7 years!!!

I was looking at a friend's blog about it being their anniversary and I realized I never posted anything about my own!!! I had posted stuff about my anniversary on facebook but I never did a blog for it. So here goes:

Our 7th anniversary was December 22. We went to an AMAZING restaurant called 1492. It's New World Latin cuisine. It's basically really amazing Mexican food-some regular Tex-Mex and some not so regular (Justin got duck tacos in this amazing sweet chipotle sauce). And they had this white queso with chorizo in it called queso fundido that was unbelievable. Then we stayed at the bed and breakfast we always stay at, which we look so forward to every year (the Grandison at Maney Park). I just love it there-it is just the perfect place to celebrate your anniversary. The next day we say 4 Christmases, which is a really funny movie.

These 7 years have gone by so quickly! It's really cool b/c we are still as close as ever and we just seem to evolve together. And I think one of the things that has been so special is our ability to laugh together and be absolutely silly around each other. If you can't have fun together, what's the point? I'm just so grateful and proud to be married to this man who amazes me every day with his kindness, his intellect, his sense of humor, and his spirit. He has this gentle strength about him and is such a blessing to everyone who comes in contact with him. And he is the most amazing husband and father. I hope Eli grows up to be just like him.

The next city councilman of Guthrie

My husband is running for City Council in Guthrie!!!! Look out world, here he comes!

Justin is going to be doing a blog about his journey up until the election in February. I think we'll even have t-shirts and other political propaganda, so if you'd like to be part of the propoganda, let me know. It's ok if you don't live in Guthrie, you can be Justin's ambassadors to the world.

Here's his new blog:

http://electthebikeguy.blogspot.com/

Not a happy camper

I just found out that the new Harry Potter movie has been pushed back to July 2009. Something about the studio being able to make more money in the summer season. Because they don't make enough already. That is not cool at all.

NERD ALERT

I just saw a trailer for the new Harry Potter movie!!! I am so excited. I guess it comes out on November 21. I might have to read the book again. I've read the first 5 books 3 times. I started reading the 6th one for the 3rd time but didn't finish it before the 7th book came out (and I just had to read the 7th book when it came out). So I'll have to read the 6th one for a full 3rd time and then read the 7th book 2 more times to catch up with all the other ones. I told you I'm a nerd. But I LOVE HARRY POTTER!

Barack Obama Likes Wilco

Apparently Obama spoke at a music club that Jeff Tweedy and a couple other Wilco guys were playing at.

"Before these guys go, I want them to know that I had heard a rumor that they had suggested that I had nothing by them on my iPod," Obama said. "That is not true. I love Wilco."

Need I say more?

THE AVETT BROTHERS ARE COMING BACK!!!

They are coming September 10 to Cain's Ballroom. I can't believe it! We'll get to see them 2 times in one year. For those of you that aren't obsessed with them yet, you need to come to the concert. I had hardly heard any of their music when I went to the concert with the McCartys, and now almost 2 months later, I'm they are one of my favorite bands ever. I can't even tell you how good they are live. CDs and videos can't do them justice (although those are good too).

Come see them!!!

Eli's blog

Hey everyone-

I wanted to let you know I have made Eli's blog private. I have a friend that had someone basically steal her identity (they used the pictures, stories, etc. from her blog and posed as my friend on some online forums). That is really scary. So, even though it might be a pain, my blog is private now. Sorry for the trouble, but I want to protect my family.

Thanks!
Amanda

PS-I sent out invitations to read Eli's blog today. If you didn't get one, it means I don't have your email, so send it my way!

Another reason I love Stephen Colbert

While delivering a speech to the graduating class at Princeton:

"You can change the world," he said. "Please don't do that, OK? Some of us like the way things are going now."

He also won an ward from Princeton called "The Great Princeton Class of 2008 Understandable Vanity Award."

For more of Mr. Colbert's wonderful speech, read here.

Justin finally has a blog!

I'm so excited b/c my hubby finally has a blog. It's about time! He is one of those really witty writers that on occasion will throw out one-liners that will have you rolling on the floor. Go check him out. His blog is over on the right with the rest of the blog links. It's called Guthrie by Bike.

Lars and the Real Girl

Just watched this movie on Friday night. It is really, really good. If you saw the previews or read about it, it may just seem like another funny, quirky, weird movie, but this one has depth to it and is actually very touching.

Radiohead the second time around

Ok, so I saw Radiohead in concert for the 2nd time on Sunday night in Dallas. I had been kind of worried that the 2nd concert wouldn't live up to the first one, b/c the first one was a completely magical, religious experience for me (is that kind of an oxymoron, magical and religious?) Justin and I saw them in 2001 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. It was just the most incredible experience-the music, the atmosphere, everything. I liked Radiohead before I went, but after the concert, I thought they were music gods.

