Day 211: 7/31/11- Play Blogger Tag!

Day 211: 7/31/11
New Thing: Play Blogger Tag!

Inspiration: Demery Bader-Saye
Cost: $0
Time: About 15 minuets                           
Bottom Line: Thanks, Demery! I miss you!!

Reflection: Today's reflection is inspired by the wonderful Demery Bader-Saye! She me tagged in this blog game of question and answer. I'll say more about Demery below, but suffice it say, she has been an amazing inspiration to me over the years that I have known her and a good friend. Thanks, Demery!

P.S.- Before the month is out I should tell you all the different kinds of ice cream I have sampled in honor of "National Ice Cream Month" which I have not been vigilant in keeping track of here. As you can see, it was a delicious month:

• Rainbow with Nerds topping
• Chocolate-Banana
• Cow Bell (chocolate with fudge and coco powder)
• Sweet Cream
• Strawberry Basil (This was very interesting. I only had a small taste of this, but it was different from any other ice cream I have tried in the past)

And now, on to the game:

What do you think of when you the hear the word tag?

Playing freeze tag with my neighbors in their back yard in the summer.


Do you think you're hot?

Temperature wise, yes. It is August. Everyone is hot. That's as far as I am going with this one.

Upload a picture or wallpaper that you're using at the moment.

This was our wallpaper for months.

When was the last time you ate chicken?

Yesterday on a salad. It's my favorite thing to order when we are in a restaurant.


The song(s) you listened to recently.

Hymns at church this morning. 


What were you thinking as you were doing this?

I can't believe it is almost August and I need to do laundry after this.


Do you have nicknames? What are they?

I have a ton of nicknames! Here are just a few:

• Hill-O-Beans (used by my family)
• Hilly (This was the only thing people called me until middle school)
• Hill (This was the ONLY thing people called me from middle school through college)
• Hill-rey (used only by family)
• Hillary-Dillery-Dock
• Cherry-Merry-Churchy
• The Nun (used by Ali only)
• Hermonie (used only by Dad) 
• Hi-Lary
• Hummingbird
• Hilly Bear
• Mo. Hill
• Hey-Fey (used only by Kara)
• H-Bomb 
• Danger-Cougar (used only by Lauren)
• Mommy (my favorite, used only by Baby D.) 
• Hilla-Willa (used by my wonderful FCA seminary friends- Thanks Lindsay!) 

Tag 8 blogger friends...

1. Demery
2. Rebecca Smith
3. James McGeveran
4. Andrew McIntosh
5. Ken Raining
6. Robert Berry
7. Mo. Laura Howell
8. Bunny (who's blog is private)

Who's listed as No. 1?
Demery!! When I meant Demery, she was starting as the Diocesan Youth Minister, a role that she held with love and grace. She always seemed to bring a new and fresh approach to ministry that I learned so much from including how to be a Mom and a priest and starting an emergent church community from her own home! She and her husband were always supper cool in my eyes. Her blog is "write away every day" and it is dedicated giving her readers a prompt to help them feel inspired to write. I miss you guys!!


Say something about No. 5
Ken is my darling husband. He is the most supportive and loving person I could ever ask for in a partner and I am blessed to be in a union with him. His blog is called "Dinosaurs in F-14s" and it is a collection of his musings, interests, pet-peeves, and hobbies. His writting always makes me laugh.


How did you get to know No. 3?
I first got to know James in New Haven while I was attending seminary at Yale. He and his lovely wife, Lindsay, are two of our all time closest friends and two of Delia's Godparents. James and Lindsay are also two of the funnest people I have even known. They are the parents of two lovely children and his blog (one of several he has started) is called "Bauhaus Parenting." It is a very touching and well thought out look at what is it like to raise an autistic child.  


How about No. 4.
Andrew is better known to devotees of this blog as DJARM18 since he has inspired many a hip-hop post including the inaugural experiment of learning how to DJ. He is not only a DJ, but he is also a college professor who teaches Hip-Hop classes! How cool is that?! Since I have had the pleasure over the last few years of teaching a Sunday School Forum with him, I can tell you that he is one of the most natural and gifted teachers I have even known. His blog is called "Spins of the Father" and it is dedicated to teaching the world about Hip-Hop.


