Skip to main content

facebook killed the blogger

Well, it's that time again.  The time when I remember that I have a blog and think about writing something. With coffee in hand, I've sat down in front of this screen and, I'm not joking, within seconds Abe is crying in his room.  Fortunately, for me, I can ignore him.

We have a mountain behind our apartment.  It's literally behind our apartment.  I walk out the back gate, up a short road and BOOM, there's the mountain.  I like our apartment but I sometimes think about all the other apartment complexes that seem better.  Some are closer to the girl's school. Some have lots of other expat kids that the girls could be out playing with.  But none of them have their very own mountain.  And so, even with the things I'd like to change about this complex, I'm praying we can live here for a long time.  Phil tires to climb the mountain everyday.  I was inspired and I try to climb it every other day - I don't want to get too buff.  I never have a bad hike.  One time just as I started out my MP3 went funky and I was already grumpy so I thought it was going to be a bad one but it was still awesome.  I really, really like our mountain.

A friend asked me what makes me really happy, what refreshes me and I didn't know how to answer.  My family makes me happy but not always and refreshing isn't the word I'd ever use to describe the nightly bedtime routine.  I've never been a very good stay-at-home mom and so summer vacation just became pure torture for at least the last week.  I have a great husband and some of my closest friends live here in Xining and I find lots of joy in them and there are times of refreshment...but it still doesn't seem like my answer.  It was pretty depressing not having an answer. But yesterday when I was hiking I knew my answer.  Hiking on my own makes me really happy and totally refreshes me.

Studying sociology makes me happy, too.  Phil helped me see this the other night when I was telling him I couldn't answer my friend's question.  I really doubted my ability to do grad level work.  Then I did so stinkin good that first semester!!  And when I read my classmates introductions on the first day of class, and this is going to sound really nerdy, I felt like I had found my niche.  I loved how all these people thought like I did and wanted to talk about it.  And I still love it.

So, there's my answer.  Interesting that one exercises my muscles and one my mind.  Hmmm, maybe I could study the reasoning behind that...



Popular posts from this blog

moving time

Well my house looks like it did at some point when we moved here about 2 years ago. Boxes lying around, no pictures up, hammers, cleaning rags and tape sitting in random spots around the living room. It's a mess. Another move, more good-byes and mixed emotions. I'm going to miss... ..real CH food whenever I want it for dirt cheap, ..a tailor that made all my curtains and waves to me every time I walk past her shop, ..the little boy who's parents own the light bulb shop and yells, "hello!" every time we pass by, ..all the little kids that very politely say, "Ayi" (Aunt) when they pass me, ..our first friend in Chengdu who owns a local shop and buys birds as a hobby - bird guy, as we call him, ..the best dumpling makers, the steamed bread makers, the shopkeepers that deliver our milk for free and know our address by heart, ..the courtyard of our complex where Maddie can play by herself or with her friends while we keep an eye on her from our 4th floor, ....
Read more

blogging instead of studying

This morning I wondered why this place doesn't have laundry-mats. They have dry-cleaners but no public places to do laundry. I think it would be a big hit, as long as the price was affordable for regular guys. Most students do their laundry by hand in the dorm and lots of other people do the same in their homes. Maybe I've hit a goldmine. Dogs in this day and age like to be socialized. I'm not sure who first decided this but it's all over the internet dog sites. Your puppy needs to be socialized with humans and other dogs right away. Well, dogs are becoming more and more popular as pets here (and less popular to eat) but the socializing concept hasn't hit here yet. There's this one dog that I often see outside and Sukey always wants to "socialize" with him but he's so scared he just fidgets and shakes. His owner doesn't like it either because this morning after the appropriately polite amount of time of letting her dog have a panic att...
Read more

the number dilemna

I don't know how many kids I want.  I know how many kids Phil would like, 2.  Immediately, after giving birth to Lilian I looked up at Phil and said, "I don't want any more kids.  I don't want to do this again.  Two is enough."  I have not forgotten what caused me to passionately speak those words to Phil.  But, when I hold my sweet little girl I have this nagging thought that I don't want this to be the last little baby I cuddle with.   So here is what I think about to try to decide: Traveling...5 people boarding a plane, packing for 5, finding lodging for 5, feeding 5 while on vacation.  We travel a lot so this is something that really is good to consider.  Of course, the main time this will be a hassle is when 3 of the 5 are still young and need a lot of assistance from the 2 that are adults. Sleeping...where does a third sleep?  Is it possible to get 3 kids to nap at the same time?  Both of my girls sleep through the night well almost every night , do I wa...
Read more