The RGBP Friday Five:
Tell us about five people, places, or things that have brought surprising, healing joy into your life
1. My mother-in-law, Iris who took me in as a daughter and friend, and long after my marriage to her son dissolved, remained my friend. Her irreverent sense of humor and her willingness to embrace whatever life offered with a willingness to make something good of it were immeasurably important to me, and a source of joy and support.
2. When I lived in Iceland, I was always struck by the beauty of my surroundings. Iceland is not a place that is on most people's top 10 lists of beautiful places, but there was something about it that fed my soul--the brilliance of the summer sky, the moss on the rugged hills, the wild flowers, the bright colors houses were painted. Iceland was the first place I lived as an independent (mostly) adult, and it was a good place for me
3. The same thing is true of Vermont. I interviewed for my job there in mid-March, just after a very large snowfall. The day I was being shown around it was bright and sunny and just below freezing--a gorgeous winter day. We drove up a hill and when we reached the top, the lake and the city stretched out before me--breathtaking. I still love that view, and it still speaks to me.
4. Walking the streets of NYC. This surprises even me, given how Iceland and Vermont spoke to me. But I often feel that way in NY, too. My second year in seminary it was my job to get bagels for the student run breakfast bar. I would leave my apartment about 6:45 am and walk the four blocks to the bagel market as the streets came alive. I passed the fish shop where fresh fish were being unloaded, and people walking their pets and kids setting off for school It was all so alive, and I always felt connected to something bigger than myself.
5. My friends. Sometimes I lament that I don't have life-long connections and I lament that I am not closer to my family, but in fact at every stage of my life I have had friends who have been sources of joy even as they have moved in and out of my life. At this point in my life I especially think of J who is perhaps my "oldest" friend and with whom I can reconnect almost instantly even though we see each other only every few years. And I think of D and J whom I met when I was at seminary, and whose friendship has continued to grow since I left there. With these friends I can truly be myself and know that I am accepted and valued, and that is a source of joy and healing.
Because I am not good at following directions, I have a couple more:
6. The day of my ordination to the diaconate, almost two years ago, was a day of special joy and affirmation. I was in a beautiful place; people came from all over to celebrate with me, and when the bishop laid his hands on me to ordain me I was filled with joy, and affirmation of what I was about.
7. And of course, my children who bring joy by their very being.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
How long, O Lord?
It's hard to know what to say about yesterday's unspeakable horror at Va. Tech. But I will say this: How many tragedies will it take before we begin to step away from our culture of guns and violence? How many lives lost, needlessly, before we quit defending our "right to bear arms" as inviolable?
"Guns don't kill people, people do." Yeah, right.
If guns were not so readily available, angry people, deranged people, irrational people, mentally ill people, violent people could not so easily kill the innocent around them.
Keeping guns does not make us safer. The "right to bear arms" does not make us safer.
Einstein said, "You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war." I would add that you cannot arm a nation and live in peace.
ETA: Trillwing has a most excellent post on this same topic; check it out.
"Guns don't kill people, people do." Yeah, right.
If guns were not so readily available, angry people, deranged people, irrational people, mentally ill people, violent people could not so easily kill the innocent around them.
Keeping guns does not make us safer. The "right to bear arms" does not make us safer.
Einstein said, "You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war." I would add that you cannot arm a nation and live in peace.
ETA: Trillwing has a most excellent post on this same topic; check it out.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Nor'easter
~The nor'easter went roaring through here last night. I can usually sleep through anything, but I kept waking up last night to the sound of the wind howling and driving rain hitting the windows and roof. This morning when I woke up I looked out the front windows to see a veritable lake. The rectory is located on a hill behind the church, and there is a wooded area in between. A small stream runs through the bottom of this wooded area, but this morning everything from about a third of the way down the hill to the church office building was under water.
This was taken from half way down my drive:
To show how deep it is, here's the dumpster in the back of the parking lot, near the edge of the woods:
And here's a close up. The door on the far right is the outside door of my office.
Water has long been a issue at the church--it's build on a wetland. But in the almost two years I've been here, I've never seen this much water standing.
In ny backyard a few limbs were down, including one I've expected to fall for a while--no major damage, but I was surprised at the force that these limbs must have fallen with. Some of them were driven into the ground:
And in my side yard, a tree was uprooted. Luckily it was not near the house. But when the yard service guys came to take it down, it took out one of the cedars it was leaning on, which is too bad.
They've been pumping out the lake in the parking lot since early this morning, but so far I can't tell that the water has receded any. Of course all this damage is minor in the grand scheme of things. It's still pretty windy here; I really hope we don't get much more rain.
This was taken from half way down my drive:
To show how deep it is, here's the dumpster in the back of the parking lot, near the edge of the woods:
And here's a close up. The door on the far right is the outside door of my office.
Water has long been a issue at the church--it's build on a wetland. But in the almost two years I've been here, I've never seen this much water standing.In ny backyard a few limbs were down, including one I've expected to fall for a while--no major damage, but I was surprised at the force that these limbs must have fallen with. Some of them were driven into the ground:
And in my side yard, a tree was uprooted. Luckily it was not near the house. But when the yard service guys came to take it down, it took out one of the cedars it was leaning on, which is too bad.
They've been pumping out the lake in the parking lot since early this morning, but so far I can't tell that the water has receded any. Of course all this damage is minor in the grand scheme of things. It's still pretty windy here; I really hope we don't get much more rain.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Rainy days and Sundays
~The wind is howling outside, and it's been raining quite hard for the last few hours. It seems we're having a nor'easter--not typical of April, but then nothing about winter and spring has been typical this year. I'm just hoping the power doesn't go off.
~I didn't go to church today. I can count on one hand the number of Sundays I haven't gone to church in the last 10 years, so it feels odd not to have been there. But I am technically "off" until Wednesday, and it would be even odder to show up. I thought briefly about heading to Nearby City to one of the big churches there for a change of scenery...but honestly when I woke up this morning and saw how grey and gloomy it was, and realized I didn't HAVE to get up, I just rolled over and went back to sleep.
~The weather forecast calls for rain for the next three days. It's funny--when I lived in the city and walked most places I didn't let rain stop me from going out, but here where I have to drive everywhere I'd just as soon stay home when the weather is nasty. Shouldn't it be the other way around?
~When I first joined Netflix I was impressed by how quickly the movies arrived...but now, not so much. And sending them back is even worse--it can take 7-10 days sometimes, and they aren't going that far. I don't know if it's the postal service or what. The result, though, is that this weekend would've been the perfect time to have a stash of videos to watch, but two of my three I'm allowed are in transit--the one that was supposed to be here Friday and the one I sent back last Tuesday. Sigh.
~So I spent most of the day on the couch reading--which is not a bad thing at all. I read mostly non-fiction today, and I realized that I haven't read a really good novel in a long time. Any suggestions?
~I didn't go to church today. I can count on one hand the number of Sundays I haven't gone to church in the last 10 years, so it feels odd not to have been there. But I am technically "off" until Wednesday, and it would be even odder to show up. I thought briefly about heading to Nearby City to one of the big churches there for a change of scenery...but honestly when I woke up this morning and saw how grey and gloomy it was, and realized I didn't HAVE to get up, I just rolled over and went back to sleep.
~The weather forecast calls for rain for the next three days. It's funny--when I lived in the city and walked most places I didn't let rain stop me from going out, but here where I have to drive everywhere I'd just as soon stay home when the weather is nasty. Shouldn't it be the other way around?
~When I first joined Netflix I was impressed by how quickly the movies arrived...but now, not so much. And sending them back is even worse--it can take 7-10 days sometimes, and they aren't going that far. I don't know if it's the postal service or what. The result, though, is that this weekend would've been the perfect time to have a stash of videos to watch, but two of my three I'm allowed are in transit--the one that was supposed to be here Friday and the one I sent back last Tuesday. Sigh.
~So I spent most of the day on the couch reading--which is not a bad thing at all. I read mostly non-fiction today, and I realized that I haven't read a really good novel in a long time. Any suggestions?
Saturday, April 14, 2007
More about food
~I appreciate all the comments to my recent post about remaining a vegetarian. And I welcome all tips for cookbooks, recipe sites, recipes and so forth--keep them coming!
~I actually have owned the Moosewood lowfat cookbook for a few years (and I've used it!). This week, because Phantom has mentioned it a few times and because this kind of food sounds appealing to me, I bought Olive Trees and Honey; because I love Indian food and a friend uses this cookbook, I ordered Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking , and I added the cookbook Ianqui recommended to my wishlist at Borders. So I do have some resources to inspire me. I love to eat--why is it so hard to be motivated to cook?
~I did make a big pan of roasted vegetables Thursday night, with mixed success. The okra, sweet potatoes, turnips and new potatoes were pretty good, the beets were so-so, and the eggplant was just awful--so bitter I couldn't eat it. I've roasted eggplant before and it's never been like that so I'm not sure what the problem was. Last night I made black bean soup based on the recipe Julie left in my comments earlier.
~The Kid, however, was invited out last night to eat BEEF. Go for it, Kid.
~I actually have owned the Moosewood lowfat cookbook for a few years (and I've used it!). This week, because Phantom has mentioned it a few times and because this kind of food sounds appealing to me, I bought Olive Trees and Honey; because I love Indian food and a friend uses this cookbook, I ordered Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking , and I added the cookbook Ianqui recommended to my wishlist at Borders. So I do have some resources to inspire me. I love to eat--why is it so hard to be motivated to cook?
~I did make a big pan of roasted vegetables Thursday night, with mixed success. The okra, sweet potatoes, turnips and new potatoes were pretty good, the beets were so-so, and the eggplant was just awful--so bitter I couldn't eat it. I've roasted eggplant before and it's never been like that so I'm not sure what the problem was. Last night I made black bean soup based on the recipe Julie left in my comments earlier.
~The Kid, however, was invited out last night to eat BEEF. Go for it, Kid.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Friday Five~~All things dental
Two of the RevGals have had dental issues this week, and in their honor, this Friday Five, which I can certainly go with:
1. Are you a regular patron of dentists' offices? Or, do you go
a) faithfully, as long as you have insurance, or
b) every few years or so, whether you need it or not, or
c) dentist? what is this "dentist" thing you speak of?
a. But some history--I grew up going to the dentist sporadically--more in middle childhood and my teen years than earlier--but I always had one or two cavities (I grew up without floridated water and inherited my mother's very bad teeth; my father, otoh, had beautiful straight teeth and never had a cavity in his life!). I never had orthodontia because after my parents paid for my older sister's braces they couldn't afford it again and they reasoned that my teeth weren't as bad as hers. My teeth really suffered over a long period when I had no dental insurance and not much money. Dental treatment was on an emergency basis. When I finally got insurance, I began going faithfully, and I probably helped put my dentists' kids through college because the fillings, root canals, and crowns were many.
