Monday, June 30, 2008
Eating well...or better, anyway
Today's NY Times has this piece on foods that we should be eating but probably aren't...and surprisingly they are almost all things I like and eat. I'm surprised b/c I know my diet could use lots of improvement. The only thing on the list I really don't like is sardines. Ewwwww.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Words
~We had a Rite I liturgy ("traditional" language) at the main service today. We only do that on the 5th Sunday of the month, and we do it for those who still resonate more with the old language, those who for whatever reason still long for the "old" prayerbook (never mind that the "new" one came into use 30 years ago).
~I'm not a fan of Rite I. I grew up with the old prayerbook and I still remember the words and the rhythms, but it was hearing the prayers in contemporary language as a just-barely adult that began to open up the liturgy to me and draw me in. The "thees" and "thous" and "giveths" trip up my tongue. and some of the old prayers can feel heavy. But when I'm the celebrant, I give it all I've got (what I prefer, after all, is not the point). I let myself go with the words and today it flowed. "Let us give thanks unto the Lord; it is meet and right so to do." Do we even know what that means today--it is meet? But somehow in the liturgy it worked for me today.
~Language is powerful; it connotes and transmits, it shapes and forms, always inadequate to its purpose--for me at least the words never completely capture what I feel deep inside. Language evolves and there comes a time when the words of the past lose their strength. But every once in a while, in using those words we can ever so fleetingly catch a glimpse of what that strength must've been. I'm grateful for those moments.
~I'm not a fan of Rite I. I grew up with the old prayerbook and I still remember the words and the rhythms, but it was hearing the prayers in contemporary language as a just-barely adult that began to open up the liturgy to me and draw me in. The "thees" and "thous" and "giveths" trip up my tongue. and some of the old prayers can feel heavy. But when I'm the celebrant, I give it all I've got (what I prefer, after all, is not the point). I let myself go with the words and today it flowed. "Let us give thanks unto the Lord; it is meet and right so to do." Do we even know what that means today--it is meet? But somehow in the liturgy it worked for me today.
~Language is powerful; it connotes and transmits, it shapes and forms, always inadequate to its purpose--for me at least the words never completely capture what I feel deep inside. Language evolves and there comes a time when the words of the past lose their strength. But every once in a while, in using those words we can ever so fleetingly catch a glimpse of what that strength must've been. I'm grateful for those moments.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Mary, Mary, quite contrary...
~...quite contrary, how does your garden grow?
~I live surrounded by gardeners. My church is well known in the community for its garden, and working in that garden is a treasured activity for many. All long the road I live on you can see beautiful well-tended flower gardens. Many times conversations will drift to perennial beds and annuals and Latin names of plants. I am totally out of my element--I have no interest in gardening and no gardening skillz. I can (and do) manage houseplants successfully, and I can handle hanging baskets or a few flowers in a border, but for the most part I have no desire to dig in the dirt, no motivation to weed and prune and water and mulch. None.
~Because I love tomaotes so much I've tried to grow them a few times. My parents weren't gardeners, but my father and I managed to have a few good tomato plants one summer. My solo efforts have been less than stellar however-and really, what could be easier than growing a few tomatoes? One summer when I was living in Iceland I decided to try to grow tomatoes indoors. At a local greenhouse I bought several healthy tomoato plants, potted them up, put them in sunny windows in the laundry room, faithfully watered them and waited. Waited all summer long. And they got flowers but no tomatoes. I couldn't understand what had gone wrong with these very large and healthy looking plants--why no tomatoes? Finally someone asked me if I had pollinated them. Me? Um, no. It turns out that if you grow tomatoes inside where there are no bees, you have to pollinate them by hand. Who knew?
~There have been a couple of times in my life when I've wanted a garden--or thought I did. Ironically both times were summers when I was pregnant--maybe inspired by my own fertility, but maybe not the best time to take on ambitious projects that I know so little about. The first time we shared a community garden plot with some friends, one of whom was also pregnant. We optimistically planted a fairly large plot with a variety of vegetables, but as I recall, that garden we abandoned mid summer when it became clear that there was no way we were going to be able to keep up with the weeds.
~The second time was the summer I was pregnant with the Kid. When we moved into that house, there was a vegetable garden all planted and we reaped the benefits--which inspired us to try to recreate it the next spring. Here's what I remember about that garden. We planted several rows of peppers, but the pepper plants kept disappearing. They weren't chewed or knocked over--they were gone, leaving an empty hole behind. I could not figure out how those plants disappeared without a trace until I came out one morning and found a pepper plant pulled down half way into the ground--then it hit me. Moles were pulling the plants out from below, leaving nothing behind.
