Meritas's Xanga

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:14:56 GMT

[steady as she goes]

[the road to the hake retreat in Northern Pennsylvania]

Patrick Henry is comfortable now. Like a well worn sneaker. Not that I generally wear sneakers, but you know, if I did. There's always a few rough spots along the way. It's sort of like living with family. They drive you crazy, but you love them all the while. You know, I think I've finally caught my stride here. I'm feeling pretty settled in Political Theory major—the switch was a good decision I'm not the sharpest tool in the philosophical shed, but I feel like I've found a niche. I planned our Theory Retreat this year, which was an adventure. We finally did make it though. Three locations and one car accident later. It was the most wonderful, relaxing weekend of the whole semester. But then, good company and fresh country air are always a pleasure, aren't they?

The Boy

[Andrew and I in Old Leesburg]

Andrew and I celebrated our one-year anniversary on November 10th. January will mark two years since we first met. Where did the time go? Seems like last week we were planning the Freshman Social, writing FIHRRs, and laughing at all those well-meaning matchmakers. Apparently they were all right and we we're the last to know. Nowadays you can find us hiding upstairs at Blackberry's, sipping mugs of Black and Tan and studying—or not studying, as the case may be. After all, good coffee and conversation are just a few of my favorite things. And with my favorite person? Just the best ever.

It's a Wing Thing—You Wouldn't Understand

[me and the wing at the freshman social]

I love being an RA. Is this actually supposed to be a job? You know what they say, love what you do and never work a day in your life. I love having girls knock on my door at all hours of the day...and night. Whether it's to talk for an hour, or just to get the key to the supply closet. For a girl who never had sisters, having these girls is a absolute treat. I came into this wanting to be a blessing to them, but they have blessed me seven times over. Thank you girls!
_______________________________________________________

Bundt Cake for Beginners:

The day I discovered the bundt cake I knew I would never return to the frustrating world of pies again. Easy, but elegant, the bundt cake is omni-appropriate—the little black dress in your pastry closet. Effortlessly beautiful, she’s that lip-gloss-and-go girl who waltzes into your 8 am logic class with nothing more than powdered sugar and a smile and puts your artfully frosted layer cake to shame. Dear hearts, why do battle with pastry tips and pretense, marzipan and masquerade? Give the bundt cake a chance, and you won’t be let down.

This moist cinnamon pecan recipe comes from my Aunt Nancy and was my first foray into the world of bundts. It became an instant hit everywhere I took it, so now I always keep the ingredients on hand for last minute potlucks and surprise visitors.

Cinnamon Pecan Swirl:

Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box instant vanilla pudding

Four eggs

¾ cup oil

¾ cup water

1 tsp vanilla

Nut filling:

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tbs milk

½ tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray the Bundt pan with Pam. Beat all of the cake ingredients together at high speed, adding the eggs one at a time. Mix together the nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Pour half of the cake batter into the pan, then sprinkle the filling evenly over all. Pour the rest of the batter over the filling and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the pan cool for 10 minutes, and then flip it onto a nice platter.

Decoration is up to you. Use this glaze recipe to create a Pollock-eque spackle job, or just sprinkle on some powdered sugar. Garnishing with a houseplant ala My Big Fat Greek Wedding is appropriate, but entirely optional. To mix things up a bit you can replace the vanilla pudding with lemon, coconut, pistachio, or just about anything you can think of. Pecans are my favorite, but really any nut will do. For a denser cake that can handle fruit, chocolate, and just about anything else you can throw at it, ask for my Marshall Field's Sour Cream Bundt recipe. Enjoy!
_______________________________________________________

From Snowy St. Cloud Minnesota,
Over the river and through the woods,

To wherever you may be

This is the Savvy Socialite,

Wishing you a Happy New Year

Meredith

Footfalls echo in the memory, down the passage which we did not take
towards the door we never opened, into the rose-garden. My words echo,
Thus, in your mind. -Burnt Norton, T.S. Eliot

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 01:51:55 GMT

[summer]

spain

[Leila and I in Avila]

What to say about six weeks in Spain? A good experience, but I am ever so glad to be home. Michael Buble says it so well, "May be surrounded by, a million people I, feel all alone, just wanna go home." If not for Leila, Andrew, Dad, and all those people praying for me back home, those six weeks would have felt like six years. Did I make friends? Many. Did I see lots of pretty sites? Enough catherdals make my heart sing. Did I study hard and learn a lot? Passed the exams with flying colors. Did I eat, drink, and be merry? Enough postrees y cafe for three people. But Dorothy has the last word on this one. "There's no place like home."

