Blogging About Nothing

So, a current houseguest and friend told me that she keeps checking my blog, but hasn't seen anything since "the turkey one." So, I feel compelled to blog, but not sure what to talk about. There's quite a lot rambling around in this head. Oh, I know - babies. I've been thinking a lot about babies. (Don't anyone get either excited or nervous -- I've already been told that if I want another one of my own, I will have to find another husband. I like the one husband I have, so I guess I'll have to be content to talk and think about other people's babies...) Right now, my life is chock full of babies and the idea of babies -- there is my friend who waited a long time for marriage and babies and is now happily counting down the days until the second of those two arrives, my friends who've been trying for a while and God is rewarding their patience with not one, but two (!), there are friends who are waiting on a word from an African government so that they can bring their new daughter home, those whom I dearly love who had the promise of a baby who has now gone ahead of them into the arms of God, and those who are still waiting, waiting... It's interesting, and happy, and sad, to think how much joy and pain these little lives can bring. Recently, as we've begun Epiphany, I was thinking about the words of Simeon, in the temple, to Mary, about how her soul would one day be pierced - she didn't know at the time that this would be the death of her son. And I was remembering, too, the words of a pastor who remarked that the curse of pain in childbearing probably wasn't limited to just the physical laboring to bring children into the world, but that our pain would be extended as we worry about our children, grieve over injustices done to them or the consequences of foolish choices, and even, sometimes, have to say a last good-bye to them - at least until we are all renewed. I can't imagine my life without them, but then, neither could I have anticipated how hard it would be to raise them well. I didn't appreciate my own mom enough (sorry Mom!) - maybe no one fully does until they find themselves in the same position. Wow. It's hard. Thanks be to God that he doesn't leave us alone with them!
OK - new topic. Far less profound and warm and fuzzy. I call it "Ode to Bowl Season." You may begin to tune me out now if you are not a NCAA football fan. Or, at least skip down a few lines to the non-football banter. I love Bowl season. In our house, we like to have the Bowl games on, even if we're not watching them intently. We like the sounds -- the announcers, the marching bands, the clashing of helmets, the melodrama of the pre-game hype. And even though I sometimes wonder if the idea of your team making it to a Bowl is somehow diminished by the fact that there are SO MANY Bowl games now (I think I read somewhere that there are 60?) - how can you not appreciate getting to watch 60 more football games at the end of the regular season! At least if you're not living in Canada :( I'm sorry to my Canadian friends and neighbors, but never was more frustration felt in the O'Dowd household than when we went to turn on the Outback Bowl (or some other game) and found instead -- "World Championship Junior Hockey" -- exhibition games, at that. Disappointing. We weren't entirely thwarted -- we did get to see a bunch of them. My particular favorite thus far has been the Sugar Bowl. Bowl Buster team Utah crushed the hopes and desires of the Alabama Crimson Tide. There was much rejoicing here. At least by me -- since we live in the Eastern Time Zone, Ryan was long asleep when Utah dumped the Gatorade. I felt a surge of pride that a team from our own conference (the Mountain West - home of the Colorado State Rams and the US Air Force Academy Falcons) beat a mighty SEC team like Alabama. A school that is so proud, to the point of idolatrous, of its football team. Yay!!!!!
This brings up my last point - the end of the holiday season. I tried in vain this year not to set my expectations too high. I tried to tell myself that it wouldn't matter if I didn't do cut-out cookies with the kids. That it wouldn't matter if we didn't drive around to see the lights. Etc. Etc. However, myself didn't really listen, and as a result, I found myself as tired after the Christmas break, as I had been going into it. That doesn't seem right. I need a coalition of people around me all chanting the matra of "It just doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter." But the Martha Stewarts of the world are drowning those people out! Sisters - unite for simplicity! I need you!
This may go down as the most random of my blogs. Maybe the most random blog ever. Oh - before I forget - I want to put in a plug for a wonderful man and his wonderful stories. Mike Hamel is my friend Jenn's father-in-law and he's written the Matterhorn the Brave series of adventure books for the 8-12 year old set. If you know and love an 8-12 year old, you must check out this series. He based it on bedtime stories he developed for his children, and his children are all characters in the story (in fantastic forms!) He's recently lost his publisher and is searching for a new one, but his books can be found on Amazon. Let's support him and support quality books for kids! Our most voracious reader gave them an enthusiastic thumbs up. High praise indeed.
Ending now.