Rental
If you're looking for something fun to rent from the video store this week, I recommend A Mighty Wind. It's another mockumenary from the creators of Best of Show. Many of the same actors appear in both films.

The writers really capture the documentary feel so well that you're shocked to laughter by some of the absurd things the actors say or do. I think it's that mixture of mock serious mixed with the silly and outlandish that also makes Monty Python so appealing.

I'm not especially familiar with the world of folk music, other than being vaguely aware that it was popular when I was little. Joel said that he thought the mock folk songs were fabulous parodies, then played a few Peter, Paul and Mary tunes to prove it. The writers did indeed satirize the genre amazingly well.

Perhaps the most funny of all is one of the female singers from the group "The New Main Street Singers" who explains her religion, WINC or "wink." The tenets of this faith include the worship of color. She and her husband do quirky rituals before each rehearsal and performance that are absolutely sidesplitting.

Aaah shelf space
In the spirit of non-hoarding, I want to get rid of some of my books. For a while I belonged to three book groups and read some stuff I didn't much care for. Some I've earmaked to pass on to others who might enjoy the stories I didn't like. The others I can't in good conscience recommend.

Here are a few examples:
Personal History by Katharine Graham. Too long. Annoyingly huge amount of name dropping. You'd think a newspaper publisher could be more pithy and tell only the really interesting bits.

Waiting by Ha Jin. A love story in communist China that is more frustrating than Remains of the Day. Characters become increasingly unlikable as the story progresses.

Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund. This book starts great, then takes a major swerve with twists that strain credulity more than I'm willing to suspend disbelief.

It's not a huge pile, maybe 10 or 12 books altogether. I'm thinking of selling them on amazon.com. Have any of you done this before? Any tips? Pitfalls to avoid?

Waaah!
I just realized I have less than a week until the big 3-5. It kind of sneaked up on me this year. Soon I won't be able to say "I'm in my early 30s" without lying outright.

On the bright side, we're going to a cool, free Celtic music festival on Saturday to celebrate. Wahoo!

Hoarding
I was re-reading the last issue of re:generation quarterly (now defunct) and came across a great article on homemaking. What really stuck with me was this (a rough paraphrase, because I can't find the issue today):

"Jesus said that if we hoard our possessions, they will rot."

That really nailed me to the wall, because I have a terrible time parting with clothes, even if I never wear them. The author challenged readers to see our hoarding of stuff rather than giving as stealing from the poor.

It really felt like a breakthough to hear this. I hit the closets harder than I ever had before. I tried to picture the woman who really needed the clothes I wasn't wearing. A blazer and skirt for the single mom trying to make it and raise her kids alone. Jeans for a teenager whose parents neglect her. A sweater for an elderly woman scraping by on Social Security.

Filling bag after bag became like a prayer. Bless her, and her and her and her. Wrap Your love around every one who receives these clothes. And thank You for Your abundance. Help me to always rush to give and hesitate to hoard.

A calling
This evening I was looking through a book on various saints that someone gave Claire as a gift. I found some food for thought in the entry on Ann, the mother of Mary and patron of homemakers:

"Human beings are not like birds, whose instincts tell them how to make the right nest for their offspring. Homemakers must use their minds to discover how to create a home that will protect, nurture and teach the children who belong there. While each bird hatched in the nest is almost identical to all the other birds in the species, no human child is like any other. The homemaker works to create a place and make the time in which each unique child has a chance to grow and flower into a strong and loving person for whom the world will give thanks.

"Making a home that protects children has less to do with locks and bolts than with the loving presence of a homemaker who is aware of the many dangers children face, both body and soul. The homemaker employs experience and foresight to guard the children from such danger. A true homemaker does not run a fast-food concession. She or he knows that meals shared around the family table not only provide better nutrition but also help prepare them for life in the community outside the home.

"The homemaker teaches the children of the household not only by direct instruction but by creating the home environment: Tables and chairs are arranged with children in mind; storage cases, cabinets and dressers are provided to encourage children to be independent and orderly. The homemaker is true to this vocation when she or he makes the home's simple, everyday objects speak to the children of their own dignity." (Patrons and Protectors: Occupations, Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago, 2001)

I've been somewhat concerned about the level of priority that's appropriate to give tidyness when parenting a small child. So many of my peers keep a different standard than what I grew up with. I wonder if I'm becoming too persnickety. But this excerpt did bolster my belief that creating an orderly environment is an important part of helping children grow, giving them a sense of safety, proportion and rhythm.

