blooms

Yesterday when I arrived at church a jar of zinnias was waiting for me at the door to my office. I don't know who the flower elf is, but I'm delighted with the gift! I love zinnias--reminds me of the days when we planted gardens as kids, and Mom usually has them in her garden beds. I need to remember to include them next year in my own garden!

Another busy week ahead. What else is new? This morning I need to make a run to the store to get some groceries to make a dish for tonight's PC meeting. I had signed up to be food coordinator, a thankless job, since most of it is spent on the phone trying to reach people. (The first time I made calls I only got answering machines!) I've got two flakers, which means I will double a recipe to make up for their negligence. Not what I anticipated doing with my morning!

Off to the shower and on with my day. Hope it's a good week for one and all.

working through the list

I have a list about a mile long of things I had hoped to get done yesterday on my day off. I accomplished two of them. The week had been so busy that just to have time to be home and piddle around was its own reward. I can shift yesterday's list to today just as easily! Plus, the first part of the shipment of stuff from my PC open house was delivered yesterday (all the cookware!), so I can get that delivered today.

Tried a new PC recipe for bbq ribs that was great. Start 'em in the microwave! The sauce was mmm good, as well. I'm happy to share the recipe if anyone is interested.

Ken is making progress on his work at Melrose. All the replacement windows for the kitchen, dining room and two bedrooms are now in, and painting is underway. He's encountering problems along the way, which we expect at Melrose, but tending to those as he comes upon them slows down the efforts. The latest was a leaking roof over a storage room. Check out the damage he uncovered! Who knows how long that has been brewing, but he's getting it fixed. It may well be that by the time he is done he will have rebuilt half the house!

The morning is pushing onward so I'm going to go tackle the list. My parting thought is to reflect on one life-giving thing that happened yesterday. I did manage to deal with one of the piles on the dining table, and shuffled some things around on my desk to help open up the desktop. That was very satisfying, and offered a sense of accomplishment. Works for me.

Dooley is barking for breakfast, so I really MUST go!

possibility

Last night I had dinner with a group of women I had never really met. The host, a member of St. Paul's, called a couple of weeks ago and invited me to dinner at her house with her and some of her friends. "Sure," I said. For the life of me I could not place her as I scratched my head and tried to recall who she was. On Sunday, she came through the line of parishioners who file out the center door of the worship area and introduced herself. She looked only vaguely familiar.I arrived at her house at the appointed hour (well, five minutes early, actually), coinciding with the arrival of one of the friends. She didn't look familiar. It turns out that all of the women (four) attend St. Paul's, and they all exit on Sundays using the side doors. As a result, I had never really met them.

I had a great time. We laughed, they were candid, we laughed, they asked questions, we laughed, I asked questions, we laughed some more. Yes, adult beverages were involved, but not overly so. It is too early to say that a kinship was born. I find that I protect myself a great deal when it comes to trusting new relationships. But there were soft moments of honest sharing and discovering common ground, and it felt really, really good. I felt honored that they wanted to share their time with me (in one of those "if you could invite anyone to dinner, who would it be?" speculations, they all named me). They claim they weren't disappointed. I still feel honored, and humbled, and grateful. There may yet be a network of deep friendships that can be born who are accessible locally (My beloved Cabana Crew, aka my long-distance scrapping buddies, aren't near enough for regular face-to-face fun).

One thing that we shared during the evening was a report from the day: name one thing that was life-draining, and one that was life-giving. It was worth the reflection, and may yet bail me out here on those occasions when I find it difficult to think of worthy things to write or share.

Stay tuned.

my golden hour

It doesn't matter how many times I make a determination the day or night before about how I will try to fit in everything I need to get done the following morning, it doesn't happen. I have finally figured out why. I crave an hour in the morning with my cup of coffee and some time to just be. When I am deprived of that my day feels off-kilter and incomplete. The challenge, of course, is to get myself up early enough to allow for that hour in my schedule. Somehow that doesn't happen, either, but something's got to give soon. Time to revamp the habits (the night before I can make lunch for the next day, prepare packages for the mail, make the day's list of things that need to get done!) and get on track. Too many things are slipping through the cracks, or left too late. The pace of the day can be managed and I am capable of managing, but I have not made it a sufficient priority. I have not held myself accountable and that needs to change.

First, though, I need that hour with my coffee...

thursday already?

