This morning I was checking Facebook for a reply to a message I had sent when I saw the first indication of the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. Shortly after that I began receiving a series of phone calls from friends and colleagues here to ask about Mom and my family in general. While Connecticut is not a big state, Newtown is about 45 minutes or so from where my mother lives. Even so, it was taking place in an area where friends live, where I have been many, many times.
For the remainder of the day I kept a local Connecticut TV station on the Internet to hear what was going on whenever I was in my office. The news continued to get worse with each passing hour. The only thing worse than the facts was the speculation. Worse than the speculation was the erroneous information. And then came the unwarranted social media attacks on anyone with the same name as the misidentified shooter.
Before we have even begun to grasp the full extent of what happened the traditional and social media are falling all over themselves to try and figure out what motivated the alleged shooter to do what he did. Before we have even begun to have all the facts traditional and social media are ramping up the gun control debate.
STOP IT! Just stop all of it. There are more important things to do first.
Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more. [Jeremiah 31:15]
Friday, December 14, 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The Yankee Marks the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
This year December 12 falls on 12/12/12, the last time this kind of repeated date will happen in this century. You can find all sorts of information about today's date all over the Internet, including ties to the Mayan calendar and the supposed end of the world nine days from how. Lots of nonsense for the superstitious. Of course, many people, including Christians, would call belief in appearances of the Virgin Mary superstitious. Is it superstition, or is it faith? I don't believe it much matters. This particular visitation by Mary has a significance for the Americas, and probably the world, that should be noted. She appeared to Juan Diego, a mestizo--a person of mixed race--as a mestizo. In fact, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the only depiction of Mary as a person of color in all of Latin America and even the world. If you want to learn a bit more about Our Lady of Guadalupe, you can read my sermon given at Grace Church Norwalk two years ago.
That year the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe fell on a Sunday, which is why I was preaching that day. This is the first Advent in a number of years that I will not be preaching on the Third Sunday of Advent. This is the first Advent in almost 30 years that I have not had a church community to walk with through this season of waiting and watching. I'm doing a lot of waiting and watching as I search for a new parish in my new community.
Some things that I'm accustomed to doing will take place this year. The group of friends with whom I've celebrated the Winter Solstice/Christmas/Hanukkah/whatever for the last few years will be gathering again on Saturday. While I won't be there in person, we will be having dessert and opening presents via Skype. It seems appropriate that Rachel and I spent time this evening, December 12, 2012, testing out the Skype app on my smart phone. It's not perfect, but it should do the trick. Now if we could just develop Transporter technology...
And now for a small bit of fun. Take a look at the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on my cards in the photo above. Do you notice anything? Below is another picture of the icon done in sand. I found it in several places on the web with no attribution. Compare it to the rubber stamp image, and you should find the answer. Hint: It's not the colors. Some of my cards are done with the more traditional colors, and some are not.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
The Yankee Celebrates St. Nicholas Day
For now I'll sip my glass of egg nog and enjoy my decorated apartment.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
The Yankee Hangs Pictures
I'd seen the InstaHang advertised on TV, and I briefly looked at it weeks ago at Bed Bath and Beyond. It wasn't outrageously expensive, so I picked it up. It works! At least it works on wallboard and studs. It doesn't work so well on concrete, which comprises a significant portion of my available wall space. I'll need to talk to the facilities folks on campus when it comes time to hang pictures there. When I have pictures to hang.
I don't have much in terms of photos and such to hang: a portrait of my parents, one of my brother's kids, two pictures from my summer in Germany, a photo of the ship of my first Windjammer cruise, my Education for Ministry certificate, and two unframed, signed Jamie Hayes prints. It took less than 30 minutes to hang the five photos and the certificate--the ship and the certificate in my office and the rest in my entry area. I know just where I want to hang the prints, but they need frames first. I also want to find one of the Monet Rouen Cathedral prints for the living room.
Why did it take over six months to hang pictures? In part I didn't, and still don't, have a clear concept for my living room. It also means a commitment to a place. Putting holes in the wall makes a statement about intention, "I'm going to be here for a while." I moved into my last apartment intending only to stay a short while and ended up living there for over seven years. I never hung anything on the walls. In fact, I didn't hang anything on the walls of my two apartments before that one. Neither of them was meant to be long-term either.
Putting holes in the wall seems a bit like putting down roots. Seems? Can you see the hesitation? I came down here to take a new job. Six months in, I'm still learning the job as it is and as it will be, but it's starting to feel less... well, less temporary. Now that I'm beginning to get the job under my belt, it's time to be more intentional about getting out to build my new community and opening my home to my new community.
I guess it's time to put more holes in the wall.
Monday, November 12, 2012
The Yankee Does Fall Things
Indian Summer returned to Northern Virginia today with temperatures reaching 70, but today it finally smells like Fall. We've experienced some Indian Summer days, and we've survived Sandy and the chilly temperatures of the resulting Frankenstorm. Any time now we expect the arrival of below average temperatures, which should stick around for a few days. But today, the 12th of November, it finally smells like Fall.
Like last year, we got blasted by the weather just before Halloween, but many celebrations took place as scheduled. A colleague here at the Seminary invited me down to her house in Old Town for their annual open house. I went early to help her prepare. I enjoyed immensely having social time off hill, i.e., off campus. Although fewer people showed up than expected, we had a good time admiring the children, and not a few adults, in their costumes and handing out candy. A couple of us went up to Lee Street to see the decorated houses and watch the crowds of costumed people. My colleague's husband said it didn't match the scale of previous years, but given the fact that Sandy gave Alexandria a serious, though glancing, blow just two days before, not surprising.
I walk most days, and walks through the Seminary grounds give me lots of flora and fauna to observe. Over the past few weeks I've seen some brightly colored trees, but many seemed to turn brown drop their leaves in a matter of a couple of days. Sandy stripped others. The oaks and the Japanese maples have hung on to their leaves, just like back home. I doubt they will dump them by Thanksgiving, but I could be wrong. With so many oaks, we have had tons of acorns. In fact, I'm surprised that I haven't been hit by one given the number of oaks. During Mom's visit she picked one up and opened it. I'd never actually looked inside one before, and it looked to both of us very much like a small, shelled walnut. The squirrels have stored lots of them, but they still appear sleek rather than fat. Perhaps we are in for another mild winter.
And of course, I voted. This was only the second time in my life that I waited in line for more than a couple of minutes to cast my ballot. The last time was in 2008 when we elected President Obama the first time. It was also the second time I've voted anywhere but in Connecticut. The first being the year I lived in Madison, Wisconsin while attending graduate school at the University. Even so, I spent less than an hour and 15 minutes total, including drive time to and from the polling station. Time passed fairly quickly because I stood in line with a handful of other Seminary folks. The poll workers were good about asking if anyone wanted to check if they were at the right polling station. They had information sheets about the two Questions on the ballot. And they had blank sample ballots, as opposed to the completed sample ballots being passed out beyond the 100 foot line. The workers in the room where we actually voted kept things running smoothly.
Election night several of us gathered at the house of another colleague. We expected we would go to bed still not knowing the results of the balloting. We were surprised and elated (well, most of us were elated) to watch the networks, including Fox News, call the race for the President well before midnight and Governor Romney concede not too long after midnight. No hanging chads this time around, although Florida didn't complete counting until Saturday.
The Seminary also has its Fall events. Convocation takes place at the beginning of October, and the Board of Trustees meets in early November, although they are meeting a little later this year. Both of those kept me busy with preparations and ongoing hospitality.
I have been busy this Fall. But today, 53 days into the season, it finally smells like Fall.
Like last year, we got blasted by the weather just before Halloween, but many celebrations took place as scheduled. A colleague here at the Seminary invited me down to her house in Old Town for their annual open house. I went early to help her prepare. I enjoyed immensely having social time off hill, i.e., off campus. Although fewer people showed up than expected, we had a good time admiring the children, and not a few adults, in their costumes and handing out candy. A couple of us went up to Lee Street to see the decorated houses and watch the crowds of costumed people. My colleague's husband said it didn't match the scale of previous years, but given the fact that Sandy gave Alexandria a serious, though glancing, blow just two days before, not surprising.
I walk most days, and walks through the Seminary grounds give me lots of flora and fauna to observe. Over the past few weeks I've seen some brightly colored trees, but many seemed to turn brown drop their leaves in a matter of a couple of days. Sandy stripped others. The oaks and the Japanese maples have hung on to their leaves, just like back home. I doubt they will dump them by Thanksgiving, but I could be wrong. With so many oaks, we have had tons of acorns. In fact, I'm surprised that I haven't been hit by one given the number of oaks. During Mom's visit she picked one up and opened it. I'd never actually looked inside one before, and it looked to both of us very much like a small, shelled walnut. The squirrels have stored lots of them, but they still appear sleek rather than fat. Perhaps we are in for another mild winter.
And of course, I voted. This was only the second time in my life that I waited in line for more than a couple of minutes to cast my ballot. The last time was in 2008 when we elected President Obama the first time. It was also the second time I've voted anywhere but in Connecticut. The first being the year I lived in Madison, Wisconsin while attending graduate school at the University. Even so, I spent less than an hour and 15 minutes total, including drive time to and from the polling station. Time passed fairly quickly because I stood in line with a handful of other Seminary folks. The poll workers were good about asking if anyone wanted to check if they were at the right polling station. They had information sheets about the two Questions on the ballot. And they had blank sample ballots, as opposed to the completed sample ballots being passed out beyond the 100 foot line. The workers in the room where we actually voted kept things running smoothly.
Election night several of us gathered at the house of another colleague. We expected we would go to bed still not knowing the results of the balloting. We were surprised and elated (well, most of us were elated) to watch the networks, including Fox News, call the race for the President well before midnight and Governor Romney concede not too long after midnight. No hanging chads this time around, although Florida didn't complete counting until Saturday.
The Seminary also has its Fall events. Convocation takes place at the beginning of October, and the Board of Trustees meets in early November, although they are meeting a little later this year. Both of those kept me busy with preparations and ongoing hospitality.
I have been busy this Fall. But today, 53 days into the season, it finally smells like Fall.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
The Yankee Weathers Sandy
For the second year in a row the Northeast got slammed by a major storm at Halloween. Sandy, however, caused more widespread damage than the freak snowstorm of 2011. It continues to cause trouble further inland.
Here in the DC area Sandy seems not to have hit us as hard as expected. The number of people who lost power was lower than estimated and restoration is proceeding much more quickly than it did after the Derecho at the end of June. The Metro, which they shut down yesterday, opened again today at 2:00 p.m. And so far flooding appears not to have been out of the ordinary.
I spent yesterday afternoon making sure the Guest Houses were secure and filling tubs, so we'd have water, if we needed it. After dinner students gathered in dorm common rooms and Scott Lounge where we lit fires in both fireplaces. They cancelled classes and shut the whole Seminary both yesterday and today. The power finally went out last night at about 10:30. I say finally because it flickered off and on for about six hours prior to staying off. The winds pretty much died down by midnight, and even the gusts were not particularly strong.
That's not to say we didn't have any damage here. Three trees came down, which surprised us. Not because they came down, but because so few came down. The closest call was this one that came down by one of the dorms. It fell against the wind. Several basements in faculty homes and dorms were flooded. Most of them were pumped out by dinner.
After getting up this morning I walked into the living room and thought, "What an interesting reflection on the wall. I wonder where it's coming from." I put on my glasses and realized it wasn't a reflection. It was the larger of two water bubbles. I did a quick inspection of the rest of the Guest Houses and found water damage in one other room. This is nowhere near the level of the Great Water Disaster of 2008 where I had water coming through the ceiling throughout most of the apartment. Looks like maintenance will be having the roofers back and then repainting some walls.
We were lucky. It could have been worse. It is worse further north and east. Pray for those who have been affected by Sandy.
