Ten on Tuesday

1. Poor Juliette has what must be the 37th or 38th cold of her life. She's been much healthier since having ear tubes, but she still seems to pick up hacking coughs and conjunctivis at the drop of a hat...er, germ. I'm listening to her cough uncontrollably in her sleep.

2. We spent a week in Ohio for Thanksgiving. Juliette and I headed off on Sunday, and then Ben carpooled with a friend on Wednesday. It was a really good week, though I wish I could have seen more friends. I loved experiencing firsthand that we really are only six hours from home. I did make the trip to Kent a couple times. I'm convinced that a piece of my heart makes permanent residence on the backroads of Franklin Township, somewhere east of Larry's Stables.

3. Juliette (sporting her cute new pixie cut) and her beloved Taylor cousins:Juliette and Charlie had some really cute conversations, but really: there is nothing an almost-3-year-old girl loves more than a 5-year-old girl who will lavish her with attention. Do you see how she's looking at Lily?

4. I cannot wait to read this:
5. I've been on a big YA lit kick. I found some of my Laura Ingalls Wilder books in my parents' basement and carted them home. I've already finished Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie. I loved them as a kid, but I didn't realize I would remember so much about them. They don't have the best reputation for political correctness, but I think they're such an invaluable window into the worldview of white settlers who, while clearly prejudiced against Native Americans, are also essentially good people. Still, a part of me wishes they would have stayed put amid their family in Wisconsin; my favorite of the little houses will always be the one in the big woods. I'm also rereading another one of my favorite childhood books. I would tell you what it is but I've tracked down a used copy (it's out of print) to give one of my nieces, and I'm not telling until after she has hers in hand.

6. And, I reread Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in time to go see the movie on Thanksgiving with Ben, Marie, and B.J. Sadly that wasn't such a great idea; I thoroughly loved the book again, but I was hyperaware of the ways the movie just did not live up to the book. It's a great movie, and perhaps I would have loved it if the literary details hadn't been so fresh in my mind. I get the need for abridgement, but some of the cuts were inexcusable. [Spoiler alert!] For Harry to fail to reassure Ron that he loves Hermione like a sister after that nasty Horcrux exploited Ron's fears was just wrong. And where was Harry's anguish over Dumbledore's true character? You just don't get the nuance and interiority of a book in a movie.

7. Yes, I have been reading far too much and writing far too little. Must remedy this.

8. My hair is as long as it has ever been in my life. And it really could have used a good brushing before this rare family photo: I have a matching pink sweatshirt; they both say First Congregational Church Preschool. We wore them on the way to Ohio.

9. I momentarily thought I was stuck in a out-of-the-way bathroom today. There is a new air freshener in the regular ladies' room at church, and while I do not ordinarily hold anything against seasonal scents, every time I walk in there I feel like I am being attacked by an angry cinnamon stick. (This admission might trespass against my Thou Shalt Not Blog Anything Negative About Thy Church rule, but I feel like it might be okay to bend that rule when the subject at hand is merely a Glade PlugIn.) So. I was walking up a stairway that I seldom use and I noticed that there is a tiny women's bathroom on the landing. I availed myself of its unscented (though unheated) splendors, but on the way out the door stuck. For a split second. But a split second was plenty enough time for me to envision myself getting stuck in this out-of-the-way and frigid bathroom for hours, until someone finally wondered where the new Associate Pastor had disappeared to. And then I would have to explain my falling out with the potpourri. I was very glad that the door opened with a good hip thrust, and that I could just tell the Internet instead.

10. We had to take two versions to include both grandparents. We missed the Dillows terribly, but were glad that they were having a wonderful Thanksgiving of their own out West. (Why yes, I do wear gym socks underneath my fake Uggs.)

Writing and the Pastoral Life (and the Parenting Life)

Ever since I attended that Eugene Peterson workshop at the Collegeville Institute titled Writing and the Pastoral Life, I pay more attention to the ways my dual callings complement one another. There's surprisingly little competition. The writing feeds the ministry, and likewise. As the mother of a nearly-three year old, it goes without saying that all of this happens in the context of the Parenting Life.

Some days go smoother than others. But some days positively glimmer. Yesterday morning I met with my monthly clergy writing group. It's such a highlight on my calendar. It's writing critique and collegial support and self-care and resource-sharing and coffee with friends all wrapped into one morning. It's no wonder we stay longer than we mean to; it's that good. I'm so grateful to God, the Collegeville Institute, and the Internet (in particular, The Young Clergy Women Project and RevGalBlogPals). It would have been a completely different relocation process without this little community to soften my landing.

In the afternoon, I spent a couple hours at a local retirement community. Along with my church's Minister of Congregational Care, who is also a resident, we made some pastoral visits to church members. The gentleman was just that: a gentleman. And not by accident. As we were leaving, he quoted G. K. Chesterton regarding the definition of a gentleman; "one who would never hurt another person intentionally." After we made our farewells, we headed to the nursing unit to chat with a woman who is 104 years old. She was as bright-eyed and sharp as could be, though she admitted things aren't so easy these days. She smiled and shrugged. "A little suffering never hurt anyone, you know." She seemed to forget her sufferings as she told us all about the people in the pictures on her wall, from the antique portrait of her mother to the snapshot of her youngest great-grandchild.

I love my job.

Juliette's school is nearby the retirement center. Even during the short trip, I felt the same bursting excitement that always builds on the way to pick her up. By the time 4:30 rolls around, I can hardly bear another minute away from my daughter. I am so happy to see her, and without fail she hollers "Mama!" and runs into my arms. We went home for snap, time enough to doll her up a bit, and set back out for school again, where they were hosting the annual fall potluck. We brought homemade chocolate chip cookies. She ran around in her red party dress like a little lunatic; when Ben arrived, straight from work, she was bouncing and giggling with her classmates so much he assumed she'd already visited the punch table.