Skip forward to Sunday night in Dallas. First of all, we didn't the beautiful drive up the canyons/mountains to the amphitheatre. Second, we didn't get the communal "wait in line with everyone" experience, chatting and hearing Radiohead in the background doing a sound check, with the sound bouncing off the canyons. Even if we had arrived earlier in Dallas, it still wouldn't have been the same. Third, the audience had a totally different feel than the Colorado one did. I could be totally judging people on outward appearances, but the Dallas audience just seemed like a lot of them were just there to socialize. I would look at some of the "sorority girl types" and think, "you really like Radiohead?" While in Colorado (and again I am judging on outward appearances), the audience just looked like legit Radiohead fans. You know, the type that are real laidback, hippie-types, etc. (I don't think I fall into either of those categories, so I probably shouldn't judge, but it's just an observation). But I have more evidence to back up my "being there to socialize theory." When the show actually started, there were people that were just talking through the whole show!!! You are there to see the greatest band in the world, what are you doing talking the whole time?!!! And they would talk and yell during the quiet songs! I really just wanted to smack some people. If they were legit Radiohead fans, would they really be talking the whole time? Of course you are gonna make the occasional comment to the person next to you, but not the whole show and definitely not during the quiet songs. And the Dallas concert just had more people. So, to make a long story short, the atmosphere of the concert didn't come close to the one at Red Rocks.

As far as their actual show, they were still amazing. We were a little farther back this time, so we didn't quite get to see as much what they were doing, but they were still amazing. I loved how they used the lights with their songs. My favorite stuff they did was from The Bends and OK Computer. When they started playing stuff from those albums, I pretty much went crazy. I wish they had done My Iron Lung though-that was amazing last time. I also loved the stuff from Kid A-Idioteque and National Anthem. And There, There was awesome. The stuff from the new album wasn't as cool live. I think it sounds better as something to listen to at home rather than at a concert. They did an outstanding job on it, it just wasn't as meaningful to me as the stuff from The Bends and OK Computer. For some reason, I think those are the best of their albums to perform live.

I think the only thing that was cooler about the Dallas concert was they had a lot of cool concession stands and the t-shirts were awesome!!! And it was fun traveling with Greg Horton and my cousin Zach.

I think this whole experience really showed me what a difference an atmosphere can make in a concert. The Red Rocks concert was like an out-of-body experience. I remember looking behind me at the crowd in the most beautiful natural setting with canyons and mountains and seeing everyone singing the lyrics and just seeming totally entranced by the whole show. The Dallas show was not an experience to me. I looked around at the audience-some people were into, some were just hanging out. It was just a really good show.

Maybe I can't recreate the first Radiohead experience. It was my first time to see them and I didn't know what to expect, didn't know my mind would be completely blown away by them. Maybe it was just too good and so any subsequent concert will never live up to it.

But I'm going to try and get that experience again. Next time I see Radiohead, I'm going to Red Rocks. I'd rather pay the gas money and have another out-of-body experience than save the gas money and settle for a good show.

But wherever they play, they are still music gods.

The Avett Brothers!!!

Justin and I just went to see the coolest band on Sunday night in Tulsa, the Avett Brothers. We hadn't really heard much of their music, but we went with our friends Micah and Kristen and loved them (thanks guys!). They are kind of quirky bluegrassy type group. It's two brothers-one plays banjo and harmonica, one plays guitar and piano, and they both switch off on playing the drums. Their cousin is the bass player (upright mostly), and they had a cellist with them that was really cool. They were so much fun to watch. They are so full of energy and make everyone in the audience want to dance (or for those of us that are uptight white people, we bop our heads). Oh, and they have really cool harmonies, which is always a big plus in my book. Go check them out on Itunes or Myspace or look them up on the internet, whatever. Just go listen to them! I just bought their Emotionalism cd from Itunes and love it. Eli likes it too, which is cool, b/c he usually doesn't want to listen to our music.

Here is a cool video of them to give you a preview.

A cool new way to spend time with God

I found this really cool website that takes you through the typical Episcopal prayer service. It takes about 30 minutes (although you could draw it out longer or shorten it by just doing parts of it). I love it! I have always struggled with having a daily quiet time and I get excited about doing this.

It uses various passages from the Common Book of Prayer, gives you Old and New Testament passages to read, has a few short songs in there that you can actually listen to if you wish, has different prayers to pray, etc. It also has a part that is a sort of background on one of the saints, which is really interesting. One thing I really like is that it has a confession part and a thanksgiving part, two things which are so important but so easy to skip over.

Another cool thing is that each day has a different service, so you're not going through the exact same thing every day.

Click here to check it out. Click on "Click here for today's prayer service." On the left hand side, it has the whole prayer service and you click on each heading and it will take you through. It's awesome!

I love Stephen Colbert

Everyone has got to watch this video of Stephen Colbert. It is one of the funniest things I've seen in awhile. It's called King of Glory and there is dancing involved.