Here in the DC area Sandy seems not to have hit us as hard as expected. The number of people who lost power was lower than estimated and restoration is proceeding much more quickly than it did after the Derecho at the end of June. The Metro, which they shut down yesterday, opened again today at 2:00 p.m. And so far flooding appears not to have been out of the ordinary.
I spent yesterday afternoon making sure the Guest Houses were secure and filling tubs, so we'd have water, if we needed it. After dinner students gathered in dorm common rooms and Scott Lounge where we lit fires in both fireplaces. They cancelled classes and shut the whole Seminary both yesterday and today. The power finally went out last night at about 10:30. I say finally because it flickered off and on for about six hours prior to staying off. The winds pretty much died down by midnight, and even the gusts were not particularly strong.
We were lucky. It could have been worse. It is worse further north and east. Pray for those who have been affected by Sandy.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Keeping Up with Technology
I'm adapting fairly quickly to the touch pad keyboard. The auto-fill function, however, is driving me crazy. Hopefully, one of these days I'll figure out how to turn it off. I still can't, and probably never will, type as fast on it as I can on a standard keyboard, but I won't be using it to write large documents. I do like the larger screen, which is one of the major reasons I didn't like the iPhone. I put the Kindle app on it, so I can read my ebooks, if I end up someplace without my Kindle.
App. Yes it's an abbreviation, but as a term it has entered our language. We may not like it, but language changes. The number of new words the ever advancing technology has injected into our language continues to astound. Email, Ebook, App, WiFi,Hotspot, Blog, and many more. Self-appointed conservators of the English language attempt, much like the Académie Française tries with French, to preserve the language. It's a losing battle.
Technology just speeds along. I figure my smart phone has as much power and memory as the PC I had at Pitney Bowes a little over 20 years ago, and that had as much, or more, power and memory as the computer we had at Darien High more than 35 years ago. That computer took up a small closet in terms of space. I think I have a better understanding of what my grandparents experienced throughout their lives. They literally went from horse and buggy to landing on the moon to desktop computers. My maternal grandfather, however, took it all in stride. He kept up with it all typing with his index fingers. And he was a professional writer. If Granddad were alive today, he'd be all over Facebook and Twitter and waiting to embrace the next communications technology. My hope is that I can emulate Granddad as technology continues to evolve.
So far, so good.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
The Yankee Has Company
It wasn't the first visit from a family member. My brother, sister-in-law,and their youngest were here at the end of July. And it wasn't the first time I'd seen Mom since moving down here. We had a gathering of the clan the previous weekend for my brother's birthday. It was the first visit by someone from home, and the first guest who stayed in my apartment. It was Mom's first visit to Alexandria.
I suppose it really wasn't her first. Mom and Dad came through this part of the country on their honeymoon more than 54 years ago. They visited Monticello and Mount Vernon. Mom didn't want to do any of the tourist things on this visit. She wanted to check out my new apartment, see where and who I hang out and work with, and just spend some time together.
She arrived on Friday afternoon by train, which really is a great way to travel. You can board an Amtrak train in Stamford and get off in Alexandria without changing trains. It's about the same amount of time as driving, but you don't have to deal with traffic, tolls, or stops for gas. When I came down to the seminary for my interview and then for my first round of meetings, it was actually cheaper then driving when you calculate out the $0.55/mile reimbursement one gets for using one's car. You arrive relaxed rather than tense from dealing with the traffic.
So right off the bat Mom got a taste of my life. Because the week at work had been a whirlwind, I hadn't had time to run out and get a couple of things to prepare for her visit. Like the inflatable bed or her Gatorade. Off to Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, and Giant. And I needed to check my mail at the UPS Store in Old Town. Then I took her to dinner at one of the local restaurants where I often go on Fridays when the refectory doesn't serve dinner. And then we settled in for an evening of catching up.
Saturday we drove around a bit. We stopped at the antique store and the consignment shop I check out every once in a while. It's fun to just browse. Every once in a while you see something you want or need, like the table for my entryway that I bought at the consignment shop. This weekend I saw quite a bit of Depression Glass that was under priced, but none of it was the patterns I collect or interesting enough to bring home. Besides, I still need to build the hutch top for the white dresser, so I can display what I have.
I'm trying not to clutter up the apartment. Right now it takes about 3 hours to give it a thorough cleaning. I usually break it up into 15 minute segments of dusting, one an evening throughout the week, and then do another half hour or so one night a week to vacuum and/or wash the floors. Another hour over the weekend takes care of anything else that needs doing. I'm also pretty good about picking up after myself. I'm not a fanatic, but in the long run it saves me time. The only thing I haven't managed to wean myself from is piling paperwork, mail, and writing projects on the desk for days on end. I'm better about it. I still have a ways to go. But if that's the worst of it, I'd doing pretty well.
Saturday night we went to Kellee's and Bob's for dinner. I wanted Mom to meet the folks I often spend time with and count on to get me off campus on a regular basis. As usual, I came home with leftovers.
Sunday I did something I haven't done since I arrived down here. I went back to a church I'd been to already. I took Mom up to St. Clement's. It's close, and the coffee hour there is handled better than most places I've been, including my former parish up in Connecticut. It has its good points and its not-so-good points, as does anyplace.
After some down time and a light lunch (well, we did put the sewing machine into the sewing table, but that's a tale for another time) we went to one of the Goodwill stores in the area. I made a wrong turn on the way there, which is why I usually take the Rand McNally area road atlas with me. Once there we found nothing. Of course, like the consignment and antique shops, you have to go regularly to find the occasional treasure.
While I looked at the road map to figure out which way I was going to drive home, Mom asked how far it was to Arlington National Cemetery. Not very far and not very difficult from where we were, so off we went for an impromptu visit. I made another wrong turn when we got there and headed out the exit rather than into the visitors' parking, but it gave us a chance to get a closer look at the Air Force Memorial. I marvel at it every time I drive by it on the highway. It's simple and elegant, and you know immediately the inspiration for the design--the jets flying together and then veering off in separate directions. What I hadn't known until we visited the Cemetery was that the Air Force Memorial is part of the Cemetery.
We arrived just too late for the 3:00 p.m. tour and didn't want to be there as long as taking the 4:00 p.m. tour would have been. We looked at the map and opted to walk to the JFK (John F. Kennedy, for those of you too young to remember) grave site/memorial. As many times as I've seen pictures videos, it just doesn't compare to being there in person. I'm going to use those two words again: simple and elegant. And the view of Washington from the wall engraved with JFK's inauguration speech is simply stunning.
After getting back home, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and talking. We talked a lot about church over the weekend. What's been going on at Grace and what I've been observing during my visits. I don't think we solved any problems.
Then it was off to dinner in the refectory with some of the folks I usually eat dinner with followed by drinks and popcorn in Cafe 1823. Mom met a lot of people this weekend.
We had a quiet morning on Monday followed by a quick lunch with still more folks in the refectory. Then I took her back to the Alexandria station to board the 1:00 train home. That was hard; harder than I expected. But Christmas is coming, and the family will be together again then.
Christmas is coming. I'd better get busy!
I suppose it really wasn't her first. Mom and Dad came through this part of the country on their honeymoon more than 54 years ago. They visited Monticello and Mount Vernon. Mom didn't want to do any of the tourist things on this visit. She wanted to check out my new apartment, see where and who I hang out and work with, and just spend some time together.
She arrived on Friday afternoon by train, which really is a great way to travel. You can board an Amtrak train in Stamford and get off in Alexandria without changing trains. It's about the same amount of time as driving, but you don't have to deal with traffic, tolls, or stops for gas. When I came down to the seminary for my interview and then for my first round of meetings, it was actually cheaper then driving when you calculate out the $0.55/mile reimbursement one gets for using one's car. You arrive relaxed rather than tense from dealing with the traffic.
So right off the bat Mom got a taste of my life. Because the week at work had been a whirlwind, I hadn't had time to run out and get a couple of things to prepare for her visit. Like the inflatable bed or her Gatorade. Off to Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, and Giant. And I needed to check my mail at the UPS Store in Old Town. Then I took her to dinner at one of the local restaurants where I often go on Fridays when the refectory doesn't serve dinner. And then we settled in for an evening of catching up.
Saturday we drove around a bit. We stopped at the antique store and the consignment shop I check out every once in a while. It's fun to just browse. Every once in a while you see something you want or need, like the table for my entryway that I bought at the consignment shop. This weekend I saw quite a bit of Depression Glass that was under priced, but none of it was the patterns I collect or interesting enough to bring home. Besides, I still need to build the hutch top for the white dresser, so I can display what I have.
I'm trying not to clutter up the apartment. Right now it takes about 3 hours to give it a thorough cleaning. I usually break it up into 15 minute segments of dusting, one an evening throughout the week, and then do another half hour or so one night a week to vacuum and/or wash the floors. Another hour over the weekend takes care of anything else that needs doing. I'm also pretty good about picking up after myself. I'm not a fanatic, but in the long run it saves me time. The only thing I haven't managed to wean myself from is piling paperwork, mail, and writing projects on the desk for days on end. I'm better about it. I still have a ways to go. But if that's the worst of it, I'd doing pretty well.
Saturday night we went to Kellee's and Bob's for dinner. I wanted Mom to meet the folks I often spend time with and count on to get me off campus on a regular basis. As usual, I came home with leftovers.
Sunday I did something I haven't done since I arrived down here. I went back to a church I'd been to already. I took Mom up to St. Clement's. It's close, and the coffee hour there is handled better than most places I've been, including my former parish up in Connecticut. It has its good points and its not-so-good points, as does anyplace.
After some down time and a light lunch (well, we did put the sewing machine into the sewing table, but that's a tale for another time) we went to one of the Goodwill stores in the area. I made a wrong turn on the way there, which is why I usually take the Rand McNally area road atlas with me. Once there we found nothing. Of course, like the consignment and antique shops, you have to go regularly to find the occasional treasure.
While I looked at the road map to figure out which way I was going to drive home, Mom asked how far it was to Arlington National Cemetery. Not very far and not very difficult from where we were, so off we went for an impromptu visit. I made another wrong turn when we got there and headed out the exit rather than into the visitors' parking, but it gave us a chance to get a closer look at the Air Force Memorial. I marvel at it every time I drive by it on the highway. It's simple and elegant, and you know immediately the inspiration for the design--the jets flying together and then veering off in separate directions. What I hadn't known until we visited the Cemetery was that the Air Force Memorial is part of the Cemetery.
We arrived just too late for the 3:00 p.m. tour and didn't want to be there as long as taking the 4:00 p.m. tour would have been. We looked at the map and opted to walk to the JFK (John F. Kennedy, for those of you too young to remember) grave site/memorial. As many times as I've seen pictures videos, it just doesn't compare to being there in person. I'm going to use those two words again: simple and elegant. And the view of Washington from the wall engraved with JFK's inauguration speech is simply stunning.
After getting back home, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and talking. We talked a lot about church over the weekend. What's been going on at Grace and what I've been observing during my visits. I don't think we solved any problems.
Then it was off to dinner in the refectory with some of the folks I usually eat dinner with followed by drinks and popcorn in Cafe 1823. Mom met a lot of people this weekend.
We had a quiet morning on Monday followed by a quick lunch with still more folks in the refectory. Then I took her back to the Alexandria station to board the 1:00 train home. That was hard; harder than I expected. But Christmas is coming, and the family will be together again then.
Christmas is coming. I'd better get busy!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
The Yankee Leaves Campus
Friday morning I handed the work cell phone to my boss. I prepared a list of all incoming and outgoing guests for the weekend for her and my colleagues at the Welcome Center. Mid-afternoon I headed north. For the first time since I arrived five-and-one-half months ago, I left campus for more than a couple of hours and didn't have the cell phone attached to my hip for an entire weekend. In two-and-a-half hours I would be at my brother Scott's home in Pennsylvania.
