On the Twenties and Thirties

I recently crossed the threshold from my twenties to my thirties, and since many people asked questions as though I was supposed to have pressing thoughts about this transition I decided to give it some thought. Was I sad? Was I happy? Was I disappointed? I did not feel any of these emotions to any great degree, but rather a simple sense of routine in plodding on one day at a time as life's ups and downs continue. My daily routines brought many wonderful things to my 20s and I hope they will bring as many to my 30's. Here's to the decade behind and ahead!

My 20's

College

Graduate School

Marriage

Mortgage

A Child

Suzuki Teacher Training

My 30's (Hopefully)

Book

Business

Living Abroad

Woodworking

My Own Advanced Students

Home Renovation/ New Construction

Raising My Daughter

My Little Girl

 

4th of July in Phoenix

It's been hard for my little family to make traditions because we never seem to be in the same place twice for any holiday. The 4th of July is no exception. We've had some great 4ths including our first together in Boston on the banks of the Charles with the Durham's. This 4th of July was spent half at home, half in transit, and half in Phoenix, AZ. (No, that syntax was not a mathematical error - the 4th of July has never had so many hours in it.) The dry heat is a welcome break from the Ohio humidity, but it has kept us indoors more than I'm used to on Independence Day. There weren't any fancy fireworks, but the small sparks made by many cousins on Grandma and Grandpa's driveway provided plenty of celebration and cheer. To top it off we made a trip to Steve's favorite ice cream joint, Mary Coyle's, for large chocolate shakes. Not likely to be a tradition, but a very nice 4th of July none the less. 

One thing I did this year that I hope will be a tradition was read the Declaration of Independence in its entirety. (Thank you NYT. :) )  It is a fascinating document and reminds me why we have a government and what it's role should be, as well as the universal desire for freedom, fair treatment, and preservation of human dignity. It's hypocrisies are also a reminder to fully inspect our thoughts and communications with each other.

Happy Independence Day!

What is going on?!?!?

I feel like someone has taken my little world and decided to give it a good shake, just for fun. In the last 2 weeks or so -

- my sister got engaged
- a long time friend got engaged
- I finished all of my training for Suzuki
- my business took a major turn
- my brother got home from his mission
- Steve's colleague and my friend took a job in Eugene, Oregon
- my best friends from college took a job in Seattle
- another dear friend returned home from York
- that friend's child slept through the night for the first time
- my daughter turned two
- my grandma put her cherished home on the market
- both deans of Oberlin resigned
- and the list goes on
. . .

God - Woman and Man

A dear friend of mine came to visit this weekend. She is religious and we got to talking about some of my struggles of being a feminist in the LDS faith. She believes that God is male, but she had discovered a subconscious prejudice against her own sex when she imagined replacing the deity's pronoun with she instead of he. As a result of that experience she decided to try one year of calling God "She" until she no longer felt like it was insulting or degrading to do so. I thought it was a wonderful idea and we both laughed a little that it would easier for me than it has been for her since latter-day saints believe in a female deity. I might join her as an exercise of my own. One year of "She."

Thanksgiving!

Calling all cooks: any can't live without recipes for Thanksgiving?

Mine is the turkey brine:

8 quarts water
2 cups kosher salt

If you like:
1 cup sugar
citrus fruits halved
fresh herbs

Cover bird and chill overnight.

Back to it

I am determined to start blogging again, so here I am.  Life in Oberlin is going pretty well. I love the town and the many enriching lectures, concerts, even puppet-shows that are readily available. I don't take advantage of as much as I should. I wish I had more friends with a similar schedule to mine to share life with me here.

It's been a busy Fall for us. I am working on a new business, writing a book, teaching, auditioning, performing a little, and mostly being a mom to my beautiful and brilliant daughter. Steve just finished editing a book and has been arranging parts furiously for a Brazilian band for Sonia's 40th birthday party. He's amazing.

I suppose you can't blog this time of year and not say - I voted.  I have a B.A. in Politics, so, as you might imagine, I've been eating and drinking every moment of this election cycle. I find it all very enthralling. My favorite source for meaningful and balanced information is the Diane Rehm Show. Diane, I love you, and you many never retire. Ever. Ever.

I listened to the most fascinating interview about economics! Life-changing and not to be missed!

http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/ls/ls121028le_show_-_october_28#.UI2vIXvZEJA.facebook

Check this out and then call me and we can talk about it. I love discussing economics almost as much as politics.

I miss all my friends and family who are far away. I think about you often and hope we will not always be so far apart. Here's a picture of Lydia. No post is really complete without one.

Lydia's One Year Photos

http://www.rosenjonesorders.com/pickpic/gallery/splash.php?gallery_id=401

passcode: mary