All is still well. We have had a great week. The kids have been, aside from the expected exceptions here and there, remarkably well behaved, and everyone has gotten along great. We have had much needed together family time, and some much needed alone time as well. We have gotten away from the stress and mess of home, and I for one am refreshed and ready to return to face the challenges of a new life.
I was able to purchase a bunch of new music for this week, and I got to listen to some of it. Some people are interested in this, so I will put it all out there:
"Something's Coming" by Ty Tabor
"Born into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward" by A Silver Mt. Zion
"That Changes Everything" by Jonathan Kingham
"Hardcore Will Never Die but You Will" by Mogwai
"fixed::content" by Labradford
"The Millions Too Many" by A Northern Chorus
"Geogaddi" by Boards of Canada
"Riceboy Sleeps" by Jonsi and Alex
"Eingya" by Helios
Got to listen to all of the Mogwai album - nothing groundbreaking but thoroughly enjoyable. The Ty Tabor effort was perhaps his most solid from beginning to end...although a few of the songs really could have benefitted from a third verse. The Jonathan Kingham album is a style I don't usually delve into - pretty standard love-song fare...but very well written and I can certainly respect the songwriting craft. Got through about half of Boards of Canada. Still not entirely sure I 'get' their music, but it is interesting nonetheless. Got in about 3 songs of Helios - this was my one cold purchase - never heard a note of music from this artist but following a long twisty road of amazon recommendations led me here and I'm glad it did.
So, a very successful bulk purchase. And I still have some challenging music to look forward to on my return. Still have a desire to do some more in-depth album and music reviews on this blog in addition to the family updates. We'll see.
Love to all, blessings, prayers. More in a few days.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
First Day
All is well on the beach.
It is good for a person to have a place to come back to year after year...a place where you can look back on your previous year, and view yourself in relation to your past. A prof at Xavier once pointed out that our culture is unusual in that it does not have a meaningful 'new year' tradition. Most cultures throughout the world have some kind of ceremony of renewal that takes place once a year and gives some meaning to the passage of time. In America, every new year, the goal is to simply erase your consciousness by drinking to excess. This does not count as a meaningful ceremony.
So perhaps this is mine. A yearly pilgrimage to a retreat where my daily routine is eliminated and I can exist alongside something much much bigger than myself - an ocean so vast it can't be comprehended, and which I am only fit to wade in at the very very edges. And where I can look back and see what all has happened to bring me here.
I don't look back in regret. I look back fondly on proud memories, but I don't let the past hover around me. Life moves forward. My recent experiences were terrible and painful when they were in the present, but as soon as they became the past, their power over me faded. The future is still unknown, but the present is mine again. I offer as my message to you all the following lyrics from Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. Because, truly...Today Belongs to the Light.
_____________________
We get up early
Before the din and the hurly burly
O, Lord we got a lot of work to do
We stay out late
We know Babylon don't hibernate
O, Lord, we got a lot of work to do
In the arms of a bright and rising day
We see all the zombies crawl away
The motorcade is rattling out of sight
The dark parade will fade into the night
Today belongs to the Light
There was a time
When I ran barefoot through the alleyways and spit at the grand design
O, Lord, I had a lot of work to do
But now, now is the time
We must all lend our hands to the grand design
O, Lord we got a lot of work to do
In the arms of a bright and rising day
We see all the zombies crawl away...
I will stand and be counted
The dark parade will fade into the night
The motorcade is rattling out of sight
Today belongs to the Light
O, Lord, we got a lot of work to do
Stand up for all that is bright and true
It is good for a person to have a place to come back to year after year...a place where you can look back on your previous year, and view yourself in relation to your past. A prof at Xavier once pointed out that our culture is unusual in that it does not have a meaningful 'new year' tradition. Most cultures throughout the world have some kind of ceremony of renewal that takes place once a year and gives some meaning to the passage of time. In America, every new year, the goal is to simply erase your consciousness by drinking to excess. This does not count as a meaningful ceremony.
So perhaps this is mine. A yearly pilgrimage to a retreat where my daily routine is eliminated and I can exist alongside something much much bigger than myself - an ocean so vast it can't be comprehended, and which I am only fit to wade in at the very very edges. And where I can look back and see what all has happened to bring me here.
I don't look back in regret. I look back fondly on proud memories, but I don't let the past hover around me. Life moves forward. My recent experiences were terrible and painful when they were in the present, but as soon as they became the past, their power over me faded. The future is still unknown, but the present is mine again. I offer as my message to you all the following lyrics from Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. Because, truly...Today Belongs to the Light.
