Tuscany looks like this.

Cortona church
Stormy Siena

Terraced hillside, Cortona

Poppies, Cortona. These wonderful red poppies grow wild all over Italy.

Near Greve

Farmhouse, Greve. I like this picture because you can see both the vineyards and the olive trees behind them.
Approaching Castello di Gabbiano winery, where we were treated to a marvelous three-course lunch paired with different vintages of their Chianti Classico.

Overlooking the vineyards at Castello di Gabbiano.

Looking down the hill (north, I think) from San Gimignano.

Can you see the lonely white horse, marooned on a little terraced hillside in Cortona? We walked this way a couple of days later and the horse was still standing in the same spot. This was taken just down the road from Frances Mayes' former home (Under the Tuscan Sun).
We didn't get much of that famous Tuscan sun. Although we had hot, sunny weather everywhere else, it rained at least once every day we were in Tuscany. We didn't care--we were just glad to be there.

Random asterisks of vacation, part one

* Copious amounts of red wine + a small (really!) daily cup of gelato + amazing handmade pastas - walking, walking, walking X 19 days = 5 pounds!
I console myself with the thought: what if we hadn't been walking?

* The lemons in Sorrento are the size of grapefruit. We visited an artisanal limoncello factory up in the hills, where a lady was carefully zesting each huge lemon--then throwing the rest of it in the trash!

* Much of the joy and awe of this trip came from seeing places we had heard and read about all our lives. One afternoon we took the train from Pompeii (Pompeii!! the Scientist's dream come true) to Naples to go to the outstanding archeological museum there. The chaos and din of downtown Naples is nearly overwhelming, but we took it all in as we made our way down to the docks to take the ferry back to Sorrento. Standing on the top deck of the ferry as it glided into the bay, the Scientist quietly said, "We're cruising in the Bay of Naples, looking at Vesuvius." And so we were.

*Before I left, PCIT wrote in a comment that her dad had been born on Capri. So the day we were there, I toasted her and her dad with a glass of Aglianico, the regional red wine.

* We only had one truly bad meal in Italy. I should have known better than to let myself be talked into eating at a place called the Foreigners' Club!

Civita di Bagnoregio

There is a little hill town called Civita di Bagnoregio, also known as "the dead city." Like many small Tuscan and Umbrian towns, it was built as a fortification on top of a hill.
Several hundred years ago, the hill began to erode and a substantial part of the town went with it. Most of the surviving inhabitants decided to get out while they could. Today a handful of people (and dogs) still live there, mostly surviving on tourism. Rick Steves popularized Civita several years ago, but it is still a quiet--though attractive and well-kept--little place.

We had the most enjoyable simple meal of our trip on a chilly, drizzly morning in Civita. Imagine walking down a cold, wet street, and peering through an open doorway to find this:
There were two or three long tables in a small room, with this fireplace blazing away at the back. The bread for our perfect bruschetta was toasted on the hearth (see the racks?). Just out of this picture a man stood, slicing razor-thin slices from a huge ham. With our lovely bruschetta, the house wine served from the ceramic pitchers you see on the mantel, and a plate of local meats and cheeses, we wanted nothing more.

Still here

Hi. We have more than 700 pictures to organize. At least they are out of the camera and on the computer. That's a start. The process of returning to "real life" after three weeks away has pretty much eaten up my time and energy this week. I'll be back soon, with pictures (just a few!) and stories.

Re: the big blogger meetup, I don't really care where or when, just as long as I get to go. But Texas would be a fairly central location. :) And if we were to get an outside speaker, here's another vote for Anne Lamott! (dream on)

The only workshop I'd truly be interested in would be, Cooking with Milton.

Yikes! (or, Calling All Ministers of Word & Sacrament)

Well, it's not really a "yikes", because part of it we all had known about for some time, and the other part we suspected. But how often does a church lose its pastor and associate pastor at the same time?? They'll both be leaving within a month.

Want to move to Texas?

Bad mama

I was so happy to see my sweet Amie when we got home, but was heartsick to find that she had made an acral lick granuloma on her foot in our absence. This is a fairly common stress-related behavior in dogs, but she had not done this in more than two years. She hates thunder, and there were some frightful storms here while we were gone. While we were in Italy, looking at the satellite weather map, I worried about Amie, alone and afraid in the Scientist's closet. I know she had a lot of attention from her grandma and our neighbors during the day, but she spent her nights alone. If we take such a long trip again during her lifetime, I'll have to come up with some contingency plan so she won't be all alone for so long. I felt like such a bad mama when I saw her foot. She's stopped licking it, though, so it should heal soon.

Pizza

I am too scattered right now to manage an entire Friday Five, but I have to say a few words about pizza. Chicago or New York? Neither.

Italian pizza has a crisp, thin crust, and comes to the table unsliced, to be eaten with a knife and fork. Sometimes it has red sauce on it, sometimes not. You can get any or all of the ingredients that are familiar to us, but the sausage is spicier, the black olives bigger and better, and the funghi might be porcini. We had delicious pizzas with pears, gorgonzola, and walnuts, too.

Last Saturday we sat with four companions in a Cortona restaurant called Fu Fluns (the Etruscan name for Dionysus) and had a late lunch that lasted about three hours. We ate pizza (mine had mozzarella, mushrooms, and black truffles) and pasta, passed our plates back and forth ("You have to taste this"), drank fabulous triple-fermented Belgian beer, talked about everything, and laughed. And then laughed some more.

I will probably forget what I saw at the Uffizi, or the mosaics at St. Mark's, before I forget that lunch.

I'm back!

We saw beautiful and wonderful places. Ate amazing food. Made new friends. Rode in various methods of transport (Venetian water taxi, small plane, BIG plane) or sat in various European airports for a total of twenty hours yesterday. So glad we went. So glad to be home.
Missed y'all. Am pooped. More later.

Arrivederci!

In the morning we will be flying to Naples to begin our three-week sojourn in Bella Italia! If you are interested, you can follow our itinerary here and here. I don't know when or where I might have internet access, and may not be posting until we return. But I'll be thinking of you, and will blog from la strada if I can.

I have a blessed and full life, and have been having difficulty narrowing down my list of people, places, and things that bring me joy. I just can't limit it to five. But along with my dear Scientist, my sweet dogs (present and past), reading, music, and cooking, travel is right up there near the top of the list.

Ciao for now!

Yesterday was the Scientist's fiftieth birthday, and in the morning I posted a bubbly little blurb about that. I must have been one of the few people in the U.S. who somehow managed not to read or hear any news all day long. When the Scientist came home last night and we were getting ready to go out for his birthday dinner, he mentioned Virginia Tech and I had no idea what he was talking about. I ran and read the news and deleted my perky little post. Big birthday or not, it seemed inappropriate.

Thinking of all the grieving parents last night, I also wondered how many parents had wept with relief after getting a phone call from their child, or even seeing their child interviewed on television. Is there something strange about mid-April, usually such a beautiful, hopeful time of year? Waco, Columbine, now this.

The Scientist did have a good birthday, and having reached the half-century mark, is feeling suitably venerable and august. But from now on, April 16 will be remembered as a day of terror and grief. Please join me in including the families of Virginia Tech in your prayers.

Friday Five: Dental Edition

In honor of Cheesehead and Reverendmother (get well soon, y'all!):

1. Are you a regular patron of dentists' offices? Or, do you go
a) faithfully, as long as you have insurance, or
b) every few years or so, whether you need it or not, or
c) dentist? what is this "dentist" thing you speak of?

a). Every six months. I inherited cavity-prone teeth and have to be conscientious about this. My dentists are a married couple who are friends of ours from church (in fact, the gentleman and I have served on session together), and despite the purpose of the visit I enjoy seeing and chatting with them--when I'm able to chat, that is.

