Friday Night: fashion and the state of the world

I love Friday night. The beginning of the weekend always feels like a holiday. Of course, now I'm working weekends. Tomorrow is my first selling shift. I'm excited and a little nervous. We do have to compete for sales and hours, after all. But I think that when I'm settled in this could be a really fun job. I like helping the customers find stuff and when they are happy with a new outfit.

I'm watching the second episode this evening of What Not to Wear. I love that show. It is fun and I learn good principles that I think about while I'm choosing clothes. Now I can use that to help the customers at work. The best thing is to see how the person changes the way that they look at and feel about themselves. Often, they just haven't taken the time or haven't changed their self-image even though they have grown in other ways, like career or family. They learn to match their appearance and the image they project with their inner-self and their real life. Some of the people find new levels of confidence and can imagine goals and ambitions that they couldn't before. Clinton and Stacy are so fun, too. They are brutally honest but with a great sense of humor. They make it more fun to watch and hopefully less painful for the person who is being transformed.

Mom and I were glued to the Peterson verdict this afternoon. I haven't been following the trial, but when we heard that the verdict was going to be announced at 1:00 today, we started watching. I was a little surprised that they convicted, given that there was a lack of direct physical evidence. But the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming and seemed to convince the jury. From what I've heard in the evening news and passing Court TV when I'm channel surfing, I believe that he did it. I didn't feel like jumping up and down and celebrating, though, like some people in the crowd of spectators outside the courthouse. It's such a terrible and sad story. I feel bad for Scott Peterson's family, especially his mother who I learned today is in ill health. His father couldn't even bring himself to come to the courthouse today. Laci's family is also suffering terribly. And what about little Connor who never even got the chance to experience life outside of his mother. He never got to see the sun or breathe fresh air. The shocking thing, however, was that through the whole thing Scott never showed any emotion. That's how everyone who saw the proceedings described him. All the lies he told. He apparently wished that he were single again and didn't want to be saddled with a family. He didn't want to be a father. He thought that he could just get rid of them and be free. Hopefully he won't be free ever again. He will probably appeal the verdict, and he has the right to. I pray that everything was done cleanly and appropriately so that none of his appeals are successful.

Then in the little running news breaks across the bottom of the screen we saw a story about a 6 year old boy who was stunned with an electric taser by police in the Principal's office of his elementary school. He had a piece of broken glass and was cutting himself. We saw the story on the evening news tonight, too. Unbelievable. This world is so crazy sometimes, I just don't have the words. And then some people say that Christians are weak and silly for believing in God and saying that we need God. How can you look at this world and say that we don't need God? Are we doing such a great job of taking care of ourselves and this world? Are we really good at loving each other? Are we really advancing into a great, enlightened species? In large and small ways, I think the evidence is abundantly clear.

T.S. Eliot

Indescribable

I've been spending most of the day tweaking the new journal, customizing the sidebar. I plan to try the audioblogger option and make a voice entry soon. That could be fun. While I was online, I found two really great knitting blogs. The Red Sweater and Knit Two, Purl Two. I am just trying to finish the shawl that I started months ago. I put it down and didn't do a stitch for most of the summer. All I have left to do is the fringe. These two knitters put me to shame. Looking at their photos and reading about their projects is inspiring, but I have to admit I'm a little jealous, too. If I didn't work and spent all my time knitting all day, I might be able to do some of the stuff they do. Oh, well.

Tonight the worship band practice was especially fun because we learned a new song, Indescribable by Chris Tomlin. The music and the words are great. Here are the words to the chorus:

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untamable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Some bad news from friends. The woman who had surgery for breast cancer will have to go back again. The tests show that they didn't get all of the tumor. Another friend went into premature labor. The baby girl lived for two days. I was so touched by her e-mail because she was not bitter, but instead thankful that she got to see her baby. She said that God blessed the baby by taking her back home. Of course she is sad and it has been terribly difficult for her and her husband, but she is receiving comfort from God and friends. She is not turning to bitterness.

I'll work tomorrow, my last training shift. I'll learn the register. My first selling shift will be on Saturday.

Stormy Weather Arts Festival

I opened this blogger account so that I wouldn't run out of space at my free website. I don't want to have to update to a paid account until I have a better, more dependable job. So far, everything I have done for my website has been free. I am really grateful to FreeWebSpace.inc and Bravenet. If you have just stumbled onto this journal, then please visit my homepage. I started this journal on this page. There is about a month of entries there. It's always good to start at the beginning.

I just came back from the Oregon coast. We had a great time at the Stormy Weather Arts Festival. Tom May, a folk singer, was the highlight of the day. There are a lot of art galleries there. One of them that I looked at had some great pictures. One of them I thought was really fun. It was a couple in evening formal dress doing the tango on the beach with a maid holding an umbrella and a butler standing by. It seemed to create a story in your mind. I also enjoyed listening to live music in Bella Espresso. The coffee shop is painted in deep, warm colors with murals of Italian style paintings. Even the bathroom is beautifully painted. There are books and board games laying around, inviting you to relax and enjoy yourself.

When I came home, my Brighton ring was waiting for me in the mail. I am really happy with it and am wearing it now. It's antique looking and chunky, a bold statement.

I read a lot of the book Shadow Divers this weekend. It is really great. Inspiring really, how the divers face their fears and test themselves by diving in extremely dangerous conditions. One of the men in the story is a legendary wreck diver who has fallen into alcoholism and hard-times. He can't dive anymore, but he owns the charter and organized the divers to investigate the wrecked sub. He said that this is the kind of thing that could get him to quit drinking and get himself together so that he could dive see it for himself. I hope by the end of the book that he does get well enough to dive again and learn that he can turn his life around.