I used to love district clergy meetings when I lived in the country. The competion was almost none, therefore people were very friendly and not threatened by others' success. Here in the city, while I absolutely love being in the city, I do not love the district clergy meetings. Too many superficial interactions due to feeling threatened by another's success and fear of "sheep stealing." And, it seems, WAY too much testostorone and not just from the men.
I really like being friendly with other clergy. I really appreciate the ways that only clergy fully understand what it entails to be clergy. While laity understand that it's a lot of work to do two funerals on Ash Wednesday before leading an Ash Wednesday service, clergy have an understanding that goes beyond "it's a lot of work." Clergy understand that there's a poignancy that happens as you impose the ashes saying, "You are dust. To dust you shall return." after being at two cemetaries earlier that day. And silently praying to God that you don't have to officiate at so-and-so's funeral because it would be too hard and at the very same time not being willing to allow any one else to do it because you know that you will do right. There's this emotion that goes with that that I can't quite name but it's not just about the work of the day and a day that's full.
Anyway, at the city district clergy meeting, I was sitting with and visiting with the clergy that I know because of the country districty clergy meetings where we have been together before. I greet and talk to the city folk, but I appreciate the bonds formed in the more laid back places that nuture me while I tolerate the rest of the time spent there.
I recognize the desire for connections with others so I am slowly trying to forge those bonds in the city, too. Meanwhile, I celebrate that there are connections already formed and others being formed.
Friday, February 16, 2007
passionately obsessed
That's what the SportsQueen says of my activities related to geocaching. She's right. She asked her science teacher (her favorite but she won't admit it) what was word meant more than obsessed. The science teacher said, "passionate." So the SportsQueen put them together but she's still searching for the "more than obsessed word."
Anyway, I have a rash from poison oak. I learned the hard way that cold does not make it dormant. And worse than that, I never even saw it. I may have got the oil on my coat or encountered it at a public event that had items that had previously been in the woods. I really don't know. It wouldn't go away with just the over the counter hydrocortisone cream so to the doctor's office I went. I was pretty sure it wasn't a rash from poison ivy, I'd never seen the rash from poison oak before. Now I have. And I have a big prescription for predinisone which is making a difference after only two doses taken. The Zyrtec is probably helping, too. But it still itches without the cream or with rubbing against the rash.
The part where the SportsQueen is right is: immediately (as in the Gospel of Mark "and immediately") on leaving the doctor's office with the prescription for predinisone and Zyrtec, I went to find a cache. Ironically, it was hidden in the parking lot of a nearby hospital on the side with the ER.
passionately. obsessed.
Anyway, I have a rash from poison oak. I learned the hard way that cold does not make it dormant. And worse than that, I never even saw it. I may have got the oil on my coat or encountered it at a public event that had items that had previously been in the woods. I really don't know. It wouldn't go away with just the over the counter hydrocortisone cream so to the doctor's office I went. I was pretty sure it wasn't a rash from poison ivy, I'd never seen the rash from poison oak before. Now I have. And I have a big prescription for predinisone which is making a difference after only two doses taken. The Zyrtec is probably helping, too. But it still itches without the cream or with rubbing against the rash.
The part where the SportsQueen is right is: immediately (as in the Gospel of Mark "and immediately") on leaving the doctor's office with the prescription for predinisone and Zyrtec, I went to find a cache. Ironically, it was hidden in the parking lot of a nearby hospital on the side with the ER.
passionately. obsessed.
Friday Five Tourist Edition from RevGalBlogPal
posted by reverendmother ... It seems like this topic has been done before, but I can't find it in the archives, so......
I am downtown on retreat this week. Most of the retreatants are from out of town, so I get to experience this place through the eyes of visitors. So in the spirit of tourism:
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) Well my only visitors have been family so they get to go to church. :) Or they get to tag along with whatever we're doing, piano recitals, whatever sport is in season, maybe shopping at the mall if we're lucky, however, there are outstanding museums, zoos, professional and semiprofessional sports, amusment/water parks, public parks, golf courses, outstanding musical venues of all kinds, dance, theater, etc. available. I really want to take my sister to the art museum in the same county because she has seen it in professional resources and would like to see it live but we haven't managed to work it in yet.
2. When visiting another city or town, do you try to cram as much in as possible, or take it slow and easy? Most of the time, slow and easy because the rest of my life is usually crammed. But we are going to NASA in Houston soon, that will be the cram version.
