Sally writes:
This year Tim and I have planted and nurtured a vegetable garden, and I have just spent the morning preparing vegetables and soups for the freezer, our veggie garden is producing like crazy and it is hard to keep up with, that said it'll be worth it for a little taste of summer in the middle of winter :-). That got me thinking of the things I treasure, memories are often more valuable than possessions. How about you, can you share:
A treasured memory from childhood?
A teenage memory?
A young adult memory?
A memory from this summer?
A memory you hope to have?
Bonus- a song that sums up one of those memories
Ahh, summer and memories... how they seem to go together! My veggie garden isn't doing nearly as well as Sally and Tim's, but I do cherish each struggling little grape tomato and blueberry that managed to make it through the very odd heat we've had this year. :) So let me see...
Childhood memory:
Possibly because my son recently adopted an adorable, mischievous black-and-white kitten to fill the void left by the passing of his beloved Tilly-woo some years ago, I find the first thing that pops to memory is the similarly-marked kitten I had as a very little girl. I had just seen Pinocchio (Disney version, 'when you wish upon a star....') and decided to name the kitten Figaro. I have one photo of him; he is crawling up my father's plaid shirt, while Daddy looks bemused and I stare in fascination, keeping hands in lap so I can hopefully get my chance to hold the wiggling bundle. Figgy didn't stay with us for long, he went to be with another family whose mom did not need to sleep during the day... but he's always been there in my memory, just one thought away.
Teenage Memory:
This is a tough one. I want to focus on positive memories, and my teenage years were... seldom positive. However, recent events in my life do bring forth something all the more precious now because half of the couple is gone and the other half has memory impairment. I met my in-laws long before they became such, while I was still in high school. They did many things for me, taught me things, helped me with problems, gave me a place in their hearts. My father-in-law passed away on Ash Wednesday this past February, but I will always remember how he taught me to once again find my dignity, my sense of self-worth, made me a stronger, better person. His wife aided in that task in many ways; she is alone now, half the time not remembering he is gone, the other half of the time remembering all too well. She is teaching me new lessons now, all unawares: patience, the simple grace of living in the moment, and learning to let go. Important, special memories, those....
Young Adult:
This one is easy. :) I was twenty-six, still clearly a young adult, when my son (who will be 28 this October) was born. He arrived 12 days after my birthday and 8 days before his parents' wedding anniversary. I remember as clearly as if it were yesterday what it felt like to have him move inside of me; when he came out and I held him for the first time, he moved deeper inside of me than he already had been, to take root in my heart. The photographs do not do justice to the absolute moment of gob-smacked adoration that hit me when I looked into his little red face.
This Summer:
Hmmm... we have a couple of weeks to go yet, and what I suspect will be the most memorable time has not quite yet come. I've been asked to be the celebrant at the wedding of two wonderful people who I have come to love dearly, the brother of the one I love and his delightful fiancee. I am looking forward to it with great joy, and expect to remember the event for any number of memory-worthy moments. I love doing weddings, love being privileged to be a part of someone's great moment of hope and joy. So I'll say that the happy memory (so far) from this summer is anticipation, the best sauce, as the wedding draws ever nearer....
Hope to Have:
Someday I hope someone will look at me the way I see him look at her, and will want to be with me as they want to be with each other. Until that day, I will cherish the memories I have and continue to hope.
Bonus Round: A Song....
I'm pretty sure it would be "Memory" from Cats:
Daylight...
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I musn't give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin....
As for us all, may our memories be sweeter as we grow older and wiser!
Showing posts with label Friday Five. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friday Five. Show all posts
06 August 2010
21 September 2008
Friday Five: Autumnal Equinox
Songbird scripsit:
It's that time of year, at least north of the equator. The windows are still open, but the darned furnace comes on early in the morning. My husband went out for a walk after an early supper and came home in full darkness. And yes, where we live, leaves are beginning to turn. As this vivid season begins, tell us five favorite things about fall:
Oh, I love fall. I start waking up when fall hits. :) I wonder if that's true for everyone born in the autumnal part of the year, and if it translates to other times of year too... Let me see now:
1) A fragrance: the smell of pumpkin pie fresh out of the oven. Or pumpkin muffins slathered with butter while still hot. I love pumpkin and always associate it with fall!
2) A color: deep, orange-y brown, the ultimate autumnal colour for me... :)
3) An item of clothing: sweaters. I know I'll need them eventually, but I have always liked cooler-to-cold weather better than warm or hot.
4) An activity: scuffing along through downed leaves. You are just plain NEVER too old to scuff through crackly, crunchy leaves! :)
5) A special day: My son's birth. I have been pregnant many times, but Brian was the only one to survive to birth; he was born on October 13 in a very good year, and he is the light of my life. October is a good month for me. My birthday falls within that month; Brian was born; I was married in that month. A number of people I love also have birthdays and anniversaries in October. October Rocks!! :)
It's that time of year, at least north of the equator. The windows are still open, but the darned furnace comes on early in the morning. My husband went out for a walk after an early supper and came home in full darkness. And yes, where we live, leaves are beginning to turn. As this vivid season begins, tell us five favorite things about fall:
Oh, I love fall. I start waking up when fall hits. :) I wonder if that's true for everyone born in the autumnal part of the year, and if it translates to other times of year too... Let me see now:
1) A fragrance: the smell of pumpkin pie fresh out of the oven. Or pumpkin muffins slathered with butter while still hot. I love pumpkin and always associate it with fall!
2) A color: deep, orange-y brown, the ultimate autumnal colour for me... :)
3) An item of clothing: sweaters. I know I'll need them eventually, but I have always liked cooler-to-cold weather better than warm or hot.
4) An activity: scuffing along through downed leaves. You are just plain NEVER too old to scuff through crackly, crunchy leaves! :)
5) A special day: My son's birth. I have been pregnant many times, but Brian was the only one to survive to birth; he was born on October 13 in a very good year, and he is the light of my life. October is a good month for me. My birthday falls within that month; Brian was born; I was married in that month. A number of people I love also have birthdays and anniversaries in October. October Rocks!! :)
12 September 2008
Friday Five Goes Back to School...
Mother Laura writes:
It's time for a Back-To-School Friday Five!
1. Is anyone going back to school, as a student or teacher, at your house? How's it going so far? No, we're all as graduated as we can handle being for now, though I am considering a distance-learners Masters. Can't handle the money yet, but it's fun to dream! :) Of course the usual learning of life goes on, and there's been a LOT of that lately....
2. Were you glad or sad when back-to-school time came as a kid? Always happy, myself. :) It meant that for several hours a day I was safe and cared about because I was smart and funny. I loved school.
3. Did your family of origin have any rituals to mark this time of year? How about now? My grandparents, some of them, were German--so when we were littlies we got those cornucopia things full of candy and school supplies. And of course going back to school meant it was almost Oktoberfest, so we ate a lot of sausage and kraut as Oma practiced for the amazing feed everyone got each year. :)
4. Favorite memories of back-to-school outfits, lunchboxes, etc? This sounds so silly... but when Rev Sharon was still a size 6x, she had a little sleeveless blouse of white linen with yellow buttons shaped like chicks... and the ruffled peplum on the thing had a printed farmyard scene all the way around of barns, fences, scarecrows, and little chickies--and the chickies were flocked and fuzzy. I wore that thing to RAGS and wish sometimes that I could find a pic of me in it. I think my fave lunch box was a Monkees one, though I was never much of a Davy Jones kinda gal... I always liked Mickey Dolenz best. :)
5. What was your best year of school? I think 6th grade. I had a wonderful teacher, Mrs. Dickerson, who was the first to twig that I was being abused at home--and did what she could to mitigate it. She asked me to come to her apartment, where she did the adjustments on some clothing donated to me by other teachers because my wardrobe was... umm... awful... and while she was pinning. measuring, and taking in seams, she basically helped me understand that what was happening at home wasn't normal. Then she helped me find ways to fix it in a fashion that turned out to be healing for all of us, those at least who wanted to BE healed. I think in the end, she taught me the real meaning of pastoral counseling; I've kind of used that as a model ever since.
It's time for a Back-To-School Friday Five!
1. Is anyone going back to school, as a student or teacher, at your house? How's it going so far? No, we're all as graduated as we can handle being for now, though I am considering a distance-learners Masters. Can't handle the money yet, but it's fun to dream! :) Of course the usual learning of life goes on, and there's been a LOT of that lately....
2. Were you glad or sad when back-to-school time came as a kid? Always happy, myself. :) It meant that for several hours a day I was safe and cared about because I was smart and funny. I loved school.