I never seem to have time in the mornings to get to this blog, and there definitely aren't many occasions of late to take pictures to post! I do have a few, however, from a recent Pampered Chef open house that I held to preview the new fall products. Cookbooks are on sale this month for $10 (email me if you want one--it's a great deal!), so I made a recipe from each of the ones that I had to promote those. PC not only has great products, but wonderful recipes, too! As usual the week is flying by and there are more things to do than I seem to have time to accommodate. Eeek! As I type I've got my eye on the clock to get out the door to a morning meeting, then head to church for my virtual Friday. Let's see: gas, calendar, notes for the day, notebook, lunch... y'all have a good one!

meet...

the soon-to-be newest member of our family. He's a five-week old German short-haired pointer that will come home in another month to join the ranks on Lilac Drive. Ken has been itching for a bird-hunting dog, and has been dogged (if you'll pardon the pun) in his pursuit of finding one. As it happens there is a kennel just a handful of miles from us here in the same county. He paid a visit this morning while I was away at a PC training event, and upon my return we paid a visit to the kennel. The little guy doesn't have a name yet, but he is a cutie! Dooley and Juliet have had two occasions to get a whiff of the newcomer, so by the time this little rascal comes through the door he should be somewhat familiar. Ah, puppyhood and house-breaking. We've got our work cut out for us...

a monday to meander

I am so grateful for a day off. The last few weeks have been non-stop with activity, and there has been little time for anything that resembles leisure. Today I can do as I please, and this morning it pleased me to sleep in! I am now ready to move into the day and take care of a few odds and ends and see what else unfolds.

Although it was part of the non-stop blur, Saturday evening we attended the closing night of the annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, held in Shelbyville, TN. We were invited by the mother of Ken's summer employee, Patrick (who has now returned to college--we miss you Patrick!). Nancy works at one of the walking horse stables in Shelbyville, and entered her own horse in a preliminary event, taking home a blue ribbon. Way to go, Nancy! It was fun to watch Saturday's show with her and learn about what the judges were looking for, as well as choose our own favorites. So many of the horses were stunningly beautiful, and Nancy had the eye, picking most of the winners herself!

When the weather cools off I'll pay a visit to her stables and meet her horse, as well as some of the other champions that reside there. That will be a treat! It will also be a good opportunity to get some pictures. I took my camera Saturday night, but the lighting wasn't good, and the horses moved too quickly for a slower shutter speed. Oh well! In the meantime, the Internet proves itself useful to share the image here of the opening event preceeding the national anthem.

Hope you all have a great day!

beyond birth order

Toward the end of the month at St. Paul's, my associate Matt and I sign birthday postcards that go out to members of the parish. He mentioned that as he went through the stack for September he was struck by how frequently family members shared the same birth month, or at least proximity. He noted that two of his own children had birthdays within a few weeks of their mother, and that within his extended family there were a number of blood-related kin who also shared birthdates within proximity of each other.

I got to thinking--my father and younger brother are both Februray babies, 11 days apart. My father and his mother are 8 days apart. My mother and her mother were both born in March, 20 days apart. Ken and his daughter are just over a week apart.

We speculated about genetic code. Does the survival of a person to reproductive age give a message to egg and sperm that now is a good time to launch? We have no data other than what was immediately available to us, and no scientific knowledge to back any theory that came to mind. But it sure got us to wondering!

What's the story in your familiy?

heaven has descended

Publix has arrived! This is probably news not worthy of sharing or reading for anyone still reading this blog, but for us this is monumental. We have been waiting for MONTHS for the store to open, and it did, at last, this week. We made our first visit today, and were thrilled with the offerings.

For me, better organic and healthy food choices, and overall, better quality of food (especially the avocados!). For Ken, better choices all around, and the deli section is top notch. We went with a list of three items, two of which we forget to procure, and nonetheless came home with a cart full of food and a steak for dinner.

In other news, I staffed the Pampered Chef booth at the county fair last night, enduring at least 100 degrees at the start, and enjoying a brief, 15 minute thunderstorm just as I arrived home at 10:30. I procured a few promising leads, but my show schedule for the next month is pretty solid, and I've got momentum following a good July and a good month this month. Now if only I could land a recruit! All in due time...

Can't think of what else has transpired because the days have been pretty full of work, and more work (good work, it should be noted, and enjoyable). Our drought and excessive heat (two weeks straight of 103-110 degreees) has led to brown trees and crunchy grass. The landscape almost looks like California without sprinkler systems.

I had a PC show this morning, and two more tomorrow and Monday night, so the next few days will be busy! I'm looking forward to the holiday weekend, even if it does mean preaching (I've had two Sundays of sharing the pulpit with others and it makes for a much more relaxing weekend). Will try to report anything worthy as I'm able.

Stay cool and dry, wherever you are!

h o t

It's all relative. The forecast for tomorrow proclaims that the high temperature for the day will be a full ten degrees cooler than it is right now. A cold front! Well, hardly. Tomorrow's high is set for 100, which means--yes, you guessed it--it is 110 degrees out right now. I have abandoned the plants. An hour of water with the soaking hose is good for about half a day, and our water bill, well, it is making the city happy, but making us poorer. My hydrangeas are the top priority and will continue to get a drink, but the rest are history.

Sigh. The combined summer-long drought and this lengthy heat spell have also doomed many of the trees. Leaves have turned brown and are beginning to drop. There will be no fall color to speak of, and I worry a bit about how some of our beloved trees will put forth buds for next year. Mother nature has been cruel thus far, with the late freeze that killed new growth, and now this unrelenting, beastly summer. How do I spell relief? W I N T E R!!!

variation on a list

Who...What...When...Where...?

