A Flower Surprise

Back when we got our first frost warning,  there were a couple of lovely geraniums growing in my garden.  I decided to bring one inside and invite it to live a little longer.  I put it in the sun room, thinking I might get a couple of more weeks out of it.

Here it is the last day of the year.  That first frost date was actually way back on September 18.  So over three months later,  that geranium is still living a little longer.   It is getting much colder in the sun room now, which is unheated, except by the sun,  which does warm up the room somewhat.  Still, it is 19 degrees outside today.

I certainly never expected that at this date, the last day of the year, I would still be enjoying the lovely geranium.

Thank you pretty flower, for your lovely surprise!

A Flower Surprise

Pink and blooming

on this gray and gloomy

day of December.

Still giving its

lovely flower self,

still living, 

long beyond my expectations.

So glad I rescued you

at the warning of that frosty night,

that you could still

be surprising me,

and bringing such delight!

December Day

Christmas 2014

 Tomorrow is the last day of the year.

I will probably take down the tree,

 and say farewell to these months gone by,

putting away Christmas,

to start a clean slate, 

ready for a new day.

I fully intend to watch it unfold

and live in the present moment,

aware and bold.

No marking the calendar,

or planning far ahead.

I will not try to accomplish it, or pursue it,

fashion it or do it.

It will come to me,

and I will gladly receive it,

whatever it may be.

I will be thankful 

for a cold day in December,

and every day that comes.

Signing Off

I have been writing this blog for the past five years, and I feel as if it is time to close it down.   I am glad that I have had some readers.

No doubt, with all my posts about "lying fallow" and "burning out", you have seen this coming.

I am moving on to something else, something new, though I have absolutely no idea what exactly that might be.   (if anything).

With all best wishes for a wonderful 2015,  for all of us!

God Bless,

Nancy

The Miracle of Cantata 2014

The IHS Choir, December 21, 2014

After yesterday's Cantata,  several people asked me:  "How in the world did such a thing come into being?"

 [It is really miraculous, considering the many participants, including numerous high school and college students.]

I appreciated the question, because it was fun to answer, and even gave me some new insights.

After we had created a couple of anthems,  Paulette and I sort of jokingly said to one another at about the same time:  "Let's write a musical. Let's write a Cantata." Neither of us can remember exactly who said what, when.

But I do remember that the seeds of the idea were planted in that way.  And I love a creative challenge.  Without telling Paulette I was doing it,  I started working on the narration and lyrics, around September 2013.   That was done within a few weeks.  When I had finished it,  I sent the entire, completed text to Paulette.

 Paulette went to work on it long before the 2013 Cantata was finished. One song at a time,  she got inspiration .  I now fully understand that each song matches the words, story content, mood of each piece.    When Paulette had created a song, I met with her to hear it.  The only input I had on the musical side of the collaboration, was sharing with her what I heard in my head as the melody for the theme piece,  "O, Lord, What's Happened to Christmas".   Otherwise,  no negotiations were needed on any other part of the musical content.   Paulette worked on the composing for six months.  By March of 2014, it was finished.  She then made a copy of the entire, completed Cantata. In early July, Paulette the cantata to Sue, hoping that it would be deemed worthy.

We didn't know what Sue would think or how she would feel.  It was rather presumptuous of us to preempt her musical selection.  Then Sue went through the entire Cantata, playing each piece, no doubt imagining and envisioning how it would all come together, and how she would lead the choir through it.  The work is musically challenging.

Finally,  Sue communicated to us that indeed the Choir would do our Cantata for Christmas!   After that, came a couple of months of rehearsing the songs, one at a time during choir practice.  Sue worked her incredible magic, as usual.

I had not experienced the entire collections of songs together, along with the narration,  until December 20th.  So moving for me! (Gerry had tears much of the time.)

Eight original songs.  At least 48-49 participants.  (I counted 48 at the Dress Rehearsal, but not everyone was there). Lots of instrumentalists, an organ, a synthesizer.  It was really incredible!

Here is what I have realized.

So, my giving the fully formed text to Paulette was a complete shock and surprise to her!

So, Paulette giving the fully formed, completed Cantata, words and music, to Sue was an unexpected shock and surprise!

All the participants offering this incredible work to the congregation was equally a surprise and delight, completely unlike anything they had ever heard.

Not at all unlike the original Christmas,  also an unexpected surprise.  God among us, fully formed, the most amazing gift of all---Jesus Christ--the perfect model for peace and goodwill among all God's people!

Merry Christmas!

Pre-Cantata Jitters

I don't know whether I am more nervous or excited.   This year's Cantata will be a really big event in my life. Paulette, my collaborator, says it is  'on the way to being her best Christmas ever.'  (There is just something thrilling about that creative process,  and watching it come alive.)  Her brother is even traveling from New Hampshire to share the experience.

Together, we have created a modern Cantata, which will be presented on the 21st.  Over a year ago,  I started with narration and words to songs---the bones. Paulette wrote the score,  the music--perhaps the muscle and blood and organs.  The choir director and the choir are bringing this new creature to life--putting skin on the bones and giving it breath and voice and movement!

 There are numerous instrumentalists involved, and soloists and duets.  I can't wait to actually experience it all happening. Paulette, who is the organist, gets to see the progress on a weekly basis,  but it will all be a surprise for me.  Oh, she played some of the songs to me along the way as she was creating them,  but I don't really remember what they sound like.  And I certainly have no concept of the cantata in its entirety.

Our Cantata is called 'O, Lord, What's Happened to Christmas?"  
Composed by Paulette Fry with Lyrics and Narration by Nancy Rehkugler.

After a couple of contemporary pieces, it moves into the traditional Christmas characters, and we hear a dramatic duet by Zechariah and Elizabeth,  solos by Joseph and Mary,  reflections by Mary.  The men from the east come in with a percussion section.

