Great to hear from all of you and see photos (yours were great, Zingrin)! Here's my two cents worth....

The view from our house Sunday morning. On a clear day we can see several layers of mountains or even see if there's been a snowfall up there. Tomorrow Eva and I hope to meet up with a couple thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.

A beautiful deserted beach near Dunedin, New Zealand.

The Holder fam with cousin Bevan standing in front of a hot lake in the crater of Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand. Ten years ago the mountain erupted and the lake evaporated, but we saw no volcanic activity that day. Imagine taking a 2 km ski lift, scrambling over miles of pumice stone, sliding down a glacier, and smelling the sulfuric lake all on one day's hike!

Most of you probably know that my family and I spent three months in New Zealand last year--visiting with relatives, making new friends, seeing the sights, and experiencing Christmas in the summer. It was a trip 12-15 years in the making and worth every penny and hour that went into the planning. As you can imagine, it was hard to tear ourselves away and return to Knoxville.

Though currently rather under-employed, I've now had over three years of experience in calligraphy and murals...and other odds and ends. You would hardly believe the variety of commissions I've had--everything from a super-detailed drawing of friends' 1920s house to a Christmas ornament for a baby, two 4' x 12' murals in a middle school library to several quotations on the walls above a college library circulation desk, watercolor designs on ceramic tiles that I've framed to a brilliant green canvas spotted with butterflies from around the world, verses lettered on kitchen walls to illuminated lettering on the vision statement of a Knoxville accounting firm, a friend's wedding invitation to a framed Michelangelo quotation (about carving his statues) in a plastic surgeon's office.... I've given away the additional variety of stationery and stained glass, painted piggy banks and a pencil portrait on a ceramic tile. And my newest [not yet for pay] project is designing and sewing unique purses.

Other activities this fall have included a couple of Bible studies and weekly rehearsals with the Knoxville Choral Society. It's good to be in a choir again, though I'm not looking forward to the four Christmas concerts the 3rd weekend in December!

It's been a weird year, to say the least.

That reminds me ...

Before we got married, Michael and I were visiting my family in Iowa. (Why? The purpose escapes me.) We got shanghaied into babysitting my twin cousins, who were then maybe 7. The sittage included the wonderful task of getting them presentable for church. My charge was easy: Mackenzie got herself all dolled up, I fixed her hair, she messed it up and declared herself ready.

About this time, I hear sproing, sproing, sproing coming from Andrew's room. Accompanied by Michael, imploring my cousin to please put on his pants. Andrew declared himself a Monkey. Monkeys don't wear pants. As Michael tried to work his way around to this monkey wearing pants, Andrew burst out, "I don't have to listen to you! You're an alien!"

Unfortunately for Michael, later on Andrew (clothed, thank God) appraised Mackenzie of my fiance's non-Earth-native status. She immediately agreed, "Yup, he's an alien!" Brief pause. "And an elf!"

Now for the fun post!
Long John Laura, Mate Mary been meanin' to write yer!
Okay, I can't keep up the pirate speak for an entire post. I thought I should write you a couple weeks ago when a dance party erupted in our living room. I turned on the "You've Got Mail" soundtrack and "the cabin girl" and I started grooving around the living room. She is getting really good at dancing (if you remember my dancing skills, anyway) and we had a blast. It brought back all the good dance parties of Mathetai and before. I wished you were with us to show off your moon walk, the Travolta moves and rug surfing. Rug surfing!!
But, like a loser, I didn't email you. Then a few days later there was another odd coincidence. We were walking to the mailbox when "the cabin girl" announced "I'm a pirate!" out of nowhere! "Oh?" I said. "You are?"
"Yes. I'm a little bitty pirate."
"Um. That's great! Where did you come up with that?" (clearly bewildered)
"Out of my head."
So we walked along and when the groundskeeper said hello to us, he was informed: "I'm a pirate." He grinned and praised her. We retrieved our mail and she became immersed in other schemes. But as we walked back we passed the groundskeeper again and she jumped right in declaring her pirateyness again. The next day when she saw a different groundskeeper she started in again. "I'm a pirate, I'm a pirate!!"
Kids are so weird.

