Friday Five~Back to school

I've spent more than half my life in school as a student or teacher, so now that I'm NOT on an academic schedule spring and fall feel very different to me--I really miss the rhythm of the school year. And this is my last year to have a child at home, going to school. So this Friday Five from the RGBPs is very apropos for me. (And honestly I'm so glad to think of something besides work and politics!)

1. Is anyone going back to school, as a student or teacher, at your house? How's it going so far?
~The Kid started his senior year of high school, and so far, so good. He has a pretty rigorous course load, but he likes his classes so far, and the fact that it's senior year is starting to sink in for both of us--maybe even more for me than for him, since he is my last kid at home. He's doing the typical senior year things--senior pix, yearbook stuff, getting ready to do college apps (!) so there's a lot going on.

2. Were you glad or sad when back-to-school time came as a kid?

~I was generally glad to go back to school, although the end of summer held a tinge of sadness, too. I was always excited for a new year, a new teacher, new books, new school supplies. And I love fall, and somehow even though fall is a season of winding down in many ways, I associate it with the 'new start' feeling of the beginning of the school year--fresh and crisp somehow.

3. Did your family of origin have any rituals to mark this time of year? How about now?

~For a person who loves ritual in liturgy, I am remarkably low ritual at home. As a kid we had no rituals for the beginning of school, and I think I was sort of surprised when I started sending my kids off to hear that other people did have rituals. Of course both in childhood and as a parent there were new shoes, new school clothes, new school supplies, but really, no ritual.

4. Favorite memories of back-to-school outfits, lunchboxes, etc?

~I really don't remember any. Perhaps linked to the lack of ritual?

5. What was your best year of school?

~5th, 6th and 7th grades were the halcyon years of my childhood, in school and out. And I loved my undergrad years and seminary. Before I started my grad program people told me that it would be the best time of my life, but truly, it didn't measure up. And for whatever reason, I struggled less with the adjustments of seminary than many of my classmates, and I felt so lucky, so blessed to be there--at seminary and in the city--that I really treasure that time.

Still scary

She is appalling.

That pretty much sums it up.

Random bits of ....well, just random bits

~I should just put a sticky post up that says work is crazy because, well, it is. And I don't see it changing any time soon.

~Wow, it's chilly tonight. I closed most of the windows and I have on my sweatshirt and furry slippers with my pjs. Another reminder that fall is upon us.

~The Kid comes home every day with new bits of "senior year" stuff- to take care off-senior pictures, signing up to retake the SAT, reference letters for college apps, fundraisers for his trip in January. Hard to imagine that this time next year he will be at college and I will have an empty next. More to come about that, I'm sure.

~And did I tell you about his trip in January? He's going on a school trip to the inauguration. Let's just hope the right person is being inaugurated. Hint: no lipstick. No pit bulls, either.

~I got a Christmas catalog in the mail today. I am not ready to think about Christmas.

~Like pretty much everyone else, I am tired of campaign commentary. And also worried about the outcome. Very, very worried.

~I've had a couple of substantive posts floating around in my head (yes, really!) if only I could muster the energy to produce them...

~After saying I was going to bed early last night, it was still after midnight. Likely to be the same tonight. I can't seem to help myself. All these years I've thought I was more of a morning person--maybe I'm not.

Incoherent thoughts

~Long day at work--mostly productive, but long as we get ready to start the "program year" next week--a program year that includes two new services, and a vastly reduced staff. More long days to come, I'm sure.

~The Kid is taking AP Spanish and he has about 9000 vocabulary words to learn. Pages and pages of them. Suffice it to say that I might not remember any Spanish grammar, but I am learning some vocab with him as I quiz him each day on the words he needs to know for the next day.

~Where has all the excitement about Obama gone, all the hopefulness? Has Sarah Palin's nomination really sucked it all away?

~I read an interesting piece about her lack of interviews. No doubt they don't want to turn her loose until they sufficiently program her response. Cynical? Yep.

~Now I am going to close the computer and go to bed (relatively) early. Really. I know I say that all the time and then I sit here and read more or think of "one more thing" that I need to do b4 bed. But really, I'm going to bed...right now.

I can tell fall is coming

~because a few trees were beginning to change in Vermont last weekend.

~because lots of dry leaves fell in my yard during the storm.

~because the school buses are rumbling by again.

~because I can smell the wild grapes when I walk up my driveway.

Policies not parenting

~I've been trying to get over my knee-jerk reaction to Sarah Palin, and to learn more about her values and positions on the issues. It's been interesting, but it's not making me like her any more than I did. This op-ed piece (with lots of links) pretty much says it all. But if you still want more, here's a piece from the Boston Globe.

All I can say is having Palin a heartbeat from the presidency is not something I want to consider.

Waiting for the storm

~The hurricane tracker on weather.com says Hanna should pass through here between Sunday am and Sunday pm, but the forecast for tomorrow is partly cloudy, so I'm assuming that means it will go by tonight in the wee hours. We had some heavy rain this morning, but since then it's just been hot and muggy. The wind is starting to pick up a little now, but it's still just a strong breeze. The weather map shows rain all around us, so I'm sure it will be here soon.

~I'm hoping we don't loose power, but I'm also trying to be realistic: we almost always lose power when there is a storm with lots of wind. So we'll see. At least my sermon is written and printed. All too often we have lost power when I am working on it, and that is a time for panic! And my laptop and phone are charged. (Priorities, after all...). And we have a few things we can eat without cooking, if need be.

~I'm wondering if I need to go out and move things around in the garage to make room for the car. In the winter I always keep the car inside, but this summer, with workpeople in and out, the garage has gotten to be a bigger mess than usual, and which means no room for the car. Eh, we'll see what it's like when I pick the Kid up from work in an hour or so.

~I'm very grateful I'm not getting ready for Ike instead of Hanna! Hurricanes are nasty creatures, no doubt about it.

Youthful thinking about politics

~We had an 'end-of-summer' cookout for the youth at our parish tonight. These kids are between 12 and 15, nice kids, pretty normal young teens. I was sitting with them as we ate ice cream and the talk turned to politics. It was fascinating to me to hear these kids discussing who they supported and why, what bothered them about politics and the campaigns, who they thought would win, and the like. I think I'd forgotten how kids this age think, how naive they can be (and I mean that with no negative connotations--more a reflection of their innocence and inexperience).

~The Kid grew up around political discussions--especially around Woman Warrior and her friends. So it has been a long time since he displayed that level of innocence and naivete. He and his friends are actually pretty politically astute even though they are only a year or two older. Not sure if that is the result of a big developmental leap or just experience (or both).

~I'm pretty sure that when I was their age I was more idealistic. There was a fair amount of cynicism in these kids' opinions. I recognize that being idealistic is part of my personality, but I wonder how much role the media has playing in increasing these kids' cynicism and skepticism.

~I also ran into the 'I used to be for Hillary but now I'm for McCain' sentiment in one or two of the teens. Surprised me, actually, but it wasn't really a time or place for me to argue or reason about that kind of thinking. And I'm not sure that it would have mattered, anyway. But the logic of that still defies me, no matter what the age of the person who says that.

Just can't do it

~Not listening to John McCain's acceptance speech. I just can't listen to any more. I OD'd on Republicans last night. So it's early to bed for me. I'll read about it tomorrow.

Liveblogging random bits of the RNC

~Am I naive to be surprised to hear a Catholic bishop praying at the convention? Did they do this last week at the DNC? Okay so the NY Times says an Episcopal priest prayed last night. But really, is this appropriate?