Guatemala Still

[Becky, Kelsey, and I at the Guatemala Picnic]

The Guatemala weekend is ever the highlight of my summer. Steve came from Dallas, Becky and Megan from Guatemala, and everyone else from their corners of Minnesota. It was an entire weekend of festivities--the picnic, the reception, the golf tournament. It was so much fun to catch up with my staff girls--chat in campo spanish, crack inside jokes, and laugh about times gone by. There's sort of a missionary syndrome that every staff member gets--a sort culture shock--seeing and experiencing things that you'll never be able to explain to the folks stateside. However different the paths we may take, these girls are my kindred spirits. Who know where "pulmones" really are. Who are eternally thankful for hot showers. Who will never eat another Pringle or PB&J again. And who carry the weight of a thousand blessings of crinkly old grandmothers on their most capable shoulders. Que les vaya bien, chicas.

The Oregon Trai l

[Dad and I on the Oregon Coast]

Dad and I spent a week in Oregon with Uncle Mel and Aunt Karen. A rolling apple orchard in the Willamette Valley, the land of milk and honey for a fruit-starved midwesterner. Blueberries so thick, I could pick them by the handful. Fruit smoothies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Honey for homebaked bread, scraped right off the comb. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. We had a lovely time, roaming berry fields, walking the beach, and playing with the cousins. And of course, Dad and Uncle Mel golfed everyday. 63 holes in four days. Which is precisely 63 more than Uncle Mel had golfed in the preceeding four days. A relaxing trip altogether, and the perfect way to end a perfect summer.
___________________________________________________________
VIRGINIA

This Thursday I head back to PHC for RA training. Then Freshman Orientation, and then a new semester once again. Back to chapel cards, chicken salad, and charting my course--wherever that may be.

This time of year is always bittersweet. Leaving a home you love--but reuninting with friends much missed. The college student lives two lives. Thankfully I have people who care about me in both of them. And as long as we're on the subject, this one is picking me up at the airport.

[the boy, at GG's in Leesburg]

Junior year. Can it really be my junior year? My stars, how time flies...
___________________________________________________________

And that's the Savvy Socialite
Signing out from St. Cloud, Minnesota
Until our next broadcast from Purcellville, Virginia
Wishing you sunsets and sweet dreams,
And God bless you too

Meredith

All summer long, we sang a song, and strolled on golden sand...

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Sat, 26 May 2007 02:18:15 GMT

[two years later]

Two years gone by. Two years of Patrick Henry College. Two years of midterms I thought would kill me and papers finished just in the knick of time. Two years of mistakes made and lessons learned. Two years of friends just a few doors down, and family a thousand miles away. Of kindred spirits in unexpected places and blessings entirely undeserved. Of bridges over troubled waters--burnt, built, crossed, and otherwise. Two years of laughter and late nights. Of chicken salad, and chapel cards, and childhood way far gone. Two years gone, two to go.

Halfway there. Where did the time go?
___________________________________

[sophomore spring]

Friends

my best girls, leila and samantha, of course. laughter, tears, long walks, long talks. last minute runs to market street and minutes always well spent.

my wonderful roomie, miss lisa. bearer of country music and perrine terms and wise words for hard days. my parting gift to the graduate: and iron and a hug whenever needed.

and then this one guy. who walked into my life over a year ago. and has been there ever since. the "boy", my boy, Mr. Andrew John Tyrrell. [I miss him a ton!]

___________________________________

Classes

Hard, but good--like the whole semester really. Just 12 credits since I had to stay under 36 to study abroad this summer.

Freedom's Foundations II (Mitchell): DeTocqueville's Democracy in America + C.S. Lewis's Abolition of Man = incredible. Dr. Mitchell is amazing. Such a way with words. Wrote a paper at the end about women and mores--so much fun. I've never been so happy to be a Theory major.