2. Whatever became of your wisdom teeth?

Nothing. I was born with only two, and they have never attempted to make a move or call attention to themselves in any way. As long as they don't bother me, I won't bother them.

3. Favorite thing to eat that's BAAAAAD for your teeth.

Butterfingers. The crunchy part gets embedded into every little cranny.

4. Ever had oral surgery? Commiserate with me.

Getting a crown, or getting pins inserted into a molar, is as close as I've come, and those procedures were tedious but not excruciating. My dentists have all sorts of whiz-bang diversions for patients, and I usually just put on goggles and watch a movie while they work.

5. "I'd rather have a root canal than ____________."

Testify in court, a common occupational hazard in my line of work. So far I have escaped this nightmare.

Bonus: Does your dentist recommend Trident?

No, but they do give away chip clips that read, "Compliments of ______ and ______, DDS." The Scientist was sarcastically curious about what brand of chips my dentist might recommend!

Something good is about to happen!

I got our passports out of the safe deposit box today!

And then I went and got EUROS!

*tempted to start jumping up and down, even though I still have nearly two weeks of work left, and I have three reports to write*

Alleluia!

Today Hades tearfully sighs: "Would that I had not received him who was born of Mary, for he came to me and destroyed my power; he broke my bronze gates, and being God, delivered the souls I had been holding captive." O Lord, glory to your cross and to your holy resurrection!


(From the Orthodox liturgy for Holy Saturday.)

O Heaven, be struck with horror; earth be plunged
in chaos;
Do not dare, Sun, to behold
Your master on the cross, hanging there of his
own will,
Let rock be shattered, for the rock of life is now
wounded by nails...
In fact, let all creation shudder and groan at the passion
of the Creator.

Adam alone exults.



-Romanos
(sixth century)

What wondrous love

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever; and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love for Thee.


Bernard of Clairvaux

Two Palm Sunday observations

1. Apparently I am incapable of watching the children walk (or run) in, waving their palm branches, without tearing up. But that's OK.

2. When the PASTOR is among those enthusiastically applauding the children's choir, I reluctantly concede that mine is the minority view.

Rest in peace, Skidboot

Skidboot--"part blue heeler, part gift from God"--has gone to his reward at the age of fourteen. I know two cattle dogs as fine as Skidboot (OK, Typist, we'll make it three) but none finer--or smarter. He was an exemplar of this wonderful breed. Farewell, good boy.

Update:Thanks for your kind sympathy...unfortunately for me, Skidboot was not MY dog. I could never have trained this marvelous dog the way his human, David Hartwig, did. Take a look at this amazing video clip.

Kitten update

Grisi's babies are nearly seven weeks old, and they are beautiful. As it turned out, four are black and one is a gray tabby like mom. (The little one's fur was so sparse at first, we thought he/she would be gray.) Just before their eyes began to open, she moved them off the patio, and it was nearly three weeks before we saw them again! We moved them back where we could have access to them, and this time she let them stay.

We have done our best to handle them every day and try to socialize them, but several of them are still pretty skittish. We have no way to contain them on the patio, and their favorite hiding place is behind the Coke machine! Since we have not been able to find homes for them, we reluctantly decided that the best thing would be to go ahead and take them to an excellent shelter while they are still young enough for the shelter behaviorists to work with them in a controlled setting and improve their social skills! A few tears were shed around the office this morning when my coworker D. and I managed to corral them in a kitten carrier--and off they went.

Well, D. returned with all five kittens and the report that they are still too small for the shelter to accept them, and probably need another two weeks before they are big enough to go there. Everyone in our office has pets already, but D. is going to foster three of them and my supervisor (who I saw wiping away a tear this morning) is going to foster the other two. What do you bet those foster homes turn into forever homes?

And now our next step is to have Grisi spayed! Think of all the band candy, Girl Scout cookies, and Little League raffle tickets you've had to buy at work over the years. Has anyone in your church or office ever come around collecting for the Kitty Surgery Fund??

Christmas in March, with love

The Scientist and I have an old friend whom I'll call Millie. For many years, she ran the department where the Scientist used to work at Famous Teaching Hospital. Despite some ongoing physical challenges (nobody would ever call her disabled), she kept that place organized and running. She always knew who to call to get things done. She had no qualms about telling anyone how the cow ate the cabbage, and she affectionately referred to her boss, a sometimes-imperious pathologist, as "the old heifer". The doctors loved and feared her, and her word was law.

When Millie and her good friend Betty Jo retired several years ago, they built a comfortable home in a nearby retirement community, relaxed, and continued to enjoy life. We tended to get together with them around Christmas time and maybe one other time during the year, with occasional phone calls in between. Then shortly before this past Christmas we learned that Millie had been diagnosed with an advanced malignancy, had had extensive surgery, and had a long road of treatment ahead. When we made our usual Christmas visit, bearing the homemade bread and candy they enjoyed, we found both ladies tired but upbeat. However, Millie was quite disappointed that for the first time in sixteen years, I had not made my mother's delicious but highly labor-intensive fruitcake cookies. (Advent was so busy that I had given myself permission to forgo my usual baking frenzy.)

This week I came home one evening to find a phone message from Millie. She thanked us for a card we had sent, and informed us that for various medical and personal reasons, she was discontinuing treatment and had begun hospice care at home. When the Scientist spoke with her later, she sounded weak but was still her matter-of-fact self. When he asked if we could bring her and Betty Jo some homemade bread this weekend, she told him that would be nice, but that she would really like some of those fruitcake cookies!

Now where was I going to find that wierd red and green "fruitcake mix" in March? On a hunch I called the Scientist's mom, since she usually has whatever we need...and lo and behold, she had a 1-pound tub of the stuff in her freezer! This afternoon I came home from a combination choir rehearsal and spring work day at church, and spent about three hours making seven dozen fruitcake cookies. Our own pecans that we shelled last fall were chopped, all the fruits and nuts were dumped into my mom's old Dutch oven along with the batter, and the cookies were mixed the only way they can be--by plunging both hands into the whole shebang and kneading. They bake low and slow--250 degrees for an hour, and there are so many that they have to bake in two batches. The fragrance and flavor are wonderful.

The Scientist will bake bread tonight, and we'll take all of this good stuff to our friends tomorrow. There's nothing morbid about Millie--she is facing her mortality in the same down-to-earth, straightforward way she handles everything else. She did urge the Scientist to keep in touch with Betty Jo "after I join the angels." We are grateful for these friends and hope we will bring cheer and comfort to them tomorrow.

Outside, it's 77 degrees; the Indica azaleas are blooming and the baby peaches are the size of my thumbnail. Inside, it must be December, because the kitchen smells like Christmas.

Whether or not you're Irish...

Hat tip to Rhiannon.

Friday Five: Whatcha doin'?

Well, the day is half over, and here are the ones I've already done:

1. Exercised. My favorite trainer was there this morning, which was nice, and I indulged in a cafe mocha from my favorite coffee shop after I was finished. (No whipped cream, though! So maybe I did a little more than break even on the caloric exchange.)

2. Drove to our agency's sheltered workshop to meet with a client who is having some roommate problems. Counseling with a person with a cognitive impairment requires a completely different skill set from counseling with a neurotypical person. You have to be very concrete--no metaphors, which is hard for me. You have to be prepared to go over the same ground numerous times. Some of my clients have such a short attention span that they can only hang with me for about 20 minutes, so I have to try to stay focused myself and make those 20 minutes count. I enjoy it, but it's tough work.

3. Met a group of coworkers at a new seafood restaurant (great shrimp!) in honor of our department manager's birthday. To my surprise, they picked up my tab too, making it more of a "March birthdays" lunch. That was nice.

