Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

What a difference a few days can make. While I've been busting bum trying to get the yard ready for Spring, Spring has been doing its thing.

These photos are just teasers, a bit of "green" to keep me from being pinched on St. Patty's day. I've been working hard prepping beds and cutting back winter's dormant remains.

So much to do! So little time!

For my friends in the colder climes, I will get more photos posted soon.

And, since these "green" teasers are hardly enough....Here's a picture of the humming Mountain Laurel in our front yard.

First Kill of the Season

Al was not done playing and the frog was not as dead as I initially thought. Just wishin' he was.

The poor little froggy is in the house somewhere. Based on Al's interest in getting behind my dresser this morning, I think I may know where.

Al was back at it later in the day, sitting by the pond, waiting for prey.

At the end of the day he came inside with one eye irritated and swollen shut. Something fought back. He's all better now. I expect him to be a threat to the yard denizens all summer. {sigh}

A Bit of Fluff

Last year, our precious, ferocious, thinks he's "alpha" cat became quite the yard-warrior. He brought home birds, bunnies, mice, frogs, snakes and lizards with reckless abandon. These critters came into the house dead or alive. I know we should have been grateful for his hard fought/won victories. I'm sure we should have greeted these treasures with praise.

But instead I tended to yell for hubby (or hubby was the sad discoverer) and we quickly cleaned up and eliminated all traces of the prizes that were delivered. I can imagine why poor Al (for Alabaster, as in white, not for "Alpha," as in dominant) kept going after bigger and better prey. We must seem ridiculously hard to please.

Now, I am suddenly understanding why Al insists on lurking around dark corners, pouncing on my ankles when I walk by, in an effort to bring me down. Clearly he has decided that if he can deliver me at the feet of the Master of the House, finally, finally he will get some respect around here.

My darling hubby is absolutely enamored with this theory.

Pay no attention

I've been preparing a series of posts about Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence. Some of the information is personal. Some of the information is impersonal. The series has been thought-provoking .... for me, anyway. I've been thinking about the world today and considering our collective future.

The women who have posted their stories here have consistently demonstrated a tremendous amount of bravery. Not just for posting their stories, but in their stories. Me? I buried my story deep in my blog. But maybe not deep enough. So I buried the details deeper. A lot like we bury stories in our psyche. But the statistics say "the truth will out." History says "the truth will out." So...I'm dumping all of this onto the blog-o-sphere at one time, regardless of what the timestamp indicates. Maybe these will be read, maybe not. That's not why I'm posting these. These are posted as part of my own self-discovery. My truth is out. I have been a victim, but I don't feel like a victim.

The topic of SA/DV strikes a chord with me. The sound is harmonic and it resonates. I don't know why. I don't feel pain when I think about my past. I feel pain when I think about the people who are suffering today. I posted this prayer on behalf of the women and men who are suffering at the hands of someone they love. Someone they once trusted. Someone they let into their lives but who has become their enemy.

If you believe you are not affected by SA/DV, pay no attention. But know this. You're wrong.

Then Sings My Soul

This song taught me a new term - "Ebenezer." Ebenezer is from a Hebrew word meaning “stone of help.” God the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, my stone of help. I've started wearing polished stone pendants on a chain as a reminder for myself.

1. Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.

2. Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

3. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

The statistics are grim

If you want to be brought down over your morning coffee, spend some time perusing the numbers.

~~One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, and females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk for intimate partner violence.
~~In 2005, 389,100 women and 78,180 men were victimized by an intimate partner. These crimes accounted for 9 percent of all violent crime.
~~The majority (73%) of family violence victims are females: 84% were spousal abuse victims and 86% were victims at the hands of a boyfriend.
~~A 2004 study found that women living in disadvantaged neighborhoods are more than twice as likely to be the victims of intimate partner violence than women in more affluent neighborhoods.
~~One study found that women who have experienced any type of personal violence (even when the last episode was 14 to 30 years ago) reported a greater number of chronic physical symptoms than those who have not been abused. The risk of suffering from six or more chronic physical symptoms increased with the number of forms of violence experienced.
~~In 2003, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, or transgender people experienced 6,523 incidents of domestic violence; 44% were men, 36% women and 2% transgender.

But what they don't tell me is the answer to the questions that come to mind when I consider the situation. What percentage of the population are large can be considered abusers. How many abusers are habitual? When I am in a room full of people there are victims, yes. But there are perpetrators as well, right?

I work in a male-dominated environment. Some percentage of the men I work with may have been abused. But...some of them may be abusers. Perpetrators of domestic violence. If statistics are an indicator, that is.