~Mitt Romney has a lot of chutzpah to stand there and claim that Washington is liberal now. After 8 years of Bush/Cheney? I'm not sure I have the stomach to keep listening to this.

~So we called Sen. Clinton "Hillary" because she wanted us to (supposedly anyway). Now I hear everyone referring to Gov. Palin as "Sarah"--but I sure don't hear anyone referring to "John" or "Joe" or even "Barack". This makes me nuts.

~I'm remembering again why I don't listen to political speeches, having now sat through the Governor of Hawai'i, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and now Rudy Guiliani. Not sure I'll make it through Palin.

~Palin's talk is very heavy on scare tactics--and it's working, although not the way she wants. She really does scare me with her "tough" talk. And there she goes again--"There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you." The emphasis on fighting and militaristic images seems to be a theme for her.

~Clearly Piper Palin loves the spotlight. And she's a cute kid.

~McCain's out now; I'm done.

Weighing in regardless

~There has probably been too much said about all this already, including bloggers who've spoken eloquently about it, but this whole Sarah Palin thing keeps niggling at me. I will admit to having something of a knee jerk reaction to her political leanings: anti-choice, NRA member, advocate of teaching creationism, advocate of drilling in ANWAR, and so forth. I doubt that we could be more different in our political leanings.

~That said, there is more to my discomfort at her nomination than that. As much as I don't want to judge her on criteria that most likely wouldn't be applied to a male candidate (like what kind of parent she is), I can't help but wonder about her priorities. Much has been made of her decision not to terminate her pregnancy when she learned that her youngest child would be born with Trisomy 21--she's been called "heroic", a label I (and others) find inappropriate--but what about her decision to leave that child to return to work when he was just 3 days old? And what about her decision to undertake a national campaign when that child is only four months old? As I watch my daughter with her 5-month-old, I'm reminded how challenging it is to parent an infant, how much time and energy it takes. Of course that doesn't mean that a mother shouldn't pursue her career. But how does one juggle caring for not just an infant but a special needs infant while jetting about the country promoting one's campaign?

~Add to that her willingness to thrust her pregnant 17-year-old into the national spotlight. Being 17 and pregnant must be hard enough no matter how much support your family gives you without being held up to public scrutiny. Palin knew her daughter was pregnant long before McCain approached her about the vice presidency. Surely she must've considered the impact that this would have on her daughter and on the father of her baby. You'd might think that a parent would want to protect them from that kind of pressure.

~So I question Palin's judgment, her decision making, as well as her political positions. And I question John McCain's judgment and decision making skills as well. Apparently his VP pick was make on the fly, without much vetting of Palin. As I noted last week, his choice to me smacks of opportunism, of wanting to grab the spotlight away from Obama and the democrats in the most dramatic way possible. To me it feels almost like a cyncial choice. Knowing that he can't really compete with the magnetism of Obama's campaign, he makes an attempt to woo disgruntled Hillary supporters with a flashy VP choice. But in doing so he manages not only pick an outrageously unqualified candidate, but also to insult the intelligence of women by assuming that female voters would choose gender over substance. Some might, I guess, but most are smarter than that.

~Then there was that thankfully short-lived notion that perhaps McCain and Palin should give their acceptanc speech from the gulf coast. Huh? Let's just suppose for a minute that Gustav had devastated New Orleans like Katrina did. Is it really helpful to have presidential candidates lurking in the area with their entourage of security, staff and press? Bad enough that GWB thinks it's being "presidential" to hang out nearby (in a weak attempt to compensate for his abysmal failure to help after Katrina). Luckily for everyone, Gustav was not the "mother of all storms" it had the potential to be, but the idea that one might use such a storm for political gain in the guise of being concerned is reprehensible to me.

~And the worst part of all? McCain and Palin might actually get elected. I'd like to think that the electorate would be better than that, but after all Bush and Cheney were elected twice. I don't want to think about what this country would be like after four (or eight--shudder) years under a McCain/Palin administration.

Monday morning

~It has been an absolutely gorgeous weekend here in northern New England--the best of the end-of-summer, beginning-of-fall. We've spent time downtown walking around and doing bit of shopping, we've hung out with the baby, we've eaten good food. Saturday we had brunch at the inn that is part of the complex where WW works--she works on the farm as an educator. And yesterday we went to church at the church where I was ordained to the diaconate three years ago. It's not my 'home parish' but I know people there, and it is the closest church to where NSLS lives. Baby J did really well in church and it was wonderful to be there.

~Speaking of Baby J, she is having some fussy times now when it seems like she wants to eat but she doesn't nurse very well--instead she cries. It is hard for NSLS and Mr. LS. Otherwise she is a cheerful and perky baby. She loves sitting in her exersaucer, and is really good at putting her pacifier in her mouth when she wants to. She scooches around on the floor when you lay her on a blanket. Of coursed I'm biased but I think she's wonderful in every way.

~This morning we are going to make two quick college visits, and then we must head home. The Kid has school and I have work, and summer is really over.

Because I haven't posted a baby picture yet

~ The world's cutest baby (tm) at five months

Where I had breakfast this morning

I guess I was wrong

~when I said that there was no way McCain could top what the Democrats did this week. Well, maybe he didn't top it, but he certainly tried his best to steal their thunder when he announced Sarah Palin as his choice for VP today.

~If I thought she was qualified, I think I would say "Good for you, McCain," but this choice (and the timing in announcing it) is so clearly manipulative and intended for political advantage, intended to overshadow the positive energy generated in Denver this week that it just makes me feel sick.

~Does he really think that women will vote for him just because he selected a woman? That he will win over the disgruntled Hillary supporters? She is antithetical to everything Hillary Clinton stands for. Does he really think Gov. Palin is qualified to become president if anything should happen to him? She's only been governor for two years.

~I'll admit that I never heard of Sarah Palin before today. But the more I read about her, the more scary she seems.

Vacation Part Deux

~After working pretty much non-stop since we came home from Maine, I'm taking this weekend off. The Kid finished his first two days of school and has a long weekend, so (almost) as soon as the Kid got off the bus today we loaded up the car and headed to Vermont. I think this must be my summer to get caught in traffic, though, because between traffic slow downs for no discernible reason and road construction, it took us at least an hour longer to get here than it should.

~We arrived just in time to hear Obama's acceptance speech. Not his most inspiring speech, imho, but good. I think the Republican convention is going to be a real anti-climax. How can McCain possibly match what the democrats did this week?

~The Kid now officially towers over both his sisters. It's kind of funny to see.

~Baby J was already asleep when we arrived :( but I look forward to holding the world's cutest baby tomorrow.

Thank you, Hillary

~I'm not watching the convention (no TV) but from all the snippets I've heard on this morning's news, I'm liking what Hilary said last night. Especially where she emphasized that "It's not about me," and "I've worked too hard for the last 35 years to entrust [women's rights and health care among other things] to another Republican president." I hope her die-hard hold-out supporters were listening.

~I'm also touched by Sen. Kennedy getting out of his hospital bed to make his speech Monday night. Despite his flaws, I'm an admirer; he is as close to an "elder statesman" as we have right now, and his whole-hearted support of Obama is important.

~And could Michelle Obama be more awesome? I really don't think the candidate's spouse should matter in the grand scheme of things; nonetheless given the role that person will inevitably play, it nice to have someone so very inspiring.

~I'll be at NSLS's house Thursday night if all goes according to plan, so I will get to see Obama's acceptance speech.

~I haven't felt this hopeful about an election in decades. Of course, all my hopes may come to naught, but I'll hold onto the hope for now.

