July 31, 2009

1. Sitting up tonight with a sick friend. Praying for a good healing night of sleep for him.  Makes me think of another friend whose son is having chemo treatments.  Wish I could spell her for a night too.
2. Garden growing great guns (G!) but I think I might have traumatized a couple of the tomato plants by trying to get them in a tomato cage.  Know now that that is the sort of thing that should go on at the beginning of the season.
3. Ali and I saw Harry Potter 6.  Not terribly impressed.  Just not a lot of story there.
4. Not sure what to watch on Netflix as the night goes on.  Why is so much trashy reality tv not available online?  Is this a punishment for not having cable?  I want to watch cooking shows and badly behaved brides, is that so wrong?
5. I got my 5×7 of Dominick Fortunato, sent personally by Charlene Butterbean!  WOO!

June 21, 2009

1. AB and I hosted a tea party for our goddaughter yesterday.  This was quite successful, with little sandwiches, and playing with my dollhouse.  Violet the kitten stayed in her usual spot under the bed, only visiting from under the bedskirt, but Kevin the cat was quite sociable, and even received his own tea plate with some nice wet food.  He had good manners for most of the event, but eventually of course bad habits won out and he was discovered on the table, drinking from the creamer.
2. My garden is growing!  I was very surprised to see, when I went out to look on Thursday that there will little things popping up.  I didn’t realize that it would happen so quickly.
3. Will get to visit with some college friends today.  Very exciting!  Both were in Band with me.  Well, she was, he was our graduate assistant, assistant director of the band.  I think I am taking them to lunch, and I always panic about where to take people.  I think I have settle on crisp and juicy chicken near my school.  It’s just a little takeout, but has some tables, and certainly, has excellent chicken.  I can show them my school too.
4. I’m on vacation!
5. Michael and I are going to St. Elmo’s after church today.  I haven’t had much time with him yet, but now I can ramp that up.  I need to come up with some good adventures.

April 14, 2009

1. Easter was most glorious, the Great Vigil especially.  The fire lit successfully, and I did, dirty as it sounds, polish the bishop’s crozier.
2. I almost lost faith, no I did lose faith on Good Friday because I was tired, and it was all a downer, and I really felt like I was over it.  But when I came in Saturday morning, I could feel things beginning to thrum and hum with energy.  Not the energy of the people, though that was there, they converted the place from plain to amazing in two hours.  The energy I felt was the stones themselves, wanting to sing.  I attribute amazing power to God, but I think even he had pause and muscle flexing as the moment of Resurrection occurred.  I mean, it is  called power for a reason, right?  It is powerful!
3. There was something in the bishop’s sermon that got me to thinking about risk.  He was talking about seeking the truth. (Look, it might have been our rector who preached this one, or this might be a conglomeration of sermons.  I heard a lot of sermons last week)  There was also something about people who live in places of risk or in fear (It is also possible that none of this was said, it was something else preached that triggered these thoughts)  Anywho, I got to thinking about how to seek the truth, that maybe truth is that life has to be lived with a certain degree of abandon and risk.  That those people who struggle are living in the truth.  I live a very safe life, one that I think is boring in a way in its physical and emotional barricade to avoid exposure and embarrassment and strife.  And the way this all relates to God is this: What exactly am I afraid of?  I don’t live in a place of war.  I have plenty (more than enough!) to eat.  All the standard worries are handled.  What do I fear? Embarrassment? Rejection? And even if there are things to fear: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  I don’t mean that as an “F-everyone else, I do want I want.” I mean, if I say that I am secure and certain in the hope of the resurrection, what exactly is my worry about not being perfect in my time on the planet.  I need to think more like I did in the abstract painting class.  Do more things because I want to experience them, not because I want to be amazing.
4. Yeah, I am downloading turbo tax right now.  Don’t judge me.  Living on the edge has to begin somewhere. 
5. The dear seeking servant has been accepted to Seminary, and this is right glorious, but I am just starting to realize what that means for me and our parish, which is that he is going to leave us and cleave to another, and pretty soon.  His fine woman too.  I always knew that I guess, but I didn’t really understand how soon that was coming, and I think, Seeking, we ought to all have a drunken sit down, so as to understand how our weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth will play out, and if we can arrange some sort of flaming viking ship for an exit.  I joke, but I am sad too.  I guess I had thought that we had 3 years of seminary to go, and I am not so sure of that anymore.  Did they give you a handout on this transition?  Don’t get me wrong, it is all right and good and a joyful thing, and seeking the truth is risky, I get that, but ouch, ouch, ouch.

