I went to Starbucks tonight to prepare for my University 101 class discussion tomorrow on the book Blink. It snuck up on me -- and I've got to lead a discussion in the morning and needed to re-read my chapters and take notes. But for the past two days I've been pretty distracted as my good friend, Jon Conyers, was dying about six hours away from me. So this entry is actually a prayer I sat down and wrote before I could get started on my homework. I find that my best way of praying is writing, and luckily I don't fight that inclination at all, but need to put it into practice more.
November 5, 2008 -- 8:25 pm, in Starbucks
Dear Lord,
As I sit here sad, distracted, I feel full of regret. For not seeing Jon before he died, for not having a regular quiet time, fow what I feel is my inability to love and care for my mom properly, for not even eating well or exercising. I feel bad mostly for thinking I can do it all myself and neglecting prayer, which in turn appears to be a lack of faith. I don't lack faith, but I'm not letting my faith guide me. And as I sit here and my phone beeps, I have a voicemail from my friend Cindy. Lord, you are so faithful! You make yourself known to me over and over, yet I push you off into the corner. I don't stop to pray. I don't stop to say thank you. I can prod Kate all day long on her manners, but I reserve the role of hypocrite for myself. The only cure for regret is peace -- and it's exactly what I need right now. While Jon may have needed my prayers -- what was more needed was for me to pray. He had peace; I did not. Lord I pray I find the peace that only you can give. The peace that dulls the edges of emotion and pain; that brings light from darkness; that replaces sadness with a lightness of spirit. Forgive my sins; ease me onto your path, yet again. In Jesus' name, Amen
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The One I Skipped
This entry is long overdue. Sadly, it was completely hysterical when the story was told to me by Scott. However, it may have lost some luster.
I hope not.
It's been some weeks now that Scott went to a meeting of Rotary International with one of our beloved church members, Ralph. Ralph extended an invitation to Scott to join him, and having never passed up a free lunch, Scott went. He enjoyed following Ralph around, meeting local business and community folk in Lancaster, which is a stone's throw from Great Falls. Ralph kept introducing Scott around as his pastor.......which he is, but I think may still feel odd for Scott. And for me. But Ralph is incredibly funny, good natured, and networked. He simply knows everyone, always has a tale to tell, and reminds me - slightly - of Alex Sanders (though I do still hold Alex up very high on my list of folks I would adopt as my father since my father is deceased). Never has a finer storyteller spun a tale like Alex.
At one point during the meeting, a hat is passed for Rotarians to place a dollar in to be able to give an announcement. Dutifully, Ralph drops in his dollar, stands up....and says about Scott:
"I knew he'd be good for us when he got up in the pulpit and said, 'David slew Goliath with the jawbone of a donkey's ass.' "
I most literally wet my pants laughing when Scott recounted this to me, and I can imagine the roar of laughter that probably follows Ralph weekly in moments like these. He was also heard responding to another club member that the room wasn't hot, he just need to lay off on the crack.
Only Ralph can get away with such, God love him like we do.
Peace.
I hope not.
It's been some weeks now that Scott went to a meeting of Rotary International with one of our beloved church members, Ralph. Ralph extended an invitation to Scott to join him, and having never passed up a free lunch, Scott went. He enjoyed following Ralph around, meeting local business and community folk in Lancaster, which is a stone's throw from Great Falls. Ralph kept introducing Scott around as his pastor.......which he is, but I think may still feel odd for Scott. And for me. But Ralph is incredibly funny, good natured, and networked. He simply knows everyone, always has a tale to tell, and reminds me - slightly - of Alex Sanders (though I do still hold Alex up very high on my list of folks I would adopt as my father since my father is deceased). Never has a finer storyteller spun a tale like Alex.
At one point during the meeting, a hat is passed for Rotarians to place a dollar in to be able to give an announcement. Dutifully, Ralph drops in his dollar, stands up....and says about Scott:
"I knew he'd be good for us when he got up in the pulpit and said, 'David slew Goliath with the jawbone of a donkey's ass.' "
I most literally wet my pants laughing when Scott recounted this to me, and I can imagine the roar of laughter that probably follows Ralph weekly in moments like these. He was also heard responding to another club member that the room wasn't hot, he just need to lay off on the crack.
Only Ralph can get away with such, God love him like we do.
Peace.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Let's Just See......
I want to detail out a day in my life to evaluate if my sometimes complaining about my schedule is really valid. I was in a yoga workshop Saturday with Betsey Downing, a senior Anusara instructor, and she talked about what we talk about a great deal: that we do yoga to be better people, not simply to be more flexible or strong. It's the idea of "yoga off the mat" -- which is the true essence of yoga.......asana (on the mat) is simply one small part. And one aspect of the benefits of our practice is that it lessens our complaining.
"It does?" I thought, shamefully. I recounted times I had probably complained about my schedule AT yoga class. Luckily, I almost never complain after a class, as the sweet juices of savasana congeal in my body, I only feel grateful.
And then I'm back to reality.
So, let's see how really busy or crazy I think I am.....we'll take today for example:
6:30 am, Up. Shower. Dressed in yoga clothes. Pack work clothes. Check email (two accounts), plus WISTV.com and CNN.com. Coffee. Bathroom. Trying to leave by 7 am, except that Kate wakes up, gets up, and cries for me to take her to school.
7:10 am, Scott attempts a diversion with Kate outside while my car pulls out.
7:30ish, at the office. Lunch in the fridge. Bags in proper places in my office. Pull out the yoga mat and blanket. Turn on Jason Crandall from the YogaJournal.com site on my computer, and do a 20 minute practice of backbends. No clue what time I actually started, but I finish around 8:30 am. Change clothes.
8:33 am, at my computer checking email again, news again, looking over my calendar. A task or two.
9 am, staff meeting. And after this, the day is a blur. I am not terribly productive at the office: it's overcast, rainy, and about to be Fall Break. Low energy, despite my heart-opening backbend practice which should be energizing. I do have a drop-in, and talk about NSEP and Rotary scholarships; I do have a 1:30 pm meeting with a sophomore scholar. I work until 5 pm on the dot and leave. Which is rare. I usually leave around 5:30 pm.
5:13 pm, Pick up Kate who asks the same question every day, "where are we going?"
I reply, "nowhere, we're going home to eat supper." Call Scott and leave him a message. We call each other at every drop off and pick up. We've done this since she started daycare at 10 weeks. It's how I dealt with the worry that I would forget her in the car, and go to work. And being somewhat of a Type A Personality, the habit stuck.
5:40 pm, We're home. The Mimi is not yet home from bingo. Scott is in Great Falls tonight. We wait to start supper once The Mimi arrives. I bring in bags.....my gym bag, school bag, purse, and Kate's daycare bag.
6 pm, Start a load of laundry and put dishes in the dishwasher. Dishes in the drying rack are put up.
Time becomes a blur here, as we all make Little Caesar individual pizzas from the kit we ordered from her daycare fundraiser. I make everyone do their own, but I place them in the oven. We eat, and Kate picks at hers. I clean up. No vegetable, no fruit, but plenty of protein.
I work on some bills by writing a couple of checks, including Scott's tuition bill. Check laundry, put in the dryer. Kate is playing her leapfrog computer game, and we're both busy.
I pull her outfit for tomorrow -- Picture Day! All of the pieces and parts need to be ready so her teacher can change her. Moneyplus reimbursement form is put into her daycare bag for a signature. But the jumper needs to be ironed. And so it is.
7:10 pm, Kate and I head to Bi-Lo to buy some ingredients to bake items for my friend Elise. She is running for mayor of Cayce, SC and there's a "Meet and Greet" for her this weekend. I cannot make it, but baked goods are needed. In the car, I begin to remind Kate that "now tomorrow morning, I" -- and she cuts me off by saying, "I know what you're going to say. You have to fix my hair pretty." And I reply, "that's right, so no cryin' or fussin'." We agree. We play Trisha Yearwood's "She's in Love with The Boy" and she sings every word. With feeling.
7:35 pm, we're back and start some baking. But I realize I have forgotten parchment paper, so I cannot make the cheese wafers I adore. Kate bakes some pull apart organic sugar cookies. We eat some raw dough pieces. Second load of laundry in. It's my favorite white "dress" T-shirt from Banana Republic outlet, and it has an ink stain......trying the hairspray soak then wash process.
Soccer practice tomorrow! Aack! No soccer clothes are clean......that will make load three.
8:53 pm, Blogging, checking cookies (we're now on regular Pillsbury chocolate chip) in between, and also Kate asks me to do some yoga poses on the way back to the computer. I hold headstead freestanding for 20 secs - best time yet! She does her own headstand and gets up by herself.....my baby yogini.
Kate mentions Barack Obama, and I ask her who she is voting for. She says Barack Obama. The Mimi hears her and tries to tell her his name is Obock Bahama.....which is how my Aunt Johnnie says it and that is who she's on the phone with. I reprimand The Mimi for teaching her the incorrect pronunciation. The Mimi laughs, and continues her phone conversation.
9 pm, another batch of cookies are in. Kate is reading books to me, and about every three minutes says, "look Mom" and she shows me the picture.
My "new mail" flag rises up slowly in the frame I can see behind my blogger page. I check it. I love email.
9:11 pm, and I'm about to check cookies, and laundry. Kate says, "ah man" as she has found my old Barbies and is playing with them. We are just inches from one another because she likes it that way, and because we live in cramped quarters. She has now segued into singing "I've been working on the railroad," and then hides the Barbies for a quick game of hide and seek -- her and the Barbies.
9:18 pm, Cookies are out. Kate delivers two cooled ones to The Mimi who is watching an interview with Michelle Obama. I tell Kate she is Barack's wife and they have two girls. She asks what their names are, and I say I don't know. I check laundry: ink stain remains. I'm not as disappointed as I thought I would be. Kate's load -- load three -- goes in.
9:27 pm, Kate is reading more books, but wants to do yoga. I find the girls' names: Sasha and Malia. I show her a picture of them, and she asks, "Are they from China?" She's obsessed with China.
9:35 pm, Kate is in the shower, and I am hanging clean clothes.In between clothing items I help her shower, but largely she can do this on her own now.
9:48 pm, Check on laundry, remind Kate to calm down as she gallops down the hall.
Soccer ball! Cleats! Into the bag they go. (mental note: clean towels have been sitting in the den unfolded for too long. It's now obvious The Mimi is not going to attempt them).
9:53 pm, Kate and I brush teeth and comb hair. And play this rolling game 7 times where she rolls on the bed and almost off, but I catch her, and then roll her back on the bed. She loves this.
9:59 pm, Call on my cell. It's Daddy from the parsonage. Now, he and Kate are on the phone. He is gone a good bit and I know it makes her sad. It makes me sad too. He has visitation tonight, a church member had died, and tomorrow is the funeral. That's why he's there tonight; usually he is home. My cell goes on the charger.
Well, it's 10:04 pm, and I'm about to get Kate down. I will still finish laundry, and write two notes to Mt. Dearborn church members. Check in with The Mimi, and be sure we are locked in for the night. I also need to be sure all cookies are packed for the Saturday event for Elise.
It has indeed been a long day, but not a bad one at all, in fact, I might say it's been good. For a change :)
Namaste.