~We also planted several rows of corn, and we borrowed an old plow to keep the areas between the rows free of weeds. It was a lot of work pushing that plow and I generally avoided it, but one day I was really angry--very angry at my ex--I was so angry I wanted to throw things. Instead I went out and plowed the corn. It actually helped. But I don't remember getting any corn from that garden. As I recall it anyway, the whole garden was pretty much a failure. The zucchini grew like wildfire as zucchini does, but then got some sort of fungus and died. The tomatoes weren't very productive. The peppers disappeared and the corn --who knows? That was the end of my vegetable gardening.
~Perhaps this is another sign that I'm meant to live in a city :)
~I live surrounded by gardeners. My church is well known in the community for its garden, and working in that garden is a treasured activity for many. All long the road I live on you can see beautiful well-tended flower gardens. Many times conversations will drift to perennial beds and annuals and Latin names of plants. I am totally out of my element--I have no interest in gardening and no gardening skillz. I can (and do) manage houseplants successfully, and I can handle hanging baskets or a few flowers in a border, but for the most part I have no desire to dig in the dirt, no motivation to weed and prune and water and mulch. None.
~Because I love tomaotes so much I've tried to grow them a few times. My parents weren't gardeners, but my father and I managed to have a few good tomato plants one summer. My solo efforts have been less than stellar however-and really, what could be easier than growing a few tomatoes? One summer when I was living in Iceland I decided to try to grow tomatoes indoors. At a local greenhouse I bought several healthy tomoato plants, potted them up, put them in sunny windows in the laundry room, faithfully watered them and waited. Waited all summer long. And they got flowers but no tomatoes. I couldn't understand what had gone wrong with these very large and healthy looking plants--why no tomatoes? Finally someone asked me if I had pollinated them. Me? Um, no. It turns out that if you grow tomatoes inside where there are no bees, you have to pollinate them by hand. Who knew?
~There have been a couple of times in my life when I've wanted a garden--or thought I did. Ironically both times were summers when I was pregnant--maybe inspired by my own fertility, but maybe not the best time to take on ambitious projects that I know so little about. The first time we shared a community garden plot with some friends, one of whom was also pregnant. We optimistically planted a fairly large plot with a variety of vegetables, but as I recall, that garden we abandoned mid summer when it became clear that there was no way we were going to be able to keep up with the weeds.
~The second time was the summer I was pregnant with the Kid. When we moved into that house, there was a vegetable garden all planted and we reaped the benefits--which inspired us to try to recreate it the next spring. Here's what I remember about that garden. We planted several rows of peppers, but the pepper plants kept disappearing. They weren't chewed or knocked over--they were gone, leaving an empty hole behind. I could not figure out how those plants disappeared without a trace until I came out one morning and found a pepper plant pulled down half way into the ground--then it hit me. Moles were pulling the plants out from below, leaving nothing behind.
~We also planted several rows of corn, and we borrowed an old plow to keep the areas between the rows free of weeds. It was a lot of work pushing that plow and I generally avoided it, but one day I was really angry--very angry at my ex--I was so angry I wanted to throw things. Instead I went out and plowed the corn. It actually helped. But I don't remember getting any corn from that garden. As I recall it anyway, the whole garden was pretty much a failure. The zucchini grew like wildfire as zucchini does, but then got some sort of fungus and died. The tomatoes weren't very productive. The peppers disappeared and the corn --who knows? That was the end of my vegetable gardening.
~Perhaps this is another sign that I'm meant to live in a city :)
Friday, June 27, 2008
Friday Five~Summer reading
1) Do you think of summer as a particularly good season for reading? Why or why not?
I always used to. As a kid I spent lots of time during the summer going to the library and devouring books. Later when I was in school or teaching summer was the ideal time to read because I had more free time. Now, however, summer doesn't feel very different from the rest of the year in terms of having time to read.
2) Have you ever fallen asleep reading on the beach?
Yes, dozed off, anyway. But I loved to read on the beach. Or at the pool while the kids were swimming.
3) Can you recall a favorite childhood book read in the summertime?
Truthfully nothing stands out in memory ....um, I read Michner's Hawaii during the summer when I was in high school. And I read The Exorcist sitting on the beach because I was too creeped out to read it at home...but technically speaking, that wasn't childhood anymore.
4) Do you have a favorite genre for light or relaxing reading?
Good stories. I love novels with a little drama, a little romance, and a happy ending. Things like Evensong by Gail Godwin, or the Julia Spencer Fleming mysteries. Also historical fiction.
5) What is the next book on your reading list?
I have a whole stack of work-related books to read, but I don't have a novel picked out since I just finished reading the last Julia Spencer Fleming book. Maybe a trip to Borders is in order :) Or maybe I should tackle all those work-related books....