4. Grocery shopping, one of my usual Friday pursuits, along with:

5. Laundry (still in progress).

I try not to work on Fridays, so (2) was more of a "have-to" than a "want-to".

More "have-tos" on the horizon, alas; paying bills and (sigh) organizing my Schedule C info...We have a Family Promise overnight tonight, but we won't be taking Amie this time...Another solitary Saturday is on the horizon, so at least I have plenty to keep me busy...Enjoy your weekend!

More spring babies

About a block from our church is a small lake in the midst of a residential area. A number of ducks and geese live there, and nesting season has begun. This mama waddled all the way to the church, seeking a secluded corner to lay her eggs. I pray that she and her eggs will be undisturbed. I'm told that a duck made a nest in this same spot last year, so perhaps it will work out OK.

Today's Fun Fact: Muscovy duck eggs are incubated for 35 days. So we should have some little ducks shortly before Easter!

In confidence

Cheesehead's recent posts about members of a covenant group who betrayed her confidence have had me thinking about confidentiality and betrayal--especially within the church. I deal with confidential matters for a living, so perhaps I'm a bit more tuned into this issue than some. But what part of THIS IS CONFIDENTIAL don't people understand??

Again, this may be because of my line of work, but over the years I've seen much greater breaches of confidentiality among church members than I have seen among colleagues and other friends. I've known of deacons who provided "encouragement" when people within their flock were in crisis--and later had to be admonished because of their big mouths!

After my first miscarriage, some people at church (not the church we attend now) sent cards, and others gave us hugs and words of sympathy. Appropriate, except...the only people we had told were our pastor and his wife! The worst was when a well-meaning (I guess) but completely clueless woman introduced us to another couple with the cheerful comment, "They lost their baby too." O. M. G. Nice to meet you.

Hey! Everybody! If I tell you something is confidential, that means Don't. Tell. Anybody. Ever.
Got that?

OK, on to more trivial matters.

O Jerusalem!

Sorry I'm a day late, but I thought you might like to see this anyway. This is the best image I could find of a mosaic from Dominus Flevit ("the Lord wept") chapel, which is on the Mount of Olives. It is below a large window that looks out over the city. The inscription around the hen is the Latin text of Luke 13:34, and I am told that right across the bottom it says in Latin, YOU WERE NOT WILLING. Our pastor, who saw this several years ago and told us about it from the pulpit on Sunday, says that the hen looks like she would spit fire at anyone who tried to get to those chicks.

Friday Five: Artsy Crafty

From Reverendmother:

During Lent here at Suburban Presbyterian Church, we are exploring the creative and liturgical arts, with classes and speakers dealing with storytelling, iconography, dance, visual art, writing, and so on. The theme is "A Beautiful Thing," inspired by the story of the woman anointing Jesus and his declaration that "She has done a beautiful thing for me." (Mark 14, NIV)

We are working on the notion that everything we do can be considered a beautiful thing--a creative offering to God--whether it's gardening or scrapbooking or accounting or sorting clothes at the clothes closet or child-rearing. And so:


1. Would you call yourself "creative"? Why or why not?

In a way, I suppose. I have never demonstrated much talent for the visual arts--over the years I've tried drawing, painting, weaving, and batik, and although I enjoy them (especially the fiber arts), it just ain't there. But I love to cook and bake, and am very good at adding and subtracting from recipes just to see what happens. More often than not, something delicious happens. I love to putter around in the kitchen. I also like to write, but I have to write so much in my work that I don't take the time or the discipline to write for my own pleasure regularly, as you may have noticed.

My mother was a gifted gardener; when I was a child, people would come to the door and ask for permission to go into our back yard to admire her handiwork. When we first moved into this house, less than a year after her death, I planted all sorts of things and tended them lovingly, but gardening is one of the things that work has crowded out over the years. I remember planting the pyracantha that is now espaliered along the side of our garage, with my father standing nearby, watching me with a wistful smile.

2. Share a creative or artistic pursuit you currently do that you'd like to develop further.

I love to sing, and have never taken voice lessons. I keep telling myself I'm going to do that, or--a long-term dream--that I'm going to buy a secondhand piano and start playing again. I love dancing, and stuff like jazzercise, and would like to take a jazz dance class. I actually have already started looking into that.

3. Share a creative or artistic pursuit you have never done but would like to try.

If there were an infinite number of days in the week and weeks in the year, I think I would enjoy getting into community theater. I haven't been on stage since college, and I think I would enjoy acting in a non-competitive, fun context.

4. Complete this sentence: "I am in awe of people who can _____________."

I am in awe of people who can sew well and who find joy and satisfaction in doing it. (That would be you, Mindy.) My sewing career ended before it began. I made a dress in eighth grade Home Ec, and when we held our fashion show for the student body, my hem fell out while I was proudly walking across the stage...in front of several hundred junior high kids...imagine the rest...Maybe that's why I went into psychology.

5. Share about a person who has encouraged your creativity, who has "called you to your best self." (I'm pretty sure that's from the Gospel of Oprah.

For the past twenty-five years, the Scientist has encouraged me in everything I've attempted, has listened to all of my ideas, has never said "that's dumb," has never laughed at me. Everyone should be so blessed.

P.S. Go me, it's my birthday! Great Italian food and a trip to the MFAH are on the horizon!

BAM! Kerchunk!

That, friends, is the sound my 20-year-old gas dryer made on Sunday night. Fortunately it was holding the very last of five loads; unfortunately, it had just started. Incisive diagnostician that I am, after I detached my fingers and toes from the ceiling and resumed breathing, I thought, "It finally threw a belt." And so it had.

Being married to a handy person is a great blessing. I think one of the minor reasons why I married the Scientist is that he can fix anything, or at least is willing to try. He dismantled the ancient dryer, discovering the busted belt, a prodigious amount of lint, a front door key that went missing two years ago, and $1.63 in change. Thank God for him, and for repairclinic.com (if you are handy, or live with someone who is, this is a wondrous website). Our new dryer innards are on the way.

Anyway (Still with me? Still awake?), all that is to say, that that is why we walked down to my MIL's house late at night with a load of wet laundry, how we got sucked into watching the Oscars instead of simply drying our clothes and going home at a reasonable hour, and how I wound up staying up until 12:30 and stumbling around like a zombie all day yesterday. The only time I wasn't thinking "do not lie down...do not close eyes" was while I was with a client. As soon as my client left, I was sleepy again. It felt great to go to bed on time last night.

Oh, and my client. I have a marvelous new referral source: the local Catholic Archdiocese. When I served on CPM, and used to read my candidates' psychological evaluations, I envied the psychologists who got to do that work. Then several months ago, a colleague who has been doing a lot of these evals for the Archdiocese introduced me to the priest who is in charge of the Office of Vocations, and to my delight he has sent me four candidates this month.

I love talking with these men. Some are mature in their faith and in their personal lives, self-aware, filled with love for God and the church, and I think they will be wonderful priests. Others are more in the inquirer stage, still finding their way, wondering if this still small voice they've been hearing could really be God's. I've been a little surprised how frank they are willing to be about their sexual struggles and their feelings about celibacy--but they realize that's one of the big things we need to discuss. Family of origin issues, childhood trauma--it's all there, and most of them seem willing to take a closer look at the impact these things could have on their ministry. I feel so privileged to meet with them, and pray that they will gain some useful insights from their evaluations. Healthy clergy, equipped to lead healthy churches, is my prayer--for all of us, not just the Catholics!

Hold your applause

Is anyone else still annoyed by applause in church, or is it just me?

98% of the congregation applauds whenever the children's choirs "perform" for the "audience". Doting Moms and Dads may feel that little Murgatroyd will be crushed if his effort is not applauded. I say it's time to teach little Murgatroyd the difference between a worship service and a school assembly, not to mention teaching him who the Audience really is.

