such small hands

Why "The Killing" Is the Best TV Crime Procedural Ever

My husband and I were late to catch on to "The Killing," AMC's crime drama that was "canceled" after two seasons, but brought back for a third season beginning June 2.

We finished Season 2 about a week ago, but we're still caught in the spell, watching each episode a second time. Here's why I think "The Killing" blows the doors off every other TV cop show, and why I can't wait for Season 3 to begin.

The pacing --- When the show made its debut in 2011, many reviewers commented on the slow pace. Each episode equals a day in the investigation of the murder of Rosie Larsen, a Seattle teen-ager whose body is found in a submerged car. When most TV dramas solve a case in an hour-long episode (or stretch it into a two-hour special), "The Killing" takes its time getting to know the two detectives who catch the case, the victim's family, the victim herself, and the suspects we meet along the way.

The partners --- Mismatched police partners are a cliche of crime drama, but Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos0 and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman) rewrite the book. Holder is the new kid in homicide: a ghetto-talking, skinny white ex-junkie, ex-undercover vice cop. Linden is the veteran: a diminutive, pale redhead in bulky sweaters and jeans, she's fearless, obsessed and the mistress of the cold stare. They approach the investigation with entirely different styles, so it's not surprising that Linden and Holder don't like each other much, don't trust each other, and yet come to a grudging respect and even attachment. "You know you're my BFF," Holder tells her.

The family --- Rosie leaves her parents, Mitch and Stan (Brent Sexton), as well as two younger brothers and an aunt to grieve for her. With the luxury of time, "The Killing" exposes the raw nerves of grief as each family member mourns for Rosie. It's devastating, agonizing, and true in its emotion. When Mitch (Michelle Forbes) curls up on Rosie's bed, surrounding herself with her daughter's stuffed animals, you know you would be doing the same thing if, God forbid, you were in her place.

The subplots and characters --- The Larsen murder investigation drops right into the middle of a Seattle mayoral election. Since Rosie's body was found in a car belonging to challenger Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell), the candidate, his campaign aides, and the possibly shady incumbent Lesley Adams (Tom Butler) are drawn into the mystery. The show's pacing allows for a fuller development of these characters, exploring their backstories and fleshing out their motivations.

The setting --- Isn't Seattle supposed to be the beautiful, trendy jewel of the Pacific Northwest? You'd never know that from the Seattle you see in "The Killing," which is in a constant downpour, gloomy, dank and chilly. It lends a sense of impending doom to every scene. Even the interiors feel a bit claustrophobic.

The twists --- If you think "Law & Order: SVU" is the master of the plot twist, hang on for all of the blind alleys and rabbit holes that Linden and Holder investigate. These twists and turns feel honest rather than gratuitous, as the partners chase down every possible lead, make mistakes, deal with some tragic unintended consequences, and finally find the killer. In two seasons, 26 episodes, 26 days.

Season 3 picks up a year after Season 2 ended. Holder brings Linden out of retirement to help him track down a serial killer who is preying on homeless girls. According to producer Veena Sud, the case will be solved in this 13-episode season, so it probably won't follow the episode=day pacing. But I hope the new season keeps the other things that made Seasons 1 and 2 so great. 

At the Moment

Outside my window ... rain is falling on the robins in my neighbor's yard.

I am thinking ... I ought to be clearing stuff off closet floors to prepare for new carpet arriving (I hope) in a week.

I am thankful for ... answered prayer in finding a reliable new car for Amy, the first car she has bought for herself.

From the kitchen ... tonight's dinner will be chicken alfredo.

I am wearing ... jeans, a T-shirt, light sweater --- and a bathrobe over it all because it's a little chilly in the house.

I am creating ... a blog post.

I am going ... to a friend's Confirmation party this weekend!

I am reading ... the "Shift Omnibus," the prequel to Hugh Howey's "Wool."

I am hoping ... Amy has time today to call the car insurance agent, and that she gets a good deal on her policy.

I am hearing ... the clock ticking on the mantel.

Around the house ... the kitchen cupboards need to be cleaned out and degreased.

One of my favorite things ... Garden Fresh salsa and chips

A few plans for the rest of the week ... help Ken move the aquarium to get ready for the carpet installers.

