tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60158592011-11-27T19:15:07.398-05:00(otherwise known as Lesley A. Carter)Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.comBlogger1531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-36854119811846544892010-06-08T07:55:00.001-05:002010-06-08T07:56:03.801-05:00

I've decided to consolidate and transition the blog into the rest of my website... so, please come visit me at my personal website to keep up with my blog.Thanks!

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-51115207330481382802010-04-13T12:33:00.002-05:002010-04-13T12:39:41.244-05:00

I took two minutes to look at Brooklyn Tweed and saw the Dylan scarf. AAAGH! I need to win the lottery...

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-56349454269805328772010-04-13T12:23:00.004-05:002010-04-13T12:31:39.588-05:00

Despite the warmer temperatures, I'm still in a knitting mood - perhaps because I need something creative and fulfilling right now? ;-) At any rate, the yarn for the Shroom hat arrived on Friday - Spud and Chloe Outer in a lovely shade of green they call Bayou. I cast on Saturday night and finished Sunday afternoon:I think my next project is going to be this wrap from Y2Knit; I got lucky with

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-54069121110644923662010-04-07T06:38:00.000-05:002010-04-07T07:44:52.483-05:00

Although I don't usually get the knitting itch in warm weather, this year appears to be different - I guess life stresses are increasing my need to do something creative and fulfilling. In any case, my local yarn shop put one of my favorite yarns, Araucania's Copihue, on clearance, and I grabbed a hefty stash of it. (And am tempted to get more - but that's another story.) I've been working on

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-9045349597969546082010-03-19T11:04:00.002-05:002010-03-19T11:11:00.651-05:00

I awoke this morning to find this link in my e-mail: Advertisers Ban the V-Word. Now, I have to say that I'm about as far from being a fan of ads for feminine hygiene products as you can get, BUT... why is it that erectile dysfunction is okay to mention but the V-word is not? It always amuses me when my mother-in-law visits from England because she complains about the huge number of

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-60357181889347264672010-02-24T17:02:00.003-05:002010-02-24T17:25:45.368-05:00

A week ago my mother's sister passed away. As this is someone I had not seen in over twenty years, this was not a huge emotional hit in and of itself, but it prompted thoughts about my parents, especially given that the anniversary of my father's death was only two days before. I know all families are dysfunctional to an extent, but I sometimes wonder at the level of dysfunction that resulted

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-81350866465334276432010-02-17T19:29:00.002-05:002010-02-17T19:46:17.574-05:00

"... prophets are God-intoxicated persons." 1As I begin Lent this year, I'm pondering 'God-intoxicated persons.' I really like this phrase - but I'm also acutely aware that I am probably not as God-intoxicated as I should be. I was writing the other day about dark places. You might laugh, but the visual that comes to mind is that of the fruitcakes that my father used to make every year.

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-27882995438808909082010-02-11T17:48:00.006-05:002010-02-11T20:16:35.165-05:00

In the last few days I've been thinking a lot about margins - in culture, in religion, in ourselves. Last night I was skimming a chapter from R.S. Sugirtharajah's Still at the Margins, and I found this definition: "... margins are conceptualized 'as lived spaces of representation as potentially nurturing places of resistance, real-and-imagined, material-and-metaphorical meeting grounds for

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-90674510594511515922010-02-10T18:44:00.002-05:002010-02-10T18:46:27.714-05:00

The International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) has been reintroduced; you can read about it here and here. You can contact your congressperson via Amnesty USA.

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-6549729623608376182010-02-08T08:53:00.002-05:002010-02-08T08:59:14.030-05:00

The World Capital of Killing, from Sunday's New York Times. Since this is a snow day, I also plan to peruse the Enough Project's Congo resources. One of the recommended comments on the accompanying blog caught my eye, pointing to the need for deeper thinking on violence in Africa relative to cultural, ethnic, and racial issues (e.g., why the West has done so little to stop the violence in Congo

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-87185093572580851622010-02-05T17:20:00.002-05:002010-02-05T17:26:27.231-05:00

This is from the "From Poverty to Power" blog written by Duncan Green. I had actually been looking at Paul Collier's book The Bottom Billion earlier today but chose not to buy it just yet. I was listening to a conversation about Haiti not too long ago, in which it seemed that every third or fourth comment came back around to the corruption in Haiti's government. Not being thoroughly

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-23389639582650151262010-02-05T16:52:00.002-05:002010-02-05T17:06:46.535-05:00

My brain is a bit slow to process this week... :-) At any rate, included in last week's lectionary readings was a passage from the beginning of Jeremiah (1:4-10), in which Jeremiah is called but protests that he is too young, inexperienced, etc., to fulfill his vocation. Every time I read this particular passage (and others like it in Scripture), it's like an itch deep inside - you know, the

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-57274548436164414972010-02-04T05:23:00.000-05:002010-02-04T05:23:00.343-05:00

