good husband/bad man

I've named this blog for my husband, and have quite a bit to say on the subject of his goodness and badness. I've so much to say it may be the start of a series, or chapters.  First, some disclaimers:  I have been married to this bad good husband since 1995, and despite himself, I'm in love with him, no matter what.  I'm in love with him more now than ever and have been married to him all of my adult life, and a bit of my childhood (who's an adult at 19?).  I won't be bashing him. 

On with the story......

 

 Last summer we traveled to the Czech Republic with friends.  While touring Prague, Silas, the spouse in the spotlight, bought me a yellow rose at a market while we waited for everyone to buy souvenirs.  From the market, we took public transportation to the Little Eiffel Tower to look out over the entire city.  Walking through a garden to the tower, I dropped my rose.  We noticed just in time to see a school aged girl find the rose on the ground, and pick it up with obvious delight.

I noticed the girl's face the same moment as Silas was bounding like Tigger back down the path towards her.  I saw him squat down and talk to the girl for a moment, then she gave him the rose.  As he ran like a school boy back towards the group, my friend leaned in and said, "Silas, he is a good husband, but a bad man".  This is exactly what I was feeling as well.  What a sweet guy to go get the rose, what a jerk for taking a rose from a little girl.  The passing comment of a friend, summed up Silas, I just never thought of it so clearly.  Silas loves me, despite all others.  This is a very attractive attribute from my perspective, and only sometimes mildly embarrassing, and usually not.

After some awkward moments walking, I told him  I would rather it would be alright to let the girl keep the rose, and I'll keep the memory of his kindness: getting me a rose, giving it to a pretty little girl.  As we entered the tower he did give the rose back to the girl.  I'm sure she will always remember a stranger giving her a rose (her mom was there too).  The girl was all smiles as we headed up the stairs of the tower.

Bear Prints for Jim

The world is full of mysteries, some are more mysterious than others.  Animal prints aren't very mysterious or miraculous, and yet, they are a sign that something was there and now it isn't.    I was reminded of this, looking at these photos, and wondered why I would even be moved in the moment to take them:  They catch my eye, like a magic trick.  The animal is gone (in the case of the bear, not far ahead of me) and while I'm looking down, the creature is pulling away from me.

Camel print in Sinai Desert, Egypt

Black bear print, Malakoff Diggins SP,  California

Yesterday a man traveled ahead who has left as many tracks as a man can.  Tracks of Peace, and Love, Compassion and Grace.  As I look down to marvel at what he left, he is pulling ahead of me, just over the horizon.  I know he is there, I just can't see him yet.  I hope to follow.

Security Czech

Several months ago, I  turned off my media outlet: NPR.  I don't have a television, and I only try to read global news pertaining to music or movies.  I guess I don't even consider it 'news'.  When my favorite actors are in a new movie it's not news, but I love movies.

I was driving to wait my turn in the elementary school pick-up line when a story came on about sea turtles swallowing crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico.  The turtles can't taste that the floaties are not jellyfish, and swallow the oil to their detriment.  I switched off the radio imagining the carnage, and haven't turned it on since.  I realized that I am not impervious to media, but I am significantly more sheltered from it than before.  That's why when I heard a group talking about the TSA being a bit too personal in the security line at airports, I knew there must be some news hype about it.

It also sparked my curiosity enough to Google it, and endure the media-induced frenzy on the subject.   I have had and intimate pat down while traveling last summer.  It did not insight a frenzy in me.  It did make me think about why it was okay for a total stranger touched every square inch (or centimeter.  I was in Europe.) of my body through my clothes.  Up to that point in my life the folks who had touched me like that have M.D. after their name, shared an umbilical cord with me, or are currently married to me.  I can now add a female Czech airport security guard to the list.

What was offensive about the encounter was not the woman's hands (okay maybe a little).  It is a concession to travel.  Couldn't the woman see what a good person I am?  Didn't she know that I'm positively more good just by looking at me?  I was offended that she couldn't judge by my appearance that I am an upstanding, contributing member of society.

