Terrapin Station

Settling back in to Texas

Took the half day off this am to recover from yesterday's travel.  It's HOT here.  We have to use AC, can you imagine it!

I've just been to WW (and am down 1.6 lb. over the last 2 weeks) - apparently one doesn't need to count points in the magic land of Songbird!!  No, really, the glory of being away from home is that I don't seem to need to do late night compulsive eating as I do at home.  (Think about this. ..or, just go live with Songbird all the time...!!!) 

Now at Starbucks for a little lunch-coffee and then to work. 

Dogs very very happy to see me and entranced by their rawhide pretzel treats. 

I knitted several dishcloths while there.  Very satisfying and easy pattern I can do without thinking.  Blogging and knitting together, very companionable. 

We did go to a gorgeous knitting store and I bought self-striping yarn for a pair of socks - my first!  and needles.  And SB loaned me instructions.  The yarn is a glorious blue and goldy yellow and white combination that feels very Maine-y to me.  The blue is the den slipcovers where Sam and Molly recline; the gold is the ragweed on the side of the road; (which, while allergicky, is very, very pretty); the white is the sense of peace, peace, peace in Songbird's presence. 

I'll post pix of my progress as I go. 

So grateful I got to make this trip and take the down time.  And meet the family and other friends I did. 

Now off to work where I have MANY THINGS to do in preparation for next week (student pickup on the weekend and orientations in the week). 

Just heard from my Mom and her cataract surgery went well...on right eye, which was by far the worst one.  I'm hoping that this will greatly improve her eyesight, and also turn her eyes back green, the color they are SPOSE to be. ..they are blue now.   (But I'll take just the improved eyesight! and I imagine she would too!)

Loves to you all!  What have you been up to?

More from Down East

Sam and Molly welcomed us home after the LOBSTER DINNER...

 

 

In Portland

I'm here!  and I've been here since late Thursday night.  My bag is not here yet, unfortunately, but we have verbally "given the schoolteacher look" (as Mom says in the comments to my last) to the baggage lady enough that ... she is bringing it here herself. 

We'll see. 

We've had a glorious day with Ruby yesterday, and lunch with RevDrMom and The Kid!  shopping and errands and a Portland tour with the Light Princess and THE LOBSTER DINNER with Pure Luck along.  As soon as I get my bag I'll have a picture of my lobster for you.  

Yesterday was rainy...they have had so much rain that we were not able to get to Freeport as planned - roads flooded and one caved in! - but today is SUNNY!!  It is beautiful here! and so cool!

AND NOW I HAVE MY BAG, and here is that lobster! 

and I've had a shower and a new lease on life

and I'm off to the Preacher Party

bye for now... 

It's all about the relationships you build.

As I finished my prayers this morning and considered again the charmed few days that the RGBP Big Event Planning Group had together in Lawrenceville, I kept feeling tears come to my eyes.  How could I get so lucky to be involved with such an amazing group of women in ministry?  I didn't know that I hungered so for it, that I needed to know what I would learn from it, but it satisfies me in ways that nothing else does. 

My therapist says it this way, "You were ready for that connection and you opened yourself to it...and it came to you." 

You may know that for a living, I send kids on international education experiences.  In this context, I frequently quote St. Augustine:  "The world is a book, and the person who does not travel reads only one page." 

God's Christian church is the same way.  If I stayed in my Episcopalian shell all my life, I would only know that model and polity...and I'd only have my IDEAS about other denominations.  Ideas which are being proven wrong, inadequate, and lacking at every turn. 

For instance:  I never heard of the United Church of Christ before Revgals.  We don't have those much in my area.  "Church of Christ," a very popular denomination in this area, means something very, very, very, very different than UCC.  Oh golly, does it. 

"Baptist," to my uneducated mind, automatically meant "Southern Baptist."  Guess what?  There are lots of sorts of Baptist denominations.  I had a pre-conceived idea about "American Baptists," and could I have been more wrong?  Doubt it.  I am a little embarrassed to admit how ignorant I have been...I like to think of myself as an intelligent and well-read person.  Clearly, I have more learning to do! 

Another thing I say a great deal in my work is this:  "It's all about the relationships you build."  I believe this is our best hope for a peaceful future, on the theory (stolen from Senator J. William Fulbright) that if we can send people to work and learn and study together, we won't have to do so much killing of each other in the long run.  The program born out of Fulbright's dream is now 61 years old, and more than 250,000 persons have studied, learned, and built relationships across national boundaries. 

Perhaps...ecumenical groups like RG are, then, an opportunity to hope for a peaceful and united church.  I don't mean ecumenical groups with that as the primary purpose...but groups like ours that have a very specific mission:  to support and encourage women in and heading for ordained ministry.  As we work toward that mission, we create loving, supportive relationships, and learn that our differences and divisions are not so large...or that they are very large...and how can these be worked around? 

