What I'm doing...

This is a giant marshmallow.  My prof likened my research project this year to an effort to wrestle and pin down a giant marshmallow.

It's really difficult.  

Vermont Wonderland.

When my host family* invited me to join them in Stowe this weekend, I said "yes."

First time in Vermont.  The signs on the interstate said things like "Moose Crossing" and "Bear Crossing."  I was on alert.  Then I started wondering... how do the moose and bears know to cross at this particular part of the highway?  Do they have signs in the woods somewhere saying, "Cross stupid human interstate here."

Anyway, my first stop was in Burlington where I took my first gasp at the beauty of Lake Champlain.  Wow.  Wicked awesome.  Then, I met with a pastor in the area to chat about ministry stuff.  I felt like I was at home.  There was even a random impromptu parade outside... except it was a holiday character parade and not a zombie parade.

Next, I met up with my host family in Stowe.

Next, IT SNOWED! ... Just like I hoped for... (Kevin promptly reminded me that I will not be happy about snow for very much longer.)

I also toured the Ben and Jerry's factory.  Got some free samples of newly invented ice cream flavors.

*The best way I can explain my living situation is to say that I am a foreign exchange student from the South living in a Yankee home... except they didn't send anyone to Asheville.  They call me "the confederate."  ... we're still working on breaking down regional stereotypes...

Guess What?

I'm going to Vermont this week!

Today.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to the worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

I Corinthians 1:26-29.

Boo on the Enlightenment.

If I could travel to an epoch for a few days, I'd sneak around the Medieval period for a bit. *

What kinds of great folks write beautiful things and don't bother with this whole nonsense of putting their name on it?  It just contrasts so greatly with the whole Enlightenment, "Man is the subject!"  Gag.  Man stops being interesting when we look at ourselves all the time.

*I'd only travel to the Middle Ages if I could get a Black Death vaccine.

Time.

At 5pm today, it felt like 9pm.  But, it wasn't because "somebody" changed the time.

I want to know... who is in charge of time?  I mean who are these people who make decisions about what time it should be?  What kind of power is that?  It just doesn't make sense to me.

Back in 2006, when April and Emily and I traveled out west, we missed some sort of reservation appointment at the Grand Canyon all because Arizona had decided not to participate in Daylight Savings Time.  Why?  And, who said they could go against the whole federal government?  Why should Arizona get to have their own time?  What's the deal?

* There was no message by the "Welcome to Arizona" sign indicating that the time had actually changed in the millisecond I drove past the state line.  What a poor welcome... tricking people into being late for things... or is it early?

One day, I'm gonna wake up and decide for myself what time it is.  And, no one is going to stop me!  This is America!  We don't let the man tell us what time it is!

I encourage everyone to vote this week.  I also encourage folks to really think about each candidate's time policy... that's where the real power lies.

Frank and Mike.

Frank and Mike are my late night History Channel friends.

If you haven't seen an episode, may I heartily suggest some sweet time with American Pickers.

In the midst of a week steeped in not understanding Hegel's epistemology, the history of the elves, Karl Barth's Christology, and Confucianism's view of human nature, there's nothing like an episode of American Pickers to make me extremely happy.

Frank and Mike are SO enthusiastic about picking.  The humor of the ridiculous... my favorite... gets me every time...

Snipets:
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"Hobo Jack is like a circus weasel, man.  He just scampered right up next to me." - Mike

 "Me and Hobo Jack were made to be pickers, man.  We love this stuff and we never want to let it go." - Mike

Perfect. Seriously.

Hobbits, patriarchs, and carpenters...

My friend, CJ, told me one time that if she could have any super ability, it would be the ability to hear the most appropriate song for the given circumstances of each moment.  I suppose you could turn off the songs altogether too.  I like this idea... kinda like having a soundtrack for your life.

The track right now is The Five Stairsteps song "Ooh Child."  There's something about that sort of Motown voice telling me "ooh, child, things are gonna get easier... ooh, child, things are gonna get brighter."  It's soothing.  Until I think, "Wait a minute... things may not get easier... I mean, that's just reality."

I come "home" and Skip looks at me with those forlorn, mournful eyes of his as if to say, "Ruth, this is really hard living in this little room.  I'm cold and bored and lonely.  I miss home.  I want to run through your house and eat your furniture like old times.  Is this worth it?  Is the story unfolding here significant or is this just a major one year detour?  These sacrifices are heavy... any sign that the 'Boston adventure' will really matter in the long run?"