As I wrote the other day, I'm wrestling with issues of economy and theological ethics. I don't think my brain has completely surfaced yet since last week! At any rate, one of the questions with which I'm struggling was posed in a discussion group:"In what ways is the Christian concept of modesty of lifestyle dangerous to our economy that depends upon ever increasing growth?"I've been thinking

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-84672492524927344802010-02-03T18:50:00.002-05:002010-02-03T18:53:32.033-05:00

Orphaned, Raped and Ignored (from the New York Times, by Nicholas Kristof)

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-81650875052071183862010-02-03T17:01:00.002-05:002010-02-03T17:11:25.798-05:00

In a recent post on Aid Watch, the writer argues that debt relief (or cancellation, which he contends are two different things) is not what those most interested in Haiti's long-term recovery should be advocating for. He writes, "Instead of fixating on dropping the debt, why don’t activists and politicians campaign to hold public and private donors accountable for avoiding the mistakes of past

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-85523168074561938482010-01-31T07:35:00.002-05:002010-01-31T07:46:55.410-05:00

If the news cycle operates in this case as it often does, Haiti will remain on the newscasters' radar for several more weeks, and then it will be gradually replaced by newer, 'hotter' stories. It's incumbent upon all of us, I think, not to forget even when we are no longer reminded on a daily basis. Even when the immediate medical needs have been met, and the survivors have been fed, the work

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-9860617474853005102010-01-30T08:10:00.004-05:002010-01-30T08:28:35.127-05:00

Over the last two days, I attended the Trinity Institute on Building an Ethical Economy via the partner site at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, PA. Needless to say, my brain is still sorting through the vast amounts of information, and I will probably be working it through via this blog for some time to come, but I thought I would at least start with some general comments.This

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-37488523313704150112010-01-24T08:09:00.002-05:002010-01-24T08:19:44.333-05:00

Last night at church, we had a discussion of this week's lectionary reading from Luke, specifically the phrase about "the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:14-21 is the gospel for this week.) During my hair appointment yesterday morning (while my hair was turning into rather something different than I had planned or hoped for, but that's a completely different story), I was reading from the

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-59611014080642190442010-01-20T17:12:00.000-05:002010-01-20T17:16:14.531-05:00

What Is Haiti Owed?I saw this yesterday but only now am able to post the link. The damage done by Haiti's never-ending external debt is truly sad. Haiti is now some $1 billion in debt, and any resources that it uses to pay that debt down quite obviously cannot be used to rebuild and recover. Isn't it time for a Jubilee Year in Haiti? FYI you can sign a petition over at One.org encouraging

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-44702972992011121372010-01-16T08:46:00.003-05:002010-01-16T08:52:47.675-05:00

Bernard Kouchner writes in this morning's Washington Post that we "must do everything in their power to rebuild this island nation and help restore its strength and energy." He proposes an international conference to start the process of rebuilding. I'm not experienced in foreign policy or development, and so it's quite likely that I'm way off base, but one thing I would want to see in this

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-71269271042392936512010-01-15T15:46:00.000-05:002010-01-15T15:46:00.812-05:00

From today's special Haiti edition of the Stillspeaking Devotional: "Lord, it's not just beyond-our-control, "natural evil" that's happened this week. The brick-hard truth is that the Haitian earthquake has been so devastating because it has been piled on top of years of poverty and corruption, exploitation and indifference." (Anthony B. Robinson) Amen. Now our task is not only to lift up the

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-49014359011977602492010-01-15T05:27:00.000-05:002010-01-15T06:44:36.490-05:00

Jarrod McKenna posted some interesting thoughts about Pat Robertson's recent claims regarding Haiti. What interested me most, however, was a string of comments on his blog wrestling with the issue of theodicy, or the question of why evil happens in our world.My mother, who certainly lived through some hard times in the course of her eventful life with my father, struggled with this question from

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-72118727509226901512010-01-13T12:10:00.001-05:002010-01-13T12:39:54.037-05:00

Here is a summary of the first day of the court case. I'd like to read the actual statements for myself, but one thing that strikes me from the summary is the assertion by the defense that allowing same-sex marriages "ha(s) led to 'real societal harm,' including lower marriage rates, higher rates of divorce, and more children raised outside of wedlock." I'm not sure whether one can directly

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-60065909426572265932010-01-08T12:15:00.000-05:002010-01-08T12:15:00.300-05:00

H&M and Wal-Mart destroy and trash unsold goodsHow irresponsible, given the number of people who could have used those items. It reminds me of children who trash a toy rather than letting someone else play with it...