2. Whatever became of your wisdom teeth?
The top two were extracted easily when I was in my early 20s. The bottom two weren't through the gums and "out of sight, out of mind" was the prevailing sentitment. (see above about lack on $ and insurance). Coincidentally a couple of years after I started getting good dental care, one of them started to push through the gum. It wasn't painful, but the dentist thought it was problematic and sent me off to the oral surgeon, which leads to question #4.
3. Favorite thing to eat that's BAAAAAD for your teeth.
I used to crunch ice a LOT. Don't do it so much anymore.
4. Ever had oral surgery?
When I went to the oral surgeon to get my wisdom teeth looked at, his verdict was that I had some of the worst "bony impacted" teeth he had ever seen. It seems that when you leave your wisdom teeth in the gums, bone grows up around them. So oral surgery to remove both of them was definitely in order. I have a (probably irrational) fear of general anesthesia, so I asked just to be sedated, but not put to sleep. I did have versed, so I don't remember any of it. I never took the prescription pain meds, just Advil, and I did okay (much to the surgeon's surprise on that one). But my whole lower jaw turned awful shades of blue and purple and green leading some people to ask if they had used a hammer to put me out. And the surgery was just a couple of days before school started so I went back to work looking a little worse for wear.
5. "I'd rather have a root canal than _________________."
Than dental pain. Seriously. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain, but NOTHING hurts like an abscessed tooth (right, Cheesehead?) Childbirth is a walk in the park in comparison. I have (sad but true) lost count of my root canals but it's more than 5. They have for the most part been tedious but not painful, and the two that were done in response to toothaches were a blessed relief.
Bonus: Does your dentist recommend Trident? No, should he?
Double bonus:
I have two good endodontist stories. The only root canal I had that was painful occured when my very competent dentist could NOT get my tooth completely numb. It hurt so much that he stopped and sent me right over to the endodontist--whose name was Dr. Pain. Well he spelled it Pane, but still...can you imagine being an endodontist and having that name! (That ended with my second visit to the oral surgeon, btw).
2nd story: While I was in seminary, I broke a tooth. I ended up being referred to an endodontist on Madison Ave. who thought he was a comedian and who thought he needed to talk nonstop the WHOLE time he was working. And he wasn't really all that funny. He was also THE MOST EXPENSIVE dentist I've ever been to. Maybe his address should've been a clue? Maybe I was paying for entertainment in addition to a root canal? The final result was that I had another tooth develop an abscess three weeks later, but I had used up all my dental insurance for the year on that one treatment. So I ended up going to the NYU dental school where I had some of the best dental care of my life.
All this reminds me that I need to make dental appointments now....
1. Are you a regular patron of dentists' offices? Or, do you go
a) faithfully, as long as you have insurance, or
b) every few years or so, whether you need it or not, or
c) dentist? what is this "dentist" thing you speak of?
a. But some history--I grew up going to the dentist sporadically--more in middle childhood and my teen years than earlier--but I always had one or two cavities (I grew up without floridated water and inherited my mother's very bad teeth; my father, otoh, had beautiful straight teeth and never had a cavity in his life!). I never had orthodontia because after my parents paid for my older sister's braces they couldn't afford it again and they reasoned that my teeth weren't as bad as hers. My teeth really suffered over a long period when I had no dental insurance and not much money. Dental treatment was on an emergency basis. When I finally got insurance, I began going faithfully, and I probably helped put my dentists' kids through college because the fillings, root canals, and crowns were many.
2. Whatever became of your wisdom teeth?
The top two were extracted easily when I was in my early 20s. The bottom two weren't through the gums and "out of sight, out of mind" was the prevailing sentitment. (see above about lack on $ and insurance). Coincidentally a couple of years after I started getting good dental care, one of them started to push through the gum. It wasn't painful, but the dentist thought it was problematic and sent me off to the oral surgeon, which leads to question #4.
3. Favorite thing to eat that's BAAAAAD for your teeth.
I used to crunch ice a LOT. Don't do it so much anymore.
4. Ever had oral surgery?
When I went to the oral surgeon to get my wisdom teeth looked at, his verdict was that I had some of the worst "bony impacted" teeth he had ever seen. It seems that when you leave your wisdom teeth in the gums, bone grows up around them. So oral surgery to remove both of them was definitely in order. I have a (probably irrational) fear of general anesthesia, so I asked just to be sedated, but not put to sleep. I did have versed, so I don't remember any of it. I never took the prescription pain meds, just Advil, and I did okay (much to the surgeon's surprise on that one). But my whole lower jaw turned awful shades of blue and purple and green leading some people to ask if they had used a hammer to put me out. And the surgery was just a couple of days before school started so I went back to work looking a little worse for wear.
5. "I'd rather have a root canal than _________________."
Than dental pain. Seriously. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain, but NOTHING hurts like an abscessed tooth (right, Cheesehead?) Childbirth is a walk in the park in comparison. I have (sad but true) lost count of my root canals but it's more than 5. They have for the most part been tedious but not painful, and the two that were done in response to toothaches were a blessed relief.
Bonus: Does your dentist recommend Trident? No, should he?
Double bonus:
I have two good endodontist stories. The only root canal I had that was painful occured when my very competent dentist could NOT get my tooth completely numb. It hurt so much that he stopped and sent me right over to the endodontist--whose name was Dr. Pain. Well he spelled it Pane, but still...can you imagine being an endodontist and having that name! (That ended with my second visit to the oral surgeon, btw).
2nd story: While I was in seminary, I broke a tooth. I ended up being referred to an endodontist on Madison Ave. who thought he was a comedian and who thought he needed to talk nonstop the WHOLE time he was working. And he wasn't really all that funny. He was also THE MOST EXPENSIVE dentist I've ever been to. Maybe his address should've been a clue? Maybe I was paying for entertainment in addition to a root canal? The final result was that I had another tooth develop an abscess three weeks later, but I had used up all my dental insurance for the year on that one treatment. So I ended up going to the NYU dental school where I had some of the best dental care of my life.
All this reminds me that I need to make dental appointments now....
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Ugh
Ants....lots and lots of ants. Thousands of ants. In my bathroom and in the living room. Little piss ants.
If this is a sign of spring, it is one I can do without.
I've put out ant traps but they don't seem to be slowing down the stream of ants much.
Although, all in all I'd rather ants than roaches or spiders.
If this is a sign of spring, it is one I can do without.
I've put out ant traps but they don't seem to be slowing down the stream of ants much.
Although, all in all I'd rather ants than roaches or spiders.
On my current state of being
The other day NSLS wrote a "100 things about me" post in which she said, "My mom is the happiest I've ever seen her." Me being her mom, it gave me pause, and I've spent some time thinking about that. I'm glad she perceives me as happy, and and it's not that I'm not happy, but I think it would be a stretch to say that I'm the "happiest" I've ever been. I am happy that I am a priest, and I do love many things about my job, my jerk boss not withstanding (and he does have times when he is not so much a jerk, to be fair; you just don't hear as much about them). I love the people in my parish, and I love preaching and teaching and presiding at the eucharist.
But it's no secret to any long-time readers that I am less than enchanted with the place I live. And that I truly loved the last two places that I lived. I was happy at seminary, and I think I escaped a lot of the angst that afflicts many seminarians about being there --being in seminary at all, and at that particular one, in that particular city--all that was good for me, and I knew I was in the right place at the right time. I felt that way when I started my teaching job, too. It was hard, it was a stressful time in so many ways, but it was so good to be there.
And here? Here I've struggled with why I feel unhappy or dissatisfied sometimes, with my longings to be in either of the last two places I lived and loved. I recognize leaving those places as the cost of being able to follow my calling, a price that I knew when I began this journey would be high, but I still miss them. I'm a bit lonely living here. So while I am glad that NSLS (aka LD#2) sees me as being happy, I've pondered what that means about how she perceived me other times. Did I really seem unhappy even when I wasn't? And how does one define or quantify "happy" anyway?
Musing about all this as I showered this morning (honestly I do some of my best thinking in the shower) I came up with some thoughts.
~So much of my adult life I have felt like I had to be in control of things. Almost all of my parenting years, I have been a single parent--either because my spouse was out in a submarine somewhere, or because I really was single. Even the five years I was married to the Kid's father I felt like a single parent much of the time. I started back to school full time when NSLS was 3 1/2 and I've been in school full time or working full time ever since. There have been a lot of good things about that--I've been lucky enough to be able to go to school, to live interesting places, to pursue my interests and I think my kids reaped some benefits from all that. And I tried really hard to make sure that the kids didn't lose out on things--they did their sports and activities and I tried to be involved in what they did. But there was never enough time for everything, and money was always really tight, and the responsibility of it all weighed heavily on me sometimes. And it did make me feel like I had to keep things under control...because if I relaxed too much and things got out of control, where would it all stop? I think this was particularly hard on NSLS when she was in high school and I was not the fun mama at all; I was cranky sometimes, and I was stricter than most of her friends' parents and she didn't like it.
~So what is different now, and why? One thing that has changed since then is that I feel more relaxed. I am truly by temperament a more "go with the flow" person and so it was hard to always have to be the one in charge, the one in control. I only have to be responsible for one kid now, and as he's the fourth one, I can let go of some things more easily (although he might tell you I'm still too strict). I've learned to be more hospitable...I love having visitors now whereas until a few years ago the idea of having non-family members for longer than a few hours sent me into a tizzy of anxiety. I have more time to myself--an important commodity for an introvert like me--which I think makes me enjoy being around people more at other times.
~I've also accepted that a certain level of existential angst will always be there for me. I married at 19 and thought I was all grown up, but ironically, I then spent much of my 20s and 30s wondering when I would feel grown-up: Would it be when I had kids? Or bought a house? Or a bigger house? Or when I got a real job? How would I know? I really expected that at some point I would "arrive," be settled down and that would just be how life was. That's how other people's lives looked to me, but I never seemed to get there. I don't know if this is just me, or if achieving adulthood "sameness" (arriving at the point where you are who and what you will be for the rest of your life) is really just a myth, but in either case, somewhere in the last 10-15 years or so, I gave up that expectation. I live with a certain amount of wondering still about what will be next, and what it all means, and I'm not waiting to "arrive" anymore.
~I'm also surer of what I believe and no longer afraid to express it. For all of my early adult years I worked out my identity in the shadow of pervasive disapproval from my family, especially my mother and older sister. They still disapprove, but I don't care--at least as much--any more. I have friends who like me and appreciate me for who and what I am and that helps a lot. And I've come to appreciate the irony of being the black sheep (well, one of two--but for very different reasons) in my family. There is still a lot of sadness there, but it doesn't make me feel like there is something wrong with me anymore (at least not very often....).