April 6, 2009

1. When I am crew leader, my favorite time is during the lessons and sermon during the 9 o’clock, when things have settled down and I can iron the linens.  I keep the door open and can sort of hear what’s going on.  I like to turn the overhead lights off and just use the undercounter lights.  It is very peaceful.
2. Palm Sunday went well.  Feebly waving palms.  The congregation gamely, but lamely saying “Crucify him, crucify him,” as instructed by the script.  Palm Sunday has never been a favorite service of mine, but overall it went well, except for the part where I interferred with the subdeacon assignment, because I’m a jerk, and then the part where a trash can caught on fire (though that was an acolyte issue, and I only found out about it after the fact. Frankly, I’m sorry I missed it.  If I hadn’t been interfering in other things I probably would have seen that show, so there is another lesson for me.)
3. I like the movie Dogma.  “You knew Jesus?”  “Knew him?  Dude owes me 12 dollars.”
4. Spring Break!  Woo!  Even though I have to spend lots of time at church, Spring break is still Spring Break.
5. While we were in Jamaica there was an exciting comminique, that the awesome AT and her family are coming back to Virginia.  Hooray!

January 2, 2009

1. I wasn’t sure which I was more excited about when the UPS man came, my TomTom GPS or the Stitch and Bitch “Happy Hooker” book about learning to crochet.
2. Paul has the car, so I started with the crochet, but as in other times I have attempted this, it feels all wrong, and I have set it aside for a while.  I would really like to master it, by my head feels very confused about the endeavor.
3. It’s yarn and a hook, why is it so hard?  Anyway, now I am updating the maps on the GPS.  I shall return to the crochet in due time.
4. Ab and I went to see “the day the earth stood still.” Ehn.  Not great, not terrible.  She didn’t really want to see it, but it was starting next so she went for it, and I promised I would go with her to a movie of her choice nexttime.  I turn her down on movies alot, so this is a notable promise.
5. I found myself a bit blue with the turning of the year yesterday.  I am a-fearing going back to school I think.

December 31, 2008

1. Still cranking out the Christmas Cards.  Hooray for me!
2. Is it insane that to buy sale wrapping paper at IKEA, that I drove out there during rush hour?  Probably.  But I moved pretty efficiently, and even made it back in time to meet AB and some work friends for happy hour downtown.  I have to say though, the valet parking makes it possible to go downtown efficiently.  I’m a big fan of that.
3. Stressful moments when the sink backed up, but the neighbors did too, and he called the rental company (since he is renting, and they sent someone to fix it, and fixing his clog, fixed my problem too, and I didn’t have to write a check!  Hooray!  Now I can do dishes again.  Hooray?
4. Chris’s Christmas Report:   “Speaking of other countries, we have a large French contingent here at Phoenix.  Their job is to run the ANA staff college and NCO school system nearby.  They live in one corner of the camp which they have marked off and dubbed “Quartier Lafayette.”  For all of some Americans’ bad mouthing of the French, even to the point of renaming french fries “freedom fries” the French are intensely proud of their role in our Revolutionary War.  The buildings in the “Quartier” are all have names like “Valley Forge”, “Yorktown”, “Rochambeau” and “Louisiane”.  For Christmas, they built a very elaborate mechanical Christmas Nativity scene, which is apparently a Foreign Legion tradition, with platoons competing for the best one.  This one showed all of the local area and had a narrative of and american and a French soldier sharing a beer and talking about life at the camp.  At one point the French soldier talks about the crazy traffic, and seemingly unaware drivers and pedestrians running through the streets on Route Violet which runs in front of the camps.  I turned to one French NCO and said “I have driven in Paris; it is the same!”  He had a laugh at that.  At the climactic moment of the presentation, part of the Afghan mountainside is lifted away to reveal the creche.”
5. Reports from our friends visiting up north.  Hooray for a babies that coo and gurgle!

