Friday Five: The Perfect Blendship

It's been awhile, so I'm gonna try and jump back in with a Friday Five, a little late in the day (but cut me some slack - I had to get the bulletin done first!)

If you're ever in a jam, here I am. If you're ever in a mess, S.O.S. If you're so happy, you land in jail. I'm your bail. It's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship. When other friendships are soon forgot, ours will still be hot.


Rev. Songbird at RevGalBlogPals writes: I'm thinking a lot about friends these days, the ones who rush to you in times of trouble, with a casserole or a socket wrench or an invitation for coffee or lunch or a trip to the foot sanctuary. We meet friends in school or on the playground or at church or in the workplace and even on the Internet. Even as blogging has experienced some decline, the community here has been strong.
For today's Friday Five, some questions about friendship.
1) Who is the first friend you remember from childhood? This may be cheating a little, because I vaguely remember playing with other children before this, but these are the first three real friends I remember. Real because they were who I first remember having that feeling of “Oh, I have to tell ____ about that as soon as I see them!” They were Phil, who lived down the block from me, and Lynn and Sharon who lived near by, were in my kindergarten class and later brownies. I have lost touch with Phil over the years, though when I have run into him I still think I had good taste in friends as a three year old! Lynn and Sharon are still two of my best friends – Sharon and I went out for drinks this last week, and I realized that I don’t just like hanging out with her because she’s known me most of my life, but because she is genuinely fun and down to earth and makes me laugh!

2) Have you ever received an unexpected gift from a friend? My BFFffff, Lydia, is one of the sweetest people in the world. Seriously. Take your grandma and multiply the sweetness. When Lyd was in college down in Iowa, we hardly ever got to see each other (compounded by the fact that she is my polar opposite, as I am sloth-like and she is a continuous ball of energy, so she is always on the go!). But she would sneakily put little notes with quotes, sometimes biblical, into my purse or school binders so that I wouldn’t find them right away. It always seemed that I would find them just when I needed her, which was a wonderful gift.

3) Is there an old friend you wish you could find again? Or have you found one via social media or the Internet? I have certainly reconnected with many old friends via facebook, but none that I have really been able to reform a strong bond with. I have one friend who I would love to get in touch with, another brownie pal, but she doesn’t appear to be on the interwebs. However, the silly thing is that her family’s name is theirs alone and her parents are listed – I could even just drive to their house since it’s the one she grew up in. But for some reason and I never reach out that far…

4) Do you like to get your good friends together in a group, or do you prefer your friends one on one? I do like group activities once and a while (karaoke anyone?), but I really like hanging out with just one or two friends at a time. I am a Capricorn through and through, so I don’t have that many good friends to begin with.

5) Does the idea of Jesus as a friend resonate with you? Yes and no. Yes when I sing songs like What a Friend We Have in Jesus. I guess it really feels more abstract… when Lydia does something so kind for me, or Sharon asks me how I’m doing, wanting to know the real answer, I see and feel Jesus in those actions, the actions of friends.

No because I often feel a bit maternal towards him. Is that weird? Maybe it’s just the Christmas fever I’ve got talking, but first Jesus is this little baby who, like all babies, reminds us of what it means to be human, bringing it down to a basic, primal level. Then Jesus grows up and says, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” And that makes me think of the way we try to help cloth and feed the poor and bring comfort to the suffering, which are all acts that connect me with my maternal nature. So yeah, I guess part friend part child part parent… man, that Jesus gets around!

the picture above is Lydia and me out to lunch during her graduation weekend

Friday Five: Packin' Bags!!

Song Bird posted over at RevGalBlogPals for this week's Friday Five (go to the link for the DL on the impetus for the theme)

...here are five questions about packing to go on a trip.

1) Some fold, some roll and some simply fling into the bag. What's your technique for packing clothes?
I like to fold. Before I worked in retail I would role, but then I developed almost an anxiety over clothes that don't sit in a nice little stack.

2) The tight regulations about carrying liquids on planes makes packing complicated. What might we find in your quart-size bag? Ever lose a liquid that was too big?
I've never lost a liquid - I traveled once recently with only a carry-on, and since it was only for a weekend, it was pretty easy to put things in little tiny containers. The liquids I can't do without are: Aveda's Scalp Benefits Shampoo, Aveda's Smooth Infusion hair stuff (and now that I do my hair curly some days, the Curl Enhancer), face lotion and my neutrogena liquid make-up. I also throw in my other make-up just in case because I would die if they took my lipstick away!!

3) What's something you can't imagine leaving at home?
My phone charger. I did that at Christmas. I was able to use my aunt's until she went home, but when I stayed on a few more days, it was awful! All my friends wanted to text about my upcoming party and I had to have my phone off most of the time!

4) Do you have a bag with wheels?
I do. I got a set of three bags back when I was getting ready to come home from New York. They are sand colored and both the bog suitcase and the medium size one which, which is like a duffle bag, have wheels. Very nice, except I don't really need the pull out handle on the big one since it is almost as tall as my waist, so I just drag it by the regular handle!

