Thursday, July 03, 2008
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The Empty Cradle
I've just started reading this book, consequently I can't give it either a poor review or a hearty endorsement, but so far I am finding it interesting fodder for thought. Here are some excerpts from the first two chapters:So it turns out that the modern, secular view of the world rests profoundly on the perception that the world will grow ever more crowded... Capitalists would wonder how they could make profits in a world of scarce labor and shrinking markets. Liberals would be at a loss to show how the welfare state was sustainable. Environmentalists would be robbed of their powerful projections showing human population exceeding the earth's carrying capacity. Feminists could no longer point to the low fertility of educated women as an obvious benefit to humankind.
...When asked how long it will take for the world's population to double, nearly half of all Americans say 20 years or less... Yet... forecasts by the United Nations and others show the world population growth rate could well turn negative during the lifetime of people now in their 40s and 50s, and is very likely to do so before today's children reach retirement age.
...These predictions come with considerable certainty. The primary reason is the unprecedented fall in fertility rates over the last generation that is now spreading to every corner of the globe.
...The global decline in fertility rates, as profound and well established as the trend may be, is hard to spot simply by observing the fabric of ordinary life... That's because, even in areas where birthrates are dramatically below the levels required to avoid population loss even in the near future, the absolute number of people is often still growing...When fertility falls below replacement levels, the population continues to increase for a while through sheer force of momentum. But this momentum is a dwindling legacy of a past effort when fertility rates were still above replacement levels. -
Wonderful
I ask you, is there a better way to start a morning than with a cup of really good coffee, meticulously pressed (my husband goes so far as to make sure the water is almost exactly 200* so the coffee doesn't taste burnt) and lovingly left in a carafe for you (Daniel was out the door very early this morning), along with a warm homemade biscuit spread with raspberry jam and your much-loved Bible, in a house that is perfectly quiet except for the whispering breeze through the open windows?
Not really, I tell you.
This is wonderful.
Monday, June 30, 2008
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Bronwyn's Adventure
A couple months ago, I noticed a purple-ish lumpy mass on the top of Bronwyn's right foot. I figured she had fallen and bruised the bone or something. But a month or two later, it was still there, which seemed a little weird. Then other people started noticing it and commenting on its weirdness, which really made me stop and take notice.
And so I decided I would give her foot 2 more weeks to go back to normal or bring her to the doctor.
The lump resolving on its own would have been too simple an adventure, I guess, because it was off to the doctor's we went on the 9th. I was guessing that it was a cyst of some sort and that she might have to have it drained.
Well, that would have been too simple, too.
The doctor looked at it, commented on never having seen such a thing before and how I seem to enjoy bringing her new and obscure issues, thought she was able to hear Bronwyn's pulse in the lump-- indicating that it might be a tangled mass of blood vessels-- and said we would need to see a specialist. Seeing a specialist basically means traveling since we live in a very rural area.
So, on July 7th, Daniel will bring Bronwyn down to Syracuse to see Dr. Timothy Damron at Upstate Medical University. Yes, this is the same hospital Aubrey was admitted to at the end of December when she was sick.
I really don't think it's anything serious-- that's certainly not the vibe I'm getting from our doctor-- but even if it is, I know the One who knows exactly what it is and what Bronwyn needs.
You can kind of see the mass of... whatever it is... on the top of her right foot.
It's more purple in person. -
This Monday
I wash away the grime of the weekend from around the bathroom sink. Soapy buckets and prune-like hands remove sticky filth to reveal a spotless floor. The clothesline is heavy-laden with diapers of pink and yellow, white and blue and green. Little people diligently attend to their chores, inspired to get their daily check-mark because this mama is freshly inspired to see that they do.
A card is dropped in the mail, along with medical paperwork for Bronwyn's upcoming trip to an orthopedic oncologist.
I finish my Bible-reading, breathing a sigh of content in knowing that for the first time in several months I am consistently working my way through passages without falling behind. My journal, my record of what I see and treasure and meditate upon, is a little thicker after receiving today's prayers, thoughts, and bits of magazine artwork that I cut and paste in.
The red 34oz water bottle that accompanies me always has been drained once. It will be refilled three more times before the sun sets, which is just enough to quench my thirst these days.
Another perusal of my Homeschool Wishlist yields further satisfaction to my soul. I am slowly but surely narrowing the choices, growing increasingly excited, finding good bargains.
Enough with looking ahead, though; now I start sorting through digital photos, uploading the ones to be developed and put into family photo albums. I wonder at how I can cling so sentimentally to certain moments, all the while willing others away, and I purpose to better give thanks in everything this Monday.
Friday, June 27, 2008
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P.S.
I tried posting this short video clip earlier, but it wouldn't upload properly. I've got it working now and thought Daniel's family might especially enjoy seeing (or hearing, more accurately, as it's not a great quality film by any means!) him blow out his candles.
Of which there were not 28, just for the record.
True
