on the puppy question this week.
When I last reported on this, I was still in limbo, wanting to go get the puppy, but worried about having the time to properly attend to her. And shortly thereafter the puppy's mom emailed me to say that she'd decided to keep the puppy after all. I had suspected that might happen and when it did, it felt like a relief.
So I was surprised when the puppy's mom emailed me this week and asked me to call her. When I did she said she'd had another change of heart--did I still want the puppy?
And you know, I could say that honestly, I just couldn't do it right now. Part of it was seeing her going back and forth--she has an older dog she adores, and she wanted the puppy as company for herself and the dog, but found she just didn't want the commitment of time and energy a puppy required. If she (who doesn't work outside her home) couldn't pull it off, how would I? And part of it was realizing (again) when WW was here and we went out for the day, how I probably wouldn't have been able to do that if I had the puppy.
So I've close the door on not just this puppy, but any puppy for the foreseeable future. This puppy was a breed I really liked, and she was coming to me free of cost. If I turned that down, it must mean that now is just not the time for a dog.
For me to have a dog now would require me having a pet sitter who could come anytime of day, any day I needed. And that just isn't likely to happen. Maybe I'm selfish, but I am enjoying not being accountable to anyone for my coming and going. Not that I go that many places, but I CAN, if I want to, just pick up and go.
I'm still thinking about a cat though.
Friday, October 30, 2009
So I did it
~I just signed up for NaBloPoMo for the third year. The first year I really wasn't sure I could do it, but I did; the second I was coming up on the end of a year of posting every day. This year feels more challenging than the first--I haven't been blogging much, and honestly, the blogisphere is pretty quiet these days, compared to two years ago, at least the corner where I hang out. But I am going to try to write SOMETHING every day, or post a picture, and hopefully not be dreadfully boring.
~Speaking of pictures, after my hard drive crashed in April, I upgraded my Photoshop, and ever since then I have not been able to get the interface between iPhoto and Photoshop to work correctly--at least as I understand it. It used to be that I downloaded my pictures into iPhoto and then easily opened them to edit in Photoshop. And they were easily accessible in my photo library. Now, if I download them into iPhoto, I can't open them in Photoshop, and if I download them into Bridge (which photoshop really wants me to do) I can't seem to access them outside of Photoshop. Making me nuts, and it's a major disincentive to working with my photography.
~Speaking of pictures, after my hard drive crashed in April, I upgraded my Photoshop, and ever since then I have not been able to get the interface between iPhoto and Photoshop to work correctly--at least as I understand it. It used to be that I downloaded my pictures into iPhoto and then easily opened them to edit in Photoshop. And they were easily accessible in my photo library. Now, if I download them into iPhoto, I can't open them in Photoshop, and if I download them into Bridge (which photoshop really wants me to do) I can't seem to access them outside of Photoshop. Making me nuts, and it's a major disincentive to working with my photography.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Good morning!
~It's a bright sunny Monday morning, and I woke up feeling rested, despite once again staying up too late last night (although part of that 'staying up' was actually sleeping on the couch.) And it's my day off. Sweet. Especially since last week was busy and this week promises to be more so. Fewer meetings but lots of planning and things to get set in place.
~WW, Mr. WW and Baby M spent a week here with me, which I greatly enjoyed. Baby M is, of course, adorable, and I had a chance to get to know Mr. WW (who needs a better pseudonym) a little better--after all, I'd only known him through FB until he arrived in this country a mere 48 hours before Baby M was born. WW has been seriously lacking sleep, but they all seemed to sleep fairly well here, and I could do some baby holding, so all was good.
~While they were here we spent an afternoon in nearby Ivy League City, which I had thus far only driven through. Found a couple of nice coffee shop/bookstores, walked through the university, and enjoyed the sunshine. Will be back. The next day they took the train into the city and went to the Museum of Natural History, which thrilled Mr. WW.
~Saturday I attended our diocesan convention where a new bishop for our diocese was elected. Sadly to me I didn't get to vote, not having met the three-month residency requirement, but it was fun to observe. Election came on the second ballot which to me indicates a high degree of consensus--some episcopal elections go 15+ ballots before someone gets the required number of votes.
~Have I said here that I live in a very cool house? I'm really liking it (and I promise to post pix as soon as I figure out my new (six months ago) photoshop. Sigh. ) I don't have enough furniture for this house, and as it happens there a number of antique shops in my new town, right on the main street. So I've been perusing them for things I might use here. Truth is I can't afford really expensive antiques, but I like funky old things of the less expensive sort, and I bought a very cool old oak hall tree a couple of weeks ago. I have my eye on a couple of other things--this will be a work in progress.
~Can this really be the very last week in October? I am hoping for trick-or-treaters this year, and yes, I will give them candy. (I'm all for healthy living, but come on, it's Hallowe'en!) We never had any trick-or-treaters at our last house because it was down a long dark driveway, and not in a heavily residential neighborhood, but it should be different here. I love Hallowe'en.
~And if November is coming, will NaBloPoMo be coming too? Perhaps that's what it will take to reestablish a new blogging habit. If I can do it.
~WW, Mr. WW and Baby M spent a week here with me, which I greatly enjoyed. Baby M is, of course, adorable, and I had a chance to get to know Mr. WW (who needs a better pseudonym) a little better--after all, I'd only known him through FB until he arrived in this country a mere 48 hours before Baby M was born. WW has been seriously lacking sleep, but they all seemed to sleep fairly well here, and I could do some baby holding, so all was good.
~While they were here we spent an afternoon in nearby Ivy League City, which I had thus far only driven through. Found a couple of nice coffee shop/bookstores, walked through the university, and enjoyed the sunshine. Will be back. The next day they took the train into the city and went to the Museum of Natural History, which thrilled Mr. WW.
~Saturday I attended our diocesan convention where a new bishop for our diocese was elected. Sadly to me I didn't get to vote, not having met the three-month residency requirement, but it was fun to observe. Election came on the second ballot which to me indicates a high degree of consensus--some episcopal elections go 15+ ballots before someone gets the required number of votes.
~Have I said here that I live in a very cool house? I'm really liking it (and I promise to post pix as soon as I figure out my new (six months ago) photoshop. Sigh. ) I don't have enough furniture for this house, and as it happens there a number of antique shops in my new town, right on the main street. So I've been perusing them for things I might use here. Truth is I can't afford really expensive antiques, but I like funky old things of the less expensive sort, and I bought a very cool old oak hall tree a couple of weeks ago. I have my eye on a couple of other things--this will be a work in progress.
~Can this really be the very last week in October? I am hoping for trick-or-treaters this year, and yes, I will give them candy. (I'm all for healthy living, but come on, it's Hallowe'en!) We never had any trick-or-treaters at our last house because it was down a long dark driveway, and not in a heavily residential neighborhood, but it should be different here. I love Hallowe'en.
~And if November is coming, will NaBloPoMo be coming too? Perhaps that's what it will take to reestablish a new blogging habit. If I can do it.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Almost missed it
It just occurred to me, as I was going down my blogroll, that today is my fourth blogiversary. How time flies!
After not missing a day for 400 and some days, (EVERY day in 2008 plus some this year) my writing has dribbled off to nothing. I keep saying I'm coming back, with no results so far. But as much as I've come to love FB, I hate to let the blog go. There are so many of you I wouldn't know at all if it weren't for our interactions in the blogisphere. My life is richer for "knowing" all of you, and in the really rough part of the last year or so, your support meant a great deal to me.
Raising a glass of virtual bubbly to all of you (or at least anyone who still stops by). Here's to another year!
After not missing a day for 400 and some days, (EVERY day in 2008 plus some this year) my writing has dribbled off to nothing. I keep saying I'm coming back, with no results so far. But as much as I've come to love FB, I hate to let the blog go. There are so many of you I wouldn't know at all if it weren't for our interactions in the blogisphere. My life is richer for "knowing" all of you, and in the really rough part of the last year or so, your support meant a great deal to me.
Raising a glass of virtual bubbly to all of you (or at least anyone who still stops by). Here's to another year!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Friday Five--Shoes, shoes, shoes
A topic near and dear to my heart...
1. What is your favorite footwear at this time in your life?
Danskos, Keenes, Ecco, Chakos. I'm all about comfort but with at least a modicum of style. I learned in the city that as my feet go, so goes my day, so I just won't scrimp on shoes (although I've never succumbed to teh Mephistos).
2. What was the craziest shoe, boot, or sandal you ever wore?.
2hat was the craziest shoe, boot, or sandal you ever wor
Probably the sandals with the 1 1/4 inch platforms and 2 1/2 inch heels I wore back in the seventies--and walked to work in. Yikes. Don't know how I did that.
3. What kind of shoes did you wear in your childhood?
Flip flops and Keds or Red Ball Jets in the summer, patent leather Mary Janes for Sunday, and I don't remember what but they were probably ugly for school. I only recall the saddle oxfords I had in about second grade because I remember wanting them intensely and being so happy when my mother agreed to them.
In high school Bass Weejuns were all the rage, and I was allowed to have them but it was a BIG DEAL.
4. How do you feel most comfortable? Barefoot, flip-flops, boots, or what?
I would wear sandals all year round if I could. But since I live in New England that really isn't an option. So, sandals when it's warm and some sort of Danskos or the like when it's not, and my furry Ugg slippers when I get home from work. Sadly my barefoot days seem to be over.
5. What kind of socks do you like, if any?
I wear black trouser socks when I wear pants to work, and I like ones with cool patterns--my favorites have a lacy pattern.
Bonus: Anything you want to share about feet or footwear.
When I was a kid I loved to go barefoot, and there was a summer when I didn't put shoes on from the day school was out until the day school started, not for any reason. But when I was in grad school I had to walk great distances across campus every day, wearing my Sam and Libby ballet flats and I wrecked my feet --painful bone spurs were the end result. Ever since then my feet have not been happy about me walking around barefoot.
1. What is your favorite footwear at this time in your life?
Danskos, Keenes, Ecco, Chakos. I'm all about comfort but with at least a modicum of style. I learned in the city that as my feet go, so goes my day, so I just won't scrimp on shoes (although I've never succumbed to teh Mephistos).
2. What was the craziest shoe, boot, or sandal you ever wore?.
2hat was the craziest shoe, boot, or sandal you ever wor
Probably the sandals with the 1 1/4 inch platforms and 2 1/2 inch heels I wore back in the seventies--and walked to work in. Yikes. Don't know how I did that.
3. What kind of shoes did you wear in your childhood?
Flip flops and Keds or Red Ball Jets in the summer, patent leather Mary Janes for Sunday, and I don't remember what but they were probably ugly for school. I only recall the saddle oxfords I had in about second grade because I remember wanting them intensely and being so happy when my mother agreed to them.
In high school Bass Weejuns were all the rage, and I was allowed to have them but it was a BIG DEAL.
4. How do you feel most comfortable? Barefoot, flip-flops, boots, or what?
I would wear sandals all year round if I could. But since I live in New England that really isn't an option. So, sandals when it's warm and some sort of Danskos or the like when it's not, and my furry Ugg slippers when I get home from work. Sadly my barefoot days seem to be over.
5. What kind of socks do you like, if any?
I wear black trouser socks when I wear pants to work, and I like ones with cool patterns--my favorites have a lacy pattern.
Bonus: Anything you want to share about feet or footwear.
When I was a kid I loved to go barefoot, and there was a summer when I didn't put shoes on from the day school was out until the day school started, not for any reason. But when I was in grad school I had to walk great distances across campus every day, wearing my Sam and Libby ballet flats and I wrecked my feet --painful bone spurs were the end result. Ever since then my feet have not been happy about me walking around barefoot.
Monday, October 05, 2009
On living alone...so far...
~I've been here just a little over a month and the Kid's been away at college for almost a month, and I'm trying to settle into a normal routine...just don't know what normal is, yet. Everything is different--my daily routine, my day off, my work routine. Until last week I still felt like I was in transit because everywhere I looked there was evidence of moving. But that's gone now--well, mostly. There are a few things that still need attention, but it looks like I live here now. So I don't have that pressure.
~I'm doing okay here alone. Being really busy helps, no doubt. The first few days the Kid was gone, his absence was palpable (as it was when each of the other kids left home but probably exaggerated this time since he's the last to go). But you become accustomed to it. I still walk by his unnaturally neat room and wish he were there, and I had a little pang last night when I was doing my pathetic grocery shopping for one (more on that). And I miss his music. I don't tend to turn music on (I don't mind quiet and I just don't think about turning on the iPod or stereo) but the Kid would play music, or even better, play his guitar and sing, and I'm surprised at how much I miss that. Overall, though, I'm fine, and as predicted, in some ways it's very easy to be on my own, and really, accountable to no one.
~I would like to settle into a better daily rhythm. Because the office staff works from 9-1 each day, I've adopted those hours plus. So I've been coming home for lunch 1:30-2:00ish, and then either working at home or going back to church for a few hours. And then not getting around to thinking about dinner until 7-8, by which time it feels too late to really cook anything. And I've been staying up way too late has had become my habit. Yesterday after a long week I realized how very exhausted I felt, and how much I need to make sure I get enough sleep every night. So I need to go to be earlier. Sounds simple, but I rarely make it to bed before midnight and it's often 1 am. Must work on that.
~Cooking and eating: Gah. Now I love to eat, but I lost my motivation to cook a few years back. And cooking for one? Seems like a lot of trouble. So I eat a lot of frozen dinners--Lean Cuisine and the like, supplemented with some extra veggies. And easy things like omelets, nachos, baked potatoes, veggie burgers. But real cooking has gone by the wayside for now. I had visions of cooking on the weekends and freezing single servings--sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? But I'm not sure I'll ever do it. If I were in the city, or even in City by the Lake I'd be eating lots of take out, but I haven't discovered that many options that are really close by yet, which may be just as well. And the Kid and I ate out fairly often, but I'm not (yet) motivated to eat out alone.
~As for my work routine: On the one hand it's really easy because I can set my own hours to a degree, and yet at the same time, it's challenging to use my time well. The whole coming home for a late lunch and then getting back to work is okay some days, but others I feel like I'm not being very productive after I come home for lunch. Part of it is working out what exactly my day to day tasks are, and that is becoming more clear as time goes by. And part of it is, as my clergy coach says, working smart.
~Managing my time off is a challenge, too. In my last position I had Mondays and Fridays off. Saturdays were considered work days, but in truth, every other week when I wasn't preaching, Saturday also could be a day off. I knew then I had it good. Ironically, I was criticized by my boss for working too much because I sometimes worked on one of my days off (and very occasionally on both of them). Now I have Monday off, and I suppose theoretically Saturday, except I still write sermons on Saturday and this month I have lots of Saturday meetings as well. And last week I had a funeral on Monday, so no day off at all (but how do you say no to a family scheduling a funeral for a loved one?) So my off time is drastically reduced. I've been encouraged to take comp time, and I guess I could do that by taking some afternoons. off I just don't want that to make me look like I'm a slacker. It's all a balancing act, I guess.
~The whole should-I-get-a-dog question remains in limbo. When I left my previous location, the option was still open for me to claim the puppy, but I haven't had time to go get her. And as time goes by, I wonder if I could do the day-to-day? I have days when I need to be gone all day (tomorrow for instance is Clergy Day) and while I've had offers for pet care, I'm not sure any of them would be able to do mid-day on week days kind of care. Part of me still wants the dog--and I'd like to train her as a therapy dog--but part of me still says are-you-craaazzy??? And the latter part seems to be ahead right now. Maybe a cat instead?
