just want to snap them up? Unfortunately, the price is on the astronomical side. What is it with this penchant of mine for overpriced kitchen items? Psychological insight, anyone?

Done

Being done feels like ...



Or maybe ...



Then there's...



Ahhhhh. Time for bed. Sorry for my absence. My body, having permission to completely relax, is a stranger to me. My head is cloudy, my back is achy, I am sleepier than ever, and sudden movements are disturbing to behold and impossible to execute. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel less like a zombie encased in jell-o, and more like a functioning participant in the world around me.

A girl can dream! And I think I will. Good night!

EDITED TO ADD
As of now, I have posted more this month than I did in all of 2006.

What was up with me in 2006?

*cue scary theme music*

I am awake.
And preparing to leave.
To go get some breakfast that will make me smarter.
Exam is at 9.
See you at 12 (or soon thereafter).

Serenity

With my Hebrew exam approaching in T-minus 16 hours and 39 minutes, I need some. Not to mention an iPod full of tunes to psych me up. Like "Holding Out for a Hero" by Frou Frou ~ the hero being, this time, my own superspeedy translational powers!
I know you are in there somewhere!

Time for a deep breath and one last dive into the Exam Preparation Pool, Olympic-sized, with all sorts of iced lattes and assorted grammars and lexicons floating about. See you when I emerge!

Flikr Magic!

I took this photo of my friend Katrina when we traveled to Poland together 2 years ago. I was diggin' the reflection. So the other day on my flikr site, I did some photo editing to play up that aspect of the photo. First, a simple crop:



Nice. How about even closer? With a bit of color saturation action?



Ooooo! Interesting!



Here's the other eye. (See my arm there?)

Which photo is your favorite? Au natural, cropped or one of the funky shots?

P.S. I'd like to give a shout-out to this blog posting. Go PeaceBang!

Wordle 3

This is the most beautiful word cloud I have ever seen. For obvious reasons, it did not originate with me!

Wordle 2

Inspired by Frank's comment on the previous Wordle, I present: the book of Genesis (as translated by the Jewish Publication Society).

Weekly Wordle

Apparently there is no end in sight to the things I've got a hankering to wordle.

Ta-daaaaa! Presenting my class notes from a lecture on fasting in the Hebrew Bible.

Procrastination Revelation

While not studying last night, I re-discovered how much I like Rubens.

If...

If I ever decide to spend $219.34 on a soup pot, I will buy this one.

Pleased and Dazed

I am pleased (or, as the kids say, totally geeked out) by the new little doohickey in my sidebar (scroll down a bit), called a flagcounter, which records the number of visitors to this site per country. The numbers are discrete: the counter only records each reader one time, unless that person happens to check this blog from several different computers, in which case it will log one visit per computer. I like that: a realistic representation of actual readership. And, as I have had issues in the past with blogging regularly, I'm finding this flagcounter to be oddly motivating. There are people out there who actually read what I write! Or at least they have read it once! Well, probably some of the them clicked on the site by accident. But still! One of them lives in Israel! And another in Italy! And then there are the people I actually know, the Americans, the Canadians and the Dutch! I cannot let them down!

Oh, if you click on the widget, you can get your own for free.

Props to Erin, where I saw it first.

I am dazed because one week from today I have to take the departmental biblical Hebrew exam here at Emory, and my eyes and brain and heart and (as the ancient Hebrews would add) liver and kidneys are a bit overwhelmed with the preparation I've done until now, and the seven full days yet to come.

Jackie logs off blogger, turns to her Hebrew Bible, and commences with the nail-biting.

EDITED TO ADD
I also spruced up my sidebar a bit, removing a few old lists and paring down some of the current ones. Still too much? Feedback welcome!

To Suffer Damage

"When the Japanese mend broken objects they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold, because they believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history, it becomes more beautiful."

~ Barbara Bloom

Latest LOL

"If life gives you lemons, save the receipts."

~ Stephen Colbert

Won't you mooch with me?

Gotta love it. I joined yesterday and already have swapped two books. It's a marvelous recycling program for booklovers who can bear to part with some of their tomes; the only cost of membership is that of postage! Anyone want to join me in the bookmoochiverse?

