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July 31, 2006

What Do You Believe?

I've been thinking a bit about spirituality and religious beliefs lately, so I decided to take the Belief-O-Matic Quiz yesterday, and these were my top ten results:

1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (95%)
3. New Age (90%)
4. Liberal Quakers (88%)
5. Neo-Pagan (88%)
6. New Thought (86%)
7. Hinduism (81%)
8. Orthodox Quaker (78%)
9. Mahayana Buddhism (73%)
10. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (71%)

I wasn't terribly surprised at the results, because in reality, I am Episcopalian (by choice, not by upbringing), which falls into the Liberal Protestant category. And according to Belief-O-Matic, this is what Liberal Protestants tend to believe:


What Liberal Protestants Believe

Also sometimes referred to as secular, modern, or humanistic. This is an umbrella term for Protestant denominations, or churches within denominations, that view the Bible as the witness of God rather than the word of God, to be interpreted in its historical context through critical analysis. Examples include some churches within Anglican/Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and United Church of Christ. There are more than 2,000 Protestant denominations offering a wide range of beliefs from extremely liberal to mainline to ultra-conservative and those that include characteristics on both ends.

That's all for today. I just got back from vacation yesterday and I am now in bed, writhing in pain, and think I have a kidney stone. (I've had lots of them, they are horrible horrible horrible.) I'll be back soon!

Posted by L.C. at 04:07 PM | | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Filed under: General 40ish

July 23, 2006

End of Summer Clothing Finds

There's just something about the warm weather that makes me want to reinvent my look, and I was lucky enough to find some really cute clothing and accessories over the past few months. One of my favorite summer shoe finds was a perfect pair of black, lace-up espadrilles, which I nabbed on sale at Off Broadway Shoes. After wearing them almost everyday for a week, I decided to go back to the store to try to find the same pair in other colors. But as luck would have it, there was not a single pair of size 6s remaining in any color. I tried a few other places, but couldn't find another pair anywhere in my area. It seems that I'd discovered how comfortable and versatile espadrilles are just a bit too late.

With summer winding down and fall shoes beginning to appear, I'd just about given up hope. Then I took a quick look at Zappos.com and found this adorable pair from Tommy Bahama. I'd been looking for a cream-colored pair, and when I saw those nifty purple polka dots, I was beside myself with joy. I also stopped by Solestruck.com and found these Floral Espadrille Wedges in magenta, and knew that these bright and fun slip-ons would be perfect for my upcoming beach vacation.

I decided to ride the momentum of my fabulous summer finds and keep looking, in hopes that I'd find some cute, light-weight tops that I can wear for at least another month or two, since I live in the South and we'll have warm weather through September. I was thrilled to find Soft Surroundings, a nifty women's clothing and accessories store, and I went gaga for this Lotus Flower Tank and Petite Good Karma Tunic. But it was these Jack Rogers Navajo Thongs that I couldn't stop thinking about, because when I was a teenager back in South Florida in the 1980s, I lived in Jack Rogers thongs. What a trip down memory lane! And now, of course, I simply must own a pair.

That's it for my summer finds, and soon I will start hunting for fall fashions. But for now, I'm off to the beach for some R&R! Back soon!

Posted by L.C. at 02:49 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed under: Beauty/Fashion | Shopping

July 18, 2006

Blouse Bonanza

It was one of those days. I stood in my closet, looking at all the clothing I have to choose from, and nothing seemed quite right. Then it dawned on me why I might be feeling this way: while I do have nice things to wear when I want to dress up a bit, my everyday clothing selection consists of jeans, t-shirts, and polos. Not that there's anything wrong with any of those items. But here's the thing: I am going to be 42 years old in a couple of weeks, and my closet looks an awful lot like my 16-year-old daughter's closet.

I was standing there, trying to figure out which pair of jeans and which t-shirt I would wear that day, and I thought about a couple of women I know and how they always seem to look great, even when they are casually dressed. Then it occurred to me why: they look like women--real, grown up, sophisticated women, even when they are very casually dressed. Because while they wear jeans often, like I do, they don't usually wear t-shirts: they wear blouses. Yes, that's what I need! I decided that my current disappointment in my wardrobe lies in the fact that I don't own enough cute blouses. So today I began to search the Web for blouses that won't make me look older or more conservative than I am, but will help get me out of my I'm-over-40-but-trying-to-look-younger rut. And this is what I found:

I can't afford to buy all of these tops at once, but I just wanted to send this out there, into the world, and make a sort of cyber commitment. I want to start dressing like a grown up. And finding some cute tops on the Web is one little baby step toward that goal.