~ETA: I actually did cook a from-scratch dinner tonight: corn on the cob and sauteed veggies (onion, zucchini, yellow squash and green tomato--yummy!) Of course the Kid (were he here) would say, "That's not a meal, that's sides" but it works for me.
~I'm doing okay here alone. Being really busy helps, no doubt. The first few days the Kid was gone, his absence was palpable (as it was when each of the other kids left home but probably exaggerated this time since he's the last to go). But you become accustomed to it. I still walk by his unnaturally neat room and wish he were there, and I had a little pang last night when I was doing my pathetic grocery shopping for one (more on that). And I miss his music. I don't tend to turn music on (I don't mind quiet and I just don't think about turning on the iPod or stereo) but the Kid would play music, or even better, play his guitar and sing, and I'm surprised at how much I miss that. Overall, though, I'm fine, and as predicted, in some ways it's very easy to be on my own, and really, accountable to no one.
~I would like to settle into a better daily rhythm. Because the office staff works from 9-1 each day, I've adopted those hours plus. So I've been coming home for lunch 1:30-2:00ish, and then either working at home or going back to church for a few hours. And then not getting around to thinking about dinner until 7-8, by which time it feels too late to really cook anything. And I've been staying up way too late has had become my habit. Yesterday after a long week I realized how very exhausted I felt, and how much I need to make sure I get enough sleep every night. So I need to go to be earlier. Sounds simple, but I rarely make it to bed before midnight and it's often 1 am. Must work on that.
~Cooking and eating: Gah. Now I love to eat, but I lost my motivation to cook a few years back. And cooking for one? Seems like a lot of trouble. So I eat a lot of frozen dinners--Lean Cuisine and the like, supplemented with some extra veggies. And easy things like omelets, nachos, baked potatoes, veggie burgers. But real cooking has gone by the wayside for now. I had visions of cooking on the weekends and freezing single servings--sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? But I'm not sure I'll ever do it. If I were in the city, or even in City by the Lake I'd be eating lots of take out, but I haven't discovered that many options that are really close by yet, which may be just as well. And the Kid and I ate out fairly often, but I'm not (yet) motivated to eat out alone.
~As for my work routine: On the one hand it's really easy because I can set my own hours to a degree, and yet at the same time, it's challenging to use my time well. The whole coming home for a late lunch and then getting back to work is okay some days, but others I feel like I'm not being very productive after I come home for lunch. Part of it is working out what exactly my day to day tasks are, and that is becoming more clear as time goes by. And part of it is, as my clergy coach says, working smart.
~Managing my time off is a challenge, too. In my last position I had Mondays and Fridays off. Saturdays were considered work days, but in truth, every other week when I wasn't preaching, Saturday also could be a day off. I knew then I had it good. Ironically, I was criticized by my boss for working too much because I sometimes worked on one of my days off (and very occasionally on both of them). Now I have Monday off, and I suppose theoretically Saturday, except I still write sermons on Saturday and this month I have lots of Saturday meetings as well. And last week I had a funeral on Monday, so no day off at all (but how do you say no to a family scheduling a funeral for a loved one?) So my off time is drastically reduced. I've been encouraged to take comp time, and I guess I could do that by taking some afternoons. off I just don't want that to make me look like I'm a slacker. It's all a balancing act, I guess.
~The whole should-I-get-a-dog question remains in limbo. When I left my previous location, the option was still open for me to claim the puppy, but I haven't had time to go get her. And as time goes by, I wonder if I could do the day-to-day? I have days when I need to be gone all day (tomorrow for instance is Clergy Day) and while I've had offers for pet care, I'm not sure any of them would be able to do mid-day on week days kind of care. Part of me still wants the dog--and I'd like to train her as a therapy dog--but part of me still says are-you-craaazzy??? And the latter part seems to be ahead right now. Maybe a cat instead?
~ETA: I actually did cook a from-scratch dinner tonight: corn on the cob and sauteed veggies (onion, zucchini, yellow squash and green tomato--yummy!) Of course the Kid (were he here) would say, "That's not a meal, that's sides" but it works for me.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
October
HOLY COW--HOW can it be OCTOBER already? Where has the time gone?
Honestly, the last few months seem like such a blur--packing, the relentless packing, then reversing the process, and all while first saying goodbye and processing everything I'd been through, and then while starting a new job. I don't want to do that again for a long time! I am happy to say that after I stayed up very late night before last hanging pictures, now the "moving in" is just about complete. It looks like I'm here to stay, and it looks like home.
And I'm SO happy to be here. Really. I love my job, and so far I like the area. I have STARBUCKS and a FARMER'S MARKET both less than a mile from my house (and if you've read here for long you will appreciate how very happy that makes me). I can drive 10-20 minutes and get to anything and everything I could possibly want in terms of shopping (Ikea, Target, Whole Foods--well in a couple of months, WF). I can take the train into the city. I live in an awesome house, and I have wonderful people to work with.
I know this honeymoon won't last forever, and that little superstitious part of me is almost afraid to be too happy for fear of what might go wrong, but really, right now life is good!
Honestly, the last few months seem like such a blur--packing, the relentless packing, then reversing the process, and all while first saying goodbye and processing everything I'd been through, and then while starting a new job. I don't want to do that again for a long time! I am happy to say that after I stayed up very late night before last hanging pictures, now the "moving in" is just about complete. It looks like I'm here to stay, and it looks like home.
And I'm SO happy to be here. Really. I love my job, and so far I like the area. I have STARBUCKS and a FARMER'S MARKET both less than a mile from my house (and if you've read here for long you will appreciate how very happy that makes me). I can drive 10-20 minutes and get to anything and everything I could possibly want in terms of shopping (Ikea, Target, Whole Foods--well in a couple of months, WF). I can take the train into the city. I live in an awesome house, and I have wonderful people to work with.
I know this honeymoon won't last forever, and that little superstitious part of me is almost afraid to be too happy for fear of what might go wrong, but really, right now life is good!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday Five~It's Fall!
1. Share a Fall memory.
Walking through big piles of crisp golden leaves on the way to school when I was in 1st or 2nd grade.
Walking through big piles of crisp golden leaves on the way to school when I was in 1st or 2nd grade.
2. Your favorite Fall clothes--(past or present)?
I love it when it's time to start wearing sweaters again.
I love it when it's time to start wearing sweaters again.
3. Share a campfire story, song, experience...etc.
Sitting around the campfire making s'mores on the shore of Lake Champlain at camp.
4. What is your favorite thing about this time of year?
Fall is my favorite season--I love the changing of the leaves, the cooler temps, the preparations for winter.
Sitting around the campfire making s'mores on the shore of Lake Champlain at camp.
4. What is your favorite thing about this time of year?
Fall is my favorite season--I love the changing of the leaves, the cooler temps, the preparations for winter.
5. What changes are you anticipating in your life, your church, family...whatever...as the season changes and winter approaches?
No more changes, please! After packing, moving, unpacking, starting the new job, taking the Kid off to college and having a new grandson, I'm hoping for some relative calm here.
No more changes, please! After packing, moving, unpacking, starting the new job, taking the Kid off to college and having a new grandson, I'm hoping for some relative calm here.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Right on time!
~WW gave birth to my grandson, Baby M, yesterday at 3:21 pm, exactly on her due date. 7 lbs 6 oz, lots of black hair, and beautiful. Pictures to follow.
It's been a whirlwind for her since Mr. WW just arrived from Nepal on Sunday afternoon. They are all exhausted.
As for me, I was supposed to be at a new clergy meeting yesterday, but I begged off. As in introducing myself to the bishop, and then saying, "My daughter is labor, and I really need to leave." He was very understanding, for which I am very grateful.
It's been a whirlwind for her since Mr. WW just arrived from Nepal on Sunday afternoon. They are all exhausted.
As for me, I was supposed to be at a new clergy meeting yesterday, but I begged off. As in introducing myself to the bishop, and then saying, "My daughter is labor, and I really need to leave." He was very understanding, for which I am very grateful.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Catching up, random bits style
~Catching up seems to be the theme of my life. I'm still unpacking, but the end is in sight. I'm off today and plan on a tackling those pesky remaining boxes--but it's the last ones that are the hardest, with all the stuff you look at and say "What am I going to do with THAT?" Which probably means that some of it should just go straight to the trash. Even though I tried to throw away lots as I packed. Ugh. Moving is a pain.
~I took the Kid to college last Sunday. That really deserves its own post, but I don't know if I'll get around to writing it. Suffice it to say that my nest is completely empty, and leaving him there was a bit hard. Tears were shed on the drive home, but I'm adapting and he seems happy at school so far. But when I think about it, I realize it is a huge milestone. I've been parenting for more than 30 years, and not to have a child at home now is, well, different. More about that as time goes by, I'm sure.
~I started work officially on September 1, but yesterday was my first Sunday. It really was a wonderful day. Lots of people in church (including my clergy coach and his wife!) and by all reports people who hadn't been there for a while. I'm sure there is lots of curiosity about the new priest, especially the new WOMAN priest (yes, there is some of that, but it's okay I think) but our task now is to keep them coming back. We'll see. There is so far a very positive feel in this place, and I'm so so happy to be here.
~In other good news, WW's beloved (whom I mentioned briefly here) finally arrived in Vermont yesterday--just in the nick of time since their baby is due on Tuesday--tomorrow actually!! Let us just say that the wheels of immigration move very, very, very slowly. I'm so glad he's here!
~As I was reading blogs last night I realized how many of the bloggers I feel like I've come to know over the last four years now either write infrequently or not at all. Nothing is forever, I guess, but I miss some voices. And I'm grateful for FB where I keep up with some folks I first met here. I haven't joined the twitter fray yet, but I guess the time is coming for that....
~I am also grateful for FB--as well as texting and Skype and other electronic media--for making it so much easier to keep up with my kids. Wherever they are! It's a whole new world compared to when my older kids went off to college and we had to rely on--gasp--land lines!! Only we didn't call them that...it was just the phone. And having grown up in a household where long distance calls were a BIG DEAL, I wasn't that good at calling frequently, as my daughters will attest. Electronic media make it so much better.
~Now I must go unpack SOMETHING before the day gets away from me!
~I took the Kid to college last Sunday. That really deserves its own post, but I don't know if I'll get around to writing it. Suffice it to say that my nest is completely empty, and leaving him there was a bit hard. Tears were shed on the drive home, but I'm adapting and he seems happy at school so far. But when I think about it, I realize it is a huge milestone. I've been parenting for more than 30 years, and not to have a child at home now is, well, different. More about that as time goes by, I'm sure.
~I started work officially on September 1, but yesterday was my first Sunday. It really was a wonderful day. Lots of people in church (including my clergy coach and his wife!) and by all reports people who hadn't been there for a while. I'm sure there is lots of curiosity about the new priest, especially the new WOMAN priest (yes, there is some of that, but it's okay I think) but our task now is to keep them coming back. We'll see. There is so far a very positive feel in this place, and I'm so so happy to be here.
~In other good news, WW's beloved (whom I mentioned briefly here) finally arrived in Vermont yesterday--just in the nick of time since their baby is due on Tuesday--tomorrow actually!! Let us just say that the wheels of immigration move very, very, very slowly. I'm so glad he's here!
~As I was reading blogs last night I realized how many of the bloggers I feel like I've come to know over the last four years now either write infrequently or not at all. Nothing is forever, I guess, but I miss some voices. And I'm grateful for FB where I keep up with some folks I first met here. I haven't joined the twitter fray yet, but I guess the time is coming for that....
~I am also grateful for FB--as well as texting and Skype and other electronic media--for making it so much easier to keep up with my kids. Wherever they are! It's a whole new world compared to when my older kids went off to college and we had to rely on--gasp--land lines!! Only we didn't call them that...it was just the phone. And having grown up in a household where long distance calls were a BIG DEAL, I wasn't that good at calling frequently, as my daughters will attest. Electronic media make it so much better.
~Now I must go unpack SOMETHING before the day gets away from me!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
We're here!
Actually we've been here a few days--in our new location, that is. Guess it needs a pseudonym. Suffice it to say for now that it's in another New England state.
Packing up was crazy, as I knew it would be. Despite all my best efforts we were up half the night before the packers came finishing up. The movers were great, though, and loaded and unloaded with efficiency and good humor. Even the guys who had to trek up to the attic in my new house multiple times. Turns out the mover needed two trucks--not because I had too much stuff, but because I have so many books that it would've been too heavy for one truck! Go figure. One of the movers carrying in book boxes said "There sure is a whole lot of reading going on in this house!"
My new house is awesome. It's an old Victorian, and it's been well care for. The Kid quickly noted that we have a "cupboard under the stairs" and he claimed for his bedroom the room accessible directly by the back stairs. My only complaint is that I don't have enough storage space in the kitchen. The butler's pantry in my old house along with ample kitchen cabinets really spoiled me. And I don't really have enough furniture, but that is something to take care of over time.
So unpacking has gone slowly so far, but I need to pick up the pace because I actually start work on Tuesday. Not sure that reality has set in yet! I am excited and nervous and happy and scared, but I think that this is going to be a good place. They already gave us a warm welcome--and a delicious dinner--when we arrived Thursday evening.
If you've read here for long, you know that the last year and a half or so has been really difficult, but in the end it's all worked out. I left my previous position knowing that the work I'd done had been appreciated by the congregation, and knowing that I had built good relationships with parishioners, if not with my boss. And now I have a wonderful new position with lots of potential--lots of challenges to be sure, but lots of potential. I am so blessed to be here.
As I was packing I had lots of posts running through my head, triggered by things I found along the way, and things I chose to throw away (including my tenure file, my old syllabi, and most of my teaching materials.) Hopefully, some of those posts will actually get written.
But first I have more unpacking to do!
Packing up was crazy, as I knew it would be. Despite all my best efforts we were up half the night before the packers came finishing up. The movers were great, though, and loaded and unloaded with efficiency and good humor. Even the guys who had to trek up to the attic in my new house multiple times. Turns out the mover needed two trucks--not because I had too much stuff, but because I have so many books that it would've been too heavy for one truck! Go figure. One of the movers carrying in book boxes said "There sure is a whole lot of reading going on in this house!"
My new house is awesome. It's an old Victorian, and it's been well care for. The Kid quickly noted that we have a "cupboard under the stairs" and he claimed for his bedroom the room accessible directly by the back stairs. My only complaint is that I don't have enough storage space in the kitchen. The butler's pantry in my old house along with ample kitchen cabinets really spoiled me. And I don't really have enough furniture, but that is something to take care of over time.
So unpacking has gone slowly so far, but I need to pick up the pace because I actually start work on Tuesday. Not sure that reality has set in yet! I am excited and nervous and happy and scared, but I think that this is going to be a good place. They already gave us a warm welcome--and a delicious dinner--when we arrived Thursday evening.
If you've read here for long, you know that the last year and a half or so has been really difficult, but in the end it's all worked out. I left my previous position knowing that the work I'd done had been appreciated by the congregation, and knowing that I had built good relationships with parishioners, if not with my boss. And now I have a wonderful new position with lots of potential--lots of challenges to be sure, but lots of potential. I am so blessed to be here.