It is not a bookswapping site per se; you do not have to give and take on a 1-to-1 ratio, though you are encouraged/required (?) to give away at least 1 book for every 2 you mooch. There's this nifty little point system that protects from overmooching, too. To wit: Every time you give a book away, you get one point; in turn, books "cost" one point each. Additionally, every time you post a new book to your inventory of giveaways, and every time you leave feedback for a book received, fractions of points are added to your account, and they add up fairly quickly. International mooches require more points, but those doing the shipping are rewarded with extra points too.

Tammy, I am gonna call you out on this! I think this website is perfect for you, for the following reasons:

1. You prefer to purchase used books.
2. You never keep books after you read them.
3. You are always interested in obtaining new and interesting books to read.

So whaddaya say? Won't you mooch with me?

Lydia, what about you? Frank? Alison? MarsGirl? Donnamo? Bueller? Anyone?

Caroline Herring

I love her music, especially tracks 4 and 11 on this CD. These tunes have gotten me through many a long day of translating and late night of paper writing. Highly, highly recommended! Bonus: she lives just around the corner, so I get all kinds of chances to hear her live.

Weekly Worldle

Presenting the itinerary for an Emory-sponsored educational tour of Turkey for which I am signed up!

EDITED TO ADD: I can't tell you how excited I am that I figured out how to link to the Wordle in a more aesthetically pleasing manner. Compared to this slim post, isn't my previous worldle-posting an eyesore?!

I am Bohemian Rhapsody

Which apparently means I go for bright, eclectic, and a tad bit luxurious. Goodwill meets the finer things, I guess!

What's your design DNA?

Props to How About Orange.

Happy Birthday ...

...to my dad!

This photo was taken two years ago, when my aunt, cousin and I surprised my dad in the middle of the night to eat cake. I had just gotten home from ... Kansas? I think it was Kansas, where I was visiting a couple of churches to speak about my time in the Netherlands. I arrived back in Ohio as my dad's birthday commenced around midnight. So together with my aunt and cousin (who had picked me up at the airport), I stood outside my parents' bedroom door and started singing! They both arose, ever the good sports, and we enjoyed some cake together.

Dad looks pretty awake for a wee-hours-in-the morning photo, doesn't he?

Today my dad turns 74. Happy Birthday Dad!

EDITED TO ADD: Need I point out that today is 08/08/08? I love that type of thing. It's almost as cool as my Grandpa Stuckey's birthdate on 09/10/11.

Latest LOL

"Take everything I say with a grain of salt, because my new sponsor ... is salt."

~ Stephen Colbert

Advice, Unsolicited

So here I am, at my favorite diner, having placed my order for the scrumptious Silver Dollar Breakfast (two buttermilk silver dollar cakes, two sweet potato silver dollar cakes, two eggs, roasted turkey breast, grilled potatoes and an orange slice), and trying to get online. The diner's free connection is on the fritz, so I'm borrowing an AT&T connection from Starbucks next door. This is the same connection I use whenever I hang at Starbucks, since, as a registered Starbucks card holder (sounds like more of an honor than it is, believe me), I get 2 complimentary hours of internet every time I darken the door. Not to mention free refills on regular or iced coffee.

Anyway, the guy next to me, who is closing down his computer, notices that I am using AT&T. The following conversation ensues:

"You can use the Rise & Dine connection for free, you know."

"I know, but it's not working for me.

"I was just on it and it was fine."

"OK, maybe I'll try again. But this AT&T connection is free for me too, since I have a Starbucks card."

"But you realize it's only free for like an hour after you make a purchase."

"Actually, I've been able to use it for several hours at a time."

"But you go in and you buy the card along with your coffee, right? And then it's only good for an hour."

"No, if you have a registered Starbucks card, the AT&T connection is complimentary. You just have to register your card online and use it once a month."

"Oh."

"It's a new thing."

"I always use TMobile. Their connection is so much better. AT&T's phone service may be better, but TMobile's data service is phenomenal. They have this blah blah blah and then there's this blah blah blah. And Verizon blah blah blahdiblah blah. You know Verizon uses the CDA system while the others use the TDA system blah blah blah some more blah blah. Oh and did I mention that the connection here is free?"