 

Wool

"Wool Omnibus Edition" by Hugh Howey

I had never heard of "Wool" or its author until I read this article/review in Slate magazine. It's not that I dislike science fiction --- I've read "Dune," "Brave New World," several Ray Bradbury stories, and more --- but I don't read sci-fi often.

Something about "Wool," however,  grabbed me and refused to let go. Maybe it was the entirely plausible world Howey creates in a far distant future --- distant, but not very different from the world of 2013. Or maybe it was the characters --- men and women who are very much like the living, breathing people we know.

 The world of "Wool" is populated by survivors of some unnamed global disaster, who live in a vast underground silo --- more than 130 levels connected only by a single spiral stairway. The silo's structure not only limits physical mobility, but also social mobility. Classes and occupations are divided by level, with the blue-collar workers living in the "down deep" and governing officials "up top." Near the upper levels, but far from any authority figures is IT. If you've ever struggled to get anything out of Information Tech in your workplace, you will not be surprised that IT is the real power in the silo.

You might say that such a confined universe could drive a person crazy --- or drive them to question whether things might be better outside, whether there is hope for a better life outside the silo. But such rebellion is a capital offense in the silo, punishable by being put out to "cleaning" --- scrubbing the grime off the sensors that give the silo residents their only view of the outside. Cleaning is a death sentence because the outside atmosphere is so toxic it eats through the cleaners' protective suits and kills them in a short time.

Howey gradually unfolds the web of lies and truth as the main characters discover them, timing the revelations perfectly to keep the reader engaged and turning the pages. The well-paced suspense scenes build to a satisfying conclusion --- and leave the door open to a sequel.

In the world of "Wool," like our own, ideas are dangerous. So is hope. So is love. "Wool" is so relatable because it speaks to our timeless human longing for freedom and a better future.

Eating Healthy on Vacation

A Guest Post by Cole Millen, an avid traveler and foodie who frequently contributes to food-related blogs.

Going on vacation is an exciting experience, but it often also presents many opportunities for making poor food choices. Instead of "winging it" and hoping that you'll make the right choices, use these tips to ensure a high chance that you'll withstand all the temptation that lies with going on vacation.

One of the first things you'll more than likely do after setting out for your vacation is take a flight to your destination. While at the airport, use the stairs and carry your own luggage to ensure you get proper exercise. If you find that you've got a long wait before you can board your plane, walk around and check out what the airport has to offer! Grab a fruit cup to snack on while you explore.

In our fast-paced society, it can be difficult to find health-friendly hotels or areas that won't present constant temptation. To find an area that will be conducive to healthy eating habits, search for neighborhoods that have a lot of options available. You also can find health-friendly hotels by checking with the menu/food options before making reservations. Making sure the hotel has exercise equipment is a good idea as well.

Once you've checked into your hotel, this might be where the real challenge sets in. Hotel restaurants generally aren't great for offering healthful food options, so it's probably best to avoid them. Besides, many hotel rooms come with a microwave oven; use it to make healthier meals. Additionally, go straight for the food bar when it's time for breakfast. Make the healthy choices such as oatmeal, fruit, hard-boiled eggs, and whole-grain toast. The bagels and doughnuts aren't worth it.

Eating healthy in Key West

At some point during your trip, you'll probably want to treat yourself to a nice meal at a restaurant. I have found that it made a big difference in my travels when I began to read reviews of the restaurants and areas where I was staying before I left home. Without this preparation, you'll be in a blind food frenzy trying to pick a restaurant --- and this often leads to unhealthy eating. I did a poor job of this in the past and paid the price. For my most recent trip out west, I searched the Las Vegas hotel reviews and ended up with the best option for my personal eating habits, avoiding the buffet zone.

The first rule of thumb is to avoid buffet-style restaurants or any place that serves a lot of bread and starch. You can make great preparation by checking with online menus for restaurants before setting foot in them. Also, it doesn't hurt to munch on an apple and drink a glass of water before heading out the door. These can help fill your stomach and lessen your chances of overeating.

At the restaurant, be sure to make smart menu choices. For example, avoid foods that are battered, deep-fried, "loaded," stuffed, etc. Foods that are likely to fit into your healthy eating plan will be described as broiled, multi-grain, fat-free, light, etc. When you order, you may be asked to choose a side dish or dishes for your entree. Avoid carbs at all costs! If possible, always go with the veggie option. If you're completely clueless about what you should order, remember that brightly colored foods are generally better for you. Deep greens, red, orange, yellow and white are good choices. If you can follow these tips, you shouldn't have any problem staying on track health-wise while on vacation.

