It was Great; It was Swell

Little organ joke there...

Pulling stops on ?? (Does our organ have a name, like Lucille at St. Luke's?) was really fun. I want to do it again! I wish I were having fun writing my Ethics paper.

Pumped

I'm so grateful that the Bach recital went wonderfully well, with no memory slips -- even in the lengthy Prelude and Fugue in F major. We witnessed the support and encouragement that Oberlin's 30 organ majors provide for one another; it's a wondrous gift, indeed.

To view a short article about what else my favorite organist is up to, click here.

Meanwhile, back at Seabury, Northern Al has asked me to pull stops for him tomorrow! Wow... a first!

Orange!

This was John's fortune in his cookie today (honest!), from a restaurant we've been patronizing for 24 years: "When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out -- because that's what's inside."

Tomorrow, we're headed to Ohio to celebrate Noah's 21st birthday and attend his all-Bach organ recital on Saturday at the Conservatory. We're likely to dine at our favorite Chinese restaurant in downtown Oberlin tomorrow, so stay tuned for the latest enlightening fortune!

Alas!

Twice now I've gotten the fortune cookie message which reads, "Alas! The onion you are eating is someone else's water lily."

I spent several hours making onion soup today, chopping sections into artistic triangles and squares, laboring over the color of the broth and unique combination of spices. So why is it that the cook rarely enjoys his or her own creation? Everyone else praises the meal, and the cook (at least this one) thinks that it's either adequate or maybe a little boring.

Would I have praised the culinary creation if I'd thought of it as Water Lily soup?

In any case, it's wonderful to be cooking again. But I do wonder if other cooks enjoy what they create.

Heat Wave

The temperature here in Davenport rose to 2 above zero this morning. Yee-ha.

I went to the 8 a.m. Eucharist at my home parish, where 24 of us gathered. I'm mystified every time I'm in a setting where all responses are, at best, anemic. And that's being kind! By the end of the service, when I was the only audible voice saying, "Thanks be to God," I wanted to shoot rubber bands at the congregants.

Yes, I know I'm grumpy. What IS it about the winter term that makes it seem as though it will never end?

For Those Who Wanted to Know

After leaving Evanston late (having compromised on saying I'd be in two places during the lunch hour) and checking on my parents on the way, I arrived home safely last evening. Here in Iowa, I found the streets and sidewalks totally covered with ice. This morning it's 8 below zero! But it's wonderful to be in a non-smoky environment, and that also may explain why this was the first morning in weeks that I've awakened without a headache. (Of course, it also helps to be in the same house as my Valentine.)

I brought 17 books home. No, make that 20. I am NOT, as one of our professors suggested of those who choose to spend Reading Week elsewhere, just "taking a vacation." Harumph.

Modern dentistry

Yesterday I had to miss a class because of the most ferocious migraine I've had in some time (still in progress). After several hours of lying flat and keeping still, I turned on the TV in an attempt to distract myself from the blasting pain. I can't describe the shows that flashed on the screen, as I didn't pay attention to them. However, one ad caught my attention.

Did you know that, if you're shopping at the mall and realize that it's time to get a dental exam, you can stop in at Sears? It seems that they even accept walk-ins. Clean teeth, anyone?

Too Tired to Tell You

If ever there was a time to recall our weekend workshop and performance with the vocal ensemble Western Wind, this is the week. When Western Wind came to Smith College to perform with our vocal ensemble (about ten years ago), we heard them perform their song entitled, "I'm Too Tired to Tell You That I Love You," a parody of a typical country-western ballad.

It's Week Seven in our Winter Term, and across the board, I observe that most of us are at that "too tired to care" point. I'm there without question, and I know that many others are, as well. So I salute the memory of our Western Wind experience and their ballad, which seems awfully relevant to our current life here "on the block."

And to my dearest one, on this Valentine's Day, I really am too tired, but I'll tell you a million times that I love you, because it's really true.

Economic Fairness

This may further explain why my assigned role in the upcoming "Just Wage" disputatio is a bit challenging.

You are a Social Liberal (66% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (10% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist You exhibit a very well-developed sense of Right and Wrong and believe in economic fairness. loc: (62, -150) modscore: (6, 40) raw: (937) Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

A day with the Methodists

Random thoughts from our "ecumenical event" with Beth Stroud:

1. Beth Stroud is a thoughtful, articulate speaker. I hope that she received hospitality throughout the whole day, not just when she was in public light. I observed a few people in the congregation with hostile body language during her sermon.
2. I'm delighted to call Gary my dean. His contribution to the panel impressed me.
3. The music, well... I'm sooooo glad to be an Anglican.
4. When I served as chalice bearer today, some people dipped their SUBSTANTIAL piece of bread into the grape juice, then also drank the wine from my chalice! Whatever!
5. During the afternoon panel discussion, two of the Methodist seminarians called out "Preach!" anytime they liked what had just been said.
6. Davies and Beth did a whole lot of work.
7. I just don't care for the Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful. It's much lighter than Seabury's chapel, but it feels impersonal to me.
8. It was a good day, but I'll be glad to be back to our usual services tomorrow, especially since Kirsteen is preaching.
9. Why did I number these thoughts??

Grump, grump.

What do you do when you're tired of every word coming out of your mouth -- and living in a monastic community isn't in the picture? Grrr.

It's Hard Being an Only Child

My mom has been losing her memory. Her physician claims this is due to all the medication she takes for various cardiac problems. I think there's more going on than that, and after calling her last night, I'm more convinced than ever. It sounds as though she's on the way to losing her mind. Another scary sign: her voice rose higher, as though she's a 10-year-old girl again.

An excerpt:
Mom: What are you doing tomorrow?
R: I have class, I'm working at the front desk, and singing in chapel.
Mom: Are you in school now?
Dad: What? She's at Seabury.
Mom: How do you spell it? A,G,O...
R: Mom, what are you spelling?
Mom: Is it A,B,C? A,G,O?
Dad: What in the world are you talking about?
Mom: I don't know, can we talk about something else?
R: Okay, how are you feeling today?
Mom: Is the gin on sale? A,G,O
R: Gin?
Mom: Is it on sale at the store?

Just for the record, my mom doesn't drink gin, or anything else with alcohol. I do not think she's spelling American Guild of Organists. I'm alarmed by this conversation. Why didn't God grant me a sibling? I'm melancholy today.