Thinking Of You. Really, I Am!

I am often made to feel guilty because of all the December birthdays that occur in my family. (The girls weren't due until January: it really isn't my fault) However, those of you born in July far outnumber us December babies, though December babies are still best. As I began looking at the calendar for this month, I realized that I have to buy birthday gifts for nine people. They range from my dad and my husband to my best friends, adopted family members and friends of the girls. It is almost like Christmas in July - without the crowds and the terrible arrangements of holiday music being piped through all of the stores. This should make shopping tolerable.

To me, birthday shopping is fun. I believe that it is an opportunity to really think about the person whose life you are celebrating. The gift you give them should reflect how you feel about them and the relationship that you share. I had already done some shopping as I have come across things that remind me of someone, but today was the day set aside to do the bulk of it. Several gifts have to be mailed so it is in my best interest not to wait until the last minute.

Over time I have developed a strong dislike for chain stores. So, this morning we set out for some of the locally owned businesses in town. Shopping at these places means that the only thing that can be on your shopping list is serendipity. These stores never have the same thing from one visit to the next. I go hoping that I can find "just the right thing.", but not having the slightest idea what that might be In most cases today, I was not disappointed. I found several great gifts that reflect my relationship with each person. The places where I came up empty handed are the instances where I was looking for something very specific. I am sure that I became so intent on finding what I was looking for that I overlooked something that would have been equally as appropriate or possibly even better. I guess I will have to undertake the chance approach next time.

The one thing I do not want to do is resort to gift cards. I know that they are always appreciated, but gift cards seem so impersonal unless you know what someone wants and buying the actual item is not possible for some reason. On general principle, however, gift cards seem like a cop out. They say, "I did not want to expend the energy to think about and shop for an appropriate gift for you so you do it yourself." On the contrary, for teenagers who are attempting to build their independence, shopping with a gift card is a means to facilitating an understanding of the concept of just how far a dollar does not go. For them too, the shopping is part of the fun. But, is this also true for adults?

Let's face it, most of us don't really need anything in terms of material things. What we do need is to know that someone cares about us. This gets back to my belief that a birthday gift should be something that lets the birthday person know that I care about them. Often, this can be accomplished with something very simple - a book, a silly toy, a meal or a cup of coffee together, something handmade. The possibilities really are endless.

I hope that all those to whom I give birthday gifts this month will sense that I do care about you and cherish the relationship that we have. I promise not to give any of you a toupee or Relationships for Dummies. Aside for these things, anything is fair game. Beware!

Preparing For Independence Day

I am always fascinated by the segments on Jay Leno when he takes to the streets and asks average Americans questions that we assume are common knowledge. The ignorance of people in our country is astounding! I wonder what the responses would be if Jay were to ask, "Why do we celebrate the 4th of July?" I would hope that most people could at least get to the fact that it is Independence Day, but what does that really mean?

This celebration is a commemoration of the United States' freedom from the United Kingdom. 231 years later, are we still honoring the same thing? Maybe so. However, perhaps it would do us all good to think about what Independence Day in 2007 means. Have we achieved freedom, liberty, and justice for all? Be honest. We gained freedom from the English. Have we yet reached a point where all in this country are free? Does justice prevail. Consider the following:

• Do we really have gender equality in this country?
• Do people of color have ALL the same rights as their white counterparts?
• Are gays and lesbians afforded the same rights as heterosexuals?

If we answer honestly, the response to each of the above questions is a resounding, "No." We do not live in a country where freedom is extended to every citizen. Though those who are considered "privileged" now constitute a larger percentage of the population than they have in the past, the lives of many of those who live in the United States are marked by a world of inequality and injustice. What can we do? Just as America fought for independence back in the 1770's, we must continue to fight for freedom and independence for those living in this country now. If you are a man, are you willing to fight and sacrifice to obtain equal rights for women? If you are white, are you willing to eat, sleep, work, live, pray by a neighbor who is black, brown, yellow, or red? Are you willing to fight for the rights of our homosexual brothers and sisters? If you answer no to any of these questions, then perhaps you do not yet understand what Independence Day really means.

As you gather with your family for picnics and fireworks tomorrow, remember those whose families are not recognized by this country and all those for whom justice and equality mean nothing. As you watch the fireworks illumine the dark night sky, may fireworks also explode in your heart and bring light to all those places where injustice and inequality are hidden by darkness.

. . . with liberty and justice for all.

WWJY

What Would Jesus . . .Yell?
This is an interesting question, but not really where I am going. WWJY sums up my last day in Massachusetts. Witches, Water, Java, and Yarn.