5) What's your favorite reading material for a non-driving trip (plane, train, bus, ship)? Well, I get motion sickness from reading too much, so I stick to magazines for the plane that I can browse through in the few minutes when electronic devices are not allowed. My favorites are Real Simple, Ready Made (DIY tips) and Paste (music, art, film...culture stuff). Otherwise, I'm really more of an iPod user... music, podcasts, tv shows.


Well, this definitely makes me want to take a trip! But the next one on the forecast for me isn't till August But that will be a fun one!!

And in honor of that trip, here's a song about traveling from one of my favorite Michigan artists - Dar Williams!



EDIT: I also just posted on my Experience the Immersion blog - check it out!

Friday Five: Autumn

Singing Owl at RevGalBlogPals gives this week’s Friday Five about Autumn:

“Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest. Jeremiah 5:23b

The Autumnal Equinox has just come 'round again. I took a look back at our Friday Fives and noted that it always seems to make the Rev Gals and their Pals think of changes.

There is something so nostalgic about this time of year, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. The nights grow cooler, crops are harvested, for some of us the leaves are beginning to change colors. The scent of smoke is in the air, pumpkins are in the stores (or on wagons, or in roadside stands for those of us in the country). I'm thinking of putting away my summer clothes and pulling out the sweaters. And I have a tub of Fall-themed items that my husband just lugged up from the basement. I'm looking for my scarecrow.

For this week, let's share some memories along with some hopes and expectations.”

1. Share a Fall memory.

I remember a lot of contemplation from my childhood, though my guess is that those who knew me as a child would not have known I was thinking that much! In the autumn, I loved to kneel on a chair in the living room, looking out the big window at the cars driving through the rain. There was always music playing; sometimes Enya or Priscilla Herdman (just downloaded one of her cds onto my computer yesterday because it felt like fall!), but I recall one time in particular when Pachebel’s Canon was playing and it just felt perfect. That memory is one of the happy places I go when I’m feeling low.

2. Your favorite Fall clothes--(past or present)?

I just moved my fall and winter clothes box to my new place, because I knew I had enough to cover me if it turned cold (we’ve had some really hot days lately). The box is clear, so I could peek inside - a little bubble of excitement popped inside me! I saw my wool cloak which I like to wear to church. It is brown with an orange and golden-yellow geometric design. I also saw some cool weather tunics, which look cute with narrow legged jeans and boots…. Basically, I like all my Fall clothing! But that’s what happens when you live in a state that’s cold 9 months out of the year!

3. Share a campfire story, song, experience...etc.

So many of my memories from childhood are of camping, sitting around the campfire, hearing silly and scary stories, or just talking about all sorts of things really, so much so that it would be hard to pick just one! But really, although Christmas is the time I think the most about my extended family, Fall is the time that reminds me most of my nuclear family – going to the Downtown library on a rainy day with my mom, hiking through the woods on the lookout for deer with my dad, endlessly harassing my brother and sister for inclusion In their ‘big kid’ worlds… it reminds me of how blest I was, even with all the struggles we had, that I was so loved, so assuredly.

And this reminds me of the passage above. There were things to be afraid of for me as a child, and I was afraid and worried frequently. And yet, I never questioned if I was loved; it went without saying that we would be there for each other. And that’s really what this passage says to me about God – the power of creation may frighten us at times, but it should also prove to us how deep and wide God’s love for us goes, and that she will always be there for us.

4. What is your favorite thing about this time of year?

The weather, of course… Fall really has become my favorite season, and for more reasons than just the weather, but even though I had to rush back upstairs to find my long forgotten umbrella this morning, another little bubble of excitement popped when I heard the noise of cars driving past my house in the rain… (see above)

5. What changes are you anticipating in your life, your church, family...whatever...as the season changes and winter approaches?

There have already been some changes in our family, and they will continue to take time for healing and adjusting. I am moving in a few weeks, which is a change that affects the whole family, since I have been living with my brother and sister-in-law. Also, I have taken on some new and not so new responsibilities for this fall, and that is a little scary, but I’ve made up my mind to say no to any further requests!

Bonus: What food says "AUTUMN" at your house? Recipes always appreciated.

I only like soup when it’s cold outside, so I always look forward to appreciating my favorite soup again – butternut squash! Unfortunately, I am lazy and usually get the kind in a can or box, or go to Wolfgang Puck Express for theirs!

I also, like my mom, feel like eating aeblekage, but you can go to AuntieKnickers blog to learn about that!

Here’s an extra bonus of my own, BOOKS and MOVIES:

I have a book and a movie that are mandatory for fall. The book is one from a local Minneapolis writer (who as far as we can tell, only wrote the one book), and is a young adult novel about a boy who moves from Minneapolis to a farm in Pennsylvania….where he meets the ghost of his ancestor just in time for Halloween! It’s called The Riddle of Penncroft Farm, by Dorothea Jensen

The film I have to watch is Baby Boom with Diane Keaton. It is so deliciously 80s and there is a great montage of the fall when she is working in the orchard and making babyfood and then driving around Vermont selling it… I rent it every year!

