Continuing Education

I love my iPod (thanks, Mom!). Obviously, I use it to listen to music and podcasts, and it's a great tool for playing the flute. But those of you who follow my Facebook posts or Twitter tweets know that I'm also listening to lectures and courses from iTunes U. I've listened to lectures about J.R.R. Tolkien and Johnson's Dictionary.

This week I finished a course available from Open Yale Courses, Diana Kleiner's course on Roman Architecture. I listened to it on the train back and forth to work, and then I'd check out the pictures provided as part of the course material online. I enjoyed it so much that I sent Professor Kleiner an email:

Dear Dr. Kleiner,

I've just finished listening to your course on Roman Architecture on my iPod. Thank you for making it available. The lectures have been my commuting companion for the past few weeks, and I found them both enjoyable and informative. Your enthusiasm for the subject comes through quite clearly on the audio versions of the lectures. I also appreciated being able to go online and look at the pictures you discussed, and often I was surprised at how closely I could visualize what you described without the pictures in front of me.

Thank you again for a great experience.

Sincerely,

Jeffri Harre

Much to my surprise, I received a very nice reply from her:

Jeffri--If I may?

Many thanks for your note. And what you say is very high praise--if you can actually visualize what I am talking about without seeing the images! That said, I'm glad you also checked the pictures out online because I think they came out very well and certainly offer an enhancement. And, in any case, as the saying goes: "a picture is worth a thousand words."

Thanks again for writing and all best.--Diana

Now I'm listening to Professor Dale Martin's Introduction to New Testament History and Literature. Although after four years of EfM, I seem to be a bit better informed than some of his students (the lectures were taped during actual classes), I am learning a lot. I recommended it to my current EfM group and will recommend it to next year's group as well. There's also an Introduction to the Old Testament that I plan on listening to next.

One of the nice things about the Open Yale Courses is that they make available some of the supplemental material for the courses. Check them out.

Peace,
Jeff

Cleaned, Packed, And Ready

Yesterday afternoon I did laundry and dusted my entire apartment. This afternoon I cleaned the kitchen and bathroom and vacuumed the whole apartment. I can give the entire apartment a good cleaning in about two hours, so spaced over two days, it's not a big chore. Usually I do a little bit of basic stuff every day and the major stuff every couple of weeks. Except when I travel. Then I give the entire place a thorough cleaning a day or two before I leave, put clean sheets on the bed and clean towels in the bathroom the morning of departure. It's always nice to come home to a clean apartment and fresh sheets.

Once the apartment is clean, I begin packing. Actually, I start the packing process days before I pack the bags. First I make a list. I make piles. I winnow the piles. Certain things get taken to the office to be shipped with the meeting supplies. If it's going to be a lengthy trip, or I'm taking stuff that can't be shipped (when we go to Central or South America, for instance), I borrow a large suitcase from Mom. I also run to the library or the bookstore to get a couple of paperbacks to read while travelling (and during free time, if any). Packing day--that day before departure--the piles get moved to the bed, and the suitcases come down from the storage shelf. Usually by this point, I have a pretty good idea of which bag, or bags, are going on the trip. I winnow the piles one more time and then pack everything but the last minute stuff that goes in right before I go out the door.

Not today. I'm only going for four nights, so I could go carry on. Except I'm taking my flute. I'm too close to a gig to miss an entire week's worth of practicing, and my boss has said that I will have time to practice. So, I'm checking one bag and carrying on one bag with the flute as the one "personal item." Frankly, having to "overpack" and be able to take a little piece of sanity with me this trip is worth the checked bag fee.

I will need that sanity. Bronwyn (our "new" boss), Ruth-Ann and I will be making presentations to our networks about goings on at the Church Center. I've told them that they will have to talk about the reorg.... ummm... reconfiguration because I'm just not ready yet to be a cheerleader again. I'll be doing a lot of biting my tongue and taking notes. Or something. We have coloring pages for participants, and I may throw my crochet stuff in my bag before I leave. Keep busy, stick to the script, and don't talk about the stuff management doesn't want us to talk about.

I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be.

The shuttle comes at 6:45 tomorrow morning. I think we'll have Internet access in Kanuga, so I'll keep you posted.

Peace,
Jeff

More On Breaking The Record

Two weeks later stories are still popping up on the web about the record breaking performance at the National Flute Association Convention in New York City.

Here's a short video taken by someone in the ballroom during the performance.