Posted by L.C. at 08:37 AM | | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Filed under: Beauty/Fashion | Shopping

July 12, 2006

Whose Kids Are They, Anyway?

dressA couple of months ago, my friend's teenage daughter was stopped for speeding and being out 15 minutes after the mandatory midnight curfew (for kids under 18 who are driving, not to or from work) in my area. When my friend got to the scene, the police officer gave him a lecture about how the police in our area are raising the teens. My friend remained quiet and respectful, because after all, his kid did just break the law. But he was pretty offended to hear the officer--who had just met his daughter--claim that he was raising her and the rest of the teens in the county, and hold her up as an example of what happens when parents don't do their job very well.

Although I have the utmost respect for law enforcement, as do my friends, several of us still debated the issues of this story over dinner one night. Most of all, it made me think about what we parents are responsible for, and what is pretty much out of our control. After 16 years of this parenting business, I'd like to think I've laid some nice groundwork for my kids. I urge them to obey the speed limit, refuse drugs and alcohol if offered, work hard in school, be honest, and all the other stuff we parents know will help them succeed later in life, and even just get through their teens a bit more safely. But the truth is, I am not normally in the car with my teen when she drives, so I have no idea if she's speeding or driving dangerously. And I'm not on the bus with my son, so I don't know how he'll handle it if a kid sits next to him one day and offers him some marijuana. So I say a little prayer each day, asking the Big Guy to keep my kids safe, and I ask them lots of questions about their lives. And I worry. And I hope. Boy, do I hope.

Posted by L.C. at 08:32 PM | | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Filed under: Parenting

July 11, 2006

I...Have Become...Comfortably Numb

Sad news today in the music world--Pink Floyd Co-Founder Barrett Dies at 60. Yes, he split from the band long before I'd ever heard of it because I was just so young, but I couldn't help but be sad when I heard the news. Sixty seems young too die doesn't it? It makes me face my own mortality, just for a moment.

As a child of the 1970s (although I was born in the mid-sixties), Pink Floyd provided the backdrop for much of my youth. I remember when my older sister brought home "Dark Side of the Moon." I was young--very young. But for years, I can remember the sounds of this music, floating through our house. And in 1979, the year I started high school, Pink Floyd released "The Wall." I remember being mesmerized, falling into a near-daze when I would hear the song "Comfortably Numb". The pain, the angst. Teenage years, in a nutshell.

R.I.P. Roger Keith Barrett.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hear your feeling down
I can ease your pain
Get you on your feet again
Relax
I'll need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts

Posted by L.C. at 04:31 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed under: News/Media/Studies

Been Dazed and Confused...

This past week has been...um...I guess you could call it weird. My son has been at sleep-away camp, and it's the first time he's been away from us--more than just an overnight or weekend at Grandma's--in 11 years. It's a very strange feeling to wake up in the house and not have him there. I started really missing him yesterday, when I came across a Web site I thought he'd be interested in. I started to call out for him to come down to my office, when I realized that if I did, nothing would happen. While driving my the car, I've turned around a few times to check the back seat, because it's so quiet. Then I realize why. Because he's not in the car with me. How did he become such a big boy overnight? It's exciting and at the same time a little sad. I just don't have little kids anymore. And never will.

So anyway, another weird thing happened, that I won't elaborate on too much. But yesterday, I learned something about someone I thought I knew, and it makes me wonder why some people would choose to lie. So I started wondering about people and their nature. What it is that makes us who we are? Is it upbringing? Is it genetics? Fate? I don't really know. I've always hated lying, but I do understand that life is complicated, and sometimes, we are all forced to lie a bit. I just don't know if I'll ever understand why someone would choose to lie about something they don't have to lie about. I'm talking about big lies--lies about who you are. And why would a person lie to just a few people, when many others know the truth? Aren't they afraid they will be caught? Isn't it easier to tell the truth, even if it disappoints people for a little while? Because being revealed as someone who lies about something so fundamental has got to be worse than that. And isn't it difficult to live a lie? To wake up each morning and think "God, I hope they don't find out today." I don't get it.

