After a long, difficult summer, it's way past time to write a list of things I love and am thankful for. Everything on the list makes me smile and always will.
1. The plants in my backyard that are still alive
2. Discovering the new fresh market that's full of organic food
3. Sitting at the river in a rocking chair solving the world's problems with Linda Jo
4. Finishing one round of papers
5. Reading about early Christian liturgy
6. Hearing from good friends I haven't seen in too long
7. Doing nothing but read and walk on the beach
8. Running through foggy humid mornings
9. Watermelon... lots of watermelon
10. Mutts comic strip
11. Knowing I get to hug my best friends in not so many more days!!!!
12. Getting excited about a NASCAR race with old friends I miss!
13. Pets- of any and all variety (except reptilian ones)
14. Traveling to new places... like Mexico!!
I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm one lucky girl.
love and hugs,
A
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Don't Freak Out
Yes... it's true, this is an anti-freak out post. I don't change things terribly often, but it is the case that something big is changing. The end of an era you might say...
As of 24 hours from now I will have eight or so inches less hair. That's about to my chin people. Really, it's crazy on the edge, I assure you. I can't tell you exactly what is going to happen but, it's going to be dramatic... for me at least. Loosing that much hair is like loosing an appendage. (An appendage that doesn't actually function in any way beyond being curled or straightened, swatting flies in the summer, or keeping the back of ones neck warm in the winter. Also an appendage with no nerves. So not really an actual appendage at all, but still it's big.)
But the hair is hot, and frizzy in the humidity of ENC. And it's... HOT. The winds of change and fall are blowing-
So get excited... the new haircut will soon be unveiled. Let's see what my congregation says on Sunday when a stranger takes the pulpit.
Love and Hugs,
A
As of 24 hours from now I will have eight or so inches less hair. That's about to my chin people. Really, it's crazy on the edge, I assure you. I can't tell you exactly what is going to happen but, it's going to be dramatic... for me at least. Loosing that much hair is like loosing an appendage. (An appendage that doesn't actually function in any way beyond being curled or straightened, swatting flies in the summer, or keeping the back of ones neck warm in the winter. Also an appendage with no nerves. So not really an actual appendage at all, but still it's big.)
But the hair is hot, and frizzy in the humidity of ENC. And it's... HOT. The winds of change and fall are blowing-
So get excited... the new haircut will soon be unveiled. Let's see what my congregation says on Sunday when a stranger takes the pulpit.
Love and Hugs,
A
Friday, July 17, 2009
I Want a Great Dane
So I did this home visit last night with one of the families at my church, the Prichards. Donna and Scott are super cool and we had a great visit. I really enjoyed getting to know them. In addition to an awesome visit, they have AWESOME dogs. One is a lab/boxer mix and he is beautiful. The OTHER is a Great Dane named Nala. Holy Great Goodness. It was the calmest sweetest most gigantic dog I have ever seen. Think of a small horse that is also man's best friend.
I. Need. One. ... Badly.
In particular I want this one: her name is Nelly and she's a rescue dog. I'm not allowed to get a dog or another cat until I'm finished with school and have something like... um a pay check. But nonne the less... I'm getting a great dane, it is only a matter of time.
love,
A
I. Need. One. ... Badly.
In particular I want this one: her name is Nelly and she's a rescue dog. I'm not allowed to get a dog or another cat until I'm finished with school and have something like... um a pay check. But nonne the less... I'm getting a great dane, it is only a matter of time.
love,
A
Monday, July 13, 2009
Growing Things
It's pouring rain this afternoon. Marvelous would be the best way to describe it. I went to work at 5:30 this morning to glean corn in Swan Quarter, NC. We got back about noon. I have a finance meeting tonight. SO I'm spending the afternoon working on my papers for the board of ministry in my sweats here on the back porch. If you gotta work- do it in comfort when you can! But it's super rainy, the cat is curled up in her bed, classical violin playing on ipod... an A+ paper writing day if you ask me.
And a day to update the blog. Because where there are papers there's procrastination dont'cha know!
