Friday Five: In the Middle

November 15 is the middle of the month and also the day for our Friday Five. Think about the term "middle" which indicates various ways of looking at things: middle of a project; middle of a consensus; midpoint as the golden mean; middle of a dilemma (of which its spelling is indecisive); middle of a family; middle of the state and on and on and on.

For today's Friday Five, write about five experiences you have had being in the middle. It will be interesting to see how many different ways we see the middle in our lives.

1. Being an only child, I was in the middle of my family: in between my mom and dad.

2. I am in the middle of learning most of my piano pieces right now: "What Child is This?" and "Angels We Have Heard on High," plus "Siciliana" and "Sunrise at San Miguel." The music is recognizable, but I need to get even with my playing and quicker.

3. I am in the middle of writing a piece about myself for our annual Christmas letter, partly because I have not completed some things in my life, seeing like I am "in the middle" of lots of stuff. Since 1992 our family has compiled a communal Christmas letter to send to friends and relatives; each person writes a section about him/herself. I am grateful that our adult children still like to participate.

4. I am in the middle of reading too many books:  
Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth
by Robert A. Johnson;  
Gandhi: A Spiritual Autobiography
by Arvind Sharma;
The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three: Discovering the Radical Truth at the Heart of Christianity
by Cynthia Bourgeault;
The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age
 by Catherine Steiner-Adair, EdD;
Talking About Death Won't Kill You
by Virginia Morris.

5. Tomorrow we are going to the middle of Texas (to Austin) to visit our two granddaughters and their parents. (And tomorrow is also the official day for Friday Five, but I am doing it this early as we'll be leaving in the morning for our 4-hour drive.)

Friday Five: Randomness Galore

RevKarla brings today's Friday Five to RevGalBlogPals:

Wow, this second Friday really snuck up on me!   But it is here, in all of its glory, right?  So…here we go, another random Friday Five!

Jan holding Emma

1.  What’s up?  How are you?
Last week I spent in Austin happily holding new grandbaby Emma, and this week I have felt exhausted. What has developed is that my RA probably was reacting to the Humira shot being three weeks apart instead of two.  (Go here to see the story of that experiment that began on Sept. 30.) I successfully managed to go several periods of three-week intervals until this week. Fatigue and pain in my hands and feet were returning, so I am back to the two-week schedule.

I am glad my rheumatologist encouraged me to try this experiment. I am also grateful that these miraculous drugs (methotextrate and Humira) are available to relieve my RA symptoms.

2.  If you were a Panda Bear that could speak  O.k., even that is too random for me.  You are moving to a new office.  You can only take five books with you (pretend there is no thing such as kindle, nook, etc.).  What would they be BESIDES the Bible, which is already written on your hearts, yes?
Five Books:
Praying with Psalms by Nan Merrill

Into the Silent Land by Martin Laird

Beyond Words by Frederick Buechner

The Awakened Heart by Gerald May

Gratefulness: The Heart of Prayer by David Steindl Rast

3.  If you had a superpower that could give you a five hour retreat, and you could go anywhere in the world to spend those five hours on retreat (because you have superpowers, ya’ know?), where would you go?
 I can't be specific and should be--someplace with an unobstructed view of Oregon beach or tall trees in a simple setting. I guess I'm too realistic and can't imagine anything right now.

4.  What piece of music, song, hymn, etc. are you diggin’ right now?
As I am still taking piano lessons, I was surprised that my piano teacher had me choose two Christmas songs to learn to play. In retrospect, it makes sense to start learning them now! So I am reveling in the learning of "What Child Is This?" and "Angels We Have Heard On High." I keep singing them to myself.

5.  Use the following words in a sentence (or two):  Tangle, dribble, hook, Panda, shark, smile, worry, island

The worried Panda is tangled in the net hung by a hook from the wharf on the island as the smiling shark circled around. In contrast, his oblivious owner dribbles a ball down the walkway.

Friday Five: JOY

Today's Friday Five for RevGalBlogPals:

RevPal Mindy recently shared this quote:

Talking about our problems is our greatest addiction.

Break the habit. Talk about your joys.

~Rita Schiano

What are your joys? Places? Food? Activities? Books? Season? Hobbies? Smells? Colors? To inspire you, Mindy came up with THIRTEEN things that bring her joy or make her happy. So go for it! 