I always used to. As a kid I spent lots of time during the summer going to the library and devouring books. Later when I was in school or teaching summer was the ideal time to read because I had more free time. Now, however, summer doesn't feel very different from the rest of the year in terms of having time to read.
2) Have you ever fallen asleep reading on the beach?
Yes, dozed off, anyway. But I loved to read on the beach. Or at the pool while the kids were swimming.
3) Can you recall a favorite childhood book read in the summertime?
Truthfully nothing stands out in memory ....um, I read Michner's Hawaii during the summer when I was in high school. And I read The Exorcist sitting on the beach because I was too creeped out to read it at home...but technically speaking, that wasn't childhood anymore.
4) Do you have a favorite genre for light or relaxing reading?
Good stories. I love novels with a little drama, a little romance, and a happy ending. Things like Evensong by Gail Godwin, or the Julia Spencer Fleming mysteries. Also historical fiction.
5) What is the next book on your reading list?
I have a whole stack of work-related books to read, but I don't have a novel picked out since I just finished reading the last Julia Spencer Fleming book. Maybe a trip to Borders is in order :) Or maybe I should tackle all those work-related books....
A (picture) meme is worth a 1000 words...
As seen at Songbird's place...
1. Revs, 2. Star of the kitchen, 3. School daze, 4. End Of The Day, 5. 101962_R003_0031, 6. Vice/Vise - Homonyms, 7. Reykjavik at sunset, 8. coffee and chocolate mousse cake, 9. Holy YouTube, 10. Joy of life, 11. Evolution or intelligent design?, 12. St. Hannibal, a Devotee of Maria Bambina
The Rules:
* Answer each of the questions below.
* Surf over to Flickr (set up an account if you don’t have one–it’s quick and easy) and type your answers (one at a time) into the search bar.
* From the choice of pictures shown only on the front page, click on the one that moves you.
* Once the page with your picture opens, copy the URL.
* Surf over to the Mosaic Maker, set up your mosaic, and paste your URLs.
* Click “Create!”
The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you attend?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. What is your favorite drink?
7. Where would you go on your dream vacation? (One of many...)
8. What is your favorite dessert? (Subject to change hourly...)
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. Choose one word to describe you?
12. Your Flickr name?
Feel free to tag yourself.
1. Revs, 2. Star of the kitchen, 3. School daze, 4. End Of The Day, 5. 101962_R003_0031, 6. Vice/Vise - Homonyms, 7. Reykjavik at sunset, 8. coffee and chocolate mousse cake, 9. Holy YouTube, 10. Joy of life, 11. Evolution or intelligent design?, 12. St. Hannibal, a Devotee of Maria Bambina
The Rules:
* Answer each of the questions below.
* Surf over to Flickr (set up an account if you don’t have one–it’s quick and easy) and type your answers (one at a time) into the search bar.
* From the choice of pictures shown only on the front page, click on the one that moves you.
* Once the page with your picture opens, copy the URL.
* Surf over to the Mosaic Maker, set up your mosaic, and paste your URLs.
* Click “Create!”
The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you attend?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. What is your favorite drink?
7. Where would you go on your dream vacation? (One of many...)
8. What is your favorite dessert? (Subject to change hourly...)
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. Choose one word to describe you?
12. Your Flickr name?
Feel free to tag yourself.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
This does not make me feel safer...
Not at all
In fact, it scares me. And contrary to the Supreme Court decision, I don't think it's what our forebearers had in mind.
In fact, it scares me. And contrary to the Supreme Court decision, I don't think it's what our forebearers had in mind.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Avoidance
~I have some large and daunting tasks ahead of me at work...and I've been avoiding them. How? By plugging away ever so diligently at the huge pile of smaller things I need to get done. So I am being productive, but those large and daunting tasks...must get done. Somehow.
~All day long I've thought it was Thursday. Is that avoidance of some sort, too?
~I have not posted on my photoblog in two weeks. And the longer I go without posting, the harder it seems to get back to it. Not avoidance per se. But I haven't been taking any pictures. Sigh.
~All day long I've thought it was Thursday. Is that avoidance of some sort, too?
~I have not posted on my photoblog in two weeks. And the longer I go without posting, the harder it seems to get back to it. Not avoidance per se. But I haven't been taking any pictures. Sigh.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Too tired to think
~I started a post about defining events in my life, but I'm too tired to think coherently enough to get it finished. So I'll come back to it tomorrow.
~I actaullly have a piece of work-related writing to take care of, but that will have to wait, too.