I've been growing things this summer- and some of them will actually come back to Durham with me for all you lovely people to meet! The spices, and maybe even the tomato plant will be joining the menagerie on my porch. If you eat at my house this fall: prepare to eat freshly spiced food! The sage and thyme have been a super troopers- they just took off. I need to cook something with thyme so I can cut it back some and not waste! The parsley looked a little peaked for a while. It doesn't do so well in the heat. The new rosemary and lavender are doing much better- they've moved inside now because they don't like so much water. And Basil (pronounced like the saint), the boxwood basil (pronounced like the spice) will be joining us to spice up tomato soups and italian food. It's doing great- it will even be a topiary one day after some growing and cutting back. It smells lovely as well.
In the non spiced category, the bromeliad that will come back with me is growing again. It's not huge, but I think it could get huger if I gave it a larger pot. Not sure that's a good idea though with the small house. But it's BEAUTIFUL- it has tropical-ish leaves and this huge red flower growing up out of the center- it's going to be AWESOME in bloom. So prepare to be wowed. And then there is the moon flower. It's ambiguous as to whether or not this one will live (pray for the little thing!). I'm trying to root it, which I've never successfully done before, so we'll just have to see if it takes or not. But if it DOES it's a climbing flower with giant white blossoms (like a hibiscus) that bloom at night.
I've learned some things with my growing friends this summer. First is that I love being in the garden. It's a delightful way to spend an afternoon- nothing talks back, for the most part it's cooperative, and it's peaceful good thinking time. But something else is that you just can't determine an outcome... for anything! You really do have to plant it, water it, love it, do what you can, and then go inside and stop fiddling. I'm pretty sure fiddling is how I killed the tomato I tried to grow a few years ago. Some things just have to be placed into God's hands and then let go. If the lamb's ear (a fuzzy plant that feels like a lamb's ear) is going to live, we'll have to wait and see. Why did the lambs ear work and the wildflower die? Who knows. But that's just kind of how a garden is- love it all you want, you can't make it do what you want. But it's still so beautiful... yeah, life's kind of like that too.
Love and Hugs,
A
And a day to update the blog. Because where there are papers there's procrastination dont'cha know!
I've been growing things this summer- and some of them will actually come back to Durham with me for all you lovely people to meet! The spices, and maybe even the tomato plant will be joining the menagerie on my porch. If you eat at my house this fall: prepare to eat freshly spiced food! The sage and thyme have been a super troopers- they just took off. I need to cook something with thyme so I can cut it back some and not waste! The parsley looked a little peaked for a while. It doesn't do so well in the heat. The new rosemary and lavender are doing much better- they've moved inside now because they don't like so much water. And Basil (pronounced like the saint), the boxwood basil (pronounced like the spice) will be joining us to spice up tomato soups and italian food. It's doing great- it will even be a topiary one day after some growing and cutting back. It smells lovely as well.
In the non spiced category, the bromeliad that will come back with me is growing again. It's not huge, but I think it could get huger if I gave it a larger pot. Not sure that's a good idea though with the small house. But it's BEAUTIFUL- it has tropical-ish leaves and this huge red flower growing up out of the center- it's going to be AWESOME in bloom. So prepare to be wowed. And then there is the moon flower. It's ambiguous as to whether or not this one will live (pray for the little thing!). I'm trying to root it, which I've never successfully done before, so we'll just have to see if it takes or not. But if it DOES it's a climbing flower with giant white blossoms (like a hibiscus) that bloom at night.
I've learned some things with my growing friends this summer. First is that I love being in the garden. It's a delightful way to spend an afternoon- nothing talks back, for the most part it's cooperative, and it's peaceful good thinking time. But something else is that you just can't determine an outcome... for anything! You really do have to plant it, water it, love it, do what you can, and then go inside and stop fiddling. I'm pretty sure fiddling is how I killed the tomato I tried to grow a few years ago. Some things just have to be placed into God's hands and then let go. If the lamb's ear (a fuzzy plant that feels like a lamb's ear) is going to live, we'll have to wait and see. Why did the lambs ear work and the wildflower die? Who knows. But that's just kind of how a garden is- love it all you want, you can't make it do what you want. But it's still so beautiful... yeah, life's kind of like that too.
