real-time update

I remember clearly the first discovery that I was myopic. We were in church, about halfway to the back, singing as the worship service started. This church was fairly small: possibly 20 rows, hard pews, a traditional stage & pulpit, with lyrics projected by overheads. My two best friends (because at 8 year old, you can have more than one) and I were the church triplets, doing everything from AWANA to choir to Sunday School together.

I tugged on my mother's sleeve: "Mom, I can't see the words. What do they say?"

She didn't express surprise or fear or even strong concern, any of the normal reactions that I now as an adult would have expected. She glanced at me, at the screen, and then simply handed her glasses to me: "Does that make it better?"

"Yes!" I stared hungrily at the overhead, unwilling to return the sudden clarity I had received. "Can I use them?"

She laughed and took them back: "No, then I won't be able to see. We'll get you some glasses this week."

That was over 15 years ago, so long that even the memory of perfect vision has gone from my brain. After today, however, that will not longer be the case. After today, I will remember the day I regained my vision as clearly as I remember the day I realized I was losing it. Because right now, at this moment, I am undergoing LASIK surgery.

I have been dreaming of this day for 3 years, ever since a friend came back to college with crusty eyes and no more glasses.

I have been planning for this day for 2 years, ever since two friends sat at my parents' kitchen table and told me everything about their LASIK procedures from the previous summer. And told me which doctors to talk to.

I have been saving for this day for 1 year, ever since my optometrist told me that yes, indeed, I was a candidate for LASIK.

(here's a theme in case you didn't notice it: Big, life-changing events don't tend to happen very quickly in my life.)


To celebrate this rather simple procedure that will rather drastically change my life, I present a song:

a thought completed

It's done: I've changed the blog.

Please enjoy the new theme, inspired by a reader's comment.

Oh wait, you want an explanation? Seriously? A thesis on a blog name? Perhaps the modern world has gone further into post-civilization than I had realized...

Here's the exact reasoning for the new name and style:

Blue is my favorite color, however Blue on Tuesdays sounds rather dreary, like a rainy day that just won't end.

Green is my second favorite color and Thursday's have been awesome since the inception of Tally Ho's $3 Thursdays. Hence, Green on Thursdays.

Clear as mud? Welcome to my mind.

achtung

if I were you, I'd updated my blog roll to list this blog as http://greenonthursdays.blogspot.com.

'cuz after tomorrow, The Fab & The Funk will no longer exist.

birthdaze

I'm just in a daze

Because of September birthdays,

So many people were born,

Without whom my life would be torn.

So we took a trip to the city,

Driving through the nitty-gritty,

And there we celebrated with a rooftop meal,

As that was part of the birthday girls' deal.

Then we explored the town,

By walking round & round.

We missed the cupcakes

But not the Starbucks!

PS--Escalators are cool.

Unclaimed and Unconventional

This has to be the awesomest store ever.

They claim to have a stock of "lost treasures from around the world."

If that had been around when Indiana Jones lived, he never would have had to run from a giant rolling stone!

hand of God

Today, I get to be a hand of God.


As Proverbs states, "Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him."


As Corinthians proclaims, "But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body....Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

Today, I get to deliver math textbooks to one of my church's missionary families.

While that may not seem like a particularly noteworthy task, let me recount the divinely orchestrated details.

1) Our church's missionaries in Mexico expressed a need for math textbooks to a church member, who also "happens" to be my coworker.
2) The family mentioned that some of them would "happen" to be in Missouri for an event hosted by my organization.
3) The church member/coworker knew that I also "happened" to be attending this event and asked if I could transport materials if we found them. Of course I said yes.
4) Our church "happened" to have the textbooks and donated 4 years worth of math textbooks--a $500+ worth value.
5) The books were delivered to me. I packed them in my suitcase (and another coworker graciously donated part of his suitcase space also!).
6) Today, I'm delivering the books to our missionary family!

Do you see God's astounding attention to detail??

Now excuse me as I fulfill my duty as a hand...

well. here's a thought.

So I'm thinking of changing the blog name.

The original conception behind the current name hasn't revealed itself. In fact, the original idea seems so "not-me" that I'm refusing to share it!

So, new name, new concept, new motivation to continue blogging.

Now, to figure out where to go from here...

Thoughts?

chop chop!

Last week, I went for a haircut.

I searched for a stylist who could cut curly hair.

I debated, I pondered, and I finally picked one. 

And I am happy. Which is a big deal, because historically, I feel great the day of a haircut and awfully frustrated the next day.

Without further ado:: 

Before

After:

Not much length removed, but layers added and bangs helped.

And even better, the day after: 

Now the real test: can I survive a whole week of an event while staying a curly??

morning thoughts

"O God, it is amazing that men can talk so much
      about man's creaturely power and goodness,
  when, if thou didst not hold us back every
      moment, we should be devils incarnate."

*******


"I rejoice to think that all things are at [God's] disposal,
     and it delights me to leave them there."

*******

"God has objective existence independent of and apart from any notions which we may have concerning Him. The worshiping heart does not create its Object. It finds Him here when it wakes from its moral slumber in the morning of its regeneration."

*******

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. He who fears has not been made perfect in love."

*******

"For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world--our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

excerpts read this morning from The Valley of Vision, The Pursuit of God (AW Tozer), and 1 John. May they comfort & provoke thoughts as they did for me.

random association

I love playing random association, though I don't play it nearly enough.

It fascinates me how the brain works, how people connect one thing to another, and how they learn.

The stories behind those associations can be exciting, terrifying, sad, or nostalgic.

And those stories can lead to others, though random associations.

When I saw the below image on the Discovery Channel the other day, my thoughts went like this:



Jaws.
Soul Surfer.
South Africa.
Yes, I am hungry. Where's that popcorn I popped earlier?

I'm not sure that's exactly what the designer was going for with that image.

But that's what my brain extrapolated from it.

sun. beach. waves. happy.

Beach hair. oh yeah.

Sunrise on the beach.

Worth the lack of sleep.

The donuts afterward were worth it also.

Engineering - the kids' version

Over the weekend, we went to visit this young lady:

 

During our trip, we stopped at an Arby's, and one of our group purchased a child's meal. 

Or a kids' meal? A McKiddy meal? What do we call those things anyway?

Back to the point: it came with a toy. This toy required assembly. 

It was complex. Even with two of us, we spent probably 10 minutes 'assembling' this toy.

Assembling. Ha. It was more like engineering. We even enlisted the help of our third companion to finish the project. She figured out the bobblehead section of the 'kids' project.

In the end, though, our hard efforts and scrunched faces were discarded into the trash can.

Today's life lesson? Beware of what you spend time working on, because it might just be trashed when you're done.

extra-embarassing

I wore that sticker. All day. At work. And no one said a thing.

Granted, it was probably covered by my sweater.

But still. Talk about an embarrassing post-work discovery.

patience pays off

August is over, and with the end of August, the end of my 'Curly Girl' experiment. The verdict?

I like it! 

The 4+ weeks of no straightening, rare blow drying, no shampoo (just conditioner!), and pure acceptance seem to have actually increased my hair's curliness. 

So here we are in week one:

And here we are in week four (thanks for the picture, JenniMarie!)

I plan to continue with the curls (at the very least because I lent my favorite straightener to a friend for the month!). I'm considering finding a stylist who specializes in curly hair for a trim. There may be the occasional 'straight hair day' in the future, but overall, I think I like this new look as much as I like my straight hair look!