~There are still things I'd like to change about myself and my life...I'd like to be a lot thinner for starters! I've been single for almost 12 years, and while I don't want to "date" and I'm not looking for any kind of relationship, I don't want to grow old alone, so I need to figure out what that means. I wish I could get more done: I have friends who constantly amaze me with the breadth and depth of their interests and activities and the things they manage to do. Sometimes I feel more like a spectator than a doer and I don't always like that. I don't have any great talent or skill, and I think about developing one, but so far I've been more of a dabbler in things. But over all, I am reasonably at peace with who I am. Maybe thats what NSLS sees. And that is a good thing.
But it's no secret to any long-time readers that I am less than enchanted with the place I live. And that I truly loved the last two places that I lived. I was happy at seminary, and I think I escaped a lot of the angst that afflicts many seminarians about being there --being in seminary at all, and at that particular one, in that particular city--all that was good for me, and I knew I was in the right place at the right time. I felt that way when I started my teaching job, too. It was hard, it was a stressful time in so many ways, but it was so good to be there.
And here? Here I've struggled with why I feel unhappy or dissatisfied sometimes, with my longings to be in either of the last two places I lived and loved. I recognize leaving those places as the cost of being able to follow my calling, a price that I knew when I began this journey would be high, but I still miss them. I'm a bit lonely living here. So while I am glad that NSLS (aka LD#2) sees me as being happy, I've pondered what that means about how she perceived me other times. Did I really seem unhappy even when I wasn't? And how does one define or quantify "happy" anyway?
Musing about all this as I showered this morning (honestly I do some of my best thinking in the shower) I came up with some thoughts.
~So much of my adult life I have felt like I had to be in control of things. Almost all of my parenting years, I have been a single parent--either because my spouse was out in a submarine somewhere, or because I really was single. Even the five years I was married to the Kid's father I felt like a single parent much of the time. I started back to school full time when NSLS was 3 1/2 and I've been in school full time or working full time ever since. There have been a lot of good things about that--I've been lucky enough to be able to go to school, to live interesting places, to pursue my interests and I think my kids reaped some benefits from all that. And I tried really hard to make sure that the kids didn't lose out on things--they did their sports and activities and I tried to be involved in what they did. But there was never enough time for everything, and money was always really tight, and the responsibility of it all weighed heavily on me sometimes. And it did make me feel like I had to keep things under control...because if I relaxed too much and things got out of control, where would it all stop? I think this was particularly hard on NSLS when she was in high school and I was not the fun mama at all; I was cranky sometimes, and I was stricter than most of her friends' parents and she didn't like it.
~So what is different now, and why? One thing that has changed since then is that I feel more relaxed. I am truly by temperament a more "go with the flow" person and so it was hard to always have to be the one in charge, the one in control. I only have to be responsible for one kid now, and as he's the fourth one, I can let go of some things more easily (although he might tell you I'm still too strict). I've learned to be more hospitable...I love having visitors now whereas until a few years ago the idea of having non-family members for longer than a few hours sent me into a tizzy of anxiety. I have more time to myself--an important commodity for an introvert like me--which I think makes me enjoy being around people more at other times.
~I've also accepted that a certain level of existential angst will always be there for me. I married at 19 and thought I was all grown up, but ironically, I then spent much of my 20s and 30s wondering when I would feel grown-up: Would it be when I had kids? Or bought a house? Or a bigger house? Or when I got a real job? How would I know? I really expected that at some point I would "arrive," be settled down and that would just be how life was. That's how other people's lives looked to me, but I never seemed to get there. I don't know if this is just me, or if achieving adulthood "sameness" (arriving at the point where you are who and what you will be for the rest of your life) is really just a myth, but in either case, somewhere in the last 10-15 years or so, I gave up that expectation. I live with a certain amount of wondering still about what will be next, and what it all means, and I'm not waiting to "arrive" anymore.
~I'm also surer of what I believe and no longer afraid to express it. For all of my early adult years I worked out my identity in the shadow of pervasive disapproval from my family, especially my mother and older sister. They still disapprove, but I don't care--at least as much--any more. I have friends who like me and appreciate me for who and what I am and that helps a lot. And I've come to appreciate the irony of being the black sheep (well, one of two--but for very different reasons) in my family. There is still a lot of sadness there, but it doesn't make me feel like there is something wrong with me anymore (at least not very often....).
~There are still things I'd like to change about myself and my life...I'd like to be a lot thinner for starters! I've been single for almost 12 years, and while I don't want to "date" and I'm not looking for any kind of relationship, I don't want to grow old alone, so I need to figure out what that means. I wish I could get more done: I have friends who constantly amaze me with the breadth and depth of their interests and activities and the things they manage to do. Sometimes I feel more like a spectator than a doer and I don't always like that. I don't have any great talent or skill, and I think about developing one, but so far I've been more of a dabbler in things. But over all, I am reasonably at peace with who I am. Maybe thats what NSLS sees. And that is a good thing.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Gobbler
I was sitting at the table in the kitchen late this afternoon when I happened to look up and see...
58/365
the biggest turkey I've ever seen (even bigger than Glorvina) walk across the back yard. I grabbed my camera as fast as I could, and took one picture through the window.
59/365
Then I ran outside and followed him across the yard, but he had a pretty good head start. I got this shot of him going back into the undergrowth towards the pond. I wish I could've gotten a better picture; he really was quite striking.
58/365
the biggest turkey I've ever seen (even bigger than Glorvina) walk across the back yard. I grabbed my camera as fast as I could, and took one picture through the window.
59/365
Then I ran outside and followed him across the yard, but he had a pretty good head start. I got this shot of him going back into the undergrowth towards the pond. I wish I could've gotten a better picture; he really was quite striking.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The fruits of my Lenten discipline
Some of you may recall that I became a vegetarian for Lent--or more precisely a more complete vegetarian since I had already quit eating most meat from mammals. So beginning Ash Wednesday I ate no meat, not even pseudo-meat (e.g, Boca burgers, Boca sausage, Morning Star Farms corn dog bites) because I wanted to see what it felt like to be really meat-less. I did eat fish on average once a week. And how did it go, you ask? Very well actually. I only missed meat twice--once at the very beginning of Lent when I really really wanted some homemade chicken noodle soup because I had a cold, and once last week when someone mentioned getting a BLT for lunch (bacon is probably my favorite--disgusting, huh?)
The other truth is that I cooked very, very little over the last six weeks. Nonetheless we ate out far less than we usually do. We ate lots of Lean Cuisine and lots of salad. I ate more cheese and more peanut butter than I normally would. I'm not a big cheese person, so that meant lots of Parmesan (my favorite cheese) in salads and in omelets--I also ate more eggs than usual--but still not a lot, a one egg omelet once or twice a week. We ate frozen pizza (actually quite good frozen pizza: California Kitchens White Pizza is excellent) with salad at least once a week.
You'd think with all the Lean Cuisine and salad I would have lost a few pounds, but alas, it wasn't that simple. I did lose a couple of pounds in March, but the trend did not continue --probably because of the peanut butter and pretzels I snacked on, especially the last two weeks when I was pretty stressed out. And my total lack of exercise.
The upshot of all this is that I have decided for now to continue as a vegetarian. Ianqui mentioned three exceptions to her vegetarianism: The Full Experience, Hospitality, and Survival. Those make a lot of sense to me, and I think those will work for me as well. The hospitality exception will likely be exercised more than the other two.
The Kid, knowing how much I like ham sandwiches and bacon, doesn't think I'll stick to it, but we'll see. The real challenge for me is motivating myself to start cooking again. I would just as soon stick a Lean Cuisine in the microwave, but I'm afraid that while their selection of vegetarian meals got me through six weeks, it might wear thin after a while. The Kid doesn't complain but he probably deserves home cooked meals more often than he gets them. Once upon a time I enjoyed cooking, and occasionally I still do. But on a daily basis, not so much.
Stay tuned for further developments on cuisine at chez Rev. Dr. Mom.
The other truth is that I cooked very, very little over the last six weeks. Nonetheless we ate out far less than we usually do. We ate lots of Lean Cuisine and lots of salad. I ate more cheese and more peanut butter than I normally would. I'm not a big cheese person, so that meant lots of Parmesan (my favorite cheese) in salads and in omelets--I also ate more eggs than usual--but still not a lot, a one egg omelet once or twice a week. We ate frozen pizza (actually quite good frozen pizza: California Kitchens White Pizza is excellent) with salad at least once a week.
You'd think with all the Lean Cuisine and salad I would have lost a few pounds, but alas, it wasn't that simple. I did lose a couple of pounds in March, but the trend did not continue --probably because of the peanut butter and pretzels I snacked on, especially the last two weeks when I was pretty stressed out. And my total lack of exercise.
The upshot of all this is that I have decided for now to continue as a vegetarian. Ianqui mentioned three exceptions to her vegetarianism: The Full Experience, Hospitality, and Survival. Those make a lot of sense to me, and I think those will work for me as well. The hospitality exception will likely be exercised more than the other two.
The Kid, knowing how much I like ham sandwiches and bacon, doesn't think I'll stick to it, but we'll see. The real challenge for me is motivating myself to start cooking again. I would just as soon stick a Lean Cuisine in the microwave, but I'm afraid that while their selection of vegetarian meals got me through six weeks, it might wear thin after a while. The Kid doesn't complain but he probably deserves home cooked meals more often than he gets them. Once upon a time I enjoyed cooking, and occasionally I still do. But on a daily basis, not so much.
Stay tuned for further developments on cuisine at chez Rev. Dr. Mom.
Monday, April 09, 2007
I never imagined what this would be like
Something happened during the first service yesterday that I was totally unprepared for.
First the background: Even if you are not Episcopalian, even if you are not Christian, you probably have heard about the controversy that the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion are currently embroiled in. It's a controversy in which sexuality--more precisely, how we respond to and include those among us who are GLBTQ--is the presenting issue, but in which power and authority are at the root. At the end of February the Primates (the bishops and archbishops who are the leaders of the Anglican churches worldwide) met and issued a communique in which they asked the Episcopal Church to do several things, among them to promise not to consecrate any more bishops who were [openly] gay and not to authorize rites for blessing same sex unions. Many of us in the Episcopal Church feel that these requests violate both the polity of the church and our pastoral responsibilities to ALL people. After this commuique was released I preached a sermon in which I said as much. I was careful to place my comments within the context of the scriptures assigned for the day, and I was careful to couch my opinions as just that--MY opinions. I knew that there might be people who disagreed with me, and that was and is okay. After I preached I received lots of good feedback, along with comments from one man who clearly disagreed with me, and with the direction our church and our diocese has taken.
