Terrapin Station

Friday Five: Whatcha Reading?

This Friday Five comes a little late, but it's a pretty universal one. What are you reading these days?

Any genre, give us novels, magazines, websites, newsletters.... you need not limit it to five if you don't want to!!!!!

Bonus for links to where the items can be found!!!!

Well, first of all: 

 

Next, the current in a massive Kinsey Millhone binge I'm having:

Then there's always:

they are starting a Kickstarter on Monday, so watch for more on this from me.

Then there's

 

and finally

Friday Five: New

 
Happy Friday!

In honor of Karla, the usual sponsor of this page on the second Friday, I announce it as a random Friday Five. But with a theme: New.

1. If you have one, what is your new resolution? Mine is to eat more healthfully. I had an unhappy set of test results from a physical at the end of December, and it shook me up a bit. A dear friend managed to lower her cholesterol by 70 points recently through a combination of diet and exercise. I take inspiration from her success, and from her list of Heart Healthy Foods (esp. dark chocolate)

2. Many folks choose a new word for a year's beginning, as Marci's congregation does with StarWords. Some let their word choose them, like Christine at Abbey of the Arts. Do you have a word for the year? I truly believe there is wisdom in both processes. The word chosen for me was recovery. I'm really working with this one. The word that has chosen me is intention.

3. What is your new favorite exclamation/phrase at times of joy or frustration? It's rather indelicate, but I am often heard (only in my head) saying, "What a jackass festival!!"

4. Do you have a new favorite food, or an old one you are newly enjoying? Hummus! Moderately, of course, in keeping with 1. My EFM group didn't meet over the holidays, but for our snack we sure do enjoy some hummus.

5. Finally: what is your new favorite thing? Dang, I painted myself into a corner here. Because I have several favorite things. My warm new coat that my husband picked out for me. My new exercise bike! (I can read while I ride!). My parents' new home at Royal Estates in San Angelo.

But (you knew this was coming) my favorite thing of the past year is a person and the transformations her coming has wrought, not a thing. Today I entered her photo in the Babies of Denton contest in our local paper, because to me she is the most beautiful baby in the world: Nash Pritchett. And seeing my son grow up to become her father and a man I'm very proud of is the most beautiful gift in the world.

 

Friday Five: New

As posted by me at RevGals:

So, no matter what the weather’s doing where you live, this time of year brings the beginning of school for most people. Unless you are in year round school, or homeschooling, or something else. :)

Many folks I know say the beginning of school makes them feel like a new beginning, even if they are not in school themselves or have kids there. In fact, I did a little math at the beginning of the week and determined that, based on my career in higher education and when I entered first grade, I am entering the 44th Grade this year.

So, for beginnings: Tell us five things that are new in your life, or that you would LIKE to have be new in your life. If that doesn’t work, how about things that you are ready to shed….to make room for new things? Opening your hands to release, to see what God might put into them?

So, go!

 

Something shiny and new…

1. I'm in a new office, for the next year that is. Then, at the beginning of Fall 2015, we will move to a new building and I'll have another new office. It's a good thing, actually: it gets things cleaned out!

2. I have a new granddaughter (well, I think 4 months old counts as pretty new still). Here is Nash with her daddy.

3. I'm getting a new car...it's a 2000 Buick Park Avenue. I've never driven such a large vehicle, and going from a VW Beetle to this makes me a little nervous. But there are a lot of reasons why this is a good move and I'm looking forward to seeing it...today!

4. I would like to renew my commitment to healthy eating and exercise. REALLY. I would like to have that done and be in the middle of it. Getting started, that is the hard part! Any ideas are welcome.

5. I'm doing a study of Brian McLaren's book, We Make the Road By Walking, meeting weekly with my friend Amy. Our first meeting was last night and it was splendid. This is going to be one heck of a 52 weeks!

So, what about you??????

Friday Five: Looking Forward and Back

Over at RevGals, Sally writes:

A simple Friday Five for a busy part of the year; indulge me by sharing two fives:

As you look back over 2011 share 5 blessings; they can be as grand or as simple as you like; if your year has been like mine, they are probably a mixture!

As you look towards 2012 share 5 hopes- again, anything goes!

