There's Been A Wedding

Somewhere in the middle of all the craziness, my step-daughter got married. She asked us to be a part of the event so Lithus is now (courtesy of the internet) an ordained officiant in the Church of Secular Humanism (which always makes me giggle just a little) and performed a beautiful ceremony (if I do say so, myself) written by, ta-dah, me. I hope it added a touch of East Coast sophistication to the event. I was honored to be asked.

Lithus prepping the day of...


The words he spoke...

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

How can we not rejoice and be glad today? Today is the day we stand with Bride and Groom as they proclaim their love for one another and commitment to be joined together in marriage. Who brings this woman to be married? (The Other Father of the Bride Responds) And Bride and Groom stand before us, their friends and family; before God, whom they both love; and most importantly, before each other.

So first, I ask you, the family and friends of Bride and Groom, the people who love them and whom they love, will you support Bride and Groom as they form this new union, help them grow and become everything they can be, both separately and together? (The Congregation responds “we will.”) Thank you.

Luckily, we do not have to ask the same questions of God. Bride, Groom, God’s blessing on your marriage is obvious. Whenever two people come together in love and respect, as you do, we witness God’s intention and blessing. For, according to the Bible, God created man, but he was alone and he was lonely. And God looked at His glorious creation and knew something was missing. So God created woman. When man and woman came together, God looked upon them and knew: this was good.

Yet simply being man and woman together isn’t enough, and that’s why you come here today. To not only be together but to join together, to bind yourselves as husband and wife. This choice has a deeper meaning and a greater implication. As God says to you in John 14:35, “You must now love each other as I have loved you.”

That’s not an easy commandment. For God’s love is all-encompassing. God’s love is unconditional. God’s love is the love from 1 Corinthians 13 which is “patient and kind; not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

No, not an easy commandment at all. To succeed in fulfilling such a commandment, you each must come here today in love, friendship, acceptance and respect. Groom, Bride wrote about your “forever eyes” and how they assure her you are with her forever; how you are the missing piece to her puzzle; and how, no matter how hard times get, you always meet her in the middle and are willing to work to resolve your differences. And Bride, Groom speaks of your intelligence, common sense and good judgment. He also knows you are dazzling and spectacular, while loving the fact that you aren’t always the most graceful of women. Perhaps the most striking thing, however, is how often the two of you said the same thing about the other. You both refer to the other as your best friend. You both praise the other’s parenting skills. You value how much in common you share. And you both confide in and lean on the other. This recognition of each other’s strengths ~ and the acknowledgement of the other’s imperfections ~ brings you here today, eyes open and hearts entwined. In other words, in love, friendship, acceptance and respect. All of us who know you and know your love for each other believe in this union and your ability to fulfill God’s commandment, even when it is not easy.

However, Bride and Groom, what we, your friends and family, believe is only so important. What is most important are the two of you and your promises to each other. Do you have the rings? Then let these rings be a symbol of your commitment to each other and a reminder of the love you wish to offer each other.

So Bride, will you take the ring and put it on Groom’s finger, repeating after me:

I, Bride, promise to love you, Groom, as God has loved you. I promise to give honor to this marriage and remain faithful to you. I will wear my loyalty to you like a necklace and write it deep in my heart. And I will love you and demonstrate that love.

And Groom, will you take the ring and put it on Bride’s finger, repeating after me:

I, Groom, promise to love you, Bride, as God has loved you. I promise to give honor to this marriage and remain faithful to you. I will wear my loyalty to you like a necklace and write it deep in my heart. And I will love you with the same love Christ showed the church.

By the speaking of these vows now and the living of them in the years to come, God’s plan is complete. This is indeed the day the Lord has made. We rejoice and are glad in it, as I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.


And the celebration...


Those are Pobble Thoughts ~ white, weddingy Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

Lithus is Loving It

My cold turned to laryngitis. My laryngitis has turned into no voice. Nothing. I open my mouth and...silence.

Yeah. He's enjoying it. Perhaps a little too much.

Those are Pobble Thoughts ~ and the only way I can really communicate right now. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee ~ or theraflu.

