U. S. Drought, especially TX

Drought Monitor

Rain clouds today, but only 1/4 inch of rain. Last week we had 1/3 inch of rain. This is the most it has rained in over three months. We are over 15 inches below normal for 2009 rainfall here--in south TX.

Japanese Maple in Japan

Courtesy of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, New York Botanical Garden.
Utagawa Hiroshige III (1842-1894) Japanese maple from Kakyo Tokyo meisho, 1881. Woodblock print.

This was found at the Human Flower Project. I think it is beautiful. Not only do I love Japanese Maples, but I so appreciate Asian art.

Today is all that matters.

Thanks to Jennifer at An Orientation of Heart, I got another new book about health. And it reminds me of something a therapist told me 14 years ago, "CHOOSE HEALTH." That's what this book is gently pointing to: Fit from Within by Victoria Moran.

What I am hoping is that I will start living with only THREE meals a day. That cuts out a lot of snacking. With Infinity Squared and Jennifer leaving comments about it being healthier to have two snacks a day, I am planning to do that. Plus, that makes a healthier diet more livable!

Moran stresses staying here right now. Here are some quotes:

"It's dangerous to get caught up in 'When I get thin. . . ,' 'When I get this thing licked. . . ,' and other states of future glory. This is the day you've got. No matter how praiseworthy your eating and exercise are today, your weight isn't going to be very different when you go to bed tonight from when you got up this morning. The tiny changes will add up, but don't concern yourself too much with them. Just stay in today." (42)

"Today is it, and what you do today is all that matters. Staying centered in the now keeps you aware of what you're doing. You're far less likely to eat absentmindedly when you're firmly rooted in this day, this meal, this project, this conversation. When you stay focused, you fully experience the day--its events, its sensations, its nuances. Life will become richer and more gratifying. You'll have fewer regrets, because regrets belong to the past. You'll worry less, because worry is about the future, and when the future becomes the present it won't be nearly as frightening. The present almost never is." (42)

My Dog is my Teacher

My good friend Trudy Kenyon gave me this card today, as she was reminded of it when she saw the video "GoD and DoG" the other day. She painted this last year. It is also a reminder of how our dogs (and other pets) teach us how to live.

Trudy paints many types of pictures, which she makes into cards or prints for friends. I am the lucky recipient of many of her paintings in the form of cards, because she knows I like cards so much. I love hers.

Friday Five: I Like Myself

Singing Owl over at RevGalBlogPals wrote today's Friday Five:

Lately I seem to be encountering many people who have a very difficult time finding anything good to say about themselves. They are able to extend grace and forgiveness to others but find it difficult to extend that same grace to themselves.

With that in mind, let's share some healthy affirmation today! Tell us five things you like about yourself!

1. I am a loyal friend. I really value my friends.

2. I am a good cook, especially a good baker. I like to cook from scratch.

3. I like to learn; I like to read. There is so much to learn, all our lives!

4. I like to send cards, notes, and postcards. I used to be a very good correspondent but the internet seems to have changed those long handwritten letters to shorter, more infrequent and/or typed mail.

5. I like to smile.

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Lord Jesus Christ,

come into my heart,

pray in me and with me,

that I may learn from You

how to pray.

Amen.

*Probably from Mother Teresa

Dr. Siri of Laos

I'm still reading too much. Just finished my fourth Dr. Siri mystery.

And so I'll have something to put in my blog, I'll put some advice given to Dr. Siri by his old friend Daeng here:

Daeng had taught a girl working for her to read, despite schools kicking her out in Laos.

So Daeng told Dr. Siri: "Oh, its much more than nice, Siri. It didn't change the world. It isn't going to get her a job reading the news over the propaganda airwaves. She'll still serve noodles and wipe tables. But she's different inside now. She has a new love in her life, and I gave it to her. . . .You don't measure your own success against the size or volume of the effect you are having. You gauge it from the difference you make to the subject you're working on. At our age, you go for the small things and you do them as well as you can."

Cotterill, Colin. Anarchy and Old Dogs. NY: Soho Press, 2007. 186-187.

Dr. Siri said his mantra would be "Go for the small things and do them well."

That reminds me of the priest in Zambia who told our small group from Oblate School of Theology in 2006 that so many things needed to be fixed there that it was easy to be overwhelmed and thus accomplish little. Instead, he told us to pick one thing and concentrate on that.

GoD and DoG

From both Ellie and Roberta:

Hot Fudge Sauce!