Please take a look at this. I can't say it any better than that.

Sincerely yours,
Old Cranky-pants Church Lady

Friday Five: Tourist Edition

1. What is one place you make sure to take out-of-town guests when they visit? (you can be vague to preserve your anonymity if you like)

The drive into downtown Houston from the airport is hideous--freeways with no vegetation, used car lots, and billboard after billboard advertising "gentlemen's clubs"--and could easily lead visitors to think that they have arrived in the world's ugliest city. So I love to take first-time visitors through the beautiful old neighborhoods near Rice University, and to one or more of our wonderful museums, particularly the Menil Collection or the MFAH. Not to mention our fabulous restaurants!

When we lived in Southern California I got so tired of taking visitors to see the Queen Mary and the Spruce Goose, I finally rebelled and told the Scientist he could take them without me from then on. But he was sick of going there too, so that stop disappeared from the itinerary....

2. When visiting another city or town, do you try to cram in as much as possible, or take it slow and easy?

It depends on whether we've been there before, and how much time we have. There are usually a few "must sees" that we fit in, then we try to leave some time to just wander around and explore.

3. When traveling, where are we most likely to find you: strolling through a museum, checking out the local shopping, or _________?

Museums, definitely. After that...it is really pathetic how much I am all about the FOOD. I start my Chowhound and Slow Travel restaurant research months in advance. We are not big shoppers, but like to find one or two very nice things that will always remind us of the trip. (like our wild goose wall hanging from Iona, or our handwoven sea grass basket from Charleston)

4. Do you like organized tours and/or carefully planned itineraries, or would you rather strike out and just see what happens?

Somewhere in between, depending on how familiar we already are with the area. We went to Scotland with a large group of church friends, and although we had a delightful trip, we felt like the stereotypical American tourists, rushed along in a big herd. The two days we hiked in the Highlands and strolled along Loch Tay by ourselves were much more relaxing. In April we are going to Italy with a small tour group (14 people) that will provide a balance between following a scheduled itinerary and being able to wander off by ourselves when we want to.

5. After an extended trip, what do you find yourself craving the most about home?

My own bed--and waggies and doggie kisses from Amie!

New babies

I come from a long line of dog people. Nobody in my family has ever had a cat, or wanted one. I'm mildly allergic to cats, and I know nothing about them. But now I'm finding out how sweet a kitty can be.

Several formerly feral cats live on our patio at work. Through the patience and love of all the cat people in the office, Casper and Grisabella now trust us and will come stroll through the building, meow hello, and let us pick them up and cuddle them. We had Casper spayed, but neglected to provide that service for Grisabella. Recently she has been getting rounder and rounder; as the vet had said (very early on) that she was not pregnant, we were worried that she might have a tumor. On Friday her "daddy" at the office took her back to the vet, who stated that indeed she was very pregnant! Sometime over the weekend Grisabella had five kittens! Three are black like the cat we think is the father, and two are gray tabbies like their mama.

We have kept them sheltered on the patio, but the forecast tonight is for temperatures in the high twenties. So late this afternoon we waited until our supervisor had left the building, and we stealthily moved Grisi and her babies into an empty office to spend the night! We were afraid the move would agitate her, but to our relief, she ate some supper, then settled down with the babies and began to purr.

I don't work in that office on Fridays but will have to call and see how they fared. Grisi's "daddy" arrives at 7:30 and will be able to get them all back outside before we are discovered!

If you know anyone who would like a kitten in about eight weeks, and can come to Houston to get it, let me know!

Update: I am told that Grisi and her babies had a warm, peaceful night, and settled comfortably back on the patio this morning.

Gargoyle in love

How cool is this?

I am now the proud owner of an original SpookyRach gargoyle. How's that for a Valentine swap? All I sent her was some dumb fudge. On the back she wrote, Love is Blind--or--Love Is a Blind Gargoyle?

I'm taking this to the office tomorrow! That ought to spark some good discussions!

Thanks again, Rach! Happy Valentine's Day!

Cozy, chilly Saturday

It is chilly and gray outside this morning. The Scientist is off Habitating, Amie is downstairs guarding the front door (actually, she's asleep, but she is at her post), and I am enjoying the afterglow (afterbuzz?) of having gone and worked out pretty hard this morning, followed by a great big mocha latte from a cheerful little locally-owned coffee house down the road. I can smell the aroma of tonight's crockpot Mexican turkey thighs, and life is good.

Of course I need to get to work. I have FIVE testing reports to write today. There is a case worker who is expecting ALL of them on Monday. However, these are simple reports (unlike some) and if I nail my bottom to the chair, and turn off the wi-fi, I can knock out each one in about an hour.

Are you familiar with Freecycle? It is a network of community groups that connect people who want to get rid of useful stuff they no longer need, with people who can use it. I just joined our local group this week. Later on today, a young woman with a one-year-old son is coming to pick up a baby gate that we used for a few months when we brought Amie home (she and Zorra were not very pleased to meet each other, and we had to keep them separated for a while). It's been sitting in my closet for two years, so I'm glad to get it out of here. So anyway, I guess I'll hang out, write, and wait for her to call. I miss the Scientist, but I'm grateful for the peace and quiet of my home today.

What are you up to?

Out of the mouths of babes

Our preaching text this morning was Luke 5:1-11. As you probably know, in the NRSV verse 10 reads "...you will be catching people." The parishioner who brought the children's sermon today began with that text, then proceeded to tell the children extemporaneously how Jesus would make us "fishers of men." She said that several times. Finally after about the third "men", a little girl spoke up, "But what if they're GIRLS??"

Friday Five: ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

1. Share, if you wish, the biggest change you experienced last year.

2006 was a year with no drastic changes, that I can recall. I'm at a point in my life where that feels like a good thing! I am making some changes in my practice because of the frustration of fighting with managed care companies, the stress level, and the general boom-or-bust nature of a small solo practice, especially for an introvert who would rather eat a bug than have to develop a "marketing plan" and "market" myself to doctors, etc. I've been here long enough that word of mouth referrals can keep me busy one or two days a week, and with my regular (and less stressful) half-time job, that's all I need. I have friends who work their butts off to develop a full-time private practice, but that has never been my goal.

2. Talk about a time you changed your mind about something, important or not.

Well, I changed my mind about blogging! I couldn't imagine putting my meanderings out on the Internet for anyone to see, but here they are. Most of the time it's been fun.

3. Bishop John Shelby Spong wrote a controversial book called "Why Christianity Must Change or Die." Setting aside his ideas--what kind of changes would you like to see in the Church?

The Church, at its basic level, is the community made up of individuals who are in relationship with Jesus Christ. For it to grow, each individual within the Church has to pray for help to get serious about that and to be open to what the Holy Spirit is telling her or him to do in at least three arenas--personal life, as a member of the faith community, and out in the larger society. The only way for me to do that is to seek the Spirit's guidance through prayer, Scripture, and the counsel of people who know me well and whose godly judgment I trust. If following God, and becoming more like Christ, is truly the desire of an individual's heart, God will honor that desire. And then a church full of people who are dedicated to Jesus and who really understand that that involves serving one another and seeking to meet the needs of the community, is going to grow.

So understand I am not just talking about a personal or pietistic thing, but that is where it begins. Sometimes church feels like a little club where we go to make business and social contacts, and act nice. It's not about acting nice, it's not even about doing good deeds (in our own strength). It's about the power of the Holy Spirit, and unless the church is made up of people who love God and seek to know and follow God, it will go nowhere.

