Asher Lev

"How much can I care about Jewish life in New England circa 1940s?"  This is generally how I feel when I start trying to read a Philip Roth book, which is just what I was going through last year, and I expressed just that sentiment to Bonnie.  But his year aren't I singing a different tune.  I just got done with My Name is Asher Lev, which deals in part with Jewish life in New England in the 1940s.  Fascinating.  And I know I would probably appreciate the Roth books if I made it through them--but so far his work goes down as the prize winning stories I can't seem to finish.

Anyway, I'm looking for more Asher Lev.  Chaim Potok, the author, whose birth date was yesterday, wrote a sequel, and he also wrote other books I am interested in reading now.  He also lived in Korea for a while.

We are in Louisiana now, eating boiled shrimp, pulled pork po boys (this is the non-vegan part of my diet) and watching the eagle cam.

Head Spin

Oh Google.  You've done it again with your Valentine's doodle.  And really, this must be the greatest day, for it has brought forth such marvels.  Like my wife Bonnie, who is so marvelous it will make your head spin.

When I was a graduate student at LSU, I caught a Japanese name on my roster.  And it wasn't a first name, but a Japanese middle name.  So I thought, aha, someone with ancestry of  心 and 修.  And I saw that with a first name like Bonnie and a last name like Bourg (I was pronouncing it to myself like the Star Trek pseudo-race), I was at once fascinated.

Then I saw this Bonnie in my class.  And it wasn't exactly the Bonnie of today, but a thinner younger version with a styled zebra hairdo and a navy styled purse/booksack.  And when she spoke, out came this speech which hid no morsel of the Japanese language at all.  I continued to be intrigued.

And then, of course, Bonnie was the best student, and she brought me a gift of grapefruit, and we talked after class and at tutorials sometimes.  For those of you who know the story, you know that although there were sparks of intrigue and fascination, no romance lit up in those days.  Another turn around the sun was to pass before our time was to come.

And come it did.  Because one day I decided I needed to meet more people like me--a green boy in a red state.  So I found out about a local meeting of Greenies.  And I went.  And I met another Bourg.  Who could not be related to the other Bourg I knew--but of course, she was.  And it gave me a great chance to look up Bonnie, email her, and invite her to what else but a meeting of politically concerned citizens.

From there it was a hop, skip, and a jump into dating.  And from there it was a stone's throw into talking about marriage, since Bonnie fit the stringent criteria one should have for a mate.  And then there was a trip together to and around Idaho, over the meadow and through the woods.

When we returned to Louisiana, it looked like the end for us, however, as we grew bickery and bothered and decided to split ways.  However, in a twist of fate not unlike God sending manna for the early Hebrews, our relationship was salvaged when we found out a new life was formed.

And salvaged it was!  Because we got married right away, and what a wonderful marriage it has been.  At least for me.  Poor Bonnie, on the other hand has endured the junk parts that God welded her to.  But she does so with such grace.  And the wonderful children we have borne has increased our blessings in an incredible way.  Thank you Bonnie!  Happy Birthday and Happy Valentine's Day!

3s, Fs, and other things

First, the numbers.  It should be noted that today, the 34th day of the year, is the last day that I will be 33.  Yesterday deserves mentioning because it was the 33rd day of the year, and on this year and every leap year there are 333 days remaining on that day.  So even though it was 2/2/12 it was really a day of threes.  Especially for 33 year old me.  A year and a day away will be by golden birthday again, for it will be the 35th day of that year, and I will be turning 35, godwilling that I shall live another year and a day.  But today is a day of Fs, for it is a fantastic Friday in February, and the only change to make it effier would be if it were Friday, February fourth.  For now, let us forego frivolities and field more fitting affairs:

We've been going to Wednesday church activity nights for the past year or so.  Before we would frequent these when available, going to Lenten soup suppers or other series.  Well, the current series is a nice 5 month commitment of reading the bible narrative as The Story.  It is a pleasant way to read it, and we're in a cozy group of eight plus discussing, these days, the allegience of Ruth to Naomi and Naomi to her people and her people sometimes to God and sometimes not.  Et cetera.  The church we've been going to, St Dunstan's Episcopal Church, has been one of the greatest things about our life in Texas.

Of course, friends and family also factor vastly in our life quality, and that goes for those of you far and near, thanks to telecommunications, the Internet, and brainwaves.

Our little family is like this.  There is me, husband, father, teacher, and dreamer.  There is Bonnie, mother, wife, homemaker, craft doer, and dreamer.  And there are our three little ones, dreamers all.  What are we dreaming about these days?  Maybe taking a drive to Alaska in our new 12 year old van Pearl.

Orry is ahead of his expected cognitive development, and faring well with mom in homeschool, where we are using curriculum guides we have found and some workbooks and other materials to put together material that is stimulating and enjoyable for him.  

Isaac made some leaps and bounds this past month in his language and articulation of ideas and expressing himself.  He is also growing well and is really a little helper around the house.  We await more lab results regarding his IBD and things are looking pretty good for now... no new news, which is good news.  So far we are pretty pleased with the results of his brainwave optimization treatments, but we don't know yet to what extent.

Annie continues to grow and learn.  She can really throw a tantrum, but more often than not she's a little angel.

Have a wonderful weekend!

30 on the 30th!