Leave a message for No. 6.
Hi, Rob! We miss you and hope to see you soon! Give Swag a hug for me. (You may remember Rob's blog from my Bloomsday Post found here.)


Leave a lovey dovey message for No. 2.
I love you, Rebecca!! You are such a blessing to have in my life and I see God's light shine from you every time I see you.


Do No. 7 and No. 8 have any similarities?

They are both two of the most genuine and thoughtful people I know!

Tag to you, bloggy friends!!

Day 210: 7/30/11- Celebrate National Share a Sunset with Your Lover Month

Day 210: 7/30/11
New Thing: Celebrate National Share a Sunset with Your Lover Month
Inspiration: National Share a Sunset with Your Lover Month
Cost: $0
Time: About 30 minuets                          
Bottom Line: Thanks for making July Romantic, NSASSWYL Month!

Red sky at night, sailor's/lover's delight.

Reflection: July is "National Share a Sunset with Your Lover" month. To celebrate, Ken and I decided to head outside tonight and direct our gaze Westward. At first we had a hard time seeing it with all the other houses in the way. So we decided to get the ladder out and sit on our roof. We still did not have much of a view, but it was alot of fun to sit up there together and just talk for a while.  I love you, Hubby!

Day 209: 7/29/11- New Yoga Meditation & Doughnut Peach

Day 209: 7/29/11
New Thing: New Yoga Meditation & Doughnut Peach
Inspiration: Yoga Master Tara Stiles
Cost: $10 for book
Time: About 30 minuets                          
Bottom Line: I felt calmer and more "in the now"

Tara Stiles

Reflection: As you know from previous posts, I love to do yoga. I find it to be a great gateway to meditation and so I am always looking for new ways to practice it. I recently picked up Tara Stiles new yoga book and found her YouTube channel and her work inspired today's meditation. The question she posed for our guide today was, "If you are always running trying to get where you are going or escape your past, where are you right now?" So, after doing her routine for meditation, flexibility and relaxation, I held that question up in prayer. It was very fruitful and I left feeling like the "now" I am in is grace-filled and loving. Where are you right now? I would love to hear some answers to this one!

I also tried a "doughnut peach" for the first time. It was delicious, but aside from the shape, not much different then a regular peach.

Day 208: 7/28/11 - Voices from the Past and New Ice Cream

Day 208: 7/28/11
New Thing: Voices from the Past and New Ice Cream
Inspiration: Childhood 
Cost: $3
Time: About 30 minuets                          
Bottom Line: So Sweet!

That's where you want to go to get away from it all.

Reflection: You may remember that right before we left on vacation, I shared my childhood tape/book collection with Delia. In that group, we found two tapes that contained the childhood ramblings of my sister and I which I listened to with Delia and Ken tonight. "What wisdom did our young voices carry with them from the past?", you ask. Well, here is the breakdown:

• I start by interviewing my little sister (age 4?) about her day at school. I was firm in my instance that she tell us the date, but she kept saying "Wednesday." However, she had art that day and enjoyed it. She sounded exactly like Delia. Exactly.
• Then we have like 7 minuets of Ali, Cassie, Kelly (our childhood friends) and myself playing and singing about some kind of parade/puppet show while knocking down blocks. It concludes with their mom Donna telling me to "get off the table" that I was standing on. To which I reply, "No, it's o.k." Little brat Hillary capture on tape.
• Next we have the Beach Boys singing their 80's hit "Kokomo" which I must have enjoyed enough to tape off of the radio.Really though, who didn't?
• That musical interlude is interrupted by Ali telling us about the large tree that had fallen in our yard narrowly missing the house. She relates that she, "did not wake up to hear it, but it was really, really big." I remember that night well, and her telling of the story rings true.
• Back to "Kokomo." 
• The final tape has me, now age nine, reading what felt like the complete works of Shel Silverstein. Delia requested that "Kokomo" be played instead. 

Also, I forgot to mention that I had an amazing new ice cream flavor a few days ago (remember, July is "National Ice-cream Month") called "chocolate-banana." It was even better then "Kokomo" which I am sure is now in your head. You are welcome!!

Day 207: 7/27/11- Lucy the Elephant!