And a longer one focusing primarily on one participant, but you can see from some of the shots taken from the back of the ballroom that the room with 2,000 chairs was standing room only.

Finally, the one from James Galway's official site. Note the number of "assistant conductors" helping us keep together while playing.

Here are some of the stories:
Breaking a Guiness world Record
Flutist's performance one for the record books

Peace,
Jeff

What Not To Wear, And Who Cares?

Shortly after I returned from lunch yesterday, Jonathan called to see if I wanted to get together for a bite after work. Or would it be too late for me in terms of getting home, if I had to wait around until he finished work? Two simple answers. Yes. No.

A while later I was in the rest room and happened to look in the mirror over the sink while washing my hands. I'd done laundry Tuesday night, and I was wearing exactly the same shirt and slacks as I'd worn Monday, the last time Jonathan and I got together for dinner. If I hadn't said anything at dinner, he wouldn't have noticed. "I'm such a guy," he said. The conversation moved on.

It has been a long time since I've had someone to talk to about music, and especially about the playing the flute. We've been playing about the same number of years, but he's had more formal training as a musician (including things like theory and composition) than I have. He's also been more intentional about practicing for the past couple of years. I'm playing catch-up. Or at least it sometimes feels like that. But it's nice to have someone to talk to about practicing.

Actually, it's nice to have someone to talk with about all sorts of stuff.

I might actually get to like this dating stuff.

Peace,
Jeff

Update: We Did It!

According to this article on a Tampa, FL media site, we broke the world record for the world's largest flute ensemble with an official number 1, 989. You can see a video of the performance on James Galway's website.

And I was part of it!

Peace,
Jeff

Next Year In Anaheim?

After 15 days in Anaheim, California, last month for General Convention, and I'm already considering going back there next year. Why? Because the National Flute Association's annual convention is scheduled to be there next August--in the same hotel I stayed at for those two weeks. Any final decision on attending will depend on what is offered next year, and I'll have more to say about that later.

Saturday morning I planned on taking the 6:34 train into the City but overslept. The 7:34 arrived in Grand Central at 8:34, and I still made it to the hotel meeting room in time for the 9:00 a.m. Flute Choir Reading Session, the last one of the convention. The session had a travel theme, which the sponsoring flute choir's director put together to show how one might program a concert. One of the things I appreciated about the reading sessions was that the music folders we were given were not all one part. For the first piece you might have the first flute part, for the second fourth flute, second flute on the third piece, etc. Not only does that give participants a better feel for the music, no one gets frustrated with always "getting stuck" with the fourth flute part. I'll have to see if there are any flute choirs in our area.

At noon I attended Ivana Zahirovic's performance of flute music by Croation composers. I liked a couple of the pieces well enough to keep them in mind to look at if I ever had the opportunity to perform solo.

Next I went to the 30+ Open Amateur Masterclass with Linda Chesis. This workshop was part of a series of three organized by the NFA's Amateur Resources Committee. A Masterclass is where a student musician performs a piece of music (or a portion of it) and then a "master teacher" works with the musician to improve technique, performance, etc. Usually a small number of students are chosen by audition. At conferences and other events, Masterclasses are done in a larger venue with an audience--the Masterclass James Galway taught at convention took place in one of the ballrooms. An open class is one where people in the "audience" can volunteer to work with the teacher, or be called upon by the teacher to ask a question of their own. This particular class was specifically for amateur flutists over 30--people like me! Linda showed us how to use a drinking straw to work on airflow and articulation. She also demonstrated a more relaxed posture for playing and gave us some good ways to practice scales, exercises, and performance pieces. It was amazing to see and hear immediate results from her teaching. As a result of this workshop, I did go to the Exhibit Hall and make another purchase--a small tuner.

Here is the description for the last workshop I attended on Saturday:

Kinesthetic artist Zara Lawler, featured on Thursday’s Gala recital, gives a performance workshop on incorporating dance and story-telling into your playing.

"Interesting, I thought, I'll go see what it's like. I can always leave." Wow! Zara and dancer choreographer C. Neil Parsons performed and led workshop participants through a series of exercises that ended up with a choreographed playing of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Dancing while playing your instrument; what a concept! Storytelling in instrumental performance isn't new (think "Peter and the Wolf"), but one person doing both the narration and the playing? I came away lots of ideas for storytelling in church settings and things that might be interesting to try in contra dancing and even ballroom. Zara also contra dances--she and her partner had contra dancing at their wedding--and plays for English Country Dancing down in Greenwich Village. She was very interested in the Lavender Country and Folk Dancers second Friday dances at the LBGT Center in the City, too, so I may see her again.

