This is the Song that Never Ends....

So, the kids and I are off on another grand adventure. I'm shlepping them off on J's dad and stepmom and I get to go on to Nicaragua.
Friends keep asking me how I feel about the trip, I don't have an answer. My mommy brain hasn't gotten beyond the part where I get the kiddos settled at their grandparent's house. As soon as that's accomplished I'll be able to think of visiting a dump city and seeing little kids sniff glue.

Shoot, never a spare moment.

A Man of Talent

Jason and I went to M. Night's Shymalan's "Lady in the Water" Sunday afternoon.

FRICKING BRILLIANT

As the credits began, the theater was completely silent. Everyone shuffled out solemnly. The movie had hit hearts and hopefully caused some profound thinking. I don't know how you could walk out of that movie not feeling hopeful that each individual has the potential to be a part of the Bigger Picture. There were so many layers to what was being said that Jason and I will have watch it again.

Some people are quite critical of the film and Shymalan's movie in general, but that's because they go in with the wrong premise (that their horror flicks, always have a twist, etc.). M.Night is a great storyteller who is trying to bring his heart and struggles to that story. What the hell is wrong or meaningless about that?

I end with part of a review by a website that I've come to respect for it's (usually) spot-on movie assessment.

"Lady in the Water isnt a great film, but it certainly is a good one, a mixed bag of myth and hope and love and a commitment to acts of faith in the face of a world that folds its arms and refuses to believe. If its true that more and more weve come to expect less and less from the movies we see and value as a community, then Shyamalan is doing his part to craft original, honest stories that reflect the skills and ideas of a truly gifted filmmaker. The biggest complaints lobbied against him arent that he makes bad movies but that the movies themselves didnt measure up to some arbitrary ideal thats been planted in the viewers mind before they even enter the theater. And to watch movies that way is to live wearing blinders. Shyamalans films are striving for greatness, even especially if its on his own terms."
Daniel Carlson is the lead critic for Pajiba and a copy editor at a Hollywood industry magazine. You can visit his blog, Slowly Going Bald
Their website is www.pajiba.com

Gas Sucks

Jason and I have two modes of transportation that most people would consider complete opposites. We have a great yellow Vespa moped that Jason uses to get to most work-related meetings. Our other car is a gas-eating Isuzu Rodeo. The Rodeo was donated for us and the moped was a replacement for our totaled LeSabre (also donate to us).

I used to lust after a Volkswagon convertible Beetle, but now I dream of a Toyota Prius. I lust after double the gas mileage. Call me dorky, I just call me a eco-conscious mom.

I'm sure not all of you are feeling the crunch of the gas as much as we are...sometimes we simply can't leave the house because we don't have enough $ to put more gas in the car. In Turkey, the public transportation is so great that I would never need a car there. I wish that could translate somehow to the American landscape.

Clarification is good

So, I just re-read my post, "Refreshing Homelessness", and it kind've makes me sound like a moon-eyed psycho. Let me add to that post by saying we are not without food or shelter. I think I wrote that post assuming everyone out there is inside my head. We aren't just moving forward willy-nilly, nor do I think everyone is called to become nomadic.

Christ makes it very clear in Matthew 5-7 that following Him is a lot about heart motive. It is the problem of loving material things more than people and their growth that He is trying to convey. Unfortunately it's a very hard thing for anyone to stay in a "soul" state of mind...too much do we fall back into "flesh" ways of thinking.

I think marriage is a great example of this. There are many time when I look at my spouse and want to explode for all the admiration and deep love I have for him. And yet, there are times when he will nicely ask me to make him lunch and I selfishly pull back and say, "Hell no, I'm watching SNL re-runs!" Where's the "soul" in that? Every relationship we have is an example of that on-going struggle of our pure hearts and our stingy self-love. Christ simply asks us to consider His Way of living more than our own.

The Family

Since some of you haven't seen us in awhile, I thought I'd post a pic up of us. Granted it's from Christmas, but that's the last time we all sat together in front of a camera. Bon appetit!