A Difference in Perspective

Yesterday, Lithus was on the phone with a friend and former colleague when I heard him say "Actually, we're homeless right now..." and it drew me up short. Over the last two weeks, he had made some comments about the economy and what it is doing to the private aviation industry. While I had heard him, they hadn't really registered. When he finished the conversation, I asked him about it.

Sure enough, he sees us as homeless. He sees this as something that has been more or less forced on us by the demise of Old Company. It's a very interesting perspective. And very different from mine.

What's been forced? Does he have a job that could pay for a home for us? Yep. Am I slowly beginning to build a name for myself that will start paying off in another year or so? Yep. Did we sit down and decide to live this way? Yep, sure did. After all, why pay rent on an apartment that we rarely occupy? All of which, in my world, makes us not homeless but living on the road. At least in my mind.

It's different for him, apparently. Apparently, for him, since we wouldn't have chosen this had O.C. not gone under then it is forced. And that part I do understand. But we could've chosen to stay in our apartment and be apart more often than not (neither one of us *would* have chosen this, but we *could* have chosen this). We could've decided to get a smaller, less expensive place as a homebase of sorts (which we are looking at more seriously, as we are learning Lithus misses having a homebase). However, we looked at those options and decided against them. We chose.

So, I remind myself his feelings are his feelings, even if I don't understand them or understand how he arrived at them. As a sociological observation, though, I'm intrigued. Two people. The same situation. The same discussions. Such very different perspectives.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

An Aside

Even with all the traveling and all the bouncing around, I still have a job. And I'm particularly pleased about this guest post so wanted to share. Check it out as soon as you can because I'm probably going to be deleting this post, as I don't want the Pobble to be connected to Pauline, via a search of some kind. But I had to share with y'all. :)

Those are Pobble Thoughts, in spite of the name. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

And So It Begins

Kermit: Movin' right along in search of good times and good news,

With good friends, you can't lose,

Fozzie: This could become a habit.

Kermit: Opportunity just knocked, let's reach out and grab it,

Together we'll nab it.

Fozzie:Ya! We'll hitch-hike, bus, or yellow cab it.
Kermit (spoken): Cab it?

Kermit & Fozzie: Movin' right along

Kermit: Foot-loose and fancy free.

Gettin' there is half the fun; come share it with me.

Kermit & Fozzie: Movin' right along!

Kermit: Doog-a-doon, doog-a-doon

We'll learn to share the load.

Fozzie: We don't need a map to keep this show on the road.

(Dialogue)Kermit: (looking at the map) Hey, Fozzie, I want you to turn left when you get to a fork in the road.

Fozzie: Yessir: turn left at the fork in the road.(A giant fork appears in a fork in the road)

Fozzie: KERMIT!

Kermit: I don't believe that.

Kermit: Movin' right along we found a life on the highway,

Fozzie: And your way is my way--

Kermit: So trust my navigation.

Fozzie: California here we come, come pie-in-the-sky land.

Kermit: Palm trees and warm sand--

Fozzie: Though sadly we just left Rhode Island.
Kermit: (spoken) We did what?

Fozzie: (spoken) Just forget it.

Kermit & Fozzie: Movin' right along

Kermit: Hey, L.A., where have you gone?

Fozzie: Send someone to fetch us, we're in Saskatchewan.
Kermit & Fozzie:Movin' right along

Kermit: Doog-a-doon, doog-a-doon) You take it, you know best.

Fozzie: Hey, I've never seen the sun come up in the West.
Fozzie: (spoken) A bear in his natural habitat! A studabaker!

(Dialogue)Kermit: Hey, Fozzie, look up ahead.

(A tall creature is walking on the other side of the quiet empty highway)

Fozzie: What is that?

Kermit: Maybe we should give him a ride.

Fozzie: I dunno. He's pretty big. (The studabaker pulls alongside the creature)

Fozzie: Hey, there. Wanna lift?

Big Bird: Oh, no, thanks. I'm on my way to New York City to try to break into public television!

Fozzie: Ah...hmmm, good luck.

(The studabaker keeps on moving the other direction)

Kermit & Fozzie: Movin' right along

Fozzie:We're truly birds of a feather,

We're in this together--

Kermit: And we know where we're goin'.

Fozzie: Movie stars with flashy cars and life with the top down.

Kermit: We're stormin' the big town.