This man is not someone who attends regularly, and I didn't see him again until yesterday. During communion the rector and I share in the distribution of the bread--he takes one side of the rail and I take the other. People coming forward to receive communion are directed to fill in along the altar rail from one side all the way across to the other, so which priest one receives from depends entirely on the traffic flow. Yesterday I was standing waiting for people to reach my side of the rail (sometimes things get a bit bottled up and there's a lag) when I saw the man in question coming forward with his wife. As luck would have it, the next open space was directly in front of me, but he turned and walked in the other direction. His wife gestured for to him to go the other way but he shook his head; the usher tried to direct him the other way but he refused. Yes, he refused to receive communion from me.
It was just a fluke that I witnessed what had happened. If I hadn't been waiting for people to catch up after a lag in traffic I never would've noticed, and perhaps it has happened before without my being aware of it. But I saw the whole thing and it was really obvious to me if to no one else what was happening. And I was stunned. Tears sprang to my eyes though I quickly blinked them away.
This kind of action is not unprecedented, sadly. Some of the Primates refuse to take communion in the presence of our Presiding Bishop--some because she is a woman, some because they disagree with her theology and her stance on the controversial issues. Some bishops in the Episcopal Church refuse to take communion with some of their brother and sister bishops for the same reasons. And I knew that there are people in the wider church who would not receive communion from me as well. But I never expected, never imagined that it would happen at my own parish or that I would experience such a visceral reaction if it did.
I've been thinking about this a lot over the last 24 hours. It hurts my feelings of course, but that really isn't the main issue. There is a piece of church doctrine agreed upon eons ago that says the validity of the sacrament is not dependent upon the worthiness of the priest. That means that no matter what a miserable sinner I the priest am, the eucharist is still the eucharist. And it is sad, tragic even, for us to let politics, power plays and theological disagreements subvert that.
Since its inception in the 16th century, since the Elizabethan Settlement that set the parameters for what the Church in England would be like, the Anglican Way has been the via media, the middle way, a way that has always been construed to be broad, with room for people with a diversity of theological opinions and liturgical practices. The glue that has held us together is our prayer and sacraments. If we could come together for that, we could be a church, a people of God. Now it feels like we are losing that. And that is incredibly sad to me.
First the background: Even if you are not Episcopalian, even if you are not Christian, you probably have heard about the controversy that the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion are currently embroiled in. It's a controversy in which sexuality--more precisely, how we respond to and include those among us who are GLBTQ--is the presenting issue, but in which power and authority are at the root. At the end of February the Primates (the bishops and archbishops who are the leaders of the Anglican churches worldwide) met and issued a communique in which they asked the Episcopal Church to do several things, among them to promise not to consecrate any more bishops who were [openly] gay and not to authorize rites for blessing same sex unions. Many of us in the Episcopal Church feel that these requests violate both the polity of the church and our pastoral responsibilities to ALL people. After this commuique was released I preached a sermon in which I said as much. I was careful to place my comments within the context of the scriptures assigned for the day, and I was careful to couch my opinions as just that--MY opinions. I knew that there might be people who disagreed with me, and that was and is okay. After I preached I received lots of good feedback, along with comments from one man who clearly disagreed with me, and with the direction our church and our diocese has taken.
This man is not someone who attends regularly, and I didn't see him again until yesterday. During communion the rector and I share in the distribution of the bread--he takes one side of the rail and I take the other. People coming forward to receive communion are directed to fill in along the altar rail from one side all the way across to the other, so which priest one receives from depends entirely on the traffic flow. Yesterday I was standing waiting for people to reach my side of the rail (sometimes things get a bit bottled up and there's a lag) when I saw the man in question coming forward with his wife. As luck would have it, the next open space was directly in front of me, but he turned and walked in the other direction. His wife gestured for to him to go the other way but he shook his head; the usher tried to direct him the other way but he refused. Yes, he refused to receive communion from me.
It was just a fluke that I witnessed what had happened. If I hadn't been waiting for people to catch up after a lag in traffic I never would've noticed, and perhaps it has happened before without my being aware of it. But I saw the whole thing and it was really obvious to me if to no one else what was happening. And I was stunned. Tears sprang to my eyes though I quickly blinked them away.
This kind of action is not unprecedented, sadly. Some of the Primates refuse to take communion in the presence of our Presiding Bishop--some because she is a woman, some because they disagree with her theology and her stance on the controversial issues. Some bishops in the Episcopal Church refuse to take communion with some of their brother and sister bishops for the same reasons. And I knew that there are people in the wider church who would not receive communion from me as well. But I never expected, never imagined that it would happen at my own parish or that I would experience such a visceral reaction if it did.
I've been thinking about this a lot over the last 24 hours. It hurts my feelings of course, but that really isn't the main issue. There is a piece of church doctrine agreed upon eons ago that says the validity of the sacrament is not dependent upon the worthiness of the priest. That means that no matter what a miserable sinner I the priest am, the eucharist is still the eucharist. And it is sad, tragic even, for us to let politics, power plays and theological disagreements subvert that.
Since its inception in the 16th century, since the Elizabethan Settlement that set the parameters for what the Church in England would be like, the Anglican Way has been the via media, the middle way, a way that has always been construed to be broad, with room for people with a diversity of theological opinions and liturgical practices. The glue that has held us together is our prayer and sacraments. If we could come together for that, we could be a church, a people of God. Now it feels like we are losing that. And that is incredibly sad to me.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
It was worth it
Our Easter Vigil was wonderful. Just wonderful. Sure, there were a few small things that could've gone more smoothly but really, it was a great service and very well received. All the hard work of the last week or so was definitely worth it.
AND my boss thanked me. Publicly. In church. It's really not all about me, but still, it was very nice that he did in fact notice that much hard work had gone into preparing for the liturgy.
I am very tired, but in a good way. And we have two services tomorrow.
May those of you who celebrate Easter have a very blessed one.
AND my boss thanked me. Publicly. In church. It's really not all about me, but still, it was very nice that he did in fact notice that much hard work had gone into preparing for the liturgy.
I am very tired, but in a good way. And we have two services tomorrow.
May those of you who celebrate Easter have a very blessed one.
Friday, April 06, 2007
April 6
~Today is Good Friday. Holy Friday. I've never liked the name "Good Friday;" even as a kid I didn't like it. But I do like the liturgy--it's somber and reflective, continuing what was started last night with the footwashing and stripping of the altar, and moving us towards the Easter Vigil tomorrow night.
~I love all the liturgies of Holy Week. This is my second Holy Week as a priest, and I seem to have taken on much of the responsibility of planning the liturgies and working out all the details (of which there are many). I want to be careful about complaining about this, because in fact it is something I am very happy to do. But, oy! There is SO much to think about. I've been feeling a bit annoyed with my boss this week because he has time to do things like go to diocesan clergy gatherings (which I skipped because I had too much to do) and get massages and sit in his office and read the newspaper while the rest of us are working extra hours to take care of the details. I guess that's what it means for him to be the boss. And I've been asking myself what it is I would like him to be doing? Finally this morning it hit me--I would just like for him to acknowledge how hard all the rest of the staff is working instead of just basking in the appreciation when things come off well. And I'm not sure he realizes how hard we're working.
~It's cold here. We haven't gotten the snow that some of New England has gotten, but snow showers are forecast for tomorrow. I'm not really surprised that it's cold here--I have pretty low expectations for April--but last weekend was so nice that I was hoping it would continue. The sun is shining today after several days of gloom, and that is nice. There are a few daffodils beginning to poke up but it's still pretty bare here.
~Seventeen years ago today I met the Kid's father. I've not blogged about him, and I don't know if I ever will, but for some reason I thought of the date this morning.
~Five years ago today my father died. By coincidence I was at this church when I heard the news that he was slipping away. I was there for a class, but I went into the church and lit a candle and prayed before leaving. I still remember the incense-infused fragrance of the church and the still peace there that morning. I wrote this post about my father on this day last year. I'm still thinking of him.
~ I have a suet feeder hanging on side of the garage for the woodpeckers, and downy and hairy woodpeckers do frequent it. But the whole time I've been writing this post, I've been watching a very large squirrel get a running start on my patio, scale the side of the garage and leap onto the feeder to nibble the suet. And squirrels aren't even supposed to LIKE plain suet. This squirrel is not very intimidated by me opening the window to shoo him away, either.
~I have lots of birds in the yard this week. I think my most favorite thing about where I live is watching the birds.
~I treated myself to a "day off" breakfast (spinach omelet, grilled tomatoes and toast) but in fact, I do have to go to work because we have two services today and I still have much to do to be ready for the Vigil tomorrow night. So off I go to shower and get dressed.
~Hope everyone has a blessed Pesach, Easter, or spring festivus of your choice!
~I love all the liturgies of Holy Week. This is my second Holy Week as a priest, and I seem to have taken on much of the responsibility of planning the liturgies and working out all the details (of which there are many). I want to be careful about complaining about this, because in fact it is something I am very happy to do. But, oy! There is SO much to think about. I've been feeling a bit annoyed with my boss this week because he has time to do things like go to diocesan clergy gatherings (which I skipped because I had too much to do) and get massages and sit in his office and read the newspaper while the rest of us are working extra hours to take care of the details. I guess that's what it means for him to be the boss. And I've been asking myself what it is I would like him to be doing? Finally this morning it hit me--I would just like for him to acknowledge how hard all the rest of the staff is working instead of just basking in the appreciation when things come off well. And I'm not sure he realizes how hard we're working.
~It's cold here. We haven't gotten the snow that some of New England has gotten, but snow showers are forecast for tomorrow. I'm not really surprised that it's cold here--I have pretty low expectations for April--but last weekend was so nice that I was hoping it would continue. The sun is shining today after several days of gloom, and that is nice. There are a few daffodils beginning to poke up but it's still pretty bare here.
~Seventeen years ago today I met the Kid's father. I've not blogged about him, and I don't know if I ever will, but for some reason I thought of the date this morning.
~Five years ago today my father died. By coincidence I was at this church when I heard the news that he was slipping away. I was there for a class, but I went into the church and lit a candle and prayed before leaving. I still remember the incense-infused fragrance of the church and the still peace there that morning. I wrote this post about my father on this day last year. I'm still thinking of him.
~ I have a suet feeder hanging on side of the garage for the woodpeckers, and downy and hairy woodpeckers do frequent it. But the whole time I've been writing this post, I've been watching a very large squirrel get a running start on my patio, scale the side of the garage and leap onto the feeder to nibble the suet. And squirrels aren't even supposed to LIKE plain suet. This squirrel is not very intimidated by me opening the window to shoo him away, either.
~I have lots of birds in the yard this week. I think my most favorite thing about where I live is watching the birds.
~I treated myself to a "day off" breakfast (spinach omelet, grilled tomatoes and toast) but in fact, I do have to go to work because we have two services today and I still have much to do to be ready for the Vigil tomorrow night. So off I go to shower and get dressed.
~Hope everyone has a blessed Pesach, Easter, or spring festivus of your choice!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Saturday Afternoon Photos
53/365
54/365
I walked out to the pond this afternoon; in just a few short weeks the catbriars and poison ivy will make it difficult to get back there. There were ducks, too, but they flew off before I could get a picture.
