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Monthly Archives: November 2018

Thankful

19 Monday Nov 2018

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Dear friends,

This is the week when we focus on being thankful.  Being thankful isn’t just about feasting, football, and Black Friday sales, and I want to be mindful of that.

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This is a good time to reflect on our blessings, and to cultivate a peaceful mindset about the days ahead.  The “holidays” can bring stress in so many forms: family squabbles, overeating, fighting the crowds at the shopping mall or post office, worrying about travels, overspending, trying to figure out the perfect gift for each person on the list.  It’s exhausting, it’s depleting, and in between the moments of joy we find that we don’t feel so great after all.  We look forward to the new year so this will all be behind us.

Surely that’s not what our spirit really longs for, or what God wants for us.

This week, let’s all take a moment to reflect on all of this.  What am I grateful for?  How will I express that gratitude?  How will I cultivate a calm mind and spirit in the days ahead?  When I lose my focus, what can I do to remember what’s really important about this time of year?  And most importantly, how can I find peace for myself and bring it to others?

Wishing you comfort and joy,

Annette

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Put down the camera and engage

15 Thursday Nov 2018

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Dear friends,

It’s become a common sight at concerts, events, celebrity appearances – even kids’ recitals.  Expect to see it a lot at holiday plays and pageants.  I’m talking about this:

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I’m “old school” – a member of the last generation who will remember life before the internet – but this particular social phenomenon dismays me.

I remember attending “Skate America” prior to the Sochi Olympics, and “Stars on Ice” later that year.  Many audience members chose to watch the performances through the viewfinders on their phones, rather than directly with their eyes.  I understand the desire to capture the moment so you can relive it later, but I’m sure many of these folks also wanted to record the performances to show to friends – “I was there.  I was in the room.”

What troubles me is how this removes us from the moment when it’s happening.  Not only are we one step removed from the experience when watching it through a viewfinder, but we’re objectifying the performance and the person, rather than enjoying a feeling of connection.  There’s an element of humanity we’re missing here.

(I should note that I have similar feelings about autographs and “me with celebrity” selfies.  I’d much rather have a handshake, a hug, a conversation).

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It’s fun to be “in the room” and to be able to relive that moment and share it with others.  But for me, it’s much more gratifying to be “in the moment,” and to feel it all – a connection with the artist, an appreciation of their work, a sense of wonder.

I encourage you to be “in the moment” during the upcoming holiday season.  Connect with people.  Life authentically.

Blessings,

Annette

Book review: Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating

14 Wednesday Nov 2018

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Dear friends,

I gave this one three stars (out of five) – it was just ok for me, but it served its purpose as a fun, light, chick-lit palate cleanser between some of the heavier books I’ve been reading lately.

Josh and Hazel first met in college, and run into each other again a few years later in the “early career” stage of life.  Josh was very handsome (and, to Hazel, unattainable) in college, and when they meet again, he still takes her breath away.  Hazel is a quirky, bumbling, “Bridget Jones” type character who embarrasses herself all the time and doesn’t have a very good handle on her life.  She calls herself “undateable” for those reasons.

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Josh and Hazel become good friends, but agree they aren’t romantically suited to one another.  However, they’re both single and looking, so they make an agreement to set each other up on dates, and then to go out as a foursome.  These blind “double dates” are meant to ease the pressure of going out with a stranger for the first time … but they don’t work very well for Josh and Hazel.  Neither of them can seem to connect with the partners the other has chosen for them.

I’m sure you can imagine where this is going.

Aside from the predictable plot, my other issues with the book were:

1 – Hazel – the “manic pixie dreamgirl” stereotype.  Her bumbling is cute for a while, but there came a point where I just found her annoying.  Nobody is THAT far off her game, and she became unlikeable to me.

2 – The ending – which I won’t spoil here – has a “twist” that I wasn’t wild about.

I seem to be in the minority here – the book got lots of rave reviews on Goodreads.  For me, it was a fun bit of fluff, rather like having cotton candy at the fair – okay for a “treat” although it’s a lot of empty calories, and might leave you feeling a little bit unsatisfied afterwards.

Blessings,

Annette

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Books for review can be sent to P.O. Box 19252, Kalamazoo, MI  49018-0252

Life update 11/14/18

14 Wednesday Nov 2018

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Dear friends,

It’s been a while!  Most teachers would probably agree that the middle of the semester is crazy with advising, grading, and other academic shenanigans.  At the end of the day, though, I always feel massively blessed that I get to do this for my job.  Sure, it has its discouraging days, but I only get discouraged because I care so much and want to do it all well.  This means keeping a lot of balls in the air.

But first, the fun stuff!  Saw “Spamalot” last week, and it was hilarious fun.  Highly recommended.

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“We are the knights of Camelot, we eat ham and jam and spamalot …”

Also saw the new Nutcracker movie.  Visually stunning, but the plot is rather thin in places.  No matter, it’s a pretty movie filled with pretty people, and put me in a holiday mood.

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Clara and the Nutcracker.  Also …

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Misty Copeland!  Always love seeing her dance.  Stay through the end credits for more of Misty’s magnificence.

I’ll be attending a holiday tea with friends at the Kellogg mansion again this year … the house is beautifully decorated, the food is delicious, and last year I drank gallons of the hot cinnamon tea they served.  It’s a very “ladies who lunch” thing to do, and lots of fun.

Still teaching, lesson planning, grading, writing, attending meetings, and all the other stuff that goes along with the academic life.  Looking forward to Thanksgiving break.

What are your holiday plans?

Blessings,

Annette

Thoughts and prayers

01 Thursday Nov 2018

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Dear friends,

I’m aware that a lot of people scoff at the idea of sending “thoughts and prayers” when others are in need – but I’m not one of them.  I pray all the time.  I don’t believe prayer persuades God to do this or that, but rather, that prayer forces me to quiet my spirit, to listen, and to draw close to the Creator and to my fellow humans.  It opens me up to allow God to work in me, and through me.

If you, too, are a pray-er, I invite you to welcome the following people into your heart today:

The family of B, an elderly woman who is transitioning into nursing home care.  This is a very stressful time for her children and loved ones;

The family of S, who have been stunned both emotionally and financially when a loved one was recently jailed.

Please keep them in your heart today.

Blessings,

Annette