Christian Political Theory (Walker): First upper level theory class...and Dr. Walker's first class period. I liked his teaching style--very meticuclous. And the final exam was application based, which I liked. The final project almost killed me...18 pages on Christianity and Capitalism...which very well might be complete garbage. We'll see. :D

History of the Western World II (Moger): It was a Moger class. What else can I say? He's definitely batting for the students...which I appreciate. Who else would storm the registrar's office on behalf of students mired in administrative bureaucracy?

History of Modern Russia (Aikman): So I ended up in this class as a fluke after getting bumped out of Music Appreciation right before classes started. Random elective, and no interest in Russia whatsoever. But Dr. Aikman is unbelievable. A British gentleman and foreign correspondent for Time Magazine, he's been the fly on the wall for every major world event this half of the 20th century. Lectures peppered with first hand anecdotes of Boris Yelstin's drunken escapades in the US and personal interviews with Alexander Solzhenitsyn--all in a British accent. Simply smashing.
___________________________________

This and That:

Made up for a light class load with all of this and that...

Bookstore: 10 hours a week behind the counter. Hours of fun. You learn a lot about yourself in part-time employment. For instance, that I love talking to people, but can't count pennies accurately to save my soul.

Glaser/Nichols: Student Body President elections in a school of type A policy wonks. A microcosm of equally cutthroat national politics. I'll have nothing to do with polticking, but Holly and I threw a fantastic kick-off event for Will and Jayce. A "garden party at twilight" theme, with citrus accents, gerber daisies floating in water, ivy, and white lights. For refreshments, lemon cream puffs, dark chocolate cake, and blueberry coffee cake, all homemade, with lemonade-ice tea punch and coffee to drink. Biggest accomplishment: making the D1 lounge look classy. If we can do that, we can do anything. And oh yes, we won. :D

Tour Guide Barbie: So, even more than throwing parties, I love giving campus tours. It's especially fun if the family is talkative and excited about the school...otherwise it can get a little awkward. And the past few weeks, I've been working with admissions and a few other students to launch a Student Ambassador program at PHC. Basically, a team to help current student reach out of prospective students. Can't wait to get t he ball rolling!

The Box Office: And randomly on the side I sold tickets for the Winter Classic skating event at Reston town center and, of course, the Liberty Ball. Never had so many people looking for me before. :D Always fun.

___________________________________

a holiday in spain

So tomorrow morning, I leave for six weeks in Spain. I'll be in Salamanca, in the Castilla and Leon region, studying, of all things, Spanish. Miss Leila Grace is coming with me, which means two-thirds of the unholy trinity will be at large in Europe. Our dearest Samantha will be interning at a local newspaper in Ohio. Also a very exotic summer destinion.

Pray for health, safety, etc...as well as Leila's prompt arrival. Passports...what a hassle those things can be.

Still packing, still packing...and I know I'm going to forget something.
___________________________________

And then there's this...

A haircut. Six or so inches. Like?

___________________________________

Love and goodnight.
And farewell to the US of A.
But only for a little while...

Miss Meredith

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Tue, 01 May 2007 01:02:15 GMT

[one fine day]

Maybe we were both born this fine day

so that when we found each other

we would know it was meant to be.

It is, if nothing else, a delightful coincidence.

Andrew Tyrrell, May 1, 1983
Meredith Schultz, May 1, 1987

[happy our birthday!]

Monday, March 05, 2007

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 00:32:41 GMT

[surprise]

Right now my Dad thinks I am on spring break in Naples, Florida with Samantha and Leila.

I'm actually at home.

The Florida plans fell through about three weeks ago. Enter Travelocity. Three weeks later I'm making potroast waiting for Dad to get back from Dallas.

He'll be surprised I think. If he doesn't have a heart attack first. That could be problematic.

Oh. And as long as we're on the subject. This one kind of caught me by surprise.

But pleasantly so.

love and goodnight,

meredith

Monday, February 05, 2007

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 11:46:45 GMT

the Elements of Style:
Edition I
________________________________________

The Little Black Dress:
Always Fabulous, All the Time

Leila, Samantha, and Meredith

Easy, understated, and always classy, the little black dress is perhaps one of most versatile pieces of clothing you will ever own. Throw on a blazer and pumps and its office wear. Add some flasy earrings and stilettos, and you're ready for a night on the town. Make it nice casual with a denim jacket.