"It does?" I thought, shamefully. I recounted times I had probably complained about my schedule AT yoga class. Luckily, I almost never complain after a class, as the sweet juices of savasana congeal in my body, I only feel grateful.
And then I'm back to reality.
So, let's see how really busy or crazy I think I am.....we'll take today for example:
6:30 am, Up. Shower. Dressed in yoga clothes. Pack work clothes. Check email (two accounts), plus WISTV.com and CNN.com. Coffee. Bathroom. Trying to leave by 7 am, except that Kate wakes up, gets up, and cries for me to take her to school.
7:10 am, Scott attempts a diversion with Kate outside while my car pulls out.
7:30ish, at the office. Lunch in the fridge. Bags in proper places in my office. Pull out the yoga mat and blanket. Turn on Jason Crandall from the YogaJournal.com site on my computer, and do a 20 minute practice of backbends. No clue what time I actually started, but I finish around 8:30 am. Change clothes.
8:33 am, at my computer checking email again, news again, looking over my calendar. A task or two.
9 am, staff meeting. And after this, the day is a blur. I am not terribly productive at the office: it's overcast, rainy, and about to be Fall Break. Low energy, despite my heart-opening backbend practice which should be energizing. I do have a drop-in, and talk about NSEP and Rotary scholarships; I do have a 1:30 pm meeting with a sophomore scholar. I work until 5 pm on the dot and leave. Which is rare. I usually leave around 5:30 pm.
5:13 pm, Pick up Kate who asks the same question every day, "where are we going?"
I reply, "nowhere, we're going home to eat supper." Call Scott and leave him a message. We call each other at every drop off and pick up. We've done this since she started daycare at 10 weeks. It's how I dealt with the worry that I would forget her in the car, and go to work. And being somewhat of a Type A Personality, the habit stuck.
5:40 pm, We're home. The Mimi is not yet home from bingo. Scott is in Great Falls tonight. We wait to start supper once The Mimi arrives. I bring in bags.....my gym bag, school bag, purse, and Kate's daycare bag.
6 pm, Start a load of laundry and put dishes in the dishwasher. Dishes in the drying rack are put up.
Time becomes a blur here, as we all make Little Caesar individual pizzas from the kit we ordered from her daycare fundraiser. I make everyone do their own, but I place them in the oven. We eat, and Kate picks at hers. I clean up. No vegetable, no fruit, but plenty of protein.
I work on some bills by writing a couple of checks, including Scott's tuition bill. Check laundry, put in the dryer. Kate is playing her leapfrog computer game, and we're both busy.
I pull her outfit for tomorrow -- Picture Day! All of the pieces and parts need to be ready so her teacher can change her. Moneyplus reimbursement form is put into her daycare bag for a signature. But the jumper needs to be ironed. And so it is.
7:10 pm, Kate and I head to Bi-Lo to buy some ingredients to bake items for my friend Elise. She is running for mayor of Cayce, SC and there's a "Meet and Greet" for her this weekend. I cannot make it, but baked goods are needed. In the car, I begin to remind Kate that "now tomorrow morning, I" -- and she cuts me off by saying, "I know what you're going to say. You have to fix my hair pretty." And I reply, "that's right, so no cryin' or fussin'." We agree. We play Trisha Yearwood's "She's in Love with The Boy" and she sings every word. With feeling.
7:35 pm, we're back and start some baking. But I realize I have forgotten parchment paper, so I cannot make the cheese wafers I adore. Kate bakes some pull apart organic sugar cookies. We eat some raw dough pieces. Second load of laundry in. It's my favorite white "dress" T-shirt from Banana Republic outlet, and it has an ink stain......trying the hairspray soak then wash process.
Soccer practice tomorrow! Aack! No soccer clothes are clean......that will make load three.
8:53 pm, Blogging, checking cookies (we're now on regular Pillsbury chocolate chip) in between, and also Kate asks me to do some yoga poses on the way back to the computer. I hold headstead freestanding for 20 secs - best time yet! She does her own headstand and gets up by herself.....my baby yogini.
Kate mentions Barack Obama, and I ask her who she is voting for. She says Barack Obama. The Mimi hears her and tries to tell her his name is Obock Bahama.....which is how my Aunt Johnnie says it and that is who she's on the phone with. I reprimand The Mimi for teaching her the incorrect pronunciation. The Mimi laughs, and continues her phone conversation.
9 pm, another batch of cookies are in. Kate is reading books to me, and about every three minutes says, "look Mom" and she shows me the picture.
My "new mail" flag rises up slowly in the frame I can see behind my blogger page. I check it. I love email.
9:11 pm, and I'm about to check cookies, and laundry. Kate says, "ah man" as she has found my old Barbies and is playing with them. We are just inches from one another because she likes it that way, and because we live in cramped quarters. She has now segued into singing "I've been working on the railroad," and then hides the Barbies for a quick game of hide and seek -- her and the Barbies.
9:18 pm, Cookies are out. Kate delivers two cooled ones to The Mimi who is watching an interview with Michelle Obama. I tell Kate she is Barack's wife and they have two girls. She asks what their names are, and I say I don't know. I check laundry: ink stain remains. I'm not as disappointed as I thought I would be. Kate's load -- load three -- goes in.
9:27 pm, Kate is reading more books, but wants to do yoga. I find the girls' names: Sasha and Malia. I show her a picture of them, and she asks, "Are they from China?" She's obsessed with China.
9:35 pm, Kate is in the shower, and I am hanging clean clothes.In between clothing items I help her shower, but largely she can do this on her own now.
9:48 pm, Check on laundry, remind Kate to calm down as she gallops down the hall.
Soccer ball! Cleats! Into the bag they go. (mental note: clean towels have been sitting in the den unfolded for too long. It's now obvious The Mimi is not going to attempt them).
9:53 pm, Kate and I brush teeth and comb hair. And play this rolling game 7 times where she rolls on the bed and almost off, but I catch her, and then roll her back on the bed. She loves this.
9:59 pm, Call on my cell. It's Daddy from the parsonage. Now, he and Kate are on the phone. He is gone a good bit and I know it makes her sad. It makes me sad too. He has visitation tonight, a church member had died, and tomorrow is the funeral. That's why he's there tonight; usually he is home. My cell goes on the charger.
Well, it's 10:04 pm, and I'm about to get Kate down. I will still finish laundry, and write two notes to Mt. Dearborn church members. Check in with The Mimi, and be sure we are locked in for the night. I also need to be sure all cookies are packed for the Saturday event for Elise.
It has indeed been a long day, but not a bad one at all, in fact, I might say it's been good. For a change :)
Namaste.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
The Warm Kind
We were in Great Falls Saturday and Sunday. Kate is playing soccer now, so we were able to get out of Columbia close to 2 pm and on up there. Once up there, we did a few projects. Remember the punch bowl and cups? Well, we finally got those in the dishwasher. Kate was a big help -- when she focuses in on a project, or as she calls it, "a job," she is golden. We also moved the double bed from upstairs, to downstairs, to make one big gigantic sleeping station to fit all three of us. This is lonnnngggg overdue. Remember the book, Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews? Well, I was feeling a bit like those children, except I was being held captive by my own child. Kate and I have been sleeping upstairs in the double bed, while Scott's ownership of the master bedroom downstairs is only fitting since he lives there more than us. The master bedroom also has a double/full size bed, but has a large, rather functional bathroom (meaning, his toilet flushes without issue), and he's close to the coffee in the morning. Meanwhile, I'm held captive by Kate in a double bed (I'm thinking it's really about a three quarters size bed) and if I want to leave the room AT ALL, the first touch of my big toe on the floor creaks the wooden floors and wakes her up. And so I've been jealous of the life Scott leads downstairs. As he rises in the early morning, I imagine his routine and whereabouts as I lay in the double bed, paralyzed.....is he drinking coffee on the back stoop.....in the dark, quiet morning? But all of that changed when we brought the bed downstairs for a family sleeping section that worked like a gem! Once Kate got down, Scott and I ACTUALLY HAD A CONVERSATION IN THE LIVING AREA. Or well, maybe not, but I quietly finished my Yoga Journal magazine and retained some of the information in it, including a part about bringing out your "Kali" side (she's a godness, and is a wild, natural type). Although these days I have no problems with bringing out a state of natural conflict though I hope that side of me will ebb for a spell.
We walked to The Pig, which took all of about three minutes, quite literally. Kate thought that this was the highlight of the entire weekend, and later on Sunday would convince Scott's sister to walk there again. More soon about that. We bought a few groceries, and walked back. A very nice and easy walk, and using no gas!
We had supper at The House of Pizza. This is the only restaurant in Great Falls, and we are lucky it serves good food. Kate and I split a house salad and small cheese pizza, and I spotted bottles of wine on one of the two counters in the restaurant. I didn't think THOP served alcohol, but my attitude perked up a tad at this prospect. Scott found a tattered table tent with the wine list on it, and so I said to the waitress,
"I would love a glass of Chianti. Wine."
Waitress: "Would that be a warm one, or a cold one?"
Me: "Warm kind. Red. Chianti."
Waitress: "Now, how do you say that?"
Me: "Kee-An-Tee. C-H-I-A-N-T-I. It's got the wicker looking stuff around it."
So she brings me a large wine glass filled to the top with red wine. Chianti. So I say,
"Wow, that is quite generous. That is a lot of wine."
Waitress: "Well you're paying $4.95 for a glass of that so I thought you better get your money's worth."
When Scott and I looked back at the bottle on the counter, all we could see from the top of the bottle to the "wicker" was clear -- no wine. I probably easily had about one third of the bottle in my glass. When we had all finished dinner, I still had a half glass left. I should have asked for a straw, but knew I wanted to poke into the Family Dollar afterwards, and needed to be part of the solution, not the problem. Although I'm not sure it would have made a difference since I watched a guy go in and buy a bottle of Pepto-Bismol, and drink half of it at the counter. Which for me would be a complete problem, not any part of a solution. I'd rather be sick that drink that much Pepto.
Scott's Mom Patricia, sister Alison, and her boyfriend Roger came to worship at Mt. Dearborn. I first saw them by accident: as I took Kate out into the hallway asking her to "straighten up" I heard footsteps coming up behind me, and here's the whole family seeing me call down my child outside Sunday School. What a way to get busted! Discipline can be quite loose in her Sunday School class (there are only a handful of children), but it's tough for me to stay in there and watch her roll around on her back, showing her Gymboree underwear to the world. We really enjoyed having family come to Great Falls. Sometimes it feels like we are living two lives so much, that we need witnesses to come and see, so we know it's not a dream. When we're up there, it seems like we should be up there all the time. When we're in Columbia, Great Falls feels like one thousand miles away. And for my dear Kate, it felt even farther for her. After a nap on the gigantic bed, we planned to visit Vickie Martin, a church member who could not come to worship today because her back is having some issues. As always, Scott had work to do at the office (a.k.a. Pastor's Study) so we told him our goodbyes and planned to visit Miss Vickie before heading to Columbia. But Kate fell out crying because she wanted her Daddy. It was so sad, pitiful. She cried half the way home......most of us have probably done the slurping crying "I want my DA-DEE." It just kind of hit her all at once that Scott rarely spends any time playing with her while we're there. Of course, this was no revelation to me since sometimes I have felt like the VC Andrews Au Pair Extraordinaire. It's tough: it is Scott's job to be there, and Sundays are workdays, but he'll have to/we'll have to build in time for Kate. She wanted to "be with Daddy in his office. I want him to play with me. I am with you all the time." And it's true -- the Dynamic Duo of Kate and Mommy held fast over the summer and into this early fall. We'll do better. Going to Little Gym, soccer, and playing at home isn't the same. She wants to feel included as an important part of his world there too......she feels ownership in that church, and wants to play with her Daddy on their new turf. And help him eat the peach rings in his desk drawer.