MJ asked me if I would make our family's favorite hot fudge sauce tonight, so her boy friend CJS could try it. Of course, CB and I would like that, too!

This is such a good recipe that I give it to friends and to new brides and to anyone who wants it. I am going to share it here, as it is the BEST hot fudge sauce I have ever had. It is from an old Hershey Foods cookbook: Hershey's 1934 Cookbook. Ed. Josh Gaspero. Hershey foods Corporation: 1971. (p. 38)

Hot Fudge Sauce

Combine in a pan:
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Add and blend thoroughly:
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup milk

Bring to a boil; boil 5 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. vanilla

Cool, without stirring, until pan feels warm to hand. Serve.

Makes 1 1/2 cups sauce.

Tonight it was delicious!

Afternoon of waiting

I've been called to jury duty. Usually, I've gone in the morning, so I wait with many other people in a large room until about noon to be let go--and then call back for a few days. However, this time I must appear at 1:15 pm, so I assume that I will be waiting until 5 pm. That will be my afternoon, reading. I am taking two Dr. Siri mysteries along.

My friend NKE in CA told me that where she lives, they have computerized jury selections. When she is chosen to serve, she has to daily check in on the computer several times a day until she is told her status. That sounds easier.

Peace Arch Park

Son DC's picture of CB, Jan, and MJ
(the post behind CB marks the border between WA and Canada)

Whitney and Ashley

We just got back from an amazing event in Corpus Christi, TX: the celebration of a union of two women (who were legally married in Massachusetts in March). Their parents gave a lavish party, with frozen margaritas and lots of food--and lots of fun. There was a "mock" ceremony outside, which replicated the vows they said to each other in March. Then an aunt and uncle sang and played a song dedicated to Whitney and Ashley; the only words I can remember are that "their love interweaves us together." I like that.

There was so much joy and happiness radiating among the people that I was reminded of my son's wedding, which seemed just as happy. It was surprising that a few people came who are religiously opposed to gay marriage; they must have come as friends of the family. They did not act disapproving and were participating in the happiness shared. I'm glad.

May blessings of love and joy abound
in the lives of
Whitney and Ashley
forever.
Amen.

Wishin' and Hopin'

I spent too much time reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson this week. Oddly, it was a Christmas gift (from Terry and Dennis of Seattle) and I'd never gotten around to reading it until now. I've definitely been in "reading mode" since our vacation. This was a mystery that drew me in and kept me reading until the end. It could be classified close to the thriller genre, which makes me think that finally husband CB will like a book I recommend.

I had seen the following book at book stores in Seattle, but was not interested, because I hadn't read the first book. Immediately upon finishing Larsson's first mystery, I ordered the second, which I am waiting on.

That brought to mind that silly romantic song from the 1960's "Wishin' and Hopin'."

Now I am waiting for the UPS truck to drive up with that package, containing The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson. (I'm glad our dinner is already simmering on the stove.)

This is how I'll spend this weekend, as the heat continues here in south TX--probably the 46th and 47th consecutive days of temperatures above 96 degrees F.

Friday Five: Rules

After a family vacation with our four children and three additional "partners," I am more aware of rules, spoken and unvoiced. Expectations are not always clearly expressed, but are still expected. . . . unbeknown to all unless one is not fulfilled! So how about writing about rules in your families and workplaces? Choose one or more for each category, especially if one seems odd or funny to you now.

1. Formal rules in family of origin
After I fractured my skull in first grade, an emphatic rule was NOT to dive into swimming pools. I did not learn to dive until junior high and was terrified to try for the first few times.

2. Unwritten and unspoken rules in family of origin
Don't cry--go into the bathroom and shut the door if you cry.

Get good grades, though my mother was always proud that she did not "pressure" me about grades.

Since I've been in recovery, I've realized that we practiced the rules of an alcoholic family:

• Don't talk
• Don't trust
• Don't feel

3. Formal rules in current family or workplace
Tell beforehand, where you will be or call and give that info, with some kind of a time period stated.

4. Unwritten rules in current family or workplace
You must like cottage cheese pancakes!

And I realized on the vacation we took on the WA beach that the formal #3 rule is now unspoken or unwritten, because my daughter's boy friend disappeared for almost five hours without telling anyone where he was going running. After three hours, we were very frightened. We were not sure where he was or how to reach him on this lonely beach next to an Indian reservation. Thankfully, he was found.