3. Did your family of origin have any rituals to mark this time of year? How about now? My grandparents, some of them, were German--so when we were littlies we got those cornucopia things full of candy and school supplies. And of course going back to school meant it was almost Oktoberfest, so we ate a lot of sausage and kraut as Oma practiced for the amazing feed everyone got each year. :)
4. Favorite memories of back-to-school outfits, lunchboxes, etc? This sounds so silly... but when Rev Sharon was still a size 6x, she had a little sleeveless blouse of white linen with yellow buttons shaped like chicks... and the ruffled peplum on the thing had a printed farmyard scene all the way around of barns, fences, scarecrows, and little chickies--and the chickies were flocked and fuzzy. I wore that thing to RAGS and wish sometimes that I could find a pic of me in it. I think my fave lunch box was a Monkees one, though I was never much of a Davy Jones kinda gal... I always liked Mickey Dolenz best. :)
5. What was your best year of school? I think 6th grade. I had a wonderful teacher, Mrs. Dickerson, who was the first to twig that I was being abused at home--and did what she could to mitigate it. She asked me to come to her apartment, where she did the adjustments on some clothing donated to me by other teachers because my wardrobe was... umm... awful... and while she was pinning. measuring, and taking in seams, she basically helped me understand that what was happening at home wasn't normal. Then she helped me find ways to fix it in a fashion that turned out to be healing for all of us, those at least who wanted to BE healed. I think in the end, she taught me the real meaning of pastoral counseling; I've kind of used that as a model ever since.
05 September 2008
Friday Five: Vulnerability
This week's F5, with prayers and love to GG and her family...
I have recently been reading a book entitled Jesus wept, it is all about vulnerability in leadership. The authors speak of how Jesus shared his earthly frustrations and vulnerabilities with a select group of people. To some he was the charismatic leader and teacher, to others words of wisdom were opened and explained and some frustrations shared, to his "inner circle of friends: Peter, James and John, he was most fully himself, and in all of these things he was open to God. So I bring you this weeks Friday 5:
1. Is vulnerability something that comes easily to you, or are you a private person?
It comes to me fairly easily, but it's harder to share it. I was raised to believe my only purpose in life was to be of service to others, and that others really didn't want to hear when I wasn't "there" and "strong" for them. Fortunately this has changed over the years, but I still find the confessing to be hard.
2.How important is it to keep up a professional persona in work/ ministry?
Well... I'm of two minds here. I think it is important to people in general that their leader be strong, collected, together--speed of the leader, speed of the team, and all that. However. I have also been most profoundly touched in my life during times when people broke a public face to show their deepest heart. The first example that comes to mind (because I have a great deal of respect and affection for him) is Ted Kennedy. I was in grade school when Bobby Kennedy was killed; I have never forgotten listening to the break in his voice, seeing the tears in his eyes, when he eulogized his brother and spoke the words "Love is not an easy feeling to put into words." All the stoicism in the world couldn't overcome the unique shared-grief-ness of that moment. When someone shows their congregation true grief, true pain, true joy, even true anger--I feel more connected. I am comforted by the familiarity of their "usual persona"--but I am touched when they share.
3. Masks, a form of self protection? discuss...
Oh yes, of course they are. But they are also a way of hiding. And from time to time we need them in both of those roles. We could go on for hours and days about when/whether masks are appropriate...
4. Who knows you warts and all?
My sister Jo; a close-knit circle of very beloved friends; my horse. Everyone else probably knows pieces of various sizes. And no, I don't want to list the friends. :) They know who they are.
5. Share a book, a prayer, a piece of music, a poem or a person that touches the deep place in your soul, and calls you to be who you are most authentically.
Oh... not easy. The Rosary in its current form, especially in Latin, speaks to the deep, still places in my soul; there's also a poem about the resurrection that has always touched me very deeply. It is by Jonathan Brooks of Mississippi (1905-1945) and it never, ever fails to make me weep--leaving a sense of joy and peace behind. I get shivers thinking of it now, and happily share it with you all now.
The Resurrection
by Jonathan Brooks
His friends went off and left Him dead
In Joseph's subterranean bed,
Embalmed with myrrh and sweet aloes,
And wrapped in snow-white burial clothes.
Then shrewd men came and set a seal
Upon His grave, lest thieves should steal
His lifeless form away and claim
For Him an undeserving fame.
"There is no use," the soldiers said,
"Of standing sentries by the dead."
Wherefore, they drew their cloaks around
Themselves, and fell upon the ground;
And slept like dead men, all night through,
In the pale moonlight and chilling dew.
A muffled whiff of sudden breath
Ruffled the passive air of Death.
He woke, and raised Himself in bed;
Recalled how He was crucified;
Touched both hands' fingers to His head,
And lightly felt His fresh-healed side.
Then with a deep, triumphant sigh,
He coolly put His grave-clothes by--
Folded the sweet, white winding-sheet,
The toweling, the linen bands,
The napkins, all with careful hands--
And left the borrowed chamber neat.
His steps were like the breaking day:
So soft across the watch He stole,
He did not wake a single soul,
Nor spill one dewdrop by the way.
Now Calvary was loveliness;
Lilies that flowered thereupon
Pulled off the white moon's pallid dress
And put the morning's vesture on.
"Why seek the living among the dead?
He is not here," the angel said.
The early winds took up the words,
And bore them to the lilting birds,
The leafing trees, and everything
That breathed the living breath of spring.
I have recently been reading a book entitled Jesus wept, it is all about vulnerability in leadership. The authors speak of how Jesus shared his earthly frustrations and vulnerabilities with a select group of people. To some he was the charismatic leader and teacher, to others words of wisdom were opened and explained and some frustrations shared, to his "inner circle of friends: Peter, James and John, he was most fully himself, and in all of these things he was open to God. So I bring you this weeks Friday 5:
1. Is vulnerability something that comes easily to you, or are you a private person?
It comes to me fairly easily, but it's harder to share it. I was raised to believe my only purpose in life was to be of service to others, and that others really didn't want to hear when I wasn't "there" and "strong" for them. Fortunately this has changed over the years, but I still find the confessing to be hard.
2.How important is it to keep up a professional persona in work/ ministry?
Well... I'm of two minds here. I think it is important to people in general that their leader be strong, collected, together--speed of the leader, speed of the team, and all that. However. I have also been most profoundly touched in my life during times when people broke a public face to show their deepest heart. The first example that comes to mind (because I have a great deal of respect and affection for him) is Ted Kennedy. I was in grade school when Bobby Kennedy was killed; I have never forgotten listening to the break in his voice, seeing the tears in his eyes, when he eulogized his brother and spoke the words "Love is not an easy feeling to put into words." All the stoicism in the world couldn't overcome the unique shared-grief-ness of that moment. When someone shows their congregation true grief, true pain, true joy, even true anger--I feel more connected. I am comforted by the familiarity of their "usual persona"--but I am touched when they share.
3. Masks, a form of self protection? discuss...
Oh yes, of course they are. But they are also a way of hiding. And from time to time we need them in both of those roles. We could go on for hours and days about when/whether masks are appropriate...
4. Who knows you warts and all?
My sister Jo; a close-knit circle of very beloved friends; my horse. Everyone else probably knows pieces of various sizes. And no, I don't want to list the friends. :) They know who they are.
5. Share a book, a prayer, a piece of music, a poem or a person that touches the deep place in your soul, and calls you to be who you are most authentically.
Oh... not easy. The Rosary in its current form, especially in Latin, speaks to the deep, still places in my soul; there's also a poem about the resurrection that has always touched me very deeply. It is by Jonathan Brooks of Mississippi (1905-1945) and it never, ever fails to make me weep--leaving a sense of joy and peace behind. I get shivers thinking of it now, and happily share it with you all now.
The Resurrection
by Jonathan Brooks
His friends went off and left Him dead
In Joseph's subterranean bed,
Embalmed with myrrh and sweet aloes,
And wrapped in snow-white burial clothes.
Then shrewd men came and set a seal
Upon His grave, lest thieves should steal
His lifeless form away and claim
For Him an undeserving fame.
"There is no use," the soldiers said,
"Of standing sentries by the dead."
Wherefore, they drew their cloaks around
Themselves, and fell upon the ground;
And slept like dead men, all night through,
In the pale moonlight and chilling dew.
A muffled whiff of sudden breath
Ruffled the passive air of Death.
He woke, and raised Himself in bed;
Recalled how He was crucified;
Touched both hands' fingers to His head,
And lightly felt His fresh-healed side.
Then with a deep, triumphant sigh,
He coolly put His grave-clothes by--
Folded the sweet, white winding-sheet,
The toweling, the linen bands,
The napkins, all with careful hands--
And left the borrowed chamber neat.
His steps were like the breaking day:
So soft across the watch He stole,
He did not wake a single soul,
Nor spill one dewdrop by the way.
Now Calvary was loveliness;
Lilies that flowered thereupon
Pulled off the white moon's pallid dress
And put the morning's vesture on.
"Why seek the living among the dead?
He is not here," the angel said.
The early winds took up the words,
And bore them to the lilting birds,
The leafing trees, and everything
That breathed the living breath of spring.
27 June 2008
Friday Five: Summer Reading
Songbird sez:
Back in the day, before I went to seminary, I worked in the Children's Room at the Public Library, and every year we geared up for Summer Reading. Children would come in and record the books read over the summer, and the season included numerous special and celebratory events. As a lifelong book lover and enthusiastic summer reader, I find I still accumulate a pile of books for the summer.
