Don’t flay the sheep.

I might be a work-a-holic: Sign # 136

I had a few things to pull together for a youth group meeting this evening, so I got to church around 4 and got busy. At 5:30, I put a microwave dinner in and went back to my office to get a bit more done in the 5 minutes of cooking time. The meeting started at 7. At 7:30, I realized I had left the dinner in the microwave. Either I’m really scatterbrained, or I might be a work-a-holic.

Don’t worry, though…I did eat dinner. I put the container back in its box and took it home. It responded really well to reheating.

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The Leaves Are Down

 

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Quick update

Yes, folks, I have made it to the other side of 30 safely. It’s just been another insane couple of weeks, paired with limited computer access.  A few updates:

1. No more 20s for me. I am proud to say that I have again made it to another age-milestone with incredibly naturally blonde hair. I also hope the new digit gives me a little more credibility sometimes. However, at presbytery yesterday, I did find myself at lunch with the other under-40 pastors referring to people older than us as “adults”.
2. In fact, I haven’t been absent from blogging as long as it seems. I’ve got this magnificent post on my knitting projects sitting in my editing bin, but I haven’t posted it because the pictures are all wonky. It was a case of Erik getting in a grand I-told-you-so. As I worked on the post, he pointed out the myriad ways I was doing it wrong, and when I tried to post it, it was a mess. So, I have to go in and fix the pictures.
3. My parents moved. Not far away, but to a new condo. Farther from where we live, closer to where Erik works. The trade-off: lake views and its in the neighborhood we wished we lived in, close to where we used to live. This is not throwing me for too much of a loop, though. As a pastor’s kid, a veteran of 2 parsonages (I word I will always like better than the Presbyterian-preferred “manse” which sounds snooty to me), I’ve never felt like my parents physical surroundings are home, but where they live is home. Now I can really, officially say Chicago is home because my parents live within city limits.
4. Zora and I are enjoying a few isolated days of time without Erik.  (Otherwise known as my grand social experiment in being a single mom with a full time job.) He’s got a week of big Ph.D stuff going on, so he’s moved in with my Mom. Yesterday, I actually worked a full day and took Zora along for all of it. She’s a trooper: she managed most of a presbytery meeting, 2 hours of administrative tasks at church, and an evening Bible study. Her presence at presbytery was a gift because we had something of a sticky discussion and she provided levity by being cute, playing with anyone who would look at her, and rushing the speakers’ microphone during one of the more heated moments of the debate. This was her 3rd presbytery meeting.
5. Actually, as I write, Zora and I are cheating a little: I took a couple days off this week, too, knowing that the single mom thing would get a little tough, and we drove into the city to stay at my parents’ place with Erik for the night. So, you could feel sorry for me, but right now Erik is giving her supper and I am sitting in the Eames chair typing this with a view of the lake.

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Grrrrr!

Zora does three animals sounds now.

Elephants were first (see my previous post).

Next came dogs (she prefers a gutteral “woof, woof” without too much “f” on the end).

And, a few weeks ago, Auntie Anna brought her a little bear and taught her to say “grrrrrr”.

I love it that she takes delight in animals. We all should do that more often.

In that spirit, take a look at these amazing photographs.

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RevGalBlogPals: A pumpkin/apple Friday Five

I haven’t done this in awhile and there’s not much else I feel like writing about (or, feel free to write about!).

1. How did you celebrate this time of year when you were a child?

Costumes and trick-or-treating. We made our costumes. OK, my Mom made our costumes. (Hi, Mom!) Even though a lot of people were beginning to buy the costume ready-made, we did some pretty elaborate work, but usually with stuff we had around the house.

Since I grew up in rural New York, apple picking and hay rides were also a big thing. Often on REAL farms.

And, since I raised by one of the world’s most interesting and devoted Calvinists (Hi, Dad!), Reformation Sunday was also a big deal. One year, we did a skit about indulgences. It turned into a legendary incident in our church involving a crushed mouse.

2. Do you and/or your family “celebrate” Halloween? Why or why not? And, if you do, has it changed from what you used to do?

I did buy Zora a little costume ($5 at a resale place, cheaper than I could make one): an elephant since it is her funniest animal noise (she holds her lips together and makes a tight raspberry sound). It will fit her this year with the legs and sleeves tucked up, and should fit her next year, too. We’re not sure we’re going to do anything for Halloween with her. We might drive a few suburbs over and take her to my grandparents and aunts and uncles. But, if we don’t do anything, we can just use the costume again next year.

Erik and I have gone for several years to the most awesome halloween party that friends of ours throw, but we might not make it–it’s a Saturday night, 2 hours drive into the city, and I’ve got to be at church the next morning early.