Random bits of another day

~Today was a better day, a much better day. But it feels like it must be at least Thursday already.

~More unbloggable craziness at work (not directly involving me this time) with potentially huge consequences.

~Long meeting in which I tried to untangle some of what was done last week while I was gone.

~And the Kid starts his senior year tomorrow.

Maybe I need a do-over

~So I got up bright and early, greeted the painters at the door, had breakfast and arrived at the office ready to get to work on the newsletter. Then I totally overreacted to something that had been done in my absence. Overreaction or not, it was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back for me and I had a little melt-down in my office. I think it's been coming for a while (because the underlying issues are real even if today's issue was blown out of proportion), and maybe it's just as well I got it over with. But not how I wanted to start the week.

Back in the saddle again

~So I got my sermon done yesterday at the very last possible moment and arrived at church feeling frazzled. But then, when I stood on the step and began the opening acclamation, I was flooded with joy. I am so lucky to be able to do what I do.

~I am grateful for moments of grace like that--they are what carry me through all the aggravations and frustrations that seem to plague me these days. I am again invoking my mantra, "Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go; whispering words of wisdom--let it go, let it go."

~This afternoon I really needed a clergy nap--I did take one but it was cut short by the concert at church that I had to get up to attend. But why am I so tired when I just got back from vacation?

Owwwie

~A couple of weeks before my vacation, my left shoulder and arm started hurting. I thought it might be some sort of repetitive stress because it was definitely worse when I used my computer, but a nurse at my parish, when I described the symptoms to her, said it sounded like a pinched nerve. Dr. Google informed me that 'rest' was about all that could be done, and I found that if I sat with my laptop actually in my lap, it was better. The week my vacation started, my shoulder began to feel much better, and it continued to improve while I was in Maine. I had one day when it hurt badly for a while, but the rest of the time it was almost back to normal.

~Last night when I got home I sat down in my favorite place--the table in front of the bay window in the kitchen--and caught up on some blogs. And this morning I sat down there to get a start on my sermon--and owwie! My shoulder was hurting again. Maybe it's the height of the table relative to the chair, but my shoulder and arm definitely react to me using the computer there. So I'm relegated to the living room couch again. Which doesn't matter so much in the evening, but in the morning I love to sit by the window. It's the sunniest place in the house and I can watch the birds and spread my books out on the table--it's really my favorite spot.

~I'm also wondering if this shoulder thing is exacerbated by stress. The one day it hurt worse in Maine followed an episode of me being significantly stressed about a work situation that was unfolding. And today, when it starts hurting again, I have to go back to work. Gah.

~But now I MUST write a sermon.

Random bits of coming back home

~Vacation is over (cosmic sigh) and we are back home again. Actually we arrived less than an hour ago, after getting stuck in horrendous traffic that crawled along about 10 mph for close two hours. Gah. Other than that the drive was uneventful, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

~And we did wait until after lunch time to leave...because the Kid had to get in one last round of golf. After loading the car we stopped at the little store at the end of the road to get petrol ($3.65 /gal. ! and yes, that's a very good thing) and sandwiches. The gas pump is one of the old fashioned ones with the little numbers that click around, and apparently there is some piece about getting the gas to stop that I don't remember because I managed to get gas all over my hand and arm when I took the nozzle out of the car. The very nice man in the little store (with no public rest rooms) let me wash up though, so I didn't have to turn around and go back to my friends' house. Although perhaps I should have because it turns out I left my mouse there. As you may have noticed, we had lots of identical computers sitting around and I was very careful to pack up the right one, but somehow I missed the mouse, which my friend D very kindly already put in the mail to me.

~Just like last summer, D and J's niece j was visiting from England while we were there, and this morning j's parents popped in unexpectedly. Well, j didn't expect them, but the rest of us knew they were coming. j was very excited to say the least.

~After an email outlining the work that had been done on the house in my absence, I had certain, shall we say, expectations. Turns out they were too high. Still no plumbing fixtures in the hall bathroom (which actually isn't a big deal) but the carpentry work repairing what was torn up to access the plumbing has been done. The not-so-good thing is that the washer and dryer have been unhooked at their current location but not moved to their new location. Glad I did most of the laundry in Maine. Hope I have clean work clothes.

~Vacation was great. We always have a wonderful time when we visit D and J. We do lots of fun things (and we never get to all the things we talk about doing) and we just hang out and talk and relax. And we eat lots of yummy food, including home made ice cream (yum) and fresh corn on the cob (just to name two of this year's highlights).

~ It's a bit hard to come back to the "real world", but reality is, I have work tomorrow--sermon to write! Service to preside at! The Kid has to work this weekend and starts school Wednesday, and still has summer homework to finish. I may still have more vacation pictures and posts to come, however.

~The Kid pointed out to me that I misspelled "today" in yesterday's post--sort of embarrassing that I didn't notice that and I should fix it. And in response to comments about the s'mores--the marshmallows didn't make a mes on the stove, thanks to J's expert handling (with some help from the Kid) and yes, I did explain the "proper" way to make them--we just didn't have a time or place to make a fire.

Today's vacation snippets

Computing on the deck...
and indoor s'mores for my Brit friends who'd never had them (they were a hit).

Whines and anti-whines

~It's Wednesday and by tradition, it's a day to whine--and to anti-whine. And I have both:

~Anti-whine: Not going home until Friday--yay! One more day in Maine is always a good thing.

~Whine: For the first time ever, I haven't been able to leave all my work stuff at work during my vacation. And for the first time, I feel stressed out about going back to work. Not because of the work per se, because I love my work. But I'm feeling increasingly dissatisfied about some aspects of my work situation, and a couple of these things have been exacerbated in my absence, apparently. Gah.

~Anti-whine: I'm taking a long weekend for Labor Day, so I have a bit more time off to look forward, too. And we're going to Vermont where we'll get to see the world's cutest baby.

~Anti-whine: The weather was gorgeous today, and promises to be that way for the rest of the week. Hooray!

~Whine: The Kid's allergies have been acting up really badly for the first time in a couple of years. We're in a household full of cats but we've been here before and he hasn't been this bad. Not sure why this year is worse--maybe more ragweed in addition to cats?

~Whine/anti-whine (depending on one's perspective): School starts a week from today, and it's the Kid's senior year!

Random bits of vacation

~Vacation is almost over...it always goes by too fast. Thursday we'll head home and Saturday I'm back at work.

~The weather has been off and on...patches of beautiful blue skies and balmy breezes sandwiched by rainy spells. Tonight it's getting cold! In this part of New England, fall is not far off.

~We've tried to take full advantage of the good weather days--golf, swimming, tennis, badminton, and Frisbee have all been on the agenda (and I take pix of all the activities!) We went to the fair one day, and the Kid and I went shopping in the state capital another. Tonight we went bowling--something I haven't done in at least 25 years. It was fun!

~During the rainy spells we've played games, watched movies, done craft projects and played on the internet.

~And I've taken LOTS of pictures, some of which I've posted already, with plenty more to come.

Full moon over Maine

I futzed and futzed with the manual settings on the camera last night and tonight to get a good moon shot; I finally got this one using the 'shutter priority' setting rather than full manual. Also used my friend's tripod--that is my next photography purchase.

Zinnias

Rainbow

Transformations

I'm on vacation, or as my Brit friends would say, holiday (which actually sounds better to me) and I've quite lost track of the days. But clicking over to the RevGalPals reminds me that it's Friday and time for the Friday Five. Being on holiday, I'm in denial that summer is almost over but this Friday 5 is a stark reminder with the challenge to share "five transformations that the fall will bring your way."

