Three Cups of Tea

Some of you have probably already heard my spiel about what an inspiring and moving book Three Cups of Tea is. Well, here it is again...

I got the book as a gift from Eric for my birthday in 2007, and it turned out to be one of the greatest stories I've ever read (and what makes it even better is that it is true and it continues on today).

Well, after I read it, I passed it on to Eric, who told his mom to read it. I also bought more copies and gave them out to family members for Christmas that year. Since then, I've lent it to friends. This year, I actually got another copy from some relatives (Steve and Mary Anne) who didn't know that I already had it. They were so inspired by it and wanted to share the story with others that they decided to do the same thing I did -- they bought several copies and mailed them to family members and friends. I passed that copy along to Ashlee's family (hopefully they read it and pass it on too).

Anyway, today I was checking the news online and actually noticed a roll-over ad for Three Cups of Tea. It's probably the first time I've ever clicked on one of those online ads. The cool thing is that they have now developed a young-adult version of the story and a children's version. I just thought that was really cool.

So if you're in search of the perfect gift for a reader, young or old, you should check this out.

23 Things

I was tagged by my college friend (that makes me sound old) Megan. And I needed a little break at work, so.....

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 20-25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 20-25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

1. I haven't worked out since some time in September or October. I'm kind of feeling icky about it and can't wait til the weather gets nicer so I can run outside.

2. I'm trying to drink more water and tea and less pop, but it's hard.

3. When asked "what do you want to be when you grow up?" when I was a little girl (circa 1987), I'd answer "the first girl baseball player."

4. My lips are a weird color that makes it impossible for me to ever find a lipstick shade that doesn't make my lips just look pink. Hence why I just use chapstick. Seriously, ask Megs and Mae Wo about our shopping trip to a "real" makeup store that ended with me just buying 99-cent lipgloss at Walgreen's.

5. I love singing in the bathroom -- it has the best acoustics.

6. I'm applying for a practicum placement in Children's Hospitals and Clinics for the summer (application is due tomorrow and I still need to finish my personal statement).

7. I used to run around my neighborhood as a child with just my swimsuit and shorts on pretty much every day of the summer. With no sunscreen. I had an eternal "x" on my back from the straps.

8. I am dating a pretty freakin' cool guy who I happened to go to high school with (but who I didn't really know at all back then -- he was just the "quiet, funny guy in French class"). He surprises me with how thoughtful he is and how great of a present picker-outer he is for everyone.

9. I love Earl's party popcorn mix (cheese, regular and carmel popcorn) - made right here in Minnesota!

10. I used to keep a journal, but got out of that habit a few years ago. I think it was more a thing I did when I was unhappy -- so now I have several journals filled with crazier times rather than happy not-so-crazy times. Maybe I should start writing again...

11. I auditioned for American Idol with my cousin Jessica two seasons ago. It's a crazy process. No, I didn't meet the judges.

12. I would love to live abroad again sometime in my life.

13. At a piano bar the other night, I realized that I have the musical knowledge of a 70-year-old woman (I know all the old standards...seriously...)

14. My backyard is in desperate need of a dog poop pick-up party (probably like 10+ piles), but it's so cold, I can't stand to be outside long enough to kick free all of the poop that is frozen to the snow. I hope our neighbors don't hate us.

15. I am a new aunt and feel terrible that I haven't seen Finley in almost two weeks when she only lives like 10 miles away. But alas....this cold is finally getting better, so hopefully this weekend, I will be healthy enough to hang out with her again.

16. I feel guilty if I buy something at full price.

17. I just started a new book that was recommended by my friend Karin called "Cold Tangerines." I'm only on like page 4, but I think it's about looking at the positive things in life, God, etc. We will see...

18. I love trying new recipes.

19. I am a cluttery person, although I really don't like it when the house is messy (even though it's usually my fault).

20. I wear size 7.5 shoes.

21. I spent my MLK Day morning at Valu Thrift Store's 50% off sale.

22. I have such a big family, I could not tell you how many first cousins I have, let alone second cousins, step cousins, etc.

23. I love being outdoors and feel exhilarated and alive when out in nature!

If you've read through this entire thing, then consider yourself tagged. :)

Just askin'...

Have you ever coughed so hard that you got a bloody nose?

