Sunday, June 29, 2008

Matthew has a Birthday


Matt to you, Matthew to me recently had a birthday. Something I always love because I don't feel as old as when we're only a year apart rather than 2. Since I know my mother and mother-in-law read this I wanted to share some pictures with you so that my mother sees how cool her birthday table runner is and my mother-in-law will see that we actually celebrated. You might be wondering about Matthew's dessert - I promise it was his choice - Funfetti cupcakes. I was thinking cheesecake or black forrest cake or really anything fancier than funfetti cupcakes but Matthew insisted. So Funfetti it is. Which honestly is pretty fun to say.


We were asked to speak AND he got a calling (I didn't, heh heh) - Sunday School teacher to the 12/13 year-olds all on his birthday. We even got asked over to dinner. All the while Matthew insisting that no one know about his special day. So I promise I would have done more to celebrate but Matthew wouldn't have let me. So birthday boy gets what birthday boy wants. Instead I have a few pictures of Matt LOVING his Funfetti!!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Ice Cream Man

So we have an ice cream truck that comes through our neighborhood every afternoon. I smile every time I hear the music rolling down the street. It reminds me of our ice cream truck in Virginia that sold both over-priced ice cream and garbage-pail kids. Somehow I always seemed to have money for the latter.

I've never actually seen Wenatchee's ice cream truck - not until today that is. When I heard it coming I sauntered over to the window. But by sauntering I missed my opportunity. This was no casual ice cream truck. Thankfully we live on a corner and the truck was turning to pass our house yet again. So I raced over to the other window to see this truck going at least 50 miles an hour (I think we're in a 25 miles an hour zone). Okay, so it might not have been going that fast, but it was definitely booking it down the street. Fast enough that the poor neighborhood children would hear the ice-cream desire-inducing music only to run outside to eat the truck's dust. Sad. Very sad.

Okay, can I confess something? This is all true but I thought of that last sentence and thought it was "so clever" that I had to write an entire post around it. That might be even more sad.

Monday, June 23, 2008

The Christopher House

Matt and I were assigned to give talks in church yesterday. The typical, you're new and everyone needs to get to know you, talk. It worked. Those talks rocketed us into the ward. Everyone knows us now and treats us as though we've been in the ward for years.

One woman, Janine, who is investigating the church, came up to me after church and invited me over for lunch. I've never met this woman, but she treated me as though we were good friends who needed a chance to catch up. She lives at the Christopher House, which incidentally enough is less than a block away from our apartment. Now the Christopher House, as it's been explained to me is Wenatchee's mental/meth-addict hospital. The woman who told me about it said I should move and that it's a scary place. I couldn't say no to this sweet woman who's inviting me over for lunch, but from the moment I said yes to the moment I walked across the street I was nervous.

Nervous. Why was I nervous? Fear of the unknown I guess. I chalk most of my anxiety up to pride. Thinking I am better than the people who reside in the oh so scary Christopher House. We're all children of God right? He loves us all the same right? And didn't I just give a talk yesterday about the 13th Article of Faith and how I believe in being benevolent and doing good to all men? I wasn't sure what to expect from this new friendship but I kept hearing my father's voice in my mind telling me that everyone needs love, and that's how God would want me treating His children.

So with some trepidation, and praying the whole way, I walked over and met Janine and everyone else she introduced me to (she's quite the social butterfly) for lunch. I didn't end up having lunch, mainly because I thought it was free and didn't bring my wallet. But that's okay, it didn't look that appetizing anyway.

Janine and her fiance James definitely have their problems and their checkered pasts. And the other inmates have their very apparent physical and mental issues, but my prayer was answered - that I would see this woman and the other residents as God sees them and not the way I would normally see them. It makes me wonder about my own issues that are just as real as those residents of the Christopher House but maybe don't show as readily. I may look normal but I have just as much need of saving as any of them do. I guess that's the miraculous thing about the atonement. Hmm . . . I'll have to think more about that . . . This is all written fairly stream of consciousness, can you tell?

But anyway, I wasn't remotely in my comfort zone, but, thankfully, I also wasn't a complete weirdo either. I don't think Janine and I will ever be BFF's but at least I was able to spend 30 minutes with a woman in very different circumstances than my own without hating myself afterwards for being so condescending. Does that make sense? I guess it doesn't need to as long as it makes sense to me. Baby steps Sara, baby steps into being a better human being.

I hope you still love me after my confession.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

The Lineman Rodeo

I love small towns. Especially the unique activities that occur in small towns. Case and point. The Lineman Rodeo.

As you can see, the Lineman Rodeo is where utility men from ALL around the Pacific Northwest compete in various utility-pole activities (is that the right terminology? Doesn't matter). My favorite being the Hurt Man contest in which a lineman (maybe that's what I should be calling them) climbs a mock telephone pole and safely gets a "hurt" man/mannequin off the pole.

I was walking along this one path that follows the Columbia river running through town and passed this grouping of mock telephone poles with mannequins hanging limply from the tops. Actually it took me a solid minute to figure out that they were mannequins. At first I thought these men were just taking a break from their telephone pole duties. Once I figured out what was going on, I had to come back to see the rodeo go down. Unfortunately I was working on a talk for church tomorrow for most of the morning so by the time I got to the rodeo it was just ending. Fortunately, one last lineman had to take his turn competing so I got a chance to take a picture of him in action.

Do these types of random events happen where you live? Or is this a Wenatchee special?

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Pie Cherries

Today I went and picked cherries. A woman at church on Sunday announced that she had pie cherries ready to be picked by anyone who was interested. So at mommy and me on Wednesday (yes I go to a playgroup even though I don't have children) I asked around and found someone who would be willing to let me tag along with them. I now have enough cherries for two or three pies. I'm so excited. While picking, the cherry woman came out to talk to us. She and the woman letting me tag along talked about their various fruit trees and the upcoming harvest!! I love this town. Maybe I'll get free fruit all summer long and bake all sorts of fun new things. Maybe I'll get fat in the process!! You never know.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Sara gets creative


This past weekend I was inspired to do a project. Nothing huge, but something to keep me occupied while Matt studies all Saturday. I went to the fabric store to pick out a pattern but once I got it home I decided I wanted to be more creative. So I put together a few designs, Matt picked his favorite one and I got to work.

Matt was a good sport having to deal with fabric, scissors, et al for the weekend while I worked away. I was so proud of myself. Can you tell? So far I have made a foot warmer, a quilt top, and this bag. I have lots of time on my hands.

Hello world . . . or at least my family who loves me

Hello to my family who loves me and occasionally some friends. I have started a blog. Can you believe that sariasis.blogspot.com was not already taken?!! Crazy. I tell you Melissa you gave me the most awesome of nicknames. I get whatever I want with it.

So a couple of friends/family have mentioned that they would like to know about my life now that I am in the Wenatch. Matt's making fun of my new adventure in blogging. He claims that I have opened pandora's box for which all untold misery can and may befall me.

You will all be happy to know that I am happily and comfortably set up here in Wenatchee. I still have a few boxes laying around here and there but the motivation is gone. They will probably be in their current locations until we move again (who knows when that will be). When Matt graduated we told ourselves that we would work on those student loans before we looked into a house. But peer pressure is an awful thing. And now that we're here and all of our peers (with equal amounts of student loans AND children) have houses it has gotten us thinking and dreaming of being homeowners ourselves. I guess we'll see if Matt's desire for a house outweighs his horror of moving a few key pieces of very heavy furniture.

Since I am "working" from home these days I'll try to keep this posted fairly regularly. I love you all.