1. The Kid will begin his senior year in high school. As I've blogged before, when he graduates next June it will mark the end of a very long period of me having at least on child in K-12--28 years if I count correctly. Over half my life. So his senior year seems like a big milestone to me, bigger even than senior years always are. And we need to do the college visits and applications as so forth as well.

2. I will begin in earnest to search for my next position. I've been sort of looking on and off, but the serious searching and applying will be underway as soon as my holiday ends. It's time, and I think I'm ready.

3. We are beginning two new services at church. It has been Interesting Times at my parish for a while, and I'll be interested in seeing how these two efforts go over. More about them later perhaps.

4. I've been growing my hair a bit, and by fall I may have a whole new look. (This seems a bit trivial, but I'm feeling somewhat stumped--aren't three transformations enough for any one time?)

5. It will be time to break out the sweaters again. Although I love wearing sandals in summer and hate to give that up, I also like to wear sweaters in fall and winter. (Another trivial one, I'm afraid...)

Bonus: a favorite fall activity. Fall has long been my favorite season, and ever since I was a kid I've loved to watch the leaves fall and to walk through them, crunching them and ruffling through them. And if I were still in Vermont, it would be time for apple picking. (No apples where I currently live, alas).

On the midway

Mixed messages

~Checked my work email today in part because I haven't been getting any email on my Crackberry like I usually do (not sure what that problem is...). And I had not one, but two emails that start, "Hope you're enjoying your vacation--you really deserve it!" and then go on to say, "Can you do X for me?" or "When can you get y done?" Sheesh.

Rose breasted grosbeak

~This is a bird I don't have at home, so I was thrilled to see it here at my friends' house.

One of the kitties

In the garden

No words necessary

Vacation!

I've been off work since last Friday, but my vacation started in earnest today! After a week of errands (new tires and brakes, ac charged, oil change and cleaning and state inspection for the car, picking up some odds and ends, last loads of laundry, hair cut for the Kid, and the like) and then packing last night, we left bright and early this morning and headed north.

Our first stop was for a blogger meet-up lunch with the fabulous Songbird, Ruby and Mary Beth (the latter two who happened to be in town to visit Songbird). We had great food and great conversation--I only wish we'd had more time to spend there. After lunch the Kid and I continued north to our friends D and J where we'll spend the next two weeks.

I'm sorry to say that I left the camera in the car during lunch and it was raining when we were ready to leave so I didn't retrieve it. I don't know why I didn't at least take a picture with my phone, but alas, there is no photographic record of the blogger lunch today --I'll have to do better next time!

My point exactly

Amen

I saw this link over at Timna's place; she posted one of the winners, which I also love, but there are lots of good ones.

House full of plumbers

Really, I've never seen so many plumbers in one place. In the basement. Upstairs. Outside. In the hall bathroom. But the work is being done, and they are unfailingly polite. The only real downside for me (besides having to share my bathroom with the Kid because his is out of commission) is how early I have to get up and get showered and dressed to let the plumbers in on days that (it being my vacation) I could otherwise sleep in.

Tomorrow it's on to car repairs...

Extricated myself...

~from the project I was going to work on today. Long story, but the upshot is that I put it off until I get back, and smoothed the feathers of the person who "wasn't sleeping" because it wasn't done yet. I may regret it when it is still hanging over my head in a few weeks, but part of the reason is out of my control anyway.

~Meanwhile I hear through the grapevine that other crises are brewing at work...it's a real roller coaster there these days. I am glad I am leaving town!

~I now have big holes in the bathroom wall and ceiling, and in one closet upstairs to give the plumbers access to the pipes. I have plaster walls, not drywall, and they did quite a bit of (controlled) damage. Should be interesting to see how this all turns out...

~I have a free day now. Hmmm, maybe I'll take a nap. Or watch a movie. Ah...., vacation!

Vacation Sunday

~It was an unusual Sunday from the get-go, starting with me sleeping in. After the Kid worked on some summer homework with a friend, we went for a late brunch at at fantastic place where I had raspberry pancakes--delicious! This place is frequented by many church folks, and I ran into a bunch of them who kindly told me that they missed me this morning.

~This afternoon I went to buy birdseed, and since that takes me to the more touristy part of town the Kid and I hung out a bit; bought some salt water taffy and had an ice cream soda. We made a short sojourn to the main drag and decided it wasn't worth it, not being tourists ourselves.

~Much of yesterday and today has been occupied with sorting through pictures. I've taken lots of pictures of church events and I need to use them for the church directory. But since my hard drive crashed, they are scattered between two external drives. On one I had backed up all my pictures through 2006; they were organized and it was just a matter of picking out the ones I wanted. But the others--oy. They are the ones that were lost and then found and recovered with the fancy software. But when you recover data that way it comes back all jumbled up. I have thousands of pictures just thrown all together--just like that suitcase full of photos lurking in the upstairs closet. It will take m weeks, weeks to go through all of them. I worked a few hours on it this evening and got through about 1200 pictures. Only a few of them the church pix I was looking for...

~Tomorrow I must spend trying to assemble a church directory. I volunteered to help do this months ago--before I knew we'd be short staffed this summer, before I knew I'd have a bunch of extra stuff on my plate, before my hard drive crashed and my pictures got all jumbled up, before I found out that I was the only one who had saved pictures of events. But promise I did, and I can't put it off any longer. The person overseeing the project (well the part where everyone comes and gets their pictures taken by well-known but annoying photographers anyway) has been sending me emails at all hours of the day and night to see if I've done it yet. Here's hoping I can finish it all in one day, because that is all I am willing to give it this week. Not my idea of vacation fun.

Little bit of this, little bit of that

~That pretty much describes my day. Laundry, paying bills, sorting through pictures for the church directory (that's my big project for Monday), a bit of shopping, some on-line and some local.

~I'm not much of a list person; more likely I will have random post-its stuck up around the computer in my office and a running list for the grocery store on the refrigerator (which I rarely actually remember to take to the store with me). But around vacation time I start keeping lists--written and mental--of everything that needs to get done so I can actually HAVE a vacation. As I noted earlier, the work list didn't get finished. And today, in my head, I've been adding the home list. Gah. Must get the car worked on. Must buy bird seed. Must finish laundry. Etc.

~It turns out the plumbers are coming in this week to set the bathrooms in order; I'd thought that they weren't coming for another week, when we'd be away. I'm glad to get the work done, but I could do without the disruption this week. But I'm excited, too, because at the end of all this they are going to move the washer and dryer from the back hall right by the back door into the center hall bathroom. It is much more centrally located, and has plenty of room, and I'm getting new cabinets installed in there--it will be great.

~The Kid is lamenting the passing of summer. Friday we leave for Maine for two weeks, and five days after we come home, he starts school. Summer does seem short, even to me.

~And he'll be starting his senior year. Wasn't he just starting kindergarten like yesterday?

Friday Five~Roadblocks and hurdles

As always, from the RGBPs

1) How do you amuse yourself when road construction blocks your travel?

I don't have any particular strategy. Unless I am in a huge hurry I can be fairly patient, listen to NPR and muse about things. Of course if I'm trying to get somewhere on time, then I fidget and fume.

2) Have you ever locked yourself out of your house? (And do you keep an extra key somewhere, just in case?)

