Great reading

If you want to keep up on book reviews, movie reviews, music reviews and great thoughts in general, you need to check out http://rabbitroom.com

With writing from musicians such as Andrew Peterson, Ron Block (Alison Krauss and Union Station) to pastors such as Matt Conner and Russ Ramsey, the posts are thought provoking and fun to read. Often times they draw from Frederick Buechner or Kierkegaard, people I normally read or follow.

I'm especially captivated by the current series of advent posts and will be writing another post related to waiting, quietness and the coming of Christ.

Books: If you see the book,  Zorba the Greek, don't bother reading it. I had heard of it and ended up starting it and then finishing it by skimming thinking maybe it would redeem itself but it was awful-immoral concepts, buddhism, promiscuity, hedonism. just yuk.

I finished the Greatest Generation which was good but just kept telling war story after war story.

The Search for Significance by Robert McGee is good-especially for counseling with a Christian perspective.

Now I have to start my school book on Psychopathology.

Nursery/toddlers: I have been in toddlers and nursery at church the last 2 week. I haven't done so in a while but I still was able to calm a crying 1 yr old so his parents could go to church. I enjoyed this much more since I do not have my own babies and toddlers.

The cold: I am already in my winter slump-cold all the time and more tired. I do like the change of seasons but I wish winter was a bit shorter even except if it would only snow. Instead, it rained a lot yesterday.

Gnocci: My Italian friend taught me and my daughters how to make the pasta gnocci yesterday. It was fun and tasting good. (a small pasta made of flour, egg, and ricotta cheese although I have had it made with potatoes.) She also makes homemade pasta so we may make that a youth event.

Decorating: We have over 1/2 the Christmas decorations up. I really enjoy Christmas. I hope to not get too caught up in the busyness.

Basketball: Kevin Dowker is convincing me to get up a 3 person basketball team for the 3 on 3 I must be crazy! He said it doesn't matter how good we are but he does not know how competitive I am. Right now it is me, Elizabeth and I need one more girl. Who do I know over 6 feet?

Thanksgiving and other trivia

Turkey Trot: Elizabeth described her run, but I thought I would fill you in on the rest of us. I, Nancy, ran my usual 29+ minutes for 3.1 miles. Pretty good for being cold at least half way and for having to wait for at least half of the 1,600 people to get going in front of me. David finished in 24+ minutes, Elizabeth in 28+, Jonny in 27+. We 4 ran the whole way. Arianna and Dave walk and ran and finished in 45+ minutes good for Arianna. We had bagels, water, gatorade, cookies, donuts, bananas when we finished. 

Ariannism: We saw a cemetery while we were watching Spiderman II and Arianna said she didn't like those "yards" because they were sad. 

Economics: I saw this quiz in our Navy Federal magazine and thought you might like the info. I was so surprised at how well I did:

1. What is Stagflation and when was the term first coined?

2. Which company was accused of creating a monopoly during the tech revolution of the 80's and 90's?

3. In what year did the Great Depression begin and what event triggered it?

4. What were the predominant economic conditions in the 90's?

5. What did the Federal Reserve do in the late 70's and what were the results?

6. What are the basic principles of supply-side economics and who was a proponent of this idea?

7. What is the misery index? Which president had the lowest misery index during his tenure?

8. The stock market crash of 1987 was the second largest one-day stock market decline in history. It became known as ...?

9. What were the programs that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) enacted during the great Depression collectively called?

10. Which president enacted the Medicare program to help the elderly receive medical care?

11. What was true about the "malaise speech" given by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 during the oil crisis?

12. On which date was the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) enacted?

13. What was a common site during the energy crisis of the 1970's?

14. Why did the US trade deficit grow in the late 70's?

Answers:

1. Stagflation is a period of high inflation combined with high unemployment and limited business activity first coined in 1965 in an address to the British Parliament.

2.Microsoft

3. 1929 after the collapse of the stock prices on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)

4. Surging stock market, subdued inflation, and low unemployment

5. The Federal Reserve decreased the money supply to combat inflation resulting in an increase in interest rates, decrease in consumer spending and business activity, and a deep recession.

