Bradford Pear

Bradford Pear blossoms 

Our neighborhood has several Bradford Pear trees in it. They are a showy white for just a few days, then the leaves quickly replace the blossoms. When fully leafed out, these trees have the classical "lollipop" shape. I'm not sure why they are called "Pear" trees, because I don't think there is any fruit involved.

The wildflowers are starting to show their faces. I'm going to have to start blogging about them.


Bradford Pear tree 

World Almanac

World Almanac 

The Ethnologue still is in hiding, but this book has recently been published and it contains some Ethnologue data. The World Almanac contacted us get the latest and greatest information on the languages of the world that have 2 million or more speakers.


Inside 

Doctor, Doctor! I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

David phoned today with some really good news. Not only has he been accepted into the M.D./Ph.D. program at Baylor College of Medicine (also known as the Medical Scientist Training Program), he has been granted all tuition paid, health insurance, and $23,000 per year stipend for the entire program. Just think--in a mere 6 or 7 years, he will be Dr. Dr. Simons.

In other news, in the mail today arrived four tickets to a U2 concert in Paris, 58.20 euros each. I wonder how much they will sell for on eBay?

Tufted Titmouse

Tufted Titmouse 

I know, this really isn't a very good photo. But it is hard to get these skittish birds to hold still long enough for me to make a good shot.

Rumor has it that a few advance copies of theEthnologue have arrived on campus, but are being kept under wraps until a formal unveiling in another week. Soon we get to see the results of all that editing. I'll be sure to blog about that when it happens.

It is nice having Rachel home for spring break. She worked at the Center yesterday and today to complete some required community service hours for one of her classes. She has a couple little papers to write, but no big assignments due like past spring breaks, which is nice. Today she made cheese broccoli soup which tasted pretty good.

Fingerprints

Bethany Police station 

I drove up to Oklahoma City yesterday to pick Rachel up for her last spring break! Wow, she's been doing this for five years, and soon she will graduate, Lord willing. As soon as she finished her last class, we drove to the police station where she got fingerprinted--the next step in a long list of things she has to do to get her teaching license. Using the two sets of fingerprints, a criminal background search will be done by both the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI. At her expense, of course.


Mug shot 

Happy 21st Birthday, David

Happy Birthday, David 

We are celebrating David's birthday tonight. Only problem, David isn't here to celebrate with us. But that didn't stop us from going to Baskin and Robbins and buying this ice cream cake. David, we're sorry we can't have you here with us.

But I know he's not exactly missing us tonight. He is spending the weekend in Houston being wined and dined by the Baylor College of Medicine. He was picked up at the airport by a limo (wow, this is just like prom!) then taken to a nice hotel. During the day today he interviewed with seven faculty members about how he might fit into medical research in their MD/PhD program (otherwise known as a Medical Scientist Training Program. He has been officially accepted into both the PhD and the MD programs, and the interviews this weekend will determine how much funding he will get (the difference between "you pay them" and "they pay you").

Speaking of wining, David told me on the phone this afternoon that someone figured out it was his birthday today, and his 21st birthday at that. The group sang to him and then he said 7 or 8 people offered to buy him a drink tonight, now that he's 21. He said he might try something if it had lots of sugar and fruit in it, because he thought wine smelled like cat pee. I told him, "Now just because you're 21 doesn't mean you have to give in to peer pressure." He replied, "Mom, if I were giving in to peer pressure, I would have tried something a long time ago."

Red Bud Tree

Red bud 

Dallas really isn't all that beautiful of a place to live. In fact, some would say it is downright ugly. And I'd agree, if it weren't that we have the best springs here. I love the wildflowers, which are just barely starting now. I'm going to see if my camera will take good wildflower photos, maybe better than my bird photos.

Today's photo isn't a wildflower, it is a budding tree and it is gorgeous. We have two or three along our street, slightly different colors.


Red Bud tree 

Any other news for the day? Not much. Rachel called today with worries about how she was going to make it to the police station--she is wanted for fingerprinting. (That's just the next step toward getting her teaching license. After that comes the FBI background check.)

I also baked homemade cookies tonight so I could send them to my baby who turns 21 this weekend. But I made a double batch so there will be some for Rachel and her friends this weekend when she comes home for spring break.