This week, then, a Summer Reading Friday Five.
My responses below:
1) Do you think of summer as a particularly good season for reading? Why or why not?
Surprisingly... under normal circumstances, no. Mind you, I'm unemployed so far this year--but I have had no time for reading. Too much else is going on... but realistically speaking, I haven't thought of summer as "reading time" since I graduated from High School. Winter is when I usually catch up, unless one of my favourite authors puts out a book--or a new volume comes out of a manga I'm reading. :)
2) Have you ever fallen asleep reading on the beach?
Yes. Sunburn is not the friend of people with ancestors from Northern Europe. Oww...
3) Can you recall a favorite childhood book read in the summertime?
Probably something by Tolkien... though I had a habit, even back then, of reading and re-reading favourite books--among them Rumer Godden's China Court. What a luminous piece of work....
4) Do you have a favorite genre for light or relaxing reading?
What is this "relaxing" of which you speak?? :)
If it's light reading, it's Manga. Right now I'm breathlessly awaiting Volume 5 of Le Chevalier D'Eon.
5) What is the next book on your reading list?
Besides the above? Hmmm... probably something in German or Icelandic, as I am trying to learn those languages.
Back in the day, before I went to seminary, I worked in the Children's Room at the Public Library, and every year we geared up for Summer Reading. Children would come in and record the books read over the summer, and the season included numerous special and celebratory events. As a lifelong book lover and enthusiastic summer reader, I find I still accumulate a pile of books for the summer.
This week, then, a Summer Reading Friday Five.
My responses below:
1) Do you think of summer as a particularly good season for reading? Why or why not?
Surprisingly... under normal circumstances, no. Mind you, I'm unemployed so far this year--but I have had no time for reading. Too much else is going on... but realistically speaking, I haven't thought of summer as "reading time" since I graduated from High School. Winter is when I usually catch up, unless one of my favourite authors puts out a book--or a new volume comes out of a manga I'm reading. :)
2) Have you ever fallen asleep reading on the beach?
Yes. Sunburn is not the friend of people with ancestors from Northern Europe. Oww...
3) Can you recall a favorite childhood book read in the summertime?
Probably something by Tolkien... though I had a habit, even back then, of reading and re-reading favourite books--among them Rumer Godden's China Court. What a luminous piece of work....
4) Do you have a favorite genre for light or relaxing reading?
What is this "relaxing" of which you speak?? :)
If it's light reading, it's Manga. Right now I'm breathlessly awaiting Volume 5 of Le Chevalier D'Eon.
5) What is the next book on your reading list?
Besides the above? Hmmm... probably something in German or Icelandic, as I am trying to learn those languages.
23 June 2008
Friday Five: Word Association
Playing Late, because Other Stuff (tm) happened this weekend...
This post is loosely based on previous "wordy" Friday Fives from Reverend Mother and Songbird. I liked the results, and so we are doing another word association. Theirs were based on words from a lectionary text. Mine comes from the Lovin' Spoonful song, "Summer in the City."
Think summer......are you there? Below you will find five words or phrases. Tell us the first thing you think of on reading each one. Your response might be simply another word, or it might be a sentence, a poem, a memory, a recipe, or a story. You get the idea:
1. rooftop
2. gritty
3. hot town (yeah, I know, it's two words)
4. night
5. dance
Welll.... I'm not quite "at" summer yet, though Lord knows Northern Virginia has been of late. Back toward the tail end of May we began getting summer weather long before normal, and it got... Virginia-ish. Hot humid afternoons; thunderstorms darn' near every day... that heavy, high-temp, icky sort of weather that just wears you right down to a frazzle. All the severe weather warnings had an extra codicil: "because residents of the region have not yet had time to become accustomed to this sort of weather, temperature-related illness is expected..." or words to that effect.
Umm... yeah... *wry smile*
So here's my words:
1) Rooftop: First thing I thought of was a sight that made me smile recently: I was driving home and passed through the nearest large town, quite an old area, where the houses are now a little closer to the road than they were before the highway department stepped in, if you catch my drift. I saw a young woman sitting outside a dormer window on the roof of her home; she had on her bathing suit and sunglasses, and had a laptop in, well, her lap. :) I smiled at the novel concept of catching rays AND catching peace and quiet... then had a flashback to when I was much younger. I was at a church picnic, and took my plate of BBQ out onto the deck to soak up some sun while I ate. Stretched out on a chaise... put the plate in my lap... and ended up with a sunburn over most of my thighs... except for the half-circle on each thigh, from where the plate had been and protected my VERY pale Irish/German skin from the sun. :)
2) Gritty: The way my mucking boots feel when I balance on one foot, putting the other on the ground, when donning said boots... and inevitably sand gets on my sock, then into the boots. Scrunch, scrunch, scrunch... Once a horse steps on you, though, you tend to forget the grit.
3. hot town: Umm... pretty much everywhere lately. And people wonder why Summer is fourth on my list of favourite seasons... ;)
4) Night: Night, in Virginia during the summer, tends at its best to be when the temperature drops, the dew point rises, and I can shut off the AC--until July, that is, at which point it becomes the time when I can turn DOWN the AC. But on average... night is when I can think, dream, and weep without anyone seeing me. It is that space where I meet my Lord face to face without pretense and (for the most part) interruption. I like Night, most of the time...
5) Dance: I don't dance well, and when I do I tend to want to lead--oh, the unlooked-for ramifications of growing up as a Civil War Re-enactor, where I dressed as a boy. :) I was taught to dance from the "male position" and don't seem able to make the shift--but I can still waltz a girl in a hoopskirt with precision and éclat! I can even reverse her so the hoop does that scandalous, daring flip thing occasionally mentioned in well-researched historical romance novels... it's the sort of thing Rhett Butler would have done. *grin* I do like dancing, and wish most of all that I could swing dance--and that I had someone to share that with.
So that's Sharon's brain today, I'm sorry I've been so out of it lately--I'll post my sermon soon.
This post is loosely based on previous "wordy" Friday Fives from Reverend Mother and Songbird. I liked the results, and so we are doing another word association. Theirs were based on words from a lectionary text. Mine comes from the Lovin' Spoonful song, "Summer in the City."
Think summer......are you there? Below you will find five words or phrases. Tell us the first thing you think of on reading each one. Your response might be simply another word, or it might be a sentence, a poem, a memory, a recipe, or a story. You get the idea:
1. rooftop
2. gritty
3. hot town (yeah, I know, it's two words)
4. night
5. dance
Welll.... I'm not quite "at" summer yet, though Lord knows Northern Virginia has been of late. Back toward the tail end of May we began getting summer weather long before normal, and it got... Virginia-ish. Hot humid afternoons; thunderstorms darn' near every day... that heavy, high-temp, icky sort of weather that just wears you right down to a frazzle. All the severe weather warnings had an extra codicil: "because residents of the region have not yet had time to become accustomed to this sort of weather, temperature-related illness is expected..." or words to that effect.
Umm... yeah... *wry smile*
So here's my words:
1) Rooftop: First thing I thought of was a sight that made me smile recently: I was driving home and passed through the nearest large town, quite an old area, where the houses are now a little closer to the road than they were before the highway department stepped in, if you catch my drift. I saw a young woman sitting outside a dormer window on the roof of her home; she had on her bathing suit and sunglasses, and had a laptop in, well, her lap. :) I smiled at the novel concept of catching rays AND catching peace and quiet... then had a flashback to when I was much younger. I was at a church picnic, and took my plate of BBQ out onto the deck to soak up some sun while I ate. Stretched out on a chaise... put the plate in my lap... and ended up with a sunburn over most of my thighs... except for the half-circle on each thigh, from where the plate had been and protected my VERY pale Irish/German skin from the sun. :)
2) Gritty: The way my mucking boots feel when I balance on one foot, putting the other on the ground, when donning said boots... and inevitably sand gets on my sock, then into the boots. Scrunch, scrunch, scrunch... Once a horse steps on you, though, you tend to forget the grit.
3. hot town: Umm... pretty much everywhere lately. And people wonder why Summer is fourth on my list of favourite seasons... ;)
4) Night: Night, in Virginia during the summer, tends at its best to be when the temperature drops, the dew point rises, and I can shut off the AC--until July, that is, at which point it becomes the time when I can turn DOWN the AC. But on average... night is when I can think, dream, and weep without anyone seeing me. It is that space where I meet my Lord face to face without pretense and (for the most part) interruption. I like Night, most of the time...
5) Dance: I don't dance well, and when I do I tend to want to lead--oh, the unlooked-for ramifications of growing up as a Civil War Re-enactor, where I dressed as a boy. :) I was taught to dance from the "male position" and don't seem able to make the shift--but I can still waltz a girl in a hoopskirt with precision and éclat! I can even reverse her so the hoop does that scandalous, daring flip thing occasionally mentioned in well-researched historical romance novels... it's the sort of thing Rhett Butler would have done. *grin* I do like dancing, and wish most of all that I could swing dance--and that I had someone to share that with.