For Laura:
[UPDATED]
My thoughts on torture? If it is a last ditch effort to save hundreds or hundreds of thousands of people then it is easy to say that the one must be sacrificed for the many. Not nice but maybe necessary. That said, I think it is one of the many areas where most people (wrongly?) hold a double standard. That is to say, it is okay for me/my country but not you/your country. I think it can be (wrongly?) justified by grand generalized statements like "Oh, but our country places a higher value on human life so it is more rare, less brutal, etc, etc, etc." Personally, I think it can seem less abhorrent when we imagine that those making the decisions are guided by the same principles we ourselves are. And I think that easily deludes many into believing it is right or at least "not so bad." (Which leads me to ponder the gravity and horror of being that person forced to make the decision.) Whichever side of the fence a Christian places themselves, I think they need to be honest with themselves about the fact that the people making these decisions (in our country or other countries) are fallen human beings whether they are judging with the same principles as ourselves or not. And as fallen human beings, an American is just as likely as any other person to be mistaken, cruel and unjust.

UPDATE:
Okay, I just went back and read your post after writing this and I realized that as I ruminated on your questions I sort of forgot them. Either that or 9 months in the Southern Baptist Church was enough to corrupt me into equating "what does the gospel say?" with "how do you feel about this?" Forgive me, this post will not be my personal diatribe against the SBC. Whew! Back on topic. One of the churches we visited for a while was looking at issues like this and how the gospel speaks to them. We heard something like "The teachings of Jesus are heavy on loving your neighbor and turning the other cheek. Therefore war, torture, etc. are wrong." End of story. We were frustrated that it wasn't more fully explored. And maybe we should fully explore it ourselves. (If we were not so lazy.) I came away realizing that I apply the teachings of Jesus more personally without imposing that "higher calling" on my government. And I don't know if that is right or not. Did Jesus give instructions to governments? (That is not rhetorical.) All I can recall is telling us to obey our government officials. Where do we find in the Bible what we should expect / promote in our government? (Again, I am really asking that.) In a general sense, my memory of the way government works in the Bible is as an organizing agent for good and for justice. What is justice? How can sinful men even begin to exercise justice? (sorry, minor bunny trail) So. I guess I am not getting anywhere. I see where Christ calls us to love and mercy . . . personally. But I don't know how we apply that on a government level. I mean, the government is not a charitable institution, nor is it meant to be. It exists to promote order, right? So I dunno, Laura. Just a lot of thoughts going nowhere. I feel like I've blathered around wasting time and space. Sorry all. Feel free to cut my membership to this club. ;~p

Wow! I can't believe I am reading this! I don't know when I last heard anything about or from Zingrin! And Andrea Faye? HI! Now excuse me while I go down a Dr. Pepper to recover from the shock. I might come back later with a piratey post for the ol' Rummy Roomie.

Hey all! This is definately a good idea, and I applaud you, Alysia, for dragging my butt into the blogging world (I have been fastidiously avoiding it thus far).

Other than avoiding blogs, lately I've been singing many nonesense songs to the tune of "The Farmer In the Dell" (Insert favorite topic/holiday and repeat) While I'm a little afraid that my brain will turn to mush and leak out of my ear, I'm kind of enjoying my new job as an itinerant pre-school teacher. I'm living in St. Louis and working for the county library system, trying to get over the fact that I'm on salary and have weekends off (what? people do that?)

Laura, your question about torture is a really difficult one. I was thinking about it recently as well. On the whole, of course, the church shouldn't condone torture. But is it okay when there's people who have the information to save lives, but won't tell? I honestly don't know how to answer that one. There's obvoiously a line somewhere, but where is it? Is our cultural abhorrance of torture/interrogation due to the fact that comfort is our first priority? And is that okay? In my limited experience, discomfort and pain have been the catalyst to change and growth, so maybe pain is necessary to life. Does that ligitimize torture? It would be an interesting question to pose to a Chinese Christian who has been tortured for their faith, don't you think?

