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.