6. Supply side economics lowers tax rates leading to an increase in savings and investments, stimulating the overall economy. Ronald Reagan was a proponent of this theory.

7. The misery index is the sum of unemployment rate and the inflation rate. Dwight D. Eisenhower had the lowest misery index from 1953-1961 out of Clinton, Ford and Truman.

8. 1987 stock market one-day crash became known as Black Monday.

9.  FDR's New Deal.

10.  We have Lyndon B Johnson to thank for Medicare.

11. Jimmy Carter gave the "malaise speech" in which he stated that the nation was experiencing a "crisis of confidence" and never actually used the word malaise.

12. January 1, 1994 for NAFTA

13.  Long lines at the gas stations.

14. The trade deficit grew in the 70's due to: lower-priced imports such as cars were available and high-quality imports became available.

Hope this helps you a bit understand the economy and some of what is going on now.

Food: I have had this disturbing thought recently regarding food. It has occurred to me that a majority of the world including many in our own country are struggling to get enough food to eat and are malnourished and emaciated while a majority of our country and Europe are trying to stop eating too much food (which we are miserably failing at) and still have huge excesses such as Thanksgiving when the average calories consumed is 4,500. 

What is really important? My family was reading the paper and came across several disturbing stories about the frenzied shopping day on Friday after Thanksgiving: In a Walmart in LI, NY one worker was killed and a woman miscarried because of 200 shoppers who forced the doors down and trampled them. In another store, a man shot another man after their "women" were arguing. Do we really need the on-sale product that bad? I went later to Target and Kohl's and had a wonderful experience where people were courteous and kind.

Dessert

A delicious pumpkin pie, apple crumb pie, and homemade ice cream. The best part of Thanksgiving. Enough said.

-Elizabeth

Professional

The dinner started at lunchtime with pumpkin soup flavored with a kick and bread/cheese. The cousins came and we had fun playing and finishing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade leading up to dinner. Everyone was watching Uncle Jonny cook the turkey and commenting on how he could be a chef. Dinner was exciting, food crowding the table, people eating, drinking, and being merry. Everything was delicious. Uncle Jonny has trained me to be a professional bar tender, showing me all the tricks of the trade. I even made a wine menu. I'm still waiting for dessert, including homemade ice cream. look for future posts.

(No, it's not wine it's sparkling cider)

-Elizabeth

running

We just finished running, so we're all quite tired.  I just crashed, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and we're watching "In the Heights".  The running was very enjoyable and full of memories.  Here's my experience. 

We arrived a half an hour early and got ourselves ready to run.  Soon we were freezing and had to stay inside until the race started.  David and I decided to run together, so we found our way to the middle.  Out of no where the gun fired and people started cheering.  We started running, weaving in and out of people, but David was going to fast for me, so I ditched him.  After a while I was breathing with full force.  A lady asked me if I had asthma, but I just shook my head.  Then another lady told me to cover my mouth and keep it warm.  I was coming up to the water station and walked while I drank it up.  By then I was extremely tired, but "kept on keepin' on".  One of the same ladies, I think, then told me to breath in through my nose and out through my mouth.  I rounded the corner while Jonny passed me, and saw Dad and Arianna walking to the water station.  I was more than halfway there!!!  I was running barely, not able to go faster, but then the same lady told me I could do it and I knew I could.  My stomach was cramping and I needed food or I would throw up, but I could do it.  I was running the final stretch slowly and saw the finish line.  It must have been from God, but somehow I found the energy to run swiftly to the end, even with my numb legs.  It was like floating.  I finished in less than 28 min. 32 sec.  All in all it was nice and refreshing.  After the race we weren't cold at all.

A few things I learned:

1. Encouragement and tips are helpful during a race.

2. Bathing afterward is relaxing.

3. Running makes you sick, so only do what you know you can do.

4. Don't arrive to early.

5. Eat enough before, but not to much.

6. coming back is faster than going.

7. Give encouragement, it really helps.

-Elizabeth

"Thanks"giving

I never mentioned that I was the new blogger on Fauth Clan.  I  hope you dont mind reading my blogs on a kids view.  Enjoy!

We arent going anywhere for Thanksgiving, but family is coming.  Already Mom's brother, Uncle Jonny, is here.  But before anyone else comes we're of to run three miles.  Everyone is running so we'll see how it goes.