I did. At work. Don't worry, I got kleenex right away and made it to the bathroom to monitor my poor nose.

Gross, I know.

I'm so sick of coughing (and I'm sure everyone else is sick of hearing me cough).

Sad, but proud

This morning, I received a couple emails from family members that made me both sad and happy. Sad because of what happened, but happy to hear that my family members are speaking up about it.

So what happened? Well, my aunt and uncle were up in Longville at their cabin last weekend, and they went to church on Sunday. Our family has been going to Longville since my Grandpa was in his 20s or 30s (so the 1940s-ish), and our fam was mostly Catholic and attended the same church in town every time they went up (or at least some of the time – my uncle is the most faithful at attending church regularly). Anyway, so apparently last weekend the priest started talking about politics during his sermon and said something about how the country is moving in the wrong direction and that homosexuality is a “disorder.”

Side note: Another aunt said that the last time she attended mass up there a couple years ago, she almost got up and walked out. She said, "I certainly will never go back. The topic that day was about the all gay highschool opening in NYC. The priest went on & on about the horrors of it."

That's the part that makes me sad. Isn't the priest supposed to be the one encouraging people who attend his services to love each other and not pass judgment? I know there are varying views on what is right and wrong regarding homosexuality, but who is really to say what is right or wrong? Not us. If Christianity is based on love, not hate, then how can this man preach such things that are more based in hate than love? I find it quite horrific that he found it important to teach things that have the potential to fuel the fire of discrimination and hate. People come to him every week for a reason -- probably for some guidance, some insight. And this is what he offers? Now, I wasn't there for the sermon, so I don't know what else he touched on that day. But during this monumentous time in our nation (and our world), I would think there could have been some other messages from politics he could have talked about and related to his overall theme of the day. How about hope? How about the fact that the first black president of the U.S. was about to be sworn in? How about how the nation seems to be coming together right now (young, old, black, white), even if they didn't vote for Obama? It is a time of change, and change is not always a bad thing.

Anyway, I could go on. But instead, I will just share what made me feel happy. Turns out that several of my family members are writing letters to the priest voicing their concerns and hoping to talk with him. Here are two of the letters that have already been sent. While I do not share these exact sentiments, and while I would not have necessarily worded a letter had I written one in the same way, I'm proud of my family for sharing their thoughts with this priest.

**Also, please note that I am not in any way saying that religion is bad or that Christianity is bad. It's just this one priest who disappoints me. I just think that someone who is looked upon as a leader in any group, especially a religious or spiritual group, should not be leading people toward negativity or hate. There is so much hate in the world and so many religious wars and discrimination....it just makes me really sad to hear that someone with such power as a priest would use the time he has during a sermon, when all eyes and ears are on him, to say such things.

1. From my uncle who lives in Longville:

Dear Sir,

I had guests this weekend; they attended your Sunday Mass, listened to your sermon, and then returned to our house appalled at what they heard. They quoted one particular statement you made “homosexuality is a disorder”. This is the second time I’ve had guests, different guests, who have attended your church for Sunday Mass and the second time you have insulted them with your rhetoric on homosexuality.

It is truly inconceivable to me that such sermons by you are necessary. We are living in an age where there are so many more pressing and truly important issues to be addressed. You spend way to much time and energy preaching the cons of homosexuality which discriminates against a small minority of our society. Maybe you (the Catholic Church) should clean up your own house first.

As a Christian, I believe we must be accepting of others whether we agree with their lifestyles or not. We are not to judge our brothers and sisters, rather, we must accept the fact that we are all with sin and we must leave the judging to God.

The pulpit is no place or time for the radical few, like you, who wave the flag of religion to dictate this agenda which clearly violates the Good Book. Now you, along with many evangelicals, may chose to throw Leviticus at this hot topic however context is then the ultimate question at hand. You’re Preaching, seems to me, only divides us all and creates more and more resentment in our society. Not a very Christian way of thinking in my mind. This equivalent of stoning is just plain wrong.

I await your response.

2. From one of my cousins:

To the priest who gave the sermon on Sun., Jan. 18th, 2009:

It has been brought to my attention that you saw fit to include anti-gay remarks in your sermon last Sunday. Yes, it seems that word DOES travel fast as I live way down here in St. Paul. I'm wondering what would ever make you think that such behavior is appropriate. Though I do not claim to be an expert on religion, I grew up attending Catholic schools and churches and I have always thought that it was the priest's job to help spread God's love into the lives of others. Now I can't think for the life of me how anti-gay rhetoric would fit into that task. Please enlighten me.