55/365
I noticed this huge nest the other day from a distance. I have no idea whether it's new or from last year, or what kind of creature inhabits(ed) it. Maybe squirrels?
56/365
Self-portrait in shadow
57/365
Afternoon sunlight
54/365
I walked out to the pond this afternoon; in just a few short weeks the catbriars and poison ivy will make it difficult to get back there. There were ducks, too, but they flew off before I could get a picture.55/365
I noticed this huge nest the other day from a distance. I have no idea whether it's new or from last year, or what kind of creature inhabits(ed) it. Maybe squirrels?56/365
Self-portrait in shadow57/365
Afternoon sunlight
Friday, March 30, 2007
Coming up: Holy Week
Holy Week is no doubt the busiest time of year for clergy; reflecting that here's a Friday5 from the RGBP:
1. Will this Sunday be Palms only, Passion only, or hyphenated?
This Sunday is properly referred to in the Prayer Book as "The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday" which pretty much answers that question! We will begin with the "Procession of the Palms" and this year (if the weather cooperates) we will begin in the library parking lot across the street, bless the palms, and process singing into the church. The mood switches mid-service with the reading of the Passion (Luke this year). At the end of the service we will depart in silence (well, we'll try, anyway.)
2. Maundy Thursday Footwashing: Discuss.
Yes. Interestingly enough I was in a discussion about this in another on-line forum and I was surprised by the number of Episcopal churches who don't do footwashing, because it's been a part of my church life every place I've been as an adult.
I should insert here that my liturgics professor really emphasized a full observance of the Triduum, and that along with my own experiences means that I see this week as the most significant liturgically of the year. I also believe the sign value of what we do is very important as well. In seminary we washed each others' feet--each person up washed the next person. I really liked that. Last year (my first year here) we only had a few people come forward and while I don't like "plants" very much, we may have to encourage a few folks to see if their coming up will encourage others.
The word "Maundy" comes from the mandate Jesus give us to serve others, so it seems valuable to model it in the liturgy. Last year I set up the context in my sermon; I had thought about preaching on the Luke text alternative this year, but after my earlier discussion I think I will stick with John and the footwashing again.
3. Share a particularly meaningful Good Friday worship experience.
In seminary, the Good Friday Liturgy from the prayer book was taken more seriously than I had ever experienced before. At one point in the liturgy a large plain wooden cross is brought out and people are invited to venerate it if they wish. To be really honest, I had never seen such a thing and it seemed, well, a little silly the first year but I tried to be open about it. By my third year and after reading my liturgics prof's book on the Triduum (This Is the Night, James Farwell) I finally "got it". I can't really articulate it, but the whole Good Friday observance took on new meaning for me.
4. Easter Sunrise Services--choose one:
a) "Resurrection tradition par excellence!"
b) "Eh. As long as it's sunrise with coffee, I can live with it."
c) "[Yawn] Can't Jesus stay in the tomb just five more minutes, Mom?!?"
d) none of the above? If it's the Vigil, fine. Otherwise, no.
5. Complete this sentence: It just isn't Easter without...
Alleluias. Easter hymns. Joy.
Bonus: Any Easter Vigil aficionados out there? Please share.
YES for reasons I've given above. The Vigil is the culmination of the Triduum. It's moving and it brings home the drama of Easter--if it's done well. I love attending, and I'm beginning to love planning one. I would love it even more if my rector felt as strongly about it as I do.
Both at my seminary and at my field placement church the Vigils were very well done. They (at their best) start in the dark with the new fire and the lighting of the Paschal Candle, the singing of the Exultet, the readings that chronicle our salvation history. We will have a baptism again this year which is wonderful. After the baptism which takes place in candle light, the bells ring and the organ sounds and the lights come up and we really celebrate.
The Vigil can take place on Saturday night or early Sunday morning, but if I had my druthers it would be THE MAIN celebration of Easter, just as the Christmas Eve service is the main celebration of Christmas. It's a bit of a tough sell, though.
1. Will this Sunday be Palms only, Passion only, or hyphenated?
This Sunday is properly referred to in the Prayer Book as "The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday" which pretty much answers that question! We will begin with the "Procession of the Palms" and this year (if the weather cooperates) we will begin in the library parking lot across the street, bless the palms, and process singing into the church. The mood switches mid-service with the reading of the Passion (Luke this year). At the end of the service we will depart in silence (well, we'll try, anyway.)
2. Maundy Thursday Footwashing: Discuss.
Yes. Interestingly enough I was in a discussion about this in another on-line forum and I was surprised by the number of Episcopal churches who don't do footwashing, because it's been a part of my church life every place I've been as an adult.
I should insert here that my liturgics professor really emphasized a full observance of the Triduum, and that along with my own experiences means that I see this week as the most significant liturgically of the year. I also believe the sign value of what we do is very important as well. In seminary we washed each others' feet--each person up washed the next person. I really liked that. Last year (my first year here) we only had a few people come forward and while I don't like "plants" very much, we may have to encourage a few folks to see if their coming up will encourage others.
The word "Maundy" comes from the mandate Jesus give us to serve others, so it seems valuable to model it in the liturgy. Last year I set up the context in my sermon; I had thought about preaching on the Luke text alternative this year, but after my earlier discussion I think I will stick with John and the footwashing again.
3. Share a particularly meaningful Good Friday worship experience.
In seminary, the Good Friday Liturgy from the prayer book was taken more seriously than I had ever experienced before. At one point in the liturgy a large plain wooden cross is brought out and people are invited to venerate it if they wish. To be really honest, I had never seen such a thing and it seemed, well, a little silly the first year but I tried to be open about it. By my third year and after reading my liturgics prof's book on the Triduum (This Is the Night, James Farwell) I finally "got it". I can't really articulate it, but the whole Good Friday observance took on new meaning for me.
4. Easter Sunrise Services--choose one:
a) "Resurrection tradition par excellence!"
b) "Eh. As long as it's sunrise with coffee, I can live with it."
c) "[Yawn] Can't Jesus stay in the tomb just five more minutes, Mom?!?"
d) none of the above? If it's the Vigil, fine. Otherwise, no.
5. Complete this sentence: It just isn't Easter without...
Alleluias. Easter hymns. Joy.
Bonus: Any Easter Vigil aficionados out there? Please share.
YES for reasons I've given above. The Vigil is the culmination of the Triduum. It's moving and it brings home the drama of Easter--if it's done well. I love attending, and I'm beginning to love planning one. I would love it even more if my rector felt as strongly about it as I do.
Both at my seminary and at my field placement church the Vigils were very well done. They (at their best) start in the dark with the new fire and the lighting of the Paschal Candle, the singing of the Exultet, the readings that chronicle our salvation history. We will have a baptism again this year which is wonderful. After the baptism which takes place in candle light, the bells ring and the organ sounds and the lights come up and we really celebrate.
The Vigil can take place on Saturday night or early Sunday morning, but if I had my druthers it would be THE MAIN celebration of Easter, just as the Christmas Eve service is the main celebration of Christmas. It's a bit of a tough sell, though.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Random bullets--end of March edition
~I am soooo glad that March is almost over. I know many people bemoan February as the worst time of year, but March is loooooong, and around here, it's still not spring--it's gray and drab and cold and the weather is fickle. Our location with water on two sides means that this area is slow to warm up compared the rest of the region, which is slow enough on its own.
~Add to that the fact that March was ridiculously overbooked...some extra work thing every single weekend, and no time to take any comp time if I wanted to.
~The first part of April will be crazy busy, too, (but in a good way I think) what with Holy Week and Easter. But then I get some down time--a week off after Easter, and then later in the month three days at a clergy conference where I will get to meet our new Presiding Bishop and the president of the House of Deputies. I am psyched about that.
~I've been so tired when I get home at night that I don't want to do anything. The Kid got me watching Grey's Anatomy (he borrowed the first season and convinced me to buy the second season) so I've used that as stress relief. Pathetic, huh?
~The last few nights I've been playing with Photoshop (see below). I'm not artistic, but I've always wanted to be, and making pictures look like "art", even bad "art" is fun....but it also feels a bit like cheating...sort of like doing paint by numbers. I mean I'm not actually doing anything artistic at this point--just applying filters to my pictures, which anyone could do.
~I keep toying with the idea of going ahead and buying a DSLR...I can't really afford it, but will I ever be able to? Eh. I don't really want to be rich (good thing!) but I wish I could sometimes buy things like that without analyzing it and agonizing about it for months first. I did the same thing before I bought my new laptop.
~I think I've been in a little bit of a funk all winter, and it's mostly related to work. I don't feel like I can blog about it in any detail here, but I've whined about it often enough over at Phantom's. Sometimes I wonder if it's just me being difficult. But I don't think so.
~I was miserable my first semester of grad school because I had chosen my program poorly. I thought about that the other day for the first time in a long time because on my worst days that is what I feel like now. But that was just one semester and then I changed programs. Changing jobs is not that simple for a variety of reasons.
~On the other hand when I started my academic job and when I started seminary I KNEW I was in the right place doing the right thing at the time. Is it too much to hope for that again?
~Add to that the fact that March was ridiculously overbooked...some extra work thing every single weekend, and no time to take any comp time if I wanted to.
~The first part of April will be crazy busy, too, (but in a good way I think) what with Holy Week and Easter. But then I get some down time--a week off after Easter, and then later in the month three days at a clergy conference where I will get to meet our new Presiding Bishop and the president of the House of Deputies. I am psyched about that.
~I've been so tired when I get home at night that I don't want to do anything. The Kid got me watching Grey's Anatomy (he borrowed the first season and convinced me to buy the second season) so I've used that as stress relief. Pathetic, huh?
~The last few nights I've been playing with Photoshop (see below). I'm not artistic, but I've always wanted to be, and making pictures look like "art", even bad "art" is fun....but it also feels a bit like cheating...sort of like doing paint by numbers. I mean I'm not actually doing anything artistic at this point--just applying filters to my pictures, which anyone could do.
~I keep toying with the idea of going ahead and buying a DSLR...I can't really afford it, but will I ever be able to? Eh. I don't really want to be rich (good thing!) but I wish I could sometimes buy things like that without analyzing it and agonizing about it for months first. I did the same thing before I bought my new laptop.
~I think I've been in a little bit of a funk all winter, and it's mostly related to work. I don't feel like I can blog about it in any detail here, but I've whined about it often enough over at Phantom's. Sometimes I wonder if it's just me being difficult. But I don't think so.
~I was miserable my first semester of grad school because I had chosen my program poorly. I thought about that the other day for the first time in a long time because on my worst days that is what I feel like now. But that was just one semester and then I changed programs. Changing jobs is not that simple for a variety of reasons.