4. Have you changed your hairstyle/hair color in the last five years? If so, how many times?

Not at all! Boring, huh? Sometimes I tell my stylist friend, "A little shorter this time", but I don't tell him that's just so I won't have to come back so soon. I stopped coloring my gray hair years ago, because really, once you start, when do you stop? It's OK. I have earned every strand. And maybe some day my hair will look like Emmylou Harris's (snort, guffaw).

5. What WERE they thinking with that New Coke thing?

No idea. It tasted way too much like Pepsi for this Southern gal. Classic Coke forever!

Thank you so much for your prayers and good wishes. I feel fine now, but believe me, it was rough sailing for a while. The Scientist is fine too.

Yuck

I am down with a very nasty GI bug that hit me like a freight train last night at about 3:00 A.M. I thought the worst was over, but, well, it's not. Please pray for me--and for the Scientist, who has been wonderful, and who I hope does not get this after me. Thank you.

Oops

I apologize to all of you (Songbird, PPB, Cathy, maybe others) on whose blogs my comments have posted twice, recently. It seems to be some sort of server issue on my end. I promise you I don't believe that my pearls of wisdom are so profound that they bear repeating. I'll try to figure out what the problem is.

Friday Five: Renewal

In thinking of four favorite means of self-care or refreshment, and a fifth that is, so far, still a dream, here are my first impressions:

1. Reading on the couch. Usually that just means looking at a magazine, but might also mean a novel. Currently I'm trying to get into Jane Stevenson's Empress of the Last Days, the last in a trilogy that includes The Winter Queen and The Shadow King, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. This one, unlike the others, has a contemporary setting and I'm having a little trouble getting involved in it--but it's still nice to lie on the couch and try.

2. A wonderful dinner out with the Scientist, at one of our favorite restaurants, or one of the new ones we've wanted to try.

3. Exercise. It is so hard to get up and get out of the house to exercise. Why, when I always feel so much better after I do it?

4. Singing. By Thursday night I am so tired in body, mind, and spirit. I look forward to going to choir practice that evening, because I feel better when I sing.

If I could cheat and add 4 1/2 I would say "travel". I am deeply grateful for the dream that will be coming true in late April, the vacation of a lifetime that includes, among other wonderful destinations:

5. A week in Tuscany. We will be roaming slowly through the Chianti region with a minimal agenda, other than tasting lots of wine, eating things like artisanal wild boar salami, gazing over the hills, and pinching ourselves to be sure that we are really there.

All Rise

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Grace Lady Zorra the Antediluvian of Goosnargh on the Carpet Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Needless to say, this title comes with a LOT of sterling.

Remembrance

Over at St. Casserole's place there's a pleasant discussion of caring for and enjoying one's fine sterling flatware. I'm sure most people enjoy and take pride in fine tableware, especially if it has sentimental value, but somehow that feels particularly Southern to me. In the time and place where I grew up, my friends and I were taught about china and silver patterns, along with our female relatives' biased opinions about which we should someday choose for our own. We were taught how to take care of our family's nice tableware, and to this day, seeing a jar of Wright's silver polish reminds me of preparing for Christmas dinner. We were taught "proper table service", and at age twelve or thirteen my cousin and I gave a little tea for her out-of-town cousins (other side of the family) who came to visit, because our mothers wanted to teach us how.

If that sounds like another world, there is an entertaining, and accurate, book by Maryln Schwartz called A Southern Belle Primer, or Why Princess Margaret Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma, that explains it all, and even includes the Silver Pattern Zodiac. Actually I think it was another world, but growing up that way taught me to give a small party with confidence--no small feat for an introvert--and taught me to respect and care for nice things. (How many times did my mother exhort me to care for her 1936 wedding china, reminding me, "This is pre-war Limoges. The factories were bombed. You can't get this now.")

One of the smartest things I ever did was to marry a man with the same last initial as mine. My new name still matched all of that monogrammed sterling! Every time I get out that sterling, and that china, I think of my parents and my family, remembering years of special dinners and celebrations.

When my aunt Sara Dunn left me her Waterford crystal I was grateful, if a bit melancholy, but I didn't expect to do what I did when I unpacked it: sit on the floor and weep over each piece. I wept remembering her, her good life, who she was, who I am, where we came from.

When his kids were growing up, my paternal grandfather (Sara Dunn's dad) often told them, "Remember who you are." While that primarily meant, "...and behave accordingly," it seems that something as mundane as cherishing the tableware that he and his children used, plays a part in helping me remember who I am.

Extra nerd points

In somebody's blog comments tonight I was reading about a way to earn "extra nerd points", a suggestion that was enthusiastically received. That got me wondering: how many of us self-identify as nerds? How many of us were considered nerdy as kids, and grew up to say "so what" and celebrate the intelligence or the special interests that the other kids had scorned? When I was a kid I thought there were very few people like me, and that I needed to learn to act like all the other belles-in-training. As I grew older I was fortunate to realize I'd been mistaken. I met more and more people like me--quite a few people who "get" me. Eventually I even married someone like me.

What's the difference between a nerd and a geek, anyway?

If the Scientist and I had been able to have kids, I would have loved to receive this at my baby shower.

24

I try really hard not to get hooked on TV shows. I refuse to get caught up in having to sit in front of a box every week at a specific time. My last "must see" was Chicago Hope, which was a long time ago, and before that it was St. Elsewhere, my all time favorite show. Since I love doctor shows, I've resisted getting involved with Grey's Anatomy because if I did I'd have to watch it every week. I've tried to stay away from all the shows people talk about at work, like Lost or, God have mercy, American Idol.

Well, tonight I made the mistake of tuning in to 24 for the very first time. BIG mistake. Oh my gosh, that show is WAY too violent for me, but, well, now I guess I'm going to have to watch it anyway.

(Sorry I have had nothing profound to say lately. Work is frying my brain.)

Just as well

I have to laugh. I just spent ten minutes writing a post in which I begged your indulgence as I vented about the frustrating events of my day. I went to preview it, then tried to switch back to the previous page and lost the whole thing. I will not write the whole thing again. I will repeat that after a day like this is over, I am thankful that I can go to church to help fix (and eat) baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans with my friends, and then sit with my husband as he leads a discussion on the providence of God. I'm so tired, I may not say much tonight. But that's OK.

P.S. Quotidian Grace has posted about a wonderful woman from our church, named Vivian, who died yesterday after a long battle with melanoma. Please pray for her husband and teenaged daughter.

Friday Five: Birthday, Redux

1. "It's my party and I'll [blank] if I want to..."
Favorite way to celebrate your birthday (dinner with family? party with friends? a day in solitude?) I prefer to go to a special restaurant with the Scientist and perhaps family and a few close friends. The older I get, the less interested I am in having a big party.

2. "You say it's your birthday... it's my birthday too, yeah..." Do you share your birthday with someone famous? (Click here to find out!)
Well, I already knew I shared my birthday with Mikhail Gorbachev...and at one time, it was a point of particular pride to me that John Cowsill and I were born on EXACTLY THE SAME DAY. Now I find that among my other birthday buddies are Lou Reed, Jon Bon Jovi, and Laraine Newman--not to mention Daniel Craig, the new Bond.
My dad and I nearly were birthday buddies, as his was the day after mine. The story goes that shortly before I was born at around 7:30 P.M., Mama asked Daddy if she should try to hold on until midnight. He assured her that would not be necessary.

3. "Lordy Lordy look who's forty..."Milestone birthdays: a) just like any other birthday--they're just numbers, people. b) a good opportunity to look back/take stock c) enjoy the black balloons--I'll be hiding under a pile of coats until the day is over d) some combination of the above, or something else entirely.
Mostly (b), I guess, but probably more (d). I received the full black-balloon treatment for 30 and 40, and enjoyed it. But for 50, this past year, I wanted something quieter and more intimate. The Scientist and I went to Big Bend and the surrounding area for a week, and enjoyed hiking and just hanging out in the beautiful West Texas desert. We had my birthday dinner in a very chic little restaurant in Marfa, an odd little town that is a bit full of itself but should not be missed if you have any interest in contemporary art, or like to hang out in cool bookstores. I am bursting with more West Texas travel tips, which I will gladly provide on request. :)

The Scientist's 50th birthday and our silver wedding anniversary will both be this year. We plan to celebrate this spring with three weeks in Italy!!