So that's Sharon's brain today, I'm sorry I've been so out of it lately--I'll post my sermon soon.
14 March 2008
Friday Five: Time and Transitions
here's a Friday Five about time and transitions....
1. If you could travel to any historical time period, which would it be, and why?
Probably Tudor England, so I could learn once and for all everything I want to know about women's upper-class clothing.
*blinks*
No really, I mean it... :)
OK, I'd also want to go to learn about the stirrings of the Reformation first-hand. Then I would like to travel to the American Civil War, to meet Robert E. Lee in person. He is one of my favourite people ever....
A side-trip to some point in the Wars of the Roses, to meet Jasper Tudor, would kinda rock too. :)
2. What futuristic/science fiction development would you most like to see?
The ending of certain diseases: cancer, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, kidney disease...
3. Which do you enjoy more: remembering the past, or dreaming for the future?
Remembering the past, I guess. There are too many times when hope is painful. *attempts a smile; finds it... not as hard as I thought*
4. What do you find most memorable about this year's Lent?
Two things, actually: how short it seemed by comparison, and how much it hurt. The Good Lord decided this would be a truly sucky Lent for me. But as usually happens, that means it will probably turn out to have been a truly important one as well...
5. How will you spend your time during this upcoming Holy Week? What part do you look forward to most?
I'm singing a solo on Palm Sunday; during the week I have three proposals due out at my tentmaker job, so I will be praying even harder than usual. :) I generally look forward the most to Holy Saturday because I adore the ceremony of the Easter Vigil--but this year, I'm on sabbatical. I'm going to Boston to spend time with a dear friend and am leaving on the morning of Maundy Thursday; no preaching, no ceremony, but I will go to church in My Most Favoritist City EVAH, and it's maybe even possible my friend will come along. :) But I have to tell you... the Easter Vigil, beginning in darkness and that long, slow, exhilarating walk down the aisle with the Paschal Candle, intoning "The Light of Christ!", is one of the times of the liturgical year that give me strength to go on through all the others.... :)
1. If you could travel to any historical time period, which would it be, and why?
Probably Tudor England, so I could learn once and for all everything I want to know about women's upper-class clothing.
*blinks*
No really, I mean it... :)
OK, I'd also want to go to learn about the stirrings of the Reformation first-hand. Then I would like to travel to the American Civil War, to meet Robert E. Lee in person. He is one of my favourite people ever....
A side-trip to some point in the Wars of the Roses, to meet Jasper Tudor, would kinda rock too. :)
2. What futuristic/science fiction development would you most like to see?
The ending of certain diseases: cancer, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, kidney disease...
3. Which do you enjoy more: remembering the past, or dreaming for the future?
Remembering the past, I guess. There are too many times when hope is painful. *attempts a smile; finds it... not as hard as I thought*
4. What do you find most memorable about this year's Lent?
Two things, actually: how short it seemed by comparison, and how much it hurt. The Good Lord decided this would be a truly sucky Lent for me. But as usually happens, that means it will probably turn out to have been a truly important one as well...
5. How will you spend your time during this upcoming Holy Week? What part do you look forward to most?
I'm singing a solo on Palm Sunday; during the week I have three proposals due out at my tentmaker job, so I will be praying even harder than usual. :) I generally look forward the most to Holy Saturday because I adore the ceremony of the Easter Vigil--but this year, I'm on sabbatical. I'm going to Boston to spend time with a dear friend and am leaving on the morning of Maundy Thursday; no preaching, no ceremony, but I will go to church in My Most Favoritist City EVAH, and it's maybe even possible my friend will come along. :) But I have to tell you... the Easter Vigil, beginning in darkness and that long, slow, exhilarating walk down the aisle with the Paschal Candle, intoning "The Light of Christ!", is one of the times of the liturgical year that give me strength to go on through all the others.... :)
25 January 2008
Friday Five: Yay, It's Winter!!
Brrrr! Baby, it’s COLD outside! At least that is the case where I am this morning. We are in a January deep freeze. Have a cup of hot tea and tackle five easy seasonal questions.
1. What is the thermometer reading at your house this morning?
Was 7 degrees F when I awakened at 0730; now at 1615 it's 39 and falling, with a forecast of a balmy 18 degrees overnight. :)
2. Snow—love it or hate it?
Love it--so long as I don't have to drive in it. My pickup will take me many places; it's the other folks on the road, who didn't have the benefit of growing up in a heavy snow area as I did, that I fear.
3. What is winter like where you are?
Usually cold and rather harsh in terms of temps, wind, and all, because we're so open around here (on a glacial plain east of the Blue Ridge Mountains and west of the Atlantic Ocean). Things freeze hard fairly early on, then we have bleakness until a good snow covers everything in fluff. Another reason to love snow... :)
4. Do you like winter sports? Any good stories?
I like to watch football, does that count? Go Patriots!!! :) I have always wanted to ice skate but my ankles are too weak. Did you know it's now less than a month until the Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Ft. Myer, FL??? :)
5. What is your favorite season, and why?
That's a tough call. I like Winter and feel an affinity for it, but I love Spring. Winter allows me to "be fallow" for a while; I tend to nest and plan toward the coming of March and the sap beginning to run again. Mostly I love Spring because of Easter.
Bonus: Share a favorite winter pick-me-up. A recipe, an activity, or whatever.
Thick lamb stew with barley, carrots, celery, some onion, and potatoes. Spoon it up and serve forth with fresh-baked bread slathered with butter and honey; consume in front of the fireplace. Yum!
1. What is the thermometer reading at your house this morning?
Was 7 degrees F when I awakened at 0730; now at 1615 it's 39 and falling, with a forecast of a balmy 18 degrees overnight. :)
2. Snow—love it or hate it?
Love it--so long as I don't have to drive in it. My pickup will take me many places; it's the other folks on the road, who didn't have the benefit of growing up in a heavy snow area as I did, that I fear.
3. What is winter like where you are?
Usually cold and rather harsh in terms of temps, wind, and all, because we're so open around here (on a glacial plain east of the Blue Ridge Mountains and west of the Atlantic Ocean). Things freeze hard fairly early on, then we have bleakness until a good snow covers everything in fluff. Another reason to love snow... :)
4. Do you like winter sports? Any good stories?
I like to watch football, does that count? Go Patriots!!! :) I have always wanted to ice skate but my ankles are too weak. Did you know it's now less than a month until the Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Ft. Myer, FL??? :)
5. What is your favorite season, and why?
That's a tough call. I like Winter and feel an affinity for it, but I love Spring. Winter allows me to "be fallow" for a while; I tend to nest and plan toward the coming of March and the sap beginning to run again. Mostly I love Spring because of Easter.
Bonus: Share a favorite winter pick-me-up. A recipe, an activity, or whatever.
Thick lamb stew with barley, carrots, celery, some onion, and potatoes. Spoon it up and serve forth with fresh-baked bread slathered with butter and honey; consume in front of the fireplace. Yum!
18 January 2008
Friday Five: It's All About Books!
Well, pish posh! I think that some books ARE better than others! How about you?
1. What book have you read in the last six months that has really stayed with you? Why?
Susan Richards' Chosen By a Horse: How a Broken Horse Fixed a Broken Heart. It's about a rescue horse that ended up being the rescuer of the person who rescued the horse. A lot less complicated than it sounds--and yet a whole lot MORE complicated. It is a wonderful book. It caught my eye because of the horse on the cover; I bought the book because of this line in the cover blurb: "Then fate brought her into Susan's paddock, where she taught this brokenhearted woman how to embrace the joys of life despite the dangers of living." I've had my heart repeatedly broken over the last few months, so I truly needed this book. :)
2. What is one of your favorite childhood books?
Lady of Arlington, Harnett Kane's biographical novel of Mary Custis Lee, wife of Robert E. Lee. It is very well written, mostly accurate, and very sweet. An interesting look at history through the eyes of a woman who helped make it. General Lee is one of my heroes; after reading that book as a young'un, his wife became my hero too.
3. Do you have a favorite book of the Bible? Do tell!
Oh, Isaiah by a country mile... I adore the poetry and drama and hope, and OH the language....
4. What is one book you could read again and again?
Anything by Katherine Kurtz, and J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. (OK, I know that's a lot more than one--but I read a LOT.) I got the trilogy and The Hobbit for my tenth birthday (many years ago now... *grins*) and have read them about once a year every year since. Now ask me how I felt about the movies. G'wan, I double-dog-dare you. :)
5. Is there a book you would suggest for Lenten reading? What is it and why?
Phyllis Tickle's Eastertide: Prayers for Lent through Easter from The Divine Hours. It introduced me all over again to the concept of fixed-hour prayer, and it is so beautifully done that I highly recommend it. The introduction alone is worth the price of admission. She has a whole series of similar books for the whole Church Year.
And because we all love bonus questions, if you were going to publish a book what would it be? Who would you want to write the jacket cover blurb expounding on your talent?