~Yesterday and today were both the kind of day where you constantly feel like you're being niggled and distracted by a stream of small things going wrong. None of them earth shattering on its own, but the cumulative effect is exhausting nonetheless. And frustration is increased geometrically for each one of those little things that is the result of incompetence or inattention by someone who should know better.
~But on a happier note, the men's group I meet with every other Tuesday had its last meeting until September today, and the guys surprised me with a lovely card and thoughtful gift to thank me for the year. These are a dozen or so men who meet every other week for Eucharist, breakfast and a book discussion. Several of them have been meeting together for 30+ years (yes, I'm amazed, too). When I started meeting with them I wondered if having a woman priest involved would be a problem (and while thinking that bothered me, I totally get why a women's group might prefer a female leader so why shouldn't the reverse be true?), but we have a great time, and I get a lot out of meeting with this group. Their gift today was an unexpected bit of loveliness.
~And now I'm going to bed.
~I actaullly have a piece of work-related writing to take care of, but that will have to wait, too.
~Yesterday and today were both the kind of day where you constantly feel like you're being niggled and distracted by a stream of small things going wrong. None of them earth shattering on its own, but the cumulative effect is exhausting nonetheless. And frustration is increased geometrically for each one of those little things that is the result of incompetence or inattention by someone who should know better.
~But on a happier note, the men's group I meet with every other Tuesday had its last meeting until September today, and the guys surprised me with a lovely card and thoughtful gift to thank me for the year. These are a dozen or so men who meet every other week for Eucharist, breakfast and a book discussion. Several of them have been meeting together for 30+ years (yes, I'm amazed, too). When I started meeting with them I wondered if having a woman priest involved would be a problem (and while thinking that bothered me, I totally get why a women's group might prefer a female leader so why shouldn't the reverse be true?), but we have a great time, and I get a lot out of meeting with this group. Their gift today was an unexpected bit of loveliness.
~And now I'm going to bed.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Summer memories 3
~from the most favorite summers of my childhood, the summers we lived in small city in Virginia. We moved there right after I finished fourth grade and stayed there until early in eighth grade.
~Going swimming every single day that I could. We belonged to a local pool and so did my best friend. The first summer we went there my mother generally went with us, but the next two summers my friend and I would walk or get dropped off and stay there all day long. I loved being in the water, floating, just playing around.
~Playing poker on rainy days on my best friend's front porch. We played a lot of canasta, too, but when my friend's dad was around we played poker--he was a great dealer, and taught us a lot.
~Having all the neighborhood kids hang out at our house after dinner. This really only happened the last summer we were there. My sister was in high school, and there were mostly neighborhood kids her age who hung out. But my best friend and I did, too, and some of my brothers friends from the neighborhood.
~Cooking french fries (yes, from scratch) or making popcorn on those nights when everyone was at our house.
~Going to the library and getting piles of books to read. Piles of books. Lying on my bed reading or reading on the porch or up in my tree house.
~Building my tree house! Okay, I didn't do much of the building but it was my idea and I helped. My brothers probably ended up spending more time in the tree house than I did, but I did like it. It had one major drawback, though--it was in a chestnut tree and when those prickly seed pods fell, they hurt!
~Going swimming every single day that I could. We belonged to a local pool and so did my best friend. The first summer we went there my mother generally went with us, but the next two summers my friend and I would walk or get dropped off and stay there all day long. I loved being in the water, floating, just playing around.
~Playing poker on rainy days on my best friend's front porch. We played a lot of canasta, too, but when my friend's dad was around we played poker--he was a great dealer, and taught us a lot.
~Having all the neighborhood kids hang out at our house after dinner. This really only happened the last summer we were there. My sister was in high school, and there were mostly neighborhood kids her age who hung out. But my best friend and I did, too, and some of my brothers friends from the neighborhood.
~Cooking french fries (yes, from scratch) or making popcorn on those nights when everyone was at our house.
~Going to the library and getting piles of books to read. Piles of books. Lying on my bed reading or reading on the porch or up in my tree house.
~Building my tree house! Okay, I didn't do much of the building but it was my idea and I helped. My brothers probably ended up spending more time in the tree house than I did, but I did like it. It had one major drawback, though--it was in a chestnut tree and when those prickly seed pods fell, they hurt!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Let's talk
~One of the things that I admire about Obama, but that has garnered a great deal of criticism from others is his stated willingness to sit down and talk with just about anyone, rather than insisting that they meet certain criteria first. Critics argue that meeting with "enemies" gives them more credibility, but how can we ever resolve issues peacefully if we won't engage others in conversation?
~Turns out that Obama is right according to experts who should know.