I stuck around late because I wanted to go to the Cabaret Concert of the NFA Jazz Flute Big Band, which was selected through competition. Ordinarily, Jazz is not my thing, but Jonathan was one of the winners, and I figured I could go see him perform. Unfortunately, in order to catch the 12:07 p.m. train home, I had to leave the concert early and missed his solo (though I didn't know he was playing one...).

I got about four hours of sleep before getting up Sunday morning to catch the 6:34 train, so I could attend the 8:00 a.m. Targeted Strategies for Amateurs workshop led by Lisa Fahlstrom, chair of the Amateur Resources committee. More really good ideas for practice, especially when you have limited time to practice. Two of the things that stand out from the session are don't avoid the "icky stuff" (scales, etudes, and exercises), because you do need to work on technique, and play something you like and can play well last, so you can end your practice time feeling good. We also had a conversation about where to find opportunities to play. Lisa asked again and again for ideas and input for programming for amateurs at future conventions. She said that while the NFA had been founded by professional flutists, the majority of the membership consists of amateurs, even if they don't might not admit it. Her definition of an amateur? "Anyone who isn't playing the flute to pay their mortgage." I spent a couple of minutes after the workshop in conversation with Lisa, and I volunteered to participate in the Amateur Concerns Committee, which could affect my decision on whether or not to attend the convention in Anaheim next year.

Next on the schedule was a Mini Flute Spa with Patricia George. The program described it this way:

No time to practice? This participatory masterclass will explore several exercises to keep you playing well. Suitable for all ages and playing abilities.

While I learned a couple of interesting things, Patricia seemed to have designed her workshop with teachers of young flute students in mind. I did walk out of this workshop early.

I was really looking forward to Fenwik Smith's From Urtext to Your Text:

Using a Telemann Fantasy in the Bärenreiter Urtext edition, Fenwick Smith will guide you through the options of dynamics, articulation, tempo, phrasing, and style to come up with a viable and stylish “edition” of your own.

This was another mild disappointment. Fenwick was late, and it was another presentation using an overhead projector. However, because we were marking music as we worked through the Telemann Fantasy, it was probably the best way to do it, short of digital pen technology such as Canson's PaperShow, which is still in its infancy. He also allowed a couple of participants to hijack the workshop and turn it into a conversation on judging of performance competitions. I and two other participants ended up shutting that down. I did learn a little bit about looking at a piece of music before preparing it for performance, but not as much as I expected out of an hour-and-a-half workshop.

I had lunch with Jonathan both Saturday and Sunday, and we hung out together whenever our free time coincided. So often the first time you go to events like this you don't know anyone. I never travel without a book, but having someone to hang out with and talk about what was going on at the convention was really nice. Not that we spent all of our free time talking a bout the convention and flutes. We discovered some common interests outside of music. We're planning on getting together to see a movie or something when I get back from Pennsylvania.

Even though I didn't stay at the convention hotel in the City, there was still the sense of being in a different time with its own rhythm similar to the way Lavender Country and Folk Dancers Camps feel. Or any convention or multi-day gathering, I suppose. The last day is always that winding down and preparing for re-entry into the "real world." Fortunately, I'm not doing an immediate re-entry, because I'm spending the week with Scott, Maureen, and the kids.

Peace,
Jeff

Did We Do It?

Another early train into the City and a walk across town to get to the hotel. First thing on my agenda upon arrival at the NFA Convention was the attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the World's Largest Flute Ensemble. I joined some 2,000 other flutists in the Broadway Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis to rehearse, first with one of the event organizers. James Galway was in Times Square filming a segment to introduce the attempt. When he arrived, we played "Happy Birthday" for him in honor of his 70th birthday later this year.




Then Sir James rehearsed us. He seemed to spend more time with the first flutes, but some of us in the fourth flute section decided it was because they needed more work than the rest of us. At 10:05 we did the "official" performance for the record. Did we break the it? We don't know yet, they're still counting the registration forms.

Here's a short story from NPR on the event.

Once again, I found that it makes a big difference playing with other musicians. What I didn't think I could play through, I managed to play with minimal mistakes. Not to mention hearing all four parts live. Incredible!

