my 1st quake

We survived our first California earthquake.

…and for the record, Ryan had Jameson out the door before I even had time to figure out why the windows were rattling.

pics

i have been…

…eating apple pie, made yesterday for the last supper. It’s a new crust recipe. And it’s a keeper.

…thinking about David. How he didn’t shirk or doubt the will of God — even when it was obscure, ridiculed, and plain old dangerous. Even when it may have left him scratching his head and wondering if he really was in the will of God.

…listening to Alison Krauss. Again. When I listen to her, I feel like I’m supposed to: closer to 30 than 16. Yes, the days of Gwen are being left behind.

…spending a chunk of change at Target. It’s not much fun to watch them ring up the bill for things like, oh, saran wrap and garbage bags. There oh so many more fun things I could buy… Oh well. I guess this is life closer to 30 than 16.

…loving today’s focus: his future.

Having a vision doesn’t necessarily mean knowing the specifics about what is going to happen next. It has to do with sensing the general direction you’re moving in and having hope that something good is on the horizon. It’s knowing that you do have a future and a purpose, and that it is bright.

If the Law of the Lid is true, then I want a husband who is gripped, continually, by a vision of eternity and his destiny in God. That’s worth praying for, don’t you think?

overview:

I know, I know.

To say I’ve been MIA would be an understatement. I’ve just been busy living. And you must agree, if one is to have a blog with any interest at all, one must live now and then.

And so I’ve been living.

A week and a half ago, Jameson and I drove down to LA — but you all know that already. Sunday night we came back home with Mom and Julia.

It wasn’t quite how any of us pictured the week together. Julia spent the first two days in bed, sicker than… whatever the expression is. Mom followed suit two days later. That entire time, Jameson kept up a hefty fever (and fussing) as a result of two molars coming in. Ryan wasn’t feeling his best, either.

But that was okay.

Because they were still here, in my little house, with me.

And in spite of all that, Mom and I managed to walk quite a bit, frequenting Trader Joe’s and local consignment shops. We also viewed several movies, as that’s a perfect pastime for cozy evenings together. Eventually, everyone was feeling well enough for a real outing, and we drove to Cost Plus, explored the mountain roads around Saratoga, and strolled through Palo Alto (trying on clothes that were ridiculously above our means, and having a blast anyway!)

Friday and Saturday, we all — Ryan included — headed into San Francisco. We did a little Golden Gate, ate at Fisherman’s Wharf (where I’d never been, so now I’ve got that crossed off), gawked at clothes we shouldn’t even be allowed to touch, and actually shopped at more consignment stores. Like this one, which I particularly like.

Sunday we got to share church with them, and then spent a relaxing afternoon in Los Gatos before heading to Jared and Andrea’s to watch the Sox win it all. Go Sox!

Today we managed to fit in quite a bit (perhaps because Mom and I didn’t wait for anyone else to get out of bed before we hit the road?), including a nice last supper.

We cleared the table, blew out the candles, loaded the van, and left.

Then good byes, and then they were gone.

I am soooo sad that they’re gone.

But I’m soooo much more thankful that they were able to come. Yes. I’m going to dwell on that thought as I head to bed.

Thankful.

popping in…

Just popping in, real quick:

I’m in the LA area, discovering a bit of the southern part of this state. Jameson and I drove down by ourselves on Wednesday. He was a great traveling partner, except for the lack of stimulating political rants I enjoy on a long drive. Oh well. I’ll give him a few more years, I guess.

So, yes. I drove down, picked up Mom and Julia at the airport, and then arrived at Jong and Jiwon’s home. Julia’s here for a guitar competition. We’ve managed to squeeze in Korean meals, shopping, visiting, and a cell group meeting around her schedule. I’m tired, but I’m having fun.

Today is Ryan’s birthday. (Happy birthday, sweetie.) He’s halfway to 70. Impressive, huh? We’ll have a birthday dinner early next week, and Mom and Julia will help us celebrate. Won’t that be fun? You can only imagine how excited I am about having my mom and sister see my new hometown.

That’s all.

in pictures

***

When Louissa writes about autumn evenings at Mom’s house, this is what she means.

***

When I was a baby, as I’m told, I would hesitate at every little threshold — forget about actual stairs — and take forever to get up the courage to take a step. Jameson, on the other hand, gets a total thrill out of stepping onto this fan he found laying on the ground.

See this hot-shot face? He thinks he’s awesome when he’s up on that fan.

***

These are for Lore. Okay, and for me, too. They’re shots from a store I happened upon yesterday. I loved a couch in there, and few other things, but mostly, I loved the paint colors. Totally. loved. them.