There will be approximately 39 Choir members,  8 original songs,  various narrators, assorted instruments and hopefully a really good congregation to hear it!

I plan to later add some post-Cantata reflections, after I have had time to process the whole experience.

A List-less Life

For years, I lived my life by the calendar.  The calendar would be booked several years ahead, sometimes, with conferences to attend.  With weddings at which I was scheduled to officiate. With trips I needed to take.  With graduations and a host of important life events.   Whatever was on the calendar happened.
And I would have lists, too.  I would make my to-do lists and check the things off.

Now, I find myself going into a new year without any projects, without any lists.  At first, that was a scary thought.

Having lived by a list of things to do,  a calender of things to happen,  projects to complete,  dreams to envision,  goals to accomplish,  over time,  that became a total way of life.

The other day there was nothing at all on the calendar.  I did have a rather long to-do list, though I generally don't even make those any more.   But because I did make that list,  I found myself pushing, pushing, to make sure I got it all done.   I ran about half a dozen different errands around town,  went grocery shopping,  did laundry,  etc.   By the time I needed to start making dinner,  I realized that I had not yet folded the clothes, and had stressed myself right into a headache!   I have not had a headache in years,  though I used to have frequent migraines back when I was working.

What I am discovering is that there is really a different way to live.  It is more in the moment.  I know what needs to get done in a day.  I can usually take my time.  If there is somewhere I need to go,  I do that.  I can fill up a lot of time reading on my Kindle,  or playing games on my Ipad,  or doing email on my computer.  I enjoying cooking and reading recipes.  There are a few TV shows that I enjoy.

Life can simply unfold, and will, even without a filled up calendar or a long list of things to do.
And that is a very lovely thing.

I could spend a whole hour just sitting quietly drinking my pot of coffee.   And  I do!

Now is the time to savor it all.  To reflect.  To be happy.   And indeed I am!

'I Will Lie Fallow'

I just read a fascinating article that was posted on line, written about Anne Lamott.  I am not familiar with Lamott,  but she has written 15 books, both fiction and non-fiction, essays and more.   The article I read was actually an interview, and Lamott has a very distinct and clear and fascinating "voice".   She is about to publish her 16th book.

What she has to say about where she is at this point in her life, is something that I clearly relate to at this point in my own journey.

Basically, this is where she says she is:  "I don't have anything in my mind or in my heart that I feel like pursuing".  She is about to take at least a year of sabbatical.

When it comes to the creative, writer's side of my life,  that is exactly where I am.    I have no future writing projects in my mind.

But perhaps that should not be at all surprising.  I have maintained and written a blog for the past five years.  621 essays to date.

With an average of 48 sermons a year for 20 years, plus about 10 sermons a year for five years,  I have written in excess of 1000 sermons.  (not including countless other writing endeavors).

In the past couple of years,  I have written the lyrics to three anthems,  and this year I have written the "book"  [narration and lyrics] for a Christmas Cantata, to be performed in December of this year.

In 2013, I wrote and published a novel I had been working on for a while.

In 2014,  I published a sequel because I just wasn't yet finished with the story or the characters.

At this point, I cannot identify any more great creative aspirations to which I feel called.
Therefore,   'I will lie fallow.' [Lamott]

 I will enjoy the ordinariness of my life----family, friends, church, social events, domestication,  physical activity.

I will wrap myself in a cocoon of contentment.  And fall into the rhythm of my days.

Burnout

I notice that I have only blogged one other time in the month of October.   I read that there is such a thing as blogger burnout.  I believe that I am suffering from that.  Blogging has been such a great 'writer's outlet'.   This December,  I will mark five years as a blogger,  assuming that I don't go up in flames completely before then.

I took a cursory look back and noticed that I have blogged anywhere from 2 to 25 times in a month.  The 25 times was in January 2010.  That was early on, and I was probably aiming for blogging every day.   It was also the dead of winter, and I was no doubt entertaining myself so that I would not be bored.

I don't quite know what to make of my blogger burnout.   Also,  I don't have any other writing project waiting to happen at the moment.  So maybe it is overall writer's burnout.  Maybe I have done everything I want to do,  am supposed to do, and my writing days are over.

Or else, I am in the waiting mode for the next project to present itself.   Ah, that's exactly what I'll say if anyone asks.   I am waiting for the next inspiration.

Another thing I have discovered is that I really like to write mostly for myself.  Opening myself up to public scrutiny is definitely not something I relish.   The one exception to that is with sermons. Those I DO relish opening myself up for publicly. I think that is because deep inside I don't think those are about me, but about the message.

With my second novel, the sequel Christina, the truth is that I have wanted to "keep that for myself".  I feel very protective about those characters.  I do not want them subject to criticism or being torn apart.  I have not really wanted to discuss that book with anyone.  I did it for me.

And how stupid is that?  What does that tell me?   Perhaps that being a writer is not for me!

So that's where I am---thinking that perhaps I am done with my writing thing.  It certainly has been a great run, though, I'll tell you that!   I won first place for writing in the community arts challenge I entered a few years back.   I gave six book talks in various places on In Its Time.   I wrote a sequel.

I have written an entire book of biblical monologues.  I have written poetry all my life.  In the past couple of years, I have written lyrics for two anthems, composed by an incredibly talented musician and performed by a marvelously talented choir.  In December,  an entire Christmas Cantata will be performed, to which I wrote the words.

Maybe that will be the absolute pinnacle and I simply cannot ever top that!

(Although I could blog about it!)

"Natural State"

I had an interesting conversation recently with my oldest daughter, with whom I share the characteristic of being an introvert.  Earlier in my life,  I did not realize that I am an introvert.   And for many years, I was "faking it",  by which I mean,  trying to be an extrovert in a world that prefers extroverts.  Certainly,  being a pastor does require quite a measure of extroversion.  One has to be "out there"  "up front", and "on".  None of those are my natural state.   By nature, I do not like to be in the limelight.

