Half a month later...

Whew.
What a month.
My Dad and Aunt Jewel
came to visit for a whole week.
Thanksgiving we had sixteen people
at supper time
packed in the dining room and kitchen.
Six of them were twelve years old and under.
I hope the memories
will be a treasure to them,
as my own memories
of houses packed with family
at holiday gatherings
continue to be for me.
Sunday I got to preach
in the new sanctuary.
This week I am just catching my breath
after the whirlwind of family
and food
and fun.
I missed being with the crowd
at Grandmother's farm
in Florida.
But I was pleased to discover
that I can make oyster dressing
and that traditions continue
even as the faces and the places change.













In south Georgia, this would be considered a blizzard.

Pakistan Earthquake

Sunday night the program Sixty Minutes had a report on the earthquake in Pakistan that occurred October 8th. The earthquake hasn't gotten much press compared to the Tsunami or Hurricane Katrina, but it was much, much worse. The United Nations calls it the biggest humanitarian disaster they've ever faced. Around 90,000 are dead. Three million people don't have shelter, and winter, harsh winter is coming.

I've researched ways to donate, and have decided to go through the United Methodist church, not because of my background, but because 95% or more of donations go directly to the cause. Administrative costs are paid through church donations, so relief donations go to relief.

Doctors Without Borders is also working on this disaster. 85.4% of donations go to programs, so this is also a great way to give.

United Methodist Committee on Relief

Doctors Without Borders

For more research on charitable causes and how much bang you get for your buck, check out the Better Business Bureau.

Anticipation

My dad and his sister
might come to see me for a week.
If they do, they'll get here Saturday.
Still too early to tell
if they'll change their minds.

Sunday
we will have Sunday School
and worship
in our new church
for the first time.

Next Thursday is Thanksgiving.

I'm looking forward
to the weekend
and the following week.

It makes this week
seem to tick by
more slowly than usual.

Moving & Raking Day

Ah, almost too tired to type.
My arms feel like spaghetti
only with a bit more sore
...both muscle sore and
big honking bruise sore.

But what a lovely feeling
to set up rooms
in the new church building.
(Well, new to us.
'Twas built in 1926, I think.)

Thankfully, moving
was interrupted
by childcare responsibilites
so other people
could have a shot at moving things.

I got to sit in the sunshine
later in the afternoon
with brilliant blue skies above
and balmy late summer weather (?)
while two girls ran
joyfully about the playground.
Restful to my arms and spirit.

Don't know why we're having
this weather, this time of year,
but it was GORGEOUS
for moving
and for raking leaves.

The youngest next door
was having a grand time
jumping in leaf piles.

I think everyone in Asheville
raked today.

Despite the summer weather,
we moved from fall
to fell
this week.

Back from the Beach

Apologies for not having pictures
of the sunset
the white sand
the hundreds of sand dollars
the clear cool water.

I left my camera in the car
two hours away from the beach
when I carpooled with June.
(I left my toothbrush, too,
but bought another
at the grocery store.)

Just know it was perfect weather
and picture perfect scenery,
and all was well with my three friends.
An oasis time...
usually at least one of us
is in crisis or transition.

The calm before the storm, perhaps.

Now I'm home.

Work is topsy turvy
with administrative transitions
and we'll be a chaplain short
by the end of the week.

Ernie the cat
is growling at me.
I think he has the feline dementia.

But so it goes.
I'll put my feet up now,
just for a few minutes...
close my eyes,
and play my internal films
of walks on the beach
and laughter
with my friends.

On Turning 39

I've always liked numbers divisible by three.
They seemed magical to me
when I was a child learning math.
Add the digits together
and divide by three...
So...one thousand two hundred and forty five
leads us to add: one plus two plus four plus five
which equals twelve.
Twelve is divisible by three...
and so we know that one thousand two hundred and forty five
is divisible by three.
Thirty nine--
a number elegant in its threeness.
Three and three times three...
Not a bad place to be in life, either.
Old enough to have a few grains of wisdom
and young enough that
my bones and joints and innards
and my basic mental cogs
still usually function.