Effortless Effervescence

ETA: The fundraising goal was met in 18 hours. I dunno ’bout you, but I’m blown away. Feel free to give anyway - all funds over and above the original goal go to similar projects. Read the full story below (if you haven’t already).

From Jon Acuff at Stuff Christians Like*:

Out of nowhere, my daughters will say something that is punch you in the stomach profound and then do a ballet twirl and go play with dolls.

That’s just how they get down on a fairly regular basis, but one particular thing my oldest daughter said more than a year ago is refusing to let me go.

We were looking at a book on storms and came to a page about drought and famine. In the corner was a little boy who was starving. His ribs were sticking out and flies covered his small face. I kept flipping the pages but L.E. made me stop and return to that one. She asked, “What’s that?” I told her, “That’s a little boy who doesn’t have enough food to eat.” She thought for a few seconds and then responded, “That’s not real though. That’s pretend, right?”

Good lord. That’s one of those moments where parents get the depressing but altogether necessary job of crushing their child’s innocence. Yes, honey, it’s real.

When Jon’s daughter L.E. said that to him, he had something of an epiphany, and started thinking about what he could do to make things that shouldn’t be real… well, not real. Stuff Christians Like is an amazingly popular blog, and it occurred to him that maybe, instead of just using the internet to become quasi-famous and promote his new book, he could use his blog to do something really awesome for little kids who need some awesomeness.

Which is the short version of how Jon came to be raising $30,000 for a kindergarten in Vietnam. You can read about the project here and here, and you can donate here.

Just in case you’re wondering, Samaritan’s Purse, the organization through which Jon is raising this money and who will be doing the “real” work of building the orphanage, is a Charity Navigator 4-star organization, which means that they’re really efficient in using the money you give to do what they say they’re going to do. About 88 cents from every dollar donated goes directly to the project it’s earmarked for. So you can give to this project and know that you’re not actually donating money to the build-the-Acuffs-and-big-new-house fund or give-crazy-televangelists-more-dollars-for-annoying-telethons fund. Now that’s peace of mind.

And lastly, I just have to stand up and applaud Mr. Acuff for doing something so positive with his net-fame. Blogging is, in many ways, a totally self-interested occupation. We bloggers write posts about things that are important to us (and usually ONLY to us), and we welcome the accolades of strangers from around the globe telling us how clever and funny and thought-provoking we are. Some people actually make money from blogging (I have got to figure out how they do that, because honestly? Getting paid to talk about myself is my dream job). This is not to say that bloggers never write with a higher purpose in mind, such as raising awareness about certain issues, or encouraging people, or just making the noise on the net a little less negative. But this is the first time** that I’ve seen a blogger use his/her platform to do something big and awesome, and I’m real proud of this guy. Which is why I’m giving what little I can to this project.

What about you?

* Stuff Christians Like is a HILAAAAARIOUS blog about all the goofy crap that somehow came to be part of the churchy experience. If you’ve been part of a Protestant/Evangelical church for any amount of time, you’ll “get” SCL and you’ll LOVE it.
** Okay, that’s not true. Every year during Blogathon, bloggers the whole world over use their words to make a difference. However, this is the first time I’ve seen someone with real “blog-fame” use that fame for something so good. I’m sure others have done it before - this is just the first time I’m aware of it.

Take 1: A big huge THANK YOU to everyone that’s offered encouragement and support in response to my decision to quit smoking. Right now I’m at 58 hours smoke-free and I’m feeling great. Yes, I still have cravings, but I’m doing a great job of telling my inner addict, “You do NOT need a cigarette to feel good. K?”

I’ve also sworn off sodas and started drinking a TON of water all day long. I used to be a no-soda kind of gal, but when my nicotine and tar habit gave me terrible dry mouth and a perpetual sore throat I eventually found myself drinking 4 or 5 20-oz sodas EVERY DAY. There’s just no need for that much sugar to go into my body every day, right? And I figure that switching from soda to water will offset any post-quitting weight gain. The only downside to drinking all this water is that I’m actually going to the bathroom twice as often now… and the people that know me will tell you it’s darn impressive that I’ve managed to squeeze EVEN MORE potty time into my life!