I don't, in general, trust statistics. I want to know more. The link behind the "if" (above) don't exactly match "the numbers" link, but they agree that about 1/4 of the women we know have probably been a victim of Domestic Violence. I used to not think about this. Now I do. Do you?

Righteous anger

I found myself having a flash of righteous anger last night. Since we can't really be righteous when we're angry, I had to internalize this a bit before I pinned down that I was insulted by something that happened at work. Insulted on two fronts, no less.

Am I critical to this operation or no? You tell me "yes" but then schedule a critical week of planning while I am OUT OF THE OFFICE!!! I can anticipate the follow-up and the expectation that I somehow "fix things" that would have been avoided if the meetings could have been postponed one week.

Oh, wait a minute...I don't even want to be considered critical. I have other things to do...other areas of interest that I am trying to develop. So, if I were to set aside my hurt feelings and my frustration with the way planning has worked out, maybe, just maybe I should be feeling righteous joy. I choose joy.

I'll let you know how it works out.

Flowers from afar

From my recent trip to Taipei... the flowers are both familiar and foreign.

There but for the grace of God go I

We are all shaped by our first sexual encounter. Whether it is pleasant or not, I would argue it is a memory that sticks with us. At the forefront of our memories or buried deep within. My first sexual encounters were not ideal. An incident shaped me and affected the next series of encounters. I can see that in hindsight although I might not have appreciated it then. The incident qualified as statutory rape and so maybe I'm a statistic - one out of four women is a victim of sexual assault or domestic violence.

About a year and a half later I was dating someone else. Living somewhere else. My past far behind me already. During a fight, a dispute, an argument about something I can't even remember....he punched me in the stomach. Enough to wind me, leaving me gasping for air. As soon as I could stand up and breathe, I walked him to the door and ended the relationship. Since we worked at the same place, I can't say that I never saw him again. He actually was so low that he spread ugly rumors about me. But I counted my blessings because I knew that I'd escaped a fate worse than ugly rumors. I was a victim of domestic violence - even though it only occurred once. Maybe I'm a statistic. One out of four women is a victim of sexual assault or domestic violence.



I can't explain it. I know I am blessed. I know that I have escaped to a better life. I have been married 23+ years and I do not count myself as a victim of SA/DV. I don't know if the statistics are valid. I suspect they are conservative. The next time you are with a group of women, it is likely that at least one of them has been assaulted.

Then Sings My Soul

I love this song. I couldn't find the version of this song that I wanted (the way we sing it at my church), but I fell in love with this version. This scripture resonates for me.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10a

I think back and smile

One of the high points of my recent trip to Taipei was the 15 minutes spent in the Green Relaxing Zone.

I stepped into this room, this zen-like respite along the airport corridor, and walked slowly around the suspended images.


I found the instructions intriguing. Especially the part about the FREE TOKEN.

I sought out the token, and returned for a few moments of relaxation before boarding the plane for the first, and longest leg, of my journey home.

The ambiance set the tone, but the chair, oh the chair, how I love the chair. The massage....it went on and on...on and on. At least 10-15 minutes. It was a beautiful thing.

Several locals came by and after several pass-by's went and got their own token. Clearly the American was on to something. Ah, the memories. I think back and smile.

I miss it already

There is so much about Taiwan that I love. I love the people and the language and the culture and the food. I love their love of things American.










I don't love the jetlag or the exhaustion brought on by the arduous journey.

I'm already wondering when I will return.

Another day, another adventure

This link will take you to an overview of some of the terrain I traversed in today's adventures. My first foray was south of the circle (shown bottom center) where I saw no fewer than 4 7-11's in the space of about 6 blocks. One of those was directly across from what appears to be a Taipei version of Circle K. Two of the 7-11's were within a stones throw of each other. If you look closely at the picture with the 7'11 banner, you'll see across the street and down just a little ways another 7-11.

At one of the 7-11's, I stopped in for yogurt and a power drink (something/anything like Gatoraid). I couldn't find any brands I recognized. I skipped over the beer flavored tea and bought the "Pro-Sweat." Yum.

Later I ventured west. With just a bit of a hike I got to the lake (for which City Lake Hotel is named? Probably.) and walked around the lake and a third of the way up the mountain. I did see a butter-yellow slug bug (tag!) and I spent a few minutes visiting with a chatty local, but once I got to the lake I was resoundly ignored. I was the only non-local hanging out there today.

There is a two-story structure that allowed for a pleasant passing of time. It helped me to reclaim some of the wind I'd lost. Little did I know.

