Wintergreen weekend

Yes, Veeks and I went on a 3-day trip to the exotic confines of central Virginia, spending our first night in Charlottesville with friends (whose cats Veeka endlessly pursued), then moving onto the ski resort of Wintergreen 50 miles SW of Charlottesville. Very overpriced (lift tickets $69; daycare a whopping $100) and small compared to anything west of the Mississippi but there's not much else available for us East Coasties within a 3-hour drive.
Then onto Lynchburg, where we stayed 2 nights with more friends. One highlight was visiting Jerry Falwell's grave site at Liberty University - what a huge contraption with an "eternal flame" a la JFK burning out of a cross at the grave. Lots and lots of money invested in that school although Liberty U has a weird location in the middle of town with a campus bi-sected by a freeway. Not the most scenic of spots.
The morning we left, it was snowing, so it was with some trepidation that I headed toward Skyline Drive to go home that way. The day turned sunny and we had the loveliest drive on good roads but the terrain was snowy. THEN I hauled Veeka out of the car at one point and made her walk 1.3 miles (round trip) with me up a hill to a cool viewpoint. She screeched and complained the entire way, claiming she was exhausted, cold, etc. (She was bundled up in a cozy snow suit). So, while the snowy forest was lovely to walk through, the sound effects from The Child were not. Any foxes or deer within earshot surely fled fast.
And - wouldn't you know it, she still did not fall asleep for a nap when we arrived back at the nice warm car. She really liked gazing out the windows at the pretty blue ridged mountains on either side and chomping on Valentine candy I'd brought along to keep her quiet.
The photo is of she and I watching TV at the Lynchburg home of Philip Weeks, a friend from way back.

Me on C-SPAN

Yes, here is the link to my attempt at stardom this past Sunday morning. I was called late Friday afternoon about appearing on Washington Journal at 8 a.m. Sunday (!) to discuss Obama's Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships office - not a topic I am expert in but when C-SPAN calls, one goes. I told them because they were calling so late, I'd have to bring Veeka along as there are no babysitters at 7 a.m. on a Sunday.
Sooo, up we got at 6:15 and an hour later, we were headed downtown. I forgot to snap a photo of Veeka at C-SPAN's studios (the one here will substitute nicely) but she acted pretty well. She grabbed every piece of breakfast food in sight, chomping down on a banana, apple, some buns and of course drinking as much cranberry juice as she could get down - you'd think I starve the child. She screeched when I was out of the room and on TV but fortunately there was an aide there who was forewarned she was coming, so made sure to watch her. Even provided a coloring book, which Veeka ignored.
No other huge news. We are hoping to get away for Washington's b-day weekend. I really need a break from here. But when I picked Veeka up from the daycare today, she had a sore throat, so I am hoping that doesn't mean anything nasty is coming.

Remembering the Japanese martyrs

Sigh - I really wish I took better photos but this is a recent one of Veeka and I. I spent today chasing a story about Obama's new "faith council" of pastors who are going to be - in theory at least - advising him on public policy matters. We shall see. I was a bit miffed at having to do the piece at all, as I thought it was something our 3-4 White House reporters should have been onto instead of me. But other news organizations were breaking this story by mid-day, so I knew we'd look bad if there were nothing on it by Thursday morning in our paper, so I offered to do.
One nice thing is that "Quitting Church" (and I) got profiled on Beliefnet.com if you want to check here to read it. And supposedly the book is reviewed in the February issue of Charisma but I've been unable to lay my hands on a copy nor can I locate the review online. I am also speaking about the book to Senate and House aides on Capitol Hill this Friday so things are humming.
Veeka is fine and we will be spending next week making Valentines for her little classmates.
And 412 years ago on Feb. 5, 123 Japanese Christians were crucified for their faith in Nagasaki. Fortunately things have improved since then for most of us although I wouldn't say it's exactly party time for those of the faith who live in North Korea and Iran.

Veeka becomes a TV hog

Sigh - I knew it had to happen but Veeka has now discovered a cartoon called "Noggin" (or maybe it's a channel - don't know) - anyway, she glues herself to this "pre-school channel" whenever she can. Must say it's nice to have something for her to do that allows me to relax over the paper after dinner instead of her threatening to scrawl red crayon on the walls if I am not paying her close enough attention. I think Noggin is pretty harmless but I've been aghast at some of the PG-13 stuff on teen channels only a few clicks away from Noggin.
We are fine - going through the yearly ritual of the social worker visit for Veeka's annual report to the Kazakh embassy on how splendidly she is doing two years into being my daughter. And yes, the court date was two years ago this week - Jan. 25. The photo you see attached to this is of Veeka dancing last month at a synagogue. Taken by the WTimes' Joseph Silverman, it shows Olivia Veronika as her perennially dancing self.
We woke up to snow falling out of the skies today but fortunately the daycare was operating. Mommy is working on yet another book in her spare time during this quiet time of the year when it's not all that desirable to be running about outside. Things are ho-hum: the cats went in for their annual check-ups; I am doing physical therapy for rotator cuff problems from lifting Veeka and I taped a show last week on CBN. Click here to see my video. Also appeared Sunday on Rabbi Lapin's show on KSFO-AM out of San Francisco. So, we're still pushing "Quitting Church." No word as to a second printing yet.

