Happy B-Day

Today is Cassie's birthday. The day has been, and I am assuming, will continue to be enjoyable. I have been amazed by the ways in which technology affects our lives. When we woke up this morning, Cassie had already received over 30 emails--many through facebook--offering birthday wishes. I find it all a little humorous. Gone are the days in which people forgot your birthday, gone our the excuses, the date books and apologies. We have become oh so relational. However, my mind asks, what does it all mean?

I have failed to submerge myself into the world of faces and tweets. Quite frankly, I have very little knowledge of what is going on in your life, let alone when your birthday is...I mean I can ball park it, I know Ross celebrates his birth in February--somewhere in the 20's? Andrew December 4--just because that is my dad's date of birth and I know that Jon and Beth came out sometime before Christ. But for the most part, dates escape me. I sought to gather information and store it in a planner in order to call, write or send a package, but then I lost it. I would like to simply wash my hands of it all. It would be easier to offer a birthday greeting spontaneously throughout the year whether early or late. However, relationship is important. We are relational people.

But what kind of relationships do we seek? Do we offer our information to all, hoping that others will see and thus not forget, or do we resort to secrecy in hopes of not being hurt? In some ways it appears as though, through the use of technology humans have created a social networking tool alike those operated by corporations throughout America. More corporations remembered my birthday last year than friends. Unlike my wife, who received emails from dear ones, I received emails from coffee shops inviting me to come and have one on them. I received these invites with a shed tear and spent my day drinking lattes and coffees throughout the metro. Did they care, probably not--they were most likely hoping that I would not get around to using those small tokens.

early

not being able to sleep has its advantages
after having laid down to rest some time before midnight,
I have now somewhat aimlessly weaved a rough outline of what many
or most of your lives look like from a distance. And having spent
that time perched in a tree,
like a peeper hoping for more
I thought it only appropriate to offer an update

To start things off Cassie came home with a rabbit in late May. He is now starting to shed, but is well behaved, litter trained, and companionable. I am sorry about your loneliness, Amanda, and if I would have known I would have let you borrow Cacao (we believe this to be dutch for cocoa, seeing as he is somewhat cocoa colored and also a dutch breed of rabbit.

I have been working on master's level courses all summer long and am now enjoying a two week hiatus. Unlike Read, who I would like to congratulate, I have not graduated, but hope to do so sometime in the year 2011. I am also kicking around the idea of beginning course work at a local university in order to graduate in said year with both my masters of divinity and of education.

Cassie and I have been on a few trips, nothing international like the journey that you, Andrew Kroeze are about to embark on, but enjoyable excursions non-the-less. There have been a few journeys to Chicago, a trip out east which included everything between here and there and then back again, an upcoming trip to Colorado in about 72 hours and then one again to Indiana in 3 weeks.

The summer has been filled with joyous occasions, including weddings, one of which we were both a part. Chris and Jess, I wish you the best. I have heard wonderful things of your wedding and really do hope that you are enjoying Boston together. Sammy G...I had no idea that you were getting married, and you, probably more so than anyone else who I reference are the least likely to come upon this, but if you do, congrats. I will be in Holland in 4 weeks.

Cassie and I went to my first NFL game, which happened to be Brett Farve's first game with the Minnesota Vikings. To clarify, I think I would not go again. The tickets were given to us, they were $83 tickets. The view was not that good, and I will debate with anyone, the benefit of watching a football game at home as compared to at a stadium, and will also...oh I just do not really care that much.

But anyhow, that also gave us sometime with you Adam, I hope you are enjoying Calvin. Adam came to visit on a whim. We went to the game and I showed him how I am roasting coffee beans now. That reminds me...Mathew Kunnari! I will only say this one more time, you should really get started on these beans...I just bought some Brazilians...wonderful...the bean would love this, along with your wonderful home baked goods!

I did join facebook recently, but only in order to speak with a wise gentleman from Peru. There have been temptations, Brielle, thanks for the invite, I almost befriended you, but I do hope that you are enjoying your new job, and I hope that you are meeting all kinds of wonderful grandiose people, and I am jealous that you saw evert, but thankful that I got to catch and glimpse of his handsomeness in the photo you took, oh and Matt too.

Carmella offered some poignant observations that remind me of something I forgot. Namely, that Cassie has been training for the twins cities marathon. A marathon is 26.2 miles because a guy named marathon ran 26.2 miles to deliver a message and then died. But anyhow, that has been really time consuming, but she is doing well and I look forward to cheering her on with friends and family on October the 4th. Also, Carmella mentioned the now legal, but soon illegal clove, which is not happening until the 22nd here in the nether regions. I am tempted to stock up, but am sort of crossing my fingers that I may just be able to walk in on the 21st right before closing time, and say something like, "how much you want for everything that you have there."

On that fitness note, I think I am now going to go to the gym before work, I will then shower, go get some coffee...finish the brothers karamazov--yeah thats right Ross, I am almost done. Also, I should mention that I am now working again, at an inner city school with at youth risk and loving that opportunity as I try to redeem that square inch--with the power of God of course--just thought I would end with a good old Dordt reference.

