Call me Crazy…

…seriously.

I undertook a Triathlon in the UK, in August, for my company. I’m doing the swim leg of a relay team – with my coworkers Denise and Katie. Swimming is great, so I don’t feel so bad. But, the distance is an Olympic distance! I have to swim 1.5k. Yeeks!! Anyway, I signed up for that, and now have to raise money – so anyone who wants to donate, that’d be lovely…

Over the weekend, my two “sisters” here (Britt and Becci) convinced me to undertake another triathlon. Still doing the swim leg of a relay, still with the same teammates – b/c they both agreed to it! So, in October, I’m doing another one… this is shorter, though – I only have to swim .75k. Still – INSANE!!

But, I have to admit, with all this crazy exercise I’ve been doing, I feel better than I have in a long, long time. What with all the church meetings I have, it’s been a VERY good way to blow off steam.

Sincerely, Crazy Noelle

Paul’s Obit, for any who did not see it.

Paul Raymond
Paul RAYMOND Co-founder, The Northwest School Paul Doney Raymond was born on January 3, 1932, and grew up in Manhattan, Kansas. An historian and educator, he had a profound influence on students over his 50-year high school teaching career in California and Washington. His extensive life experience, including his formative years during the Depression, his Korean War service, and his participation in the civil rights movement, informed his teaching and brought history to life for his students. He died on May 10, 2007, of complications from congestive heart failure, which were triggered by a sudden infection. Paul Raymond received his master’s degree in history and East Asian studies at the University of Oregon. He was offered a fellowship from Stanford University to pursue his doctorate but declined it because he needed to support a growing family. He started his teaching career at Midland School, a boys’ boarding school in Los Olivos, California. During his ten years at the school, he worked for Martin Luther King’s organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which inspired him to create Project Open Future (1965-1969), one of the country’s first college-preparatory summer programs for inner city youth. Most of the 500 boys recruited from Watts and East Los Angeles to study at Los Angeles area private schools continued on to four-year colleges (many the first in their families to do so), and distinguished careers. He continued his teaching career at Oakwood School and Newbridge School in California and Overlake School, Redmond, WA. In 1978, Paul joined colleagues Mark Terry and Ellen Taussig to found The Northwest School in Seattle, a college-preparatory school for grades 6 -12, which opened its doors in 1980. As its first director, Paul recruited other talented teachers who were equally inspired to create innovative programs, including an integrated humanities curriculum, an inquiry-based science approach, the integration of the arts, environmental stewardship, and the practice of “courtesy and common sense” in daily interactions. His vision and inspiration lives on and makes The Northwest School one of Seattle’s leading college-preparatory schools and a living monument to his commitment to both education and social justice. In addition to education, Paul Raymond was passionately devoted to issues of social justice, especially racial equality, equal opportunity, and peace. Among other activities, he led student trips to El Salvador to observe elections and to introduce students to countries in which people struggled for a better life. A Memorial Celebration of Paul’s Life will be held June 10, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Town Hall. Paul Raymond is survived by Ellen Taussig, his loving wife of 28 years; his children, John, David, and Ani Raymond, Charles Raymond Katz, and Margaret Raymond Bailey; his grandchildren, Katie and Beckie Bailey, Sidney and Sam Katz; and a sister, Elizabeth Raymond Yapp. Those who wish to may honor Paul Raymond by making a donation to the Paul Raymond Endowed Financial Aid Fund at The Northwest School, 1415 Summit Avenue, Seattle, 98122, or to the School of the Americas Watch, PO Box 4566, Washington, D.C., 20017.
Published in print on 5/16/2007.

babies galore!

So, two people I know just had babies – both girls, and there are more to come… I’m just going to list them, for my own sanity.

Sarah’s was born in 11/05. Anna’s Kolya – 2/06. AB’s Dean – 7/06. Kerry’s Doc – 8/06. Zach’s Maddox – 8/06. Cheryl’s Sami – 9/06. Stacy’s Emma – 10/06. Kim’s Annika – 10/06 (these two were born two days apart). Suthee & Wendy’s Thee – 12/06. Forest’s Moonlight – 12/06. Redrum’s Matthew – 01/07. Berly’s Quinn – 03/07. Eric & Michelle’s Kyra – 04/07. Greta’s Leonor – 04/07 (again, two days apart).

I’m convinced I’m missing some, but I will edit as need be.

Still to come: Jerod & Jen’s baby. Jen & Ryan’s peanut. Who am I missing?? Ai yai yai.
When I was in Seattle, Jen and I had just worked out – and I said, “I’m not going to hug you, I’m all sweaty,” as I dropped her off. Her response was, “And you might catch something… like a baby.” Um, yeah… none of that for me, thanks!

Congratulations to all of you – it’s all very exciting. For you. None for me just now!
**edit – My friend Jenette had Love in Feb 07.
***edit – My friend Jenny is due in November 07.

Neat news!