3. Candy apples: do you prefer red cinnamon or caramel covered? Or something else?

Carmel, all the way. Better yet with chocolate.

4.  Pumpkins: Do you make Jack O’Lanterns? Any ideas of what else to do with them?

I haven’t done this in a couple of years, but I can’t wait to do it soon.

Last week, my head of staff pastor took the confirmation class for me (God bless him…), and was teaching them about Christian symbols. On a whim, he tells me, he brought them each a pumpkin and they carved traditional Christian symbols into them. Syncretism at its best!

5. Do you decorate your home for  fall or Halloween? If so, what do you do. Bonus points for pictures.

We live in a run-down old house 3 blocks from a river. This means we have bugs everywhere. That means we have spiders the size of small mice everywhere. If we don’t sweep the cobwebs off our porch once a week, it looks like a Halloween display.

That said, what ON EARTH are some people thinking? There’s someone in my area who has a display in their front yard that includes a realistic severed head with a small electric fountain cycling red water out of the severed neck. Yuck. Things are out of control, people.

5. Do you like pretending to be something different? Does a costume bring out an alternate personality?

I’ll let CS Lewis answer this one (from Mere Christianity, “Let’s Pretend”):

What is the good of pretending to be what you are not? …you know, there are two kinds of pretending. There is the bad kind, where the pretence is there instead of the real thing…But there is also a good kind, where the pretence leads up to the real thing. When you are not feeling particularly friendly, but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, is to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are…Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start bahaving as if you already had it. That is why children’s games are so important. They are always pretending to be grown-ups–playing soldiers, playing shop. But all the time, they are hardening their muscles and sharpening their wits so that the pretence of being grown-up helps them to grow up in earnest…the moment you realise, ‘Here I am, dressing up as Christ,’ it is extremely likely that you will see at once come way in which at that moment the pretnse could be made less of a pretence and more of a reality…The Christ Himself, the Son of God who is [hu]man (just like you) and God (just like his Father) is actually already at your side and is already at that moment beginning to turn your pretence into a reality.

Bonus Recipe: Well, it’s not apple or pumpkin, but it is Squash.

I love pureed butternut squash. It’s so easy and so yummy.

Cut one in half, remove the seeds, put it in the oven, cut sides down on a greased sheet, bake at 400 until a skewer goes through easily.

Scoop out the squash and put the chunks in a blender or food processor. Two very different options:

Thyme and Parmesan: Blend the squash with grated parmesan and  dried thyme to taste. Use a little milk to get things moving in the blender if you have to.

Chipotle: Blend the squash with a teaspoon (less or more to taste) of the sauce from one of those little jars of canned chipotle peppers and with a squeeze of lime juice.

Happy fall, everyone!

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Saying (without timidity) what young female preachers already know…

Thank you to Mary for pointing out a great article and putting this into words.

And, thank you to Mary for preaching and teaching this in a place where a female preaching voice is desperately needed.

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If you were born, pay attention!!!

This is important. It’s a no-brainer. I read this article in the paper yesterday and was slapping my forehead by the time I got through it.

Go here for more information.

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A few random observations and questions

1. Why do clothes for babies have pockets? Honestly, what would they put in there?

2. Wearing velvet is a lot like having a pregnant belly, in that people want to touch you. Some people ask and some people don’t. But, take note: Somehow, touching a velvet coat is a little less threatening that touching a pregnant belly.

3. When do babies learn to put away toys? Even though we really don’t have that many toys for her, it’s amazing the disaster-area that Zora can create.

4. My bedroom just never seems to get organized. I spend a hour in there working hard, and it’s worse. I’m worried that this might be hereditary.

5. Is there any minister out there who has actually really read thoroughly all the books on their shelves. Wait, if you are that minister, don’t tell me, because it’ll just make me feel bad.

I think a knitting post is coming in the next few days.

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Early Detection

I’m a big fan of the ultrasound and medical technology in general. I know they can be overused, and I know all the medical stuff around pregnancy can be invasive. But, in my pregnancy, although I should have been a super-low-risk-woman, an ultrasound revealed something that could have been very dangerous if we weren’t aware of it.

However, the idea of screening with ultrasounds scares me.  October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. When you have a few minutes,  read this excellent reflection by a parent waiting for ultrasound results.

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Check this out

Start your October right—with a bunch of young clergy women. That’s right—we’re a rare breed, female clergy under 40, but we’re fun to be around.

On October 1, The Young Clergy Women Project (funded by the Louisville Institute) is launching a new e-zine, Fidelia’s Sisters. Check it out—a whole gaggle of articles written by young female pastors (at least one of whom’s blog you read…)

Oh, and if you are a young clergy woman yourself, submit something to us!!! We need you, because we have to start publishing new stuff soon!!!!

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