As I was packing I had lots of posts running through my head, triggered by things I found along the way, and things I chose to throw away (including my tenure file, my old syllabi, and most of my teaching materials.) Hopefully, some of those posts will actually get written.
But first I have more unpacking to do!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Random bits of PACKING!
~Five days before the movers come and I'm deep in the throes of packing--I think I've reaching that "it's all chaos" stage. It has to get better, right?
~The books are 99.5% packed and I even managed to give four big bags full to the library. Nonetheless I foresee a shortage of bookcases in my future since there are fewer built-ins both in my church office and in my new rectory.
~As I predicted, it's hotter than h*ll and the humidity is about 99%. Why do I always move in the summer?
~Because it's so hot (and because I hate packing) I stop every so often and go shopping for one more thing for the Kid to take to college. And every trip I say, "We're done now, right?" Remains to be seen if we're really done.
~I'm trying to weed through things that have accumulated, or worse, were moved before (sometimes more than once) when they shouldn't have been. Which slows the process because I take so many side trips down memory lane. But since it's so hot, sometimes that's okay.
~And I've spent a prodigious amount of time on FB--especially playing FarmVille which has to be the biggest.time.suck.ever but I keep right on playing. I guess I need some diversion.
~Remember the puppy? Well, after failing to make ANY decision when the offer was first made, I thought the deal was off. But this week the puppy and her current mom came to visit, and we may have worked a deal where I come get the puppy after I'm safely moved. I'm kind of excited about that.
~I'm getting excited about getting to my new church, too. And nervous. And scared. And happy. Really, I'm looking forward to it, but sometimes I don't think that the reality has set in. I'm going to be the rector!
~Stay tuned. I've vowed to write more and give the blog a new look once I get settled.
~The books are 99.5% packed and I even managed to give four big bags full to the library. Nonetheless I foresee a shortage of bookcases in my future since there are fewer built-ins both in my church office and in my new rectory.
~As I predicted, it's hotter than h*ll and the humidity is about 99%. Why do I always move in the summer?
~Because it's so hot (and because I hate packing) I stop every so often and go shopping for one more thing for the Kid to take to college. And every trip I say, "We're done now, right?" Remains to be seen if we're really done.
~I'm trying to weed through things that have accumulated, or worse, were moved before (sometimes more than once) when they shouldn't have been. Which slows the process because I take so many side trips down memory lane. But since it's so hot, sometimes that's okay.
~And I've spent a prodigious amount of time on FB--especially playing FarmVille which has to be the biggest.time.suck.ever but I keep right on playing. I guess I need some diversion.
~Remember the puppy? Well, after failing to make ANY decision when the offer was first made, I thought the deal was off. But this week the puppy and her current mom came to visit, and we may have worked a deal where I come get the puppy after I'm safely moved. I'm kind of excited about that.
~I'm getting excited about getting to my new church, too. And nervous. And scared. And happy. Really, I'm looking forward to it, but sometimes I don't think that the reality has set in. I'm going to be the rector!
~Stay tuned. I've vowed to write more and give the blog a new look once I get settled.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Celebrity sightings
~~but not by me....
I live in a relatively quiet place. It is a vacation destination, but people who vacation here tend to keep a pretty low profile and most celebs are pretty secluded. But a Very Prominent Family happens to live here as well, and today there is a funeral for a Very Important Person. So there are lots more celebrities around than usual. Among the Kid's friends there have been a LOT of celebrity sightings, including the governor of a bankrupt state, the world's richest TV host, a legendary blind singer, and the VPOTUS. Wow. I'm a bit envious, I must admit.
I live in a relatively quiet place. It is a vacation destination, but people who vacation here tend to keep a pretty low profile and most celebs are pretty secluded. But a Very Prominent Family happens to live here as well, and today there is a funeral for a Very Important Person. So there are lots more celebrities around than usual. Among the Kid's friends there have been a LOT of celebrity sightings, including the governor of a bankrupt state, the world's richest TV host, a legendary blind singer, and the VPOTUS. Wow. I'm a bit envious, I must admit.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
O the irony!
For as long as I've lived here I've lamented the lack of availability of locally grown produce in the summer. Yes, there is a farmer's market, but it takes place on a day of the week when it was absolutely impossible to get there because of work. Farms stands are few and far between, and until this year, CSAs were pretty rare, too.
Today the Kid and I went to Whole Foods--it's almost a hour's drive away, so we don't go there very often, but the Apple Store is there also and we went to get the Kid a new laptop to take to college (!) and since we were there anyway, I couldn't skip Whole Foods.
One of the things I like about WF is that they tell you where the produce comes from. I really appreciate that. I was eyeing tomatoes from Jersey and peaches grown in this state, and blueberries from Maine and Michigan, when to my great surprise I spied cabbages and potatoes from--yes, you guessed it--the very town I live in. Who knew?
It's sort of like living in Florida and only finding California oranges in the grocery store! Why can't there be more places selling locally grown produce RIGHT HERE?
Argh.
Today the Kid and I went to Whole Foods--it's almost a hour's drive away, so we don't go there very often, but the Apple Store is there also and we went to get the Kid a new laptop to take to college (!) and since we were there anyway, I couldn't skip Whole Foods.
One of the things I like about WF is that they tell you where the produce comes from. I really appreciate that. I was eyeing tomatoes from Jersey and peaches grown in this state, and blueberries from Maine and Michigan, when to my great surprise I spied cabbages and potatoes from--yes, you guessed it--the very town I live in. Who knew?
It's sort of like living in Florida and only finding California oranges in the grocery store! Why can't there be more places selling locally grown produce RIGHT HERE?
Argh.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Sorting and filing
In some ways I'm a very organized person. But my organization tends to be internal, and the outside--well, chaos might be too strong, but there tends to be a bit of clutter, especially when it comes to things that need to be sorted and filed. I've tried to be better about it, but still--I just hate dealing with it.
A small metal filing cabinet has moved around with me for the past 20+ years, holding bits of this and that. Every so often I'll take a stab at getting files in order, but it's hit or miss. And since we've lived here, I've filed papers on a shelf instead. Finally last night I decided the filing cabinet--rusty, dented, and not very attractive--had to go, so I unloaded its contents and started going through them.
Of course, it was like opening Pandora's box. Yes, there were tax forms--many years worth, all neatly filed away. And there were birth certificates and shot records and report cards from years gone by. A random paper I wrote my freshman year in college--on Southern food. (Don't ask why--I don't remember.)
Then there were the warranties for things I no longer own, the floppy disks that no computer can read anymore, old canceled checks, Mother's Day, graduation and birthday cards, a newspaper article about me when I graduated from college, random photos (the big box of photos is still upstairs, needing to be repacked!), receipts for who knows what--the flotsam and jetsam of my life.
Some of it was funny; some of it was painful--the divorce decree, the letter my dad wrote to each of us when he knew his cancer was terminal--which I ironically received the same day as my acceptance letter from seminary. An essay I wrote for the commission for ministry and my first ember letter to my bishop, along with his reply were tucked away, too.
I filled a big box with discards, shredded two big bags of papers, and reduced it all down to one neat waterproof file box. It's all in folders, but it wouldn't win any gold stars for great organization. And I don't think I ever will. Because here's the thing: Being able to file everything away into orderly folders, neatly labeled doesn't really match how my life is. It doesn't encompass the ambiguity, the ups and downs, the messy reality of my life. I expect my files, like my life, will always be a bit chaotic. But that's okay.
A small metal filing cabinet has moved around with me for the past 20+ years, holding bits of this and that. Every so often I'll take a stab at getting files in order, but it's hit or miss. And since we've lived here, I've filed papers on a shelf instead. Finally last night I decided the filing cabinet--rusty, dented, and not very attractive--had to go, so I unloaded its contents and started going through them.
Of course, it was like opening Pandora's box. Yes, there were tax forms--many years worth, all neatly filed away. And there were birth certificates and shot records and report cards from years gone by. A random paper I wrote my freshman year in college--on Southern food. (Don't ask why--I don't remember.)
Then there were the warranties for things I no longer own, the floppy disks that no computer can read anymore, old canceled checks, Mother's Day, graduation and birthday cards, a newspaper article about me when I graduated from college, random photos (the big box of photos is still upstairs, needing to be repacked!), receipts for who knows what--the flotsam and jetsam of my life.
Some of it was funny; some of it was painful--the divorce decree, the letter my dad wrote to each of us when he knew his cancer was terminal--which I ironically received the same day as my acceptance letter from seminary. An essay I wrote for the commission for ministry and my first ember letter to my bishop, along with his reply were tucked away, too.
I filled a big box with discards, shredded two big bags of papers, and reduced it all down to one neat waterproof file box. It's all in folders, but it wouldn't win any gold stars for great organization. And I don't think I ever will. Because here's the thing: Being able to file everything away into orderly folders, neatly labeled doesn't really match how my life is. It doesn't encompass the ambiguity, the ups and downs, the messy reality of my life. I expect my files, like my life, will always be a bit chaotic. But that's okay.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Random bits of "I'm on vacation now!"
~Even though I have tons of organizing and packing to do, I'm determined to have some vacation time. So yesterday morning I loaded up the car and took off for Vermont where I'll be on child care duty for a few days with the delightful Baby J who has grown so much since I saw her the first week of June that I can hardly believe it.
~Traffic was teh awful yesterday. Where I live, I expect delays at certain points, but oddly, the back-ups were in totally different places yesterday. But they were bad enough that my trip took a whole hour longer than it should have.
~Today I spent with WW, looking at car seats and seeing her new apartment and then attending the shower NSLS threw for her. Boy, are car seats more complicated (and expensive) than they were when the Kid was an infant.
~Alas, I did not leave rainy weather behind. There were torrential downpours off and on all afternoon. Really, all of New England is just going to float away...
~Three of NSLS's high school friends were at the shower this afternoon. They're all married or engaged, two of the four (counting NSLS) are moms, one is a mom of two. But in my mind I still see the giggling ninth graders I used to drive around, the cheerleaders and track runners I watched compete, the girls I saw off to the prom. Where has the time gone?
~The Kid stayed behind for a few days to work and spend time with his friends. Weird going off without him, but preparation for the weeks ahead when he will be going off on his own to college. He's taking the bus up to join me on Thursdsay, and next weekend we'll head off to Maine for a few days.
~ I have pictures to post, but ever since I got a newer version of Photoshop and Leopard I've been having trouble with pictures. I'm not sure exactly what is different, but I need to figure it out. Maybe while Baby J is napping this week...
~And now I should go to bed at a decent hour and store up som energy for baby-watching
~Traffic was teh awful yesterday. Where I live, I expect delays at certain points, but oddly, the back-ups were in totally different places yesterday. But they were bad enough that my trip took a whole hour longer than it should have.
~Today I spent with WW, looking at car seats and seeing her new apartment and then attending the shower NSLS threw for her. Boy, are car seats more complicated (and expensive) than they were when the Kid was an infant.
~Alas, I did not leave rainy weather behind. There were torrential downpours off and on all afternoon. Really, all of New England is just going to float away...
~Three of NSLS's high school friends were at the shower this afternoon. They're all married or engaged, two of the four (counting NSLS) are moms, one is a mom of two. But in my mind I still see the giggling ninth graders I used to drive around, the cheerleaders and track runners I watched compete, the girls I saw off to the prom. Where has the time gone?
~The Kid stayed behind for a few days to work and spend time with his friends. Weird going off without him, but preparation for the weeks ahead when he will be going off on his own to college. He's taking the bus up to join me on Thursdsay, and next weekend we'll head off to Maine for a few days.
~ I have pictures to post, but ever since I got a newer version of Photoshop and Leopard I've been having trouble with pictures. I'm not sure exactly what is different, but I need to figure it out. Maybe while Baby J is napping this week...
~And now I should go to bed at a decent hour and store up som energy for baby-watching
Thursday, July 30, 2009
All over but the packing
Hard for me to believe, still, but Sunday was my last day at work. It was a fantastic day--with the best going away party ever. I was truly moved by the out pouring of love and good wishes from the congregation. And the presents, and the cards, and the flowers and the food. Totally amazing day that I will never, ever forget. Huge crowd. Lots of tears, too.
So I've spent much of this week packing up my office. It's all done now except for cleaning up my computer--copying all the files I want to keep and then wiping the hard drive. That may have to wait until vacation is over.
And gah--I haven't even BEGUN to pack the house yet. Saturday I'm going north to visit and take care of Baby J since her daycare provider is on vacation. Then we'll be off to Maine for a few days and after that it will be PACK, PACK, PACK. Ugh.
As for the puppy, I still haven't decided. One day I think it's a great idea, and the next I think it's insane. But I must decide soon,
So I've spent much of this week packing up my office. It's all done now except for cleaning up my computer--copying all the files I want to keep and then wiping the hard drive. That may have to wait until vacation is over.
And gah--I haven't even BEGUN to pack the house yet. Saturday I'm going north to visit and take care of Baby J since her daycare provider is on vacation. Then we'll be off to Maine for a few days and after that it will be PACK, PACK, PACK. Ugh.
As for the puppy, I still haven't decided. One day I think it's a great idea, and the next I think it's insane. But I must decide soon,
Monday, July 20, 2009
Discerning my call to a puppy*
I've said quite flippantly lately that when the Kid leaves for college I might just have to get a dog. But there is an underlying seriousness in that comment; I've never lived alone, and I think I will miss some sort of companionship at home. I like dogs and I've thought on and off for a couple of years that I should get one--probably I should have done it the first year I was here when I had time to train it and the Kid might have been interested in having a pet again. But I didn't.
Somewhat out of the blue last week, the opportunity to acquire a puppy just fell into my lap. And not just any puppy, a golden doodle puppy--this one to be specific:
Isn't she cute?
As it happens, if I were looking for a dog, a golden doodle is exactly what I'd want--low to no shedding, good temperament, good with kids, smart, gentle. Just what I'd want.
BUT
The timing couldn't be worse. I have to pack and move house and start a new job and get a kid off to college. How would I have time to deal with a puppy? Yikes.
But she's so cute.
And then there's my vacation plans. I can't adopt a puppy and go off and leave her. And I don't see how I can take her with us either, for several reasons. So unless her current owner would wait until I get home, that's a problem.
But the biggest issue is this: Am I REALLY ready for this kind of commitment? For the first time in my adult life I won't have to be responsible for another person. So do I want to tie myself down with a puppy?
But she's so cute...
And I'm torn. On Friday and Saturday I was sure I would take her. But yesterday and today I'm leaning more in the direction of saying no, and at the same time thinking I'll regret it later if I do.
Argh.
Opinions, of course, are welcome.
*for you non-clergy types, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the discernment process clergy must engage in prior to ordination, e.g., "I'm discerning my call to the priesthood"
Somewhat out of the blue last week, the opportunity to acquire a puppy just fell into my lap. And not just any puppy, a golden doodle puppy--this one to be specific:
Isn't she cute?
As it happens, if I were looking for a dog, a golden doodle is exactly what I'd want--low to no shedding, good temperament, good with kids, smart, gentle. Just what I'd want.
BUT
The timing couldn't be worse. I have to pack and move house and start a new job and get a kid off to college. How would I have time to deal with a puppy? Yikes.
