"Home"

In our small group this week, we discussed the idea of home and all that entails. (Well maybe not ALL that entails, but as much as we could cover in a couple of hours.)

This is interesting in light of the fact that my "home" is in tatters right about now. Which can get me cranky--as it has been in tatters at one time or another for most of the time we have lived in it. We did have a respite for a couple of years--mostly because our construction efforts have been directed elsewhere--but it's been a stressor to live in a work in progress. More importantly, though, it's served to grow me and give me a different notion of home.

All the while I had been trying ever so mightily to create a "picture perfect" home (think Martha Stewart), my home was in different states of construction. This forced me to find that security and safety elsewhere. And as providence would have it, I learned it was Christ all along.

I wish I could say that I've been a model of faith and patience in this area (or any area, for that matter) but sadly, I have not. This latest go around, though, I've been better than my usual self, and I am so grateful to God for that. He has molded me and shaped me closer to Him, and for that, we are all grateful!

But Wait! There's More!

I truly thought the feeling sorry for myself thing was nearing an end....

So, last week, the sewer drain backed up into the laundry and kitchen sinks. Now, before you get too grossed out, the only things draining on this line are the kitchen and laundry sinks. So it wasn't too gross. It was, however, very annoying.

That was right before it became really really awful.

The Roto-Rooter guy is snaking the drain and his snake-thingy gets stuck and twisted and he has to cut it. Twice. That is, apparently, the sign of a very bad thing. As in a collapsed pipe. So that's what it turned out to be. A collapsed sewer pipe, pert-near dead center of my house.

Since then the A-Thon O'hana has:
*boarded up half the house in order to
*cut the floor of the house in half with a
*concrete wet saw after digging with a
*jackhammer for two days which was exacerbated by
*a day of tropical rainstorms

And oh yeah, on the day this all started, we got the puppies spayed/neutered and they both had issues and came home in the cones of shame stoned out of their minds. Whew. It's almost as exhausting to write it as...what am I saying? Ugh. It must be the lack of sleep.

Can I just say that so far, I have learned that saying, "What next?" is a bad idea, unless you really want to know.

Wow...Long time

It seems like this blog belongs to someone else. It's been so long and so much has changed....

Life feels like it's been put on the spin cycle, and occasionally feels more like a blender (that would be because of the blades...no blades in the washer...)

We're coming up on a year anniversary of things just plain going south on us here at the A-Thon house. For my own thrills and giggles, I'm going to write it all down chronologically. Enjoy the little stroll down memory lane, why don't you?

2009
July: Truck stolen. First new car I ever had. It was a gift from Dad-A-Thon. Police cared not one little bit.

September: Had a small heart surgery. It went well, but I had been having progressive issues with a lifelong heart defect that were scaring me. On the plus side, I am symptom free, and we did hit Disneyland while in LA.

October: I turned 40. Not even going to open that one up all the way.

November: Had an abnormal mammogram that seems to be fine, but now I get them every few months, just to be sure.

December: My dear friend Chris died of lung cancer. I still miss her and can't believe those boys will not have her anymore!
State of Hawaii decides it needs money and will get it by auditing all businesses.* We have a business. Oh the fun.

2010
January: Disgruntled employee sicks DOL on aforementioned business.*

February: Dad-A-Thon's car is hit (and they ran) while parked. Repair cost $2K. Niiice.

March: This one is a plus and a minus--whilst dealing with what could truly be called one of the worst years EVER, we decide to adopt TWO doberman puppies. Thank the Lord they are so cute.

April: Started working full time (and then some) to help Dad-A-Thon (see December and January for more info).

May/June: chaotic life that the A-Thons have worked so carefully to avoid is now the new normal.


*still ongoing


There. That brings us to now which is me feeling pretty sorry for myself and wondering just what happened to my cushy life?

Proud Mama

Yesterday was the Hawaii State Championship Tae Kwon Do Tournament. I was scheduled to take Boy-A-Thon (BAT) and then leave to go to the Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii (CHOH) Conference. BAT had recently had a small surgery on his lip and was still a bit swollen and sporting stitches, so my main goal for him at the tournament was to not get hit in the mouth.
Fortunately, my goal was achieved, and even better, BAT won a gold medal in forms and a silver in sparring for his belt/weight division! It was exciting and nerve wracking all at once. I like forms (kind of a TKD ballet of sorts, to show the different moves one has learned). Sparring was tough to watch. It's really a fight with kicking. And watching two 14 year old boys who each weigh 130 pounds go at it, was not something I recommend for most moms.
My friend Chris was very involved in TKD. In fact, at this tournament last year, she won a gold medal, just weeks after having a lung removed and while undergoing chemotherapy! To show their love for her, the team of which my son is a member all donned blacked armbands.




Then, each medal winner donated his/her medal to be placed in a frame and given to Chris' family. These kids work and train very hard. For them to give their medals up, isn't easy, but not one kid hesitated.
As if I wasn't already emotional, there was an announcement that the tournament organizers had created a special award for the competitor that showed the most indomitable spirit at the tournament. That award will be given at each state championship and will be called the " award. I was bawling.

So, I decided to stay for the whole tournament and watch my son, instead of attending the CHOH conference and getting a shot in the arm to encourage me in my homeschooling journey. I'm glad I did. I'm also grateful for a fellow sister in Christ this morning who encouraged me that I did indeed do the right thing. It always help to get a second opinion. :-)

New Babies

Well, to say this weekend was very uncharacteristic of us, would be an understatement. Let's just say that when the weekend was over, we were driving home with two Doberman puppies. I'd say we are nuts, but being the mature adult that I am, my only response is, "Yeah, but they're sooo cute!"

