I tuned to NPR while driving in the car today, as I often do (satellite radio is a life-saver in no-reception land!). Talk of the Nation was just diving into an extended analysis and conversation about all the wild and crazy behavior at the health care town-hall meetings around the nation. I switched it to the Broadway tunes station abruptly.
I am so....sick of this behavior. Absolutely people have real concerns and grievances when it comes to the topic of health care. But shouting others down? Chanting crap so that no one can talk or hear? Getting physical and even violent to stop events??? What happened to conversation and dialog? What happened to civility and basic decency? I just can't buy the line that they're just expressing their mistrust and anger. If you have real issues and concerns, then you'd be part of the conversation, part of the solution. If you have a larger political agenda and believe in shutting down true partisonship, believe in influencing through fear and appealing to people's worst instincts, and just love being a bully, then you act like the folks have been at these meetings. It's a perversion of what American democracy is supposed to be about.
Ugh. Ok, now that that's out of my system...
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Cravings
So today I got a craving. A full-blown pregnancy must-have-it-now craving. So on one of the hottest days of this whole summer (95 degrees) I turned on the oven and whipped together a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. The cookie dough was so yummy. The hot melty cookies right out of the oven were heavenly. And the house smells awesome. It is also pretty unbearable to go into the kitchen right now, and Lil' Princess and I are camped out in front of the air conditioning unit in the living room, but I think I can officially declare the cookies so worth it!
Tomorrow we're going to go visit one of my members who is recovering from breast cancer surgery, so we'll bring some of our cookies with us. She's a champion baker, and has shared many treats with us, so we hope she'll enjoy a treat from us, especially since Lil' P helped make them (flour all over the counter and floor, and many of the chocolate chips ended up in her mouth instead of the bowl, but hey, we had fun!)
Sigh. The dryer beeped again. Time to put away the fourth and hopefully last load of the day!
Sunday, August 09, 2009
A Quiet Sunday Afternoon
Life has quieted down.
The insane wedding happened, which gratefully had far less drama than expected.
A couple of members are in the hospital, but holding their own.
I'm still managing to survive three services on Sundays, though a nap is a must on Sunday afternoons.
RevDad is heading out for a continuing education class, so we'll see how well I do with no back-up for a few days. Lil' Princess is definitely overdue to go back to school - she's pretty fed up being stuck with tired-out boring parents! I'm trying to think of things to keep her amused while Dad is gone, since I just can't keep up with her now.
It has been an interesting experience to be pregnant in this parish. They are very pleased that a baby is coming, and were pretty impatient for me to start showing. They want everything to go well, and have been wonderful about making arrangements for a good maternity leave. But a certain contingent have been impatient with the side-effects of pregnancy that impact my work...getting dizzy and tired in worship, easily over-heated, less energetic in my worship leadership and sermons, more limited in what I can do overall and how long I can last. I think it's the whole "You're not supposed to let them see you bleed!" rugged individualism that is the back-bone of survival here. But I can't complain, they've been gracious and understanding overall, and have a deep appreciation and valuing of family life. I know some of my peers in larger communities have run into resistance and even hostility and resentment wh
en they've made family a priority.
Well, once this batch of popcorn is done, it's off to bed. Grocery shopping and writing a newspaper article await me tomorrow. What fun!
The insane wedding happened, which gratefully had far less drama than expected.
A couple of members are in the hospital, but holding their own.
I'm still managing to survive three services on Sundays, though a nap is a must on Sunday afternoons.
RevDad is heading out for a continuing education class, so we'll see how well I do with no back-up for a few days. Lil' Princess is definitely overdue to go back to school - she's pretty fed up being stuck with tired-out boring parents! I'm trying to think of things to keep her amused while Dad is gone, since I just can't keep up with her now.
It has been an interesting experience to be pregnant in this parish. They are very pleased that a baby is coming, and were pretty impatient for me to start showing. They want everything to go well, and have been wonderful about making arrangements for a good maternity leave. But a certain contingent have been impatient with the side-effects of pregnancy that impact my work...getting dizzy and tired in worship, easily over-heated, less energetic in my worship leadership and sermons, more limited in what I can do overall and how long I can last. I think it's the whole "You're not supposed to let them see you bleed!" rugged individualism that is the back-bone of survival here. But I can't complain, they've been gracious and understanding overall, and have a deep appreciation and valuing of family life. I know some of my peers in larger communities have run into resistance and even hostility and resentment wh
en they've made family a priority.Well, once this batch of popcorn is done, it's off to bed. Grocery shopping and writing a newspaper article await me tomorrow. What fun!