But she's so cute.
And then there's my vacation plans. I can't adopt a puppy and go off and leave her. And I don't see how I can take her with us either, for several reasons. So unless her current owner would wait until I get home, that's a problem.
But the biggest issue is this: Am I REALLY ready for this kind of commitment? For the first time in my adult life I won't have to be responsible for another person. So do I want to tie myself down with a puppy?
But she's so cute...
And I'm torn. On Friday and Saturday I was sure I would take her. But yesterday and today I'm leaning more in the direction of saying no, and at the same time thinking I'll regret it later if I do.
Argh.
Opinions, of course, are welcome.
*for you non-clergy types, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the discernment process clergy must engage in prior to ordination, e.g., "I'm discerning my call to the priesthood"
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Back to our regularly scheduled prgramming
It's crazy how I blogged for more than 400 days without missing and then just STOPPED. I didn't mean to stop, but honestly, I got tired of hearing myself complain. Or thinking about complaining. And I've come to realize that there is a fine line between venting (important for mental health) and complaining incessantly (bad for mental health--for mine at least). And there were a few weeks there when I felt just too worn down to think of anything to say. But I didn't intend to quit writing. Over the last few weeks, I've composed many posts in my head--they just haven't made it out of my head...but I'm here to say that I intend to start writing again.
I can't quite believe we're moving into the end of July. Summer was slow--very slow--coming to this part of the world this year, and it's only in the last couple of weeks that it's felt like summer. And suddenly I have one week left at work, and a month before moving and just a bit longer than that before the Kid goes off to college. Yikes.
I'm so happy to be out of the limbo I was in for a while of not knowing where I was going to end up, or if I was going to have a job, but I still feel like I have an awful lot of balls in the air. When i stop and think about getting everything ready to move--and all the packing--I feel a bit overwhelmed. One day at a time, though, it will get done. I hope.
I've been saying good bye at church for a few weeks now..but that's a subject for another post. Next Sunday will be my last day, and how I feel about that is probably subject for another post as well. As is the puppy I'm thinking about getting. Hey, at least I have things to write about!
I can't quite believe we're moving into the end of July. Summer was slow--very slow--coming to this part of the world this year, and it's only in the last couple of weeks that it's felt like summer. And suddenly I have one week left at work, and a month before moving and just a bit longer than that before the Kid goes off to college. Yikes.
I'm so happy to be out of the limbo I was in for a while of not knowing where I was going to end up, or if I was going to have a job, but I still feel like I have an awful lot of balls in the air. When i stop and think about getting everything ready to move--and all the packing--I feel a bit overwhelmed. One day at a time, though, it will get done. I hope.
I've been saying good bye at church for a few weeks now..but that's a subject for another post. Next Sunday will be my last day, and how I feel about that is probably subject for another post as well. As is the puppy I'm thinking about getting. Hey, at least I have things to write about!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Random bits of catching up...
~I haven't blogged in 4evah! Or so it seems. It's not that I haven't had things to say; I just haven't had the energy to say them. BUT
~(As many of you know from FB) the good news is that I have a new position starting September 1 and I am VERY excited. I have accepted a call to become the rector of a parish in a nearby New England state--must come up with a pseudonym for this parish soon. My last Sunday here is July 26 and I am taking my vacation in August. Much of which will be spent packing, packing, packing.
~And did I mention that this new parish has a sweet rectory? Big old Victorian, wood floor, fireplace. Awesome.
~The Kid is all graduated and hanging out for the summer. The only downside is that the weather is so crappy he's not getting to work much. He works at a seasonal restaurant and if business isn't good, they don't need as much help. And the weather is teh sucky.
~Seriously, the weather is teh sucky in the extreme. It rains almost everyday. And it is cold. I read other peoples' FB statuses about being hot and needing a/c, and I can hardly believe it. I've had the heat on here twice in the last week. Yesterday's high was 59 and today wasn't much warmer. What happened to summer?
~So what's new with you?
~(As many of you know from FB) the good news is that I have a new position starting September 1 and I am VERY excited. I have accepted a call to become the rector of a parish in a nearby New England state--must come up with a pseudonym for this parish soon. My last Sunday here is July 26 and I am taking my vacation in August. Much of which will be spent packing, packing, packing.
~And did I mention that this new parish has a sweet rectory? Big old Victorian, wood floor, fireplace. Awesome.
~The Kid is all graduated and hanging out for the summer. The only downside is that the weather is so crappy he's not getting to work much. He works at a seasonal restaurant and if business isn't good, they don't need as much help. And the weather is teh sucky.
~Seriously, the weather is teh sucky in the extreme. It rains almost everyday. And it is cold. I read other peoples' FB statuses about being hot and needing a/c, and I can hardly believe it. I've had the heat on here twice in the last week. Yesterday's high was 59 and today wasn't much warmer. What happened to summer?
~So what's new with you?
Friday, June 12, 2009
Friday Five~Grocery shoppong
This week's Friday Five is all about food shopping.
Hate it. But honestly, it's not the shopping per se; it's the whole meal planning thing. I've just lost the knack, I think. Cooking real meals has been very hit or miss around here for a while.
We have a TJ's and two conventional chain groceries. And that's about it. I have to say that I'm not nearly as excited about TJ's as other people seem to be. Maybe it's because our TJ's is very small and probably doesn't have quite the selection that larger ones do. Or maybe it's just me and my general disdain for grocery shopping. I really wish we had Whole Foods. That's my favorite.
My area is short on farmer's markets and the like. Just this year a new CSA has started up, but I didn't join b/c I wasn't sure if I'd be here all summer. I hope wherever I move will have more of both. One of the great features of the last two places I lived was the wonderful famers' markets and availability of good fresh produce, locally grown--yes, even NYC has wonderful greenmarkets.
1. Grocery shopping--love it or hate it?
Hate it. But honestly, it's not the shopping per se; it's the whole meal planning thing. I've just lost the knack, I think. Cooking real meals has been very hit or miss around here for a while.
2. Who is the primary food shopper in your household?
Me. There is no one else to do it.
Me. There is no one else to do it.
3. Do you have a beloved store like Trader Joe's which is unique to your location or family?
We have a TJ's and two conventional chain groceries. And that's about it. I have to say that I'm not nearly as excited about TJ's as other people seem to be. Maybe it's because our TJ's is very small and probably doesn't have quite the selection that larger ones do. Or maybe it's just me and my general disdain for grocery shopping. I really wish we had Whole Foods. That's my favorite.
4. How about a farmer's market, or CSA share, as we move into summer? Or do you grow your own fruits/veggies/herbs?
My area is short on farmer's markets and the like. Just this year a new CSA has started up, but I didn't join b/c I wasn't sure if I'd be here all summer. I hope wherever I move will have more of both. One of the great features of the last two places I lived was the wonderful famers' markets and availability of good fresh produce, locally grown--yes, even NYC has wonderful greenmarkets.
5. What's the favorite thing you buy at the grocery store?
Diet Lime Coke; blueberries and kefir for my cereal; oj. I'm boring, what can I say?
Diet Lime Coke; blueberries and kefir for my cereal; oj. I'm boring, what can I say?
Friday, June 05, 2009
Friday Frive~Moving and changing
Since I've never, ever lived on place longer than 8 years, and since I will be packing and moving (somewhere) before 2009 is over, this one is right up my alley!
1. A big move is looming, name one thing that you could not possibly part with, it must be packed ?
Furniture and such can always be replaced, but I have a few things that I am attached to--most of the things hanging on my walls have meaning to me, a trunk that reminds me of my grandmother, things that belonged to my dad and to my mother-in-law, family pix and the like must be packed with care.
2. Name one thing that you would gladly leave behind...
I've kept things pared down over the years, so I don't have too much. I did at one move leave all my old living room furniture behind, and was quite happy to do so, even though I didn't replace it for a whole year.
When I leave here, however, what I most want to leave behind is all the negativity that's clouded my life over the last year or so at work. I want to shake the dust off my feet and move on.
3. How do you prepare for a move
a. practically?
Packing, packing, packing. I've done this enough that I am good at it, and I like my stuff to organized when I unpack it, so I take some care about how things are boxed up. And I have LOTS of books to pack. At my next move, though, I hope to negotiate so that the movers will pack my china.
b. spiritually/ emotionally?
Saying goodbye is hard, but important, so I try to do that. And mentally prepare myself for a new place, thinking about what I have to look forward to.
4. What is the first thing you look for in a new place?
Grocery store, coffee shop, bookstore, hardware store.
5. Do you settle in easily, or does it take time for you to find your feet in a new location?
I have to unpack quickly and get the house in order--I can't stand living with unpacked boxes, and I'm a fast unpacker usually. How long it takes me to acclimate over all to a new place has varied. A couple of places I've felt at home right away, and a couple of places it's taken a year or more to feel like "home."
1. A big move is looming, name one thing that you could not possibly part with, it must be packed ?
Furniture and such can always be replaced, but I have a few things that I am attached to--most of the things hanging on my walls have meaning to me, a trunk that reminds me of my grandmother, things that belonged to my dad and to my mother-in-law, family pix and the like must be packed with care.
2. Name one thing that you would gladly leave behind...
I've kept things pared down over the years, so I don't have too much. I did at one move leave all my old living room furniture behind, and was quite happy to do so, even though I didn't replace it for a whole year.
When I leave here, however, what I most want to leave behind is all the negativity that's clouded my life over the last year or so at work. I want to shake the dust off my feet and move on.
3. How do you prepare for a move
a. practically?
Packing, packing, packing. I've done this enough that I am good at it, and I like my stuff to organized when I unpack it, so I take some care about how things are boxed up. And I have LOTS of books to pack. At my next move, though, I hope to negotiate so that the movers will pack my china.
b. spiritually/ emotionally?
Saying goodbye is hard, but important, so I try to do that. And mentally prepare myself for a new place, thinking about what I have to look forward to.
4. What is the first thing you look for in a new place?
Grocery store, coffee shop, bookstore, hardware store.
5. Do you settle in easily, or does it take time for you to find your feet in a new location?
I have to unpack quickly and get the house in order--I can't stand living with unpacked boxes, and I'm a fast unpacker usually. How long it takes me to acclimate over all to a new place has varied. A couple of places I've felt at home right away, and a couple of places it's taken a year or more to feel like "home."
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday 5 on Saturday: The big to-do
1) What home fix-it project is on your Big To-Do?
~Actually none. I live in church housing, and since I will be moving out sometime this year, the church has postponed any more projects on the rectory for now. (Last summer, if you recall, we had the great-new-floors-leads-to-new-plumbing job.)
2) What event (fun or work) is on your Big To-Do?
~Find a new position; pack and move. That pretty much says it all for now.
3) What trip is on your Big To-Do?
~My vacation plans are on hold (see #2 above) but it would be great if we could make it to Maine (although there are lots of what-if factors in that this year) like we've done the past few summers. I'd also love to spend some time in Vermont.
4) What do you wish was on someone ELSE's (partner, family member, celebrity, etc...) Big To-Do?
~Offer me a position?
~And the Kid must sort through all of his stuff as we prepare to both move and send him off to college.
5) Getting inspired? What may end this summer having moved from the Big To-Do to the Big Ta-da?
~Who knows? Everything seems to be up in the air at this point!
~Actually none. I live in church housing, and since I will be moving out sometime this year, the church has postponed any more projects on the rectory for now. (Last summer, if you recall, we had the great-new-floors-leads-to-new-plumbing job.)
2) What event (fun or work) is on your Big To-Do?
~Find a new position; pack and move. That pretty much says it all for now.
3) What trip is on your Big To-Do?
~My vacation plans are on hold (see #2 above) but it would be great if we could make it to Maine (although there are lots of what-if factors in that this year) like we've done the past few summers. I'd also love to spend some time in Vermont.
4) What do you wish was on someone ELSE's (partner, family member, celebrity, etc...) Big To-Do?
~Offer me a position?
~And the Kid must sort through all of his stuff as we prepare to both move and send him off to college.
5) Getting inspired? What may end this summer having moved from the Big To-Do to the Big Ta-da?
~Who knows? Everything seems to be up in the air at this point!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The times, they are a'changing
Way back in January I wrote that this would be a year of changes, and those changes are in full swing. The Kid took the big yellow school bus for the last time today, took his last exam, and finished his high school career. Tomorrow night is the Senior Prom, and a week from Saturday he officially graduates. I am feeling a bit dazed by it all, even though I've been thinking about it for months. It seems like just yesterday that we were going to kindergarten orientation, and he was talking about riding the bus for the first time.
This also marks the first time in something like 28 years that I won't have a child in public school. Does that make me officially old? It just feels weird. Of course, having my kids spread out over a 16 year period meant that I was parent to a school age kid for longer than most. But I have to say, it's hard to imagine not having a kid to get off to school in the morning, not buying school supplies in the fall, not doing all those school related things.
But that's not all the change, oh, no. In addition to the ones I expected, there's more: I'm going to be a grandmother again. NO, NSLS isn't pregnant again; it's WW. I've actually known this for several months, but between not posting much lately, and waiting to see if she'd blog about it, I haven't said anything about it. But now I will tell the story. It seems that last year when WW spent some time in Nepal before returning to the states she met someone. I don't know all the story but apparently their attachment grew and that is one of the reasons she went back to Nepal for the winter, where she fell in love and they decided to get married. Her quick trip home earlier this year was to do all the visa paperwork so that he could come to the states with her, which is no simple matter. And they are having a baby in September! If you know me on FB you probably know that WW returned to the states a couple of weeks ago, and hopefully her beloved (who needs a pseudonym) will join her by the end of the summer. Very exciting.
Meanwhile, I'm still in limbo, with only 2 months left in my current position. The job search is agonizingly slow, but I am hopeful that something will work out sooner rather than later.
This also marks the first time in something like 28 years that I won't have a child in public school. Does that make me officially old? It just feels weird. Of course, having my kids spread out over a 16 year period meant that I was parent to a school age kid for longer than most. But I have to say, it's hard to imagine not having a kid to get off to school in the morning, not buying school supplies in the fall, not doing all those school related things.
But that's not all the change, oh, no. In addition to the ones I expected, there's more: I'm going to be a grandmother again. NO, NSLS isn't pregnant again; it's WW. I've actually known this for several months, but between not posting much lately, and waiting to see if she'd blog about it, I haven't said anything about it. But now I will tell the story. It seems that last year when WW spent some time in Nepal before returning to the states she met someone. I don't know all the story but apparently their attachment grew and that is one of the reasons she went back to Nepal for the winter, where she fell in love and they decided to get married. Her quick trip home earlier this year was to do all the visa paperwork so that he could come to the states with her, which is no simple matter. And they are having a baby in September! If you know me on FB you probably know that WW returned to the states a couple of weeks ago, and hopefully her beloved (who needs a pseudonym) will join her by the end of the summer. Very exciting.
Meanwhile, I'm still in limbo, with only 2 months left in my current position. The job search is agonizingly slow, but I am hopeful that something will work out sooner rather than later.
Friday, May 08, 2009
True confessions
~Y'all know (at least if you 've read here for a while) that I haven't had a TV since...oh, 1996 or so. There are whole TV series that came and went and played a huge role in pop culture that I never saw, and really never minded not seeing.