~On the other hand when I started my academic job and when I started seminary I KNEW I was in the right place doing the right thing at the time. Is it too much to hope for that again?
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Fun with Photoshop
I installed Photoshop on my MacBook a few weeks ago, but haven't done anything with it. Today I decided to play around with it and learn how to really use it. I'm not sure I achieved that goal, even in part, but I had fun.
I started with this picture, which I posted a few weeks ago and applied various filters to come up with these:
(all of which look better if you click to enlarge)
I started with this picture, which I posted a few weeks ago and applied various filters to come up with these:(all of which look better if you click to enlarge)
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Spring?
Most everything is still a dull brown, and the weather is still iffy--we may get snow showers tonight though it was in the 60s yesterday--but I've begun to see and hear a few signs of spring:
~Our groundhog ambled across the back yard this afternoon.
~Chipmunks have been running up and down the stone wall.
~A half dozen or so geese have taken up residence on the pond.
~I've had grackles and red-wing blackbirds at the feeder.
~The neighbor's lawn sported a few crocuses (croci?).
~And tonight when I walked home from church, I heard a few spring peepers.
~Our groundhog ambled across the back yard this afternoon.
~Chipmunks have been running up and down the stone wall.
~A half dozen or so geese have taken up residence on the pond.
~I've had grackles and red-wing blackbirds at the feeder.
~The neighbor's lawn sported a few crocuses (croci?).
~And tonight when I walked home from church, I heard a few spring peepers.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Catching up Project 365...again
48/365
My kitchen window received its final coat of paint about two weeks ago, about the same time my new table and chairs arrived. So here it is, the day it was all finished. I spend a lot of time sitting here.
49/365
While I was sitting at the table this morning watching the snow fall, one of my favorite birds, the red-bellied woodpecker came to the feeder. This isn't the greatest picture in terms of sharpness, but what I like about it is that you can see two birds on the periphery coming towards the feeder.
50/365
Again, not the sharpest photo, but I still like the birds in it. (It looks better if you click on it to enlarge it.)
51/365
This is a white-breasted nuthatch perched on the side of the garage, waiting for a turn to eat.
My kitchen window received its final coat of paint about two weeks ago, about the same time my new table and chairs arrived. So here it is, the day it was all finished. I spend a lot of time sitting here.49/365
While I was sitting at the table this morning watching the snow fall, one of my favorite birds, the red-bellied woodpecker came to the feeder. This isn't the greatest picture in terms of sharpness, but what I like about it is that you can see two birds on the periphery coming towards the feeder.50/365
Again, not the sharpest photo, but I still like the birds in it. (It looks better if you click on it to enlarge it.)51/365
This is a white-breasted nuthatch perched on the side of the garage, waiting for a turn to eat.
The eyes have it
When I downloaded some pics I took this morning, I found some pics the Kid had taken of himself--probably when he was supposed to be doing homework. I cropped these to show just his eyes. I CANNOT make myself cross-eyed, and I love that picture.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Torn
I'm supposed to go to a conference tomorrow. It's not that far away, and it should be fairly interesting. But the weather is tres crappy. It's pouring rain now and windy, and it's supposed to change over to "wintry mix" here and snow where I am headed. I just don't feel like dealing with it, so it occurred to me that I could just stay home.
In some ways staying home sounds very attractive. I'm not preaching this weekend and I worked very hard this week to be mostly caught up. So if I stayed home tomorrow and Saturday would be free days, which I've had precious few of lately.
But I've already paid for this conference, and it feels a bit like I'm wimping out just because of bad weather.
Gah. I guess I'll see what the weather looks like in the morning.
ETA: Friday morning: That nasty combo referred to euphemistically as "wintry mix" was falling when I drove the Kid to school this morning; it turned to snow about 7 am and it's been snowing since, with more snow forecast for my destination. So I'm staying home, wimp or not.
In some ways staying home sounds very attractive. I'm not preaching this weekend and I worked very hard this week to be mostly caught up. So if I stayed home tomorrow and Saturday would be free days, which I've had precious few of lately.
But I've already paid for this conference, and it feels a bit like I'm wimping out just because of bad weather.
Gah. I guess I'll see what the weather looks like in the morning.
ETA: Friday morning: That nasty combo referred to euphemistically as "wintry mix" was falling when I drove the Kid to school this morning; it turned to snow about 7 am and it's been snowing since, with more snow forecast for my destination. So I'm staying home, wimp or not.
Monday, March 12, 2007
We interrupt this program
for a brief political rant.
~Rant the first: I do not understand the huge backlash against immigrant workers. This country was founded and populated by immigrants, and successive generations of immigrants have continued to enrich our culture and contribute to our economic growth. I am appalled by the thinly veiled racism that seems to underlie current attitudes towards immigrants, illegal or otherwise.
Last week a factory in my state was raided and illegal workers were rounded up and detained. Many of them had children who are now in foster care; some of those children fell through the cracks when their parents were detained and were left all alone. Some of those children were born in the US and what their fate will be if their parents are deported is uncertain.
These are people who were working hard to support their families and make better lives for themselves. Isn't that the American dream? Is that dream available only for a select few?
And the factory that was raided? It was making supplies needed by the troops in Iraq. Which leads to...
~Rant the second: I am vehemently opposed to the war in Iraq. I am a pacifist at heart and pretty anti-military. Because of this I have been accused of not "supporting our troops." But I wonder if this charge shouldn't be directed back at those government officials who make it so difficult for troops returning from war to receive the medical and psychological treatment they need? And who withhold discharge papers from someone who is paralyzed from the waist down while they figure out if he is "permanently" disabled, thus preventing him from getting VA benefits including the rehab he needs to get on with his life (this story was on NPR this morning). How can we send young men and women off to war and then deny them the care that they need to recover from the horrible effects of that war? It is unconscionable.
~Rant the first: I do not understand the huge backlash against immigrant workers. This country was founded and populated by immigrants, and successive generations of immigrants have continued to enrich our culture and contribute to our economic growth. I am appalled by the thinly veiled racism that seems to underlie current attitudes towards immigrants, illegal or otherwise.
Last week a factory in my state was raided and illegal workers were rounded up and detained. Many of them had children who are now in foster care; some of those children fell through the cracks when their parents were detained and were left all alone. Some of those children were born in the US and what their fate will be if their parents are deported is uncertain.
These are people who were working hard to support their families and make better lives for themselves. Isn't that the American dream? Is that dream available only for a select few?
And the factory that was raided? It was making supplies needed by the troops in Iraq. Which leads to...
~Rant the second: I am vehemently opposed to the war in Iraq. I am a pacifist at heart and pretty anti-military. Because of this I have been accused of not "supporting our troops." But I wonder if this charge shouldn't be directed back at those government officials who make it so difficult for troops returning from war to receive the medical and psychological treatment they need? And who withhold discharge papers from someone who is paralyzed from the waist down while they figure out if he is "permanently" disabled, thus preventing him from getting VA benefits including the rehab he needs to get on with his life (this story was on NPR this morning). How can we send young men and women off to war and then deny them the care that they need to recover from the horrible effects of that war? It is unconscionable.
Neglecting the blog
and other random bits of Monday
~I knew I hadn't posted in a while, but I didn't realize it had been over a week! What happened to my post-a-day habit? It didn't last very long after NaBloPoMo.
~And what happened to my Project 365, taking and posting a picture every day? I feel frustrated about that, because it was something I really wanted to do. I've really enjoyed others--like Ianqui and Scrivener and Liane to name just a few.
~Could this be related to the fact that today is the first whole day off I've had in two weeks?
~And that wouldn't even be so bad if I felt like I had accomplished a great deal, or if I felt caught up. But, nope. Neither of those is true.
~In fact, if truth be known, I have work I should do today....write things for the newsletter for example, since the deadline was Friday.
~At least the two all day meetings I went to last week, and the half-day workshop all seemed worthwhile. There is nothing worse than pointless meetings and worthless workshops.
~Yesterday was the first warm sunny day we've had in a while. But I was too tired to do more than sit on the couch and watch the last four episodes of 24's first season. Sheesh...could we have a few more plot twists? And I'm not so much for sad endings.
~I saw a chipmunk this morning, so spring must be coming :)
~Yesterday was Elder Son's birthday. It makes me feel awfully old--compounded by the realization that several of the bloggers I read just turned the same age he did.
~And Elder Son is engaged! To be married in July 2008.
~I knew I hadn't posted in a while, but I didn't realize it had been over a week! What happened to my post-a-day habit? It didn't last very long after NaBloPoMo.
~And what happened to my Project 365, taking and posting a picture every day? I feel frustrated about that, because it was something I really wanted to do. I've really enjoyed others--like Ianqui and Scrivener and Liane to name just a few.
~Could this be related to the fact that today is the first whole day off I've had in two weeks?
~And that wouldn't even be so bad if I felt like I had accomplished a great deal, or if I felt caught up. But, nope. Neither of those is true.
~In fact, if truth be known, I have work I should do today....write things for the newsletter for example, since the deadline was Friday.
~At least the two all day meetings I went to last week, and the half-day workshop all seemed worthwhile. There is nothing worse than pointless meetings and worthless workshops.
~Yesterday was the first warm sunny day we've had in a while. But I was too tired to do more than sit on the couch and watch the last four episodes of 24's first season. Sheesh...could we have a few more plot twists? And I'm not so much for sad endings.
~I saw a chipmunk this morning, so spring must be coming :)
~Yesterday was Elder Son's birthday. It makes me feel awfully old--compounded by the realization that several of the bloggers I read just turned the same age he did.
~And Elder Son is engaged! To be married in July 2008.
The Interview Meme
Like Trillwing, I'm late with this meme, but it's not for lack of questions. Profgrrrrl-not-Katie Couric sent me the questions a couple of weeks ago. So here goes:
1. What material possession would you find most difficult to give up?
~Right off the top of my head I would have to say my laptop and my camera. My laptop is my link to the "outside" world--my link to friends and family who are scattered all over the place. What would I do without email and blogs and such? Since one of the lovely daughters is on the other side of the planet I keep up with her life through her blog, and she keeps up with me the same way (although her blog is generally more interesting than mine.) And although I haven't been doing it much the last couple of weeks, I love taking pictures. Ever since I earned the Photography Badge as a Girl Scout, I wanted to take lots of pictures, but I never had a good camera and I was terrible, just TERRIBLE about getting film developed. I was relatively late jumping on the digital camera bandwagon, but I love my camera because I can take as many pictures as I want and just download them....so easy! so fun!
~The truth is that I do have other things I am attached to...a while back I decided that I only wanted to have things that I really care about. So every picture or doo-dad hanging on my walls has some sort of story attached. The only jewelry I own consists of a few inexpensive things I've bought for myself or my kids have given me , and things that my late mother-in-law who loved antique jewelry gave me so it all has more personal significance than monetary value. I have the christening gown that both my daughters wore and that was worn by their grandmother and I have the christening gown that I wore. I have an old trunk that is just like one my grandmother gave me (the original one got ruined but this one really is an exact copy). So things like that I would hate to lose, too. And my books.