Day 207: 7/27/11
New Thing: Lucy the Elephant!
Inspiration: Vacation 
Cost: $18
Time: About 30 minuets                          
Bottom Line: The 8th Wonder of the World!

"Who could ask for more?"

Reflection: Today we celebrated the last day of our Longport trip with a visit to one of our favorites: Lucy the Elephant! Lucy is 6 stories high and is open for people to tour inside and on top of her! Lucy is the oldest example of zoomorphic architecture and is--in a word--awesome! (Ali is going to kill me for going without her!) Here we are three years ago on Lucy:

On the top over looking the Margate beach.

Delia and me

And here we are having the perfect end to another great year at Longport. Thank you so much, Redeemer Congregation!

On the top again!

Day 206: 7/26/11- Send a Message in a Bottle

Day 206: 7/26/11
New Thing: Send a Message in a Bottle
Inspiration: Vacation 
Cost: $0
Time: About 30 minuets                          
Bottom Line: I'm sending out an S.O.S.

Ready to be sent out to sea.

Reflection: You may remember way back on day eleven when I left a random note for a stranger. Well, today I decided to put a fresh spin on that idea by trying something else out that I have never done: sending a message in a bottle. I had the perfect bottle since Ali and Doug had brought with them the last bottle of wine that Doug's father had hand-made for their wedding. I wrote a similar note as on day eleven, sealed the cork with some wax, and tried to hurl it into the sea. This was much harder then I thought it would be since the bottle kept coming back to shore. Eventually, I had to settle for the bay. I hope who ever finds it will know that they are a beloved child of God.

Day 205: 7/25/11- Preside over Ali & Doug's Renewal of Vows

Day 205: 7/25/11
New Thing: Preside over Ali & Doug's Renewal of Vows
Inspiration: Ali & Doug's First Anniversary
Cost: $0
Time: About 15 minuets                         
Bottom Line: Happy Anniversary, Ali & Doug!

Reflection: Yesterday was Ali and Doug's 1st Anniversary! They went out to celebrate last night and today we had a small renewal of vows ceremony. I was blessed to preside at their wedding last year and it was equally as touching to do so again tonight as they renewed their commitment to each other and their marriage. Delia served as flower girl (again) and Ken was both the witness and the photographer. We love you, Doug and Ali and are so happy to celebrate another year with you!!

Delia at pulpit at age 3.5

Giving a sermon at 1.5

 

 

 

Delia walking to the front of the church at age 1.5

Age 3.5

 

Delia handing them a paper crane that Ali made over a year ago for her wedding that was left in the church!

Delia with cranes at 2.5 at Ali and Doug's wedding

 

 

First labyrinth walk age 1.5

Joyfully running this year.

Day 204: 7/24/11- The New "Winnie the Pooh" Movie & Nerds Ice cream

Day 204: 7/24/11
New Thing: The New Winnie the Pooh Movie & Nerds Ice cream
Inspiration: Vacation
Cost: $18 for the three of us
Time: A little over an hour                         
Bottom Line: Love it!

Reflection: We had a lovely Sunday morning here at the Church of the Redeemer! Both services went very well and it was a blessing to Celebrate in this beautiful church.

Later in the day, Andrew and the girls came down for a visit and we took them to see the new Winnie the Pooh movie which was very enjoyable. I loved these movies as a kid and this one really captured the spirit of the earlier movies while still adding a few fresh spins on these timeless tales. This was the first time I had ever seen a W-T-P movie on the big screen.

Here are some shots from last year:

And this year:

First ever sleep over! Another first of the day!

I forgot to mention a new thing that happened a few days ago. July is National Ice Cream Month which is pretty great for me since I love this frozen treat. So, when Ali and Sarah offered to make an ice cream run for us the other night, I asked them to surprise me with a flavor that I had never tried before. They came back with tropical rainbow punch with nerd sprinkles. It was both too sweet and too tart at the same time, but there was a vanilla swirl in the middle that evened everything out.

Day 203: 7/23/11 - Playing "Mind Games" with the Shore Crew

Day 203: 7/23/11
New Thing: Playing "Mind Games" with the Shore Crew
Inspiration: Vacation
Cost: $16
Time: Two Hours                        
Bottom Line: Phobias and neurosis were never so much fun!