We walked to The Pig, which took all of about three minutes, quite literally. Kate thought that this was the highlight of the entire weekend, and later on Sunday would convince Scott's sister to walk there again. More soon about that. We bought a few groceries, and walked back. A very nice and easy walk, and using no gas!
We had supper at The House of Pizza. This is the only restaurant in Great Falls, and we are lucky it serves good food. Kate and I split a house salad and small cheese pizza, and I spotted bottles of wine on one of the two counters in the restaurant. I didn't think THOP served alcohol, but my attitude perked up a tad at this prospect. Scott found a tattered table tent with the wine list on it, and so I said to the waitress,
"I would love a glass of Chianti. Wine."
Waitress: "Would that be a warm one, or a cold one?"
Me: "Warm kind. Red. Chianti."
Waitress: "Now, how do you say that?"
Me: "Kee-An-Tee. C-H-I-A-N-T-I. It's got the wicker looking stuff around it."
So she brings me a large wine glass filled to the top with red wine. Chianti. So I say,
"Wow, that is quite generous. That is a lot of wine."
Waitress: "Well you're paying $4.95 for a glass of that so I thought you better get your money's worth."
When Scott and I looked back at the bottle on the counter, all we could see from the top of the bottle to the "wicker" was clear -- no wine. I probably easily had about one third of the bottle in my glass. When we had all finished dinner, I still had a half glass left. I should have asked for a straw, but knew I wanted to poke into the Family Dollar afterwards, and needed to be part of the solution, not the problem. Although I'm not sure it would have made a difference since I watched a guy go in and buy a bottle of Pepto-Bismol, and drink half of it at the counter. Which for me would be a complete problem, not any part of a solution. I'd rather be sick that drink that much Pepto.
Scott's Mom Patricia, sister Alison, and her boyfriend Roger came to worship at Mt. Dearborn. I first saw them by accident: as I took Kate out into the hallway asking her to "straighten up" I heard footsteps coming up behind me, and here's the whole family seeing me call down my child outside Sunday School. What a way to get busted! Discipline can be quite loose in her Sunday School class (there are only a handful of children), but it's tough for me to stay in there and watch her roll around on her back, showing her Gymboree underwear to the world. We really enjoyed having family come to Great Falls. Sometimes it feels like we are living two lives so much, that we need witnesses to come and see, so we know it's not a dream. When we're up there, it seems like we should be up there all the time. When we're in Columbia, Great Falls feels like one thousand miles away. And for my dear Kate, it felt even farther for her. After a nap on the gigantic bed, we planned to visit Vickie Martin, a church member who could not come to worship today because her back is having some issues. As always, Scott had work to do at the office (a.k.a. Pastor's Study) so we told him our goodbyes and planned to visit Miss Vickie before heading to Columbia. But Kate fell out crying because she wanted her Daddy. It was so sad, pitiful. She cried half the way home......most of us have probably done the slurping crying "I want my DA-DEE." It just kind of hit her all at once that Scott rarely spends any time playing with her while we're there. Of course, this was no revelation to me since sometimes I have felt like the VC Andrews Au Pair Extraordinaire. It's tough: it is Scott's job to be there, and Sundays are workdays, but he'll have to/we'll have to build in time for Kate. She wanted to "be with Daddy in his office. I want him to play with me. I am with you all the time." And it's true -- the Dynamic Duo of Kate and Mommy held fast over the summer and into this early fall. We'll do better. Going to Little Gym, soccer, and playing at home isn't the same. She wants to feel included as an important part of his world there too......she feels ownership in that church, and wants to play with her Daddy on their new turf. And help him eat the peach rings in his desk drawer.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Let the fun begin!
I always want to write in my title before I begin writing, and that's tough. So sometimes the titles are often a tad facetious or ironic, and that's what is happening a bit today.
But I have to begin with yesterday. Or really, many days before that, but I've struggled with what to blog lately because Scott has completed his gig at the Lowman Home and I attended graduation, which was nice and put closure on a long 11 weeks of ministry to the elderly.
Scott had his first funeral a week ago, and to this point the blog has been fun and light and airy, but the experiences of late seemed a bit too sad and dramatic to blog about. A bit over a week ago, one of the members of our church, a 14-year-old youth, was devastated by the death of her dad in a car accident in Great Falls. The youth have grown close at Mt. Dearborn with leadership by a couple who are very committed to serving, and this investment in the youth has paid off, as they rallied around this child and her Mom.
When Scott realized who the girl was, he said she always gives him a big hug after church, and he has felt very encouraged by this gesture each week. Forget grown-ups, we all know that to win the affection of children is priceless. He visited the family, helped with arrangements, and led a service that included two other pastors.........and.........a ton of Harleys. That's right, motorcycles. The deceased was a restorer of vintage bikes, and you can imagine the following of fans he had. Although I was not able to attend the funeral, I regretted not being able to see the huge number of bikes parked across the street, and the diverse group of folks packing into the church to celebrate this man's life. Standing room only with a tough, somber crowd. There is no better testament to one's life than how many come to your funeral! Scott and I did ponder the fact that Mt. Dearborn has a number of elderly members, most of whom are quite well and spry, yet this man was only 50. It's never what you expect.
And a week later, another death. A young man of 47 passed away last night with a terminal illness. His mother is our pianist, and his father a member of the choir. So on Wednesday, Scott gets even more practice learning to honor and celebrate a life no longer lived. This cannot be easy.
So that brings us to yesterday. Yesterday was an example of what I expect this journey to be like, and it was a doozy. I hope my recitation and remembrance of yesterday does not sound whiny because I'm not complaining. I'm just tired, but heck, aren't we all?
Saturday, August 23......
7:10 am, I arrive at the office. We have our First Year Scholar Retreat, taking 48 kids to Heathwood Hall for a ropes course, and half day of sessions. We've got a fun day planned.
8:45 amish, our day begins, and the scholars begin their teambuilding activities and it's fun to see. All is well, smooth......and it's not even too hot outside.
10:30 am, Scott and Kate take The Mimi to the doctor. All week her breathing has been much tougher than usual, and we are waiting for an appointment with the pulmonary doctor, against which she has fought for a while, "I don't NEED another doctor." But she relents, yet needs some short-term relief.
10:45 am-ish, Scott calls to say he received a call that a church member has been transported to Richland Memorial and has only hours to live.
11 am-ish, Novella drives me to my car which is at USC where I meet up with Scott for the Kate Hand Off. She's happy to be coming to the retreat, although Mimi is still at the doctor's office with plans to call Scott once she's done. Little does she know the call will be relayed to me for pick up. Kate and I head to the retreat where she ends up helping with lunch with Novella and Ali, while Margaret and I stay at the high ropes site.
12:20 pm......No call from Scott......and when I do reach him, he has not heard from The Mimi.
12:30 pm, I leave and head to Doctor's Care, find Mom in the examining room, and I'm able to speak with the doctor and discuss a plan for getting her some relief. A Detrol shot and some meds should do the trick. But because Mom has been there so long, and hasn't had lunch, she experiences low blood sugar, so our stay there is extended a bit more while she downs crackers and water. Once through the Rush's drive through, she's sucking on a chocolate milkshake and feeling better. Got her home, settled......
2:30 pm-ish, I am back at the Retreat! Novella says Kate has been angelic, and that's reassuring. We finish the retreat, head back to the office, and we're waiting to hear from Scott, who has been at the hospital all this time. I can see now why accepting this job is helpful since there is no coursework at the seminary on such visits, such as "Death Vigils: What To Do, How Long to Stay." Truly, hours can mean days........this is tough and tricky and no one wants to leave a family in such a situation.
6 pm, Scott is en route home, and I am thinking Kate and I are not going to Great Falls tonight, because we're all too weary, but because Kate knew she'd be getting babysat by Elizabeth Howe, WAILING ensued at the idea of not going that day, so I quickly decided otherwise. We all eat a quick bite of Moe's -- even the The Mimi -- and gather ourselves to leave. I shower, thank goodness. If we arrive in time, we'll visit a Sunday School party.
7:45 pm, I've dropped off Mom's detrol prescription I previously had forgotten to get, and head to GF as Scott and Kate had already started that way in the little honda.
8:30 pm, Scott and I are en route to the party, and enjoyed this break of fun and laughter. Much needed.
11:30 pm, We're all in bed.
Sunday..........Alexa and Harman and Simran visit us for 11 am worship, girl time playing and lunch at the parsonage. Their visit was so welcome, and the first of our friends to see this new journey in person, and not just from the comfortable confines of my blog.
Okay, well Scott needs his laptop back, so this must abruptly end.
Peace Out!
But I have to begin with yesterday. Or really, many days before that, but I've struggled with what to blog lately because Scott has completed his gig at the Lowman Home and I attended graduation, which was nice and put closure on a long 11 weeks of ministry to the elderly.
Scott had his first funeral a week ago, and to this point the blog has been fun and light and airy, but the experiences of late seemed a bit too sad and dramatic to blog about. A bit over a week ago, one of the members of our church, a 14-year-old youth, was devastated by the death of her dad in a car accident in Great Falls. The youth have grown close at Mt. Dearborn with leadership by a couple who are very committed to serving, and this investment in the youth has paid off, as they rallied around this child and her Mom.
When Scott realized who the girl was, he said she always gives him a big hug after church, and he has felt very encouraged by this gesture each week. Forget grown-ups, we all know that to win the affection of children is priceless. He visited the family, helped with arrangements, and led a service that included two other pastors.........and.........a ton of Harleys. That's right, motorcycles. The deceased was a restorer of vintage bikes, and you can imagine the following of fans he had. Although I was not able to attend the funeral, I regretted not being able to see the huge number of bikes parked across the street, and the diverse group of folks packing into the church to celebrate this man's life. Standing room only with a tough, somber crowd. There is no better testament to one's life than how many come to your funeral! Scott and I did ponder the fact that Mt. Dearborn has a number of elderly members, most of whom are quite well and spry, yet this man was only 50. It's never what you expect.
And a week later, another death. A young man of 47 passed away last night with a terminal illness. His mother is our pianist, and his father a member of the choir. So on Wednesday, Scott gets even more practice learning to honor and celebrate a life no longer lived. This cannot be easy.
So that brings us to yesterday. Yesterday was an example of what I expect this journey to be like, and it was a doozy. I hope my recitation and remembrance of yesterday does not sound whiny because I'm not complaining. I'm just tired, but heck, aren't we all?
Saturday, August 23......
7:10 am, I arrive at the office. We have our First Year Scholar Retreat, taking 48 kids to Heathwood Hall for a ropes course, and half day of sessions. We've got a fun day planned.