1. Cellphone? - purse
2. Your Hair? - needing a cut
3. Work? - great
4. Something you long for? a pleasant summer day (mid 70's, breeze)
5. Summer flower? black-eyed susans
6. Your favorite thing? - birds
7. Your dream last night? - strange
8. Summer drink? - water outside, gin and tonic inside
9. Looking forward to? my next day off
10. The room you’re in? - office
11. Your shoes? - slippers
12. Pizza topping? - pepperoni, onions and black olives
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? - debt free
14. Who did you hang out with last weekend? - the sushi gang
15. What are you not good at? - being out in the heat
16. Muffin? - pumpkin
17. One of your wish list items? - a piece of land
18. Where you grew up? - Connecticut
19. Last thing you ate? - ginger-sesame seasoned almonds
20. What are you wearing? - sweats and a t
21. Recent accomplishment? - achieving my July Pampered Chef sales goal ($3000)
22. Your pet? - Dooley and Juliet (dogs)
23. Your computer? - Dell Inspiron laptop
24. Your life? - better and better
25. Your mood? - content
26. Missing? - friends
27. What are you thinking about right now? - the homily I have to give tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM
28. Your car? - Saturn VUE
29. Your kitchen? - crowded!
30. Your summer? - hot, hotter, hottest, and dry, drier, driest
31. Your favorite color? - depends on if I'm wearing it, or decorating with it
32. Last time you laughed? - a couple of hours ago
33. Last time you cried? - Sunday

the good husband

There are many things about my husband that are good, but there is one, simple thing he does almost every day that warrants heaps of praise: he makes my coffee. Six days out of the week he is up before I am, and when I get up in the morning on those days my coffee is made and I start my day with a sense of being cared for and pampered. I can pour my first cup and head to the computer, where in my preferred morning solitude I can check the news, review emails, and, if I'm early enough, post with my scrapping buddies on the Early Bird thread.

Monday evening I mentioned that on Tuesday I would be spending the day painting my office. This would be round three of that activity in an attempt to get the right color on the walls (a story in itself). Ken told me that he would be through with his plans by noon, and would come down and paint them for me. I looked at him, surprised. "Why?" I asked, knowing that he has a lot on his plate right now. "Because you're my wife," was his response.

Last night I bought him dinner as a thank you for painting the office (stay tuned for pictures once that place gets settled). I try to be the good wife, too.

synchronicity

There are times when you have to wonder what is up in the universe. For instance:

~At St. Paul's we were talking about using technology to view webcasts of programs of interest to the church, specifically the annual, three-day "Trinity Institute" program from Trinity Church, Wall Street. The next day we received an email about this winter's TI program.

~At the office some of the staff were looking at the recent Vera Bradley catalog, and I commented that when I had looked through it I concluded that it was time to indulge and break down and get one of her bags for myself. The next day in the mail a late birthday present arrived--a Vera Bradley tote bag (LOVE it!).

~My colleague and I have been talking about launching a "spirituality and the arts" group at the church, tapping the talent and energy of a multitude of parishioners here who are talented in both the visual and performing arts. We then receive a call from a faculty member at Middle Tennessee State University, located a few blocks from us, looking for a place for their "Artist's Way" group to meet.

One of the great benefits of coming to work at St. Paul's is the opportunity to share thoughts and ideas with others through regular and ongoing contact. That is something I have missed in the isolation of working form home (much as I enjoy other aspects of that life). Who knows what other synchronistic items will emerge as I have more time and connection with the people in this place?

brief update

The days were packed while Junior was home, leaving little time at the computer for much of anything. Even before he left, last week was a nonstop tour of full days at work, evening meetings, and Pampered Chef. My one free day over the weekend was spent trying to recover from the pace of the week and preparing for Sunday: preaching and leading a book discussion. (Gail and Clare, you will be happy to know that I did yield to an afternoon nap!)

We are again into another long week. On the one hand, my time is being spent in meaningful and gratifying work. On the other, the rapid change since returning to full-time work and having little time to myself is hard on me: I crave solitude for rest and renewal, and solitude (and time for stillness) is very hard to come by these days.

I'm thinking that a day off just to organize the office will be necessary. The accumulated piles awaiting attention are becoming overwhelming, and I am losing track of tasks that need to get done. This is a job for Sammy!

Off to work. Will try to get back later!

time flies

We've been packing the days while Junior is home. Thursday was something of a fits and starts day, but all turned out well. After I returned from a networking meeting in the morning we all went to the gym for a swim or workout. We cleaned up from that and went for some Chinese food for lunch, then headed to the train station to take the train to Nashville. We had misread the schedule, and what we thought was an opportune afternoon departure turned out to be a bus schedule.

We used our time before the next train by going to the local human association to see the dogs. Junior has been contemplating getting one, and there were a number of cuties there. I took pity on a three-month old that was shaking in her cage, and took her out for a walk in the yard. "Bubbles" was quite cuddly and very playful. A yellow Lab/Golden Retriever mix caught Junior's eye (he's got his heart set on a Lab) and he took her out for some play. The jury is still out about whether or not this sweet pup will go home with him.