SOS Week

For years my church, St. Paul Lutheran of Royal Oak, has been a part of the South Oakland Shelter program. For more years than I've been a member, certainly ... 20, 25? Every year for the week after Easter, while the day school kids are on break, St. Paul houses 30 or so homeless adults (and a varying number of children).

It takes dozens of volunteers and hundreds of hours. We provide meals for the week, a safe and warm place to sleep and get cleaned up, transportation to their jobs or job training programs, encouragement, peace, and a listening ear when it's needed. One of our members is a beauty school instructor, so she brings a bunch of her students over on Saturday morning to do free simple haircuts. The people in the program stay at a different church every week, so picture 52 churches opening their doors and giving of themselves to make this happen. Really, it is a remarkable program, when you think about it.

 I must confess that there have been years when I've done very little to help out. Maybe I've donated a little money or food here and there. But this year, I wanted to do more. I wanted to do something that might be a little costly. So, for Tuesday night, I served as one of the women night watchers, along with one of my best friends. (The week was more costly for my friend, bless her heart, since she did night watch duty again on Thursday night!) We were there from about 6:30 in the evening until 7:30 the next morning, when all of our guests had gone for the day. 

Pulling an "all-nighter," as we used to call them in school, was lots of fun, actually (mostly we talked, and played a little "Angry Birds" on my friend's iPad) ... until we hit the wall about 4 a.m. Then the hours started to drag a bit, and we may have dozed off lightly. I'll just say that it was great to see the lady making breakfast arrive about 5:30, rousing us to alertness and giving us something to do .

Yes, I was pretty much a zombie on Wednesday, despite catching a nap when I got home. But it was worth the sacrifice of sleep to chat and encourage these people who are working so hard to get their lives back together. And on Thursday, when I was packing up 30 sack lunches for our guests, I was able to picture (and pray for) the real people who would be eating those salami, bologna, and PB&J sandwiches.

Hesitant Spring

Why not just blame me for the cold, reluctant spring we've been having? It's March 23, and I am just getting around to taking down the outdoor Christmas decorations and door wreath. As I'm disassembling the DIY tomato cage "tree," I notice these --- spring's first crocuses. No matter what the temperature is doing, the sunlight is telling these little guys it's time to wake up.

Recovering from Vacation

What? You don't need a vacation to recover from your vacation?

Honestly, who can complain when you live in Michigan and just spent eight days in Florida? Still, no vacation is without its little glitches and annoyances. So here's the good and bad of our recent trip to Homosassa, Florida, and its environs.

The Good

• Spending time (and many good meals) with family: Ken's brother and sister and their spouses/significant others. Even though they live close (near Toledo), we just don't see them often enough, and they're always a good time.
• Even though the weather was sometimes chilly, and I often wished I had brought another pair of long pants, when it's 30 degrees back home, 65 and breezy just doesn't seem so bad.
• Tried out a new (to us) golf course, Citrus Springs Golf and Country Club. I played about average for me, especially considering it's early in the season and I'm out of shape. Playing new courses doesn't freak me out like it used to, and that's a good sign.
• Discovered The Freezer Tiki Bar, in Old Homosassa. Actually, it is an easy walk from where we were staying. Doesn't look like much on the outside, in fact, the Fish and Oyster Co. sign is bigger and we missed it the first time we drove by. But they serve divine steamed peel-and-eat shrimp for not much money. Split a half order with your sweetie, add a cup of clam chowder, and you've got yourself a mighty fine lunch.
• I finished reading my seventh book of the year, "The Moviegoer" by Walker Percy. I had a hard time getting into it at first; the main character, Binx Bolling, is such an aimless guy. But I realized that's part of the point: finding meaning and authenticity in a world that seems to have lost its faith and values. Philosophy laced with Southern humor. Walker Percy's own life is novel-worthy: he quit medical school to recover from tuberculosis, converted to Catholicism, and he was a lifelong friend of writer and Civil War historian Shelby Foote.