2. What's the most important part of your daily routine?
~Having a few minutes of quiet time to just be. I'd like to say that I have a well developed routine of prayer/meditation or exercise, but I have neither. I really like to have a bit of quiet time in the morning though, before I have to talk to anyone too much and a few minutes of quiet when I get home from work.
3. What are you currently learning that excites you the most?
~Not one particular thing, but I love the way things I've learned in the past (in seminary for example) come together and are reintegrated as I use them and add in new things --experiences, readings, etc. In particular I find that preparing for sermons I revisit readings and discussions and often come to a new place with the material. And when I teach something that often happens as well.
4. Who would play you in the movie of your life?
~Oh my, I am so NOT up on actors, etc. But I admire Meryl Streep, so perhaps she would do. And if I wanted I could so have her hair in "The Devil Wears Prada".
5. If you found a $20 bill tucked deep in a sweater pocket, long forgotten, what would you do with it?
~Buy a book (except so many books are more than $20 these days!) or maybe have lunch with a friend.
Now, I am supposed to offer to ask questions of anyone who wants them, so if you want an interview, let me know.
1. What material possession would you find most difficult to give up?
~Right off the top of my head I would have to say my laptop and my camera. My laptop is my link to the "outside" world--my link to friends and family who are scattered all over the place. What would I do without email and blogs and such? Since one of the lovely daughters is on the other side of the planet I keep up with her life through her blog, and she keeps up with me the same way (although her blog is generally more interesting than mine.) And although I haven't been doing it much the last couple of weeks, I love taking pictures. Ever since I earned the Photography Badge as a Girl Scout, I wanted to take lots of pictures, but I never had a good camera and I was terrible, just TERRIBLE about getting film developed. I was relatively late jumping on the digital camera bandwagon, but I love my camera because I can take as many pictures as I want and just download them....so easy! so fun!
~The truth is that I do have other things I am attached to...a while back I decided that I only wanted to have things that I really care about. So every picture or doo-dad hanging on my walls has some sort of story attached. The only jewelry I own consists of a few inexpensive things I've bought for myself or my kids have given me , and things that my late mother-in-law who loved antique jewelry gave me so it all has more personal significance than monetary value. I have the christening gown that both my daughters wore and that was worn by their grandmother and I have the christening gown that I wore. I have an old trunk that is just like one my grandmother gave me (the original one got ruined but this one really is an exact copy). So things like that I would hate to lose, too. And my books.
2. What's the most important part of your daily routine?
~Having a few minutes of quiet time to just be. I'd like to say that I have a well developed routine of prayer/meditation or exercise, but I have neither. I really like to have a bit of quiet time in the morning though, before I have to talk to anyone too much and a few minutes of quiet when I get home from work.
3. What are you currently learning that excites you the most?
~Not one particular thing, but I love the way things I've learned in the past (in seminary for example) come together and are reintegrated as I use them and add in new things --experiences, readings, etc. In particular I find that preparing for sermons I revisit readings and discussions and often come to a new place with the material. And when I teach something that often happens as well.
4. Who would play you in the movie of your life?
~Oh my, I am so NOT up on actors, etc. But I admire Meryl Streep, so perhaps she would do. And if I wanted I could so have her hair in "The Devil Wears Prada".
5. If you found a $20 bill tucked deep in a sweater pocket, long forgotten, what would you do with it?
~Buy a book (except so many books are more than $20 these days!) or maybe have lunch with a friend.
Now, I am supposed to offer to ask questions of anyone who wants them, so if you want an interview, let me know.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Aaarrgh!
Is anyone besides me having trouble leaving comments on blogger? Some but not all blogs that use letter verification don't show any letters...so how the heck are you supposed to leave a comment. So YT, APL, AAYOR, Woman Warrior, and maybe a couple of others I've forgotten, I've tried to comment and it won't let me.
I've had "new blogger" for a couple of months and this just started happening, so I don't think it's just the conversion that is doing it.
I've had "new blogger" for a couple of months and this just started happening, so I don't think it's just the conversion that is doing it.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Six things
Tagged by NSLS, here are six weird things about me...hopefully these are not all things I've already told about myself.
1. I like prunes. I think they are a tasty snack, and I keep some in the cabinet all the time. I also think that the effort to improve their image by calling them "dried plums" is a bit silly.
2. I don't have a TV, and haven't for 10+ years. I've commented on that here before, and I really don't think it's all that weird, but apparently some people do, and they've given me flack about it. One person told me I'd never be a good preacher w/o a TV because I'm too out of touch with popular culture. Others (more than one) have hinted that I'm warping the Kid's life by raising him sans TV. News flash: he still knows quite a bit about TV and there are worse things I could do to him!
3. I would just as soon not have a car if I could avoid it. I loved the three years I lived in the city and didn't need one. I wish I could live some place where I could walk or take public transportation again. Or at least be able to mostly get by without a car. I don't have to drive to work now b/c I live next to the church, but I must drive to do anything else.
4. I have no interest in owning real estate. When I was younger I dreamed of having a big old Victorian house and fixing it up, and while I wouldn't mind living in such a house, owning it is no longer an ambition. Perhaps it is financially imprudent of me, but I am happy just to rent (or live in a rectory as I do now).
5. While Yankee doesn't remember movies, I don't remember music. The Kid constantly says to me, "Don't you know [x, y, or z song by someone whom he's sure I should know like Led Zeppelin or something else from that era]?" and 99% of the time I am clueless.
6. And while NSLS can watch things over and over, I like to read the same books over and over. I read my favorite books multiple times--most of Madeleine L'Engle's books, all of Harry Potter, Herman Wouk's Winds of War and War and Remembrance, Gail Godwin's Evensong are good examples I reread books when I am tired and stressed--it's comforting somehow.
I'm not tagging anyone specific, but feel free if you're so inclined....
Next up: my interview questions from Profgrrrrl-not Katie Couric.
1. I like prunes. I think they are a tasty snack, and I keep some in the cabinet all the time. I also think that the effort to improve their image by calling them "dried plums" is a bit silly.
2. I don't have a TV, and haven't for 10+ years. I've commented on that here before, and I really don't think it's all that weird, but apparently some people do, and they've given me flack about it. One person told me I'd never be a good preacher w/o a TV because I'm too out of touch with popular culture. Others (more than one) have hinted that I'm warping the Kid's life by raising him sans TV. News flash: he still knows quite a bit about TV and there are worse things I could do to him!
3. I would just as soon not have a car if I could avoid it. I loved the three years I lived in the city and didn't need one. I wish I could live some place where I could walk or take public transportation again. Or at least be able to mostly get by without a car. I don't have to drive to work now b/c I live next to the church, but I must drive to do anything else.
4. I have no interest in owning real estate. When I was younger I dreamed of having a big old Victorian house and fixing it up, and while I wouldn't mind living in such a house, owning it is no longer an ambition. Perhaps it is financially imprudent of me, but I am happy just to rent (or live in a rectory as I do now).
5. While Yankee doesn't remember movies, I don't remember music. The Kid constantly says to me, "Don't you know [x, y, or z song by someone whom he's sure I should know like Led Zeppelin or something else from that era]?" and 99% of the time I am clueless.
6. And while NSLS can watch things over and over, I like to read the same books over and over. I read my favorite books multiple times--most of Madeleine L'Engle's books, all of Harry Potter, Herman Wouk's Winds of War and War and Remembrance, Gail Godwin's Evensong are good examples I reread books when I am tired and stressed--it's comforting somehow.
I'm not tagging anyone specific, but feel free if you're so inclined....
Next up: my interview questions from Profgrrrrl-not Katie Couric.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Confession
I sat down around 5 pm last night to watch 24, just for a little while. And I sat there and watched eight episodes. Yeah.
My only regret is that it will be a few days before the next set gets here from Netflix. OTOH, that is probably a good thing....
My only regret is that it will be a few days before the next set gets here from Netflix. OTOH, that is probably a good thing....
Snow
I knew snow was forecast for today, but I didn't take it very seriously because we've had so little snow this winter, and just a bit was forecast. But it was snowing heavily when the Kid had to leave for school, and he's still coughing a lot (his asthma, asymptomatic for 2+ years, seems to have reemerged with this cold) so I drove him to school. Apparently the roads dept. didn't take the forecast very seriously either, because nary a plow or salt truck was in sight. When I got home I got the camera and watched the snow fall...
(If you click on the pic of the sparrow below you can see a single seed in his/her mouth).
42/365
43/365
44/365
45/365
46/365
(If you click on the pic of the sparrow below you can see a single seed in his/her mouth).
42/365
43/365
44/365
45/365
46/365
Friday, February 23, 2007
On being a sausage and other random bits of Friday
~This blog has felt very much like a sausage to me lately. I feel like I have nothing interesting to say, and I haven't even managed to post a picture every day, even though I was really excited about the prospect of doing so. Truth is, I feel in a bit of a rut. I've been accomplishing a fair amount at work, but when I'm home, if I'm not working on something for work, I'm not very productive at all. Maybe it's just the February blahs....
~And today I seem to have caught the Kid's cold..actually I caught it yesterday. I could feel it coming on; I did an early service with a group that meets each week for Eucharist and breakfast, and we had a wonderful discussion, one that energized me when I went into my office to catch up on end of the week/get ready for the weekend details. Mid-morning I started sneezing and I realized that I suddenly needed a nap very badly. I felt better after I ate some lunch, but by mid-afternoon I was dragging, so I came home. And today I have mostly languished on the couch blowing my nose and watching The Vicar of Dibley.
~Which I can watch because I finally joined Netflix. I haven't had a TV in ages (10 years) and I don't go to the movies that often. So I decided to catch up on some things I've missed. In my queue I have the first seasons of Grey's Anatomy and West Wing and I've got the first episodes of 24 here waiting for me to watch. Yeah, I know I'm still waaaaaay behind. Probably always will be, but that's okay. (Feel free to make other recommendations of things I should see).
~After several years of being a flexatarian/ selectatarian/ semi-vegetarian, I decided to give up all meat for Lent--not because I see it as a hard thing to do, but more because it's just a good time to do something I've been thinking about for a while. But tell me, vegetarian readers, what do you do when you're feeling blah and a good bowl of therapeutic chicken soup seems in order? That contingency I didn't anticipate.
~I've spent far too much time this week reading press releases, pastoral letters, emails and blogs about all the goings on in the Anglican Communion. And I am heartsick. I will spare you the details (they are readily available on line if you're interested) but as a Christian and Episcopalian of the progressive sort, I am heartsick over the position the Episcopal Church has been put by the Primates, who in my view want to make the Anglican church something it has never been. The price for unity may be too high for us to bear.