The lecture I attended after the--hopefully--record-breaking performance was somewhat anticlimactic. More than that, it bordered on boring. Kate Clark's presentation on the Renaissance Flute, which consisted mostly of overheads (yes, she used an overhead projector!) of works of Renaissance art depicting musicians of all sorts and excerpts of Renaissance music, fell flat. It is possible to present such material in more interesting ways, as demonstrated by Rachel Brown yesterday. Perhaps Ms. Clark's performance later in the day was more interesting, but I was playing in the flute choir reading session at the time.

The next workshop I participated in was Brian McCoy's Irish Music on the Boehm Flute (the flute most of us are familiar with today). I learned a couple of things I didn't know before, and it was a fun workshop.

When I checked my phone messages after the workshop (unlike some people, I turn my phone OFF during workshops and performances) I had a message from Jonathan suggesting a place to meet. As I was composing a text response, he arrived outside the meeting room. We walked over to 9th Avenue and had lunch at Island Burgers. We talked a lot. We're about the same age and both college educated. We both work in education--he as a tutor at a college in lower Manhattan. And, of course, we both play the flute, although our specific interests are a bit different--he likes Jazz, while I tend toward Baroque and early classical. He's also an artist. At one point I asked him, "Is there anything you don't do?" He laughed and replied, "Many things."

I'm still not sure what it was that sparked his interest. He said he'd first noticed me in the Exhibit Hall and more or less screwed up his nerve to follow me out and initiate a conversation. I'm glad he did. And I'm glad I was open enough to engage in the conversation.

We're hoping our schedules work out so that we can have lunch again tomorrow.

I did try one instrument in the Exhibit Hall this afternoon. Brian McCoy had what turned out to be an aluminum Soprano D Whistle. I found the booth and asked to see one of the whistles. It played like a dream and had great sound. However, the $190 price is a bit beyond me at this point. If I were playing regularly with a dance band, I'd consider it. My plastic Susato does just fine, and I know a couple of professional Irish musicians that play Susatos.

Peace,
Jeff

Bright Flutes, Big City

I'm on vacation, yet I still got up this morning to catch a train into the City--one of the same trains I often take when I'm going to work. The reason? The National Flute Association's 37th Annual Convention. For the first time in the 20+ years I've been a member of the NFA, I am attending it's convention.

I planned on doing five things today (other than registering for the conference!): one sight reading session, one workshop, two performances, and time in the Exhibit Hall. I did three. The workshop was cancelled, and I decided to head home before the second performance.

During the Flute Choir Reading Session we read through eight pieces of baroque music under the direction of Linda Kirkpatrick. I have not sight read in an ensemble of any size for a few years, and it has been many years since I've played with a large group. I tend to think I'm not a very good sight reader, but that comes from doing so much sight reading alone. Sight reading in a group is very different. During our read through of a transcription Vivaldi's Spring Concerto for flute choir, I managed to keep up and play with a minimum of glaring errors. What a difference playing with a group makes.

After lunch I attended Rachel Brown's lecture/recital of Joachim Quantz's music. She played excerpts of Quantz sonatas, most of which have probably not been performed in public since the time of Frederick the Great. She played them on a flute "built to the specifications of Quantz's own flute." While I did not learn a great deal about the court of Frederick the Great that I didn't already know, I did learn quite about Quantz and his theories of music and instruments. And, of course, the music was great.

The Exhibit Hall was overwhelming. I don't think I've seen so many flutes an piccolos in one place at one time in my life. And noisy! People trying out flutes everywhere. I can't imagine buying a flute based on how it sounded during a test in an overcrowded hotel ballroom with so many other flutists testing instruments at the same time! It was also crowded. Why did they plan such narrow aisles when they knew that people were going to be stopping to test flutes, look at music, etc.? What a mess!

I did see a couple of books and some music that I've been looking for, but I'm holding off until a little later. The discounts are good, but there might be something else I learn about during convention that I'd like to buy.

After having been at General Convention, it's refreshing to be at a convention where the average age is not 60+. I saw young children, teenagers, college students, and young adults in about the same percentages as adults, middle-aged adults, and seniors. I also observed a child prodigy and his mother. I'm not sure who was the more insufferable individual!