~Turns out that Obama is right according to experts who should know.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Losing books
~I have a lot of books--not as many as some people I know, but still, a lot. I have bookshelves in almost every room in my house (yes, even the bathroom) and I have more bookshelves at work. I've tried to keep my books organized by categories, but it's not all that systematic, and they tend to travel around a bit:( But still I'm trying--all the fictions (well almost all) is in the living room; theology is mostly at work; psychology in the front hall; biblical studies --well, they're all over the place because I use them for sermon writing.
~You can see where I'm going with this. I lose books. I'll decide I want this or that book that I KNOW I own, and I'll look in the most logical place and it won't be there. So I'll start looking everywhere for it....is it at work? At home? In the pantry hall where lots of recently read or used books tend to end up? Sometimes I find what I'm looking for right away, but sometimes it takes weeks before I find the desired book, tucked away right where it was supposed to be, or else in a completely unlikely place.
~It happened again this week. I was looking for a book someone referred to on another blog. I knew I had this book, I could visualize what the cover looked like. I knew where all the other books by this author were--but this one wasn't there. Gah. I searched high and low. In this case it only took three days and it turns out that I took it to work. But when I found it, the thing I wanted it for wasn't in it anyway. Sigh.
~And how do you solve the problem of if-I'm-at-home-the-book-I-want-is-at-work and vice versa? When I was teaching I kept all my professional books at work and tried to remember to take home what I would need each day. When I moved here I thought I would do the same thing, but it doesn't really work. So maybe half my work related books are home and the rest at work. At least I live next door to work so I can go back and forth easily.
~You can see where I'm going with this. I lose books. I'll decide I want this or that book that I KNOW I own, and I'll look in the most logical place and it won't be there. So I'll start looking everywhere for it....is it at work? At home? In the pantry hall where lots of recently read or used books tend to end up? Sometimes I find what I'm looking for right away, but sometimes it takes weeks before I find the desired book, tucked away right where it was supposed to be, or else in a completely unlikely place.
~It happened again this week. I was looking for a book someone referred to on another blog. I knew I had this book, I could visualize what the cover looked like. I knew where all the other books by this author were--but this one wasn't there. Gah. I searched high and low. In this case it only took three days and it turns out that I took it to work. But when I found it, the thing I wanted it for wasn't in it anyway. Sigh.
~And how do you solve the problem of if-I'm-at-home-the-book-I-want-is-at-work and vice versa? When I was teaching I kept all my professional books at work and tried to remember to take home what I would need each day. When I moved here I thought I would do the same thing, but it doesn't really work. So maybe half my work related books are home and the rest at work. At least I live next door to work so I can go back and forth easily.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Summer word play
Word associations from "Summer in the City." (And I do remember that Loving Spoonfuls version!)
1. rooftop
~Going on the roof of our building in NYC to watch the fireworks on July 4th. We really weren't situated to see them well, but it was still fun. We'd go up there to see the moon if it was a particularly beautiful night, too, and when they did that laser beam thing for the 9/11 anniversary we saw that from the roof.
2. gritty
~New York in the summer; more precisely how you felt after walking around on a sweltery day.
3. hot town
~I'd say New York again but that's awfully redundant. So I'll go farther back in memory to when I was pretty young and walked "uptown" with my grandmother during the summer in the deep south. So hot you could see the heat shimmering. So hot the pavement burned. And oh, how good it felt to go into Rose's 5 & Dime where it was cool, or to sit at the counter at the Rexall drug store and have a Coke.
4. night
~Sleeping out in the backyard (well in a travel trailer) with my best friend in elementary school. Or the cool nights in New England that make sleeping with the windows open so wonderful. Summer nights in Iceland when it never got completely dark.
5. dance
~Dances at the local swim club every Wednesday night during the summers I was in high school.
1. rooftop
~Going on the roof of our building in NYC to watch the fireworks on July 4th. We really weren't situated to see them well, but it was still fun. We'd go up there to see the moon if it was a particularly beautiful night, too, and when they did that laser beam thing for the 9/11 anniversary we saw that from the roof.
2. gritty
~New York in the summer; more precisely how you felt after walking around on a sweltery day.
3. hot town
~I'd say New York again but that's awfully redundant. So I'll go farther back in memory to when I was pretty young and walked "uptown" with my grandmother during the summer in the deep south. So hot you could see the heat shimmering. So hot the pavement burned. And oh, how good it felt to go into Rose's 5 & Dime where it was cool, or to sit at the counter at the Rexall drug store and have a Coke.
4. night
~Sleeping out in the backyard (well in a travel trailer) with my best friend in elementary school. Or the cool nights in New England that make sleeping with the windows open so wonderful. Summer nights in Iceland when it never got completely dark.
