So, I admit that when Seabury and Garrett worship together, I usually attend out of a reluctant commitment to ecumenism. That is to say, ecumenism's fine and good, but if Garrett students aren't required to attend Garrett chapel, I don't think I should have to give up my own chapel service to go to theirs. But I go, because I (generally) do what I'm told.
Today, however, it was so, so worth it. Today, we sang praise music. Without murdering it. It's been a while since I got to do that, and I'd missed it a lot - especially since my most recent worship experiences have turned me pretty well against the high church stuff for a while. (I'll come back to liking it - but not for at least a couple months more, maybe not until the fall even.) I haven't been that happy in church for a long time. I didn't even care that I didn't know most of the songs. (Of course, the beauty of praise music is that you don't have to - they're musically predictable enough that you can just hear the intro or first line and have a pretty good sense of how the rest of the song will go.)
Now, of course, those of us who went "ooh! ooh! praise music!" are trying to figure out "wait - when do we get more of that?" Still - I got to sing praise music today! Yay for that!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Disappointment
In preparation for heading off to Ohio in a few weeks and being duly examined for ordination, I have to do a psych eval. (In my diocese, you do a psych eval before postulancy, and then again before ordination if it's been three years since you got postulancy.) This is fine, though it certainly doesn't thrill me.
Prior to said evaluation, you have to sign a release. Again, fine. I understand that the bishop will get this report, that they'll follow legal guidelines for not sharing it, etc.
Except.
I also have to agree never to try to see the results or get a copy of the report.
This bothers me greatly. If we're trying to create a process that's open, that encourages honesty and self-disclosure and gives people the confidence that that won't be used against them, we need access to reports of the state of our minds. I'm disappointed that my diocese, which mostly has a really good and safe process, requires us to waive this privilege.
On a happier note, I have just learned that I will not have to meet with the diocesan Board of Examining Chaplains to discuss deficiencies in my academic preparation and the possibility of remedial work before ordination. Thanks be to God for that.
Prior to said evaluation, you have to sign a release. Again, fine. I understand that the bishop will get this report, that they'll follow legal guidelines for not sharing it, etc.
Except.
I also have to agree never to try to see the results or get a copy of the report.
This bothers me greatly. If we're trying to create a process that's open, that encourages honesty and self-disclosure and gives people the confidence that that won't be used against them, we need access to reports of the state of our minds. I'm disappointed that my diocese, which mostly has a really good and safe process, requires us to waive this privilege.
On a happier note, I have just learned that I will not have to meet with the diocesan Board of Examining Chaplains to discuss deficiencies in my academic preparation and the possibility of remedial work before ordination. Thanks be to God for that.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Sunday afternoon
I'm pretty sure I live in the only suite anywhere where the conversation about the purpose of the cleaning rota goes like this:
Beth: Kay, did you clean the bathroom this weekend?
Kay: Well...
Jenny Jo: Kay?
Kay: I only cleaned part of it.
Beth: Kay! It's not your weekend!
Jenny Jo: That defeats the purpose of the rota!
Kay: But I had a few minutes on Friday, and I had these new Mr Clean erasers I wanted to use.
(Beth and Jenny Jo exchange looks.)
Beth: Kay, did you clean the bathroom this weekend?
Kay: Well...
Jenny Jo: Kay?
Kay: I only cleaned part of it.
Beth: Kay! It's not your weekend!
Jenny Jo: That defeats the purpose of the rota!
Kay: But I had a few minutes on Friday, and I had these new Mr Clean erasers I wanted to use.
(Beth and Jenny Jo exchange looks.)
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Hmm.
Yesterday, I mailed the letter to my bishop asking him pretty please to ordain me to the transitional diaconate in June. Soon the dean should be sending a letter from the faculty telling him that's a good idea. Soon after that, I'll go home to be psychologically and spiritually poked and prodded to determine if the diocese agrees. Soon after that, I'll go to the clinic and get physically poked and prodded to determine if there's blood in my veins and air in my lungs. Soon after that, I'll be getting a degree. Soon after that, God willing and the bishop and people consenting, I will kneel before the bishop and have hands laid on me.
Five months are going to go by very fast....
Five months are going to go by very fast....
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Accountability Post
I need to remember to be off caffeine for probably the next week or so altogether. I also need to drink less decaf and more water. I'm pretty sure I've let myself get dehydrated this week, and that simply won't work. (Probably eating something before 3 pm most days wouldn't be a bad idea either.)
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Feast of St. Brigid
I preached tonight at Seabury, which I love doing, even if it scares me. This one certainly scared the hell out of me, mostly because I preached it without notes (something I've only ever dared in class before) but a little because it's more vulnerable than most of mine.
I'm not sure that I've ever had such a powerful experience preaching before. The whole service was really powerful, actually, in a lot of little ways. I had an especially hard time distributing communion - a couple of times I had to try twice to get the words "the body of Christ" to leave my mouth. But the preaching was a lot of it. Preaching always takes something out of me, and at Seabury it always takes a fair amount, but this one really took almost everything I had. From the feedback I got, the sermon seems to have worked for the congregation also.
I did write a text for organizational purposes, and I'm putting it below, though I'm not sure this sermon works as well in text form as it does spoken. It's obviously not exact, since I didn't use the text, but particular words stick in my mind, so it's pretty close. Oh - the biblical text is 1 Cor. 1:26-31.
*****************************
Last week my roommate stopped writing, looked around her room, and said. “Every flat surface in this room has a book on it. I think I’m looking for the words I can’t seem to find in my head.” Boy, did that ring true for me. My gut reaction to most problems, certainly most writing and thinking problems, is to look for another book to fix it. Someone asks me, “What do you know about…?” and my first instinct is that I know I have a bookshelf. I start thinking about what I’ve read that I could give them, not what I know about x. In fact, if someone asks me about my own experience, I’m likely still to reach for a book. I’m likely to ask someone else to explain it for me, to flip through pages until I find someone who has.
Words hold wisdom. In words, the wisdom of one time can be pinned down and passed forward to future generations, and we can pick it up again a hundred or a thousand years later. Words are what let me in on all the marvelous thinking that people far more insightful than I are figuring out. Words are how I figure out what I’m thinking. That’s a lot of why I feel so at home in this place. The seminary often wants to tell us that words, especially written words, are of immense worth – are, in fact, worth more than experience. And I already tend to hold words over experience as a source of wisdom, so that becomes a pretty comfortable place for me to live. I get to hide out in my love of books, and call it wisdom.
But the things that mean the most to me, the things that show me God most clearly, are not, in the end, books. In fact, maybe part of why I look so quickly to books is that when it comes to God, words don’t come easily to me. I want to hear how someone else has taken a smell, a glance, a texture, and translated it to the written word, because I need to put it into words somehow in order to preach it.
The closest I can come to articulating my desire for God is very often to open the hymnal and sing “Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm, whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm, be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray, your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.” The closest I can come to articulating what I believe, what the Church believes, about God, is usually to quote Scripture or Augustine or Madeleine L’Engle. For the same reason, I was never much good at writing Happening affirmations or psych notes or love letters. I was always better at collecting quotations for my friends and lovers than writing out my own sentiment.
But even there, even with the most articulate words I can find, they don’t go far enough. No words can convey to you the way that I know God by the touch of your hand, by the taste of fresh chamomile, by the smell of my grandmother’s perfume. Maybe some of you know something about what that’s like – maybe words can take us far enough to meet in the middle between our experiences of God – but they’ll never take us all the way across. How can I tell you about the particular glow of a torch on the lake, when it’s not really about the glow at all but everything that brings me to the place where I see that glow? How can I tell you?
I can’t. But I find a little comfort, and a little clarity, in wondering whether maybe God couldn’t either. Whether maybe that’s why the Word became flesh; as Paul says, “became for us wisdom from God.” I’d like to think that God can shape words to do exactly what they ought to do; that God’s eloquence far outshines any of ours. But after centuries of speaking to us, maybe even God couldn’t explain God’s love for us without coming himself and looking us in the eyes.
I'm not sure that I've ever had such a powerful experience preaching before. The whole service was really powerful, actually, in a lot of little ways. I had an especially hard time distributing communion - a couple of times I had to try twice to get the words "the body of Christ" to leave my mouth. But the preaching was a lot of it. Preaching always takes something out of me, and at Seabury it always takes a fair amount, but this one really took almost everything I had. From the feedback I got, the sermon seems to have worked for the congregation also.
I did write a text for organizational purposes, and I'm putting it below, though I'm not sure this sermon works as well in text form as it does spoken. It's obviously not exact, since I didn't use the text, but particular words stick in my mind, so it's pretty close. Oh - the biblical text is 1 Cor. 1:26-31.
*****************************
Last week my roommate stopped writing, looked around her room, and said. “Every flat surface in this room has a book on it. I think I’m looking for the words I can’t seem to find in my head.” Boy, did that ring true for me. My gut reaction to most problems, certainly most writing and thinking problems, is to look for another book to fix it. Someone asks me, “What do you know about…?” and my first instinct is that I know I have a bookshelf. I start thinking about what I’ve read that I could give them, not what I know about x. In fact, if someone asks me about my own experience, I’m likely still to reach for a book. I’m likely to ask someone else to explain it for me, to flip through pages until I find someone who has.
Words hold wisdom. In words, the wisdom of one time can be pinned down and passed forward to future generations, and we can pick it up again a hundred or a thousand years later. Words are what let me in on all the marvelous thinking that people far more insightful than I are figuring out. Words are how I figure out what I’m thinking. That’s a lot of why I feel so at home in this place. The seminary often wants to tell us that words, especially written words, are of immense worth – are, in fact, worth more than experience. And I already tend to hold words over experience as a source of wisdom, so that becomes a pretty comfortable place for me to live. I get to hide out in my love of books, and call it wisdom.
But the things that mean the most to me, the things that show me God most clearly, are not, in the end, books. In fact, maybe part of why I look so quickly to books is that when it comes to God, words don’t come easily to me. I want to hear how someone else has taken a smell, a glance, a texture, and translated it to the written word, because I need to put it into words somehow in order to preach it.
The closest I can come to articulating my desire for God is very often to open the hymnal and sing “Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm, whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm, be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray, your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.” The closest I can come to articulating what I believe, what the Church believes, about God, is usually to quote Scripture or Augustine or Madeleine L’Engle. For the same reason, I was never much good at writing Happening affirmations or psych notes or love letters. I was always better at collecting quotations for my friends and lovers than writing out my own sentiment.
But even there, even with the most articulate words I can find, they don’t go far enough. No words can convey to you the way that I know God by the touch of your hand, by the taste of fresh chamomile, by the smell of my grandmother’s perfume. Maybe some of you know something about what that’s like – maybe words can take us far enough to meet in the middle between our experiences of God – but they’ll never take us all the way across. How can I tell you about the particular glow of a torch on the lake, when it’s not really about the glow at all but everything that brings me to the place where I see that glow? How can I tell you?
I can’t. But I find a little comfort, and a little clarity, in wondering whether maybe God couldn’t either. Whether maybe that’s why the Word became flesh; as Paul says, “became for us wisdom from God.” I’d like to think that God can shape words to do exactly what they ought to do; that God’s eloquence far outshines any of ours. But after centuries of speaking to us, maybe even God couldn’t explain God’s love for us without coming himself and looking us in the eyes.
Just curious
Is anyone else surprised to see that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is scheduled to be released only a week after Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix comes out in theaters?
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Sermon prep
8:55 AM: Roommates to class.
8:56 AM: Decide to drink the last cup of coffee. Open fridge to find soy milk frozen.
8:57 AM: IM Tripp to ask about the wisdom/possibility of microwaving frozen soy milk for my coffee.
9:00 AM: Microwave frozen soy milk for coffee.
9:01 AM: Power blows on my side of the suite - a first.
9:02 AM: Pour coffee.
9:03 AM: Convince computer to restart on battery power.
9:04 AM: Wander downstairs to find receptionist.
9:05 AM: Call maintenance from receptionist's desk, since own phone is plugged in to charge.
9:06 AM: Maintenance promises to check breaker.
9:08 AM: Return upstairs. Open sermon file.
9:12 AM: Power comes back on.
9:13 AM: Wireless comes back on.
9:14 AM: IM Tripp to apologize for cutting out mid-conversation.
9:15 AM: Close conversation in a civilized manner.
9:16 AM: Begin to learn sermon.
9:17 AM: Maintenance and buddies come upstairs to test suite's fire alarms.
9:18 AM: Fire alarms begin going off.
9:20 AM: Fire alarms stop going off.
9:22 AM: Fire alarms go off again.
9:25 AM: Fire alarms stop, maintenance leaves.
9:27 AM: Yodabeth blogs to ask, Does this mean God doesn't want me to preach without notes tomorrow after all?
8:56 AM: Decide to drink the last cup of coffee. Open fridge to find soy milk frozen.
8:57 AM: IM Tripp to ask about the wisdom/possibility of microwaving frozen soy milk for my coffee.
9:00 AM: Microwave frozen soy milk for coffee.
9:01 AM: Power blows on my side of the suite - a first.
9:02 AM: Pour coffee.
9:03 AM: Convince computer to restart on battery power.
9:04 AM: Wander downstairs to find receptionist.
9:05 AM: Call maintenance from receptionist's desk, since own phone is plugged in to charge.
9:06 AM: Maintenance promises to check breaker.
9:08 AM: Return upstairs. Open sermon file.
9:12 AM: Power comes back on.
9:13 AM: Wireless comes back on.
9:14 AM: IM Tripp to apologize for cutting out mid-conversation.
9:15 AM: Close conversation in a civilized manner.
9:16 AM: Begin to learn sermon.
9:17 AM: Maintenance and buddies come upstairs to test suite's fire alarms.
9:18 AM: Fire alarms begin going off.
9:20 AM: Fire alarms stop going off.
9:22 AM: Fire alarms go off again.
9:25 AM: Fire alarms stop, maintenance leaves.
9:27 AM: Yodabeth blogs to ask, Does this mean God doesn't want me to preach without notes tomorrow after all?
Friday, January 26, 2007
Because you care deeply about these things...
I have been instructed to inform you that our trash now contains three or four Starbucks/Peet's cups in addition to the half-pound or so of coffee grounds.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Best. thing. ever.