We returned to the train station and caught the Music City Star into Nashville. With our now limited time downtown we had planned to go the Wildhorse Saloon for a snack and happy hour, only to discover that the Wildhorse was closed for a private function. Bummer! How about the Market Street Brewery, just up the block? No longer in business! We crossed the street and checked out a few other choices, none of which were what we were looking for. We ended up instead at the Hard Rock Cafe and enjoyed a couple of appetizers and our drinks before going back to the station for our return home.

Not needing anything resembling dinner we decided to head to the miniature golf course near the house and play a round. I'll have you know that I kept my title as family miniature golf champion, helped by two holes in one! A second game was only $1 per person, so we played another round as well before calling it a day and heading home to crash.

Friday Ken and Junior went fishing, and that evening we joined friends for what is becoming a weekly Friday night tradition of sushi. I'm still not a convert, but I did manage some tuna and tasted part of a spider roll. We rounded out the evening with a golf challenge--lots of fun--and decided that ice cream would make the perfect night cap. Hard to believe that Baskin Robbins closes at ten on a Friday night, but not to be thwarted we took our party to Sonic and had our ice cream. (After Junior leaves I will return with full commitment to my healthy eating regimen!)

Today the guys are off skeet shooting, and I am tending to the recyling, a hospital visit, and preparations for Sunday. Preaching and book group (Kitchen Table Wisdom)! It's a beautiful day, and if I'm lucky I'll get to enjoy a bit of it before it gets too hot.

Off to do my duty. Have a great weekend!

ah, to be around the young...

Wednesday night Junior and one of his roommates, Chris arrived. After we fed them they were in the mood for a little "beer pong." I had only just heard about beer pong on a radio program a couple of weeks ago, so although the phrase wasn't new to me, seeing the game in action was. We went out to the patio and set up glasses on the table there (we didn't have the requisite plastic cups), the beer was poured, and under the subtle beam of the single outdoor light the guys demonstrated beer pong. After the first round (won by a glass by Chris) I teamed up with Junior and Ken teamed with Chris and we began the second round. I'll have you know that I sunk my fair share of ping pong balls, but Junior did all the drinking. Chris and Ken took the honors on game 2 and third game as well, but I held my own (as far as pitching balls goes, I don't enjoy beer!). I'm sure our neighbors thought we were nuts, but their grandchildren were out playing games to loud thumps of boom box music, so I think we're even.

Apparently a challenge has been issued to some friends of ours whom we will join tonight for dinner. I'll report on our beer pong prowess progress in another installation of this blog.

For now, all I can say is that it's great to have Junior home, beer pong and all.

happy things

In the vein of lists--five things I'm happy about (in no particular order):

1. I love my new job. It is a twofold joy. It is a good congregation, with lots of things going on, and there is a creative energy about the place. I am enjoying the people, and have a great staff with which to work. I also love it because my particular responsibilities include things I do well, so on a personal level, I am thriving. What could be better?

2. I love my other new "job," Pampered Chef. The support from my director and the training I have received from her, our team meetings, company offerings and the recent national conference have helped me with goals, work habits and self-discipline. I didn't anticipate personal growth being a benefit of this work, but that part of it has been huge. I am definitely happy working as a PC consultant.

3. I am thrilled that Junior is back from overseas, and that we will see him for a few days beginning tomorrow. Time with him is precious and valued.

4. I am happy about my marriage. These days Ken and I don't have a lot of time to spend together--our work lives are full and our schedules tight, and often we are both so tired that we fall asleep on the couch after dinner. But it's nice to look forward to at least sharing meals and being in the same space, even if it's brief.

5. My dogs make me happy. Juliet is such a happy girl to start with, and just as when I found her lost and astray when she was four months old, she continues to be irresistable to me. She's my precious one. And Dooley, the little rascal, for all his feisty antics is the best cuddler in the world, and he loves to be around his mama. How can I not love that?

Okay, your turn. What makes you happy?

no rest for the travel weary!

What a week! When I got up last Sunday morning there was no stopping until my head hit the pillow in Chicago that night! Had three great days at the Pampered Chef National Conference. Six of us stayed in the director's suite, situated in an ideal location on the 18th floor of the Hilton Chicago on Michigan Ave, with a view out our windows overlooking Grant Park and Lake Michigan beyond. The mornings were glorious, but the afternoons (when there was a sliver of time for photos) were stormy, dark and wet! I was having some trouble with my camera, so pictures I thought I had from the room are unavailable for viewing!

Our events took place at McCormick Place, Chicago's convention center, which is situated on the lake and consists of two massive, yet impressive, structures. There was a combination of general sessions for everyone and workshops focusing on specific aspects of the business. One workshop that I took stands out among the others with great ideas that I am working to implement! There was also an opportunity to tour the home office, which was interesting but incomplete as they are building a new distribution center and it was not yet ready for viewing. The picture above is of three of us posing in a test kitchen. The other was taken at our executive director's banquet on our last night. That's me and Stephanie, my ED!

