Terrapin Station

Friday Five: Back to School

Monica posts these five questions about school.

1. What was your favorite thing about school? The things I was good at, I was REALLY Good at. Those were: English. I loved English.
2. Who was your most memorable teacher? Well, obviously, Mr. Dixon, our choir director in high school. 
3. With whom did you sit at lunch? Chris and Katherine and ? I can't remember. In elementary school, Anna, Allison...
4. What is/was your favorite school supply? Notebooks. Just think of the possibilities!
5. What do you think “kids these days” are missing out on? Writing and passing NOTES. :) 

Friday Five: Friends (and Facebook)

My friend Monica says at RevGals:

As a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister, one of the vows I took at my ordination read, in part, “Will you be a friend among your colleagues in ministry?” I’ve been reflecting on that lately and thinking about my friendships with colleagues. And I’ve been reflecting on our ministry here at RevGalBlogPals and how much friendship and support it has brought to my life.

I invite you to reflect on your own friendships with colleagues (if you’re a Rev) or fellow church members (if you’re a Pal) using these questions. You can play at your blog (be sure to post a link–it doesn’t have to be fancy–just copy and paste) or in the comments here.

1. Who is your longest-term church-related friend? Besides members of my own family, it must be Sally Williams. She and her kids were part of the church I grew up in Houston. Sally was the first female usher there at about the same time that my mom was the first female layreader. Her daughter Laura (who is an equally longtime church friend) was the first female acolyte, paving the way for me to be one a few years later. Sally later became a member of my home church (by which I mean the first church I chose and attended as an adult) so we have many more friends in common. Now she lives in another city and belongs to the church that was my husband's church home in a previous life. (It's a small, small Episcopal world.) Through the gift of Facebook I get to stay in touch with these two great women. 
2. Who is a friend that inspires you to be a more faithful Christian? How do they do that? Amy Haynie does that by following the call God has marked on her life...no matter what...and having a great sense of humor all the while. 
3. Who is a friend with whom you have significant disagreements? Hm. My spouse and I disagree quite markedly, politically. We are still friends. 
4. Who is someone with whom you would like to be better friends? There are several folks at my church (where I am fairly new) I'd like to know better. I live about 45 minutes away so I am not often there for non-Sunday service work and events. I hope to step that up a little in the months to come. 
5. Who is your newest church-related friend, and what hopes do you have for this friendship? In particular there's a new friend that I've become better friends with via Facebook. It's one of those CS Lewis "you, too!?" things. Courtney Mullaney, we need to go out for that drink. 

Friday Five: School Days

Michelle writes at RevGals:

May marks the end of many academic years. If we are scrolling through our newsfeed, we’ve begun to see photographs of our friends and family members in their caps and gowns.

For me, there are days in which I miss taking a class to continue my education, whether the course is in theological studies or something more hands-on, like computer courses. As I see photos reminding me of my days in the classroom, I wonder what type of class would I like to take next? I know chemistry was my toughest course, so I would probably stay away from the math-based science classes. Maybe I would retake a course on the history of the human language or anatomy and physiology…

So, as students wrap up their years or maybe their academic careers, let’s reflect upon our school days in today’s Friday Five:

1. Favorite class during your many years of schooling: My first semester in my MA in English I took a course called Bibliography and Literary Criticism. It was taught by Harrison T. Meserole, then the editor of the World Shakespeare Bibliography. In addition to that, he was the former editor of the MLA International Bibliography, and that's a big old deal if you know literature research. He was very much larger than life to me, and he was an absolutely incisive teacher. The huge lesson I learned from Dr. Meserole was that in life (i.e. grad school) I wasn't going to be given specific instructions for everything. I presented my research in a way that made sense to me and I got a good grade. (Dr. M. did not have any teeth by the time I knew him, and he never wore dentures to class...but I never knew that until much later, because his diction was impeccable.) Here's a tribute to him that you will enjoy if you have time to read it. 