5. When was a time that you became aware of different rules in different places/families than your own?
I especially became aware of this when we returned from our vacation and the boy friend's dad laughed off the incident. Their family doesn't check in that often with each other. I think it involves both safety and respect for others.

When I was struggling with little sleep because I answered the cries of my toddlers, I realized that many families have their kids cry themselves to sleep so they will sleep through the night. Due to the influence of La Leche League on my parenting, I continued to hold and/or nurse my young ones until they went back to sleep. I believe trust is built this way.

Vacation Pictures

Lake Quinault, WA Rain Forest

AA and son DC, MJ and CJS
at Ballard Locks (in Seattle)

Rabbit totem in Pioneer Square, Seattle

DC coming out of fountain in downtown Seattle

View from rented house in Moclips, WA

Beach at Moclips, WA

CB and Jan at Ocean Crest Restaurant our last night in Moclips, WA

MJ, AA, DC, BJ, and CJS at Peace Arch Park (border between USA and Canada)

Happy as a clam?

This makes me think of our time on the Moclips beach in WA. Nine people together for three nights and four days; we were mostly happy. It was a fun time.

I brought back a bag of driftwood I collected there. Today I tried baking them in the oven, and oh, did the house stink! After complaints from CB (and myself, I must admit), I put them outside, where they still are laying on cookie sheets on the deck bench.

Back home!

We got back to hot Corpus Christi, TX last night. Today it was 99 degrees F. That's quite a shock after the lovely weather in WA State.

We had a wonderful time, which I will relate when I download pictures and have washed all the clothes (and completely unpacked).

Thank you for prayers for our sister-in-law Chris. Please keep them coming. There is good news about Dennis--the surgeon removed ALL the cancer when he cut out half of Dennis' liver.

And now I want to recommend these books that I read on our vacation:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This takes place in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960's when the civil rights movement was gaining momentum in the USA and just before women's lib grew into consciousness. The voices of two black "help" and the Junior League ladies they serve, with one new college graduate wondering where she fits in contrast the attitudes prevalent at that time. This is excellent!

How to Be Good by Nick Hornby

This is a silly, but provocative, book about a female physician in London in a strained marriage with two children. Her husband has a spiritual conversion, and she struggles with his pious giving as she wonders what "being good" is. Is one only "good" in comparison to others? Is it necessary to have those "more" good or "less" good to gauge one's worth?

I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak

Since I loved reading The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, I got this book for our vacation. I read it after MJ and devoured it. It is very easy reading, but is thought provoking. After a failed bank robbery, Ed becomes the messenger, recieving messages of his next mission via aces. Through acts of kindness to those around him, Ed is being led by the hand through a journey of self discovery and sometimes is helped with the advice of pie eating hit-men. The ending is unexpected.

The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill

I gave this book to my son BJ for his birthday in April, but he never wanted to read it. He brought it along on our vacation trip for me. It is the first book in a series of mysteries about a Laotian doctor who is 72 years old in 1970's Laos, after the Communist takeover. It was interesting about the locale and time period, as well as good character development of the various people involved. I am going to read the four other books in this series.

Prayers needed!

At the end of a my husband's family's barbecue, with 25 people attending, his brother took a few of us aside to tell us that his wife has a recurrence of breast cancer. It has been 12 years since she was first diagnosed and suddenly there is cancer in various organs. It is a shock, as she looks and feels great.

Please, oh, please pray for Chris.

Bellingham, WA in fun and sadness

With recent trips to Seattle, where I am again, and Canada, my blogging has been infrequent, and my visits to other blogs even less. Suddenly I am learning that Fran and Jaliya are taking breaks, and I wonder who else. . . . as I seem to be doing the same.

We had a busy three days in Seattle, doing lots of sightseeing and even saw a play on Capital Hill where the daughter of one of my oldest friends was the star. It was good to see Dennis getting a little more active, though he still gets fatigued easily. My kids had two long, long visits with him on Friday and Saturday, which seemed to energize and tire him at the same time. I'm so glad they love him and Terry.

Now we're at CB's parents' house in Bellingham, WA. Today is the summer family barbecue and reunion of all CB's siblings and their children. One great-grandchild is coming; she's one year old. CB has two sisters and one brother, so this is a large clan gathering. We bring nine, counting MJ's boy friend CS. Approximately 25 will be here.

