A Week in Review

It's time for another fun-filled, family-friendly edition of "A Week in Review". Gather the kids 'round, pop some corn, and enjoy.

Popped Corn
I usually spend Sunday evenings with my brother Barry and his family (he and Melody have the girls). Barry is one of the best men alive. He's smart, so funny, and is very good to people. I kind of feel sorry for anyone who will never have a conversation with him. All of you should meet him. Let me know when you're available.

Back to the story - Barry often wants us all to sit down together and watch a show after dinner. He'll say, "Let's pop some corn and watch a movie tonight." His plan hardly ever pans out. Melody often has a sporting event that she's watching (Melody is the biggest sports fan I've ever known), or the girls have something they want to do, or it gets late and I feel like I need to get home because I have to go to work the next morning. So many conflicts. But, last Sunday, all of the stars and family members aligned, we gathered in the family room and got all comfy in the couches to watch something. Picking that something proved to be more difficult than getting us all together. Melody wanted Jane Austen, Emma or Pride and Prejudice, but the girls wouldn't have it. They claim that Jane Austen movies are boring, and that it's impossible to understand what anyone is saying. This just proves how much these girls have to learn. And, their lack of exposure to the British accent is shocking. We'll have to stage an intervention one day very soon.

I saw that they had Hairspray in their DVD pile, and suggested that. It has a little something for everyone - entertainment, a solid theme, a Golden Globe for best musical/comedy. You really can't go wrong. But, the girls had watched it a thousand times since buying it, and didn't want to see it again. Barry has a collection of episodes of the old TV series Northern Exposure...? Some agreed, others didn't. Finally, we settled on The Incredibles. That's right, The Incredibles. It's a great show, very funny. I love the beginning scenes with the old news reels and Mr. Incredible talking about how he sometimes wishes that the world would just stay saved for a while, "I just cleaned this mess up!" Very clever. Still, after all of the buildup to a movie night, we end up with this? Next time, I think Barry, Melody and I should watch something British and let the girls do their own thing. Everyone being in the same house at the same time counts and family time, doesn't it?

Brideshead Revisited

I've started a new book, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. I usually try to avoid buying the movie cover of any book, but made an exception this time for Emma Thompson. She's been one of my favorites since Sense and Sensibility came out in 1995. I love, love, love that movie, and couldn't be more impressed with the fact that this brilliant actress won an Oscar for writing the Sensibility screenplay. Remarkable. Brideshead is a good story. I'm about 100 pages into it, and so far not much has happened with the plot, but the characters are well developed. They live decadent lives that you can't help getting caught up in. Those Brits are genius writers. Really, what would we do without England?

Conflict Resolved
I got into a bit of a fight with a coworker at the bookstore last week. He said something rude, I told him what I thought of that, he didn't respond well, I threw something, really not one of my best days. Later I felt very bad about the way I had behaved, and so went to my coworker and apologized. He seemed to accept my apology, but that didn't keep me from stressing over it for days. I get into very few confrontations, and so when it happens, I don't handle it well. I know how to act and can usually resolve things with people, but I hold on to the anxiety forever. It's painful. I didn't really think that I was in trouble, but I was very nervous about the next time this person and I worked together. I don't know him very well, and didn't know if he'd hold a grudge.

So I prayed very hard for some help. I prayed for forgiveness, and to know how to act when I went back to work. I felt reassured that everything was fine and that there was no reason to worry anymore. I tried to believe that, but it was kind of hard to do. I should have listened though, because the next time we worked together everything was fine. We've worked together a second time since then, and again everything went well. I was so relieved. And so impressed by the power of prayer. It's remarkable that God, who is the ruler of the universe, is still a Father who listens to me and gives me the help I need. I don't always understand it, but am very grateful.

Fall
I am loving the change in the weather. Fall has always been my favorite season - the cooling temperatures, the crisp air, changing leaves, football, sweatshirts. It's all so nice. Of course, it's not quite fall yet, but this morning when I woke up a cold breeze was coming through my window, and I got that feeling of the seasons changing. It made me smile.

That's it for now. I'm going to be missing in action for a few weeks. My nieces wedding is next Friday. My parents and brother and his family will be in town, and we'll be all wrapped up in the event. And then I'm going to Minnesota for a week. So much family time! So exciting. I'm sure I'll do some short posts here and there, and then will get you all caught up when I'm back again. Until then, thanks as always for thinking of me.
You are loved.