The Not So Good

• Maybe we're just not good judges of hotels-motels-resorts. For the most part, we enjoyed our stay at the Homosassa Riverside Resort. Maybe they were just having a bad week. For example, we went without hot water for a day; it meant one cold shower, but when you're paying $150 a night ...?
• I thought our riverfront room would be relaxing, but it was more like having a marina in your front yard. Great if you like to go fishing, but probably not our thing.
• The wi-fi was good in the front office, but iffy in the room. One morning, Ken and I ventured out with our laptops to an Internet Cafe. Turns out that in Florida, "internet cafe" is a euphemism for electronic slot machine casino. And we were expecting lattes and muffins. McDonald's was a good second choice.
• Then there were the Dragon Boat Races. We woke up Saturday morning to find 200 of our closest friends camped out in front of our room to watch crews of 20+ people row long canoes down the river. The races were fun to watch for a while; I just didn't appreciate sharing my space with mobs of people. 

Next year, who knows? The Holiday Inn Express is looking pretty good.

First Golf of 2013

Yesterday Ken and I played our first round of golf since October 2012. We started out at one of our favorite little courses in Crystal River, Florida --- the Lagoons course at the Plantation Inn. It's an executive nine-hole, but some of them are nasty, tricksy things, with lots of water and undulating greens.

Both of us were pretty happy with our rounds (no, I'm not sharing scores) considering how long it's been since we played. My shot of the day definitely was a clean little 8 iron over the water to the green on number 4. I've lost so many balls in that pond over the years, I feel as if I scored a vicotry over the vengeful golf gods.

My putting was better than usual. Even Ken commented that my approaches were good, leaving me within a couple of feet for a relatively easy two-putt on most of the holes.

There will be more golf to come this week, at some harder courses. But this was an encouraging start.

Iscariot

"Iscariot" by Tosca Lee

Best-selling novelist Tosca Lee tackles the story of the man who may be the most despised character in the New Testament --- Judas Iscariot. If you are familiar with the Gospels, you think you know Judas, the man who was paid 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus Christ with a kiss. But "Iscariot" will change the way you think about Judas, and in so doing, it changes the way you think about Jesus.

 Lee masterfully weaves together familiar stories from the Gospels, historical events, and extensive research into Jewish life and customs at the time of Jesus. The result is a somewhat speculative  first-person account of the life experiences that could have made Judas the sort of man who followed Jesus, loved him, and yet turned him over to the Jewish authorities.

Christians today, with the benefit of hindsight and the New Testament, can't understand the overwhelming hope for a Messiah that permeated 1st century Jewish culture. The prophets had been silent for 400 years. Rome held its Palestinian provinces in an iron grip, charging exorbitant taxes and crushing any hint of rebellion. More than one Jewish uprising led by a self-styled Messiah had been put down by mass crucifixions --- crosses literally lining the roadsides.

One could imagine how Judas, growing up in this kind of culture, would have certain ideas of what the real Messiah would do, how he would act, what he would teach. Tosca Lee gives us a Judas who has suffered unimaginable suffering and loss at the hands of the Romans:

"I was a boy, missing his brother. I was a child, looking on the broken body of his father. I was a young man, knowing that my new brother existed out of my mother's shame, and only because she had wanted to feed me."

Judas has every reason to be skeptical of Jesus, to doubt whether he is the Messiah. But Judas is drawn to him, not by the miraculous healings so much as by Jesus' love for him.

Through Judas, we get a sense of how Jesus continually surprised, scandalized and provoked the very people who wanted to support him. How he turned the accepted understanding of the Messiah inside out. Devout observers of the Law wondered, reasonably, "Would the real Messiah break the Sabbath, touch the unclean, associate with sinners?"

It's a question that Christians grapple with today: What is the nature of the kingdom of God? What does it look like in real life? This passage expresses it eloquently:

"My master had dirtied his hands on the leper and the paralytic both. Now he dirtied them in public with the tax collector. I began to wonder if that was the way it was, that one must dirty his hands to heal. It was as though the world was backward with him, and that purity was the truest contagion."

The first gift that "Iscariot" gave me was being able to see Judas through new eyes, and to wonder, "Would I have done the same, in that time and place? Have I not made decisions that seemed right at the time and turned into disaster?"

Seeing Jesus in a new light is the second great gift that "Iscariot" gave to me. Everything about Jesus was unsettling to the devout 1st century Jew: He healed on the Sabbath; instead of ritual purification he spoke of defilement coming from within; he claimed to forgive sins; he called himself the Bread of Life and said people were to eat his flesh and drink his blood! The message of the cross is still provocative, scandalous and --- to some --- foolishness. As Christians, we lose something if we forget how the Gospel is meant to turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6). 