Reflection: Today, we delved into the deepest recesses of our unconscious for fun!! Ali, Sarah, Doug, Ken and I played several games from the collection of psychological tests found in Ming Games: A Box of Psychological Play. Here is the Amazon description:

"Mind Games" is a fascinating compendium of playful picture tests, games, and questionnaires that hold a revealing mirror up to your inner self. 

What's in the box? 

 •  Three card sets that answer the critical questions: What are you like? What kind of friend are you? What’s really going on in your most important relationships?
  •  The Abstract Image Game: What you see in the picture may say a lot about you
  •  Card tests that reveal your innermost fears and phobias
  •  Adam Dant’s House of Personalities: Which one are you?
  •  Questionnaires about your personality, your social life, and your anxieties
  •  And much more

We had a blast. Our favorite game was choosing which kind of house we were most drawn to from a collection of drawings of different kinds of houses. Since houses tend to represent the kind of world view we want to dwell in, the kind of house we are most attracted to should be able to point to the kind of person we are. The houses we chose were dead on in their description of each one of us. Hilarity and self actualization ensued.

Who am I? Who are you? Let's find out.

Day 202: 7/22/11- Mani/Pedi with Ali and Sarah Tax

Day 202: 7/22/11
New Thing: Mani/Pedi with Ali and Sarah Tax
Inspiration: Vacation
Cost: $25
Time: 30 minuets                       
Bottom Line: Pretty Nails!

Reflection: Today was another great day at the beach! Sarah Tax has come down for a few days which is always a joy. Sarah, Ali and I all decided to get Mani/Pedis which I have only done maybe three times in my life before this. I now have lovely purple toes nails and golden fingernails.

Day 201: 7/21/11 -First time in the ocean for the year!

Day 201: 7/21/11
New Thing: First time in the ocean for the year!
Inspiration: Vacation
Cost: $0
Time: Several Hours                       
Bottom Line: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea.

"Let's dive in right over there."

Reflection: Today we dove into our vacation by taking a run, spending hours on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and eating awesome food. I am already feeling very relaxed.

Delia ready for the beach are 1.5

Age 2.5

Age 3.5

Day 200!!: 7/20/11- Day 200 Vacation Celebration!

Day 200!!: 7/20/11
New Thing: Day 200 Vacation Celebration!
Inspiration: The Church of the Redeemer
Cost: $0
Time: All Week                      
Bottom Line: Vacation, all I ever wanted!

The Church of the Redeemer with beach side rectory and outdoor labyrinth.

Reflection: Today is day 200 here at 365 Alive! I am amazed that I have been able to keep this up, and I want to extend a very heartfelt "thank you" to everyone out there who has been supporting me by reading, posting (especially on Facebook), and helping me with all of these new things. It has been wonderful and I could not do this alone.

For today's adventure, my family (including Ken, Delia, Ali and Doug) and I started our week long vacation to Longport, NJ! This is our third year visiting the good people of The Church of the Redeemer and each one has been better then the last. I have been blessed to serve as a supply priest (which is like a substitute) for a week in their beautiful church and then get to stay in their awesome sea and bay-side rectory. We really like this congregation and are so thankful for this respite. Thanks, Redeemer Congregation!

I though it might be fun to look back this week at some of the events that are have been similar for the last three years. So, today I share the last three years in the car ride down:

Delia in the back seat age 1.5

 

 

Age 2.5

Age 3.5- Now to worldly to nap. Notice in all of these how her sheep is always by her side!

Day 199: 7/19/11- Share A Favorite Toy with Delia

Day 199: 7/19/11
New Thing: Share A Favorite Toy with Delia
Inspiration: Delia
Cost: $0
Time: About thirty minuets                     
Bottom Line: Sounds of fun.

I had a ton of these!

Reflection: When I was a little girl, I used to LOVE my Fisher Price tape-player. It used to go everywhere with me and I would spend hours  listening to books on tape. I even had a great carrying case that could keep all of the tapes and their accompanying books together. I have saved all of these for years in order to give them down to my child and today was the day to pass on the tradition. Delia chose to listen to Rapunzel for her first audio book and instantly loved it. It was great to see her enjoying these as mush as I used to!