Scribble and Scrambles - A Mother's Sigh

I find the picture of baby porcupines to be the perfect accompaniment to a post about mother pain.

A mother sees the tiny exposed tender underbelly of her child and does what she can to protect it. While the child, especially when reaching a certain age, embraces the quills and doesn't hesitate to use them.

One mother I know struggles with a child who is ill. Very ill. Tender underbelly. The same mom is fending off quills from another child who doesn't quite know how to express fear and sorrow appropriately.

Another mother has raised her family and has opened her home to foster children. After three not-so-wonderful situations she is the unpaid babysitter for a child who was returned to an unhealthy home environment. Did I mention my friend got the baby at mere days of age and had to return the child the day before the first birthday. Now, my friend is willing to do what she can to give this baby a glimpse of love and hope. The few words the child knows are crass and four letter.

Another mother just let go of a little birdie, er...porcupine, who really has no business leaving the nest. This mom envisions a whole season of hard-earned lessons for her baby.

I see this in my own set of two parents. Good grief, I have gray hair (yes, X-ta, more than 25%) yet my parents, and my husband's parents have come to our rescue, given us advice, bandaged us up and sent us out the door again. More often than not, they've nursed a quill wound before the crisis is over.

Sigh.

I want my children to grow up and become the potential that lurks inside of them, begging to get out. But I know that they have to find their own way to that place of wisdom and contentment.

My respect level towards the generation before mine has grown by leaps and bounds. I hope my parents can see a glimpse of wisdom and grace within me.

Pass me the bandages and quill snippers, would ya?

Super Cinema Saturday ~ Juno

I'm going to drop by with some movie reviews now and again. I think I'll pick Saturdays so I can call them Super Cinema Saturday. How's that for clever. And speaking of clever...here is the first offical SCS review.

click on the picture to visit Amazon's Juno page.

Description: Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is a cool, confident teenager who takes a nine-month detour into adulthood when she's faced with an unplanned pregnancy-and sets out to find the perfect parents for her baby. With the help of her charmingly unassuming boyfriend (Michael Cera), supportive dad (J.K Simmons) and no-nonsense stepmom (Allison Janney), Juno sets her sights on an affluent couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) longing to adopt their first child.

My Review:

Juno is one of the most talked about movies of the year, hailed by some, scorned by others. I had the chance to watch it a couple of days ago. Sometimes I feel the need to write a review right away, other experiences compel me to stew over what I read or watched. Juno is a stew movie.

For starters, I'm going to warn cautious parents of young teenagers and tweens to view it before letting their kids loose with Juno. This film is a typical coming of age movie in that sexuality is a very strong theme. Several sexual comments, body part comments and situations that feel inappropriate and seem headed toward a creepy place, pepper the film. There is no overt sexual activity, but there are scenes with clothing being removed and obviously naked, strategically placed persons. Though the cussing is less than I expected, some coarse comments are made in some unexpected scenes. I believe the f-bomb appeared once as a non-verbal and once as a verbal. There are other smatterings of language that are pretty low-key. The screenwriters apparently believe the statement..."cussing shows you lack creativity."

That said, I can now tell you what I loved about the film. The characters are quirky, engaging and people I would likely grow to call friends. Juno plays fragile/tough/transparent and naive all in the typical adolescent roller coaster. She's creative, cynical and fresh. I loved Juno's sarcastic, dry dad and her off-the-wall stepmother. The family, dysfunctional in a loving and bizarrely respectful way, works and radiates a borderline healthy relationship. Juno's confidence and convictions are innocent and sweet and make her character multi-dimensional in all the right ways. Her support system is a delight to watch as they help her through things that are, as stated by Juno, way beyond her maturity level.

Juno's opening credits are creative, a blend of reality and animation that gives a hint that the filmmakers will deliver a visually satisfying film. They do. The dialogue is fabulous. Fans of Napoleon Dynamite might want to check out this meatier, edgier slice of cinema. Fans of Dan in Real Life will probably find much to like in the characters interactions. If you like to laugh and tear up within the same movie, check out Juno.

Scribbles and Scrambles - A Year of Forwards in Review

I'm hard at work cleaning out my e-mail. I have saved some frightening things. I alternate between scratching my head in confusion and laughing out loud at the stuff I've forgotten.

Here are some highlights.




