wordle

Fun with words. Thanks to the Fascinating Woman for the link and to wordle.net for the analysis and graphic.



For a larger view, go here.

expectations

anders and i are filled with expectation.
we are to have a baby in october and our little one is rapidly growing as i type.

expectations are difficult for me. i'm the type to like a plan, know what i'm getting into and not have surprises. i have high expectations for myself (in every category from grant-writing to house-keeping). unfortunately, this new path is fraught with many twists, turns and unknowns.

anders, on the other hand, loves the adventure of the next exciting thing that might happen to us.

silly as it is, we're learning a bit from each other in this... i'm planning here and there. we plan to know the sex of our baby-to-be. and, we're leaving some of the path unexplored until later, when the time is right or when the decision cannot be kept at bay, or when it just comes to us in an moment of inspiration.

we are thrilled and hesitant. holding our breath and exhilarated all at once.

Because of Louis

give me
trumpet's sweet talk
my belly against you
five fingers of your hand
curved to my back
step to step in
cigar smoke and red wine

give me
harmonica words
your chin pressing my cheek
or lashes crushed as I rest
head against chest
step to step in
whispers with each measure

give me
dark voice scatting
misty breath on my neck
damp curls brushing your lips

© 1998 Amy Feistel

music

music has always been at the heart of my spirituality. i first learned to play the piano at age five, taught by my mother. i later would learn to play the violin. i still play both but less of the piano since i no longer own one of my own.

even without the daily routine of practice, music fills my life. i have fond memories of my sister's flute and sadder moments when my brothers paid tribute with their trumpets in taps.

when i sit in church, it is often through music that i hear God speak to me. however, this doesn't just happen in the pew on a sunday morning.

this week it happened on a beautiful snowy day as i listened to music on the television. this musical moment brought my heart closer to heaven. it was when a quartet of musicians played john williams' rendition of the lovely Shaker hymn, "Simple Gifts."

performed by cellist yo-yo ma and violinist itzhak perlman, anthony mcgill on clarinet and pianist gabriela montero.

the inaugural rendition has already been posted to YouTube if anyone missed it earlier.

"Simple Gifts" was written by elder joseph while he was at the Shaker community in alfred, maine in 1848. These are the lyrics to his one-verse song:

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.