Friday, March 20, 2009

Random Thoughts

I watched Hotel Rwanda last night. It got me to bed very late ... I didn't watch it late, but it took a lot of fluffy internet browsing (ALL about Michelle Obama, LOL) to get it out of my head enough to prevent nightmares. I have added two books to my Amazon "Favorites" widget over on your right margin, by Immaculée Ilibagiza, a Tutsi survivor of the genocide. I've read the first one, Left to Tell, but not the other yet. Powerful stuff!!! She had an intense religious experience while in hiding. As she prayed desperately for God's protection, she stumbled on the words of the Lord's prayer: "as we forgive those who trespass against us." She understood that she had to forgive the killers, those who were hunting for her to kill her, those who had killed her family, those who were drowning her country in blood. She DID forgive them, and God saved her -- dramatically, with accompanying visions to confirm that it was God protecting her. It's an amazing, powerful story. Come to think of it, I am also adding the wonderful classic Man's Search for Meaning, by holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl. Any books you buy through that widget, I get a few cents ... every little bit helps!

I'm going to add a couple of ADD books, too, ones that come highly recommended even if I haven't read them yet.... I went to the doctor today, to report back on the anti-depressant (Serzone) she prescribed for my PMS. It's helping! Got a refill Rx, and also got a starter pack of Strattera for ADD ... we'll see. Wow, it would be fantastic if it works. And it's not a controlled substance! :)

Speaking of books, right now I am reading Thoughts Matter, by Mary Margaret Funk, OSB. It is EXCELLENT. Those of you whose spirituality tends toward the orient will appreciate St. John Cassian's approach to mastering one's thoughts. Those of you with ADD will appreciate it, as well. Great for Lent! John Cassian, or his teacher Evagrius, is a major influence on Kathleen Norris's latest Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life. I love Kathleen Norris's books!

Tomorrow is the feast of St. Benedict. The Old Man himself! I am invited to Vespers and supper at the Abbey tonight (because tomorrow's Vespers is superceded by first vespers of Sunday. :)

I e-mailed a couple of temp agencies, ones that seem like they will actually sit and talk with a candidate about what kind of jobs would fit her best. I used to temp ... 20+ years ago! Got in the door at my 19-year ex-job that way. It may not pay much, and it might not be fun work, but I can definitely put up with it for short stints. I think. I have to do something, I need the money now!!

But I also e-mailed a couple of people I spoke to yesterday at a brown-bag lunch on a field I'm actually interested in: rights of indigenous peoples. Seriously, seriously, I could even work full-time on this, in an office, in a suit and makeup and heels, Monday to Friday. I'll call them Monday to follow up. They are super-busy right now because the OAS's Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is meeting to consider a draft declaration on Indigenous Peoples. Hmm, I guess I should check to see when the session ends and wait to get pushy until afterwards -- I think the session is a week long, but don't know if it's this week that's ending, or next week.

Lowered the price on the house on Monday. Maybe someone will want to show it on the weekend? Wish me luck. I should be cleaning!

I'm loving Spring ... the lilac bush right outside this window is leafing out, and a couple of male cardinals have been flitting around in it the past few mornings, disputing the territory. I also get the cutest little downy woodpeckers once in a while. And way too many of the invasive English sparrows. I think I will take out the window screen and try again to get some pictures. That will involve spending some time with the camera user's manual, to figure out how to manually focus, and how to brighten it up without flash, etc. Cool skill to develop. Grackles out there now. Such a pretty irridescent greenish-bluish-black. I bought a hummingbird feeder, time to fill and hang it.

The Eating down the fridge (and pantry) exercise is going swimmingly. I will have to shop again (the end of my garlic stash is in sight, for one thing). But I will keep on using up what I have -- way too many dry goods, and plenty of frozen veggies, a bunch of frozen fish. I have a family get-together on Sunday, that means potluck, and I think I will make some kind of couscous- or quinoa-and-bean salad. Or something. Yummy, and fun. Exercising some creativity! :)

I spend too much time on this dang computer! I have failed at giving up computer games for Lent (Lent's not over yet -- I hereby recommit!). All those lovely blogs I've discovered, and I want to read them all all the time. And Facebook. And just the general ADD mental mess ... I need to get up off my duff.

Now.

Bye

(who has ADD???) :) :) :D

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