Yeah, hook this clumsy chick up with some of those bad boys.









Very creative. Hey, is that my van?

Happy Spring!!!!!









I'm sure there will be more of these little gems...stay tuned.

Scribble and Scrambles - Let Them Eat Toast

We are conditioned to think that LITTLE kids are the ones with all the cute phraseology and har, har moments. But my big kids still have it.

I tend to like character studies and intricate detail in my books, movies and music. Simple is key, so no dissertations on the complexities of the tsetse fly mating ritual. But I also crave depth on some level.

The Body Farm at the University of Tennessee fascinates me. I don't think I ever want to go on a field trip and give it a look-see or scratch and sniff test but the idea, the details, wow. It's kind of a spiritual zing for me. How cool is my God Who created blood that pools a certain way in certain conditions telling a story about what happened?

I didn't care for my psychology professor so much, but he assigned the book, "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat." Full of amazing brain malfunctions in still functioning people, and I became amazed with the idea that left could disappear completely, or that proper word choices don't necessarily make it to the mouth. (Ah. So that's my problem.)

My taste in books, movies and music reflects this. Hmmm ,I think I'll call this quality, curiosity, or maybe the sense of absurd. You can call me Abby. As in Abbynormal.

We rented the movie Once a few weeks ago. I watched it first, and then tried to describe it to the others. My family peppered me with questions and finally came out and asked, "Will I like it?" I found myself recommending it to each of them, and yet at the same time warning them away. The obvious issue was the extremely F-word-inated dialogue. Not my favorite word and it shares top billing with the music. However, if you can overlook it, the story is great.

My twenty-one-year-old finally said. "Okay. Is this one of those watch them make toast movies?"

Ha. That's it.

I love the dailiness of life when I connect with characters.

Make all the toast you want, guys, as long as you are doing something else that fascinates me! This sums up my appetite. No, not so much toast, though I do homemade oatmeal toasted with a smear of butter. But my appetite in what I devour in the arts. Give me a fascinating quirk to unearth and I'll watch you make toast for hours.

Serials and Scenarios - Generation Next Marriage

Visit Tricia's blog where she chooses a comment a week to win a free book of winner's choice. So if Generation NeXt Marriage looks fab, but the funds are limited, get really wordy at Tricia's place and who knows, you may hold it in your hot little hands in no time. Click on the book cover to visit the Amazon page.

Book Description:

Do you still find yourself humming the love songs of the 80s and 90s?

Do you still believe that every marriage should be between soul mates?

But...do you wonder how you can succeed at love and marriage when the generation you grew up in didn’t?

Marriage isn’t what it used to be–it can be better than ever.If you are a Gen Xer, your marriage has challenges and potentials that no other generation has known. A Gen Xer herself, Tricia Goyer offers realistic help to achieve the God-honoring marriage you long for. She includes…

•Ways to protect your marriage despite the broken relationships modeled in your youth

•Stories, suggestions, and confessions from fellow Gen Xers facing the “What now?” question of real-life marriage

•Advice from the ultimate marriage survival guide: the Bible

•Stats, quizzes, sidebars, and study questions related to this “relationally challenged” time in history

•Practical helps for negotiating kids, work, sex, money, and dirty laundry–sometimes all in the same evening

If you are part of a generation of adults who don’t want to bow to their culture or live and love like their parents did . . . this book is for you.

My Review:

Tricia Goyer is back to talk the the Gen X'ers on her most important topic yet. She does an excellent job of getting the message across. Her format is sound bite easy to read. A perfect book for the uber-involved who read in snippets while escaping into the bathroom for some peace and quiet, or while waiting for soccer practice to end.

Being on the early, early edge of Generation X, some of what she shared didn't quite hit the mark with me, especially some of the music she quoted. But during the beginning years of my marriage and child raising, I became aware of the soundtrack for the Gen X'ers and the heartbeat of the generation sounds loud and clear throughout the book. Many of the issues that Tricia covered apply to most generations. So don't let a lack of immersion in the 80's/ 90's culture become a reason to avoid reading what Tricia shared, or for ignoring the truth that needs to be considered.

I appreciate Tricia's honesty. In Generation NeXt Parenting I considered Tricia an expert. Good grief, she homeschools and writes books and... well, you get the picture. But Tricia paints some not so flattering self-portraits in Generation NeXt Marriage that should endear her to an entire generation of wives. Thanks for your transparency, Tricia. And thank John for his willingness to allow your marriage to be placed under a microscope.