I picked a route I hoped would avoid the worst of the Friday afternoon traffic. No such luck. Traffic crawled from Alexandria to just past Baltimore due to a series of fender benders. Once I got off I95 I had clear roads, although I did make one wrong turn and missed other one. So the two-and-one-half hour drive took about five hours. I arrived just minutes before Scott.
That began a weekend of surprises for Scott's birthday. My sister-in-law Maureen and I managed to keep my Friday arrival and Mom's and Bill's Saturday arrival secret. The middle of the boys almost spoiled it when he told his father he'd be home on Saturday, but it was reasonable that he'd come home for his father's birthday. Only when a family friend arrived at 5:00 p.m. Saturday evening did he finally really suspect something was up. Maureen even managed to keep the big present--an Alaskan cruise next summer--mostly secret.
For the first time in five-and-one-half months I got to see Mom and Bill. Mom and I email each other and chat on Facebook regularly, and we talk on the phone from time to time. But it's not the same as seeing each other in person. I remember a period of time during my college years that Mom and I went through a rough patch. My father called me and told me that I was going to go spend one weekend in Chicago with my grandparents while Mom was visiting them. Or else. I went. Grudgingly. We spent a lot of time sitting in silence. I don't think we said more than 10 words to each other that entire weekend. But after that the ice between us thawed, and we were able to start talking again.
Phone, snail mail, email, Facebook, Skype, and whatever other means of long distance communication now or in the future cannot replace actually being in the same room when it comes to relationships. Yes, I do have friends that I've never met in person, but those relationships really aren't as strong as those with whom I have in-person face time. Actually being with my family for a couple of days was incredibly refreshing.
Not having the work cell phone helped the weekend be one of refreshment and renewal. Along with the work cell phone I left my computer behind. If someone really needed to get a hold of me, I had my smart phone. If I had needed a computer, several were there that I could have used. While I didn't drop totally off the grid, I was only minimally connected. It's amazing how much time and space are created when you detach.
The transition back to campus went more smoothly. The lack of traffic and beautiful weather made for a nice, two-and-a-half hour drive home. I also brought back from Pennsylvania a couple of pieces of my past. Mom brought down from Connecticut her old Singer sewing machine, the one I learned to sew on as a child, refurbished and ready to go. And she brought a couple of the old Revereware pans for me, too (the new stuff they make sucks, to put it bluntly). Do these things make me feel more at home in my new apartment, community, state? Probably not. They will definitely help me make this be home because they are things I will use on a regular basis. The fact that they are part of my history is simply a nice thing, an added benefit.
I probably won't get away again until Christmas when I go back up to Pennsylvania for Christmas. But early next year we'll have a couple of student assistants, so I'll be able to go away for a couple of days more frequently. There's a lot of Virginia I want to explore.
I picked a route I hoped would avoid the worst of the Friday afternoon traffic. No such luck. Traffic crawled from Alexandria to just past Baltimore due to a series of fender benders. Once I got off I95 I had clear roads, although I did make one wrong turn and missed other one. So the two-and-one-half hour drive took about five hours. I arrived just minutes before Scott.
That began a weekend of surprises for Scott's birthday. My sister-in-law Maureen and I managed to keep my Friday arrival and Mom's and Bill's Saturday arrival secret. The middle of the boys almost spoiled it when he told his father he'd be home on Saturday, but it was reasonable that he'd come home for his father's birthday. Only when a family friend arrived at 5:00 p.m. Saturday evening did he finally really suspect something was up. Maureen even managed to keep the big present--an Alaskan cruise next summer--mostly secret.
For the first time in five-and-one-half months I got to see Mom and Bill. Mom and I email each other and chat on Facebook regularly, and we talk on the phone from time to time. But it's not the same as seeing each other in person. I remember a period of time during my college years that Mom and I went through a rough patch. My father called me and told me that I was going to go spend one weekend in Chicago with my grandparents while Mom was visiting them. Or else. I went. Grudgingly. We spent a lot of time sitting in silence. I don't think we said more than 10 words to each other that entire weekend. But after that the ice between us thawed, and we were able to start talking again.
Phone, snail mail, email, Facebook, Skype, and whatever other means of long distance communication now or in the future cannot replace actually being in the same room when it comes to relationships. Yes, I do have friends that I've never met in person, but those relationships really aren't as strong as those with whom I have in-person face time. Actually being with my family for a couple of days was incredibly refreshing.
Not having the work cell phone helped the weekend be one of refreshment and renewal. Along with the work cell phone I left my computer behind. If someone really needed to get a hold of me, I had my smart phone. If I had needed a computer, several were there that I could have used. While I didn't drop totally off the grid, I was only minimally connected. It's amazing how much time and space are created when you detach.
The transition back to campus went more smoothly. The lack of traffic and beautiful weather made for a nice, two-and-a-half hour drive home. I also brought back from Pennsylvania a couple of pieces of my past. Mom brought down from Connecticut her old Singer sewing machine, the one I learned to sew on as a child, refurbished and ready to go. And she brought a couple of the old Revereware pans for me, too (the new stuff they make sucks, to put it bluntly). Do these things make me feel more at home in my new apartment, community, state? Probably not. They will definitely help me make this be home because they are things I will use on a regular basis. The fact that they are part of my history is simply a nice thing, an added benefit.
I probably won't get away again until Christmas when I go back up to Pennsylvania for Christmas. But early next year we'll have a couple of student assistants, so I'll be able to go away for a couple of days more frequently. There's a lot of Virginia I want to explore.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Der Yankee Spricht Deutsch
Once a week at lunch a couple of small groups gather to have conversation in languages other than English. For the moment there are a Spanish table and a German table. While members of the community speak other languages, these are the two most spoken, and the German table is definitely the smaller of the two.
The German group met for the first time today. It's been a long time since I've had the opportunity to speak German conversationally, and I'm pretty rusty. However, of the four languages other than English that I have some knowledge of, my spoken German comes back the quickest when I get the chance to use it. And these informal situations are great for that.
When I was at Moorehead State in Minnesota, Fraulein Nobel hosted an weekly Stammtisch at a local bar. I remember those afternoon gatherings as being relaxed and fun. Conversation rambled through a wide variety of topics that were pretty much the same ones we had in English in other settings. I missed it when I transferred to Rockford College.
At Rockford we had a weekly gathering of all the foreign language students in one of the large lounges. No group was static, as many of the students spoke more than one language. The professors tried to keep the conversations as informal as possible, but they were never the same as the Stammtisch.
Over the years I've had opportunities to use one or another of my languages in a variety of settings. I'm no longer fluent in any of them, but I can get by. This is the first time in a long time that I've had a place to converse in German, and I'm enjoying it immensely.
The German group met for the first time today. It's been a long time since I've had the opportunity to speak German conversationally, and I'm pretty rusty. However, of the four languages other than English that I have some knowledge of, my spoken German comes back the quickest when I get the chance to use it. And these informal situations are great for that.
When I was at Moorehead State in Minnesota, Fraulein Nobel hosted an weekly Stammtisch at a local bar. I remember those afternoon gatherings as being relaxed and fun. Conversation rambled through a wide variety of topics that were pretty much the same ones we had in English in other settings. I missed it when I transferred to Rockford College.
At Rockford we had a weekly gathering of all the foreign language students in one of the large lounges. No group was static, as many of the students spoke more than one language. The professors tried to keep the conversations as informal as possible, but they were never the same as the Stammtisch.
Over the years I've had opportunities to use one or another of my languages in a variety of settings. I'm no longer fluent in any of them, but I can get by. This is the first time in a long time that I've had a place to converse in German, and I'm enjoying it immensely.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The Yankee Entertains
I have a social life. Honest, I do. But it's taken 5 1/2 months for me to have my first guests to dinner at my place.
As most of you know, and have heard many times, my previous apartment was less than 500 square feet. It wasn't impossible to entertain there, but it the apartment wasn't really set up to have people over for dinner, let alone a party. I hadn't originally planned to be there as long as I was, or I would have thought about the furniture and layout differently. Two people were about as many as I could have over at one time, so I almost never entertained.
My current apartment doubled my living space. My living room and bedroom are two separate rooms! I have an eat-in kitchen that makes it possible to have people in there with me while I cook. I can actually have more than two people over for dinner!
My first guests were Lisa and Tricia. Lisa is primarily responsible for my being at the Seminary, and I love the fact she lives less than a five minute walk away. And while they're not the first to see my apartment, they were my first dinner guests. I got to try a recipe for black bean soup that I've been wanting to do for a while. I enjoy cooking, but cooking for one often seems like a waste of time and energy. For the same amount of effort I can prepare a meal for two, four, or six! The soup didn't take that long to prepare, and it we all enjoyed it. Lisa and Tricia brought gluten-free bread that complimented the soup perfectly.
Conversation flowed from work to homes to parents and beyond. It was a pleasant evening with friends that made for a nice break in the busyness we've all been experiencing for the past couple of weeks.
Time for a party at my house!
Well maybe I'll start with four or five folks...
As most of you know, and have heard many times, my previous apartment was less than 500 square feet. It wasn't impossible to entertain there, but it the apartment wasn't really set up to have people over for dinner, let alone a party. I hadn't originally planned to be there as long as I was, or I would have thought about the furniture and layout differently. Two people were about as many as I could have over at one time, so I almost never entertained.
My current apartment doubled my living space. My living room and bedroom are two separate rooms! I have an eat-in kitchen that makes it possible to have people in there with me while I cook. I can actually have more than two people over for dinner!
My first guests were Lisa and Tricia. Lisa is primarily responsible for my being at the Seminary, and I love the fact she lives less than a five minute walk away. And while they're not the first to see my apartment, they were my first dinner guests. I got to try a recipe for black bean soup that I've been wanting to do for a while. I enjoy cooking, but cooking for one often seems like a waste of time and energy. For the same amount of effort I can prepare a meal for two, four, or six! The soup didn't take that long to prepare, and it we all enjoyed it. Lisa and Tricia brought gluten-free bread that complimented the soup perfectly.
Conversation flowed from work to homes to parents and beyond. It was a pleasant evening with friends that made for a nice break in the busyness we've all been experiencing for the past couple of weeks.
Time for a party at my house!
Well maybe I'll start with four or five folks...
Monday, September 17, 2012
A Visit to Trinity Washington
Saturday morning a small group of us went for a walk before breakfast. Over breakfast the topic of where we planned on attending church Sunday morning came up. Two of the members of the group were heading to Trinity Washington, and the other two of us asked if we could go with them. Plans were made, and off we went to start our individual days.
Yesterday morning Barbara, Joyce, Maxine, and I climbed into Anita's car for the drive into the District. We left an hour before the service "just in case" (or as my family says, "the bridge might be up"). It was a good choice. We took a wrong exit off of 395 and ended up seeing parts of Washington we hadn't planned on seeing. The Siri sounded quite cross at times, and we joked that we'd be in trouble if we heard Siri say "Do not cross the Jordan River. Make a u-turn and go back to the Wilderness." We arrived at Trinity 15 minutes before the service started.
An usher handed us each a bulletin, and several people said good morning as we headed down to the front of the church to find seats. The rector stopped by to greet us, as he and Anita have known each other for a while, and I worked with him last month when the parish's young adult volunteers had their beginning of the year retreat at the seminary.
The church was full by the time the service started. High church? Not only did they use incense, I observed dalmatics and tunicles on various members of the altar party. This parish is also one of the very few I've visited where the copies of Lift Every Voice and Sing are more used than my at former parish in Connecticut.
A lot happened during the service. They were auditioning the last organist candidate, and the choir did not do well masking their opinions. There was a baptism. They installed the new officers of their Episcopal Church Women chapter. It was Ministries Sunday. And the Peace was fairly lengthy. The service went on for almost two-and-a-half hours, though it never felt like it was dragging. Well, the announcements, which came between the Peace and the Offertory, took longer than they should have. Three people got up and talked about Saturday's parish picnic. Definitely a lot going on!