One of the things that I have learned in my senior citizen years  (in retirement) is that it is such a relief and a pleasure to find and be able to live in one's "natural state".

For example,  I so looked forward to waking up by my own biological rhythm.  I do that now, and even though it is much later than most folks get up,  I get up at exactly the same time each day, without an alarm.  Oh, how I hate those days which require getting up by an alarm clock!   I prefer moving slowly into the day.

This past Sunday was a real shock to my natural rhythm system.  I led worship services in Fayetteville, where the first service is at 8:00 a.m.  To be there required that I get up at 5:30 a.m.  There are two services, plus a coffee hour.  It takes a lot of energy to lead a worship service.  And of course,  everyone wanted to warmly greet me  (Gerry too), with lots of hugs.   I really felt such an overwhelming sense of appreciation and affection from all the folks there, and it was quite uplifting.

Then after the two services and the coffee hour, a good friend there had arranged a lunch for eight of us at a nearby place.  It was almost 3:00 when we got home.  I was so totally, completely depleted and exhausted.  It took a long long nap to begin to recover.

Don't get me wrong----I love to preach.  Writing a sermon is my all time favorite activity!  But that is no longer my "natural state".    It takes a lot out of me!

It's not that I don't like people.  I certainly do!  And if I don't have people interaction, I have to go and seek it out.   It's just that the range of time that I can do it has its limit.

We have done some traveling,  but it does disrupt the natural state.  I prefer being at home to traveling, because that way I can be better in control of my eating and sleeping habits.  I guess I'm a severe homebody who prefers my own environment.

It could just be that the older one gets, the more certain characteristics come to the forefront.  For me, that means being an introvert has become my most natural state.  

Being Defined By

In my meditative time recently,  I was thinking about how often people are molded, marked, shaped by certain events in their lives.   Either events, or place, or ideology, or culture, or time of service.   Any of those can be the defining thing in a person's life.   One may be defined by a family, career, talent, disability, accomplishment.

Knowing my husband the way I do,  I would say that without a doubt, the defining aspect of his life was the fact that he grew up on the farm, and all the struggle and challenges,  and complex opportunities that come with that. Even though he has spent his life in academia, even there he focused on agriculture.

Over the course of my life I have observed the deep and lasting impact on individuals who served in the military, particularly during time of war.  Many World War II veterans stay in touch with others with whom they served, for the rest of their lives.  I have personally seen numerous Vietnam veterans who were no longer the same person, following their service. Many still suffer from the stress, decades after the experience.  Their military service is a defining aspect of their entire lives.

I think of some people I know who grew up and have lived their entire lives in the South. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the entire worldview is shaped by that place and culture.   Food and religion are place-specific.  Many of the southerners I have known have been shaped by the messages and expectations that go with that heritage.  Those who do not share the same values are simply dismissed as Yankees.

I feel very fortunate to have lived in many places and to have experienced many cultures.  While there are some distinct disadvantages of not being rooted to place,  overall the positive result is a constant evolution of personality and thought.

Certainly one of the things that has evolved along the way is my Christian worldview.  I have moved along a spectrum of a more fundamentalist background in my youth, to a progressive interpretation of Christian thought in my adulthood.   I have attended different kinds of churches  (Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian) depending upon where I lived and what was available at the time.   I have served as a pastor of a number of United Methodist Churches as an ordained minister, and as an active lay person in many more.  I have attended churches in the south and in the north, in seminary, and in a variety of other contexts.

Although it has been an evolutionary process,  (not static ever) it is clear to me that the defining aspect of my own life is church.  That has been the constant,  the central piece,  despite my location or culture.  I was deeply shaped by the songs and stories of church in my childhood.  I was captivated by the Christian ideals  (though all churches and Christians fall short of that).

My activities, friendships, opportunities for service still center around church, even as a retired senior citizen and retired clergy.

Of course, I have a strong identity as a mother,  as a spouse.  I have had other jobs or professions. There are other aspects of who I am---writer, poet, lyricist, teacher.

But clearly, the most formative aspect of my life is and always has been----church.

Gerry as Ezra

Gerry is a volunteer at the Living History Museum in Homer/Cortland.  It is through that association that he was invited to participate in a lecture series there, and he appeared today as Ezra Cornell.

He told Ezra's story in first person.  The presentation lasted an hour.  It was thorough and excellent.  Gerry was convinced that there would not be anyone there, but in fact he had a really good audience, and they enjoyed it.  The museum has a very nice lecture room where the seats are slanted upward, and the lecturer is at the bottom, and can be seen easily by all.

As I was driving home, thinking about all that Ezra had shared about his life,  it struck me just how much Gerry actually has in common with Ezra Cornell.

 They both grew up on a farm and lived a hard scrabble life and worked hard all their lives.  They both had/have had a life long love affair with agriculture.  They both have always been interested in and intrigued by the mechanical arts and how things work.  Ezra invented many things.  Throughout his career, so did Gerry,  from a cabbage harvester,  to a better way to detect bruises when harvesting apples, to improving the process for coating peanut M&M's.   (Not to mention all the many things he has made or taken apart or fixed or built over the course of his life, from patios to decks,  to water lines, to vacuums, to lawn mowers, to motors,  to cars, to a house and on and on and on the list goes.)

There were two other things that I heard Ezra talk about that reminded me of Gerry.  When Ezra talked about his wife Mary Anne,  he always had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. (Both Ezra and Gerry found their wives in Dryden!)

And in Ezra's later years,  he had some frustrations trying to put together an agricultural museum at the University he founded.   It never seemed to catch on and develop the way Ezra Cornell envisioned.