During the afternoon, before I learned that the workshop was cancelled, I took some time to look through the program and plan for the rest of the weekend. While I was at the table another man about my age came up to the other side of the table to do the same thing. He initiated a conversation, and we talked for a bit before a friend of his came to meet him to go to a performance. Before his friend arrived, we made a date for lunch tomorrow. Hmmmmm...

Another early train tomorrow.

Peace,
Jeff

Present Tense, Past Participles, And The Pluperfect

I spent most of my weekend in Barnes & Noble sitting in the cafe and reading. Mostly I read books on language, including Arika Okrent's In the Land of Invented Languages and Marty Grothe's Oxymorinica. I took notes in my handy dandy Moleskine notebook on things that interested me from both books but also some ideas to think about for Treth, Inlig, and Hinlig.

Treth? That would be a language spoken by the Traders who carry goods throughout the Jevanite Empire and surrounding countries.

Inlig? Most likely the language of Osnia before it was sundered.

Hinlig? The result of an influx of Mithel Tretha speakers who settled down in an area of Inlig speakers. It really serves an a forerunner for still developing language.

Confused? It's one of my pastimes: creating languages for the imaginary planet I've been noodling around with since graduate school (the first round). And, as usual, research and developing geography, history, and cultures are more fun than actually writing a story. I may get around to writing stories at some point, but the creative process of developing geography, history, and cultures provides me with a lot of enjoyment.

There are many different ways of constructing languages, and you can find a number of sites on the Internet devoted to Conlangs. Conlangs have a rich history, including Esperanto and the languages created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien created a world for his languages. I came at it the other way around, having already created a world. So, what would happen to language if you dumped refugees from Western Europe and North America on an uninhabited planet?

I started with the languages I know well, English, French, and German, which led to the development of Treth. At first I just worked on vocabulary and sound shifts, but it didn't take long before I realized that I really needed to spend some time on grammar. Somewhere in the depths of the Internet sits a translation of the Babel Text into an early version of Treth. Once I had some basic framework in place for Treth, I turned to looking at how an English-only language might evolve, which resulted in Inlig. And what about some of the descendant languages interacting? Now I have Hinlig, which is evolving on its own into an as yet unnamed language.

I was getting ready to start on a French descendant when I wondered what would happen if I threw in some Breton. Or Catalan. And let's not forget Spanish. What about orthography, how the languages are written?

As you can see, this can keep me occupied for a very long time. It's a fairly inexpensive pastime. Most of my research I can do on the Internet, in the library, and in local bookstores. A few vocabulary and grammar SparkCharts and BarCharts Reference Guides, notebooks, and pens, and I'm good to go.

Peace,
Jeff

Practicing

I've worked myself up to 30 minutes each time I practice my flute. That's a good length of time for daily practice. I'm not yet practicing every day, but I am practicing regularly. I like to spend about half my time practicing what is called traditional music--Irish, English, Scots, French Canadian, and New England tunes played for Contra Dances and English Country Dancing. Playing traditional music has a very different feel to it than playing classical music. For example, if you play violin, you play fiddle for dances. Same instrument, different approach. I've found that playing traditional music has improved my skills for playing classical music.

Today I spent half my practice time working on one four-line exercise from Das Floetenbuch Friedrichs des Grossen (The Flute Book of Frederick the Great). The book consists of 100 exercises composed by Frederich the Great and Johann Joachim Quantz. The are designed to improve tone and articulation. In other words, lots of sixteenth notes and interesting intervals between notes. These, however, unlike some "daily exercises," have a musical quality to them, so they're rather fun to play.

I also spent a little time on the second movement of the Bach Partita. I may not be ready to audition for the YouTube Orchestra, but one day in the not too distant future I should be able to play the Partita in public.

Peace,
Jeff
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Happy New Year

Amazing how much better things look on a sunny day! I'm taking a page (or is that a post?) from Elizabeth Kaeton and posting this for today:



And while I was searching for this on YouTube, I saw this interesting project:



Here's the blurb that accompanies the video:

Play your part in music history and join the YouTube Symphony Orchestra. You just need to upload two videos: your contribution to the Tan Dun piece and a general audition video. Good luck!

There's a whole section devoted to it here that includes a link for downloading the music and video master classes for each instrument. After sight reading through the Haydn yesterday, I'm tempted. I've looked at the flute part for the symphony and the flute master class video. One piece I could probably prepare, but two by the January 28th deadline...