~Two years ago now, the Kid borrowed the first season of Grey's Anatomy on dvd from a friend I was hooked. I bought the 2nd season when I found it on sale one day, and the 3rd season I got on iTunes. Then last year I discovered abc.com and it became my Friday routine to watch Grey's while I ate lunch--my day off treat.
~Every once in a while I would start watching something else, but nothing really caught my fancy unitl last fall and I watched an episode of Dancing with the Stars and loved it. It is a pure feel-good show for me--makes me smile. So it was added to my routine.
~One of the reasons I was glad not to have a TV is because it is soooooo addictive. I was pretty picky when I had a TV but I still watched too much. And over the last couple of months, as my stress levels have gone up, so has my TV watching--Grey's, DWTS, Castle, Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters. The last two are really cheesey and I can't believe I've been watching them, but there you go. Keeps my mind off other things.
~I've always been a sucker for a sappy love story--I remember in high school reading Love Story ("Love means never having to say you're sorry....") and crying so hard my mother came upstairs to see what was wrong. Grey's Anatomy has had that effect on my this season...I cry just about every episode, and never more than this week, which I watched twice tonight. What a dweeb I am!
~I'm still glad I don't have a TV....I guess I'd be a total junkie if I did.
~Two years ago now, the Kid borrowed the first season of Grey's Anatomy on dvd from a friend I was hooked. I bought the 2nd season when I found it on sale one day, and the 3rd season I got on iTunes. Then last year I discovered abc.com and it became my Friday routine to watch Grey's while I ate lunch--my day off treat.
~Every once in a while I would start watching something else, but nothing really caught my fancy unitl last fall and I watched an episode of Dancing with the Stars and loved it. It is a pure feel-good show for me--makes me smile. So it was added to my routine.
~One of the reasons I was glad not to have a TV is because it is soooooo addictive. I was pretty picky when I had a TV but I still watched too much. And over the last couple of months, as my stress levels have gone up, so has my TV watching--Grey's, DWTS, Castle, Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters. The last two are really cheesey and I can't believe I've been watching them, but there you go. Keeps my mind off other things.
~I've always been a sucker for a sappy love story--I remember in high school reading Love Story ("Love means never having to say you're sorry....") and crying so hard my mother came upstairs to see what was wrong. Grey's Anatomy has had that effect on my this season...I cry just about every episode, and never more than this week, which I watched twice tonight. What a dweeb I am!
~I'm still glad I don't have a TV....I guess I'd be a total junkie if I did.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
I'm still here...
My blogging hiatus has been mostly unintentional. We went to Vermont for a few days, and I stayed pretty busy taking care of Baby J, and didn't spend as much time as I normally do on the computer.
Then there's been some computer weirdness: first my new bluetooth mouse quit working. I'm not sure whether it's the mouse or the bluetooth receiver thingy in my computer; none of the trouble shooting tips I've found seem to help, so I'm going to have to call apple, I guess. I can manage without a mouse, but I prefer using one. I gave my old usb mouse to the Kid who had wrecked his apple mouse by always tapping it in time to his music.
I upgraded my software (Leopard, iLife 09 and iWorks 09) when my new hard drive was installed, and then I had to buy a new version of Photoshop because when I went to reload my old one, it said some files were corrupt. Now nothing works quite the same and I have to figure all that out. Trying to post a picture here doesn't work right; again not sure if it's my computer or something else--bloggger wouldn't let me upload any pix the one time I tried to post while I was away, and now it's trying to upload my whole iPhoto library instead of lettting me select the picture I want. Craziness that I have little patience for.
I had lots of fun with Baby J who is a very active one-year-old; if I can ever figure out what's going on with my computer I have more pictures to post.
Now it's back to the real world, I guess. Laundry beckons along with other work duties, domestic and ecclesiastical. (For some reason I just felt like throwing in a big word.) More interesting stuff later, I hope.
Then there's been some computer weirdness: first my new bluetooth mouse quit working. I'm not sure whether it's the mouse or the bluetooth receiver thingy in my computer; none of the trouble shooting tips I've found seem to help, so I'm going to have to call apple, I guess. I can manage without a mouse, but I prefer using one. I gave my old usb mouse to the Kid who had wrecked his apple mouse by always tapping it in time to his music.
I upgraded my software (Leopard, iLife 09 and iWorks 09) when my new hard drive was installed, and then I had to buy a new version of Photoshop because when I went to reload my old one, it said some files were corrupt. Now nothing works quite the same and I have to figure all that out. Trying to post a picture here doesn't work right; again not sure if it's my computer or something else--bloggger wouldn't let me upload any pix the one time I tried to post while I was away, and now it's trying to upload my whole iPhoto library instead of lettting me select the picture I want. Craziness that I have little patience for.
I had lots of fun with Baby J who is a very active one-year-old; if I can ever figure out what's going on with my computer I have more pictures to post.
Now it's back to the real world, I guess. Laundry beckons along with other work duties, domestic and ecclesiastical. (For some reason I just felt like throwing in a big word.) More interesting stuff later, I hope.
Friday, April 17, 2009
I know I'm biased
but is this not a beautiful baby? (in the church library the night of the baptism)
Meta bloginess
I went some 400 days without missing a blog post, but I have fallen off the bandwagon the last couple of weeks. In some ways that's really okay. I know that I haven't had much to say, and really, is a boring post better than no post? Eh.
On the other hand, daily blogging had become a discipline, and in some ways, it was good for me to committ to writing something every day, no matter how banal. So I'm rethinking the whole blog thing and how I write. Once upon a time I started a blog using my real name to post sermons and reflections on, but I didn't maintain it very long. And then there was my photo blog on which I faithfully put a daily picture for half of 2008. Sadly, I haven't taken any pix lately, and even more sadly I lost most of what I took last year when my computer crashed (yeah, I'm still trying not to think about that.) Maybe I need to roll that all together again, whether as RDM or as the "real" me. We'll see.
In the mean time, I've been "recovering" from Holy Week and Easter. Work doesn't really take a break (although if I'm ever in charge, I will ban all meetings the week after Easter--really, everyone needs a break), but I've been vegging out evenings, reloading software on the laptop and watching Dancing with the Stars and Grey's Anatomy (even if it is reruns). I have the next week off (yippee!) and the Kid and I are heading out Sunday for a few days in Vermont. I am ready to just relax for a bit.
On the other hand, daily blogging had become a discipline, and in some ways, it was good for me to committ to writing something every day, no matter how banal. So I'm rethinking the whole blog thing and how I write. Once upon a time I started a blog using my real name to post sermons and reflections on, but I didn't maintain it very long. And then there was my photo blog on which I faithfully put a daily picture for half of 2008. Sadly, I haven't taken any pix lately, and even more sadly I lost most of what I took last year when my computer crashed (yeah, I'm still trying not to think about that.) Maybe I need to roll that all together again, whether as RDM or as the "real" me. We'll see.
In the mean time, I've been "recovering" from Holy Week and Easter. Work doesn't really take a break (although if I'm ever in charge, I will ban all meetings the week after Easter--really, everyone needs a break), but I've been vegging out evenings, reloading software on the laptop and watching Dancing with the Stars and Grey's Anatomy (even if it is reruns). I have the next week off (yippee!) and the Kid and I are heading out Sunday for a few days in Vermont. I am ready to just relax for a bit.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Apple store, how I love you
I made a trip to the Apple Store about an hour away today, and they were able to install a new hard drive right away, so I am back on line. They also replaced a piece of the casing that was cracked. Thanks to Apple Care, I could've walked away without spending any money, but given my propensity for crashing hard drives, I decided to upgrade to Leopard so that I could use Time Machine (which will do automatic backups as long as I plug in the external drive which I also bought). Since I had to spend the Christmas money I've been holding onto for something special, I bought myself a bluetooth mouse, too. I am truly a computer addict--it's a good thing I was so busy this weekend, or I would've had worse withdrawal.
I am however, trying not to think about all the data I lost, because it might make me cry. Some things were backed up, but not everything. Most of my job search materials still exist in my gmail sent folder. All my sermons are also on my work computer so I have them. And many pictures were shared around various places so they still exist. But many more were lost. Ack. Maybe I really will learn my lesson this time.
I also got to go to Whole Foods since it is in the same shopping center as the Apple Store. That was a bit of a treat--I had lunch there and then did some grocery shopping. I had the best tofu I've ever eaten--barbequed. I need to learn how to make that.
I'm not nearly as tired as I was, but I wish I had another day off....or a week. I'm actually off next week because that is the Kid's spring break, but I could really enjoy being off this week, too.
I am however, trying not to think about all the data I lost, because it might make me cry. Some things were backed up, but not everything. Most of my job search materials still exist in my gmail sent folder. All my sermons are also on my work computer so I have them. And many pictures were shared around various places so they still exist. But many more were lost. Ack. Maybe I really will learn my lesson this time.
I also got to go to Whole Foods since it is in the same shopping center as the Apple Store. That was a bit of a treat--I had lunch there and then did some grocery shopping. I had the best tofu I've ever eaten--barbequed. I need to learn how to make that.
I'm not nearly as tired as I was, but I wish I had another day off....or a week. I'm actually off next week because that is the Kid's spring break, but I could really enjoy being off this week, too.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Happy Easter
So my hard drive died yesterday morning....before I printed the sermon that needed to be preached at noon--the one I'd been up til 1 am writing. Can we say rewrite in 1 hour? First one was better, but it preached.
Easter Vigil tonight was AWESOME. Lots of work, but worth every bit of it. Really. Baby J was amazing; she wore the dress I wore when I was baptized.
I am EXHAUSTED and going to bed. More when I get my computer fixed. I'm sneaking minutes on the Kid's now.
Easter Vigil tonight was AWESOME. Lots of work, but worth every bit of it. Really. Baby J was amazing; she wore the dress I wore when I was baptized.
I am EXHAUSTED and going to bed. More when I get my computer fixed. I'm sneaking minutes on the Kid's now.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Middle of Holy Week slump
Holy Week isn't a sprint, it's a marathon, and I've been trying to pace myself accordingly. I've done 5 services so far this week (one Monday, 2 Tuesday, and 2 today) and it's been good, but this afternoon I definitely lost some steam. Unfortunately a nap was out of the question.
I still have two sermons to write, and I've been trying to do some laundry in the evenings so that I don't have a pile of it for the weekend when I usually do it. But I'm behind. Tomorrow NSLS and Baby J arrive for the weekend--yay! I just wish I didn't have so much work to do. And on Saturday, many more people will be arriving for the Easter Vigil and Baby J's baptism.
It's definitely not a sprint, it's a marathon.
I still have two sermons to write, and I've been trying to do some laundry in the evenings so that I don't have a pile of it for the weekend when I usually do it. But I'm behind. Tomorrow NSLS and Baby J arrive for the weekend--yay! I just wish I didn't have so much work to do. And on Saturday, many more people will be arriving for the Easter Vigil and Baby J's baptism.
It's definitely not a sprint, it's a marathon.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Proud of Vermont
I'll always be a flatlander, and I don't live there anymore, but I am so proud of Vermont today, and so happy to be even remotely by adoption a Vermonter.
Monday, April 06, 2009
April 6
Nineteen years ago today I met the Kid's father. It seemed like a star-struck night, the beginning of something wonderful, and it was, for a while. A short while, as it turned out, but the Kid came of that relationship, and I can't imagine my life over the last 17 years without him, so I can't be sorry it happened.
Seven years ago today my dad died. He died after a valiant struggle with lung cancer. I wrote about my dad here a couple of years ago. We all still miss him.
For some reason I thought about the juxtaposition of those two events today. They're not related; it's by mere happenstance that they share the same date. Yet they both mark my life in indelible ways. It's funny, too--when I met the Kid's father, his best characteristics, and some of his manners of speech (calling people "sugar," for example) reminded me of my dad. I took that as a good sign, but as it turned out, the only things he really had in common with my dad were things that were not their finer qualities (including a fondness for bourbon and cigarettes.)
Memory is such a funny thing. It's painful at times, yet would I want to be without it?
Today I'll be thinking of Daddy, and wondering about things that might have been.
Seven years ago today my dad died. He died after a valiant struggle with lung cancer. I wrote about my dad here a couple of years ago. We all still miss him.
For some reason I thought about the juxtaposition of those two events today. They're not related; it's by mere happenstance that they share the same date. Yet they both mark my life in indelible ways. It's funny, too--when I met the Kid's father, his best characteristics, and some of his manners of speech (calling people "sugar," for example) reminded me of my dad. I took that as a good sign, but as it turned out, the only things he really had in common with my dad were things that were not their finer qualities (including a fondness for bourbon and cigarettes.)
Memory is such a funny thing. It's painful at times, yet would I want to be without it?
Today I'll be thinking of Daddy, and wondering about things that might have been.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
A pretty good day
~The sun was out! It got up to 60! It felt like spring might really be coming after all (of course I know better than to think this will last).
~Palm Sunday liturgy went well. The youth were the readers for the passion narrative and they did a great job. We started out palm procession across the street and even had a bit of incense.
~The adrenaline was still pumping when I got home, but as soon as I sat down to eat my lunch, it was like someone punctured a ballooon--whoosh--the energy was completely gone.
~Busy, busy week--at least one service everyday this week. Three sermons to write. Company coming next weekend. But a week off in just 12 days!
~If I get off the computer RIGHT NOW I can be in bed before midnight....g'night!
~Palm Sunday liturgy went well. The youth were the readers for the passion narrative and they did a great job. We started out palm procession across the street and even had a bit of incense.
~The adrenaline was still pumping when I got home, but as soon as I sat down to eat my lunch, it was like someone punctured a ballooon--whoosh--the energy was completely gone.
~Busy, busy week--at least one service everyday this week. Three sermons to write. Company coming next weekend. But a week off in just 12 days!
~If I get off the computer RIGHT NOW I can be in bed before midnight....g'night!
Friday, April 03, 2009
Friday Five~Holy cow, it's Holy Week
Beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter Sunday, I will have 12 services to participate in (but only 3 sermons which is actually fewer than some years). While I love Holy Week, there is no question that it is exhausting. This week's FF asks faced with such a busy week:
1. What restores you physically?
Naps will be important this week. In seminary I mastered the five minute power nap, but I don't take advantage of them often enough. And I need to make extra effort to get to bed on time (something that sounds so simple, but as regular readers here will know, something I'm not good at.)
2. What strengthens you emotionally/ mentally?
Preparing for liturgies is hard work, but participating in them is often restorative. Being part of a loving congregation helps, too. And having a mentor and friends who understand what the week is like (and the extra stresses I have right now) is immensely helpful.
3. What encourages you spiritually?
Same as # 2. And trying to remember what this week is really all about--not all the details that make us crazy, but celebrating new life and all that means for us.
4. Share a favourite poem or piece of music from the coming week.
This prayer is not for Holy Week, but it is one I've been praying a great deal lately (and I think I posted it earlier.)
MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
~Thomas Merton
5.There may be many services for you to attend/ lead over the next week; which one are you most looking forward to and why? If there aren't do you have a favourite day in Holy week if so which one is it?
The Great Vigil of Easter is always my favorite part of Holy Week, and this year it will be even more special because I am baptizing my granddaughter, the wonderful Baby J.