Gerry Rehkugler has spent his years as a professor emeritus trying to collect and re-assemble the items from the original agricultural museum,  many of which have been scattered and lost.   He has also restored many of the model plows that were housed in the original collection.  He also has had frustrations in finding a permanent home for the miniature plow collection.

So not only did I get an excellent view into the life of Ezra Cornell,  but I also discovered how many things Ezra has in common with my husband!

Writing for Health

I found this article on the internet which I thought was so interesting!    Honestly,  I have often wondered why I have enjoyed so much good health for so long!   It would never have occurred to me that there might be a link between good health and writing.   I do enjoy writing of all kinds, and have since I can remember. I've written poems, newsletters, articles, reflections, journal, sermons, novels, blog and so forth.   How very healthy I must be!  (knock on wood, fingers crossed)

By Rachel Grate  September 15, 2014

The benefits of writing go far beyond building up your vocabulary. 

No matter the quality of your prose, the act of writing itself leads to strong physical and mental health benefits, like long-term improvements in mood, stress levels and depressive symptoms. In a 2005 study on the emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing, researchers found that just 15 to 20 minutes of writing three to five times over the course of the four-month study was enough to make a difference. 

By writing about traumatic, stressful or emotional events, participants were significantly more likely to have fewer illnesses and be less affected by trauma. Participants ultimately spent less time in the hospital, enjoyed lower blood pressure and had better liver functionality than their counterparts. 

It turns out writing can make physical wounds heal faster as well. In 2013, New Zealand researchers monitored the recovery of wounds from medically necessary biopsies on 49 healthy adults. The adults wrote about their thoughts and feelings for just 20 minutes, three days in a row, two weeks before the biopsy. Eleven days later, 76% of the group that wrote had fully healed. Fifty-eight percent of the control group had not recovered. The study concluded that writing about distressing events helped participants make sense of the events and reduce distress.

James W. Pennebaker has been conducting research on writing to heal for years at the University of Texas at Austin. "When people are given the opportunity to write about emotional upheavals, they often experience improved health," Pennebaker writes. "They go to the doctor less. They have changes in immune function." 

Why? Pennebaker believes this act of expressive writing allows people to take a step back and evaluate their lives. Instead of obsessing unhealthily over an event, they can focus on moving forward. By doing so, stress levels go down and health correspondingly goes up. 

You don't have to be a serious novelist or constantly reflecting on your life's most traumatic moments to get these great benefits. Even blogging or journaling is enough to see results. One study found that blogging might trigger dopamine release, similar to the effect from running or listening to music.

From long-term health improvements to short-term benefits like sleeping better, it's official: Writers are doing something right. 

 +++++++

The Month of September

We have a large and complicated family, and therefore, many dates on the calendar to celebrate.  His, Mine, Ours, Grandchildren, Anniversaries, etc.

September is one of the fuller months in our year.

After the most recent wedding, there are now three wedding anniversaries in September---mine and Gerry's, and two of our daughters, V and P.  (I'll just refer to them by letter, as I do not have permission to discuss them on my blog.)

There are also two birthdays.  Two daughters share the 16th  of September for their birthdays.   P was born first, and when I was pregnant,  I remember telling her that I would try very very hard not to have the baby on her birthday. She was turning 10 years old.

Birth on the 16th would not have happened, except it was such a long labor.  Technically, it should have happened on the 15th, because labor started that morning.  V was actually due on the 14th.   But alas, things don't always go as planned, and indeed, V was born on P's birthday, (the following afternoon).   I think that now they have resolved their shared birthday issues and find it,  if not thrilling,  at least interesting.

I do vividly remember standing on a chair and tying streamers from the kitchen light fixture for P's birthday before going to the hospital. I also hung our Happy Birthday banner.   On the way home from the hospital Gerry bought P an ice cream birthday cake.

Families are complex entities.  And life itself is unpredictable.  Anything can happen at any time. And does.

We have refused to let our anniversary be usurped by sadness and loss, even though it happened on the eleventh day of the month of September.

Perfect Biscuits

For some reason,  I have always wanted to be able to make perfect biscuits.  I'm not really sure why that is.   Perhaps it goes back to a story my mother told about the first time she ever made biscuits when she was young.  They did not turn out well, and the way the story goes,  her brothers took them outside and played baseball with them.  Maybe that planted the seed about making lovely biscuits in my mind and hopes.  

I do know that as an adult cooking for her family,  biscuits were not something that my mother cooked, as far as I can remember.   Yeast rolls, yes.  Cornbread, yes.  Just not biscuits.

I've tried quite a few times in recent years.  I've heard and read that you should not overwork your dough because it makes it tough.

Today,  I watched a video on Pinterest from Southern Living which gave clear step by step how-to directions on making beautiful biscuits.   What I discovered is that I have been under working my dough.   You do have to roll it out and fold it over in order to get those lovely layers.

I even went to the store to buy the specific brand of flour that was recommended.  There was no such brand in my stores.  I suspect that  the brand suggested it is a  regional, southern brand.

The other "secret" was in using a box grater to grate the butter, making sure it started out frozen.

I was very very happy with the finished product.   They are the fluffiest, most golden brown and delicious biscuits I have ever made.   I think my mother would be impressed!

I entertained myself today, on a dark and rainy and gray day, with cooking.   Cooking is an artistic and creative activity.

Cilla's Day

The weekend was filled with celebrations of our daughter Cilla and Ian's wedding!  What a joyous event it was!  I've never seen so much joy contained all in one place!   That came not only from the bride and groom, but also from long time friends of the bride and groom,  their families and siblings and their families,  the parents and grandparents,  the children and babies and dogs and all the guests.