The recommended pieces (choose one or two) for the general audition video are:

• Bach: Sonata for Solo Flute in a minor, BWV 1013: Mvt. IV, Bouree Anglaise

• Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E Minor: Mvt. IV, bar 89-105

• Mendelhssohn: Symphony 4 in A Major ("Italian"): Mvt. IV, Saltarello, bar 6-34

While I have been working on the Bach, I've been working on the first movement.

Note to self: See first video in this post. Work from there...

Peace,
Jeff

New Music

One of my Christmas presents this year was a Music Minus One Flute packet of Woodwind Quintets (volume 1). They are taken from recordings made in 1970 by the Camerata Woodwind Quintet of Western Illinois University and have had the flute part deleted, so you can play with the recording. This had been on my Amazon.com wish list for a couple of years, so I was excited when I opened the package from Rachel and saw what it was.

Sunday night I finally opened the book and took a look at the music. For a middling amateur, the printed sheet music looked a little intimidating. But then I remembered that a few years ago I sight read through two Mozart Divertimenti with a professional oboist and a child prodigy violinist. If I could do that, then I should be able to play these. On the other hand, I hadn't picked up my flute in weeks (probably more like months). Playing/practicing often takes a back seat when I don't have a gig or someone(s) to just jam with. So this evening I pulled out my flute and played for about 20 minutes. One of the pieces I worked on was the first movement of J.S. Bach's Partita in a minor for solo flute (BWV 1013).

This video from YouTube shows someone playing the Allemande on a baroque flute.



After finding the video of the Bach piece, I went looking on YouTube of videos of some of the pieces in the Music Minus One packet. I found this video of some high school students playing the first movement of the Haydn Divertimento in b flat major. (Don't cringe, it's actually in tune and better than the other video of the same piece that I found!)



Then I put the CD in to hear the quintet--minus the flute--play. Suddenly, the printed music doesn't seem so intimidating, and tomorrow I'll try sight reading the Haydn, and maybe even some of the other pieces.

I forget what a joy it is to make music, even just playing for myself. It changes the vibrations in the apartment, much like frequent prayer affects a space. It lightens my spirits. I need to remember to do this on a regular basis, because it also helps me cope with stress. And given the way things are at work...

Peace,
Jeff

New Boxes

I finished three more boxes. They were among the things that I scrambled to move out of the way of the water during the plumbing mishap the other week. I had the various pieces spread out on the floor to dry after applying a coat of paint.

This is Mom's birthday present. Obviously, I didn't finish it in time for her birthday. Since I gave it to her about halfway between her birthday and Christmas, I wrote "Meppy Birthmas! Or is that Harry Chrisday?" in the card. The image is from a painting of the Madonna and Child portrayed as Native Americans. The body of the box is a darker shade of purple, and I chose the colors to fit in her prayer space--not to mention that purple is one of her favorite colors.


This one I made for Lois. I didn't have to tell her that the picture is of Julian of Norwich.


I made this one for my friend Rachel. The picture shows a sacred well in a forest setting.


Each box contained two white tea lights and a fabric square to be used as an altar cloth. There is room for other sacred objects to be placed in the box--portable sacred space.

I have one more started and four waiting for ideas.

Peace,
Jeff

A Blast From The Past

Thursday evening I met my friend Amy for dinner at the Dry Dock Cafe in Norwalk. It had been a while since we'd spent some time together, and we figured it was time. When we sat at the table, the first thing Amy did, after giving me a big hug, was hand me a picture. She found it amongst the collection of a friend whose estate she is handling, and she wanted me to have it.

"That's not Tom Haydock, is it?" I asked, trying to remember if Tom and I had ever been involved in anything at the Wilton Playshop together and realizing at the same time that it wasn't Tom.

"No, it's Guy Allred." She replied.

"Oh, wow. This must be twenty years or so ago. I have hair, a mustache and about 100 fewer pounds."

"I found another picture from my wedding of Quentin with Guy, X, and Y. Only _____ is still alive."

Cancer claimed Quentin, Amy's ex husband, a year or so ago. AIDS took Guy and X from us long before that.

But it was not a sad occasion. The picture brought back lots of good memories. It was taken during the cast party after a show at the Wilton Playshop that I no longer remember--I occasionally helped out as stage crew. Guy and I are sitting (well, leaning against some piece of furniture) and smiling for the whoever took the picture. I was very attracted to Guy, even though blonds are not usually my "type." Not to mention that Brian and I were a couple at that point in time, and I would not even have considered getting involved with Guy, nor he with me.