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-38555023869459465682010-01-07T05:45:00.000-05:002010-01-07T08:10:57.585-05:00

UN Halts Food Aid to Southern Somalia After Attacks

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-2858278827399158682010-01-07T05:25:00.001-05:002010-01-07T06:47:27.384-05:00

Pennsylvania House Passes Table Games LegislationMost of you probably are not aware of the budget saga that gripped Pennsylvania in 2009, or of the fact that we were the last state to pass a budget. What probably was not mentioned even if you did hear about it was that a significant portion of the budget was to be provided by revenue from table games, which at that point were not legal in

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-48331350290385058902010-01-06T17:52:00.001-05:002010-01-06T17:52:13.322-05:00

Corporate Agribusiness Helps Scuttle Climate Justice | Food First/Institute for Food and Development PolicyUntil I started reading Enough: Why the World's Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty, I was shamefully ignorant about the possible ramifications of American food subsidies and agricultural policies for those in other parts of the world. (Yet another duh moment in a long line of duh moments.)

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-34652655222835336412010-01-01T09:20:00.001-05:002010-01-01T09:21:14.780-05:00

From BBC News: Ethiopia rejects warning of hunger after drought

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-40435544550875427612009-12-30T10:12:00.003-05:002009-12-30T10:36:37.765-05:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about complicity... what it is, where it starts, where it ends. Part of this stems from a lectionary discussion a few weeks ago about individual versus collective responsibility. It's also inspired by the two books I've been reading this week whilst on vacation: A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide and Shake Hands With the Devil: The Failure of

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-6206794108203242732009-12-27T10:24:00.001-05:002009-12-27T10:24:27.874-05:00

Blood Diamonds Are Back - By Gregory Campbell | Foreign PolicyAn interesting article on the continuing failure of the UN and others to successfully police conflict diamonds. FYI, check out HR 4128, the Conflict Minerals Trade Act, currently before the House Armed Services committee.

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-91460385012156426142009-12-27T10:11:00.001-05:002009-12-27T10:13:48.489-05:00

Time to Take Away Sudan's Credit Card | Foreign PolicyHaving just started reading Samantha Power's A Problem From Hell, I am already acutely conscious that the US can do more to prevent genocide. Here is an opportunity for Western nations to take a stand.

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-18535666588192331152009-12-22T18:18:00.001-05:002009-12-22T18:18:00.768-05:00

12/22/2009 blog posts: Unconditional Incarnation and Preaching the Whole Magnificat. Much food for thought here.

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-11799649708852585772009-12-21T12:12:00.002-05:002009-12-21T12:14:38.016-05:00

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/508036/reid_gets_to_60_but_dem_senators_grumble_about_weak_billSitting here wondering if this is really reform or whether the emperor is imagining his new clothes again...

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-31779238965749082882009-12-20T08:23:00.001-05:002009-12-20T08:27:06.343-05:00

Congress Moves on the 2009 Tribal Law and Order ActHopefully this legislation, if passed, will improve Native tribes' ability to police themselves and successfully prosecute such crimes as rape and abuse.

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-64365486967029056012009-12-19T07:00:00.000-05:002009-12-19T07:00:05.044-05:00

I had yet another 'duh' moment (in a lifelong string of them, to be fair) this week. I downloaded the book "Enough" by Roger Thurow and Scott Kilman for listening in the car, and in listening to the preface, they said, "In the United States, ethanol-fuel makers weredevouring about 30 percent of the nation’s corn crop by 2009, roughly doublethe amount they used in 2006. Many farmers reduced their

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-41233875374093979662009-12-18T16:33:00.003-05:002009-12-18T16:37:03.161-05:00

A few minutes ago, a flock of geese flew over the house. It immediately made me think of my parents' home in Missouri, where they annually hosted hundreds of wintering geese on their private lake. To me, there's nothing quite like the sound of honking geese or the sight of them in flight (this is a video from Iowa that I found on YouTube):

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-61084771276789052182009-12-18T15:43:00.001-05:002009-12-18T15:43:00.300-05:00

I've been trying to return to the discipline of thinking through each week's lectionary texts - no difficult feat this week, since the Magnificat is one of my favorite texts in Scripture. As previously discussed here, I've been thinking a lot about commercialism and Christmas, and how many people are hungry. In Mary's song, though, that is turned upside down: "He has filled the hungry with good

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-18287552234510982092009-12-16T12:18:00.000-05:002009-12-16T14:47:55.671-05:00

I found myself in a discussion yesterday with some friends about the craziness that is Christmastime in America, and I also found myself reminding them - and myself - that this frenzy of commercialism and consumerism is not quite what Jesus had in mind as the fruit of his hard work and ministry. Perhaps I'm just getting cranky in my old age, but this year's holiday mania is bothering me more

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-83534205126986283472009-12-15T06:57:00.001-05:002009-12-15T06:57:33.563-05:00

Oxfam America Blog » Blog Archive » Women, Hurt by Climate Change, Can Lead for Climate JusticePosted using ShareThis

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-2819903143181187062009-12-14T06:51:00.000-05:002009-12-14T06:51:22.598-05:00

Nothing but sex please, we’re vicars . . . | Richard Morrison - Times Online

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-84876967731013755812009-12-02T06:15:00.000-05:002009-12-02T08:53:08.549-05:00