5. dance
~Dances at the local swim club every Wednesday night during the summers I was in high school.
Life as we know it...
~The debate over oil goes on...the NYTimes has a great op-ed piece about the realities of off-shore drilling...and and this says it with fewer words.
Meanwhile, I will never be able to eat bananas the same way. Of course I knew they were an exotic fruit, but why did I never think about these realities? I just remember Chiquita dancing away when I was a kid. (If you click through to the video, note its 'educational' aspects--teaching about when bananas are ripe, and so forth. And no, that's not the commercial I remember--I'm not THAT old.)
Meanwhile, I will never be able to eat bananas the same way. Of course I knew they were an exotic fruit, but why did I never think about these realities? I just remember Chiquita dancing away when I was a kid. (If you click through to the video, note its 'educational' aspects--teaching about when bananas are ripe, and so forth. And no, that's not the commercial I remember--I'm not THAT old.)
Thursday, June 19, 2008
I'm so ready for my vacation
~but alas, it's still over a month away.
~When I came home tonight I thought of a seminary friend who rented a house for herself on a well known island, and I though how lovely it would be to have such a house and to be there all alone.
~But the truth is, as lovely as it sounded, that 's not really how I want to spend my vacation. We'll go to Maine again, and spend some time with friends, which I'm really looking forward to, and hopefully also spend sometime with NSLS, Baby J, Mr. LS and WW. That's the tentative plan, anyway--just have to work out the timing.
~Actually, I've been home alone all week anyway to a certain extent. The Kid finished school on Monday, and has worked every night this week. And I've worked long days every day so we sort of pass each other as he leaves and I get home or don't see each other at all til he gets off. It's been a really exhausting week at work, and although I had sworn to myself that I would take a walk each night, what I've actually done is eat a Lean Kuisine for dinner and watch old episodes of Grey's Anatomy. Pathetic, huh? Pure escapism.
~When I came home tonight I thought of a seminary friend who rented a house for herself on a well known island, and I though how lovely it would be to have such a house and to be there all alone.
~But the truth is, as lovely as it sounded, that 's not really how I want to spend my vacation. We'll go to Maine again, and spend some time with friends, which I'm really looking forward to, and hopefully also spend sometime with NSLS, Baby J, Mr. LS and WW. That's the tentative plan, anyway--just have to work out the timing.
~Actually, I've been home alone all week anyway to a certain extent. The Kid finished school on Monday, and has worked every night this week. And I've worked long days every day so we sort of pass each other as he leaves and I get home or don't see each other at all til he gets off. It's been a really exhausting week at work, and although I had sworn to myself that I would take a walk each night, what I've actually done is eat a Lean Kuisine for dinner and watch old episodes of Grey's Anatomy. Pathetic, huh? Pure escapism.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Political compass
~I remember doing this once before, but the questions seemed more extreme this time, so I'm not sure if it's the same test. At any rate, I'm in the same quadrant as Gandhi, the Dali Lama, and Nelson Mandela--pretty good company.
~Take the test here.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The candidate's spouse
~This woman is impressive!
~Long ago and far away when I was married to someone in the Navy, I struggled with the notion that my identity was shaped by his job. As he advanced, I was expected to take on certain roles--roles that I was not the least bit interested in. And he was an enlisted person--if he'd been an officer it would've been much worse.
~Of course military wives are not the only ones who faced this issue. Corporate wives, clergy wives, doctor's wives...it was everywhere. I like to believe--in fact in some case I know--that things have changed for the better. But such expectations are not gone. Clergy wives (to choose the group I'm most familiar with) still work hard to define themselves apart from the roles of their spouses. Of course, clergy husbands face their own pressures, but I'm not sure it's quite the same.
~But I think it must be exceptionally difficult for the spouses of politicians--everything is so public, so out there. Things you said 20 or 30 years ago are taken completely out of context and used against you. The way you dress, do your hair, discipline your kids--it's all open to criticism. There are payoffs, of course--power, influence, moving in high circles--but I wonder about the cost.
~Michelle Obama strikes me as someone up for the challenge. I just hope the cost for her and her family won't be too high.
~Long ago and far away when I was married to someone in the Navy, I struggled with the notion that my identity was shaped by his job. As he advanced, I was expected to take on certain roles--roles that I was not the least bit interested in. And he was an enlisted person--if he'd been an officer it would've been much worse.
~Of course military wives are not the only ones who faced this issue. Corporate wives, clergy wives, doctor's wives...it was everywhere. I like to believe--in fact in some case I know--that things have changed for the better. But such expectations are not gone. Clergy wives (to choose the group I'm most familiar with) still work hard to define themselves apart from the roles of their spouses. Of course, clergy husbands face their own pressures, but I'm not sure it's quite the same.
