First page of the coast archive.

home.

Posted by jessica on Oct 19, 2010 with 6 Comments
in Loved Ones, photography, Thoughts and Feelings
as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As you can see,this time here has been nothing short of incredibly special.

Just like the way Jase looks in his non-Mickey-ears hat.

Favorite quote of the day:

Hmmm, now there’s something interesting. A nun. Driving a car. With a house on it.

–Darby DiNatale Latshaw

Sure enough, I looked in the direction she was pointing, and that was exactly the case. Couldn’t really describe it any better than that. Not even with a picture.

I will miss the ocean to my right and the mountains to my left. I will miss seeing these dear people first thing when I wake up. Not to be confused with the deer people; I don’t see them until the afternoon, as a general rule. I will miss describing just about anything and everything as frabjous. Though I am hoping to, like the missionaries of old, carry that word with me from coast to coast, proclaiming its potent meaning to all who have ears to hear.

Me and Darby are guessing that pop, at least, will take to it with a passion.

And tomorrow I get to sit an awful lot and argue my case to the flight attendants for why my guitar is a carry-on. And then my parents will pick me up and my pop will probably try to feed me, because for as long as I can remember he has thought that I am too skinny and has suspected that my ribs show too well so “Come on, Jess,” he says, “Just one more bite of this_______ (steak or chicken or sandwich or salad or I think you get the point).”

But if it’s true that home is where the heart is, then I suppose I have a few of these things called home now, considering there are people in different parts of the world who carry with them my heart.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

blind date and Jesus IS jewish, after all.

Posted by jessica on Jul 18, 2009 with No Comments
in photography, Thoughts and Feelings
as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Apparently you can be happily married, never having once signed up for a profile on Eharmony.com, and still end up on a blind date.

Like today.
Mandy, a lovely Texan who found me through this blog offered to take me out for a real meal while here (it seems she had read one too many mentions of my penchant for PB&J’s on twitter and well, nobody leaves Texas hungry). At first I laughed it off, not wanting to be the awkward gauche person who takes somebody up on an offer that they meant as a joke. But she made it clear she was serious, and so I bit.
She picked me up at noon today and we spent a great couple of hours together. She’s kind and talented with a fun sense of humor and also loves to blog.
The fact that she’s 5’8 just like me doesn’t hurt, either.
She took me to this cute Mexican place called Chuy’s and the waiter was obliging enough to document the moment.
And here’s a little gem from there as well.
Our silverware was wrapped in paper that gave us three options for prayers, depending upon your preferred faith and assuming that you couldn’t just make one up on the spot, I guess.
Not everybody can free-style, you know.
All three prayers are lovely, actually; I’d be honored to pray any of them and I am pretty sure God would be happy to hear them.
The fact that there was a gentile/jewish choice made me think of my six year old nephew, Ollie, who now lives in California during the school year. Anyway, one day his mom came into his classroom only to find him covered in a prayer shawl and wearing a yarmulke.
They were studying Judaism. Which is awesome.
Later, when Ollie announced to his family that he wanted to become Jewish, his sister Lyric informed him that he simply couldn’t.
Why? he asked.
Because we are Christian! she said, leaving no uncertainty in the matter.
Showing some budding abilities in diplomacy, Ollie stated, Then I will be Christian when I am on the east coast and Jewish when I am in California.

And that plan seems to be coming along just fine. He’s back on the east coast for the summer now and, as far as I know, has been faithfully attending church every Sunday, just like a good Christian should.
Anyway, it’s quite a lovely world considering we can start a meal with a stranger and finish it with a friend–and be given the option of three different prayers all the while.

Oh. And perhaps I can look forward to observing Passsover with Ollie next year.

Or Easter.
I guess that will just depend upon which coast he happens to be on at the time.