More times than I care to remember, though not here (yet, knock wood). In NYC where I had keys for EVERYTHING it was a real sinking feeling to get out of the apt. and realize I didn't have my keys. Fortunately, I could get a spare key from the seminary reception desk, but it could still be a hassle. Maybe because of that I am super paranoid about making sure my keys are in my pocket when I leave the house. I could get a house key from the church where there is a spare--but only if the church office is open, and wisely or not, all my keys are on one ring, so if I'm locked out one place, I'm locked out everywhere.

3) Have you ever cleared a hurdle? (And if you haven't flown over a material hurdle, feel free to take this one metaphorically.)

Certainly not a physical one as in running hurdles--um, no, there'd be no chance. Metaphorically speaking, I've managed to clear a number of hurdles in my life, I think--single parenthood, going back to school, making it through the ordination process to name a few.

4) What's your approach to a mental block?

Back off, and try to let go of it for a while. If I can do that, solutions tend to come unexpectedly. But it's not alwasy so easy to let go of it and not worry and obsess about whatever it is.

5) Suggest a caption for the picture above; there will be a prize for the funniest answer!

I'm so bad at this...and it's the kind of thing that I get mental blocks about :) so I'll pass.

Free at last...

~Well, sort of.

~When I walked out of the office at 6 pm my vacation officially started. Hurrah!

~But my to-do list is still not teh-done...

~Some of it will just have to wait. A couple of things I will do here and email to the parish administrator. And one very large (and very annoying) project I will sneak into the office and work on clandestinely. Because I promised someone I'd try to get it done. Ack.

~Meanwhile car must be worked on before we leave town in a week, and the house is a pit because I've been too tired to do anything to it the last 10 days or so. Such is life.

~But tomorrow I'm sleeping in. And then I may go to the movies. Or something...

One more day...

until my vacation officially starts. Unfortunately, my to-do list is no where near done. Gah. I brought some work home to do tonight, but I haven't touched it yet. Double gah.

At this point all I want to do on vacation is find a comfy chair and recline in it. Maybe with a nice iced latte...

Yeah

click to embiggen

Looking to the future...

In a comment to my last post, Susan asked why it's time for me to think about where my next place might be--am I supposed to move every x number of years? I started to answer in a comment, but it was getting pretty long, so I decided my answer deserved a post of its own.

The short answer is no and yes. In the Episcopal Church priests do not (under most conditions) have a fixed tenure in a parish. Rectors (head pastors) can and do stay for many years. Assistants (which is what I am) may have a time-certain end point (often two years when it is expected that the assistant will be a new seminary graduate). In my case, because the Kid was starting high school my first year here, the understanding was that I would be here for four years with the option of staying longer if all were agreeable. I've been here three years, the Kid will graduate from high school next June, and so the time has come to think about what's next.

On some level staying here would be okay. I love the work that I do, and the congregation I serve and the feedback I get indicates that they like me. In many ways being an assistant suits me. But the truth is, I think it really is time for me to move on. It's no secret to long time readers that geographically, where I am now has presented some challenges. It is a beautiful place, no doubt about it, much sought out as a retirement and vacation location, but I have found it a bit isolating, and I miss the city, or a more city-like setting. But far more important are things more directly related to work. There is the possibility (now being said aloud although it's been lurking for a while) that because of budgetary constraints, my position won't be fully funded after I leave. I think that is a really bad thing for lots of reasons, but it doesn't directly affect me except that to the extent that if it becomes a reality they will be ready for me to leave sooner rather than later.

Even more than that, however is the reality that I don't have a great working relationship with my boss. I would love, love to blog about all the reasons why, but I'm not comfortable doing so, on the off chance that someone in my parish or who knows my parish finds me here. Suffice it to say that on the surface everything looks congenial, and we manage to get a lot done. But there is a great deal of underlying tension. I'm more open about its existence, but I think it is very real on both side--in other words, it's not just me and my insecurity talking. I've heard enough comments from other sources to validate many of my perceptions. My boss never had an assistant before, and while I know he likes and takes advantage of having someone to share the work load, he is far less comfortable with the notion of any kind of shared authority. From my side of things, there has never been any question of who is in charge in my mind, but I get the feeling that as I do more and my competency increases, he feels threatened on some level. And that doesn't make for a good working environment.

Finally, I need to consider whether I want to lead a parish on my own. I think that I do, and since I'm no spring chicken, having come to this career later in life, I need to move on that. So now is the time to start thinking about it. I won't be going anywhere any time soon, because as many of you know, these things take time. But this time next year, I hope I'll know more about where this is all leading.

Sunday night rambling

~Today was a good day at church. Preaching went well, liturgy went well, things just felt right. I have a fan club of sorts, the "little old ladies" who have taken my under their wings and cheer me on. They are actually a great bunch of women--the youngest is 80 and the oldest is 92, and they go out for brunch every Sunday after church, go to the symphony, do various volunteer jobs. It's hard not to come away smiling after spending time with them. Attendance was low today, but the ladies were there in full force.

~After three years here, it seems like I've come to a new level of belongingness (is that a word?) The congregation feels like "my" people. It's always been a friendly congregation, but I feel much more integrated into the parish, and I know not just names and faces but also foibles and likes and dislikes and so forth. I know about family and friends and worries and cares and joys. The irony, of course, is that now that I am in that kind of comfortable relationship with folks, it's time to start thinking about where the next place for me might be.

The other thing I'm psyched about

(besides vacation!)

I have a coach! A clergy coach! And I am thrilled.

My boss made it pretty clear that he didn't want to have to do a lot of mentoring when he hired me. And we have enough differences in temperament and work style that it wouldn't have a great fit anyway. And although the diocese gives newly ordained clergy mentors, mine really didn't work out. And all my attempts to develop a support system have gone bust for a variety of reasons.

But there is a retired priest in our parish who does clergy coaching. He's really good, and he's unofficially been offering me lots of support for the last 6-8 months. And he offered to coach me for a vastly reduced fee. I alreadly know we work well together. So when I get back from vacation I'll have regular monthly coaching sessions, and he'll be "on-call" for me when I need to talk something over. I am so grateful to have this opportunity. Too much of what I have learned here has been couched in the negative (like, "I know I don't want to do it THAT way.") I want to focus on strengths for a change, on learning to be more effective as a preacher and as a pastor. I want to be ready for the next thing, whatever it may be.

Countdown to vacation~redux

~Days to vacation--5!

~Funerals--three done, no more planned (for now, please God.)

~Sermons--all written and mostly preached

~Meetings--all done (as far as I know now)

~So if I am really lucky this week will be all about pastoral calls and finishing up all the office stuff--of which there is still a mountain (pretty much everything that was on my first list is still there, plus more that resulted from this week's meetings).

~I'm really tired. As in I came home and took a nap before I even ate dinner tonight. Part of is is that I still stay up way too late every night. And part of it is that work has been just nonstop. lately. Even so, I've liked being on my own while the boss is on vacation.

90th Birthday Bash

~This evening I went to the 90th birthday party of one of my parishioners. B is a gracious lady with a patrician accent from an old family in Nearby City. She is both grand and unpretentious, and is one of the best read people I know, still devouring books voraciously and a master at crossword puzzles. She summered here as a child, and she and her late husband retired here some years ago. Her older sister lives nearby, and they are quite a pair. Her younger sister (younger at 88!) was also there.

~As if the party weren't grand enough, one of the first people I encountered upon arrival was B's brother-in-law (married to the younger sister) who happens to be something of a hero for me. I guess he is my generation's Dr. Sears. When my children were young I read Dr. Brazelton's column in Redbook magazine every month, and later in grad school and beyond I became familiar with his research and heard him speak. He, too, recently turned 90 but looks wonderful and is a warm and genial person.

