bleh

dear february,
i'm so over you.

signed,
maureen

chewable vitamin

"but what of black women?...i most sincerely doubt if any other race of women could have brought its fineness up through so devilish a fire."
~ w.e.b. du bois

an independent kosovo

important things have come to pass this weekend. a culmination of blood sweat and tears over many many years. read about the journey for kosovo to become independent. this is a beloved part of the world to me. the story of albania and ethnic albanians in the balkans (and beyond) is a story that evangleicals should take to heart! the impact on the muslim world on the lives of albanians is huge and something i wish more american christians knew about.

chewable vitamin

"where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe."
: frederick douglass

state of my union: 2008

i've done this before in different manners- but this year- i just want to post two lists. the first list are things i will work towards this coming year. the second list are things i hope to be true when i'm forty.

this year i will turn 35. which basically means that 40 is around the corner (eek!). when i was in may late twenties- i made a list of things i wanted to be true of me and i found it recently. as i looked over the list, i was pleased to find- many of them were true!

some of the 'goals' are meaningful, and not tangible and some are not so meaningful but more concrete. but they are things i want to move towards nonetheless.

this year:

• find a job suitable for me which is conducive to family and school. (i think this is secured)
  
• begin school.
• work steps.
• establish a pattern of exercise.
• be more in love w/ charles.
• embrace routine and don't keep bucking it b/c it is 'boring'.
• have three months of living expenses in the bank and don't touch it.
• have an emergency account for car etc.
  

when i'm 40:

• add a kid to our family.
• take regular retreats.
• earn a mater's degree.
• go on a girls weekend.
• purchase a nice leather couch.
• go on a cruise w/ charles.
• have a job teaching in the public schools.

on the less tangible side of things- life has been a mixed bag this year. our year included two life changing 'highlight type things. the arrival of constance and her addition to our family and our trip to nigeria. it also included more financial commitments (mainly a mortgage) and less income than ever before. this has proven stressful!

our hope for the coming year is to walk in peace and assurance that we belong to a God who cares for us and has a purpose for everything in our lives.

my first ever post linking to oprah

since marrying charles, i have become an oprah convert*. i used to snidely discount anything she did said, or anything about her... but she's not all bad. in fact, i officially like oprah.

this guest she had one recently is worth listening to. what a perspective! just be glad i didn't forward the forward of the forward that i got this link from...

*i doubt i will convert to liking lionel richie or celine dion. please bash my head against the wall if i do. speaking of which... i never mentioned my sign of true love and devotion on our trip to nigeria... i actually put a play list on our ipod for charles of love songs (b/c he LUVS love songs). the only redeeming part of the playlist's presence was charles signing them aloud badly. it was both endearing and maddening.