two little eskimos & an ice sculpture

brrr--it's cold! Drew & I celebrated in true winter style last weekend, taking the opportunity to track the timeline of a new sculpture erected down in Grant Park. The ice sculpture was built by the same artist who made the one for the Salt Lake City Olympics.



As spring comes & winter fades, the ice will gradually melt (gradually, because the icy backdrop is embedded with refrigerator coils). The colors are arranged to bring about a brilliant transition.


(note the bean peaking through in the background!)




the cute couple. who says you can't be newlyweds forever?




well, hello Drew!


we always have to say hello to the bean before leaving Grant Park. it never fails to make me smile.

The drive home reminded me, yet again, why we love Chicago. The Navy Pier is more fun at night!

Viva Obama!

This video gave me chills. I don't know if it's my involvement with hispanic communities that made this so impacting, or the overall historic disengagement of U.S. hispanics when it comes to elections. Rarely have they welcomed a candidate as they are Obama. If a candidate can return hope to minority populations like this... wow. Viva, Obama.

Hopefully you can follow the Spanish subtitles. The lyrics are what make the song so impacting.

welcome to my sunday afternoon

Physics. Lab reports. Sensory Neuroscience. A Schenkerian analysis (music not pictured). Not to mention completing my first article (publishable? hopefully...) & revisiting my data.

The fun of last night should carry me through the day: thank you to both Baba Reba & Nick and Jenna for a lovely evening of tapas, sangria & merlot-chocolate ice cream. Conversations of what it means to be a "follower of Jesus" in every way--with an emphasis on the financial & relational (meaning our physical lives must be overhauled to accommodate the underdog)--continue to challenge me today.

I spent 45 minutes surfing the net yesterday for testimonials from adult women who started ballet & progressed to dancing on pointe. Some have done it!

New Year's 2008

Tapas. Meaningful conversation. Good friends. Cocktails. A giant beer. Sparklers in the snow. Celebrating things past & things to come. What do all these have in common? They contributed to the celebration of one of our favorite New Year's yet! We enjoyed a lovely Tapas meal at Nicky & Eric's place--complete with planned activities, formal menus & more food than we could have hoped to eat, followed by the trek over a few blocks to Julian & Kristin's (after the kids went to bed) for more fun, friends & sparklers (oh, & more food too). I hadn't played with sparklers in quite some time--we were quite the thrilled group of adults shivering out in the cold, bringing in the New Year!

Below is a photo of Drew & Eric, playing with the huge beer we brought from Trader Joe's... yes. It's big.


Throughout the evening we drew cards from a large bowl, each with a question to be answered by each of us. Nicky had organized the activity & we enjoyed it so much, we ended up out of time & had to leave these two cards for next year.

nothing like time with family

We had such a good few days away from Chicago (although we did miss the city). We flew into Knoxville, TN, on Christmas day & were immediately escorted to Mamaw's house for a big family dinner: green beens cooked with bacon, sweet potatoes with pecans, country ham, mashed potatoes & plenty of pecan pie (literally, pie after pie). Now that's a southern Christmas. Unfortunately, we couldn't find our camera while packing so the only photos we have are those taken by my parents while we were visiting Cade's Cove, a pre-Independence era pioneer settlement in the Smokies. We have ancestors who settled the area back in the early 1800's and it was neat to once again visit their graves and homesteads.

Below is a shot with the Mama at the mill supposedly built by someone in my papaw's lineage.


This church below was a favorite of mine, with the two doors used to separate the men & women.


As it turns out, that was a good idea for couples like Drew & I...




Although we were sad to say goodbye to our loved ones in the Smokies, we are happy to be home again. Tink was in desperate need of some cuddles after our 5 days away!

Almost There!

Study study study. This time it's not just one of us--both human members of the Strait household are swimming in books, notes, papers and mental fatigue! Tink is the only family member who benefits from finals time: she gets stationary cuddle buddies, walks on the kitchen counters without being scolded and gets to snuggle in an unmade bed. She told me this morning: she likes it.