Happy Birthday, Dear Sister!  Happy Golden Birthday.  30 on the 30th.  I do hope the rest of your life is more Golden than the short 30 years you've logged in so far.  But, for memory's sake, let us recall some adventures, like the game Kitten, that may entertain and delight us.

I remember the announcement of your gestation, when we referred to you as Sibling, and we shouted and danced with glee and sang about goody goody gumdrops and spelled out H-A-P-P-Y.  Or maybe this was when Telcia was on the way--maybe our mother can confirm.  But Trent and I were happy to have another playmate, to be sure.

In the little rock house where you and I first lived we were oftentimes chided to "leave the baby be!" by Mrs Musgrave who nannied us.  I don't remember much from those early years until we got to the Jerome farmhouse.  There I remember the classic game of tying a bathrobe belt or regular belt into a lariat and convincing you to step into the portal to an exciting new world.  Cinching the belt around your ankles and trapping you never got old, even though we had to always think of new ways to convince you to step into the rope.

Unfortunately we also would tell you that the perpetrators of those childish pranks were monsters who had taken our places, and in this way we exonerated our trespasses in your eyes, so that new trust would be given, in order to be exploited later.  Sometimes I wonder about the effects of sibling abuse but love you all the more for managing to survive your young years and not hold against us the transgressions of our wicked ways.

Didn't the car door get slammed on your fingers at church one morning?  Didn't we leave you at church another day?  Other memories of our youngest years have faded into the fog of nostalgia.  Although I do remember when you and Telcia started getting matching wedge haircuts, and I remember lots of softball practices and also how you became in charge of washing dishes eventually.  Didn't we also have lots of after school snacks together like frosting on graham crackers and apples and peanut butter and chocolate chips.

When I was away in college you were awesome in everything at school, and still in charge of all the dishwashing.  There were lots of Banbury's trips by now, and then also you were working with Lisa, and making your way in the world.  And then when you went away to college.  Working at the summer camps had gotten big for you, and then you became a Harley girl and then there was Eddie and little Jade to sweep you off your feet.  Then there were the early years of that.  Before you got married I also remember our last hurrah as siblings in Island Park.  Snow.  Siblings.  Sweet Potatoes.  Oh my.

I remember being at the hospital just after Malee was born, and holding her when she was so tiny.  Then I remember meeting you with Bonnie in American Falls when Malee was just standing up.  Now all of my kids are older than that, and you've got a handful more!  We had a good time when you all came down to our wedding, and we've had good times at your older place in Boise as well as visiting you at your recent place.
We've also been able to catch you in the magic valley and had a good walk with you just last month.

I love you Tawna!  Happy Birthday!

Knute Heldner again

I do believe I will be able to keep you more current, these days.

I cut my hair yesterday.  I find that while losing my hair, it takes more maintenance to look better than it did back in the day when almost anything looked good or stylish or both.  I need to cut the sides of my hair more often now, for they far outgrow the hair on top.  And while I was at it I trimmed the sides of my face as well, so that I have a face not unlike some of your conjured images of the devil.

And if you need to know what I mean, just google images of the devil and you'll see that long pointy chin.  But it is not that mysterious why Satan has such a long pointy chin or often comes with a beard, because that beard comes from the devilish caprine animal and is otherwise known as a goatee.  Now, goats can be mischievous rascals, but western civilization has borrowed much from mythologies where Pan and Bacchus (or their ilk) and their carnal and celebratory ways are identified with the lustful ungodliness of the devil.

Now, to clarify, I do not have a goatee.  Just a beard trimmed kind of triangular.  But it makes me look sort of like I have a long sharp face.  I once again have that Knute Heldner look:

And if your curious not only about what I look like on the outside, but also what I look like on the inside, let me paint that picture for you as well.  That looks like this:

Or perhaps:

minus the Presenter Media part.

Anyway, maybe you get the picture and maybe not.  But the cryptic meaning is that I just don't know for sure about my future at present.  I actually wrote a lot out but then saved the goodies for a later date when I can write more freely.

The best things in my life right now are the things easily taken for granted.  The kids, the wife, the home-cooking.  And no hangnails or fungal itches.

Thank you for reading!

giving blood

Happy new year.  Here it is: 2012.

On Sunday I gave blood for the first time in 2012.  Then I went to church and "gave blood" as a chalicer.  It was my first time doing that in a regular church service.  To be honest, I was a little nervous.  But it went just fine and I look forward to doing it again on February 5th, when I will have been breathing 78% nitrogen for 34 complete years.  And a day.

winding to an end

The semester is winding to an end, thankfully.  I want to have more time to inspire these students to greater success, of course, but in the end we all have the same 24 hours in a day that was used by Galileo, Edison, and Benjamin Franklin.  And Marie Curie and Mother Teresa and Oprah.  I have been working a pretty good balance of work and home for the last 2 months, but I still sense an internal imbalance that has more to do with stress and failure than it has to do with time spent at work.

I am terribly excited about our big roadtrip back to Idaho this month.  What I can't believe is that it's been more than two years since I've been in that exceptional state.  I finished a book yesterday, which was pretty good, but I was especially thrilled on the last page--you know, when it tells about the author--and the author and his brood lives in the state of Idaho.

When delicious raspberries were on sale recently, we stocked up on them and devoured them like North Pole elves devour gumdrops.

I am looking forward to a yet unknown adventure this weekend.  The weather is perfect!  Details forthcoming.