Friday Five~It's Fall!

1. Share a Fall memory.

Walking through big piles of crisp golden leaves on the way to school when I was in 1st or 2nd grade.

2. Your favorite Fall clothes--(past or present)?

I love it when it's time to start wearing sweaters again.

3. Share a campfire story, song, experience...etc.

Sitting around the campfire making s'mores on the shore of Lake Champlain at camp.

4. What is your favorite thing about this time of year?

Fall is my favorite season--I love the changing of the leaves, the cooler temps, the preparations for winter.

5. What changes are you anticipating in your life, your church, family...whatever...as the season changes and winter approaches?

No more changes, please! After packing, moving, unpacking, starting the new job, taking the Kid off to college and having a new grandson, I'm hoping for some relative calm here.

Right on time!

~WW gave birth to my grandson, Baby M, yesterday at 3:21 pm, exactly on her due date. 7 lbs 6 oz, lots of black hair, and beautiful. Pictures to follow.

It's been a whirlwind for her since Mr. WW just arrived from Nepal on Sunday afternoon. They are all exhausted.

As for me, I was supposed to be at a new clergy meeting yesterday, but I begged off. As in introducing myself to the bishop, and then saying, "My daughter is labor, and I really need to leave." He was very understanding, for which I am very grateful.

Catching up, random bits style

~Catching up seems to be the theme of my life. I'm still unpacking, but the end is in sight. I'm off today and plan on a tackling those pesky remaining boxes--but it's the last ones that are the hardest, with all the stuff you look at and say "What am I going to do with THAT?" Which probably means that some of it should just go straight to the trash. Even though I tried to throw away lots as I packed. Ugh. Moving is a pain.

~I took the Kid to college last Sunday. That really deserves its own post, but I don't know if I'll get around to writing it. Suffice it to say that my nest is completely empty, and leaving him there was a bit hard. Tears were shed on the drive home, but I'm adapting and he seems happy at school so far. But when I think about it, I realize it is a huge milestone. I've been parenting for more than 30 years, and not to have a child at home now is, well, different. More about that as time goes by, I'm sure.

~I started work officially on September 1, but yesterday was my first Sunday. It really was a wonderful day. Lots of people in church (including my clergy coach and his wife!) and by all reports people who hadn't been there for a while. I'm sure there is lots of curiosity about the new priest, especially the new WOMAN priest (yes, there is some of that, but it's okay I think) but our task now is to keep them coming back. We'll see. There is so far a very positive feel in this place, and I'm so so happy to be here.

~In other good news, WW's beloved (whom I mentioned briefly here) finally arrived in Vermont yesterday--just in the nick of time since their baby is due on Tuesday--tomorrow actually!! Let us just say that the wheels of immigration move very, very, very slowly. I'm so glad he's here!

~As I was reading blogs last night I realized how many of the bloggers I feel like I've come to know over the last four years now either write infrequently or not at all. Nothing is forever, I guess, but I miss some voices. And I'm grateful for FB where I keep up with some folks I first met here. I haven't joined the twitter fray yet, but I guess the time is coming for that....

~I am also grateful for FB--as well as texting and Skype and other electronic media--for making it so much easier to keep up with my kids. Wherever they are! It's a whole new world compared to when my older kids went off to college and we had to rely on--gasp--land lines!! Only we didn't call them that...it was just the phone. And having grown up in a household where long distance calls were a BIG DEAL, I wasn't that good at calling frequently, as my daughters will attest. Electronic media make it so much better.

~Now I must go unpack SOMETHING before the day gets away from me!