tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-169181672011-11-24T18:10:49.704+03:00The love of God is madnessStacynoreply@blogger.comBlogger5541100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-58099335371243542692011-10-14T16:52:00.002+03:002011-10-14T16:52:46.904+03:00

I don't really understand why there is a political divide about poverty.  Are we really saying different things beyond the rhetoric?  I fear we are, but why?  More specifically, I don't understand why certain of my friends understand poverty to be a theological divide.  I don't mean my misunderstanding to be an accusation.  Honestly, I don't understand.  If anyone wants to engage in a dialogue (

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-45933248657248415812011-03-08T03:48:00.000+03:002011-03-08T03:48:09.913+03:00

Recently I was pondering the rate of obesity in America, and at the same time, this thing called "food insecurity" which basically means an expressed anxiety about when and where the next meal is coming from.  It's not the same, mind you, as say, a famine in the Developing World, but still it's something with which people in America are contending.  In a country that has food stamps for the poor

Stacynoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-45554303192706638282011-02-22T06:35:00.002+03:002011-02-22T06:35:54.485+03:00

The problem with going through life making sure you don't need anyone is that no one needs you either. 

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-89980046591381389952011-01-05T05:39:00.002+03:002011-01-05T05:39:35.479+03:00

Oh the lies our culture tells....

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-2175827511813870192011-01-03T03:30:00.000+03:002011-01-03T03:30:37.405+03:00

I am known for my lack of cooking skills.  This year I intend to change that. While living in Africa I had five different roommates I took in at various time.  None of them were chefs, especially given that cookbooks are useless there, being that "gourmet" ingredients are impossible to come by and even "normal" ingredients can be next to impossible to find.  (I was once trying to bake a pumpkin

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-16143824618877152832010-12-03T03:47:00.000+03:002010-12-03T03:47:39.592+03:00

I've been home from Africa for 5 months.  Periodically people ask me what I miss most. My answer is always, "My housekeeper."  It's even somewhat true.  After a long day at work it's nice to come home to a clean house.  However, it's somewhat untrue, too.  Mostly, it's just the answer that gets the quickest laugh and lends the quickest hand to changing the subject, something people are

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-1476302485239611482010-04-23T10:46:00.000+03:002010-04-23T10:46:51.366+03:00

I have a colleague who has recently gone from being a very liberal Christian to being a militant Atheist.  I asked him what made him change his mind.  He said, "I cannot think of a single instance of when the belief in God resulted in good and not violence."  I mused to myself, "Johnny, you grossly overestimate who I would be without belief."  Time and time again, when life beats me down, it is

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-65451407505009808902010-04-23T05:57:00.000+03:002010-04-23T05:57:45.216+03:00

Matters of the heart seem to be central to my life of late. In the literal sense, my father just had open-heart surgery.  After a very scary couple of weeks wherein he verily bounced back from the brink of death, he's now at home recovering.  Glory to God! In the spiritual sense, I just had a conversation with a friend of mine from home who is also a therapist and is getting ready to do a

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-81495231999857585362010-04-17T12:10:00.000+03:002010-04-17T12:10:03.510+03:00

Last night I was enjoying a Girl's Night Out with Betty, Sunshine, and Katie.  As is typical with a Girl's Night Out, there was the usual raucous laughter, high fives, compliments on accessories, and, of course, conversations of men.  Betty is a particularly pensive woman, Sunshine is true to her hippie-name and casts an aura of bohemian artfulness over everything she meanders by, and Katie is

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-86612265425670642542010-04-08T11:51:00.000+03:002010-04-08T11:51:11.813+03:00

I teach a class at Makerere University on the foundations and history of psychology and therapy.  Inevitably, I teach a section about Carl Jung.  Jung was a bit of a hippie before hippies were cool, and long before they were bourgeois.  He taught about personas and archetypes and the authentic self.  He said things like, "Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-27697110647666109542010-03-29T22:21:00.001+03:002010-03-29T22:24:51.451+03:00

Dear Ana,A book on the history of western children's literature arrived just after I sent you the last email. I opened to page 228 because there was a mention of the Harry Potter series. I scanned to the bottom, and this sentence caught my eye:"...it's one of the controlling themes of female fiction, almost from its origin: that girls are always on the stage; that being female is a show;

