future Olympic skiers?

I was walking around Waterville Valley, NH, today on the way to play tennis (in a generous and creative manner of speaking...) and stopped to watch these kids learning to do ski jumping.  Middle schoolers (I'm guessing) upside-down in the air, making it look entirely easy as they landed on an enormous inflatable mat.  I should have guessed they'd find a way to ski in the summer, too. 

summer school for skiers

wheee!

somersault

looking so nonchalant upside-down

Who knows? Maybe in a few years we'll be cheering for them as they go for the gold.

Tropical Storm Isaac heading towards Haiti

I just got an email message from the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince about the impending storm in Haiti.  It was not what I wanted to hear, but I was glad I did, given that I am a little out of touch with the news this week up here in the New Hampshire mountains.  I went, of course, to weather.com - where else? - to find a little more.  Look at that red track...  I am praying that it head significantly south or north, whichever way would hit less land. 


I do not like seeing that red track over Haiti.  We don't need that.

Here is the beginning of the message from the Embassy: 

Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens
August 22, 2012

This urgent message is being issued to alert U.S. citizens residing and traveling in Haiti that the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and the Haiti-Meteorological Service have issued red alerts for Tropical Storm Isaac, which is predicted to strengthen to a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane and impact Haiti with hurricane force winds and large-scale flooding, likely within the next 48 hours. The National Hurricane Center predicts 8 to 12 inches of rain on average due to the storm in Haiti, with isolated areas receiving up to 20 inches of rain, increasing danger of flooding and mudslides.

The center of Tropical Storm Isaac should move through the Leeward Islands on the evening of Wednesday August 22, and pass near or south of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Thursday. It is forecast that the storm may become a hurricane by Thursday evening and approach the Dominican Republic and Haiti Thursday night/ Friday morning. Currently, Isaac is at tropical storm force, with maximum sustained winds are near 45 miles per hour with higher gusts. U.S. citizens in Haiti should monitor the progress of Isaac by visiting: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ .

I ask your prayers for all affected.  Friends in Haiti, please stay safe.

Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills

This morning friends and I went hiking in the Appalachian mountains and found a lovely spot for Morning Prayer. 

 With such beauty around us, the Song of Creation seemed a most appropriate canticle.  God is so good.

12 A Song of Creation Benedicite, omnia opera Domini

Song of the Three Young Men, 35-65

Invocation

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, *

praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, *

praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

II The Earth and its Creatures

Let the earth glorify the Lord, *

praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills,

and all that grows upon the earth, *

praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams, *

O whales and all that move in the waters.

All birds of the air, glorify the Lord, *

praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild, *

and all you flocks and herds.

O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord, *

praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Doxology

Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *

praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, *

praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

1979 Book of Common Prayer pp. 88-90

(via http://www.bcponline.org/)

wow, Epke!

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

I have just seen the most amazing men's high bar routine.  There was no doubt that he would win the gold.  

My sisters and I were gymnasts in high school, so as the three of us sat here watching and commenting, we really reacted to this one, shouting and, according to my amused and rather more blase nephew, "gaping in amazement."    My youngest sister was a serious competitor, working out 32 hours per week junior year of high school, so the rest of us benefit from her more educated commentary.

I can't offer you her commentary, but I did find a video to share.  Watch and wonder. 



* * *

My sister just informed me that this is the Netherlands' first gold in 84 years in gymnastics.  She also found another video from a different angle.  Enjoy this one, too!

more on Haiti in the Olympics

Hey, I discovered that Wikipedia, that source of fabulously accurate research, is keeping up with results by country.  Here is Haiti's page:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics


Pascale Delaunay
2012 Olympic Team from Haiti

I also found a story on one of the women on the team on the Photographers Blog.
http://blogs.reuters.com/photographers-blog/2012/06/05/dream-of-gold/

Linouse Desravines practicing for the Olympics 2012 in judo - Haiti

An excerpt:

Dream of gold

By Swoan Parker   June 5, 2012

Gold in Haiti should no longer be just a dream. Even before prospective mining begins in the country’s northern hills, the realization of it all could be little more than one month away. Without investing millions and weighing only 52 kg (114 pounds), 21-year-old Linouse Desravines, the country’s only judoka to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics, is all it might take for Haiti to acquire gold...

