Boston in the Fall

As much as I would like to say that I have finally been to Boston in the Fall, I can't. This week has been full of amazing adventures; however, none of which included the big city. I am not disappointed, though, because incredibly enough Fall occurs every year...which leaves next year wide open with possibilities.

Tomorrow I will be heading into Concord to buy paper from the Cardvark. It's a small shop downtown that offers special paper, envelopes, and my personal favorite: journals. VERY exciting.

This place is filled with awesome people. On Sunday, I had four offers of free housing should I ever choose to return. Today, a woman bought me a roundtrip ticket to visit Nikki and interview at Focus on the Family at the end of October. God has been so faithful in every circumstance. I'm praying that doors will be closed so that I can begin narrowing down my options.

Only two more days in this beautiful terrain. I have already spent a great portion of my time taking pictures. Tomorrow will be no different - I'm going to milk it for all it's worth!

Sedatives Anyone??

Just picture this....

I arrived at Kirk and Amanda's home last night around 9. We had a wonderful time catching up, sharing sorrows, laughing our heads off, dreaming of bigger things, and eating popcorn. At midnight we decided that a four hour nap would have to suffice before driving me to the St. Louis airport. 12:30 - still awake. 1:00 - awake. 2:00 - awake and thinking about Resident Evil. 2:45 - asleep, but realized it and awake again. My alarm sounded at 4:05 and I must have fallen asleep again because I had no idea what was going on.

My first flight landed in Philly at 9:15 which left me with a two hour layover before heading out to Manchester. Tried sleeping in the terminal. Didn't happen.

(You know, I could go many hours without sleep and be fine....just as long as NO ONE talks to me.)

As I was preparing to board US Airways flight 490 I heard a screech coming from my right. My peripheral vision spotted a young child, looked to be around five years of age, with a harness and leash literally coming from her back, and at the other end of the rope, her grandmother. When I noticed the child running forward, only to be jerked back into line, I sighed with relief...at least they were sitting in a different zone than I.

In slow, exhausted motions I inched my way down the aisle, caught a glance at my empty row and thought for a moment that I may not have existing neighbors for the flight. Boy was I wrong. Not five minutes later, a mousy southern drawl stepped up to my seat. "God dernit, my seat's in the middle agin!" And so began the hour-long flight from hell. "Anna" was her name and she wore it proudly on a pendant necklace hanging (not tight enough) from her neck. She is a four year old from Freemont, North Carolina with an attitude of a child in the midst of puberty. Grandma couldn't make her sit down for anything. The girl cried and screamed and horrifically exclaimed that if anyone touched her, she would "slap 'em clear 'cross their dern face." She glared at the gentleman across the aisle and said, "Whut you lookin at me like that for? I don't like it when people look at me like that." Neighboring passengers threw glances at me seeming to insist that I try to do something. I, on the other hand, was intent on listening to my John Mayer in peace. Until it was time to descend. It was then that dear Anna decided to try climbing into my lap. WHAT THE CRAP?! When I sternly told her, "No." She freaked and tried anyway! Grandma grabbed her arm to pull her back and Anna threw herself on the floor and began yellping, "You hurt me! You hurt me!"

I'd had enough, "You're fine."
"How old are you?"
"Four."
"You're pretty big for a four year old."
"Well, I'm a big gurl."
"Do you know what big girls do?"
"No."
"I do. They sit back on their seat. And put on their belt. And be quiet."

Obviously, my coaxing didn't work and she was soon draped over Grandma's lap crying out like a dying rabbit. It was fine with me. We could hit a rough patch of turbulence, send her body into the ceiling, and knock her out. As long as her flailing limbs didn't hit me on the way down.

Nearly Five Years Later

After Mom died, my brother gave me these lyrics. They truly captured the beat of her heart in the midst of the pain and suffering she had just experienced. I think it's a perspective that we all need to have. Anyway, I heard this song again today and wanted to share it with you.