_____________________
We get up early
Before the din and the hurly burly
O, Lord we got a lot of work to do
We stay out late
We know Babylon don't hibernate
O, Lord, we got a lot of work to do
In the arms of a bright and rising day
We see all the zombies crawl away
The motorcade is rattling out of sight
The dark parade will fade into the night
Today belongs to the Light
There was a time
When I ran barefoot through the alleyways and spit at the grand design
O, Lord, I had a lot of work to do
But now, now is the time
We must all lend our hands to the grand design
O, Lord we got a lot of work to do
In the arms of a bright and rising day
We see all the zombies crawl away...
I will stand and be counted
The dark parade will fade into the night
The motorcade is rattling out of sight
Today belongs to the Light
O, Lord, we got a lot of work to do
Stand up for all that is bright and true
Friday, June 17, 2011
11 Years Later
And here we are.
11 years ago, I made a promise before family, friends, and God, to stay true to the love of my life, no matter what. Part of that oath has become a cliche in our culture: "For better or for worse." In our 11 years together, we have been blessed to experience a lot of better. In the last few months we have endured some of the worst.
Steph, my love. Times have been tough, and right now for us, the future is as uncertain as anything we have ever faced together. We have friends who have supported us. We have enemies who would love to see us fail. But in reality, the people who have put us in this position genuinely don't care one way or the other.
But none of that matters. Friends, enemies, or indifferent, nothing and no one has changed the love which we share and which we know will carry us through this and all other obstacles in our path. What we have is bigger than anything life can throw at us.
And recently, as seemingly all other aspects of my life steadily unraveled around me, I still always knew that your loving arms awaited me at the end of that day's road. And I know that even if the next chapters of my life involve food service or food stamps...I know that our love is enobling and will help me walk a potentially humiliating road with dignity.
For despite our financial situation, our love makes us rich, richer than any I know. And in spite of all that has happened...I would not trade the road that God has set out for us for any other road. Because only on this road will I find you, and only on this road will we walk together.
I have loved the first 11 years together. I can't wait to see what happens next. Meet you back here, same time next year. The story is just getting interesting.
Matt
11 years ago, I made a promise before family, friends, and God, to stay true to the love of my life, no matter what. Part of that oath has become a cliche in our culture: "For better or for worse." In our 11 years together, we have been blessed to experience a lot of better. In the last few months we have endured some of the worst.
Steph, my love. Times have been tough, and right now for us, the future is as uncertain as anything we have ever faced together. We have friends who have supported us. We have enemies who would love to see us fail. But in reality, the people who have put us in this position genuinely don't care one way or the other.
But none of that matters. Friends, enemies, or indifferent, nothing and no one has changed the love which we share and which we know will carry us through this and all other obstacles in our path. What we have is bigger than anything life can throw at us.
And recently, as seemingly all other aspects of my life steadily unraveled around me, I still always knew that your loving arms awaited me at the end of that day's road. And I know that even if the next chapters of my life involve food service or food stamps...I know that our love is enobling and will help me walk a potentially humiliating road with dignity.
For despite our financial situation, our love makes us rich, richer than any I know. And in spite of all that has happened...I would not trade the road that God has set out for us for any other road. Because only on this road will I find you, and only on this road will we walk together.
I have loved the first 11 years together. I can't wait to see what happens next. Meet you back here, same time next year. The story is just getting interesting.
Matt
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Bittersweet journey
We are about to embark on another trip - which would usually be cause for immense celebration. I live for travel. It's what I go through the whole year of stress for. So hooray! We're going on a trip!
But it's not what it was supposed to be. We are blessed and grateful to be able to visit Steph's family in Jacksonville, and to be able to spend a week at the beach in Hilton Head. But this was originally going to be an extended trip including our first trip to Disney with the kids, and our first stay at a beachfront RV park in Ft. Myers. We had to cancel most of the trip because of the job situation. And as the situation continues to unfold, it becomes more and more likely that there may never be a big trip in the trailer and the RV again. One of the things I love most in the world has been ripped away from me and it's pretty hard to think about.
BUT. We have this week together with our families and we are not going to sit around moping. This is a wonderful week we always get to spend, and as I said, we're blessed to have it. It's more than a lot of people get. So we will make the most of it. The one thing they can't take away from us is our family, and our love of time spent together.
So keep checking in for information about our trip. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Matt
But it's not what it was supposed to be. We are blessed and grateful to be able to visit Steph's family in Jacksonville, and to be able to spend a week at the beach in Hilton Head. But this was originally going to be an extended trip including our first trip to Disney with the kids, and our first stay at a beachfront RV park in Ft. Myers. We had to cancel most of the trip because of the job situation. And as the situation continues to unfold, it becomes more and more likely that there may never be a big trip in the trailer and the RV again. One of the things I love most in the world has been ripped away from me and it's pretty hard to think about.