~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Books! 
And reading to my granddaughter Avery is something else that brings me joy.

Avery and Jan, Christmas 2012

Avery and Jan, Christmas 2011

This picture is already two years old, but it also predicts the future because soon Avery will have a baby sister, for whom I will love to read!

2. Family
I have four adult children and a husband of almost 42 years, but there are few pictures of all of us together. With DC living in Austin, AE in Seattle, BJ in Houston, MJ in Salt Lake City, and Chuck's parents in Bellingham, WA, we rarely are all in one place these days.

I found one of three of our kids (but not DC's wife or child) and Chuck and his parents.

Friday Harbor, WA; August 2012: MJ, BJ, DC, Chuck's mom, Chuck, and Chuck's dad

3. Texting/iPhone

Getting an iPhone this year opened me to the texting world. It's a quick connection, especially when pictures are shared. When MJ received the teapot I sent her, she texted this picture to me:

MJ in her kitchen in Salt Lake City

4. Creches, which I collect.

Over the years, I've created a cache of nativity scenes. Many were given to me by members of my family. I have pictures of seven them here.

This is one Avery can play with! AND notice that Mary is holding baby Jesus!

 This picture also points to my love of the Harry Potter books, which I've read at least three times. I think of reading the series over again, but the task is too time-consuming and long-term right now.

5. Learning to play the piano!

Jan

I started taking piano lessons from a friend in August 2011 and keep on keeping on. It is a joy to play what I can, which diminishes when I don't practice.

That's true of anything, like prayer. Remember the old adage: The more you pray, the more you want to. That's how it is with practicing the piano, too.

Tuesday Trivia

I haven't done a silly post about what's going on in my very ordinary life for a long time, so I'll do it tonight:

• The Wisdom Class finally finished discussing The Immortal Diamond by Richard Rohr today. One long-time member said she would like to go on retreat and read the entire book over again, without interruptions. That is a great compliment.

• A few months ago a former member of the Wisdom Class sent me an email about a short conversation she had had with Fr. Richard Rohr. After attending a church in Albuquerque where he preached, she told him her church group in Corpus Christi, TX was reading his newest book. His humble response was, "I am honored." I am still touched by his answer.

• Our next Wisdom Class book is one that will be a change of pace: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. Duhigg is a New York Times investigative reporter, which shows in his well-researched stories in this book.

• One new habit that I am trying to institute is walking at the mall five mornings a week. I didn't manage to have a regular schedule of walking outside while the weather was more pleasant here in south Texas. So now with daily temperatures in the 90s F. I find the air-conditioned areas of the mall more pleasant, even though the scenery is not. Plus, I get less sun exposure! Tomorrow will be the second time I walk and then go to the YWCA  for my deep water exercise class, having to change there before the class.

• Since my piano recital, I have suddenly reached a point of enjoying my time at the piano. And at today's piano lesson, my teacher told me I was having a "growth spurt" with my playing,which pleased me. I am trying to learn to play "Brahm's Lullaby," which I love.

•  Over the past six months, I have been slowly reducing one of the RA meds from 8 pills to 4 once a week, while still giving myself a bi-weekly shot. This was to determine the minimum amount of medication my body needs. Now I seem to have reached the stopping point, with a blip of RA returning in my hands and in fatigue. So I have gone back to 5 pills, which I am returning to this week. I hope that's that.

• This weekend youngest daughter MJ is flying to San Antonio from Salt Lake City where she is going to grad school. She is going to attend a friend's wedding near there. In between all the friends she wants to see, Chuck and I will take MJ to Austin on Saturday to see Avery and her parents. Just a quick trip for all of us.

First Piano Recital

By Stephen Addiss

I am back from my first piano recital in my entire life. It is very funny that I found the image to the left, because the artist was 62 years old for his first recital, just like me! How appropriate.

There were nine players of the piano, ranging in age from 8 years old to 72, so I was not the oldest one after all. The atmosphere was more relaxed than I expected, because Cindy, our teacher, had us go alphabetically playing one piece at a time. It was especially casual, because her 72 year old friend playing joked about which reading glasses to use, among other things. She helped us all to relax!

What helped me the most was walking into the church and finding my little next door neighbor, Lily, in the audience with her parents. Neither of us knew that the other was taking piano lessons from Cindy. I was calmed by sitting next to Lily and near her parents (and my husband Chuck).