~I'm not much of a party person, and I don't mingle well, but I really enjoyed this party and actually knew quite a few of the people there. So often here I feel like an outsider at social events, but this time was different. It was a nice feeling.

Friday Five~Can't leave home without it

From the RGBPs: What are five things you can't leave home without?

1. My computer--need to read blogs, need to write blogs, need to read the comics and the NY Times, need Google. As my vacation posts from last summer noted, high speed internet access is also essential :)

2. My cell phone--how else can we keep up with each other? I was slow to get on the cell phone bandwagon, but now I don't leave home without it. And since I got my Crackberry I can check email, too.

3. My camera--although I've done miserably with my photoblog this summer, (or perhaps BECAUSE of that) I intend to take many pictures. And have done so on every trip in recent memory. I try not leave home even locally without my camera (though I'm not so good at it these days).

4. Some books--whether I get around to reading them or not, must take them with me. This year it will likely be work-related books, but I have stacks of them I want to get read, so that's okay.

5. My hair dryer--okay, I'm vain. I need to blow-dry my hair every day. And since I'm admitting my vanity, I need a touch of mascara and lipstick every day, too. And sunscreen. Now you know the ugly truth :)

I'll be packing and heading out two weeks from today, and I can't wait!

Bishops doing good

Picture© Lambeth Conference
Much of the news coming out of the Lambeth Conference, the once-every-ten-years gathering of the bishops of the Anglican Communion, is of controversy, and most of that controversy is over matters of sexuality. But today the bishops did something unprecedented and marched through London in support of the Millennium Development Goals. You can read more about it here and here.

Random bits of Wednesday

~Two funerals, one funeral homily and a regular Wednesday service today. The second funeral was a large one, and it was for the person who took charge of making the rectory a nice place to live before and after I moved in. I never imagined that three years later I would be burying him. It was one of those very sad but very right feeling funerals, if you know what I mean.

~Somehow it turned out to be my week to contribute to breakfast tomorrow for a church group that meets every Thursday morning. So I came home and baked mini corn muffins and blueberry strusel. I didn't have to bake but I couldn't find anything very appealing at the grocery store--whatever happened to Pepperidge Farm? There was none to be had. I don't generally buy breakfast pastry stuff and I was surprised by how poor the selection was.

~It is hot and muggy again. Really muggy.

~My plumbing is getting fixed while I am on vacation. To the tune of many thousands of dollars. Whew. There apparently was a choice between trying to do just a little work and hope it lasted a few years and doing it right and happily they've chosen to do it right. And there's a possibility that there's a leak from the tub upstairs that is contributing to the mildew on the walls and ceiling problem--if that is helped it will be really great.

~It's thundering. I hope we have a big, cooling storm.

~Quote for today: This is what we mean by friends: even when they are absent, they are with us; even when they lack some things, they have an abundance of others; even when they are weak, they are strong, and, harder still, even when they are dead, they are alive. ~Cicero

~I found that quote quite by accident the other day, and I used it in my homily today--even if it might seem strange to use Cicero in a homily, it really fit.

~Yay, it's raining and there is a wonderful cool breeze. I hope tomorrow is less muggy.

Countdown to vacation

~Days til my vacation starts: 9
~Funerals to preside at before vacation: 3 (so far)
~Sermons to write: 3 (2 funeral homilies and a sermon for Saturday/Sunday)
~Meetings to attend: at least 2 official and 2 informal 1-to-1
~Parish directories to assemble: 1
~Fall newsletters to set up: 1
~Pastoral calls to make: umpteen
~Letters to write canceling fall retreat: 1 + fielding comments from the disappointed
~Mentors to recruit for youth group: 3 (lotsa luck on that one since 12 people or so have already said no)
~Prayers of the people to write: 6 (this week's and the whole month of August, and no, we don't just take them out of the prayerbook)
~Other things I've forgotten: Who knows?

New floors...

~but no plumbing!

~Last week the old floor was ripped out of two bathrooms and lovely new tile installed. But when the plumber came to reinstall the toilets, he was a bit aghast at what he found. Seems like 70+ year old lead pipes are not easy to reseal toilets on. So we are in a holding pattern while they figure out how extensive the plumbing repairs will have to be. And since they weren't included in the budget it will be painful.

~Thankfully I'm not the one who's paying. One of the many reasons I don't mind not owning my own house at this point.

The view from the pulpit

~where I preached tonight. Not the greatest picture, but hopefully you get the idea!

Too tired for words

~and because I've become one of those people (you know, a shameless grandmother) you get this.

A rose by any other name...

..or what's in a name? A Friday Five from the RGBPs

1. So how did you come up with your blogging name? And/or the name of your blog?

As I've written here before I started back to college to earn my BS when my kids were 3, 5, & 8. A couple of years later when it was clear that I would be going on to earn a PhD we began to joke that when I graduated they would have to call me "Dr. Mom"--somewhere I have a cute drawing that Woman Warrior made about that time with the title "Dr. Mom" on it. Of course, they never did call me that, although some of NSLS's high school friends did call me "Doc".

One time when NSLS and Woman Warrior came to visit while I was in seminary, they got to joking again about what they'd have to call me when I was ordained. (and it got a little crazy including titles I'll never have): Mother Mother, Mother Mom, the very reverend doctor mother, and so forth. Out of that conversation "Rev. Dr. Mom" was born. I wasn't blogging yet, but when I started reading and commenting on blogs it became a useful nom de plume. So some months later when I actually started my blog there were people in the bloggy community who "knew me" by that name. And you know, it kind of fits.

2. Are there any code names or secret identities in your blog? Any stories there?

All my children have blog names, although the ones I came up with were not all that creative. My daughters started out as Lovely Daughter #1 and Lovely Daughter #2, but when they began blogging themselves and their blogging worlds began to overlap with mine I began to use their self-chosen names: Woman Warrior and Not So Little Sister. The Kid is that because, like the Princess, he decided that the name I first gave him (Sk8ter Boy) no longer fit when he gave up skateboarding and I never came up with a new one. And Elder Son who doesn't show up here much--well, it's kind of obvious.

3. What are some blog titles that you just love? For their cleverness, drama, or sheer, crazy fun?

My daughters' blog titles are far more creative than my own: Living next to the axis of evil ain't so bad (so named while WW was living in S. Korea) and Confessions of the not so little sister (currently on hiatus). the caffeinated priest and i are a writer make me smile, but perhaps that's because knowing their authors (both seminary classmates) makes the titles more meaningful.

Although jo(e)'s blog title is rather subdued, she certainly wins the award for coming up with the most creative names for people and places in her blog.

4. What three blogs are you devoted to? Other than the RevGalBlogPals of course!

I read and enjoy many blogs each day, and I am hesitant to name just three. But I will say that I really really really miss Phantom Scribbler.

5. Who introduced you to the world of blogging and why?

I have been on Anglican related email lists for about 10 years now. During my last year in seminary someone on one of those lists who was quite controversial and with whom I engaged in a great deal of verbal sparring attacked what someone else had written on her (the other person's) blog about her experience in CPE (clinical pastoral education). I had recently completed CPE myself and I went over and read this blog so that I could engage in that particular conversation. And I found myself going back because this blogger (who as far as I know no longer has a blog) who was a seminarian like me wrote really thoughtful, interesting stuff about faith and life. And then I started following links from her blogroll. And following more random links I found myself in this wonderful blogging community where academics, moms and clergy (mostly but not exclusively women) hung out. I read blogs for 6 months or so before I started my own, almost three years ago.