3. When traveling, where are we most likely to find you: strolling through a museum, checking out the local shopping, or _________________? This is usually driven by my mother trying to educate my kids: we've been to Fantastic Caverns close to Springfield, MO, we went to Mansfield MO where Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote the Little House books, we've been to Arrow Rock MO, and, driven by my kids alone Big Splash in Tulsa, OK, and the Tulsa Zoo multiple times. My step-dad paid for us to go to the Royal Gorge in Colorado. While on that trip we went to Six Flags Denver and the Colorado Springs Zoo with my college roommate and her neices and nephews. Dinner after Six Flags with them is one of the favorite memories for my kids. The day after Six Flags we went to the zoo and The Entertainer felt horrible. I ended up taking her to the ER. And we began the joke about needing an ER passport so she could get a stamp for every ER she visited because she's been in the ER more than once on vacation. We also went to Paloduro Canyon for "Texas" while we were out traveling.
4. Do you like organized tours and/or carefully planned itineraries, or would you rather strike out and just see what happens? If I'm with a large group, like with church people on a Holy Land tour, I want carefully planned itinerary. If it's my family the schedule is driven by the amount of time and what we want to do. I prefer laid back unplanned. Or if there's something particular we want to do or see, I want to do that early in the trip so I can relax and do only spur of the moment things later in the trip.
5. After an extended trip, what do you find yourself craving most about home? I really like my bed. I can sleep fine other places but I like my bed. And I like my TV with my stations and my shows when I want them thanks to DVR and my stuff where it belongs instead of all in one little space.
I am downtown on retreat this week. Most of the retreatants are from out of town, so I get to experience this place through the eyes of visitors. So in the spirit of tourism:
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) Well my only visitors have been family so they get to go to church. :) Or they get to tag along with whatever we're doing, piano recitals, whatever sport is in season, maybe shopping at the mall if we're lucky, however, there are outstanding museums, zoos, professional and semiprofessional sports, amusment/water parks, public parks, golf courses, outstanding musical venues of all kinds, dance, theater, etc. available. I really want to take my sister to the art museum in the same county because she has seen it in professional resources and would like to see it live but we haven't managed to work it in yet.
2. When visiting another city or town, do you try to cram as much in as possible, or take it slow and easy? Most of the time, slow and easy because the rest of my life is usually crammed. But we are going to NASA in Houston soon, that will be the cram version.
3. When traveling, where are we most likely to find you: strolling through a museum, checking out the local shopping, or _________________? This is usually driven by my mother trying to educate my kids: we've been to Fantastic Caverns close to Springfield, MO, we went to Mansfield MO where Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote the Little House books, we've been to Arrow Rock MO, and, driven by my kids alone Big Splash in Tulsa, OK, and the Tulsa Zoo multiple times. My step-dad paid for us to go to the Royal Gorge in Colorado. While on that trip we went to Six Flags Denver and the Colorado Springs Zoo with my college roommate and her neices and nephews. Dinner after Six Flags with them is one of the favorite memories for my kids. The day after Six Flags we went to the zoo and The Entertainer felt horrible. I ended up taking her to the ER. And we began the joke about needing an ER passport so she could get a stamp for every ER she visited because she's been in the ER more than once on vacation. We also went to Paloduro Canyon for "Texas" while we were out traveling.
4. Do you like organized tours and/or carefully planned itineraries, or would you rather strike out and just see what happens? If I'm with a large group, like with church people on a Holy Land tour, I want carefully planned itinerary. If it's my family the schedule is driven by the amount of time and what we want to do. I prefer laid back unplanned. Or if there's something particular we want to do or see, I want to do that early in the trip so I can relax and do only spur of the moment things later in the trip.
5. After an extended trip, what do you find yourself craving most about home? I really like my bed. I can sleep fine other places but I like my bed. And I like my TV with my stations and my shows when I want them thanks to DVR and my stuff where it belongs instead of all in one little space.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
timing is everything
Very often my cell phone is in my pocket. Sometimes back jeans pocket. Sometimes handy-dandy cell phone pocket of my Lands End coat. When the phone is set to make noise, it is also set to vibrate. Since the phone gets louder the longer it rings, sometimes the vibration begins before I hear anything. I usually jump out of my skin when the vibration starts and the phone is in my pocket.
This afternoon I was in an industrial area looking for a geocache in a space that happens to have a very small cemetery. I jumped out of my skin when my sister called me as I stood in the back corner of the cemetary verifying coordinates. She thought it was hilarious and would not stop laughing. I love my sister. And I found the cache while I was talking to her.
This afternoon I was in an industrial area looking for a geocache in a space that happens to have a very small cemetery. I jumped out of my skin when my sister called me as I stood in the back corner of the cemetary verifying coordinates. She thought it was hilarious and would not stop laughing. I love my sister. And I found the cache while I was talking to her.
adventures
Well, sometimes there are adventures I'd rather not have taken.