Love and Hugs,
A
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Blogging Again
Blogging, (like all communication skills for me) invariably falls by the way side after a two day commitment to blog again. I've been focusing a lot on my communication this year after several friends (rightly) kicked me in the butt about NOT staying in touch on a regular basis. I'm lucky to have friends that good. I've come to the conclusion that in the particular case of blogging this is a result of two specific things. The first is specific to blogging: I'm pretty sure that most people don't really have time or energy to stalk me on a blog... you're all busy people. The second issue is that I feel like it takes time away from where I am and who (or what) I'm with- even if I'm only with myself or some author (long dead) or just my tomato plant and mini-garden. All the more if I'm with friends or parents, or congregants- or could be with any of those people. It just feels rude and inconsiderate to abandon the whos and whats that are around me to go talk about myself on the internet. It's wierd.
Solution: start talking about something else!
All that to say, it's kind of an excuse and excuses are for wimps. And maybe this is just another way to get into the global conversation. There was another blog, with a lot of poetry and some of my ramblings... that kind of evaporated. But maybe some of it will come back if I start writing again.
All that to say, I'm going to try blogging again.
I'm going to ease myself in on Day one here. I've already examined the blogging issue anyway. So... let me just explain the name... or lack there of. My journals are called 'in search of a name'... all of them are called that. When you read scripture, it seems like all the major characters get named and re-named during the course of their lives- usually for the better! Sari becomes Sarah, Abram becomes Abraham, Simon becomes Peter, and Saul becomes Paul. Even Jesus has some identity issues asking the discipes about his name... "But who do YOU say that I am?"
It seems like the name of a person is more than a few letters denoting a face, ears, feet, and eyelashes. Like the name emerges over a life time of habits and formation. It seems that the name emerges as obedience to God grows and changes. Recently, I've been trying on a new name: pastor, or reverend, or Amma (mother- which would be the female version of the priestly, Father). None of them seem right. When Jo, Brent, Katie, and Mike were here I tried out Rev. A. That flopped... for good reason... VERY good reason. But I think the real reason is that I've not actually taken on the life of a Mother or Pastor or Reverend yet for more than a ten week spurt. And that hardly counts. Maybe the name has to emerge with the life.
On a grander scale, i'm young in the grand scheme of things. Sarah didn't get a name until she was old as the hills. I hate to think when Methuselah finally lived up to his name. I'm not totally sure my life could even BE named yet.
Who do you say that I am?
-A
Solution: start talking about something else!
All that to say, it's kind of an excuse and excuses are for wimps. And maybe this is just another way to get into the global conversation. There was another blog, with a lot of poetry and some of my ramblings... that kind of evaporated. But maybe some of it will come back if I start writing again.
All that to say, I'm going to try blogging again.
I'm going to ease myself in on Day one here. I've already examined the blogging issue anyway. So... let me just explain the name... or lack there of. My journals are called 'in search of a name'... all of them are called that. When you read scripture, it seems like all the major characters get named and re-named during the course of their lives- usually for the better! Sari becomes Sarah, Abram becomes Abraham, Simon becomes Peter, and Saul becomes Paul. Even Jesus has some identity issues asking the discipes about his name... "But who do YOU say that I am?"
It seems like the name of a person is more than a few letters denoting a face, ears, feet, and eyelashes. Like the name emerges over a life time of habits and formation. It seems that the name emerges as obedience to God grows and changes. Recently, I've been trying on a new name: pastor, or reverend, or Amma (mother- which would be the female version of the priestly, Father). None of them seem right. When Jo, Brent, Katie, and Mike were here I tried out Rev. A. That flopped... for good reason... VERY good reason. But I think the real reason is that I've not actually taken on the life of a Mother or Pastor or Reverend yet for more than a ten week spurt. And that hardly counts. Maybe the name has to emerge with the life.
On a grander scale, i'm young in the grand scheme of things. Sarah didn't get a name until she was old as the hills. I hate to think when Methuselah finally lived up to his name. I'm not totally sure my life could even BE named yet.
Who do you say that I am?
-A
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