 

 

December 29, 2008

1. I am about to head over to my parents where we are having a party tonight with the Berry’s to celebrate 30 years of knowing one another.
2. I am very glad of this, but reflective about the idea of friendship, and how often I fail at following through on simple things like calls and cards and emails that will maintain friendships.
3. My college roommate, with whom I have been a shamefully poor communicator has given me yet another chance and inspired me by sending me a Christmas card with her new address.  I am quite resolved to do better and indeed have written 7 cards today to family and friends who have continued to write to me, even though I have been silent lo these many years.
4. Kitchen sink is backed up.  It seems to be a contagion, effecting the whole building.  On the one hand this is a plus because if it is effecting the whole building the condo association will pay for the repair.  On the other hand, should blame be able to be assessed, say if a large ball of yarn or cat hair is found to have made the blockage, then bills will no doubt be assessed accordingly.
5. Chris called on Christmas day and is well.  Pictures of the French troops nativity construction competition to follow.

November 23, 2008

1. Had lunch with the previous easter president and another previous president yesterday.  She handed over 3 ginormous binders full of stuff, which will definitely be helpful and certainly interesting to read through.  But of course the whole concept is a little scary.  But it was great to talk to them, and I’d like this whole experience to be fun and interesting, rather than scary and stressful, so the lunch set a good tone.
2. Went to a party for a friend last night.  Haven’t seen her for a while, and she has gone through a painful year, with a divorce.  So frightening to see how quickly things can change, but so impressive to see how resilient people can be.  She had a ton of loving friends there, including some of the former in-laws.  Oh, and awesome food, which of course I had too much of.  Those little sandwiches lay me low every time.
3. Came home from the Altar guild crew to a lovely surprise.  Beautiful flowers from Melissa.  Nice big sunflowers and yellow roses.  Nice treat!
4. Getting squared away to head out for a day at church.  Going early to recheck yesterdays checklist.  I do love a checklist.  Seriously I do.  Everything should have one.
5. The heater on my car seems to be giving up, which is not a treat in this cold weather.  The heater going was the death knell for my other car. (that and the entire electrical system.  It could be a loooong winter.  Come on little car!  Hang in there!

November 11, 2008

1. My joy at a day off today is quite unseemly.  I really must discover some sort of fortune and be able to stop working and run my little coffee shop for a few hours a day, and spend the rest of the time futzing around.  You know, doing crafts and good, that sort of thing.
2. Speaking of fortune, I called the insurance company, and indeed they had made a mistake on that check.  They had already realized it and stopped payment.  I kind of hoped they would give me some sort of “Honesty Bonus” for calling, but alas, they did not.
3. I got a couple of requests from people and finally made the jump and joined facebook.  Frankly, it makes even less sense to me now than it used too, but I have talked to 3 people today that I haven’t had contact with in years, and that is nice.  If I can limit my use of it to a little bit of time a day (beacuse I can see how you can get lost clicking around in it) it might be fun.  Or at least not annoying.
4. In respose to this rush of high tech, I am glad that today is letter writing day, in my organizational crazy fest.
5. Almost caught up on “Heroes.” 

November 4, 2008

1. You got to VOTE VOTE VOTE like a baby stoat!!
2. I voted!  Got there at about 5:30 and was about 50th in line.  The doors opened at 6 and I was out by 6:20.  I did a paper ballot too!  They had about 10 electronic machines and 4 paper ballot stations, and one of those was free so I did it.  I am all about the paper ballots, mayn.  I think it is a good move to go to those.  You could fit 30 paper stations, maybe more in the place of those 10 electronic machines.  You feed it, yourself, into a big reader.  So the count is quick and you have a paper trail.  I was also really pleased to see was that they had electronic check in.  Now that makes sense!  No more big book, where you have to get in line by alphabet.  If you have electronic check in and paper balloting, I think that will pick up the speed substantially.
3. Put the car in the shop, so I took the bus to school today.  Timing was great, only had to wait about 15 minutes for the bus, and the stop was right outside the polling place.
4. Teacher workday today.  Almost done with my grades so I can spend most of the day working on planning.  Sociology and Ancient Civ need lots of attention.
5. AB talked me into going to a Marker’s Mark happy hour last night.  I just have to say that bourbon is poison.  I didn’t have that much, but I could actually feel it trying to crush my synapses (and subsequently, my potential superpowers.) Poison I tell you!