1. What restores you physically?
Naps will be important this week. In seminary I mastered the five minute power nap, but I don't take advantage of them often enough. And I need to make extra effort to get to bed on time (something that sounds so simple, but as regular readers here will know, something I'm not good at.)
2. What strengthens you emotionally/ mentally?
Preparing for liturgies is hard work, but participating in them is often restorative. Being part of a loving congregation helps, too. And having a mentor and friends who understand what the week is like (and the extra stresses I have right now) is immensely helpful.
3. What encourages you spiritually?
Same as # 2. And trying to remember what this week is really all about--not all the details that make us crazy, but celebrating new life and all that means for us.
4. Share a favourite poem or piece of music from the coming week.
This prayer is not for Holy Week, but it is one I've been praying a great deal lately (and I think I posted it earlier.)
MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
~Thomas Merton
5.There may be many services for you to attend/ lead over the next week; which one are you most looking forward to and why? If there aren't do you have a favourite day in Holy week if so which one is it?
The Great Vigil of Easter is always my favorite part of Holy Week, and this year it will be even more special because I am baptizing my granddaughter, the wonderful Baby J.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
It figures
After not having (or watching) TV for 12 years, last year I discovered abc.com. Watching Grey's Anatomy there became part of my weekly routine, and recently I've added a few more shows to my repertoire--Dancing with the Stars, Castle, and Brothers and Sisters.
So today's New York Times has this article. I guess it's inevitable, but if abc.com follows the lead and I have to subscribe to cable to watch TV on my computer, my watching days will be over again, I guess.
Which may not be a bad thing, as I (re)discover how addicitive TV can be.
So today's New York Times has this article. I guess it's inevitable, but if abc.com follows the lead and I have to subscribe to cable to watch TV on my computer, my watching days will be over again, I guess.
Which may not be a bad thing, as I (re)discover how addicitive TV can be.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Signs of hope
Spring peepers! And daffodils pushing up through the dirt.
Spring (such as it is here) can't be far behind!
Spring (such as it is here) can't be far behind!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Exhausted
The last six weeks or so have been extraordinarily stressful, and the last couple of weeks have been similarly busy, what with Lenten activities on top of everything else. I don't think I realized how tired I really was until around noon today. I had gone in to work for a meeting only to find chaos--broken copy machine on the day we were trying to produce both bulletins and a newsletter, wrong dates given in a memo about the spring rummage sale, etc.
Around lunch time I had done enough that I could come home, and then it hit me that I was so tired, so, so tired. I came home and watched last night's Grey's Anatomy (and the extent to which it made me cry may also reflect my tiredness) and then realizing that I couldn't really keep my eyes open any longer, took a nap on the couch. Which helped a lot. But I am still tired. And I have a sermon to write. Among other things, like laundry which is piling up again, and my last week of Lenten activities to plan, and then there's Holy Week to think about.
I feel like I could take another nap right now. I could just go to bed, but 9:30 seems insanely early. Perhaps I can muster the energ to think about my sermon for a bit. Or something.
Around lunch time I had done enough that I could come home, and then it hit me that I was so tired, so, so tired. I came home and watched last night's Grey's Anatomy (and the extent to which it made me cry may also reflect my tiredness) and then realizing that I couldn't really keep my eyes open any longer, took a nap on the couch. Which helped a lot. But I am still tired. And I have a sermon to write. Among other things, like laundry which is piling up again, and my last week of Lenten activities to plan, and then there's Holy Week to think about.
I feel like I could take another nap right now. I could just go to bed, but 9:30 seems insanely early. Perhaps I can muster the energ to think about my sermon for a bit. Or something.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
34 and counting
That's the number of school days left until the Kid's graduation. And they're going by fast. We've paid for his AP exams, his cap and gown, and his yearbook. He's thinking about his prom date.Waiting for that last college acceptance letter.
Tonight as he helped me prepare for an activity at church I realized how very soon he'll be gone. Wasn't he an infant just last week? And didn't I just put him on the bus for his first day at kindergarten? Where has the time gone?
There are a lot of us in my bloggy world with high school seniors this year: Songbird, Cheesehead, jo(e), timna Come June I feel a cyber party coming on.
Tonight as he helped me prepare for an activity at church I realized how very soon he'll be gone. Wasn't he an infant just last week? And didn't I just put him on the bus for his first day at kindergarten? Where has the time gone?
There are a lot of us in my bloggy world with high school seniors this year: Songbird, Cheesehead, jo(e), timna Come June I feel a cyber party coming on.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
More radom bits
~It's another one of those days (weeks?) in which there is just no time enought to do all the things one has to do. And so I sit and spin my wheels, making matters even worse.
~I don't know what to do about such times. I just keep plugging away in an tempt to shorten the list but to no avail.
~I'm teaching on the Gospel of Thomas tomorrow--out of my comfort zone on that one! And then leading a Lenten activity for families tomorrow evening. Fun stuff, but I need to prep for that, too.
~I know that I've been incredibly boring here lately, and yet I feel compelled to write SOMETHING--anything?--here every day, no matter what. Maybe I should get over it. Eh....
~And on that note, I'm off to bed
~I don't know what to do about such times. I just keep plugging away in an tempt to shorten the list but to no avail.
~I'm teaching on the Gospel of Thomas tomorrow--out of my comfort zone on that one! And then leading a Lenten activity for families tomorrow evening. Fun stuff, but I need to prep for that, too.
~I know that I've been incredibly boring here lately, and yet I feel compelled to write SOMETHING--anything?--here every day, no matter what. Maybe I should get over it. Eh....
~And on that note, I'm off to bed
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Random bits of Tuesday
~Can I just say one more time how wonderful it is to have a president who speaks in clear and complete sentences and has coherent thoughts? Really, it's so refreshing.
~ I think these ladies are awesome! I want to be a nonogenarian with that much spunk. And I think the rabbi who offered these ladies a bat mitzvah is awesome, too.
~The Kid has been rejected at one school and waitlisted at another. Sigh. Still one to go. (He has been admitted to his safety school). The thing is, the school that rejected him is the one where I used to teach. And I sat on the admissions committee. Faculty read the marginal files, and we admitted students with FAR worse records than his. Their applicant pool must have improved significantly.
~And for the record, he has really good SAT scores and fair to middling grades--not terrible but not stellar. And enough extracurriculars. And good recommendations.
~It was cold and windy today, with snow flurries off and on. Spring, where are you?
~I do know better than to really expect spring while it is still March--or April for that matter.
~ I think these ladies are awesome! I want to be a nonogenarian with that much spunk. And I think the rabbi who offered these ladies a bat mitzvah is awesome, too.
~The Kid has been rejected at one school and waitlisted at another. Sigh. Still one to go. (He has been admitted to his safety school). The thing is, the school that rejected him is the one where I used to teach. And I sat on the admissions committee. Faculty read the marginal files, and we admitted students with FAR worse records than his. Their applicant pool must have improved significantly.
~And for the record, he has really good SAT scores and fair to middling grades--not terrible but not stellar. And enough extracurriculars. And good recommendations.
~It was cold and windy today, with snow flurries off and on. Spring, where are you?
~I do know better than to really expect spring while it is still March--or April for that matter.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!
Hard as it is for me to believe, today is Baby J's first birthday.
You light up all our lives! Happy birthday!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Frick and other NYC delights
I went to the Frick today with D and J, especially to see this painting (which is totally not done justice here!) I'd never been to the Frick before, and it was incredible. I cannot imagine anyone ever living in a mansion like that. And of course, the artwork is fantastic. (My adjectives are lame here, but I'm tired and doing the best I can.)The weather was wonderful, too, and daffodils were beginning to bloom in Central Park---enough to make you believe that spring is really coming. After the Frick we went home and had a lovely late lunch of bagels, cream cheese and salmon, and then it was time for me to head to Penn Station and the train. I got home about 9:45. I love traveling by train--it is the least stressful way to go I know.
Spring is less evident here...and there's even snow in tomorrow's forecast :(
ETAon Monday: I totally forgot to hit the publish button last night (tired, much?), but yes, I am indeed still counting it as Sunday's post...
Saturday, March 21, 2009
I love New York
On my way home, spending the night in NYC with good friends, great Indian food. for dinner. What could be better? I'm glad that I soon as I get off the train in Penn Station I feel right at home again. I hope that feeling never goes away.
And there are far more signs of spring here than where I live. It's really not THAT much farther south, but spring definitely arrives earlier.
I'm taking an afternoon train home tomorrow. Even though it's been a whirlwind trip, it's really nice to be away for a bit.
And there are far more signs of spring here than where I live. It's really not THAT much farther south, but spring definitely arrives earlier.
I'm taking an afternoon train home tomorrow. Even though it's been a whirlwind trip, it's really nice to be away for a bit.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Friday Five~Signs of hope
It's spring....but real spring comes late to this part of the world. Nonetheless, signs of hope...
1. Blankets of crocuses blooming in sunny spots.
2. Daffodil sprouts starting to push up through the dirt.
3. Redwing blackbirds.
4. Geese on the pond.
5. Opportunities presenting themselves.
1. Blankets of crocuses blooming in sunny spots.
2. Daffodil sprouts starting to push up through the dirt.
3. Redwing blackbirds.
4. Geese on the pond.
5. Opportunities presenting themselves.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Leaving on a fast train
I'm off at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning to catch a bus to catch a train in nearby city. I'm off to another large city with a quick stop in my favorite city on the way back. Home again Sunday night--yes, it's a quick trip.
Today has been a crazy busy day. Sitting on the train tomorrow will be a pleasant relief! Maybe I'll even get a nap in.
Today has been a crazy busy day. Sitting on the train tomorrow will be a pleasant relief! Maybe I'll even get a nap in.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Bloggy question
I know some of you have switched from Blogger to Typepad--care to share your experiences with me? I've thought of making the switch but I'd be curious to know if people who've made the change are happy with doing so, and why. TIA.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Dancing with the stars
When I was a kid I always wanted to take ballet. My father always had music on on Saturday afternoons, and I would dance and leap around the living room and have such a great time. I just knew I would love to dance. But whether from lack of money or lack of opportunity, or both, I never got to take dance. And I'm such a klutz, I probably wouldn't have been any good at it anyway.
I still think dancing looks like fun, and I still wish I could dance, but I am both majorly klutzy and self-conscious. In my head I can dance, but real life? Not so much.
Maybe that has something to do with why I've been enjoying Dancing with the Stars so much since I discovered it on abc.com. It just looks like so much fun. And all the dancers look great to me. It is a total feel-good show.
So I'm rooting for Shawn Johnson, and for Steve Wozniak--just because he looks like such a big teddy bear out there.
I haven't watched part 2 of last night's show yet, to say nothing of tonight's show...so no spoilers!
I still think dancing looks like fun, and I still wish I could dance, but I am both majorly klutzy and self-conscious. In my head I can dance, but real life? Not so much.
Maybe that has something to do with why I've been enjoying Dancing with the Stars so much since I discovered it on abc.com. It just looks like so much fun. And all the dancers look great to me. It is a total feel-good show.
So I'm rooting for Shawn Johnson, and for Steve Wozniak--just because he looks like such a big teddy bear out there.
I haven't watched part 2 of last night's show yet, to say nothing of tonight's show...so no spoilers!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Tell me a story about your first car...or your favorite car
Cecily told the story of her first car today, and it brought back a lot of funny memories, so I borrowed the idea, which I suppose makes it a meme--so play along if you like!
Of course, I don't have a short straight answer to this...the car I learned to drive in was my dad's brand new Oldsmobile Cutlass--the nicest car we'd ever owned, purchased after he drove our very serviceable but boring station wagon into a river while waiting for a ferry (yes, there is a story there.) That car (the Cutlass, not the station wagon) had bad karma (but that's another story, too.) The car that was sort of mine to drive was our elderly Corvair---remember Nader's Unsafe at Any Speed? Yes, that's the one.
In truth, it was a cute little car--mint green with the engine in the back, and gear shift was a lever in the dash--never saw another car exactly like that. By the time I got to drive it, it was pocked with rust spots which I covered up with flower decals--very 60s. The. The floor in the back seat was rusted through in spots, too, covered up by the floor mats. There was some little belt in the engine that would come off, making the car stop, and I had to learn to fix it before I could take the car at night. It also burned a lot of oil, only I didn't know this at first, and just ignored the oil light when it came on. Fortunately, I figured that out before I ruined the engine, and after that it seemed like I put more oil in it than gas.
The Corvair sadly died before I graduated high school. My mother was so attached to that car that she went out and bought another used one. It was a couple of years newer and not as cute, but she loved it.
But in truth the Corvair wasn't really MY car. I guess truthfully my first very own car that I picked out for myself because I liked it is the one I have right now...my 99 red Beetle. Oh, I've had lots of cars in between but all of them were either picked out by someone else or because it was the only thing I could afford. Some of my favorites:
~72 baby blue Beetle--the car we drove in Iceland. Nothing like a Beetle. It was great on the rough roads--we even forded a stream in it once. I loved that car, but we left it in Iceland when we came back to the states.
~79 Rabbit--I guess I just love VWs but this was a really fun car. I only got rid of it because once I had three kids, they wouldn't all fit.
~86 Chevy Srint--I got this car brand new, but my dad picked it out AND it was the only thing I could afford. The car I had been driving--a station wagon suitable for three kids I'd inherited in the divorce (and selected by TFoMC) had caught fire and burned when I went to my grandfather's funeral (yes, another story) and my dad was appalled that I was going to buy a used car (all I could get with the insurance money) so he worked a deal with his high school buddy the Chevy dealer. I probably would've never picked this car otherwise,but it turned out to be a terrific car--it got 50 mpg on the highway. It did wear out though, and Elder Son finished it off driving it in high school.
~77 Volvo--I bought this car from a classmate in grad school in 1992, so it was already ancient. And I bought it for $300. I bought it thinking Elder Son would drive it, but he hated it, and I liked it, so I swapped the Sprint with him and took the Volvo for myself. It was a tank, but mostly a good car. I drove it for two years, and the last year I had to always be home before dark because the tail lights quit working and I couldn't afford to get them fixed. When I moved to VT my stepdaughter got the car--and she got $1200 for it in a trade in. If I'd known that was possible, I might have kept it--only I don't think it would've made the long trip to VT very well.
~I had a used Toyota for a while in VT because it was the only car I could afford, and then finally I bought my Beetle--which has had its own bad body karma--it's been run into and damaged at least 5 times; the last time (a hole in the bumper where someone backed into me not long after I moved here) has never been fixed. My car is 10 years old now, but I sure hope I don't have to replace it until the Kid graduates from college!
So tell me about your first--or favorite--car.
Of course, I don't have a short straight answer to this...the car I learned to drive in was my dad's brand new Oldsmobile Cutlass--the nicest car we'd ever owned, purchased after he drove our very serviceable but boring station wagon into a river while waiting for a ferry (yes, there is a story there.) That car (the Cutlass, not the station wagon) had bad karma (but that's another story, too.) The car that was sort of mine to drive was our elderly Corvair---remember Nader's Unsafe at Any Speed? Yes, that's the one.