1. Toughest class you have taken: Statistics. I didn't take it in my Master's degree, because it was in Literature and we didn't do that there. When I took some Ph.D. classes and had to take it, I had another dear and wonderful professor, Dr. L. Fred Thomas, who understood my trepidation and continued to tell me, "I believe in you! You can do this." I managed to get through the class on the basis of that belief. What a gift.
2. Class you would love to retake: I'd love to go back and do again, then, one of the ones from my first semester in college, that I got a C or D in. Texas history, Political Science. DUMB, DUMB, DUMB. That's all that was. When I retook them later, I loved them.
3. Favorite seminary or theologically-themed class: None of those so far. But many poetry classes approached it.
4. Dream class – if you could design the ultimate undergraduate/graduate course, what would it be? As I retire, I'm planning to earn a MSW degree with a goal of being a hospice social worker. My passion is for helping people and their families through the process of their greatest journey. I'm also deeply interested in fostering conversations about aging, death, and dying well before the time comes. I hope and plan to study these things in my degree, but a class focused on this is my dream. 

Earlier today I watched the live stream of the commencement ceremony at UNT, which has been central to my life for the last 19 years. I'll never really leave school, because learning is the joy of my life.

Transitions

3dogmom writes at RevGals:

My life is overflowing with transitions at this time: losing a beloved family homestead, welcoming a new grandchild, starting a new call next month, packing up our home in anticipating of a move 1000 miles away... Those are the markers that are easy to identify. Inner transitions are taking place, too, which leads me to offer this week's Friday  Five:

What transitions are taking place in your life? Consider physical, vocational, spiritual, psychological, educational, geographical... you get the idea. Please share five transitions that are most present  with you at this time in your life.

1. Well, largest and most is that I will be retiring this month. THIS MONTH. After 14 more workdays, I will no longer be employed by the state of Texas nor a university therein; I shall be a retiree.

Following on that,

2. I will be going to the beach for two weeks

Following on that,

3. I will come back from vacation and NOT return to the university. I'll be working for \\\STRIPES/// Parking Lot Service. The goal is to take the burden off of Ken so that he can get out of the office and occasionally do a job himself; also to support Brandon, who does most of the outside work. It will involve answering the phone, talking with customers, managing estimating, invoicing and collections (all in conjunction with our unparalleled part-time accountant, Billy.)

After a few months,

4. I will be starting graduate school all over again. I've been accepted into the MSW program at UT Arlington. For many years I've said that I loved college so much that I never left it, and this is true. So, starting with Fall 2016, I shall be in the 45th grade.

And all in between times,

5. I will be being retired. I will be going to Darlene's 9:15 Jazzercise class 3 days a week. I will be going to restorative yoga some days (they only do it during the week...clearly only retired people need restoration). I will be cooking more, decluttering the house (especially the second floor) and riding motorcycles with Ken. I will go see my parents DURING THE WEEK so I can go to doctor appts. with them, and not just on weekends. I hope to see my grand-girl more.

The emotions of all this are so enormous that I can't begin to describe them. Leaving my profession of 30+ years, leaving colleagues at UNT whom I've known for 19+ years, planning to work at home...planning for a new career...being more available to my family and myself...it's thrilling and it's exhausting. I need to go lie down with a rag on my head...just thinking about it.

Friday Five: Gladden my heart

On this, Friday before Holy Week – when our lives will get very busy (more busy…) what are the things which gladden your heart? Which give you strength and sustain you when the going gets tough? And, can you choose just five!?

Song: "When Morning Gilds the Skies," which I sing most mornings as I walk to work...facing east. What a gift.

Film: Joe vs. the Volcano

Book: Outlander - anything in that series

Poetry: Mary Oliver or Anne Sexton

Person: My sweet hubby. My granddaughter, just 2 years old.

 

Friday Five: The State of Our Hearts

Michelle writes at RevGals: There it is right in front of us: Valentine’s Day.  No  matter what our marital status, who we’re dating, how our hearts have been broken or how we’ve been loved in the past, we can not escape this yearly observance.  Hearts, pink packages of candy and commercial after commercial for flowers and engagement rings continuously surround us in the week or two or three before Valentine’s Day.

This doesn’t sit well with many hearts – especially ones that have been broken or who may be freshly grieving.  As a leader in the church, I’ve been wondering how communities of faith can come together to support those with broken hearts (and created a Facebook group for unmarried progressive Christians and friends to discuss topics which concern them).

Whether we are married, single, divorced, separated, widowed, in a relationship or any other marital status, we’ve all gone through some highs and lows when it comes to the state of our hearts.