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-8100903188238027852010-03-28T11:58:00.005+03:002010-03-28T12:46:09.632+03:00

I'm good at analysis. The weakness with analysis is that, unfortunately, it also means I'm good at judging. If there's one thing that I've been taught repeatedly throughout my life it's "Do not judge." I'm a slow learner.There's a British man here in Kampala. He's probably about 28 years old or so. Every time I see Rick he's at the local pub close to drunk, or already gone. It's easy to

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-58803020560404359722010-03-25T08:19:00.004+03:002010-03-25T11:03:06.774+03:00

I've already begun packing for the day I leave Uganda for a new adventure elsewhere. Even though I can look out my veranda and see the tropical green still surrounding me, my heart is a thousands of miles away, and I already miss this place.When I interviewed for the job taking me here I was asked, "Why do you want to live in Uganda?" My answer went something along the lines of wanting the

Stacynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-40652998972332125352010-03-03T23:03:00.002+03:002010-03-03T23:06:45.145+03:00

A friend loaded a bunch of music onto my ipod and I've been listening to Cat Stevens' "Sad Lisa." This song always reminds me of San Francisco. Happy memories. Great city.Good night everyone.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-32458159142194776952010-02-04T14:33:00.001+03:002010-02-04T14:35:38.437+03:00

If a rolling stone gathers no moss, then I am absolutely mossless...I'm moving! To Kentucky! To do my PhD!Go me!

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-17154465065186610562009-12-18T13:54:00.001+03:002009-12-18T13:56:09.979+03:00

Why is intellectualism so gnostic? So afraid of the sensual? Is this knowledge? Or fear?

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-74723947668343403222009-05-26T13:06:00.003+03:002009-05-26T15:11:20.121+03:00

One more time I've done it.I've ceased to kill my heart.Smother it, though I try,I find that it still beats within me.How is it that one body partWas intended for so much painAnd allowed yet to exist?Does not evolution kill such things?Is it so implausible To keep your soul and not your heart?--Anonymous

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-55049658720479754682009-05-04T09:09:00.003+03:002009-05-05T10:16:59.536+03:00

I'm 34 and single. This means one thing. It means that I receive a lot advice about finding a date. Everyone has an opinion..."You're not looking in the right places.""You have to stop looking. That's when it will happen for you.""You have to be specific with what you're looking for.""You're being too picky."And on and on and on it goes. Mostly, this advice is unsolicited. My favorite is

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-25395392050473466362008-11-10T07:47:00.004+03:002008-11-10T08:28:26.019+03:00

This weekend I attended the 233rd U.S. Marine Ball Birthday Bash here in Kampala, Uganda. It was a fun affair with wine, tuxedos, and fancy dresses. The Marines were present and put on a wonderful display of culture and formality in customs. The ambassador gave a lovely speech, as did the guest speaker, a Lt. Col. in the Marines (I didn't catch his name, but he was funny). I was sitting at a

Stacynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-53330963718295195792008-10-09T11:12:00.000+03:002008-10-09T11:15:14.904+03:00

Ugandans love formality, at least from an observer's point of view they do. They make a big show of anyone with perceived importance (cult of the 'big man') -- they dress in their finest, they get on their knees to talk to them, and they do this funny little handshake that I haven't quite figured out. And if it's an occasion to remember then you can bet there will be streamers and balloons.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-62749092637948118032008-09-14T21:28:00.003+03:002008-09-14T21:33:02.603+03:00

I think I live in the most ineffecient country in the world.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-42704393170481882332008-09-01T20:06:00.002+03:002008-09-01T20:10:56.175+03:00

No man is an island. entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.-- John

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-85940670320342675822008-08-31T09:39:00.004+03:002008-08-31T11:07:05.216+03:00

We were sitting around the table at Miki's Pub enjoying drinks. Many of us were engaging in post-Goat Race partying, and others were just out enjoying the beautiful Saturday evening air. There was plenty of banter and laughter. The smiles were the perfect anesthesia to whatever poison was brought about during the course of the week. It was an easy night to be alive.There are certain sounds