Old Hollywood:

Banana Republic bateau-neck shift, sequins trimmed black fur shrug,

vintage chandelier earrings, and red open-toe stilettos.

The LBD comes in all shapes and sizes, but that doesn’t mean all shapes and sizes will look good on you. Find something that flatters your figure, and avoid uber-trendy styles that won’t work past next year. Your best bet is to look for something simple and unfussy that can go from casual to cocktail in four accessories or less.

Modern Retro:

J Crew v-neck sundress, white scarf, snakeskin wedges,

red leather jacket, and retro sunglasses.

And we can’t forget the accessories. The LBD is simply a canvas—accessories make it a work of art. A sassy fuchsia wrap, a vintage clutch, a flowered scarf, peridot chandeliers, red kitten heels—the possibilities are endless. But remember, less is more—if a little is good, a lot is not better. If your earrings are big and flashy, adding necklace will often overwhelm the outfit; leave it off in favor of a matching bracelet or cocktail ring. If your LBD is particularly ornate, stick with understated hair and accessories. Balance is key.

Country Club Classic:

New York and Company dress, vintage white day coat,

pearls, garnet cocktail ring, and buckle-toe pumps.

Remember, above all, that a little black dress ought to make you feel incredible. If you walk out the door feeling less than, turn around, go back to your closet, and start over. You’re fabulous. So why not look it?

Happy shopping, you classy lady you.
________________________________________

Written for January 31st edition of the Source, a Patrick Henry College Publication
Photography and Stuff byYellis
Creative Genius: Yours Truly. Of course.

And thence we came forth to see again the stars...

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 23:21:12 GMT

Well hello everyone. Long time no blog. Did you miss me?

I didn't really mean to disappear. I think I even started a blog or two. But I just never seemed to have time...and the time I did have, I wanted to spend with people, so I did. And then suddently the semester was done. I got off the plane, blinked, and somehow found myself on the good side of finals.

Alright, so maybe it wasn't that painless. But then life always feels like yesterday in hindsight, doesn't it?

The semester. What do I say about my third semester at PHC? Let's try this on for size:

I'm nowhere that I thought I be, but happy where I am.

It's funny how things happen. The things you never thought would change, do change. And then the completely unexpected drops in your lap. Nothing stays the same. I never thought I'd develop a taste for country music or come to appreciate reformed theology. I suppose just about anything can happen now.

So now I'm looking across the next few years into the rest of my life. In more ways than one. And I'm in awe of what I see. The road won't be easy. But it will be good. Because God is good. And He "leads his dear children along."

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying,
"This is the way; walk in it."
-Isaiah 30:21

Fall '06: A Semester in Snapshots

Right, so I couldn't possible do justice to the last four months with a digital camera, but a few shots of the important people and moments of the semester. Buen provecho!

Home Away From Home: My amazing roommate Lisa. Anyone who lives with me ought to be canonized for putting up with my stress and tears, both academically-induced and otherwise. Love you babe!

The Wing: The wonderful wing of girls that God put together. [From right to left, minus Christine: Molly, Lily, Christina, Cheyenne, Tia, Lisa, and Moi.]

The Muses: Samantha and Leila. Need I say more? What would I do without my two beautiful best friends?

The Freshman Social: The first dance of the semester, to welcome the incoming class. A smashing success. You can't tell from the picture, but we had almost 140 there. Great fun. Co-hosted with my perrenial dance partner, the ever cool and collected Andrew J. Tyrrell. Ask us about Costco and the tropical storm sometime.

John's House: How much do we love off-campus life? One of many relaxing evenings in a real house in a real kitchen with real food. Many thanks to the gracious host. Wassail, anyone?

Campaigning: 50 kids, four days. An experience, to be sure. I think I can indentify a house number from a mile away now. And....oh yes...she won. Boo-yah!

Moot Court: Right, so I'm not quite sure how I got myself into this one, Con Law being the scourge of my young existence. If someone wants to know how two blondes with zero debate experience stumbled into outrounds, don't ask us. Lancee, my co-counsel, is amazing. Here's to frappucinnos, pearls earrings, and border searches! My favorite quote from the tournament:

Judge: Counsel, do the dead have rights?
Lancee: [pause, deer in headlights] Well, your honor, that's a very philosophical question, and beyond the scope of this Court...