I so took a ballet class tonight!
I finally got up the nerve to go here tonight and take a class. I was a little freaked out by trying a new studio, and a little more freaked out by the fact that the woman on the phone told me to take a level II class,* but she turned out to be right. Level II is exactly the right class for me right now. It was fantastic. I can't wait to go back - the trick now will be keeping myself from spending too much money on classes now that I have them to take.
*The studio has five teen/adult levels: I-IV and Adult.
I finally got up the nerve to go here tonight and take a class. I was a little freaked out by trying a new studio, and a little more freaked out by the fact that the woman on the phone told me to take a level II class,* but she turned out to be right. Level II is exactly the right class for me right now. It was fantastic. I can't wait to go back - the trick now will be keeping myself from spending too much money on classes now that I have them to take.
*The studio has five teen/adult levels: I-IV and Adult.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Are you sure?
I just got a parish survey from my sponsoring parish, with a note from... someone whose name I can't really read, maybe the chair of long-range planning? which thanks me for responding. I had already decided not to do so, since most of the questions don't really apply to me:
*How many of your five closest friends are members of St. Paul's? Well, none of them, but that's to be expected when I haven't attended regularly for the past 8 years.
*Please indicate the primary reasons you attend St. Paul's. I don't.
Etc.
But now I feel like I ought to do the survey, since I've been personally asked to, so I guess I'll just skip some of the questions....
*How many of your five closest friends are members of St. Paul's? Well, none of them, but that's to be expected when I haven't attended regularly for the past 8 years.
*Please indicate the primary reasons you attend St. Paul's. I don't.
Etc.
But now I feel like I ought to do the survey, since I've been personally asked to, so I guess I'll just skip some of the questions....
Friday, January 19, 2007
My Aristocratic Title
Via Tripp
 | My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Grand Duchess Beth the Flavoursome of Giggleswich Lanken Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Meme? Meme? Ok!
Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud, and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question. NO CHEATING
How does the world see you?
"Silence on the Line" - Chris LeDoux
Will I have a happy life?
"Moment of Forgiveness" - Indigo Girls (Is that a yes or a no?)
What do my friends really think of me?
"Good King Wenceslas" - Church of the Ascension (um?)
How can I make myself happy?
"Strange Fire" - Indigo Girls
What should I do with my life?
"At the Zoo" - Simon & Garfunkel (well, that's a no-brainer. few places more zooey than the church)
Will I ever have children?
"Someday" - Flipsyde (Does that mean "someday, on the flip side?" I'm hoping for someday this side of death....)
What is some good advice for me?
"Mr. Zebra" - Tori Amos (Does that mean that I should be taking acid?)
How will I be remembered?
"The Gathering Storm" - Children of Eden (oh, dear)
What is my signature dancing song?
"Alive" - Jekyll & Hyde (I hope not!)
What do I think my current theme song is?
"Yes It Is" - The Beatles
What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
"A Medley: For Sentimental Reasons, Tenderly, Autumn Leaves" - Natalie Cole (If this is true, y'all, explain)
What song will play at my funeral?
"Freedom Medley" - Peter, Paul, & Mary
What is my day going to be like?
"How Can I Keep From Singing?/Hallelujah, the Great Storm is Over" - Peter, Paul, & Mary (Can I call that one in tomorrow? that wasn't my experience of today, though I suppose the day isn't over.)
and one more question from Ice Floe:
Should I publish this meme?
"To Zion" - Lauryn Hill (I'll take that as a yes...)
How does the world see you?
"Silence on the Line" - Chris LeDoux
Will I have a happy life?
"Moment of Forgiveness" - Indigo Girls (Is that a yes or a no?)
What do my friends really think of me?
"Good King Wenceslas" - Church of the Ascension (um?)
How can I make myself happy?
"Strange Fire" - Indigo Girls
What should I do with my life?
"At the Zoo" - Simon & Garfunkel (well, that's a no-brainer. few places more zooey than the church)
Will I ever have children?
"Someday" - Flipsyde (Does that mean "someday, on the flip side?" I'm hoping for someday this side of death....)
What is some good advice for me?
"Mr. Zebra" - Tori Amos (Does that mean that I should be taking acid?)
How will I be remembered?
"The Gathering Storm" - Children of Eden (oh, dear)
What is my signature dancing song?
"Alive" - Jekyll & Hyde (I hope not!)
What do I think my current theme song is?
"Yes It Is" - The Beatles
What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
"A Medley: For Sentimental Reasons, Tenderly, Autumn Leaves" - Natalie Cole (If this is true, y'all, explain)
What song will play at my funeral?
"Freedom Medley" - Peter, Paul, & Mary
What is my day going to be like?
"How Can I Keep From Singing?/Hallelujah, the Great Storm is Over" - Peter, Paul, & Mary (Can I call that one in tomorrow? that wasn't my experience of today, though I suppose the day isn't over.)
and one more question from Ice Floe:
Should I publish this meme?
"To Zion" - Lauryn Hill (I'll take that as a yes...)
Friday, January 12, 2007
Addicted? Us?
Thanks to Barnes & Noble's current 2-for-1 TV box sets sale, our suite has drastically increased our stash. Kay acquired seasons 2 and 6 of Gilmore Girls, completing her set of the series (so far as it's been released.) Jenny Jo acquired season 3 of West Wing, completing her set. And I acquired seasons 5, 6, and 7 of West Wing, completing my set. We're now prepared both to supply our own addictions and feed the rest of the campus's - indeed, my new season 7 has already left the premises, so that Les and Kristin can finish watching the show and join Jenny Jo and me in mourning and overanalyzing. Hooray!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
If I had a hammer...
... I'd hit construction workers over the head with it. Except not really, because I don't do that, and they're often wearing hard hats anyway, though probably not the guys who are up here now.
But it's 8:20, and I have yet to get access to my bathroom this morning. I got up and Roommate 1 was in there; then she came out but the Construction Men came up into our hallway, so I decided to dress first instead of going out in my pajamas; then as soon as I was dressed, Roommate 2 got in the shower. I am hoping that she's a very quick showerer, but I suspect I will not get access before Morning Prayer starts at 8:30. I'm not opposed to using one elsewhere in the building, but that one won't have my toothbrush and toothpaste in it.
I am trying to remember that I am glad the construction workers weren't fixing these fire alarms during GOE's, rather than getting angry that they had to start doing so at 7:30 this morning.
But it's 8:20, and I have yet to get access to my bathroom this morning. I got up and Roommate 1 was in there; then she came out but the Construction Men came up into our hallway, so I decided to dress first instead of going out in my pajamas; then as soon as I was dressed, Roommate 2 got in the shower. I am hoping that she's a very quick showerer, but I suspect I will not get access before Morning Prayer starts at 8:30. I'm not opposed to using one elsewhere in the building, but that one won't have my toothbrush and toothpaste in it.
I am trying to remember that I am glad the construction workers weren't fixing these fire alarms during GOE's, rather than getting angry that they had to start doing so at 7:30 this morning.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Fifty Things
From Hugo Schwyzer.
1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? That's not too bad.
2. How much cash do you have on you? On me, personally? None. It's in my purse.
3. What’s a word that rhymes with “DOOR?” Boor.
4. Favorite planet? Earth is a pretty nice one.
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? My assistant director for camp this summer.
6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone? Pier Gynt.
7. Do you “label” yourself? Yes. I think words are helpful that way.
8. What shirt are you wearing? A gray stretch long-sleeved tee with a slight v-neck, over which I can wear my Ohio State fleece vest.
9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing? Socks.
10. Bright or dark room? Sort of dark-ish.
11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you? Articulate, interesting, and helpful.
12. What does your watch look like? Two-tone gold, small, with an oval face. Guess.
13. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping.
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? "Hope all is going well. good luck. ring if u need something" - from the first day of exams
15. Where is your nearest 7-11? Probably Dempster and Dodge.
16. What’s a word that you say a lot? Indeed.
17. Who told you he/she loved you last? My mom.
18. Last furry thing you touched? Hmm... probably Howie or Tar, coming home from lunch on Saturday.
19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? Um. I've had a couple glasses of wine... but I think that's it.
20. How many rolls of film do you need developed? One, and it's old and of dubious quality.
21. Favorite age you have been so far? Hmm. I liked the roundness of 25, and it was a pretty good year overall... I'm fairly certain that 3 was excellent... 19 was pretty damn good, actually, as was 22.
22. Your worst enemy? Dunno. I don't really think in terms of enemies.
23. What is your current desktop picture? A collage of Ohio State stuff.
24. What was the last thing you said to someone? "Indeed. I say indeed a lot."
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be? Flying. No question.
26. Do you like someone? ? Like, have a crush on someone? Does Keira Knightley count?
27. The last song you listened to? The last one I can identify was Great Big Sea, "Lukey"
28. What time of day were you born? 6:09 pm, EDT
29. What’s your favorite number? 16
30. Where did you live in 1987? Berea, OH
31. Are you jealous of anyone? Of course.
32. Is anyone jealous of you? I'm told so, but I imagine they're few and far between.
33. Where were you when 9/11 happened? I walked into the Smith Center in Hamburg just as the second plane was hitting the tower.
34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money? Tell the nearest person that the vending machine is stupid. Scowl.
35. What’s your life motto? Ummm. Don't know as I have one.
36. Are you touchy feely? Preferably, but I restrain myself a lot - people tend to misinterpret touchy feely a lot when it's coming from a single woman.
37. Name three things that you have on you at all times. College ring, glasses, nose ring.
38. What’s your favorite town/city? Hmm. I've come to love every place I've ever lived. For eats, I love Northampton; for roots and nostalgia and opportunities, Cleveland area; for fun, Evanston/Chicago.
39. What was the last thing you paid for with cash? Charging my transit card yesterday. Someday, they'll realize I'm not lying about my zip code and let me have the permanent kind....
40. Can you change the oil on a car? Like Hugo's, my ability to take my car in for an oil change is impressive.
41. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her? "Teaching too much"
42. How far back do you know about your ancestry? Umm... around the beginning of the 17th century on both sides, I think.
43. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy? Depends on how fancy... the last time I dressed really fancy was the black silk dress I wore for Matriculation banquet in October.
44. Does anything hurt on your body right now? Right hip, back, neck, left jaw. The life of a former dancer and current student... also I just bit the inside of my cheek.
45. Have you been burned by love? Yes indeed.
46. What living person whom you’ve never met do you most admire? Madeleine L'Engle, maybe.
47. What character trait would you most like to rid yourself of this year? Arrogance.
48. What one human flaw would you eradicate if you could? Cruelty
49. Where was your first kiss? My parents' front stoop.
50. What actor/actress do you most resemble? I don't, really... though sometimes when I look at myself in my pajamas without my glasses, I look a little like the actress that played the fiancee in 13 Going On Thirty. But I think it's mostly the pajamas and the hair. Also I've been told Jennifer Westfeldt, a little, but I think that's not so much physical appearance either.
1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? That's not too bad.
2. How much cash do you have on you? On me, personally? None. It's in my purse.
3. What’s a word that rhymes with “DOOR?” Boor.
4. Favorite planet? Earth is a pretty nice one.
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? My assistant director for camp this summer.
6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone? Pier Gynt.
7. Do you “label” yourself? Yes. I think words are helpful that way.
8. What shirt are you wearing? A gray stretch long-sleeved tee with a slight v-neck, over which I can wear my Ohio State fleece vest.
9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing? Socks.
10. Bright or dark room? Sort of dark-ish.
11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you? Articulate, interesting, and helpful.
12. What does your watch look like? Two-tone gold, small, with an oval face. Guess.
13. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping.
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? "Hope all is going well. good luck. ring if u need something" - from the first day of exams
15. Where is your nearest 7-11? Probably Dempster and Dodge.
16. What’s a word that you say a lot? Indeed.
17. Who told you he/she loved you last? My mom.
18. Last furry thing you touched? Hmm... probably Howie or Tar, coming home from lunch on Saturday.
19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? Um. I've had a couple glasses of wine... but I think that's it.
20. How many rolls of film do you need developed? One, and it's old and of dubious quality.
21. Favorite age you have been so far? Hmm. I liked the roundness of 25, and it was a pretty good year overall... I'm fairly certain that 3 was excellent... 19 was pretty damn good, actually, as was 22.
22. Your worst enemy? Dunno. I don't really think in terms of enemies.
23. What is your current desktop picture? A collage of Ohio State stuff.
24. What was the last thing you said to someone? "Indeed. I say indeed a lot."
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be? Flying. No question.
26. Do you like someone? ? Like, have a crush on someone? Does Keira Knightley count?
27. The last song you listened to? The last one I can identify was Great Big Sea, "Lukey"
28. What time of day were you born? 6:09 pm, EDT
29. What’s your favorite number? 16
30. Where did you live in 1987? Berea, OH
31. Are you jealous of anyone? Of course.
32. Is anyone jealous of you? I'm told so, but I imagine they're few and far between.
33. Where were you when 9/11 happened? I walked into the Smith Center in Hamburg just as the second plane was hitting the tower.
34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money? Tell the nearest person that the vending machine is stupid. Scowl.
35. What’s your life motto? Ummm. Don't know as I have one.
36. Are you touchy feely? Preferably, but I restrain myself a lot - people tend to misinterpret touchy feely a lot when it's coming from a single woman.
37. Name three things that you have on you at all times. College ring, glasses, nose ring.
38. What’s your favorite town/city? Hmm. I've come to love every place I've ever lived. For eats, I love Northampton; for roots and nostalgia and opportunities, Cleveland area; for fun, Evanston/Chicago.
39. What was the last thing you paid for with cash? Charging my transit card yesterday. Someday, they'll realize I'm not lying about my zip code and let me have the permanent kind....
40. Can you change the oil on a car? Like Hugo's, my ability to take my car in for an oil change is impressive.
41. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her? "Teaching too much"
42. How far back do you know about your ancestry? Umm... around the beginning of the 17th century on both sides, I think.
43. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy? Depends on how fancy... the last time I dressed really fancy was the black silk dress I wore for Matriculation banquet in October.
44. Does anything hurt on your body right now? Right hip, back, neck, left jaw. The life of a former dancer and current student... also I just bit the inside of my cheek.