The other thing they did during announcements was to ask newcomers/visitors to stand and introduce themselves. They even passed the mic around to do it. Three of our group didn't stand, but the rector came over and made a point of having us introduce ourselves because of the connections that already existed. I will say it again. This is not always the best way to identify or welcome visitors.
I saw something new to me. A cup sat on each of the patens used for distributing the bread. It took me a moment to realize that the cups held wine, and they were used for intinction when the clergy placed the intincted wafer on the communicant's tongue. it also took a moment for me to see that there were also chalices. I probably would have been better off receiving an intincted wafer. The Eucharistic minister spilled wine on me. It happens sometimes. I've done it myself.
On the surface, this congregation isn't any more diverse than any of the others I've visited since I've been here. But a closer look reveals that the members come from several different African countries and the Caribbean. There is a small number of Anglos. They also have a wide variety of age groups, though I did not see many teenagers.
We spent a few minutes at the Ministry Fair and then headed out to find something to eat. Siri didn't get too annoyed with us, since we didn't make any wrong turns. We ended up at La Madeleine in Old Town.
I really enjoyed visiting Trinity. It has a lot to offer. But I still have a list of churches I want to visit, especially now that Summer is over.
Yesterday morning Barbara, Joyce, Maxine, and I climbed into Anita's car for the drive into the District. We left an hour before the service "just in case" (or as my family says, "the bridge might be up"). It was a good choice. We took a wrong exit off of 395 and ended up seeing parts of Washington we hadn't planned on seeing. The Siri sounded quite cross at times, and we joked that we'd be in trouble if we heard Siri say "Do not cross the Jordan River. Make a u-turn and go back to the Wilderness." We arrived at Trinity 15 minutes before the service started.
An usher handed us each a bulletin, and several people said good morning as we headed down to the front of the church to find seats. The rector stopped by to greet us, as he and Anita have known each other for a while, and I worked with him last month when the parish's young adult volunteers had their beginning of the year retreat at the seminary.
The church was full by the time the service started. High church? Not only did they use incense, I observed dalmatics and tunicles on various members of the altar party. This parish is also one of the very few I've visited where the copies of Lift Every Voice and Sing are more used than my at former parish in Connecticut.
A lot happened during the service. They were auditioning the last organist candidate, and the choir did not do well masking their opinions. There was a baptism. They installed the new officers of their Episcopal Church Women chapter. It was Ministries Sunday. And the Peace was fairly lengthy. The service went on for almost two-and-a-half hours, though it never felt like it was dragging. Well, the announcements, which came between the Peace and the Offertory, took longer than they should have. Three people got up and talked about Saturday's parish picnic. Definitely a lot going on!
The other thing they did during announcements was to ask newcomers/visitors to stand and introduce themselves. They even passed the mic around to do it. Three of our group didn't stand, but the rector came over and made a point of having us introduce ourselves because of the connections that already existed. I will say it again. This is not always the best way to identify or welcome visitors.
I saw something new to me. A cup sat on each of the patens used for distributing the bread. It took me a moment to realize that the cups held wine, and they were used for intinction when the clergy placed the intincted wafer on the communicant's tongue. it also took a moment for me to see that there were also chalices. I probably would have been better off receiving an intincted wafer. The Eucharistic minister spilled wine on me. It happens sometimes. I've done it myself.
On the surface, this congregation isn't any more diverse than any of the others I've visited since I've been here. But a closer look reveals that the members come from several different African countries and the Caribbean. There is a small number of Anglos. They also have a wide variety of age groups, though I did not see many teenagers.
We spent a few minutes at the Ministry Fair and then headed out to find something to eat. Siri didn't get too annoyed with us, since we didn't make any wrong turns. We ended up at La Madeleine in Old Town.
I really enjoyed visiting Trinity. It has a lot to offer. But I still have a list of churches I want to visit, especially now that Summer is over.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
The Yankee Goes to A Football Game
My friends Kellee and Bob are big sports fans. All of their kids participated in sports, and they follow college and professional teams in a number of sports. Their youngest is a freshman at a small college that is fielding it's first football team since 1929. So when Kellee asked me earlier in the week if I'd like to go to a high school football game with them last night, I figured why not. I'd spend some time with friends, and I'd have some time off the Hill (more about that at a later time).
An unexpected late afternoon meeting threw a wrench into my plans to run some errands for the Guest Houses and then head over to Kellee's and Bob's before the worst of the rush hour traffic. Instead, I hit the road at about 4:50 and took the local roads route. I'm slowly learning the ins and outs of navigating Alexandria and points west. Traffic wasn't as bad as it could have been, so I arrived in plenty of time. We went to dinner and then headed over to Annandale High School for the game.
The Annandale Atoms third game of the season was against the Jeb Stuart (tell me again that we're not in the South) Raiders. I actually had a good time. It's hard not to get caught up in the excitement of the game when you're sitting in the stands among parents and students. There were times when it seemed like the Atoms were scoring in spite of themselves. In the end, however, they won 32-27.
Of course, as flutist, I looked for the flutes. No flutes. Three piccolos. We had no piccolo player during my years at DHS. The first flutes usually ended up with the piccolo parts in the Sousa marches.
All in all I had a good time. I might even go again, if I'm invited.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
The Yankee Remembers
It's impossible not to know when this date rolls around. For days before, sometimes weeks, the media barrages us with stories and documentaries about that awful day 11 years ago. When I awoke this morning I noted, as did many others, that the weather was pretty much the same as it was 11 years ago, and that it was also a Tuesday. I'd overslept that morning, and as I got ready for work I heard the traffic report about a plane hitting one of the towers of the World Trade Center. Details were sketchy, and the reports of those first few minutes said nothing about a jet. I was on the way to work when I heard reports of the second plane. Immediately I knew it was no coincidence and no accident. Not long after that came the news of the plane hitting the Pentagon and eventually about the plane going down in Pennsylvania.
The company I worked for had temporary employees on assignment with companies in the Towers. Employees of our New York office watched helplessly from their conference room further uptown. When one of my friends emailed me that one of the Towers had collapsed. At first I thought he was kidding.
He wasn't.
It was days before we tracked down all of our employees assigned in the Towers.
It was days before I heard from people I knew at the Pentagon.
Each year on the anniversary the nation's attention focuses on what happened to and in the Towers. We hear surviors' stories and the stories of victim's families over and over again. We hear about the upcoming memorials around Ground Zero and across the country. Memorials from Ground Zero are televised. Throughout all of this comes the occasional afterthought.
Oh,yeah, one plane hit the Pentagon.
Oh, and there were those passengers who heroically fought their hijackers and kept their plane from hitting its intended target.
After 10 years of remembrances in the vicinity of New York City it is a different experience being literally less than six miles from the Pentagon on this 11th anniversary. The stories I hear are tinged with a sense of the panic people felt here that was very different from what people felt in New York City. There was a much greater sense of waiting for the next attack to come, which is understandable given the large number of military bases and offices in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Not to mention federal offices, the Capitol, and the White House.
Yet even here, the majority of the media coverage focuses mostly on the events in New York City. The images of the Towers burning and collapsing are iconic. The empty field in Pennsylvania doesn't hold the same visual impact. Photos of the downed jet look much like any other air crash. The Pentagon was not catastrophically destroyed, and it was a military target as opposed to a civilian one.
Eventually the events of 11 years ago will fade into history and myth joining, among others, the attack on Pearl Harbor that occurred 71 years ago, the sinking of the Lusitania 97 years ago, and the sinking of the Maine 113 years ago. Like those events, the historical, social, and political contexts of 9/11 will be simplified or glossed over in our cultural retelling. Like those events, 9/11's primacy in our cultural memory will be replaced by some new catastrophe or attack.
Until then, we remember.
The company I worked for had temporary employees on assignment with companies in the Towers. Employees of our New York office watched helplessly from their conference room further uptown. When one of my friends emailed me that one of the Towers had collapsed. At first I thought he was kidding.
He wasn't.
It was days before we tracked down all of our employees assigned in the Towers.
It was days before I heard from people I knew at the Pentagon.
Each year on the anniversary the nation's attention focuses on what happened to and in the Towers. We hear surviors' stories and the stories of victim's families over and over again. We hear about the upcoming memorials around Ground Zero and across the country. Memorials from Ground Zero are televised. Throughout all of this comes the occasional afterthought.
Oh,yeah, one plane hit the Pentagon.
Oh, and there were those passengers who heroically fought their hijackers and kept their plane from hitting its intended target.
After 10 years of remembrances in the vicinity of New York City it is a different experience being literally less than six miles from the Pentagon on this 11th anniversary. The stories I hear are tinged with a sense of the panic people felt here that was very different from what people felt in New York City. There was a much greater sense of waiting for the next attack to come, which is understandable given the large number of military bases and offices in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Not to mention federal offices, the Capitol, and the White House.
Yet even here, the majority of the media coverage focuses mostly on the events in New York City. The images of the Towers burning and collapsing are iconic. The empty field in Pennsylvania doesn't hold the same visual impact. Photos of the downed jet look much like any other air crash. The Pentagon was not catastrophically destroyed, and it was a military target as opposed to a civilian one.
Eventually the events of 11 years ago will fade into history and myth joining, among others, the attack on Pearl Harbor that occurred 71 years ago, the sinking of the Lusitania 97 years ago, and the sinking of the Maine 113 years ago. Like those events, the historical, social, and political contexts of 9/11 will be simplified or glossed over in our cultural retelling. Like those events, 9/11's primacy in our cultural memory will be replaced by some new catastrophe or attack.
Until then, we remember.
Monday, September 10, 2012
The Yankee Experiences Virginia Weather
Yesterday and today we've had our first taste of Fall weather, even though Fall doesn't officially start for another few days. After the past weeks of hot temperatures and high humidity it is a relief. It did not, however, come without cost.
Fortunately, I had the TV on Saturday afternoon while I puttering around the apartment taking care of chores. Shortly before 4:00 an Emergency Alert interrupted whatever was showing. I paused to see what it was for what areas. It wasn't the thunderstorm I could hear coming in rapidly from the west. It was a tornado warning of the seek immediate shelter kind. Having been raised by a mother who grew up in the Midwest and gone to colleges in the Midwest, I knew what to do without hesitation. I grabbed my flashlight/radio, cell phone, wallet, list of who's in the Guest Houses, and keys and headed for the bathroom in my office--ground floor with no exterior walls. I glanced out the office window as I headed into the bathroom and saw the rain start to go horizontal, which is never a good sign. Later I learned that the proctors moved students into the basements of the dorms while I was headed into my office.
The all clear came about 15 or 20 minutes later. Other than the funnel cloud sighted to the west of us, we had no tornado. Even where there had been one, there appears to have been no serious damage. There were lots of branches down, and the power was out. Shades of June's Derecho. Fortunately, the power came back on after a couple of hours.
As we've shared stories over the past couple of days, locals have said this is just part of weather in Virginia. Hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and the occasional snowstorm. Fewer snowstorms than back home, but probably more hurricanes.
And let's not forget about earthquakes.
Nature happens. There isn't anything do do but be prepared. I know where to shelter. I know what to grab depending on how much time I have. I keep a shelf in the kitchen stocked with food that doesn't need to be cooked.
So the violent weather front passed through, and we're experiencing cooler temperatures and clear skies. Yesterday afternoon and this evening I opened my windows. It feels wonderful having fresh air in the apartment. I should sleep well tonight.