~But I think it must be exceptionally difficult for the spouses of politicians--everything is so public, so out there. Things you said 20 or 30 years ago are taken completely out of context and used against you. The way you dress, do your hair, discipline your kids--it's all open to criticism. There are payoffs, of course--power, influence, moving in high circles--but I wonder about the cost.
~Michelle Obama strikes me as someone up for the challenge. I just hope the cost for her and her family won't be too high.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Sunday again
~Since it's not my preaching weekend, I didn't have to be at church early this morning, so I kept hitting the snooze button. Finally, I turned it off--but then went back to sleep again. And had one of those I'm-trying-to-get-something-done-but-everything-goes-wrong-and-it-feels-like-I'm-in-quicksand panicky kind of dreams. The details vary, but the theme is always the same. In today's I was supposed to be getting ready to preach (for preaching class?) but I couldn't make my computer work and I didn't have the right text to preach on and I couldn't get there and I didn't know where I was supposed to be...like I said, the content varies but the theme is always the same. Then I woke up and I was really almost late. Those dreams always leave me feeling unsettled, but having to get ready quickly helped me shake those feelings.
~It's cold and rainy today. The Kid was working, so after church I came home and curled up with a novel (the newest Julia Spencer Fleming mystery) and took a nap. Lazy, lazy.
~The orioles are back in full force--six of them. I've been watching them circle around and compete for a spot at the jelly feeder--like jets stacked up in a holding pattern waiting to land. There are one or two males who definitely dominate, but eventually they all seem to get a turn.
~Besides the JSF mystery, I just finished reading Gene Robinson's book, and I'm reading Honor Moore's book about her father, Bishop Paul Moore. There is an essay or blog posting or something about the juxtaposition of these two stories brewing in my head. Whether the words make it to paper (so to speak) remains to be seen.
~If I thought about everything that I need to get done in the next couple of weeks I would panic. So I'm trying not to think about it. A few months ago I longingly looked forward to June and July as quiet months with extra time to catch up. Ha! What a joke that has turned out to be. Staff changes mean that I have a WHOLE LOT of new stuff to take care of. Most of it will get done, and what doesn't, doesn't. (Remind of me that in a couple of weeks when I'm freaking out, okay?)
~It's cold and rainy today. The Kid was working, so after church I came home and curled up with a novel (the newest Julia Spencer Fleming mystery) and took a nap. Lazy, lazy.
~The orioles are back in full force--six of them. I've been watching them circle around and compete for a spot at the jelly feeder--like jets stacked up in a holding pattern waiting to land. There are one or two males who definitely dominate, but eventually they all seem to get a turn.
~Besides the JSF mystery, I just finished reading Gene Robinson's book, and I'm reading Honor Moore's book about her father, Bishop Paul Moore. There is an essay or blog posting or something about the juxtaposition of these two stories brewing in my head. Whether the words make it to paper (so to speak) remains to be seen.
~If I thought about everything that I need to get done in the next couple of weeks I would panic. So I'm trying not to think about it. A few months ago I longingly looked forward to June and July as quiet months with extra time to catch up. Ha! What a joke that has turned out to be. Staff changes mean that I have a WHOLE LOT of new stuff to take care of. Most of it will get done, and what doesn't, doesn't. (Remind of me that in a couple of weeks when I'm freaking out, okay?)
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Summer memories 2
~Going to the state fair in the second state I lived in; eating corn dogs, riding rides, seeing the grandstand show with Minnie Pearl, lots of fireworks.
~Swimming lessons early in the morning at a pool in the next town over. Driving on a very mountainous road to get there, and often there was fog lingering in the valley below.
~Going to visit my grandparents for two weeks and getting mumps while we were there.
~Visiting the neighbor who lived up the hill in what seemed at the time like a mansion to me.
~Trips to the library which was in an old stone house, reading lots of Bobbsey Twins, Hardy Boys, and Judy Bolton mysteries.
~from the one summer we lived in the mountain state, the summer between 3rd and 4th grade.
~Swimming lessons early in the morning at a pool in the next town over. Driving on a very mountainous road to get there, and often there was fog lingering in the valley below.
~Going to visit my grandparents for two weeks and getting mumps while we were there.
~Visiting the neighbor who lived up the hill in what seemed at the time like a mansion to me.
~Trips to the library which was in an old stone house, reading lots of Bobbsey Twins, Hardy Boys, and Judy Bolton mysteries.
