Author: Jana

  • don’t know nothin’ bout history…

    For the past few weeks, even the past few months, I’ve felt quite insecure about my path in academia. Sure I love the classes and the stimulation of learning, but I’ve questioned whether I really have what it takes to be a great historian (this feeling struck me especially hard in a seminar on Monday where I just wasn’t on the same page as some of my colleagues).

    But, in the past day or two I’ve had some affirmations that I’m on the right track [Note the train metaphor…]. Just thought I’d share them with you…

    1) I may be headed to Paris next month for a conference with some leading lights in the History of Medicine field.
    2) I was offered and have accepted the position of ‘Book Review Editor’ for a really cool academic journal.
    3) I’ll be involved in putting together an encyclopedia of Disability History.

    Anyways, thanks for listening and thank you for your continued support. :)

  • Thanks to my bro chudacek for sending this link to the pictures of our 2000 trip to England and The Isle of Man.

    A church in the heart of the town of Peel, IOM, where only a few of the walls remain. Where some of my ancestors were married: (I’m the blur in the middle of the pic wearing a grey raincoat). They’ve taken the headstones from the church cemetray and paved the park with them. Lovely, but a bit irreverent-feeling to be walking all over the headstones, IMO.

    A steam train. The IOM is a haven of antique trains. On this teeny island you can ride this steam train to all the major cities. There is also a quaint electric train running the length of the island. The e-train has open air cars and is reminiscent of the streetcar in Mister Rogers show. There’s also a horse-drawn tram available for those who like their tracks to run slow…

  • ahhhh, cute


    A group of LDS women from Australia have been sewing wool sweaters for penguins. These sweaters aid in the survival of the birds after oil spills. Read more here.
    Glad to know that their knitting skills are being put to good use :)

  • permablogger


    Hey, I’ve been invited to be a permablogger at SunstoneBlog.com. Quite an honor, indeed.

    Wny don’t you check out my first-ever post on “Mormons and Disability.”

  • Episcopal Easter


    flower cross
    Originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    We celebrated Easter with our friends in a local Episcopal congregation. The service was very formal, fairly stylized, and quite interesting to this family of Mormons.

    My favorite part was the communion (which they allowed everyone to partake of). The priest blessed the wafer, then handed it to me. It was a nice personal moment, to hear his prayer as he looked directly into my eyes and gave me the ‘host.’ Quite unlike the Mormon tradition. And we were able to refuse the wine without any offense, too. :)

    There was a gorgeous floral cross outside (pictured above). The kiddoes also participated in an Easter egg hunt and got some fun Easter treats. :)

    A few pics of the kiddoes in all their Easter finery are now uploaded to flickr for you all to enjoy…

  • deja vu…in the rain

    It was almost dark by the time John got my bike home tonite (he’d had to ride it home from the shop where I bought it in Newport Beach).

    But despite the gloaming and the rain, the kids and I went out for a bike ride (John joined us on foot, because his bike was at his office).

    We decided that the large mostly-empty parking lot across the street would be the best place to ride together, with it being so rainy and almost-dark. It was great fun doing donuts around the streetlights, zooming up and down the slight hill in the middle of the lot, racing each other from one end to the other (a long ways–the parking lot is almost a block long).

    It wasn’t until we were returning inside that I remembered that this was the same parking lot that I had paced back and forth in during the hours that I was in labor with C so many years ago. The contractions coming unevenly, the constant walking to both ease the pain and to initiate labor (he was a week overdue).

    Back then I couldn’t have imagined myself zipping around on a bicycle with my two pre-teen kiddoes in tow. But that night, like tonite, was so full of promise, of joy, of surrender. It made me so grateful for then…for now…and for what amazing adventures the future holds for our family.
    [Note: both kids had a wet mud streak up their backs after our ride. Me, I was spared such. Granny bikes don’t leave backtracks. :)]

  • thrifty girl


    I love the saying: “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” In an effort to minimize my impact on the planet, and to be more ecologically aware, I do all kinds of crazy things to recycle/repurpose/reuse. A few of my efforts:
    –devoting time each day to moderate FreecycleIrvine
    –using cloth diapers on my kids when they were babies
    –maintaining 2 vermicomposting bins on my back porch. Shredding my junkmail and feedng it to the worms.
    –buying much of our clothing from goodwill, patagonia, etc.
    –recycling cans, packaging, etc
    –adopting kitties from the local animal shelter
    –buying produce from the famer’s market or organic items from Trader Joe’s
    –maintaining a gianormous organic garden (weeding party, anyone?) and serving as the treasurer for the community garden council
    –borrowing items instead of buying them. And loaning our stuff to others as needed, too.
    –using both sides of printer/copier paper.
    –trying not to patronize restaurants that waste food. And, not ordering more than I can/should eat.
    –cleaning the house with plant-based products.
    –giving gifts of time and love at holidays, instead of ‘stuff.’
    –making household objects out of crocheted plastic bags
    –bringing my own bags to the grocery store
    –taking the train or bus when we travel instead of renting a car.
    –wrapping gifts in re-used paper or in old roadmaps.
    –making my own soap (laden with garden herbs).
    [Note: I have ‘recycled’ this post by slightly modifying it for my ExponentBlog post]

  • my boy


    He’s a keeper.
    I find his curly locks and infectious smile utterly irresitible. :)

  • mirror, mirror

    So John just bought a mirror for our shower so he can see himself when he shaves (if he doesn’t use a mirror he ends up with weird stubbly patches on his chin). It’s a small fog-free mirror that hangs nicely in a hook on the over-the-showerhead caddy where I store my shampoo.