For my Uncle Quentin

My Uncle Quentin just passed away this week. He was an amazing man. He was one of the most gentle, yet strong men I've ever met and his spirit just radiated joy and love. I put this picture of a peach tree up b/c he was the consummate gardener. He had this absolutely beautiful peach tree in his backyard (and still does, my aunt is still at their house thankfully). His life was such a blessing to everyone he met, and we will miss him greatly.

Canasta

I just found this really cool new band on Pandora called Canasta. Check them out if you haven't already-they have a player on their website with the whole cd on it. I really like the lead singer's voice and they have lots of cool strings, especially violin! And they have some horns too (I put that in for you, Mike). I just bought their cd on itunes and I'm really enjoying it. It's very eclectic. I love finding cool new music!

City Rescue Mission

Justin and I were very fortunate to be part of a City Rescue Mission service tonight. We led worship for the service and were so blessed by the people there. After the service, we talked to some of the people. A guy came up to me who used to play viola and had actually made All-State orchestra when he was in high school. I let him play my violin, which he was really excited to do. It was sad though, b/c I wondered what made him get from being an all-state musician to being a homeless man. He alluded to drugs in his past, so that was probably what derailed him. But it was such a blessing to talk to him and let him play my violin. Justin let some of the guys play his guitar too, which they loved. It was just such a neat experience-hopefully we can start going there regularly. It would be fun if some time we could watch all of them lead worship!

Avatars at church

I just ran across something that really bothers me. And it concerns a local church that many of us are familiar with that ends in .tv. I looked at their website because I read about how people can raise their hands to be saved by clicking a button on the computer. That in itself really got to me. Accepting Christ into your life is supposed to be a life-changing experience, not a click of a button. I've always been skeptical of this church because it seems to rely so heavily on their "internet campuses." I think this whole going to church on the internet thing totally defeats the purpose of what church is supposed to be about: community and fellowship. How do you do that online? I'm sure some may say, there is an "online community," but you can't have meaningful relationships or experiences with God or other people on the computer!

So after looking at the website a little more, I saw something about "Second Life." This is the description of it:

Second Life is an Internet-based 3-D virtual world which enables its users to explore, socialize, participate in individual or group activities, and create and trade items and services from one another. In Second Life, users create avatars (3-D characters) that they use to interact and communicate with each other via a text chat (audio chat is coming soon) or by making gestures.

Using avatars to socialize and participate in activities?!!! What happened to meeting with people in person and engaging in meaningful conversation face to face? What happened to having people over to your home or going to a restaurant and hanging out? What happened to worshiping together as a community and serving others as a community?

We all need to be around others. We need human touch, we need human interaction, we need common experiences. I just don't see how this church thinks taking out what makes churches human is acceptable.

I know there are good people that go to that church and many of them probably actually meet with other church members and have meaningful conversations and experiences togther. But why would you want something so impersonal and sterile to be such a big part of your church?

Everyone is clergy.

Everyone is clergy. Everyone is called to serve,
To create, to communicate,
To participate with our good Creator
In the making and remaking of our good world.
Everyone is clergy. Everyone is called to stand,
To struggle, to suffer, to trust and to love,
And so to join in the unmaking of injustice and
In the liberation of earth from every form of sin.
Everyone is clergy. Everyone is called to holiness,
To faithfulness, to health, to growth,
To serenity and activity,
To the practices of life
In the kingdom of God.
All our daily work is holy. Every act of service,
Every deed of neighborly kindness,
Every smile or sigh, every touch or tear
Can be a sacramental act expressing the presence of the living God.
Every drop of sweat that falls in honest labor for the common good
Joins with every movement toward others
In the daily liturgy of human work.
Some are given special gifts to equip and inspire others for this daily work of faith
And labor of love.
All are channels of grace, given, received,
Shared in a symphony of many voices and instruments,
So the earth may be filled with the glory of God.
You are clergy. So am I. Together
We are called to learn God’s music of life
In the unique instruments of our bodies, our persons, our times, our settings.
Then we are sent out to play it with joy and sincerity wherever we go.
Together we are part of a truly apostolic succession:
The people of God sent into the world, generation after generation,
As Jesus was sent by the Father,
In the power of the Holy Spirit,
For the good of the world.
So let us work and rest together,
Let us play and sing together,
Let us by our faithful lives bring glory to the true and living God.
For we are all clergy
And we are all called.

-Brian McLaren

Freaky test

My friend Martha had this link on her blog. It's a test to see whether you see the dancer going clockwise or counterclockwise, to tell if you are right-brained or left-brained. At first, she was going clockwise, then counterclockwise after I looked at it again. But most of the time she was going clockwise, so I guess I'm mostly right-brained. Crazy!


http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22492511-5005375,00.html