45. Have you been burned by love? Yes indeed.
46. What living person whom you’ve never met do you most admire? Madeleine L'Engle, maybe.
47. What character trait would you most like to rid yourself of this year? Arrogance.
48. What one human flaw would you eradicate if you could? Cruelty
49. Where was your first kiss? My parents' front stoop.
50. What actor/actress do you most resemble? I don't, really... though sometimes when I look at myself in my pajamas without my glasses, I look a little like the actress that played the fiancee in 13 Going On Thirty. But I think it's mostly the pajamas and the hair. Also I've been told Jennifer Westfeldt, a little, but I think that's not so much physical appearance either.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Brain dead
How done is Beth?
So done!
So done, yes, that I'm thinking on the level of a 2-year-old. Not really sure how coherent that last answer was, but it's printed and turned in now.
So done!
So done, yes, that I'm thinking on the level of a 2-year-old. Not really sure how coherent that last answer was, but it's printed and turned in now.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Pre-test test
Find your own pose!
Some of you will not be surprised to hear that question three, about the animals, freaked me out... but otherwise it's a pretty decent quiz.
Soon, soon
It's come to my attention that not only does this blog still have readers, said readers actually prefer that I post. I apologize for my silence of late, and I will aim to fill these windows more often in the coming weeks, as I start my full-time field education here. For the next week, though, I'm likely to continue in absentee mode, because I'll be busy taking the General Ordination Exams. (Church-geeky readers who want to see the exam schedule may go here.) Prayers and good-wishes for all those taking the exam around the country are welcome. After exams are over, though, I'll try to do better about posting.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
We interrupt this silence...
Recently, I've been noticing that I seem to be a bit thinner than I have been the last couple of years. Or at least I feel thinner. I've also been trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I look to myself as though I'm thinner now than I was in high school, despite the fact that in high school I had a lot more muscle and I now weigh more.
So, a classmate and I are studying for our Hebrew exam by looking at my high school and college photos and talking about people, using lots of pretty object pronouns and everything. Only right now, he's off changing his laundry (something we don't know how to say in Hebrew), and I've just been looking at the pictures.
There's one page with several pictures of me with my high school boyfriend, in various poses and lifts from show choir. I am wearing a t-shirt and shorts. One of these has me hanging down by my legs and hands - and I can see my hip bones.
Yeah. I guess I was pretty thin in high school after all.
So, a classmate and I are studying for our Hebrew exam by looking at my high school and college photos and talking about people, using lots of pretty object pronouns and everything. Only right now, he's off changing his laundry (something we don't know how to say in Hebrew), and I've just been looking at the pictures.
There's one page with several pictures of me with my high school boyfriend, in various poses and lifts from show choir. I am wearing a t-shirt and shorts. One of these has me hanging down by my legs and hands - and I can see my hip bones.
Yeah. I guess I was pretty thin in high school after all.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Nothing's quite the same...
In the last week, I've noticed a significant number of people in their pajamas wandering around Evanston. More, in fact, than I've seen in the last two years total. I'm sure this is linked to the opening of Cerealocity, or whatever its name is - the new cereal bar in town, where employees wear pajamas to work and customers eat cereal at all hours. My question is, am I just noticing more pajama-clad pedestrians because I'm aware they might be there, or are there actually more around?
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
What Better Said
I had an inspiration high today looking for a topic for my Anglican Worship paper, and I'm heading into a crash off of it.* So here's another link, one that likely has broader appeal than the last. I stumbled across Kendall's blog yesterday and was favorably impressed (doesn't hurt that she taught at Smith for a while!). I think most readers with any experience of social justice work or any liberal leanings will probably find something familiar in this post of hers.
*For those who're interested, I'm asking "Does the rite of reconciliation have a place in the missional church?" I'm likely to say yes, because of the role of repentance and absolution in Jesus' ministry and that of the earliest apostles, but then look at how the rite itself might better serve a missional church. Input welcome, particularly from those of you with some experience of what a Seabury student means by "missional."
*For those who're interested, I'm asking "Does the rite of reconciliation have a place in the missional church?" I'm likely to say yes, because of the role of repentance and absolution in Jesus' ministry and that of the earliest apostles, but then look at how the rite itself might better serve a missional church. Input welcome, particularly from those of you with some experience of what a Seabury student means by "missional."
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Ok, for real this time
The schedule for THIS year's General Ordination Exams is now in fact here:
Tuesday, Jan 2: Morning: Liturgy and Church Music: Limited Resources (Book of Common
Prayer, Enriching our Worship, approved hymnals (yes, all of them))
Afternoon: Church History: Open Book
Wednesday, Jan 3: Morning: Theology: Limited Resources (Bible, BCP)
Afternoon: Contemporary Society: Limited Resources (Bible, BCP)
Thursday, Jan 4: Break
Friday, Jan 5: Morning: Theory and Practice of Ministry: Closed Book
Afternoon: Ethics and Moral Theology: Open Book
Saturday, Jan 6: Morning: Holy Scripture: Open Book
Saturday, Jan 6, 12:30 pm: Rejoice! Rejoice!
There are a couple of things I like about this schedule. One, church history is in a good place for me. It's not the first exam, so I have one to get used to the process, but it's early, so I can get it over with quickly. Two, there's no all-day question. I like that. Three, Scripture is last, and that's an area where theoretically I should be ok as long as I'm not stupid about it. Four, the subjects in which I don't write as well are paired with subjects in which I do write well.
New this year: They're going to be emailing us the GOE questions instead of having us pick them up. On the one hand, that's a quick and easy thing and very logical; on the other hand, I know that at Seabury the wireless is very unpredictable, and I can see this causing a lot of stress for those of my classmates who can't get online as easily as I can. Apparently the administrator will have hard copies in case they're needed, but I'm not totally thrilled about being the test group for a new electronic process. We still hand in the answers in person, though, so at least there won't be stress around trying to upload or attach answers.
Tuesday, Jan 2: Morning: Liturgy and Church Music: Limited Resources (Book of Common
Prayer, Enriching our Worship, approved hymnals (yes, all of them))
Afternoon: Church History: Open Book
Wednesday, Jan 3: Morning: Theology: Limited Resources (Bible, BCP)
Afternoon: Contemporary Society: Limited Resources (Bible, BCP)
Thursday, Jan 4: Break
Friday, Jan 5: Morning: Theory and Practice of Ministry: Closed Book
Afternoon: Ethics and Moral Theology: Open Book
Saturday, Jan 6: Morning: Holy Scripture: Open Book
Saturday, Jan 6, 12:30 pm: Rejoice! Rejoice!
There are a couple of things I like about this schedule. One, church history is in a good place for me. It's not the first exam, so I have one to get used to the process, but it's early, so I can get it over with quickly. Two, there's no all-day question. I like that. Three, Scripture is last, and that's an area where theoretically I should be ok as long as I'm not stupid about it. Four, the subjects in which I don't write as well are paired with subjects in which I do write well.
New this year: They're going to be emailing us the GOE questions instead of having us pick them up. On the one hand, that's a quick and easy thing and very logical; on the other hand, I know that at Seabury the wireless is very unpredictable, and I can see this causing a lot of stress for those of my classmates who can't get online as easily as I can. Apparently the administrator will have hard copies in case they're needed, but I'm not totally thrilled about being the test group for a new electronic process. We still hand in the answers in person, though, so at least there won't be stress around trying to upload or attach answers.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
I told my mother I shouldn't play the clarinet...
What is your inner musical instrument? |
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Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Word?
I'm in the brain-dead state that hits right after three hours of history lecture, so I'm going to take a few minutes for this meme. I think it's a somewhat bizarre, but somewhat interesting one - just one word each?
Since I can't put caveats on my answers (so hard for me!), I'll put one here: I'm choosing to do this by word association - so the first word to pop up for me goes in, rather than the word I've thought long and hard about. In other words, they're not necessarily the most accurate descriptors, just the most immediate associations.
Yourself: dull
Your partner: no
Your hair: dirty
Your Mother: small
Your Father: grand
Your Favorite Item: blanket
Your dream last night: forgotten
Your Favorite Drink: wine
Your Dream Car: hybrid
Your Dream Home: light
The Room You Are In: cozy
Your Ex: slippery
Your fear: which?
Where you Want to be in Ten Years? home
Who you hung out with last night: me
What You're Not: energized
Muffins: blueberry
One of Your Wish List Items: RENT
Time: night
The Last Thing You Did: talk
What You Are Wearing: pink
Your favorite weather: smooth
Your Favorite Book?: longer
Last thing you ate?: cheese
Your Life: strange
Your mood: blue
Your Best Friends: smile
What are you thinking about right now?: baptism
Your car: indigo
What are you doing at the moment: theologizing
Your summer: gone
Relationship status: satisfied
What is on your tv?: antenna
What is the weather like: dark
When is the last time you laughed: earlier
Since I can't put caveats on my answers (so hard for me!), I'll put one here: I'm choosing to do this by word association - so the first word to pop up for me goes in, rather than the word I've thought long and hard about. In other words, they're not necessarily the most accurate descriptors, just the most immediate associations.
Yourself: dull
Your partner: no
Your hair: dirty
Your Mother: small
Your Father: grand
Your Favorite Item: blanket
Your dream last night: forgotten
Your Favorite Drink: wine
Your Dream Car: hybrid
Your Dream Home: light
The Room You Are In: cozy
Your Ex: slippery
Your fear: which?
Where you Want to be in Ten Years? home
Who you hung out with last night: me
What You're Not: energized
Muffins: blueberry
One of Your Wish List Items: RENT
Time: night
The Last Thing You Did: talk
What You Are Wearing: pink
Your favorite weather: smooth
Your Favorite Book?: longer
Last thing you ate?: cheese
Your Life: strange
Your mood: blue
Your Best Friends: smile
What are you thinking about right now?: baptism
Your car: indigo
What are you doing at the moment: theologizing
Your summer: gone
Relationship status: satisfied
What is on your tv?: antenna
What is the weather like: dark
When is the last time you laughed: earlier
Scones...
I baked scones this afternoon.
I haven't eaten any, because they're for class break.
They're sitting ten feet from me.
It's not break yet.
I'm really hungry....
edited to add: Oh, and I can still smell the scones on my hands from baking them.... And it's still not break yet.
I haven't eaten any, because they're for class break.
They're sitting ten feet from me.
It's not break yet.
I'm really hungry....
edited to add: Oh, and I can still smell the scones on my hands from baking them.... And it's still not break yet.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
In the House of Grapes
I'm blogging tonight from the House of Grapes, where I'm poodle-sitting for Maggie while her humans are off at Diocesan Convention. I'd written more to this post earlier, but my battery died faster than I expected and I lost the post. (Really, I ought just to get a new battery - it's now lasting less than 20 minutes. Maybe over Thanksgiving break.) The gist of it is that I find the House of Grapes a very warm, calm, and centering place, despite being made of cinder block. I think it will be a good place to be this weekend. That's about all the quality I can give in a second go at this post tonight. I'll try to think of something more scintillating to offer tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Stand Up
Here's the sermon I preached tonight for Missional Preaching class. I still don't feel like it's really finished, and I didn't preach it exactly like this. I added a little, finessed a little; I think it flowed a little better on my feet. Really it's part manuscript, part outline. But here's the gist of it. More than maybe any other time I've preached, this time I was really overwhelmed with all there was to say and work with, and therefore it ended up on the short side. And yes, you've already heard the opening this week. Anyway....
****************************************
When I lived in Germany, one of the things that I got asked about was the pledge of allegiance. The Germans didn't understand, in the wake of World War II, how we could require American schoolchildren to stand and pledge blind allegiance, not even to the country but to a symbol thereof. They’d seen how easily that path leads to destruction.
This week my friend Nicole blogged a reminder that it happens every day, that we set ourselves at the head of that path. Nicole is an ESL teacher in Minnesota, whose kids mostly don’t understand the English texts they’re speaking and reading in school. So she spends a fair amount of time working them toward that kind of comprehension. Here’s what she related about teaching them the pledge:
“…even though students are required to say the pledge of allegiance every morning in their classrooms, a teacher can get in trouble for presuming help them to read the words…. Apparently, saying "under God" in school is okay, but discussing why you're saying it or what it means is not…. So essentially, the importance of the pledge, it's [sic] actual relevance to America, is completely superficial- the act of repeating it without comprehension is the purpose, I see now…. I really can't understand why those words are still there, spoken enthusiastically by students who have no idea what they're saying, every single school day.”
Don’t worry your pretty little head about what it means; just fall in line behind the flag.
Sound familiar? “Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; lift high the royal banner, it must not suffer loss.” The royal banner must not suffer loss. Of course, it’s supposed to represent the gospel and Jesus, but the focus is the banner. Also it’s questionable what we mean by the gospel not suffering loss – isn’t suffering loss a part of the Christian life – certainly a part of Jesus’ life? But – what are we doing? Are we reducing the gospel to one more banner behind which we’re supposed to line up?
No wonder the Christian mainstream and secular leftists have so little patience for the idea of “standing up for Jesus.” There’s a particular kind of conservative Christians who have coopted the idea – the ones who look around at distress among nations and tend to say, “that’s good! that means Jesus will come back faster! let’s help the distress along!”
Now, it’s not that the rest of us don’t see the distress. We’ve certainly got distress among nations in our day. I’m not sure any day has been without it. But mainstream and lefty types are usually appalled - I think rightly - by the attitude that our response to distress should be one either of coerced acceptance of the gospel or of fueling distress in order to bring about the second coming. That kind of response isn’t compassionate, and it’s not biblical. It’s not the way God’s people respond to disaster throughout Scripture. But we in the mainstream and to its left usually want to hide under the bed, theologically speaking. Yes, we want to fix the earthly mess, but when it comes to making theology of it, we hide and say nothing instead of giving an appropriate alternative to the ultraconservative response. And we’re pretty good at letting ourselves off the hook about it.
Too bad the gospel doesn’t.
Admittedly, this particular gospel reading’s been tainted by centuries of royal banners whose own importance comes to overshadow that for which they stand, but the gospel tells us nevertheless, “Stand up.” “Stand up and raise your heads.” Not “stand up and cheer and then go back to fueling more distress.” Not “fix what you can and ignore the theological ramifications.” Stand up and raise your heads. Look around.