Doesn't the bible quote Jesus in saying that we are not to judge one another? Are members of the clergy exempt from this? I will say again thatI am no expert on religion or anything else for that matter...and clearly neither are you. Now I admit that it is somewhat hypocritical of me to express my disappointment with you in this message...I might come off as judgemental which is exactly what I'm accusing you of being. I'm actually a little frustrated with myself as I wish I could just deem your behavior as small town, small-minded ignorance and not even give it a second thought. But there's something bigger going on here. People look to you for spiritual guidance yet instead of strengthening their faith you poison it with words that promote hatred and division. I don't know for sure if their is a god and a satan or a heaven and a hell but I do believe that there is good and evil...and frankly, sir, you're leaning toward the latter.

All my life I have visited Longville as I have family who live there or own cabins in the area. I have many fond childhood memories of the turtle races, street dances, and Frosty's ice cream shop. However, after hearing of your recent sermon, my thoughts of Longville have turned to disappointment. Your actions reflect on your congregation and, sadly, on the town of Longville. In fact, these actions are really part of a long history of wrong doing by the church as a whole. It certainly has hurt my faith and that of countless others. If we can't turn to our church for unconditional love and all around goodness then to whom can we turn? I'm listening.

All I can do now is hope that you have the decency to read and consider this entire message. I can further hope that you choose to publicly retract your statement that homosexuality is a "disorder". I understand that we all make mistakes and none of us are perfect...I know I'm sure not. I don't know if I believe everything that I've been taught about Jesus Christ...but I DO believe that if we all strive to be more"Christ-like" then there would be far fewer problems in the world. So what do you think Christ would do? Please do the right thing.

Sleeping beauty

This is my favorite pic of Finley so far. I could watch her sleep for hours. I miss her and Stacy and Taylor -- haven't seen them in a couple days, but I also wanted to give them some space and let them get into their home routine. Maybe I'll get to visit them tomorrow or Saturday before Beth leaves town...


Here is another new pic of Finley with my dad (her Papa). He had to go back to Albuquerque on Tuesday, so this was taken shortly before he said goodbye. I don't have one on my camera of Finley with her Gran, but I know Taylor and Stacy do, and hopefully they'll post some pics for you soon. Rumor has it, they might start a blog!

Just fyi, I added both of these pics to my Picasa album of Finley, so you can see them there and also download them from there too, if you'd like. Just click on the slideshow in my Finley post from Jan. 11.

Best job in the world

I want this job! Who wouldn't?

Finley Valentine Ritchie

I am in love with my new little niece. She was born this morning at 12:50 am via c-section. Stacy and Taylor had a long couple days at the hospital, but now they are just content as can be. Stacy was put on bedrest last Tuesday night due to high blood pressure. On Friday, she was admitted to the hospital because she was experiencing symptoms of preeclampsia (a condition involving her blood vessels that basically meant that she needed to deliver the baby early). So Friday night, Dad and Beth flew in from Albuquerque (that's a long story in and of itself, but I'll let my dad fill you in -- he's a better story teller than I am). Saturday morning she was induced, but things just weren't progressing how they wanted them to, and by late night, the baby was starting to be stressed and her heart rate was dropping a little. So a c-section was quickly ordered, and the little cutie came into the world in the wee morning hours.

Some stats:

Finley Valentine (middle name is a family name from Taylor's side)
6 lbs 8 oz.
19 in long (I think that's right)

She has her mom's eyes and her dad's hair, big toe and ears.

Here are some pics from this morning. I'm sure I will take more later this week. Finley didn't really like getting her picture taken. Although she is a very calm baby (only making little squeaks every now and then), she kind of furrows her brow whenever the camera flash goes off. :)

Finley Valentine Ritchie

Let's go to the movies...

