Toe socks for my Five Finger shoes.  In the warmer weather I don't wear socks but when it gets cold....  And now with the wet snow on the ground, I can't wear the Five Finger shoes; I wear my furry lined Crocs.  I still wear the toe socks though.
 

SUNDAY CROSSWORD

 

 
Here it is Sunday again.  And every Sunday I dutifully take out the puzzle page, fold it just so, put it down on the table, and -- look at it.  Then I look at LAST weeks puzzle, which, by the way this one is.  I don't get very far with Sunday's Crosswords.  I do Monday through Wednesday pretty thoroughly.  Thursday and Friday, not so much.  Saturday is pretty iffy too.  Sunday is my greatest challenge.

My sister, Jacquie, does ALL of the Sunday Crossword.  With very little or no help from Google.  She has a store of facts -- current, obscure, and historical -- and is aware of all the nuances and subtleties that are inherent in the clues.  Our dad did crosswords.  For as far back as I can remember.  Jacquie had the privilege of sharing the morning crossword adventure with him for many years.  I suppose it must have been a "bonding" time for them.  I am a little jealous of that, but I am so happy that she has those memories of their time together.
 

STILL CHRISTMAS

 

It is still "Christmas" at our house.  It is Saturday.  The sun is shining.  There are great piles of snow everywhere.  I am lovin' it all. 

The weather gurus and the media hype mongers are warning about the next snow to come that will dump another ten to eighteen inches of snow.  Already the masses are moaning and groaning about the inconveniences of it all.  BRING IT ON!!!  Let's enjoy it.  Let's savor it.  It will be here such a short time.  Then we can enjoy spring and all of it's wonders -- like the endless rain that people are then going to be complaining about.

Why is it that what we have is never just right?  Not round enough, not warm enough.  Not soft enough, not sunny enough.  What is that about us anyway?  Let's just enjoy the day.  Enjoy the moment.  Whatever it is will be different soon.  And that will be another challenge for enjoyment.
 

IT'S FRIDAY

 

Connecticult is still digging out from underneath the snow.  It is the main topic of conversation everywhere.  Everyone has a story to tell  -- and so willing to tell it. 

Would that we were so willing to tell other stories, stories of our lives, faith stories, stories about how we deal with prayer and God and forgiveness and all that stuff.  But we don't.  We can tell the snow stories, but the stories that are at the core of our being seem difficult to tell. 

 At Grace Episcopal Church we are learning to tell our stories.  We have created a friendly environment that is non-threatening and trusting.  It becomes a comfortable atmosphere in which to share our stories.  We are not judgmental and we honor confidentiality.  Our stories are who we are and by sharing them we share ourselves.  Our collective stories are the stories of the people of God and unite us as the People of God.
 

... AND YET AGAIN

 

This is what I can see from the upstairs back window.  Cupid is underneath there somewhere.  I hope he is well insulated and comes back to us still smiling with wonder after the thaw.  This has been amazing.  Later I hope to get a picture of Gabriel out between the front walk banks of snow.
 

... AND MORE SNOW

 

Tomorrow morning's snow arrived TODAY!!!  I had a seven AM appointment at the dentist.  When I came out at eight thirty it was SNOWING!!  I was glad that I could drive home and just stay in for the rest of the day.  Being semi-retired allows for some benefits.  Wednesday is NOT my day to work.

So, two froached eggs, two pieces of white toast with butter, and some good coffee.  An hour and a half in the dentist chair does deserve reward.  Read the paper.  Checked e-mail.  Snow.  Snow.  Snow.  Some times thick, fat clumps.  Sometimes big flakes.  Constant, though.  By the time I decided to take some pictures of the garden cupid, I had to shovel the deck.  All this beautiful, amazing snow.

Now onto the daily puzzles and some "Tell Me More" Spanish.  Life is good!
 

SNOW IN CONNECTICUT -- AGAIN

 

Ah, more snow.  Beautiful clean white snow.  Soft.  Fluffy.  This must be where the saying 'pure as the driven snow' comes from.  Except that this isn't driven, it is just drifting gently down on top of what was already there.  Covering up whatever sins lie there.  Giving us a clean slate.  Purifying our world.  Giving us the promise of a newer, better day.
 

ACCOLADES FOR LOIS

   

Lois Keen in one of the most amazing women that I have ever had the privilege to know.  She is the Priest-In-Charge at Grace Episcopal Church, Norwalk.  Would that she could be named 'rector' but we just don't seem to have the financial advantage for that -- right now.  But she leads us as a completely viable parish of whom she is proud to serve and to whom she gives her all.  See her above as she celebrates the Eucharist this past Sunday -- yesterday, Epiphany 3.
 