Linouse, who is ranked #28 in the world in her weight class, is from Haiti’s north coast where she lives and regularly trains. In preparation for the games, Linouse was scheduled to stay in the capital for a few days and train with the two coaches, before traveling to France to continue training for seven more weeks before arriving in London.

Well, no medal this time, but she's only 21.  I hope there will be a lot of support for her for the next one.  That fundraising effort by Samyr Laine may be a great help. 

The women's events are over now, but it seems there are still some men's track and field events to go. 

Moise Joseph - 800m
Jeffrey Julmis - 110m hurdles
Samyr Laine - triple jump

Here is a fundraising event page for the Haitian track team from earlier this year:
http://www.rockmasters.com/flyers-2012/haiti-olympics-fundraising.htm

Part of the fundraising ad:

$49,120 to send eight athletes to the Olympics.  I wonder if five of them qualified or if they were only able to send five because of the money?  I hope the country is proud of those who were able to represent them, whatever the situation.



Olympic fundraing poster for the Haitian team
Only five of these made it to the actual Games, but who knows... 2016?

 * * *
A random comment on the Olympics:  I am watching a Bulgarian Olympic gymnast compete on the rings.  He has grey hair.  I love that.  39 years old, and he can still compete in gymnastics.   Better yet, the reporter said he is one of the nicest guys around.  Good for him.

Transfiguration

Transfiguration
Luke 9:28-36
(art via Pax Christi Michigan)

Suddenly they saw him the way he was,

the way he really was all the time,

although they had never seen it before,

the glory which blinds the everyday eye

and so becomes invisible. This is how

he was, radiant, brilliant, carrying joy

like a flaming sun in his hands.

This is the way he was -- is -- from the beginning,

and we cannot bear it. So he manned himself,

came manifest to us; and there on the mountain

they saw him, really saw him, saw his light.

We all know that if we really see him we die.

But isn't that what is required of us?

Then, perhaps, we will see each other, too.

-- Madeleine L'Engle, Glimpses of Grace (San Francisco: Harper-Collins, 1996), 64.


Luke 9:28-36

28 Environ huit jours après qu'il eut dit ces paroles, Jésus prit avec lui Pierre, Jean et Jacques, et il monta sur la montagne pour prier. 29 Pendant qu'il priait, l'aspect de son visage changea, et son vêtement devint d'une éclatante blancheur. 30 Et voici, deux hommes s'entretenaient avec lui: c'étaient Moïse et Elie, 31 qui, apparaissant dans la gloire, parlaient de son départ qu'il allait accomplir à Jérusalem. 32 Pierre et ses compagnons étaient appesantis par le sommeil; mais, s'étant tenus éveillés, ils virent la gloire de Jésus et les deux hommes qui étaient avec lui. 33 Au moment où ces hommes se séparaient de Jésus, Pierre lui dit: Maître, il est bon que nous soyons ici; dressons trois tentes, une pour toi, une pour Moïse, et une pour Elie. Il ne savait ce qu'il disait. 34 Comme il parlait ainsi, une nuée vint les couvrir; et les disciples furent saisis de frayeur en les voyant entrer dans la nuée. 35 Et de la nuée sortit une voix, qui dit: Celui-ci est mon Fils élu: écoutez-le! 36 Quand la voix se fit entendre, Jésus se trouva seul. Les disciples gardèrent le silence, et ils ne racontèrent à personne, en ce temps-là, rien de ce qu'ils avaient vu.

9:28 ¶ Wit jou konsa, apre li te fin di pawòl sa yo, Jezi pran Pyè, Jan ak Jak. Li moute sou yon mòn pou li al lapriyè.  29 Antan li t'ap lapriyè, figi l' pran chanje, rad li vin klere tou blan.  30 Te gen dezòm ki t'ap pale ak Jezi: se te Moyiz ak Eli,  31 ki te parèt nan mitan yon bèl limyè ki soti nan syel la. Yo t'ap pale avèk li sou jan li tapral mouri lavil Jerizalèm pou l' te ka akonpli misyon li.  32 Yon bon dòmi te gen tan vòlè Pyè ak kanmarad li yo. Men, lè yo leve, yo wè bèl limyè ki te vlope Jezi ansanm ak de mesye ki te bò kote l' yo.  33 Antan mesye yo tapral kite Jezi Pyè di li: Mèt, sa te bon nèt pou nou te la. Ann moute twa ti kay, yonn pou ou, yonn pou Moyiz ak yonn pou Eli. Li pa t' konnen sa l' t'ap di.  34 Pandan li t'ap pale konsa, yon nwaj vin kouvri yo ak lonbraj li. Lè disip yo wè nwaj la ap vin sou yo, yo te pè.  35 Lè sa a, yo tande yon vwa ki soti nan nwaj la ki di: Moun sa a se pitit mwen, moun mwen chwazi a. Koute li!  36 Apre vwa a fin pale, Jezi te pou kont li ankò. Disip yo te fèmen bouch yo sou sa. Lè sa a, yo pa t' rakonte pesonn sa yo te wè.