Most people played three pieces, but I played two. I was more nervous with the first piece, which was "On Wings of Song" by Mendelssohn, arranged by James Bastien. Not being familiar with much classical music, I never quite knew how it should sound. I was more practiced and comfortable with playing the second piece, "Song of Spring" by David Karp, a modern composer.

My piano teacher said she was surprised at how calm I seemed. I think I was greatly helped by practicing on the church piano a few days beforehand. My nervousness was also counteracted with Lily being there. I'd recently become aware of my perfectionism haunting me and was trying to let go of that. Praying and breathing slowly helped, too.

First times are always difficult. I am glad that it is over. It was not as bad as I expected. I hope I re-learned that doing the best I can is enough in each moment.

Piano Recital Tomorrow!

Chuck recently took this picture of me practicing the piano. I have been practicing frequently because I am worried about playing in my first ever piano recital on Sunday afternoon. It seems silly feel afraid when I am 62 years old, but any new experience is difficult. I am feeling silly as I look like a grandmother with white hair and am just a beginner, compared to the children playing in the recital.

The recital will be held at our church, All Saints Episcopal Church. Fortunately, I played on the piano there on two different days last week. That helped, because I was frozen in anticipation the first time I sat down there on Thursday. I hope that reaction will not recur tomorrow.

Final Friday Five for 2012!

As we take a breather from the busy weekend of Sunday/Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, it's time to reflect on the past year. It's hard to move out of this holiday season with its delights and celebrations. Here at our home, we've barely finished the eggnog. The tree is still up and our cats delight in knocking off the lower (unbreakable) ornaments. As we are rounding the final turn on the year 2012, I hope you'll play along with these questions. :)

I haven't found the time to play a Friday Five for weeks, even when I hosted it last week, so I am glad Deb came up with this fun idea!

RECYCLE:

1. What is some "old news" this year that you'd like to repeat for 2013?
Sticking with the Weight Watchers program, which helped me to get back to healthier eating again.

2. What "new thing" have you started that you want to keep going in 2013?
Piano lessons! I never practiced as a child, and now I am finding it to be fun! I loved learning to play "Away in the Manger" for Christmas and Epiphany.

RE-GIFT:

3. What event, experience or gift would you just as soon "Return to Sender"? Maybe it was a disastrous sermon, a congregational kerfuffle, a vacation nightmare, or your own mis-step. It can be funny or sad. 
Not continuing to work on the church library after it was painted. It still needs art on the walls and perhaps one wall painted a more vibrant color. Books have to be re-shelved and some removed that are outdated and in poor shape. Hoping to start over in 2013!

REFLECT:

4. Share the brightest bit of joy that was a part of your year. 
Always my granddaughter Avery and my family, but the most hopeful and happy thing going on for me is the absence of pain and RA symptoms for the past 6-8 months, which I hope will continue with the meds I am taking. 

5. Share a picture that says far more than words. (You can use it to illustrate one of the above.) 

Yearning for God post on Happiness

 

Jan and Chuck: 41 years of marriage

BONUS:

Share a recipe! I'm in the doldrums and need some healthy eating options for my menu planning. Soup, stew, main dish, side dish or a healthy dessert - any and all are welcome!

Here is a recipe (shared with me by my friend Katherine) that I re-tried last week for my vegetarian daughter MJ's visit here; it is easy and delicious (though not a vegan recipe).

Black Bean Chilaquile from Moosewood Restaurant
1 cup chopped onions
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (15 ounce can, drained)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/ tsp ground black pepper
2 cups rinsed, stemmed, and chopped Swiss chard or spinach
2 cups crushed baked tortilla chips
8 ounces grated fat-free sharp Cheddar cheese
2 cups prepared Mexican-style red salsa

Preheat oven to 350.

Saute onions inoil for about 8 minutes, until translucent. Stir in tomatoes, corn, black beans, lime juice, salt pepper and continue to saute another 5-10 minutes, until heated through.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, blanch he greens in boiling water for 1-3 minutes, until just wilted but still bright green. Drain immediately and set aside.

Prepare an 8x8 casserole dish with a light cooking of vegetable spray. Spread half of the crushed chips on the bottom.Spoon the sauted vegetables over the chips and sprinkle on about two-thirds of the grated Cheddar. Arrange the greens evenly over the cheese and spoon on half of the salsa. Finish with the rest of the tortilla chips and top with the remaining salsa and Cheddar. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown.