Bonus question: Have you ever met any of your blogging friends? Where are some of the places you've met these fun folks?

I've met several bloggy friends, mostly in NYC--some at my seminary and some elsewhere. I met one blogger randomly at a diocesan event--recognizing her first name and noting the kind of books she was looking at, I (uncharacteristically for me) said to her, "I'm Rev. Dr. Mom" and she laughed. Of course I could've made a fool of myself if she hadn't been who I thought she was!

There are several folks (besides my daughters) on my blog roll who I knew before they or I had blogs...it's fun to run across them online. And there are MANY other bloggers I would love to meet.

Baby redux

~After a lovely visit, NSLS and Baby J headed back home this morning. Luckily Baby J seems content in her carseat most of the time and is a good traveler. And her amma is grateful for getting in some good baby-holding time.

~Last night, baby in tow, we went to see Indigo Girls. NSLS is a long time fan, and I like their music although I'd never seen them perform. It was a small venue (because I live in a small place) and it wasn't full, but it was still a good crowd who seemed to enjoy the show. Baby J, cotton in her ears, most reacted to the applause and shouting, but fell asleep for most of the time we were there. I haven't been to a concert in I don't know how long, and it was fun. People watching was fun, too, especially seeing women older than I really getting into the music. Baby J of course won't remember her first concert, but it will be a story to tell.

Baby cuteness

~No words necessary...

Yes, it was another early day

~but the construction workers did arrive, and all the old flooring is gone. Tomorrow the tile guys come to put in new flooring and by Friday it will be all finished up.

~NSLS and Baby J arrived yesterday afternoon for a visit and there has been much baby-holding and picture taking; unfortunately I haven't yet downloaded those pictures. She is really cute. Really really cute. Pictures forthcoming.

~For the last few days the house has been swarming with carpenter ants--gah! Work has been going on outside the house, too--rotten trim being replaced mostly--and I wonder if that stirred the ants up and drove them inside. An exterminator has been duly called but won't be here until nex week. I hope I have more staying power than than the ants do!

Early day

~It's just a little after 8 am, and I'm showered, dressed, fed and just started my second load of laundry--all on my day off. For years and years I got up at 5:45 every day to get kids ready for day care or school and get myself where I needed to be on time--which usually meant no later than 8:30 if not earlier. But the last couple of years I've gotten into the habit of sleeping later--I get up early when I have to be at work early (usually 3 days a week) and I get up to make sure the Kid gets ready for the bus, (but this year I've been going back to sleep after he leaves)--but otherwise I sleep til 8 or 8:30 and then on my days off I laze around before showering and getting ready for the day.

~Truth is, though, once I get out of bed, I like the early mornings. I like the freshness of the air, and this time of year there is usually a pleasant breeze. I like hearing the birdsong, and seeing the daylilies raise their blooms to the sun. And I like getting things done and out of the way. Perhaps I should start getting up early more often.

~The reason I got up so early today: to greet the workers who are supposed to tear out the flooring in two of the rectory bathrooms, which requires asbestos removal. Said workers, however, are not yet here. Huh. They promised that this would be a one day job, but their late arrival doesn't bode well for that, I think.

ETA: 11:40 am and they still aren't here. Doesn' look like it's going to happen today.

Grace

~Every once in a while I get this flash of feeling that I am doing exactly what I am called to do. Today was one of those times. As I concluded the service with a blessing, it struck me how extraordinarily lucky I was to be able to be doing this amazing and sacred thing. And then I got to go hang out at the parish cookout with some great folks and come home and take a nice long nap.

~Such moments of grace are fleeting, but they are what makes it possible to get through those times when I wonder, "What in the h@ll was I thinking?"

Random bits of a busy Saturday

~I multi-tasked today. Started the day by getting up early to write my sermon. Went down to church around noon for a funeral and lunch for homeless people we host once a quarter. Came home to finish the sermon around 2, and back to church at 4 to get ready for the 5:00 service.

~The woman I buried today was 103. Actually, she is the second centenarian whose funeral I've presided at this summer. Amazing.

~I marvel when I read about other clergy who do normal things on Saturday--you know, like farmer's markets and picnics and shopping. I do occasionally have Saturdays off, but nonetheless I think I've forgotten what 'normal' Saturdays are like

~That is not a total complaint--I have no desire to return to the kind of Saturdays I had when I was teaching and I felt like I had to get all the cleaning/shopping/laundry done the same day. Nope, don't miss that. (Note that I rarely actually DID get it all done the same day).

~Tomorrow I think I shall take a long clergy Sunday nap. I'm just saying.

Friday Five~Summer camp

1. Did you go to sleep away camp, or day camp, as a child? Wish you could? Or sometimes wish you hadn't?

~Never went as a child or teen but always wanted to. The one summer my mother had signed me up for church camp we ended up moving so I couldn't go.

2. How about camping out? Dream vacation, nightmare, or somewhere in between?

~My experiences with camping out are limited to one summer in Iceland. Lots of people camp there --or at least they did 30 years ago--and there were campgrounds all over. We had never been camping but we could rent camping gear so we went first on a weekend trip to Thingvellir, the site of the original Icelandic Parliament (circa 960 or something like that). It's a beautiful site, but it was a cold and rainy weekend and we went home early. Later that summer we took a week long camping trip to northern Iceland which I wrote about here . Although it was a wonderful trip in many ways, I think I decided then that camping outside might not be for me.

3. Have you ever worked as a camp counselor, or been to a camp for your denomination for either work or pleasure?

For three summers I was part of the volunteer staff for our diocesan camp in Vermont for a week. The camp there is a wonderful place--I can't say enough good things about it--and I loved doing it. Volunteer staff were in charge of the morning program--the thematic activities--while the counselors did everything else, so I mostly had afternoons free and two of those summers the Kid was one of the campers so I was truly on my own. Very relaxing to be able to do that. I'd love to be on staff at camp for a week now, but the way vacations fall I can't do it unless I use vacation time (and as much as I love it, I'm not using vacation time to do it).

Those same three summers the Kid and I went to "family camp"--a week at the end of the summer for families of all sorts which were great fun.

4. Most dramatic memory of camp, or camping out?

I'm not sure that I have memories that classify as "dramatic." Two of the summers I went to camp in Vermont I was in the discernment process for priesthood. The camp there is very much "holy ground" to me--a thin space--and I found a great deal of peace there, sitting by the lake, at the outdoor chapel (where NSLS later was married) and in the small chapel looking over the lake. It was a good place for me to be in those times and moving--but not necessarily dramatic

5. What is your favorite camp song or songs? Bonus points if you link to a recording or video.

There is a wonderful song stuck in the back of my head that I can't quite retrieve so until I do, I'll just give you this old camp favorite:

Where's a good meme when you need it?

~I haven't seen too many memes around lately--I could use one on a night like tonight. I'm wicked tired; it was another one of those wearing days. And tomorrow I need to work on my sermon (contrary to my custom) since I have a funeral and an outreach activity to attend to on Saturday.

~Some of my feelings about issues at work were validated today from a source that was unexpected. But oddly enough, it didn't make me feel better. Maybe because if someone else sees these things I can't just rationalize them away.

~It was a really beautiful day today--clear and bright and much less humid. Summer as it outght to be.