Heh... loaded question, that--I've been writing since I was a kid. :) I have a number of historical fiction novels squirreled away, along with a lot of fantasy fiction. I'm currently working on a haunted romance (not my usual fare, admittedly, but this one won't let me go!) and a modern-day mythological thing that somewhat defies description. *grin* I would want my bishop to write the cover blurb--because she knows me better than I know myself. :)
1. What book have you read in the last six months that has really stayed with you? Why?
Susan Richards' Chosen By a Horse: How a Broken Horse Fixed a Broken Heart. It's about a rescue horse that ended up being the rescuer of the person who rescued the horse. A lot less complicated than it sounds--and yet a whole lot MORE complicated. It is a wonderful book. It caught my eye because of the horse on the cover; I bought the book because of this line in the cover blurb: "Then fate brought her into Susan's paddock, where she taught this brokenhearted woman how to embrace the joys of life despite the dangers of living." I've had my heart repeatedly broken over the last few months, so I truly needed this book. :)
2. What is one of your favorite childhood books?
Lady of Arlington, Harnett Kane's biographical novel of Mary Custis Lee, wife of Robert E. Lee. It is very well written, mostly accurate, and very sweet. An interesting look at history through the eyes of a woman who helped make it. General Lee is one of my heroes; after reading that book as a young'un, his wife became my hero too.
3. Do you have a favorite book of the Bible? Do tell!
Oh, Isaiah by a country mile... I adore the poetry and drama and hope, and OH the language....
4. What is one book you could read again and again?
Anything by Katherine Kurtz, and J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. (OK, I know that's a lot more than one--but I read a LOT.) I got the trilogy and The Hobbit for my tenth birthday (many years ago now... *grins*) and have read them about once a year every year since. Now ask me how I felt about the movies. G'wan, I double-dog-dare you. :)
5. Is there a book you would suggest for Lenten reading? What is it and why?
Phyllis Tickle's Eastertide: Prayers for Lent through Easter from The Divine Hours. It introduced me all over again to the concept of fixed-hour prayer, and it is so beautifully done that I highly recommend it. The introduction alone is worth the price of admission. She has a whole series of similar books for the whole Church Year.
And because we all love bonus questions, if you were going to publish a book what would it be? Who would you want to write the jacket cover blurb expounding on your talent?
Heh... loaded question, that--I've been writing since I was a kid. :) I have a number of historical fiction novels squirreled away, along with a lot of fantasy fiction. I'm currently working on a haunted romance (not my usual fare, admittedly, but this one won't let me go!) and a modern-day mythological thing that somewhat defies description. *grin* I would want my bishop to write the cover blurb--because she knows me better than I know myself. :)
11 January 2008
Friday Five: Las Mañanitas
Éstas son las mañanitas (These are the morning verses)
Que cantaba el Rey David, (That King David used to sing,)
A las muchachas bonitas (To the beautiful young ladies,)
Se las cantaba así. (He would sing them like this.)
(The Mexican birthday song, sometimes sung as a dawn serenade).
Mother Laura penned this birthday-inspired Friday Five (my answers below):
1. When is your birthday? Does anyone else (famous and/or in your own life) share it?
My birthday is October 1; I share it with Mrs. Robert E. Lee (Mary Custis), Julie Andrews, and President Carter. :) We be Libraz! (parenthetical note: my sister-in-law and best friend from HS, Amy, has General Lee's birthday. How cool is that??)
2. Do you prefer a big party or an intimate celebration for the chosen few?
Probably the latter; I have a hard time with the noise level at huge gatherings.
3. Describe your most memorable birthday(s)--good, bad, or both.
October 1, 1967: We partied quietly, like people around an open grave, because the Red Sox had won their game that afternoon--and our winning of the Pennant depended on the outcome of the Tigers game, which would not be concluded until that evening. I remember nothing birthday related, except that it was the day... until evening. I was sitting in the living room watching Walt Disney ("Fighting Prince of Donegal", not sure what episode...) and Daddy and Hutch were in the kitchen listening to the Tigers on the radio. I couldn't listen because, fanatic that I am, I hadn't been there for the first pitch--and superstition says one must NOT listen to or watch the game unless you're there from the start (unless your team is winning AND at bat when you tune in, then you MUST watch or listen because you'll jinx it if you walk away... LOL!). Suddenly two things happened exactly simultaneously: the scene on TV showed the Irish chieftains swearing to fight for Prince Hugh O'Donnell and all threw their cups into the fireplace while shouting for freedom--and Daddy and Hutch began screaming in the kitchen because the Tigers won. :) True story, I swear it. Now every Sox victory seems to bring that memory back. (Yeah, I know, religion and baseball YET again... *g*)
4. What is your favorite cake and ice cream? (Bonus points if you share the cake recipe). Or would you rather have a different treat altogether?
Green tea ice cream with raisins, and Simnel Cake (Yum marzipan...), a British tradition either for Easter or Mothering Sunday in Lent (depending on tradition),
Here's the recipe: 1 c. butter (room temperature), 1 c. sugar, 3 eggs, 1 c. dark raisins, 1 c. golden raisins, 1 c. currants, 1/2 c. chopped red candied cherries, 1/2 c. chopped mixed candied fruit, 2 (7 oz.) loaves of baking marzipan, 1 beaten egg yolk, 1 tbsp. milk for glaze. 3 tbsp. dark rum or sherry, 3 tbsp. orange juice, 2 c. sifted all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground allspice
Preheat oven to 325 degrees; grease an 8-inch spring form pan. Line bottom and sides of pan with waxed paper and then grease the paper too. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (at least 5 minutes). Beat in eggs one at a time; beat well after each addition. Stir in raisins, currents, cherries, mixed fruit, rum (or sherry) and orange juice until combined. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and all spice over fruit mixture. Fold into the batter. Place 1 package of marzipan between 2 sheets of waxed paper, roll out to an 8-inch circle (this is NOT easy, the stuff tends to be hard...). Spoon half of the cake batter into your prepared pan, then place the marzipan circle over the batter. Spoon the remaining cake batter over marzipan and smoothe down the top. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 2 hours and 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. Remove from oven; cool completely in pan or a wire rack.
Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Remove *cooled* cake from the pan and peel off the lining paper. Place the cake on a small baking sheet; roll out the remaining loaf of marzipan to an 8-inch circle. Brush the top of cake with an egg-yolk glaze; place the second marzipan circle on top of cake. For a decorative touch, flute the edge. Score marzipan in a decorative pattern (a lattice seems to be traditional) with blunt knife. Brush the top lightly with egg-yolk glaze.
Bake in preheated oven 10-12 minutes until marzipan is lightly browned. Remove cake from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack. Serve with lots of green ice cream and go into carb/sugar overload paradise. :)
5. Surprise parties: love 'em or hate 'em?
Absolutely hate them. I'm not good with surprises of any sort. *grins*
Bonus: Describe your ideal birthday--the sky's the limit.
Oh my... OK, you DID say sky's the limit. My ideal birthday would take place at one of the skyboxes at Fenway Park, DURING a playoff run with the Red Sox so seriously in the lead that nothing could stop them. The above-requested cake and ice cream are present in abundance, and jokes are freely made about green ice cream/Green Monster wall in the Pahk (local dialect, you know...). Dinner is shrimp cocktail followed by prime rib (rare for me with lots of whipped horseradish creme!), steamed lobster tails, baked potatoes with everything, and sugar snap peas in butter. If Johnny Pesky, Carl Yaztrzemski, Rico Petrocelli, Curt Shilling, and Jonathan Papelbon (and their spouses of course!) are in attendance, RevSharon is in heaven. :) All my friends are there of course, and we have live music by the Dropkick Murphys. The beer is Irish and German, the wine is Chateauneuf du Pape, I get lots of presents, and the Red Sox win, of course. :) Paps probably will have to leave early to secure the win as Closer, but that's OK. I love watching him pitch. :) Afterwards we all go across the street to the Cask 'n Flagon for more celebrating. We take any leftover cake and wine with us of course. *grins*
Que cantaba el Rey David, (That King David used to sing,)
A las muchachas bonitas (To the beautiful young ladies,)
Se las cantaba así. (He would sing them like this.)
(The Mexican birthday song, sometimes sung as a dawn serenade).
Mother Laura penned this birthday-inspired Friday Five (my answers below):
1. When is your birthday? Does anyone else (famous and/or in your own life) share it?
My birthday is October 1; I share it with Mrs. Robert E. Lee (Mary Custis), Julie Andrews, and President Carter. :) We be Libraz! (parenthetical note: my sister-in-law and best friend from HS, Amy, has General Lee's birthday. How cool is that??)
2. Do you prefer a big party or an intimate celebration for the chosen few?
Probably the latter; I have a hard time with the noise level at huge gatherings.