Speaking of my baby, he has a big interview this weekend to see if he can get into the Ph.D. part of the Ph.D./M.D. program at Baylor. It is the difference between "you pay them" and "they pay you." Pray for him if the Lord brings him to mind.

The Mind of a 5 Year Old

I'm happy to report that Rachel ended her student teaching in Kindergarten on a positive note. I enjoyed hearing her stories the last six weeks of the funny things that happened to her, most of which had nothing to do with teaching. Here are some examples:

Rachel: I got some nice gifts from my students when I finished student teaching.
Me: What did you get?
Rachel: An apron that is decorated with a cloth flower pot and flower petals which are the thumbprint of all the students.
Me: Cool.
Rachel: Yes it is. But I'll never use it. I'll just hang it on the wall for decoration.
Me: What else?
Rachel: A really ugly charm bracelet with school-themed charms. I'll never wear it, I'll just put it on the wall for decoration.
Me: What else?
Rachel: Kids' books. I'll use those.

Rachel: Mom, today one of the little boys unzipped the dress of one of the little girls.
Me, rather shocked: Whoa! What did you do?
Rachel: Well, I zipped it back up, of course.

Rachel: Today one of the kids hit me, and it really hurt.
Me: Did you hit him back?
Rachel: Of course not, do you want me to be arrested for child abuse?

Rachel: Today I got graded on how well I dressed for teaching.
Me: How did you do?
Rachel: Well, the teacher liked my new suit, but she said she couldn't give me full credit.
Me: Why's that?
Rachel: When I squated down to help a student the top of my underwear showed. I should have worn bikinis.

Rachel: But that's not as bad as what happened to this other student teacher.
Me: What's that?
Rachel: She leaned over a student and the kid asked her why her lungs were falling out.

We All Survived

Early this morning I heard a thud on the sliding glass door in the kitchen. One of my feathered friends was trying to get into my house and knocked himself silly. At first I thought he had killed himself, since he lay there on the deck with his head bent funny and not moving. In two or three minutes he stood up, and ten minutes later, flew away when I opened the door. I was glad he survived, so I didn't have to perform an avian mercy killing.

Speaking of birds, the blue parakeet was around quite a bit this afternoon again.

I'm still not completely over the cold or flu that got me this week, but I'll survive. I've not gone walking since I got sick.

David called to say that he donated blood for the first time today. Then he promptly fainted when it was over. But the nice nurses clucked over him and gave him food and OJ, so he survived.

Today was Rachel's last day as a student teacher in Kindergarten. I hope she calls me this weekend to tell me that she survived. She has next week of professional seminar, then spring break. On March 21 she starts her 2nd grade rotation. It will be nice to have her home for spring break. She will be graduating in no time. In fact, today I booked a hotel for us to stay in when we go to OKC for her graduation on May 14.

Sick, but Not that Sick

I've been sick since Monday night, I think with the flu. I slept so much yesterday that when I woke up this morning, I thought it was Friday. Today I'm feeling somewhat better, and I did go to work this morning. In spite of being sick, I drove myself to Baylor hospital yesterday for a follow up mammogram, which turned out to be completely negative. Thank you, Lord. Flu, of course, is nothing compared to breast cancer.

Interloper

Parakeet 

My feeder is for wild birds, but this parakeet showed up from somebody's birdcage. Actually, my bird book says sometimes tropical bird escapees find each other and start little foreigner flocks. I remember a few years ago seeing a small flock of parrots near our church in Dallas. A couple years ago I had a strange experience with a white dove. It was hot and dry summertime, and I was out watering the yard with a hose, and suddenly there was a white dove playing in the shower. For ever such a fleeting moment, I thought it was the Holy Spirit coming to visit me in a special way! I couldn't touch it, but it was somewhat tame. It flew just a few feet away and waited until I turned the water back on. I did a little research on the internet and learned it must have been one of those semi-trained white doves that they sometimes release at weddings. They usually fly back to their owner.

Off to Miami

Lunch with Teen Mania interns

Gary and I attended Sunday School today, but left church early so we could fix a meal for the Teen Mania interns before they left for the next Acquire the Fire in Miami. We got them to Reunion Arena by 2pm.


