Attending Funerals

At a certain point in life, as a result of age mostly, one begins attending more funerals.  Today we attended the funeral of a lovely gentleman from the church we attend.  He was a professor of science and taught science teachers.   He and his wife had four sons, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  A grand-daughter sang a marvelous solo.  Another played the piano.  Two sons spoke.  It is a talented family.

I will admit that when I attend a funeral,  I always end up thinking about the details of either mine or Gerry's.  Who will do the planning of the event?  What family members will speak?  What will they say?
Do we have an appropriate photograph to put on display?  What should the obituary say?  Who will write it?  Where will they find the information?   Will the choir sing?  What songs?  Who will preside?  And on and on the details play out in my mind.

As clergy,  I have both attended, officiated and planned the content of many funerals over the years.  I guess it is not so surprising, at least to me,  that I would automatically consider the content of my own.

And for me, that is not a morbid thought in the least.  It is just the function of who I am.

Food Star

Daughter V posted these pictures on her blog, so I think it must be okay to re-post them on mine!

She is a "foodie".   Her blog is a food blog.  Some time after her college graduation, she became very interested in cooking and food. [she graduated cum laude with a degree in communication]. She has taken some cooking classes, eats in fancy restaurants,  participates in a farm share which forces her to encounter all sorts of produce she would not ordinarily meet in her daily life, and is passionately committed to being environmentally conservative.  [Her blog:  Make Haste Not Waste}

I think the ideal job for her would be to have her own show on the Food Channel Network.  She is quite photogenic.  Maybe some day she will make that happen.  Who knows?  Already she has participated in a food cooking challenge of the "iron chef" sort.

For years, we used to watch Iron Chef together on Saturday night, the original one, not the American version.   I'd like to think that particular activity played some part in sparking her interest.  She never had time to cook when she lived at home!   Now, it is one of her favorite activities.  Perhaps one day she will find her way into the professional food world.

One just never can predict the twists and turns one's life may take.

I can personally attest to that!

Mad Men

I had heard about the television series, Mad Men, of course, but I had never seen it before, nor do we get the channel on which it airs.  I was aware that it was set in the 1960's because a daughter has mentioned watching it.  Beyond that I didn't know much.

There are six seasons complete, and apparently, half of the last season, the seventh has aired.   These days,  there really is not much on television that I have much interest in watching, so lately,  I have resorted to some Netflix television series watching.  Mad Men seemed like an interesting choice.

The story is based on a cast of characters in an advertising firm on Madison Avenue.  (thus Mad Men).  Even though I grew up, or came of age during this era,  this scene is so far removed from my own experience that I find it almost unbelievable.   Watching this show makes me realize what a sheltered life I lived growing up.

Life centered around small town, church, family.  I lived in a "dry" town and state. Alcohol was not part of the fabric of our lives.  Nor was money and power.  I am in the middle of season four, watching these shows.  Not surprisingly,  the main character, Don Draper, appears to be a serious alcoholic.

The one part of the show that is recognizable is the blatant sexism.  The men expect the secretaries to get their coffee. Women have their place and their roles to play.  They were not expected to have a brain or make any creative contributions.   I do remember experiencing all of that.  In fact, in the southern-ness in which I grew up,  women were expected to wait on their men.

And the sad truth that I have to admit is that I bought into all of that.   At least until the 1970's, and the age of feminism and the women's movement.   I came of age in my own thinking at that time.  Or perhaps it has just been a slow evolutionary process.

It is quite painful to be reminded about what the world used to be like, and I am sure still is for many women.

I am reminded of how far I have come.

Tennis Partners

I was at a party this afternoon with some church folks, and a friend said to me:  "I'm getting tired of reading the grass is green."    I had not idea what she was talking about!!  (and said as much)  She replied:  "Your Blog".    Ah yes, the last entry was about grass.  And she was complaining about how long it had been since I posted.

The truth is that I have been going through a stage of not being a writer any more.  I  just figured that phase of my life has passed. I've been completely unmotivated.  (Or perhaps I was just waiting for someone to inspire me to blog again.)

I celebrated a birthday on Friday.  The morning was filled with tennis doubles.  I have been subbing with Gerry's men's doubles group on Friday mornings.  It has been so much fun.  I have  learned what good partners we are in tennis, at least in that context.  Our skills are complimentary  [as in the rest of our lives].  I have played with "the guys" for the past three weeks.  Gerry and I have won almost every set we have played.  Good, vigorous, delightful, competitive tennis!

So when daughter and son-in-law came for the weekend and we played against the youngsters,  I had more confidence than I have ever had before,  playing with them.  We usually have managed to win at least one game when playing  them.  This time, we won three!  That was a pretty big thrill!

It's been a lovely three day birthday party for me!  It's kind of nice to have so many well wishes from loved ones and friends!