I've been thinking about this whole Tiger Woods debacle and about celebrities in general over the last couple of days. Whatever Tiger did or did not do, it's largely his business. What I've been mulling over is the propensity of the press and the public to beat these sorts of stories into the ground. Why is it that we are so fixated on the lives of the rich and famous? Sometimes I think that

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-10391095310091352512009-10-09T06:28:00.000-05:002009-10-09T08:36:11.115-05:00

First of all, a great big shoutout to Great Big Sea, who put on a tremendous show last night in Harrisburg. We surprised my mother-in-law with tickets and she was absolutely thrilled. A two-and-a-half-hour set, which meant we definitely got our money's worth. They also did one of the best renditions of "Gallows Pole" I've heard - Sean, you have Robert Plant beat! :-)Secondly, about this Nobel

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-19116342267022235062009-08-14T09:15:00.004-05:002009-08-14T09:27:56.734-05:00

Day 6 of the Diet. (or, the Die with a T, as you prefer) I've been tracking my progress on Spark People (which is free, unlike Weight Watchers, which I tried a while back) and it's been interesting to see the gaps in my eating habits, even when I'm trying to eat healthy. Since I don't eat beef and pork, protein has been somewhat of a challenge, but I've been able to cook scrambled eggs in the

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-84402902141130833752009-08-09T13:52:00.003-05:002009-08-09T13:59:43.190-05:00

Husband had not yet watched "John Adams" so I'm watching it again with him (and hearing a lot of "Abigail" this and "Thomas" that as he perfects his John Adams imitation, LOL). It strikes me that even terrifically flawed people can do amazing and powerful things in this world. John Adams was apparently less than humble (by his own admission, in the movie), often petulant, thin-skinned, and

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-24514010347620556492009-08-08T18:55:00.003-05:002009-08-08T19:01:18.305-05:00

For a web developer, I can be depresssingly non-tech-oriented. (Truly. I have yet to figure out the Palm beyond beaming documents to someone else's Palm, and I've had it now for, oh, seven or eight years. I still keep a paper calendar too.)In my ongoing pursuit of intellectual stimulation, I've been learning German, and have been faithfully writing out vocabulary on index cards throughout the

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-52388364104731463042009-08-08T11:07:00.002-05:002009-08-08T11:47:38.096-05:00

I decided to take a peek at this week's lectionary - something I've been sadly less than diligent about of late - and was immediately taken by the epistle reading from Ephesians I was especially looking at verse 26: "Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger." I think most of us are familiar with the latter part of that, but speaking for myself, I'm not sure I've ever

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-11119583204889214852009-08-01T13:27:00.003-05:002009-08-01T13:32:09.889-05:00

Working on my German reading skills and this was one of the translation exercises:Die Kühe fremder Leute haben größere Euter.(The cows of other people have larger udders.)What a great way to put it, LOL! How would the world be if we were all satisfied with our own cows (or grass, or whatever) and quit coveting someone else's stuff? What would life be like if we were more satisfied with what we

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-89118899913472504072009-07-31T16:10:00.002-05:002009-07-31T16:12:35.949-05:00

We harvested about eight pounds of potatoes last weekend with about half of our plants, so we were quite pleased indeed. Lots of onions. The tomatoes, with the exception of the cherry tomatoes, just have not done that well, no doubt as a result of the exceptionally strange weather we've had this year. Surprisingly, we've had plenty of jalapenos but few bell peppers. If it would just stop

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-66436493460206943112009-07-31T16:01:00.002-05:002009-07-31T16:10:21.164-05:00

My mind usually tunes out at the same point in my homeward commute each night (around mile marker 10 on I-81, in case you're even remotely curious), and last night was no different... I have always had an inexhaustible capacity for berating myself over things I've done, mistakes I've made somewhere in my lifetime, and the habit snuck up on me yet again. (Lengthy stretches of time with nothing to

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-65801360066373632752009-05-31T14:21:00.005-05:002009-05-31T14:33:03.574-05:00

Well, the garden is largely complete (with the exception of some Topsy Turvy planters, which are arriving sometime this week), so here's the update.Garden AGarden A includes peas, potatoes, pole beans, onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers this year. In contrast to my previous attempt at peas (which ended when the local rabbits decided that they liked fresh pea plants very much indeed), all is

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-23858502255920618092009-05-06T16:01:00.003-05:002009-05-06T16:06:15.846-05:00

I'm sitting here listening to the first movement of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, the work that first won me over to classical music when I was about 11 or 12. It's been ages since I last listened to this, and the opening chords alone were enough to make me stop what I was doing and simply listen. I've fallen for a lot of works since I first heard this (ranging from Bach to Vaughan

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-10486948411159477492009-04-18T07:38:00.002-05:002009-04-18T07:56:21.379-05:00

I've just about decided that adulthood is a never-ending series of fresh starts - not just at New Year's, but year-round. The most recent impetus was an online health quiz required by Hubs' insurance company, which showed that I'm stressed out, anxious, and maybe a little depressed. Not that any of this was a surprise, given the economy and the fact that I've got 20 more plates in the air than

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-89094357071936053442009-04-04T10:35:00.001-05:002009-04-04T10:37:09.445-05:00

If you've never read any of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs novels, and you like historical mysteries, I encourage you to give them a try. Hubs and I just finished the latest one (downloaded from Audible), Among the Mad, and it was terrific.Just a thought!(now REALLY back to Hansard...)