3. Describe your most memorable birthday(s)--good, bad, or both.
October 1, 1967: We partied quietly, like people around an open grave, because the Red Sox had won their game that afternoon--and our winning of the Pennant depended on the outcome of the Tigers game, which would not be concluded until that evening. I remember nothing birthday related, except that it was the day... until evening. I was sitting in the living room watching Walt Disney ("Fighting Prince of Donegal", not sure what episode...) and Daddy and Hutch were in the kitchen listening to the Tigers on the radio. I couldn't listen because, fanatic that I am, I hadn't been there for the first pitch--and superstition says one must NOT listen to or watch the game unless you're there from the start (unless your team is winning AND at bat when you tune in, then you MUST watch or listen because you'll jinx it if you walk away... LOL!). Suddenly two things happened exactly simultaneously: the scene on TV showed the Irish chieftains swearing to fight for Prince Hugh O'Donnell and all threw their cups into the fireplace while shouting for freedom--and Daddy and Hutch began screaming in the kitchen because the Tigers won. :) True story, I swear it. Now every Sox victory seems to bring that memory back. (Yeah, I know, religion and baseball YET again... *g*)
4. What is your favorite cake and ice cream? (Bonus points if you share the cake recipe). Or would you rather have a different treat altogether?
Green tea ice cream with raisins, and Simnel Cake (Yum marzipan...), a British tradition either for Easter or Mothering Sunday in Lent (depending on tradition),
Here's the recipe: 1 c. butter (room temperature), 1 c. sugar, 3 eggs, 1 c. dark raisins, 1 c. golden raisins, 1 c. currants, 1/2 c. chopped red candied cherries, 1/2 c. chopped mixed candied fruit, 2 (7 oz.) loaves of baking marzipan, 1 beaten egg yolk, 1 tbsp. milk for glaze. 3 tbsp. dark rum or sherry, 3 tbsp. orange juice, 2 c. sifted all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground allspice
Preheat oven to 325 degrees; grease an 8-inch spring form pan. Line bottom and sides of pan with waxed paper and then grease the paper too. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (at least 5 minutes). Beat in eggs one at a time; beat well after each addition. Stir in raisins, currents, cherries, mixed fruit, rum (or sherry) and orange juice until combined. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and all spice over fruit mixture. Fold into the batter. Place 1 package of marzipan between 2 sheets of waxed paper, roll out to an 8-inch circle (this is NOT easy, the stuff tends to be hard...). Spoon half of the cake batter into your prepared pan, then place the marzipan circle over the batter. Spoon the remaining cake batter over marzipan and smoothe down the top. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 2 hours and 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. Remove from oven; cool completely in pan or a wire rack.
Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Remove *cooled* cake from the pan and peel off the lining paper. Place the cake on a small baking sheet; roll out the remaining loaf of marzipan to an 8-inch circle. Brush the top of cake with an egg-yolk glaze; place the second marzipan circle on top of cake. For a decorative touch, flute the edge. Score marzipan in a decorative pattern (a lattice seems to be traditional) with blunt knife. Brush the top lightly with egg-yolk glaze.
Bake in preheated oven 10-12 minutes until marzipan is lightly browned. Remove cake from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack. Serve with lots of green ice cream and go into carb/sugar overload paradise. :)
5. Surprise parties: love 'em or hate 'em?
Absolutely hate them. I'm not good with surprises of any sort. *grins*
Bonus: Describe your ideal birthday--the sky's the limit.
Oh my... OK, you DID say sky's the limit. My ideal birthday would take place at one of the skyboxes at Fenway Park, DURING a playoff run with the Red Sox so seriously in the lead that nothing could stop them. The above-requested cake and ice cream are present in abundance, and jokes are freely made about green ice cream/Green Monster wall in the Pahk (local dialect, you know...). Dinner is shrimp cocktail followed by prime rib (rare for me with lots of whipped horseradish creme!), steamed lobster tails, baked potatoes with everything, and sugar snap peas in butter. If Johnny Pesky, Carl Yaztrzemski, Rico Petrocelli, Curt Shilling, and Jonathan Papelbon (and their spouses of course!) are in attendance, RevSharon is in heaven. :) All my friends are there of course, and we have live music by the Dropkick Murphys. The beer is Irish and German, the wine is Chateauneuf du Pape, I get lots of presents, and the Red Sox win, of course. :) Paps probably will have to leave early to secure the win as Closer, but that's OK. I love watching him pitch. :) Afterwards we all go across the street to the Cask 'n Flagon for more celebrating. We take any leftover cake and wine with us of course. *grins*
19 October 2007
Friday Five: If I Were Food....
LOL! I'm afraid what first went through my head was the tune of "If I were a Rich Man" from Fiddler: "If I were a foodstuff..." and on that silly note, here is this week’s Friday Five.
1. If you were a food, what would you be? -- probably a lobster. Boiled and doused in drawn butter. *drools delicately*
2. What is one of the most memorable meals you ever had? And where? You didn't say it had to be GOOD memorable.... LOL! Thanksgiving Dinner, 1971.... the first I ever cooked completely on my own. My mother, then long-separated from Daddy, was coming with HER mother, Gramma; her younger sister, Aunt Marilyn; and Marilyn's eldest, Cousin Fred. No pressure.... Everything that could go wrong did, and Mom ended up taking over my kitchen (which annoyed me at the time and amuses me now, because Oh My, I've turned INTO her at this point...) and somehow dinner happened, but it was hardly the best I've ever had. *grins* The memorable good stuff about it was that was the one time I had the majority of my distaff family in one place at one time, and I miss that.
3. What is your favorite comfort food from childhood? Krafft macaroni and cheese in the comforting blue box... and fried clams with bellies. I grew up Nawth of Bahstahn, after all.... LOL!
4. When going to a church potluck, what one recipe from your kitchen is sure to be a hit? Stuffed shells with home-made red sauce. Lots of cheese, lots of beef, big huge pasta shapes. :)
5. What’s the strangest thing you ever willingly ate? Eel. The rest of my tastes (well, possibly excepting the clams with bellies fetish!) are rather pedestrian.... :)
Bonus question: What’s your favorite drink to order when looking forward to a great meal? German beer. Dopplebock. Drawn not bottled.
1. If you were a food, what would you be? -- probably a lobster. Boiled and doused in drawn butter. *drools delicately*
2. What is one of the most memorable meals you ever had? And where? You didn't say it had to be GOOD memorable.... LOL! Thanksgiving Dinner, 1971.... the first I ever cooked completely on my own. My mother, then long-separated from Daddy, was coming with HER mother, Gramma; her younger sister, Aunt Marilyn; and Marilyn's eldest, Cousin Fred. No pressure.... Everything that could go wrong did, and Mom ended up taking over my kitchen (which annoyed me at the time and amuses me now, because Oh My, I've turned INTO her at this point...) and somehow dinner happened, but it was hardly the best I've ever had. *grins* The memorable good stuff about it was that was the one time I had the majority of my distaff family in one place at one time, and I miss that.
3. What is your favorite comfort food from childhood? Krafft macaroni and cheese in the comforting blue box... and fried clams with bellies. I grew up Nawth of Bahstahn, after all.... LOL!
4. When going to a church potluck, what one recipe from your kitchen is sure to be a hit? Stuffed shells with home-made red sauce. Lots of cheese, lots of beef, big huge pasta shapes. :)
5. What’s the strangest thing you ever willingly ate? Eel. The rest of my tastes (well, possibly excepting the clams with bellies fetish!) are rather pedestrian.... :)
Bonus question: What’s your favorite drink to order when looking forward to a great meal? German beer. Dopplebock. Drawn not bottled.
17 August 2007
Friday Five: Word Association
Below you will find five words. Tell us the first thing you think of on reading each one. Your response might be simply another word, or it might be a sentence, a poem or a story.
1. vineyard
Hmmm... first thought that comes to mind is my favourite workplace: the vineyard into which my Savior has sent me, and where I am privileged to serve His people. Second thought, of course, is Virginia Wines... yum... :-)
2. root
The Root of my Being... my Lord Jesus, His Father, and Our Lady Sophia. These roots strike deep and wrap lovingly about the heart...
3. rescue
Oddly enough, makes me think first of my Dad, who was a radioman in the Coast Guard during WW2... but theologically speaking, rescue of course leads to thoughts of salvation. Rescued by grace, and saved...
4. perseverance
That lovely old poem, "Don't Quit"; Daddy had it hanging on the wall over his desk, and from time to time I have either thought of this poem as a lifeline in time of trouble--an inspiration, if you will--or a supreme annoyance, much like St. Hildegard's repetitive but true "all will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of thing shall be well..." *g* Here's the poem (author apparently unknown):
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road your trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and its turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When they might have won, had they stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victors cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when your hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit!
5. divided
Hmm... the obvious ones come up first: divided loyalties, divided cities (Berlin...), divided families or friends... a house divided... but there's a lot of proto-positivism in this word. Jesus DIVIDED the bread and gave it to His disciples. He DIVIDED the loaves and fishes, and fed the five thousands. DIVIDED highways make for faster commutes, implying as they do more lanes in each direction... :-)
I guess the lesson there is, it's all in how you choose to look at things. Glass half full, or half empty? I have decided to champion it being half-FULL! So I can divide the contents among my friends, and share!