Don't forget to give "Thanks" on Thanksgiving.  Like Linus said,"In the year 1621, the Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving feast. They invited the great Indian chief Massasoit, who brought ninety of his brave Indians and a great abundance of food. Governor William Bradford and Captain Miles Standish were honored guests. Elder William Brewster, who was a minister, said a prayer that went something like this: 'We thank God for our homes and our food and our safety in a new land. We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice.'"

-Elizabeth

P.S.  I'll be posting throughout the day so look out.

Dining Room - Before and After

I've been working on our dining room for a few months. Here was the before pictures:

As part of the remodel, I cut out the drywall from the floor up about 33 inches all around. I replaced it with plywood and then built up the panels from there. After the first cut, I began to wonder if I could finish what I started. I just kept plugging away as the weeks clicked away. My goal was to be done by Thanksgiving. We painted, chair rail and crown moulding. Here is how it looks today.

Colorado Pictures

The long awaited Colorado picture slide show.

Enjoy.

Taking back the blog

Before my daughter, Elizabeth, takes over the blog, I thought I (Nancy) had better write. Besides, she has facebook. 

Colorado was beautiful.  We saw lots of elk (males get to be 2,000 lbs).   It was the end of mating season so they were locking horns over the females (surprise, surprise).  I did get very dry and some nose bleeding related to the altitude and lack of humidity, but no headaches or nausea which are other symptoms of altitude sickness. The only thing that would have made the trip better was possibly going in the spring or summer when it was warmer and having more time.  (We had a long trip home on Friday and reunited with the kids who stayed with friends for 4 days and 3 nights.) 

School: I registered for psychopathology and got my books - I hope I don't have to memorize the DSM IV which is probably over 1,000 pages, small print.  There's another textbook as well.  I had better get cracking.  The next course has over 7 books as well.

Jonny - I requested a child study in the school and must call the counseling center tomorrow.

Biking in Holland: on the plane I was reading an article about the amazing biking opportunities in Holland-makes me want to go:

Holland has 16 million people and 13 million bikes!

They use bikes for almost 1/3 of all their local trips while the US uses bikes for <1%.

The 1st bike rental was in 1869.

Their bicycle garages hold 5-18,000 bikes!

Groningen spent $52 million on bike infrastucture.

Holland has over 300 miles of bike lanes. It is so safe that they do not wear helmets.

You think they might be thinner and healthier? Are we missing something you think?

I hope I get to go there even for a vacation and bike my little heart away.

Books: I read an old English novel called Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskill. What a good book. The heroine in it was so good-selfless, generous, servant, sacrificial, kind, gentle, submissive-she inspired me to be a better person. See this is why fiction can be the same or better than non-fiction sometimes.

I also read The Danger of Raising Nice Kids on parenting. Encouraged me to disciple my kids instead of worrying about disciplining them all the time. I just told Jonny I love him no matter what he does even when I am mad. His reply, "I didn't clog the toilet!" The kid is funny.

Dining room: the dining is pretty much done-need to put up decorations and touch up paint. It is beautiful-Dave really outdid himself.

Toilets: We are replacing 2 of our 4 toilets due to clogging issues. God bless my brother for putting them in the day before Thanksgiving. Hopefully the new ones will not clog-that would be an answer to prayer.

Thanksgiving: Dave's sister and family, and my brother are coming for a few days around Thanksgiving. Then we will have our brother-in-law's sister's family here too. My brother plans to cook it all for the big day and even get a fresh local turkey. He loves to cook and I don't so this is a real treat. 

Iceland Economy

This article will appear in this Sunday's Financial Times.  It is a good look into what the current economic conditions are in Iceland.

Halloween and vacation

Halloween-Arianna and I went trick-or-treating on Halloween. (I may seem to old, but I didn't want to go to the football game.) I went as a "Holy" ghost with my friend Kathryn and Arianna went as a dancer with our neighbors, Amber and Ashley. (or A and A as my dad calls them.) Overall we had a fun time and acquired lots of candy. (but I gave alot away.)