Back
Been away since last Wednesday visiting friends while Joel was at a conference. Claire had an awesome time trying to keep up with my girlfriend's 2- and 3-year-old. Her walking improved tremendously for one. She even went to the zoo for the first time. The monkeys were a big hit.

Abundance
Choir started for the year, and it's great to be singing with a group again after a 9 year hiatus. One side benefit of joining the group, I thought, would be getting to know more people at church.

God knows what we need better than we know ourselves sometimes. At rehearsal last night, the director asked all the new people to introduce ourselves. He started with the sopranos, so I explained that I'm a stay-at-home-mom and where I live in the city. When the altos started intoducing themselves, one of the women said she also was a SAHM in the same section of the city and that she really wanted to talk to me afterwards because she's new to the area and "I really need friends."

We talked after rehearsal, and it turns out this gal lives on the street that runs parallel to mine, basically just ONE BLOCK away! We were both really excited. She has use of a car most days, and I know the area fairly well, so it will be fun to have someone to errand run and explore with. Her son is 2 1/2, so it will be interesting to see how the kids interact.

I'd had a kind of secret wish for a friend who's close by to do things with, but hadn't ever articulated this desire to anyone, or even specifically prayed for it. God truly does provide more than we ask or imagine.

1 kraZ mama
How utterly kewl is this? I found a pair of Rollerblades (yep, the brand name ones) in my size for just $10 at a yard sale. They threw in the full set of knee, elbow and wrist pads for free. I'd been scouring yard sales all summer in search of blades for a more fun workout. I never dreamed I'd find them so cheap.

I first tried blading two years ago at a roller rink and thought it was fun. It's more like ice skating, which I can do without embarrassing myself too much. Today I took Claire and the stroller and my new blades (and pads and a helmet) to the River Drive to get rolling.

I don't know what I was thinking. I have next to no experience and set off using the stroller to balance. That was well and good until I hit a slight incline. I didn't know how to get enough momentum to go uphill, or how to safely slow down going downhill. At one point I had to roll off the trail into some grass to slow down and banged the stoller into a fence. My water bottle went flying, making the impact seem harder than it really was. Claire was unphased, but I was really shaken. My good sense returned and I knew I needed to take off the skates, go to a flat place, then try skating.

I did pretty well on the flat. My ankles and hips got a bit achy, but I'm beginning to get the hang of this skating thing. My rule of thumb for now is NO HILLS. And definitely no hills while pushing the stroller.

Crisis averted
Whew. We heard from the vet today and Keats' blood tests were normal. The vet thinks he was licking his leg repeatedly because of an allergy (the area he's licking is rashy). The vet thinks the continence issue might be related to that.

I think it might really be a territorial thing. The spot he liked to pee on was some cotton rugs we'd layed out for Nicky to nap on. The rugs sit right next to Keats' feeding area. It would make sense for him to become suddenly territorial with Nicky after we returned from vacation. Keats needed to re-establish hierarchy here after spending 18 days carving out his hierarchical spot among my brother's pets.

The weight loss could have also occurred while we were on the road. Keats may actually be regaining weight lost then. After all, Nicky usually goes on a hunger strike for a few days when we leave him with a pet sitter. Keats likely did the same.

Joel thinks my UTI hypothesis might still be correct, since the vet wasn't able to collect a sample for urinalysis. No fever could mean he was getting better on his own.

We're just glad it's nothing serious. The possible diabetes diagnosis was especially scary. It would have meant type I diabetes since he is so young and thin. A special diet for an aging fat cat is one thing, daily insulin shots is another matter altogether.

Kitty crisis
Mr. Keats has had some continence problems lately, so I asked Joel to take him to the vet. I figured it was just a urinary tract infection. Well, the vet said Keats doesn't have other UTI symptoms like a fever. His thirst and weight loss over the past 3 months did worry the vet though.

So they took some blood and are testing Keats for feline diabetes and kidney disease. Neither diagnosis sounds like a fun road ahead to me. We frankly can't afford the costly care if he has either condition, but I don't relish the thought of having to put down a cat who's only 2 years old. :-( I doubt anyone would be keen to adopt a chronically ill pet.

There is an outside chance that Keats has an anxiety disorder, because he also licked part of one of his legs bald. If that's the case, a month on medication should cure him.

We'll have a better idea when the lab results come in. It's hard not to worry about the worst case scenario.