~I haven't been to my favorite city in almost a year, and I long to go. I have some time off after Easter, but as luck would have it (and because my boss is oblivious to such issues and scheduled time off without consulting me) the Kid doesn't have the same week off that I do. I may just have to go without him...
~And today I seem to have caught the Kid's cold..actually I caught it yesterday. I could feel it coming on; I did an early service with a group that meets each week for Eucharist and breakfast, and we had a wonderful discussion, one that energized me when I went into my office to catch up on end of the week/get ready for the weekend details. Mid-morning I started sneezing and I realized that I suddenly needed a nap very badly. I felt better after I ate some lunch, but by mid-afternoon I was dragging, so I came home. And today I have mostly languished on the couch blowing my nose and watching The Vicar of Dibley.
~Which I can watch because I finally joined Netflix. I haven't had a TV in ages (10 years) and I don't go to the movies that often. So I decided to catch up on some things I've missed. In my queue I have the first seasons of Grey's Anatomy and West Wing and I've got the first episodes of 24 here waiting for me to watch. Yeah, I know I'm still waaaaaay behind. Probably always will be, but that's okay. (Feel free to make other recommendations of things I should see).
~After several years of being a flexatarian/ selectatarian/ semi-vegetarian, I decided to give up all meat for Lent--not because I see it as a hard thing to do, but more because it's just a good time to do something I've been thinking about for a while. But tell me, vegetarian readers, what do you do when you're feeling blah and a good bowl of therapeutic chicken soup seems in order? That contingency I didn't anticipate.
~I've spent far too much time this week reading press releases, pastoral letters, emails and blogs about all the goings on in the Anglican Communion. And I am heartsick. I will spare you the details (they are readily available on line if you're interested) but as a Christian and Episcopalian of the progressive sort, I am heartsick over the position the Episcopal Church has been put by the Primates, who in my view want to make the Anglican church something it has never been. The price for unity may be too high for us to bear.
~I haven't been to my favorite city in almost a year, and I long to go. I have some time off after Easter, but as luck would have it (and because my boss is oblivious to such issues and scheduled time off without consulting me) the Kid doesn't have the same week off that I do. I may just have to go without him...
~I may fix another cup of tea and take my computer to my bed and watch 24...or just go to sleep early...hopefully I will feel better tomorrow, because I have to work tomorrow afternoon and evening.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Saturday morning
40/365 ~~Sermon prep
I don't usually write in the dining room, but the kitchen table isn't back in place yet--still waiting for the rest of the finish work and painting on the window...The angel wind chime belongs in the kitchen window, too, instead of hanging from the chandelier.
41/365~~Sunlight
I don't usually write in the dining room, but the kitchen table isn't back in place yet--still waiting for the rest of the finish work and painting on the window...The angel wind chime belongs in the kitchen window, too, instead of hanging from the chandelier.
41/365~~Sunlight
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Because I got nothing else going...a meme
As seen at Scrivener's place....
A- Available or Single?--um, is that a choice? I mean, how different are they? Okay....maybe they are different. I am definitely single. Available? Depends....
B- Best Friend?--she who shall remain nameless here
C- Cake or Pie?--pie--peach, mincemeat, blackberry, key lime....
D- Drink of Choice?--diet Lime Coke, or iced tea, or a decaf latte, or a cup of Earl Gray, or a cold beer or a nice glass of wine...
E- Essential Item? --my computer and my camera
F- Favorite Color? --purple and blue are tied for this one
G- Gummi Bears or Worms?--neither. Gah!
H- Hometown? --wherever I live at present (although I guess that's a theoretical answer, because not where I live right now), or the last place I lived. I've moved too many times to consider one place my "hometown"
I- Indulgence? --chocolate; paying someone to clean my house
J- January or February?--they aren't that different!
K- Kids and names?--yes, I have kids, and yes, they have names. I won't tell you what they are but I'll give some hints: One has a name that sounds the same as mine, but is spelled differently; one has a name that is also a place in England; one has a name that is also something that pumps oil; one has a name that rhymes with the 40th (I think) president.
L- Life is incomplete without...? --family? Friends? Books?
M- Marriage Date?--nada
N- Number of Siblings? --three
O- Oranges or Apples?--both/and not either/or...although I'd definitely take orange juice over apple juice
P- Phobias/Fears?--flying, snakes
Q- Favorite Quote?--I have a number of quotes I like from Einstein and Gandhi. Here's one: I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent~~Mahatma Gandhi
R- Reasons to smile?--lots
S- Season?--fall, winter, summer--spring is severely lacking in New England
T- Tag 3 people? --you, you and YOU
U- Unknown Fact About Me? I've told an awful lot about myself here already. What do you want to know?
V- Vegetable You Hate? -- raw carrots. Really. They make me gag.
W-Worst Habit?--procrastination
X- Xrays You've Had? --dental. Lots of dental x-rays.
Y- Your Favorite Foods? --Indian, Thai, vegetables, chocolate,lemon
Z- Zodiac?--Sagittarius. But so what?
A- Available or Single?--um, is that a choice? I mean, how different are they? Okay....maybe they are different. I am definitely single. Available? Depends....
B- Best Friend?--she who shall remain nameless here
C- Cake or Pie?--pie--peach, mincemeat, blackberry, key lime....
D- Drink of Choice?--diet Lime Coke, or iced tea, or a decaf latte, or a cup of Earl Gray, or a cold beer or a nice glass of wine...
E- Essential Item? --my computer and my camera
F- Favorite Color? --purple and blue are tied for this one
G- Gummi Bears or Worms?--neither. Gah!
H- Hometown? --wherever I live at present (although I guess that's a theoretical answer, because not where I live right now), or the last place I lived. I've moved too many times to consider one place my "hometown"
I- Indulgence? --chocolate; paying someone to clean my house
J- January or February?--they aren't that different!
K- Kids and names?--yes, I have kids, and yes, they have names. I won't tell you what they are but I'll give some hints: One has a name that sounds the same as mine, but is spelled differently; one has a name that is also a place in England; one has a name that is also something that pumps oil; one has a name that rhymes with the 40th (I think) president.
L- Life is incomplete without...? --family? Friends? Books?
M- Marriage Date?--nada
N- Number of Siblings? --three
O- Oranges or Apples?--both/and not either/or...although I'd definitely take orange juice over apple juice
P- Phobias/Fears?--flying, snakes
Q- Favorite Quote?--I have a number of quotes I like from Einstein and Gandhi. Here's one: I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent~~Mahatma Gandhi
R- Reasons to smile?--lots
S- Season?--fall, winter, summer--spring is severely lacking in New England
T- Tag 3 people? --you, you and YOU
U- Unknown Fact About Me? I've told an awful lot about myself here already. What do you want to know?
V- Vegetable You Hate? -- raw carrots. Really. They make me gag.
W-Worst Habit?--procrastination
X- Xrays You've Had? --dental. Lots of dental x-rays.
Y- Your Favorite Foods? --Indian, Thai, vegetables, chocolate,lemon
Z- Zodiac?--Sagittarius. But so what?
Friday, February 09, 2007
Single Bloom
37a/365
37b
37c
I've had this Christmas cactus for about 10 years. It came with the promise of abundant blooms, but with the exception of the year I bought it, it has bloomed very little. In fact the first few years it didn't bloom at all, and then it started blooming each year in March. When I wrote my application essay for seminary I used this cactus as a metaphor for my life: late-blooming.
I've been watching a single bud develop on this plant; this morning I caught it in the sunlight, and played with my camera and the light. Then this afternoon I caught the light from a different direction.
I love taking pictures, but the truth is, I don't know anything about what I am doing. It's all trial and error. I just got a new book on photography; once I get a chance to study it, we'll see if my pictures improve. I figure I can't justify buying a better camera until I learn how to fully use the one I have.
37b
37c
I've had this Christmas cactus for about 10 years. It came with the promise of abundant blooms, but with the exception of the year I bought it, it has bloomed very little. In fact the first few years it didn't bloom at all, and then it started blooming each year in March. When I wrote my application essay for seminary I used this cactus as a metaphor for my life: late-blooming.
I've been watching a single bud develop on this plant; this morning I caught it in the sunlight, and played with my camera and the light. Then this afternoon I caught the light from a different direction.
I love taking pictures, but the truth is, I don't know anything about what I am doing. It's all trial and error. I just got a new book on photography; once I get a chance to study it, we'll see if my pictures improve. I figure I can't justify buying a better camera until I learn how to fully use the one I have.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Monday, February 05, 2007
Frozen
33/365
There's a small pond behind our house. During the summer it's impossible to get to it because of all the catbriars (I just learned what they were called) and other undergrowth. We really can't even see it in the summer. But in the winter it's visible from the kitchen window, especially now when it's frozen.
I've met someone who grew up in this house, and she says she used to ice skate on the pond some winters. Last winter the pond froze but it never looked solid enough to walk on. This year, even though until recently the weather was unseasonably warm, once it got cold it got really cold, and the pond looks like it is frozen solid. I'm still a bit nervous about trusting the ice. I mean , how do you know when it's solid enough to walk on? And I have no idea how deep the pond is. But the Kid has been dying to try it out, so this afternoon we walked back there. He didn't go very far out but it was pretty solid on the edges.
There's a small pond behind our house. During the summer it's impossible to get to it because of all the catbriars (I just learned what they were called) and other undergrowth. We really can't even see it in the summer. But in the winter it's visible from the kitchen window, especially now when it's frozen.
I've met someone who grew up in this house, and she says she used to ice skate on the pond some winters. Last winter the pond froze but it never looked solid enough to walk on. This year, even though until recently the weather was unseasonably warm, once it got cold it got really cold, and the pond looks like it is frozen solid. I'm still a bit nervous about trusting the ice. I mean , how do you know when it's solid enough to walk on? And I have no idea how deep the pond is. But the Kid has been dying to try it out, so this afternoon we walked back there. He didn't go very far out but it was pretty solid on the edges.
Moon at Daybreak
30/365
Because the wind chill was below zero this morning I drove the Kid to the bus stop. When I came back, I noticed how beautiful the moon was in the still predawn light. Within minutes it had changed to this:
31/365
and then this:
32/365
Because the wind chill was below zero this morning I drove the Kid to the bus stop. When I came back, I noticed how beautiful the moon was in the still predawn light. Within minutes it had changed to this:
31/365
and then this:
32/365
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Window update
29/365
My window, as of today. Actually, it's been in this state since Tuesday night. I was hoping that by today they would've done the little bit of finish work that is required and the painting....who knows when that will happen.
I do love the window, though.
My window, as of today. Actually, it's been in this state since Tuesday night. I was hoping that by today they would've done the little bit of finish work that is required and the painting....who knows when that will happen.
I do love the window, though.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
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