8:45 amish, our day begins, and the scholars begin their teambuilding activities and it's fun to see. All is well, smooth......and it's not even too hot outside.
10:30 am, Scott and Kate take The Mimi to the doctor. All week her breathing has been much tougher than usual, and we are waiting for an appointment with the pulmonary doctor, against which she has fought for a while, "I don't NEED another doctor." But she relents, yet needs some short-term relief.
10:45 am-ish, Scott calls to say he received a call that a church member has been transported to Richland Memorial and has only hours to live.
11 am-ish, Novella drives me to my car which is at USC where I meet up with Scott for the Kate Hand Off. She's happy to be coming to the retreat, although Mimi is still at the doctor's office with plans to call Scott once she's done. Little does she know the call will be relayed to me for pick up. Kate and I head to the retreat where she ends up helping with lunch with Novella and Ali, while Margaret and I stay at the high ropes site.
12:20 pm......No call from Scott......and when I do reach him, he has not heard from The Mimi.
12:30 pm, I leave and head to Doctor's Care, find Mom in the examining room, and I'm able to speak with the doctor and discuss a plan for getting her some relief. A Detrol shot and some meds should do the trick. But because Mom has been there so long, and hasn't had lunch, she experiences low blood sugar, so our stay there is extended a bit more while she downs crackers and water. Once through the Rush's drive through, she's sucking on a chocolate milkshake and feeling better. Got her home, settled......
2:30 pm-ish, I am back at the Retreat! Novella says Kate has been angelic, and that's reassuring. We finish the retreat, head back to the office, and we're waiting to hear from Scott, who has been at the hospital all this time. I can see now why accepting this job is helpful since there is no coursework at the seminary on such visits, such as "Death Vigils: What To Do, How Long to Stay." Truly, hours can mean days........this is tough and tricky and no one wants to leave a family in such a situation.
6 pm, Scott is en route home, and I am thinking Kate and I are not going to Great Falls tonight, because we're all too weary, but because Kate knew she'd be getting babysat by Elizabeth Howe, WAILING ensued at the idea of not going that day, so I quickly decided otherwise. We all eat a quick bite of Moe's -- even the The Mimi -- and gather ourselves to leave. I shower, thank goodness. If we arrive in time, we'll visit a Sunday School party.
7:45 pm, I've dropped off Mom's detrol prescription I previously had forgotten to get, and head to GF as Scott and Kate had already started that way in the little honda.
8:30 pm, Scott and I are en route to the party, and enjoyed this break of fun and laughter. Much needed.
11:30 pm, We're all in bed.
Sunday..........Alexa and Harman and Simran visit us for 11 am worship, girl time playing and lunch at the parsonage. Their visit was so welcome, and the first of our friends to see this new journey in person, and not just from the comfortable confines of my blog.
Okay, well Scott needs his laptop back, so this must abruptly end.
Peace Out!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Pillow Talk? Sleep Talk
This past Sunday was Number Five. But before we get to Sunday, I must address the topic of....
Stress.
Scott generally handles stress very well, and he should. He has had very high-stress jobs: working as a news videographer for WISTV-10, he has seen his fair share of BAD news: the Susan Smith trial, tornados, plane crashes -- just to name a few. He has also had other stressful work, such as shooting for numerous athletic events, editing a season-ending video over one weekend.....just to name a few. And this stress will sometimes manifest itself through an unusual, hysterical behavior -- sleep talking.
This past week, in the middle of the night, I am awakened by "hey! Hey! HEY!" and he's sitting up in the bed. He gestures with his hands, and says, "does the bulletin go this way, or this way?" He is sleep talking about how to lay out and publish the church bulletin. My general reaction is to laugh and to try and wake him up to tell him how funny he is, but I learned that you just have to answer the question so he'll go back to sleep.
"This way." I gestured back with my hands in some Helen Kellerish fashion that pleased him, and with an "okay" he laid back down........humming some kind of hymn-ish tune, and fell back asleep.
A while back I told my Mom about Scott's sleep talking. This was around a time that he was editing a football or baseball video for the University on a contract basis. Meaning: this was not his full-time job. It was extra. She knows he is a hard worker, and admires that in him a great deal. So as I try to relay my worry and concern (and probably irritation) that he is working way too much -- so much that he's "working" in his sleep, all she can say is "great, maybe he can get paid for it!"
No sympathy.
Today Scott visited a family from Heath Chapel whose granddaughter was having surgery at Richland. He stopped by on his way to the Lowman Home, and chatted and had a prayer. The little girl did well. Scott did well too.
This past Sunday was Number Five. Kate and I left in the morning, and met up with Daddy at church. She enjoyed Sunday School a little more this second time, and was warmly welcomed by the class. Her teacher, Miss Mary, is a dear....and one of her Washington Street UMC teacher's is also a Miss Mary. Heck, Jesus' Mom was Mary......I see a pattern here.
We sat in the same place for worship, but knew to slide down more to allow the Fords to sit on the front row. They were married at Shandon Baptist in Columbia over 60 years ago, when that church was actually IN Shandon, on Woodrow Street I believe. They are precious! I was able to hold Kate at bay during church until the final hymn, when she wanted to join her Daddy. Barefoot. Again. He was a tad flustered during the service since he had to pinch hit as the acolyte on a moment's notice, but even I didn't realize it.
After church, we had lunch at Wendy's with some church folks, and visited until 2 pm. We bought The Mimi a Mexican blanket there too. You see, it's a one-stop shop, that Hess Truck Stop: Wendy's, Dairy Queen, and the truck stop all in one. Mexican blankets: $7.99. Kate chose one with hot pink in it, and The Mimi was thrilled.
This past Wednesday, we all drove up for a Wednesday Night Supper.
Menu: BBQ chicken, potatoes, green beans, broccoli salad, rolls, and strawberry shortcake. Tea. Delicious! I sat with Jimmy and Susan, and Charles and Sara, and we talked about the University, and how Jimmy got his job at Tulane in the ChemE department, which he also ended up studying there as well, for a master's I think. Maybe a PhD, but I cannot be certain.
We ate, we visited, and although tired, we had fun. Wednesday Night Suppers ARE fun, and for $3, there's no way you could eat any better. A storm came up, and we were stuck, so we visited some more, until the rain petered away and we could run over to the parsonage. Kate took a shower there, put on PJs, and Scott did some CPE work in his church office a.k.a. The Pastor's Study. We left before he did, and as we drove back to Columbia, Kate read her visual dictionary the entire way back. A peace-filled night.
PS. Oh yeah, and BTW, Scott still does not have his car back.....July 3 to July 24. You do the math.
Stress.
Scott generally handles stress very well, and he should. He has had very high-stress jobs: working as a news videographer for WISTV-10, he has seen his fair share of BAD news: the Susan Smith trial, tornados, plane crashes -- just to name a few. He has also had other stressful work, such as shooting for numerous athletic events, editing a season-ending video over one weekend.....just to name a few. And this stress will sometimes manifest itself through an unusual, hysterical behavior -- sleep talking.
This past week, in the middle of the night, I am awakened by "hey! Hey! HEY!" and he's sitting up in the bed. He gestures with his hands, and says, "does the bulletin go this way, or this way?" He is sleep talking about how to lay out and publish the church bulletin. My general reaction is to laugh and to try and wake him up to tell him how funny he is, but I learned that you just have to answer the question so he'll go back to sleep.
"This way." I gestured back with my hands in some Helen Kellerish fashion that pleased him, and with an "okay" he laid back down........humming some kind of hymn-ish tune, and fell back asleep.
A while back I told my Mom about Scott's sleep talking. This was around a time that he was editing a football or baseball video for the University on a contract basis. Meaning: this was not his full-time job. It was extra. She knows he is a hard worker, and admires that in him a great deal. So as I try to relay my worry and concern (and probably irritation) that he is working way too much -- so much that he's "working" in his sleep, all she can say is "great, maybe he can get paid for it!"
No sympathy.
Today Scott visited a family from Heath Chapel whose granddaughter was having surgery at Richland. He stopped by on his way to the Lowman Home, and chatted and had a prayer. The little girl did well. Scott did well too.
This past Sunday was Number Five. Kate and I left in the morning, and met up with Daddy at church. She enjoyed Sunday School a little more this second time, and was warmly welcomed by the class. Her teacher, Miss Mary, is a dear....and one of her Washington Street UMC teacher's is also a Miss Mary. Heck, Jesus' Mom was Mary......I see a pattern here.
We sat in the same place for worship, but knew to slide down more to allow the Fords to sit on the front row. They were married at Shandon Baptist in Columbia over 60 years ago, when that church was actually IN Shandon, on Woodrow Street I believe. They are precious! I was able to hold Kate at bay during church until the final hymn, when she wanted to join her Daddy. Barefoot. Again. He was a tad flustered during the service since he had to pinch hit as the acolyte on a moment's notice, but even I didn't realize it.
After church, we had lunch at Wendy's with some church folks, and visited until 2 pm. We bought The Mimi a Mexican blanket there too. You see, it's a one-stop shop, that Hess Truck Stop: Wendy's, Dairy Queen, and the truck stop all in one. Mexican blankets: $7.99. Kate chose one with hot pink in it, and The Mimi was thrilled.
This past Wednesday, we all drove up for a Wednesday Night Supper.
Menu: BBQ chicken, potatoes, green beans, broccoli salad, rolls, and strawberry shortcake. Tea. Delicious! I sat with Jimmy and Susan, and Charles and Sara, and we talked about the University, and how Jimmy got his job at Tulane in the ChemE department, which he also ended up studying there as well, for a master's I think. Maybe a PhD, but I cannot be certain.
We ate, we visited, and although tired, we had fun. Wednesday Night Suppers ARE fun, and for $3, there's no way you could eat any better. A storm came up, and we were stuck, so we visited some more, until the rain petered away and we could run over to the parsonage. Kate took a shower there, put on PJs, and Scott did some CPE work in his church office a.k.a. The Pastor's Study. We left before he did, and as we drove back to Columbia, Kate read her visual dictionary the entire way back. A peace-filled night.
PS. Oh yeah, and BTW, Scott still does not have his car back.....July 3 to July 24. You do the math.
Monday, July 14, 2008
This past weekend was taxing, trying. It all begins with Friday.......not necessarily a Good Friday.
So Scott was going to pick up Kate after his chaplaincy work at the Lowman Home, but first he has to go to the seminary to pick up forms that were signed that he needs to apply for his Methodist scholarships of which the deadline has passed because the ONE woman who can sign them is never there, and of course, they were not left for him to pick up, despite a call that they were. After that, he heads to the Richland County Public Library (RCPL) downtown to drop off a book.....goes in, drops it off, comes back out, and The Mimi's car is dead. The Mimi -- is my mom. It's Kate's name for her, dropping the The.
I'm almost home when he calls me....I turn around, get Kate, and go to Scott. We try desperately to jump the car off, but no luck. That evening, Kate and I have a Bat Program at 8 pm at Sesqui Park that we had really been looking forward to attending.....we begin to strategize in the car: go to Chickfila to grab supper, head home, and see if we can call the tow truck in the morning. Go to the Bat Program. Get home, and I ask Mom about calling the tow truck in the morning (while I'm eating like the wind, and trying to get Kate to do the same....) and she agrees, and even says that Abbotts Auto doesn't know her car is coming, and they're closed now, etc. I had already told her on the phone while in the car, we could not get her car started.