Oh dear reader. Why oh why does a complete stranger feel the need to intervene in my wireless habits? And why oh why does he assume that I am completely clueless, incapable of making a choice unless he enlightens me as to the intricacies of wireless providers? I mean, his initial impulse to make sure I knew that the diner's connection was free was a nice gesture. But am I not correct in thinking that the above conversation could have been ... well, shorter?

"Live and let live" is apparently a lesson lost on this guy.

Thanks for letting me vent. I feel better.

What's your favorite ABBA song?

This is mine.

In seminary, when we talked about interviewing for jobs with churches, I thought this would be the perfect interview song for new pastors fresh out of school with zero experience.

Honey, I'm still free.
Take a chance on me.

Take a chance, take a chance, take a take a chance chance.

Calling All Fans ....

... of The Office.

Dan Schreiber just published a compelling piece on the most embarrassing boss ever.

Seminar Paper Wordle

Here's a Wordle of a seminar paper I wrote last year:
title="Wordle: Seminar Paper"> src="http://wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/104916/Seminar_Paper"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"
>

http://wordle.net/

Special Delivery

It was waiting for me at my apartment door.



Oh, the tantalizing first glimpse of fabulous orangeness!



Orange!



Whoah.



See the tiny little "beans" inside?



It's big, alright.



Big and comfy.



Not to mention cozy for reading.



What can I say ... I think I'm in love!

In the Midst of Studying Hebrew ....

... I've been able to fit in some fun.

Today, I baked 5 dozen cookies and an apple pie. First apple pie of my life! I used my Grandma Stuckey's recipe.

Before baking ....



And after...



Most of the cookies and the whole pie will be sold at the bake / yard sale my church is having tomorrow.

Usually, me baking = havoc wreaked on the kitchen.



There you have it. Havoc. Here's a close-up.



So much fun!
Earlier in the week, I had another kind of fun:



Though it was less fun when the Braves lost 3-12. But nonetheless, my companions Katie, Ingrid, Jamie and I kept things hopping with our operatic singing and discolike moves in the stands. It was Katie's birthday! She is in the foreground, below.



Oh,and I do believe I had promised you some more Ohio pics:



There was farming. I mostly observed.



There was a birthday dinner. Mmmmmmm. My mom's mashed potatoes with hamburger gravy. Plus homemade applesauce. Corn, frozen from last year's garden, and kohlrabi fresh from this year's.

Then there were the cakes. Can you read the message hidden in the candles?



It was good eats.



My great-nephew Aiden especially liked knawing on the kohlrabi.



Ah, evening drives along straight-as-a-ruler Ohio country roads!

I also enjoyed a great 24 hours in the fun city Columbus with my good friend Frank. We ate Turkish food, we ate Polish food, we ate Western European food, we ate the best ice cream in Columbus. (Their signature flavor "salty caramel" is to die for!) We bought used books. We chatted far into the night. Who could ask for anything more? Well, I guess you could ask for a picture, but I forgot to take one.

I do have a picture from the family get-together at the historic Wyse homestead: my dad with three of his siblings, on the farm where they grew up.

Yay Blogger!

Check out the new sidebar to the right, entitled good reads...

Voila! A selection of blogs I read daily! The 10 most recently updated appear by default; if you want to see a more complete list, there's a link for that at the bottom. I'm loving the utter up-to-the-minute-ness of it all!

Design Tips

In another life, I would be into design. Gotta love these tips. Props to one of my favorite bloggers.

Today's Sermon

title="Wordle: sermon 7.08"> src="http://wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/91541/sermon_7.08"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"
>

I couldn't resist!

For some reason, I can't get the visual above, but click on the link for the wordle.

Wordle

Click on the above image for a close up.

What is it? A word cloud of this very blog. Make your own, using a blog or any text at all! I'm thinking of wordle-ing a sermon sometime, to distill its "true" message. :-)

Wordle your world.

I Believe!