Friday, July 31, 2009
It Just Keeps Getting Weirder
I'm on the wedding roller coaster, and I want off!!!
After some...challenging premarital sessions, we have finally come to the wedding weekend. But the excitement is not over. Tonight, the bride and groom did not show up for the rehearsal because they got into a Massive fight. Family all freaked out, big time. It was looking like everything was going to be cancelled. Now, about 30 minutes ago, the bride showed up at my doorstep with her sister and a friend to tell me that they intend to go through with the wedding. That they'd worked it out and are committed to making this happen.
Crap. I'm in the black hole of couple and family dysfunction.
After some...challenging premarital sessions, we have finally come to the wedding weekend. But the excitement is not over. Tonight, the bride and groom did not show up for the rehearsal because they got into a Massive fight. Family all freaked out, big time. It was looking like everything was going to be cancelled. Now, about 30 minutes ago, the bride showed up at my doorstep with her sister and a friend to tell me that they intend to go through with the wedding. That they'd worked it out and are committed to making this happen.
Crap. I'm in the black hole of couple and family dysfunction.
RevGalPals Friday Five - Silliness
Today’s Friday Five celebrates the spontaneous child in all of us… or at least the one that we admire in someone else:
1) On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being I can’t do this now I am about to jump into a pit of plastic balls at the mini-mall and 1 being I can’t do this now until I can get all of the fonts on my blog to match – where are you?
Ooooh, it depends on the day! Actually, it depends on the grumpiness quotient of the day. When the grumpies hit, I'm the one raining on the parade (depression SUCKS). On regular days, I'm probably a 3.5. A 4 on special occasions. As I've gotten older and added responsibilities, spontenatity has definitely lessened. I was the one who was ready on a moment's notice to go do something silly and fun. Now, not so much. Darn, all those adult responsibilites!
2) What is the silliest/most childlike thing you have done as an adult?
I went to a Halloween party dressed as Jael, with the bloody looking tent peg & mallet and everything. I won first prize in the Biblically-themed costume category!
3) Any regrets?
No, I don't think I regret any of my adult occasions of silliness. There are a few adolescent occasions of silliness I wish I could erase!
4) What is the silliest thing you have ever seen another adult do on purpose?
Ummm, the ones I can think of came about because the persons in question imbibed too much alcohol, so I don't know if they really count.
5) What is something you wish you did when you had the chance?
Travel abroad!!! During college and then again at seminary, I had the opportunity to do so, but passed them up over fears about money. I really wish I had just gone for it!
BONUS: For our ‘I told you so’ sides – what thing did you skip doing and you’re really glad you did!
I'm glad that I didn't accept some invitations to some parties that ended up being excuses for adults to act like immature adolescents. I enjoy silliness yes, but stupidity, no.
1) On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being I can’t do this now I am about to jump into a pit of plastic balls at the mini-mall and 1 being I can’t do this now until I can get all of the fonts on my blog to match – where are you?
Ooooh, it depends on the day! Actually, it depends on the grumpiness quotient of the day. When the grumpies hit, I'm the one raining on the parade (depression SUCKS). On regular days, I'm probably a 3.5. A 4 on special occasions. As I've gotten older and added responsibilities, spontenatity has definitely lessened. I was the one who was ready on a moment's notice to go do something silly and fun. Now, not so much. Darn, all those adult responsibilites!
2) What is the silliest/most childlike thing you have done as an adult?
I went to a Halloween party dressed as Jael, with the bloody looking tent peg & mallet and everything. I won first prize in the Biblically-themed costume category!
3) Any regrets?
No, I don't think I regret any of my adult occasions of silliness. There are a few adolescent occasions of silliness I wish I could erase!
4) What is the silliest thing you have ever seen another adult do on purpose?
Ummm, the ones I can think of came about because the persons in question imbibed too much alcohol, so I don't know if they really count.
5) What is something you wish you did when you had the chance?
Travel abroad!!! During college and then again at seminary, I had the opportunity to do so, but passed them up over fears about money. I really wish I had just gone for it!
BONUS: For our ‘I told you so’ sides – what thing did you skip doing and you’re really glad you did!
I'm glad that I didn't accept some invitations to some parties that ended up being excuses for adults to act like immature adolescents. I enjoy silliness yes, but stupidity, no.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Drawing a Blank
I have always loved the written word. I love to soak up ideas and images, sort through layers, revel in the richness of language. On my kindergarten final report, the teacher commented on how desperately I wanted to learn to read (in those days, the standards and expectations of 5 & 6 year olds were v-e-r-y different from today! Now you can't graduate from K without knowing how to read at a basic level).