In truth, it was a cute little car--mint green with the engine in the back, and gear shift was a lever in the dash--never saw another car exactly like that. By the time I got to drive it, it was pocked with rust spots which I covered up with flower decals--very 60s. The. The floor in the back seat was rusted through in spots, too, covered up by the floor mats. There was some little belt in the engine that would come off, making the car stop, and I had to learn to fix it before I could take the car at night. It also burned a lot of oil, only I didn't know this at first, and just ignored the oil light when it came on. Fortunately, I figured that out before I ruined the engine, and after that it seemed like I put more oil in it than gas.
The Corvair sadly died before I graduated high school. My mother was so attached to that car that she went out and bought another used one. It was a couple of years newer and not as cute, but she loved it.
But in truth the Corvair wasn't really MY car. I guess truthfully my first very own car that I picked out for myself because I liked it is the one I have right now...my 99 red Beetle. Oh, I've had lots of cars in between but all of them were either picked out by someone else or because it was the only thing I could afford. Some of my favorites:
~72 baby blue Beetle--the car we drove in Iceland. Nothing like a Beetle. It was great on the rough roads--we even forded a stream in it once. I loved that car, but we left it in Iceland when we came back to the states.
~79 Rabbit--I guess I just love VWs but this was a really fun car. I only got rid of it because once I had three kids, they wouldn't all fit.
~86 Chevy Srint--I got this car brand new, but my dad picked it out AND it was the only thing I could afford. The car I had been driving--a station wagon suitable for three kids I'd inherited in the divorce (and selected by TFoMC) had caught fire and burned when I went to my grandfather's funeral (yes, another story) and my dad was appalled that I was going to buy a used car (all I could get with the insurance money) so he worked a deal with his high school buddy the Chevy dealer. I probably would've never picked this car otherwise,but it turned out to be a terrific car--it got 50 mpg on the highway. It did wear out though, and Elder Son finished it off driving it in high school.
~77 Volvo--I bought this car from a classmate in grad school in 1992, so it was already ancient. And I bought it for $300. I bought it thinking Elder Son would drive it, but he hated it, and I liked it, so I swapped the Sprint with him and took the Volvo for myself. It was a tank, but mostly a good car. I drove it for two years, and the last year I had to always be home before dark because the tail lights quit working and I couldn't afford to get them fixed. When I moved to VT my stepdaughter got the car--and she got $1200 for it in a trade in. If I'd known that was possible, I might have kept it--only I don't think it would've made the long trip to VT very well.
~I had a used Toyota for a while in VT because it was the only car I could afford, and then finally I bought my Beetle--which has had its own bad body karma--it's been run into and damaged at least 5 times; the last time (a hole in the bumper where someone backed into me not long after I moved here) has never been fixed. My car is 10 years old now, but I sure hope I don't have to replace it until the Kid graduates from college!
So tell me about your first--or favorite--car.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Driving lessons
~I've had a stick shift car for almost as long as I can remember--more than 20 years. I can't imagine having anything else at this point (although if you'd seen me learning to drive a 3-speed lo these many years ago, you would not have believed that I'd come to love manual transmissions!) There is one major drawback to this, however: teaching my kids to drive. I can teach many things, but driving is not one of them, and having a manual transmission makes it all the more difficult!
~Luckily my older three kids were able to take driver's ed in high school. And Elder Son and WW benefited from me having a very worn out car that I wasn't too worried about when they were learning to drive, and I don't remember it being too big a deal (nor do I remember riding with them much while they were learning.) NSLS had a much harder time. She was nervous, I was nervous and she had a lot of trouble with the clutch. Finally a friend took her to get her license in her car (an automatic); she finally did master the clutch after college when she had my car for a couple of years while I finished seminary.
~The Kid turned 16 over a year ago, but for lots of not very good reasons he only just got his learner's permit a couple of weeks ago. And because driver's ed isn't taught in the public school he will have to take it at a driving school. Our current state has fairly stringent requirements for hours of training, so it's not a trivial expense. And once he finishes driver's ed, he still has to have more hours of supervised driving. So there's no way I'm getting out of being along for the ride.
~Really, the whole student driver thing makes me very anxious. (Just ask NSLS!) But I'm trying to be better about it. Last week WW took the Kid to an empty parking lot so he could try just starting up with the manual transmission--after all, getting going in 1st gear is half the battle. And this evening I took him again.
~He's not ready to hit the open road yet, but he did okay. Getting a smooth start is difficult--there's a fine line between bucking and jerking and peeling out. The really remarkable thing about today though, and the real reason I'm blogging it, is that we managed to not make each other nervous wrecks--I didnt' get too anxious and yell or nag, and he didn't get frustrated with me or the car. In fact, we both laughed a lot. Let's hope we can keep it that way until he gets his license!
~Luckily my older three kids were able to take driver's ed in high school. And Elder Son and WW benefited from me having a very worn out car that I wasn't too worried about when they were learning to drive, and I don't remember it being too big a deal (nor do I remember riding with them much while they were learning.) NSLS had a much harder time. She was nervous, I was nervous and she had a lot of trouble with the clutch. Finally a friend took her to get her license in her car (an automatic); she finally did master the clutch after college when she had my car for a couple of years while I finished seminary.
~The Kid turned 16 over a year ago, but for lots of not very good reasons he only just got his learner's permit a couple of weeks ago. And because driver's ed isn't taught in the public school he will have to take it at a driving school. Our current state has fairly stringent requirements for hours of training, so it's not a trivial expense. And once he finishes driver's ed, he still has to have more hours of supervised driving. So there's no way I'm getting out of being along for the ride.
~Really, the whole student driver thing makes me very anxious. (Just ask NSLS!) But I'm trying to be better about it. Last week WW took the Kid to an empty parking lot so he could try just starting up with the manual transmission--after all, getting going in 1st gear is half the battle. And this evening I took him again.
~He's not ready to hit the open road yet, but he did okay. Getting a smooth start is difficult--there's a fine line between bucking and jerking and peeling out. The really remarkable thing about today though, and the real reason I'm blogging it, is that we managed to not make each other nervous wrecks--I didnt' get too anxious and yell or nag, and he didn't get frustrated with me or the car. In fact, we both laughed a lot. Let's hope we can keep it that way until he gets his license!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Hospitality
I am such an introvert (and possibly a control freak as well) that it was always difficult to have people over. It's not that I didn't like company, it's just that it freaked me out--I would worry about every detail and worry about feeling awkward and worry about what we should eat and worry about .....well, you get the picture.
When we moved to NYC for seminary we moved into a very small apartment (not bad by NYC standards but small) but in a place LOTS of people wanted to visit. NSLS was in her last year at college and WW was working in Vermont at the time. The first Thanksgiving NSLS invited three of her high school friends to meet her in the city for the weekend. Yikes. We "borrowed" the apartment of a friend who was away, so we weren't all sleeping on top of each other, and it turned out to be fun. That was the beginning of having company far more frequently than I ever had before. NSLS and WW both had friends come and stay, and even when there were people sleeping all over the place, it always turned out okay. Their friends learned that I rarely cooked and I learned that they didn't expect me to be the "hostest with the mostest."
When I moved here I suddenly had a huge house with not one but two guest rooms and bathrooms galore, in another place that people like to visit. I've had company of variousl sorts and here it is so much easier because I have so much room.
But I still rarely "entertained" in the sense of having parties or get togethers. Until a few months ago. Recently I had a "newcomers" reception for about 30 people and then entertained the choir on Christmas Eve between services. And Friday night I had almost 50 people here--church school kids and thepir arents. I didn't know my house coudl hold so many people. Fortunately the weather was nice enough for some of the kids to play outside until it got dark. And I ordered pizza for dinner so that was easy. I think everyone had a good time, and it didn't take me too long to clean up after everyone left.
I guess it's never too late to acquire a new skill ;)
When we moved to NYC for seminary we moved into a very small apartment (not bad by NYC standards but small) but in a place LOTS of people wanted to visit. NSLS was in her last year at college and WW was working in Vermont at the time. The first Thanksgiving NSLS invited three of her high school friends to meet her in the city for the weekend. Yikes. We "borrowed" the apartment of a friend who was away, so we weren't all sleeping on top of each other, and it turned out to be fun. That was the beginning of having company far more frequently than I ever had before. NSLS and WW both had friends come and stay, and even when there were people sleeping all over the place, it always turned out okay. Their friends learned that I rarely cooked and I learned that they didn't expect me to be the "hostest with the mostest."
When I moved here I suddenly had a huge house with not one but two guest rooms and bathrooms galore, in another place that people like to visit. I've had company of variousl sorts and here it is so much easier because I have so much room.
But I still rarely "entertained" in the sense of having parties or get togethers. Until a few months ago. Recently I had a "newcomers" reception for about 30 people and then entertained the choir on Christmas Eve between services. And Friday night I had almost 50 people here--church school kids and thepir arents. I didn't know my house coudl hold so many people. Fortunately the weather was nice enough for some of the kids to play outside until it got dark. And I ordered pizza for dinner so that was easy. I think everyone had a good time, and it didn't take me too long to clean up after everyone left.
I guess it's never too late to acquire a new skill ;)
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday Five~Mid Lent check-in
Can we really be half way through Lent already?
1. Did you give up, or take on, anything special for Lent this year?
I had/have a very complete plan for Lenten discipline this year that ranged from giving up Diet Coke to taking a walk every day to going to bed earlier to praying more.
2. Have you been able to stay with your original plans, or has life gotten in the way?
I have to say in all honesty that I have failed miserably in keeping this discipline and was already thinking about how to pretty much start over.
I gave up giving up diet coke because when I have a headache (and I've been fighting off migraines) it makes me feel better. The weather has been so crappy much of the time that regular walks haven't happened. Going to bed early? Ha! Just look at when I post most of the time! I am getting more sleep, but I'm not making it to bed by 11 like I planned. Praying is going better, but again, not as much as I hoped for.
Can I plead stress and work overload? I know it's a poor excuse, and part of the point (for me at least) of having a Lenten discipline is to be intentional about working through the stress and living the way I am called to be living. Not working so much this year, and perhaps that is something I should think more about.
3. Has God had any surprising blessings for you during this Lent?
Pretty much every day--and that is the upside of this Lent. A surprise visit home from my older daughter, reconnecting with my stepdaughter, the incredible support and generosity of my clergy coach and his wife, kind words from people who know something is going on but aren't sure what, wonderful feedback from people in the Lenten class I'm leading, windows opening when doors close.
4. What is on your inner and/or outer agenda for the remainder of Lent and Holy Week?
I've been thinking a great deal about reconciliation and forgiveness, and I'd like to continue to work on that. I'm rethinking how I want this Lent to finish up. I have a lot coming up in the next few weeks including a road trip (work related) and a heavy Lenten schedule. I'm looking forward to Holy Week, but feeling a bit frustrated because the detailed plan I worked out when i thought my boss would be on sabbatical has been thrown a bit into disarray since he'll be here.
5. Where do you most long to see resurrection, in your life and/or in the world, this Easter?
Last year on Easter Day my granddaughter was born, and this year at the Easter Vigil I'll have the privilege of baptizing her. My older daughter has good news of her own, but it's not mine to tell-yet. The Kid will be graduating and going on to college--all that is resurrection--new life--for me. But beyond that I long for for resolution to the place of limbo I'm in right now. I want to look forward to the new things that are in store for me, wherever they are meant to be.
Bonus: Share a favorite scripture, prayer, poem, artwork, or musical selection that speaks Lenten spring to your heart.
A white post will only continue to be a white post
if it is painted every year;
otherwise it would become a black post.
Our lives are like that.
We need to share in an annual retraining period.
Otherwise our souls become tarnished,
our prayers mere words, our service selfish,
and our giving trivial.
Lent is a time fo renewal, of retraining,
of relearning
~G. K. Chesterton
1. Did you give up, or take on, anything special for Lent this year?
I had/have a very complete plan for Lenten discipline this year that ranged from giving up Diet Coke to taking a walk every day to going to bed earlier to praying more.
2. Have you been able to stay with your original plans, or has life gotten in the way?
I have to say in all honesty that I have failed miserably in keeping this discipline and was already thinking about how to pretty much start over.
I gave up giving up diet coke because when I have a headache (and I've been fighting off migraines) it makes me feel better. The weather has been so crappy much of the time that regular walks haven't happened. Going to bed early? Ha! Just look at when I post most of the time! I am getting more sleep, but I'm not making it to bed by 11 like I planned. Praying is going better, but again, not as much as I hoped for.
Can I plead stress and work overload? I know it's a poor excuse, and part of the point (for me at least) of having a Lenten discipline is to be intentional about working through the stress and living the way I am called to be living. Not working so much this year, and perhaps that is something I should think more about.
3. Has God had any surprising blessings for you during this Lent?
Pretty much every day--and that is the upside of this Lent. A surprise visit home from my older daughter, reconnecting with my stepdaughter, the incredible support and generosity of my clergy coach and his wife, kind words from people who know something is going on but aren't sure what, wonderful feedback from people in the Lenten class I'm leading, windows opening when doors close.
4. What is on your inner and/or outer agenda for the remainder of Lent and Holy Week?
I've been thinking a great deal about reconciliation and forgiveness, and I'd like to continue to work on that. I'm rethinking how I want this Lent to finish up. I have a lot coming up in the next few weeks including a road trip (work related) and a heavy Lenten schedule. I'm looking forward to Holy Week, but feeling a bit frustrated because the detailed plan I worked out when i thought my boss would be on sabbatical has been thrown a bit into disarray since he'll be here.
5. Where do you most long to see resurrection, in your life and/or in the world, this Easter?
Last year on Easter Day my granddaughter was born, and this year at the Easter Vigil I'll have the privilege of baptizing her. My older daughter has good news of her own, but it's not mine to tell-yet. The Kid will be graduating and going on to college--all that is resurrection--new life--for me. But beyond that I long for for resolution to the place of limbo I'm in right now. I want to look forward to the new things that are in store for me, wherever they are meant to be.
Bonus: Share a favorite scripture, prayer, poem, artwork, or musical selection that speaks Lenten spring to your heart.
A white post will only continue to be a white post
if it is painted every year;
otherwise it would become a black post.
Our lives are like that.
We need to share in an annual retraining period.
Otherwise our souls become tarnished,
our prayers mere words, our service selfish,
and our giving trivial.
Lent is a time fo renewal, of retraining,
of relearning
~G. K. Chesterton
Thursday, March 12, 2009
I'm glad tomorrow is Friday
~but I have 40 folks coming for pizza and games tomorrow evening. What was I thinking?!?!?!?
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Blue
~After a couple of weeks of being incredibly stressed and upset about work, I moved on and for the last two or three weeks I've been feeling much better. My clergy coach has been incredibly supportive, helping me process some pretty painful things, and I've been able to reflect on what I can learn about myself and others from what's been going on here. The whole situation hasn't changed, and there's nothing I can do to change it, but with all the Lenten activities I've been organizing I've been able to focus on work I really love and let go (mostly) of the rest of it. But today, it started getting me down again. Not badly, but enough to make me feel a bit blue.
~So here's one thing I forgot to report: The sabbatical my boss was going to take? The one where he'd be gone for four months and I'd be in charge? Is postponed to an indefinte date in the future. (This is mostly unrelated to the still unbloggable other stuff that I will at some point write about here). Now you might think this might be a relief--I won't have all that extra responsibility. But in fact, it's a huge disappointment for me and the rest of the staff--all of us were looking forward to his absence for a while. For a break. He would've been leaving next week. Sigh.