Just got back from seeing the movie. "Amen" to Roger Ebert's review. No fancy footwork, no mind-blowing CGI, no superheroes or monsters (excepting the human ones). IMHO, that's what makes this movie work. It's not Batman, and you don't want it to be. It's Scully and Mulder, together again.

Critics say it's like watching an episode of the series writ large. Well, trust me ~ if you were (are) a fan of the TV series, that is not at all a bad thing.

Yay X-Files! Yay creepy theme music! Yay scary moments when I sucked in my breath and said "oh dear"!

Apparently, Chris Carter said that if this movie does well, he hopes for a third. Perhaps it will be released on 12/22/12? You know, the date of the next alien invasion?

PS ~ Poster source here.

Me, Again

Modern Art Museum by dumpr.net

Me, museumified

Art Museum by dumpr.net

Mouth Melting Maraschino Madness

Were M-n-M's a memorable part of anyone else's growing up years? I remember when the most exciting color in a bag of M-n-Ms was green. After all, that was the only color separating M-n-M's from their butterier cousins, the Reeses Pieces. Yes, at that time, there were two shades of brown M-n-M's! (Might that have something to do with the 1970's and the decade's inexplicable embrace of brown decor?) I remember the thrilling appearance of the first red M-n-M's, and their subsequent hasty removal from grocery store shelves as the dye was suspected to be a carcinogen. Later, I remember when we got to vote for the next new color ~ blue or purple? (Blue won.) As a teen, the release of peanut butter M-n-Ms rocked my world completely. Almond M-n-M's were a close second.

All that to say, I'm a pushover for any new kind of M-n-M. (I love the dark chocolate variety in the purple package they came out with last year.) Today I happened across Wildly Cherry, a new limited edition that tastes just like those chocolate covered maraschino cherries that come in fancy satin boxes. Yay!

Oh, and at the M-n-M website, you can become an M-n-M! Joy!

(Anyone prefer Smarties to M-n-M's? The jury is still out for me.)

Earlier this month, while in Ohio ....

I turned 33,

saw some old friends,

took a drive with the top down,

hung out with farflung family members,

and even took a turn in the pulpit.

Aren't the visuals lovely? Thanks to Luana and Peg for their creative response to a few of Jesus' parables as recorded in Matthew. My sermon was titled: "Seeds, Pearls, Yeast and a Fishing Net." If I was studying New Testament instead of Hebrew Bible, you can bet I'd be writing on the gospels. Nothing against Paul, but the spare, unornamented gospel narratives are the ones I would want with me on my desert island. Along with the entire Hebrew Bible, of course!

More Ohio pics coming soon ....

Happy Birthday Anne!

With an e.

Otherwise known as ...

1.YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car):
Cuddles Batavus

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe):
Peanut Butter Crocs

3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal):
Orange Fish

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born):
Ann Wauseon

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first three letters of your last name, first two of your first name):
Wys-Ja

6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink):
Green Latte

7. NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers):
Jesse Chester

8. STRIPPER NAME (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy):
Lilac Reeses

9. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your fifth grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter):
Kraus Kensington

10. SPY NAME (your favorite season/holiday, flower):
Winter Daisy

11. CARTOON NAME (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now):
Blueberry Shorts

12. HIPPIE NAME (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree):
English Muffin Maple

Props to Julie

Judas, Corrected

As promised yesterday ...

excerpt from The Death of Judas by Paul Claudel
translated from the French by polderpalooza herself, corrections by her French instructor in red

It was something of absolute seriousness, a deep interest. I wanted to be sure; I wanted to know where He was going. At his side, when He called me, I was really compelled to suppose that He clearly knew what He was doing. In order to follow without hesitation, I sacrificed my family, my friends, my wealth, my position. I have always had a kind of scientific or psychological curiosity, call it what you want, and at the same time a taste for adventure and for speculation…. I took the bait. Moreover, I am not the only one to let myself be taken. I dare say that among the Twelve, it was I who was by far the most well-educated and the most distinguished. I was a credit to the group. Needless to say, there was Simon Peter – one would not have had the heart to dismiss him or to deny him first place. One had only to look at his lovely eyes like those of an affectionate dog, and this grimace like that of a child who will cry when addressed with the reproaches, which came for him quite often when it was his turn. As for myself, I was always correct. I did my duty, one could not have asked more of me. Otherwise, it was a mess. All the same, my judgment, my manners, my knowledge of the world and the Scriptures, and my know-how with the customers were appreciated. I was one of the first to achieve the rank of Apostle, one of those around whose neck a cord was placed, what you now call a stole.