I am a firm believer in investing your money into your marriage since marriage is the framework you build on the foundation of Christ. What are you building, a ranch, a modular, a mansion or a shack? Don't buy the book if you have no intention of using it to guide your own growth and change. Don't buy it for your spouse, either. After all, you may be the only book your spouse chooses to read, so without your change, the message is lost.

If you are tired of doing the same old and getting the same old results, you might find it very useful to look at how culture and your early years have shaped you.

Scribble and Scrambles - Saturday Musings Whilst I Wait

I'm going to a baby shower today. My family and extended network of people seem to be raining babies. Today we celebrate number three in the last seven months. This little soon-to-be-born-one is a male (I've seen the evidence -- ultrasounds are pretty cool.)What a miracle babies are, and what a sign of hope.

So while I wait for a very sleepy teen to crawl out of bed (yes, it is 12:39 p.m. as I type this and she is still in bed) and for adult working daughter to get off of work, I thought I'd share some random thoughts.

Wednesday night was a college age post-church gathering. (I have no idea why I was there...maybe they think something might rub off on me. ) Our interim youth pastor, the only male present, played on the putting green for awhile then joined the females for the food. The brownies turned out a little different than usual because they were baked in a convection oven. My daughter-in-law is an appliance expert so she explained the difference between convection and traditional ovens. The youth pastor listened, added a few words and then grew silent.

As the conversation moved on he leaned forward. "Hey, you know if you stand to close to a convection oven you'll feel guilty?"

All eyes turned toward him. "Huh?"

He smiled. "Oh, no, that's a conviction oven." Then he laughed.

I think I like this guy.

As we draw closer to tax day I'm finding it a little harder to embrace reality with joy and contentment. After shedding a few tears in a mini-meltdown last night, I've decided I need to focus on today, one day at a time.

So, today, I know the sun is shining behind the clouds. I know that God is in control and that He loves me. I know that He has solutions and plans that my mind can't even begin to ponder. Even though several things like foundering businesses and lack of steady money and big tax bills due are hanging over our heads, I'm trusting that God will provide. He has been for three months. Every bill we have has been paid even though we are lacking at least a third of our usual income. Trust me, this is a miracle.

Thanks, God, for the miracles You are providing, and thank You that you will see us through this thing that seems so huge but is in reality, compared to you, nothing. Thank you for laughter and for babies and for hope.

I hope you experience God's abundant blessings this weekend.

Serials and Scenarios - Family Squeeze

Though I'm not quite sandwiched between teens and ailing parents, I laughed and cried my way through this book.

One reviewer recommended it to anyone between the ages of forty and sixty. I think I'd extend it another half a decade on each end. (Click on the book cover if you want to find out more about Family Squeeze and here for Phil Callaway.)

Book Blurb:

You’re in the “Middle Ages”–sandwiched between the “greatest generation” and the “gimme” generations, busily juggling both with no relief in sight. Children are driving, and parents are not. Money is tight and so are your favorite jeans. And things that never ached before are beginning to give you trouble! For every baby boomer who wonders if it’s possible to navigate the Middle Ages with grace and style, Phil Callaway offers plenty of hope and a little hilarity, too. Because there’s nothing like a smile to make wrinkles less noticeable.

My Review:

Phil Callaway has been called "the Dave Barry with a message." The label fits.

Humor, some tongue-in-cheek, some outright roll-your-eyes corny, some hysterical, blended with self-depreciation, or sadness, or loss fills chapter after chapter of a poignant read. Chicken soup flavored short segments with more humor and more hope, even for those not facing the exact situation of teens and adult parent squeeze that hits many mid-lifers.

Callaway met my expectations. Each story works as a stand alone and together paint a picture of a loving, nutty, respectful family. As a whole I'd describe Family Squeeze as less side-splitting hilarity and more humor that stops the reader and causes self-inspection, a flood of memories or a tiny fragment of hope.

Callaway honestly paints his life, not sparing himself from the harsh light of truth where his own flaws are concerned. The he whips around to a lesson that penetrates reader thoughts and attitudes.

Entertaining and uplifting words that stick. Family Squeeze is a book for caregivers, or those who need to laugh, or those who care to live a life that makes a difference.