Life, Death and Food

Well, it's been a quick (and slow) past two and a half weeks. There's been a lot going on, so we'll just give you a snapshot of what's happened.

Before Monica (Shannon's mom) left town, Shannon and I finished reading Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brönte. It was raining outside and we were huddled in blankets on our porch. As Shannon read I watched the snails climb up the jade plants a few feet away. I loved the ending. There was something of God in it. There was so much freedom in the way that the title character makes decisions in her life. I was, at times, overwhelmed while reading one authors depiction of God's grace at work in the lives of her literary creations. Although some may think it's a bit mushy or corny, it served to remind Shannon and me just how overwhelming God is. John 1 says, "The Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it."

The sad news we have to share is of the passing of our dear teddy-bear hamster, Hannah. She began to get sick while Shannon's mom was here. On Tuesday night, last week, we noticed that she had food in her mouth which had been there a couple days. Her eye was also filling up with gunk. And she wasn't running in her wheel as she was accustomed. We decided that I would take Hannah to Petco when I got off work the next day. When Shannon left that morning, Hannah appeared well. But when I got home she had passed. It was hard on both of us. We both understand that Hannah was a hamster, but she was also a part of the McMahon family. I know that we took good care of her and that there was nothing we could have done, but it was still hard to accept that she was gone. It will probably be a few months before we try another small animal. ~Michael

We've also shared two very memorable dates in the past month. For the first date (mentioned in the last post), we had an itching to do some big band dancing. We did not really want to be surrounded by the "clubbing" scene, so we chose a more upscaled dining facility. The Marine Room in La Jolla was probably the classiest dining experience that I have ever had. Michael and I wore some swinging threads and ordered big from their refined menu. I had my first taste of Filet Mignon. Before our meal arrived, we moved across the dance floor with another couple, probably in their mid to late 50's, to some classic tunes from the 1940's. I felt like a heroine from one of the many movies I have seen on American Movie Classics. It was definately a dream date for me!

Last night's date was a very different experience, yet both dates, along with some difficult situations over the past few weeks, have served to strengthen Michael and I's affection for each other. With inspiration from the Morriseys, we traveled on the San Diego trolley. Instead of heading East, we decided to take the Blue Line south to San Yisidro. We intended to walk around for a bit, then come back up north to Chicano Perk, a coffee shop that focuses on Chicano art and goods; however, the border seemed so intriguing that we decided to cross. The process of climbing a ramp to an overpass that is built over the automobile checkpoint reminded me of a cattle herd. On the other side, the taco-selling Gabriel lured us into his shop, where the smell of grilling chicken, beef and sheep enticed us to order some tacos. Afterwards Michael enjoyed a paleta de piña (pineapple popsicle) and I a paleta de fresa (strawberry popsicle). Dusk was already approaching, so we headed back toward the border. I looked over at Michael as we walked and smiled at how at ease he seemed during our cross-cultural experience. I think that he was made for building relationships with people who are different than he is and this thought made me look forward to future adventures with him at my side. We waited in line for about 20 minutes and I noticed that the guidelines posted by the Border Patrol gauranteeing that all visitors would be treated with dignity and respect was only posted in English, whereas the signs prohibiting loitering were in both English and Spanish. Out the trolley window, I noticed a family talking and thought about all the people in the world. There are so many with their own jobs, families, homes....lives. I felt very small and yet very at peace. I often feel that to have a legitimate heart for justice I must compete with other people who wish to help the poor and oppressed, but remembering how many people there are in the world reminded me of the necessity of cooperation among those who wish to help in order to achieve any goal for equality and justice. It was a very thought-provoking date.

And now it's time to warm our house with most of our friends! Hopefully, anyone who is reading this nows that they are invited to our housewarming shindig...if you did not get the evite, we are so sorry but please feel free to come if you can! ~Shannon

Broken Symbols

While putting something away tonight in our cabinet, I accidently broke one of our crystal glasses from Shannon, Ireland. The glasses are cheap. But the worth I had placed on them was very high. I think, partially because of their namesake, I had placed value on them as a symbol of Shannon's and my marriage. They were given to us as a wedding gift. To see it break so quickly and be so completely unfixable gave me quite a start. Although I held my emotions together, I really wanted to cry.

After vacuuming up the tiny shards and throwing the larger pieces in the trash, I told Shannon why the breaking had bothered me so. She said, "Our marriage is not so fragile." It really put me in check and lifted my spirits. I remembered God, that it is He who has bound us forever as one together in flesh and spirit. I'm not usually one to put a lot of value on earthly things. And I'm also not generally a sentimental person. I think this served as a testament to myself that I 1) really cherish my relationship with Shannon and 2) struggle with understanding it; it is for this reason that I might feel that the breaking of a glass held meaning for our relationship. On the contrary, the breaking of the glass, beyond having no effect, has bolstered my faith in God and turned my eyes to Him for strength and guidance even more. Praise Him with us. ~Michael

PS - we've been really busy lately, but here's a snapshot of the last 9 days of our life.
Sunday the 2nd: climbed Cyuamaca Peak (6 miles roundtrip); we trudged through snow for about 1/2 a mile; Michael discovered his bride is even more hardcore than he previously thought (more to come in another post by Shannon).
Monday thru Friday: Work as usual
Saturday the 8th: We went on a date at the Marine Room in La Jolla. By far the most expensive date ever! But worth every penny. The atmosphere was great with the ocean crashing against the windows and a live band. Shannon wore one of her new dresses and has never looked better. I was so amazed by her. I was singing her praises.
Sunday the 9th: We went to Disney's California Adventure with Shannon's mother and her boyfriend. We had a great time. But don't spend much time waiting on Monster's Inc. It's just another Peter Pan or Alice in Wonderland ride. We spent an hour in line and were sorely disappointed. I think that the park will be a really great attraction in another 10 years. It's still in development from what I can tell and Disney has some great thinkers, no matter what my friend Erik says ;)