Grade: 49/50. I guess my quirkiness wasn't too over the top after all!

This morning I took the official Graduate Division of Religion French competency exam. I feel like it went well, but only time will tell. However, I do know for sure that I am done with French for the summer! Yahoo!

Lots Happening

1. Welcome to the world, little baby Joshua! Today you are one day old! I can't wait to meet you.

2. I ate Sushi in this restaurant a couple of nights ago to celebrate my friend Leslie's birthday. Wouldn't ya know it: I love Sushi! Who knew anything could be so fun to eat? Each bite is a self-contained precarious little party on two sticks. It's like cookies, but healthy (and with sticks). I had some with asparagus and some with softshell crab (that was an adventure, with the edible legs all breaded and sticking out the ends) and some with everything but the kitchen sink. No kitchen sink, and no fish eggs either. I wasn't brave enough to try the fish eggs.

3. I have an almost empty living room at the moment. Just a couch, a futon, a lamp, a TV stand and a TV. The futon is being moved out tomorrow. I plan to spend the weekend stretched out on the floor. Maybe I'll do some cartwheels. This empty-living-room-syndrome is the result of the ever adventurous and annually inevitable housemate transition period. N moved out (miss you dear!), taking furniture with her. J and J have only just begun to move in. And M is away for the summer (miss you too!). So, right now, it's just me, the aforementioned items, and some newly steamed wall-to-wall carpet. I'll have to find someone to poke (facebook friends?): there is static electricity to be mustered!

4. For my French take-home final, I translated a really entertaining, fictionalized passage about Judas. Yes, the Judas, the guy who gave 30 pieces of anything glittery a bad name. I'll post it below, and tomorrow, when I get the corrected version back, I shall let you know how I did. Okay then, one psychological profile of Judas Iscariot, comin' right up! Personally, I think this translation is kinda quirky. Hopefully not quirky enough to disturb the one grading it.

excerpt from The Death of Judas by Paul Claudel
translated from the French by polderpalooza herself

It was something of absolute seriousness, a deep interest. I wanted to have a clean heart; I wanted to know where He was going. At his side, when He called me, I was really compelled to suppose that He clearly knew what He was doing. In order to follow without hesitation, I sacrificed my family, my friends, my wealth, my position. I have always had a kind of scientific or psychological curiosity, call it what you want, and at the same time a taste for adventure and for speculation…. I took the bait. Moreover, I am not the only one to let myself be taken. I dare say that among the Twelve, it was I who was by far the most well-educated and the most distinguished. I was a credit to the group. Needless to say, there was Simon Peter – one would not have had the heart to dismiss him or to deny him first place. One had only to look at his lovely eyes like those of an affectionate dog, and this grimace like that of a child who will cry when addressed with the reproaches that came for him quite often when it was his turn. As for myself, I was always correct. I did my duty, there was no more wondering about that. Otherwise, it was a mess. All the same, my judgment, my manners, my knowledge of the world and the Scriptures, and my know-how with the customers were appreciated. I was one of the first to achieve the rank of Apostle, one of those around whose neck a cord was placed, what you now call a stole.

---

Inauguration of the Summer of Blogging

Here I go with my summer of blogging! Sorry for the delay.

I would like to begin by sharing quotes from someone who makes me laugh. Last week, he opened his show by declaring: "This is the dawning of the age of Colbertius (kohl-bear-ius)." Tonight the following got my goat: "Guests of the Colbert Report are housed in the luxurious Crashing With Friends." All this from the Peabody-award-winning satirist who invented the word "truthiness," which (rumor has it) appeared in a New York Times crossword puzzle last week. I love the guy!