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-23710281093131824562009-04-04T10:29:00.002-05:002009-04-04T10:34:25.449-05:00

Okay, so just because I am a web developer by day, and I blog, Tweet, and check Facebook once in a while, doesn't mean that I am necessarily the biggest technogeek in the world. However, there are times when I'm just amazed by the plethora of things that one can find on the Internet. This morning, I'm sitting here reading transcripts from the House of Commons in 1915 that have been posted on

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-34314723943673818122009-03-22T15:40:00.003-05:002009-03-22T15:50:06.791-05:00

* OK, so I'm tidying up my wallet a bit, and I have a number of gift cards with piddly amounts left (e.g., $3, $1.21). I thought maybe I could reload my Starbucks card with them, but the minimum amount one can add is $5. Are these just dead, Jim, dead?* I've downloaded the latest albums by a couple of bands I enjoy (U2, Indigo Girls) and I have to say that I'm not exactly entranced so far.

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-9458451829706482832009-03-21T20:08:00.002-05:002009-03-21T20:11:47.754-05:00

Maybe I'm just getting overly sensitive in my old age, but when this arrived in my mailbox, I was more than a little disturbed by the headline. If Candace Parker had not been photographed in a somewhat advanced stage of pregnancy, this headline would present no difficulties; however, when read in conjunction with the cover photo, it seems more than a bit inappropriate. I've been a subscriber to

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-65582484520831536292009-01-25T11:33:00.002-05:002009-01-25T11:41:26.212-05:00

A lot of folks tend to complain about a midwinter slump - something about that post-Christmas depression, with a dash of 'way too long until spring break' mixed in for good measure. I have to say, though, that I haven't really noticed much of that - I'm way too busy! I have a pile of books to read that is daunting, to say the least, various projects (knitting and otherwise) to complete, some

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-58933386893131526962008-12-19T06:46:00.000-05:002008-12-19T10:01:10.013-05:00

The gospel text for this Sunday is, of course, the great Magnificat from Luke, a text we hear a lot in worship. However, given our current economic situation, how do we read this text? It would be easy to blame God for all the woes unfolding in our world - I had a conversation yesterday with someone about how God is an easy target for blame because God is not (visibly) available to defend

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-75462543143642487392008-12-19T06:35:00.000-05:002008-12-19T09:43:53.196-05:00

In my newly rediscovered enthusiasm for all things philatelic, I decided to vote in the Linn's Stamp News Stamp Popularity Poll, despite the fact that I haven't collected U.S. stamps in a number of years. As an aside, some years ago I found myself less than enamored of the design direction I felt the U.S. was taking in its stamp program, not to mention the high number of useless stamps being

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-45289655423686355712008-12-16T16:49:00.003-05:002008-12-16T16:54:26.776-05:00

I've collected stamps off and on since I was eight years old, but in the last few years, between moving, deaths in the family, marriage, working multiple jobs, etc., etc., my poor stamps had lain abandoned and lonely (but carefully stored, before you start to worry). However, I've recently started dipping my toes back into the philatelic water, in large part because of the issue depicted

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-90156816308722764982008-12-01T05:07:00.000-05:002008-12-01T07:14:12.600-05:00

In this day and age of ever-improving treatments for AIDS, it's sometimes easy to forget what a dangerous, terrifying, and saddening disease it is - particularly here in our First World comfort, where access to medications is fairly easy and affordable. For those in the Third World, AIDS is still a major health crisis, but one about which we rarely hear in the news.I first became involved with

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-17641343974261415722008-10-13T09:00:00.002-05:002008-10-13T09:18:39.131-05:00

(written from an undisclosed location where I'm exhibiting for my association)Last night I ordered dinner delivery - a lovely Indian meal complete with naan. So tell me, why did I order raita, WHEN I DON'T EVEN LIKE CUCUMBER???? Something crazy happens on travel... something that causes a normally (somewhat) sensible person to eat croissants like crazy, download movies onto iTunes that she

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-34914756898891085022008-09-24T19:11:00.004-05:002008-09-24T19:14:19.170-05:00

Busy, busy, busy... project-saturated and pretty much flying from day to day, not really stopping to smell the roses. Is this the way life was meant to be? It seems like I have no choice but to fill all the hours in my day if I want to accomplish even a tenth of what I want to do in life, but it sometimes seems as there's no time to savor the small accomplishments and little moments.On the plus