About 10 minutes later, she asks me if the car is in the driveway......and I'm like, "no Mom, I told you, we could not get it started, and I asked you if we could call the tow truck in the morning...." and she asks, "where is my car?" I had already explained: IT'S AT THE LIBRARY DOWNTOWN, and all of the situation, more than once....so, it is decided that we call the tow truck that night because Mom is afraid someone downtown will come and steal her tires, and I tell her that we'll skip the Bat Program. Mom doesn't want Kate to miss the Bat Program, so Scott says we'll call the tow truck afterwards. Meanwhile: Scott is on call for Lowman Home, and in fine fashion, he is beeped, a patient is heading to Lexington and she's been on the decline and unresponsive. She could died. Not a far fetched thought at all. So, we live adventurously. Scott drops me and Kate off at Sesqui, and we hope he can pick us up, or else I would have to call someone for a ride home (I had already felt out a gal pal of mine about picking us up, who said, "should I stop drinking beer now?" And I say no, we'll only call if we're DESPERATE).
......we're at the Bat Program, and see two of Kate's pals from daycare, so I felt rather safe about having zero transportation. Ends up a colleague from campus, Linda, was there with her daughter as well. Kate struck out at the Bat Program, meaning, she acted up and wouldn't listen well, so three strikes, but overall, she did okay. I was probably a little too strong on the strikes, but she still did not get to wear her Hannah Montana shirt today (she can wear it each Monday).
So Linda and her daughter drive us to the front gate to wait for Scott after the program. Time: 9:30 pm. Scott picks us up. We're in the car, and he tries to call USAA towing, and because Mom has given him a card with her number on it that must be outdated, the policy number is wrong, and the woman gets ugly, and Scott hangs up.
Kate's thirsty. We head to Zaxby's, get drinks, and back in the car.......head to the library downtown. Always nice and sketchy there at night. While we were trying to jump his car off earlier, in broad daylight, a guy came by and rifled through the bushes, and pulled out a comforter and pillow, and walked off. Back to the car: we call again, actually, I CALL and get a nicer representative and a tow truck gets sent.....we hit Starbucks at Gervais, Kate is tired, and by the time the tow truck driver calls to say they're on their way, she's sound asleep. We head back to the RCPL, and wait for the truck. I make Scott back into a space so I can view anyone walking by. Here comes the guy with the comforter and pillow -- coming back to the bushes, but now we're parked right by his hiding place, so he's hesitant......but the tow truck comes, gets The Mimi's car towed, and as we pull out, the guy gets his pajamas out of the bushes. Okay, I don't know what he got out, but he obviously didn't feel safe with US around..... Home around 11 pm. Whew.
So Scott was going to pick up Kate after his chaplaincy work at the Lowman Home, but first he has to go to the seminary to pick up forms that were signed that he needs to apply for his Methodist scholarships of which the deadline has passed because the ONE woman who can sign them is never there, and of course, they were not left for him to pick up, despite a call that they were. After that, he heads to the Richland County Public Library (RCPL) downtown to drop off a book.....goes in, drops it off, comes back out, and The Mimi's car is dead. The Mimi -- is my mom. It's Kate's name for her, dropping the The.
I'm almost home when he calls me....I turn around, get Kate, and go to Scott. We try desperately to jump the car off, but no luck. That evening, Kate and I have a Bat Program at 8 pm at Sesqui Park that we had really been looking forward to attending.....we begin to strategize in the car: go to Chickfila to grab supper, head home, and see if we can call the tow truck in the morning. Go to the Bat Program. Get home, and I ask Mom about calling the tow truck in the morning (while I'm eating like the wind, and trying to get Kate to do the same....) and she agrees, and even says that Abbotts Auto doesn't know her car is coming, and they're closed now, etc. I had already told her on the phone while in the car, we could not get her car started.
About 10 minutes later, she asks me if the car is in the driveway......and I'm like, "no Mom, I told you, we could not get it started, and I asked you if we could call the tow truck in the morning...." and she asks, "where is my car?" I had already explained: IT'S AT THE LIBRARY DOWNTOWN, and all of the situation, more than once....so, it is decided that we call the tow truck that night because Mom is afraid someone downtown will come and steal her tires, and I tell her that we'll skip the Bat Program. Mom doesn't want Kate to miss the Bat Program, so Scott says we'll call the tow truck afterwards. Meanwhile: Scott is on call for Lowman Home, and in fine fashion, he is beeped, a patient is heading to Lexington and she's been on the decline and unresponsive. She could died. Not a far fetched thought at all. So, we live adventurously. Scott drops me and Kate off at Sesqui, and we hope he can pick us up, or else I would have to call someone for a ride home (I had already felt out a gal pal of mine about picking us up, who said, "should I stop drinking beer now?" And I say no, we'll only call if we're DESPERATE).
......we're at the Bat Program, and see two of Kate's pals from daycare, so I felt rather safe about having zero transportation. Ends up a colleague from campus, Linda, was there with her daughter as well. Kate struck out at the Bat Program, meaning, she acted up and wouldn't listen well, so three strikes, but overall, she did okay. I was probably a little too strong on the strikes, but she still did not get to wear her Hannah Montana shirt today (she can wear it each Monday).
So Linda and her daughter drive us to the front gate to wait for Scott after the program. Time: 9:30 pm. Scott picks us up. We're in the car, and he tries to call USAA towing, and because Mom has given him a card with her number on it that must be outdated, the policy number is wrong, and the woman gets ugly, and Scott hangs up.
Kate's thirsty. We head to Zaxby's, get drinks, and back in the car.......head to the library downtown. Always nice and sketchy there at night. While we were trying to jump his car off earlier, in broad daylight, a guy came by and rifled through the bushes, and pulled out a comforter and pillow, and walked off. Back to the car: we call again, actually, I CALL and get a nicer representative and a tow truck gets sent.....we hit Starbucks at Gervais, Kate is tired, and by the time the tow truck driver calls to say they're on their way, she's sound asleep. We head back to the RCPL, and wait for the truck. I make Scott back into a space so I can view anyone walking by. Here comes the guy with the comforter and pillow -- coming back to the bushes, but now we're parked right by his hiding place, so he's hesitant......but the tow truck comes, gets The Mimi's car towed, and as we pull out, the guy gets his pajamas out of the bushes. Okay, I don't know what he got out, but he obviously didn't feel safe with US around..... Home around 11 pm. Whew.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
What's in a Name? Or a Nickname?
History of Town/City Nicknames from the SCIWay site:
http://www.sciway.net/ccr/sc-city-nicknames.html#g
Great Falls – Flopeye"Great Falls (now home of the Flopeye Fish Festival) was a thriving metropolis and a real boomtown in the early 1900's. It was founded on the old US 21 peddler's route from Charleston to the mountains of North Carolina and beyond, THE trade route of its time."After a hydroelectric plant was built and was powering the first of three cotton mills, the 'company sto' near the plant provided the workers with everything that they could possibly need ... at whatever price they felt like they could get, and simply deducted that from the workers' wages. Up the road, or 'down,' depending on your perspective, a merchant (who may have been named Andy Morrison) who had a lazy, or drooping, eyelid(s), would laze around his store, selling many of the same items at lower prices, of course. The Company tried to discourage its workers from trading with 'that old flopeyed man' down the road. However, people liked his prices, and seemed to genuinely like old 'Flopeye.' They built up a separate business area, and a surrounding village in the area around Flopeye."There were, and still are, two separate and distinct business areas in Great Falls. Downtown, where the Company Store was located, also has a bank (now gone), post office, theater ("The Falls," also gone), and many others. Flopeye, separated by a road winding past beautiful Republic Park, has a football stadium (home of the 1934 State Champs with noted Banks McFadden), churches, and the local school."Thanks to Barbara Lyles of Great Falls for sharing this amazing story.
http://www.sciway.net/ccr/sc-city-nicknames.html#g
Great Falls – Flopeye"Great Falls (now home of the Flopeye Fish Festival) was a thriving metropolis and a real boomtown in the early 1900's. It was founded on the old US 21 peddler's route from Charleston to the mountains of North Carolina and beyond, THE trade route of its time."After a hydroelectric plant was built and was powering the first of three cotton mills, the 'company sto' near the plant provided the workers with everything that they could possibly need ... at whatever price they felt like they could get, and simply deducted that from the workers' wages. Up the road, or 'down,' depending on your perspective, a merchant (who may have been named Andy Morrison) who had a lazy, or drooping, eyelid(s), would laze around his store, selling many of the same items at lower prices, of course. The Company tried to discourage its workers from trading with 'that old flopeyed man' down the road. However, people liked his prices, and seemed to genuinely like old 'Flopeye.' They built up a separate business area, and a surrounding village in the area around Flopeye."There were, and still are, two separate and distinct business areas in Great Falls. Downtown, where the Company Store was located, also has a bank (now gone), post office, theater ("The Falls," also gone), and many others. Flopeye, separated by a road winding past beautiful Republic Park, has a football stadium (home of the 1934 State Champs with noted Banks McFadden), churches, and the local school."Thanks to Barbara Lyles of Great Falls for sharing this amazing story.
Everyone knows it's Wendy's
Kate and I spent a beautiful weekend in Hilton Head, SC, compliments of our pals The Keefers: Kim and Robbie, and their kids, Adams and Victoria. The children played, jumped "big waves," swam in the pool, went to a children's museum-type place with Robbie while Kim and I shopped, and had an overall good mixed-family weekend. No injuries, good sharing of toys, and a few adult beverages consumed.
Meanwhile, Scott logged in Sunday Number Three in Great Falls, and after the Mt. Dearborn service, had lunch with two of the church families. He said they had a ball -- laughed, laughed, and laughed some more.....we like this. It's fun having folks you can laugh with. And they treated him to Wendy's.
It's a long drive (albeit quite worthit) from HHI, so Kate and I decided to take our time, and to eat at a restaurant instead of fast food. There's no question what I chose........pause....... What would you choose?
Cracker Barrel, no doubt would be your choice, as it was mine. Kate ordered the macaroni and cheese, a no-fail option for nutrition. In fact, when Robbie make them M&C at the beach, she ate three helpings of it. I ordered breakfast, and we split some bacon. She ate one slice of bacon, and just decided she could not eat her macaroni. After loads of cajoling, I got her to eat maybe three bites, but that's it. I tried not to show my frustration, but could not keep my eyes off the mound of macaroni left.
We paid, and I toted around the gift area three to-go cups of drinks (water and Sprite for Kate; water for me) since Kate said her cups were too cold. So I juggled these cold, sweaty beverages while Kate checked out the toys until I found that the classic Cracker Barrel table top checker board makes an excellent coaster, and I was able to put them down briefly (http://everythingelse.shop.ebay.com/items/Everything-Else__W0QQ_nkwZcrackerQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZEverythingQ2dElseQQ_sacatZ99 to view Cracker Barrel's unique coaster/checkboard game).
