Terrapin Station

What's Happening Now

Because The Q suggested it, no, threw down the gauntlet and challenged it, I'm here to blog. We'll see if I have anything to say these days. 

When I typed that title, what came to my mind was "The Church of What's Happening Now." I remember my born-again parents using that phrase with scorn about churches that were all about being tuned into the culture of the day. (Note, being born again was kinda the culture of the day. Remember "I FOUND IT"?)

I Googled the phrase and found that Flip Wilson coined the term on his show in the early 70's, which I faintly remember. It's also the name of a now-defunct podcast that I had never heard of, a talk show hosted by Joey Coco Diaz. At this point, there are so many podcasts on my list that I probably won't be going back to that. Just a note that there is so very much media content out there that I never even hear of. I've been old since before I was born, and I've never been very interested in keeping up with the zeitgeist.

But:

My granddaughters have their own cell phones (they are secondhand ones for game play). The four-year-old has been begging me to play Roblox with her. You. All! I don't like video games, I've never played them outside of arcades, and I don't want to learn to play this game. I've been trying it and I'm so damn awkward at it. All I do is fall down and run into the wall. Last time, I was finally so annoyed, I told her, "NO, I love you very much, and that is something I won't be doing with you." And then I started listening to Sanjay Gupta's great new book, Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age. And wouldn't you just know it, I'm going to have to learn to play the darn game. One of the main things the book says, from all the latest brain research, is to challenge yourself and learn new things. But the most surprising thing it says is that we must continue and increase our connections and our relationships. So Lumosity might be fine, but sitting in your easy chair playing games on it is not the best thing for your brain. Getting engaged and involved with a wiggling young lady who's laughing her ass off because Gramma keeps falling down, while trying to play a damned computer game, that would be better. 

So check in here for updates on my attempts to exercise my mind. My body, more on that later. :) 

ps: please note that I revel in being the most well-rounded Gramma I can figure out how to be. So we also definitely play pick-up sticks, Go Fish, we do crafts, I have a set of jacks to introduce, and there are lots of other no-tech options. We read books every time I see them. I'm not giving up without a fight. :) 

 

 

 

Friday Five: Friends

If you're ever in a jam, here I am.
If you're ever in a mess, S.O.S.
If you're so happy, you land in jail.I'm your bail.
It's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship.
When other friendships are soon forgot, ours will still be hot.

I'm thinking a lot about friends these days, the ones who rush to you in times of trouble, with a casserole or a socket wrench or an invitation for coffee or lunch or a trip to the foot sanctuary. We meet friends in school or on the playground or at church or in the workplace and even on the Internet. Even as blogging has experienced some decline, the community here has been strong.

For today's Friday Five, some questions about friendship.

1) Who is the first friend you remember from childhood?  Corey Guest, who went to the same Methodist pre-school I did, and where my mom worked.  The church/school (Chapelwood Methodist in Houston) was in (what I call) a  "big rich" neighborhood and his house seemed like Xanadu!  :)  We were friends right through kindergarten; then he went to the school in that neighborhood and I went to one in mine.  I called him up one day in first grade...and he was quite uninterested in talking with me...which makes sense, for a first grade boy. 
2) Have you ever received an unexpected gift from a friend?  As a matter of fact, earlier this week my dear friend Valerie turned up in my office with a little plaque for me that says, "Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our spirits forget how to fly."  Just because.  How great is that!?
3) Is there an old friend you wish you could find again? Or have you found one via social media or the Internet?  I've written before about my college/grad school roommate who I so wish I could reconnect with.  Periodically I check Facebook for her.  One day, maybe. 
4) Do you like to get your good friends together in a group, or do you prefer your friends one on one?  I prefer one on one.  As a good introvert would.  :)
5) Does the idea of Jesus as a friend resonate with you?  Oh yes.  I remember when I realized God was REALLY real, and I was walking and talking to Jesus and said, "Hey!  I'm so grateful that I know you are there, because now I never have to be alone!"  (I think that's kind of the idea.)

I love that picture, by the way.  It makes me smile because I adore the two people in it, one of whom I know well (thanks to blogging and RevGals) and the other I have never met and know slightly...but who enriches my life with her writing each day. 