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-85552893036692507572008-08-19T07:51:00.002+03:002008-08-19T08:04:21.570+03:00

I boxed with this guy last school year during our charity boxing match.If the internet weren't as slow as molasses, I would post a video I took of him boxing. For a picture of me, click here.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-54798424667642085052008-08-11T19:57:00.002+03:002008-08-11T20:03:12.430+03:00

One of the greatest feelings in the world has to be when you reach out to love someone and they let you.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-85276857122153786292008-07-30T20:33:00.004+03:002008-07-30T20:37:45.130+03:00

My friend Alan took this photo. I've seen elephants but never this close. Remind me not to go out with Alan again.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-91763685203167883462008-07-04T20:20:00.001+03:002008-07-04T20:23:36.835+03:00

A girl with whom I graduated from high school has a 6-month old, biological grandchild.I'm. Old. Enough. To. Be. A. Grandmother.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-5799338993106243502008-06-24T17:25:00.000+03:002008-06-24T17:26:14.946+03:00

I'm home and it's so, so good!(just for 6 weeks)

Stacynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-29807943635451934452008-06-19T11:52:00.004+03:002008-06-19T12:23:48.529+03:00

The other day I hosted a team of doctors and teachers from the States and Canada for about an hour. I forgot what it was like to be new to Africa. First of all they must have taken about 200 pictures of me and my house in that one hour time span. That was weird. They also had a very romantic view of Africans... forgetting that they're people who are capable of being jerks or being cool, just

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-90958914010337604492008-05-19T13:13:00.000+03:002008-05-19T13:15:10.522+03:00

I was driving down the road near the US Embassy, a considerably good road with few pot holes, next to the monster of a building that displays America's efficiency as opposed to her creativity. The hospitality inside is about as warm as the boxy, prison-like building itself. I was on my way to the Rwenzori Cafe to meet some friends for brunch when traffic slowed to crawl. I was fiddling around

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-29787537975176736282008-05-15T10:57:00.002+03:002008-05-15T11:09:23.716+03:00

Baby ChimpOriginally uploaded by OrthodorkI recently chaperoned a field trip to Kibale Rain Forest in western Uganda. We were on a hike looking for Black and White Colobus monkeys when I stepped into a clearing. All of a sudden the entire forest sounded like it was alive. I didn't know that I was standing a few yards from a family of chimps who had just spotted a bush-hog and were attempting

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-817633196390392882008-05-15T10:14:00.003+03:002008-05-15T10:34:42.738+03:00

I'm not much of a fiction reader, preferring instead to read research journals and other non-fiction reads, but lately I've been on a fiction reading binge as I've traveled around East Africa with a lot of time on my hands in airports and on buses. Here's what I've been reading (in no particular order):This was a good book about the Nigeria-Biafra war. It left a few loose ends, but over all I

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-79513989517872539532008-05-09T15:27:00.003+03:002008-05-09T15:33:14.019+03:00

You have to check out this website: Postcards From Yo MommaI laughed until I cried! One of my favorites:Dear Child Mummy has to go away on a boat that Daddy will be driving or floating or whatever one does with boats and what with sharks and stingrays and lord only knows what, and also with not being able to swim and with your father being the captainI’m probably going to drown so I just

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-27644305101071675112008-04-30T15:51:00.001+03:002008-04-30T15:53:23.181+03:00

The biggest capitalist in the world isn't as obsessed with money as the average socialist in the second world.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-20930193817809014852008-04-29T12:20:00.002+03:002008-04-29T12:23:05.001+03:00

Vanity: The Global LanguageOriginally uploaded by Orthodork

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-28989487748525671552008-04-14T11:52:00.003+03:002008-04-14T13:11:40.693+03:00

"One that reckons accounts all the day passes not a happy moment. One that gladdens his heart all the day provides not for his house. The bowman hits the mark, as the steersman reaches land, by diversity of aim. He that obeys his heart shall command."--Ptah-Hotep (2400 BC)*the ancient proverb giving birth to All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy*Yesterday my friend and I were having a bit of

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-88470615607517163792008-04-08T14:42:00.002+03:002008-04-08T14:45:55.547+03:00

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-1266316117315339252008-03-26T19:26:00.002+03:002008-03-26T19:39:56.456+03:00

