Friday, April 24, 2009

Just Randomness

Does anyone else remember when the word "random" became a stand-alone phrase rather than an adjective that preceeded a noun? I first noticed it during my freshman year of college. All of the sudden, the air was full of, "It was so random!" and "Completely random, right?" and just, "Random!" It was such a popular word then that, when the end of the school year came and I borrowed all of my suite-mates' CD's so that I could create mix tapes (yeah, remember mix tapes?), I titled the tapes, "The Year of Random I," "The Year of Random II," etc.

So that's a nice, random beginning to my random post, don't you think? Here's a collection of other haphazard, unconnected thoughts.

* * *
This week and last week have been what I think of as "The Crazy of Crazies" in my husband's work life. Each spring, our church's youth do a big drama production. (This year it's an original musical based on John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.) It's always fairly demanding for the tech folks. Dave hasn't been home for dinner (or a normal bedtime) in two weeks. Tonight is/was opening night. I can't wait to hear how it went! Also, though I have been experiencing tons of grace during these long solo days with the kids, I am looking forward to seeing my honey a little more, starting (God-willing) on Monday!

* * *
In God's amazing provision, we received a large load of hand-me-down clothes for Meg a few weeks ago. It has taken me a while to sort through and wash them adequately (they came from a smokers' household), but last week Meg and I finally sat down to try on a bunch of items. My girl was beside herself with so many new pretties, prancing around, unable to stand still for a moment, dancing off to look at herself in the mirror, exclaiming, "Oh, dats beautiful!" over and over again. I was almost as excited as she was, since she has shot up recently and we didn't have much for her in the way of a summer wardrobe. "Oh, Meg, it's so kind of the Lord to provide all of these nice clothes for you, isn't it?" I said. "Yes!" Meg agreed. "It's... it's summer clothes God's way!" Amen to that!

* * *
Over the past couple nights, I watched the movie "Pollyanna" via YouTube. (You know, with Hayley Mills?) I was hankering to see it again because I recently bought the book at a used bookstore and read it for the first (and second) time. I love it. It's definitely sort of... oh... saccharine, but so charming and uplifting. It brought me to tears both times I read it. (Yes, I am a sap.)

After reading the original, I had pretty mixed feelings about the Disney version. We're talking about two very different stories here, folks. The book's Pollyanna, for example, is much more talkative, more indefatigable, more childlike, more joyful, and more layered than the movie character. The book's subplots are more complex than the movie's, which could basically be summed up as Wealthy Aunt Polly Is Cold and Domineering and Is Ruining Life for Everyone Else in Town. In the book, Pollyanna's accident is not the result of disobedience to her aunt, as it is in the movie. The movie's conclusion is far more hasty and contrived than the book's. And the overall character development and dynamics in the book are quite superior to the film.

But I have to say, I still cry over that last scene in the movie, when the whole town comes trooping into the Harrington house to wish Pollyanna well. I mean, tonight I actually sobbed over it. Audibly. With a big wad of tissues in my hand. (Yes, I am a sap.) I'd like to blame this on pregnancy hormones, but the fact is, I'm pretty sure that I've always teared up during that scene, ever since I was a very little girl. Tonight was just the first time I ever had the privacy to let it all out.

* * *
I have a very hard time putting myself to bed at a decent hour when my husband is not home. Am I the only wife who suffers from this ailment? I'm tired, I want to go to sleep, I say that I'm going to turn in early, but it's like... something in my subconscious has decided to overrule all of that and wait up for Dave. Not every night, but most nights. This night, for example, when I started this blog post after I should have been upstairs brushing my teeth. Now that's it's almost midnight, however, I'm thinking that I really should call it quits. So that's the end of of the randomness. For now.

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