 

Happy Birthday RevGalBlogPals!

I knit this as a bit of free knitting on BE1.  As I listened to the remendously honest, sometimes raw sharing that went on, amazed at the freedom I was feeling in the room, I knit the stories and tears into this.  Now it hangs on the back of my chair at work, reminding me that my RevGals have my back.  The colors in the original are ever so much brighter and lusher than what I am able to capture here.  Imagine the Caribbean Sea and sky... 

Running a little late with this meditation: I was travelling on the actual birthday and have been trying to get back into the swing of things since then. 

"Meanwhile, please use the comments to share a favorite memory or thought from the past five years, or leave a link if you blog about it..." said Songbird on Monday. 

As some others have written, I was in on that first conversation at St. Cass's place about t-shirts...at the very, very, very end.  I'd actually been lurking on the conversation for a few weeks (?), having got there via ReverendMommy.  I think I'd Googled "women in ministry" and that's how I found her and a few other folks, and watched the start of the conversation. 

Now, why was I googling "women in ministry"?  I work at a (public) university and always have!  I guess because it's been an abiding interest of mine.  I'm a woman in lay ministry, descended from generations of laity who "ran their churches."  I happen to believe, from those early examples, that the minister/priest/pastor does NOT run a congregation, and that indeed without the conviction and leadership of the lay person, the church is nothing. 

Funny, that, because I DO come from a tradition in which the priest must consecrate the elements for Eucharist.  Also there are sacraments which include a priest (but take place between God and the person: baptizee; couple marrying, etc.) 

BUT, despite what I saw at the altar (always men BTW), I was the little girl playing Communion when I had sleepovers, and I was always the officiant.  Not that I wanted to be the priest...I've never wanted that...but somehow I had a feeling that I wanted to be close to God in that way, and that God was just fine with it. 

So.  I digress. Finding RevGals and watching the energy of the community as it developed, and the joy that the members took in connecting with one another...the sense that we all desired deeper communication about what it means to be God's person within a church structure, and particularly as women...that just clicked for me. 

I've never felt less than fully included, and I am grateful for that.  I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve a group that supports women in ministry...a passion of mine all my life...and mostly I am grateful to have made these amazing friends. 

I think for someone just coming in, it may seem daunting:  we have history, we have jokes, we've had our troubles and shared tragedies and joys.  But we welcome you.  We want to hear about your life and your process and your questions.  Commenting on the group blog posts, and also commenting on other members' blogs, are the way to get to know people.  It's a bit like going into a new church setting...you just have to show up until you are known.  I think and hope this group is good at being welcoming...as we all hope our churches are!  :) 

Being a RevGalBlogPal has meant the world to me.  I am grateful!!

The Day of Media Freedom

I decided at the beginning of this year to follow Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. It’s a program for regaining stifled creativity which consists of 12 weeks of exercises.  The baseline activities are “morning pages,” three longhand pages of free writing every morning, and weekly “artist dates.” 

 I don’t necessarily have an artistic outlet that I have felt cramped in, but I was ready to listen to myself in a new way. 

 I had bought this book about 20 years ago and decided I couldn’t possibly do it, because the program requires a week of “media deprivation” in the fourth week.  No reading, no listening to music, no TV…no Facebook, no Twitter, no e-mail, no blogging. 

What an order!  I exclaimed.  I can’t go through with it!!! 

Reading is my escape, my consolation, my best friend.  Whether that involves library books (of which I always have at least a dozen), magazines, newspapers, Facebook, blogs….what would it be like not to read?  To just “listen to my own head rattle” as Ken says?  He maintains that I am addicted to Facebook and blogging.  Yes, I own that.  I am all about connection and community, and those are important places for me.  But some quiet time might not be a bad thing. 

So this time I decided I’d just plan to do the morning pages and the artist dates, and see how I felt when week four came around.  Today was the first day of that week.  I decided to try just one day...and instead of a whole week, take at least a day a week and perhaps build up.  I also decided to call it “media freedom” instead of “media deprivation.” 

What a difference a different spin makes! 