Happy Friday, y'all!
Blessings,
Sharon+
1. vineyard
Hmmm... first thought that comes to mind is my favourite workplace: the vineyard into which my Savior has sent me, and where I am privileged to serve His people. Second thought, of course, is Virginia Wines... yum... :-)
2. root
The Root of my Being... my Lord Jesus, His Father, and Our Lady Sophia. These roots strike deep and wrap lovingly about the heart...
3. rescue
Oddly enough, makes me think first of my Dad, who was a radioman in the Coast Guard during WW2... but theologically speaking, rescue of course leads to thoughts of salvation. Rescued by grace, and saved...
4. perseverance
That lovely old poem, "Don't Quit"; Daddy had it hanging on the wall over his desk, and from time to time I have either thought of this poem as a lifeline in time of trouble--an inspiration, if you will--or a supreme annoyance, much like St. Hildegard's repetitive but true "all will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of thing shall be well..." *g* Here's the poem (author apparently unknown):
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road your trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and its turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When they might have won, had they stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victors cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when your hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit!
5. divided
Hmm... the obvious ones come up first: divided loyalties, divided cities (Berlin...), divided families or friends... a house divided... but there's a lot of proto-positivism in this word. Jesus DIVIDED the bread and gave it to His disciples. He DIVIDED the loaves and fishes, and fed the five thousands. DIVIDED highways make for faster commutes, implying as they do more lanes in each direction... :-)
I guess the lesson there is, it's all in how you choose to look at things. Glass half full, or half empty? I have decided to champion it being half-FULL! So I can divide the contents among my friends, and share!
Happy Friday, y'all!
Blessings,
Sharon+
22 June 2007
Friday Five: Oh Boy It's Summer!!!
Ahh, summer.... that magical season of no school... *g* Boy did THAT change once I got to college! But summer is the Time When Baseball Happens, and when life ramps up even MORE.... *g*
Here are this week's Friday Five prompts!
1. Favorite summer food(s) and beverage(s)
ribs, chili dogs (no onions, please!) and beer. Spaten Optimator doppelbock, bitte... :-) Now THAT'S beer!
2. Song that "says" summer to you. (Need not be about summer explicitly.)
Take Me Out to the Ballgame (and/or the National Anthem...)
3. A childhood summer memory
Laying in bed late on a hot summer night, listening to the lulling sound of crowd noise and the dulcet tones of Curt Gowdy or Ken Coleman as they gave the play-by-play of any Red Sox game... the crack of the bat as a hit is made; the rising roar as the ball sails out of the park... Daddy whooping in the kitchen... Ahh, childhood....
Of course another memory is sneaking downtown on a school day, caging a cab ride on the B&M Railroad from some co-worker of my Dad's... spending my allowance on a bleacher seat at Fenway Park... going to the Ladies' Room during the 7th Inning Stretch, only to be accosted... by my Dad, who growled "What in H*ll are you doing here?" I paused, searched desperately for a response, then realized HE should have been at work. I put hands on hips, and growled right back: "What in H*ll are YOU doing here?"
We agreed to disagree on the topic of responsibility; he later drove me to North Station and told me which train to get, gave me ticket money, and told me to keep my trap shut. And to never sit with him when I play hooky. *g* And I never did... In all those years we never ONCE sat together at a Sox home game.
*wibbles a bit* I miss my Dad... he's been gone 20 years come this December.
4. An adult summer memory
Attending a Civil War re-enactment (something I've done a lot since I was 13) and going to the latrines at about 5:30 AM... it was nearly sunrise on one of those Virginia summer mornings where it is actually cold and there's a clinging mist rising from the hollows until the sun burns it off. I trudged across the field, did what was needful, then came out and wandered back toward my tent... when I encountered the Federal commander, in full uniform and mounted on the biggest darn Warmblood I'd ever seen to that point. Man and horse alike, they could have ridden into the heart of 1863 and fit in perfectly.... (OK, and it would have been my duty to capture them as a good Johnny Reb, but that's neither here nor there. *g*) I just stood there, stunned and delighted, taking it all in. There was NOTHING within visual range that hinted this was anything BUT the past.... it was a magical moment for sure.
5. Describe a wonderful summer day you'd like to have in the near future. (weather, location, activities)
A friend and I rise before the birdies, head over to the farm and load up the horses... we've packed a picnic lunch and the cameras, not a laptop in sight, and the cell phones are present but not voting, turned off and tucked into the saddlebags. We drive the horses over to the Manassas Battlefield riding park, unload, tack up, and head out just as the sun is rising. The weather is gorgeous. The sky is that painfully, wonderfully clear blue against which everything stands out in perfect relief; only a few wispy clouds in the sky, sunny otherwise and just warm enough to be comfortable, but not a smitch of humidity. (Rather like the day we had today in Old Virginia...) We amble along for a while until lunchtime hits, then we dismount, untack the horses, and give them grazing room on a picket line while we eat. The food is yummy, and one of us manages to take at least one perfect picture before we head home. Neither horse throws a shoe OR a rider.
Optional: Does your place of worship do anything differently in the summer? (Fewer services, casual dress, etc.)
The Episcopal church where I sing is fairly laid-back (and what my deacon calls "a step above snake-belly Low" in liturgical style!) so casual clothing is pretty much a part of the landscape anyway. The parish I serve as pastor (St. Brigid's) is on hiatus until we figure out what we want to be when we grow up, so my own church is rather quiet these days. Considering how hot it was in the shared space we used to use, though, it was shorts and t-shirts under the vestments... *g*
Here are this week's Friday Five prompts!
1. Favorite summer food(s) and beverage(s)
ribs, chili dogs (no onions, please!) and beer. Spaten Optimator doppelbock, bitte... :-) Now THAT'S beer!
2. Song that "says" summer to you. (Need not be about summer explicitly.)
Take Me Out to the Ballgame (and/or the National Anthem...)
3. A childhood summer memory
Laying in bed late on a hot summer night, listening to the lulling sound of crowd noise and the dulcet tones of Curt Gowdy or Ken Coleman as they gave the play-by-play of any Red Sox game... the crack of the bat as a hit is made; the rising roar as the ball sails out of the park... Daddy whooping in the kitchen... Ahh, childhood....
Of course another memory is sneaking downtown on a school day, caging a cab ride on the B&M Railroad from some co-worker of my Dad's... spending my allowance on a bleacher seat at Fenway Park... going to the Ladies' Room during the 7th Inning Stretch, only to be accosted... by my Dad, who growled "What in H*ll are you doing here?" I paused, searched desperately for a response, then realized HE should have been at work. I put hands on hips, and growled right back: "What in H*ll are YOU doing here?"
We agreed to disagree on the topic of responsibility; he later drove me to North Station and told me which train to get, gave me ticket money, and told me to keep my trap shut. And to never sit with him when I play hooky. *g* And I never did... In all those years we never ONCE sat together at a Sox home game.
*wibbles a bit* I miss my Dad... he's been gone 20 years come this December.
4. An adult summer memory
Attending a Civil War re-enactment (something I've done a lot since I was 13) and going to the latrines at about 5:30 AM... it was nearly sunrise on one of those Virginia summer mornings where it is actually cold and there's a clinging mist rising from the hollows until the sun burns it off. I trudged across the field, did what was needful, then came out and wandered back toward my tent... when I encountered the Federal commander, in full uniform and mounted on the biggest darn Warmblood I'd ever seen to that point. Man and horse alike, they could have ridden into the heart of 1863 and fit in perfectly.... (OK, and it would have been my duty to capture them as a good Johnny Reb, but that's neither here nor there. *g*) I just stood there, stunned and delighted, taking it all in. There was NOTHING within visual range that hinted this was anything BUT the past.... it was a magical moment for sure.
5. Describe a wonderful summer day you'd like to have in the near future. (weather, location, activities)
A friend and I rise before the birdies, head over to the farm and load up the horses... we've packed a picnic lunch and the cameras, not a laptop in sight, and the cell phones are present but not voting, turned off and tucked into the saddlebags. We drive the horses over to the Manassas Battlefield riding park, unload, tack up, and head out just as the sun is rising. The weather is gorgeous. The sky is that painfully, wonderfully clear blue against which everything stands out in perfect relief; only a few wispy clouds in the sky, sunny otherwise and just warm enough to be comfortable, but not a smitch of humidity. (Rather like the day we had today in Old Virginia...) We amble along for a while until lunchtime hits, then we dismount, untack the horses, and give them grazing room on a picket line while we eat. The food is yummy, and one of us manages to take at least one perfect picture before we head home. Neither horse throws a shoe OR a rider.
Optional: Does your place of worship do anything differently in the summer? (Fewer services, casual dress, etc.)