Casserole order (shortcut):
spray
chips
vegetables
cheese
greens
salsa
chips
salsa
cheese 

Friday Five: No Time!

Today's Friday Five for RevGalBlogPals is about art. I can't whip that out before leaving town, as I never think of myself as creative or artsy. Though I DO like art! Thanks to Rev. Pat Raube for bringing this Friday Five!

The only "creative" thing I do is blog (sometimes). Many "used to's" like baking and writing letters could be classified as "creative," but those are not done too much these days. Not artsy, but towards the creative side--I've started taking piano lessons!

What's taking up time right now is getting ready to leave town (for only the weekend) to visit Avery and her parents in Austin! Yay! What is holding up our departure is my almost-forgotten-haircut appointment at 12:15. So before driving to that, there are preparations to be made. We are lucky that a friend is coming over to stay with our pets.

So to lighten the mood, here is a cute cartoon I found on Pinterest (which is under my favorite label "About Books"):

Friday Five: Changes

Martha Spong brings today's Friday Five for RevGalBlogPals:

For this Friday Five, please answer these five questions about change.

1) Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and seen yourself with surprise? Why?
Partly, it is for being 61 years old and that's a shock. Mostly, it is because I have white hair that has turned curly on top due to meds I take for RA.

This reminds me of my mother telling me in her 70's that it was always a shock to see herself in the mirror, because she didn't think of herself as being this old. I can totally identify with those words now.


2) Have you ever witnessed a change in routine at church that upset people? (Hahahahaha!!!! I know you have!)
Change in times of the service. In fact, this Sunday features one of those changes, as on the fifth Sunday we have one service (instead of three) at 10 am. In other cases, some people get upset at the slightest rewording of a prayer.


3) Have you ever been surprised or inconvenienced by a change in a public setting (not church)?
All the road construction that keeps occurring on various busy intersections in Corpus Christi are very annoying, because left turns are not allowed and there is only one lane for traffic instead of two each way. It is infuriating when someone stops and signals for a left turn when there are multiple signs indicating it is not permitted and there is a long line of vehicles behind him/her.
 
4) Has the passage of time changed your understanding of something you used to think you knew for sure?
Mary Beth helped me out in recalling the change of spaces after a period in writing. I learned that from my eldest daughter AE, though sometimes husband Chuck will argue with me about it.

5) Is there something you're trying to change, or want to change, in your life right now?
Always. So often it seems to be the same issue, like the layers of an onion resurfacing what I thought I'd already learned. . . .


Taking piano lessons is teaching me that I try to rush through something to get it over with, while I need to do the opposite--going slowly brings more attention to how I am doing it! One time my piano teacher told me to hit the key only after she pointed to the note, and I found it so hard not to jump ahead to the other notes. Trusting the process is so hard; I want to control it.

My Butter Fingers

 

I wanted to find an image of my "butter fingers" in connection to the piano but all that came up was a picture of the Butterfinger candy bar!  This kitty is cute and illustrates my inept fingers on the keys, as I look closely down at the piano keys. I am trying to remember all the "shoulds" and cannot get my fingers, wrists, and shoulders to relax. 

Practicing the piano is showing me how little I know, causing me to realize what a beginner I am. That attitude of learning for someone starting out in anything new, including prayer, is one of expectancy and awareness. This is also a practice of giving up self-judgment!

Lots to learn!

Piano Lessons!

Today I had my first piano lesson in 50 years! I did not remember anything, but the friend who is teaching me is kind, patient and funny. She kept telling me that it is her fault if I do not do well! It was also her suggestion to commit to six lessons before I decide to keep on going.

That reminds me of the commitment to attend any meeting for six sessions before deciding it doesn't fit me or I don't fit it. That was the advice I learned at Al-Anon long ago, which is a good rule to follow for anything new.

We have a piano, because my parents bought a Yamaha spinet piano when we lived in Japan. About 25 years ago, they sent it with someone's belongings on a moving van from Bellingham, WA to Houston, TX. Chuck picked it up in a Plymouth mini-van and transported it from Houston to Corpus Christi. That boggles my mind when I think of it now.

Our daughters AE and MJ took piano lessons, but they both stopped taking lessons while they were in high school. I've always said intermittently that I wanted to take piano lessons someday, and now I am!