Today I’ve done morning pages, noticed that my favorite Japanese quince bush is budding (uh-oh, watch out, bush!!), been to Jazzercise, and caught up on the laundry.  I REALLY cleaned out my bedside table (there were coupons on it from 2006, so you get an idea), found and sorted my coupon keeper, went to Costco in the next town, packaged meat for the freezer and prepared things for next week’s lunch.  I ate a big salad for lunch, really paying attention to the food and not a book or the web.  I took the dogs for a walk and cleaned out the car.  No radio, no TV, no computer.  I sang, I prayed, I talked to the dogs and to Ken. 

I’m very tired now.  I think I will not push myself for today, but will get this posted on my blog and do a little catching up on the web.  The difference between me 20 years ago and me now is that I am MUCH less stringent and hard on myself.  Still not perfect, but it’s a great improvement.  And one of my free evenings this week, perhaps I will see how it feels not to do any reading or computer stuff or watch TV, but just sit quietly and knit. 

I’ll let you know. 

Telling stories

www.gratefulness.org WORD FOR THE DAY Thursday, Jul. 2

All sorrows can be borne if you tell a story about them.

Karen Blixen

This is why I blog...to tell my story and to read your stories; ongoing stories of your pains and loves and triumphs and silly things said at the table...

In telling a story, we make a community.  And community is central to my life. 

I know that Facebook and Twitter are ways to tell short stories (LOL) but you know...when I go to the library, I do not pick up short story collections.  I like to get involved with a set of characters and stay with them throughout a book.  I like it best if there's a SERIES about the same characters. 

Thus, the bloggage. 

Facebook vs Blogs

I use Facebook some.  Check it occasionally.  It's a good way to know "whassup" with folks far and near. 

I'm interested that some of my blog-friends are finding FB more meets their "digital community needs" than blogging. 

Not me.  Blogs are where you find some of the really, really fine writing...not this blog necessarily, but many others.  What a loss I'll feel if some of my favorite writers turn away. 

Because I want to know more than "whassup."  I want to know, what are you thinking, writing, praying about?  What caught your eye today?  Show me a picture if you can!  Did you find a great piece of writing elsewhere?  Link to it!  Let me know. 

Share yourself with me.

Latest Appearance...

on Microsoft Picture Editor:

Now, this I understand...it came from my sister; she used it as a graphic on the memorial service program she was making. 

Service at 1:00 CST today.  Your prayers appreciated!

Still leaving Picture Editor open ... just in case.  Thanks to everyone who commented before!  It was really not a joke...I still don't know who that guy is.

:)

Ghost in the Machine OR Angel? Discuss.

Last night we had a LARGE and NOISY thunderstorm.  K and I are sleeping in upstairs bedroom since we have visiting family downstairs in ours.  It is very different-sounding up there in the treetops!!

There was at least one power outage. 

This morning I came to my computer not knowing what to expect (fried? shut down?) - though I have a battery backup, you never do know. 

It was on, hooray!  and there were three items in the "minimized" bar at the bottom 

• yesterday's Gmail threads (thanks be to God)
• Word file of a memorial service I am drafting for my brother for Friday
• A Microsoft Office Picture Manager file...?  I didn't open that....of what???

Guess who:

Aunt Bostick!?

I have no idea how she got there!  I had visited her niece's blog yesterday but didn't do anything with her photo that I recall (beyond appreciating it and giving her a little wave).  I was glad to have her drop by, though.  Seeing her reminded me of some things: 

It'll be okay
It's not all about me
Chin up!

*  *  *

OMG...

I just flipped back over to the Picture Manager and this guy was on there instead of Aunt B!?

 
Now I am really freaking out.  Does anyone know this man?  I have never seen him before!
Ok, taking votes:  Should I close the Picture Manager or keep it open to see who shows up next?

What Time Of Day I Am

			You're the time of day right around sunrise, when the sky is still a pale bluish gray. The streets are empty, and the grass and leaves are a little bit sparkly with dew. You are the sound of a few chirpy birds outside the window. You are quiet, peaceful, and contemplative. If you move slowly, it's not because you're lazy – it's because you know there's no reason to rush. You move like a relaxed cat, pausing for deep stretches that make your muscles feel alive. You are long sips of tea or coffee (out of a mug that's held with both hands) that slowly warm your insides just as the sun is brightening the sky.