The era of naps endeth

I wanted to post my latest faith and family video that I did with Cheryl Wetzstein, a longtime friend and social issues reporter on the paper, that we taped last Wednesday. Heretofore I have been unable to copy and paste video to this blog and the photo is too small but this link works. You can also call up www.washingtontimes.com, then click on "videos" on the top right and scroll down til you see "Faith and Family."
She and I have had fun taping these things. As for everything else, nothing major - today was typical in that I was up four times last night to help Miss Veeka who gets these nasty croup attacks in the middle of the night. Fortunately I have a vaporizer steaming away by her bedside. The doctor's office said this is typical among kids under 5 that their airway passages are not developed all that well so they get blocked. Sooo, I was up a lot.
A babysitter spirited her away for several hours while I got some work done but once she was back, she refused to take a nap (this is happening more and more) and wanted to be amused all afternoon so my work came to a standstill. Couldn't go outside much as the weather is truly frigid and the pipes to my washer (which are in an outside wall) seem to have frozen.
One nice thing: I will be in a short segment on CBN (the Christian Broadcasting Network) this Friday at 4 pm. on one of their news shows. That tape may be replayed during the 700 Club as well. All this will help sell more books.
Veeka is coughing again so must go help her.

Another booksigning

This one was last Friday at the Tyson's Corner Barnes & Noble store where a lot of folks - about 30 - sat and listened to my lecture. Got some good questions too. Not bad for a Friday night I only sold 12 books, tho, which surprised me a bit considering how many people were listening in. A number of people were personal friends I managed to coax to come out (on what was a lovely moonlit night here) and some of them brought their friends which was gratifying. So that is my 3rd booksigning to date. The 2nd one in Seattle sold more books but that was a Christian bookstore with an evangelical constituency.
Today's photo is Oma with the little moppet sitting by the window in their Seattle-area living room. Yes, that is a lake in the background. Veeka talks about flying back to Oma and Opa all the time. Hmmmm. She is doing well. All the Christmas decorations are down and we are steeling ourselves for the Invasion of the Body Snatchers that will begin this weekend when the mobs pour into town for the inauguration. We who actually live here wondering just how we are going to get to work now that the Secret Service is closing down every road they can get their hands on.
Those of us in Maryland have it better than those poor Virginians who (this is not a joke) are being told they must WALK across one of the bridges if they even hope to get into town Jan. 19-20. Because all of the bridges over the Potomac - except for those underneath the Beltway - will be closed. Of course there is nowhere for most of these Virginians to park before they can walk and the metro that is supposed to transport everyone will probably completely break down from the weight of all the crowds. I really wanted to be out of town this weekend but was told by the folks at work that they really want me around as back-up.
Plus I am covering the prayer service the day after the inauguration but again, I cannot fathom as to how I will actually get to the National Cathedral that day as the closest metro stop is a half-hour walk away. And lugging a laptop along- WHY did I volunteer to cover this, I ask myself.
So currently I am doing about one article a day on some aspect of religion-and-the-inauguration which is not hard, really. Like today when a gay Episcopal bishop got invited to give one of invocations at a razzle-dazzle opening ceremony on Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial. Why do I have a funny feeling that Obama would love to re-stage the "I have a dream" speech atmosphere from what happened on those Memorial steps 45 years ago? Well, let's hope he's got great speech writers.
So anyway, watch my "belief blog" on the TWT web site and do a byline search daily to find my stuff (just type in "julia duin" in the search box and voila).

Potty training

Yes, that's the big activity here. Veeka even wore "big girl" pants for a few hours today until - oops - she didn't anticipate a little accident. But at least the desire to do the right thing is there, especially when it's reinforced by candy.
Am sending along a photo of what she looks like all bundled up in her little Victorian coat and purple scarf. Very little news here other than I have a local book signing for "Quitting Church" at the Tyson's Corner Barnes & Noble this Friday evening. Am hoping we will sell out the 20 copies the store ordered. Wish I could say I was a big enough name that they'd order tons more but we are not at that stage yet.
I really have little to do for the inauguration except cover the interfaith service the morning after. Am doing everything I can to NOT be sent to an inaugural ball. Went four years ago and it was the most boring thing imaginable.
With all the holidays basically over, we're now in our Winter Slump time til the end of March. Which is good as I have lots of writing projects to complete.