As we head into Valentine’s Day weekend, here are five questions on which to reflect.  Feel free to post in the comments below or as a prompt on your own blog (and post the link in the comments).

(1.) What is one challenging thing about your current marital status? Hmm. We'll have been married 17 years in May. I think we are in a pretty good place right now...but the most challenging thing is that he is VERY, VERY conservative and I am VERY, VERY liberal. We were married in 1999 and somehow that did not really come up at the time...unbelievable to me today, but our country was not polarized the way it is now. Sometimes this is exceptionally difficult to manage. Sometimes less so. :)

(2.) What is your best memory of love? My husband is not a romantic, hearts and flowers type. But there are days when I come home very upset, very discouraged, very sad...and he immediately knows something is wrong. Often I can't talk about it right away, but he waits until I can, and he does what I ask him to (hold me, take me out for Mexican food, leave me alone...) it is very comforting to be known and understood that way.

(3.) What has been your best antidote in healing a broken heart?  (Movies, hobbies, etc.) Reading. Walking. Talking to friends.

(4.) What has been the most meaningful gift from a significant other, family member or friend?  Of course, it doesn’t need to be a material object. My husband converted one of his motorcycles into a trike for me, so we could ride together. Riding behind him is uncomfortable for me after about 30 minutes and I wanted to be able to keep riding. I'm on the left in the photo below, on a trip to Dogpatch USA in Arkansas. 

(5.) Name something the church could do to support someone with a broken heart. Help them to find ministries or fellowship groups for support and belonging.

May God seal all of the cracks in your heart as you step into new life and new paths.  Amen.

*****

Friday Five: Animal Edition

Cindi says at RevGals: Animals are on my mind this week. Pictured are two cats we adopted together in 1990: Leather (left) and Lace. Leather was the stealthy hunter and Lace was the demanding princess. They stayed with us for 15 years. On Easter 2005 we came home to find Lace in rigor with her paw on the chair looking like she had been trying to jump up. Leather passed a few months later.

My wife Mary and I have had a lot of animals live with us over the years, and we like to see them in the wild as well. I’m betting a lot of you like animals too. So my challenge for us this week is to write about animals. Tell us about an animal you know: perhaps one of your pets, or the pet of a friend or family member, or the cat that hangs around the church.

So....this is Boudreaux, my Maltese boy.He's just had a bath here (yeah, and already covered with leaves.)

He's 11 years old and fairly crippled up with some congenital issues that affect that breed, and also arthritis. He is a very laid-back boy, and he doesn't often approach us for affection; but when we pick him up and hold him in a chair or in bed for scratches, he will first punch the purveyor of the scratching, if it stops, to get more. Once he's had enough, he goes to sleep in one position and doesn't move for hours. He will stare into your eyes like the most tender lover. He's very meditative. He likes to sit outside in the driveway, or preferably the front yard, and observe things and smell the air. If anyone walks by, he barks. If a big dog walks by, he tries to get through the fence to attack them. It's ridiculous, it never ends well for him. I love him to distraction. 

 

What’s your favorite real animal? Walking stick bug? Penguin? T-Rex? Echidna? Red Tailed Hawks:

If I see one or more, it feels like a benison, or extra good luck. I often see them on my way to church, down Interstate 35 West.

 

What’s your favorite fantasy/mythological animal? Unicorns? Hippogryphs? The World Turtle, the Great Tortoise that bears the world on its back: 

 

What’s your favorite fictional animal – Scooby Doo? Garfield the Cat? Grape Ape?

I'm particularly fond of Proginoskes, or Progo...a cherubim from Madeleine L'Engle's A Wind in the Door.

 

What animal best represents who you are today, and why? Is it an animal that exhibits fierceness? Or one that’s loyal? A turtle.Here's a redeared slider, one of my favorites.

I gave a 2 minute talk once in a college speech class about how the animal that represented me was a turtle. Looking back, I can't believe I made myself that vulnerable to that group, but I did. That class was such a gift to me, because before I took it I was terrified to speak to people. Afterward, I was not. Anyway, as an Enneagram 9 the turtle still represents me...though in different ways than it did that summer of 1986 (?). I've grown so much. I don't spend nearly as much time in my shell. I am much better at planning when I need to go there and working around other things. 