BUT. We have this week together with our families and we are not going to sit around moping. This is a wonderful week we always get to spend, and as I said, we're blessed to have it. It's more than a lot of people get. So we will make the most of it. The one thing they can't take away from us is our family, and our love of time spent together.
So keep checking in for information about our trip. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Matt
Monday, May 30, 2011
Keeping busy
Lest anyone think I'm going to sit around and eat bonbons all day...
Saturday I mowed and trimmed the lawn and then did the same for the friend of a friend of a friend...picking up a few bucks along the way, continued to work with mom on removing the paint from the front porch posts to be repainted, worked with grandpa on an outdoor house project (me using mortar?) and took a couple loads of stuff over to the church rummage sale.
Sunday I assigned the girls to straighten up the living room and the twins' room, and I tackled the horrors of the storage room. You can now walk all the way back without having to leap over carseats and preschool Spanish visual aids. Still not 'organized' but it is at least visually acceptable. Also worked with Steph on sanding, washing, and priming Hannah's toddler bed (yes, it is long past time they get out of the cribs), and had a wonderful date night with my beautiful wife. Got back from that, made a breakfast casserole for the Memorial Day Brunch at Ma and Pa's, and went to bed.
Today, had some continued success with Robby and potty training in the morning, had a nice brunch, played in the backyard with the kids (although not too long - hot and humid), came home, set the girls to clean the basement, Steph put the first coat on the bed, managed to knock the desktop CPU tower over which hosed the hard drive, dad came over, we took it apart, scratched our heads, put it back together and then somehow it worked again...played with the kids, took them for a walk (or a bike and a scoot more accurately) changed the sheets on the beds (a real challenge in the girls' room with the bunk beds and the small library of books and toys that became buried in there. Then, went through my closet and, since I have kept the weight off for over 2 years now, set aside more than HALF my clothes to donate to the rummage sale.
All while Hannah has been fighting a nasty fever.
And I'm sure I missed something.
So basically, I am channeling my energy into the house and kids and I feel great doing it. Have a lot of plans and things to work on tomorrow, and I'm excited to get to them all.
I am blessed with a wonderful family. I have no right to complain about anything right now.
Matt
Saturday I mowed and trimmed the lawn and then did the same for the friend of a friend of a friend...picking up a few bucks along the way, continued to work with mom on removing the paint from the front porch posts to be repainted, worked with grandpa on an outdoor house project (me using mortar?) and took a couple loads of stuff over to the church rummage sale.
Sunday I assigned the girls to straighten up the living room and the twins' room, and I tackled the horrors of the storage room. You can now walk all the way back without having to leap over carseats and preschool Spanish visual aids. Still not 'organized' but it is at least visually acceptable. Also worked with Steph on sanding, washing, and priming Hannah's toddler bed (yes, it is long past time they get out of the cribs), and had a wonderful date night with my beautiful wife. Got back from that, made a breakfast casserole for the Memorial Day Brunch at Ma and Pa's, and went to bed.
Today, had some continued success with Robby and potty training in the morning, had a nice brunch, played in the backyard with the kids (although not too long - hot and humid), came home, set the girls to clean the basement, Steph put the first coat on the bed, managed to knock the desktop CPU tower over which hosed the hard drive, dad came over, we took it apart, scratched our heads, put it back together and then somehow it worked again...played with the kids, took them for a walk (or a bike and a scoot more accurately) changed the sheets on the beds (a real challenge in the girls' room with the bunk beds and the small library of books and toys that became buried in there. Then, went through my closet and, since I have kept the weight off for over 2 years now, set aside more than HALF my clothes to donate to the rummage sale.
All while Hannah has been fighting a nasty fever.
And I'm sure I missed something.
So basically, I am channeling my energy into the house and kids and I feel great doing it. Have a lot of plans and things to work on tomorrow, and I'm excited to get to them all.
I am blessed with a wonderful family. I have no right to complain about anything right now.
Matt
Saturday, May 28, 2011
The Whirlwind
Hello again all,
As predicted, facebook has killed my blog. But fear not, the day is approaching when I will cease and desist from using the accursed social media and return to expressing myself through this blog.
The job search continues, but with a quiet reserve instead of a frantic desperation. I want more than anything to continue teaching music, but am working through the painful process of accepting the reality that it's probably not going to happen...at least in the near future.
There will be a trip to Hilton Head, but the Disney/Fort Myers part of that vacation has been cancelled, so that the money set aside for that can possibly be used for moving expenses...or to keep us financially afloat in the event that neither Steph or I can land a job.