I wake up in the morning to the sound of voices speaking a language I don't understand. Sometimes I can here singing off in the distance somewhere. I step outside onto the porch and I stare out at Lake Victoria which looks as though it is somehow embodying peace in itself. I love it here.I'm now a familiar face at the border. The guards greet me with large smiles and ask me how things are

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-20181184923038192112008-03-07T16:15:00.000+03:002008-03-07T16:19:30.318+03:00

One of the students at my school gave a presentation over this. It's a worthwhile cause in which to be involved.http://www.stopthetraffik.org/default.aspx

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-23445311149312946102008-03-06T09:59:00.000+03:002008-03-06T10:02:46.203+03:00

One of my colleagues has a woman who works for her who makes greeting cards with barkcloth and Ugandan proverbs on them. I bought three of them today:* Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers.* He who has not traveled thinks that his mother is the best cook in the world.* Water that has been begged for does not quench the thirst.My favorite is the first one.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-29191160011756542982008-02-26T13:44:00.001+03:002008-02-26T13:44:08.292+03:00

Huh? Originally uploaded by Orthodork I have no idea what this saying on the back of this matatu is supposed to mean, but I thought it might be fun to submit it to the Six-Word Story contest.My attempt: Witch doctors use new advertising forms.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-13281294623797626822008-02-25T08:58:00.000+03:002008-02-25T09:00:59.222+03:00

NOTE: Friends of this blog -- below is a worthwhile way you can help out a great program that was developed by one of the staff members I work with here in Uganda. So... please vote.Thanks.--Stacy____________________________________________________________________To friends and supporters of Kampala Kids League (KKL) and The Kids League (TKL) Uganda ! We have received some very good news this

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-68590744944069116682008-02-21T15:59:00.000+03:002008-02-21T16:13:37.036+03:00

I often work with students who have a very difficult time with reading comprehension and abstract concepts. I'm always trying different things to get them to think outside of the box. Recently we've started a unit wherein we're analyzing their favorite music for meaning, no matter how much I want to pull out my hair from having to listen to it.Two things continually stick out to me:1. Many

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-50814935475515551132008-02-08T10:58:00.001+03:002008-02-08T11:03:08.435+03:00

Today my school is celebrating Valentine's Day because next week we'll all be doing "Week Without Walls" which basically means I'll be three-days deep into the jungle with a bunch of 7th graders. Anyway, keeping in mind the holiday I loathe the most, I give you this quote: Why do people give each other flowers? To celebrate various important occasions, they're killing living creatures? Why

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-28229338101947686492008-02-06T10:12:00.001+03:002008-02-06T11:54:07.463+03:00

While it may seem obvious that moving to another culture would involve major acculturation shifts, there are certain things that I assumed to be common sense world wide. I am learning that this is not the case.Here are a couple:In erratic traffic when a sidewalk is present, walkers should use the sidewalk. In Uganda, walkers are "knocked" everyday and often seriously injured or killed, and yet,

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-36225055226924024812008-01-27T14:32:00.001+03:002008-01-27T14:32:00.815+03:00

They Peeked In Our Windows While We Were Sleeping Originally uploaded by Orthodork If you're interested, I have some new photos uploaded on flickr. It takes hours to upload here because the internet is slow and the electricity is erratic (the political climate in Kenya is wreaking havoc on Uganda). So, check back regularly and I might get some more uploaded soon.In other news I'm moving

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-26132562502347245892008-01-22T17:06:00.002+03:002008-09-01T20:20:38.322+03:00

Just got my passport back... I'm now an official resident of Uganda until Dec. 2009.Woo hoo.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-26514811336453232052007-12-30T20:01:00.000+03:002007-12-30T20:10:45.297+03:00

On my first Christmas morning in Africa, riding with Metropolitan Jeronymos on the way to church for Divine Liturgy, I exclaimed aloud, "Ah, it's raining! At home we would be happy right now because that would mean snow on Christmas morning!" His Eminence, with his usual sardonic wit, responded, "We have snow here... equatorial snow. We call it rain."

