Friday Five

1. I am busy packing for my big move. I have boxes a-plenty, which I did not expect. We go through boxes quickly during event season because we are ordering so many materials. But event season ended in June, and the box surplus dried up. As luck would have it, one of the volunteers was adamant that the boxes for her event be recycled, and so she set them aside. And forgot to recycle them. So I load of my car with boxes every few days. If anything, I have too many boxes. So I will Reuse the boxes, and when I'm done, Recycle them. Everybody wins! Yes, simple things excite me.
   
   
2. Watching the trailer for Taking Woodstock on Sunday, I was reminded how much I like director Ang Lee. His resume is diverse, and his movies are always well made. I fell in love with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in college, and remember being surprised to learn that the director also made Sense and Sensibility. He's since won an Oscar for Brokeback Mountain, and made another foreign language film. It looks like he'll be adapting the Life of Pi for his next turn behind the camera. Check out the book if you haven't read it already.
   
   
3. For some interesting reading, check out the 'A Week Without...' series on the ReadyMade website. The first two diaries involve giving up plastic and processed foods for a week. Sometimes you don't realize how much you consume something until you give it up. On a related note, what is the best way you know to keep herbs fresh without using a paper towel? I followed the Rachael Ray method of folding most herbs into a paper towel and putting them into a plastic bag. I stopped buying paper towels over a year ago, so that doesn't work for me anymore. (I bought a roll a few weeks ago for a quick-fix rinse of quinoa, but once that roll is used up, I'm back to hand towels, so I need another method.)
   
   
4. I feel sorry for Hilary Clinton. Obviously, as a diplomat and representative of the United States, I expect her to control her temper and act more professional. But diplomats are not robots (or are they?) and feel insulted like the rest of us. And the question posed to her in the Congo was insulting, especially considering the purpose for the visit was to demand the government show zero tolerance for the rampant rape and torture of women in the country. I can only imagine the outcry for not practicing what she was preaching if she had ignored the insult and acted like nothing happened. I'm glad the whole world doesn't dissect and judge all the over-reactions I've made in my lifetime.
   
   
5. It's Blog Participation Time! As you know, I'll be living in the Metroplex this time next week, and I'm in need of a church home. I'm on the liberal side of the Church of Christ spectrum. I'm looking to make friends, so a vibrant singles group or young couples that don't discriminate is preferred. :-) Although Church of Christ is my heritage, I am open to other denominations. I'll be living in Lewisville, so I'm not looking to go to church in south Fort Worth. Where should I visit? Leave your suggestions in the comments.
   

* I'll be moving next Friday, so no blog post. Once I get settled, I'll post pictures of my apartment. Be prepared to be jealous of my closet.