I discovered lice ... in both girls' hair.
I had no idea what I was looking for but when I saw it the second time I was pretty sure. When the RID killed those bugs, I was quite sure. It took forever to treat both girls, wash a thousand loads of laundry, and spray everything that couldn't be washed or isolated.
The SportsQueen squealed, "There are dead bugs next to me in the tub!" So I asked, "Would you rather had dead bugs in the tub next to you or live ones in your hair?" "I'll handle the dead ones." The Entertainer handled the whole thing better. Maybe because she got to go first, maybe because she's 10 instead of almost 13. The good news is round one has been completed and no live bugs have been found since. The better news is no live bugs have been found in my hair at all.
On the night when we found the bugs, the girls got to bed about 2 am while I followed about 2 hours later. Talk about tired when I had to wake up to call the schools and rearrange my day! Actually, talk about tired for days! I can't pull all nighters any more.
Since the girls couldn't go to school but were perfectly healthy, we went geocaching on a perfectly lovely day! redemption!
as they say, not all who wander are lost
I discovered lice ... in both girls' hair.
I had no idea what I was looking for but when I saw it the second time I was pretty sure. When the RID killed those bugs, I was quite sure. It took forever to treat both girls, wash a thousand loads of laundry, and spray everything that couldn't be washed or isolated.
The SportsQueen squealed, "There are dead bugs next to me in the tub!" So I asked, "Would you rather had dead bugs in the tub next to you or live ones in your hair?" "I'll handle the dead ones." The Entertainer handled the whole thing better. Maybe because she got to go first, maybe because she's 10 instead of almost 13. The good news is round one has been completed and no live bugs have been found since. The better news is no live bugs have been found in my hair at all.
On the night when we found the bugs, the girls got to bed about 2 am while I followed about 2 hours later. Talk about tired when I had to wake up to call the schools and rearrange my day! Actually, talk about tired for days! I can't pull all nighters any more.
Since the girls couldn't go to school but were perfectly healthy, we went geocaching on a perfectly lovely day! redemption!
as they say, not all who wander are lost
friday five: American Idols from RevGalBlogPals
From Songbird: Yes, it's true. I've been watching Season Six of American Idol with my daughter, our first time dipping into this particular well of pop culture. In the spirit of believing you can do anything, as the auditioners so clearly do, please fill in the following five blanks.1) If I could sing like anyone, it would be _Diane Schuur.
2) I would love to sing the song _When I fall in love__.
3) It would be really cool to sing at _Caravan of Dreams (but it's not there anymore).
4) If I could sing a dream duet it would be with _John Mayer_.
5) If I could sing on a TV or radio show, it would be _on Sesame Street_.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
future plans
July 13 see the movie
July 21 get the book ... the last book
maybe I should get a guest preacher for July 22
July 21 get the book ... the last book
maybe I should get a guest preacher for July 22
Friday Five: ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
From thereverendmother at RevGalBlogPals: Many of the RevGals using Blogger are experiencing some chaos this week as they move from Old Blogger to New Blogger. (Is that anything like New Coke?)
Change is a given in life, yet it's not easy for any of us. So strap on your seat belts and let's talk about it:
1. Share, if you wish, the biggest change you experienced this past year. This is a tie: I turned 40 and I now take medication by IV on a regular basis.
2. Talk about a time you changed your mind about something important. When I changed from majoring in PreMed (biology) at BC to majoring in Religion at WJC.
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? It seems that most of the churches (and members and judicatories) I've been around are more concerned about their own survival than about helping others know the love and grace of God in a personal way. It seems to me that should change.
4. Have you changed your hairstyle/hair color in the last five years? Not in any kind of significant way, except for growing some gray ones. If so, how many times?
5. What WERE they thinking with that New Coke thing? It was the preview for Coke Zero or Diet Coke Splenda or ...
Change is a given in life, yet it's not easy for any of us. So strap on your seat belts and let's talk about it:
1. Share, if you wish, the biggest change you experienced this past year. This is a tie: I turned 40 and I now take medication by IV on a regular basis.
2. Talk about a time you changed your mind about something important. When I changed from majoring in PreMed (biology) at BC to majoring in Religion at WJC.
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? It seems that most of the churches (and members and judicatories) I've been around are more concerned about their own survival than about helping others know the love and grace of God in a personal way. It seems to me that should change.
4. Have you changed your hairstyle/hair color in the last five years? Not in any kind of significant way, except for growing some gray ones. If so, how many times?
5. What WERE they thinking with that New Coke thing? It was the preview for Coke Zero or Diet Coke Splenda or ...
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