Mountain Retreat-This past week Mom and Dad abandoned us for Colorado. (JK Mom and Dad!) Arianna and I stayed at the LaPortas' and David and Jonny stayed at the Grafs'. The boys had fun, but I had lots of homework, which is odd for me. I guess I still had fun though.

The mountains really refresh you so hopefully Mom and Dad had fun. For more mountain pics it will be on my facebook soon.

-Elizabeth

PS.) Read future posts to see how Family Thanksgiving goes. I'll get my parents to blog about their Mountain experience.

Paradise

If you know my wife, you know she does so much, so well and with so much passion. She is constantly pushing me to stretch my limitations and to grow to the person I should be.

She does it in such a great, gracious way. Not perfectly and not always. However, I wouldn't have it any other way. That's why being with her is as close to paradise as it gets.

heart warming addition

one more heart warmer:

When I told Dave in an e-mail (he is in Denver) about the dishwasher and labelled it "problems in paradise" his reply was: it is paradise if you are there. This is how he was when we were dating 20 years ago! It is nice to know our love is still fresh.

I get to meet him in Denver tomorrow and we get a 3 day get away in a bed and breakfast north of Denver complete with lots of hiking in the beautiful hills and fall foliage. Like a marriage retreat. Our dear friends are watching the kids. Praise God for fresh love and time away.

Heart warming and other news

Some heart warming things my kids have done/said lately:

Elizabeth: When asked if she thought what she wanted to be when she grew up: teacher and/or missionary. Praise God for a willing heart!

Jonny: David was short some money he owed me and Jonny immediately piped up with "I'll pay the rest". Also, when caught in a lie lately and spoken to about it, within minutes, he apologized, admitted his wrong and asked for forgiveness. Praise God for a soft heart!

Arianna: She struggles with getting emotional and crabby especially when tired. She then will become argumentative, irritable and weepy (I wonder where she gets this from? She's not even a teen). Anyway, when chastised for these displays the other day, she went in the other room for a few minutes and came back out calling my name. "I'm no longer crabby, Mommy!"

Praise God for self-control!

All: They had a good time yesterday and willingly gave their money to fill shoeboxes for needy children. Praise God for generous hearts!

Other notes:

Appliances: I think our dishwasher has finally bitten the dust-not spraying water, using soap, or cleaning dishes. I do not want to break any tile on its way out! Also, we must replace 2 toilets with ones that actually flush more than just water! Well, we have been here over 12 years.

Elections: I will be glad when they are over! It will be interesting to see the results especially since some people think Obama is the antichrist! The economy seems to be similar to the end times costs.

Prayer: I am praying for and with Jonny almost daily and am excited to see its results. I have a conference with his teacher next week. I also have a counseling place in mind as I went to a seminar last week on ADD

School: I may become both a licensed professional counselor and a marriage and family counselor. Why decide! There will be only an additional 2 classes, but I will have to sit for 2 license exams. Why not! One of the counselors I admire here (Bill Gay) has both and sparked the idea for me.

Holidays: We are having Dave's sister and family for Thanksgiving, my brother and maybe my brother-in-law's sister and family. Should be fun. This is my kind of holiday-lots of friends and family around. We may go skiing as a family around Christmas.

Missions: I am praying about going to Haiti in February on medical/mission trip. We hope to go to Iceland in April and are really praying to go to the Philippines this summer (all things are possible for God).

Nancy

decisions

Nancy

Counseling degree? I am trying to figure out which counseling degree to complete-licensed professional or marriage and family. They are almost the same except for a couple of courses. My advisor mentioned to call the places I want to work eventually which I did and of course got only answering machines. Hopefully they will call back. I am leaning toward Licensed Professional counseling since it is more broad and what I want to do (you were right Annie). 

Illness-to go to Doctor or not? I have been sick all week with the peak this weekend. Today I am giving myself a sick day=slept until 1pm and am still in pjs. Hopefully I rounded the corner toward wellness.

Jonny-drugs/not, homeschool/public-the jury is still out on the schooling but we are not doing drugs. Now we just need to implement the diet, supplements, behavioral tips found in the book I ordered. Homeschool is waiting until at least next year.