Friday Five: New

Anne says at RevGals: So here it is, the first day of a brand new year. Let’s try a less conventional lens to think about the blank slate of 2016 with these prompts. The questions are intended to help explore the category–how you answer is up to you!

Share with us what new horizons might be in your sights related to:

Food: I want to make prime rib and beef tenderloin for my spouse. I want to learn more vegetarian and vegan recipes for myself.

Reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic: I've just read the wonderful novel Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. It seems he has a whole mystery series that I want to look into...slowly. I'm quite capable of falling into the new world of a series and realizing a few weeks have passed and I haven't brushed my hair or ... well ... anything.

Relating: I'm really interested in volunteering for CASA. I just need to do some other discernment to figure out what else is before me in the coming year.

Mother Earth: Any thoughts or plans about visiting new places, or spending more time in places already discovered? How beautiful on the mountains, or in the desserts, or on the waters, might your feet be this year? I've got to get to the beach. That's all there is to it. I'm also dying to go to Durham, NC and join the Popup Chorus at least once.

 

Creating: I finished a knitting project for the first time in a few years...the Burton Bear Cowl for my granddaughter. I'm inspired to pull out other projects that I've started & abandoned!

 

Friday Five: Festive Fun!

Julie says at RevGals:

Making a list, checking it twice!
I live by lists. And at this time of year in particular I can’t live without them!

I have yet to make a food list.
Or a present list. Or a card list….
Or my end of year expenses list!
Do you see a theme developing?!
I have a list of the lists I want to make…

My desk…. really not a clean workspace!!

So, in no particular order. Seasonal, serious or silly.
What are your top five lists?!

1. Gratitude list, topped by appreciation for my academic work schedule, which affords me ten consecutive days off work this year. Aaaaahhh.
2. Things I want to do in the time off. Including reading and sleeping, but definitely must include MORE than reading and sleeping. Such as:

• Exercise
• Cooking healthily (new WW SmartPoints plan to be studied)
• Decluttering
• Time outside, in what promises to be unseasonably balmy weather
• Two gifts yet to find
• Five cards yet to send
• Contemplative practice

 

 

Friday Five: On the Fly

Anne says:

RevGals are adept at juggling and making do on the fly. In the spirit of the ability to multi-task, we’re pulling a random Friday Five out of the hat today.

1. What is your “gotta go!” breakfast that you can grab and take with you in the morning when you’re in a rush? String cheese sticks. I like how they soften up between the time I take them from the fridge and the time I eat them. If I'm fancy, I have something else with them...fruit or a pita.
2. When was the last time you had a fun evening out, and what did you do? I went to The Episcopal Church of Wichita Falls for an amazing and holy All Hallows Eve service, followed by Trunk or Treat. :) It was great!
3. Favorite poet or poem? for today, Anne Sexton. This is from her book, An Awful Rowing Toward God:
   

   THE ROWING ENDETH

   I’m mooring my rowboat

   at the dock of the island called God.

   This dock is made in the shape of a fish

   and there are many boats moored

   at  many different docks.

   “It’s okay.” I say to myself,

   with blisters that broke and healed

   and broke and healed –

   saving themselves over and over.

   And salt sticking to my face and arms like

   a glue-skin pocked with grains of tapioca.

   I empty myself from my wooden boat

   and onto the flesh of The Island.

   “On with it!” He says and thus

   we squat on the rocks by the sea

   and play – can it be true –

   a game of poker.

   He calls me.

   I win because I hold a royal straight flush.

   He wins because He holds five aces,

   A wild card had been announced

   but I had not heard it

   being in such a state of awe

   when He took out the cards and dealt.

   As he plunks down His five aces

   and I am still grinning at my royal flush,

   He starts to laugh,

   and laughter rolling like a hoop out of His mouth

   and into mine,

   and such laughter that He doubles right over me

   laughing a Rejoice-Chorus at our two triumphs.

   Then I laugh, the fishy dock laughs

   the sea laughs. The Island laughs.

   The Absurd laughs.

   Dearest dealer,

   I with my royal straight flush,

   love you so for your wild card,

   that untamable, eternal, gut-driven ha-ha

   and lucky love.

4. Who makes you laugh? Amanda Quraishi. Check her out on social media.
5. Where do you like to go for some “time apart,” in the way that Jesus took time apart? There's a pond near my house where I go to listen to the birds.