Two of Me

Earlier this week, I introduced myself to a woman named Susanne, who's been coming to chapel recently. She told me she had a student named Raisin a few years ago. The other Raisin has big, frizzy hair. I feel a bit odd about this; it's as though I've just become more ordinary. I wonder if the frizzy Raisin gets her name misspelled, too. Folks just can't spell their breakfast cereals anymore.

What I Did To Ward Off the Blues After Noah Left

Musician, huh? Now, really, who's surprised? But actually, the test is pretty accurate. I don't "do" science and I have no idea what anime is. Can someone advise me?

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Musician   Doo doo de doo waaaa doo de doo! (<-- That's you playing something.) Everyone appreciates the band/orchestra geeks and the pretty voices. Whether you sing in the choir, participate in a school/local band, or sit at home writing music, you contribute a joy to society that everyone can agree on. Yay! Welcome to actually doing something for poor, pathetic human souls. (Just kidding.)
Literature Nerd
Drama Nerd
Social Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Anime Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

Just Visiting

Tomorrow, Noah is coming for a visit on his spring break! To me, there's nothing so wonderful as an adult child who chooses to spend time with his parents when he could be off somewhere more exciting. He'll be here while the seminary choir sings an anthem that he just conducted today in Ohio, so I'm hoping he'll agree to round out the tenor section and join us.

The funny aspect of this visit: these are Prospective Student Days, and Noah's 22, so he'll look the part of a prospective seminarian. It would be soooo funny if various people ask what diocese he's from, so...please feel free.

Bach Again

Happy Birthday, J. S. Bach! Thanks for the genius and sensitivity and fluidity of line for which your music is known and loved.

Friends

I don't know why I am in such a good mood today -- perhaps it's because our friends have come home. Welcome back!

Coconut Pi(e)

When we left Cleveland this morning at 6:30 (after getting into our motel at 1:30 after a midnight organ concert), snow was sticking to cars, grass, and sidewalks for the third day in a row! I said goodbye to Mr. Finney's chapel in the snow. We arrived safely back in Chicago, picked up our dog, and learned that in our absence I was given yet another new name. Apparently, in a moment of forgetfulness, Maggie's caretaker referred to me as "Coconut." I like it. Really.

Noah's senior recital fell on 3.14, or National Pi Day. We anticipated Marchand, Bach, Saint-Saens and Vierne, but didn't know about N's own composition: Improvisation on Pi. This was a study of the scale degrees of pi, translating numbers to musical pitches. Afterwards, the reception included four enormous pies, including coconut cream. Or is it coconut creme? Too tired to know, and too tired to look it up. But we're back, and tonight we're happy to sleep in our own bed.

Spring Break - the Ohio Version

It's been great to spend the weekend at home in Iowa again, first chance since Christmas. Tomorrow, we head to Oberlin for Noah's much-anticipated senior organ recital. The score of the Vierne piece closing the recital looks to me like music much too difficult to play.

We're also staying for Friday night's Organ Pump, a monthly concert held at midnight. I don't know what serious music is on the program, but N is chanting the Oberlin Review's Security Notebook while accompanying himself on harpsichord. The hall typically is filled for these programs, but we're wondering how all these people stay awake till the concert begins. We don't normally stay out till 1 a.m. anymore!

On our trip, we're intentionally not taking laptops so that we don't keep fielding e-mails related to school and church. We're back on Saturday. Ciao!

Saying Grace

An 86-year-old assisting priest at my Field Ed site took me and my supervisor out to lunch today -- in his limo, as usual. At the time we were seated, a fashion show was in progress; two women took turns walking past the tables displaying flashy, expensive clothes and jewel-studded purses. Such absolute weirdness!

When our soup was placed before us, the older priest began to pray. Our server had walked away. When she heard him start the prayer, however, she backed up and stood in front of us, saying, "Oh, you're praying. Do you mind if I join you?" As we prayed, she stood with head bowed and hands folded in front of our table. I don't know about you, but certainly I've never had this experience before. The fashion show made me want to run out of the room, but the praying server was so worth it.

Today's Winner in the Field Ed Conversation Category Is...

Kathy (having just seen J and me standing together with collars on): Oh, my. What's your son's name again?

John: Noah.

Kathy: Okay, I'm going to send Noah some money. He'll need it for therapy if both parents are going to be priests.

Just Thinking Ahead

This is no quiz; it's a sweet realization. What happens three months from this date? Yippee!