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-85860391726410152842008-09-13T13:36:00.003-05:002008-09-13T13:41:33.219-05:00

And here I thought summer would be a slow, leisurely paced time when I could read more, blog more, craft more, etc... HA! Not so fast, my friend! (To quote the venerable Lee Corso.) Summer sped by so quickly and it felt as though I barely had time to breathe. Fall is back, and with it my full complement of students, as well as all the fall madness that is NASP and a graduate course on the

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-34700734331402972102008-06-21T12:59:00.003-05:002008-06-21T13:09:33.671-05:00

What a busy few weeks! Even though summer brings a lighter schedule, it seems as though time has been flying by, between renewed genealogy research and new crafting projects. I've deliberately been avoiding news of this summer's Lambeth conference... my patience level is wearing thin, I fear. There are so many ways in which we Episcopalians can be working in the world, transforming the lives

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-40594545905280818162008-05-21T15:34:00.000-05:002008-05-21T14:46:54.894-05:00

Nearly three weeks after Cyclone Nargis, the military junta not only is still restricting access to foreign aid, but is also claiming that initial needs have been met and it's time to move into the reconstruction phase of assistance. (For an editorial on this, see the International Herald Tribune.) Sitting here in my nice, comfy chair with plenty of food and clean water and the freedom to speak

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-34069530665141824152008-05-15T04:30:00.002-05:002008-05-15T05:24:36.963-05:00

Blogging for human rights... there are so many topics on which I could write, so many topics that I find meaningful, that it's hard to choose. However, I find myself drawn to writing about Darfur and what seems like a repetitive cycle of extreme violence in Africa, and why we do so little to stop it.Last Friday night I watched the powerful movie "Shake Hands With the Devil," an adaptation of

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-42727666022483038852008-05-11T10:24:00.002-05:002008-05-11T10:32:30.988-05:00

Ah, Pentecost... the day that more or less serves as the church's birthday. However, I find myself thinking less about the founding of the church and more about the abundance of gifts that we have and so often don't share. The other day at Bible study, I thought of the verse about hiding one's light under a bushel; to me, not sharing our gifts for the common good (to use a phrase from the

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-16475616279670615172008-05-08T12:55:00.000-05:002008-05-08T12:55:03.095-05:00

PS - did you know that May 10 is World Fair Trade Day? I just found some cool fair trade clothes at Global Mamas and Marketplace Handwork of India. Additionally, Green Mountain Coffee is one of a number of coffee dealers that sell at least some FT coffee. (I especially recommend the Wild Mountain Blueberry - yum!) Support fair trade and buy some cool stuff this weekend!

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-28356796479637414052008-05-08T12:44:00.001-05:002008-05-08T12:03:11.241-05:00

In my ongoing study of Isaiah, I came across this verse, which I had not previously noticed (or which God had not pointed out to me): "For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat. When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm, the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place, you subdued the heat

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-20832599089223630942008-05-03T12:11:00.000-05:002008-05-03T12:12:39.604-05:00

We're all feeling the pinch of the rising costs of fuel and food - but these increases have wider consequences.

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-52359257144455400372008-05-03T12:02:00.001-05:002008-05-03T12:03:50.568-05:00

... and Amnesty's website advocating for the closure of Guantanamo.

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-2369883083487363852008-05-03T11:57:00.002-05:002008-05-03T11:57:58.964-05:00

Read about UNICEF's efforts to improve the lives of children with disabilities in Vietnam.

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-75209976613695967572008-05-02T16:18:00.002-05:002008-05-02T16:20:10.498-05:00

I received this in my e-mail a couple of weeks ago but hadn't had the time until now to look at it - a new website about the situation in Darfur, World Is Witness, described as a 'geoblog.'

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-59371801110714114922008-05-02T16:13:00.002-05:002008-05-02T16:17:54.109-05:00

I've been terribly negligent in posting to my blog (for all 2 people who actually read it, LOL). Between hockey playoffs and work obligations, it's been difficult to find the time; bringing an association into Web 2.0 can be quite time-consuming, but I'm hopeful it will all go well.In between all this, I've been rereading Isaiah, and as always, it strikes me 1) how relevant it is and 2) in how

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-24771557501015744282008-04-08T12:07:00.003-05:002008-04-08T12:15:02.234-05:00

When I took my first look at the lessons for Easter 4 (Acts 2:42-47, John 10:1-10, etc.), I was a bit disheartened and not quite sure what I could cover in my biweekly Bible study. After weeks of veritable feasts in the lectionary, this felt a little sparse. However, when I took another look today, the text in John opened up a little bit for me. I found myself looking at Jn 10:4-5: "When he

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-77108766422744990042008-03-26T18:55:00.002-05:002008-03-26T18:57:16.177-05:00

Also found in my prep for Bible study: a fascinating sermon on Thomas, focusing on the horror of Jesus' execution and the reaction of the disciples, particularly Thomas. Lots to ponder here...