Got back Wednesday night and plunged into a full Thursday that included a PC show that night! Friday I fiddled at the office without a computer (which won't boot up). Our tech support showed up two hours late to tell me that his assistant would be looking into the problem and would be right back after a trip to the bank, and two hours later there was still no sign of him. I had work to do, so I locked up and headed home to use my computer here! Monday will be another matter.

Friday night we joined friends for dinner before heading to the Nashville Palace to see my country music heart throb Ty Herndon in concert. It was a late night with the concert starting after ten and I'm glad to have seen him after so many years, but I was also reminded why I don't do this very often--LOUD!! The Palace isn't a great venue for music because the acoustics are so bad--low ceiling and lots of sound bouncing off too many surfaces. Still, Ty is my hottie and I will endure a lot to breathe the same air now and again.

A PC show this afternoon keeps me busy today, and blessedly I don't preach tomorrow. It's so nice to be the one who does the preaching schedule! I'm ready for a little rest and relaxation.

So, what have the rest of you been up to?

off to the windy city

Sunday afternoon Iwill board a plane for Chicago to attend The Pampered Chef's annual National Conference. It should be a riotous time, especially since six of us are sharing a suite with our executive director! This is an exciting year for Stephanie and for her sales cluster, as we have sold more than $1.4 million in the last sales year, a phenomenal accomplishment. It's been a fun time for me as a consultant, and I'm just beginning to get my sea legs with this thing! I imagine there will be all sorts of stories on my return, and I will try to have pictures to share as well.

I'm hoping to catch up with fellow scrapper and message board Early Bird Maria while I'm there, though we're not sure yet if my schedule will allow much time for a little socializing on the side. Maria is graciously standing by for a phone call in case it will work out. We've known each other for years through the MB, but have never met in person, so it will be fun if we are able to make that connection happen. It will be especially exciting on the heels of her news that she and her husband will soon be adopting their baby from China, a dream that has been long in the making!

This past week I've been struggling with a bug that has been going around, and now Ken is enduring the same struggles! No action to report from here unless you count naps and keeping the kleenex industry in business. Now I've got to rally to preach tomorrow and then head off for fun and excitement with Pampered Chefers. At least I know what I'm packing!

Y'all behave while I'm gone...

resting easier

The phone rang this morning shortly after 5 AM. I remember being conscious enough to hope that Ken would answer it (he was already up). My brain began to engage as I started to think that it was odd that a client would call so early. Then I made the connection that it was the home phone that had rung, not his cell. Who would call so early? The little bit that I could hear from the bedroom (tone, not words) indicated that this wasn't a call of urgency or distress. Huh? Then it suddenly dawned on me. It was Junior. He was home.

I had expected that we would get this call next week, but we certainly welcome it now! We never need to say outloud that the call that lets us know he is home takes a load of weight off our hearts. We don't really worry about him when he is deployed, but we know he is always at risk and that there is always danger. We still don't know where he's been, but will probably find out tonight when we expect to talk to him again. We are hopeful that we may see him in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, one part of me is now released to tend to other things.

yard art

I was reminded by a picture on Jules' blog that I had this one in the "archives." I took it last summer when we went to CT to help Mom move, and we drove past this yard with its ecclectic display. It's harder to appreciate in a single angle view (you really have to click on the image to enlarge it) but it's a hodge-podge of stuff.

I'm pretty fussy about what looks good in a yard, and though I love landscaping and flower beds, I do think there is such a thing as too much. On the flip side there is also the minimalist approach, which by definition I guess one could infer that I believe is too little!

Our own yard is still a work in progress, and shows NO progress since we got a couple of beds tilled and planted and a soaker hose laid out, now almost six weeks ago. It's been a combination of dreadful heat and a lack of time. Mulch bags are still stacked on the walkway! The coming weeks don't look good for any more progress, but perhaps for the neighbors' sake we'll at least relocate the mulch bags. Then again, a cool front would definitely be welcome! It's at times like this that I miss the chance of such things that occur more readily in more northern climates. Sometimes it's just hard to be a Yankee transplant...

inner beauty

A few weeks ago I posted an exterior picture of St. Paul's that I appropriated from their web site. Here is a view of the new worship space built a few years ago. I've now got two Sundays under my belt (or should I say stole), and since there are three services on that day it isn't taking long to get the hang of the rhythm of worship.

The staff is fabulous, and I enjoy working with them. I was also blessed yesterday when the assistant stuck his head in the door of my office and said, "this is working for me, I hope it is for you, too." I cocked my head to one side, not sure to what he was referring. "The way we're working together," he elaborated. "It feels really natural." I assured him the feeling was mutual.