God our Father, Mother, and Brother, be with us us as we minister to your world and to each other.  Direct us in the ways that you would have us go.  Love us when we make mistakes and have kerfuffles.  Remind us why we are here. 

Thanks a lot, God. 

Sunday School is over...

As I was walking out the sliding doors of the hotel for the airport yesterday, Songbird began to sing (of course she did) and I sang along:

Sunday School is over, and we are going home,

Goodbye, goodbye, Be always good and true. 

I had to run back in and tell her that her ending was wrong.  My daddy always sings it this way:

Sunday School is over, and we are going home,

Goodbye, goodbye, Look out for the automobiles.

She tells me that, no, I have had it wrong all my life.  Jody (QG) concurs.  Daddy used to tell us they marched out of Sunday School to that song played on an upright piano when he was a boy (early 30's.)

A joke song!  More revealed about my beloved Dad every day. 

Home Again

Home from Greater Atlanta!  I did NOT get an earlier flight as I'd hoped (all oversold) and in fact my plane was delayed, so I made it home at about 8:00 p.m.  Random thoughts:

• What a difference an in-person meeting makes in terms of getting things done! 
• We have much more work to do in terms of the Big Event, but oh, y'all...it's going to be awesome.
• My husband has conked out, but not before asking how it's possible that every one of the people I met could  be "the funniest and dearest person ever!!"?
• When I meet the rest of you next year at the BE, he will be even more puzzled.
• Atlanta...too many people, too many cars. 
• Atlanta airport...they all parked and came in!  Holy cow!
• Thank you and God Bless to Songbird, St. Cass, Quotidian Grace, Cheesehead, Natalie, Will Smama, Will The Boy, Will Smama's Smama, Reverend Mommy and her family, Questing Parson, and Abi (who joined us by Skype for this morning's Board meeting). 

Off to bed. 

RevGalsMomPals Meetup!

My extended family is now bigger, thanks to RevGals!

Here are Cathy's Mom Joe Ann, Cathy, me, and my Mom!  We are in a funny restaurant called "Hog Wild" in Carrabelle, Florida (I am not making this up).  We ate a delicious buffet of southern fried things and including cheese grits, turnip greens, meat balls, fried chicken, BBQ chicken, ETC. 

Our moms had crossed paths briefly in Tallahassee in the early 60's, and while they didn't know each other then, they know a lot of the same people.  "Old Home Week."

A million million thanks to Cathy for making the loooong drive again!

Great fun!  Woohoo! 

Meetup Pix!

Woohoo!  Finally, here are photos from the Big RevDog Meetup last weekend!

Here you have me and Amy (The Dogblogger) on my front porch.

Here are Angus and Cub, resting in the cool shade.  Angus is hiding very sneakily, don't you think?

Here are blurry Boudreaux and Josie sitting on the porch.  Stay away from our porch, big dogs! 

What a fun afternoon we had!  Thanks for coming up, guys!

RevGalDogPal Meetup!

Josie and Boudreaux say: 

Yesterday we had the particular pleasure of having The DogBlogger and RevPalDogs Cub and Angus come to Denton to meet us and our mom!  We went together to the Dog Days of Denton Festival, possibly the funniest and funnest thing we have in this funny, fun town.  Definitely OUR favorite thing!  There is water at all the booths, dog treats, dog clothes and hats (we don't like those...)

I (Josie) wore my tiny bandana that says, "Hi, My Name is NO NO BAD DOG!"  Boudreaux went commando.  Cub and Angus wore beautiful bandanas.  They are BIG DOGS.  I thought it would be great if I tried to eat Cub.  Mom didn't think so.  She wouldn't let me even bark at them (when she could stop me, heh heh heh). 

Many of the "events" are in the morning...like the dog parade, and the SpokesDog contest, and  Pet Tricks, and Dog Singing Contest.  So we didn't see those.  But we got to see MANY people and MANY MANY Dogs.  Dogs are what is important in this festival, don't you get it!? 

We saw a little Bernese like Songbird's Molly! 

Chihuahuas!  Lhasas!  Great Danes!  Rottweilers, Goldens, Cockers, Jack Russells, Heelers, Pekes, Mutts! 

Mom and Amy ate fair food and talked and got hot and walked around.  We let all the people look at us, and we let some of the dogs smell us.  (You know what I mean.)  Mostly we stood very close together!!!  We are small, but together we are 13 pounds of very fierce canine!  That look like mops.

We saw rescue groups for everything from Pugs to Great Pyrenees.  There is a Great Pyrenees named Shariff who has broken front legs!  He has enormous casts on them!  (his legs are enormous too, and hey, so is he!)  His rescue friend people have spent over $7,000 so far to help him.  The lady asked us if we would like to contribute to the costs, and told us we could also do that on their website.  She also asked us to tell all our friends.  I bet she didn't think Mom would do it! 

For a complicated reason, Mom says she can't download the pix of US, DogBlogger, Cub and Angus until this afternoon.  But I will snargle her until she does, and then you can see us having fun together!