This was not the kind of wedding that usually happens these days.  It was an informal, outside, do-it-yourself affair.   The ceremony took place at the upper park, by the waterfall.   Come to think of it,  the outside and rocks and waterfall and nature was the overall theme of the wedding and reception.  The reception took place at the lower park in the Reception Hall, a beautiful facility.

Cilla did all the decorating herself, and also made all of the food!  I don't know how she did so many things.  It was marvelous.  She and her friends and loved ones decorated the upper park, where the ceremony took place, as well as the reception hall.  

It was definitely a family affair.   Gerry walked the bride down the aisle.  I officiated.  Three nieces were flower girls.  Papa Joe did a reading.  Ian's Dad did a toast.  Daughter V acted as the event photographer and took 400+ of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen.

 What is posted here is a waterfall wedding cake, made by the bride herself, completely edible,  with fog coming off the stream!     A waterfall comes out of the center of the cake.   There is even a bridge over the waterfall, just below the upper layer.   After the ceremony, those who wished to hiked the trail from the upper park to the lower for the reception.   Lots of pictures were taken on the bridge.

This is one impressive and original cake.  

The bride and groom are also originals!  

Playing Doubles

It is only recently that Gerry and I have played more seriously as doubles partners   (meaning playing against opponents other than daughter and son-in-law).   For most of our tennis playing years, we played against one another across the net.

This year,  Gerry's men's group  needed a sub, and I filled in.  Somehow, I managed to get to be a regular in that group.  Different members travel and so different players come in and out of the group over time.

Right now, Suzie is the one who is subbing for a regular player who is out of town for a few weeks.  It is fun to play against Suzie.  For one thing,  she has passionate feelings about everything, and expresses them.  "I hated that game."  "I loved that game."

Experiencing Suzie's emotional reactions has caused me to reflect on why it is that I am so different.  It is an interesting phenomena.   I not only do not display very much emotional response to play,  I also do not feel much.  That is not to say that I am not competitive.  I am,  fiercely, and certainly want to win.

Upon reflecting, I figured this out.   For the first twenty years of my tennis playing life,  I played against Gerry.  I do remember times of being so frustrated and angry I wanted to scream and throw darts at him and spit fire. Then eventually,  for the sake of our marriage,  I learned not to really care. I left my emotions at home.   I  just went out to hit balls.   Over time,  I have gotten to the point of winning more and more of our games.  Now we do it for the exercise and for the love of the game.  And as it has turned out, we are a formidable team, even when we play against our twenty-something kids.

When we play tennis,  I feel like a real athlete, which is not something I have never felt before.  And I do love that feeling.    I hope we will be able to enjoy this sport for a long time to come!

Sparseness Realization

What a parsonage Living Room might look like.

Whenever we have had the occasion to visit in other peoples' homes over the years,  it has always been noticeable to us how much more sparse our own living areas are.

I have explained that to myself in a variety of ways, whenever I have pondered that particular phenomenon.

My life has been filled with many moves,  both in my childhood, and in my adulthood.  Moving a lot inevitably makes one 'pare down' and get rid of what is not really important or in good shape.

I have also experienced several big "losses".   One required starting over with nothing, divorced and a single parent.  Another was a flood, which destroyed much of what I owned.   Having the "moves" and the "losses" in my life has, I suppose,  made me less attached to my "things" than other people might be.

Another "explanation" for our sparseness as compared to others,  is that other owners have resided in their homes for thirty or forty years.  Our maximum number is thirteen.

But I had a new realization just recently.  I received an email from a fellow Preacher's Kid from Mississippi. She was looking for one of my mother's recipes, and we exchanged several chatty emails.  I really got a kick out of one of her comments, which went something like this.   "After many years with a good therapist,  I have finally gotten over the fear that the Women's Society is looking in the windows to see if my feet are propped on the furniture."    That is, of course, an exaggeration of what it was like to live in a parsonage in the 1950's and 1960's in the South.

It did jog my memory, however, and I  recalled that many parsonages  (houses owned by the church) had rooms that were already furnished.   That gave me a new insight.  At least to some degree, it would be true to say that I grew up in homes  (church parsonages) where all of the furniture did not belong to us.

That too could have been formative in my own sparse-living-choices.

Maybe I am settling in for the long haul.  I recently bought a large, full size plush couch.  It takes up more space.

Puzzler

 I do crossword puzzles.  I only started doing them since I retired, and I'm not all that great at it.   I would say that I can do crossword puzzles in the medium range of difficulty.

Gerry does several a day, and is a master of the NY Times Sunday puzzle,  which keeps him occupied much of the afternoon.  (or maybe that is the acrostic quote??)

I do the puzzle from the Cortland Standard, and can usually do that one on my own.  If I get really stuck, all I have to do is ask Gerry.  He knows all the answers from his vast experience.

One does notice when clues reappear again and again.   I have discovered one that really bugs me!
The clue is:  Sermon Topic.  And the answer is:  Sin.

I suppose everyone is offended by something.  People of color are likely to be offended by racist comments or jokes.  People with disabilities do not like certain labels.  Women do not care for sexist comments.

So why I am offended by that particular crossword puzzle clue?  Maybe it is because it bugs me for all sermon material to be boiled down to that one little three letter word theme.  There are so many other better, more interesting and uplifting sermon topics.  And that particular one is probably not one I would choose unless faced with a scripture selection for the week which left me no other choice.

I'd be more likely to want to focus on things like the fruits of the spirit---love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,  gentleness, self control.  Then there is forgiveness and mercy and good works.

Healing is a good sermon topic, as is witnessing, and outreach and helping others.   I like the image of the persistent widow, and pressing on toward the goal.   Then there are the stories of conversion,  and not being afraid of the storm.   I like the story of the one lost sheep being found, and the prodigal son returning home.  I like the teachings about blessedness and perseverance in prayer, or about Jesus feeding the crowd.


I am offended that the entire range of possibilities for sermon topics has been boiled down to that one little word.