Thank you

Clothes

Tonight we attended a talent show at church. Most of the acts were cute or funny, and we really do have some talented people there. But the song that I came home with was performed by three sweet pre-teenage girls, whose voices have not really fully developed yet, but their presentation of this particular song was poignant. They were all wearing red shirts that weren't too tight.

"Clothes"
by Barlow Girl

Clothes aren't what they used to be
They don't seem to fit you and me anymore
Modesty is the door
Flaunting what we've got and more is in
Yeah it's in

They're saying
Don't ask why just wear what we say
You'll look like a model if you'll only obey
To get the attention, just do what we say

Pay so much for clothes so small
Was that shirt made for me or my doll?
Is this all I get?
I looked so hot but caught a cold
I was doing just what I was told
To fit in

We're saying let's ask why
Don't wear what they say
Don't want to be a model
They can't eat anyway
That kind of attention will fade with the day

Clothes that fit are fine
Won't show what's mine
Don't change my mind
I'll be fine

Overrun with Pretty Girls

Teen Mania interns 

Last night we had these four lovely ladies come to stay with us for four days. They are interns with Teen Mania, a Christian group that sends young people out on short term mission trips. They are in Dallas this weekend for an event called Acquire the Fire which is a weekend-long event including Christian bands, speakers, and corporate worship. In a loud way.

The MKs in our community attend most every year and several of them go on the summer trips. Our daughter took one of these summer trips to Venezuela while she was in HS.

I wondered if our facilities were adequate for these girls, but after they told me they actually live on a tour bus, I decided our place must seem palatial. We are to provide a place for them to sleep and breakfast in the morning. Turns out they needed a washing machine and internet access too, but we've got plenty of that too.

Today I got a call saying a 5th girl may be joining them tonight.

Note to any of my young gentlemen readers: No, you may not come and "visit Aunt Linda" while they are here.

Communication

If my son would answer his phone, read his email, or even read this blog, he would learn that he has been invited to spend his 21st birthday at a certain M.D./Ph.D. program's candidate review, all expenses paid. Way to go, David!

Hobbies as Job Training

Today I realized that all the time I've wasted making a personal website, blogging, and talking on a forum have actually taught me some new skills that I needed for my job. Or more to the point, since I learned these new skills, now my boss is giving me new responsibilities.

There are three secretaries in my office, and all three of us are helping to organize logistics for a set of meetings attended by about 30 of our members from around the globe. I've done this kind of thing in the past, and it usually includes finding housing, picking people up from the airport, buying food for coffee breaks, gathering together office supplies, printing and collating paper materials for the meetings. These meetings were no different, except now all the materials are also being kept on a special website. My job is to upload files to this site from anyone in the group. And then tomorrow when they come in with a new version of a document, I have to upload the new one and get rid of the old one.

With these new skills and responsibilities, I'm tempted to try to skip out on the really important work: making coffee.

Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwing 

I think this is only the second or third time I've seen Cedar Waxwings in my backyard. Today one got close enough to take a photo (yeah, I know the photo isn't great). I had watered the hibiscus bush, and the birds came to drink up the water on the deck.

Kids Checking In

David phoned me at work this morning. I'd rather he call me when I am not busy and have plenty of time to chat, but I've learned to just take what I can get from him. He has picked up a habit from his older brother--"phone mom while I'm walking from A to B, since I have nothing else to do." Andrew used to often do this while hiking across Harvard. David phoned me as he was on his way to the Metro station. He was off work today, it being a holiday for government employees. He was going to the National Archives to see the
Emancipation Proclamation which was on its last day of being exhibited to the public.

I passed on to him that one of his old girlfriends was wondering why he hadn't answered an email she wrote three weeks ago. "Oh, yeah, I was going to." Then I told him, "Rachel says, 'boys are stupid.'" "No, she's got it wrong--girls are stupid" he replied. Well, which is it?

I talked to Rachel last night which is when she told me that she had been IMming with David's old girlfriend and they had come to the conclusion that boys are stupid. But she wasn't crying when she said it, so it must have been an intellectual assessment, not an emotional one:-)

I'm still praying for her and her student teaching and I know others are too. Her student teaching is going pretty well, but at times it is overwhelming. It is making her rethink if she really wants to be a teacher. Tonight she also has a big exam in her Monday night class. I don't know if she'll have time to talk to me tonight as she will probably be exhausted.