Don’t pretend the distress isn’t there. Don’t stop responding to it. We still need earthly compassion.
But take a minute to stand up and look around for the Kingdom of God breaking in among distress – because Luke’s Jesus tells us that the distress is a surefire sign that the Kingdom is around somewhere.
So, in other words, go ahead and “stand up, stand up for Jesus.” If we know what we’re about when we stand up, we can raise our heads unashamed of the gospel.
****************************************
When I lived in Germany, one of the things that I got asked about was the pledge of allegiance. The Germans didn't understand, in the wake of World War II, how we could require American schoolchildren to stand and pledge blind allegiance, not even to the country but to a symbol thereof. They’d seen how easily that path leads to destruction.
This week my friend Nicole blogged a reminder that it happens every day, that we set ourselves at the head of that path. Nicole is an ESL teacher in Minnesota, whose kids mostly don’t understand the English texts they’re speaking and reading in school. So she spends a fair amount of time working them toward that kind of comprehension. Here’s what she related about teaching them the pledge:
“…even though students are required to say the pledge of allegiance every morning in their classrooms, a teacher can get in trouble for presuming help them to read the words…. Apparently, saying "under God" in school is okay, but discussing why you're saying it or what it means is not…. So essentially, the importance of the pledge, it's [sic] actual relevance to America, is completely superficial- the act of repeating it without comprehension is the purpose, I see now…. I really can't understand why those words are still there, spoken enthusiastically by students who have no idea what they're saying, every single school day.”
Don’t worry your pretty little head about what it means; just fall in line behind the flag.
Sound familiar? “Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; lift high the royal banner, it must not suffer loss.” The royal banner must not suffer loss. Of course, it’s supposed to represent the gospel and Jesus, but the focus is the banner. Also it’s questionable what we mean by the gospel not suffering loss – isn’t suffering loss a part of the Christian life – certainly a part of Jesus’ life? But – what are we doing? Are we reducing the gospel to one more banner behind which we’re supposed to line up?
No wonder the Christian mainstream and secular leftists have so little patience for the idea of “standing up for Jesus.” There’s a particular kind of conservative Christians who have coopted the idea – the ones who look around at distress among nations and tend to say, “that’s good! that means Jesus will come back faster! let’s help the distress along!”
Now, it’s not that the rest of us don’t see the distress. We’ve certainly got distress among nations in our day. I’m not sure any day has been without it. But mainstream and lefty types are usually appalled - I think rightly - by the attitude that our response to distress should be one either of coerced acceptance of the gospel or of fueling distress in order to bring about the second coming. That kind of response isn’t compassionate, and it’s not biblical. It’s not the way God’s people respond to disaster throughout Scripture. But we in the mainstream and to its left usually want to hide under the bed, theologically speaking. Yes, we want to fix the earthly mess, but when it comes to making theology of it, we hide and say nothing instead of giving an appropriate alternative to the ultraconservative response. And we’re pretty good at letting ourselves off the hook about it.
Too bad the gospel doesn’t.
Admittedly, this particular gospel reading’s been tainted by centuries of royal banners whose own importance comes to overshadow that for which they stand, but the gospel tells us nevertheless, “Stand up.” “Stand up and raise your heads.” Not “stand up and cheer and then go back to fueling more distress.” Not “fix what you can and ignore the theological ramifications.” Stand up and raise your heads. Look around.
Don’t pretend the distress isn’t there. Don’t stop responding to it. We still need earthly compassion.
But take a minute to stand up and look around for the Kingdom of God breaking in among distress – because Luke’s Jesus tells us that the distress is a surefire sign that the Kingdom is around somewhere.
So, in other words, go ahead and “stand up, stand up for Jesus.” If we know what we’re about when we stand up, we can raise our heads unashamed of the gospel.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
In praise of heat and light
You've heard me write here before, I believe, about my deep gratitude for the days when we have heat in the winter. Tonight I want to praise whomever invented the sticky heating pad thing. Seriously. The idea that you take the plastic off from around something, peel off the back, and have a perfectly safe and useful heating pad that can go with you anywhere? That's just brilliant.
Also, I'm tickled pink that Seymour left the hallway lights on late. Usually I come out of class at 9:30 and all the lights are off in the hallways between class and my suite. I trot back and forth turning them on and off so that I'm never in the dark but I'm also not leaving them all on, and that's a pain. (Plus, I don't love wandering about dark buildings alone in general.) So I was thrilled tonight just to go home like I would any other time of day.
Also, I'm tickled pink that Seymour left the hallway lights on late. Usually I come out of class at 9:30 and all the lights are off in the hallways between class and my suite. I trot back and forth turning them on and off so that I'm never in the dark but I'm also not leaving them all on, and that's a pain. (Plus, I don't love wandering about dark buildings alone in general.) So I was thrilled tonight just to go home like I would any other time of day.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Why the Germans are confused
When I lived in Germany, one of the things that I got asked about was the pledge of allegiance. The Germans didn't understand, in the wake of World War II, how we could require American schoolchildren to stand and pledge blind allegiance, not even to the country but to a symbol thereof.
Today, Rosynic doesn't understand either, and I'm with her. If we're going to require or expect kids to say the pledge, can't we at least allow ESL teachers to explain what the pledge means? And if we're going to be that fussy about using the word "God" in classrooms even for discussion, then maybe we really shouldn't have it in the pledge. At any rate, I'm definitely against requiring anybody to say something without allowing them the option to learn what it means.
Today, Rosynic doesn't understand either, and I'm with her. If we're going to require or expect kids to say the pledge, can't we at least allow ESL teachers to explain what the pledge means? And if we're going to be that fussy about using the word "God" in classrooms even for discussion, then maybe we really shouldn't have it in the pledge. At any rate, I'm definitely against requiring anybody to say something without allowing them the option to learn what it means.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Interruptions
Between yesterday's retreat and today's train ride to church, I've been reading Henri Nouwen's Out of Solitude. In the third meditation, he tells the story of an old Notre Dame professor who said, "I have always been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted, until I slowly discovered that my interruptions were my work."
I'm often pretty good at remembering this, especially since I'm in a field that's sort of composed of interruptions, but since I'd already given the last two days to other things (retreat, dinner with friends, sleeping enough), I'd really been counting on getting a fair amount of school work done today. That hasn't happened - in fact I've accomplished nothing that's directly related to a class (though I have managed a little Greek). In a lot of ways, this has been a weekend of interruptions. But Nouwen is fresh in my mind, so I'm choosing to reframe this weekend. Instead of complaining that I've gotten nothing done, here's what I have accomplished today:
~I made it to church, something that wasn't a foregone conclusion when I went to bed last night. While there, I filled in as torchbearer/server for the first time. I'd rehearsed the process a couple of weeks ago, but this isn't your standard torchbearing routine, so I wasn't totally on top of things - still, I made only one mistake, thanks to a very helpful and experienced lead torchbearer/server. Doing this for real for the first time also reminded me how often we take things for granted once we've done them for a while, and how teaching and training need not to assume that kind of basic knowledge right off the bat. Two years at Seabury has taught me a lot, but my instincts are still pretty much formed by a low church childhood and a background in stage managing dance - both pretty forgiving environments.
~I finished the last bit of Out of Solitude on the way home from church.
~I had four good phone conversations. One was general catching up with an out-of-town friend who's visiting soon. One was with another out-of-town friend whose grandmother isn't doing so well, so that one was less joyful, but I'm always grateful when my friends feel free to call on me for help of any sort. One was with my father, who gave me a chance to be proud of him and my mother. They'll be putting up my friend this week while he visits his grandmother, and I'm proud of how natural that kind of hospitality has become for my parents. Maybe it was always that natural, but I don't remember growing up that way, and it's always exciting to me to hear my parents view their house as something to be shared. The last call was from a friend who's just out of town for a little while, but whom I've missed seeing and hearing from over the last week. It was great to laugh with him some, and to remember how soon all of the Plunge groups will be back. I can't wait - this year's Plungers are a very cool bunch.
~My bathroom is cleaner now than it's been in a while. I don't like cleaning it at all, but there's always a sense of satisfaction in having such a clean bathroom. My sink especially had just not looked quite clean enough lately, and it's nice to see it scrubbed down again.
~I took time to eat when I was hungry, despite the fact that there were other things to be done, and I ate simple, decent food. I sometimes let myself pretend that other things are more important than taking care of such mundane bodily demands as food, and I recognize that that's not my healthiest tendency. Today I paid attention.
In light of those kinds of interruptions, I'm more willing to say that I made the most the time I had this weekend. No, my history and Hebrew aren't done, and I haven't made any progress on my end-of-term projects, but looking at my list I don't see anything that's not important. Sometimes there are more things that qualify as important than there is time for them. The work always gets done, in the end, at least here in the stained glass penthouse, but I don't always manage time for these others. I'll get back to the work now, but with a sense of gratitude and not resentment for the fullness of the weekend.
I'm often pretty good at remembering this, especially since I'm in a field that's sort of composed of interruptions, but since I'd already given the last two days to other things (retreat, dinner with friends, sleeping enough), I'd really been counting on getting a fair amount of school work done today. That hasn't happened - in fact I've accomplished nothing that's directly related to a class (though I have managed a little Greek). In a lot of ways, this has been a weekend of interruptions. But Nouwen is fresh in my mind, so I'm choosing to reframe this weekend. Instead of complaining that I've gotten nothing done, here's what I have accomplished today:
~I made it to church, something that wasn't a foregone conclusion when I went to bed last night. While there, I filled in as torchbearer/server for the first time. I'd rehearsed the process a couple of weeks ago, but this isn't your standard torchbearing routine, so I wasn't totally on top of things - still, I made only one mistake, thanks to a very helpful and experienced lead torchbearer/server. Doing this for real for the first time also reminded me how often we take things for granted once we've done them for a while, and how teaching and training need not to assume that kind of basic knowledge right off the bat. Two years at Seabury has taught me a lot, but my instincts are still pretty much formed by a low church childhood and a background in stage managing dance - both pretty forgiving environments.
~I finished the last bit of Out of Solitude on the way home from church.
~I had four good phone conversations. One was general catching up with an out-of-town friend who's visiting soon. One was with another out-of-town friend whose grandmother isn't doing so well, so that one was less joyful, but I'm always grateful when my friends feel free to call on me for help of any sort. One was with my father, who gave me a chance to be proud of him and my mother. They'll be putting up my friend this week while he visits his grandmother, and I'm proud of how natural that kind of hospitality has become for my parents. Maybe it was always that natural, but I don't remember growing up that way, and it's always exciting to me to hear my parents view their house as something to be shared. The last call was from a friend who's just out of town for a little while, but whom I've missed seeing and hearing from over the last week. It was great to laugh with him some, and to remember how soon all of the Plunge groups will be back. I can't wait - this year's Plungers are a very cool bunch.
~My bathroom is cleaner now than it's been in a while. I don't like cleaning it at all, but there's always a sense of satisfaction in having such a clean bathroom. My sink especially had just not looked quite clean enough lately, and it's nice to see it scrubbed down again.
~I took time to eat when I was hungry, despite the fact that there were other things to be done, and I ate simple, decent food. I sometimes let myself pretend that other things are more important than taking care of such mundane bodily demands as food, and I recognize that that's not my healthiest tendency. Today I paid attention.
In light of those kinds of interruptions, I'm more willing to say that I made the most the time I had this weekend. No, my history and Hebrew aren't done, and I haven't made any progress on my end-of-term projects, but looking at my list I don't see anything that's not important. Sometimes there are more things that qualify as important than there is time for them. The work always gets done, in the end, at least here in the stained glass penthouse, but I don't always manage time for these others. I'll get back to the work now, but with a sense of gratitude and not resentment for the fullness of the weekend.
How do you say "accent?"
Quality posting doesn't mean I can't also post quizzes...
This would be no surprise to my college roommate, who always maintained that I put the same "a" in "drama" as in "apple." (I don't, by the way.)
| What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop." | |
| The Midland | |
| The Northeast | |
| Philadelphia | |
| The South | |
| The West | |
| Boston | |
| North Central | |
| What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes | |
This would be no surprise to my college roommate, who always maintained that I put the same "a" in "drama" as in "apple." (I don't, by the way.)
Saturday, November 04, 2006
So much for that
Well, it turned out that I was away from my computer all day yesterday, so obviously I won't make the post-a-day thing for the whole month. But if Lent has taught me nothing else, it's taught me that you get back to your commitment right away after you break it, rather than giving it up altogether, so here goes. This will be short, though, because I got hit with a cold this morning and my focus is not what it might be right now.
Today, I spent the day at a retreat in Barrington, along with a few friends. During the closing Eucharist, I have to confess I heard little of the sermon. My friends said it was good, but I wasn't listening. Instead, I was watching a dancing evergreen.
Yes, a dancing evergreen - someone had turned on the heat right at the beginning of the sermon, and it was blowing the branch of a very delicate, almost fernlike, evergreen that lives in the back corner of the chapel. Now, I've been feeling just ever so slightly ashamed of how little I've grieved this year about the anniversary of my friend Emily's death Nov. 3. But as I was watching the fronds (?) of the evergreen dance, I could almost hear her say to me, "Don't worry about it. You're doing other things right now. But you and I have a date for right after you get here."
I'm utterly incapable right now of expressing in words how I felt just then, so I'll just say it was really great to "hear" from her in that way, and to be reminded that it's ok to heal.
And now I'm off to bed, even though it's only 9 pm, in hopes of being ready tomorrow for a full day of church, cleaning, and homework.
Today, I spent the day at a retreat in Barrington, along with a few friends. During the closing Eucharist, I have to confess I heard little of the sermon. My friends said it was good, but I wasn't listening. Instead, I was watching a dancing evergreen.
Yes, a dancing evergreen - someone had turned on the heat right at the beginning of the sermon, and it was blowing the branch of a very delicate, almost fernlike, evergreen that lives in the back corner of the chapel. Now, I've been feeling just ever so slightly ashamed of how little I've grieved this year about the anniversary of my friend Emily's death Nov. 3. But as I was watching the fronds (?) of the evergreen dance, I could almost hear her say to me, "Don't worry about it. You're doing other things right now. But you and I have a date for right after you get here."