Not so fast, homeslice!

There's a few more "etc"s invited -- so far, you're the second one. There's also Valerie, who was going to be in Mathetai, but then went and got married instead. Sigh.

Also, if no one has yet, NathanandCarrie should get an invite. I'm pretty sure I don't have their current address. I think I've got Wes and Dax's addresses right, although they haven't responded yet. But folks should feel free to invite them, anyway. Let's just dogpile them! Ha!

BTW, Saint and Elliot (or, rather, the plot of earth where Saint and Elliot would be) is now a parking lot.

??? I know that campus was short on parking and all, but didn't they also need the dorms? Huh.

Also, Kyle -- dude, respond to a voicemail already. Sheesh.

[I apologize for all the italics. I'm just in that kind of mood. -- Dramatic, that is.]

yo yo yo, peops. kyle here. thanks for the invite, meesh. i'm proud to be representing the "etc" for this blog. it's sunday morning, and i just woke up, so i don't have a lot to post... staid up a little too late last night, so anything more that i write will probably just be nonsense...

the picture is the only semi-recent one i have of myself without searching too hard. i'm really not mad that i'm posting...

Well, I must say this is a first for me. I've never posted to a blog but I like the idea and I'm always up for trying something new. Jordy's blog never ceases to amuse me and has given me a warm fuzzy impression of blogs. Since I have the elder "cuteness" to share, I can't pass up the opportunity. Hard to believe she is three already. The rest of y'all need to get busy because we need some boys to marry off all these girls to, ya know?

Still loving mommyhood. Kevin and his brother are a step away from settling on their first investment property and are busy beyond belief with contract work right now. I'm up to 5 math students that I tutor. Loving that.

Kara's recent milestones: fully potty-trained, even overnight! Definitely in the "but why, mommy?" stage. She certainly has an inquisitive mind. And she can sing "God is Good" knowing all the words in perfect pitch. Watch for her in the next American Idol. :)

Love hearing where and how you all are. Can't wait to read more updates. Kudos to Alysia!

Laura is present. but it is friday so I am going home now instead of sitting at my office any longer and updating all of you. But I will say that I watched a documentary about the School of the Americas, it's Fort Benning protest weekend you know. So maybe I will throw a question out to all of you. How do you think the gospel relates to torture? How should we as individual Christians respond when we know torture is happening, and how should the church respond?

Nice idea, Alysia. Kind of obvious, once you think about it, which none of the rest of us did. Here's to getting something going.

Since I don't post photos on my other blog, I might as well put one here. I'm the fat one in bike shorts; the other two are my brothers, and the mountain is not that high, it just has a good view for a 30-minute hike. [Image courtesy of / slightly Photoshopped by my brother Ben.]

Welcome, I hope!

I've been contemplating how to keep track of y'all ever since our wonderful listserv (remember that, Mathetai?) went away.

After keeping a blog myself -- and keeping tabs on other people's blogs -- I think this is the answer. Heck, if I can figure it out without once consulting my media producer husband, I think anyone can. True, I bugged Jordana about it ... so feel free to email her technical questions! Hee!

Anyway -- if you didn't get invited to the blog, sorry! No offense intended! I just don't have everyone's address. Or everyone's current address, for that matter. I'm hoping that other members (please let there be other members) will democratize the invitation process, and all the people who know people who are people will get invited in due time.

So please -- if you join, it would be wonderful if you'd leave a quick post about where you are right now. What you're doing, what states currently have warrants for your arrest, what you currently want to be when you grow up, etc. I'm fairly certain we've all been wondering for a while.

And if you're parents, and you have digital pics -- please share! If you don't want to go through the process of posting them, email them to me! I'll put 'em up! You've got cuteness at your fingertips -- this cuteness must be exploited.