Breitbart.tv » 16 Lies in 7 minutes: State of the Union Video Breakdown

Breitbart.tv » 16 Lies in 7 minutes: State of the Union Video Breakdown

It's as if were are down the rabbit hole...

Very Funny

Ahh Vindication!

The cover of Time magazine caught my eye today. This article proved to make the purchase worthwhile.

Back in 1998 I had to deal with the issue of "Autism Spectrum Disorder" (ASD). It was not my idea of a good time, and changed me forever. As a young mother I was forced to learn that people are ruthless, uncaring, and well, jerks. (Shouldn't have been a newsflash, I know, but it was a newsflash to me.)

Whilst (love that word) researching, digesting, and learning as much as I could about ASD, I came to believe that there were both genetic and environmental components to this "disorder." As I described this to others I would say, "It's like some kids are born with a switch in the 'off' position, and something happens to them to turn that switch on."

Well, it would appear that there is now great evidence to show that is likely the case. A relatively new field of genetics has emerged, "epigenetics." This field argues that, though we cannot alter genomes and pass those alterations to our offspring, we can alter the epigenome, and that change can indeed be passed on to our offspring. The epigenome, for lack of a better analogy, is a switch--or maybe more accurately a volume nob--that can be emphasized or de-emphasized by choices we make in our lives.

It feels good to have "real science" behind a gut instinct. But it is every bit as good a feeling--maybe better--to be in a position that no longer needs the condescending pat on the head.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next several years. I hope I get to see questions answered, peace for families, and quite honestly--I hope to see heads roll.

Pedophilia?

Though I do not order form Victoria's Secret, I received this catalog in the mail today.

This "cover girl" looks 12 years old to me. Am I just at that age where everyone looks like a kid, or is this pushing the envelope?

"Community Intervener"??

Last week, I received a newsletter from state of Hawaii senator Jill Tokuda. One of the articles contained a picture with "Representative Ito, Community Intervener (emphasis mine) Grant Yoshimori, & Senator Tokuda..."

Wow, and I thought "Community Organizer" was the most ridiculous "job" description I had ever heard.

I wonder what other jobs are out there... community pot-stirrer... neighborhood troublemaker....Who knows, these could all lead to the White House one day.

My Friend, Chris

“When all is said (and truly said) about the divisions of Christendom, there remains, by God’s mercy, an enormous common ground.”

C.S. Lewis

That really sums up the Catholic prayer service for my friend, Chris, yesterday. The church was packed with people of all faiths and no faiths. We all loved Chris, and Chris loved the Lord, so there we were.

When Chris and I first started talking bout God, we were new friends. As our conversations grew, I got up the gumption to invite her to a bible study. She dove into the study like a dog after a bone. She devoured the lessons, got extra materials on her own, and came with questions every week. Her faith grew by leaps and bounds. And in that, she and I had several discussions about the Catholic church. We were both reared in Catholic homes--Chris was even fortunate enough to attend parochial school until junior high. I had left the Catholic church and joined a PCA church, and Chris was praying about whether she should also leave the only church she'd known. She made a very thoughtful and prayerful decision to remain a Catholic. She had found a wonderful priest in Father Herman. He became a dear friend and mentor to her as her faith grew.

Our bible study changed much and the "usual suspects" moved away as is always the case in Hawaii. Chris found a bible study at her church and was in a study there until her death. Her faith, once rekindled, never wavered for a minute. Her zeal for drawing closer to God only grew. And when she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer a year ago, she referred to it as a blessing, so that she would keep her focus where it ought to be--on Him.

Amazing. Joyful. Thoughtful. Energetic. Tough. Smart. Diligent. Beautiful. Smiling. Sincere. Devoted. BELOVED.

So when all of those people came to St. Ann's church to grieve the loss of our friend, we all sang worship songs together, and prayed the Lord's prayer. And nothing could have been less important than the denominations or lack thereof of anyone. That is who Chris was. She didn't care about anything but what really mattered: Love God. Love people.
Chris excelled at both.

Reflecting a Bit: Part I

This past birthday, I turned 40. It should have been somewhat bigger of a deal, I suppose, but it wasn't. Our culture makes a big deal out of changing decades. I'm not sure why.
One thing that has been happening with me, however, is that I am much more reflective about what I am doing now and what I want to be doing in the future.

Another thing that is different--very different, if you know me at all--is that I notice that I am talking less. In general and in particular. I have fewer opportunities for adult conversation, so that's the general part. In particular, though, I'm finding myself not saying things that are right there on my tongue and ready to go. Some of it is maturity--I'm thinking more before I speak. But a lot of it is a realization that no one really wants to hear what I have to say. Don't get me wrong, I didn't previously believe people wanted to hear me talk. I never thought about it at all. I just had an idea, thought, or opinion and shared it.

Now I have had enough experience to know that no matter how much I want to share my experiences with someone, hoping to steer them away from pitfalls, they don't believe a word I am saying. And if I'm really honest, I was exactly the same. One key difference is that no one tried or is trying to mentor or teach me anything. (Something I still lament.) But to be fair, I probably wouldn't have listened to anyone until about the last 3 years or so.

That's enough reflecting for now...

To Chris