Mibi asked me about the submarine I mentioned in my last post--honestly, it's not nearly as exciting as it could be.
As it happens, TFoMC was in the Navy, and served in submarines--Fleet Ballistic Missile submaines (FBMs or "boomers")to be exact. Which meant, among other things, that he was gone for a stretch of three months at a time, and then on land for three months--on and off, on and off, for a three year sea rotation. Although we were stationed in Rhett Butler's City, his boat tied up farther south in the peach state. So when the boat came in, families would often travel down to meet it and we were invited to come aboard.
Submarines are not spacious quarters by any means. And they smell funky--especially after they've been submerged for close to three months full of sailors who have to take "navy showers." And you have to climb up and down skinny ladders, and go through narrow doors. Frankly, they'd make me quite claustrophobic if I had to be on one for very long. But it was definitely interesting to see how the guys lived, and to imagine what it would be like to be sealed up inside, deep beneath the sea.
At one point the boat (and subs are "boats", not "ships" -- don't ask me why, but submariners are quite explicit about that) came into the base at Rhett Butler's City, and families were invited on for a "dependent's cruise." I was nervous but willing to go, but the weather turned stormy, and the event was cancelled and never rescheduled. Stormy weather doesn't normally phase a sub--they are below it literally--but you have to get out far enough offshore to submerge, and I guess they didn't want a bunch of seasick civilians before they got that far. Honestly I think I was both relieved and disappointed to miss it!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Friday Five~Planes, trains, and automobiles
1) What was the mode of transit for your last trip?
Car--to Vermont at Christmas
2) Have you ever traveled by train?
Yes, often. Trains are my very favorite way to travel, and I take them whenever I can. The longest train trip I've taken was from NYC to Greenville SC, but I'd love to take a cross country train trip someday.
3) Do you live in a place with public transit, and if so, do you use it?
Not in my town, but there is public transit in the region. You can take the bus to nearby Ivy League City (although I'm not sure how convenient it is). And you can get the commuter rail from here to several destinations. You can take the long distance bus from two nearby towns,and you can get Amtrak from Ivy League City. So not bad at all.
I'm pleasantly surprised that the Kid can get to his college from here by public transit (bus) and from there to Beantown by bus or train, given that his college is out in the boonies. And he does travel that way frequently.
4) What's the most unusual vehicle in which you've ever traveled?
Ummmm.....not sure I've ever traveled in anything that unusual. But I have been on a submarine. Didn't get to go out to sea on it because the weather turned bad.
5) What's the next trip you're planning to take?
To NYC for the day, soon. And by train. :)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
I don't live there anymore, but...
I am incredibly sad and disappointed in the outcome of the Massachusetts senate election. For a blue state (some would claim the bluest state) to elect a Republican to take Ted Kennedy's senate seat is a travesty. I just don't understand how it could happen.
Oh, I know...Coakley didn't campaign well, the independents came out in favor of the Republican ...and so on. But I still don't understand it, on many levels. I don't understand people being against health care reform. I find the quote that I hear so often that it's being "crammed down our throats" ludicrous.
And you can't live where I did in Massachusetts without being infected by the Kennedy mystique--for better or for worse. I may just be an old lefty liberal, but as I've probably said here before, it delighted me to have Ted Kenndy for my senator for the time I lived in MA. I know some people think it's ridiculous to say it was 'his' seat, but still, after all he did for health care reform, for it to turn out this way....well, it's sad and depressing.
Oh, I know...Coakley didn't campaign well, the independents came out in favor of the Republican ...and so on. But I still don't understand it, on many levels. I don't understand people being against health care reform. I find the quote that I hear so often that it's being "crammed down our throats" ludicrous.
And you can't live where I did in Massachusetts without being infected by the Kennedy mystique--for better or for worse. I may just be an old lefty liberal, but as I've probably said here before, it delighted me to have Ted Kenndy for my senator for the time I lived in MA. I know some people think it's ridiculous to say it was 'his' seat, but still, after all he did for health care reform, for it to turn out this way....well, it's sad and depressing.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Brrrrrr.....
~It is cold outside, and I'm learning that means it's cold inside, too. My house is drafty, at least in some places! Especially the "sunporch" which won't stay warm no matter what I do. Doesn't matter too much now, because I have very little furniture there now, but it does mean the heat runs all the time TRYING to get it warm.
~I've never understood why, if the thermostat is always set at the same temperature, say 67, it feels colder inside when it is colder outside....I mean, it's still 67 inside....but it definitely feels colder. Weird.
~It has snowed off and on for the last couple of days. And I am amazed at how many times the snowplow went up and down my street today. I live in a residential area, but at the corner of two streets that seem to be used as short cuts to get to a major road. And I'm at the top of a steep hill. So I am glad they plow a lot, but it is still surprising.
~I'm glad I have new boots and a new down coat...I promised myself last year that if I stayed in New England I would get a new down coat this winter and I found one when I was Christmas shopping. It is very cozy. And I got these boots last week when I was in Vermont. Just in time, apparently.
