dangling like a participle...

The Cast

Evil Pharaoh

Moses

Happy Valentine’ s Day Isrealites!

Timothy, Event, Alma | 3 Comments »

Timothy @ 8 months
It is hard to believe that he is so big and so talented, as well as vocal, cute, and tenacious.

In order to get the people of the church more involved, Kelly’s pastor is asking various people to present the reading each week in their own way (acting it out, telling a related story, etc.).  This last Sunday, they told the story of Moses and his basket of rushes. Kelly was the narrator, Timothy was the baby Moses in his basket of rushes, and Alma got to be Miriam, his older sister, who runs beside the river and eventually brings her mother to care for the babe. Alma really enjoyed her role as Miriam, the protector.

Next week, Alma will play Moses, Timothy will play the evil pharaoh, the other church children will be the enslaved Israelites, and the congregation will be the red sea (with Alma leading the children right through the middle of them).

Timothy | 2 Comments »

How many different ideas could the thrust of this thought by Octavio Paz be applied to in some way?

“What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and peculiarities, by eliminating different civilizations and cultures, progress weakens life and favors death. The ideal of a single civilization for everyone, implicit in the cult of progress and technique, impoverishes and mutilates us. Every view of the world that becomes extinct, every culture that disappears, diminishes a possibility of life”

Muse, Rant, Consider | 1 Comment »

Merry Christmas everyone!

Timothy, Event, Alma | No Comments »

Alma decided she wanted to be a swan (excuse me the *White Swan* specifically) while she was enacting Swan Lake. She disappeared to get into the role and reappeared wearing feathers.

Pretty creative if you ask me… Luckily, everyone here has a cold so we were able to borrow her feathers to blow our noses later that day.

Alma, Day-to-day life | 1 Comment »

(I meant using cups [and half of it would end up on the floor I think]…)

Timothy | 1 Comment »

I should have put this plea out earlier this month when people were just beginning to think about gifts to purchase for others (there is still time and charity certificates make great last minute presents too). The Christmas season is an excellent time for giving to charity, as it’s symbolic reason is to love others.

Here is an example of just one excellent charity: The Central Asia Institute (CAI)

In 2009…
CAI schools total 131
CAI built 29 new schools Afghanistan and in Pakistan
CAI Students total enrollment is 58,000 
CAI now has 36,000 female enrollment
CAI has a total of 17 vocational centers
CAI educated 19 higher education scholarship students.
CAI had teacher training & midwife training workshops
CAI’s Greg Mortenson published 3 new bestseller books
CAI’s Greg Mortenson spoke at 214 events nationally
CAI’s program Pennies for Peace raised 150,000,000 cents
CAI’s Pennies for Peace expanded from 280 to 4500 programs in schools, groups & libraries in 20 countries

Muse, Rant, Consider, Uncategorized | No Comments »

We hope you have a great birthday. We love you very much!

Grandma Kathy — Here is a photo from the last time I saw you. I have grown so much that you may not recognize me. Plus, I have a new brother named Timothy for you to meet. Love, Alma

Family, Event | 1 Comment »

Alma made her first ever KIVA loan today.

She selected the loan and we looked at the map and talked about what the lady, Petrona in Bolivia who does dairy, is going to do with the money she is “borrowing”.

Merry Christmas Alma and Petrona.

Event, Alma, Travels | 2 Comments »

This weekend we are taking it easy.
Alma has the flu and Timothy is working on his sitting-up-by-himself milestone.

Yesterday, I helped load a salt-kiln with our student work at the world famous Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts here in Helena.  The Bray is a very interesting place (a literal ceramic mecca for people around the world) and it has all kinds of kilns and pieces of ceramic art all over the place. Alma loves to go out and explore and I feel pretty privileged to be using kilns that famous artists are fired their work inside!

Mock-kiln rising from the brick pile  in the afternoon light; ceramic art and buildings at the Bray; loaded salt kiln.

Timothy, Family, Jamie, Alma, Day-to-day life | 1 Comment »