Fozzie: Yeah! Storm is right, should it be snowin'?
Kermit: (spoken) No, I don't think so.

Kermit & Fozzie:Movin' right along

Fozzie: Do I see signs of men?

Kermit: Yeah, "welcome" on the same post that says "come back again."

Kermit & Fozzie: Movin' right along

Kermit: Foot-loose and fancy free.

Fozzie: You're ready for the big time--

Kermit: Is it ready for me?

Kermit & Fozzie: Movin' right along!

~ The Muppet Movie
c. Kenny Ascher and Paul Williams

No bets on which one of us is Kermit and which is Fozzie.





Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

You Mean You Don't Know?

Lots of questions about where I'm moving. After all these years of reading and writing Pobble Thoughts you can't read my mind yet? Come on, people! I thought we had a bond here. *rolls eyes at self*

Since realizing I haven't spelled it out here, I figure it's time: We're moving...nowhere. And everywhere. We've decided to pack up, throw out, donate, minimize, clear out and store all our stuff and live on the road. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D Last night, our soon to be son-in-law came over and loaded up a truck AND trailer of furniture and household goods (remember the days when anything from Target could be considered "really, really nice" furniture?). We'll take them the beds this weekend. Yep ~ everything.

Lithus works for a new company now (his former employer finally laid him ~ and almost everyone else ~ off) but New Company is a smallish company, unlike Old Company used to be, so he works for contract rather than on a salary. If he's not working, he's not getting paid. I did the sit-at-home-and-wait thing for too long with the SGM. Even this last year with Lithus at O.C., I stayed home because Lionel couldn't travel well. Now? Now, my work can be done anywhere and Damned if I'm missing out on the adventure any longer. But if Lithus is going to be working that much and I'm going to be along, there's just no reason to keep an apartment and pay rent and utilities on a place we aren't. The N.C. pays for hotel and Lithus's expenses so all we have to pay for is my transportation and food.

At this point (because I have learned this is Totally subject to change at an hour or two notice), we are expecting to be either on the southern coast of Oregon fighting fires there, or back down in Vegas on a couple construction contracts. N.C. expects to have work for him through the summer at least. After that, he's got a lead on a job that starts late September in (drum roll please) Malaysia. Meanwhile, N.C. has also put bids on jobs in Australia and Africa; a friend of Lithus's has a lead on jobs in Chile and Portugal and they need another pilot (meaning Lithus); and N.C. is also working on more contracts in Mexico. AND Lithus has his c.v. out on job sites and has started getting requests for more information (one from Milan. Yes, MILAN, ITALY. Why would this suck?)

It's a totally new thing for both of us, living contract to contract and just having faith that the next gig will show up before we're out of cash from the last one. We have both always wanted to live this way and have never been with the person who would do it with us ~ until now. This is literally the culmination of a life-long dream for me. I remember being 11 when I saw my first road show (The Wiz) and realizing that OMG Not Everyone Lives In A House. That was it. I was done and this has been my goal since then. I'm thrilled beyond words and scared out of my mind. And happier than I have ever been in my life. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D

I also have faith that one of these days, our travels are going to take us near you, wherever you are.

For now, though, I have empty boxes taunting me so must get back to sorting and packing...

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

East Coast v. West Coast, In A Nutshell

When I have moved up, down and finally away from the east coast, my friends understood the time crunch that comes with moving. If the only way we got to see each other before I left was for them to come over and talk to me while watching me pack boxes, guess what? They came over and talked to me while watching me pack boxes. Usually they brought coffee because they are my friends and I am me. Helping wasn't the point, wasn't requested, wasn't expected (was sometimes given, though, but sometimes not). The point was having some last moments together to talk and laugh and experience one more story together.

When my friends moved, across town or across the country, I went and talked while watching them pack. Sometimes I helped; sometimes I didn't. That wasn't the point.

The few people who call us their friends out here have been told we want to see them, we want some time with them before we leave, we just have one week to get everything packed. We have invited them over, not to help, but to have some more time together before we leave the area.

Every Single One Of Them has said thanks but no thanks. One woman even said "Yeah, right, sure. I'm really gonna do that. But you call if you've got a free night to come over to our house."

Which is, in a nutshell, why I don't mind leaving the Pacific Northwest. At all.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and buck fifty will get you coffee.