So, we left. And it wasn't far down the road I hear the dreaded words, "I'm hungry" shortly after we pass an exit with a Wendy's sign. Kate adores Wendy's chicken nuggets, and she decided she wanted some. And I BECAME frustrated at her not eating her M&C. So, I offered a compromise: She had to pay for her own nuggets. I knew she had a $5 bill in her purse (along with a ton of change -- and thank goodness! I had to borrow quarters from her for the toll road in HHI on the way down there).
Crying ensued. "But I want to get back $5, not four." I said, "if you want nuggets, you have to pay for them, so you will get back four dollars, or else we won't stop." I'm feeling like a Mean Momma at this point, but liking it. I'm feeling a bit creative, like this idea could be a suggestion on that NPR show, The Parents Journal, that eeks into my brain at 6 am Saturday mornings. I can even hear the host, Bobbi Connor, saying "next we have a Parent Tip from Jan Smoak of Columbia, South Carolina. Jan, give us your tip to mealtime at your house."
"Bobbi, if my child wants to eat, I simply make her buy her own food. We see improved eating habits, and a great deal less waste. This week, we may even have her chip in on our gas bill."
I am also feeling somewhat justified.....I would have felt better handing over $3.29 to some homeless person rather than leave the mound of M&C on her plate at the Cracker Barrel.
So, we slid through the drive through.....she handed over the bill, and I floated her .06 so she could get back her four dollars. Once tears were wiped away, and she received her bag of nuggets (thrilled with having her own receipt!!!!), she felt satisfied. I felt satisfied. And many miles away, her daddy's trip to Wendy's left him satisfied too.
Meanwhile, Scott logged in Sunday Number Three in Great Falls, and after the Mt. Dearborn service, had lunch with two of the church families. He said they had a ball -- laughed, laughed, and laughed some more.....we like this. It's fun having folks you can laugh with. And they treated him to Wendy's.
It's a long drive (albeit quite worthit) from HHI, so Kate and I decided to take our time, and to eat at a restaurant instead of fast food. There's no question what I chose........pause....... What would you choose?
Cracker Barrel, no doubt would be your choice, as it was mine. Kate ordered the macaroni and cheese, a no-fail option for nutrition. In fact, when Robbie make them M&C at the beach, she ate three helpings of it. I ordered breakfast, and we split some bacon. She ate one slice of bacon, and just decided she could not eat her macaroni. After loads of cajoling, I got her to eat maybe three bites, but that's it. I tried not to show my frustration, but could not keep my eyes off the mound of macaroni left.
We paid, and I toted around the gift area three to-go cups of drinks (water and Sprite for Kate; water for me) since Kate said her cups were too cold. So I juggled these cold, sweaty beverages while Kate checked out the toys until I found that the classic Cracker Barrel table top checker board makes an excellent coaster, and I was able to put them down briefly (http://everythingelse.shop.ebay.com/items/Everything-Else__W0QQ_nkwZcrackerQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZEverythingQ2dElseQQ_sacatZ99 to view Cracker Barrel's unique coaster/checkboard game).
So, we left. And it wasn't far down the road I hear the dreaded words, "I'm hungry" shortly after we pass an exit with a Wendy's sign. Kate adores Wendy's chicken nuggets, and she decided she wanted some. And I BECAME frustrated at her not eating her M&C. So, I offered a compromise: She had to pay for her own nuggets. I knew she had a $5 bill in her purse (along with a ton of change -- and thank goodness! I had to borrow quarters from her for the toll road in HHI on the way down there).
Crying ensued. "But I want to get back $5, not four." I said, "if you want nuggets, you have to pay for them, so you will get back four dollars, or else we won't stop." I'm feeling like a Mean Momma at this point, but liking it. I'm feeling a bit creative, like this idea could be a suggestion on that NPR show, The Parents Journal, that eeks into my brain at 6 am Saturday mornings. I can even hear the host, Bobbi Connor, saying "next we have a Parent Tip from Jan Smoak of Columbia, South Carolina. Jan, give us your tip to mealtime at your house."
"Bobbi, if my child wants to eat, I simply make her buy her own food. We see improved eating habits, and a great deal less waste. This week, we may even have her chip in on our gas bill."
I am also feeling somewhat justified.....I would have felt better handing over $3.29 to some homeless person rather than leave the mound of M&C on her plate at the Cracker Barrel.
So, we slid through the drive through.....she handed over the bill, and I floated her .06 so she could get back her four dollars. Once tears were wiped away, and she received her bag of nuggets (thrilled with having her own receipt!!!!), she felt satisfied. I felt satisfied. And many miles away, her daddy's trip to Wendy's left him satisfied too.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Seeking: Punch bowl for the parsonage
I am not sure when I first came up with the idea that the parsonage needed a punch bowl, but I did. It seemed quite reasonable to me. And when I realized a local consignment store was on its last day of this season's sale -- 75% and 85% off -- I went. I love to poke in Goodwill, consignment stores, antique stores, etc. In fact, my engagement and wedding rings are from a consignment store in Charleston, SC, Joint Ventures (thanks Jenna!). Arriving at the store, I see the clothes were 85% off, and I lucked out finding a polo-style Lilly dress for Kate, along with some striped pants whose top was probably long lost....and a longsleeve green Tshirt for fall. Green is Kate's favorite color. Still. I asked her today, and she confirmed.
But when I found a punch bowl and eight cups, it seemed like divine intervention. A beautiful touch of kharma, especially since the set was priced at $50, but I took it home for $13.50. I briefly wondered how I would host a Christmas Open House at the parsonage with 8 cups. Hmm.
As you may recall, I was rather displeased with the sheets on the twin beds, and all week, I visualized myself waking up early today and sneaking out the door to hit yard sales, to find wash-worn, softer than soft, twin sheets. I daydreamed this scenario all week. So, I did. I woke up around 7 am, started to put on yoga clothes for my 9:30 am class......before I could get fully dressed, I heard "MAH-Muh! Come scratch my back." Uh oh. It was a trap. My four-year-old was about to hijack my beautifully daydreamed and almost realized morning. I told her I would, before I went to yoga*.
*note: small white lie. Kate is my garage sale, yard sale pal. It's how we sometimes waste morning time until her swimming lesson.
And it worked. After our typical goodbye of a kiss-hug-high-five, I made it out the door as she snuggled back down. First stop, Publix ATM. $20. Second stop, Oakfield Road. Nuthin. Third stop, Longbrook Road. Bingo! No cars, so I glanced around the garage until the seller appeared and she was indeed open. I asked her if she had any sheets. "No." Darn. So I perused and found a Mexican blanket (I use these for yoga, and this one will stay at the parsonage. Retail: $7.99 at the Hess truckstop). I found an old iron. My mom used to go to garage sales for old irons. I thought she was crazy. But when I bought a new iron and felt how light it was, I realized my Mom was incredibly wise. Nothing irons better than an old steel iron with the thick black and white (or blue and white) cord. And I also found THIRTY SIX PUNCH BOWL CUPS. I told the seller, Jackie, about parsonage punch bowl idea, and she started packing up the cups. I had a brief moment of worry: I only had $20, so what if she charges me like, well, more, and I have to begin prioritizing among my excellent finds. "How much for the cups?" Pause. Pause......."$5." In addition to these finds, she had a load of Beauti-Control products. My pal Ellen Thames got me onto the BC Sugar Bath Wash, and here for $2 each are a table full of those, the lotion, and other related products. (Retail: roughly $10-15 each). I selected 5 items from this table. Jackie told me her husband and mother died. She's moving, downsizing. Her mom used to live with her. She seemed sad.
Now.......if she'll sell me all of this for $20, I'm set. Her cell phone rings, and it's a friend of her mother's who wants to know about buying a chair, and the little lady is talking through her thought process of how she's going to get to Jackie's house to buy it for $15. Jackie says, "Yes ma'am, well you just get on over here...I've got to talk to someone right now, so I've got to go." Her face spoke of untold irritation over this phone call, but her words where kind and mannerly. So, we rehashed the price of the cups, tallied my beauty items, and I said, "will you take $5 for the blanket and the iron?" I liked hearing myself sound like a garage/yard saler. They say things like that. And so she did.
Fourth stop: Publix ATM. $20. Fifth stop: Sunnyside Road. Nothing there except one bag of full size sheets, $2. Sold. I do not know if the double bed has itchy sheets or not, but I am not taking any chances.
But when I found a punch bowl and eight cups, it seemed like divine intervention. A beautiful touch of kharma, especially since the set was priced at $50, but I took it home for $13.50. I briefly wondered how I would host a Christmas Open House at the parsonage with 8 cups. Hmm.
As you may recall, I was rather displeased with the sheets on the twin beds, and all week, I visualized myself waking up early today and sneaking out the door to hit yard sales, to find wash-worn, softer than soft, twin sheets. I daydreamed this scenario all week. So, I did. I woke up around 7 am, started to put on yoga clothes for my 9:30 am class......before I could get fully dressed, I heard "MAH-Muh! Come scratch my back." Uh oh. It was a trap. My four-year-old was about to hijack my beautifully daydreamed and almost realized morning. I told her I would, before I went to yoga*.
*note: small white lie. Kate is my garage sale, yard sale pal. It's how we sometimes waste morning time until her swimming lesson.
And it worked. After our typical goodbye of a kiss-hug-high-five, I made it out the door as she snuggled back down. First stop, Publix ATM. $20. Second stop, Oakfield Road. Nuthin. Third stop, Longbrook Road. Bingo! No cars, so I glanced around the garage until the seller appeared and she was indeed open. I asked her if she had any sheets. "No." Darn. So I perused and found a Mexican blanket (I use these for yoga, and this one will stay at the parsonage. Retail: $7.99 at the Hess truckstop). I found an old iron. My mom used to go to garage sales for old irons. I thought she was crazy. But when I bought a new iron and felt how light it was, I realized my Mom was incredibly wise. Nothing irons better than an old steel iron with the thick black and white (or blue and white) cord. And I also found THIRTY SIX PUNCH BOWL CUPS. I told the seller, Jackie, about parsonage punch bowl idea, and she started packing up the cups. I had a brief moment of worry: I only had $20, so what if she charges me like, well, more, and I have to begin prioritizing among my excellent finds. "How much for the cups?" Pause. Pause......."$5." In addition to these finds, she had a load of Beauti-Control products. My pal Ellen Thames got me onto the BC Sugar Bath Wash, and here for $2 each are a table full of those, the lotion, and other related products. (Retail: roughly $10-15 each). I selected 5 items from this table. Jackie told me her husband and mother died. She's moving, downsizing. Her mom used to live with her. She seemed sad.
Now.......if she'll sell me all of this for $20, I'm set. Her cell phone rings, and it's a friend of her mother's who wants to know about buying a chair, and the little lady is talking through her thought process of how she's going to get to Jackie's house to buy it for $15. Jackie says, "Yes ma'am, well you just get on over here...I've got to talk to someone right now, so I've got to go." Her face spoke of untold irritation over this phone call, but her words where kind and mannerly. So, we rehashed the price of the cups, tallied my beauty items, and I said, "will you take $5 for the blanket and the iron?" I liked hearing myself sound like a garage/yard saler. They say things like that. And so she did.