I resonate with Skip.  I feel it too.  What exactly is the point to this whole "Boston adventure?"  Will this story matter, in the long haul? 

Take Frodo's situation.  He was on an adventure, unsure of where he was going, unsure of how it would all turn out, and missing the Shire.  And that's just the trouble with adventures, you never know how it's gonna end so you can't sit back like the reader and enjoy it in 3rd person... you have to really walk with the risk, the suffering, and the non-glitziness of it all.  It's all very grand or very foolish, depending on the way you look at it (and your current mood about the weather).

It's very likely that I will return home this summer to a city that doesn't know and maybe doesn't care that I went away for a year to learn how to serve it.  It's also very likely that I will be called to love it anyway because all true love is sacrificial.  It's very likely that I will be called to serve it without the glitziness and with more personal risk.  And it's there... in the hidden upside down-ness of God's kingdom... in His humorous and oh so beautiful ways... that He will be made known to the city I so clumsily love despite my deep selfishness.  Maybe then, in that place, I'll understand the "Boston adventure."

And, maybe not.  But, my not understanding of the significance of the "Boston adventure" does not negate the truth that God will use it, despite my "seeing in a mirror dimly."  He uses everything.  My story is unclear to me but I know the Great Story and in that, Motown signers (and all the rastafarians, for that matter), are right.  "Someday, we'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun.  Someday, when the world is much brighter." 

So, like Abraham and Frodo, let's move forward as the scared, confused, and finite creatures we are and say "I don't know where I'm going, but I'll go."  It appears foolish, but oh, is there beautiful truth in it.  God loves hobbits.  And he uses these little creatures to infuse his glory in a broken world.  Redemption is both here and on the way... and it is hidden in the most ordinary, unlikely story of a carpenter from Nazareth.

"Yes, Skip.  All of this is worth it.  Someday we'll walk with a carpenter in a better Shire, a better Cannan, a better Asheville."

The Sun.

I might cry.

According to my research, the sun is setting about 1 hour earlier here in comparison to the North Carolina sunset time.

By winter solstice, the sun will be setting in Boston at about 4:15pm.

Dear Sun,
I think you're great.  In fact, I get all blue and sad inside when you're gone.  One time when I was little, I named a black cat after you... so, I mean, I'm a real fan.  Thanks for all that vitamin D you provide.  Though I am a human, I have an internal photosynthesis system.  Would you consider that this winter as you shine across the Northeast United States?  Would you please be on intense cloud-bullying duty?  I will never take you for granted, I promise.  I need you.

Your admirer,
Ruth

ps- Please?  Pretty please???  

A New England "Fahe"... that's "Fair"

Saturday, I attended the Topsfield Fair.  This fair has been going on since 1818.  I really enjoyed the abundant livestock they had at this fair.  It felt more agricultural than the ones I've been to in NC.  And, I might have enjoyed it more because... there was an entire BUNNY BARN!  And even a baby bunny nursery.  Rad.

 I felt proud of myself for all my Rabbit breed knowledge.  All those hours on the internet reading rabbit articles has really paid off... or something...

 This is a Lion Head rabbit... like Mumu at my friends' Young and Sage's house.

 This is a Netherland Dwarf like Skip.  This one is really young, though.

 There were bunnies everywhere!  It was bunny heaven for humans... but not bunny heaven for bunnies... they were all cooped up in these cages and freaked out by the noise.  It felt a little exploitative. 

 These are a bunch of baby lops with their mom.  One fell into the food dish after this photo was taken.

 And, check this out... anyone notice a familiar bunny?  The pictures above and below are of Skip's breed (Netherland Dwarf) AND his official breed color, Blue Otter.  This little guy is much younger than Skip but isn't the resemblance crazy?!  Especially note the similar bully demeanor from the above picture.  I stared at this bunny for a while before I started noticing little distinctions between him and Skip.  I could still pick Skip out of a bunny line up.  Breed and coloring aren't everything.

 I like this photo for a number of reasons.  My new friend, Catherine, is the lower bunny and I'm the cartoon one up top.  They have bunny facts listed on the side.  Notice the snugly couple to the left and the sign by the bunny barn saying, "No pets allowed."  I wonder if that includes other rabbits.

 This is the largest pumpkin in New England.  There's a guy's head beside it for reference. 

 This fair also had a huge sand castle.  These are my seminary and church friends, Curt and Catherine.

Later on, we caught a pig race (4 races actually and 2 of those were swimming pig races.)  And we also saw a duck race, which is what is going on behind me, Catherine, Lauren, and Rachel.  Yee Haw!