After a dinner at Chuck's sister's house last night, I was suddenly and unexpectedly struck with grief, having none of my own family around at all. Since I was an only child, my dad was an only child, and my mother had just one sister, I have no family left in Bellingham. (You may recall that I have a distant cousin Margaret in Calgary, Canada.)

I am sad that my children's partners will only know CB's family, hearing stories of their past. Yes, I can tell a few tales of my family, but the children are not seeing the places or anyone else remembering them, like CB's siblings. It's just the way it is. This is reality, which I am re-learning to accept. . . .and am surprised that I have this to do all over again.

Seattle again!

Different airlines are taking my family and me to Seattle this week. Six of us are flying to Seattle on Tuesday (from either Corpus Christi or Austin), and only BJ is flying on Friday (from Houston).

Friends Terry and Dennis and daughters AE and KA are being generously hospitable by opening their homes for us to stay with them. Even after Dennis' major surgery, he and Terry want CB and me to stay with them. AE and KA are inviting four of our young adults to stay with them.

The weather is cooling down in Seattle, so our time there may be more typically rainy and cool. We will see. . . .

Our trip is divided into three parts, oddly going north then southwest. First we'll be in Seattle, then up to Bellingham to visit CB's family, and after that we'll spend a few days in Moclips, which is on the coast north of Aberdeen.

Holding On

My friend Nancy commented on the post Living to Die about something Madeleine L'Engle wrote in her book The Rock That Is Higher.

In "The Rock That Is Higher", which my Bible study group is reading right now, in the first chapter, Madeleine L'Engle writes about being in a car accident:

"The ancient words of the Jesus Prayer, 'Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me,' surfaced in my mind. They have been with me for many years, like a deep, inner fountain. When I wake up in the night they are there--those strong, affirming words. They were with me as I sat in the crumpled car."

Later, in the hospital: "The Jesus Prayer was still with me, a strong rope to which I held like a sailor fallen from a ship."

And: "My only prayer was the Jesus Prayer and that was there for me because it has been part of my inner rhythm for many years, the prayer that fulfills Paul's exhortation to pray constantly, at all times, and in all places."

76 Trombones!

Living to Die

Psalm 51:10-12

51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

51:11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.

51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

During our weekly lectio divina group on Wednesday, this scripture brought me to a deeper understanding of the concept of "living to die." Or as the medieval Book of the Craft of Dying states: "Learn to die and thou shall learn how to live. There shall none learn how to live that hath not learned to die" (Sogyal Rinpoche).

I thought of how any of these phrases could be a breath prayer, a habitual mantra-like saying for me. I truly desire a "willing spirit," so I wish to ask God to "sustain in me a willing spirit." Do I want this enough to pray for it?

Thus I remembered how a habitual prayer practice of a verse, a word, or a phrase from a hymn can remind one of God's presence. A calm spirit will replace anxiety or anger when such is prayed. I remember reading that the Dalai Lama recommended that each person have such a practice so that one can be reminded of it when one is dying, ill and/or agitated.

In fact, Christine Longaker writes about this in her book Facing Death and Finding Hope: A Guide to the Emotional and Spiritual Care of the Dying:

"Above all, we can encourage our dying loved one to identify a spiritual practice--a special prayer meditation, hymn, or scriptural reading--that inspires her with confidence and strength. Regularly doing an inspiring practice, especially if she is suffering, will focus the energy of her heart and mind in a positive way and help to rekindle her devotion and trust. The sacred inspiration of this continual prayer or meditation may begin to pervade her every waking and sleeping moment, and this is an excellent way to prepare for death. And, if her family, friends, or caregivers do this practice with her whenever they visit, they will feel more prepared at the moment of her death--more inspired to let her go, peacefully and with love." (115-116)

Sometime ago, I read how someone's mother was ill with Alzheimer's and often became restlessly anxious. When her son reminded her of the 23rd Psalm, "The Lord is my shepherd" by soothingly repeating it, his mother would grow more peaceful. This was a practice that helped both of them and was a way for him to show his love for his mother.

Last week in Seattle, at times Terry or Dennis would be overwhelmed by anxiety or anger. That is natural in times of illness and stress. Few people are taught how to cope with extenuating circumstances, which I only realized in retrospect during the lectio divina time.