Nurse, hand me that joystick
A recent study shows that doctors who play video games regularly are better skilled at laparoscopy, a remotely controlled surgical technique. Researcher Dr. James Rosser says the findings suggest video games could prove useful in training surgeons. (AS)

Okay, my grand plan for another interesting thing/picture didn’t work… click this link: http://activate.us/_popups/issue036/w3.html

weird signs…

Okay, so check this out:

“Carson Honda - We speak languages from all over the world: Spanish, Asian, etc.”

I saw that on a sign my drive into work. At the crack of dawn, before the gym. Lovely. As a coworker said, it would have been even better if it had said “Mexican” instead of Spanish. Wow.

I worked out this morning, before work, and I don’t love it. I really need several hours to cool down, and I didn’t get that. So, I came to work with a flushed face and everyone asked me if I’d been to the gym… I can’t put lotion on, or anything, and my hair is icky… I think that working out in the evening is MUCH better…

Those are my two cents… Oh – and I have a new band obsession – two of them, in fact: the Fratellis and Faithless.

Gifting in non-traditional ways

I got sent an email that had a wonderful gift idea on it – it’s called the ABC Home & Planet Foundation. They do gifts in honor of people. It’s all that non-profit stuff, and similar to the Heifer Project, only they do it with different things. They call them Gifts of Compassion. Here’s the list:

A Harbor for Learning – The Imagination Set Sail
A Gift of Home, Healing and Hope
A Billion Trees for a Better World
Protecting the Snow Angels of the North
Protect the Magic of the Maya Rainforest
Sustain the Earth’s Forest and Its People
Rising Above Poverty – A Gift of Opportunity
Literacy for an Afghan Girl
Shelter for an Egyptian Woman
Economic Independence – Microenterprise GiftShares
Gift of Vision
Protection from Female Genital Mutilation
Birth Right – For a Tibetan Mother and Child
Homeless Healing
A Kid for a Kid – A Milk Producing Goat
Pet Rescue New York City

Just thought I’d toss that out there as a non-traditional gift. Here’s the site: ABC Home & Planet Foundation’s Gifts of Compassion.

Here’s my other favorite thing to give – the Heifer Project. I’ve bought chicks and ducks and such before, and I love it. I think it’s very meaningful. I like the fact that each animal helps a family in a WHOLE way, instead of just handing out food, or something along those lines. It’s fabulous.

I’d encourage anyone who is unsure of what to give to check it out. I just know that the stores/malls/etc drive me batty – and we have so much, even if we complain about it all. So, I’m doing this instead. There are 3 or 4 gifts I’m giving that are tangible gifts, the rest are these. I’m happy with it.

That’s my 2 cent review of this holiday gifting season. :)

The Year of the Baby

So, this year, I have had so many friends give birth. It’s crazy. It all started with my step-sister having a baby boy in November 2005. Then my friend Anna had a boy in February, and then AB had a boy in July. Then my friend Cheryl had a girl in September, my friend Kim had a girl in October and then my friend Stacy had a girl 2 days later. And my friend Liz is due in February and my friend Kim’s husband just told me that they’re due in March. She couldn’t tell me, she is super shy about it, for some reason…

It’s all very exciting, and I am a little weirded out about it. I’m not drinking from anyone’s water source, I tell you!!

Peacemaking is Universal

Peacemaking is Universal, as this quote shows:

St Seraphim of Sarov said, “acquire inward peace and thousands around you will be saved” and it is in the acquisition of that inward peace that we become peacemakers in the world and not only for the salvation of our own souls but for others with whom we come into contact. Becoming a peacemaker starts then with our acknowledgment of our personal unpeacefulness, our fractured nature, our own fallenness.

…humility of heart grants us great joy and peace, for “the gift of God and knowledge of Him is not a cause for turmoil or clamor; rather this gift is entirely filled with a peace in which the Spirit, love and humility reside” and “the heart brought close to hope … makes it peaceful and pours joy into it” as St Isaac the Syrian teaches us.
- Mark Pearson, the Orthodox Peace Fellowship

I was searching for a meditation for the liturgy I was writing for church on Sunday, and came upon this, from the Orthodox Peace Fellowship’s website.

Now I can add Liturgy writer to my resume, in addition to liturgist and Elder. Isn’t that special?

God calls us ALL to be Peacemakers, we just have to respond to it.

From Sojourners mail today:

   QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“We will forgive you.”

- unnamed Amish neighbor, while embracing the father of Charles Carl Roberts IV, the gunman who killed five Amish schoolchildren and injured five others before taking his own life Monday morning. (source: Lancaster New Era)

Members of the community have established funds both for the families of those killed and wounded (the Amish do not have health insurance), and for the family of Roberts, who leaves behind a wife and two young children. Mennonite Central Committee and Mennonite Disaster Service are also coordinating support for those affected.

Amazing. It is things like these that make me proud to be of the faith I am.