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-24900865594101579292007-12-14T09:56:00.000+03:002007-12-14T09:59:29.131+03:00

Your students play Ebola Tag instead of Freeze Tag.Teachers sing "Ebola in Lubowa" to Christmas tunes in the staff lounge.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-79152113496411754622007-12-13T07:43:00.000+03:002007-12-13T07:45:44.523+03:00

Thank you to my Godmother, Anne, for sending this to me! :) (Watch it to the end!)

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-71998735403492759042007-12-12T14:36:00.001+03:002007-12-12T14:50:42.326+03:00

I've always said this is a land of extremes. When it comes to growing things, Uganda can grow just about anything. Like one friend said, "If you planted a broomstick here, in a month's time you'd have a field of brooms!" Africa doesn't like to do things half way, I guess. That same theory applies to bugs.About 6 weeks ago I awoke to find my bedroom floor covered in wings. This is not a happy

Stacynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-56780941937857564372007-12-08T16:22:00.000+03:002007-12-08T16:36:51.590+03:00

Yeah... that's me. In all my glory.My school was hosting a boxing event as a fundraiser to get help get kids off the streets. Somehow I ended up being paired to box my principal and we became one of the main events. Of course, the students didn't know we would be "clowning around." It was a good time in the end, and now I can mark boxing off my life's to-do list.Up next? Eating a grasshopper

Stacynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-69643448776389699372007-12-07T15:04:00.000+03:002007-12-07T15:09:21.112+03:00

I'm applying for my Ugandan Driver's License and so I am sitting here filling out the application. For the most part it's pretty straight forward, but question # 10 struck me a little funny:10. Do you suffer from epilepsy, or from sudden attacks of disabling giddiness or fainting?Is that a real issue among driver's here? It certainly would explain a few things.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-43950237961632832922007-12-06T16:30:00.001+03:002007-12-06T16:30:46.393+03:00

It's the feast day celebration for the cathedral here in Kampala, Uganda. I was a bit bummed that I couldn't celebrate the Divine Liturgy this morning, but was happy to be celebrating the feast day for St. Nicholas in a very wonderful way.I spent the day with the orphans of a nearby orphanage. Many of my students prepared a Christmas celebration complete with food, dancing, and gifts. It was a

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-87671274881623999822007-11-28T16:36:00.000+03:002007-11-28T16:51:14.806+03:00

My friends in Tanzania have taken to calling me "Crazy American Woman." However, after Mama Alexandra brought me this exquisite gift (it's a kanga, which is a traditional Tanzanian dress) the men changed my name to "Crazy African Woman."

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-4325225895878579082007-11-16T18:06:00.000+03:002007-11-16T18:07:23.269+03:00

Hey, would you look at that... I've survived 100 days in Africa! Woo hoo! Time to celebrate!

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-2280508904220069252007-11-16T16:54:00.000+03:002007-11-16T18:05:30.072+03:00

I woke up to a flood in my house, but it was nothing compared to the flood in town where people had to be rescued from the tops of huts, houses, and matatus.I saw an absolutely enormous snail when I got to workRight now someone is having a party somewhere near by and I can hear the very loud music blaring. I have NO IDEA what they're saying, but it sounds like fun.I'm out of school for 6 working

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-82376108428630707832007-11-16T16:47:00.000+03:002007-11-16T16:49:07.976+03:00

My colleague Kim won the "Name My Kittens" contest. Their names:(drum roll please)Sebo and Nyabo(Luganda for "mister" and "madam")

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-6866154239228194152007-10-25T16:33:00.000+03:002007-10-25T16:46:14.812+03:00

NAME MY NEW KITTENS!!!!

Stacynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-59236780042901984602007-10-24T17:19:00.000+03:002007-10-24T17:28:26.746+03:00

Happy now Sky?

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-29270530735962133982007-10-12T10:52:00.000+03:002007-10-12T11:05:17.222+03:00

I feel that it's only appropriate that as all Ugandan's celebrate their Independence Day this week, that I too announce my own independence... I've purchased a car! Woo hoo! Freedom!I'll post pictures soon!

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-17420646477230526342007-10-04T16:13:00.001+03:002007-10-04T16:19:46.806+03:00

We are wrestling... you and me.Who will win?

Stacynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-67649046785059654812007-09-06T16:12:00.000+03:002007-09-06T16:22:31.065+03:00

i would love to write you a lettereach letter formed by the movements of my fingersas they slid over the texture of your skinsharing the deepest thoughts of my mindmaking them a part of you

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-50907435598524021902007-09-04T17:41:00.000+03:002007-09-04T17:43:32.094+03:00

A friend and I are having a debate...Does love change you? If so, in what ways?Practical and theoretical answers are all welcome.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-90611204002317881922007-08-18T18:40:00.000+03:002007-08-18T19:10:45.375+03:00

So, for any who are wondering, I made it to Uganda safe and sound, but have not had time to update the ol' blog.Life is different here, as you might expect. Today I went shopping in what might be akin to a flea market, but it was a highly exhausting experience. Everywhere we went it was crowded and hot, and people shouted, "Mzungu!" trying to gain my attention. I went with two other teachers

Stacynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-50231161001372469992007-08-06T12:31:00.000+03:002007-08-06T12:54:25.238+03:00

Dear Friends and Family (that's redundant, I think),For the last couple of weeks I have been privileged to have been the recipient of much love. Dinner has been bought, time has been spent, words have been spoken, dances have been danced, prayers have been uttered, parties have been thrown, and hugs have been given. It has been such an honor to have been loved by you. I have been humbled and

Stacynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-35606338654316799742007-08-03T17:23:00.000+03:002007-08-03T17:25:07.903+03:00

I have been the recipient of much love and grace in these last few weeks, and I am coming undone.Why is it that the hardness of life is sometimes easier to deal with than the kindness?

Stacynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-92088904983106807332007-08-03T02:16:00.000+03:002007-08-03T02:17:44.870+03:00

Brendan James

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-42395066393809393792007-07-29T08:30:00.000+03:002007-07-29T08:39:51.255+03:00

I'm down to the single digits... 9 more days until departure.Who can believe it?!*****I'm home with my family for the weekend. I've had a tremendously good time. Dad and mom rolled out the red carpet. Grandma cooked a feast for a king. My aunts and uncles and cousins showed up. My brother and friends drove in from out of town. We ate. We drank. We laughed. My family rocks!

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-1674062663916113092007-07-27T11:43:00.000+03:002007-07-27T11:49:00.321+03:00

My father is taking a shower. My mom is talking to the cat. We're all awake at 4am. They're preparing for a trip to Alaska in a few hours. I'm preparing to say goodbye.We think it's the big adventures in life -- Alaska and Africa -- that make it all worth living, but somehow I think it's the little things... the showers and the cat.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-9346100731768976942007-07-24T16:39:00.001+03:002007-07-26T08:21:40.501+03:00

Most of you know by now that I have had several lives leading up to my career as a teacher. Before this I was a Marriage and Family Therapist.This weekend I'm headed to Kansas to say goodbye to family and friends, and to attend my grad. school reunion. In short, that means I'm going to hang out with a bunch of therapists. That's daunting for anyone... even a former therapist. On the flip side

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-35116495882392343492007-07-19T11:28:00.000+03:002007-07-19T11:30:04.375+03:00

Would you look at THAT --->(pointing to days left before I move)I'm in the teens!Ahhhhh!!!!

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-64921047943798480292007-07-17T19:57:00.000+03:002007-07-17T20:09:23.572+03:00

I like to pretend that I'm self-sufficient. I like to pretend that I can make it on my own. The reality is that that's not true. Times like these make me realize how much my life is held up by the kindness of people around me.... the waitress who sang to me, the friend who picked me up, the unexpected gift, the stranger who helped with my bags and made me laugh.The world is a very difficult

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-15085349350405877852007-07-13T21:53:00.000+03:002007-07-13T22:31:45.981+03:00

Today I return headed to Canada for:Orthodork Roadtrip: IIThe Mini-VersionI have been teased off and on for the last few years that there is a "Canadian Takeover" going on in my life. Even my new employers-to-be sent an e-mail staking their claim since I will be the lone American in my area and they all hail from the land up north. However, it seems that in recent days my geographical identity

Stacynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-78580619304043657452007-07-11T20:15:00.000+03:002007-07-11T20:33:34.889+03:00

You know all those chain e-mails you get... the jokes, cartoons, photos, sweet stories, blinking emoticons, etc. ?Who is that ONE guy out there somewhere who adds all the crap to the end of it? Who's the guy that adds the part about 57 years of bad luck for you and your momma and your momma's dog if you don't pass it on to 432.3 people in the next 6 seconds?Who is that ONE guy out there

Stacynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-12638447200488412472007-07-11T15:35:00.000+03:002007-07-11T16:45:03.775+03:00

I love this! LOVE IT!