"The difference between you and me, is that I make this look good."

Thanksgiving: Leila came with me to see Mom and the Boys in Tennesee. The boys are huge! Sam is almost as tall as I am now,and Charlie is catching up fast. Mom cooked almost constantly the entire time, so Leila and I ate very well. The new house is amazing. A beautiful view of the Tennesee Valley. We even saw the actual TVA of Ashwander vs. Tennesee Valley Authority! Alright, so only Con Law students would be excited about that...

Goofing Off: Which, of course, I did none of this semester. [wink] A small tribute to big smiles, self-portaits, good friends, and the two men in my life, Ben and Jerry.

The road goes ever on: Three semester down, five to go. Not quite halfway, but well on my way. The road goes ever on...but I think its going to be a beautiful ride.

_________________________________

That's the Savvy Socialite Signing Out,
From Flyover Country, U.S.A, or Home, Rather
Wishing You Silent Night and Sweet Dreams,
And God Bless You Too.
Meredith

"God bless the broken road that led me straight to you."

Lather-Rinse-Repeat?

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 23:59:22 GMT

Why Courtship Is Not the Key

Or dating. Or "focused friendships," or arranged marriages, or shacking up, for that matter.

I've heard it all. Homeschooled, doncha know. I've read every Joshua Harris book. Attended every conference. Heard about every picture perfect, parentally-orchestrated love story, and the fifteen children that followed.

And I've seen friends recreationally date their way through highschool, and drift in and out of bed, and cheapen romantic love with casual indulgence.

I've watched couples do everything "right." Develop a friendship, involve their parents, shun physical contact, and unceremoniously self-destruct a few weeks later. And I've watched couples do everything "wrong." Base their relationship on appearance, hide everything from their parents, make-out, etc., and have precisely the same result.

So what's the deal? Why doesn't courtship necessarily work? Because, young grasshopper, it isn't about courtship. Or whatever other buzzword that conservative christianity is coining at the moment.

Try as we might, we will never get a fool proof formula out of the Bible. There is no recipe, no order of proceedings, no "lather-rinse-repeat," for the perfect relationship. One can't simply flip to the Book of Whatever, and find the biblically prescribed procedure for securing a mate. It's just not there.

Of course, there are an abundance of examples. Have your wife custom made, get one or two of your cousins, pick her out of a lineup, buy some land and get one thrown in free. So which one is it? I have no idea. Why are you asking me?

The Bible gives us principles, not particulars. Love selflessly, remain pure, honor your parents. And a hundred more. The biblical relationship is fully and completely centered on Christ - the particulars flow from this. Individual rules may constrain individual actions for a time, but do nothing to unseat the actual presence of sin in the soul. It is far better to cultivate a heart attitude of virtue than to attempt to control vice with the flimsy shackles of six-inch rules and chaperoned dates.

Lest I be misinterpreted, which I inevitably will be, I am in favor of ground rules and parameters in romantic relationships. I do not consider Christian freedom a license for immorality. If you walk away saying. "Meredith said I can make-out with my boyfriend as long as my heart is pure," you have completely missed the point of this blog. What I am saying is that good fruit comes from a good tree, and pure actions from a pure soul. Work toward one, and other will follow.

So let's stop fixating on lofty ideals and trendy christian concepts. If a couple makes it to marriage, it wasn't because the method was infallible, or because they followed the rules perfectly, but because of the amazing, merciful, and miraculous grace of God working in their lives. Courtship is not the key, Christ is.

And that's the pure truth of it.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..."

"Labor" Day Weekend

So spent my three day weekend diligently writing FIHRRs, reading ahead for Congress, and analyzing the finer points of Voltaire's Candide.

Not. I bet you didn't even believe me for a second, did you? Here's the damage.

Friday:
Andrew and I co-hosted the Freshman Swing Dance and Student Social. It kind of evolved from, "Hey, we should do something fun for the incoming class," to "Liberty Ball Lite." Suddenly it was Friday afternoon and I was wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into. So, a lost box of decorations, two-hundred cookies, and a tropical storm later, we somehow had ourselves a lovely time.