Unfortunately, our director of Music fell this week and is concussed and must rest to heal.  Lois steps in at the piano to lead the music.  And lent her voice to the choir in order to lead the congregation in song -- harmony on the odd verses, I might add.
     

After the service we held our Annual Meeting.  Lois gave a superbly inspired address encouraging us to look forward and ......
  

"CHOOSE LIFE" 

 

 

Photos by Jeffri

SNOW IN CONNECTICUT

 
 

Yesterday morning at five thirty when I took Gabriel out for his first walk, the snow was squeaky under my boots.  Cold.  Pretty cold for us close to Long Island Sound here on the southern edge of Connecticut.  Below ten is cold for us these days.  Used to be that it got a LOT colder -- not these days.  No more driving across Holly Pond as the 'old timers' used to tell us.  Just squeaky cold.

It is cool in the house.  The thermostat is set at sixty-six and this is a constant source of contention.  Mind you that in the summer seventy six is a source of contention.  I believe in adding and discarding layers of clothing as the temperature requires.  Bill believes in creature comfort on his own terms.  I have been elected to do the finances; I win the thermostat battle. 

This is still the middle of January and people are complaining.  Grumble, grumble, grumble.  The same people complain about the heat and humidity of summer.  Grumble, grumble, grumble.  The day is to be enjoyed.  We can grumble or we can accept what is.  I choose, mostly, to enjoy what is.  Not always.  Mostly.

 

AND ALL THE WIVES SAID "AMEN"

 
 

There are volumes that I could rant about this.  I think Blondie has said it all.  It is just that sometimes I feel that love isn't enough.  And then I feel badly about myself.  But not enough badly that it lasts until the next time that love is called upon to rise to the occasion.

 
 

IT'S FRIDAY!

           

There is something about Fridays that make them milestones for me.  Especially at five o'clock.  Fulfilling my work week; facing three days of whatever I want to make of them.  Usually nothing, but then nothing is something in my world.  My weeks seem to be packed with too much of somethings and having the time for nothing suits me just fine. 

This Friday is especially good because there are no Saturday obligations coming up.  A free flowing day.  Sunday, not so much as it will be theChurch's Annual pre Annual Meeting Budget Review, followed by the regular ten o'clock service, followed by the Annual Meeting.  So I'm not going to even consider Sunday until Sunday morning.  I will enjoy Saturday when I get to it.  And as for today?  Well, I'll just be the best I can be.......

 
  

PROGRESS??

Any is some.  A second trip to Home Depot is needed.  All the right tools, not all the right parts.  And when a project like this gets going it develops into one more problem and then one more and then one more.  The plumbing is twenty five years old.  One wonders if we get replaced what is out in the open and obvious, what might be happening within the walls.
 
 

SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!

Doesn't life have a way of sneaking up on us and giving us agida?  Like this discovery of mine this morning as I was putting supplies away under the bathroom sink.  AND this looks like it has been going on for a while.  There is UNrepairable damage to the chip board base.  It is all crumbly and swollen.  Water does that.  Water creeps in and does a LOT of damage.  It has corroded the piping.  Actually rotted it away.  WOW!  How does water do that?
 
 

JOY

PULLEEEEZE!!!

Some days it feels as though I am in over my head.  Some days it is like, leave me alone, I don't want to do anything.  Some days I wish that the day would just disappear and come back as tomorrow.  Maybe because my Spanish essay is due this evening?
 
 

IF IT'S SUNDAY ......

... it must be worship.  So where WAS everyone this beautiful, sunny, Sunday morning?  There were a total of thirty people there today -- and that is counting clergy, choir, altar party and organist. 

Something has happened to our feeling about church attendance.  I attend because the community worship rounds out my private worship of the week.  It confirms my connection with God through this community of worship.  Not so with others, I guess.

We had one young person today.  Our new acolyte in training.  So where were all the others?  The streets are cleared of snow.  The temperatures are well above freezing.  What's going on?

Obviously there are other needs, of which I am not aware. 

PROCRASTINATION

Too long have I been dilly dallying with this assignment.  Four weeks ago our Spanish teacher announced that one, no more English, only Spanish; two, that in three weeks we would have written an essay in Spanish to be read in class; and three, there would be a test on verb tenses the week after that. 

Well, the first of these didn't happen, at least for me.  I have a very limited Spanish vocabulary, am just catching on to the verb tense thing, and I don't seem to be able to hear what I do know.  Thankfully, the others are very patient with me and with a lot of coaching and a lot of praise and encouragement from our instructor, I struggle through the oral stuff.  My pronunciation is good, I just can't recall vocabulary quickly.

And the essay?  Really, what a difficult thing.  I did one sentence, then another, then another.  Okay, that's a paragraph.  Then I made the mistake of Googling 'essay' and found that there is actually a formal essay format.  Five parts.  There is NO WAY this essay of mine is going to have five parts.  I am going to be lucky to construct three.