~I'm sick of spin. Because there has been so much SPIN going here it would make you dizzy. About the sabbatical--both when it was planned and when it was put off. About my job. About a bunch of stuff. I hate it. And when other people see through the spin and ask me questions about things that I can't honestly answer? I hate that, too.
~So here's one thing I forgot to report: The sabbatical my boss was going to take? The one where he'd be gone for four months and I'd be in charge? Is postponed to an indefinte date in the future. (This is mostly unrelated to the still unbloggable other stuff that I will at some point write about here). Now you might think this might be a relief--I won't have all that extra responsibility. But in fact, it's a huge disappointment for me and the rest of the staff--all of us were looking forward to his absence for a while. For a break. He would've been leaving next week. Sigh.
~I'm sick of spin. Because there has been so much SPIN going here it would make you dizzy. About the sabbatical--both when it was planned and when it was put off. About my job. About a bunch of stuff. I hate it. And when other people see through the spin and ask me questions about things that I can't honestly answer? I hate that, too.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Maybe an explanation
Today at work, when I mentioned how crappy I felt yesterday, the parish administrator reminded me again of something she read about a link between migraines and changes in the weather. And you know what? Saturday and Sunday were warm and sunny and yesterday was cold, rainy and nasty. And the last time I felt so bad was a cold rainy day following a nice day.
Of course, two instances do not prove anything. But I googled "weather and headaches" a little while ago, and the link between the two seems to be well documented. And the symptoms I had yesterday were exactly what the articles described.
I am really lucky not to get migraines very often, nor to have them as severe as some people I know. But I think my stress level has made them more frequent in the last month than they have been in a long, long time. Not happy about that, but I'm trying to reduce my stress as much as possible and stay positive and focused.
I will definitely keep track of weather changes and my headache patterns for a while and see if the relationship holds up, too.
Of course, two instances do not prove anything. But I googled "weather and headaches" a little while ago, and the link between the two seems to be well documented. And the symptoms I had yesterday were exactly what the articles described.
I am really lucky not to get migraines very often, nor to have them as severe as some people I know. But I think my stress level has made them more frequent in the last month than they have been in a long, long time. Not happy about that, but I'm trying to reduce my stress as much as possible and stay positive and focused.
I will definitely keep track of weather changes and my headache patterns for a while and see if the relationship holds up, too.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Just one of those days
...where I just couldn't get going.
I had to take Woman Warrior to catch a 7:40 am bus back to Vermont this morning, and by the time I got back home it seemed too late to go back to bed, even though I felt really tired. So I fixed myself some breakfast and started some laundry and then sat down with the laptop to check some blogs and FB. Instead of feeling more energetic after eating, I just felt more lethargic, and headachy. I took a shower, which helped temporarily, and did a few work related tasks on-line. Finally after eating lunch I gave in and took a nap on the couch. Which lasted most of the afternoon. I did wake up and read for short bits of time, but mostly I dozed.
I don't know why I feel so wiped out today. Maybe it's the headache--I've been fighting mild migraines for the last couple of weeks, but they'd been gone the last few days. Maybe it's the weather--cold and damp, rain and snow following on a gorgeous weekend. Maybe its the residue of the stress of the last month. Maybe it's staying up too late last night after losing an hour the night before. Maybe it's all of the above. Whatever it is, I hope I have more energy tomorrow.
I had to take Woman Warrior to catch a 7:40 am bus back to Vermont this morning, and by the time I got back home it seemed too late to go back to bed, even though I felt really tired. So I fixed myself some breakfast and started some laundry and then sat down with the laptop to check some blogs and FB. Instead of feeling more energetic after eating, I just felt more lethargic, and headachy. I took a shower, which helped temporarily, and did a few work related tasks on-line. Finally after eating lunch I gave in and took a nap on the couch. Which lasted most of the afternoon. I did wake up and read for short bits of time, but mostly I dozed.
I don't know why I feel so wiped out today. Maybe it's the headache--I've been fighting mild migraines for the last couple of weeks, but they'd been gone the last few days. Maybe it's the weather--cold and damp, rain and snow following on a gorgeous weekend. Maybe its the residue of the stress of the last month. Maybe it's staying up too late last night after losing an hour the night before. Maybe it's all of the above. Whatever it is, I hope I have more energy tomorrow.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego?
When we had our very first computer, and the Kid was just in kindergarten and first grade, he used to play Carmen Sandiego. The clues they picked for some of the states were pretty obscure, but we all learned from it. This meme (seen on FB) is just about states I've been in (marked with an X). And I've marked states I've lived in with a +
* Alabama X
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut X
* Delaware X
* Florida X +
* Georgia X
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois X +
* Indiana X
* Iowa
* Kansas X
* Kentucky X
* Louisiana X
* Maine X
* Maryland X +
* Massachusetts X +
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi X
* Missouri X
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire X
* New Jersey X
* New Mexico X
* New York X +
* North Carolina X +
* North Dakota
* Ohio X
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania X
* Rhode Island X
* South Carolina X +
* South Dakota
* Tennessee X
* Texas X
* Utah
* Vermont X +
* Virginia X +
* Washington
* Washington, D.C. X
* West Virginia X +
* Wisconsin X
* Wyoming
* Alabama X
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut X
* Delaware X
* Florida X +
* Georgia X
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois X +
* Indiana X
* Iowa
* Kansas X
* Kentucky X
* Louisiana X
* Maine X
* Maryland X +
* Massachusetts X +
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi X
* Missouri X
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire X
* New Jersey X
* New Mexico X
* New York X +
* North Carolina X +
* North Dakota
* Ohio X
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania X
* Rhode Island X
* South Carolina X +
* South Dakota
* Tennessee X
* Texas X
* Utah
* Vermont X +
* Virginia X +
* Washington
* Washington, D.C. X
* West Virginia X +
* Wisconsin X
* Wyoming
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Springing ahead
Or forward. Or whatever. May I go on record as someone who really just doesn't like daylight savings time? I don't like springing forward. I don't like losing an hour of sleep. I don't see why it's necessary to adjust the time. Really.
Okay, enough complaining, I guess. I've had a nice day. WW is here for the weekend before she heads back to Nepal for a bit (NSLS and Baby J didn't come because Baby J had a tummy bug all week). It was a beautiful day so we walked to the coffee shop for coffee and sandwiches, and then went shopping for a bit. I made clam chowder for dinner and it was yummy. The weather was so delightful today that you could really believe that spring was coming. Unfortunately, tomorrow won't be as nice, and wintry mix returns to the forecast for Monday. Argh.
Meanwhile, since I'm losing an hour tonight (which I do resent) I must go to bed!
Okay, enough complaining, I guess. I've had a nice day. WW is here for the weekend before she heads back to Nepal for a bit (NSLS and Baby J didn't come because Baby J had a tummy bug all week). It was a beautiful day so we walked to the coffee shop for coffee and sandwiches, and then went shopping for a bit. I made clam chowder for dinner and it was yummy. The weather was so delightful today that you could really believe that spring was coming. Unfortunately, tomorrow won't be as nice, and wintry mix returns to the forecast for Monday. Argh.
Meanwhile, since I'm losing an hour tonight (which I do resent) I must go to bed!
Friday, March 06, 2009
Friday Five~What's for pudding?
When we vacation with our friends in Maine, their British niece is usually there, and after dinner she always asks, "What's for pudding?" I don't know what she calls actual pudding, though. At any rate, here's a Friday Five all about pudding in the literal sense:1) First of all, thumbs up? or thumbs down? Do you like pudding?
I do like pudding but I have it very rarely.
2) Instant or cooked? (Does anyone make pudding from scratch?)
I fondly remember making instant pudding with a hand rotary mixer when I was a kid, and loving it. But once you eat cooked, it's hard to go back. And yes, people do still make pudding from scratch. I had dinner with some parishioners a few weeks ago and she had made-from-scratch chocolate pudding--yum!
3) If you had to choose, would you prefer corn pudding or figgy pudding?
Figgy pudding! Corn pudding always seemed overrated to me.
4) Have you ever finger painted with pudding?
No, and I don't really want to.
5) Finally, what is the matter with Mary Jane?
I have no idea; she should be HAPPY to have rice pudding, especially with raisins and cinnamon.
Bonus: Share a favorite recipe that includes pudding!
My late beloved m-i-l made all sorts of delicious cakes using pudding mix. I probably have the recipes somewhere... maybe I'll look one up later.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Connections
I went FB stalking tonight looking for high school friends. I didn't find very many, but I did find some names from past that left me feeling weirded out...people I haven't thought of in a long time, and don't really want to be friends with--just seeing their pictures brings back too many memories.
And then I looked at my friend requests and saw that my former stepdaughter had friended me. That's a piece of family that I've never blogged about. The Kid's dad had two daughters when we got married, just a bit older than my kids, but I lost track of them after he left (let's just say all those relationships were strained), and honestly I was surprised she friended me after all these years (almost 14). But I think it is a nice surprise. OTOH, since the Kid hasn't seen his dad in 10 years or so, it could open a whole 'nother can of worms. We'll see.
It's just funny how all these connections pop up, and how tangled our webs of relationships are.
And then I looked at my friend requests and saw that my former stepdaughter had friended me. That's a piece of family that I've never blogged about. The Kid's dad had two daughters when we got married, just a bit older than my kids, but I lost track of them after he left (let's just say all those relationships were strained), and honestly I was surprised she friended me after all these years (almost 14). But I think it is a nice surprise. OTOH, since the Kid hasn't seen his dad in 10 years or so, it could open a whole 'nother can of worms. We'll see.
It's just funny how all these connections pop up, and how tangled our webs of relationships are.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Random bits of ....well, just random bits
~Blogrolling is back--I think. When I logged onto my blog tonight I noticed that my blogroll was all jumbled up....hmmm. So I went to Blogrolling, and sure enough, it is now possible to edit your links, after all these months. Still doesn't seem to be noting updates like it used to--we'll see how long it takes for that to come back.
~Yesterday was Square Root Day (3/3/09). The Kid told me that last night and my first thought was to blog it, and then I forgot! There are oly 9 sqauare root days per century, and the enxt will be 4/4/16.
~WW, NSLS and Baby J are coming this weekend. Yay!
~I need some new professional clothes. And I hate to shop, besides which there aren't that many choices around here. So I've been internet shopping. But gah, I still don't like buying clothes.
~Okay, if I'm totally honest, what I really don't like is the way clothes look on my body. Sigh. Makes shopping even less fun.
~But I wouldn't mind buying new pair of shoes....Zappos time, I think.
~Yesterday was Square Root Day (3/3/09). The Kid told me that last night and my first thought was to blog it, and then I forgot! There are oly 9 sqauare root days per century, and the enxt will be 4/4/16.
~WW, NSLS and Baby J are coming this weekend. Yay!
~I need some new professional clothes. And I hate to shop, besides which there aren't that many choices around here. So I've been internet shopping. But gah, I still don't like buying clothes.
~Okay, if I'm totally honest, what I really don't like is the way clothes look on my body. Sigh. Makes shopping even less fun.
~But I wouldn't mind buying new pair of shoes....Zappos time, I think.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Crippled attentiveness
Psychological studies reveal that Americans live in less than forty percent awareness, as though our minds and spirits cringe before the banality and ugliness of national life. Such studies imply an enormous waste of potential lost to trivial pursuits - game-playing, fantasizing, daydreaming, television, self-pity, brooding, boredom, gluttony in food or drink. Lost is the prospect of personal and social renewal, reading, study, meditation, prayer, teaching, service to the poor, justice, peacemaking, and non-violent resistance to power-mongering government and corporations. The scripture likens such crippled attentiveness to death - death before one dies.
~Philip Berrigan
~Philip Berrigan
Monday, March 02, 2009
Snow day, quiet day
~Last night whenever I woke up I could hear ice pellets hitting the roof and hear the wind, so I wasn't surprised that the Kid had a snow day today. We actually had snow, too, not just ice, but not as much snow as those north and west of us did. It was my day off anyway, so we both got to sleep in. Then I spent the rest of the day catching up with the laundry. That chore always taked longer that it feels like it should, partly becasue the drier never ever gets a load sone in just one cycle. As I folded laungdry, I watched an old movie (All the President's Men) and some TV online. And I made a pot of crockpot vegetarian chili for dinner. I didn't set foot outside all day except to put out some bird seed. So it was a very quiet and domestic day.
~I still could've used a few more hours in the day; there were other tasks, some work related and some not, that I would've liked to have gotten to, Never enough time.
~I've been trying to follow the econcomic news lately, but it is depressing. Where are all these billions of dollars coming from? How much worse will things get before they get better? The economic news is so overwhelming that it just about drowned out Obama's announcement that he will be withdrawing the troops from Iraq. A year ago that would've been all anyone would be talking about.Funny how things change like that.
~I still could've used a few more hours in the day; there were other tasks, some work related and some not, that I would've liked to have gotten to, Never enough time.
~I've been trying to follow the econcomic news lately, but it is depressing. Where are all these billions of dollars coming from? How much worse will things get before they get better? The economic news is so overwhelming that it just about drowned out Obama's announcement that he will be withdrawing the troops from Iraq. A year ago that would've been all anyone would be talking about.Funny how things change like that.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Sunday, Sunday
~The weather here is being true to this winter's pattern. Defying forecasts for rain and sleet, I woke to a soft and lovely snowfall that continued for several hours. But by noon it was a wet and slushy rain. If you look at the weather map we are right on the border between rain and snow so we are likely to keep switching back and forth---until Tuesday when the temps drop and it all turns to ice. Yes, that's this winter in brief.
~I did manage to lay in some groceries this afternoon, which is real progress for me. But I looked at the piles of laundry that I've been studiously ignoring and I see what I'll be doing all day tomorrow. Really, I didn't know I could go so long without doing laundry.
~I had a pleasantly relaxed Sunday afternoon--read a magazine, watched two episodes of Brothers and Sisters which I'd never seen before, read the NY Times...very pleasant. Now I'm listening to the Kid sing and play his guitar as I blog...and I'm very impressed at how good he sounds, actually.
~So I saw an article today, the link to which I can no longer find, that says a researcher may have figured out why hair gets grey...low levels of an enzyme let the hydrogen peroxide that in naturally in hair bleach it from the inside out. Do we really believe that?
~This is the first night I haven't fallen asleep on the couch before it was time to go to bed..so maybe I'll actually get up and got to bed early like I've been meaning to.
~I did manage to lay in some groceries this afternoon, which is real progress for me. But I looked at the piles of laundry that I've been studiously ignoring and I see what I'll be doing all day tomorrow. Really, I didn't know I could go so long without doing laundry.
~I had a pleasantly relaxed Sunday afternoon--read a magazine, watched two episodes of Brothers and Sisters which I'd never seen before, read the NY Times...very pleasant. Now I'm listening to the Kid sing and play his guitar as I blog...and I'm very impressed at how good he sounds, actually.
~So I saw an article today, the link to which I can no longer find, that says a researcher may have figured out why hair gets grey...low levels of an enzyme let the hydrogen peroxide that in naturally in hair bleach it from the inside out. Do we really believe that?
~This is the first night I haven't fallen asleep on the couch before it was time to go to bed..so maybe I'll actually get up and got to bed early like I've been meaning to.
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