Fortunately, I had the TV on Saturday afternoon while I puttering around the apartment taking care of chores. Shortly before 4:00 an Emergency Alert interrupted whatever was showing. I paused to see what it was for what areas. It wasn't the thunderstorm I could hear coming in rapidly from the west. It was a tornado warning of the seek immediate shelter kind. Having been raised by a mother who grew up in the Midwest and gone to colleges in the Midwest, I knew what to do without hesitation. I grabbed my flashlight/radio, cell phone, wallet, list of who's in the Guest Houses, and keys and headed for the bathroom in my office--ground floor with no exterior walls. I glanced out the office window as I headed into the bathroom and saw the rain start to go horizontal, which is never a good sign. Later I learned that the proctors moved students into the basements of the dorms while I was headed into my office.
The all clear came about 15 or 20 minutes later. Other than the funnel cloud sighted to the west of us, we had no tornado. Even where there had been one, there appears to have been no serious damage. There were lots of branches down, and the power was out. Shades of June's Derecho. Fortunately, the power came back on after a couple of hours.
As we've shared stories over the past couple of days, locals have said this is just part of weather in Virginia. Hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and the occasional snowstorm. Fewer snowstorms than back home, but probably more hurricanes.
And let's not forget about earthquakes.
Nature happens. There isn't anything do do but be prepared. I know where to shelter. I know what to grab depending on how much time I have. I keep a shelf in the kitchen stocked with food that doesn't need to be cooked.
So the violent weather front passed through, and we're experiencing cooler temperatures and clear skies. Yesterday afternoon and this evening I opened my windows. It feels wonderful having fresh air in the apartment. I should sleep well tonight.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
A Picture Tells a Thousand Words
Ding! Ding! Ding! That friend is one I met through my work at the Episcopal Church Center and has seen me primarily in the context of that work and during my long period of unemployment. The five year period? That’s about the time the first of the reorganizations went into effect at the Church Center, followed by three more reorganizations, the elimination of my position, and 16 months of unemployment. The amount of change that occurred during those five years left many of us who worked there with whiplash.
Change. Not long after I started working at the Church Center I visited a palm reader at one of the Renaissance Faires Rachel and I went to regularly. I held out my hands, and she gently pulled my thumbs away from the rest of my fingers. “You don’t handle change very well,” she said. Over the years I would stop and see her now and again. Each time she performed the same exercise, and over the years my hands became more and more relaxed. “You’re learning to handle change,” she’d say. Of course, handling all the change going on didn’t mean the stress of change disappeared. It took an emotional toll.
Then came the biggest change I’ve had to handle in a long time. I moved to Virginia to take a new job. In the space of three weeks I went from being asked to interview to accepting the position. From acceptance to starting I had 40 days to pack up my belongings and move. A lot of change in a very short amount of time.
When I went off to the University of Wisconsin-Madison I imagined that I would eventually end up at an academic institution, although as faculty. During the last bout of unemployment my outplacement counselor and I talked about possible options in the travel and hospitality field, though not at an academic institution. For many years my path looked as if I might end up at a seminary, but as a student. Now I am the Hospitality and Guest Residence Manager at Virginia Theological Seminary.
Which is amusing given all of the above but particularly in light of my decision last year to finally say to myself and to everyone else that I was DONE with the ordination process. The fact that I held off submitting completed paperwork for over a year was probably my biggest clue. It has felt very liberating to no longer be on that path. Yet I end up at a seminary. God does have a sense of humor.
So the picture tells the story of moving on, change, and new beginnings. It tells the story in ways words cannot. I'm rather enjoying this new chapter in my story. Can you tell?
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
The Yankee Starts a New Year
The calendar may say mid-August, but signs of fall have begun appearing. The days gradually grow shorter. On campus we see the first signs of the new school year. Juniors have arrived for Orientation and August Term, and returning middlers and seniors trickle back. The Fall Semester begins the Tuesday after labor Day. After years of unlearning the academic calendar, my new job has immersed me in it.
Although the methods of higher education show all the signs of adapting to new technology, the school year still begins in August or September and ends in May or June. Families buy new clothes and supplies. College students pack up their belongings. As long as residential schools exist we will probably continue to have the familiar academic calendar.
And so the new students begin the process of settling in and making the campus their own. Empty dorm rooms take on new personalities. A lone figure practices hurling (the sport, people, the sport!) on the Grove. Students sit on benches talking on their cell phones to friends or family back home or struggling with the unfamiliar alphabets of Greek and Hebrew. They trade their stories with the others with whom they will share the next two or three years of their lives. While the Seminary forms them, they also form the Seminary. Another generation in a long line.
But even here at the Seminary working within a changing church and changing world gradually expands the calendar, and for more than just than academics. As part of the Hospitality team I work with both internal and external groups plan and implement programs, meetings, and conferences held on our campus. How do we meet the needs of all of our constituents, both internal and external? How do those different groups interact and where? All of this while working within the context of the Seminary's mission.
However, the calendar says August. The new students have arrived. It must be the beginning of a new year!
Although the methods of higher education show all the signs of adapting to new technology, the school year still begins in August or September and ends in May or June. Families buy new clothes and supplies. College students pack up their belongings. As long as residential schools exist we will probably continue to have the familiar academic calendar.
And so the new students begin the process of settling in and making the campus their own. Empty dorm rooms take on new personalities. A lone figure practices hurling (the sport, people, the sport!) on the Grove. Students sit on benches talking on their cell phones to friends or family back home or struggling with the unfamiliar alphabets of Greek and Hebrew. They trade their stories with the others with whom they will share the next two or three years of their lives. While the Seminary forms them, they also form the Seminary. Another generation in a long line.
But even here at the Seminary working within a changing church and changing world gradually expands the calendar, and for more than just than academics. As part of the Hospitality team I work with both internal and external groups plan and implement programs, meetings, and conferences held on our campus. How do we meet the needs of all of our constituents, both internal and external? How do those different groups interact and where? All of this while working within the context of the Seminary's mission.
However, the calendar says August. The new students have arrived. It must be the beginning of a new year!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
A Visit to Hope United Church of Christ
I was not always an Episcopalian. My brother and I were baptized in the Episcopal Church, but my parents left the church for various reasons when we were very young. We grew up unchurched. I found my my own way to a church community during college. Rockford College, founded by the Congregational Church in 1847, has a UCC chaplain even though it is no longer affiliated with the denomination. When I went to grad school in Madison, Wisconsin, I joined First Congregational Church and remained a nominal UCC member after returning to Connecticut. I visited a few UCC churches but never found one that met my needs at that point in my life. Eventually I visited Grace at the invitation of a friend and rather quickly became an active member.
Since moving to Alexandria I've visited a number of the many Episcopal Churches in the city and the surrounding area. In the three-and-a-half months I've been here, I'd not seen a United Church of Christ church during my explorations. So this weekend I decided to see if I could locate one. The Internet is a wonderful thing, and I quickly found Hope United Church of Christ, which is a short drive south.
I arrived about 15 minutes before the service and found a parking lot in need of care and a church that looked like a large concrete box. However, the greeting at the door was warm, and I ended up with children's name tag because they couldn't find the regular visitors' tags. As the former Children's Ministries Officer, that worked for me. I entered the sanctuary to find lots of wood and movable pews. I was particularly struck the baptismal font that stood to one side of the table. A wood base served as a table for a white ceramic bowl and pitcher. I also saw a Pascal Candle standing in one corner.
By the time the 10:30 service started the sanctuary, which looks like it would hold about 100 worshippers, was about half full, including a dozen children. I was among the older people there; a very different experience than the churches I've visited so far. On the other hand, like all of the churches I've visited so far the congregation was overwhelmingly white. The church also lists itself as a "God is Still Speaking" and "Open and Affirming" church, so there was no doubt that I would be welcome there.
Their pastor is on vacation, so the Christian Education Minister led the service, which was preceded by the announcements. As today was the second Sunday of the month, the worship was what Episcopalians know as the Service of the Word. Communion takes place only on the first Sunday of the month. While all the elements are there, the order was a little different: the Call to Worship (Opening Sentences), a hymn, Prayer of Confession, Words of Assurance, Passing of the Peace, Proclaiming the Good News, Offering, Prayers, a final hymn, and finally the Benediction. The Children's Message, although based on the Gospel reading, came before the scripture readings. When it was done, the children went to Sunday School, and the adults remained for readings from the Gospel and the Epistle for the day. Another lay person gave the sermon.
The prayers were titled "Responding with Prayers, Actions, and Hopes", and were very much prayers of the people. Beginning with Joys and moving on to Concerns, people raised their hands, called on by the leader, and spoke briefly about their thanksgiving or request for prayers. The congregation was much more involved in the worship at Hope than in some of the UCC churches I've visited over the past few years. I found it interesting that this congregation uses the "trespasses" version of the Lord's Prayer, though the leader announces that everyone should pray in their own way.
In spite of the fact that they began the Lord's Prayer with "Our Father", this congregation has fully embraced the inclusive language movement. They use The New Century Hymnal along with a supplementary hymnal, which is in a notebook. So while the hymn tunes were familiar, I stumbled a bit over the unfamiliar, if greatly appreciated, wording.
The congregation also takes hospitality seriously. There were two other visitors in addition to me. I'm sure the other two also received personal invitations to join the meal (coffee hour) after the service, as all three of us went. People greeted us and engaged us in conversation, but no one pried or was pushy about possibly joining. They rate right up there with St. Clement's in terms of being a welcoming church.
Occasionally I feel the pull to revisit the UCC. First Congregational Church Madison, Wisconsin, or probably more accurately my memory of it, is pretty much the standard by which I judge other congregations of any denomination. But in terms of liturgy and most theology, I really am at home in the Episcopal Church.
Since moving to Alexandria I've visited a number of the many Episcopal Churches in the city and the surrounding area. In the three-and-a-half months I've been here, I'd not seen a United Church of Christ church during my explorations. So this weekend I decided to see if I could locate one. The Internet is a wonderful thing, and I quickly found Hope United Church of Christ, which is a short drive south.
I arrived about 15 minutes before the service and found a parking lot in need of care and a church that looked like a large concrete box. However, the greeting at the door was warm, and I ended up with children's name tag because they couldn't find the regular visitors' tags. As the former Children's Ministries Officer, that worked for me. I entered the sanctuary to find lots of wood and movable pews. I was particularly struck the baptismal font that stood to one side of the table. A wood base served as a table for a white ceramic bowl and pitcher. I also saw a Pascal Candle standing in one corner.
By the time the 10:30 service started the sanctuary, which looks like it would hold about 100 worshippers, was about half full, including a dozen children. I was among the older people there; a very different experience than the churches I've visited so far. On the other hand, like all of the churches I've visited so far the congregation was overwhelmingly white. The church also lists itself as a "God is Still Speaking" and "Open and Affirming" church, so there was no doubt that I would be welcome there.
Their pastor is on vacation, so the Christian Education Minister led the service, which was preceded by the announcements. As today was the second Sunday of the month, the worship was what Episcopalians know as the Service of the Word. Communion takes place only on the first Sunday of the month. While all the elements are there, the order was a little different: the Call to Worship (Opening Sentences), a hymn, Prayer of Confession, Words of Assurance, Passing of the Peace, Proclaiming the Good News, Offering, Prayers, a final hymn, and finally the Benediction. The Children's Message, although based on the Gospel reading, came before the scripture readings. When it was done, the children went to Sunday School, and the adults remained for readings from the Gospel and the Epistle for the day. Another lay person gave the sermon.
The prayers were titled "Responding with Prayers, Actions, and Hopes", and were very much prayers of the people. Beginning with Joys and moving on to Concerns, people raised their hands, called on by the leader, and spoke briefly about their thanksgiving or request for prayers. The congregation was much more involved in the worship at Hope than in some of the UCC churches I've visited over the past few years. I found it interesting that this congregation uses the "trespasses" version of the Lord's Prayer, though the leader announces that everyone should pray in their own way.
In spite of the fact that they began the Lord's Prayer with "Our Father", this congregation has fully embraced the inclusive language movement. They use The New Century Hymnal along with a supplementary hymnal, which is in a notebook. So while the hymn tunes were familiar, I stumbled a bit over the unfamiliar, if greatly appreciated, wording.