Ecknath Easwaran writes in Dialogue With Death: A Journey Through Consciousness:

"Whatever your physical situation, your mind can help you to deal with it if you train your mind to be forgiving, compassionate, calm, and kind. 'You can no better friend,' the Buddha says, 'than a well-trained mind--and no worse enemy than an untrained mind.'" (75)

With greater awareness, each of us could short circuit extreme emotions with a phrase, even like "This will pass." Don't you remember how people used to say "count to 10" before acting on anger? Creating a habit of reminding oneself of love or peace could bring more serenity into one's life, even if one is not actually ill or dying.

Blogging just stuff

• Not too regularly lately, especially not visiting blogging friends. (sorry)

• It was 94 degrees in Seattle today and 90 here when I checked at 6 pm.

• Dennis is home and is in a lot of pain. He is staying in the basement with his two Samoyeds because it is so hot in Seattle.

• MJ gave a presentation on her chemistry research at Trinity University today. Tomorrow she will come home!

• On Tuesday, CB, MJ, MJ's boy friend CS, and I will fly to Seattle again. This is our family vacation that has been planned for months and months. Son DC and wife AA will fly from Austin also. Son BJ will fly from Houston on Friday night. NINE of us will be traveling together, once BJ joins us.

• During last week's trip to Seattle, I read The Help by Kathryn Stockett, which I highly recommend. It takes place in Mississippi in 1962 and contrasts the society ladies and their black "help."

• On the trip home on Wednesday, I read a book loaned to me by daughter AE--Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. I kept laughing out loud!

• I am in the midst of a blogging post about a connection I found in lectio divina with Dennis' situation, so that will come up before I leave.
  

Hotter in Seattle than TX!

It is so hot that. . . . .

We're glad to be home, but poor Seattle-ites are enduring shocking heat. It was 103 degrees F. today. I cannot imagine how hot everyone is, as few people have air conditioners.

Seattle was 7 degrees hotter than us in way down south TX--in Corpus Christi.

CB's Birthday in Seattle

Today is CB's birthday, last one before 60. That will be me in three more months. No wonder I have white hair! We are having dinner with daughters AE and KA tonight, along with Terry, at an Indian restaurant in the U District of Seattle.

This morning we trekked from the University of Washington Medical Center uphill to the UW campus, so we could find where AE works. Eventually, she met us in Red Square. It was a pretty walk, though sweaty since Seattle is having 90 degree F. highs this week.

Dennis is coming along, though the pain is severe. Today he is supposed to walk down the hospital hallway four times, but when we last saw him at noon, he had not done so yet. The surgeon told him that he hoped he had gotten all the cancer from his liver, which sounds hopeful.

Tomorrow morning we fly back to (hot) TX from (hot) WA. We fly to San Antonio, where MJ will meet us at the airport with our car. She kept it at her school, so we didn't have to pay airport parking fees. And exactly one week from this trip, we'll travel back to Seattle for our scheduled family vacation, this time with all our children.

Successful Surgery!

Dennis' surgery went extremely well. In four hours, they removed 50% of his liver and scraped cancer off the other lobe. He is doing well. The next 2-3 days are the most important in that infection or bleeding can easily occur, especially connected with the liver.

Please keep him in your prayers.

The day before Seattle

Son DC and Sampson

I am in the midst of packing my suitcase to go to Seattle tomorrow, while son DC plays on the Wii (that he brought from home) and his dog Sampson dozes.

It's been a busy day, as all days are before trips. It started out abruptly because Terry tearfully called me from Seattle to say that Dennis was unresponsive. Immediately jumping into her panic, I remembered how my mother went into a coma before she died of pancreatic cancer--so maybe this would also be the case for liver cancer? The medics and firefighters arrived and took his vital signs, reviving him. It was learned that he accidentally took an extra pill the night before. With his liver compromised by the tumor, it could not process the chemicals.

Dennis stayed sleepy all day. Fortunately, he is physically stable and will still have the surgery on Friday, July 24. The surgeon told them today that the plan is to remove 50% of his liver.

DC and Sampson arrived yesterday, so DC's truck dent could be fixed and painted by someone here, who is proficient and very reasonable. The truck will probably be ready sometime tomorrow, so the two boys will return to Austin sometime in the afternoon.

DC and I went to see the new "Harry Potter" movie in the late afternoon. He had already seen it with his wife, but came with his mom today. I'm so glad I got to see it. It was very well done, though I disliked a few changes towards the end. The actors have matured greatly in their acting abilities. Draco really grew tall!

A friend is staying in our house to take care of our dogs and cat while we are in Seattle for the next week. Our pets will be happier once Sampson is gone. I think our cat is jealous, because today she left a pile in front of the chair where I meditate every day. . . .