The Episcopal church where I sing is fairly laid-back (and what my deacon calls "a step above snake-belly Low" in liturgical style!) so casual clothing is pretty much a part of the landscape anyway. The parish I serve as pastor (St. Brigid's) is on hiatus until we figure out what we want to be when we grow up, so my own church is rather quiet these days. Considering how hot it was in the shared space we used to use, though, it was shorts and t-shirts under the vestments... *g*
15 June 2007
Friday Five... Ahhh, Books!!
Today's Friday Five is all about books! What a lovely topic!
Let's see now, hmmm...
1. Fiction what kind, detective novels, historical stuff, thrillers, romance????
Historical fiction, fantasy, some science fiction. I write the first two as well as read it; I tried writing SF, but was told I wasn't weird enough to do it properly. *snorts* I guess there's weird, and then there's WEIRD.... *g*
2. When you get a really good book do you read it all in one chunk or savour it slowly?
Depends on the book. If it's a massive tome and I'm short on time, I almost have to savour it; but I have been known to stay up literally all night because I cannot STAND to not know what happens next.
3. Is there a book you keep returning to and why?
Rumer Godden's China Court, a book that I read almost by accident. I got in trouble with my paternal grandmother, who lived with us (perilously easy to get into trouble with her, really doggone hard to get OUT of it once in... so this was a frequent thing!). She locked me in the study and told me she'd be back for me later; she forgot completely, and in between sleeping, I read the only book I could find. *wry grin* It is nevertheless a stunningly beautiful, sad, hopeful book; glowingly written, memorable characters, and it struck a chord with me that resounds without hesitation even now as I think about it. I read it about once a year.
4. Apart from the Bible which non-fiction book has influenced you the most?
I think I would have to say Julia Cameron's Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. I have always been able to find my way back to my own creativity in the bad spaces when my muses have gone walkabout without me. She's also written a number of other books in the same vein, all of which I can recommend--but this one, the first, was life-changing for me.
5. Describe a perfect place to read. ( could be anywhere!!!)
There's a turnpike stairway at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC that is the absolute perfect place to read, regardless of weather--but I live 67 miles away, and cannot always get there. *g* So... I think the best place to read is either in a hammock in my back yard, or on the chaise in my living room. When in the LR, of course my favourite accessory is my cat Thranduil... :-)
Let's see now, hmmm...
1. Fiction what kind, detective novels, historical stuff, thrillers, romance????
Historical fiction, fantasy, some science fiction. I write the first two as well as read it; I tried writing SF, but was told I wasn't weird enough to do it properly. *snorts* I guess there's weird, and then there's WEIRD.... *g*
2. When you get a really good book do you read it all in one chunk or savour it slowly?
Depends on the book. If it's a massive tome and I'm short on time, I almost have to savour it; but I have been known to stay up literally all night because I cannot STAND to not know what happens next.
3. Is there a book you keep returning to and why?
Rumer Godden's China Court, a book that I read almost by accident. I got in trouble with my paternal grandmother, who lived with us (perilously easy to get into trouble with her, really doggone hard to get OUT of it once in... so this was a frequent thing!). She locked me in the study and told me she'd be back for me later; she forgot completely, and in between sleeping, I read the only book I could find. *wry grin* It is nevertheless a stunningly beautiful, sad, hopeful book; glowingly written, memorable characters, and it struck a chord with me that resounds without hesitation even now as I think about it. I read it about once a year.
4. Apart from the Bible which non-fiction book has influenced you the most?
I think I would have to say Julia Cameron's Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. I have always been able to find my way back to my own creativity in the bad spaces when my muses have gone walkabout without me. She's also written a number of other books in the same vein, all of which I can recommend--but this one, the first, was life-changing for me.
5. Describe a perfect place to read. ( could be anywhere!!!)
There's a turnpike stairway at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC that is the absolute perfect place to read, regardless of weather--but I live 67 miles away, and cannot always get there. *g* So... I think the best place to read is either in a hammock in my back yard, or on the chaise in my living room. When in the LR, of course my favourite accessory is my cat Thranduil... :-)
01 June 2007
My First Friday Five...
1. Think back to the time you left High School, what were your hopes visions and dreams for your life/ for the world?
I wanted desperately to be a teacher and preacher. I wanted the world to survive long enough for my children to see peace...
2. Have those hopes visions and dreams changed a lot, or are some of them still alive and kicking? (share one if you can)
I finally got to be a preacher, but don't get much chance to practice... Teacher I've been, and wish I could go back to, but the lure of Mammon and a well-paid telecommuting position as a tech writer/editor has its hooks into me way too well.
My one surviving child is now a young man of 25; he has seen personal peace, but the world is in rather INteresting shape as he matures. Maybe he'll be part of the solution!
My dream of teaching is still alive and kicking though, and I will prayerfully explore that as I go. Preaching, yup... Have any of those things changed? Probably. I have changed a lot since I was in high school; it took me rather a long time to grow up properly (as opposed to the skewed way I did... *g*) but I think I'm on track now.
3. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Comforting, challenging or frustrating?
Frustrating, I think... Hope has always been one of my hot-button words because of a rather, hmm, problematic childhood and bizarro marriage. :-) I like Hope, I try to cultivate it, but it runs away a lot and sends "Passive Aggressive Enabler" in its place for recess time. *wry grin* Based on that, if faith = substance of things hoped for + evidence of things not seen, I'm a little leery of seeing the outcome, if you catch my drift... In the end though, I have a strong belief in the faith that is in me--and I can easily wrap my brain around the concept of faith being the evidence of things not seen as a basic foundational concept. Maybe I need to stop trying to diagram Paul's sentences quite so much. :-)
4. If resources were unlimited and you had free reign to pursue a vision, what would it be?
Oooh... too easy to dream, too expensive to pull off, but you did say unlimited resources. *g* I had this idea years ago: that it would be way cool to move to an area where a large migrant worker community passes through, and establish a kind of "safe haven" and learning space for them and their families. Sort of a leg-up kind of place, so that while the able adults are working during the day, the elderly and kids can have access to teachers, computer labs, and stuff to enable them to get some experience with things they might not otherwise get. For all of them there would be clean, safe places to sleep, with temporary storage (to which they hold the key) for their belongings; everyone would get a good breakfast in the morning, and know that there would be lunch brought to the work sites (and fed on-site to the elderly and kids), with dinner available in community in the evening. Hot showers, stuff like that, also available...
5. Finally with summer upon us- and not to make this too heavy- share your dream holiday....where, when and who with...
:-) Anything involving horses, Wales, mountain and forest-type places to ride, and camping. With maybe an overnight stay in a few castles. Who with? Hmm... interesting thought that...
I wanted desperately to be a teacher and preacher. I wanted the world to survive long enough for my children to see peace...
2. Have those hopes visions and dreams changed a lot, or are some of them still alive and kicking? (share one if you can)
I finally got to be a preacher, but don't get much chance to practice... Teacher I've been, and wish I could go back to, but the lure of Mammon and a well-paid telecommuting position as a tech writer/editor has its hooks into me way too well.
My one surviving child is now a young man of 25; he has seen personal peace, but the world is in rather INteresting shape as he matures. Maybe he'll be part of the solution!
My dream of teaching is still alive and kicking though, and I will prayerfully explore that as I go. Preaching, yup... Have any of those things changed? Probably. I have changed a lot since I was in high school; it took me rather a long time to grow up properly (as opposed to the skewed way I did... *g*) but I think I'm on track now.
3. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Comforting, challenging or frustrating?
Frustrating, I think... Hope has always been one of my hot-button words because of a rather, hmm, problematic childhood and bizarro marriage. :-) I like Hope, I try to cultivate it, but it runs away a lot and sends "Passive Aggressive Enabler" in its place for recess time. *wry grin* Based on that, if faith = substance of things hoped for + evidence of things not seen, I'm a little leery of seeing the outcome, if you catch my drift... In the end though, I have a strong belief in the faith that is in me--and I can easily wrap my brain around the concept of faith being the evidence of things not seen as a basic foundational concept. Maybe I need to stop trying to diagram Paul's sentences quite so much. :-)
4. If resources were unlimited and you had free reign to pursue a vision, what would it be?
Oooh... too easy to dream, too expensive to pull off, but you did say unlimited resources. *g* I had this idea years ago: that it would be way cool to move to an area where a large migrant worker community passes through, and establish a kind of "safe haven" and learning space for them and their families. Sort of a leg-up kind of place, so that while the able adults are working during the day, the elderly and kids can have access to teachers, computer labs, and stuff to enable them to get some experience with things they might not otherwise get. For all of them there would be clean, safe places to sleep, with temporary storage (to which they hold the key) for their belongings; everyone would get a good breakfast in the morning, and know that there would be lunch brought to the work sites (and fed on-site to the elderly and kids), with dinner available in community in the evening. Hot showers, stuff like that, also available...
5. Finally with summer upon us- and not to make this too heavy- share your dream holiday....where, when and who with...
:-) Anything involving horses, Wales, mountain and forest-type places to ride, and camping. With maybe an overnight stay in a few castles. Who with? Hmm... interesting thought that...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