After getting up at 5:45 every day and playing for 14 services, yesterday afternoon was a time for a little free wheeling - literally. Joy, who has played the flute and John Michael, who has played violin, with me all week took off for a scenic tour of the area. Joy loaded us all in her jeep, with the top down, and we headed out in the sunshine and fresh ocean air - for a little. Water, Witches, Java, and Yarn!

We ended up in Salem, hence the witches. It was a beautiful New England town. I had seen many tourist brochures advertising the witch museum, but we simply drove through the town. I am not sure that any of us had enough wits about us to take in the history at more than a superficial level.

We made a big circle and headed back to downtown Beverly. As we were approaching the edge of the commercial area, Joy swerved into a parking lot. We had no plans to stop so I wondered what she was doing. When I looked at where we were, it was a yarn shop. I crawled over the side of the jeep and made my way inside. I was the only knitter on this little field trip, but John Michael and Joy were willing to humor me. John Michael talked to the resident dog and Joy, though not a knitter, soaked up the beautiful colors and textures of the fibers. Before we were barely in the door, the woman behind the counter greeted us with a most cheerful voice. Being that we were obviously tourists, she asked where were from and what brought us to the area. I told her that I was from Texas and she responded, "me too!" She had been raised in south Texas. In fact she had just returned from a trip to Austin last week; we shared stories of our travels to Austin and Hill Country Weavers. All of the employees at this shop were cheerful and pleasant. I could have stayed all afternoon, but that would have been a little unfair to the others. We did ask them if there was a coffee shop that they would recommend. They suggested one diagonally across the street.

We all made our way to the coffee shop for a little caffeine to help us over the mid-afternoon slump. I had the best iced mocha that I think I have ever tasted. We all managed to make room for a sweet treat as well. Most drinkers are happy to close down a bar in the wee hours of the morning. This crowd closed down the coffee shop at 3 pm. It was a subtle reminder that we were in a small town and things don't have to do business 24/7.

With a few minutes to spare before we had to be back for evening prayer, we stopped for one last walk on the beach. The rocks and stones that had been washed up by the tides caught out attention. Scouring the shoreline, we found bright blue, green, terracotta, yellow - rocks of almost every color. We were like little children who had never been to the seashore before! An attempt was made by each of us to see how far we were willing to go into the water. None made it past about ankle deep. Needless to say, the water temperature is still on the cold side!

All in all it was a relaxing afternoon. The number of services we were asked to play with little or no practice and preparation was a bit on the stressful side. Add to that mix the fact that we had never played together, blood pressures were high. Having this time together to play and get to know one another beyond, "Are you playing the alto or soprano line" or "What are you playing for an intro?, allowed us to play better as an ensemble. Unfortunately, just as we were beginning to make real music together, the week was over. It will probably be five more years before we have another chance to make music together. Oh well . . .we worked hard; the reward is the gift of lifelong fellowship. Wat a blessing!

Here we all are with our head of liturgy after last night's Service of Profession.

After the final Eucharist this morning, I headed back to the airport. Though there was the possibility of long lines at security because of the recent problems in Europe, check-in at the airport was relatively painless. We did leave an hour late because of problems moving earlier plane off of our gate, but that was only a minor inconvenience. Once in the air, we were rerouted twice because of storms east of Texas. This scenic tour added another hour to our travel time. Once on the ground in Dallas, two hours late, we had to sit on the runway for 45 minutes until a gate was available. Our scheduled arrival time was 7:15. I finally walked off the plane at 10:08. It probably took another 30 minutes for the bags to come up. Except for the fact that I had not eaten all day because I missed breakfast to practice and lunch because of the airport shuttle schedule, and that I was exhausted, the trip was pleasant despite all of the unexpected delays.

I am glad to be home. All went well without me. That is nice to know. Perhaps I should find somewhere else to go!

Images Of Endicott

Last night when I came to the library to write, I forgot the power cord to my computer (I had enough battery to do last night's short entry) and I forgot the card reader. SO here are yesterday's pictures and a few from this morning. I keep hoping for some sunrise pictures over the ocean but sunrise happens really early on the east coast! We have Morning Prayer at 6:30 am and the sun is already alive, awake, alert, and enthusiastic (as Erin says). Needless to say, I am doing well to alive and dressed decently when I meet my group for prayer. I ll have one last chance for sunrise pictures tomorrow.