If I were creating the puzzle,  I would create a very different kind of answer.

The clue is:  Sermon Topic.    The answer is:  Grace.

Grace is the sermon topic that I prefer to preach.

Old Westbury Gardens

We enjoyed a lovely tour of Old Westbury Gardens in Westbury, New York, near where our daughter lives.

The 'tour' included a walk through an amazing mansion.   This estate was built between 1903 and 1907 by Henry Phipps.  The family's wealth came from his father, who was the second largest shareholder in U.S. Steel, partners with Andrew Carnegie.   It is always interesting to see how the wealthy or privileged live.   Although the lifestyle is very much " English gentry",  the family came from a Scottish ancestor who made shoes.   Of course, it does make one think of Downton Abbey.  (and so I wondered where the servants quarters might be??)

I could not help but wonder how many servants would be required to maintain such an estate.  The grounds alone could employ dozens and dozens!  The estate has 100 acres of beautiful gardens and the mansion is exquisite.

V taking a picture of a beautiful 150 year old tree

Discovering Pinterest

Since I have discovered the Pinterest website (or whatever it is),  I'd have to conclude that food is my hobby.  I love looking at the pictures and reading the recipes and trying new ventures with food.  I get lots of ideas just from the pictures.  I can modify to fit my own needs and ingredients and likes.

But I cannot turn my blog into a food blog, because my daughter already has a lovely food blog: MakeHasteNotWaste@WordPress.com   She posts lovely dishes she has made, being creative with ingredients she gets in her farm share, or that she has in her pantry, making an effort not to waste anything.  She also writes extremely well.

Certainly the value of not wasting food is also my own.  I've learned hot to re-use, re-purpose, recreate many food items, and rarely throw away any produce.  ( It also helps that my husband loves to eat leftovers for lunch.)

For example,  last week, I bought a watermelon to take to a party, but it was overly ripe to be able to cut into cubes,  so I scooped it out and put it in a container in the freezer, thinking that I could at least make smoothies out of it.  And that is exactly what I have done for breakfast this morning.

I happened upon a banana that I had previously frozen.  I knew that I had recently put some getting older tangerine sections in the freezer.  I thought those would go together nicely,  and indeed they do.  I am enjoying my fruit smoothie as we speak.

Even though food is now my hobby,  I cannot do a food blog, because that is already taken in my family!  And hers is indeed excellent.

Alaskan Cruise

The Regatta docked in Prince Rupert, British Columbia

We are still trying to get back into the New York rhythm, after spending seven days on our Alaskan Cruise, plus travel to and from.

I cannot seem to shake my "sea legs", though Gerry has not had that problem. We are both trying to adjust to the time change, which was three hours different out west.   "Sea Legs" means that my body is still swaying and bobbing with the motion of the boat.  It is a very weird sensation!   We went to a party yesterday and I had a glass of wine.   Add the wine to my sea legs and I got downright sea sick indeed!

The logistics and the service and the entire experience could not have gone more smoothly, including no delays on our flights, which hasn't happened to us in recent memory.  The transfers to and from the airport to the ship, and back, plus the exchange of the luggage along many legs of the journey, also worked perfectly.  Our shore excursions all went well.

We stopped in three port towns or cities and had a variety of cultural experiences---indigenous people;  a walk in a rain forest,  museums,  a lumberjack show, etc.  We also spent several days just at sea and enjoyed breathtaking views along both sides of the channel.   We also saw a glacier, and a few whales coming up to breath.  We enjoyed live entertainment every evening.

The dining was sensational and scrumptious.   We ate in all the restaurants offered, and in the dining hall and met many interesting people.  We also attended several functions with the other Cornell Alumni on board the ship.

All in all,  it was a wonderful trip and experience.  We learned from folks who have been on a dozen cruises that our particular cruise line  (Oceania) and our particular ship (The Regatta) is at the very top of the charts for excellence and luxury.  I can believe it.

Luxury is harder to get used to than one might imagine,  if you are used to doing everything yourself---especially making your own cup of coffee.  On the ship, the only way to get coffee was if someone poured it for you!

It was 99.8 a positive experience all the way around.  But the coffee was too strong for me.

As usual,  we are always so happy to return home to our own patterns and routines.

School Outreach

The man in our church (Tom) who is in charge of Mission and Outreach spoke in church yesterday about the "school outreach" project.

A program was envisioned where members of the church would spend time with elementary school children sharing some area of enrichment---art, reading, drama, etc.

Tom said that the idea was really to share the love of God.  He commented that the idea of the love of God is kind of vague--- hard to really identify, describe.  He said he thinks of it simply as kindness.

I was one of the ones who participated in that program at the school  "teaching a class"  "leading a club" offering an opportunity for the children to interact with poetry.   The way that turned out, I did not feel especially successful.  Sometimes there were very few students there.  From week to week, it was different students, making it hard to get to know them well.  Half an hour was not really much time to 'teach poetry'. The location was less than ideal.

After Tom's explanation,  I feel differently about my experience.  I guess I was measuring my "success" by the number of participants.  (Churches do that, too!!).     But if, in fact, the goal, the idea, the intention was kindness,  then I know that my efforts were completely on target.

Maybe I didn't impart valuable information about poetry.  But I know I was always kind.  Therefore, it's good to know that the goal was met, the purpose fulfilled.

(Thanks, Tom, for that reminder!)

Sometimes we simply have to re-frame our thinking!

Upgrades

It is always nice to have a few upgrades once in a while, just to keep one from getting too much in a rut, and not noticing things any more.  

Gerry re-built the platform and steps leading out to the patio.  That landing and stair set was there long before the patio was added, and actually did not match, as the old version was made out of wood, which was old and warped and the paint was peeling.   The new boards, made of some sturdier product, not wood, are long lasting, and do not have to be painted.