AND it's hot up there, too--upper 80s for high temperatures, and most places do not have air conditioning. It's near 100 degrees here in Corpus, but we can stay inside with our air conditioner running.

God shapes us

It is not you who shapes God, it is God who shapes you.
If then you are the work of God, await the hand of the artist
Who does all things in due season.
Offer God your heart, soft and tractable,
And keep the form in which the artist has fashioned you.
Let your clay be moist,
Lest you grow hard and lose the imprint of God's fingers.

~~Irenaeus, 2nd century bishop

Gay Marriage

by David Fitzsimmons

When I saw this in the newest edition of The Christian Century, I had to find it for my blog.

Friday Stuff

With Dennis so ill in Seattle and it being so HOT here in TX, I have not felt like blogging lately. And this is despite my responsibility at RevGalBlogPals to write today's Friday Five, which has had a healthy 29 responses (without mine). I am glad RevGals wrote about games, which will give me ideas for our family vacation as I am not a "game-y" person.

I want to write something, so I guess it'll be bullet-style, for my own benefit.

• TX heat--this is the hottest year in TX history since 1925. The only thing it is good for is hanging clothes out on the clothesline to dry, which I do almost everyday. Our two dogs prefer the house air-conditioned atmosphere, but a full laundry basket is a signal for both of them to come outside with me. Our beloved BLACK Lab, who died a few years ago, hated the heat so much that she could not be fooled by an empty laundry basket, when I sometimes tried to get her to go outside.

• Husband CB and I are flying to Seattle on Wednesday to visit Terry and Dennis. Dennis is having surgery to remove the tumor in his liver on Friday, July 24. We will stay one week. Then we'll come back to TX for six days before returning to Seattle with our family for a vacation, which is hard to predict with Dennis' future uncertain.
  

• Before my friend Joe died last year, I ordered a book with the subtitle "A guide to the emotional and spiritual care of the dying." I never read it, and it was shoved into a book shelf for the past year. When it was decided that we would go to be with Dennis, I found the book and started reading it. Facing Death and Finding Hope by Christine Longaker is just what I needed before this trip. The author is a Tibetan Buddhist who keeps emphasizing that we learn to die as we live: "Thus all the things that happen--especially the 'deaths within life' that we necessarily experience--are markers, along our path, pointing the way toward learning how to live, and in so doing, how to die." (15)

• This week has been a beginning in de-cluttering. Each day I am getting rid of TEN items (even one piece of paper is one object) in each room of the house. I vaguely remember this idea from FlyLady, which I tried a few years ago but quit when I was inundated by emails. (She suggests the 27 fling boogie.) I usually put away or throw out more stuff than just ten, but the small minimum helps me get started.

• I am excited that the General Conference of the Episcopal Church passed Resolution C056 (http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=898&type=Current). "This resolution allows for a ‘generous pastoral response’ to the needs of same gender couples. What that actually means will vary from diocese to diocese, depending on how the Bishop discerns the needs of the people and the movement of the Spirit. In some places it’ll mean church weddings, in others something very private and discreet, and in some places there will be nothing at all." (from here) However, I fear the south TX Bishops did not vote in favor of this resolution and so effects may not be seen in this area of the country.

• Susan Russell is the current president of Integrity USA. Her blog is An Inch at a Time, which will tell you much more about the 2009 General Conference in Anaheim.
  

Gift Idea

For the second time this month, I have given a Kiva gift certificate as a birthday present for friends. I would love to receive such a gift and so I hope that the recipients like this, too.

This is how Kiva works:

Choose an Entrepreneur, Lend, Get Repaid

The below diagram shows briefly how money gets from you to an entrepreneur, and back.

1) Lenders like you browse profiles of entrepreneurs in need, and choose someone to lend to. When they lend, using PayPal or their credit cards, Kiva collects the funds and then passes them along to one of our microfinance partners worldwide.

2) Kiva's microfinance partners distribute the loan funds to the selected entrepreneur. Often, our partners also provide training and other assistance to maximize the entrepreneur's chances of success.

3) Over time, the entrepreneur repays their loan. Repayment and other updates are posted on Kiva and emailed to lenders who wish to receive them.

4) When lenders get their money back, they can re-lend to someone else in need, donate their funds to Kiva (to cover operational expenses), or withdraw their funds.