I'm not even going to have three if I just don't get at it......................

IT'S FRIDAY

Friday is my only scheduled eight to five work day -- Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, all day Friday.  This is a doctors' office.  We work with the 'public.'  That means people.  Many people.  Nutty people.  Cranky people.  People hurting and frantic and worried and sometimes not rational. A LOT of the time not rational.

It is trying to maintain civility when being bombarded with negativity -- from the outside and sometimes from the inside.  Friday's can be nuts.  Going in with a positive attitude is helpful.  sometimes that isn't enough.  Sometimes it is.

Five o'clock does come.  The doors are locked.  The lights go out.  We go home. 

YESTERDAY'S SNOW ....

OOPS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JEFF

One of the highlights of my life is my son Jeff -- formally Jeffri -- born January 12, 1960.   We have had our ups and downs and our in and outs, but if I had to choose someone to be stuck with on an elevator, it would be Jeff.  If I had to choose someone to share a deserted island, it would be Jeff.  If I had to trust my life to someone, it would be Jeff.  Well, you get the idea.  He is clever, intelligent, innovative, creative, loyal, honest -- well, I'm his mother, I could go on and on. 

What I like most about Jeff is that we work well together.  He seems to be able to anticipate my need and supply it, but stays out out of the way if he sees I can do it on my own.   We can agree to disagree.  We accept who the other person is, even as that is changing.  He is supportive even if he doubts my position or motivation.  And he plays games -- word games, board games, puzzle games.  Jeff is a fun person.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JEFF

BRING IT ON

Snow is one of the beautiful wonders in my life.  Each snowfall a unique entity to be savored.  As the snow blankets the neighborhood, I walk from window to window observing all the new patterns and designs.  New photo opportunities.  New driving adventures -- learning to be a safe driver.  Or no driver at all if that is the better way to go.  Read Jeff's take on the coming storm here.

Being semi-retired I have the privilege of settling in and being an observer.  I don't really HAVE to go out in the snow.  I have done my snow time in the past -- walking my mile or so to school is Chicago where there was NEVER a closing for snow.  Shoveling.  Yes, I have shoveled tons of snow.  Was probably good for me at the time.  Now?  I let the younger ones do the work while I walk from window to window and delight in all that beautiful white snow.

TOO MANY MEs

Sometimes I feel like there are many parts of me -- each part seeking its own knowledge, or creativity, or task, or desire, or mission, or ministry.  One not necessarily coordinated with any other one.  All trying to do something, be something.  All wanting to be part of the whole and not quite knowing how to do it.  In close proximity one to another, the parts are not isolated.  There are overlaps, underneaths, next tos, and upons; some are in touch with many other parts, some only a few.

All these different areas of my life are fun and challenging and keep me alert and seeking and absorbing all kinds of new 'stuff.'  Once in a while it gets to be too much, too many different directions to go and things to do.  Panic sets in.  That is when I have to decide which of the areas of interest upon which to concentrate -- right now.  Let the others recede in to the background for a bit.  Try not to be too fragmented.  Try to coordinate the many different areas into a kind of harmony. 

Life is fun -- even if complicated.

SUNDAY WORSHIP

Two baptisms at Grace this morning.  One a baby in arms, one about three years old.  Beautiful Latino girls welcomed into the body of Christ .  Lots of Latino friends and relatives.  It seems like we, at Grace Episcopal Church in Norwalk, are burying many of our Anglo parishioners and baptising babies from young Latino families. 

When Grace Church merges with Iglesia Betania we will be more Latino than anything else.  Our priest, Lois, is learning Spanish to better serve the Latino faction.  A handful,  a small handful, of us are trying to learn Spanish in an effort to show our good will.  I put it this way because I am so slow to learn and will probably never really get to be able to speak it very well -- but I try.  Others are doing better.  Lois is doing VERY well.  In fact today she is filling in for the Betania priest missioner and celebrating at their one o'clock service.

At three-thirty a delegation each from Betania and Grace will do a walk-through of the entire Grace Church plant that we now share.  There is much needed work to do.  We will list the needs, prioritize, and formulate a plan to do the work.

This is one way that people from different cultures and individual backgrounds can learn to be together peacefully and harmoniously in the love of Christ.

ROSEMARY AND "TIME"

Snow came to Connecticut yesterday and it was one of those wet, heavy, beautiful snows that lies heavily on the tree branches and changes the landscape into a fairyland.  The kind of snow that creates a hushed and peaceful world.  Only I wasn't in the hushed and peaceful world.  I was at work fielding phone calls from patients who were mostly not taking responsibility for themselves.  I hate that.  We are trained to be patient and understanding and kind and listening and helpful.  Well, OK, I can do that.  And I do do that.  But it does take its toll.  It wears me out.  It drains the compassion right out of me.