The congregation also takes hospitality seriously. There were two other visitors in addition to me. I'm sure the other two also received personal invitations to join the meal (coffee hour) after the service, as all three of us went. People greeted us and engaged us in conversation, but no one pried or was pushy about possibly joining. They rate right up there with St. Clement's in terms of being a welcoming church.
Occasionally I feel the pull to revisit the UCC. First Congregational Church Madison, Wisconsin, or probably more accurately my memory of it, is pretty much the standard by which I judge other congregations of any denomination. But in terms of liturgy and most theology, I really am at home in the Episcopal Church.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
A Visit to The Falls Church
This morning I drove Route 7 (King Street, Leesburg Pike, Broad Street) to Falls Church to attend worship at The Fall Church. It is another of the historic parishes in the area, and it has memorial pew markers for both George Washington and Robert E. Lee. More recently the parish became the center of controversy as a breakaway congregation attempted to take the property with it when it left the Episcopal Church. The courts ruled in favor of the Diocese of Virgina, and the property was recently returned. A new rector has been selected and will start soon.
I arrived just before the 10:15 service began. A table with name tags and bulletins was set up at the bottom of the steps leading up to the Historic Church. An Usher made sure you were greeted and that you filled out a name tag. Inside a Greeter shook my hand and addressed me by name. Yes, I had a name tag on, but it means that people are paying attention. About 50 people were in the pews when the service started, and by the first reading there were more than 60. Not bad for a summer Sunday. There were a number of young children including infants ranging in age from a couple of weeks to a few months. I saw no sign of older children or teenagers.
After the sermon there was a children's moment. They have a small basket where one or more of the children can put an object. That object then becomes the subject of the children's moment. Today it was a small pink Etch-a-Sketch. On the whole it wasn't as bad as some I've observed, but it still felt like what Mom calls Putting Our Children on Display. The Announcements included a reminder about a meeting to discuss the implementation of a Sunday School program.
The Peace took quite a while. Some folks did make their way around most of the church. Others stayed in the pews. I did overhear a number of conversations that went beyond "Peace", or "How are you?" I know many people that deplore the way the Peace drags on in some churches, but we are a community, and this is one of the ways we share in that community. I think the larger problem is when the Announcements drag on forever, which it did seem like here. On the other hand, there was a lot of important information to communicate, and they obviously wanted visitors and newcomers to get to coffee hour, etc.
On the way out of the church a couple of people commented on my shirt (the dark blue one, Mom). Coffee hour was held in a large room closer to what I assumed is the newer larger worship space. There was a nice variety of snacks, including some healthy choices. These kinds of things are often an introvert's nightmare. However, once filled my plate and got something to drink, I made my way to a table where a couple of people were sitting. After we exchanged perfunctory greetings, they went back to their conversation and pretty much ignored me. Another woman joined us, but once she sat down, she also fell silent and ignored me.
This is a church that is in recovery and rebuild mode. They've been through a protracted legal battle, during which they worshipped elsewhere. One would think that they would want to be a welcoming community. Alas, like so many Episcopal Churches, we stick to ourselves.
This whole search process may need to progress to another level. I might have to go and interview them!
I arrived just before the 10:15 service began. A table with name tags and bulletins was set up at the bottom of the steps leading up to the Historic Church. An Usher made sure you were greeted and that you filled out a name tag. Inside a Greeter shook my hand and addressed me by name. Yes, I had a name tag on, but it means that people are paying attention. About 50 people were in the pews when the service started, and by the first reading there were more than 60. Not bad for a summer Sunday. There were a number of young children including infants ranging in age from a couple of weeks to a few months. I saw no sign of older children or teenagers.
After the sermon there was a children's moment. They have a small basket where one or more of the children can put an object. That object then becomes the subject of the children's moment. Today it was a small pink Etch-a-Sketch. On the whole it wasn't as bad as some I've observed, but it still felt like what Mom calls Putting Our Children on Display. The Announcements included a reminder about a meeting to discuss the implementation of a Sunday School program.
The Peace took quite a while. Some folks did make their way around most of the church. Others stayed in the pews. I did overhear a number of conversations that went beyond "Peace", or "How are you?" I know many people that deplore the way the Peace drags on in some churches, but we are a community, and this is one of the ways we share in that community. I think the larger problem is when the Announcements drag on forever, which it did seem like here. On the other hand, there was a lot of important information to communicate, and they obviously wanted visitors and newcomers to get to coffee hour, etc.
On the way out of the church a couple of people commented on my shirt (the dark blue one, Mom). Coffee hour was held in a large room closer to what I assumed is the newer larger worship space. There was a nice variety of snacks, including some healthy choices. These kinds of things are often an introvert's nightmare. However, once filled my plate and got something to drink, I made my way to a table where a couple of people were sitting. After we exchanged perfunctory greetings, they went back to their conversation and pretty much ignored me. Another woman joined us, but once she sat down, she also fell silent and ignored me.
This is a church that is in recovery and rebuild mode. They've been through a protracted legal battle, during which they worshipped elsewhere. One would think that they would want to be a welcoming community. Alas, like so many Episcopal Churches, we stick to ourselves.
This whole search process may need to progress to another level. I might have to go and interview them!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
The Yankee Buys Furniture
Last Saturday I drove to Del Ray to stop in at Not Too Shabby Consignments. It's one of those places you need to keep checking for something you might want. I've been searching for a small table to go just inside the front door. I meandered through the shop and as I turned back toward the front, there it was, right next to the shop's front door. My table. It had been there long enough that it had been marked down twice. It was the right size and the right price. It's not an antique, but it is a good sturdy piece of furniture. I bought it and took it home. It fits just where I thought it would.
I chose the brown frames and brown cushions because they work with the colors in the living room. As it turns out, they look good with my rocker, which I've had since I was 15. There's something about buying furniture. Some of my friends call it part of the nesting process. But it's also a sense of security. The table at Not Too Shabby had been in the shop about as long as I've been in Alexandria. I didn't see it until last weekend. Until today, something always seemed to come up that prevented me getting down to Ikea. At some level, I may have been waiting until I had my three month review. Even though I knew it would be fine, even though people have been telling me all along that I'm doing a good job, there was something about passing that milestone. I'm here for a while. Even though I've only been here three months, I feel a sense of permanence I never really felt in my last apartment. Or at the Church Center during the last few years of my employment there.
I'm enjoying looking for furniture. I'm making my apartment more and more my home. In time Alexandria will be, too.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
90 Days
It is hard to believe that six months ago this wasn't even a blip on my radar screen. Less than five months ago I had my first interview, and during the 40 days between acceptance and start date I packed up everything and moved south.
When the job hunt process started almost two years ago I said relocation was an option. South, however, was not a direction that crossed my mind. I pictured Boston, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and even Spokane (although Spokane probably would have meant major culture shock). But here I am in Alexandria, VA. From the shadow of New York City to the shadow of Washington, DC.
In some ways living in the shadow of Washington, DC, isn't much different from living in the shadow of New York City. District events dominate the news. Most important social and cultural events appear to take place in the District. Large numbers of people commute into the District for work.
I, on the other hand, have the the shortest commute of my professional life. For the first four weeks I made a two minute walk across campus from the temporary guest house. Now it's 35 steps from the front door of my apartment to my office door. Because my colleagues all work in different buildings, I walk much more than I did for any other job.
So here I am having completed my first 90 days as the Hospitality and Guest Residence Manager for Virginia Theological Seminary. I had a good review, and I feel like I'm making a positive contribution. I'm taking the first steps in building an expanded professional network that reflects this new job. I have friends that check in to make sure that I get off campus.
Having friends living in this area made the decision to move to Alexandria easier. But along with my professional network, I'm having to build a new social network, which is probably the more difficult process. Not to mention finding a new church. It's not going to happen overnight, but eventually this will start to feel like home.
And for 90 days in, I think I've made a good start.
When the job hunt process started almost two years ago I said relocation was an option. South, however, was not a direction that crossed my mind. I pictured Boston, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and even Spokane (although Spokane probably would have meant major culture shock). But here I am in Alexandria, VA. From the shadow of New York City to the shadow of Washington, DC.
In some ways living in the shadow of Washington, DC, isn't much different from living in the shadow of New York City. District events dominate the news. Most important social and cultural events appear to take place in the District. Large numbers of people commute into the District for work.
I, on the other hand, have the the shortest commute of my professional life. For the first four weeks I made a two minute walk across campus from the temporary guest house. Now it's 35 steps from the front door of my apartment to my office door. Because my colleagues all work in different buildings, I walk much more than I did for any other job.
So here I am having completed my first 90 days as the Hospitality and Guest Residence Manager for Virginia Theological Seminary. I had a good review, and I feel like I'm making a positive contribution. I'm taking the first steps in building an expanded professional network that reflects this new job. I have friends that check in to make sure that I get off campus.
Having friends living in this area made the decision to move to Alexandria easier. But along with my professional network, I'm having to build a new social network, which is probably the more difficult process. Not to mention finding a new church. It's not going to happen overnight, but eventually this will start to feel like home.
And for 90 days in, I think I've made a good start.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Wash, Rinse, Repeat
This week the Penn State child abuse scandal battles with the Aurora, Colorado shootings for the top spot in the media headlines. A slight blip came today came with the sentencing of an official of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Then the media returned to the pros and cons of the NCAA sanctions against Penn State and the heroes and lessons of the movie theater shootings.
Quite frankly, I'm tired of it all. Except for the cast of players, the plot remains the same. We watched the stories of survival, the remembrances of victims, and the debates over gun control after the shootings in Killeen, TX, Colombine, CO, Virgina Tech, Tucson, AZ, and more. We followed the unfolding of investigations and prosecutions of sexual abuse cases in Boston, Philadelphia, Lackland Air Force Base, Tailhook, and beyond. We debated gun control, mental health, racism, the abuse of authority, and the keeping of secrets. As the satirical news site The Onion reported, "Sadly, Nation Knows Exactly How Colorado Shooting's Aftermath Will Play Out." In humor there is truth.
We keep having these conversations. Over and over again. Ad infinitum. But has anything really changed? We put in more security systems, but we don't limit the types of firearms citizens may possess. We write laws to protect victims, but we don't provide the support they need over time.
When major tragedies and scandals happen we reach for the giant communal shampoo bottle and follow the directions. Wash, rinse, repeat. And repeat. And repeat. Who was it that said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?
When are we going to stop talking about change and actually work at creating some?
Quite frankly, I'm tired of it all. Except for the cast of players, the plot remains the same. We watched the stories of survival, the remembrances of victims, and the debates over gun control after the shootings in Killeen, TX, Colombine, CO, Virgina Tech, Tucson, AZ, and more. We followed the unfolding of investigations and prosecutions of sexual abuse cases in Boston, Philadelphia, Lackland Air Force Base, Tailhook, and beyond. We debated gun control, mental health, racism, the abuse of authority, and the keeping of secrets. As the satirical news site The Onion reported, "Sadly, Nation Knows Exactly How Colorado Shooting's Aftermath Will Play Out." In humor there is truth.
We keep having these conversations. Over and over again. Ad infinitum. But has anything really changed? We put in more security systems, but we don't limit the types of firearms citizens may possess. We write laws to protect victims, but we don't provide the support they need over time.
When major tragedies and scandals happen we reach for the giant communal shampoo bottle and follow the directions. Wash, rinse, repeat. And repeat. And repeat. Who was it that said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?
When are we going to stop talking about change and actually work at creating some?
Monday, July 16, 2012
The Yankee Settles in
As the real summer weather of both heat and humidity settles in, I find that I am, too. While the living room still needs furniture, and I haven't started the repurposing of the white dresser, the apartment is starting to feel like my home.