Take 2: PAMPERED CHEF PARTY TONIGHT! I am very, very excited. I cleaned house & went grocery shopping last night. All I have to do tonight is pick up the, um, beverages, ifyouknowwhatImean. I’ll bet the cooking demonstrations are even more fun when you’re intoxicated

And once again, I want to ask you to visit my friend Bethany’s Pampered Chef website for all your nifty cooking needs!

Take 3: We’ve been letting the kittens wander around the house for a little bit every night. So far, the reactions of our established animal residents are quite varied: Fluffy, our tortoiseshell, tells the kittens in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS that they better stay the hell away; Squeaker, our tailless tuxedo cat, is curious but standoffish; Indy, our fat orange tabby, is confused and scared; and Milo, our hyper beagle-mix is DANGEROUSLY excited about his newchew toys buddies. He wants to romp and wrestle and snuggle with them, which is super cute, but he is SOOOO much bigger than the kitties and doesn’t realize it. On more than one occasion, he’s sent Randall (the BABY orange tabby) flying with an over-enthusiastic nose-nudge. Luckily, Randall is pretty fearless and will pick fights with Milo; the other night he bit Milo HARD on the ear, and I think our dog was mystified that these chew toys actually chewed back!

Take 4: I have to tell y’all about my new favoritest wine, Twisted. So far I’ve tried the Old Vine Zinfandel and Merlot, and I have to say that this brand is a wonderful treat for sipping in the evenings while cooking, reading, or chatting with friends. I’m not good at pairing - the only rough guideline I follow is red wines with red meat or red sauces, and even that rule gets broken fairly regularly - and that’s what’s great about Twisted. They’re making wine that’s good with, well, anything. I found the Merlot fruity and sassy, the Zinfandel dry and refined. And at less than $15 for a 1.5L bottle, Twisted is a damn good deal, too. (Image courtey of the Twisted Wines website.)

Take 5: One of my (many, it seems!) pregnant girlfriends just found out she’s having a little girl. This is perfect because I have been insisting that she name her child after me ever since she found out she was pregnant. You may think this is mere vanity on my part, but you would be WRONG. I am just very sad to see that after years of being the #1 name for baby girls in America, Emily recently slipped to 3rd place. Oh, sadness! Oh, woe!

Take 6: My front flower bed is hideous. No, I am not exaggerating. When we planted this spring, we could only afford plants - no good soil, no mulch - and I thought we could skate by with out the investment of compost and landscape cover. I was WRONG. The little topsoil we had washed away in the heavy rains of late spring, and then all the plants baked in the summer sun. Oh, and the weeds went NUTS over that past month or so - when I’d walk in the front door, I could only avert my eyes in shame. I knew when we attempted to up our “curb appeal” that such an endeavor would require hard work and consistency. I’m a fairly hard worker, but I am not long on consistency, letmetellyou. And as a result, I’m pretty sure our yard is the laughing stock of the cul-de-sac. Thankfully, my kind husband spent a few minutes tearing up the weeds with his parent’s Mantis, so the beds look marginally better. It’s not a wide margin, though.

Hey, there’s always next year, right? As long as my gardening heart is pure, I know I will someday have success.

Take 7 - Audience Participation: What talent or skill do you really wish you had? I ask this because I’ve always wished that gardening came easily to me, but it just doesn’t. I find it intimidating and perplexing, though I’m getting better at overcoming my fears. I’m also not great at being organized in my housekeeping, I’m scared to death of sewing, and I’ve given up learning to knit several times because all the counting and paying attention and deciphering coded patterns was just too much work for me, LOL. I’m not as accomplished a baker as I’d like to be, but I am a damn fine cook, thank goodness. I guess, overall, I just wish I was more domestic. I know I don’t HAVE to be domestic to be a good wife/mom/woman/person, but I WANT to be.