1) Ken's cancer treatment this year didn't turn out anything like we thought it would.  Still overcoming obstacles.  We were blessed by love and support from people near and far: church, web, RevGals, family.  There were nurses and one particular dentist who turned out to be angels. 

2) Perhaps the greatest blessing is that he has now put together a week of good days.  That is the first since before treatment began in June.  He's out on a motorcycle run right now and I'm delighted.  Gorgeous sunny weather and great for riding. 

3) Internet community of tubies...people who eat or feed someone a blenderized diet...has been invaluable.  Ken was never able to tolerate Ensure or other medically created formulas for enteral feeding, and I learned so much from the folks online about using a Vitamix blender to create varied, nutritious, and tolerable meals for him.  Especially I met ("met") Aadhar O'Gorman, a fascinating fellow in Australia who has been a pioneer in this area...while his degenerative condition is bringing his death ever nearer.  His writing about these things is fascinating and moving, and his plans for a Natural Burial appeal to me greatly.  Check out Entropy and Light at this link. 

4) My parents have endured ongoing health challenges but are well supported by their church, friends, and my local sister and her family.  For self-preservation I have had to set boundaries and get clear that Ken and his care was my priority this year.  I have not been to San Angelo but once since May...for a great 168th birthday party that honored both my parents (Mom was 80 and Dad turned 86).  They have a new lady named Velma who comes in and loves and cares for them.  I am delighted by this.  I want to be there but can't, and I'm glad that she and Nancy my sister can. 

5)  Our daughter Holley is doing so well and I'm so proud of her.  At 32 she is working as an EMT and is building a house in the Houston area.  And while this year has been extremely challenging for Brandon (22) and for our relationship with him...I truly believe we have all learned from it.  He is working at UNT in Facilities Management and I am proud of his commitment to that job and learning new things. I guess this one belongs in the Hopes area too.  We hope so much for our kids, especially their taking responsibility and learning to be happy and productive away from us.  

6) Too important to leave out...Amy Haynie's ordination to the diaconate in May and to the priesthood in December.  What a glory to God.  She came to visit Ken during our December week in the hospital (the week prior to her priestly ordination) and as I watched her minister to both of us, and anoint him and pray, the rightness and trueness of this long-denied vocation flooded me.  The Spirit was present in that place.  Thanks be to God.

Hopes

1) I hope that Ken continues to feel better each day.  I hope that we can find a doctor/nutritionist/other person who will be ideally trained to help him create a plan of moderate exercise and body-building diet to regain the strength and muscle tone that the year has taken from him. 

2) I hope I can (and will!) now concentrate some more on my own body and soul and their needs.  This week's vacation has amply illustrated that, once all the responsibilities of work and Christmas "let down" I sort of collapsed.  Including literally; I had a bad fall in the driveway a few days ago and I'm all beat up.  I am certain that is my body's way of saying, "Hey...slow down and pay attention."  So here I am. 

3) I chose a word for the year, which was by invitation of Christine Valters Paintner at Abbey of the Arts.  Here is what I wrote at the blog: 

My word for 2012 is "window." This is important to me in many ways.

In 2009 I changed jobs and was moved into a small room without a window. I loved the work but hated the enclosed feeling; it felt like a punishment for 2 years.

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to move to a new space with TWO (2) windows. It's on the third floor of an old building and I glory, glory in the light, the views, the rain, the birds and squirrels.

And my husband had cancer treatment this year. We are looking forward from a sad and bad year to a new and healthier, happier one. We are looking into the window of the new year for our future.

What will we see?

I am physically washing windows of my home in this vacation.  I will be focusing on this through the year...figurative window cleaning...Like Felix, who became a Bishop in Madeleine L'Engle's A Severed Wasp...who told Katherine he was "a window cleaner." His call was to be a person who cleared the way for others.  I need to at least be that for myself.  I hope to be. 

4) I hope to be on the RevGals BE5 Cruise in late January/early February.  I have been signed up for months, and paid up, and at this point am totally planning on it.  There have been times in the last few months when I have doubted I would feel free to leave Ken. I hope, oh I hope, I can go.  I need it so much. 

5) and I hope so much for our world.  Just typing that brings tears.  I feel very vulnerable and horrible for the pain and suffering that are so many people's daily lives...and animals', and the planet's...I am praying to discern where my ministry is outside my home. 

Happy 2012 to all!