Fourth stop: Publix ATM. $20. Fifth stop: Sunnyside Road. Nothing there except one bag of full size sheets, $2. Sold. I do not know if the double bed has itchy sheets or not, but I am not taking any chances.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Website, photographs: real evidence
Built ins, and a china cabinet......dining room table, buffet.......The twin beds!
The kitchen........I was not expecting this kitchen: white, bright, sunny. I really like it.
Aha! Wood Paneling! We're not quite sure how to use this room, but there are built ins!
Burma, but not Myanmar
This week Scott started his job as pastor of a two-point charge: Heath Chapel and Mt. Dearborn UMC -- both located in Great Falls, SC. Although he did not have the intention of taking a position this early in his seminary career, the opportunity came available, and after much prayer and consideration he took it. I went along with him, somewhat unwillingly. I recognized the incredible juggling act this would take: our homebase in Columbia, but with his commuting 43 miles at least twice a week, most especially during this 11-week chaplaincy internship (CPE) at the Lowman Home.....which is the opposite direction from Great Falls! He will spend every Saturday night there, with or without us. Each week.......wow.
His introduction to both congregations -- correction -- our introduction came Wednesday, June 18 at the Wednesday Night Supper at Mt. Dearborn, but members of both churches were invited. While we thought it would be a spaghetti supper, we ended up with a traditional Southern meal of fried chicken, brown rice (as in the recipe, not the grain!), macaroni and cheese, green beans, potato salad, rolls, and three different kinds of cakes. Pizza for the kids......from a local establishment, the House of Pizza. The welcome was genuine, friendly and downright hospitable, and the folks are fun. With Heath Chapel's membership around 20 or under, and Mt. Dearborn attendance at perhaps 30-50, if you're there, you're family. One of the first folks we met was Burma -- a wonderful, smiling woman who dubs herself "the Hugger" and loved us up quickly. Burma, along with Sonny and Sallie, also coordinated the addition of an entire living room set and washer and dryer to the parsonage on Saturday.
So at the dinner, we met folks -- several slips of paper were pressed into Scott's hand with names, emails, phone numbers, reminders.......and I held court with my notebook and pen, taking more notes, writing down names, and noting who was kin to who. Trying hard to remember that Kaylen's surgery is in July at Richland Memorial (she's 13 and her grandmother goes to Heath Chapel), and that the Stroud sisters have a cousin, Judy, whose dad is Lawrence. While standing in line for my plate, Pam quickly admired my "real" Vera Bradley bag, but I added that I had bought it used......"I did not pay full price for this thang." Another couple, Rhonda and Ralph, are the parents of a former co-worker of Scott's, Blake Garris. I found myself forgetting completely about Kate while Ralph and I talked about our mutual love and admiration for Don Fowler and Andrew Sorensen. Rhonda wanted to put a yard sign at our house in Columbia that read, "You've Been Flocked by the Young Adult Sunday School Class, Mt. Dearborn UMC," the words accented by pink flamingos -- FUN! Their Sunday School Class is probably what the Joy Class at WSUMC will look like in about 10 years.
Kate was a trooper, trying hard to use her manners with so many faces smiling down saying, "isn't she precious?" "She's a beautiful little girl," with a few pokes and prods and fingers under her chin.......she came around to a few folks and eventually handed out some high fives. Mostly, she liked seeing the children there, who were older than she, and running around outside in the grass between the parsonage and the church -- which is quite literally a stone's throw, or toss, from one another. What Kate loves about the parsonage is twofold: it has steps (two-story house), and hardwood floors. She likes to hear her shoes go "clickety clack." We left Wednesday night, a sleepy Kate deposited in her bed, and returned on Saturday.
After packing the cars Friday night with boxes retrieved from my dad's workshop behind our house, we left for Great Falls Saturday. We never found "box 2" -- the one with our drinking glasses in it, per my meticulously transcribed record of the number boxes holding the contents of our lives from Stonewood Drive. Scott left early, and I took Kate to her swimming lesson, World Market, Target (where she got a Hannah Montana t-shirt -- a treat for a big weekend of good manners to come), and also Goodwill. I love Goodwill. What I love about it is that I often get a premonition of when they have some Mis Tee V-Us clothing for Kate. This is a brand that I really love, but it's a compromise for Kate and myself: she loves T-shirts, and I love nice, boutique T-shirts for her. Although I will not pay full-price for Mis Tee V-Us shirts, I often find them at Goodwill. On me came such a premonition, and alas, we found a sleeveless top, and also some shorts. It was a good Saturday.
Kate and I drove to Great Falls, and I used my directions and on them I added the mileage between landmarks, in hopes that some of our friends will say, "wow, those are really great directions." Of course, the real hope is that some of our friends will USE the directions and come out to see the churches sometime, finding the directions useful. On the ride down, Kate said she wanted to stand up in church with Scott. "Daddy will say, 'this is my daughter' and I will say 'I'm KATE'." I told her to ask Scott about this, to see if she could be worked into the worship service.
When we pulled up to the parsonage (for you non-Methodists, the parsonage is the house for the preacher to live in), the Badcock Furniture truck was in front, and furniture was being unloaded. I knew they would be providing us a living room set (couch, chair), but what NEVER once crossed my mind is that it would be brand new, and would include a couch, loveseat, recliner, end tables, coffee table and two lamps. BRAND SPANKING new. Not only new, but somewhat mystical, as Kate slept on the sofa Sunday afternoon from 1:30 pm to 3:45 pm, so it has some kind of strange powers too. The day was spent cleaning counters, putting new contact paper on kitchen shelves, buying up mostly frozen items at Piggly Wiggly, and also from our household list, a trip to Family Dollar was in order. For dinner, we went to the House of Pizza, where Scott had spent his lunch time with Burma, Sonny and Sallie. House of Pizza is a hotspot, and the food is good: pizza, pastas, subs, salads, gyros.........and I drank a full-sugared Pepsi and was happy. On the way there, we stopped at Heath Chapel because Scott had not actually ever been INSIDE the building, which is remiscent of a country Baptist church --understated wood......cozy. Comfortable. Small. It was here Kate decided she wanted to be the preacher.
Later, we got Kate showered and into bed. She and I shared the bedroom upstairs with the twin beds, and Scott slept down the hall. While Scott and I did not sleep well, Kate really did! I am hoping to find some used sheets at a garage sale this weekend.......read: I need soft sheets. I felt as if I was sleeping on steel wool.
Sunday morning came, and Kate decided she wanted to be the preacher, but Scott told her he'd allow her to introduce herself during the children's moments at Mt. Dearborn....and when it came time, she just couldn't muster the courage. Both worship services went very well: I think Scott did an excellent job at both -- he came across as confident, happy to be there, willing to listen, and ready to love. He even got a few laughs, which is a good sign. It was very nice. At Heath Chapel, Kate played with the 10-month-old baby, Kinsley, behind us, and at Mt. Dearborn, she sat with an older girl she met in Sunday School, Karly, and then later moved to sit with Geni and McKenzie -- more of her age, also in her Sunday School class. Of course, she went barefoot during the service, and at one point, she walked up the steps to the altar and plopped down behind Scott in one of those BIG chairs. What are those chairs called, I wonder? I tried not to be aghast, although I was. One of the church members reassured Scott later it was all okay, and we're trying to help Kate understand she cannot do that every Sunday. Or, preferably, ever again. She's just working her PK magic already (preacher's kid). Scary.
After church, Scott met with the treasurer, while I stayed at the parsonage putting up more stuff, warming up some frozen lunch, and eating Buffalo Ranch Doritoes -- this was my stress snack for the weekend. How good are those? I easily ate half the bag. Easily. Kate traipsed from the church, to the parsonage, and back 50 times. I can look out the window at the sink, and see the church, just feet from us, and felt like I had gone back in time. It was a neat feeling: of being away from the city, internet, Starbucks, multitasking. That morning, Scott and I had some coffee outside, and it was very cool......and you can hear the roosters crowing. Nice living in many ways. Okay, delete Starbucks from above. I did miss that.
Since Kate slept so long, we left Great Falls later than planned, and once home, gave Mimi the update from the kitchen table. "Sounds like you might want to live up there" was her immediate response, but I corrected her with, "no, our life is here, for at least 85% of the time." I knew that any positive energy I might bring back would be incorrectly translated, so I was ready. The neat part of returning is that I did feel rested, energetic, and ready to plan for the week ahead. I had not expected that.....I was expecting some tiredness, exhaustion, and urge to melt into the sofa, but the trip to the country and the country folk was restorative, and I hope that is God's indication that in the coming weeks, months, years.....it will all be okay.
His introduction to both congregations -- correction -- our introduction came Wednesday, June 18 at the Wednesday Night Supper at Mt. Dearborn, but members of both churches were invited. While we thought it would be a spaghetti supper, we ended up with a traditional Southern meal of fried chicken, brown rice (as in the recipe, not the grain!), macaroni and cheese, green beans, potato salad, rolls, and three different kinds of cakes. Pizza for the kids......from a local establishment, the House of Pizza. The welcome was genuine, friendly and downright hospitable, and the folks are fun. With Heath Chapel's membership around 20 or under, and Mt. Dearborn attendance at perhaps 30-50, if you're there, you're family. One of the first folks we met was Burma -- a wonderful, smiling woman who dubs herself "the Hugger" and loved us up quickly. Burma, along with Sonny and Sallie, also coordinated the addition of an entire living room set and washer and dryer to the parsonage on Saturday.
So at the dinner, we met folks -- several slips of paper were pressed into Scott's hand with names, emails, phone numbers, reminders.......and I held court with my notebook and pen, taking more notes, writing down names, and noting who was kin to who. Trying hard to remember that Kaylen's surgery is in July at Richland Memorial (she's 13 and her grandmother goes to Heath Chapel), and that the Stroud sisters have a cousin, Judy, whose dad is Lawrence. While standing in line for my plate, Pam quickly admired my "real" Vera Bradley bag, but I added that I had bought it used......"I did not pay full price for this thang." Another couple, Rhonda and Ralph, are the parents of a former co-worker of Scott's, Blake Garris. I found myself forgetting completely about Kate while Ralph and I talked about our mutual love and admiration for Don Fowler and Andrew Sorensen. Rhonda wanted to put a yard sign at our house in Columbia that read, "You've Been Flocked by the Young Adult Sunday School Class, Mt. Dearborn UMC," the words accented by pink flamingos -- FUN! Their Sunday School Class is probably what the Joy Class at WSUMC will look like in about 10 years.
Kate was a trooper, trying hard to use her manners with so many faces smiling down saying, "isn't she precious?" "She's a beautiful little girl," with a few pokes and prods and fingers under her chin.......she came around to a few folks and eventually handed out some high fives. Mostly, she liked seeing the children there, who were older than she, and running around outside in the grass between the parsonage and the church -- which is quite literally a stone's throw, or toss, from one another. What Kate loves about the parsonage is twofold: it has steps (two-story house), and hardwood floors. She likes to hear her shoes go "clickety clack." We left Wednesday night, a sleepy Kate deposited in her bed, and returned on Saturday.