In the same vein, I WANT to be smarter and more well-read on current events, but I honestly (this is embarrassing) find the news sooooo boooooring. Same thing with history - I have a hard time giving a crap. But I feel like I SHOULD know more stuff about the world I live in - if for no other reason than it sounds terrible to admit that I’m so ignorant!

I missed last week’s Seven Quick Takes because I was still on vacation and the ‘net connection in the hotel was soooooooo slow and we were doing soooooooo many things. Tomorrow I’ll be on the road AGAIN, this time heading for a destination that has NO internet connection (the horror, the horror!). I figured I’d better peek into Smooch-land TODAY, because I don’t want y’all to forget me, or be wandering lost in boredom and sadness because I didn’t take the time to write something silly and mundane brilliant and thought-provoking.

Take 1: If you’re wondering how our vacation was, the answer is WONDERFUL. My husband Jon and I had a ton of fun with Jon’s little boy, who just turned five. He is the cutest thing on two legs and a bundle of giggles. I really enjoyed spending time with him and his mom’s side of the family, and seeing a part of the country I was completely unfamiliar with. Did you know that Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas? Of course, its population is about one-fifth the size of Virginia Beach, VA, where Jon and I currently live, so “large” and “city” are relative terms.

Take 2: Are you wondering where we’re going this weekend? We’re going to Bentleyville, PA, where my husband grew up and where his grandparents, aunt and uncle still live. The grandparents have decided to let go of their full-sized Ford van in favor of a smaller vehicle with a smaller gas tank, and they asked us if we’d like to have it. Jon responded with an ecstatic, “YES!” because neither of our vehicles (he drives a Chevy truck and I drive a Beetle) is good for road trips. Since my in-laws are going up to PA anyway for a school reunion, Jon and I decided to tag along with them and drive the van home. I am super excited about seeing Jon’s grandparents, but also super overwhelmed by all the traveling. Next weekend? I AIN’T LEAVIN HOME FOR NOTHIN. So there.

Take 3: While in Fort Smith, we visited a delightful little used bookstore called Book Ends, where I scored a great find: The Doctor’s Wife by Elizabeth Brundage.

I read the book in about ten hours, because it was just THAT. GOOD. It’s the story of Annie Knowles, whose husband Michael is an OB/GYN targeted by a violent pro-life group because he volunteers at an abortion clinic on the weekends, and whose lover Simon Haas is once-famous, now-nearly-ruined artist whose wife’s hold on reality is precarious at best. I’d call this book a study in marriage and humanity and tricky ethical dilemmas, as well as an absorbing page-turner. I especially have to give Brundage two-thumbs-up for creating characters who pushed out of the boundaries of their stereotypes (the bad boy artist, the desperate housewife, the workaholic doctor).

I also picked up The Story of B by Daniel Quinn, which isn’t nearly as absorbing, but I’m not sure it’s supposed to be. If/when I finish it, I’ll let you know if it was worth the effort.

Take 4: More about books! (Yeah, I’m slightly obsessed.) While browsing at Barnes & Noble last night, I came across Why We Love Church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. I read a few pages and was absolutely BLOWN. AWAY. by the author’s insights. For a long time, I’ve been saying that I love Jesus but I hate a lot of his followers, and how hard it is for me to go to church, and blah blah blah… well, when the introduction of this book reminding me that the church is Jesus’s bride, and talking smack about someone’s wife (even if she does kind of deserve it) is not a good way to be a friend to that person. It occurred to me that Jesus knows the church isn’t perfect, but that doesn’t me he doesn’t love it, and doesn’t want me to be a part of it.

I wish I’d had a few bucks to spare yesterday, because I REALLY want to read the rest of that book. Eh, maybe I’ll do what I saw other patrons doing when I worked at B&N: set up camp in the comfy chairs for a couple of days and read the whole book without buying it!