I'm utterly incapable right now of expressing in words how I felt just then, so I'll just say it was really great to "hear" from her in that way, and to be reminded that it's ok to heal.
And now I'm off to bed, even though it's only 9 pm, in hopes of being ready tomorrow for a full day of church, cleaning, and homework.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Two, two, two obsessions in one?
I've had babies on the brain for a long time. I mean, I was always one of those little girls who wanted to hang around babies, who looked forward to babysitting (the younger the better), etc. But for the last five years, really, I've been increasingly aware of my desire for children. Now, I am very aware that that's a terrible idea just at the moment: I'm a single young woman living in a seminary dorm with an income of maybe $3000 a year if I'm lucky.* But it's there. I am, at this point, actively seeking out ways to alleviate this intense desire. I spend two worship services a week holding the organist's baby; I'm starting to think about saving for adoption; I enthusiastically support my married friends who want babies soon.
On a completely different note, I've also been impatient lately with my knitting. I like the blanket that I've been working on for the last couple of years, but it's a huge project and rather unwieldy. It's also not so much a real pattern as it is knit purl knit purl, and I've been wanting to try out some other patterns.
Ergo, I've decided to take up baby blankets. Baby blankets are smaller and more manageable than the big woolen monster. They have fun colors and patterns. They have practical uses. I can try things out. I can use up yarn that I have lying around. And it satisfies a tiny part of my baby longing.
Now if I can just keep myself from knitting instead of doing homework....
*In my head, Marge Simpson chastises Bart "Don't make fun of grad students! They just made a terrible life choice!" every time I state my income.
On a completely different note, I've also been impatient lately with my knitting. I like the blanket that I've been working on for the last couple of years, but it's a huge project and rather unwieldy. It's also not so much a real pattern as it is knit purl knit purl, and I've been wanting to try out some other patterns.
Ergo, I've decided to take up baby blankets. Baby blankets are smaller and more manageable than the big woolen monster. They have fun colors and patterns. They have practical uses. I can try things out. I can use up yarn that I have lying around. And it satisfies a tiny part of my baby longing.
Now if I can just keep myself from knitting instead of doing homework....
*In my head, Marge Simpson chastises Bart "Don't make fun of grad students! They just made a terrible life choice!" every time I state my income.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
My Mission
I am a child of Seabury, and therefore I know that I have no mission, but rather seek to participate in God's mission.
But if I weren't, it would be my mission to convince people that NOTHING reverses, lessens, reduces, or protects us from the risk of death. Risk of death is 100% for all living things, barring Jesus' return in our lifetimes. Today's BBC News reports: "The scientists estimated resveratrol reduced the risk of death in the mice by about 31%, a point similar to the lifespan for the standard diet mice." Were I this person's editor, I would note that it ought to report that resveratrol reduced the risk of dying early, or that resveratrol can extend expected lifespan, or something of the sort. This was a running gag between my critical care supervisor and me when I did CPE, as he would often ask during spiritual care rounds,"Is this person dying?" and I would steadfastly claim that all of us were dying, but that I had not the power to predict time and place, before conceding that some looked nearer death than others. In this case, my position was perhaps a bit extreme. Nevertheless, I maintain that we need to remember just how little power we have to predict time of death for any person. People who look on the edge of death turn out not to die for weeks, months, or years; people who seem perfectly healthy get hit by cars, or shot, or drop dead of undetected heart problems, or whatever. Either way, we will all die. The Feasts of All Saints and All the Faithful Departed seem as good a time as any to remind ourselves of our own mortality and how little control we have over it.
But if I weren't, it would be my mission to convince people that NOTHING reverses, lessens, reduces, or protects us from the risk of death. Risk of death is 100% for all living things, barring Jesus' return in our lifetimes. Today's BBC News reports: "The scientists estimated resveratrol reduced the risk of death in the mice by about 31%, a point similar to the lifespan for the standard diet mice." Were I this person's editor, I would note that it ought to report that resveratrol reduced the risk of dying early, or that resveratrol can extend expected lifespan, or something of the sort. This was a running gag between my critical care supervisor and me when I did CPE, as he would often ask during spiritual care rounds,"Is this person dying?" and I would steadfastly claim that all of us were dying, but that I had not the power to predict time and place, before conceding that some looked nearer death than others. In this case, my position was perhaps a bit extreme. Nevertheless, I maintain that we need to remember just how little power we have to predict time of death for any person. People who look on the edge of death turn out not to die for weeks, months, or years; people who seem perfectly healthy get hit by cars, or shot, or drop dead of undetected heart problems, or whatever. Either way, we will all die. The Feasts of All Saints and All the Faithful Departed seem as good a time as any to remind ourselves of our own mortality and how little control we have over it.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Happy Reformation Day, I Guess
I've never made much of Reformation Day (why should I?), but today feels a lot more like Reformation Day than like Halloween. Class at the Methodist seminary in the morning, class on the English Reformation(s) in the evening, class on the creeds in between. Admittedly, there's been a lot of high fructose corn syrup floating around today, but not much in the way of costumes and parties, for me.
In other news, I'm thinking of taking up the NaBloPoMo challenge. (Yeah, I know I need to decide soon.) NaBloPoMo, for those who haven't run across it, is National Blog Posting Month, a spin-off of National Novel Writing Month. The challenge is to write a quality post every day in the month of November.
"But you haven't even managed to post crap on a regular basis lately!" I hear readers protesting. True. There's been a lot in my personal life that hasn't been bloggable this month. But I'm hoping that a public commitment on a limited term basis might spur me to get back to things here, and certainly NaBloPoMo reminds me that the point of my blog is not in fact to make a daily report on what I ate for lunch or who I called on the phone. Yes, part of the point is to keep people updated on my life, but equally important is the discipline of writing for public consumption on a regular basis. (If I did that, perhaps I'd learn not to use so many prepositions in one sentence.) I've got a couple of thoughts scribbled from back in September that I can start out with.
What the heck - I've convinced myself. I'll give it a try.
Here's to a month of posting something other than dribble!
In other news, I'm thinking of taking up the NaBloPoMo challenge. (Yeah, I know I need to decide soon.) NaBloPoMo, for those who haven't run across it, is National Blog Posting Month, a spin-off of National Novel Writing Month. The challenge is to write a quality post every day in the month of November.
"But you haven't even managed to post crap on a regular basis lately!" I hear readers protesting. True. There's been a lot in my personal life that hasn't been bloggable this month. But I'm hoping that a public commitment on a limited term basis might spur me to get back to things here, and certainly NaBloPoMo reminds me that the point of my blog is not in fact to make a daily report on what I ate for lunch or who I called on the phone. Yes, part of the point is to keep people updated on my life, but equally important is the discipline of writing for public consumption on a regular basis. (If I did that, perhaps I'd learn not to use so many prepositions in one sentence.) I've got a couple of thoughts scribbled from back in September that I can start out with.
What the heck - I've convinced myself. I'll give it a try.
Here's to a month of posting something other than dribble!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Or not
So, I was thinking about GOEs, and I got to thinking about how odd it was that only I seemed to have the letter to candidates yet. Also that the exam schedule for this year was a LOT like last year's. Exactly alike, in fact. So, I looked at a calendar, and realized that the dates listed don't occur this year. There's no Tuesday, Jan. 3 at all. Apparently "Letter to Candidates" meant "for last year" not "for this year" - but in my initial process of finding my way around the site, I read only the parts that looked important - things like titles and charts. I neglected the fine print that included a year. This obviously clears up a lot about why only I had the schedule, though nothing at all about why only I among my colleagues here have access to the website. I apologize for the ruckus, and will try in future to slow down and use my brain earlier in the process. (Though, I do think it would be helpful if the website made these things a little more obvious.) Sorry!
Monday, October 23, 2006
Friday, October 20, 2006
Citing my sources
Fellow GOE-takers who hadn't seen the previous info yet: It comes from an email I got from the General Board of Examining Chaplains announcing the fact of my registration. I assume I got this email before you because a) my diocese is faster and nicer than yours (probably true either way) or b) my diocese put my email on the registration and yours didn't giv yours out (also possible). I have faith that you too will receive this information in (over)due time.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Peace offering?
I've been mostly silent on here in recent days, and still don't have much to say here. So in lieu of my usual posts, here's the sermon I preached in Seabury's chapel yesterday - more or less as I actually preached it:
Last week after Matriculation, a few of us ended up in the chapel looking at the space, and talking about it. And one of the things that came up for me as we talked was the importance of where I sit in this chapel. I need to be able to see things to give them my full attention a lot of the time, and it turns out there are only about five seats in this chapel where I can reliably see the pulpit, the crossing, the presider’s seat, and the altar. So I sit in one of those. But it would actually be important for me to sit on that side of the chapel even if sight lines weren’t such a problem for me, because it matters to me that I sit on the side of the theologians.
Now, that’s partly a positive statement, in that I think of myself much more readily as a theologian than as a missionary, something I’m sure is shocking to many of you. But it’s the flip side, the negative of that statement, that really makes it so important to me. It’s less a matter of needing to sit with the theologians than it is of needing to sit facing the missionaries. I’m in very little danger of forgetting about the theologians, or of forgetting that doing theology is part of my call. If I’m going to forget something, I’m going to forget that I’m also called to mission. Even when I remember, I often feel as though when Jesus says “You also are to testify,” he can’t possibly mean me - he means you all. So as I worship in this chapel, I need to look up and remember both how much the church needs its missionaries, and that I too have a part in God’s mission. I may be theological in my reasons for why mission is so important, but my theology becomes incomplete, maybe even false, when I neglect the missional elements.
I think this is part of the church’s message to all of us on this particular feast, the feast of Latimer, Ridley, and Cranmer. By lumping these three bishops together, the church reminds us not only that they knew each other, but that we don’t get one without the others. Cranmer was a scholar and theologian who more or less had to be pulled into the public life. Latimer railed against clergy who stayed safely in their studies and universities and never preached the gospel. The whole calendar of saints operates this way, to a certain extent. The Church put Ridley on the calendar for his reforming zeal in tearing out images and altars – but in only a few weeks, we’ll celebrate the feast of John of Damascus, whose Defense of Holy Images helped ensure that icons and liturgical art would have a place in the Church. And the church tells us that they’re a package deal. Not Cranmer, or Latimer, or Ridley; not liturgy or preaching or theology; but all of these together, all at once.
Last week after Matriculation, a few of us ended up in the chapel looking at the space, and talking about it. And one of the things that came up for me as we talked was the importance of where I sit in this chapel. I need to be able to see things to give them my full attention a lot of the time, and it turns out there are only about five seats in this chapel where I can reliably see the pulpit, the crossing, the presider’s seat, and the altar. So I sit in one of those. But it would actually be important for me to sit on that side of the chapel even if sight lines weren’t such a problem for me, because it matters to me that I sit on the side of the theologians.
Now, that’s partly a positive statement, in that I think of myself much more readily as a theologian than as a missionary, something I’m sure is shocking to many of you. But it’s the flip side, the negative of that statement, that really makes it so important to me. It’s less a matter of needing to sit with the theologians than it is of needing to sit facing the missionaries. I’m in very little danger of forgetting about the theologians, or of forgetting that doing theology is part of my call. If I’m going to forget something, I’m going to forget that I’m also called to mission. Even when I remember, I often feel as though when Jesus says “You also are to testify,” he can’t possibly mean me - he means you all. So as I worship in this chapel, I need to look up and remember both how much the church needs its missionaries, and that I too have a part in God’s mission. I may be theological in my reasons for why mission is so important, but my theology becomes incomplete, maybe even false, when I neglect the missional elements.
I think this is part of the church’s message to all of us on this particular feast, the feast of Latimer, Ridley, and Cranmer. By lumping these three bishops together, the church reminds us not only that they knew each other, but that we don’t get one without the others. Cranmer was a scholar and theologian who more or less had to be pulled into the public life. Latimer railed against clergy who stayed safely in their studies and universities and never preached the gospel. The whole calendar of saints operates this way, to a certain extent. The Church put Ridley on the calendar for his reforming zeal in tearing out images and altars – but in only a few weeks, we’ll celebrate the feast of John of Damascus, whose Defense of Holy Images helped ensure that icons and liturgical art would have a place in the Church. And the church tells us that they’re a package deal. Not Cranmer, or Latimer, or Ridley; not liturgy or preaching or theology; but all of these together, all at once.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Friday Five: Comforts
It's a good day for this one.
Comfort beverage: Hot. If I'm home, usually tea. If I'm out, usually coffee/latte. Hot cider (no caramel!) is very good when it's in season.
Comfort chair: Usually not so much a chair as a couch. Up here I like my green loveseat with my throw blanket to curl up in.
Comfort read: Little Women. Occasionally a Madeleine L'Engle novel for a change, but mostly Little Women.
Comfort television/DVD/music: TV: West Wing. DVD: Kissing Jessica Stein. Music: I keep a sad songs playlist for just such occasions - mostly composed of Indigo Girls, Dar Williams, etc.
Comfort companion(s): I have no lovers or pets (ok, I have a fish, but that hardly counts here). I guess my comfort companions would be certain friends who know me well and who don't mind when I need to be silent and/or sad for a while. Or, in a pinch, my Care Bears.
Interesting that comfort food is not listed.
Comfort beverage: Hot. If I'm home, usually tea. If I'm out, usually coffee/latte. Hot cider (no caramel!) is very good when it's in season.
Comfort chair: Usually not so much a chair as a couch. Up here I like my green loveseat with my throw blanket to curl up in.
Comfort read: Little Women. Occasionally a Madeleine L'Engle novel for a change, but mostly Little Women.
Comfort television/DVD/music: TV: West Wing. DVD: Kissing Jessica Stein. Music: I keep a sad songs playlist for just such occasions - mostly composed of Indigo Girls, Dar Williams, etc.
Comfort companion(s): I have no lovers or pets (ok, I have a fish, but that hardly counts here). I guess my comfort companions would be certain friends who know me well and who don't mind when I need to be silent and/or sad for a while. Or, in a pinch, my Care Bears.
Interesting that comfort food is not listed.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Five Things Feminism Has Done For Me
The Happy Feminist has tagged everyone, so here goes:
1. Feminism has paved the way for me to sit in a graduate course.
2. Feminism has made it possible for me to speak and write my mind - not only in private, but in public, and even in opposition to men.