  28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31 They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"—not knowing what he said. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" 36 When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

28 Y como ocho días después de estas palabras, Jesús tomó consigo a Pedro, a Juan y a Jacobo , y subió al monte a orar. 29 Mientras oraba, la apariencia de su rostro se hizo otra, y su ropa se hizo blanca y resplandeciente. 30 Y he aquí, dos hombres hablaban con El, los cuales eran Moisés y Elías, 31 quienes apareciendo en gloria, hablaban de la partida de Jesús, que El estaba a punto de cumplir en Jerusalén. 32 Pedro y sus compañeros habían sido vencidos por el sueño, pero cuando estuvieron bien despiertos, vieron la gloria de Jesús y a los dos varones que estaban con El. 33 Y sucedió que al retirarse ellos de El, Pedro dijo a Jesús: Maestro, bueno es estarnos aquí; hagamos tres enramadas, una para ti, otra para Moisés y otra para Elías; no sabiendo lo que decía. 34 Entonces, mientras él decía esto, se formó una nube que los cubrió; y tuvieron temor al entrar en la nube. 35 Y una voz salió de la nube, que decía: Este es mi Hijo, mi Escogido ; a El oíd. 36 Cuando la voz se oyó, Jesús fue hallado solo. Ellos se lo callaron, y por aquellos días no contaron a nadie nada de lo que habían visto.

Marshall, Michigan

This weekend my family went to Marshall so that my father could take the services at Trinity Episcopal Church (http://trinityofmarshall.org/) while the rector was out.  While my father sat in the hotel and did more work on his sermon, my mother and sister and I went downtown to poke around a bit.  It's a charming place with a small town sensibility, though I believe that at one time it was the state capital.  

a carriage ride through downtown Marshall

You know it's a small town by the parking meter prices, too.  You can use pennies.  Really.  In 2012.


one penny = six minutes

Just take a close look at this meter as my sister puts in her pennies.

That's right. Not only does a penny get you six minutes of parking, the meter doesn't even take quarters.  I love Marshall (I seem to remember Kalamazoo also having some similarly astonishing prices a few years ago).

"antiquing" in Marshall, MI



This is what I did not buy.  Even if I had money, the last thing I need at this point is stuff.  However, had I found this 15-20 years ago, it would have been mine.  I bet you could even cook on this little thing if you made a tiny charcoal fire inside.  Early Easy Bake Oven?


 I've never been much of a shopper, but antique stores are fun.  Strange, though, after Haiti...


Marshall downtown shops - love the buildings, too



There was some sort of consulting firm with a fish emblem.  "Fish don't sleep," their door sign said.  I personally think that's quite unhealthy (God gave us the sabbath because we really need that down time), although I can appreciate the marketing behind it.  However, I loved the slogan in the window:  "Think outside the bowl." 

I wonder if we could take this and run with it for the church, given the symbolism.  We would have to point out that even God rested on the seventh day, but we certainly do need to think outside the bowl.  (Fish must do something... Any biologists out there?)

Think outside the bowl!

It began to get cloudy while we were there, but we were fortunate that the big storm had not yet arrived. It was just enough to break the heat, and we were safely in the hotel by the time the lightning show began.

Marshall, Michigan - downtown shopping district on a cloudy Saturday

Fortunately, today turned out to be lovely.

Dad celebrated and preached at both services, and I was asked to speak about Haiti at coffee hour, which I was more than happy to do.  I also got to explain that there really are sisters in the Episcopal Church, and we really can be ordained. 


a beautiful Sunday afternoon showing off the interesting architecture in downtown Marshall


It's been a good weekend.  Now off to look at my to-do list before my sister and I head off on our next adventure.   How many different sets of relatives can we visit in two weeks?  You'd be surprised.