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-55188307223052223182007-07-08T05:38:00.000+03:002007-07-08T05:43:21.010+03:00

One month from today I'll be on a plane making my way across the seas. One month from tomorrow I'll be landing in my new home.So... here's your chance to give me free advice. The advice I've been given thus far:1. When it starts to suck and I'm homesick, remember to love people more. 2. Carry tissues with me everywhere, as emergency TP3. Don't drink the water.4. Meet cute boys.5. Think of

Stacynoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-74742582406071202582007-07-07T06:04:00.000+03:002007-07-07T06:28:20.049+03:00

When I was in Tanzania last year I very quickly learned that the way respect is communicated between genders is a very cultural thing. There it is customary for the men to eat first. Here, men insist that the women go first (if they have an chivalry at all, that is -- and the men with whom I am accustomed to being, do have chivalry). I'm sure that if you were to ask the Tanzanian men how they

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-52761621679656622862007-07-05T11:06:00.000+03:002007-07-05T16:13:12.439+03:00

I have not written much lately. That's mostly because lately I have not thought about much beyond the daily task of moving. There are 33 days until my departure and there is still much to do.I have thought much about the people who will share their homeland with me. I've also thought much about the other foreigners with whom I will share the title "expat." There are many unknowns that lay

Stacynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-40677258621514874052007-06-28T00:16:00.000+03:002007-06-28T00:18:24.533+03:00

How cute is this little ticker. It's suppose to be for children. I'm a kid at heart and I wanted to show it to y'all, so here you go.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-52919747064023277612007-06-25T02:34:00.000+03:002007-06-25T08:30:29.709+03:00

(Click on it to make it bigger)GDP for other countries as compared to US states.Go here for more information about this map: Strange MapsUpdate: Interesting map along the same kind of lines

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-2496381906486909262007-06-23T23:00:00.000+03:002007-06-23T23:02:08.466+03:00

Has anyone used craigslist to post items for sale? I need to sell my stacked washer/dryer and I just wanted to make sure it's safe. Any other ideas out there for selling something like that?

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-59265961748687023012007-06-18T07:34:00.000+03:002007-06-18T14:50:31.821+03:00

I heard my priest tell a story once about being attached to material goods. He told of some monks who had nothing to their own except their toothbrush. When the abbot of the monastery decided to make the monks switch toothbrushes with each other a great ruckus was stirred. Even though they had almost nothing, the passion of greed was still rooted within them.I am in no way comparable to those

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-59819150377166480502007-06-16T21:07:00.000+03:002007-06-16T21:35:04.709+03:00

"Heresies are born when people refuse to live within the tension of the paradox," the priest told me. "Jesus is fully God and fully man. It is a paradox, a mystery. To remove either element of the paradox, to refuse to live within the tension of the mystery created by it is to be heretic."I remember one of my professors once teaching the would-be therapists, "Often times, as people approach

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-57170565698307433652007-06-16T08:10:00.001+03:002007-06-16T08:10:46.935+03:00

glumbert.com - Battle of the Species

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-54137674807354536862007-06-16T08:07:00.001+03:002007-06-16T08:11:55.920+03:00

St. Nicholas... Originally uploaded by []Aaroneous Monk[] I love this. Wanted to share.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-55133451753195423222007-06-14T10:17:00.001+03:002007-06-14T10:39:54.258+03:00

I ran across this picture taken by an acquaintance of mine. It's taken of a large village in Uganda. This village is lucky. As you can tell, it has access to electricity. Mind you, having access to electricity and having electricity are two very different things in Uganda, but it's certainly a hopeful sign.As I've blogged about a lot in recent times, I'm waist-deep in the process of moving.

Stacynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-62548745342768044542007-06-08T17:31:00.000+03:002007-06-08T17:39:09.682+03:00

So I'm in Branson, MO with my family. This is an interesting slice of America. Have you been here? It's fun and bizarre and quaintly hokey. On That Note

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-48925825293928430712007-06-06T18:13:00.001+03:002007-06-06T18:17:21.921+03:00

This is my cat, The General. He's been with me for four years. Today he finds a new home. He's apparently getting a new name -- Memphis. I have strange friends.I'm very saddened by the idea of not having him with me. We have a long car ride together today. I'm sure by the end of it and all those hours of listening to him cry (he hates riding in the car) I'll be more than happy to get rid of

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-22425738416773521152007-06-05T21:19:00.001+03:002007-06-05T21:27:44.488+03:00

I grew up in a small town. Everyone knows everyone and tragedy hits small towns pretty hard. I grew up with a family named Myers. Their youngest son was Charlie. He was quite a bit younger than me so I grew up knowing more of his brothers since they played ball with my brother and we were all in school together. Charlie was the twerpy little brother. A year ago my mom called to tell me that

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-88119995966120075132007-06-04T16:04:00.001+03:002007-06-04T16:09:17.928+03:00

When I was growing up my brother played baseball. And when I say that he played baseball I mean he was Mr. Baseball. Most of my summers were spent following him from tournament to tournament. I think of all the team members as brothers. All of the parents had the right to scold. In his glory days he played in college on a big ol' scholarship, got scouted by the Indians, and won the MVP of

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-4825073867703907242007-05-31T17:40:00.000+03:002007-05-31T17:45:22.402+03:00

“Fight as if you are right; listen as if you are wrong.”–Karl Weick

Stacynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-55869571233387928252007-05-30T21:27:00.000+03:002007-05-30T21:28:32.715+03:00

I love my job because I'm out for the summer...and still getting paid!!

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-35335174488310571952007-05-28T02:37:00.001+03:002007-05-28T03:10:04.231+03:00

I remember the first time I heard the prayers in the Orthodox Church that begged the soul to remember. "Remember what?" I thought. Remember God. Remember communion. Remember health and our true humanness, ontology, personhood.Remembering is not something I do very well.Recently, I have had a bit of trouble with my foot. After trying to deal with it myself for a few months I finally buckled

Stacynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-54237266669548065192007-05-24T05:25:00.000+03:002007-05-24T05:27:58.392+03:00

To all my lovely friends in Vancouver...I'm coming back!Get your party shoes on!

Stacynoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-30206524930931633942007-05-18T01:01:00.000+03:002007-05-18T01:02:29.460+03:00

glumbert.com - High Power Job

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-26993205909609725352007-05-17T03:45:00.000+03:002007-05-17T05:05:14.737+03:00

Welcome to the world little Jada!Many years!I was called first thing this morning by a friend of mine who announced, "The baby is coming!" A smile broke across my face and I told her to keep me updated on things and I would come by after work.Just as I was pulling into the parking lot of the hospital the phone rang and it was my friend again, telling me this time that the mom-to-be would was

Stacynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-44468103564830745532007-05-15T03:12:00.000+03:002007-05-15T03:18:52.696+03:00

So, I received a little welcome note from Uganda today. Ummm, yeah. They should give you this information before you apply. There's extreme biking, extreme surfing, and extreme rock climbing. Apparently, in Uganda there's extreme walking and extreme eating... life's an adventure, right?Charges for long distance calls to the U.K. and USA have dropped considerably in recent years and are now

Stacynoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-65752769035896017252007-05-13T21:21:00.000+03:002007-05-13T21:45:28.190+03:00

I'm in the process of extreme downsizing. Moving across the waters requires that I fit my life into four pieces of luggage. Now, I'm not a girly-girl, but that's still not an easy task. Here's what I've learned thus far:I'm easily distracted from the task of packing. Grey's Anatomy is now assessable for free online viewing, some music simply MUST be danced to, and there's a lot of items in my

Stacynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16918167.post-41069340789359183912007-05-12T16:30:00.000+03:002007-05-12T16:33:36.968+03:00

Why aren't these sold out???

Stacynoreply@blogger.com1