~I've never understood why, if the thermostat is always set at the same temperature, say 67, it feels colder inside when it is colder outside....I mean, it's still 67 inside....but it definitely feels colder. Weird.
~It has snowed off and on for the last couple of days. And I am amazed at how many times the snowplow went up and down my street today. I live in a residential area, but at the corner of two streets that seem to be used as short cuts to get to a major road. And I'm at the top of a steep hill. So I am glad they plow a lot, but it is still surprising.
~I'm glad I have new boots and a new down coat...I promised myself last year that if I stayed in New England I would get a new down coat this winter and I found one when I was Christmas shopping. It is very cozy. And I got these boots last week when I was in Vermont. Just in time, apparently.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Moving on
No, I'm not going anywhere. Not geographically, anyway; I've already done that. But in reflecting on the new year, and the hopes that I have for it, and inspired once again by profgrrrrl I have chosen "moving on" as my theme for 2010.
That might seem like a strange choice, given that I just went through the upheaval of accepting a new position and moving to a new place, and I'm beginning to feel at home here. But the thing is, the longer I'm here, the more I realize that I didn't just move geographically, I didn't just start a new position--my whole life has changed (see last year's theme!) and it's affected me in all sorts of ways, some I anticipated and some I didn't. Some of the changes came off just as I thought they would, but others --well, they took twists and turns I never expected; I went down a dark hole before I came back out in the light.
Now I am in a good place--literally and figuratively. But I have to figure out how to BE in this place. The job part, as challenging as it is to become a rector for the first time, will work itself out, and I am grateful to have a good support system in place to help me with that. It's all the rest I have to work on. For years I defined myself as a mother--and as a single mother at that. It wasn't my whole identity, but it was a large part of it. Now my kids have all flown the nest. They are still around of course, and they still need me (I'm relieved to know) but in very different ways. I have space now to "do my own thing"-- I just have to figure out what that thing is!
So I'll be moving on--in part I hope that means I'll get my body moving more. I've NEVER liked exercise. As a kid I wanted nothing more than a good book and a quiet place to read it, and that still holds true. The one time in my life when I was actually fit (and trim) was 20 years ago when I took up running. And found out I actually liked it. But after the Kid was born, I never went back to it, for lots of (mostly bad) reasons. I'm not sure my knees and back would take to running these days, so I tell myself I'll walk. I walked a lot when I lived in the city, but I'm less motivated elsewhere. Beyond walking, what? Yoga? Pilates? Weights? Theoretically, I'd like to try all of those, but the thought of going into a gym and exposing my ineptitude (and my body) gives me chills. That is something I need to overcome.
Moving on might mean trying out something new. I've wanted to learn to throw pots for a long time; maybe now is the time to find a place to do it. Moving on might mean rediscovering things I used to enjoy. I've let my photography go in the last year; it was something I really took pleasure in for a while, and I've been toying with the idea of resurrecting my photoblog. I used to do a lot of handwork--mostly counted cross stitch. Or there's knitting, which I've said for the last few years I'd like to do.
Moving on means continuing to figure out how to parent adult children, and how to grandparent We all have demanding jobs and tricky schedules, but I want to find ways to stay in touch and involved. Moving on means finding ways to develop new friendships, too. I have lots of friends, but most of them aren't around here. Boundary issues with my congregation makes developing friendships difficult, too--how do I cultivate friendships outside of church?
Moving on definitely will include learning to use my time better. I've never been one to strictly structure my time; I'm much too much of a "P" (as in INFP, mbti) for that. But the rhythms of the workday and work week are much different here--staff schedules are different, work demands are different, home demands are different--and I've struggled to figure out how best to take advantage of the time I have. I've already thought about planning to set side one day for reading and study, a day without scheduled appointments, and I need to figure out how best to use that day productively. And as "head of staff" I have to learn to think and plan farther ahead than I ever have. I'm a "big picture" person, so that appeals to me in some ways, but as a "P" it's also difficult to make too many concrete plans far into the future, so that will be a challenge.
And moving on might mean finding ways to indulge in my nerdy passion for taking classes, being involved in educational pursuits. Geographically I'm situated 20 minutes from one seminary and a doable train ride from another. I need to take advantage of that, not just dream about it.
There are more ways I can be moving on, I'm sure. But this is a good start. Now I just have to follow through.
That might seem like a strange choice, given that I just went through the upheaval of accepting a new position and moving to a new place, and I'm beginning to feel at home here. But the thing is, the longer I'm here, the more I realize that I didn't just move geographically, I didn't just start a new position--my whole life has changed (see last year's theme!) and it's affected me in all sorts of ways, some I anticipated and some I didn't. Some of the changes came off just as I thought they would, but others --well, they took twists and turns I never expected; I went down a dark hole before I came back out in the light.