 

 

Mediterranean Diet

By now, everyone's probably heard about the article published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, showing the results of a study of the benefits of following the so-called Mediterranean diet. Ken and I have been trying to modify our diets since the first of the year, so I wanted to see how closely we are already following Mediterranean guidelines, and what we can do to improve. Here is how the NYT article describes the diet followed by the study participants:

One group assigned to a Mediterranean diet was given extra-virgin olive oil each week and was instructed to use at least 4 four tablespoons a day. The other group got a combination of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts and was instructed to eat about an ounce of the mix each day. An ounce of walnuts, for example, is about a quarter cup — a generous handful. The mainstays of the diet consisted of at least three servings a day of fruits and at least two servings of vegetables. Participants were to eat fish at least three times a week and legumes, which include beans, peas and lentils, at least three times a week. They were to eat white meat instead of red, and, for those accustomed to drinking, to have at least seven glasses of wine a week with meals.

They were encouraged to avoid commercially made cookies, cakes and pastries and to limit their consumption of dairy products and processed meats.

 Just for fun, I took the quiz (sidebar to NYT article) to see how closely I am following a Mediterranean diet. Here are the points where I need to improve:

• More olive oil, in cooking, salads, maybe even as a bread dip?
• More vegetables, at least 2 servings a day. Which I do sometimes, but not every day.
•  I don't eat red meat daily, but we probably have beef, pork or lamb two or three times a week.
• More beans!
• More fish!
• Give up the Oreos and Girl Scout cookies. Have homemade treats instead. Sparingly.
• Sofrito? What's that?

It could be hard for me to give up the cookies cold turkey and start making my own. Of course, what do you find on Pinterest except desserts and healthy recipes? Dark chocolate is OK, so Ken and I can keep enjoying our 72% cocoa Ghirardelli square every night. Here's another article that offers a few more specific diet guidelines.

Other health factors also help determine the food choices I make. Because I'm a petite Caucasian woman, I need to take in calcium and Vitamin D through dairy products, so I don't see myself giving up milk, cheese and Greek yogurt. Because alcohol consumption is a risk factor for breast cancer, I've worked hard since December to reduce my wine drinking from about 14 glasses a week to 8 glasses. That's a level I'm comfortable with, and it's within the Mediterranean diet guidelines.

What kind of changes are you making to follow a heart-healthy diet?

The Pirate Coast

"The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805" by Richard Zacks

In the 18th and early 19th centuries, pirates along the Barbary Coast (the countries of Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli --- modern-day Algeria, Tunisia and Libya) terrorized ships and coastal towns of the Mediterranean. The pirates would loot the towns and ships of every valuable --- the most precious being the humans, who were sold as slaves. Unless they were ransomed, slaves were doomed to lives of hard labor or sexual slavery, and an early death. Zacks writes, "From 1785 to 1815, more than six hundred American citizens would be captured and enslaved. This nuisance would prove to be no mere foreign trade issue but rather a near-constant hostage crisis."

Richard Zacks brings this period of history to life with the story of the United States' first overseas covert operation, led by William Eaton, one of the most hardheaded, hot-tempered, frustrating patriots ever to fire up a dull history book.

 Eaton served as a U.S. Army captain before becoming consul to Tunis, where he became embroiled in the Barbary situation by ransoming a young Sardinian girl. But when nearly 300 U.S. sailors and officers were taken as slaves by the pasha of Tripoli, Eaton's New England passions flared up. He despised the idea of the U.S. paying ransom to lawless pirates, and was even more dead-set against paying tribute (like the European countries).

Eaton proposed a daring idea to President Jefferson --- assemble a small force of U.S. sailors, Marines and ships to find the pasha's older brother, Hamet. With the help of Hamet's followers, Eaton planned to topple the regime and put Hamet in power. Just the first of many attempts at foreign regime change that the U.S. would covertly support to this day.

The story of Eaton's secret mission, involving a 500-mile trek across the Libyan desert, makes as compelling a read as any fictional spy novel. The mission's successes and failures reveal much about Arab-Christian relations, Jefferson's weaknesses as president, and Eaton's own deeply flawed character.

