Dr. Frost. Okay, he's not really a doctor...

...But his words felt like a remedy.  

There is a nook among the alders

Still sleeping in the catbird's hush.

Below, a long stone-bridge is bending

Above the runnel's silent rush.

 

A dreamer hither often wanders

And gathers many a snow-white stone.

He weighs them, poised upon his finger

Divin'ng each one's silv'ry tone.

He drops them!  When the stream makes music

Fair visions with it's vault voiced-swell,

And so, for us, the future rises,

And thought-stones stir our hearts farewell.

-Robert Frost

I took an AP lit class my senior year, and towards the end (with graduation fast approaching), we had an assignment in which we were to pick a poet, delve into their work, and find a short, concise masterpiece to present.

I am a complete nerd, so stuff like this is tremendously enjoyable.  What's interesting to me two years later is not the paper I wrote (and recently found, which is why I'm taking this to blog world), but the process I went through, which comes back so vividly.  

With this sample, I did the glad work of breaking it apart, analyzing it, taking it on rabbit trails, testing it's malleability, stretching it, hating it (after I plateaued), wadding it up and throwing it out completely, picking it up again sometime later, smoothing it out, listing all the points of application, coming to great resolve, and then writing about the process. 

Interesting because one, I can now articulate that process, and two, because I am completely ridiculous.  I do this with just about everything.  Situations and stories are always 20-step mental processes for me.  My goal isn't to get over it, mostly because I don't think I can... it's how I'm wired.  But rather my goal is to be far less ridiculous in the future. :)   

I see a 10-step process on the horizon...

Lo! Tis found!

I FOUND MY JOURNAL!  So for those of you that have been keeping up, that doesn't mean I get to quit my stupid art journaling.  But it does mean that I am totally looking forward to the glorious cramped hand I'm sure I will have this afternoon.  

Other than that, I have nothing great for today.  So like the champ I am, when I have nothing to offer, I'll do the glad work of redirecting you to someone who has great things to say.  Check out Stuff Christians Like.  Usually full of hilariousness, but today, something great.  Go ahead, see for yourself.  

Lexicographical

I've always considered myself as a good-with-details kinda girl.  And then I watched Erin McKean's lecture at TED.  Take a few, watch it, then continue reading.

I can't think of a job more tedious than lexicography.  What I appreciate about Erin is her ability to take something as old as the hills (or at least the printing press) and twist it with a fresh perspective; an almost innovative idea.  What I appreciate too is that she's not pushing for avant-garde.  She says it best with, "I want him (her son) to think that this is what dictionaries used to look like... it's a format that died because it wasn't useful enough.  It wasn't really what people needed."  I also love that even though Erin is solely speaking of, oh let's call it communal lexicography, her words seem to transcend that topic alone, and hit points of application in almost every arena.  I've compiled some of my favorite quotes from the video, and added commentary.  Enjoy.

"When a guy who looks like that and has that hat is the face of modernity, you have a problem."

-Yes.  This conjures up that timeless debate of conventional vs. contemporary.  When does "tradition" go from being a legacy of something we are honored to be a part of, to becoming something that at best is ineffective and at worst is oppressive?  This carries over into family traditions, company traditions, ideological, religious, and cultural traditions, etc.  

"What a dictionary is, is it's Victorian design merged with a little bit of modern propulsion.  It's steampunk."  

-Absolutely!  In fact, when I think of a dictionary, encyclopedia, or thesaurus, the very first image I get is my grandmother Virginia's bookshelf in her Victorian-esque living room.  Even newer dictionaries often have a steampunk feel.  I think the important concept is, and yes I'm stealing this phrase, "timeless truth and timely methods."  The church, for instance, comes to mind.  Why is repackaging so important?  Not for the sake of being hip and trendy, but for the sake of being most effective.  That's just one.

"Online dictionaries replicate almost all the problems of print, except for searchability.  And when you improve searchability, you actually take away the one advantage of print, which is serendipity."

-I just like this because happenstance is one of my favorite pastimes.

"Lexicography is really more about material science.  We are studying the tolerances of materials that you use to build the structure of your expression; your speeches and your writing."

-It's odd to think that we all articulate the way we do because some detail-guy/lady cared enough to search a thing out and write it down.  A craftsman doesn't craft without tools built by another.  I don't compose without a lineage of lexicographers.  (Better yet, I don't alliterate well unless a lineage of lexicographers lead the way.  See how good I am?)

And kind of a tangent, but I like the concept of taking what you love into a science.  "The greats" (of anything really) always seemed to do this... to have nailed down their passions into a science; they know their forte inside and out so much so that  "a great" becomes "a great" by means of redefinition and innovation, whether that means bending the malleable parts, shaving corners, or adding to the existing.

"Lexicography is not rocket science, but even if it were, rocket science is being done by dedicated amateurs these days."

-Definitely.  I think a dedicated amateur can pull off a lot.  In fact, I think I'll begin to refer to myself as a dedicated amateur.