It only required a few boards to do the job, but those had to be delivered, as they could not be transported in our vehicles.   They were delivered, all tightly packaged from the manufacturer, and enclosed on top of a long wooden pallet.  So once you got the boards out of the package,  there was this long wooden pallet that required disposal. I thought that was extremely wasteful, and should be somehow re-cycled back to the company.  Not having that option,  Gerry broke it down as much as he could.  Thankfully, we have a son-in-law who lives in the country and was willing to take the wood for their outside fire-pit.

Another upgrade took place inside the house.  For a long time now,  I have been wanting a full size couch.  In our living room, we had two 'loveseat' size couches, plus an older one in the sun room. (from living in various places and moving around a lot).  The problem, for us at least, is being able to get rid of the old thing, in order to bring in the new thing.

I donated the sun room older couch to the Salvation Army.  It was also a sofa bed, and in great condition, so I trust that someone will appreciate it.

After a bit of musical couches,  we are now the proud owners of a new full length couch, which came with five large couch pillows, an unexpected bonus!   The colors in the couch pillows look like they knew exactly which living room they needed to match.  I'm glad they found their way home!

Picnic at the Park

Once a year, it is a very nice experience to have an informal worship service and a church picnic at the park.

  That happened this past Sunday.  The pastor wore shorts and an casual shirt, as I would have expected.    I really teased the singer on the far left of this picture for wearing a tie to a picnic.   Then I remembered---he just came from leading worship at his own church, where he is the pastor.  So of course, he would not have had time to go home and change.  He still participates in both the church he serves, and the one from which he came, whenever that is possible.

Though you cannot see it, the guitar player sitting on the stool also had on a tie.  They were the only two.  This particular quartet is made up of two couples and they provide the music each year at the park on the church-picnic Sunday.  Together, they sing the four choral parts.  What a talented bunch they are!!

It did rain,  but since we were under the pavilion, we simply had both our worship and our meal 'under the roof'.

Unfortunately, some of the baked beans that I put inside the picnic basket managed to spill and make everything inside rather sticky!   Next time, I'll be sure and remember to take a roll of paper towels.

We washed our hands in the rain water dripping from the roof!

Forest System

I saw a fascinating video on Facebook about forest ecology and how there is so much sharing, communicating, interfacing going on beneath the forest floor, unseen and little known.  In the brief video, a forester shared her research.

According to the forester,  the trees are not competing to survive, as Darwin might have suggested,  but in fact are participating in a fascinating below ground community.   A large "mother tree" is networked into all the trees around it, as far as the eye can see.

Trees send down carbon, and just beneath the forest floor fungi connect one plant to another.  There is a constant shuffling of C02 and nitrogen,  sent to where it is needed most, a complex ecology.

But for me, the most fascinating part of forest system is how the trees leave a legacy.   I vividly recall seeing burned forests out west, when we did a National Park tour a decade or so ago.  I was very struck by how the floor of the forest was covered with new growth, despite the destruction of the fire.   I understood then that when the mature trees died,  that let in enough light for the new growth to start a new forest.

But that is not the whole story.  Trees that have been cut down also leave a legacy for the next generation.  The dying trees will move their resources to the living young trees before they go,  passing their legacy from one generation to another.

In many ways,  the tree is like our inverted body, the root system our brains.  Our brain functions very much like a tree root system, sending out complex messages to the limbs and trunk, tending to its life, via veins, arteries, capillaries, not unlike that of the tree and the forest ecosystem.

I am deeply moved to learn of the inter-connected-ness, and the 'consciousness' of the forest.

I've always loved trees,  but I have never seen them in this particular light before.  They,  too, want to share with the community and leave a legacy for the next generation.

The Last Wedding

"Eve" is the last of my daughters to get married.  Hers is the last wedding at which I expect to officiate. As a non-appointed retired clergy,  doing weddings is not something I have done in my retirement. At least for me, those grew out of my relationship with a particular parish.  And as a Methodist pastor, when you leave a parish, you are not supposed to go back and do weddings.  You leave that for the new pastor, and stay out of the way.

 The last wedding at which I officiated was that of my youngest daughter.

I have always hoped that "Eve" would someday get married,  but I wasn't really sure I would ever live to see that!   Now, a wedding is scheduled to take place in early September.

Eve has been through so many huge changes and challenges this year.  If you looked at the list of the major life stresses,  she has had them all.  She has moved away from the area where she has lived her entire life, to move in with "Ivan".   It is only an hour away,  but still,  that is away.  She left the manager's job she had done for the past dozen or so years, working her way up. She sold her house and got rid of most of her worldly goods.   She was hospitalized with emergency surgery.  Her car died, and on and on the list goes.  Life has never been easy for Eve.  It is as if Eve and Struggles are joined at the hip. Yet, somehow, she always manages.  Hard work.  Perseverance.  Dedication.  Blood, sweat and tears.

Eve and Ivan's wedding will be at a state park, informal, perhaps a picnic, outside, with a reception in a pavilion---a simple celebration with family and friends.  Nothing fancy.  But a very happy occasion.

While I do not think that marriage necessarily makes the struggles to go away,  I am certainly most grateful that she will have someone with whom to share life's challenges,  someone who loves her and accepts her and appreciates her.  Having a supportive partner is so much better than having to do it all on your own!

Watermelon

I have a daughter who always "gifts" me with things that are watermelon-themed.    I assume that is because she has memories of us eating watermelon together when she was a child.  {Or more specifically, having watermelon-seed-spitting contests.}

There is a watermelon piece of art she has given me, which hangs in the kitchen.
I always assumed that is us.

Also:  Watermelon napkins.  A couple of pair of watermelon earrings. Anything watermelon she sees, she thinks of me!  She even sent me a picture of a bikini with a watermelon print!   I said I thought I would pass on that one!

