driving rain

Stopped traffic leaves time for reflections of tail lights and reflections on beauty.   Much more restful than driving in it, too.

splashes of red



raindrops keep falling on my windshield

yellow and red taillights

looking discombobulated

swirled sign

abstract art?

high, but not dry on a bike

Heath Street misty trees - loving the colors here

mums through a wet windshield
home again, home again, jiggity jig

drum roll, please

shipping drum
almost packed for Haiti!

Or maybe we should sing "Roll Out the Barrel."

Call it a drum, call it a barrel - whatever it is, it's almost packed.  Almost ready to be shipped to Haiti.  Here's hoping it arrives before Christmas!  The barrels we sent in July are still sitting in customs in Port-au-Prince, so we hear, so I'm not going to look for it before Thanksgiving, anyway.  Still, the reality of my upcoming move is brought home by the impending departure of this giant turquoise soup can.

I, on the other hand, still have quite a number of other things to take care of before I can get myself off and running.  Make dentist appointment - check.  Inoculations - one left.  Medical check-ups - this week.  Stare at my room and say, "How the heck am I going to decide what to keep and what to give away?" - check.  Start another "to do" list - check.  Begin sorting things - check.  Look at four-drawer file cabinet full of eleven years of file folders and close eyes - check. 

Papers. Too many pieces of paper.  I'd consider using a blowtorch to clear them out if I weren't quite sure that amidst sermon prep materials and old seminary papers a winning lottery ticket is hiding.  Of course, having never bought one, I might be wrong about that.

But I'm moving right along here.  I'm not quite sure whether to dance with excitement, have a panic attack, or acknowledge I have too much to do to manage more than a little of each!  Fortunately I have the Daily Office and our daily Eucharist each morning to keep me grounded, as well as the regular round of work in the sacristy and in the house.  One step closer. 

Who thinks I can finish all this before the end of the month? 

With mortals (at least this one), it is impossible, but for God, all things are possible.

Now, to learn to cooperate with the One who brought order out of chaos and who will surely do the same again.

consider the lilies



hummingbird and flowering bush, Darbonne, Leogane, Haiti 2009

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, "What will we eat?' or "What will we drink?' or "What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."
 -- Matthew 6:25-34

requiem for 9/11

Remembering especially Deora Bodley.

diapering the cat with giggles

I know, I know, this has nothing to do with anything. Certainly nothing related to Haiti. But the giggles are infectious, and I marvel at the relaxed patience of this cat. If you want something to make you smile, this is your video. If these little girls and their laughter don't produce a lift in your day, run-do-not-walk to the nearest vacation day. Or at least an ice cream parlor.

Link:
  http://thebubble.msn.com/video/?id=180da74c-c5c7-4728-8031-3ed1ce4799e4

giggles while diapering the cat

 patient cat accepts not only being diapered,
but also being wheeled in a stroller 
totally making these little girls' day
and mine, too

typhoon

typhoon photo via website above

Killer typhoon brings new misery to beleaguered Japan - article on msn.com

In the category of "enough already..."

Haiti and Japan, I'm telling you... It's really been too much for both of them the past couple of years.  What is left to say?   The parish where I worked for the past year prays weekly for an end to the suffering of both countries.  May those prayers be answered affirmatively.

I know there are parts of the US that are reeling, too - be it drought or flood, tornado or hurricane. I just heard at church yesterday about a little Episcopal church in Vermont that was already struggling and now has lost its buildings.  Buildings are not people, of course, but they are still a loss to be reckoned with both financially and emotionally. 

In American literature class sophomore year of high school, we read a number of things with the theme of Man vs. Nature (we didn't talk about humanity back then, just man...).  Short stories by Jack London come to mind.  A century or two ago, we were much more aware of nature as a force to be reckoned with. Things have gotten to the point in many places where it is easy, at least in the city, to forget that. I think it's time we began taking it more seriously again in order to plan appropriately. Who knows, perhaps new literature will grow out of this and fifty years from now children will be reading fiction and reflecting on the lessons we are trying to learn from all this.

I would also like to see no more news about various people attributing natural disasters to the behavior of those with whom they disagree.  I wonder what they do when they themselves are faced with such things. 

If we learn nothing else, I hope we will at least learn to take care of each other better.
Hospitality. Shelter.

Love one another. Feed my sheep.

movin' right along

Today has been all about moving in one way or another. I returned from Michigan to Boston toting the large duffle bag I will use to move to Haiti; ticket stubs are still lying here, reminding me of that travel and travel yet to come.

I arrived home, sweet home. To my delight, one of my friends was here, one who is in transition and dealing with moving and storing just as we are. Two sisters went back to Haiti this morning.  I've been gone a few weeks, and so there has been plenty of time for the community moving process to move ahead: I can see furniture missing and other furniture moved around. Sold? Stored? Who knows. More changes.

But late afternoon was the pinnacle. Once home, I headed right back out to the Travel Clinic to get some of my vaccinations for the upcoming move. Of course, the vaccinations themselves remind me of changes ahead, but it turns out that it is also moving in day for thousands - hundreds of thousands - of college students. On the very short trip to and from the clinic, I counted forty-three U-Hauls or the equivalent and ten vehicles with mattresses strapped to them. Imagine if I had started counting SUVs full of stuff or piles of boxes and junk on the sidewalk! Forty-three. In that short space. And that's not even in Cambridge or next door to BU.

I found an article on the Boston area's annual rent-a-moving-truck madness. This year's twist demonstrates how swiftly plans and moves change shape:  Irene has been causing trouble not just for homeowners, but for students between homes. 

“They said all of the trucks were delayed 10 to 12 hours because of the hurricane,” he said.

“I’m sure we’ll try to scramble and get something, but I’m not sure what we’ll really be able to do,” he added by phone Wednesday afternoon, as roommates remained on hold with the rental company.

The delays added to the controlled chaos that is known as move-in day in Boston, when so many apartments change hands at the end of August."
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/allston_brighton/2011/08/sundays_storm_causes_truck_ren.html

Controlled chaos, indeed.

Not all moving are students, of course.  Several of my friends are beginning new jobs, some making cross-country journeys to do so.  Some are expecting a child.  Some are looking at upcoming retirement.  One of my nephews just began high school and started playing for the freshman football team, a time of transition for him and most likely for his family as well.

Change keeps the blood moving.  It keeps life fresh.  It keeps us from getting stuck in the mud.  And we all know that the Holy Spirit will blow where the Holy Spirit wills, and nothing will ever be the same. Sometimes it is chaotic, sometimes exciting; sometimes it can seem impossible or overwhelming. 

But you know what?  All these U-Hauls will eventually carry their loads forward, and the students will begin a new year.  It will all happen: their moves, my move, and your moves, too, be they the moving of homes or the moving of lives.   So let's keep moving, and soon we will find ourselves approaching the new adventure right around the corner - not the one we were planning on, perhaps, but one God has in store for us.

Moving right along. Yes, we are.