What a gift.

hacked

If I were my neighbor across the street, I'd be fuming. The local electric company has contracted with a tree service to remove tree limbs that threaten power lines. These guys go the extra mile, however, and decimate the species! This formerly lovely maple is now entirely below line level, even though only one side of the tree was within reach of the power line. Egad! I'm grateful that we have only one tree with a few limbs that hover above the line that runs to our house, and I will be expeditious when Ken returns home from his fishing trip to get him to remove only what is necessary so that our tree isn't at risk from the hackers. These guys can't begin to tout themselves as professionals, since the evidence of removal shows they don't know what they're doing! Our neighbors used to have two lovely trees that we could see from our house. The remaining stumps are a scar on the streetscape, and these trees will never be the same. Good Lord, deliver us!

adjustments

The last couple of weeks have been dominated by adjustments. Returning to full-time, on site work has required a change in schedule, a rearrangement of tasks, and an evaluation of priorities. It has also worn me out! Before long I will adapt to the changes, but at the moment I feel like I'm scrambling to cover the necessary bases and get things done.

Still, these have been a good couple of weeks. I am enjoying my time at St. Paul's. The staff is wonderful, and there is great ease in working with them and finding my way toward being part of them. They have been welcoming and patient as I ask questions (often interrupting their own work to do so), and fitting in has been easy. My first Sunday went well and I was greeted warmly by parishioners. It is a blessing to be here.

This weekend Ken is off fishing so I am hoping to tend to some domestic chores. But I also want to cook (perhaps for the week!), and read, and maybe do a little weeding in the garden. Then again, I may simply take a nap...

here comes the bride!

Our friend Debi (aka Sammy's Mom) got married yesterday, and she was a lovely bride. She and Alan cleverly got everyone started eating at the reception while they snuck off for pictures, so it was a few moments before I noticed their absence (yes, I was busy snarfing my own food--I was hungry!). I got back in to the church in time for a few shots of my own, but missed the formal poses. I think Deb was ready to be done with it (the photos) by the time I got there, because she was busy making faces and offering cheesy smiles. A personal favorite is the self-described "redneck bride" noshing on a chicken wing. Here are a few keepers, though!

Congratulations Debi and Alan!

this is the life!

Sunday as we were walking in the door returning from church and a few errands, the phone was ringing with an invitation we couldn't refuse: a cookout with friends and a cruise on the river! Although these friends were at our wedding, we really hadn't seen them at all, and Ken had only met them briefly. We headed to another friend's house to rendezvous, and then all of us went to our host's brother's house on the river.

We sat poolside enjoying happy hour and conversation together, then had a sumptuous dinner of shish kebab and other yummy morsels before gathering ourselves up and heading to the boat. It was a cruising houseboat (that's my description), and it was a perfect evening to set out as the sun was setting and enjoy a gentle breeze on the water. Our friend Lee makes his own wine as a hobby, and we toasted his delightful vintage and the pleasure of being with friends as we cruised along. Ah... this is the life!

a little bit country

Last Friday we went with some friends to the Country Music Association Festival concert at LP Field in Nashville. On the bill that night were Bucky Covington ("American Idol" contestant from last year), Montgomery-Gentry, Sara Evans, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood, Sugarland, and Jason Aldean. Our seats were in the "high section," so the only possible photos were taken off the large screens onto which footage of the performers was projected. Worked for me! As usual at an event like this the audience in our vicinity was nearly as entertaining as those performing onstage! Nonetheless, we had a fun evening with our friends, and the music was good. Here are some pics!

pardon me while I wait

The other day on the radio I heard a report about a drop in US productivity. The report included an explanation about how such a thing was calculated, something having to do with output and labor involved (I'm not an economist!). The speculation was that if productivity didn't increase, businesses would have to raise prices to compensate for few items for sale.

All of this came to mind this afternoon while I was at the grocery store, and I had to sit in my car and wait to move into a parking place because the young worker retrieving shopping carts was so busy text messaging that she failed to do her job in a timely manner. So, not only was her productivity on an ebb, so was mine!

Businesses don't need to raise prices, they need to ban cell phones from use in the workplace! The way a lot of people behave you'd think there was an inalienable right to have a communications device serve as a necessary appendage. It's bad enough that cell phone use in cars causes drivers to be distracted from their primary task of driving, now the public is served with less satisfaction because employees aren't focused on their work. Oy, vey...

inspiration

Last week on my way to visit my goddaughter I stopped at a Starbuck's in Asheville for a quick cup of joe. While polluting my coffee with sweetener and cream, I noticed a flyer advertising a quilt show tacked to the bulletin board above the pollution station. The dates coincided with my return through Asheville, and I made a note of the web site for more information to see if a detour on my way home would be feasible.

Turns out it was, and I was treated not only with scenic back roads on the way to the show, but some lovely, clever and inspiring quilts as well. I miss fabric, but my life and our space at home is already overflowing with other activities and commitments, so to bring out the sewing machine and find a place to set up simply won't work. Later. The fabric will keep.

In the meantime I enjoy the inspiration derived from the creativity of others--colors, patterns, techniques, images and messages all working together to deliver a gift to my soul. I will get back to it some day. That day is just out there in the future somewhere.

to close or not to close...