I do those things I do not want to do

and I do not do those things I want to do. Or something like that...that's the beginning of the reading from Romans for last Sunday. I don't know why I'm quoting it (I really am not a fan of Paul, and have some difficulty with that passage) except that it popped into my head when I looked at the clock and realized how late it is and I haven't done the work I brought home to do tonight. Ack. I guess, though, it would be more accurate to say "I do those things I want to do and I do not do those things I ought to be doing" because at night I play on Facebook and read blogs and take naps instead of working.

Last week I said I felt like I was swimming in molasses, and one person said in the comments that it sounded sticky! And you know that is how it felt--and still feels to a certain extent. I just don't seem to be accomplishing much--I feel stuck. I keep diddling around the edges of some big projects I need to handle and not even getting much done around those edges, even though I feel busy all the time.

I've always viewed summer as a time to slow down a bit, to catch up. It was that way when I was a student and when I was teaching. And theoretically at least that's how it is now--the boss is away, there are very few meetings, things are quieter. But I have too much to do. And perhaps I'm resisting on some level.

And I know I'm avoiding two tasks because I don't know how I'm going to pull them off. I'm about to conclude that one of them is going to have to be canceled--and I hate that because it feels like giving up, and it's something I did very successfully the last two years. But this year it just doesn't seem to be coming together for reasons that are completely out of my control. At any rate, I have to make a decision about it soon.

Now I should go to bed and avoid the other thing I've been doing--taking a nap and then staying up waaaaay too late so I'm tired in the morning.

Of guests and quiet times

~As much as I enjoyed my guests (who left this morning), I'm also enjoying a very quiet night tonight. Having extroverted house guests can be exhausting!

~ My next guests will be NSLS and Baby J who are coming next week--I haven't seen Baby J in two months, and I'm really excited that they are coming. And while they are here, we're going to a concert.

~And since I haven't posted a baby picture in a while, I'll share this one...

Church geekiness

~A couple of friends from my field placement church in NYC are here for a couple of days. It's been fun catching up. But the level of church geekiness has been high, very high. Not since seminary have my conversations been so filled with talk of the 39 articles, proper vestments, liturgical styles, incense, pastoral dilemmas, and the like--and maybe not even then. I'm just saying.

Thankgiving is not just for November

~Things I'm thankful for, as seen at Songbird's place

~Fresh summer fruits and veggies
~Friends who care enough to check up on you
~Birdsong in the air as I awaken
~A good night's sleep
~Opportunities, often unexpected

Random bits of a damp Saturday

~I spent almost all day birthing a sermon...some weeks it's just harder than others, and this was one of them. Sometimes it surprises me--this was a week I thought would be easier, until I sat down to start writing. But it's written now, preached once, revised and put to bed. Whew...

~It's damp here. Really damp. As in if you spill some water, it never evaporates, the floor feels damp under your feet, the sheets feel clammy. It did rain for a while but mostly it's damp.

~Speaking of rain, I'm not sure if the local fireworks are rained out or not. I didn't even think about going, mostly because I have to pick up the Kid from work probably about the time they would be finishing up.

~Despite my worry that the grackles would drive the orioles away, the orioles seem to have managed to raise a bumper crop of offspring. At least I'm assuming that all the pale looking orioles clustering around the jelly feeder the last couple of days are juveniles who've just learned how to feed themselves.

~It turns out that all the other birds like grape jelly, too. I go through a LOT of jelly.

~I have made it through half the year blogging every single day. It's clear to me that I don't have interesting things to say every day--things that are bloggable at any rate, but it has become a discipline. And it makes me think. I'd like to hope that it will help me become a better writer, but I'm not sure how that will work out. The experiment continues--as does the photoblog which I am trying to catch up on.

Friday Five~Fireworks edition

1. Barbeques or picnics ( or are they essentially the same thing?)

Barbeque is a type of food (you know, meat with some kind of sauce--and I know lots of people who would debate on the CORRECT meat and the CORRECT sauce--but maybe that's a southern thing. When I ate meat I was in the 'pulled pork with a vinegar based sauce' camp). Eating barbeque may involve cooking out, but often it means going to a bbq joint-- one of those out of the way places that specializes in barbeque, cole slaw and maybe corn on the cob, with lots of iced tea.

Picnic is an activity :) When I was a kid and my family went on a picnic it was a Big Deal--fried chicken, potato salad, deviled eggs, and some kind of homemade dessert were always on the menu. It was a lot of work for my mother. For me, it would more likely be sandwiches, chips and drinks all hurriedly assembled. Picnics shouldn't be too much work.

Either one would be appropriate for July 4th.

2. The park/ the lake/ the beach or staying at home simply being?

Today I'm just staying home, doing my regular day off stuff. Some of my favorite 4ths were spent at the beach when my kids were little. I'm not much for big patriotic displays, so just being is okay with me.

3. Fireworks- love 'em or hate 'em?

I love fireworks displays--the bigger the better. I especially love them over the lake in Vermont. But one of my fondest fireworks memories is not of July 4th but rather the displays set off on New Year's Eve in Iceland when I lived there.

Fireworks in my area are actually tomorrow night--don't know if I'll get to see them or not.

I don't really like fireworks that people set off on their own. It's illegal here, but down south there were big fireworks stores all over the place, and firecrackers and what not would be going off all night long, making it hard for children and dogs to sleep. Not so fun. To say nothing of dangerous.

4. Parades- have you ever taken part- share a memory...

I have a vague memory of going to a big parade when I was 10 or 11 but I don't think I was actually in it. And that may be the only Fourth of July parade I've ever been to.

5. Time for a musical interlude- if you could sum up holidays in a piece of music what would it be?

The 1812 Overture.






~Pix from my archives~~July 2006

Swimming in molasses

~That's the best metaphor I can come up with for what work has been like this week. I'm just saying.

On NOT being a social worker

~You know what's one of the hardest parts of ministry? It's not sermons, not liturgy, not hospital visits or even funerals. For me at least it's trying to help people who come in off the streets looking for assistance--for food, gas, a place to stay. I have all sorts of sympathy and very few resources to draw on.

~I may be a sucker, but I really do want to help people out. I've been scolded by some of the office staff for being too generous--but I just can't operate from the same hermeneutic of suspicion they do. I'd rather err on the side of being taken in than on the chance of denying help to someone who really needs it.

~The truth is, however, that there is not much I can do. I have a very small discretionary fund, and I supplement that with whatever honorariums I get from funerals or weddings--although my boss does most of those. And the social services in my area are meager so there are limited places to refer people to. I can offer people limited help with food, but there isn't much else I can do.

~Before I went to seminary I was part of a group that pooled resources from a number of area churches so that we could offer more extensive help to people in need, but there doesn't seem to be anything like that around here.

~Where I live poverty tends to be hidden, but it is definitely here. Why in a country with as many resources as ours are there so many people in such need?

Just out of reach

~When I write--whether it is here, or a sermon, or a piece for the newsletter--it often feels like what I want to say is just out of reach. The words I come up with almost express what's inside, but not quite. And I wonder if I started over or tried harder or .... I don't know what, I'd be able to say it better. Yet just as often, especially in my preaching, the words I choose express something, speak in a way that I didn't realize was there; else in their hearing they are transformed somehow and take on that meaning.

~I feel the same way about things I'd like to achieve--not personal goals as much as things I'd like to help make happen at church these days. They're feel just out of reach so that if I could just get this or that piece to fall into place it might work but there's not enough time or energy or resources to get those pieces to move. I wonder if what I end up with--less than what I dream of or yearn for--will still speak to those who need it, or want it, or just happen to be there? I wonder if their presence will be what it takes to transform it into something more?