I tried to write this last night, but halfway through the first paragraph Ben came down and told me that Juliette was asking for me. We stay with her until she goes to sleep. It doesn't take nearly as long as it used to, and mostly she voluntarily decides she's ready for bed at 8:00pm, give or take a few minutes, so there's little to no fight involved. On the nights when I am the one to lie down with her, to help her say her prayers and tell her the story of the three little pigs for the thousandth time, I feel so blessed. Even if I'd meant to be writing, or responding to the emails I'd missed while out of the office all day. She put her hand on my cheek and fell asleep smiling.

Then Ben and I ate salt & pepper potato chips and watched Parenthood and stayed up late talking.

It's a pretty good day when you can't even begin to decide which moment was the best.

Books

A good percentage of our books are currently in boxes in the basement. We just don't have shelves for them all. In addition to the ten or twelve boxes in storage, we've filled one large and two small bookcases to capacity at home, and then most of my Jesus books fill two large and one small bookcase at work. We haven't even read them all, though we culled most of the ones we probably would read (or reread) back in California. Still, we go to the library once or twice a week and check out stacks of children's books. Still, I occasionally pull over at the Half Price Bookstore in town because I've caught a glimpse of a paperback in the window display I've been wanting to read (lately, The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan and Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen).

And now this new trend of releasing classics with gorgeously designed covers. I can hardly bear it. Last week, when Aunt Lisa and her beau, John, were in town, we stopped into 57th Street Books in Hyde Park, which is part of the Seminary Co-op. I couldn't resist this $5 edition of Heidi, which I've never read but will start this afternoon:In the same series, Lauren Child illustrates Anne of Green Gables. Another one I failed to read thanks to the addicting adventures of the Babysitters Club. One that I did read, and love, albeit with a much less appealing cover: The Little Princess. Oh, did I love The Little Princess. Meanwhile, Penguin Classics - a sister division of Puffin Classics - is releasing seminal nonfiction titles. This is just so iconic: And I love the late 60s vibe of The Grand Inquisitor, the brilliant short story that is folded into The Brothers Karamazov:Who says wonderful books can't have equally wonderful covers?

Maybe we just need more bookshelves.

Ten on Tuesday

1. I voted.

2. Juliette and I walked to and from church today, even though it was 37 degrees when we left the house and that is chilly for people who have been living in California. I want us to get conditioned to the cold before it really gets cold. On the way there, we stopped for doughnut holes at Kirschbaum's, and on the way back we stopped at the Baptist church so I could vote. We also kept our minds off the chill by skipping and walking backwards. It was altogether lovely.

3. Halloween was a big hit this year. Between two preschools, Juliette had a whole lot of Halloween festivities. She alternated between her old ladybug costume for the indoor stuff and the wonderfully warm chicken costume we inherited from Selam for the outdoor stuff.Considering that Juliette wore size 18 month shoes for her first Halloween, size 6 shoes for her second Halloween, and size 9 shoes for her third Halloween, I'm thinking we made the most out of this clearance 2t costume.
4. I just finished reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I liked the way she reframed common issues within the context of happiness, and I have already adopted some new practices that make me happy, and just as importantly, identified some simple things that make me unhappy that can easily be eradicated.

5. I thought that I had a total soupfail in the kitchen last night; not only did it take longer than I thought it would and so we had to eat a frozen Trader Joe's entree instead of homemade chicken and wild rice soup, when I tasted it after dinner the rice was tough and it was less than delicious. Well, a night in the fridge softened that rice up, and with a little extra water to replace the absorbed liquid and an extra dash of salt, it made for a yummy lunch. I'm looking forward to eating it again for dinner. Should I thank Millie?

6. I made hotel reservations for the Disciples of Christ General Assembly in Nashville this summer. I'm so excited to spend a week among Disciples - including many beloved former parishioners, colleagues, and friends - in Nashville, no less. Booyah. Ben and Juliette are coming along as well.

7. I finally remembered to bring my camera to church again. The ivy that crawls all over the buildings joins in on the autumn color extravaganza, and it takes my breath away every time I see it.

This is the window of my study. And here it is up close. Note the presence of Dedo, the Notre Dame gargoyle.And then the bell tower:There are a couple folks who watch over me from their post on the courtyard wall of the sanctuary. I need to find out who they are.

8. I love fall. How I managed to live in the Midwest for 22 years without really paying attention to it before is a mystery. Sometimes it really does take absence to make the heart grow fonder.

9. You should read this article about Xola Skosana, a pastor in South Africa who is preaching that Jesus is HIV+. It's fascinating.

"Wherever you open the scriptures Jesus puts himself in the shoes of people who experience brokenness. Isaiah 53, for example, clearly paints a picture of Jesus who takes upon himself the infirmities and the brokenness of humanity," he told the BBC.

He is also quick to emphasise that he is using the metaphor to highlight the danger of the HIV/Aids pandemic, which still carries a stigma in South Africa's townships.

"Of course, there's no scientific evidence that Jesus had the HI virus in his bloodstream," says the pastor, whose non-denominational Hope for Life Ministry is part of a growing charismatic movement in South Africa.

"The best gift we can give to people who are HIV-positive is to help de-stigmatise Aids and create an environment where they know God is not against them, he's not ashamed of them."

10. I heard back from Lara. We're going to get together soon!