"I see the morning moving over the hills
I can see the shadows on the western side
And all those illusions that I had
They just vanish in Your light
Though the chill in the night still hangs in the air
I can feel the warmth of morning on my face
Though the storm had tossed me
'Til I thought I'd nearly lost my way

And now the night is fading and the storm is past
And everything that could be shaken was shaken
And all that remains is all I ever really had

What I'd have settled for
You've blown so far away
What You brought me to
I thought I could not reach
And I came so close to giving up
But You never did give up on me
I see the morning moving over the hills
I feel the rush of life here where the darkness broke
And I am in You and You're in me
Here where the winds of Heaven blow

And now the night is fading
And the storm is through
And everything You sent to shake me
From my dreams they come to wake me
In the love I find in You
And now the morning comes
And everything that really matters
Become the wings You send to gather me
To my home
To my home
I'm going home"

Home by Rich Mullins

Junior High Flock-In

Ten reasons why we should never have lock ins:

10. It is ungodly for any adult to have normal lives, jobs, and expectations during the day and then be expected to be coherent until 6 a.m. with a load of monsters.

9. Someone always ends up pregnant.

8. Everyone over the age of 21 loses their sense of balance at midnight.

7. There's always a way out and I know the three boys who are going to find it.

6. Everyone over the age of 21 loses their ability of basic comprehension at 12:30 a.m.

5. Does Jesus really approve of male/female co-existence after dark?

4. I don't make sense in normal conditions. How can I be any help now?

3. It smells like body odor and burned popcorn.

2. It's old skool just like Sunday skool.

1. They like it!

Oh, My Femurs!

Eleven years ago today, I, Lindy Nardoni, traumatically subdued with antisthetic, underwent the latter of two surgeries that miraculously changed the way I walked.

The torture began at birth. Little did my parents know that the child that slipped ever-so-delicately from my mother's womb would be an insurance accident waiting to happen. This baby had legs that turned in from the hip. What appeared to be slight pigeon toe, with an easy solution, turned into years of bruises, scrapes, and scoffles. (Boy did I ever look ridiculous when I ran.) Ten years old and 55 pounds later, I was taken to Riley's Children's Hospital to be knocked out and attacked. The doctor performed a bi-lateral femoral osteonomy; which means, they cut an incision six inches long on each leg, shredded and stripped my muscles to reach my femur, sawed my femurs completely in two, twisted my legs until they were straight, and then secured the two severed halves with a stainless steel plate, four screws, and a bolt headed into my hip. I had to learn how to bend my knees and walk again. After months of rehabilitation and with my bones strengthened they set up a appointment to have the hardware removed.

And eleven years ago today, I marched back into that hospital and allowed the pain to reoccur. Only the recovery time was not as long.

And yes, I still have the hardware.

And yes, I am aware that most of you would not be my friends if I still walked that way.

Napoleon Dynamite

Some have heard of this film, many have not. Friends of mine in New Hampshire saw this movie nearly six months ago and I was shocked to discover last weekend that it was finally playing in our friendly neighborhood town of Quincy, IL. People have been raving about its hilarity. Throwing all caution to the wind, Lucas and I went into the movie this evening with deep-seeded anticipation of viewing a cinema graphic masterpiece...well, the best one can expect from MTV and Fox. We were not disappointed. The movie, based sometime in the early 90s represents every highschool's stereotypical know-it-all nerd who insists on making sense, friends, and money with his anything but attractive habits. What the movie is about? Well, the jury is still out. Trust me, it's worth the six bucks for a few laughs, freakin idiot. Gosh!

Sweet Dreams

I woke up this morning in a panic. It wasn't a nightmare or a headache as it had been the night before. No, it seemed much worse.

I had this sensation that my faulty memory and my drunken-like stupor of sleep deprivation may have resulted in various telephone conversations throughout the night. I could vividly recall talking to my Dad, Hillary, and later Nikki.

The call history on my phone revealed nothing of the sort. I should be relieved that I didn't actually call them in my sleep, but I am deeply disturbed that I would be capable of such a thing and not be able to remember.

How on earth do people feel when they wake up next to someone they don't know...