~from the one summer we lived in the mountain state, the summer between 3rd and 4th grade.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Friday Five~On the beach
1. Ocean rocks, lake limps? Vice versa? Or "it's all beautiful in its own way"?
~I like both; it really depends on the location. I grew up going to old-fashioned Carolina beaches, and they still epitomize "beach" for me. And I lived in the City by the Lake, which I still love for its beauty--the lake surrounded by the mountains is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I don't want to swim in lakes or ocean though, at least not above the Mason Dixon line.
2. Year round beach living: Heaven...or the Other Place?
~Neither. I do actually live near the beach here. And I haven't taken advantage of it very much, perhaps because beaches in the part of the world are quite different from those I grew up with. And it's far too easy for me to never even see the water here and forget about it. There are moments though, when I'm struck by the beauty of the water when I drive by and catch a glimpse, or take the rare beach walk. Someone at church has promised me a "beach tour" so I can see more of what I've been missing!
The flip side, of course, is the tourist traffic. I can mostly avoid that, too, but when I can't it can really slow things down. To say nothing of making it difficult to find parking in particular places or eat in a good seafood restaurant.
I would be really happy living in City by the Lake where I could have even a glimpse of a lake view. WW lived in a little attic apartment there once and out of one window you see just a glimpse of the lake. Waking up to that view every day would make me very happy.
3. Any beach plans for this summer?
~Nope
4. Best beach memory ever? (or two...)
~Renting a big old fashioned beach house down south with my extended family when the kids were little. If I were ever to have a beach house, I'd want one like that. We'd take all the kids to the beach in the morning, come home for lunch on the porch, rest for a bit, and go back for the late afternoon. I'd take long beach walks and sit on the beach and read. The water was calm with gentle waves perfect for young children. The summer NSLS was a baby I'd put her in a floaty seat and when the tides were just right I could take her out and she'd be so content floating in the water she'd start to doze off. My mother loved the beach so she was generally happy to be there , too.
~Going to a retreat led by Madeleine L'Engle at a conference center on a beautiful southern beach. It was February or March, and a foggy gloomy weekend, and it was a silent retreat. I remember taking a walk one afternoon in silence on a beach shrouded in fog with the sounds of crashing waves. There was something so peaceful about that afternoon, so calming and soothing.
5. Fantasy beach trip?
~Renting a big beach house like that with my kids and/or good friends for a week. Just sitting on the porch (there has to be a porch, preferably with a swing and a hammock) reading, taking long walks on the beach, eating seafood and fresh veggies.
~I like both; it really depends on the location. I grew up going to old-fashioned Carolina beaches, and they still epitomize "beach" for me. And I lived in the City by the Lake, which I still love for its beauty--the lake surrounded by the mountains is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I don't want to swim in lakes or ocean though, at least not above the Mason Dixon line.
2. Year round beach living: Heaven...or the Other Place?
~Neither. I do actually live near the beach here. And I haven't taken advantage of it very much, perhaps because beaches in the part of the world are quite different from those I grew up with. And it's far too easy for me to never even see the water here and forget about it. There are moments though, when I'm struck by the beauty of the water when I drive by and catch a glimpse, or take the rare beach walk. Someone at church has promised me a "beach tour" so I can see more of what I've been missing!
The flip side, of course, is the tourist traffic. I can mostly avoid that, too, but when I can't it can really slow things down. To say nothing of making it difficult to find parking in particular places or eat in a good seafood restaurant.
I would be really happy living in City by the Lake where I could have even a glimpse of a lake view. WW lived in a little attic apartment there once and out of one window you see just a glimpse of the lake. Waking up to that view every day would make me very happy.
3. Any beach plans for this summer?
~Nope
4. Best beach memory ever? (or two...)
~Renting a big old fashioned beach house down south with my extended family when the kids were little. If I were ever to have a beach house, I'd want one like that. We'd take all the kids to the beach in the morning, come home for lunch on the porch, rest for a bit, and go back for the late afternoon. I'd take long beach walks and sit on the beach and read. The water was calm with gentle waves perfect for young children. The summer NSLS was a baby I'd put her in a floaty seat and when the tides were just right I could take her out and she'd be so content floating in the water she'd start to doze off. My mother loved the beach so she was generally happy to be there , too.
~Going to a retreat led by Madeleine L'Engle at a conference center on a beautiful southern beach. It was February or March, and a foggy gloomy weekend, and it was a silent retreat. I remember taking a walk one afternoon in silence on a beach shrouded in fog with the sounds of crashing waves. There was something so peaceful about that afternoon, so calming and soothing.
5. Fantasy beach trip?
~Renting a big beach house like that with my kids and/or good friends for a week. Just sitting on the porch (there has to be a porch, preferably with a swing and a hammock) reading, taking long walks on the beach, eating seafood and fresh veggies.
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