After resting a bit and meditating on "things" I was back in motion. I set off to finish the loop of the lake. On the far side of the lake, there is a mountain. I'm not sure how tall it is, but after hiking a ways I realized the distance to the top was marked along the way. I was about 1/3 of the way up when I decided I'd had enough. Out of nowhere I'd developed a deep straight-from-the-lungs nasty cough. Maybe it was the altitude. So, with only 1200 meters to go, I bailed on the mountain climbing and headed back to the hotel.

Considering I rode the stationary bike for ~25 minutes this morning, my legs have gotten quite a work-out today.

I think I'll call it a day a wee bit early tonight.

I am here

The trip was relatively uneventful. I hope to see some sights this weekend, but I came early to make sure I'm well rested for a busy week. When I get back home, I am going to be very busy as well. Part of that busyness is stemming from:

I hope we're past the last of the freezes, although history says "probably not." The pond is under re-construction, I'm putting new beds for my grandmother's irises, something needs to be done to bolster the elephant ears...and I'm halfway around the world! Spring Break is still 3 weeks away.

Preparing for another trip to Taiwan

I've lost count of how many times I've made this trip. The first trip was in '99. While on that remarkable trip I made a lot of life changing decisions. One was to upgrade my commuter vehicle from our '88 Nova (purchased new in '88) to a '99 Mustang Convertible. I'll save that story for another post. The trip was also memorable because I didn't keep food down until my last day in Taiwan. This problem has plagued me for most of my trips to Asia. With each trip, I pick up new tricks for keeping on my feet.

For this next trip I'm breaking out of habits - that seems to be the theme of my life these days. I've always flown American. I've always stayed at the Hyatt. I know what to expect. I know my way around that part of Taipei. I have comfort and confidence in the known, even though I'm surrounded by the unknown. I've been studying Mandarin but "I am not Chinese" and "I don't understand a word you are saying" are my most useful expressions.

Thursday I will fly to LA, then experience my first trip on EVA air. I'm flying "economy" which is the expectation in today's economy. I'm staying at a hotel close to my new employer's headquarters. I'm not familiar with this part of Taipei so I don't know where I'll find corn soup or buy Pringles when/if my tummy gives me trouble. I've learned lots of tips for traveling sans barfing - hopefully all will carry me through this new adventure.

Then Sings My Soul

This song became very precious to me about a year ago when I realized that my husband, my friends, my family - all could be counted on to fall short of expectations if I was looking to them to fill the role of Christ in my life. For the full story, read this post.

Should I or shouldn't I?

It seems to me that what they are saying is NOT "give peace a chance."

What I'm reading is: "Our products are safe and if you don't believe us, don't buy 'em."

So there.

Then Sings My Soul

I ran across a site that celebrates music as a form of worship. After a little thought I decided to start with Rich Mullins singing "Creed." This is one of the first music videos of a Christian song that I listened to over and over again.

Creed, by Rich Mullins
I believe in God the Father
Almighty maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
Born of the virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate
He was crucified and dead and buried
CHORUS: And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man
I believe that He who suffered was crucified, buried, and dead
He descended into hell and on the third day, rose again
He ascended into Heaven where He sits at God's mighty right hand
I believe that He's returning to judge the quick and the dead of the sons of men
CHORUS
I believe it, I believe it
I believe it I believe it, I believe it
I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, Our Lord
I believe in the Holy Spirit, one Holy Church,
The communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins I believe in the resurrection
I believe in a life that never ends
CHORUS
I believe it, I believe
I believe it, I believe I believe it, I believe it

Alabaster, you're a nut

My cat has been a bit of a flake lately. But that has nothing to do with this post. He has always liked to hang out on the back of the office chair. The top of the chair shows evidence of his rear claws. I've stopped using the leather conditioner on the chair because then he really has to grip with the claws to keep hold - which does even more damage.

He also likes to sit on my lap, and lay on my keyboard, and otherwise pester me endlessly when I'm trying to work.

This was a first. He was waiting for me, anticipating that my next move was going to be a relocation to the office. Silly cat.

Here's a view from the perspective of the doorway:

Home Improvements

I recently finished a lovely microwave cart that is really (in my world) a printer/turntable cart (more on that later). I was charmed that the brush I bought for the urethane was hand made and labeled - with a personal signature from "Hon."

Unfortunately I seem to lack the skillz required to clean urethane out of a brush so the second time I used this brush the bristles were breaking off into the 2nd coat of urethane. I'm sorry "Hon." The replacement brush, made with non-natural bristles and lacking the personal touch, fared worse. After finishing the project and failing to successfully clean all of the urethane out of the brush, I threw the poor thing away.

The cart looks great. I'll save that for another post.