Eaton's mission suffered constantly from underfunding from the U.S. government. It was almost as if Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison disavowed knowledge of the operation as soon as Eaton left U.S. soil. In an Arab culture where bribery greased the wheels of any venture, this was a huge obstacle.

Distrust between the Muslim and Christian soldiers in Eaton's small force almost doomed the mission on several occasions. In his notebook, Eaton wrote, "We find it almost impossible to inspire these wild bigots with confidence in us or to persuade them that, being Christians, we can be otherwise than enemies to Mussulmen." Although eventually these uneasy allies took over the city of Derne, ultimately an ignoble peace treaty with Tripoli left Hamet and Eaton's Muslim allies abandoned and betrayed.

Eaton never got over his anger over the peace treaty, which defied every principle that his mission intended to preserve. Under the terms of this treaty, the U.S. not only paid ransom for the enslaved sailors, but also paid tribute (secretly) and betrayed the trust of Hamet and his followers. Eaton died a ruined man.

Not until after the War of 1812, when Stephen Decatur Jr. confronted the Barbary nations with superior naval force, did the U.S. free itself from the predations of the pirates.

Zacks' book takes this little-known incident from American history and brings it to vivid life, leaving readers to ponder how deeply Arab-American relations are influenced today by events 200 years ago.

Related articles

Kindle Daily Deal! The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805 by Richard Zacks for $1.99!

Family Ties

It may be un-PC to say this, but I am a daughter of the Confederacy.

My great-grandfather, Archie Cox, lived in Boyle County, Kentucky, so not surprisingly, he enlisted in the CSA shortly after war began. He left his wife and the three sons in the family at the time --- including my grandfather, who was 7 months old in April 1861.

He fought under Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan, who was famous for his 1,000-mile raid from Tennessee as far north as Ohio.

Archie was with Morgan's Raiders when they met the 73rd Indiana Infantry and 5th U.S. Regulars, led by Captain William J. Davis. While crossing the Blue River near Pekin, Indiana, sometime around July 11, 1863, Archie and some of his fellow rebels were captured for trying to steal horses from the Union camp. He was sent to the county jail in New Albany, Ohio; he reportedly escaped, but our family's not sure how long he was a prisoner.

Beyond those tidbits, there's really no family knowledge of Archie ever having fought in any major battles. I'd never known this part of my family history until last year, when one of my cousins sent me a link to a family tree website.

So you can imagine I had some mixed feelings when Ken and I rented Ken Burns' documentary "The Civil War" from 1990. I doubt that Archie and his family ever owned slaves. From the photos I've seen of my dad when he was a boy, they were dirt poor. Archie probably fought for the CSA because he was from Kentucky, my great-grandmother was from Virginia, and loyalty to one's state ran deeper than loyalty to the country.

In the years after the war, veterans on both sides were able to speak with respect for the courage of former enemies. But 150 years later, the war still is a sore point with many people. Renaming parks in Memphis has been a heated issue. It seems a shame to see history erased from memory. History --- as we can see from the history being made today --- is complex, far from black and white. Nobility and corruption characterized the Blue and the Gray. We would do well to remember the words from Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address: "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds ..."

Ash Wednesday

Today marks the beginning of the Lenten season for many Christian traditions. In my own LCMS church, we'll begin this season of repentance with special midweek services and tonight there will be ashes on my forehead. The Scripture readings for today are all about repentance. Here are some key verses:

"Yet even now," declares the Lord,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments."
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.
--- Joel 2:12-13

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of my salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
--- Psalm 51:10-12

We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. --- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-21

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." --- Matthew 6:19-20

There is a tradition of "giving up" something for Lent, a spiritual discipline that is intended to focus attention more on the things of God. This year, I am intending to take at least a partial fast from playing my favorite Facebook game, Mafia Wars. Seriously, I could waste hours a day on this game --- and I have. But between now and Easter, I want to use that time to read Scripture, pray, write for this blog, and read other books. 

Hooked on Pinterest

My daughter joined Pinterest, the online pinboard for everything from recipes to jokes, sometime in 2011, I think. She's always finding out about new stuff before her stick-in-the-mud mom. At the time, I couldn't imagine what I would do with such a thing. But then a few of my friends joined, sent me invitations, and I thought, "Why not?"