Here is my spot in the cyber cafe that is in the basement of the library. I am becoming fond of this spot. There has never been anyone else here with me. Each table has good light and space as well as outlets for power and phone cord if you don't have a wireless connection. The only thing missing is the coffee. During the school year, a coffee bar is open in this space.

Alissa, Patrice, and BK, a piece of each of you made a trip to the beach last night. Though it had been 95 degrees on Thursday, yesterday dropped to the 70's; by last evening it was chilly down by the water, so much so that I had to wear long sleeves and socks for the first time since arriving in Beverly. The only pair of real socks I brought are my Seeing Stars (I hope that is the right name) designed by Alissa and knit by BK from yarn dyed by Patrice. Thanks guys!
Just in case you are wondering, I did do a little work on these here rocks last night. I knit the first side of the Peace Box for the next issue of Spirit of Knitting.

Here are some more Images of Endicott.


The beach as the sun is going down.

The same spot the next morning.

A rocky path to a sandy beach.


The smooth sands.

The Endicott fountain in daylight.

The Ghost of Final Exams Past.

A view from central campus.

Bring Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Breast

There are not many things in my life that I have undertaken with absolute certainty. I am not a risk taker, but not many choices we make in life are risk free or absolute certainties. We go to college intending to be one thing; we do our best to accomplish that goal, though often we find ourselves down the road doing something completely different. We make commitments to partners hoping it will be for a lifetime , but that is not for certain. And so on . . .

The only decision that I have made in my life that I can say, with absolute certainty, I was 100% sure of, was my decision to lead my life as a Franciscan. The example that Brother Francis gives me is everything that I need in this life. Francis was a real person who had real human emotions and made real human mistakes. But ultimately, his love for all of creation and his commitment to God set him apart. I see glimpses of myself in almost every story from Francis' life - from the rebellious teenager singing and partying in the streets of Assisi to the naked man who lay dying on the dirt floor of a cave. His was a life marked by love, humility, and joy It is a life, that through the grace of God, I am striving to follow.

The brothers who were speaking on the Franciscan source documents concluded their presentation this morning. They gave an insightful discussion about how to read the Franciscan Rule of 1223 in 2007. Their suggestions are really applicable to reading almost any historical document (like the Bible) whose words are to be followed in modern times. For example, the original Franciscan rule says that no friar shall ride a horse. Why are horses forbidden?, you ask. Does that mean that none of us can ride a horse? Absolutely not. One must ask oneself why horses were off limits in 1223. The answer is because they were a sign of violence and wealth. So horses themselves are not a problem, but to Francis, violence and wealth were. For us reading, interpreting, and attempting to follow the spirit of this rule, it is necessary to ask ourselves, "What in our society represents violence and wealth?" However you answer this question determines what you insert in place of "horse" in this section of the rule. We all decided that Hummers take this place of horses in 2007. But, you should answer the question for yourselves.

The other part of today's discussion centered on the miracles of St. Francis. Recording and verification of miracles are necessary for a saint to be canonized. I must admit, that I have not done much reading on the miracles that Francis performed. I discovered today that this is probably a good thing. Had I known about the miracle I am about to tell you about, I might have had to reconsider my belief that my decision to take vows in TSSF was without any feeling of uncertainty.

There was an 80 year old woman. She had the mind of an 80 year old, the body of an 80 year old, and the family of an 80 year old. As the story goes, this woman's doughier gave birth to a son. The infant refused to nurse. Over a period of several days, the baby grew weaker and weaker. Being pained by the demise of her grandson, the elderly woman took over the care of the baby. She prayed to Francis that health be restored to the ailing child. The grandmother then placed the baby at her own breast. Almost instantly, her breasts were filled with milk and the child began to nurse. According to the story, some men were mocking the old lady; she turned and aimed her milk-filled breast at them and soaked them all. The infant returned to health.

I am not sure I want Francis in my life if there is any way in the world that I could be lactating at age 80! I did not even breast feed my own children. What a story. I have never considered a milk-filled breast as a weapon, (maybe breasts should be used in place of horses above) but it seems to have worked for grandma.

I suppose that if God called me to feed the hungry and this were the way to do it, I would do so. Do you think God provides those pads that go in your bra? Do you think that those old lady boobs perked up? I should not worry about these things; I have 35 years before this scenario is a possibility. (The 80 years old is the important part, right?)

I come to you humbly Brother Francis asking that you please, please, please, find another way for me.