And then work was over after darkness had fallen.  I was tired, came home, had supper, finished the novel I was reading.  Went to bed.  Slept well.  Awakened refreshed.  Awakened late and refreshed.  Errands to run.  Stuff to do.  Time.  Where is all that childhood time that went on and on and on forever?  Not n my life.  Not now anyway. 

There are just too many things that I want to do piled on top of the things that I have to do.  And then time seems to fold in upon itself.  Plus, being the nut that I am, I am constantly adding in new things that I want to do and then the have to do things go wanting and then life gets to be hectic and time spirals down upon me.

Relax, Barbara, take a deep breath, enjoy the snow.  Time will take care of itself.

IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!!

If we can't laugh about it,

we shoulda stayed in bed.

CHRISTMAS SCENTS

As I get older, I seem to be more sensitive to scents.  I have always loved the smell of lavender and used to keep a bar of Yardley's Old English Lavender soap in with my hankies.  That, of course, dates back to the time when women actually carried handkerchiefs in their purses.  Shows how old I am.  The scent of that lavender was so whimsical even fairy-like for me.  Still is for that matter.

I am oppressed by the smell unclean old bodies.  Why is it that old people forget all the hygiene they have ever been taught?  My stomach retches with frig food that has turned white/yellow/green and slimy.  And butt smell is just about the worst personal odor possible.  BABY WIPES to the rescue!

Christmas used to be the smell of fresh pine greens in the house, but we don't do that any more.  In lieu of that the scented Christmas candle now must suffice.  OR the melted wax stuff that comes in little disks and melts in warmers of various sorts.  I do all of this stuff.  BUT, I don't burn candles.  The candle above I have had for years and it smells as wonderful today as it did new.  And, of course, I have more than one:  the pictured one is right next to me on the dining room table, one next next to my bed, one on the upstairs bookcase.  And two disc warmers, one for the bathroom and one for the dining room -- to enhance the unlit candle.

Oh, I so enjoy these piney, winter scents and hang on to them until way into the first month of the new year.  And what of after Christmas?  Well, then I have lavender and sage -- my favorite non-Christmas scent.

JUMBLE AGGREVATION



Every morning I work the daily Jumble and Celebrity Cipher puzzles.  I also do the Newsday Crossword which falls below Celebrity Cipher and Sudoku which is situated above the Jumble.  Sometime last spring, the Stamford Advocate, in their infinite 'wisdom,' reorganized their offerings, establishing an "Advice/Games" page.  (I don't consider puzzles games, but that's a whole other issue.)

This rearrangement as you can see above, squishes the Jumble, making squat ovals into which one must squeeze answer letters.  And it is quite obvious that the reason for this is the additional spacing in the Celebrity Cipher area.  I mean it is SO obvious.

I  contacted the editor at that time.  And then again, and yet again - all told, three times in May, once each in June, July, August, and then again today.  I have had token responses with noises about trying to fix it.  Now, usually in a situation like this, what gets messed up can get UNmessed.  The editor says that it is because of how it is being 'pulled' into the newspaper.  Yeah, right.  Perhaps if they looked at the formatting, they would see the problem and be able to correct it.  OR maybe they do not have the background and knowledge.  OR maybe they just don't care.

FOOD FOR THE ROAD

I needed an extra boost to face this day.

Yesterday just didn't work out as planned.  My bank's on line bill pay system was down -- all day.  That threw me for a loop.  Then an expected phone call was late coming in so that our planned 'lunch' out got turned into a blupper.  Whole Foods didn't have anything that enticing so we opted for sausage, onion, and pepper grinders at Costco.  THEN we did the Costco shopping.

Last evening when I was at Spanish class I realized that I was way far behind.  Haven't been studying.  Have almost forgotten what I already thought I had learned.  AND we were confronted with a "Spanish ONLY" scenario which threw me into a panic.  Then on top of that, our instructor announced that an essay would be due in two weeks.  ESSAY???!!!  I can't even put a sentence together for crying out loud.  So, eggs and toast to feed my brain.  Also needed for my first day back to work after all this off time.

I'm going to be really busy.

BACK TO REALITY

And so here we are, post-holiday, floundering with the realities of the world:  the first of the month bill-paying; cleaning out last years financial stuff and filing it away; compiling the January newsletter that is already overdue; posting the schedule for the week and finding it a little crowded; trying to avoid the leftover calories and not being very successful; and on and on it goes.  All in all it seems same ol', same 'ol.

And yet it is not.  There is a difference in the air.  A renewed vigor to meet the challenges.  New hope that we will learn new things; meet new people; share more; be more. 

Our William

January 1, 2011

4:43 a.m.

7 pounds, 11 ounces

happy new year

dawn came

the smile of God

the warmth of God's love

hope for the new day