This is my third week of winter break, and I have been using it wisely. Don't get too jealous. I have been working 20 hours a week, but I have also been able to catch up on more fun things since I don't have any class or clinic work to do at home. These fun splurges have included:

- watching reality tv shows (The Bachelor, Biggest Loser, Mama's Boys)
- staying up late and watching Letterman just long enough to catch the Top 10
- sleeping in!
- baking for fun
- finishing my scrapbook from our road trip out west last year
- painting a picture for Eric for his bday (it's not done yet, but in progress -- it's been so nice getting back into painting again)
- going to lots of movies!

Seriously, I have seen four movies in the theater and many more on DVD or online (with our new Netflix subscription and the "watch now" capability). Here is a partial list of the movies, along with some commentary.


Slumdog Millionaire: Loved it! Very different and just a good movie that should win awards. Just saw it tonight and would highly recommend it. I had no idea what it was about prior to seeing it, which I think is a great way to go into a movie.

Doubt: Great acting, but left things up in the air too much for me. I wanted more info! But would still recommend it and think the acting is superb.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: This is just a great story. Very original, amazing makeup and effects. Loved it, but it was a little long. Sit on the aisle so you can escape and rescue your bladder if you need to!

Marley & Me: Oh man, if you have ever had a pet that you felt was part of the family, please go see this movie and bring along a box of Kleenex. I cried more in this movie than I have for any movie in a long time. I read the book a couple years ago, and I didn't really expect the movie to be as good, but they did a really good job with it.

After Innocence: This is a documentary about people who have been proven innocent due to DNA testing after spending years in prison. It was eye-opening and caused Eric and I to just sit and talk about it for quite awhile afer watching this movie. Not a super light topic, but very worthwhile.

Jesus Camp: Another documentary (we like documentaries!) that can inspire some interesting conversations. The title kind of tells you what it's about, but what was interesting/surprising to me was the way that Christianity, etc. was taught at the camp (kind of using scare tactics...well, I don't know if that's the right term...). I don't want to give anything away if you haven't seen it, so just see it. Then we can talk.

Definitely, Maybe: Cute little, somewhat predictable romantic comedy. :) Watch it while eating ice cream and brownies.

Surfwise: This is a very interesting documentary about a man who raised his large family (9 kids!) in a camper trailer and traveled around and surfed all the time. This is one interesting family. Read an article on npr about them.

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: I love the Narnia movies. This is another good one. :)

27 Dresses: I watched this today with Stacy while keeping the little prego lady on bedrest company. It was a cute girly movie, but not super predictable. I'd watch it again (especially since I bought it at Target for $10 since I didn't want to pay the $5 rental fee at Blockbuster, and we needed it for today and Netflix doesn't let you order movies overnight.)

That's all for now. I've probably gained weight from sitting on my butt and drinking pop and eating popcorn and Reeses Pieces. But it was worth it. I feel well-rested.

More thoughts for Todd

Ashlee's dad is having surgery today to remove a tumor from his right forearm. He started chemo right after Thanksgiving with the hopes of shrinking the tumor and killing any other possible cancer cells that might have spread (although they don't believe it has spread at all). Unfortunately, the tumor seems to have grown, so the doctors decided to do surgery to remove it now while they can. It sounds like he will lose quite a bit of muscle in his arm, which will limit his range of motion and fine motor skills. But Todd says he is determined to figure out how to be able to hunt, fish, etc. again after all this is over.

Please keep Todd and the rest of Ashlee's family in your thoughts and prayers with hopes for a successful surgery and good recovery.

Thanks!

UPDATE:

Ashlee just texted me to let me know that the docs said the surgery went well, and they are closing him up now. So keep up the good thoughts and prayers about it continuing to go well and his swift recovery!

Happy Birthday, Eric!

Happy belated birthday to my main squeeze! He turned the big 28 on the 31st. We celebrated by going to dinner at the St. Clair Broiler with Eric's friend Mike (who shares the same bday) and his girlfriend Adrienne. Then we had some drinks and played games back at our house. It was really nice to just be at home and not out driving around or bar hopping in the cold.

Eric is really a paparazzi magnet, as shown below. We call this pic "Sasquatch" because really, if we darkened this pic a bit with photoshop, wouldn't it remind you of those pictures of Sasquatch where he's walking with this exact same pose and looking back at the camera like "darn, they got me!"

From Thanksgiving Up North

Here is a better pic of Eric that makes him look like a rugged mountain man:


Happy birthday, Eric! I promise your painting will be done soon. I just want it to look great and be officially done when I give it to you!