Terrapin Station

Friday Five: December 20th - the view from here

So, on December 5th we had an enormous ice storm. Sleet and freezing rain fell for hours, and the accumulation was up to 6 inches in places.

That's not so unusual.

What is unusual is that the temperature stayed below freezing for days and days and days. My university (and the whole area) was closed for 2 half-days and 3 full days. During that time, I was battling a rotten sinus infection and wasn't paying much attention to anything. Except the fact that I didn't have any of those tissues with lotion, which are crucial for keeping my nose from falling off.

The result of all this is that somehow it's December 20th and there is quite a bit left to do for Christmas - mostly shopping. But I can't seem to bring myself to be to worried about it. That will have to be okay.

I'm headed to Houston this morning (if I ever stop fooling around on this computer and finish the wrapping and packing!) to visit siblings, nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and nephews. Will be with Mom and Dad and Nancy, hooray!

I am acolyting at the 5 pm Christmas Eve service. Courtney and Brandon will come to celebrate with us Christmas morning.

After Christmas we will go to visit Ken's family on Saturday.

I have 2 weeks off work.

Life is good.

PS: I do not miss singing in church choir at this point, especially right now: thinking of past years with multiple services to sing.

Friends, think of the choirs, and especially your pastors, priests, and rectors right now: they are facing emcee-ing (forgive the crudity of the term, but all eyes are on them!) the biggest/second biggest set of events in the Christian year, along with all the same stresses the rest of us face (late gifts, visiting relatives, travel, weather concerns, being present for family...the list goes on). Give them an extra thank you, and maybe a Starbuck's gift card. Be grateful for their call to ministry and their faithful carrying-out of it.

God bless us, every one!

Friday Five: Random

Karla says at RevGals: Happy Random Friday Five, dear RGBP-ers!

I hope this Friday Five finds you happily wandering through these deep long twilight days with a reasonable  amount of hustle, bustle and peace in between.  Knowing however, that this can also be a jam-packed  or stressful time, my first FF question is:

1.  How are you?  How can we pray for you? Thanks for asking. I've been sick with a sinus infection since last Monday. I finally broke down and went to the dr. on Tuesday for antibiotics, but it's taking a long time to break free of this one. Please pray for continued healing and patience.

2.  On another level, I am sure that many of you have treasured Christmas ornaments.  Tell us about one of your more treasured, and why it is special. My Memamma used to make gorgeous ornaments, satin-covered balls that she would adorn with mirrors, lace, pearls, and beads. My mom had several that I have adored all my life. In addition, when we were in elementary school each year Meme would send an ornament to give to each of our teachers, packed carefully with paper towels in a recycled margarine tub. Great memories. I have some of those ornaments now, and the mostest beautiful one is dusty pink, with mirrors shaped like crescent moons and surrounded by pearls. Will add a photo.

3.  Since I have started in a new call in a new city, I have a new guilty pleasure called Shubies which is a store of wine, cheese, craft beer, gourmet foods, fun kitchen gadgets and more, besides a bakery/lunch counter.  I am currently enjoying an (overpriced)  kale-avocado-goat cheese pressed sandwich on cranberry sunflower seed wheat bread. O.M.GOODNESS.   What is one of your current guilty pleasures? Will have to keep thinking on this!

4. I picked up a beautiful hank of handspun wool in heather grays and purples in October that I am sending my sister for her birthday this month.  I have been looking forward to giving it to her.  What is something (tangible or less tangible) you are looking forward to give in the next few weeks? I am so insanely excited to be traveling to Houston for a long weekend at the end of next week. My oldest sister and brother live there, with one of my nieces, and my mom, dad, and younger sister and I are all going to visit them, along with THEIR visitors, the nieces and nephews who have my parents' (so far) three great-grandchildren. One of these little ones we have met; two were born in November of last year and we have not. Being with that extended family, and also my nuclear family (one of them, I actually had two) will be a treasure.

5.  We must have random words for a random sentence or story, right?  So, here are your words (or forms of) to use in a sentence or two:   earth, cranberry, codfish, kettle corn, pitcher, love, joy, hope, peace, Santa, artist. 

Will have to come back to this also.

Friday Five: Praying Together

Anne says at RevGals: I am always grateful for the prayers of others, but I am especially touched when someone asks, “How may I pray for you?”

During this season of fullness, how may we pray for each other?

How may we:

• Pray for you,
• Pray for someone you carry on your heart,
• Offer thanksgiving with you,
• Ask God’s blessing in your life, or
• Lift up anything else in your heart?

Thank you for asking! Please pray for my attitude, which is not the best in some areas (although great in others). 'Nuff said there. I do think my Advent discipline is helping.

Please pray for my spouse, Ken, who continues to struggle with waxing and waning improvement in his ability to taste and swallow (discouraging) and with chronic pain (enervating and debilitating).

I am grateful to be part of the church community of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Keller, where I have been warmly embraced, and especially the Education For Ministry class meeting there weekly. What a wonderful group of committed colleagues.

I am embarking on some new challenges in the months to come, ones that feel unfamiliar and more than a bit scary. That's life-giving, and at the same time, to me, can effectively be paralyzing. Please pray for me to approach with a fearless and willing spirit and to keep walking.

Please continue in prayer for my sister, Sarah, who has rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, among other things. She has reached a place of independence and joy, and yet these things threaten it.