After packing the cars Friday night with boxes retrieved from my dad's workshop behind our house, we left for Great Falls Saturday. We never found "box 2" -- the one with our drinking glasses in it, per my meticulously transcribed record of the number boxes holding the contents of our lives from Stonewood Drive. Scott left early, and I took Kate to her swimming lesson, World Market, Target (where she got a Hannah Montana t-shirt -- a treat for a big weekend of good manners to come), and also Goodwill. I love Goodwill. What I love about it is that I often get a premonition of when they have some Mis Tee V-Us clothing for Kate. This is a brand that I really love, but it's a compromise for Kate and myself: she loves T-shirts, and I love nice, boutique T-shirts for her. Although I will not pay full-price for Mis Tee V-Us shirts, I often find them at Goodwill. On me came such a premonition, and alas, we found a sleeveless top, and also some shorts. It was a good Saturday.
Kate and I drove to Great Falls, and I used my directions and on them I added the mileage between landmarks, in hopes that some of our friends will say, "wow, those are really great directions." Of course, the real hope is that some of our friends will USE the directions and come out to see the churches sometime, finding the directions useful. On the ride down, Kate said she wanted to stand up in church with Scott. "Daddy will say, 'this is my daughter' and I will say 'I'm KATE'." I told her to ask Scott about this, to see if she could be worked into the worship service.
When we pulled up to the parsonage (for you non-Methodists, the parsonage is the house for the preacher to live in), the Badcock Furniture truck was in front, and furniture was being unloaded. I knew they would be providing us a living room set (couch, chair), but what NEVER once crossed my mind is that it would be brand new, and would include a couch, loveseat, recliner, end tables, coffee table and two lamps. BRAND SPANKING new. Not only new, but somewhat mystical, as Kate slept on the sofa Sunday afternoon from 1:30 pm to 3:45 pm, so it has some kind of strange powers too. The day was spent cleaning counters, putting new contact paper on kitchen shelves, buying up mostly frozen items at Piggly Wiggly, and also from our household list, a trip to Family Dollar was in order. For dinner, we went to the House of Pizza, where Scott had spent his lunch time with Burma, Sonny and Sallie. House of Pizza is a hotspot, and the food is good: pizza, pastas, subs, salads, gyros.........and I drank a full-sugared Pepsi and was happy. On the way there, we stopped at Heath Chapel because Scott had not actually ever been INSIDE the building, which is remiscent of a country Baptist church --understated wood......cozy. Comfortable. Small. It was here Kate decided she wanted to be the preacher.
Later, we got Kate showered and into bed. She and I shared the bedroom upstairs with the twin beds, and Scott slept down the hall. While Scott and I did not sleep well, Kate really did! I am hoping to find some used sheets at a garage sale this weekend.......read: I need soft sheets. I felt as if I was sleeping on steel wool.
Sunday morning came, and Kate decided she wanted to be the preacher, but Scott told her he'd allow her to introduce herself during the children's moments at Mt. Dearborn....and when it came time, she just couldn't muster the courage. Both worship services went very well: I think Scott did an excellent job at both -- he came across as confident, happy to be there, willing to listen, and ready to love. He even got a few laughs, which is a good sign. It was very nice. At Heath Chapel, Kate played with the 10-month-old baby, Kinsley, behind us, and at Mt. Dearborn, she sat with an older girl she met in Sunday School, Karly, and then later moved to sit with Geni and McKenzie -- more of her age, also in her Sunday School class. Of course, she went barefoot during the service, and at one point, she walked up the steps to the altar and plopped down behind Scott in one of those BIG chairs. What are those chairs called, I wonder? I tried not to be aghast, although I was. One of the church members reassured Scott later it was all okay, and we're trying to help Kate understand she cannot do that every Sunday. Or, preferably, ever again. She's just working her PK magic already (preacher's kid). Scary.
After church, Scott met with the treasurer, while I stayed at the parsonage putting up more stuff, warming up some frozen lunch, and eating Buffalo Ranch Doritoes -- this was my stress snack for the weekend. How good are those? I easily ate half the bag. Easily. Kate traipsed from the church, to the parsonage, and back 50 times. I can look out the window at the sink, and see the church, just feet from us, and felt like I had gone back in time. It was a neat feeling: of being away from the city, internet, Starbucks, multitasking. That morning, Scott and I had some coffee outside, and it was very cool......and you can hear the roosters crowing. Nice living in many ways. Okay, delete Starbucks from above. I did miss that.
Since Kate slept so long, we left Great Falls later than planned, and once home, gave Mimi the update from the kitchen table. "Sounds like you might want to live up there" was her immediate response, but I corrected her with, "no, our life is here, for at least 85% of the time." I knew that any positive energy I might bring back would be incorrectly translated, so I was ready. The neat part of returning is that I did feel rested, energetic, and ready to plan for the week ahead. I had not expected that.....I was expecting some tiredness, exhaustion, and urge to melt into the sofa, but the trip to the country and the country folk was restorative, and I hope that is God's indication that in the coming weeks, months, years.....it will all be okay.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Eight months ago? Seems like eight minutes.
I have not posted in eight months. Much has happened. Much has stayed the same. But the CliffNotes version goes a little bit like this....
- We do still live with my Mom, and it's been a year. Limbs are in tact, and blood is scarce, so all is well.
- We indeed went to Disney, and our character immersion program was mildly successful. Our daughter fell in love with Sleeping Beauty, and now we own a great deal of princess stuff that we had never considered buying before the trip. I was lucky enough to find the $50 Sleeping Beauty costume for $7 at a consignment store for Halloween. If Kate wants you to close your eyes and say the magic words, you know the words are "Sleeping Beauty Magic." Tonight when I asked about about her birthday, coming up again in June, Disney was mentioned. A return trip will indeed be later, and once many a bill has been paid. Overall, the trip was a true treat for us, and the scrapbook is finished, but we still enjoy looking at it a great deal.
- Scott passed Greek! Yay! However, on the day he found out, we went out to dinner, then my Mom had a hypoglycemic seizure that night, so my celebrating continued via ambulance to the ER. Mom ended up being fine, and coming home that night. But as the fall progressed, she was diagnosed with bladder cancer in situ, and did a round of treatments, and had a crush on her urologist (who is younger than me. now HE can afford Disney). Oh yeah, in situ means it was on the surface. In two weeks, she has another biopsy to be sure the treatments worked. But we don't call it cancer, we say, "the bladder situation."
- Kate and I flew to Dayton, OH to see my pal Sheri, her husband Michael, and crew of four children -- three girls, one boy. It was FUN, and we even all made it to church. Unbelievable. Their basement was the envy of my girl, who played with every Dora toy ever made....and possibly, ever recalled. Just kidding. We also went to Greenville to see my other fine pal Kim and her kids, celebrating her boy's birthday at one of those jumping places that Kate adores. It was great fun, and Fudruckers afterwards did not disappoint.
- We were able to see our friend Roger Day in concert in Charlotte, and bought his new album "Dream Big." I just wrote the world album. I meant CD. I am aging myself in what I thought would be a very hip blog, and I just ruined it. Anyway, Roger is a long-time friend from my old campus activities days where he made his living as a coffeehouse musician, but is now turned children's performer, and he is fantastic. Scott and I watch Noggin or Disney (the TV channels) and complain that Roger would be much better than those on it......(pssst, I am not a big Laurie Berkner fan). My favorite song is "I like Yaks" because he talks about the Dalai Lama, whom I really like. Visit him (Roger) at RogerDay.com.
- Speaking of the Dalai Lama, I saw a documentary called "Ten Questions with the Dalai Lama" and loved it. He rings true with me, even from a Christian standpoint, and I think that is very cool. And he has a smile and laugh that is contagious. Now HE is very present.
- The Gamecocks did not really thrive this year, although we were number five in the nation in college football for about 15 minutes. My, what beautiful minutes those were.
- Our office hired two new fantastic staff members, and both of them eat chocolate. That is a very good sign.
- We had a lot of company this fall....in September, Mom turned 80, so my brother Mike, and Aunts Mai and Johnnie (all from TN) came for a visit, and at the end of that week (yes, seven days), my brother Danny flew in and surprised my Mom in the middle of the "ladies lunch" I hosted in our kitchen. She was VERY surprised. We were quite pleased with ourselves. In November, Cousin Laura from NYC visited, and brother Mike came back for Thanksgiving with Aunt Johnnie.....then in December, Mike returned.....and now it's February, and he is coming again, and Laura comes in March. We're very close to receiving the Bed and Breakfast license we've applied for.
- My dear friend Ali had a beautiful baby boy in December, but her dad is in hospice from a lung situation. It is very hard now, and Scott has enjoyed visiting with Mr. Joe a great deal, and just being present with the family. Ali and her sister Pam are precious daughters, and now, both are mothers. They are doing a super job at being caregivers too. We pray for them alot. And feed them too.
- Christmas came and left without great fanfare, and I still struggle with it amidst the commercialism. I did manage to do a bible study in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and I enjoyed that. I also taught Sunday School in November, which never feels like a chore.
- My birthday also came and left, but included Pasta Fresca, my favorite Italian food in a town with very little Italian offerings. And the cake from ColdStone Creamery was a solid example of what a wonderful husband I have. January also brought a move: our office moved from one building straight to another on our very historic and beautiful section of campus. The move was bittersweet, and sometimes bitter, but as we settle in, we settle down. My new office has a layout quite conducive to practicing yoga in the mornings, which I average 3x per week.
- Oh did I mention that my mental health has greatly improved! Over the holidays, my husband began to really cook dinner, and then agreed that since his schedule for the spring term would allow it -- that he would take Kate to school each morning. So, this change in my daily life has been staggeringly positive....I now have the mornings to do whatever I want: to have coffee at Starbucks, hit the gym, hit my desk very early, or practice yoga before work. I have done a little bit of each.
- Yoga. I resolved this year to become a serious student, a yogini of sorts.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogini). My goal was to practice each day, and I strive for that, knowing that yoga is not simply asana (the physical practice on the mat) but is also the way we live our lives (off the mat). With my newly-found morning time, I am working to practice my asana, but also to reflect, pray, read. Because I feel so very pressed for time (hard to find time to exercise and have a daily quiet time), I have combined them in my yoga. I am thrilled to take a two-day workshop with John Friend this March whose Anusara style yoga is what we practice at my studio. He's the guru. I will be in two classes on a Saturday, and two classes on a Sunday. I am thrilled; I am scared to death. I have never done that much yoga in such a short amount of time, so I look forward the challenge. I also took Kate to a kid's class at Yoga Day, held at our Senior Center, and she loved it. She is so well behaved in her yoga classes, which I think is the very point of taking her. It's good and centering, even for a 3.5 year old. I love my teacher, Stacey Millner Collins, who is the best example of setting intention and being present. When you speak with her, you feel like no one else in the world exists -- her words are meant only for you. It's an amazing quality I hope to cultivate. And I love my husband for supporting my practice 100%. It will be shocking when we get our first church, and I round up the little old ladies for yoga in the Fellowship Hall -- that is my goal, to bring yoga as a pathway to one's Christian life, since yoga is afterall not a religion, but a pathway to one's spiritual life, whatever that may be. AND, I am doing better at not killing small spiders, practicing ahimsa (non-violence), but this grace has not yet been extended to what we can Palmetto bugs.
I must turn in as our Breakfast Club families will arrive around 8 am......blessings and peace.
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