April 2008 Archives
Here is the latest installment of the Halleigh Show. I actually posted three new episodes to "The Halleigh Show" in the left hand column, but this one is my favorite, so I posted it here too. If you want to watch the other two click on "The Halleigh Show" under the heading Things I Like to Share, or here. Enjoy!
Maybe it is because it is rainy, but all day I have been thinking about William Carlos Williams' poem, XXII (aka The Red Wheelbarrow). Williams is one of my favorite poets. While in college, I was intorduced and imediately in love with William Carlos Williams' poetry. here is The Red Wheelbarrow:
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens.
You can read about the poem here. I love this poem, because it is so subtle, so simple, and clean. Yet, given the context in which it was written, so powerful. "The inspiration behind "The Red Wheelbarrow" came from a scene that Carlos witnessed while attending to a sick young girl in Passaic, New Jersey. Fearing for her life, Williams glanced through the window and saw the wheelbarrow and chickens". (those last sentences were directly from the linked Wikipedia site). I read somewhere in college that said girl had just had a miscarriage, and was on the brink of death herself.
I just can't imagine being a doctor in 1923, knowing so little about the way the human body worked, despite years of medical training and to, time and time again, watch patients suffer. It seems to me that he looked out the window and mentally clung to whatever DID make sense.
What depends on that red wheelbarrow? His sanity, his will to continue to comfort people, his emotional well-being? I don't know. But what I do know is that there are times in my life when things seem to be spinning out of control at a speed in which I cannot keep up with and in those times I think about this poem and try to find my wheelbarrow... God's presence in my life. Why do I continuously try to be in control? Maybe that is really what Williams is getting at? probably not.
What got me started about William Carlos Williams? Yesterday I was listening to NPR and there was a segment on Weekend Edition that talked about apologizing for things that you really are not sorry for, as in his poem, This is just to say:
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
Can you imagine writing this note to a parent or a spouce after eating the plums? Totally glad that you ate the sweet cold morsels of goodness, but at the same time wanting to avoid conflict over having eaten them. I love it! So funny, and yet so true!
They had asked ahead of time for listener "copy cat" poems that sounded like this poem, apologizing for something that you knew was going to need an apology, but not really feeling actually regretful for doing... there were some that were funny and some that were sad, and it got me wanting to write my own. Nothing yet, but I'll let you know.
I have no idea if Bill and/or Sandy look at my blog, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to post this picture for them to see...
Halleigh is lovingly holding a picture of Will. She really likes this picture and has sevaral times spent minutes staring at it saying "baa, baa" (Halleigh for, "baby").
Since being back from Virginia, I have been too preoccupied with my ear to put up pictures from our weekend in Virginia. Feeling better today has been WONDERFUL! Very little pain, and only mild cloggy feeling. Relief, finally!
So, since I was feeling better, I thought I wouldn't deprive you all of the great pictures from this past weekend. We went up there, as many of you know, so that Miles could meet with his professors and get some face time with these people before he takes his orals. He met with 4 out of 5 and I think that he feels pretty good about the direction he is headed.
We stayed with our good friends, the Hunts in Remington, VA. We had a really good time, and Halleigh LOVED being around other kids for days on end. Here are a few of the pictures that we took while we were up there. Enjoy!
Pictures:
1. Left to Right: Halleigh, Trey, Sharon, Zach and Brody
2. Trey, the youngest Hunt brother.
3. Halleigh and Brody (the middle brother)
4. Zach, the original Hunt child
5. Halleigh wearing Zach's safety goggles.
6. Halleigh, Brody, Zach and Jesse playing on their trampoline
A great time was had by all and we are hoping to lure the Hunts south, for a visit sometime this summer!
For work, I was supposed to buy a web cam, learn how it works, and learn how to do video conferencing. So, I have spent the last two days hooking up and playing with the web cam and I love it. I have seen my mom and my sister! It was so great... Katie even got to show off her prom dress to me, which by the way is very pretty!
Anyway, we were first using AIM video chat, but then I looked into Skype and found that the video quality is much clearer. It was amazing! Halleigh got to see her Grandma and Aunt Katie, although I don't know that she "got it," but she will, and then she can see them and they can see her whenever they want. THANK YOU, TECHNOLOGY!!! It makes my family not seem quite so far away!
Back to work related info, Skype isn't going to work, as you cannot video chat with more than one person at a time. Back to the drawing board... any ideas about video conferencing?
As you all know I have an ear infection. It has been one of the worst experiences of my life... I told Elizabeth the other day that I would rather labor for 30 hours only to then need a c-section, than have this ear infection. And I still stand by that statement. ha ha ha
Needless to say, it has been horrible. One thing that has been incredibly difficult is chewing. I can't even put my back teeth together, because there is so much swelling. Anyway, finding things that are edible has been nearly impossible. Soggy broccoli, scrambles eggs, grits... yep, that's about it.
This morning I woke up and walked into the kitchen where Miles was packing his lunch (this ear infection has put me getting up and packing Miles' lunch on hiatus) to find some soup in a container in the refrigerator. Miles' mom's soup! I don't like soup and I LOVE THIS SOUP. I am so excited; it is in the microwave right now.
Also, a HUGE thanks to Sam for reccomending heat. I cannot believe how much better it has made my ear feel. Hot pad, I love you. Thanks Sam!
I have an ear infection... I don't think that I have ever had an ear infection, even as a kid. I usually would get sinus infections, but I think this is a first in ear infections! I didn't even know that adults could get ear infections! How annoying... and painful.
I am a little glad that I have this now, because when I have a kid with an ear infection I will remember HOW PAINFUL it was!
We are going to Virginia this weeekend.
I didn't get a letter from Ben this week, I usually get them on Thursday.
I think I might be anemic.
I have a lot of laundry to get done before we go.
I am out of dishwasher detergent.
Halleigh is singing instead of napping.
I like spring, but hate pollen, everything has a yellow film all over it.
I am very VERY tired.
I am hungry... gotta go eat lunch.
Brooke Geary, my very dear friend, has joined the blogging phenomenon. It is going to be so great! Check out her blog here and also on my blog roll, "The Gearys"
So the last couple weeks, I have been walking with Kristy Kent on her lunch break. BCBS has a walking trail around its campus that we walk around twice (about 2 miles). It has been such a huge blessing to have someone who is taking this seriously and wanting to walk several times a week. I have really enjoyed the motivation and also the friendship that I have in Kristy.
Yesterday, though, we got our wires crossed and as fate would have it, Kristy and I were not able to walk together, and so I went and walked by myself. I didn't have very much fun, Halleigh fell asleep about 10 minutes in and so I was left to dwell on how far I had gone and still had to go on each lap, all alone. I realized then, how much I really need Kristy.. to fill the time with conversation.
Today, I was not looking forward to going, since I had yesterday's after-taste left over. But as soon as we got going, laughing and talking, I was so glad again to be doing this.
I was accidentally without the jogging stroller and so had to improvise and carry Halleigh in the Baby Bjorn, even though that thing says that it is for babies up to 28lbs I would not recommend it. Just carrying the 23lbs of Halleigh was incredibly tiring. She is REALLY heavy, but it was just extra weight to help burn calories so I shouldn't complain too much. One funny thing about it was that when we got back to the car I took Halleigh out of the carrier and my legs felt really light. As I walked around to the other side to get in it dawned on me after about five steps that my legs felt so light because I had just lost 23lbs by putting Halleigh down. (Further motivation to lose another 23 of my OWN lbs)