I'm still figuring out the rhythm of my job, but so far people seem pleased with my contributions to the Seminary community. I have my three month review in a few days. It hardly seems possible that my first interview for a position here was less than four-and-a-half months ago.
I can get around Alexandria pretty well these days, though I'm still haven't ventured in to the District enough times to even begin to figure out how it works in terms of finding my way around. That will change once I start looking at churches further afield.
It is always interesting adjusting to a new corporate culture. Being at an academic institution is somewhat of a double adjustment. It's not just being on staff; it's also not being a student. And this transition entails not only a new corporate culture but a new community at the same time. A new community in a part of the country I hadn't expected to be in.
So yes, I'm settling in. It will be a while before I call this area home without hesitating.
I'm still figuring out the rhythm of my job, but so far people seem pleased with my contributions to the Seminary community. I have my three month review in a few days. It hardly seems possible that my first interview for a position here was less than four-and-a-half months ago.
I can get around Alexandria pretty well these days, though I'm still haven't ventured in to the District enough times to even begin to figure out how it works in terms of finding my way around. That will change once I start looking at churches further afield.
It is always interesting adjusting to a new corporate culture. Being at an academic institution is somewhat of a double adjustment. It's not just being on staff; it's also not being a student. And this transition entails not only a new corporate culture but a new community at the same time. A new community in a part of the country I hadn't expected to be in.
So yes, I'm settling in. It will be a while before I call this area home without hesitating.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
A Visit to Church of the Resurrection
I've driven by Resurrection many times since moving down here, so this week I decided it was time to visit. It sits on a hill overlooking North Beaureagard. The front entrance faces away from the street and overlooks the parking lot. Driving up and around I found a church of the same vintage as Grace Norwalk and my grandparent's church, Prince of Peace Lutheran in Brookfield. It's one of those designed like an A-frame with walls and built of brick.
I arrived at about 9:50 for the 10:00 service and got there before the ushers. The greeter was trying to make sure newcomers and visitors had everything they needed, which inlcuded Wonder, Love and Praise for this morning's service. Service music was printed in the bulletin, even though it, too, was in Wonder, Love and Priase. The Entrance and Gospel Hymns were from the Hymnal 1982, and the Recessional Hymn was from Lift Every Voice and Sing, though it was printed in the bulletin.
I also arrived before most of the congregation. About five people were seated in the pews when I went in. By the time the service started that increased to 20 or so, not inlcuding the 15 member choir, the clergy, adult acolyte, and music director. There were about 60 when the sermon started. In spite of the fact that I was not the youngest person in the church, there was not a child in sight except for the infant with the couple that sat next to me. The children and their teachers arrived as the priest began the Eucharist, so there were about 75 total in church. This is the most diverse congregation I've visited in Alexandria so far.
I reaaly appreciated that the greeter also came up to me after the service to make sure to invite me to the reception being held for a departing couple. She didn't push when I said I really couldn't stay. Before I left she handed me a small gift bag with information about the parish, a small stone with a cross engraved on it, and two business card magnets with the church's address and contact information. And of course, she made sure to invite me to come again. Just enough without being too much.
They have an interesting touch when receiving communion. After everyone at the rail has been served, before they return to their seats, the priest says, "Become what you receive." The people respond, "We are the body of Christ."
This is a parish that isn't quite sure what to do with their children. Or perhaps they're in transition. The bulletin contained a special announcement about a special pre-service praise and worship time:
Then I read the literature in the gift bag.
The parish is in transition, which many parishes in the area seem to be. Not only do they have an Interim Rector, they have an Interim Deacon. It will be interesting to see what a new Rector may be able to accomplish.
I arrived at about 9:50 for the 10:00 service and got there before the ushers. The greeter was trying to make sure newcomers and visitors had everything they needed, which inlcuded Wonder, Love and Praise for this morning's service. Service music was printed in the bulletin, even though it, too, was in Wonder, Love and Priase. The Entrance and Gospel Hymns were from the Hymnal 1982, and the Recessional Hymn was from Lift Every Voice and Sing, though it was printed in the bulletin.
I also arrived before most of the congregation. About five people were seated in the pews when I went in. By the time the service started that increased to 20 or so, not inlcuding the 15 member choir, the clergy, adult acolyte, and music director. There were about 60 when the sermon started. In spite of the fact that I was not the youngest person in the church, there was not a child in sight except for the infant with the couple that sat next to me. The children and their teachers arrived as the priest began the Eucharist, so there were about 75 total in church. This is the most diverse congregation I've visited in Alexandria so far.
I reaaly appreciated that the greeter also came up to me after the service to make sure to invite me to the reception being held for a departing couple. She didn't push when I said I really couldn't stay. Before I left she handed me a small gift bag with information about the parish, a small stone with a cross engraved on it, and two business card magnets with the church's address and contact information. And of course, she made sure to invite me to come again. Just enough without being too much.
They have an interesting touch when receiving communion. After everyone at the rail has been served, before they return to their seats, the priest says, "Become what you receive." The people respond, "We are the body of Christ."
This is a parish that isn't quite sure what to do with their children. Or perhaps they're in transition. The bulletin contained a special announcement about a special pre-service praise and worship time:
Our orgnaist and choir director will lead us in praise songs that we con't nromallyt sing in our Sunday services. It will be a time to sing some different kinds of music and learn some new songs. it will be particularly suitable for families and young chyildren as the songs will be easy to learn and sing. Children can go on to Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. as we start our regular service.We will do this every Sunday through Labor DayMy first thought was wouldn't this be a perfect time to have the children participate in the entire worship service rather than coming in when the Eucharist begins?
Then I read the literature in the gift bag.
For children and youth, we offer a Church School program on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM. Our classes are taught by several dedicated teachers in small classroom settings. On the first Sunday of each month, the children come into church at the time of the "peace" and remain with their families through the end of the service.That may have been the reason I saw no teenagers. And since this wasn't the first Sunday of the month, either they're doing things differently for the summer, or they need to update their newcomer/visitor information. In either case, it's my belief that children should be participating in the entire worship of the church. Worship is part of formation, and Sunday School should done at another time. Before someone says that's too long of a time for children, I point out that this parish has an Adult Forum immediately following worship. That's the perfect opportunity to have formation time for all.
The parish is in transition, which many parishes in the area seem to be. Not only do they have an Interim Rector, they have an Interim Deacon. It will be interesting to see what a new Rector may be able to accomplish.
Monday, July 2, 2012
The Yankee Swelters
It's Monday afternoon, and we still do not have full power on campus. That means electricity but no air conditioning and no hot water in the entire residential complex, which consists of four dorms, two Guest Houses, the refectory, Cafe 1823, and the kitchen. Some of the rooms have no electricity either. We have the same situation in the administration and academic buildings. Fortunately the Welcome Center, the Library, faculty/staff houses, the Center for the Ministry of Teaching in Key Hall, and Sparrow Hall all have power and air conditioning.
Yesterday afternoon we made contingency plans for people staying in the dorms and the Guest Houses for the Summer Academic session and for classes. Three people asked to be moved to accommodations with air conditioning. Everyone else decided to stay in their rooms and make do with fans. I also stayed in my apartment last night. I opened all the windows and put my fan in the bedroom. It cooled off enough last night that I was comfortable enough to sleep. Once the sun rose high enough to hit my bedroom window I shut all the windows and got ready for work. Because my office is in the Guest Houses, I packed up what I needed for the day and used the Welcome Center. One advantage of having a Virtual Desktop is that I can work pretty much anywhere on campus. If I have the some additional software loaded onto my netbook, I could work just about anyplace I had an internet connection.
Today it looks like we'll be without power for another night. A couple of more people have asked to be moved for the duration. Many of us will continue to manage. Fortunately, the humidity has stayed fairly low for the past few days.
I can recall many sweltering summers. As kids we rode our bicycles places even on the worst days. I remember one summer morning my brother Scott and I rode to the public library, and the librarians made us sit down for a while before they'd let us go look at books. Scott and I argued every summer over whose turn it was to have the huge window fan in our bedroom window to cool the rest of the house, even though we both knew exactly whose room it had been in the summer before. There were days spent under the big maple in the front yard playing with plastic army men or Hot Wheels cars. Or the marathon Monopoly games that went on so long that we had to make more money for the bank in order to keep playing.
The point is that we lived for years without air conditioning. Now during the summer so many places are cooled to the point of needing a sweater. Of course, we also had many fewer appliances and electronic devices generating heat. Yesterday someone commented that they hadn't realized how much heat their laptop generated until their a/c wasn't working. Right now i'm sitting in my living room with the window open and the fan on. Even with the comptuer on, it's fairly comfortable. Although I wouldn't want to be doing anything too physical.
In fact, today would have been the perfect day to take a cooler full of ice tea and or lemonade, a chair, and a good book and set up under a shade tree for the afternoon. Maybe swelering isn't quite the right verb.
Yesterday afternoon we made contingency plans for people staying in the dorms and the Guest Houses for the Summer Academic session and for classes. Three people asked to be moved to accommodations with air conditioning. Everyone else decided to stay in their rooms and make do with fans. I also stayed in my apartment last night. I opened all the windows and put my fan in the bedroom. It cooled off enough last night that I was comfortable enough to sleep. Once the sun rose high enough to hit my bedroom window I shut all the windows and got ready for work. Because my office is in the Guest Houses, I packed up what I needed for the day and used the Welcome Center. One advantage of having a Virtual Desktop is that I can work pretty much anywhere on campus. If I have the some additional software loaded onto my netbook, I could work just about anyplace I had an internet connection.
Today it looks like we'll be without power for another night. A couple of more people have asked to be moved for the duration. Many of us will continue to manage. Fortunately, the humidity has stayed fairly low for the past few days.
I can recall many sweltering summers. As kids we rode our bicycles places even on the worst days. I remember one summer morning my brother Scott and I rode to the public library, and the librarians made us sit down for a while before they'd let us go look at books. Scott and I argued every summer over whose turn it was to have the huge window fan in our bedroom window to cool the rest of the house, even though we both knew exactly whose room it had been in the summer before. There were days spent under the big maple in the front yard playing with plastic army men or Hot Wheels cars. Or the marathon Monopoly games that went on so long that we had to make more money for the bank in order to keep playing.
The point is that we lived for years without air conditioning. Now during the summer so many places are cooled to the point of needing a sweater. Of course, we also had many fewer appliances and electronic devices generating heat. Yesterday someone commented that they hadn't realized how much heat their laptop generated until their a/c wasn't working. Right now i'm sitting in my living room with the window open and the fan on. Even with the comptuer on, it's fairly comfortable. Although I wouldn't want to be doing anything too physical.
In fact, today would have been the perfect day to take a cooler full of ice tea and or lemonade, a chair, and a good book and set up under a shade tree for the afternoon. Maybe swelering isn't quite the right verb.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
The Yankee Rides Out The Storm (And Its Aftermath)
Somehow I managed to set Thursday's post to publish NEXT June 28th, so I'll post it Monday. In the meantime here's an update on the aftermath of last night's storm.
The storm came through between 10:45 and 11:30 p.m. The power actualy went off before the worst of the storm hit, and before it went totally off we had disco light shows in several buildings. (Note to self: buy flashlights for the rooms in the Guest Houses.) This morning we woke to no power along with 1.5 million or so others, reports of winds clocked at 85 m.p.m with 85 m.p.h. gusts., and forecasts of 100+ degree temperatures. A couple of the summer session folks ran out to Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks and brought back coffee, bagels, and doughnuts. Over our impromptu breakfast we discussed contingency plans, and then the power came back on a little before 9:00 a.m.
Of course, we're still not problem free. The Guest Houses and the Dorms have power but no air conditioning. Well, most of the Guest Houses and Dorms. Things are connected strangely in places around campus. I have one guest room without power entirely, and in my office, which is next door to that room, the thermostat is out even though the a/c unit fan is running. In my apartment upstairs the thermostats have no power, one kitchen outlet has no power, and the kitchen closet light doesn't work. The lounge next door to my apartment also has a thermostat with no power. We still don't know when the the power to those systems will be up and running.