    The first time I took a shower with the mirror, I thought it was cool–I was looking forward to amusing myself with shampoo mohawk hairdos.

    But now I think it’s not-so-cool. I’d forgotten that I’m scared of mirrors. So there’s something about looking in the mirror as I’m standing in the closed shower stall that completely freaks me out. It has nothing to do with my naked body in the mirror–it’s the space behind me that’s frightening. I don’t quite now how to articulate this fear, but it’s that I am totally scared that I will look in the mirror someday and see that I’m not alone–that there is some strange scary person standing behind me. Does that make sense? It’s that same irrational fear that makes me not want to look in the backseat when I’m driving alone at night, or that doesn’t want to get up and lock the doors before bed because, somehow, if I’m standing near the unlocked door–and even touching said unlocked door–that makes me totally more scared that standing three feet away from it.

    I am, overall, a huge scaredy-cat. A few times, when John and I were first married, he hid somewhere and leapt out to surprise me. Okay, sure it was a surprise, but inevitably I ended up crying. Heavy hot tears of total fear and terror. Even though I knew it was John who had jumped out at me, and even though I knew the scare was over, for about 10 minutes afterwards I cry just out of the sheer emotional release. To be scared like that is so jarring, makes me feel so vulnerable, that life just can’t go right back to normal afterwards.

    I _don’t_ like horror or suspense movies. When, a few years ago, my Mom convinced me Sixth Sense was a must-see movie, I realized about half-way thru that I’d made a huge mistake. For weeks after that I couldn’t even use the bathroom by myself–John had to accompany me so I would feel ‘safe.’ The scenes with the arms coming out from under the bed and with Bruce Willis trying to get into the basement are so chilling to me that I still shiver just thinking about them.

    I don’t know why I scare so easily, but I suspect the moment-of-no-return happened one day when I I was a teenager and I was using a public restroom. I was sitting on the toilet and for whatever reason looked up. When I did…to my horror I saw a creepy man in the next stall looking down at me. He must’ve been standing on the toilet so he could get a view of the various women using the bathroom. What’s crazy to me about this memory is that I don’t remember exiting the stall, I just remember feeling paralyzed. I couldn’t think rationally, I couldn’t tell anyone about the strange man. After I hurriedly left the bathroom I found a chair in the corner and put my head to my knees for about 20 minutes.

    I guess what I’m most afraid of is that it’ll happen to me again. I’ll look up and see that man’s face, with his scraggly grey beard and greasy headwrap. I’ll see him again and I just won’t know what to do.
    [Note: I’ve taken to turning the mirror around whenever I shower. For some reason the back of the mirror isn’t scary at all]

  • C’s ordination day


    C’s ordination day
    Originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    A picture from yesterday for all of you to enjoy.
    Note: Tie tied by C. A good job for his first time, eh?
    :)
    Note: John’s take on the day is here.

  • Make me smile…

    –John and C are in the next room over, where C is having a lesson from his Dad on how to tie a tie. They are giggling and working through the process together (while looking at a diagram of different knots)

    –All of this is in preparation for C’s ordination today. At 12 years of age Mormon boys go through a rite that is somewhat akin to a bar mitzvah. C will be called up to the front of the church meeting and be asked to recite an Article of Faith from memory. He will officially graduate from the Children’s Meeting (Primary), and after church he will be ordained to the introductory level of the LDS Aaronic priesthood by John.

    I’ll post a picture soon :)

  • twelve


    first day home #1, 1994
    Originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    In just a few hours, C will be twelve years old. For your enjoyment (and mine!), I’ve uploaded 12 of C’s baby pictures to flickr. Click on the one above to see more. :)

    I’ve written about C’s many fine qualities here and here. But I can’t let this day pass without telling everyone again how very special C is. His birth was truly a miracle. And that miracle is one that keeps on giving, making each new day even more wonderful than the last.

    This past year C went away to 6th grade camp for a week, he tried out for the Honor orchestra, conducted a successful science fair experiment on the dissolution of aspirin tablets, got glasses, learned how to cook quesadillas and ramen noodles, and mastered bike-riding. Sixth grade is a big year, and C has handled it well. He’s still earning top marks in his APAAS class. His teacher trusts and respects him. His classmates enjoy his company. C is, as always, a devoted brother to his sister and a great help around the house–diligently doing his daily chores. His passions are reading, computer gaming, and learning about science. He loves to snuggle with the kitties. He is endlessly hungry and his favorite foods are salmon, turkey jerky, and gyoza. He eats salad because he knows it’s good for him. C is crazy ticklish on every part of his body. He gives great hugs and even lovely soft kisses.