I had reached the conclusion recently that it was time to close the internet site for my business. In the last six months the only sale I have had came from my mother, who orders from me directly (sometimes it helps to know the owner, I guess!). In spite of a respectable amount of traffic on the web site, visits have not resulted in sales. The costs to keep the web site operational is more than $150 a month (remember this is a commerce site, which handles shopping carts, credit card processing, and so on, and there are bank fees for handling the credit card processing), a lot to swallow when there's no money coming in.

Over the weekend I talked to the company that hosts the site about archiving it in the event that I want to re-establish it later on. No problem. Yesterday I was ready to make the call to pull the plug, and then...

an order came in. It wasn't a big order--two cards, but it was an order from someone I don't know. Some research this morning indicates that most traffic comes to the site for prayer beads, not for cards. Prayer bead sales might actually pay for the site, but without orders...

Oddly enough, it is occuring to me that perhaps I ought to pray about this!

unexpected grief

I am struggling this morning with the news of the death of one of our bishops, Jim Kelsey of the Diocese of Northern Michigan as the result of a car accident. I met Jim Kelsey several years ago at a national conference where we spent several days in the same workshop, and had occasion to talk informally at meals and in between sessions. His diocese is composed of mostly small congregations, and he was deeply committed to encouraging, supporting, and empowering the ministry of all people in their life of faith and in response to the needs of the world. He was passionate about this ministry and its partnership with clergy known as mutual ministry. One person described him as providing a large voice for small churches and dioceses. As one who has served such churches, I was deeply appreciative of his advocacy for the congregations throughout the church who are underappreciated and often overlooked because of their size. I was also appreciative of his advocacy for justice in other arenas of life and in the church, and admired his integrity and conviction.

The tears I am encountering this morning are for this bishop, but they are also a resurfacing of grief for a friend and parishioner who died just a month ago. Martha Bennett was a member of one of my churches on the mountain, a deeply committed, fiercely devoted and tirelessly active member of the church whose passion for small churches matched that of Jim Kelsey. Martha was the small church, and she loved it wholeheartedly. She and I worked together for nearly two years as partners in our effort to serve the churches on the mountain in our care. She never failed to tell me that she appreciated me, and was a model of cooperative ministry and teamwork that is too rare in the church. She was also good humored and had a wonderful laugh, offered her hospitality with regularity, and knew when to take things seriously and when to shrug them off. She took delight in reminding me that I was a Yankee, and I never failed to remind her that my ancestors fought for the confederacy. I miss her keenly.

On a larger scale, my grief today is for the whole of our church, who has been robbed of two remarkable people who were models of what it means to live a Christian life in the best sense. They were humble, honest and vulnerable, and weren't afraid of risk or confronting difficulty. If only the world had more people like them.

Here's to Jim and Martha, and to the all the saints who have left us for other shores.

new horizons

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated the blog! I was out of town last week, and had a busy weekend over Memorial Day, and here we are, ten days later...

News from here is that a week from today I return to full-time work as a priest! A couple of months ago my bishop suggested that I put my name in for the position of interim at a church whose rector had retired recently. St. Paul's is a good sized, healthy and vibrant congregation, and their organizational/systemic needs (making the transition from pastoral to program size church) held a certain appeal. I went ahead and put my name in, interviewed, and received the call to serve!

I am excited to be working again with a staff, and with parishioners who are engaged in ministry and committed to their faith life. I think fun times lie ahead.

A few years ago St. Paul's enlarged their facilities, so although they are an historic church, this picture is of the new addition. I'll try to get a picture of the inside to share later.

In the meantime I'll try to be better about posting and keeping in touch. For now, off to the pool!

back in the saddle!

Hurray for the geek squad! Turns out that there was a bad memory stick on the computer, and it is now replaced and the computer upgraded with more memory. If only my brain could be so easily tweaked!

The week has been a hodge-podge of activity, but the main news to share (and some of you already know through other means) is that we're going to be grandparents! When we went to Pikeville for Travis' graduation we were gifted with a framed image of Ashley's ultrasound (see accompanying scan!). We won't know the sex until birth, and I'm already discovering that it's not always easy to find baby things in gender-neutral colors (yes, I've started looking). Due date is late November. They are very excited, as are we, but just wish that they now weren't so far away. It is easier to get to Savannah from here than Texas!

A busy day lies ahead, so I'm off to tend to my details. Glad to be back among the blogging!

argh*$&^^(@*$&^#%

More computer woes. I can now do nothing on my computer, so it's time for the geek squad. This message comes to you from Ken's computer, but blogging from here is a short term solution, and I don't have my pictures! Just wanted to let you know that I was out of comission for a little while. Sigh.

celebrations

I spent half of my fiftieth birthday on the road driving home from Pikeville, KY (home of the Hatfields and the McCoys!), where we were for Travis' graduation. That event dictated our itinerary last week, so in lieu of being able to be together on the actual day, we celebrated with mom and our friends Jimmy and Barbara a little early. In true Mom style, she had made a poster to celebrate the occasion, but this time added a little twist. She collected 50 dimes, one from each year since my birth, and with Barbara's help fashioned them into a "50" in the center of the poster. Beginning in 1957, they progress chronologically from the top of the five. Cool, huh? That's an idea worth stealing! We had a wonderful celebration that evening with lovely scenery, good food, great company and lots of fun.