"I want him to think that this is what dictionaries used to look like... it's a format that died because it wasn't useful enough.  It wasn't really what people needed."

-I know it's already listed up there, but let's think it over.  What needs to die?  In your business, in your field of study, in your personal life.  What needs to begin to be looked at as history instead of modernity?

My final two cents about Erin... the last thing I appreciate is her enthusiasm.  I think I often underestimate the power of a passion.  When what you love exudes from you, you can't help but be contagious.  I gave lexicography a serious few seconds of thought as a career option after that lecture!  When I see someone talk about something they love, I want to love it too.  

You can find more from the quirky, lovable, thought-provoking Erin at: http://dictionaryevangelist.com.

All systems are go.

The woods were good; things are back to normal, with the exception of my incessant insomnia.  I really think it's the new apartment (although, it's not exactly new anymore...).  Creeks, noises, neighbors upstairs shuffling about, and that stinking train with it's blaring horn that comes by about 2 hours into my sleep... I'll get over it all eventually.  Maybe I should start praying for the conductor of that train... to find a new job.  We'll see.

Election season is finally over.  I'm thankful God doesn't have a race, gender, party-affiliation, or even nationality.  I also like that He's sovereign.  Regardless of who you voted for, I think we can all agree that we're a little bummed Heidi Klum & Seal aren't leaving the country now.  If only McCain would've pulled through for us there...

Sarah Basye Eidson gets the award for Best Election Season Facebook Status: "Sarah couldn't have handled another 4 years of whining and complaining anyways."  Funny.  

Tomorrow is my first country club gala event ever.  Our company did some fundraising for the ADA, and as fate would have it, we beat out all other competing Joplin businesses.  Another cool thing: I happened to tie with Teresa for top seller.  So the two of us, our GM, and the VP are taking a much needed Saturday night off and traveling out to the event.  Should be good for networking, if for nothing else.

And Sunday, my most favorite day, is D-group.  My co-leader and I know how much our girls love Starbucks, but since it's going to be in the 40's, and since two hours is a lot of time to try and keep eight 13 year olds contained in one building, we decided to set up a coffee bar in my apartment, play some board games, and start planning for our winterfest.

I really can't even articulate how much I love these girls.  Since I'm wordless, here's a peek into 3 recent conversations:  Wednesday night at youth group, our high schooler's took the night off (WC playoff game), so our junior high had the youth rooms all to themselves.  

Scenario 1:  Old mauve rocking chair that does a complete 360 happens to be vacant in the middle of the room.  What else would you do but spin each other around until someone gets hurt or until the chair tips and breaks?  We were so fortunate as to have both things happen at the same time.  Alexis flew out of the chair as it fell backwards, and Jordan, being a good friend, tried to catch her, but instead missed and jammed her finger.  Of course, when someone is hurt and needs ice, you don't just go alone... you traipse a flock of junior highers across a building to get it with you!  So we're laughing and shooshing down the hall when I noticed that some adult class off to our left is meeting in the lobby, with just a small partition to block distractions.  So, as not to be noticed, I suggested army crawling the 15' gap... which, obviously, is MUCH less noticable :).  

Scenario 2:  Toilet paper game.  Two of our girls, in particular, always think of creative ways to cheat in games, or to be completely absent from them.  Luke (our JH youth minister) pulls out a 12 pack of toilet paper and asks for volunteers.  I suggest to Phoenix that she go play, to which she reply's, "Ewe, no, it's not even Charmin!!"  

Scenario 3:  We are building a new building, so we think it best to grab a flashlight and travel out there to snoop around.  Setting is important here... it's completely dark, we're surrounded by farmland, and we are 3 junior highers and one leader sneaking around a fresh construction sight (which is probably... most likely... okay, definitely against a whole host of rules).  As we approach, fear sets in.  The following convo happens:

Sarah: "Guy's, what if there are like, bums and squatters living in here right now?!"

Maddie: "Oh, it's okay Sarah, I know French!"

See?  You love them too now, don't you.  They make it easy.

One last update:  Sometime in July, I lost one of my journals, a book, and my bible, all within a week.  For those who don't know, I'm a chronic journaler.  I write life down.  Losing that journal was particularly painful for me because this last year has been a very, very eventful one.  I was looking forward to opening it in 20 years and reliving some rough things and some good things, and tracing my growth.  Needless to say, I've been procrastinating on purchasing another one, because I still have ridiculous hopes of that one turning up.  I finally broke down Wednesday... but I didn't go conventional.  Over the summer, I read a particularly awful book (no seriously, awful) called "The Back of the Napkin," which deals with communicative sketches and doodles.  Even though the book was terrible (I mean really bad), I do agree it is a better way to communicate.  So instead of a journal, I bought a 100 pg sketch-pad, in which I have limited myself on wordage, and must draw out my day and thoughts.  This proves difficult because I have zero artistic abilities.  But who knows, maybe something will come out of it.  That being said, I'm off to art journal.