402,625,766

the train moves past at marvelous speeds as blurs of white whizz by our eyes. a day filled with laughter and awe at human existence and design. we marveled at the Guthrie as we toured its many passage ways and stared out toward the stone arch bridge. the water tickling its feet as the wind and sun danced upon our shoulders. the city was full of people. interesting people who endured our assessments. a mother who slapped her daughter, a young woman, who's Reubens covered more of her skin than her clothes, a large white man singing Marley on the mall. the sights created a whirlwind of questions. we as a human race have done much. we have built magnificent structures, written beautiful pieces of literature and posed questions of ourselves that we cannot even understand; and yet we kill. thousands of bodies, over 180,000 lie at the fort, who died fighting for freedom. at least this is what we are told. the history books demand that the perspective remains, that a fight for freedom continues, one that is a part of who we are and who they were. at some level this cannot be denied. i would not say it is my duty, but I do feel indebted to those bodies, the men who never saw their children born or grown, those women whose womb never carried. and yet, I cannot help but ask--could there not have been a better way? could we not have developed a better solution than to take up arms against others in the defensive or offensive position? we can do many a great thing, but for some reason we have failed to create a solution to what may be the greatest tragedy we have ever faced. our failure to end war, to end genocide, to end famine and all other crimes against humanity continue. the fort in Minneapolis offers just a small glimpse into the devestation we have created as the sights and sounds of humanity, the wonders we create, are drowned out by the lives screaming for us to stop, for us to learn, for us to remember. maybe a fight for freedom is not about fighting, but is about talking. using our God given abilities to assess and compromise. but maybe conversation is just to esoteric. abel understood Cains gripe, right? i guess it is just easier to shoot someone, slice open a head, as compared to sitting down, educating ourselves, seeking resolution that respects all of humanity and the Creator of it.

Pandora

I thought this would be interesting
typed in Neutral Milk Hotel
-heard a live rendition
-Iron and Wine--skipped it--sometimes those thumb down tabs are so handy
-Elliot Smith-love it and let them know
-Neutral Milk Hotel--April 18th
-The Postal Service
-Simon and G-funk
-The Shins
-Elvis Perkins-"It's only Me"--pretty good I think I will find out more about him
ok I am getting sick of relating my listening experience.

remember

Shelby Foote, in a recollection of the Civil War speaks on the issue of history. He argues that history is no past, but is a story of the present. In the present we are called to remember the history that came before. Thus, when speaking of the battles fought, the movement to save the union and free the slaves we become a part. We are called into history, to carry on the lives lived and lost and in doing so continue the story. You and I become a part of the history that has become a part of who we are. If we fail to carry on the story in a correct movement we fail the movement to make right what was once so wrong. The story of the 50's and 60's continues the history staked out in colonialism, the slave trade, the civil war, the crow laws of the South and the economic turmoil of the North. Likewise we must realize that our faith story is a piece of history in the present. The calling to follow after God and respond in a praiseworthy manner to God's faithfulness throughout herstory remains valid in our times just as much as in the time of Peter, Moses and Creation. Our story builds and the great witnesses of old become a part of our story. The women and men of faith, their witness is all for naught if we fail to continue the story, to pass the story on to friends, nephews, nieces and those we meet. Thus, Abraham is, the cloud of God remains, Manna falls every morning. We should not forget.

ACNMH

Having heard AC last year with Ross, and having felt inner pain, I now present a link to what I am considering to be the best album I have felt so far this year:AC Washington D.C. There are other interesting happenings in the world of music currently NMH as we continue to remember a band and their message of reconciliation and destruction.

Happy 5th of May

In the celebratory spirit that is cinco de mayo I offer up this unabridged recipe from Amanda von Meijenfeldt-Vanderploeg. I thought that maybe some of you may be looking for a memory and a great tasting dish on this delightful Tuesday.


I think one kilo bag of black beans should be enough for 8 ppl. If you want to be sure, do one and a half. Make sure you look through the beans for cracked beans (which can give the soup a dusty flavor) or for stones (some packaging companies aren't very picky about what goes in the bags). Put the beans in you biggest soup/stew pot and fill with water (if needed, divide between pots; make sure there is enough room for water, roughly a 1 to 4 ratio). Add about half a teaspoon of salt (you might need to add more later, depends on what you like). Add a finely diced clove of garlic (or more if you want). Cook the beans on low/medium heat; it shouldn't boil, just let it simmer. In the meantime, cut up a half a kilo or a full kilo of pork (depending on how meaty you want it) into small chunks and throw the meat in; the longer it cooks with the beans, the softer it gets... The whole thing should cook for at least 4 hours. Make sure to add water regularly cause the beans absorb the water like crazy and it can become a thick mess; you can let it get as thick as you want, but generally speaking, more water is better. When the beans are soft, its ready.

To add:
tomatoes: about one per person
cilantro: i dunno, a good bunch
radishes: one per person, maybe, but people tend to not eat those quickly, so maybe less
lime: half a lime per person might be enough, maybe get some extras
one onion
2 to 3 avocados

Tortillas: corn tortillas are the best with black beans; personally, flour tortillas and black beans is a disgusting mix...but maybe thats just me... 2 to 3 tortillas per person was always more than enough for or group. Heat in the oven, according to directions on the package.

Rice: cook seperately, in whatever way you cook rice (i am finding out that there are as many ways to cook rice as there are cooks); roughly 1/4 to 1/2 a cup per person.

Of course, black bean soup is best with a cold corona and lime.