My actual birthday began with the best possible gift: a call from Junior from somewhere "over there" to wish me a happy Mother's Day and a happy birthday. We were able to talk for several minutes--longer than usual for such calls, and though he can't ever say anything about what he's up to, we were able to talk about other things. In the evening we had dinner out at a surprise gathering with some friends at a favorite local Mexican restaurant--a special evening to cap the day. All in all, a nice round of festitivies to mark the landmark occasion.

We tried to get a picture with the dogs as part of a "this is what Anne looked like when she turned 50" scheme for a small scrapbook, but it's a challenge to get their mutual, simultaneous cooperation. This is the best we could manage--not too bad considering the challenges! Now it's back to the grind and life as usual, with warm memories and five full decades under my belt...

we're baaaaaaaacccckkk!

...and way behind being in touch, since my computer erroneously got left behind on our trip! Fortunately I was able to use the computer of our good friends in Augusta to check email a few times while we were gone, which helped to save my sanity. And thank goodness for that, since I learned that a former parishioner and very good friend died suddenly the night before we left for Melrose. Sadly, her memorial service was the same day as Travis' graduation so I wasn't able to be there, but I was at least able to speak to her family and be in touch. I am still in shock that she is gone.

We had a good week and great weather (not too hot!), but as always these days when visits are squeezed between other commitments on the calendar, it was too short. Ken knocked off the items on his constantly growing "honey do" list with quick dispatch, while our good friend Barbara and I joined Mom in an overhaul of the china "cupboard" (there are no kitchen cabinets for such storage, so this is home to much of what we use!). We removed every item for a thorough washing, necessary purging, cupboard cleaning and reorganizing. See photo for the end result! Your eyes are not playing tricks on you--those shelves are slanted! This side of the house (over 100 years old) has settled over time, and so has one wall of the cupboard.

Once again I didn't get any reading done, but I did get to spend some time doing another of my favorite leisure activities--the NY Times Sunday crossword puzzle! And, in the "hope springs eternal" department, a stop at Borders Books added to the stack of unread books that await my attention.

I'll detail other events in future posts to keep this one from dragging on. In the meantime it's nice to be home and back in touch.

where does the time go?

Hard to believe it's Saturday already. We had our second annual Cinco de Mayo party last night, on the eve of the day because I have a church event this afternoon that made an entertaining schedule a bit difficult. Sadly, no pictures, since our set up was a bit different and the evening evolved a bit differently as a result. So, repeats from last year!

The food was great, with a few substitutions just for a change of pace. On the menu: queso fundido (and no, there was no Velveeta in sight!), tacquitos, chips with guacamole, citrus salsa or tomato salsa, almond chicken mole, fish tacos, corn and black bean salad, and Mexican rice. Everything was from scratch (except the tortillas, we didn't make those), and though it took the whole day to cook, it was worth it.

This morning after furniture gets put back to usual locations, we'll start packing up for our upcoming trip. After church tomorrow we leave for Melrose, then on Saturday we drive to Pikeville, KY, for Travis' graduation from medical school. He will receive his DO, doctor of osteopathy, and then he and Ashley head back to Savannah to pack up for a year in El Paso, TX, followed by three years in San Antonio. Lots of change for them!

We're looking forward to a week's break--Ken especially, who has been working so hard--and time with Mom, who is already there. I'll post from there. In the meantime, have a good weekend!

the merry month of may

I love May. In southern New England, place of my birth and raising, it is the month of dogwood and azaela's, with hints of mountain laurel and rhododendron showing promise. The world is freshly green and blue skies penetrate branches bursting with new leaves and the fragrance of potential. It heralds the approaching end of the school year, daylight stretches longer still, and an air of festivity is palpable. It is the May that lingers in my memory.

May is also my birth month, so it is worthy of honor for that reason as well (at least in my book!). This year, that anniversary will cross the threshold of fifty, an occasion that seems as much incomprehensible as inevitable. Where have the years gone? And where will the next succession of them take me? Although I have always known that we have the capacity--if not the obligation--to chart our own course, I am more aware than ever that I have done myself a disservice by not spending enough time with that chart. Too many intentions and wishes have slipped by to do things I wanted to do, and too many decisions were deferred until it was too late to take sufficient action.

On the brink of a new decade, I feel poised to take some corrective action. As seems to happen as we age, I am more willing to let go of things, as well as ideas. The space created in my home and in my mind is open to entertain new ideas, and to respond to new opportunities (and yes, in some cases to accommodate old "stuff"). It is a time of expansiveness and dreaming that wasn't possible earlier in my life, and for which I am grateful. The big five-oh isn't a frightening benchmark but a springboard for what lies ahead.

As the saying goes, bring it on!