Please Pray for Dennis

On May 25, I asked for you to pray for Dennis.

I ask you to renew your prayers for Dennis, as on Friday, July 24, he will have major surgery on his liver at the University of Washington Hospital in Seattle, WA. This is very serious; the operation will last 4-8 hours or longer.

Husband CB and I are going to fly there to be with Dennis and his wife Terry.

July 14, 2009

"To live in hearts we leave behind

is not to die."

~~Thomas Campbell

Hallowed Ground: A Walk at Gettysburg

My daughters AE and KA in Seattle sent me this beautiful bouquet of flowers, which arrived just a little while ago from FedEx. I was so surprised when I saw the box on my doorstep! They sweetly thought of me today as it is the 17th anniversary of my mother's death. How my mother would love them and their thoughtfulness, just as I do.

Hungersite

The World Health Organization estimates that over two-thirds of the world's population is either under-fed or starving. It's a positively staggering statistic, but one that speaks to the importance of your daily visits to The Hunger Site. By simply clicking on the yellow button, you are helping feed people in need worldwide. In the first six month of 2009 alone, daily clicks have funded nearly 30.2 million cups of food. Every day you click at The Hunger Site helps put a small dent into that humbling statistic. Visit The Hunger Site as part of your daily dose of Web browsing and make that one click heard around the world.

Sign up to get daily email reminders to click.

Current books

Thanks to a blogger I do not recall, I read The Book Thief while coming back from Calgary a week or so ago. It was such a good book that I immediately loaned it to daughter MJ. I keep thinking about the ways ordinary Germans were criticized for any kindness given to Jews at the beginning of Nazi-dominated Germany. The narrator of the book is Death, who gives oddly poignant observations at times. This is a very good book.

The book I am currently reading is Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, a book that I bought used last November. I finally picked it up to read and am glad I did. It was published in 2001, and so its suppositions about the effects of computers, internet, and cell phones are minimal. However, I am finding the observations and extensive graphs and statistics interesting as I look at the changes from the 20th century to the present.

With the high drop out rate in Corpus Christi, it was interesting to read about the increase in high school graduates as compared to the number graduated in 1960:

"Although it is widely recognized that Americans today are better educated than our parents and grandparents, it is less often appreciated how massively and rapidly this trend transformed the educational composition of the adult population. As recently as 1960, only 41% of American adults had graduated from high school; in 1998, 82% had. In 1960, only 8% of American adults had a college degree; in 1998, 24% had. Between 1972 and 1998 the proportion of all adults with fewer than 12 years of education was cut in half, falling from 40% to 18%, while the proportion with more than 12 years doubled, rising from 28% to 50%, as the generation of Americans educated around the dawn of the 20th century (most of whom did not finish high school) passed from the scene and were replaced by the baby boomers and their successors (most of whom attended college)."

Putnam, Robert D. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Simon and Schuster Paperbacks: NY, 2000.186-187.

At the same time, I am reading a book by an author recommended by Father Kelly Nemeck at the "Demystifyng Mysticism" conference: The Marriage of All and Nothing: Selected Writings of Barbara Dent. She writes of her personal experiences of the dark night of the soul, while still emphasizing that the resurrection is an integral part of spiritual development.

Bedtime

see more Funny Graphs

The EGR Rule of Life

Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation is committed to:

- direct the Church's attention to alleviating the extreme poverty of the world. (Matthew 25:31-46);

- make explicit the Christ-centeredness of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), believing that for Christians today following Jesus involves commitment to the MDGs, and commitment to the MDGs involves commitment to Jesus (John 10:10);

- turn life around (conversion) at the individual, congregational, diocesan, national, and global level for the sake of the poor and suffering of the world. (Luke 18:18-23).

EGR invites individuals, congregations, dioceses, and other institutions of The Episcopal Church to enter into this Rule of Life as a way of living out these commitments.

The Rule is as simple as it is radical in that it reflects the heart of the Gospel and calls for a comprehensive personal and institutional response.

Click here to commit yourself, your congregation or your institution to the Rule.

The individual, congregation, diocese or other institution of the Episcopal Church pledges to:

Pray: Regularly hold before God the Millennium Development Goals and pray with an unrelenting intention for the poor.

Study: Undertake regular education on issues and faithful responses related to global poverty.

Give: Make sacrificial and regular financial contributions to help achieve the MDGs, including annual support to Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation to build the movement.

