Excuse me, how do I get to Jersey Shore?

I'm sitting at Newark Airport, attempting to get my $8 worth of Internet in before I leave here. 3 hours down, 2 more to go. Let's blog the time away...

I spent the past few days in New Jersey. I asked around and I'm sad to report there were no Snooki sightings where I was. I'm guessing Princeton Theological Seminary just isn't her scene. Not enough space in the bars for her to do to back handsprings.

I attended the Institute of Faith and Public Life and also met with a group of people whose jobs are similar to mine - engaging young adults in year-long mission service. I love/hate being in the company of people who are intelligent, articulate, passionate, accomplished and funny. I love it because I hope to one day develop into such a person [or at least date one]. I hate it because mostly I'd feel more comfortable chatting with The Situation. [He could give me some gym tips.]

There is a Nelson Mandela saying that is often quoted that speaks to me when I feel like a shrimp in the oil-saturated Gulf of out-spoken voices. Mandela says: Your playing small does not serve the world. 

If Snooki doesn't allow her 4'9 frame inhibit her from representing all the Guidettes out there, why should I allow my lack of graduate degrees and professional/life experiences stop me from wanting to join the movers and shakers out there on the forefront of social justice advocacy?

First, and most importantly, I will work on educating myself of the facts and myths that exist out there. Here are a handful of things I have learned during my time in New Jersey:

• Just because something is legal, doesn't mean that it is right. Remember when segregation was legal and women weren't allowed to vote?
• Learning about Martin Buber freshmen year of college was important: stop objectifying people as "it" but rather see them as "thou" 
• Get to know your neighbor, especially your enemies so that you can love them [I will be tuning into Fox News more often]
• Ben Franklin seriously thought German immigrants in America would never learn to speak English...
• The Beatles and Jesus were right: All you need is Love.
• I love the smell of flowers in the air
• Being at a conference afforded no time for GTL

 Here are some great resources I learned about this weekend:

GreenFaith - Interfaith Partners for the Environment
Follow Me to Freedom - book written by Shane Claiborne and John M. Perkins
Bread for the World - Have Faith. End Hunger. 
World Relief
Jesus and Justice

"The love for justice that is in us is not only the best part of our being but it is also the most true to our nature." -cc

Status Change

Confession: I am taking the time to blog right now because I can't connect to my Slingbox to watch Glee and Biggest Loser!

But, that doesn't mean I care about my blog readers any less than I care about what is happening with Will and Emma this week. Ya'll run through my mind very often, especially when I see fun things that I wish I could iPad it out there to you without having to exert the manual labor of typing and choosing corresponding media and then reading my entry multiple times to eliminate as many typos as possible. What I'm trying to say is that I'm lazy. There, I said it.

Truthfully, the past month has been even more ridiculous than most. Nearly every day is either a great high or extreme low. Anytime my phone rings, my stomach turns. I refresh my email box for new messages every 5 minutes. I've been overwhelmed with emotions and have had to get pep talks and advice from friends to remember that everything will work out just fine, and that I have to accept that whatever happens happens.

No, I haven't just started a new volatile relationship. I have been trying to close on a house.

As of May 5, 2010, I officially became an owner of a house that really belongs to a mortgage company that I owe more money to than I have ever made in my life! It's all very exciting.

And I say "I" as if all of this came about because I am a financially capable, real estate savvy adult, which is totally not true. I'm sure most adults don't call their real estate agent in tears because their insurance agent was rude to them on the phone. This achievement could not have been possible without the patience and kindness of my lovely real estate agent and my parents, who have accepted the grim fact that I will never marry and move out of their house.

The big question now is: When's the big moving day?

The answer is: never. I don't have one large living space that I have been inhabiting that I can pack up in a U-Haul and unload at my new abode. I'm living at my parent's house. I'm pretty sure they would notice if I took their couch and blender. 

My real goal is to be as intentional as possible with what I fill my new environment with, not just with making sure I don't end up with everyone's cast-off bathroom decor, but also because I will be spending a lot of time there [since all of my income is now going to my mortgage company... there goes what small social life I had!].

Like my post back in April, I hope to apply the same principle's I apply to my food decisions: Am I making choices that affirm and promote the dignity of human beings and that are considerate of our planet's limited resources?

This will be tough, especially since I don't have $3,000 to drop on an organic mattress.

However, I am proud to announce my first major appliance purchase: used from my church's annual garage sale for the bargain price of $4.


You know how the saying goes: Coffee is where the heart is. 

More photos:

Yes, this is also my favorite part of the house. 

Blog Tag

Dearest blog readers,

I apologize for my absence and lack of material to distract you from your daily tasks. I won't go into details as to why I haven't been a faithful blogger. Let me just borrow the words of Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) of the endearing You've Got Mail rom-com, "I'm in the middle of a project that needs tweaking." Yes, t-w-e-a-k-i-n-g, tweaking.

I am writing today because I was recently informed through reading a friend's lovely blog that I have been tagged in another blog! I am a frequent participant in phone tag, but I admit this is my first time playing blog tag. I'm not one for games, but since there are no winners or losers in this one, I'm in.

My friend Lori wrote on her blog the instructions:

The result of being tagged is that you have to open the first of your photo folders and select the 10th photo, then post along with the story behind it. 

Okay. Finder::: Pictures::: iPhoto Library::: Originals::: 2003::: Black and White::: P1010091.JPG:::

Tag! Fireplace, ottoman...? So not really the best photo to blog tag someone in. I could have cheated and picked a much more interesting photo but I'm not one for lying, unless it's about how cool you look in the new Kardashian swimsuit line.

So I will tell the story behind this one anyway. This was our living room in the Corral Canyon house, where I lived with 5 other ladies my senior year of college. You'll notice our living room is particularly tidy because we threw our roommate, Ali, a surprise birthday party that night!

Surprise! We cleaned!

Not only did we clean, but all of the guests wore black and white. We even tried to have food and as much decor as possible be black and white.

even Dingo is in black & white

We picked out an outfit for Ali so she stood out as the birthday girl. If this sounds familiar to you, it's because Oprah did the same thing. Except, I'm pretty sure her party did end up with a killer dance party like ours.

Happy Belated Birthday, Ali! 

(Remember how I didn't get you anything?)

So, Ali doesn't have a blog, not one that I know of at least. So for my fellow bloggers out there, you can start your own game of blog tag. You're it. I'm touching that safety zone... or did we call that home base or something?