Pinterest is almost like your own personal magazine clipping service. It brings together some of the best (and worst) stuff on the web and lets you "pin" items, or save them to your own custom categories or "boards." It's where single girls plan elaborate weddings and apartment dwellers save ideas for mansions that would bankrupt a Trump.

Like just about everything on the Internet, Pinterest can become one more soul-sucking waste of time. But it also can be fun and practical. So, Pinterest, thank you for giving me:

• Fluffy Nutella buttercream frosting. Not only is this stuff out-of-this-world delicious, but the recipe taught me that homemade buttercream is so easy I may never buy the canned stuff again.
• Bathroom remodel ideas. Ken and I are planning to redo our bath sometime this spring/summer. This is a great way to find and save ideas without buying every decorating magazine on the rack.
• Cheap Christmas decorations. I found instruction for an outdoor Christmas tree using a tomato cage, wire coat hanger, flower pot, string of tree lights and tinsel garland. It cost me nothing but about a half hour to assemble, but it really brightened up our usually low-key exterior (Clark Griswold does not live here).
• Many useful recipes. Like the right way to make sauteed Brussels sprouts. Often Pinterest leans heavily toward rich desserts and gloppy Crock-Pot dinners, but there's also creative and healthy dishes from a variety of blogs and websites. It's like creating your own online recipe book.
• Inspiring quotes.
• A few good laughs.
• Gardening ideas and tips.
• New ways to wear a scarf.
• New nail polish colors to covet.
• Grumpy Cat.

"Anna Karenina"

From the trailers for the recent movie starring Keira Knightley and Jude Law, one would think "Anna Karenina" is nothing more than an epic love story about a woman who dares to defy the stifling moral conventions of her day. Perhaps the trailers are misleading, as they often are.

But the love story only figures in about half of the book's action and, like all truly great novels, "Karenina" deals with life's Big Questions. Tolstoy sets in contrast the stories of Anna and the rural landowner Levin (whom Tolstoy based on himself).

Both are seeking for meaning in their lives. The love-starved Anna turns to a mad, impetuous affair with Count Vronsky. She abandons husband, son, and respectability for Vronsky's love ... but she isn't satisfied. Her own romantic illusions, dissolving into controlling fits of jealousy and depression, destroy their love --- and ultimately herself.

Even though "Karenina" inhabits 19th century Russia, Tolstoy draws his characters as if they could be living and breathing in the 21st century, with irony and humor, nobility and corruption, soul-searching honesty and immense capacity for self-deception. He writes of Anna: "She felt herself clad in an impenetrable armor of falsehood." And later: "She had unconsciously the whole evening done her utmost to arouse in Levin a feeling of love --- as of late she had fallen into doing with all young men ..."

I love this description of Stepan Arkadyevitch, a man we might call a player, a cheater, and some other unprintable names: "In spite of Stepan Arkadyevitch's efforts to be an attentive father and husband, he never could keep in his mind that he had a wife and children."

Or this insight into Vronsky: "It showed him [Vronsky] the mistake men make in picturing to themselves happiness as the realization of their desires."

In contrast to Anna the drama queen, we have the rural nobleman/landowner Levin. As a modern reader, I have to confess that Levin was often dull --- long discourses about the Russian peasantry, agriculture and politics that seemed to do nothing but give Tolstoy a mouthpiece. But in these lush scenes of rural life, especially an extended description of a day spent mowing hay, Tolstoy gives us an insight into Levin's inner life. On one hand, he is a "man of science," but ... "Believe he could not, and at the same time he had no firm conviction that it was all wrong."

Levin goes from bachelor farmer to husband and father, sometimes humorously veering from this intellectual pursuit to that new agricultural project, but always asking the Big Questions: Who or what am I? What is the purpose of my life? After seeking answers in science, philosophy, and church theologians, he discovers his answer in the words of a simple peasant man, describing another peasant:

"Oh, well, of course, folks are different. One man lives for his own wants and nothing else, like Mituh, he only thinks of filling his belly, but Fokanitch is a righteous man. He lives for his soul. He does not forget God."

"How thinks of God? How does he live for his soul?" Levin almost shouted.

"Why, to be sure, in truth, in God's way ..."

 Whereas Anna dies in despair of ever finding her answers, Levin accepts them simply, almost against his will, and returns to the Christianity of his youth.