Andrew made it back safely to Ethiopia. While in Kenya he bought some kind of Kenyan chip for his cell phone so he could use it there, then switched back to the Ethiopian one when he got back home. He asked for prayer for some decisions that Samaritan's Purse must make about working in the country.

Michael and Ebeneezer

Michael and Ebeneezer 

My nest is empty, but these two young friends come over almost every day to play. When it is time to go home, they won't leave until I give them cookies, pretzels, and raisins. I'm such a pushover.

The First Flowers of the Season

Iris and Daffodil 

We had a couple very warm days last week and I guess the flowers noticed. I really do love spring, because I see new life, and new life brings hope. Even the pessimistic people of this world must be less so during spring.

Fajitas for Two

This evening I went to all the trouble to make fajitas, and then it was just me and Gary to eat them.

90 Years Young

Happy Birthday Evelyn 

Today I attended a birthday party for Evelyn Pike, colleague and neighbor, wife of Ken Pike. She looked as good as ever, happy and energetic, gracious and friendly. She doesn't look a day over 75.

On her 80th birthday Ken invited us to come celebrate with them and asked us to bring some kind of gift that related especially to Evelyn. Gary wrote a version of Happy Birthday in exactly 80 notes and played that for her.

I read an email today from someone who is getting his Ph.D. in his old age, writing some kind of kinship analysis computer program for his dissertation. He was talking about needing to hand it off to someone because he was going to be too old to train anyone to use it, since he had just turned 60. I wrote back and told him 60 was nothing--he should be like Evelyn who is still analyzing interlinear Mazatec texts and writing academic papers about her work. We hear all about her work when she walks over to our office every so often to have coffee break with us.

30 years ago, before I was married, I had a little chat with Evelyn about what it was like to work with your husband. She said it was possible and fun to work together as a team on the same project, but that you shouldn't both work on exactly the same part of the project. That's has worked for us for the last 29+ years.

Somebody Listened to Me!

A couple days ago I recieved in the mail a copy of LeTourneau University's school newspaper, the Yellow Jacket. After reading previous issues, I had made a suggestion to the editor, Charley. The results of my suggestion are on every page--the very top of every page, to be exact! Cool.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine earrings 

I was 38 years old before I got permission to pierce my ears. The year it finally happened my oldest child, then in 6th grade, bought me these lovely Valentine's earrings. I wear them about once a year.

I just got back from the grocery store. I told Gary I was taking him out to dinner. We only went to KFC, and really I was just doing that to make him go to the grocery store with me. I decided this was a guaranteed way to make sure I got chocolate for Valentine's Day.

He's not all that romantic, but I'm the person who wants a vaccuum cleaner for an anniversary present. I think romance is basically overrated, though an occasional unexpected gesture is appreciated. I'm happy to be married to my best friend who doesn't think I'm stupid.

Speaking of gifts, Rachel called this afternoon to say she had gotten a dozen white roses delivered to her at college. No, not from her true love, but from a boy who is belatedly showing her his love and affection. It made her happy. She also said that Valentine's Day is a good day to be a school teacher--she got several gifts from her students.

Valentine Sunday

Gary playing offertory 

A few months ago a work colleague mentioned to the choir director that Gary could play the piano, so he was asked to provide special music one Sunday. Those who know decided he had more rhythm than Perry Como, and therefore, he was asked to play again. Today's song, "I Love You, Lord" seemed to fit in just right with the holiday weekend.

But being the perfectionist that he is, he couldn't bear to perform when there were two notes obviously out of tune--he's been griping about them for several weeks. So what does he do? He skips Sunday School and tunes the wayward strings. (No, he didn't tune the whole piano, just the notes that were in the key he was playing in.)