I have also loved to write, to play with words, bring the images and ideas from my head into a form that expresses them to others. I make no claims to excellence, or even mediocrity in my writing, but it is an exercise I enjoy.
So I find myself in a rather odd predicament at the moment. Our local paper has a "From the Pastor's Desk" article every week, and the pastors in the area take our turns writing the column. I am assigned for the first week in August, and the first week in September. Since this baby could show up any time after the first weekend in August, I decided I should write both columns now, and submit them to the paper early with an explanation of my situation. All well and good. BUT. I am having the worst case of blank mind ever, writer's block big time. I can't squeeze out one column right now, much less two! I've started on several different themes, and run out of steam after 100 words each time (the column calls for 400-500 words).
What am I going to write?!?! Nothing is really catching my interest or inspiring any passion in me at the moment - other than the strong desire to sleep and eat as my body preps for the upcoming event. And I don't want to blather about pregnancy or babies in the column, I'd like SOME privacy and boundaries in these tiny communities. Arrghl. Makes me secretly wish I'd saved all those years worth of monthy newsletter articles I wrote in my last parish. I hate to recycle, but I'm coming up empty!
So. Now what?
I have also loved to write, to play with words, bring the images and ideas from my head into a form that expresses them to others. I make no claims to excellence, or even mediocrity in my writing, but it is an exercise I enjoy.
So I find myself in a rather odd predicament at the moment. Our local paper has a "From the Pastor's Desk" article every week, and the pastors in the area take our turns writing the column. I am assigned for the first week in August, and the first week in September. Since this baby could show up any time after the first weekend in August, I decided I should write both columns now, and submit them to the paper early with an explanation of my situation. All well and good. BUT. I am having the worst case of blank mind ever, writer's block big time. I can't squeeze out one column right now, much less two! I've started on several different themes, and run out of steam after 100 words each time (the column calls for 400-500 words).
What am I going to write?!?! Nothing is really catching my interest or inspiring any passion in me at the moment - other than the strong desire to sleep and eat as my body preps for the upcoming event. And I don't want to blather about pregnancy or babies in the column, I'd like SOME privacy and boundaries in these tiny communities. Arrghl. Makes me secretly wish I'd saved all those years worth of monthy newsletter articles I wrote in my last parish. I hate to recycle, but I'm coming up empty!
So. Now what?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Pre-marital Part 3
Uffda. I'm still working out what I just experienced in my latest pre-marital session. Each time I think I know what's going to happen, or think I've got things figured out with these folks, I end up being surprised and challenged.
The positives - both were able to honestly and clearly express their love and trust and commitment to each other. It was simple and straightforward, and...beautiful, really. They were also able to express and start discussing their relationship challenges and issues with me. I hadn't expected this, I'd hoped for it, but thought it wouldn't or couldn't happen.
The negatives - so many, many difficult issues for which they struggle to be able to come to any consensus or game plan. They both have complicated and painful pasts that have a HUGE impact in how they understand and deal with their realities. They both have families that barely function. He deals with substance abuse and a history of getting in trouble with the law. And so dealing with all their life issues becomes so huge and seemingly insurmountable for them. Their frustration and anger were palpable as they talked about their issues, but they didn't seem able to move past venting to dealing with them and coming up with ideas and solutions.
I wish that I had more time with them. I wish they were open to seeking out some skilled counseling. I feel better about them as a couple than I did when we first started. But. They have so much to deal with and overcome. And getting married is not going to solve any of the problems. So here we are. Uffda.
And what in the world am I going to preach at this wedding?
The positives - both were able to honestly and clearly express their love and trust and commitment to each other. It was simple and straightforward, and...beautiful, really. They were also able to express and start discussing their relationship challenges and issues with me. I hadn't expected this, I'd hoped for it, but thought it wouldn't or couldn't happen.
The negatives - so many, many difficult issues for which they struggle to be able to come to any consensus or game plan. They both have complicated and painful pasts that have a HUGE impact in how they understand and deal with their realities. They both have families that barely function. He deals with substance abuse and a history of getting in trouble with the law. And so dealing with all their life issues becomes so huge and seemingly insurmountable for them. Their frustration and anger were palpable as they talked about their issues, but they didn't seem able to move past venting to dealing with them and coming up with ideas and solutions.
I wish that I had more time with them. I wish they were open to seeking out some skilled counseling. I feel better about them as a couple than I did when we first started. But. They have so much to deal with and overcome. And getting married is not going to solve any of the problems. So here we are. Uffda.
And what in the world am I going to preach at this wedding?
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