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-26803722004224482432008-03-26T18:39:00.002-05:002008-03-26T18:53:07.164-05:00

In my prep for Bible study on the Easter 2 lessons, I came across these questions on the RevGalBlogPals blog:Why is it so hard for us to live into Christ's peace? Do we even understand what peace means? Why do the "Easter people" often seem to be the least joyful of all?In the text from John 20, Jesus says "Peace be with you" three times - so clearly this is a crucial point for him. Why, then,

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-86833315885946168422008-03-23T08:38:00.001-05:002008-03-23T08:40:24.748-05:00

I've decided to separate my (probably paltry) hockey thoughts from my other, hopefully more serious blog thoughts. So, please check out my new hockey blog!And on a much more important note:Alleluia! Christ is risen!The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-41416486309125290452008-03-14T18:21:00.003-05:002008-03-14T18:31:29.119-05:00

In preparing for Bible study tomorrow, I came across this little gem of a thought: "What better time than Holy Week, what better place than at the foot of the cross, to reflect on the betrayals and desertions we have perpetrated on others? And where do we find our hope? In the empty tomb and, Niedner writes, the 'promise of the shepherding God who never pauses until every lost one is found…'"In

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-66520910862142574722008-03-14T18:13:00.003-05:002008-03-14T18:20:41.560-05:00

Since my last post, we've traveled to England and back, so this will mostly consist of random thoughts:* We had the opportunity to take in a hockey game in England (Telford Tigers against the Guildford Flames). I felt desperately sorry for Telford's goalie (they ended up losing 6-1), as he was trying hard but had little defensive support from his teammates. It was also brutally apparent that

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-63367281151637069132008-02-09T07:57:00.001-05:002008-02-09T08:14:15.669-05:00

(from New Orleans, LA)Just before leaving to attend an Ash Wednesday service at Trinity Church in New Orleans, I received Pax Christi's Ash Wednesday reflection. As we traveled to and from church, I spent some time thinking about the ashes that other people carry, wondering what ashes the people around me have to bear. It's so easy to drift into one's own world whilst walking down the street,

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-14693188967017848802008-01-28T05:12:00.000-05:002008-01-28T06:47:57.377-05:00

I did a quick perusal of Anglicans Online before starting work this morning, mostly to see what had been posted as their commentary on the front page. I found it strikingly apropos, given the lectionary lesson from I Corinthians for yesterday: "Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-48084260393640175302008-01-25T06:52:00.000-05:002008-01-25T11:23:39.113-05:00

And while I'm posting, I'd just like to post my disappointment in a particular NHL rule that is preventing Capitals players from appearing at the Hershey Bears game tomorrow night. It had previously been announced that, in addition to Bruce Boudreaux dropping the ceremonial puck, Capitals players would appear at the game and sign autographs afterwards. However, there is a apparently a rule that

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-66136011013262436242008-01-25T06:45:00.000-05:002008-01-25T11:18:37.538-05:00

I was listening to the Canadiens/Devils game on my way home last night, and by the time I'd reached home, I'd pretty much given up on the Habs. They were down 3-1 to a Devils team playing at home, where the Habs have rarely defeated them. However, I decided to give it just a bit longer... and I'm so glad I did. For one of the first times this year, I saw the Habs really pull themselves up by

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-37228023049275518852008-01-14T05:20:00.000-05:002008-01-14T06:32:46.283-05:00

Sigh. Another bummer weekend in the world of sports (with the exception of the Colts and Cowboys losing, that is). Hershey Bears lose twice, Canadiens lose, Capitals lose. We didn't see the Bears lose on Friday night, but after a great effort on Saturday night (defeating Lake Erie handily), they came out flat yesterday against the Hartford Wolfpack. It was as if a completely different team

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-8018498747388779752008-01-11T06:21:00.000-05:002008-01-11T10:33:22.221-05:00

I was all ready to evince some righteous indignation at the fact that only one member of the Hershey Bears (Joe Motzko) was selected for the AHL All-Star Team, but I thought I would check some facts and figures first. And I was surprised to find that not one Hershey Bear ranks in the top twenty scorers or leaders in the AHL's current stats list. The only Bear that appears anywhere is Daren

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-78712274185777394202008-01-05T15:03:00.001-05:002008-01-05T15:05:31.375-05:00

OK... can someone please explain to me how the Habs let the Caps back in the game like that???? As much as I think Carey Price will be a great goalie, the truth is that he isn't yet. It's too easy to score the high goals on him, and he so far lacks the experience to win consistently. He'll get there, but in the meantime, what to do? Send him back down to Hamilton and bring up Halak? Keep

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-20460011171536425802008-01-05T13:00:00.001-05:002008-01-05T13:01:45.739-05:00

Oh, and by the way, congrats to the Kansas Jayhawks for their big win over the Hokies! The state of Kansas has waited a long time for this...

