Narnia II - Innocence Betrayed

The title says it all - the movie version of Prince Caspian was barely child-proof. Two or three parents left The theater midway through the film due to the overly drawn out violent battle scenes. The rating was PG for “epic battle action and violence.” It should have been a PG-13 not only for the blood n’ sword swinging, but also for the surprise nookie at the end. Dare I say more… you are forewarned.

Then there is the story line factual editing. Oh my! It would have helped me to have read the book before going to see the film (heeding my own advice), I could still remember enough of it to speak out, “That’s not in the book!”

Over all, I give the movie a C- on the American grading scale. The first Narnia movie was much, much better!

My 300th Post

My dashboard tells me this will be the 300th post I have written for my blog. I wish I had something impressive to share with y’all!

We have the day off today. Jeff is napping after eating out with a group of men from church. They do a weekly lunch together but Jeff rarely gets to go because of his strict school schedule. I bought some lovely light blue fabric for a new jumper from Joanns. There is a cream-colored blouse with blue embroidery sitting in the back of my closet just waiting for a matching jumper.

In a couple of hours we will head out to see the premier of the Prince Caspian move. I hardly ever go see movies in the theater, let alone on opening day. I had a free ticket coupon to use, so I saved it for this event. You see, my dad read the Chronicles of Narnia to me as bed time stories, six times through. They are deeply ingrained into my psyche! So the incredible movie adaptations now coming out were a must-see in my estimation.

And, yes, you should read the book before seeing the movie.

On the verge of Eureka!

Serendipity may have been kind to me this morning. I was feeling the usual discomfiture over my acne, weight, and reproductive issues when I decided to google ‘hypoglycemia’, ‘acne’ and ’skin’ on a whim. There is a connection between all my issues and what I googled!

The condition is called skin diabetes. Our skin is an organ, just like a liver, spleen, or kidneys. It has to metabolize the nutrients we feed it, but, sometimes it malfunctions when it comes to complex sugars. Insulin levels, for some reason, are very low in the skin. The consequence is acne, because the excessive sugars are a buffet dinner for bacteria. This metabolic problem is a tripping wire for a cascade of changes in the hormonal systems in the body, hence reproductive issues, etc.

All of the above is perfectly applicable to my genetics and previous health history. My grandpa had type 2 diabetes; my dad was rejected from the draft because of sugar in his urine. I have passed out a couple of times because of low blood sugar and dehydration. I have all the classic symptoms of hypoglycemia.

The good news is that skin diabetes can be controlled, much like type 2. My weight is still in the acceptable zone, so that is not such a big determinant. The real changes I have to make is with what I eat. Big Serious Changes.

Sugar is no longer my friend, neither are refined carbohydrates, nor caffeine. Buh-Bye High Fructose Corn Syrup!

Nourishing Traditions is the way to go: Good fats, proteins, well-treated grains, fermented dairy, veggies, and fruits.

This will take a while to sink in…

Pondering Things

This post is a mental sticky note. You may or may not see these subjects in future posts…unless you want to see them explained.

1. Why is it that head covering opponents seem more trapped in their cultural context ["We don't wear those any more, therefore, it is cultural!"] than those who are pro-headcovering?
2. Bush compared the United States’ founding to the founding of Israel, even down to the “guiding principles”. Very appropriate. We push out/murder/fence in the natives so we can have a homeland. Because God told us to. Right.
3. I need a vocation where I effect positive change in peoples’ lives. I am tired of being a desk jockey. And I don’t want to be a public school teacher or a nurse.

Pure Fashion 2007

To be fair, I will add this video from 2007 of Pure Fashion runway work. STILL, I see some things that crossed over their standards a few times. Like, seats. Lots of seats.

Tastefully Trendy

The accompanying video for the Pure Fashion rant. Note, they like to layer clothing [ok] and, umm, tend to choose the least amount of clothing to still abide by their standards. For instance, were there any skirts longer than knee-length? Any sleeves past the elbows? And, whoa girlfriend at 1:12, you need a cami under that blouse!

Pure Fashion: It’s Complicated

If you have read Wendy Shalit’s new book, Girls Gone Mild, you will know something about the national program, Pure Fashion. Some mothers got together several years ago to train their daughters in how to choose modest clothing and then put on a fashion show. It grew from there. The young ladies (high-school age) go through a 7 month program to learn all about being a (role) model.

Their modesty guidelines are quite extensive. Here is a sampling:

Pants

• should not be too tight, especially in the seat or the thigh area
• should fit well, but not be “skin-tight”, you should be able to pull them away from the leg
• shorts should be modest - no very short and/or tight shorts; if you put your arms down straight at the side, and the bottom of the shorts is higher than your longest finger, then the shorts are too short. (Remember, we will be on an elevated runway and everything will look a bit shorter to the audience.)
• make sure there are no “panty lines” on stage. If necessary, wear pantyhose or a “thigh shaper” to hold everything in and create a smooth appearance in your clothing.

Wow. How is one supposed to find a pair of pants that isn’t tight in the thigh or seat area? Of course, they cover how to choose skirts (must be no shorter than 4 finger widths above the knee) or sleeveless tops (3 finger widths across the shoulder) or necklines (again, no deeper than 4 finger widths below the collar bones). I think I need to lie down, my head is spinning!

There are much easier ways to set modesty standards. I think these rules are too complicated and too easy to fudge. What I would do is take these girls to a super Goodwill to get some really unique stuff! Knees covered from all angles, no booty showing, sleeves, no worries about counting finger widths.

What do you all think about the Pure Fashion concept? Is it really teaching Christian girls to be shame-faced, sober, gentle, and humble? Or is it showing girls they can be admired for their looks and feel goody-two-shoes about wearing a couple more inches of cloth?

[P.S.- Wendy has a new, new book coming out this summer: The Good Girl Revolution!]

Pray for the Suffering

The news from China today is so heart-wrenching for me. I have two sisters adopted from that country, though they are from a different province. I traveled around China for two weeks in 1999. The area that was affected from the earthquake may be poisoned for years because it is an industrial center with many chemical factories.

Pray for God’s mercy and that those who call on Jesus may have the opportunity to serve.

Thoughts on Monday

We had a beautiful weekend: fetching goat milk, visiting relatives, and went for a long walk in a park yesterday. There is a sun burn on my face (third time this year!) to prove it. I’ve got to remember a hat next time!

This story came to my attention this weekend. A young lady who has never cut her hair due to her Christian beliefs encounters a teacher with a long-hair hate and a pair of scissors. The result is a weird investigation.

In other news, mother’s day has come and gone. Notice I did not capitalize that. Its not that I wish the day never existed. I love my mom and sent her a card. I wished other mothers a happy day. I just do not like honoring it like a holy day during a church service. [Note: yesterday was the feast of Pentecost for the Western Christian calendar. Not a word mentioned about that significant event.]

The pastor starts off his sermon yesterday with, “Honoring mothers is an ancient practice…The Greeks started a spring celebration for the mother of the gods…” OH MY GOODNESS. Did he justify an American Holiday (and thereby, a church gathering) by citing pagan practices? Yep. I guess it was easy to be up front about it.

Why the Oklahoma Convention was So Important

I had not seen this video before going to the convention. It is a perfect illustration of just how important it was for us to drive to Tulsa last weekend! Imagine, James Dunn only won by 9 votes!