3. Feminism has put before me women writers who demonstrate that the way is (at least partly) open to me to try publishing.
4. Feminism has created environments (Girl Scouts, Smith College) in which I can learn to flourish specifically as a woman - environments that have taught me what it means still to be marked for gender in this world, and how to be hopeful but not naive about that.
5. Feminism allows me to believe that I'll be ordained a deacon in eight months and a priest in two years. Thanks be to God!
For my part, I tag Susie, Marisa, Jane, Micah, and AKMA (who I don't expect will actually take it up, but whose response I'd love to hear).
1. Feminism has paved the way for me to sit in a graduate course.
2. Feminism has made it possible for me to speak and write my mind - not only in private, but in public, and even in opposition to men.
3. Feminism has put before me women writers who demonstrate that the way is (at least partly) open to me to try publishing.
4. Feminism has created environments (Girl Scouts, Smith College) in which I can learn to flourish specifically as a woman - environments that have taught me what it means still to be marked for gender in this world, and how to be hopeful but not naive about that.
5. Feminism allows me to believe that I'll be ordained a deacon in eight months and a priest in two years. Thanks be to God!
For my part, I tag Susie, Marisa, Jane, Micah, and AKMA (who I don't expect will actually take it up, but whose response I'd love to hear).
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Weather wonders
It's a bit strange to be pulling on flannel pajamas while planning shorts, skirts, tank tops, and t-shirts for next weekend, especially when I'm not actually even leaving Province V.
Friday, September 29, 2006
For the record
I'm not in favor of the new practice among historians of calling English Puritans "the godly Anglicans."
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Quarter of creativity
Granted that the gender balance is off for my booklists this quarter, it looks like my classes will mostly be quite excellent this term, in terms of both individual quality and balance of learning/work styles. A rundown:
Canon Law: is pretty much what it sounds like. Lots of reading canons and legal cases. If I were taking it for credit, there'd be a final. But I'm auditing it, so it's just sitting in a class on Monday nights talking about legal stuff.
Hebrew: is, of course, a beginning language course. As any of you who have ever learned languages will know, it has its own ways of thinking, and the workload is mostly exercises and quizzes and so forth. Lots of learning really new stuff, very little critical analysis writing.
England in the Age of Reform: One of my three-hour night classes. Likely to be mostly the lecture/discussion model during class meetings, though also a snack break each time. The usual kinds of reading assignments. But instead of "write three 7 page papers" or something of the sort, there's a final project. On almost anything you want. There's a research component, but it requires only four sources and the written part is only four pages. Mostly it's a project/presentation - creativity encouraged.
Anglican Worship: This is my Typical Graduate Course (if not a typical Seabury course). Read some big thick academic books. Write a longish (20-25 page) paper. Take a final. Listen to lectures.
Missional Preaching: Seminar-style, discussion-oriented, investigative class sessions. Read two books and report in on particular chapters; preach once. Again with the creativity - we're encouraged to reflect on whether our missional preaching will be in the form of a sermon or some other means.
In some ways, it's sort of like a sabbatical. After six terms where classes have mostly involved a collection of 5-10 page papers, this term says to me, "By all means, I want you to continue using your brain in productive ways, but take a term to think really hard, explore some new areas, and do some different kinds of work, instead of the same-old, same-old. Come back again ready to do the work given you to do, even if that's more of the same old stuff." It's going to take time and effort and energy, as well it should - but it offers me a lot in return, I think.
Canon Law: is pretty much what it sounds like. Lots of reading canons and legal cases. If I were taking it for credit, there'd be a final. But I'm auditing it, so it's just sitting in a class on Monday nights talking about legal stuff.
Hebrew: is, of course, a beginning language course. As any of you who have ever learned languages will know, it has its own ways of thinking, and the workload is mostly exercises and quizzes and so forth. Lots of learning really new stuff, very little critical analysis writing.
England in the Age of Reform: One of my three-hour night classes. Likely to be mostly the lecture/discussion model during class meetings, though also a snack break each time. The usual kinds of reading assignments. But instead of "write three 7 page papers" or something of the sort, there's a final project. On almost anything you want. There's a research component, but it requires only four sources and the written part is only four pages. Mostly it's a project/presentation - creativity encouraged.
Anglican Worship: This is my Typical Graduate Course (if not a typical Seabury course). Read some big thick academic books. Write a longish (20-25 page) paper. Take a final. Listen to lectures.
Missional Preaching: Seminar-style, discussion-oriented, investigative class sessions. Read two books and report in on particular chapters; preach once. Again with the creativity - we're encouraged to reflect on whether our missional preaching will be in the form of a sermon or some other means.
In some ways, it's sort of like a sabbatical. After six terms where classes have mostly involved a collection of 5-10 page papers, this term says to me, "By all means, I want you to continue using your brain in productive ways, but take a term to think really hard, explore some new areas, and do some different kinds of work, instead of the same-old, same-old. Come back again ready to do the work given you to do, even if that's more of the same old stuff." It's going to take time and effort and energy, as well it should - but it offers me a lot in return, I think.
Fall Quarter Gender Balance Award
One word: Boo.
More words: I have now been to each of my fall classes at least once, and am reasonably sure of the books assigned. Therefore, it's time for the quarterly Gender Balance Award. I'm sad to say that no one comes out particularly well this term, but let's see what we have. (I remind my readers that the Gender Balance Award isn't primarily about relative lack of horridness, but about actual achievement.)
Canon Law: One course pack consisting of case studies, which a)doesn't count as a book, and b) doesn't really even have constituent authors in the usual sense. Also the Constitution & Canons of ECUSA and of my diocese, which also don't have authors in the usual sense. Rating: Not really applicable. Nothing by women, but nothing exactly by men, either.
Hebrew: Lexicon, edited (as far as I can tell) by three men. Hebrew Bible - like the Constitution & Canons, there's not much wiggle room on authorship here, nor do we have the usual sort of authors. Grammar - by a man. Grammar key - co-authored by two men and a woman. Rating: Hmm. Well. Not what I'd call good, but not entirely abysmal, for a biblical language class, I guess. Still, I'm supposed to stick by my guns here (also I should find a less militaristic metaphor for that).... We'll call nearly acceptable.
England in the Age of Reform: Three required books, all by men. (This doesn't count, because it's not a book on my shelf, but just to be thorough: instead of two of those books, you can watch a series of DVDs. That's resource is also by a man.) Rating: Unacceptable.
Anglican Worship: Four (big) books. Three by men. One edited by a man and a woman - the man is the theologian and the woman is a publisher. The editorial committee for that one was 2/2 - not bad. The contributors, on the other hand? 7 out of 52 are women. Rating: We'll go with the "nearly acceptable" I gave to Hebrew, I guess. It's better than nothing, but it's still not a book by a woman or fairly divided between men and women.
Missional Preaching: Two books. One by two men. One by a committee that included a couple of women, but more men, and edited by a man. Rating: Unacceptable.
I'm sorry to say it, but the Gender Balance Award will not be given this quarter. I can't bring myself to give an award for anything less than an 'acceptable' rating.
We'll be off winter quarter doing field ed full time, so tune in again in the spring to see whether anyone manages to garner the Gender Balance Award then!
More words: I have now been to each of my fall classes at least once, and am reasonably sure of the books assigned. Therefore, it's time for the quarterly Gender Balance Award. I'm sad to say that no one comes out particularly well this term, but let's see what we have. (I remind my readers that the Gender Balance Award isn't primarily about relative lack of horridness, but about actual achievement.)
Canon Law: One course pack consisting of case studies, which a)doesn't count as a book, and b) doesn't really even have constituent authors in the usual sense. Also the Constitution & Canons of ECUSA and of my diocese, which also don't have authors in the usual sense. Rating: Not really applicable. Nothing by women, but nothing exactly by men, either.
Hebrew: Lexicon, edited (as far as I can tell) by three men. Hebrew Bible - like the Constitution & Canons, there's not much wiggle room on authorship here, nor do we have the usual sort of authors. Grammar - by a man. Grammar key - co-authored by two men and a woman. Rating: Hmm. Well. Not what I'd call good, but not entirely abysmal, for a biblical language class, I guess. Still, I'm supposed to stick by my guns here (also I should find a less militaristic metaphor for that).... We'll call nearly acceptable.
England in the Age of Reform: Three required books, all by men. (This doesn't count, because it's not a book on my shelf, but just to be thorough: instead of two of those books, you can watch a series of DVDs. That's resource is also by a man.) Rating: Unacceptable.
Anglican Worship: Four (big) books. Three by men. One edited by a man and a woman - the man is the theologian and the woman is a publisher. The editorial committee for that one was 2/2 - not bad. The contributors, on the other hand? 7 out of 52 are women. Rating: We'll go with the "nearly acceptable" I gave to Hebrew, I guess. It's better than nothing, but it's still not a book by a woman or fairly divided between men and women.
Missional Preaching: Two books. One by two men. One by a committee that included a couple of women, but more men, and edited by a man. Rating: Unacceptable.
I'm sorry to say it, but the Gender Balance Award will not be given this quarter. I can't bring myself to give an award for anything less than an 'acceptable' rating.
We'll be off winter quarter doing field ed full time, so tune in again in the spring to see whether anyone manages to garner the Gender Balance Award then!
And so it begins.
Tonight's dinner: Tilapia. Rice w/peas. Green bean casserole (yep, just like Grandma used to make). Oh, and rolls. And date cake or spice cake or something like that.
Tonight's conversation with the new chef:
Yodabeth: Hi, Chef.
Chef: Hi.
Y: Is there a vegetarian entree tonight?
C: The green beans are vegetarian.
Y: Yes, thanks. Is there an entree, though?
C: Green beans.
Y: Well, the green beans and rice are veggie, yes. But they're side dishes. So there's no vegetarian entree?
C: No.
Y: Ok.
(Point of order: some of this repetition was to ensure clarity, as English is not the new chef's first language. Her English is pretty good, but it seems to be worth double checking things.)
This is a slightly different approach to training a new chef than I've taken before. That's partly because the old approach hasn't worked all that well, and partly because this chef seems to be very adaptable in other ways. Someone asked "Do we have Cremora here?" and the next day we did, for instance. So I'm starting slow, planting a seed. It was also closer to an entree than, say, a pan of over-steamed vegetables, so that's something, and it's the first day that there's been a problem at all. Plus, at least she didn't think that the fish was vegetarian, which was an initial problem with last year's new chef. I'm hoping that tonight's conversation will inspire a bit of rethinking on her part before we move to actual suggestions. (Empowered and empowering cooks, etc.)
Perhaps I could start a 12-step program for chefs addicted to meat-centered meals. Step One: Admit that green beans (squash, broccoli, etc.) are not an entree. Time will tell whether we've accomplished this step tonight and can move on to step two, or whether we need to spend some more time with step one.
Tonight's conversation with the new chef:
Yodabeth: Hi, Chef.
Chef: Hi.
Y: Is there a vegetarian entree tonight?
C: The green beans are vegetarian.
Y: Yes, thanks. Is there an entree, though?
C: Green beans.
Y: Well, the green beans and rice are veggie, yes. But they're side dishes. So there's no vegetarian entree?
C: No.
Y: Ok.
(Point of order: some of this repetition was to ensure clarity, as English is not the new chef's first language. Her English is pretty good, but it seems to be worth double checking things.)
This is a slightly different approach to training a new chef than I've taken before. That's partly because the old approach hasn't worked all that well, and partly because this chef seems to be very adaptable in other ways. Someone asked "Do we have Cremora here?" and the next day we did, for instance. So I'm starting slow, planting a seed. It was also closer to an entree than, say, a pan of over-steamed vegetables, so that's something, and it's the first day that there's been a problem at all. Plus, at least she didn't think that the fish was vegetarian, which was an initial problem with last year's new chef. I'm hoping that tonight's conversation will inspire a bit of rethinking on her part before we move to actual suggestions. (Empowered and empowering cooks, etc.)
Perhaps I could start a 12-step program for chefs addicted to meat-centered meals. Step One: Admit that green beans (squash, broccoli, etc.) are not an entree. Time will tell whether we've accomplished this step tonight and can move on to step two, or whether we need to spend some more time with step one.
I do like Wippell.
Wippell makes a clergy shirt that fits me. Really well. The collar needs to go up a size, and the sleeves shorten a bit. But that's why they send Wippell reps who know things to measure us and sell us things. Actually, I wasn't looking to buy today - I was looking for Christmas. Which is another great thing about Wippell - Wippell Man put my measurements for that shirt into a gift registry, so that I can send my parents there for Christmas.
Yes, they're expensive. But they're expensive for a reason, which is something that doesn't seem to be true of some clergy outfitters. And while I'll mostly still convert my own blouses, I expect, I also want a couple of really nice official black clergy shirts that look really good and fit really well. Really. And, as Wippell Man pointed out to me, they'll be happy to make me as many as I want. (Which, right now, is probably one.)
Yes, they're expensive. But they're expensive for a reason, which is something that doesn't seem to be true of some clergy outfitters. And while I'll mostly still convert my own blouses, I expect, I also want a couple of really nice official black clergy shirts that look really good and fit really well. Really. And, as Wippell Man pointed out to me, they'll be happy to make me as many as I want. (Which, right now, is probably one.)
Monday, September 25, 2006
mensch
I think I understand now why Davies makes a habit of following every night class with a nightcap. Night classes M-T-W, with GOE prep on Thurs, will be a significant challenge this term.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
one of those things
So, one of my former campers has an away message up saying "So I'm writing a paper about "Attitudes Toward Sex in Antebellum America"... it's pretty damn sweet." The thing is, I was amazed to realize that she's now in college. I had her as a Program Aide when I worked resident camp - so, when she was 12 or 13. Funny how six years turns that into 18 or 19... but I still can't quite picture her as anything but "the camper who worked in the horse barn but didn't like showers."
Saturday, September 23, 2006
whee!
PSU 6 - OSU 28 ... because of TWO interceptions for touchdowns in the last ten minutes of the game. That's the closest I've come to really joyful in a good while.
Someday, maybe, I'll learn to root for teams that don't only settle things in the last inning/quarter/period of the game - but it's kind of exciting this way, if also stressful.