Take 5: My friend Bethany just started selling Pampered Chef, so I’m hosting a party to support her (and hopefully get some fun freebies for myself!). Aaaaaaaand of course I have to pimp her website, because I’m sure she’ll get sooooo much traffic from the 4 people who read this blog, LOL. So if you’re in the market for a nifty new garlic press or cheese grater, then please show my girl some love.

Take 6: My husband and brother were in charge of dinner last night, so I went to the library with Chrissy, my brother’s girlfriend. When we returned, we found the two men clustered around a pot of boiling water, frowning at the directions on a box of Suddenly Salad. Jon turned to me with an utterly perplexed look on his face and started asking panicked questions: “What’s a tablespoon? Do we have vegetable oil? Where is it?” I said, “Do you want me to take care of the pasta salad and you guys just worry about the burgers?” Oh, how they rejoiced! I know there are many men out there who would probably throw ME out of the kitchen, because their culinary skills are so evolved my little brain cannot even comprehend the deliciousness of the food they prepare every day. These men? Do not live in my house.

Take 7: Keeping with tradition, I shall make my seventh take an audience-participation question. If you had 20 dollars, and you HAD to spend it on someone else, who would it be and what would you buy? I’d like to buy a gift for a couple I know who just got married last weekend. The husband is a kid I’ve known since he was a scrawny little 12-year-old helping us out during my old church’s building project; now he’s all grown up and the youth minister at his own church. If I had the funds, I’d by Love to Love You by Bill and Pam Farrell, which is one of the best relationship books I’ve ever read.

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

From Kirkus Reviews, quoted on barnesandnoble.com:

“Ai Ling wants to be a dutiful daughter, but surely marrying the vile widower Master Huang is a bad idea. If Ai Ling finds her missing father, then won’t she and her mother be freed from blackmail and manipulation? Ai Ling sets off across the kingdom of Xia to find her vanished father, but finds herself embroiled in both Imperial and mystical intrigue. Her quest is aided by her new friends, the exotically handsome half-Xian Chen Yong and his flirtatious foster brother, Li Rong, both seeking Chen Yong’s birthparents. Together, they rescue gods, fight zombies and travel to dangerous lands where three-eyed men ride flying chariots. Luckily, Ai Ling has newfound powers that aid in their fight against the forces threatening both the trio and the entire land of Xia. Ai Ling is a well-developed protagonist, from her shyness to her great love of food (leading to plentiful mouthwatering descriptions of meals). This fantasy heroine, who shows her spunk with quiet self-determination instead of swordfights, headlines an appealing magical adventure set in a refreshingly non-Western milieu.”

Sounds awesome, right? Well, even more awesome: Cindy’s holding a virtual raffle on her blog to promote Silver Phoenix. You could win a framed “Cindy original” brushpainting, a signed copy of SP or a $100 gift card to the book store of your choice. For details, visit Cindy’s blog.

And because she’s such an awesome friend, Ellen Oh is ALSO hosting a contest to win a signed copy of Silver Phoenix, so check out Ellen’s blog as well.

The Patriot Witch by C. C. Finlay

From Publishers Weekly, quoted on barnesandnoble.com:

“This spellbinding historical fantasy, first of a series, takes Proctor Brown, ready minuteman and reluctant witch, through the opening battles of the American Revolution. Caught between the demands of a loyalist girlfriend and the needs of his aged parents, Proctor is eager to join the American cause and put his hidden abilities to good use. As he learns more about witchcraft, he finds it employed by both rebels and Royal Marines, and he struggles to master his talents without being exposed. Finlay (The Prodigal Troll) provides enough well-researched minutiae of daily life in colonial America to make this a fine historical novel, while offering a magic-tinged view of the happenings at Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill that impressively restores suspense and uncertainty to long-settled events.”

The Patriot Witch is dedicated to one of my niftiest, coolest livejournal friends, so even though her husband wrote it, she has claimed it as “her” book. Take five minutes to read her hilarious promo, because it’s, well, HILARIOUS.