We decided to extend the hours of the Welcome Center, which usually closes at 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays, because it has both power and a/c. An email went out to the student, staff, and faculty lists letting them know, since some of them live off campus in areas that have no power. Some folks have come to cool off and charge their cell phones, laptops, and tablets. I'm sure there will be more before the day ends.
Right after lunch I drove down to Old Town to pick up a couple of packages that were waiting for me. There were no working traffic lights between the seminary and the King Street Metro Station. One intersection had a four-way stop sign placed in the center of it. At the rest you pretty much had to take your chances, though most people treated the intersections as four-way stops. But not everyone. Old Town has power, and there were plenty of tourists. I had some other errands I planned to do today, but given the situation, it seemed like a good idea to stay on or near campus. And we didn't really know what road or power conditions were heading south
We have our share of severe storms in New England, and I experienced many in the Midwest while visiting relatives as a child and later while at college and graduate school. This one really wasn't any different. I have my shelf of emergency food that doesn't need to be refridgerated or cooked. I have my hand-crank flashlight/radio from LL Bean. However, I do miss having a gas stove. I know how to maximize the use of window shades and open/closed windows to keep the apartment somewhat cool, and I know to drink plenty of water.
Like almost anyplace I've been during severe weather, people are pulling together to make sure everyone is okay. I'm glad I could help by staffing the Welcome Center for the afternoon to make it available.
The storm came through between 10:45 and 11:30 p.m. The power actualy went off before the worst of the storm hit, and before it went totally off we had disco light shows in several buildings. (Note to self: buy flashlights for the rooms in the Guest Houses.) This morning we woke to no power along with 1.5 million or so others, reports of winds clocked at 85 m.p.m with 85 m.p.h. gusts., and forecasts of 100+ degree temperatures. A couple of the summer session folks ran out to Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks and brought back coffee, bagels, and doughnuts. Over our impromptu breakfast we discussed contingency plans, and then the power came back on a little before 9:00 a.m.
Of course, we're still not problem free. The Guest Houses and the Dorms have power but no air conditioning. Well, most of the Guest Houses and Dorms. Things are connected strangely in places around campus. I have one guest room without power entirely, and in my office, which is next door to that room, the thermostat is out even though the a/c unit fan is running. In my apartment upstairs the thermostats have no power, one kitchen outlet has no power, and the kitchen closet light doesn't work. The lounge next door to my apartment also has a thermostat with no power. We still don't know when the the power to those systems will be up and running.
We decided to extend the hours of the Welcome Center, which usually closes at 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays, because it has both power and a/c. An email went out to the student, staff, and faculty lists letting them know, since some of them live off campus in areas that have no power. Some folks have come to cool off and charge their cell phones, laptops, and tablets. I'm sure there will be more before the day ends.
Right after lunch I drove down to Old Town to pick up a couple of packages that were waiting for me. There were no working traffic lights between the seminary and the King Street Metro Station. One intersection had a four-way stop sign placed in the center of it. At the rest you pretty much had to take your chances, though most people treated the intersections as four-way stops. But not everyone. Old Town has power, and there were plenty of tourists. I had some other errands I planned to do today, but given the situation, it seemed like a good idea to stay on or near campus. And we didn't really know what road or power conditions were heading south
We have our share of severe storms in New England, and I experienced many in the Midwest while visiting relatives as a child and later while at college and graduate school. This one really wasn't any different. I have my shelf of emergency food that doesn't need to be refridgerated or cooked. I have my hand-crank flashlight/radio from LL Bean. However, I do miss having a gas stove. I know how to maximize the use of window shades and open/closed windows to keep the apartment somewhat cool, and I know to drink plenty of water.
Like almost anyplace I've been during severe weather, people are pulling together to make sure everyone is okay. I'm glad I could help by staffing the Welcome Center for the afternoon to make it available.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Re-What?
Yesterday I blogged for the first time in a week when I posted on my other blog (A Connecticut Yankee in Robert E. Lee's Back Yard). Usually I'm pretty good at keeping up with the Monday and Thursday posting schedule, even if I don't post regularly here, but last week just seemed to slip by. Some evenings were disrupted by the needs of folks in the dorms who were here for a program. Other evenings I just had no motivation to write.
Maybe it was the heat. The week started out fairly cool, but Tuesday the humidity started to climb. By Wednesday the temperature reached the mid-90's, and Weather Service issued extreme heat warnings. It stayed in the 90's for three days, which was the definition of a heat wave at one time. Friday night the climate control system in my building went on the fritz and didn't get fixed until late Saturday morning. So maybe it was the weather.
Or maybe it's been the sense of dislocation. As I said yesterday when I talked about architecture, a lot of things contribute to that feeling. Today as I cleaned the apartment I was really aware of how large it is compared to my last place. That is NOT a complaint. I'm looking forward to picking out new furniture over the next few months. But after almost seven years in less than 500 square feet, it's an adjustment.
I'm coming to realize that it's not just readjustment. It's pretty much re-inventing my life. For the first time in almost 20 years I'm looking at a future that is not centered on the church. Don't laugh. I know I'm at Virginia Theological Seminary. No. Do laugh. God definitely has a sense of humor!
I think I'm going to take a walk around my new home and enjoy it.
Maybe it was the heat. The week started out fairly cool, but Tuesday the humidity started to climb. By Wednesday the temperature reached the mid-90's, and Weather Service issued extreme heat warnings. It stayed in the 90's for three days, which was the definition of a heat wave at one time. Friday night the climate control system in my building went on the fritz and didn't get fixed until late Saturday morning. So maybe it was the weather.
Or maybe it's been the sense of dislocation. As I said yesterday when I talked about architecture, a lot of things contribute to that feeling. Today as I cleaned the apartment I was really aware of how large it is compared to my last place. That is NOT a complaint. I'm looking forward to picking out new furniture over the next few months. But after almost seven years in less than 500 square feet, it's an adjustment.
I'm coming to realize that it's not just readjustment. It's pretty much re-inventing my life. For the first time in almost 20 years I'm looking at a future that is not centered on the church. Don't laugh. I know I'm at Virginia Theological Seminary. No. Do laugh. God definitely has a sense of humor!I think I'm going to take a walk around my new home and enjoy it.
Monday, June 25, 2012
The Yankee Sees Bricks
Recently a friend of mine let people know that she accepted a new position and would be moving to Cape Cod. She included a picture of the house they would rent, a historic cape cod style cottage. You find this type of house throughout the Northeast. It was quite popular for most of the middle decades of the 20th Century. I grew up in one built in 1947. A friend of mine who grew up in an almost identical house in Levittown, NY that was built around the same time.
Another common form of house in the Northeast is the saltbox. This is a picture of the oldest one in Darien, Conncecticut, not far from my childhood home. It was built circa 1690. Both the cape and the saltbox were originally wood frame houses. In fact, most of the houses in New England are--or were--wood frame.
This farmhouse is of a type common in eastern Pennsylvania where my brother and his family live. They still build houses with this kind of stonework in that area. It is a distinctive style that I identify with that part of Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey.
So when I came down to this part of Virginia I found brick. Lots of brick. Like this cape cod. It just doesn't look right to me. The use of brick extends up into Maryland. Last night I had dinner with friends in Bethesda, and their home is a ranch style house built of brick. I've seen frame houses and a stone house here and there, but brick seems to predominate. Almost every building on the Seminary campus is built of brick, though that doesn't strike ma as all that out of place. Most college campuses I've visited or lived on have most buildings constructed of brick. But even the faculty/staff housing on campus is built of brick.I'm sure there must be, or have been, a reason for the use of so much brick in this area, but I don't know what it is. But even knowing the reason wouldn't lessen the sense of unfamiliarity. I wonder if my somewhat limited knowledge of and interest in architecture increases my sense of dislocation. Or if I'm just more aware of this particular piece of the feeling than most people relocating to a new area, and they're more aware of other pieces than I am.
And there are many pieces to it, but it's not about being unhappy. The longer I'm here, the more I know this was absolutely the right decision. I'm making new friends. I'm catching up with old friends who relocated to this area or have lived here as long as I've known them. My job is all I could have asked for. But as Moses said when he named his firstborn, "I have been a stranger in a strange land."
Sunday, June 17, 2012
A Visit to Grace
No, I didn't go back to Connecticut for a visit. This morning I went to Grace Alexandria. I knew it was going to be a different experience when I looked at their web site. Rite I is the predominant service used at Grace. It took me a little longer to drive to the church than I thought, and I arrived during the first hymn. Incense wafted out the front door when the person ahead of me opened it. In spite of the pictures on the web site, the altar against the wall without a second altar forward surprised me, even more so when the priest celebrated facing the altar with his back to the congregation.
All the music was familiar, and they used Lift Every Voice and Sing as well as the Hymnal 1982. I also saw a few copies of Wonder Love and Praise. This congregation takes its music and its worship seriously and joyfully. They also appear to be involved in a lot of inreach and outreach. This being the third Sunday of the month, they had laying on of hands for healing by the priest after the service, but they also had Stephen Ministers available for conversation and prayer.
All of that being said, it did not feel particularly welcoming. The congregation appears to be large enough that not everyone knows everyone else. The usher who greeted me did nothing more than hand me a bulletin and say hello. No one seemed interested in pointing a newcomer toward Coffee Hour after the service. The bulletin and the web site tell visitors to ask the ushers for directions, but they seemed more interested in talking to people they knew than looking out for newcomers.
Once again I found an overwhelmingly Anglo congregation. However, I did see more people of color than any other church in Alexandria I've visited so far (Epiphany is in the District). I also noted that in spite of the presence of a Hispanic ministry in the church, the Spanish Eucharist was mentioned only once in the announcements handed out with the bulletin and only in English.
A couple of observations. In the middle of a Rite I Eucharist they used the Form III Prayers of the People from Rite II. When the offering was brought forward they not only sang verse 3 of Hymn 380 (the Doxology) but also verse 4 of Hymn 717 ("My country 'tis of thee..."). Okay, it's in the hymnal, but I was really uncomfortable with it being sung at that point in the service.
It might be worth going back to see what their service is like once they're resume their regular worship schedule, but I'm pretty sure this isn't the parish for me.
All the music was familiar, and they used Lift Every Voice and Sing as well as the Hymnal 1982. I also saw a few copies of Wonder Love and Praise. This congregation takes its music and its worship seriously and joyfully. They also appear to be involved in a lot of inreach and outreach. This being the third Sunday of the month, they had laying on of hands for healing by the priest after the service, but they also had Stephen Ministers available for conversation and prayer.
All of that being said, it did not feel particularly welcoming. The congregation appears to be large enough that not everyone knows everyone else. The usher who greeted me did nothing more than hand me a bulletin and say hello. No one seemed interested in pointing a newcomer toward Coffee Hour after the service. The bulletin and the web site tell visitors to ask the ushers for directions, but they seemed more interested in talking to people they knew than looking out for newcomers.
Once again I found an overwhelmingly Anglo congregation. However, I did see more people of color than any other church in Alexandria I've visited so far (Epiphany is in the District). I also noted that in spite of the presence of a Hispanic ministry in the church, the Spanish Eucharist was mentioned only once in the announcements handed out with the bulletin and only in English.
A couple of observations. In the middle of a Rite I Eucharist they used the Form III Prayers of the People from Rite II. When the offering was brought forward they not only sang verse 3 of Hymn 380 (the Doxology) but also verse 4 of Hymn 717 ("My country 'tis of thee..."). Okay, it's in the hymnal, but I was really uncomfortable with it being sung at that point in the service.
It might be worth going back to see what their service is like once they're resume their regular worship schedule, but I'm pretty sure this isn't the parish for me.
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