Gary tuning piano 

Valentine's Weekend Continues

Michael the Archangel

Today we drove to Plano to have potluck lunch with the Encore group from our old church, Kimball Free Methodist. The meal was at the new home of John and Shirley Collier. John is getting more famous by the day since he received the commission to make a memorial sculpture for a Catholic church that was on the edge of the 9/11 disaster. After a wonderful lunch, we drove to the Biblical Arts Center where John's four large sculptures are on display this month before they get shipped to NYC. John gave us a personal tour, providing commentary about each of the four statues. After a general explanation of how he was chosen to do this work, he gave us a simplified explanation of the complicated process that an artist goes through to change his clay sculpture into plaster and then into bronze. Then he revealed some of the hidden little secrets:

• the foundry workers who cast the bronze were allowed to write their names on the back of the board that the Joseph statue is holding;
• the serpent that is being hacked apart by the archangel Michael has a head with ten horns, but the head originally was to go on one of the other statues and became disformed when John accidently put it on its peg too roughly;
• Mary Magdalene is standing like John's mother used to stand;
• Joseph has a mole on his face in the same place John's dad has a mole.

Valentine's Weekend Has Begun

Gary consulting with Russell Cook

Several days ago Gary decided to take this afternoon off work. He blocked it off in his electronic calendar, and no one asked for a meeting. We came home at noon and ate lunch, then drove to First Methodist church in Irving to attend the Winter Festival of Acoustic Music. This festival included hammered dulcimer workshops, which Gary didn't attend, but we poked our heads inside to see what one would be like. You have to bring your own dulcimer--which he has--and your own stand--which he doesn't have. He also doesn't yet have a carrying case.

We paid our $10 each and that allowed us to attend the afternoon concert and the crafts show. The crafts show was really just mom and pop booths for selling acoustic instruments and accessories. There were some cool things there, and Gary looked very carefully at all the books. After talking to him for 10-15 minutes, Gary ended up buying one book from Russell Cook who also autographed it.

We left after 5:30pm so that meant dealing with Friday afternoon traffic, but our journey wasn't long, so it wasn't too bad.

In other news of the week, all reports from Rachel seem pretty good. She had an evaluation on Wednesday and wasn't completely happy with it, but not too unhappy either. She is definitely learning a lot from student teaching, and really thinking hard if this is what she wants to do as a career. We are proud of how she has stepped up to the plate to get up early every morning, be prepared, and stay late many afternoons to finish up. She is learning that life as a Kindergarten teacher is anything but routine--something goes wrong every day that must be dealt with. One day it was snow. Another day it was spilled ranch dressing. Another day it was an absent teacher. Today it was an irate parent and a stranger trying to find a child who didn't exist.

Bottom of the Pecking Order

I've been watching my bird feeder quite a bit on these cold winter days. (I know,I shouldn't complain, I live in Dallas.) Sometimes there is just one bird on the feeder at a time. Then another bird comes along and the first one flies off. But other times I've seen four or more different species on the feeder at the same time. But they don't stay for long with each one eating from his own corner. No, they fight each other off. The male cardinal beats the female cardinal who beats the juncos who beat the sparrows. The sparrows do seem to be at the bottom of the pecking order. Jesus must have known that when he said, "yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without the Father's consent."

This has gotten me thinking about life.

Sculptures

What are you reading? 
We enjoyed having Rachel home this past weekend. We met up with her SNU friends at Border's Bookstore in Hulen Street Mall in Ft. Worth on Sunday afternoon so she could get a ride back to school. These sculptures were outside the bookstore, and they make pretty good advertising. (For the record, Rachel did NOT want to pose for this photo, but I did warn her it might show up in the blog.)

We attended a Superbowl Birthday Party for our friend Bob who teaches history at UTA. His wife, always full of contradictions, served "trailer trash food" (her term, not mine--hot dogs and nachos) along with champagne. The men mostly watched the game and the women mostly talked about upcoming weddings. Our friends John and Shirley were there too, and we heard first hand about John's sculptures on display at the Museum of Biblical Arts until they are taken to NYC for placement at a Catholic church on the edge of the 9/11 site.

The Kiss

The Kiss 
If you look at this photo hard enough you can find it.

We went to a wedding at our church yesterday afternoon. It was fun. Lots of church folks and lots of people from work were there too. Rachel and I served the punch, and out of all those people only one wisecracker came up and said, "Give me a punch."

At the last minute Rachel found a ride home for the weekend so she could attend this wedding. It was fun to hear her tales of her first two weeks of student teaching. She said the second week went better than the first. She starts "real" teaching tomorrow, so I hope the weekend at home hasn't worn her out. If you know Rachel and are reading this, please pray with me that God will give her strength, wisdom, and all that she needs to do a good job.