The Written Word

Songbird's writing about writing.  Journals, blogs...what do they do for us?  How do they function (or not) in our lives?  And she got me to thinking. 

I received "My Diary" with the little lock and key when I was in about fourth grade.  Of course I planned to write in it EVERY.SINGLE.DAY, but that fell by the wayside quickly! 

However, by middle school and high school I journaled fiercely.  For many years, in Peanuts spiral notebooks that I kept in a box under my bed.  That was where I wrote about my unreasonable parents (!), my escapades with my friends, my crushes and my loves and my sorrows. 

I looked through one recently and found an entry that stated "I am so upset right now and I cannot even write about it, but it doesn't matter, because I will NEVER FORGET THIS TERRIBLE NIGHT!!!"  And of course now I have no idea what that was even regarding.  :) 

Blogging is different from journaling, but meets the need for me that journals used to.  Of course blogging is for others, too, so I am often writing with attention to the turn of phrase and how it flows and does it have an ending?  Or, frequently, blogging is just stream of consciousness.  (I do keep a private blog that's just for me...for the things I can't blog and for when I need to scream and shriek and swear.)  I can still go back to both blogs, say, two years ago and see what was shocking, wonderful, earth shaking...and with the perspective and context of now.  And this is what the journals did for me: Gave me an outlet and then showed me a pattern.

I've been thinking about middle school since Songbird's post of yesterday.  She referred to her daughter's day ahead at middle school as " a full day of Academic Achievement and Social Injustice."  And that about says it for my experience, too! 

No one could have told me this, then, but the greatest problem with that age, for me, was the entire lack of context.  In middle school, high school, college, whatever, we have no idea how small the trials and triumphs of those days will one day be...next to what we will have faced later on.  Note that they will not be insignificant, because every one of those things will have made us who we are. 

And we have to live through it to realize it. 

My mother, always my greatest champion, has long been convinced that one day I would write things that people loved to read.  I've never been one to secretly write novels or short stories with the idea that they'd be published...nor at all.  I've written poetry just for me, but certainly that doesn't need to be published. 

My longtime mantra is, "It's all about the relationships you build."  This is broadly construed: including life, at the grocery store, professionally, at the vet's, at church, at Boy Scout troop.  So it's the community aspect of blogging that intrigues and engages me.  It helps me deepen relationships and leads to friendships.  It increases my understanding and it changes my life. 

Ah, the very seductive FACEBOOK!

Now, Facebook.  I like it, I fear it, I don't know how to work it.  I feel like my dad with a cell phone! 

I'm a rotten Scrabulous player...I don't match anyone's movie taste...

but I look the Picture Personality Quiz today, which amused me greatly.  Here's what it said about my choices:

Your Picture Personality Results

Temperament

Flexible

Nothing seems to bother you - you sail through life crisis free. It's not that your life doesn't have its ups and downs, it's just that you handle everything without unnecessary drama and antics. You approach each day fresh, not worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. You are confident that you can handle anything that comes your way and experience has shown that you are absolutely right about this.

Interests

Simple

You are continually pursuing a simpler and less complicated life - you don't allow yourself to fall victim to all of the "should do's" that society continually bombards you with. You are thoughtful about your life choices and think in terms of yourself, others and the world in which we live. You have a great sense that we are part of something much bigger and we must be good to others, if we want others and the world to be good to us.

Amusement

Thoughtful

You are easily stressed out and overwhelmed - you need to take care of yourself first and foremost. Because you tend to be self reflective, you know your limits quite well and must remember to not exceed those limits. When you overwhelm your life with obligations and responsibilities, you tend to shut down and go into yourself even further. Take some time to find your serenity and kick back your feet.

Passion

Emotional

For you passion is less about romance and sex - it's more about friendship and family. Strong emotional bonds and connections are your passion and your pleasure. You always let your loved ones know how much you love, respect and admire them. You do this through kind words, loving actions and simple gestures. You count your blessings each day and express your love openly. You expect the same from others.

So I ask you, how in the world can the first lines under "Temperament" and "Amusement," which are wildly contradictory, make any sense at all? 

I think I just chose such weird things...like, my ideal car is the VW Bus with all the hippie stuff painted on it.  :)  Hee hee! 

Come see me on Facebook, I'll throw a sheep at you.