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-65208999399034454982008-01-05T12:43:00.001-05:002008-01-05T12:49:13.293-05:00

Today has got to be a sports lover's dream day... I started the day with the tape of the NHL Winter Classic (which I missed because of my trip to KS), then part of the bronze medal game of the World Juniors (in which the US seemingly forgot to show up); now the Habs/Capitals, then the gold medal world juniors game (go Canada!), then the Redskins/Seahawks. What a day!!!!!I know a lot of people

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-47649072179341479992008-01-01T09:49:00.000-05:002008-01-01T09:57:51.371-05:00

from Wichita, KSBack in the place I grew up for the first time in at least 12 years, and trying to process it... It's strange how so many things seem to be in their proper places but now seem completely out of place to me, because of everything else that has sprung up around them. I wondered if I would feel any sense of belonging, even after all these years, and I have to say that so far I do

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-44369025816312567702007-12-31T06:58:00.000-05:002008-01-01T10:12:50.571-05:00

I unfortunately worked on the wrong set of Christmas 1 lessons with the Bible study group this past Saturday, but I'm actually not sorry, because this particular group of lessons (Isaiah 63:7-9, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-23) really made me think about incarnation.Especially with the overwhelmingly commercial nature that Christmas has assumed in our culture in the last few decades, it can be

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-49036594273236850082007-12-23T18:46:00.000-05:002007-12-23T18:55:02.771-05:00

I want to thank Deacon Janice at St. Andrew's, Shippensburg for a great sermon this morning that really made me think.When I originally looked at the lessons for 4 Advent, I was frankly a little underwhelmed, especially after the richness of 3 Advent. However, using Joseph as an exemplar for heeding God's call was not a line of thought I had pursued, and I'm grateful for that. Joseph certainly

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-52850184918266980312007-12-21T16:10:00.000-05:002007-12-21T16:18:21.022-05:00

After twenty-three years of being a Habs fan, I finally had the chance to see them in person last night, playing against the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center, and it was a thrill. There were quite a few residents of Habs Nation in attendance, which meant that I didn't feel quite so vulnerable in my Canadiens jersey. :-) Les Habitants made it worth the trip too, as they won 5-2.Now,

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-8629715069859099092007-12-08T22:06:00.000-05:002007-12-08T22:12:35.933-05:00

So while I was watching (and enjoying) the Capitals blow out the Thrashers tonight (and in so doing, winning me a free pound of wings at Austin Grill, TYVM), our Habs were on the receiving end of a blowout at the hands of Carolina. AAAGH! I'm sure the various blogs will tell me what actually happened, but it was frustrating to see that score mount up on the Verizon Center board while the

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-9788320073950889612007-12-07T18:29:00.000-05:002007-12-07T18:40:26.954-05:00

So the Habs finally win one... Hubs and I watched the first two periods of the Canadiens/Bruins game, and when Boston started scoring in the second, I had flashbacks to the Predators game (where we completely imploded). Thankfully, that didn't happen last night. I can only hope that this win signifies an upswing both in quality of play and in confidence; maybe Carbonneau's line changes are

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-53598264848395559652007-12-02T07:15:00.000-05:002007-12-02T07:22:47.069-05:00

And on to Advent... After looking at the readings for this week and two weeks hence (3 Advent), I keep coming back to the word 'expectations.' Expectations of Jesus' coming, expectations of what that 'peaceable kingdom' looks like, expectations of what the Christian life is. It strikes me that Advent, being the beginning of the liturgical year, is a great time to take stock of expectations and

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-5518066005496939292007-12-02T07:10:00.000-05:002007-12-02T07:15:13.063-05:00

Well, the good news is that, with Missouri and West Virginia both deconstructing last night, Ohio State has a great chance to play in the national championship. The bad news, however, is that les Habs completely fell apart in the third period last night and lost to the Predators, who had NEVER won in Montréal. After reading some of the blogs and comments this morning, I'm not completely swayed

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-60703843894278552752007-11-16T20:46:00.000-05:002007-11-16T20:49:25.502-05:00

So I've found the CJAD feed of the Canadiens/Sabres game, and as of this writing, the Habs are down 4-1. AAAAGHH! The first game we've been able to tape (it's being shown on NHLN-US) and this is the result. I'm beginning to think that our household is death on sports teams.And another question - why hasn't Carbonneau pulled Huet out of net????

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6015859.post-288280920179096662007-11-16T08:32:00.000-05:002007-11-16T08:43:39.810-05:00

When I first looked at this Sunday's gospel (Luke 21:5-19) in preparation for Bible study last weekend, it didn't leave much of an impression on me. To me, these weeks leading up to Advent are always so difficult to plow through, full of apocalyptic and dark thoughts as we prepare for that season of preparation.However, on my drive down to Baltimore this morning (exhibiting at a conference today

Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005616086072315311noreply@blogger.com0