Work: Still haven't heard from 3rd job, hospital only gave me about 1 day a week and not much from the surgery center. So we are in waiting mode. The Stafford hospital does not have a PRN position open. For now I am enjoying some time off.

Updates

It's me, Nancy. My last blog messed up and was erased so I should get credit for trying a week ago.

School: I now officially have 24 credits toward my Master's. I ended up enjoying the culture diversity class and made friends with the Native Americans near us.

Ariannaism: Mommy, look at me I can do a bend back! That's back bend Arianna, but cute and worth noting.

ADD: I refuse to give Jonny medicine which may affect his heart!!!!!!!!!!!! So we are going for diet changes (all of us during the week at least), and supplements and tips. I ordered a book on-line which I hope helps.

Triathlon: Dave and I finished in just under an hour and a half. I was about what I thought in the swimming and a bit slower than I would have liked in the running. I never seem to get faster and it never seems to get easier but at least I am doing it and not going backwards (for now).

No coffee=PMS: I have observed that people who drink at least 2 cups of strong coffee a day such as my husband and other friends who shall remain nameless have almost the equivalent symptoms as PMS sufferers when they don't get any coffee for the day or even the morning. Headache, cranky, tired, irritable,etc. So, either quit totally and drink occassionally like one of our friends is doing, or drink the 2 cups!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Birthdays: Dave turned 42, David II turned 15, Jonny turned 11 and Arianna turned 8 all this fall!

Braces: Elizabeth has another year plus to even start braces. It seems that the Fauths lose their baby teeth and gain adult teeth late-lucky for us. (Dave lost his last baby tooth in college!) I do like the orthodontist I found on a recommendation so that is a praise for 2010.

Dining Room: It looks amazing. Dave is doing a great job. I think he was ready to take me out when I asked if we could add a chair rail. I believe he will get done by Thanksgiving which is the goal.

Comedy: We are going to see my favorite comedian tomorrow night-will let you all know how great he was (David and Elizabeth are going with me as Dave is in Seattle for a day!)

Iceland Economy

The United States is not the only economy in crisis. As I saw in today's paper and online, Iceland's economy is on the verge of total collapse. From today's London Guardian

It was also built on a massive inflow of funds into the country's banks and highly leveraged raids on the riches of Western Europe. By the start of this year, Iceland's three banks had foreign liabilities of more than $100bn– dwarfing the country's gross domestic product of $14bn.
Now, suddenly, everything may be gone, the economy wiped out with the same cataclysmic devastation that was regularly visited on the land by the eruptions and plagues of earlier centuries.

As Colby and Annie prepare to Iceland, please pray for their opportunities to share the good news to a lost and huring nation.

After the last tear falls....

And in the end, the end is
Oceans and oceans
Of love and love again
We'll see how the tears that have fallen
Were caught in the palms
Of the Giver of love and the Lover of all
And we'll look back on these tears as old tales

'Cause after the last tear falls
There is love

from "Love & Thunder"
Words and music by Andrew Osenga & Andrew Peterson

Liking our jobs/ADD/School

1. I go to the Sport and Health club down in Fredericksburg whenever I want to swim and the man who works the reception desk is exceptionally nice-always giving a warm greeting and generally interested in everyone who comes in. It struck me the other day how much he seems to love his job. I wish we all loved our jobs and portrayed that. Perhaps if we looked at them more as a calling from God than just a job or even a career. Something that God wants us to do and gave to us to glorify Him. Made me think.

2. I am taking Jonny to be checked for ADD or perhaps other learning issues. We sure do eat our words sometimes (or often in my case) especially when we judge others. I used to judge others about their kids and potty training and then one of my children was 3 years old and 8 months before he was trained. Now, I thought that ADD was overdone in its diagnosis and perhaps it is, or even that it didn't exist at all but was just some label to give parents a way out from taking responsibility for their parenting. Well, now the teacher is saying that is what she thinks Jonny has and all these years of school frustration could possibly be helped. I do have a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth though.

3. School is over next weekend for me.We are going to our first Indian Pow wow this Sunday-part of my assignment for school. My whole family is going which is nice. I interviewed a Cherokee which was interesting-still makes me cringe at what whites have done to all these people and that I am white, but God holds me responsible for what I do and I am interested in all people and cultures.