A bad person is bad.  They will stand in the security check line at the airport and let the guard pat them down with malice in their heart, and the confidence that they are circumventing the security.  If everyone knows they will be strip-searched, x-rayed and hung by their ankles before air travel, the bad guys will do that, and then do the bad thing they intended, despite the safeguards.

Despite my goodness, doesn't the woman running her latex gloved hands all over me know that?  It is nearly too simple to understand.  Bad people will find ways to do bad things, despite our best efforts, that's what makes them bad.

Silas Visits the UK

Silas went to London on business, and then to Glasgow to visit friends. He only took 6 photos, and 3 were of a lake, which doesn't seem so unique or cultural, since we have similar lakes here in California.
He did get to visit our dear friends Nick, Sophie and overdue baby Pragnell-Bell, in their own element. What fun he had!!

That Darn Cat

This is the cat that I drove to my mother-in-laws house for safe keeping while we were on vacation for 3 weeks. This photo was taken when it was a bit smaller and did it's job of hunting with more gusto. I drove this cat 2o minutes away, out to the highway, down a country road, in a pet carrier. I dropped him off and didn't even think of him until we returned.

When we got home, Martha said that the cat had stuck around about half the time we were gone, and then had disappeared. I felt a bit bad (mostly for the kids), but something in me told me that was not the end of the story. When we arrived at our house, there was X-ray the cat. He was hungry. He walked home through the woods one mile as the crow flies. He had to swim across the Deer Creek to get here. How did he know the way?

Clearly he loves his home, not us, but where he lives. I had heard stories like this before, but never thought that they were real. And I don't have a guilty conscience about a 'missing' cat.

Banksy in Bethlehem

I love Banksy. He is a anonymous graffiti artist who has art on walls all over the world. I think only a few people must know who he is and they keep his secret safe. His work sells for millions and he is still alive (incredible!!). I like his stuff cause it is political, or ironic, and timely.

I have been interested in him, and the mystery of him for some time. When passing through the Israeli wall into palestine to visit Bethlehem, I was thinking it would be a perfect place for a person to make a political statement. The place is full of intense irony. As it turns out, as I was thinking that, we round a bend to see some of Banksy's work. I whipped out the camera and did my best to get a photo of it, which I did. I also got Selma's head.

The wall that surrounds Jerusalem is to protect against the violence that Palestine is up to around there. Palestinians don't go to Jeruslam and vise versa, though they are 3 miles apart. One needs a permit to work in one place or the other. The wall helps further divide the two raging inhabitant of the land.

I am not an expert about the strife in Isreal, and yet can clearly see that neither side is seeking peace. They are however trying to protect themselves without peace. It seems as if it is not working. It seems that if there is a leader who is truly striving for peace, then that person does not live long (it seems to be a theme amoung radical peace keepers-watch out Tony).

I wanted to share some other interesting snaps I took.This is a cross I saw on the path that Christ rode on into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey. This is an adventure in missing the point if I ever saw one.



This is a photo of Justus in the "manger". You know, the "real" one that jesus was placed in after he was born. I think it was totally taboo for him to hop in, so I kicked him out before a grumpy manger nazi saw him, and after I took a devious photo. Who's kid is that?

Ironic Burning Bush

In the Sinai Desert is the "real" Burning Bush which God used to tell Moses His plan for him. It is at an old cathedral in the middle of nowhere called St. Catherine's.
Here is an interesting photo I took of the bush!!
I would assume smoking around the Burning Bush would be OK.

Egypt

Shalom!

Blogging from the Holy Land.



Justus' Baptism in the Jordan
The Browns at the Temple Mount. Not our Christmas Card Photo.

May Play

We have been around a bit this May. Justus and I went to Monterey Bay Aquarium and slept on the floor in front of the Open Ocean exhibit (shark, tuna, schools of fish). It was a marathon of fun, and we are glad to be home. I was so grateful for who Justus is. He is such a great kid, and I am so happy to be his mama.
On a sad note, Scout has an abscessed tooth from a bike accident in the fall (see previous post). She will loose the tooth, but a new one is on the way by the time she is 6. She can use a straw through it until then.