4. "Happy birthday, dear... Customer..."Have you ever been sung to in a restaurant? Fun or cringe-worthy?
Horrors!! I hate it!! When I turned 24, the gentleman I was seeing at the time took me to a very elegant and, in those days, well-known Houston restaurant where peacocks roamed the manicured grounds amid the azaleas, and the food and service were impeccable. Not the sort of place where one would expect a birthday serenade. But when the maitre d' found out it was my birthday, he offered to have all of the waiters come and sing. I begged him PLEASE PLEASE not to do that. At the end of the meal he came over by himself, gave me a mint, and sang "Happy Birthday", very quietly. That was OK.

5. "Take my birthday--please"Tell me one advantage and one disadvantage about your particular birthday (e.g. birthday in the summer--never had to go to school; birthday near Christmas--the dreaded joint presents)
EDITED TO ADD: This could also simply be something you like/dislike about your birthday (e.g. I like sharing a birthday with my best friend, etc.).
The only disadvantage to my birthday is that it almost always falls during Lent, when I am usually attempting to abstain from alcohol and refined sugar. I confess that I have been known to grant myself a special dispensation for that one day.

Moving on

Tonight at choir practice we sorted all of the Christmas music (and there was a LOT) so that our devoted volunteer librarians could file it away. I never did blog about how thrilled I was that this year we sang Vivaldi's Gloria, which has been very special to me since I first sang it with a group of good friends about 26 years ago, at the church where the Scientist and I later met and married. That piece reminds me of some very happy times, and to have the opportunity to sing it again was a joy.

When we opened our folders tonight, there instead of the Christmas pieces we found Dubois' The Seven Last Words of Christ. That was slightly jarring, but I know that in a way it is fitting; even during Christmastide, we remember Good Friday.

Random asterisks of New Year's Day

***
There's a lot to be said for going to a New Year's Eve party on your own block. Our neighbors three doors down had a great party--lots of good company and good food, and I had my--believe it or not--very first martini. (Meh.) We excused ourselves early to go get Amie and walk down the street to my mother-in-law's house, where the six of us (counting all of the dogs) rang in the New Year. After making a valiant attempt to watch New Year's Rockin' Eve (Who are these people?) we were delighted to find Garrison Keillor hosting Emmylou Harris and the Old Crow Medicine Show, among others, from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Now that was a great New Year's Eve show.

Why, yes, we are old. And your point?

Did anyone else notice that Lake Wobegon Lutheran Church follows the common lectionary? Keillor delivered a brief homily on the same Colossians passage we had heard preached Sunday morning.

***
Now I'm watching the Rose Parade, which I love to do because of the six years we lived less than a mile from the parade route. I get a little homesick for Pasadena when I see those shots of the San Gabriel Mountains and the Norton Simon Museum. We used to get up around 6:30 and walk over to Colorado Blvd. to stake out a bit of sidewalk (hard to do, since the sidewalks are covered with sleeping revellers at that hour) or, better yet, a random bit of scaffolding on which to perch. The floats look wonderful on TV, but you cannot imagine how breathtaking some of them are in person. I'm a big crier, and I have been moved to tears more than once by seeing an amazing float, up close and personal.

Something they don't show you on TV: The reason the cameras are near the beginning of the parade route is because these very heavy and elaborate floats sometimes break down halfway down Colorado Blvd., and must be towed the rest of the way. Not telegenic. Something else they don't show you on TV: the horde of street preachers following the parade with megaphones and huge turn-or-burn signs, handing out tracts that Pasadena sanitation workers later sweep up by the hundreds.

One of my classmates at Fuller was a native Pasadenan who grew up in a neighborhood near the end of the parade route. When he was a kid, he and his friends would comfortably watch most of the parade on TV, and then run outside to see it live!

***
Twenty-five years ago today, in a tiny apartment living room, a smiling young man knelt before his girlfriend, took her hand, and asked her to marry him. She said yes--then cried for joy. Sometimes she still does.

***
Don't forget your black-eyed peas! Happy New Year!

Amie's adventure

This is our church's week to participate in Family Promise, which we do four times a year. Check out the link for details on this practical, faith-based outreach to homeless families. When our church has guests, the Scientist and I usually serve as overnight hosts on Friday night. This week we are hosting a hardworking single mom (who had to get up by 6:00 this morning to go to her job), her sweet teenage daughter, and her lively, happy five-year-old son.

Violent storms were in the forecast for last night (part of the same system that sent President and Mrs. Bush fleeing to the storm shelter on their ranch earlier in the day). Our precious old dog is terrified of thunder, and we hated to leave her alone overnight with a bad storm approaching. So, since Amie is gentle and well-behaved...we did what you might expect us to do...we decided that Amie would help us host last night. She's gone to church before, but not overnight!

I was touched by how thrilled five-year-old Lee was to have the chance to pet and play with a dog. Our sweet girl was, of course, very patient and tolerant (I only had to admonish him once that she was too small for him to ride), and, to his delight, decided they were friends and gave him several kisses. There was a lot to sniff and explore, but after everyone went to bed Amie settled down on her familiar bed next to our pallets, and was content.

The storms never came, or if they did we never heard them. But we were glad we brought Amie with us, just the same. And I know Lee was glad, too.

God With Us

Break forth, O beauteous heav'nly light,
And usher in the morning;
Ye shepherds, shrink not with affright,
But hear the angel's warning.
This child, this little helpless boy,
Shall be our confidence and joy,
The powers of hell o'er-throwing,
At last our peace bestowing.

A blessed and happy Christmas to all!

Come, Lord Jesus

We who must die demand a miracle.
How could the Eternal do a temporal act,
The Infinite become a finite fact?
Nothing can save us that is possible.
We who must die demand a miracle.

W. H. Auden

O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, ruler and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.

O Rex Gentium

O Ruler of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of humankind, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.

O Oriens

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

O Clavis David

O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.

O Radix Jesse

O Flower of Jesse's Stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.

O Adonai

O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain; come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.

O Sapientia

O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.

(The first of the O Antiphons.)

Friday Five: Yuletide Favorites

1. It's a Wonderful Life--Is it? Do you remember seeing it for the first time?
I love this movie. I don't remember when I saw it the first time, but there was a memorable time: We were flying home from California for Christmas one year when the flight attendant announced, with apologies, that the in-flight movie had malfunctioned, so there would be no movie. No big deal. But in a minute she returned to announce that a passenger with a tape of "It's a Wonderful Life" had offered it for viewing--and that's what we watched. That whole planeful of people was in a festive mood by the time we landed.

2. Miracle on 34th Street--old version or new? Definitely old, and Ted Turner had better keep his colorizing hands off of it.

3. Do you have a favorite incarnation of Mr. Scrooge? My immediate thought was Mr. Magoo! But, to go in a completely different direction, some years ago we had the great pleasure of seeing Patrick Stewart's one-man show of A Christmas Carol. How could there be any other Scrooge after that?

4. Why should it be a problem for an elf to be a dentist? I've been watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for years now, and I still don't get it. Well, um, for some unknown reason I've NEVER watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, so I have no idea what this is about. After extensive research (meaning, I've looked at three or four people's responses), I'm inclined to go with Chicago Rev's theory.