All of our upcoming holiday plans make this final push so much more bearable: so much to look forward to! Our Christmas tree also helps. Little Uppendo, a 6 year old refugee from Burundi, was at our house yesterday & decorated the naked (except for lights & a bead garland) tree with coasters. Without any prompting. She doesn't speak much English, so we sat back & watched her proud endeavor. We couldn't bear to remove the coasters, so, needless to say, we have quite the unique Christmas tree this year. As soon as I can find our camera, I'll post photos.

genetics

i am becoming concerned about my genetic makeup. in order to protect those affected i will omit names from this posting, but let's just say that individuals i am intimately connected with genetically are currently facing procedures such as "bumhole reconstruction surgery" or are allergic to every medication known to man or have shingles (i didn't know people still got shingles??) or ... well, i'll spare you the rest. but let's just say i have reason to be concerned.

i mentioned my concerns jokingly to my mother in an email earlier this evening, & she replied:

"Tell the boss both grandmothers have had bad breast cancer and your parents have health issues and those were the only tickets we could get and didn't know
their rules.

And whine a lot."

i guess that's her advice for keeping the genetic bugs at bay. who knows. The Boss has responded to my whining in the past. oh, my Lord.

i love my family. at least they're cute. ;-)

& for those of you still wondering

for those of you still wondering, i have somehow supernaturally found the time to continue with my ballet classes. twice a week. how does she do it, you ask? pure inspiration, i suppose.

finals are among us

my mini-Christmas tree is up. my house is clean. i watched the last Survivor online. the one thing i'm not caught up on? aah, yes. school. finals? here i come.

there's something about snow that makes me want to nest. i'm sure it's remnants of my evolutionary instincts: snow? time to hole up with the herd, store calories & get caught up on sleep. as a human? i cooked a HUGE pumpkin (& made delicious gluten-free pumpkin bread), did the laundry, ran errands, called friends, danced a little in the kitchen, and got caught up on kitty play-time. if i had a piano, i'm sure i would have played for hours.

i was actually out for a good part of the day, and learned--for the first time--that Chicago drivers canNOT drive in the snow. funny, as they get enough of it.

Chiles Rellenos & the Real Life

Mmm. I love Wednesdays. This is the day I get home before 6pm & have time to cook whatever I please, make tea in my teapot (thanks to Drew who gifted me with it a few weeks ago) and doodle around the house. I made Chiles Rellenos tonight. !Delicioso! This is what I mean by the "Real Life": an evening at home with a real dinner & peace 'n' quiet. Mmm.

My new piano student has reminded me how much I adore teaching children to play. There is something about making a kid excited about learning that thrills me: what an impact you can make! She waited tonight on her front porch waving until I had walked around the corner toward the el. Thank you Alice, I thought, for allowing me to pass along a precious gift. She learned to read notes on the staff today. Big step!

Now off to homework. Maybe. ;-)

Hurricane Noel: the Dominican Republic

Latest Drew Update from the Dominican Republic: in the aftermath of Hurricaine Noel

I thought you would all like to know that Drew made it to Barahona--not on a plane as planned, however, but in a helicopter!! This was the only way for him to get there, as the buses are of course still not running & the planes are apparently unable to land as the runway & roads are still too wet.

I've spoken with many Dominican friends & heard updates from Drew. There are a number of staff members whose houses are indeed covered with water--clear over the roofs (nurses, housekeepers). Many have lost everything. I have heard many times how people "had no where to go except for their church," and from what I hear, the churches are packed! Innocencio & Julio's churches especially, from what I hear Most of the individuals evacuated from the bateyes are staying in staff members' churches. Los Robles was first reached yesterday, where the people were found, in a Dominican's words, "imprisioned." The 2 bridges providing entry to the community are down, and the area around them completely flooded. Contrary to my previous email forwarded from a COTN staff member, Thelma & Innocencio were not able to enter Los Robles, but only able to get to the entry bridge (which had been reached as early as Thursday by our nurse & others). They were met by a youth on the other side of the bridge who explained they were almost out of food & water, already having resorted to drinking filthy water, and needed help. Lucrecia & others eventually waded through the waters in desperation with food & water later that afternoon. I guess it was quite an adventure! Attempts to reach Los Robles Friday were thwarted by the truck getting stuck in the mud, but rains subsided today & Drew was able to make it out there again with others from the staff. Thanks to Alisa for getting us meds, etc.--he was able to have what she sent with him, as well as the nurse to help administer those necessary!