FRIDAY FIVE: Coin Toss

Songbird at RevGalBlogPals writes: Well, Gals and Pals, this weekend we'll be rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and that has me thinking about coinage.

1) When was the last time you flipped a coin or even saw one flipped in person?

I think it has been a very long time since I flipped a coin. And I can't recall seeing it in person recently either. However, I have seen two films recently that had coin flipping. The first was the Dark Knight in which TwoFace is born. Before he becomes evil he is a do-gooder who flips a coin his father gave him because he believes in fate. The other one I am having a hard time remembering at the moment, though I feel it must have been a Coen brother's film...any ideas?

2) Do you have any foreign coins in your house? If so, where are they from?

Daddy Hankie pants gave me some of the Iraqi money he brought back from his time there. I am also sure I have some Canadian coins about that the change machines never take.

3) A penny saved is a penny earned, they say. But let's get serious. Is there a special place in heaven for pennies, or do you think they'll find a special place in, well, the other place?

I feel bad for pennies. I have to admit that I don't chase after them if they fall from my purse...on the other hand, I will stop to pick one up, since that is considered good luck and I need all the help I can get! I also save them when I am cleaning out my purse, because they do add up if you have enough!

4) How much did you get from the tooth fairy when you were a child? and if you have children of your own, do they get coins, or paper money? (I hear there may be some inflation.)

As Mommy Knickers points out, we started with quarters. I think my belief in the tooth fairy was shattered earlier then anything else (i.e. Santa, the Easter Bunny, democracy...), but I still always looked forward to it because of the notes she would write me in squiggly handwriting, like there was this ethereal being out there who took an interest in me, even past my oral health.

When I was in high school I had to have a major amount of dental work done, including having my upper wisdom teeth out (the lower ones came out a few years later). I seem to recall getting a kind of under the pillow bonus that night of about $25...yes, I am the youngest, and yes, I am spoiled.

5) Did anyone in your household collect the state quarters? And did anyone in your household manage to sustain the interest required to stick with it?

No one in my household, but a kid I babysat for did. I babysat every Saturday morning, and every week he would want to show it to me, even though there was almost never any new ones! I generally don't have the patience for things that involve big pieces of cardboard, ya know?

Friday Five: What's in a Name?

RevHRod at RevGalBlogPals writes:

If you are a regular reader of Songbird's blog, you know that "The Princess" has requested a new name. Her older brother changed his "secret identity" a while back and now this lovely young lady is searching for a new name on her mother's blog. This got me to thinking. How do we come up with all of these names? There must be at least a few good stories out there.


1. So how did you come up with your blogging name? And/or the name of your blog? My original blogging name was SisterKnits. This came from a conversation my sister, Cordeliaknits, and I had about the yarn store we would someday own together where I would be the business end and she would pick the yarn to buy...it was to be called SisterKnits. I recently changed it because I really don't have time to knit much, so I don't. I don't have time because I am usually doing film related things in my spare time, hence, SisterFilms.

Last summer I was dogsitting for my friend who is a Children's Book Editor and didn't have anything to read. So I went rummaging through her vintage collection of 1970s young-adult novels and found Judy Blume's Are You There God, It's me, Margaret. I loved the book and happened to be starting this blog at the same time, so it seemed like a good match(click the link to read my first ever post about why I chose the title!). My other blog, FilmAching, is a play on the words film making -- I often slur my words together so that when I was getting a "Self Loan" people always thought I was saying "Cell Phone," so this seemed like a good fit. Anyway, it's based on the idea that you can love something so bad it hurts.

2. Are there any code names or secret identities in your blog? Any stories there? Well, check out Mommyknickers site, to see an explanation of that. Hugo Boffo...I am not really sure because he picked it himself and I can't remember, maybe he will chime in with that info.

3. What are some blog titles that you just love? For their cleverness, drama, or sheer, crazy fun? I really like a lot of the knitting blogger's titles, like dolly dimple knits, and yarn harlot

4. What three blogs are you devoted to? Other than the RevGalBlogPals blog of course! Well, obviously Cordeliaknits and one she recently introduced me too, the Pioneer Woman - warning! that site is addictive! I also really like Subway Knitter.

5. Who introduced you to the world of blogging and why? Cordeliaknits, definitely. I kind of knew what a blog was, but to hear the news talk about them, they were this weird thing for politicos and tabloid journalists, so I wasn't all that interested. But, as usual, Cordeliaknits opened my eyes to something I now can't live without...it's a really good thing she isn't into drugs, or she would have gotten me hooked, too!

Bonus question: Have you ever met any of your blogging friends? Where are some of the places you've met these fun folks? I have met the blogger of StoneSoupArt when I visited Berkeley last spring and then, obviously, the ones I've known all my life!