Someday, maybe, I'll learn to root for teams that don't only settle things in the last inning/quarter/period of the game - but it's kind of exciting this way, if also stressful.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Done
Orientation = done. There will be a follow-up meeting of some sort so that Court can drill Raisin and me on what he needs to know, but as now, I'm basically no longer an orientation chair. I like being an orientation chair, but this is an intense relief.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
... followed by annoyance
So, to end my day, which wasn't stellar to begin with (for no particular reason - things went fine, it just wasn't a great day)?
1) I've lost my keys. I first missed them after dinner and I know I had them when I ran to get a Bible for Taize, so they ought to be by the mailboxes or in the chapel or refectory, or in my room. But I can't find them. I am at least into my room for now, though.
2) A friend called to tell me that she's about to restart the ordination process for the third time. The problem? Mostly that she's a lesbian. Not partnered, even (no, it shouldn't make a difference, but it sometimes does), but out. She was about to be licensed (she's Amer. Bapt., not Episcopalian) this month, but now she's got to restart.
So I'm frustrated with myself, and angry at the church. An excellent end to the day.
1) I've lost my keys. I first missed them after dinner and I know I had them when I ran to get a Bible for Taize, so they ought to be by the mailboxes or in the chapel or refectory, or in my room. But I can't find them. I am at least into my room for now, though.
2) A friend called to tell me that she's about to restart the ordination process for the third time. The problem? Mostly that she's a lesbian. Not partnered, even (no, it shouldn't make a difference, but it sometimes does), but out. She was about to be licensed (she's Amer. Bapt., not Episcopalian) this month, but now she's got to restart.
So I'm frustrated with myself, and angry at the church. An excellent end to the day.
Relief
If I am reading my syllabus correctly, it seems that our quiz on the Hebrew alphabet will not be until Tuesday. I was so not looking forward to having a quiz during orientation - but now I see there is none scheduled then. I hope class substantiates this relief and does not destroy it.
Monday, September 18, 2006
If you must
I can hear murmurs across the hall. I want to poke my head in over there (a surprisingly easy thing right now, since their suite door doesn't close, but we'll work on that) and say "No, you silly things, go back to bed! Sleep while you can!" I understand that even if they're not morning people (which they may be), it's the first morning of orientation and they both want showers and probably breakfast before morning prayer. I'm sure I wanted the same two years ago. But I personally would rather not have been up before 7, and therefore feel as though they ought to sleep as late as possible.
I'm going to make either a terrible or an excellent mother someday (I hope). At any rate, I do have to be up now, because I am a Mighty Tri-Chair and must ensure that the newbies have breakfast to eat. So off I go.
I'm going to make either a terrible or an excellent mother someday (I hope). At any rate, I do have to be up now, because I am a Mighty Tri-Chair and must ensure that the newbies have breakfast to eat. So off I go.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Friday, September 15, 2006
Out of straws
Some of you may recall last Thursday's cockroach sighting in the common room. The truly attentive may even remember last year's tempest in the teapot, so to speak. Last year, we traced them to the utility sink in the stairwell, and the maintenance crew disposed of them. Last week, I let it go since I only saw one once.
Tonight, I turned on my bedroom light and - another? the same? - cockroach ran between my legs and under my bed.
I remind my readers that bugs do not, as a general rule, bother me all that much. But cockroaches do not belong in my indoor quarters. Especially not indoor quarters which I've cleaned top to bottom at least once, and in some parts twice or more, in the last ten days. (Though I've been advised that the men's suite which shares a wall with mine is not so clean as mine - and there's a door between the two suites which is only blocked up enough to keep humans from passing between.)
I, myself, am unsettled. Unsettled and thoroughly displeased.
But the worst part is that tomorrow I get one new suitemate and Sunday I get another. They're new to Seabury altogether, and while I don't know that the roach(es) have made it to the other side of the suite, I suspect it won't be long, at least. It is thoroughly unfair and inhospitable to subject new residents to roaches.
So tomorrow, although it is Saturday, I will make some phone calls and arrange for someone to do something about the situation.
Perhaps it's a good thing that this happened the night before I have to get up at 5 anyway. It's not like I was planning on sleeping in....
Tonight, I turned on my bedroom light and - another? the same? - cockroach ran between my legs and under my bed.
I remind my readers that bugs do not, as a general rule, bother me all that much. But cockroaches do not belong in my indoor quarters. Especially not indoor quarters which I've cleaned top to bottom at least once, and in some parts twice or more, in the last ten days. (Though I've been advised that the men's suite which shares a wall with mine is not so clean as mine - and there's a door between the two suites which is only blocked up enough to keep humans from passing between.)
I, myself, am unsettled. Unsettled and thoroughly displeased.
But the worst part is that tomorrow I get one new suitemate and Sunday I get another. They're new to Seabury altogether, and while I don't know that the roach(es) have made it to the other side of the suite, I suspect it won't be long, at least. It is thoroughly unfair and inhospitable to subject new residents to roaches.
So tomorrow, although it is Saturday, I will make some phone calls and arrange for someone to do something about the situation.
Perhaps it's a good thing that this happened the night before I have to get up at 5 anyway. It's not like I was planning on sleeping in....
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Confessions of a Teenage Lizard
Oh. My. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen? So bad. So incredibly hilarious. You can read the liveblogged version over at Pastor V's. As he says, the movie has true contemporary resonance.
Not quite the same sort of resonance as Godzilla, though. He's from France. You know how the French are. Very resonant.
This might or might not have made more sense if I'd blogged it live. Next time we'll try to liveblog in sync. Or something.
(Ok, I've had too much pizza and ice cream and laughter, and I'm a little loopy. But it's a happy loopy.)
Not quite the same sort of resonance as Godzilla, though. He's from France. You know how the French are. Very resonant.
This might or might not have made more sense if I'd blogged it live. Next time we'll try to liveblog in sync. Or something.
(Ok, I've had too much pizza and ice cream and laughter, and I'm a little loopy. But it's a happy loopy.)
Nooooo!
Indigo Girls tour dates in cities where I might possibly be:
Cleveland, Oct 22* - This is a Sunday. I suppose it wouldn't be impossible - but see below.
St Louis, Oct 26 - Well, Oct 27-28 are my diocesan convention, and seniors are required to go. So I'll be heading to Cleveland that day.
Chicago, Oct 27, 28 - See above.
I. Am. Not. Happy.
*I've actually danced several times on the stage where they're playing this concert. That would be cooler if I could, you know, GO.
Cleveland, Oct 22* - This is a Sunday. I suppose it wouldn't be impossible - but see below.
St Louis, Oct 26 - Well, Oct 27-28 are my diocesan convention, and seniors are required to go. So I'll be heading to Cleveland that day.
Chicago, Oct 27, 28 - See above.
I. Am. Not. Happy.
*I've actually danced several times on the stage where they're playing this concert. That would be cooler if I could, you know, GO.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
We interrupt this orientation obsession...
My preaching professor just pointed me to this comic strip from Sunday. Said it reminded him of me.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Fairy Land!
A mini fairy land came today in my mail from two of my favorite people. It has a pink carraige, and two pink thrones with heart backs, and a horse and a pegasus and a swan and two doves, and a prince and princess and a fairy prince and fairy princess, and a magic mirror. The fairies have a little trouble standing up, but they're fairies. The largest piece is the carraige, which is about as long as my thumb (and my thumb isn't all that big).
It's all very fun. Thanks, guys!
It's all very fun. Thanks, guys!
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Channels!
I am, of course, watching the Ohio State - Texas game right now. That's not amazing. What's amazing is that I'm watching it in MY OWN SUITE. Yes - I broke down about 6:30 and went to Target to buy the best TV antenna they could sell me. Granted, when my parents' reception looks like this, they call the TV guys to have it fixed, but for my brick penthouse, a little snow ain't bad. I can sit on my own couch and eat guacamole and drink wine in my own space, and even blog in front of the game, because I have channels now!
Friday, September 08, 2006
My Autobiography (meme)
Ok, I wasn't going to do this because it's long, but since no one is in the offices to do business with, and I saw it on two blogs in a row on my RSS, I am. But, I think I should state that I think "My autobiography" is a dumb meme title.
Fill this out in your own words and repost as, "My autobiography."
1.Where did you take or get your profile picture?
Don't have one.
2.What exactly are you wearing right now?
My usual dark brown leather sandals, short denim skirt, deep purple strappy tank, white eyelet short-sleeve blouse (unbuttoned). (I should probably qualify that - in my world "short skirt" means "above the knee but decidedly longer than it is wide")
3.What is your current problem?
Hmm. Well, we're a little behind on some of the details for new student orientation. I guess that's what happens when none of the tri-chairs are really on campus much of the summer.
4.What makes you most happy?
Spending time with really good friends
5.What's the name of the song that you're listening to?
Do You Hear What I Hear? - because it still plays in my head whenever I hear a siren, such as the one passing us now.
6.Has anyone you've been really close with passed away?
Yes
7.Do you ever watch MTV?
Ever? I have watched it, yes, but never on a regular basis and not in a long time.
8.What's something that really annoys you?
Cockroaches in a newly cleaned apartment.
Chapter 1:All About You
1.Middle name:
Amy (And yes, if my brother had been a girl, he'd have been Meg)
2.Nickname(s):
Besides Beth? Spud, primarily, or diminutives thereof. But also Yoda, Bo, Chameleon, Opal, and probably a few others at times. (Yeah, I grew up at Girl Scout camp.)
3.Current location:
The far, far right edge of the futon in my common room
4.Eye color:
Blue
Chapter 2:Family
1.Do you live with your parents:
No
2.Do you get along with your parent(s):
Yes
3.Are your parents married/separated/divorced
Married
4.Do you have any Siblings?:
1 little brother
Chapter 3: favorite...
1. Ice Cream:
Um. Hmm. Favorite. You mean just one? Well, I like mint chocolate chip a lot. And cookies and cream. And peppermint stick. And Phish Food. And Dove Irresistably Raspberry. And...
2.Season:
I don't have a favorite season so much as I really, really like the beginning of each season. So, right now my favorite season is fall, but really I like the novelty of it.
3.Shampoo/conditioner:
At the moment, Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo and Dove something moisturizing conditioner. But I switch around, mostly between those brands. They're cheap.
Chapter 4: Do You..
1.Dance in the shower:
Clearly you've never seen my shower. I can barely shower in my shower.
2.Write on your hand:
Well, I try to avoid it. But eventually, if I keep forgetting a thing, I usually will.
3.Call people back:
Yes. But occasionally it takes me a ridiculously long time.
4.Believe in love:
Well, yeah.
5.Sleep on a certain side of the bed
Yeah, the top side, generally. (No, really, when I'm in a double bed I generally sleep on the right side.
6. Any bad habits:
Yes.
7. Any mental health issues?
Nothing diagnosed.
Chapter 5: Have You...
1.Broken a bone:
No
2.Sprained stuff:
That's an interesting question. I've never been treated for a sprain, but five years ago I fell on my thumb while taping a circle on the floor, and it got puffy and purple and took a really long time to heal and still doesn't look quite the same as the other one. So, maybe.
3.Had physical therapy?:
Nay
4.Gotten stitches:
Nein
5.Taken Pain killers?
Yes
6.Gone SCUBA diving or snorkeling:
No
7.Been stung by a bee:
Yes
8.Thrown up at the dentist:
No
9.Sworn in front of your parents:
Yes
10.Had detention:
That's another interesting question. I don't remember ever being in detention, though I seem to remember my whole class being assigned detention once or twice. Possibly I just got out of those. NO. WAIT. I do remember one detention - several friends of mine were making "candy carrots" (carrots with other lunch foods/drinks mixed in) at lunch one day in third grade, at the table where I was sitting (not actually participating). The lunch lady decided we all needed to sit at the detention table for a few days for playing with food, because no one would take the blame for it. I was the only one whose mother didn't call the principal and insist that her darling daughter couldn't possibly sit at the detention table - so while my friends were back making more candy carrots the next two days, I was sitting at the detention table alone.
11.Been sent to the principal's office:
No. This one I'm sure about.
12.Been called a ho?
See Chapter 2, answer 4, about having a little brother.
Chapter 6: Who/What was the last
1.Movie(s):
I assume you mean the last one I myself saw, which would be Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Or maybe Fellowship of the Ring. I don't remember in which order I watched them.
2.Person to text you:
Hmm. No one texts me now, but we used to text all the time in Germany. So, one of the other Smithies I went to Germany with, I guess - probably Jessica.
3.Person you called:
Lauren
4.Person you hugged:
Milner, at the peace this morning.
5.Person you tackled?
Um. I can't say for sure, because I can't remember the last time I tackled someone. But I'd say my little brother is probably a good guess.
6.Thing you touched:
Ok, this is a ridiculous question. This is a MEME. I am touching my keyboard. Right. Now.
7.Thing you ate:
Hmm. Either a piece of popcorn or a Gobstopper.
8.Thing you drank:
Water
9.Thing you said:
Bye
10.Friend you miss the most that has moved:
HopeandAndrew
Fill this out in your own words and repost as, "My autobiography."
1.Where did you take or get your profile picture?
Don't have one.
2.What exactly are you wearing right now?
My usual dark brown leather sandals, short denim skirt, deep purple strappy tank, white eyelet short-sleeve blouse (unbuttoned). (I should probably qualify that - in my world "short skirt" means "above the knee but decidedly longer than it is wide")
3.What is your current problem?
Hmm. Well, we're a little behind on some of the details for new student orientation. I guess that's what happens when none of the tri-chairs are really on campus much of the summer.
4.What makes you most happy?
Spending time with really good friends
5.What's the name of the song that you're listening to?
Do You Hear What I Hear? - because it still plays in my head whenever I hear a siren, such as the one passing us now.
6.Has anyone you've been really close with passed away?
Yes
7.Do you ever watch MTV?
Ever? I have watched it, yes, but never on a regular basis and not in a long time.
8.What's something that really annoys you?
Cockroaches in a newly cleaned apartment.
Chapter 1:All About You
1.Middle name:
Amy (And yes, if my brother had been a girl, he'd have been Meg)
2.Nickname(s):
Besides Beth? Spud, primarily, or diminutives thereof. But also Yoda, Bo, Chameleon, Opal, and probably a few others at times. (Yeah, I grew up at Girl Scout camp.)