I have so much more to tell, but need to get some sleep. If you have specific questions, as I know many of you do, please feel fee to email. I know Los Robles was a concern for many of you, so there's more info! Many homes are, unfortunately, quiet destroyed but those on the hill above the school are in decent condition, just completely wet inside from the winds & rain. Crops are ruined for the year, which should go without saying... which means another financial blow that will affect them for quite a number of months. The staff is exhausted, but tirelessly plunging ahead to help all those they can.

As a final note, a Dominican told me today that God sent them Drew "to be a glass of coca cola in a hot, endless desert." I thought that was cute. ;-)

Dreaming & Fun

I came down sick with a cold a few weeks ago & was forced by friends to stay home and rest. So I did (a feat in itself), finished the last Harry Potter (woo hoo!) & found myself obsessing over ballet. I wanted to dance. I've had this dream of dancing on point since childhood, although I figured I'd never get around to pursuing it. Strange how the minute life calms a bit for me, something new & exciting comes to mind that I simply "must do," no matter how impractical! Ballet isn't cheap (while we, unfortunately, are). Ballet takes time. And I'm 26 years old, with little ballet history & even less time to spare.

So? I started classes last week. And I dropped Physics. I don't miss Physics one bit, but ballet has been an amazing addition to my life! I plie & releve, trying to outdo the flexible, flat-chested little pixies that make me feel matronly, and grasp onto the bar for dear life (especially when we go on tippy-toe). My turn-out is pathetic, but I've got enough heart to compensate. Joffrey Ballet, here I come!

I don't care if I spend loan money to buy my leotard or don't get around to my Neurobiology reading: I'm having a blast.

purpose

There are times when I question my own capabilities: my dreams are large, as is my heart. But I get tired. Very tired. I yearn for stability--to be finished moving around in order to complete degrees, to have the assurance of a steady paycheck for either Drew or myself... really, just one would do. I've got puppies on the brain, and I'm sure babies are next. But they'll just have to wait a bit longer. Up till now in my life I've had stronger skills in remaining patient, knowing that although we lack stability currently, we will eventually be so thankful for how years of hard work & perseverance bring incomparable opportunity. It takes time, effort & $$$ to develop skills, and it is an honor to have this opportunity to learn. Thankfully, hard work pays off.

I see African children frequently during my daydreams. They do not allow me to forget why I work. I've toyed with ideas of changing my career goals, but cannot remain satisfied with any other field for longer than a few days. Something about mental health calls me, and I cannot shake its grip. There is work to be done, and not nearly enough hands to do it. If I want something done, I feel I should do it myself I'm realistic to know that the work cannot be done by my hands alone, and it is likely I'll be able to touch only a small fraction of the lives affected by war trauma, but I will die knowing I've done what I could. This, my friends, is how hard work will pay off! Anyone care to join me?

We are in Spokane for the weekend. Being here I am again reminded of my love for the Pacific Northwest. The air is sweet, the trees full & the community the Straits have developed here is one of the most beautiful forces I've ever been a part of. Being once again with my parents reminds me of how much fun it is to be with them! We have very special people in our lives.

here we go

2 weeks. i need these two weeks: it's been quite the summer. i'm not accustomed to spending my summer months holed up inside libraries & coffee shops, or making a permanent dent in my living room sofa. i'm one who enjoys the sun & outdoors activities. but it's worth it. :) by far.

i finished 2 quarters of chemistry & am so pleased to have decided not to continue on with the third quarter. i can always finish next summer, & my body is telling me it is time for a break. i want nothing more than to enjoy this next week in Montreal (for the SMPC conference) followed by a week with family in Washington. after that, i look forward to cooking real meals for my dear husband, organizing our lives & allowing Drew space to breathe as his classes begin. he has blessed me so much throughout the craziest times this year--i want nothing more than to give back to him similarly. and go on dates. lots of them. :)

so? kitty is with her host family, the house is spick 'n' span, veggies are frozen, mail is on hold. i think it's time to get out of here for a bit. Quebecois, je vien!