5.Who's the scariest character in Christmas specials/movies? For me it was the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol". If you are too young to remember that, imagine the one from the Muppet version as a cartoon. Now imagine seeing it as a hypersensitive six-year-old! Nightmares for weeks!

You don't think ANY Christmas characters are particularly scary? Think you're tough? Check out Will Smama's site, if you dare.

Brought to you today by the letter N

This is Mindy's alphabet meme: she will assign you a letter, and you think of ten things you love that begin with that letter. Go see Mindy if you want to play. My letter is N, and here's my list:
1. Nights at home, spent quietly with my little family (human and canine). Those are in short supply this time of year, and all the more precious when we do have one.
2. Night, O Holy. We are rehearsing a lovely choral arrangement of it for Christmas Eve (both morning and midnight), and have a wonderful soprano on the solo, who will sing it just right. My mother, who died in 1991, loved this song, and whenever we sing it I remember how much she enjoyed it. Like Dogblogger's Typist, I know something about trying not to choke up in choir.
3. Nuts, especially our own pecans. Try this if you're getting tired of sweets: Melt a stick of butter or margarine and add 4 tsp. Worcestershire, 1 T. garlic salt, and 1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce. Mix well and stir into 4 c. pecans. Spread the pecans out on a rimmed cookie sheet or large flat pan and toast at 300 degrees for about ten minutes. Watch closely and stir occasionally; they can burn quickly. As soon as they darken, you can take them out. Cool on paper towels. I plan to make several batches of these for the neighbors.
4. The Scientist's 1999 Nissan pickup, still going strong at 108,000 miles.
5/6. Willie Nelson and Nanci Griffith. It's a Texas thing.
7. The Neverending Story, one of our favorite movies. A couple of weeks ago we watched it for the first time in about twenty years. Oh! That reminds me of:
8. Netflix!
9. News of faraway friends and family. I love reading all of those Christmas letters--really.
10. Me, usually. My name starts with N. I'm still learning to love myself.

End of a brief era

Yesterday I attended my last meeting as an elder member of our Presbytery's CPM, or Committee on Preparation for Ministry. For you non-Presbys, this is the committee that shepherds and monitors the progress of inquirers and candidates as they move through seminary and ordination exams, toward being ready to receive a call. It's supposed to be a three-year commitment, but I've been there for four. I'm tired.

No one feels neutral toward the CPM experience. I would bet that someone reading this has just had a visceral reaction to the idea of CPM and now feels a bit less kindly disposed toward me because I've served on one. Seriously. I have read a sermon by one of our candidates that discussed the dark valleys God leads us through, including "sickness, death of loved ones, and CPMs."

I am well aware that--as PC(USA) materials advise us--that to these folks we represent the Church, "with the authority and power to ordain and not to ordain". And I have some other ideas about people's projection onto us of their experiences with withholding parents, etc. But I admit I was stunned recently when a candidate complained about how cold and uncaring we are, how critical, etc. That just doesn't match my experience of the people I've served with on this committee, their love for Jesus and for the church, their compassion, and their dedication to this shepherding task. The majority of our candidates have not given us that sort of feedback--in fact, a number have expressed appreciation--but the ones that have felt hurt are the ones I remember most clearly. Now, granted, some of them have been angry because we would not countermand parts of the Book of Order or toss PC(USA) polity out the window at their request. I think we have stuck to our guns pretty well at times when that mattered.

Gee, do you think I may have some issues to look at, too?

The vast, vast majority of the women and men whose progress I have been privileged to oversee in these years are intelligent, energetic, creative servants of Christ and the Church. They are the future of this denomination, and we are blessed in them. One is even a RevGalBlogPal! (Maybe more than one, for all I know!) I am glad I had this opportunity, and I have loved getting to know the ministers and elders with whom I have served. But frankly, it's time for a break.

Fa-la-la-la-la, la Friday Five

1. A favorite "secular" Christmas song.
James Taylor's version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is nice. And Chuck Berry's "Run Run Rudolph" always makes me smile.

2. Christmas song that chokes you up (maybe even in spite of yourself--the cheesier the better): That would have to be "Mary, Did You Know?" Our youth choir sang it at our Christmas concert last year, and I think we were all boo-hooing by the time they'd finished. "The Child that you delivered/Will soon deliver you." No, it's not Donne, but it gets me every time.
My favorites choke me up, too: "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing", and hearing a boy soprano open "Once in Royal David's City".

3. Christmas song that makes you want to stuff your ears with chestnuts roasted on an open fire: I did a postdoc fellowship in a large pediatric hospital. Secular Christmas music assaulted us over the hospital PA system for four solid weeks. Since disabling the loudspeaker in our department was strictly forbidden, we taped several inches of foam rubber over it, which helped a bit. But we still could not completely escape the Carpenters' version of "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays." From Atlantic to Pacific, gee, the traffic is terrific...Nearly twenty years later, it still makes me cringe.

4. The Twelve Days of Christmas: is there *any* redeeming value to that song? Discuss. Hmm. If it were appropriately normed, perhaps it might have some utility as a verbal learning test.

5. A favorite Christmas album. Bruce Cockburn's Christmas is my very favorite. Second place would be a tie: the Chieftains' The Bells of Dublin and, although some of the arrangements seem a bit dated now, Joan Baez's Noel.

Later: I just went and read the lyrics of "Christmas Shoes", because I had never heard of it. Oh, ick.

Getting down with the sound

Sitting right up front in the chancel every week, the choir takes seriously our responsibility to set a worshipful and respectful tone for the congregation. No yakking during the prelude, no whispering, snorting or snickering during the service. Our resolve was severely tested at the end of today's service when one of the elders (usually a rather sedate gentleman) stood in the narthex, boogieing and shimmying to the postlude in an attempt to crack up his wife, who sits on the front row in the alto section. She maintained her composure, but alas, several of us did not. We will probably be chastised at rehearsal this week.

I never knew that Bach's Little Prelude in D Minor was such a rocker.

Friday Five: Adventually

1. Do you observe Advent in your church?
Yes, and I love it. I'm kind of an Advent geek. I really try to observe Advent, and would be content (well, probably...OK, make it mostly) to sing no carols until Christmas Eve.
2. How about at home?
Not so much, except in personal devotions. We don't have a wreath or anything. The hardcore theology/liturgical geek in me would like to wait until Christmas Eve to put up the tree, but it is no match for the Christmas-loving romantic in me. (We generally do wait until around Advent 2.) Several years ago I came across An Advent Sourcebook, published by Liturgy Training Publications, and I highly recommend it both as a source of personal Advent devotions and a treasure trove of poems and meditations you can use at church or in small groups. Their Christmas and Easter sourcebooks are excellent too.
3. Do you have a favorite Advent text or hymn?
I love the O Antiphons. Every year I tell myself I am going to make an effort to go to services at the convent/retreat center in town, or some other place where I can hear them sung. Maybe this year.
4. Why is one of the candles in the Advent wreath pink?
Hmmm...because a baby is pink? No, that can't be it. Actually I think it has something to do with the festive nature of our waiting and hoping, mingled with the solemn purple (which also reminds of Lent, another time of waiting and repentance). I have some vague recollection of something about the Pope giving out pink roses...can't remember just what that was supposed to be about....
5. What's the funniest/kitschiest Advent calendar you've ever seen?
Oh good grief, the ones for dogs and cats. Can we please not even call those Advent calendars? (said Ms. Crankypants Theology Geek) How about "Countdown to Santa" calendars? Come to think of it, there are plenty of "Advent" calendars for humans that fall into the same category.

Well, I'm off to pick up the Scientist for one of our much-loved evenings at the ballet. Tonight will be our last opportunity to see the fabulous Lauren Anderson (shown here with the equally fabulous Carlos Acosta) who is retiring after this season's round of The Nutcracker. Brava! We'll miss you!