Friends And Friars

This is the Endicott College library where I find myself tonight. It is a rather strange experience. There are no students on campus, only conference attendees, but the library is open until midnight. They have a very nice cyber cafe in the basement. So, here I sit, the only one in the building I think. None of our group is here because we are supposed to be saying Compline but I am skipping.

Convocation is going well. The friars speaking on the revised collection of early Franciscans source documents are entertaining and quite knowledgeable. Tonight I just needed a break. I opted for a walk along the waterfront instead of tonight's session. I have also played keyboard for every Office since I have been here (four each day) and I am tired. I had hoped to tale more pictures than I have but time has not allowed it. I could not miss this afternoon's discussion on "Safe Communities" as all fellowship conveners are required to complete this course. You would think that people could get it through their heads that we keep our hands to ourselves. The ONLY positive thing to come out of this session was that I have now fulfilled my requirement. Yeah!

After dinner, a few of us headed to the water. This is the view directly across the street from campus.

Our fellowship co-convener, Francesca, Our suite mate Lynn from North Carolina and Peter Benjamin, the son of another of our fellowship members walked together to the water front.

This is me and Francesca with our first order brother Clarke, who too felt called to go missing from this evening's session.


Graffiti Massachusetts style.


The weather today was nice, but the sunset was nothing spectacular. The last photo I took tonight was of a fountain in the center of campus. I must admit that all of the pictures that I will post while away are straight out of the camera because Photoshop on my laptop is not working properly. So, please forgive the unedited photos.

In Boston Against All Odds

It seems like a minor miracle, but I made it to Boston, actually Beverly, Massachusetts yesterday for the Provincial Convocation of Third Order Franciscans. Though the trip has been planned for quite a while getting ready on Monday was a series of "unfortunate events."

I had to teach in the middle of the day. This was not a big deal except that my student got hung up at work and did not make it for his lesson. He did try to call me early in the day to let me know he was going to be absent, but I had left my cell phone at home. Except for the fact that I needed some yarn from the yarn shop to bring with me on this trip, it would have been an unnecessary trip to Dallas.

On the way home from school I stopped at the bank to get cash for myself and to leave with BK and the girls. I placed my withdrawal slip in the tube expecting the miracle of money to return. Instead, the teller said, "I am sorry. We cannot process any transactions because our computers just went down." Hmm. I wonder how far I can get on $20? Rather than make a trip to the bank later, we decided to stop on the way to the airport Tuesday morning. This was not a big deal: it just meant we had to leave a few minutes early.

We went to the grocery store on the way home figuring that a home-cooked meal would be nice since there have been so few of those lately because of everyone being involved in the production of The Nerd. We had just finished eating dinner and loading the dishwasher when the daily thunderstorm hit. In a flash of lightening, our power was gone. There was still daylight so seeing to pack was not a huge issue, but the wet load of laundry in the dryer was. I did as much as I could before it got too dark to see. Just as the last hint of daylight faded, the power returned. It was off for about two hours. Once the lights were on, I scrambled to finish packing because the heavens were still rumbling and I feared another round of outage.

All went well with the packing and I got to bed at a reasonable hour only to rise at 5:45, an unreasonable hour by my summer standards. I finished the last few items of packing, which included a batch of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies that Brooke made. Bk picked me up at 7:15; we headed to the bank and then the airport. Fortunately the bank was back in business. I was supposed to meet two friends from Austin at the airport and then we were to travel to Boston together. As I approached the airport, I received a call from them saying that they were going going to be late departing from Austin so they would not make the connection to Boston. So, I ended up travelling alone. Once at the airport, my trip went forward with no problems. I was even able to get dinner once arriving at Endicotvt College even though I did not get here until after the posted serving hours.

Things did not work out so well for the group from Austin. They were re booked on a 1:40 flight. I received a text message, while my phone was off during the flight, saying that they had boarded. For a brief moment, I thought all was well. Then I got a call saying that they had indeed boarded, but had been sitting on the runway for two hours and had no idea when, or if, they would leave Dallas. As more storms approached, it looked less and less likely that they would depart. Then another miracle - they were rerouted and took off, almost five hours late, in a slight window of clear weather.

I went to bed in the 90 degree airless room listening to my Ipod. (I considered listening to Christmas carols in an effort to convince myself that it was not miserably hot here.) You would think that being literally across the street, it would not be so hot. Wrong! Anyway, the Austin gang stumbled in about midnight having had no lunch or dinner and been travelling for 18 hours. We had a brief chat and settled in for the night knowing that we had to rise in time for morning prayer at 6:30.

On to Day 2 in Beverly, Mass.