The kids continue to be a handful, but a wonderful handful. The biggest sadness about all this job business is that I have had my attention dragged away from the light of my life, my family. But now that the door has closed on my previous position, I am ready to devote myself fully to being the family man I have not been able to be for 2 months.
This has been a trying time but in looking back on my performance in this trial by fire, I give myself not a standing ovation but a silent nod of approval. Made some mistakes, but above all, stayed true to myself, my morals and ethics.
Those of you on facebook, that will probably continue to be the primary method of communication...just more secure posting info there until things get settled.
God bless you all!
Matt and family
As predicted, facebook has killed my blog. But fear not, the day is approaching when I will cease and desist from using the accursed social media and return to expressing myself through this blog.
The job search continues, but with a quiet reserve instead of a frantic desperation. I want more than anything to continue teaching music, but am working through the painful process of accepting the reality that it's probably not going to happen...at least in the near future.
There will be a trip to Hilton Head, but the Disney/Fort Myers part of that vacation has been cancelled, so that the money set aside for that can possibly be used for moving expenses...or to keep us financially afloat in the event that neither Steph or I can land a job.
The kids continue to be a handful, but a wonderful handful. The biggest sadness about all this job business is that I have had my attention dragged away from the light of my life, my family. But now that the door has closed on my previous position, I am ready to devote myself fully to being the family man I have not been able to be for 2 months.
This has been a trying time but in looking back on my performance in this trial by fire, I give myself not a standing ovation but a silent nod of approval. Made some mistakes, but above all, stayed true to myself, my morals and ethics.
Those of you on facebook, that will probably continue to be the primary method of communication...just more secure posting info there until things get settled.
God bless you all!
Matt and family
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
We are still here
The blog is not being updated. A wise friend pointed out that in this digital age, I need to be careful about what gets posted on the blog when I'm conducting a job search. For that reason (and the fact that finding a job is a full-time job) the blog has been put in storage for the time being. As mentioned before, I am reluctantly using facebook to keep people informed, so please find information on our family situation there, if you are so inclined.
We all look forward to the time when things settle down once again and we are able to concentrate on the little things once more. We are in the whirlwind and trusting in God to guide us through.
Thanks to all for your continued thoughts, prayers, and support.
Matt and family
We all look forward to the time when things settle down once again and we are able to concentrate on the little things once more. We are in the whirlwind and trusting in God to guide us through.
Thanks to all for your continued thoughts, prayers, and support.
Matt and family
Sunday, March 13, 2011
In other news
Just in time for interview season, I am at my lowest weight since 2003ish. And it's being done healthily, on the Matt diet. I will have to explain the Matt diet sometime.
Since my blimpiest point, when I was somewhere around 255 pounds in the summer of 2008, I was down to 192 this afternoon. Now, I proceeded to stuff my face full of dad's great carnitas at dinner, so I'll be back up. Have to go dig up an old photo for a nice before and after shot.
FYI, at 192 pounds, my wedding ring starts randomly falling off, and I am starting to need a belt for the size 38 jeans. Feels good.
It's Sunday night. Another week is starting. Here goes nothing...
Matt
Since my blimpiest point, when I was somewhere around 255 pounds in the summer of 2008, I was down to 192 this afternoon. Now, I proceeded to stuff my face full of dad's great carnitas at dinner, so I'll be back up. Have to go dig up an old photo for a nice before and after shot.
FYI, at 192 pounds, my wedding ring starts randomly falling off, and I am starting to need a belt for the size 38 jeans. Feels good.
It's Sunday night. Another week is starting. Here goes nothing...
Matt
Saturday, March 12, 2011
From Sea to Shining Sea...
...the job search is underway.
For the sake of my career and family, I have bitten the bullet and started using facebook. I don't like it, but I already have made possible connections in 2 states that I would not have had otherwise. So, it's serving its purpose.
All is as well as can be. Our faith is strong and will see us through a challenging time. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Matt
For the sake of my career and family, I have bitten the bullet and started using facebook. I don't like it, but I already have made possible connections in 2 states that I would not have had otherwise. So, it's serving its purpose.
All is as well as can be. Our faith is strong and will see us through a challenging time. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Matt
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Event Horizon?
Hello all. Things are still happening, but in a lot of ways, we are all sort of living in stasis until we know what there is to know about the job situation. Thus, I just haven't felt a great desire to keep the blog up to date. One way or the other, once news comes in (we expect SOMEthing within a month or so at worst) things will start to pick up here. We have done all we can do. My resume is updated, and a working cover letter is drafted and ready to be sent to any place in the country that might be in the market. We have done preliminary basic research on other places in the country that might be decent places to live.
Now here's hoping we don't need any of it.
God bless,
Matt
Now here's hoping we don't need any of it.
God bless,
Matt
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