Helping NEDA fight ED

Cryptic?  
Translation: 
NEDA = National Eating Disorders Association
ED = Eating Disorder(s)

On Sunday, older daughter and I are walking in Washington DC as part of the effort to increase awareness of these deadly mental diseases.  If you want to help, you can contribute here.  As a bonus you get to see recent photos of my beautiful younger daughter who continues to fight for her recovery every day.

Here's a photo of all three of us taken a couple of years ago.

I am so blessed. 

Memories and fears

I don't claim to have any special knowledge of the troubles in Egypt, except that it seems that if the people want to set up a democracy, they should be supported in their efforts.

But on my trip to Cairo last year, I had the once-in-my-lifetime privilege of visiting the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square where protests have been centered.  I have been enamoured and fascinated by ancient Egypt since my elementary school days.  So I would make a special effort to attend exhibitions that made the rounds of U.S. art museums -- most recently the Tut exhibit that came to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.   Though it had few of the most famous artifacts, even the smaller ones were of great interest to me.   When my daughter chose to study for a semester at the American University in Cairo, she invited me to join her for spring break. I had never imagined I would have the opportunity to visit Egypt, experience places like Aswan and Luxor, walk near the Sphinx and the pyramids, and view the treasures housed in the Museum!    It was an offer I couldn't refuse. 

So I was quite shaken to read that the Museum had been invaded and some of its priceless antiquities damaged, and quite a relief to read that looters had been caught and the building was now under guard. 

 But it was the photos of the interior that were the most troubling. 

This delicate wooden boat survived centuries well enough to be restored and put on display, but is now splintered -- I can only hope that it can be repaired once again.

The small number (9-11) mummies in the Museum were all ancient Egyptian royalty, including Rameses III, perhaps the last of the great Pharoahs. Since my visit the mummy of the only female ruler, Queen Hatshepsut had been identified and added to the mummy room.  I cannot imagine how this damage could be repaired.

On a more hopeful note, I was directed to this through a link on a friend's blog.  She said she wished she had written it.  I don't think I have the depth or insight to do so, but I'm certainly grateful that she does.  Alhumdulelah.  (Thanks be to God.)  Salaam.

Progress report: month 7 (January 2011)

percent

Mid-way through the month -- January 17 marked the 200th day of this journey -- or 20% of my 1001 days.  At that time, I analyzed what I had accomplished and determined that I had completed about 22% of the items on the list.  I was up-to-date on 9 of my "in process" goals and behind on about the same number.  Not bad. 

Completed:
25. Sort and file all bills and papers (1/31/11)
37. Had colonoscopy (scheduled 11/19/10; done 1/13/11)
41. Help D#1 get her driver's license. (passed her test on 1/8)
66 & 67. Baby quilts (finished in 12/10, but delivered in 1/11)

In process:
48. Watched 18 (!) movies: some very good, some not (61/125):
      Smilla’s sense of snow
      Kate and Leopold
      Emma [BBC]
      Junebug
      New York, I love you
      The Family Stone
      Because I said so
      Milk
      Lost in Austen
      Last of the red-hot lovers
      Changeling
      Gods and monsters
      Turn of the screw [BBC]
      Joan Rivers: a piece of work [SHO]
      Jersey girl
      Precious
      Grey Gardens [HBO]
      St. Elmo’s fire
49. Read 8 books, but ignored 1 YA and counted 2 others as 1
     Also reconsidered counting some earlier "throw-aways"
                     Current total: 17/60, 12/30, 4/10
      Water for elephants (Sara Gruen)
      The Book of time (Guilliame Prevost, not counted)
      Goose in the pond (Earlene Fowler)
      A Small hotel (Robert Olen Butler)
      Lee: A Gesture life (Chang-Rae Lee)
      Mariner’s compass (Earlene Fowler)
      Into the wild (Erin Hunter) [count as 1 with Gaiman]
      The Graveyard book (Neil Gaiman) [count as 1 with Hunter]
60. Ate at a Persian restaurant in San Diego: “Fessenjan”, a stew with chicken,
      ground walnuts, and pomegranates over basmati rice

Progress:
29. Steps toward divorce. (waiting)
78. Working on a quilt top from scraps. (Rubik's rings)
84. Extra contribution to St. Paul's.
99. Updated blog with progress report (7/7)
101. Wrote one additional blog post about losing our special and wonderful black cat (1/16/11) 

Priorities in February:
  6. Get back to working in basement.
12. Work on more small things around house.
27. Enter checking account data and balance for 2010.
36. Get back to taking vitamins daily.
69. Quilt for CB: add borders and get ready for quilting
74. Quilt for sponsored child: add borders and get ready for quilting
89. Give blood (signed up for 2/21)
93. Start volunteer project.