A new Thanksgiving recipe

Ingredients:
One tired couple
Two congenial family members
One luxurious B & B
One nearly-deserted beach



Rise late. Eat sumptuous breakfast. Spend the rest of the day strolling on the beach in eighty-degree weather.
Consider repeating annually.

Too cute (For dog lovers only)

Amie is generally somewhat reserved and sedate (except when she hears the word WALK), but when she is alone in the back yard, she loves to cut loose and roll, roll, roll. She is very reticent about doing it if either of us is watching. The Scientist took these pictures through the living room window, and I just had to show you Amie in mid-roll. Fellow dogbloggers (you know who you are), consider it a Thanksgiving present.



Ahhh! That's better!

We're headed for our favorite beachtown bed and breakfast tomorrow with the Scientist's mom and sister. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Delurking Week

Don't be shy! Leave a (hug) or a (o) if you can't think of anything to say! Thanks for stopping by!

Thankful, part 2

The "Friday Five" assignment is to list five people, things, etc. for which we are thankful. Here are some random impressions:

1. All the blessings that have come to me over the years as a part of the family of God--not just the blessing of salvation, with its present implications of healing and movement toward wholeness, as well as its "by and by" implications. That would be more than enough, but when I add the blessings of friends and community that I have known within the Body of Christ over the decades, and now even across cyberspace, I don't have language for my gratitude. I can only ask God again for help in living in a way that shows God how grateful I am.

2. The Scientist. Enough said (not really, but I'll restrain myself).

3. Good health. Freedom from pain. Five functional senses. All of my physical blessings.

4. A warm house, a full pantry, and interesting employment that helps pay for both.

5. Literacy. How impoverished I would be (in every way) without the ability to read.

It's hard to stop at five, isn't it? I must make it six and include the love and companionship of all my furbabies, past and present, especially the little blue heeler lying next to my chair right now.

Today I am especially thankful for the visit of our friends C and P, who stopped by for brunch on their way from Austin to Galveston to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary. C remembers playing Candy Land at my house when she was five years old. I don't remember that, but I do have a picture of her eating ice cream at my seventh birthday party. We later suffered all the slings and arrows of high school together, and although our lives have taken very different paths, we have kept our friendship through all these decades. Happy anniversary, kids!

Taco time!

Dining solo tonight, I wanted to make a couple of egg tacos before dashing off to choir practice. Now, the only thing I don't like about eating egg tacos is that the picante sauce drips out, usually onto my lap. So tonight I had the bright idea to scramble it into the eggs. It worked beautifully! Try it!

If you're looking for profundity, you'd better go to another blog. If you just want a good quick supper, tonight I'm your gal. Off to choir!

Mistaken identity

Our happy little home at "123 Blossom Court" is getting a much-needed new roof this week. We are having all the fascia, soffit and gutters replaced too. The past two days have involved the usual round of missing work, waiting around for workers who don't show, etc. Today we left before the carpenters arrived, but had been assured that they were getting supplies and would be there shortly. When I came home for lunch, I found that indeed a three-man crew had been busy all morning, up on extension ladders, pulling down gutters, tearing out the old fascia and soffit.

Around the corner.

At 123 North Blossom Drive.

Oops.

Now, that house is for sale and unoccupied. The lead carpenter explained to me later that when he realized what they had done, he called the realtor, who then called the homeowner, who agreed that as long as everything was put back in place, he would be a happy camper. All I could do was laugh, and the lead carpenter laughed too. I don't think the other guys were laughing.

When I got home this evening, two men were working away at my house. The third was at the house around the corner, painting the new fascia he had just installed. He still wasn't laughing.

Friday Five: What's red, blue, and purple all over?

1. Favorite red food
Does Erath Pinot Noir count? If not, I guess I'll say strawberries. Or cherry pie!

2. Tell us about the bluest body of water you've ever seen in person.
First let me show you.


This is Crater Lake, in Oregon. We made a wonderful trip to Oregon about four summers ago (where we sampled the aforementioned pinot), and Crater Lake was one of the highlights. I went through several pages of images on the Web before I decided that this was as close as I could get to the real thing--which is bluer than this!

3. It's movie rental time: Blue Planet, The Color Purple, or Crimson Tide?
Before I saw this meme, oddly enough, I was thinking about Crimson Tide this morning--the part where Denzel Washington has to make the decision to close off part of the submarine, knowing that a lot of the sailors will die, and as this is happening you hear the Navy Hymn. I don't usually enjoy this type of movie, but Crimson Tide was a good one.

4. What has you seeing red these days?
The same thing as always: animal abuse and neglect. Your local branch of the Humane Society or SPCA can always use your help. They're even happy to receive your old towels and bathmats, so don't throw those away.

5. What or who picks you up when you're feeling blue?
My two favorite life forms: the Scientist, and little Amie, who grins when she sees me coming and wags her stubby tail as fast as she can. Cuddling with either of them makes the world look a lot better. If I'm alone and slightly mopey, I like to get a glass of red wine and play my old LP's from high school and college, singing along with Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell ("Love came to my door/With a sleeping roll/And a madman's soul..."), Dan Fogelberg, and Laura Nyro's Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. After a while I go to bed. I learned when I was in college and often feeling overwhelmed, that things always look better in the morning.

Post-election wrap-up

This morning I heard a story about a coworker's friend who babysat her young niece after school and into the evening yesterday because of a family emergency. Late last night when the child's mother came to get her, she lamented,"With everything that went on today, I never had a chance to vote."

Her daughter piped up, "We voted! We voted! Emmitt and Cheryl!"

****

On a different note, every election season reminds me of my service as a precinct judge when we were living in California in 1986. Earlier that year, news coverage of Corazon Aquino's election to the presidency of the Philippines had shown courageous poll workers who defended the ballot boxes with their lives. And the biggest sacrifice I made to work the polls was to be there by 6:00 A.M. How grateful I always am for our election process and our right to vote. May we never take that for granted.

If the shoe fits...

Zorra -- [adjective]: Pretentiously academian 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

(sigh)

My happy girl, 1998

This is my favorite picture of Zorra, taken when she was probably about three years old. We had had her for a little over a year at this time. This picture shows her unusual markings better than the one I posted a while ago. She's taking a break from demolishing an old bathmat, one of her favorite activities.

Friday Five: Nothing But the Tooth

1. The Tooth Fairy
She only brought me ten cents per tooth, but I believe that was the going rate in my neighborhood at the time. One morning I awoke to find...my tooth still under the pillow! The Tooth Fairy had forgotten me! I wailed to my mother, and lo and behold, by the time I had finished breakfast, the Tooth Fairy had arrived. Her tardiness didn't bother me. (Now I understand how exhausted the Tooth Fairy often was by bedtime. It's a credit to her that she only forgot once, in all those years.)

2. Flossing
No, I don't do it every day. Yes, I should. Next topic.

3. Toothpaste Brands
Whatever is cheapest. Usually that's Aim or Ultra Brite. Toothpaste is toothpaste. The Scientist was always partial to Colgate until I told him it's one of the most expensive brands. Now he uses whatever I bring home.

4. Orthodontia for Adults
Why not? Maybe your parents couldn't afford braces when you were a kid. If you need it and want it, go for it.

5. Whitening Products
Thank God I don't remember this, but I was very anemic as a baby and had to take iron shots in my head! The iron caused my teeth to come in darker than the average person's teeth. Although I was always mildly self-conscious about it, I never did anything about it until my 20th high school reunion was on the horizon. I went the whole nine yards with the mouth mold and the expensive stuff from the dentist, and it was well worth it. My creepy-looking little plaster jaws broke a long time ago, but I still have the little plastic things that fit over my teeth, and use them occasionally.