Special thanks go out to Paul-David and Andrea for the dance lesson, the host committee, everyone who helped set-up and tear down, Matt for being the chauffeur and gopher, Danielle for the impeccable decorating job, my wonderful roomie Lisa for keeping me from spiralling off into space, and, of course, Andrew, for absolutely everything. None of this would have happened without you guys!

Saturday:
Slept in until noon, fell asleep reading Candide and watched Unbreakable at Crutcher's.

Sunday:
Dinner party at John's house! Marian, John David, Emily, Kathryn, John, and myself cooked a delightful meal. Hungarian goulash, spaetzle, cinnamon bundt cake, punch, and lots of other good stuff. The joy was truly in the journey. I think we had far more fun preparing the meal and cleaning up after it than actually eating it. Nibbling on bacon, listening to jazz, dancing on the kitchen floor, and just having an all around good time. Here's to food, fun, fellowship, and actually have your own kitchen...

Room 102 Reunion

Still sassy, still smashing, and still squished in front of one mirror. Watch out world, the girls are back in town.

______________________________________

For being blessed beyond belief,
And God bless you too,
Miss Meredith

"And every dance on the kitchen floor we didn't have before..."

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Sat, 19 Aug 2006 15:29:51 GMT

A Wedding

I feel like it was just yesterday that we were dreaming about today. We were little girls, awkward and unsure. And we stayed up until 3 am talking about life and love and wedding dresses and eating too much chocolate and laughing until our sides ached. And of course, we were the "Chicks With Guns."

And now we're all grown up. We're scattered accross the country, working and studying and living life. We're learning and growing and making mistakes and meeting new people and becoming who we will be. And the time is flying by.

And we aren't just dreaming about weddings any more. Now one of us is married. I have never seen her look so beautiful. When she walked down the aisle, I had to catch my breath. And when she she said "I do," I cried. To see Jim and Cassie is to see God's hand at work. I was honored to be a part of their wedding, And I am honored to know them.

God bless you two.
_________________________________________________________

For Cassie, who found her Abraham

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
-King Solomon

All glorious is the princess within her chamber
Her gown is interwoven with gold.
-The Sons of Korah

I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation.
It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.
-Mr. Darcy

She walks in beauty like the night... And on that cheek, and o'er that brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent
The smiles that win, the tints that glow
But tell of days in goodness spent
A mind at peace with all below
A heart whose love is innocent -Lord Byron

Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting
But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
-King Solomon

My beloved is mine, and I am his.
-Song of Solomon
________________________________________________________

Love,
Meredith

P.S. Cream soup. Enjoy.
P.P.S. Sorry I don't have any good pictures of the ceremony...or any good kissing ones. I got kind of busy!

Going to the Chapel

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 13:30:47 GMT

[Addendum: 10:02 am: Hold on tight! Here we go!]

Well, this is it folks. Tomorrow, I'll be walking down the aisle.

As a bridesmaid, of course. Cassie is tying the knot. I still can't believe it. Aren't we still awkward little twelve year olds bouncing on my bed to Audio Adrenaline and making chicken kiev and talking and laughing until all hours of the night?

She is going to be a beautiful bride.

Please pray for sunny, cool weather, and that everything goes smoothly. And of course, for God's blessings on the bride and groom. There'll be a long picture post after the fact. I've been saving my upload limit all month for it.

Letter from the Editor

From Jim, my ever-genial editor...

Obviously Meredith, you need a good nagging even to tend to your own business. Your computer gizmo is still lying around on my desk and the day after tomorrow will be your last chance to retrieve it, if you can find us home even then. We are leaving on vacation and will not return until the end of August.

However, you had nice comments again about your new [Word Alone] story. Lutherans coast to coast are clamoring for you to enter the ministry. Why not? We could use a few good men, or women. We might even convert your father so he can find a nice Lutheran girl instead of all these hand-wavers.

Come and get your gizmo tomorrow before it's lost forever.

- Your Editor

[Note: the "gizmo" being my jump drive ]
____________________________________

Off to the rehearsal dinner,
To see someone I love dearly, more happy that I ever have before,
Thinking I shouldn't be listening to this song already,
Trying to figure out how I ended up with 13 cable knit sweaters,
Bracing for one difficult goodbye,
But looking forward to some joyful reunions,
And always remembering to put one foot in front of the other,
And God bless you always
Meredith

"Another summer day, has come and gone away..."