Uphill idealist

When I was a young girl, I recall collecting stamps for camp each Sunday I was in Sunday School. At the beginning of summer break it was each child's goal to fill up the coupon book to earn a discount for summer camp. Ahh... summer camp. For me this was my only understanding of a summer holiday in the classic sense of things. We were not poor, by any means, but we were not the type of family that went to Florida on spring break either. Summer camp represented many things for me: adventure, independence, new friends, a culturally diverse community, art projects at the craft shack, singing by the campfire and swimming. Oh how I loved swimming! Then beyond all the bug juice and taco lunches was the time and space to unplug from life at home (once the homesickness wore off) and really listen to God speaking into my life. There are moments from camp that still seem tangible to me. One summer, the theme was, "I wanna be a hero." - spinning off of the Steve Taylor song by the sa...

"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." Kurt Cobain On talking with at youth group tonight, we discussed ways in which God has helped people grow. One person commented on how they were able to better be themselves in relationship to growing closer to God. I think when we truly begin to understand God's love for us, we realize the person we are is something very unique and worthy of being. Popeye spoke the truth and Kurt didn't do so bad either. Don't waste who you are, you were designed to be good to the last drop.

In the last week or so, I've become more and more aware for the need to unplug from a hurried pace. As weird as it may sound, my life is getting busier as summer arrived. Sleeping with bread , my Monday examen, gives me the time to take a much needed look at the last week's events in order to see what give and depletes me of life. Before the summer gets away from me, I know there are some priorities that need to be set for the summer weeks ahead. I suppose some of this feeling of hurry is related to my kids being released from school day schedule and commitments, while I on the other hand, still have my occupational ones plugging along. It will be necessary to have a week or so of setting into the new looser schedule for the kids, while I try to maintain my commitment of work and the recent addition of exercise to my work day. Many a summer before, I would hang-up my work outs in light of the other opportunities that summer brought, but this time around - with my still busy wor...

She and Him is an indie project of M. Ward and (actress )Zooey Deschanel from their album "Vol.1" The sound is old school 50's pop, with the wit of today. You may remember hearing Zooey sing in the major motion film "Elf". Its great to hear more of her lovely vocals. Here is a somewhat wacky video to She and Him's song " Why did you let me stay here?" What do you think?

This Saturday the youth that are attending the ELCA Youth Gathering will be hosting a Car Dry and tire polish to help raise more funds for our trip to New Orleans July 21-27. We will be drying car washed cars and polishing tires for tips from 10am-2pm at ROBO wash directly off of Foote Ave. in Jamestown NY on Marion Street. Help ups reach our goal so that we don't have to find out what it means to miss New Orleans! If you would like to help sponsor our group of 10 to attend the ELCA Gathering , contact me at eastman_tara@yahoo.com or visit First Lutheran Church's website for more information.

This Friday and next Friday I have opportunities to play some of my music, and haven't had that chance for a while. Tonight I played a Buskers Festival (street musician fest), to benefit Family Services the counseling agency that my husband works for. It was a good time where I saw some old friends from Warren PA, where I used to work, and received some very kind comments from the folks who listened to part of my set at 5:30 to 6:30. One lady even said my voice reminded her of Lisa Loeb - and she is her favorite. I suppose you can't get a better comment than that. One man, who I hadn't seen in years, now runs a local music production company and asked if I'd like to come and perform at one of their upcoming events. One other gentleman was listening to my ballad, "I need to know your here." and shouted at the end..." I'm here for you Tara!" What makes this really funny is he is one of the counselors at Family Services. Nice to know his empathy...

Last week I was introduced to a young teaching musician from Birmingham England, Clifford Harding , or NK for short. NK teaches multiplication math facts via rap rhymes (Tunes times tables) to help primary students learn and better retain math information, as well as making it more fun. He began this method of teaching after his son came home from school frustrated because he did not know his math facts. At that point, NK admits, " I did not know my times tables either! So how could I help my son with a problem I had not mastered?" NK began the process of writing rhymes to the times tables, set them to a beat and now has been teaching them since 1998. In the times we spoke during his visit to the Jamestown area last week, NK spoke of the shift in his own attitude in life when he became motivated to help others. NK had grown up in a working class city environment and faced the challenges of choosing the high road, when so many of his friends did not. At youth group last Wedne...