3.Current location:
The far, far right edge of the futon in my common room
4.Eye color:
Blue
Chapter 2:Family
1.Do you live with your parents:
No
2.Do you get along with your parent(s):
Yes
3.Are your parents married/separated/divorced
Married
4.Do you have any Siblings?:
1 little brother
Chapter 3: favorite...
1. Ice Cream:
Um. Hmm. Favorite. You mean just one? Well, I like mint chocolate chip a lot. And cookies and cream. And peppermint stick. And Phish Food. And Dove Irresistably Raspberry. And...
2.Season:
I don't have a favorite season so much as I really, really like the beginning of each season. So, right now my favorite season is fall, but really I like the novelty of it.
3.Shampoo/conditioner:
At the moment, Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo and Dove something moisturizing conditioner. But I switch around, mostly between those brands. They're cheap.
Chapter 4: Do You..
1.Dance in the shower:
Clearly you've never seen my shower. I can barely shower in my shower.
2.Write on your hand:
Well, I try to avoid it. But eventually, if I keep forgetting a thing, I usually will.
3.Call people back:
Yes. But occasionally it takes me a ridiculously long time.
4.Believe in love:
Well, yeah.
5.Sleep on a certain side of the bed
Yeah, the top side, generally. (No, really, when I'm in a double bed I generally sleep on the right side.
6. Any bad habits:
Yes.
7. Any mental health issues?
Nothing diagnosed.
Chapter 5: Have You...
1.Broken a bone:
No
2.Sprained stuff:
That's an interesting question. I've never been treated for a sprain, but five years ago I fell on my thumb while taping a circle on the floor, and it got puffy and purple and took a really long time to heal and still doesn't look quite the same as the other one. So, maybe.
3.Had physical therapy?:
Nay
4.Gotten stitches:
Nein
5.Taken Pain killers?
Yes
6.Gone SCUBA diving or snorkeling:
No
7.Been stung by a bee:
Yes
8.Thrown up at the dentist:
No
9.Sworn in front of your parents:
Yes
10.Had detention:
That's another interesting question. I don't remember ever being in detention, though I seem to remember my whole class being assigned detention once or twice. Possibly I just got out of those. NO. WAIT. I do remember one detention - several friends of mine were making "candy carrots" (carrots with other lunch foods/drinks mixed in) at lunch one day in third grade, at the table where I was sitting (not actually participating). The lunch lady decided we all needed to sit at the detention table for a few days for playing with food, because no one would take the blame for it. I was the only one whose mother didn't call the principal and insist that her darling daughter couldn't possibly sit at the detention table - so while my friends were back making more candy carrots the next two days, I was sitting at the detention table alone.
11.Been sent to the principal's office:
No. This one I'm sure about.
12.Been called a ho?
See Chapter 2, answer 4, about having a little brother.
Chapter 6: Who/What was the last
1.Movie(s):
I assume you mean the last one I myself saw, which would be Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Or maybe Fellowship of the Ring. I don't remember in which order I watched them.
2.Person to text you:
Hmm. No one texts me now, but we used to text all the time in Germany. So, one of the other Smithies I went to Germany with, I guess - probably Jessica.
3.Person you called:
Lauren
4.Person you hugged:
Milner, at the peace this morning.
5.Person you tackled?
Um. I can't say for sure, because I can't remember the last time I tackled someone. But I'd say my little brother is probably a good guess.
6.Thing you touched:
Ok, this is a ridiculous question. This is a MEME. I am touching my keyboard. Right. Now.
7.Thing you ate:
Hmm. Either a piece of popcorn or a Gobstopper.
8.Thing you drank:
Water
9.Thing you said:
Bye
10.Friend you miss the most that has moved:
HopeandAndrew
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Survey says...
| Your Fashion Style is Girly |
 You dress to look beautiful and show off what you've got Dresses, skirts, heels... whatever it takes to turn heads You love feeling like a girl in any setting Even your workout clothes are cute and feminine! |
Of course, I was also remarkably close to this:
| Your Fashion Style is Sporty |
 You're a natural beauty who doesn't need fancy clothes to look good You prefer your clothes to be comfortable, so you can stay on the go For you, femininity is not how you wear - but how you wear it. Still, don't be afraid to show off that great body in a dress or skirt! |
Or this:
| Your Fashion Style is Classic |
 You like what's stood the test of time... Simple, well styled clothes that don't scream trendy You stay updated and modern, but your clothes stay in style for a while You wouldn't be caught in animal prints, fake fur, or super bright colors |
But they didn't tell me what kind of party I was dressing for, so I didn't know which outfit to pick. Personally, I suspect I'm more the last one - out of sheer fashion laziness.
Delightful
After Hebrew class this morning, I met up with Pippa for the day. Those of you who know Pippa will not be surprised that it was a delightful day, but somehow it was even more delightful than expected. Perhaps I've just been away awhile. At any rate, we packed a picnic lunch - hummus sandwiches, fresh guacamole, chips, carrots, and a bit of pomegranate - and took it out the the Botanic Garden. After lunch we walked the gardens, which are considerably more spectacular in September than in March, came back, and played a game of Mille Borne. After doing our afternoon chores, we made dinner - microwave gourmet: spaghetti and salad - then played a few games of Sequence, then went for gelato. Then we watched Belles on Their Toes, complete with commentary (we'd both seen it before), and played a few games of Uno. Things got a bit exciting in the middle of the movie when Pippa asked "What's that?" and I followed her gaze to a cockroach crawling across the common room floor. I don't mind a few bugs, but I do mind cockroaches in my living quarters (as I've mentioned). Since I just got back in town and spent the last two days cleaning, I fail to see how this can in any way be my own fault. Tomorrow, a work order. Anyway, I'm unusually exhausted for 10 pm (of course, I've also been waking up before my alarm recently), but very satisfied. It was a fun day.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
In more mundane news...
(Ok, the last post was pretty mundane too. Whatever.)
I have spent two days unpacking, cleaning, etc. My space is now not only livable but ready for guests. This is lucky, since I have one coming for at least the day and possibly the night tomorrow, and she tends more toward the neat side than I do. There are still a few things scattered about - I haven't yet taken my vestments to be laundered, for instance, so they're over the back of the futon. But it looks like a place someone lives, rather than a place someone stores things. Also, the floors are clean. That's more of a rare treat for me than it ought to be, but there you are.
In the midst of all this, I have also managed to have two meals with friends, do a bit of cooking, eat healthy raw foods (like the yummy salad I had for first lunch today), watch two movies and ten episodes of West Wing, and do my Hebrew homework. The Hebrew homework is a strange sort of challenge, in that the assignment itself isn't tough - we're to greet each other and at least two professors in Hebrew between classe sessions, as well as practicing a particular setting of the Hamotzi. The tough thing is that I and the other Seabury students aren't actually in class yet except for Hebrew - so I barely see him, and have not seen professors at all. My solution? I have been greeting my computer in Hebrew when talking with a professor online. (We're also not supposed to write any form of Hebrew yet.)
So, by special request for those of you who complained that reading my blog didn't tell you what I did all summer, that's what I've done the last two days.
I have spent two days unpacking, cleaning, etc. My space is now not only livable but ready for guests. This is lucky, since I have one coming for at least the day and possibly the night tomorrow, and she tends more toward the neat side than I do. There are still a few things scattered about - I haven't yet taken my vestments to be laundered, for instance, so they're over the back of the futon. But it looks like a place someone lives, rather than a place someone stores things. Also, the floors are clean. That's more of a rare treat for me than it ought to be, but there you are.
In the midst of all this, I have also managed to have two meals with friends, do a bit of cooking, eat healthy raw foods (like the yummy salad I had for first lunch today), watch two movies and ten episodes of West Wing, and do my Hebrew homework. The Hebrew homework is a strange sort of challenge, in that the assignment itself isn't tough - we're to greet each other and at least two professors in Hebrew between classe sessions, as well as practicing a particular setting of the Hamotzi. The tough thing is that I and the other Seabury students aren't actually in class yet except for Hebrew - so I barely see him, and have not seen professors at all. My solution? I have been greeting my computer in Hebrew when talking with a professor online. (We're also not supposed to write any form of Hebrew yet.)
So, by special request for those of you who complained that reading my blog didn't tell you what I did all summer, that's what I've done the last two days.
Giggle
So, today I received a lovely note from my summer rector.
In an envelope addressed:
The Getting Close to Reverend Beth
It made me giggle.
In an envelope addressed:
The Getting Close to Reverend Beth
It made me giggle.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Back
I've returned safely to Evanston, and have convinced my wireless to work again. I'm grateful to have returned to a suite that wasn't covered in an inch of dust, and to keys in my mailbox, and to friends who helped move my things in from the car. I've also started Hebrew class, and am hard at unpacking and cleaning and grocery shopping and other tasks of moving back in.
It's been noted that my entries this summer didn't tell much about what I'd actually been doing. I'll try to remedy that now that I'm back without the distraction of family.
It's been noted that my entries this summer didn't tell much about what I'd actually been doing. I'll try to remedy that now that I'm back without the distraction of family.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Popping in
I made it through my grandmother's birthday celebration, triple preaching this morning, and the family at our house this afternoon. (Turns out that when my brother and his fiancee leave, I become the coolest playmate available for my cousin's kids, who are 8 and 5.)
There's still a bit of family here, but it's time for me to finish packing my bags and start packing the car now. Tomorrow, Evanston!
There's still a bit of family here, but it's time for me to finish packing my bags and start packing the car now. Tomorrow, Evanston!
Friday, September 01, 2006
Friday Five: Life in the Fast Lane
(Obviously, I'm making a lot of progress on that sermon.)
1. Driving: an enjoyable way to clear the mind? a means to an end? a chance to be quiet with one's thoughts? a necessary evil? the downfall of our planet and its fossil fuels? Discuss. Usually, a means to an end. I enjoy it, most of the time, but I don't usually drive to clear the mind - especially since I believe that driving is best undertaken while the mind is already pretty clear.
2. Do you drive the speed limit? A little faster? Slower? Have you ever gotten a ticket? I tend to drive a little faster than the speed limit - by which I mean, mostly I drive about 5 miles faster and occasionally I drive a fair bit faster.
3. Do you take public transportation? When? What's your opinion of the experience? When it seems reasonable. When I'm in Chicago, I usually take public instead of driving if at all feasible, though I don't mind if someone else drives. When I'm in Cleveland, it's almost never reasonable - there's not much of it, and the nearest park-and-ride is fifteen minutes away in the opposite direction from the city, so taking the rapid to ball games isn't really a strong option for us.
4. Complete this sentence: _____________ has the worst drivers I've ever experienced. St. Louis, no question. Especially in the parking lots of grocery stores (especially the Schnuck's in Richmond Heights).
5. According to the Census Bureau, reverendmother's fair city has the 6th longest average commute in the United States at 29 minutes each way. How does your personal commute rate? Well, at the moment, my commute is pretty short - from my bedroom to my kitchen table it takes me about 20-25 seconds. My commute this summer to work was about 20-25 minutes each way (exactly average for my city, the 31st in the nation at 23.5 minutes). My commute at school is somewhere in between - about two and a half minutes from my third floor suite to the second floor classrooms or the first floor chapel.
Bonus for the brutally honest: It has been said, and the MythBusters have confirmed, that cell phones can impede driving ability almost as much as drinking. Do you talk on a cell phone while driving? Rarely. I do it more in Cleveland than in Chicago, because my parents' house has bad reception, but I think I've still only done it once all summer. I do answer the phone while driving unless it's immediately stupid to do so, but I usually talk just long enough to know there's no emergency and then say "I'm driving. Good-bye."
1. Driving: an enjoyable way to clear the mind? a means to an end? a chance to be quiet with one's thoughts? a necessary evil? the downfall of our planet and its fossil fuels? Discuss. Usually, a means to an end. I enjoy it, most of the time, but I don't usually drive to clear the mind - especially since I believe that driving is best undertaken while the mind is already pretty clear.
2. Do you drive the speed limit? A little faster? Slower? Have you ever gotten a ticket? I tend to drive a little faster than the speed limit - by which I mean, mostly I drive about 5 miles faster and occasionally I drive a fair bit faster.
3. Do you take public transportation? When? What's your opinion of the experience? When it seems reasonable. When I'm in Chicago, I usually take public instead of driving if at all feasible, though I don't mind if someone else drives. When I'm in Cleveland, it's almost never reasonable - there's not much of it, and the nearest park-and-ride is fifteen minutes away in the opposite direction from the city, so taking the rapid to ball games isn't really a strong option for us.
4. Complete this sentence: _____________ has the worst drivers I've ever experienced. St. Louis, no question. Especially in the parking lots of grocery stores (especially the Schnuck's in Richmond Heights).
5. According to the Census Bureau, reverendmother's fair city has the 6th longest average commute in the United States at 29 minutes each way. How does your personal commute rate? Well, at the moment, my commute is pretty short - from my bedroom to my kitchen table it takes me about 20-25 seconds. My commute this summer to work was about 20-25 minutes each way (exactly average for my city, the 31st in the nation at 23.5 minutes). My commute at school is somewhere in between - about two and a half minutes from my third floor suite to the second floor classrooms or the first floor chapel.
Bonus for the brutally honest: It has been said, and the MythBusters have confirmed, that cell phones can impede driving ability almost as much as drinking. Do you talk on a cell phone while driving? Rarely. I do it more in Cleveland than in Chicago, because my parents' house has bad reception, but I think I've still only done it once all summer. I do answer the phone while driving unless it's immediately stupid to do so, but I usually talk just long enough to know there's no emergency and then say "I'm driving. Good-bye."
Reason #13, 497 Why I Am Not Cut Out For A Rector
I love preaching (yeah, I know), but sermon writing/prep makes me absolutely batty and desperate. Ok, let me qualify that. Trying to craft sermons longer than about six minutes makes me absolutely batty and desperate. Crafting 3-7 minute sermons is still kind of fun, even a couple of weeks in a row. Still, I'm glad to be looking in a direction that's less likely to include someone expecting me to preach 10-15 minutes every week for thirty years running.
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