Brian, now ex, is nowhere in evidence in the picture. That often happened at parties we went to. One of my fellow Connecticut Choraliers once remarked, "You know, whenever we have a party, if one of you comes into a room, the other one leaves." It was never intentional, and neither of us realized that happened. We simply both mingled with the people we knew at these parties, and we never felt the need to constantly be at each other's side. Of course, looking back, one wonders...

From there, our conversation moved on to other people we had both known at the Playshop and in the Choraliers and then on to catching up with recent events in our lives.

Amy's small gift evokes happy memories of a time when my life was different and of friends who have gone on. And I suppose that it is not a coincidence that this year's theme for our Education for Ministry spiritual autobiographies is "Pictures."

Peace,
Jeffri

Finally, It's Done!

My friend Rob was ordained to the priesthood on December 16, 2006. It has taken me nearly two years, but I finally finished his ordination gift. I just don't watch as much television as I used to.

The entire stole is done in double crochet stitch, with a single crochet edging:

Here are close ups of the individual panels.

The center panel with Rob's initials and ordination date:

Cross Botonnee:

Jerusalem Cross:

Celtic Cross:

Crosslet:

Calvary Cross:

St. Andrew's Cross:

Roman Cross:

Peace,
Jeffri

Three Boxes

I took the blue box in to the office yesterday and gave it to Ruth-Ann. She was truly surprised and delighted. She didn't realize at first that it had started out as a plain wooden box, and I'd done all the painting and decorating.

Here's the box I did for myself, using the same style box as the one I did for Ruth-Ann. The sides are dark green. The image is of Saints Sergius and Bacchus.


This dark green index card sized box (the same color green I used on the box above) is the one I was having trouble with. For some reason the first coat of varnish slightly smeared the stamped decorations. After living with it for a couple of days, I decided that it has a certain charm as it is and applied the second coat of varnish. The decorative stamp you see here appears on three sides and the top.


Here is the front with the different decorative element. The stamp I used on the other sides did not fit in the available space.


Here you can see the top and front.

Inside are stamped Tarot images. The box was made to hold a couple of tarot decks, or a deck and a spread cloth. Depending on the size of the deck, you might also be able to fit a tea light holder as well.

And the last box I made for another friend. She has a small boutique that she calls InnerFairy. Hence the fairies on the lid.

This picture shows the lid partially open--it slides.

Here you can see the inside of the box. The decorative paper is actually cut from one of the InnerFairy shopping bags.

I've enjoyed making these. There may be more in the future. In fact, I'm pretty sure there will be more.

Peace,
Jeffri

Two Boxes

The first two boxes are done. I wish now that I'd taken pictures of them before I started. The first one is a square box that I painted dark blue. I think the paint color is Night Sky. The picture on the cover is a print of Rublev's Trinity icon. Rachel suggested adding the larger square of paper, and it really highlights the print.



The second box is a gift for Ruth-Ann, so she has a crush-proof box to pack her sacred space items when she facilitates meetings. She has an affinity for Mary, so I went through a lot of images before finally coming back to Our Lady of Guadeloupe. This particular image of Mary is symbolic of the work Ruth-Ann and I have done with Province IX of the Episcopal Church.




I also picked out some new items for her. I bought the hand-woven white cloth at a craft fair a few years ago because I liked it. It sat in a drawer ever since waiting to be used. I thought of it while working on this box and pulled it out to give to Ruth-Ann. The three small cards are different images of Mary, and the tea light holder will hold a votive size candle too. And since we can't always light a real candle in some of our meeting rooms, I also bought a battery powered flickering tea light.

The next two boxes are almost done. I have one last coat of varnish to paint on both of them and hinges to re-attach to one. I should have pictures of them in the next couple of days.

I'm having trouble with the last box. The varnish is smearing the decorative elements, and I have to redo at least two sides.

Sometimes it's just nice to work with your hands.

Peace,
Jeffri

Something To Ponder

I'm still working my way through Sandy Sasso's God's Echo. It's a short book, but lately I've been spending my train rides doing Sudoku puzzles. However, this evening during the commute home I got tired of the numbers and pulled the little book from my briefcase to read. On page 113, Sandy writes

Prayer has its place, but it is not a substitute for courage and responsible action.

In other words, eventually you have to get off your duff and actually do something. God isn't going to do it alone.