Act: Direct one’s life and activities by agreeing to:

*Connect:Seek to engage in real and tangible ways with the impoverished and others committed to the achievement of the MDGs;

*Witness: Speak, write, create, and make life choices that advance God’s mission of global reconciliation through the MDGs;

*Advocate: Bring before secular and church bodies your personal and institutional commitment to meet the MDGs.

EGR

May God Bless You

May God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people
so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears
to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them
and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in the world
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

– Franciscan Benediction

Friday Five: Exercise

Sophia wrote for RevGalBlogPals:

I just got back from an 8 mile bike ride down the beach boardwalk near our home, and was struck with the number of people out enjoying physical activity. Runners, other cyclists, surfers, swimmers, dogwalkers, little kids on scooters....

It's easy to lose track of my physical self-care in the midst of flurried preparation for a final on-campus interview Monday for a college teaching position in the Midwest (prayers welcome!) and the family move that would accompany it. But each day that I do make time to walk or ride my bike it is such a stress reliever that it is well worth the time invested!

So how about you and your beautiful temple of the Holy Spirit?

1. What was your favorite sport or outdoor activity as a child?
Swimming, as there was always an Olympic size pool on the military bases where my dad was stationed.

2. P.E. class--heaven or the other place?
I didn't love it, but also didn't hate it.

3. What is your favorite form of exercise now?
Walking.

As the cartoon indicates I am needing to get in a more regular exercise program.

4. Do you like to work out solo or with a partner?
Usually alone.

5. Inside or outside?
Outside in the winter in TX, but definitely inside at this time of year.

Bonus: Post a poem, scripture passage, quotation, song, etc. regarding the body or exercise.

"We do not stop exercising because we grow old - we grow old because we stop exercising."

Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Cooper Institute

My cousin Margaret

This is my cousin Margaret at her daughter's wedding reception in Banff on July 1. I love this picture, even though she is not smiling. I can see my mother in her. This is precious to me because my mother died in 1992. Margaret's sister-in-law told me that night that she could see the resemblance between Margaret and me, which pleased me greatly.

I had to leave the reception early, because I had to pack and get ready to leave on an early morning shuttle to the Calgary airport. Margaret walked me down to the front door of the hotel. I cried in saying good-by to her; Margaret told me she used to do that when she left her parents (in BC when she returned to Alberta) because she wondered if she would see them again. That was a truth I did not realize until she spoke it.

This is the only picture taken of Margaret and me together.

Links to greater awareness

I get a daily message from Zen Habits, which remind me to be more aware. One email had a list of various past articles, which I put here for your perusal:

1. How to Doggedly Pursue Your Dreams in the Face of Naysayers
2. 10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do It
3. The Magical Power of Focus
4. Autopilot Achievement: How to Turn Your Goals Into Habits
5. Email Zen: Clear Out Your Inbox
6. How to NOT do everything on your to-do list
7. Handbook for Life: 52 Tips for Happiness and Productivity
8. How to Actually Execute Your To-Do List: or, Why Writing It Down Doesn’t Actually Get It Done
9. Haiku Productivity: Limit Your Work Week
10. Unproductivity: 8 Fantabulous Ways to Make the Most of Your Laziest Days
11. 5 Amazing Mac Apps for Getting Things Done (Plus a Custom-Rigged Setup)
12. Lazy Productivity: 10 Simple Ways to Do Only Three Things Today
13. The Art of Doing Nothing
14. What is truly necessary? A guide to living frugal
15. 20 Ways to Get Free or Cheap Books, and Give Away Your Old Ones
16. How to Find Peace Living With a Packrat
17. 15 Ways to Create an Hour a Day of Extra Time … for Solitude
18. The Zen of Running, and 10 Ways to Make It Work for You
19. 21 Tips on Keeping a Simple Home with Kids
20. A Guide to Creating a Minimalist Home

And more “Best of Zen Habits” posts on different topics:

1. Everything You Wanted to Know About Simplifying Your Life, and Way More
2. The Unsurpassable Productivity List: A Handy Guide to Getting Important Things Done
3. All The Best Tips on Getting In Shape, In One Handy List
4. The Golden Money List: Hundreds of Tips for Turning Your Financial Life Around
5. The Beginner’s Guide to Zen Habits

To subscribe to Zen Habits, go here.

Pictures of Banff, Canada

The city of Banff

The wedding

In Banff as I walked back to the hotel after the wedding reception.

Jan before the wedding