Best Shot(s) Monday--Embrace the Blur

A week ago, I wrote a post on Shutter Sisters about How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Blur. My best shot for this week fits quite nicely with that post. I snapped this photo while chasing Cadence down our hallway. There's something about this photo that I just love (and I don't say that about too many of my photos). Sometimes, the most perfect way to capture my little whirlwind-of-a-child is like this--a total blur.

In other news, it was Ted's 31st birthday on Saturday (which coincidentally was the 6th anniversary of this here blog). We celebrated w/ a few friends and family members at an Ethiopian place called Ethiopian Diamond. It's been a long time since I've had Ethiopian, and I forgot just how delicious it is. Chicago, esp. the North side has a large Ethiopian population, so there are a number of restaurants to choose from. I think we picked a pretty good one and hope to go back.

After dinner, we headed back to our place for more libations, including shots of a really really good bottle of scotch that I bought Ted for Valentine's Day. As you can see from this photo of Erik, the scotch had its intended effect.

So is anybody else's kid suffering from sleep deficit due to the time change? I have to say, that's the last time we have a late-night gathering on the eve of a spring-forward time change. We had to be up for church the next morning, and Cadence ended up getting only 8 hours of sleep Saturday night. Ouch.

Go see more folk's Best Shot's on Tracey' Mother May I.

Love Thursday--Love Is Love Is Love (Part 1)

It's Love Thursday over on Shutter Sisters, so go check it out.

The image above is something I shot back in my filmSLR days of old. I stumbled upon this little anonymous tree-hugging love offering while visiting a friend in River North probably back in 2001. The reason I chose this image is because I've been wanting for a really, really long time to write about a topic I call Love is Love is Love (borrowed from Margaret Cho.) Yes, I'm talking about homosexuality and lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered/transsexual rights.

All you liberal, humanity-loving, diversity-embracing bloggy friends of mine may wonder why I even bother to post about this. Shouldn't it be a given that Love is Love is Love? Yeah. I know. I'm actually writing this because I come from a conservative Evangelical Christian background, and I want to do a few things.

First, I want to let my more conservative-leaning readers and friends know how I got to believe what I believe on this topic. Many of them knew me back when I was a card-carrying Evangelical, and even then I felt uncomfortable w/ the standard church teaching on this topic, and maybe some of them have the same questions I had and I want them to dig deeper and seek answers outside what the church would say. Yes, I want to challenge them, but as lovingly and humbly as I can.

Second, I want my friends and loved ones in the LGBT community to know that it IS in fact possible for a Christian to change his or her mind on this issue (I'm a prime example) and to hold onto the hope that someday they will be welcomed by the Christian community with open arms without condemnation.

Third, this is something that has weighed heavily on my heart for a few years now, and I believe very strongly that it is the prodding of the Holy Spirit. Excuse me for falling back into Evangelical jargon, but I have felt for a long time the Holy Spirit saying to me that the church's stance on homosexuality is going to be the next big shift, such as slavery and racism and the role of women were in the past. I realize that not ALL churches have changed their stances on these other issues, but for the most part the church (and I guess I'm talking mainly Protestant here) has changed its original views on these topics, even though they had once used the Bible to justify such things as slavery, racism and the submission of women.

Fourth, I'm writing about this because people are being beaten and killed because of of their sexual orientation. Now, I've said before that I believe the devil wrote the sinner's prayer, and this--this homophobia based on a few verses in Scripture that even the Biblical scholars can't agree upon, this homophobia that has historically been sanctioned by so many churches and Christian--it smells pretty devilish to me.

Anyhoo, I won't get into it all now as I'm out of time for blogging, but this will be my first installment of probably several posts over the next few weeks.

Best Shot(s) Monday--Just Can't Get Enough

On Saturday, Cadence and I went to the Kohl's Children's Museum in Glenview, IL, just down the road from my mom's place. It was our first time there, and Cadence had a blast.

There was so much to do, from the moment you walk in. Like all these little doors to open and close? That was even before we went through the admission line. I had to watch Cadence like a hawk because she'd see something cool from a distance and just bolt in that direction.

We were only there for a couple hours because my mom was expecting us for lunch, and boy, was it was hard to get Cadence to leave. I think we could easily spend a good four hours there on a regular basis. Plus, they have Kim & Scott's Twisting Cafe which sells gourmet pretzels. Holy cow, the best darn pretzels I've had in my LIFE. And they're made with quality, fresh ingredients! Check your grocer's frozen goods department and you may find some there.

So here's the latest thing that Cadence said that got me cracking up:

Ted: I'm pooped.
Cadence: Then go to the potty.

This kid. I just can't get enough of her.

Go see more folk's Best Shot's on Tracey' Mother May I.

Over On Shutter Sisters Today

Hi, folks. I've got a post up on Shutter Sisters today. Check it out:

How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Blur

What I'm Listening to These Days

I definitely don't get around to listening to as much music as I used to, but I did go on a CD buying binge this past week, so I thought I'd mention it.

First of all, I finally got around to watching the movie Once on Sunday night. In fact, we were probably watching it the very moment that Glen and Marketa were accepting their Oscar for Best Song from that movie. We don't have TV reception, so I wasn't watching the Oscars, and since we haven't seen any movies in the theater this past year except for one kids flick, we had no interest in the Oscars and had no idea that these guys were up for an award.

So of course, the very next day, I ordered both the soundtrack to the movie Once, Glen and Marketa's album as The Swell Season, plus For the Birds by The Frames, the band that Glen fronts. I tend to be a completist, so I can see myself ordering some more albums by The Frames. I highly recommend them.

Second, I found out this week that my favorite kids musicmaker Elizabeth Mitchell and Daniel Littleton recently released a new album for their grown-up band Ida. I immediately went to their label Polyvinyl's website and ordered Lover's Prayer. It is lush, it is beautiful, it is haunting, it is most excellent. I highly recommend it.

Third, because I can't just order one CD at a time, I also ordered a couple albums by various incarnations of Mike Kinsella. That is to say, I ordered the latest (latest as in from November of 2006--I told you I'm behind) full-length from Owen (which is basically Mike Kinsella's current solo outfit) and the one full-length from American Football (which Mike fronted back in the late 90's). I haven't listened to the latter album yet, but I did listen to the Owen album (titled At Home With Owen) twice back-to-back tonight. I've been a fan since I saw him live at Schubas back in the latter part of 2002.

I have to admit that my affinity for the music of Owen is a guilty pleasure. Honestly? His songs are kind of whiny and cynical, lyrically. He obviously has spent a lot of time thinking about his life. But damnit, the boy makes beautiful music, and I can't help getting sucked into the melancholy. I know some folks can't stand emo of any sort (punk, folk, indie, whatever), so if that's you, you probably won't like this stuff. Me, on the other hand, I LIVE for that emo rubbish.