Posted by L.C. at 08:48 AM | | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed under: General 40ish | Meaningless Gab | Parenting

July 07, 2006

Deciphering the Code

There comes a times in every woman's life when she has to develop a code that helps her survive--or escape--a less-than-pleasant situation. I'm talking about developing a plan (with a friend) that you will put into action when you find yourself on a really bad date. The plan usually involves the accomplice (who is not on the date but is available to assist you) calling you (or in extreme cases, showing up) while you're on the bad date, usually with an emergency that requires you leave at that very moment because someone, somewhere, needs you.

Of course, a lot can go wrong when an emergency "bad date code" is put into effect. Now I am speaking hypothetically here, because this absolutely did not happen to anyone I know this weekend. No, don't even think it happened to a teenage girl who shall remain nameless, and don't assume that this girl is my daughter. Because I know LOTS of teenage girls. But this involves NONE of them, just in case you were wondering. Maybe you weren't wondering. I'm just saying.

Like I said before, a lot of things can just go WRONG, and make a bad date even worse. So I'd like to offer the following tips to those wishing to create a code to use with their friends or family members in these types of situations:

1. If you send out, shall we call it, a signal of date distress, you should probably, I don't know, maybe...MAKE SURE YOU HAVE CELL PHONE COVERAGE WHEN YOU WANT TO BE SAVED FROM THE STUPIDITY OF YOUR OWN DECISIONS.

2. When you send a signal of distress, please be specific. If you send a text, which is rapidly becoming the preferred method of seeking help on a bad date, make sure you specify whether you're just bored or being jumped by a hideous monster. Or someone--I'm not saying names here, it's still purely hypothetical--might just think you are being jumped and not just annoyed, and your accomplice might FREAK OUT AND WORRY FOR LIKE AN HOUR before being able to reach you.

3. Always have a back-up accomplice. Because sometimes your mom--or your friend, not that it HAS to be your mom--will be in the shower or will put her phone down somewhere and forget that it's on vibrate not on ring and not get the message.

I offer these tips just in case, because, really, this situation has never ever happened to me or anyone I know. I'm just trying to help you, you know, just in case.

Posted by L.C. at 09:30 AM | | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Filed under: Meaningless Gab

July 05, 2006

Independence Day

So yesterday was July 4th, and most people I know had the day off from work, and spent it having fun with family and friends. We did that around here too, although since my dh had a four-day weekend off, we hardly knew what to do with ourselves by Tuesday.

Anyway, when I woke up yesterday, I started thinking about independence, and what it had meant to me at different times in my life. My first taste of this fabulous concept came shortly after my 18th birthday. My parents drove me north five hours from our hometown to the university town where I would live for four years. After they left, I was busy meeting my roommate and other girls on the hall, and doing a lot of unpacking. But later that evening, I got the urge to just walk around campus and take in my new surroundings. I ended up at a pond behind the student union building, watching ducks and eating a giant chocolate chip cookie, tossing a few bits to them now and then. It occurred to me that for the first time in my life, absolutely no one--no family members, no friends--knew where I was and what I was doing. Like most kids and teens, I'd always checked in from time to time to let my parents know where I was. But at that moment, I felt independent for the first time. Ever. It was a sweet feeling.

Four years later, I realized that when someone pays your bills and you live in a dorm and you spend most of your waking hours studying and working internships, you're really not all that independent. You just have a little more freedom and make some of your own decisions. My true, first moment of independence came in 1986 just after I turned 22, a few months after college graduation. My parents were going through a very ugly divorce, and I wanted to get out of their house. So one day, I quit the newspaper reporting job I'd just landed in my hometown, packed up my car (a gift, already paid off) with my clothes and a few other things, and began to drive north. I had a loose plan of ending up in either Georgia or Washington D.C. or Alabama, because those are the places where I had family and close friends. I had no job, but I did have a few thousand dollars I'd managed to save thanks to brief stint at a newspaper and some generous relatives who sent gifts when I graduated. So I just left one day--I had a place to stay for a couple of nights a few hours north of my home, but other than that, my life was one big blank canvas. I remember getting on the interstate that day, and out of nowhere, I let out a big, happy, scream. I thought it might just be the beginning of a happy new adult life for me. And it was.

Posted by L.C. at 12:24 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed under: General 40ish | Meaningless Gab