Now I am in a good place--literally and figuratively. But I have to figure out how to BE in this place. The job part, as challenging as it is to become a rector for the first time, will work itself out, and I am grateful to have a good support system in place to help me with that. It's all the rest I have to work on. For years I defined myself as a mother--and as a single mother at that. It wasn't my whole identity, but it was a large part of it. Now my kids have all flown the nest. They are still around of course, and they still need me (I'm relieved to know) but in very different ways. I have space now to "do my own thing"-- I just have to figure out what that thing is!
So I'll be moving on--in part I hope that means I'll get my body moving more. I've NEVER liked exercise. As a kid I wanted nothing more than a good book and a quiet place to read it, and that still holds true. The one time in my life when I was actually fit (and trim) was 20 years ago when I took up running. And found out I actually liked it. But after the Kid was born, I never went back to it, for lots of (mostly bad) reasons. I'm not sure my knees and back would take to running these days, so I tell myself I'll walk. I walked a lot when I lived in the city, but I'm less motivated elsewhere. Beyond walking, what? Yoga? Pilates? Weights? Theoretically, I'd like to try all of those, but the thought of going into a gym and exposing my ineptitude (and my body) gives me chills. That is something I need to overcome.
Moving on might mean trying out something new. I've wanted to learn to throw pots for a long time; maybe now is the time to find a place to do it. Moving on might mean rediscovering things I used to enjoy. I've let my photography go in the last year; it was something I really took pleasure in for a while, and I've been toying with the idea of resurrecting my photoblog. I used to do a lot of handwork--mostly counted cross stitch. Or there's knitting, which I've said for the last few years I'd like to do.
Moving on means continuing to figure out how to parent adult children, and how to grandparent We all have demanding jobs and tricky schedules, but I want to find ways to stay in touch and involved. Moving on means finding ways to develop new friendships, too. I have lots of friends, but most of them aren't around here. Boundary issues with my congregation makes developing friendships difficult, too--how do I cultivate friendships outside of church?
Moving on definitely will include learning to use my time better. I've never been one to strictly structure my time; I'm much too much of a "P" (as in INFP, mbti) for that. But the rhythms of the workday and work week are much different here--staff schedules are different, work demands are different, home demands are different--and I've struggled to figure out how best to take advantage of the time I have. I've already thought about planning to set side one day for reading and study, a day without scheduled appointments, and I need to figure out how best to use that day productively. And as "head of staff" I have to learn to think and plan farther ahead than I ever have. I'm a "big picture" person, so that appeals to me in some ways, but as a "P" it's also difficult to make too many concrete plans far into the future, so that will be a challenge.
And moving on might mean finding ways to indulge in my nerdy passion for taking classes, being involved in educational pursuits. Geographically I'm situated 20 minutes from one seminary and a doable train ride from another. I need to take advantage of that, not just dream about it.
There are more ways I can be moving on, I'm sure. But this is a good start. Now I just have to follow through.
Friday, January 01, 2010
Friday Five~A fresh start
From the RGBPs:
1. What will you gladly leave behind in 2009?
All of the angst...so much stress related to my job, finding a new position amidst all that. And all the negativity that went along with it. Nor will I let myself be defined by that experience....letting it all go.
2. What is the biggest challenge of 2010 for you?
Adjusting to my new life here. I love my new position, and I'm (mostly) getting used to living alone. But I still need to work out a good rhythm for using my time well, and develop some out-of-work activities. I have lots of friends--but none of them are HERE and I'm not so good at having a social life all on my own.
3. Is there anything that you simply need to hand to God and say "all will be well, for you are with me"?
Everything. Really. The biggest lesson I learned from last year is that I am not in control. I can make decisions on how to act, and I must do that thoughtfully and responsibly, but beyond that I am not in control.
4. If you could only achieve one thing in 2010 what would it be?
World peace.
Or short of that, a sense of peace and contentment in my life, and well-being in my congregation.
Or more specific yet, see some growth in my congregation.
5. Post a picture, poem or song that sums up your prayer for the year ahead....
MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
~Thomas Merton
1. What will you gladly leave behind in 2009?
All of the angst...so much stress related to my job, finding a new position amidst all that. And all the negativity that went along with it. Nor will I let myself be defined by that experience....letting it all go.
2. What is the biggest challenge of 2010 for you?
Adjusting to my new life here. I love my new position, and I'm (mostly) getting used to living alone. But I still need to work out a good rhythm for using my time well, and develop some out-of-work activities. I have lots of friends--but none of them are HERE and I'm not so good at having a social life all on my own.
3. Is there anything that you simply need to hand to God and say "all will be well, for you are with me"?
Everything. Really. The biggest lesson I learned from last year is that I am not in control. I can make decisions on how to act, and I must do that thoughtfully and responsibly, but beyond that I am not in control.
4. If you could only achieve one thing in 2010 what would it be?
World peace.
Or short of that, a sense of peace and contentment in my life, and well-being in my congregation.
Or more specific yet, see some growth in my congregation.
5. Post a picture, poem or song that sums up your prayer for the year ahead....
MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
~Thomas Merton
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