I haven't been writing much over the past week. I've been working with my hands to transform some plain wooden boxes. I am taking an idea I had and wrote about, and I am creating it into reality.

Creating it into reality.

Definitely something to ponder as I look at the future.

Peace,
Jeffri

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Yesterday I spent the late afternoon and early evening at one of the local Barnes & Nobles doing some recreational reading. By that I mean it had absolutely nothing to do with church, religion, or theology in any way, shape or form. I picked up a couple of books on language, mostly because the subject interests me. However, if I happen to stumble across something that I can apply to the development of a couple of conlangs (Constructed Languages, think Star Trek's Klingon and J.R.R. Tolkien's various languages of Middle Earth) I dabble with.

Among my selections for the afternoon was David Crystal's The Fight for English: How language pundits ate, shot, and left (Oxford University Press, 2006). I found several things that I will take into consideration as I continue work on the conlangs. However, I also came across something else of interest.

This is a lesson everyone who studies language eventually learns. You cannot stop language change. You may not like it; you may regret the arrival of new forms and the passing of old ones; but there is not the slightest thing you can do about it. Language change is as natural as breathing. It is one of the linguistic facts of life... If all the energy that has been fruitlessly spent over the past 300 years complaining about language change had been devoted to improving our grasp of the nature of language, and developing fresh methods of language teaching and learning, we would be a lot better off. (pp. 89-90)

What is happening here is change, change, change, but the language is not getting worse as a result of it. Nor is it getting better. It is just--changing. It is keeping pace with society, as it always must, sometimes changing slowly, sometimes rapidly. Today, with so much social change about, especially as a result of increasing ethnic diversity, the spread of English as a global language, and the effect of Internet technology, we find the language changing more rapidly and widely than ever before.

This puts some people in a real panic. They see a disaster scenario. But there is no need. If the language had been decaying at the rate of knots predicted by Dryden et al., there would have been no language left by now! (p. 90)

I could not help but think of the tempest in the Anglican teapot when I read this. First in terms of the prayer book, and then in terms of both Christianity and the Anglican Communion. Just as language changes, so does culture. And as culture changes, so does the church. Recently I heard a speaker at a conference (I wish I could remember who, but I can't find my notes at the moment) say that every time the church went to a new place, it changed. Every place Christianity encountered a new culture, it changed. We even see evidence of this in Paul's letters, some of the earliest Christian writings we have.

As crystal wrote about people dealing with changes in language, we can see the same thing in the the church. What we have here is change, change change. And the church must change or die. No matter how often conservatives point to the megachurches that hold conservative Christian views, or point out that the largest congregations in the Episcopal Church are conservative ones (actually the largest are both the very conservative and the very liberal), they cannot stop the changes that they see as the scourge of liberalism destroying the church.

The church is not being destroyed. It is changing. That may mean the end of the Anglican Communion as we know it. It may even mean the end of Christianity as we know it. But Christianity will survive. It will survive because it will change. It will figure out how to do the things Christ asked us to do in new ways.

Sink or swim, folks. The choice is yours.



Peace,
Jeffri

The ECL Greenway

The number of plants in our part of the 5th floor grows on what sometimes seems like a daily basis. We've dubbed it the "Evangelism & Congregational Life" (ECL) Greenway. Compare this picture with the ones I took the day we settled into our new spaces.


Angie and Sheryl keep bringing more plants into their cubicles, and I'd been thinking for a while about bringing in some herbs. Since I spend more of my waking hours during the week here in the office, why shouldn't I have my "herb garden" here where I can enjoy it. Plus there's someone to take care of them when I travel, just as I help take care of their plants when they are away.

Sunday I went to Gilbertie's in Westport on the off chance that they would have at least some of what I wanted this early in the season. As it turned out, they had pretty much everything I wanted.

This planter, which I also found at Gilbertie's, has a Grey Lady Plymouth Scented Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) in the center. Its rose scent comes without the allergic reaction I have to roses themselves. In the back left is Prostrate, or Creeping, Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus'), in the back right is Oregano Thyme (Thymus pulegioides) , and in front English Thyme (Thymus vulgaris).

And on the other side of my desk is a Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla) in a biodegradable pot that is supposed to last about five years.

As you can tell, I picked herbs with strong scents. There's something about being able to rub the foliage and smell lemon, thyme, rosemary, oregano, or rose. It's like taking a short revitalizing break without leaving my desk.

Peace,
Jeffri