So far, my summer has been very French. I am taking an intensive French language course: French for Reading Comprehension. Today I translated 375 words by Paul Riceour, which felt like a milestone. Class ends Thursday; I am taking the Religion Department competency exam on Friday. If I pass, I will have fulfilled both departmental modern language requirements. You see, I consumed a German grammar on the boat last summer:


Thus thorougly grammatified, and assisted by my knowledge of Dutch, I was able to wend my way through the German reading exam last summer.

In some ways, it is odd to learn to read a language without necessarily learning to speak it. Throw some Ricouer at me, and I and my 5-pound dictionary will have a little party. Throw my self toward France and ask me to order a baguette, and I will be overcome with fear and trembling. Hopefully someday I will have the opportunity to gain some confidence in baguette ordering et. al. That said, if anyone needs to buy some cheese in the Netherlands, I'm your woman!

EDITED TO ADD:
Colbert ended his Report tonight with the words: "I hope you've enjoyed watching me for the past half an hour. Now it's my turn to watch you." (followed by intense wordless stare)

May 12

That's right, folks. The little something I like to call "insanity" and which is otherwise known as "life in the first year of a PhD program" will be wrapping up in just over 2 weeks. Which means that in a mere 17 days, I can embrace my identity as a blogger again! At least for the summer!

Here's looking forward to that moment.

Until then,

Jackie, who bought her first energy drink today, and wonders if this is the first act on a slippery slope leading to caffeine addiction

I know.

I know, I know, I know, I know!

I am guilty of blogging negligence. I do want to right this wrong. But I gotta say, this Ph.D. program threatens to be the death of my already-not-so-flourishing blogging life!

*sigh*

In the meantime, check out this fantastic article on the Really Terrible Orchestra, sent my way by my new friend Susan!

Jackie in Real Life

So my very favorite restaurant in all of Atlanta so far is Rise-N-Dine, just a stone's throw from campus. Up until yesterday, the reasons for that were simple: fanstically tasty, healthy food; friendly and efficient service; and an atmosphere that was funkily comfortable. Yesterday, another reason was added to the list: I made a new friend! You know, like it happens in the movies. I was sitting at my own table; Adam was sitting at his. I asked the server for a bit of cream for my coffee; Adam offered me his. I asked if he was a student; he said he just graduated from seminary. Delightful conversation ensued. E-mail addresses were exchanged. Today I received an invitation to hang out with him, his fiance and his roommate sometime soon.

Does this really happen in real life? Do people just walk into cafes and make new friends? Apparently so!

Oh, yes. I have not forgotten my NY Resolution. Blogging about my transatlantic journey will happen this weekend.

2008: Cozy and Lazy

So far, I could best describe 2008 as cozy and lazy. I am in Elkhart, staying at the home of friends, one of whom authors the blood-stained lintels. It snowed 9 inches last night and hasn't yet let up. I am wearing my fuzzy orange slippers and typing this on a borrowed MacBook. I slept in, drank coffee, ate egg-bread (otherwise known as egg-in-the-hole) and a whole banana and some christmas cookies and bits of chocolate. I reclined on the couch and read. I talked on the phone. I chatted with my friends. Today has been cozy and lazy and pretty perfect. We are making chicken curry tonight, and continuing to stay in. Not leaving the house feels great.

I am bad at resolutions, New Year's or otherwise. In spite of that, I resolve to blog more in 2008 than I did in 2007. Seeing that I posted 54 times in 2007, a mere once-per-six-days posting average would achieve this rather modest goal. (I won't even bother to menton the scandalously infrequent 23 postings of 2006, and how easy that was to best last year!)

It seems appropriate to begin 2008 by reflecting on 2007. By far my most unique experience was my 12 day transatlantic journey by means of which I returned stateside from 5 years in the Netherlands. I took more than 1,000 photos during those 12 days (excessive, I know) all of which are available on my flikr account in the collection entitled "transatlantic voyage." Take a peek if you'd like, though I'll be posting highlights here for those not inclined to wade through the massive number of images.

Here's preview of what's to come...

IMG_3167, originally uploaded by polder.palooza.

the PZM Isolda, my 12-day home, docked in Cleveland on July 23, 2007


my parents, my bike, and myself, in my cabin


an example of the magnificent Polish food we were served


the view