My own attachment to watermelons goes back to my childhood.  My grandfather grew truckloads full of watermelons, which he sold.  They were always free in my world.  Whenever we went to visit, we brought home a trunk full.   Why, occasionally, I might even open one up and eat only the heart!!  That would be the absolute epitome of sinful indulgence!

 I've never gotten over the shock of the price of a watermelon in New York!

I saw a "food art" picture which I thought watermelon-daughter might enjoy.   This is for you, dear:  A Gondola Ride on the Watermelon River!

Binge Watching

I have learned a new term this summer,  because I have done a new thing.

Binge Watching.

Even though we have 63 channels provided by cable, most of the time I cannot find anything at all that I am interested in watching.

I discovered that there are a number of television shows on Netflix.  I no longer get the DVD's in the mail, but opted for "streaming" so everything is right there on the television at any time.

 Often the shows have multiple seasons available for watching.   One example might be Downtown Abbey.  I could watch four seasons of that show.  Generally, a season has 13 episodes.  

Binge watching is watching the same television show, episode after episode, season after season, until the series ends.  I binge by watching one episode per day of a particular show.  But what that means is that I might watch three years worth of shows, with the same characters and story line, over the course of a couple of months.  Imagine watching 52 shows, one after another!

That does play havoc with one's mind.  You get saturated, overdosed, obsessed, possessed.  And sick of the story.  But you keep watching because you want it to be over, and to see that happens.  That's the disadvantage.

The advantage is, you can watch a television show on Netflix whenever it is convenient for you.   And since I watch mine on my Ipad, I can also watch in any location, any room, any comfortable chair.

Oh, how technology has changed our entertainment habits!

Old Fashioned Church Wedding

I call this an "old fashioned church wedding" because the bride grew up in the church, and anybody who is part of the congregation was invited to attend. The bride and her sister both sing in the choir, even as young adults today.

Most of those folks there have known her since she was born.  We, of course, only in more recent years.

It was definitely a Christian wedding, with hymns and scripture selections. Many weddings nowadays are more generic and less religious.  In this case, both the bride and groom are active church folks, grounded in their faith.

Back in the days of my youth, in a simpler time and place, weddings took place in the church, and there was typically a reception in the church fellowship hall following the service.  That was also true today.

For closer family and friends, I'm sure that there will also be a more formal reception in another location,  with a presentation of the wedding party,  the typical dances, a wedding cake and other festivities.

We are just delighted that we got to enjoy being a part of the church portion of this wedding ceremony.  We wish them many blessings!

Non-Holiday

It is July 4th today,  but the day is much like any other day for us.

That is not to say that I take for granted the significance of the Independence Day event.  How fortunate we are to have been born into this remarkable country!

This evening we will watch the fireworks,  from Washington, from New York City, and from our front porch. (put on by the nearby golf course)

But today,  Gerry has cut the grass.  I have been doing the things I usually do, from food prep to weeding the garden to Netflix watching.  Then Gerry and I played tennis for our daily exercise.

On the drive home from the tennis courts, I noticed that all the stores seem to be open.  I expected Wal-Mart to be open, and the grocery stores.  But somehow, I did not expect all the stores to be open for business today, including even the Auto-Parts store and the Salvation Army store!

I'm not sure what I was expecting for this holiday,  but that was not it.  All businesses seem to be open as usual!

For some reason, I thought about Christmas and realized that it is the last remaining day for stores to be closed.  This past year,  Thanksgiving took the fall from a holiday status to a day for business and consuming, in the build-up to Christmas.  I do believe that in the next few years, Christmas Day will no longer be "sacred",  or safe from holiday consumerism.

And certainly, not all Americans are Christians.

When the stores all stay open on Christmas Day, and I believe they will,  I wonder if employees can opt out of working, for religious reasons?

And will they?

Clematis Climbing

A few years ago, I planted a clematis vine.  For perhaps the first three years, it was eaten off each time it reached a few inches high.  Either the woodchuck or the deer.   I gave up on it, completely discouraged.    I guess it grew a few more inches and maybe put out a flower or two,  but I didn't pay much attention to it, because it seemed dead and gone to me.

 In the past couple of years, it has actually grown into a climbing vine.  It is growing profusely this year.  We tied some string to a pipe near the roof line, and at the top of a window for it to climb on.

This year it is so prolific that I think that if I could tie a string to a star, it would climb all the way there!

Clearly, the climbing clematis is teaching me life lessons here---- not to give up too quickly, to be patient, not to make assumptions.

And also, I suppose, every vine has its time.

Glass Museum

We enjoyed a day trip to the Corning Glass Museum today.  We have not been there in probably 25 years!

There is so much to see and experience. That includes many artifacts from antiquity, perhaps from as far back as 3000 years ago.  I don't remember the exact historical time frame of discovering glass making,  but it definitely goes back into the ancient B.C. era.

Those artifacts include many small vials which were primarily used for perfumes.  That, of course, evoked a biblical scene of Mary pouring out the expensive nard on Jesus.

There are very small artifacts which were recovered that are thousands of years old, and very large items which are unique modern sculptures.  I tend to enjoy the brightly colored ones.  The fruit bowl pictured here is around four or five feet in diameter, and the pear may be three of four feet high.

We did see some of Dale Chihuly's work, which we greatly appreciate from seeing an entire gallery of his sculptures in Seattle last year.   We discovered that the possibilities for artistic expression in glass are absolutely infinite.

The offerings included  a combination of the artistic, and the educational.  The Innovations section told of the contributions of the glass blowers to the creation of light bulbs, and television screens, among many other marvelous cultural and functional contributions.

There was also quite a bit of stained glass on display.  This one was popular for standing in front of and taking photographs.

The Museum was a feast of color and light and a celebration of artistic genius.