Eve of St. Leap Day

So, what exactly are we supposed to do to celebrate this feast day (besides shovel MORE snow)?

Here on the east coast of Iowa, today's snowfall officially places this winter among the top 10 snowiest on record.

St. Polycar(p)

While my thoughts are with friends at Seabury this past week amidst major changes there, we needed to tend to the business of buying another car to replace the one totalled in my January crash.

Since it's the feast day of St. Polycarp, and we bought the new white Honda today, we've named it: Polycar.

I always liked Polycarp: for his funny name, and for being holy and gentle. His martyrdom can, um, take a back seat today.

Happy St. Polycarp day. And hang in there, seminary friends. We're praying mightily for you all.

Rx ending in -ex

Yesterday before my eye exam, the doctor's assistant reviewed my Rx list, and got to the meds for migraines. "Still taking I****-ex?" she asked. (Unlike the ads during the national news each evening, I have no desire to spew names of drugs here.) In fact I was now taking a newer drug, beginning in R and ending in -ex, but I only could come up with the one in the middle that we'd briefly tried, and that one began with an N.

But I must've had my mind on church as usual, because I said, "Now I take Narthex." Silence. "I'm not familiar with that one," she said. Then I realized what I'd said. There was no way to back out of it. The funny thing is, I know that she's active at a church. But some of us so immersed in church language can forget that words which naturally spring into our minds don't make sense to others, even if, in some cases, they should.

What clergy discount?

In Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska, we have a department store that clearly outclasses the others. The light comes from lamps and therefore falls more gently, there's live piano music rather than a blasting radio, and their beautiful gift wrapping services are free. I've held a store credit card for years, but have been thinking that one way to simplify my life is to stop carrying credit cards (and thus stop being tempted to shop).

However...a few days ago, I found out that this store offers a 10% discount card to clergy. Nice! Today I went to the customer service desk to apply. "Oh," a woman said, "the store discontinued the clergy discount, unless you already have a card. We still honor those." I said, "So, too bad if you're a relatively new clergy person, then?" "Guess so."

I took the credit card out of my purse. Then I removed a second one. It was easy.

Chocolate dilemma

It's strange when Lent and Valentine's Day intersect. I've made up treat bags with plenty of chocolate for college students, and will hand them out after church tomorrow. Although highlighting markers, notepads, and a handwritten note also will be included in the bags, chocolate's the prominent treat. It seems odd to think that I'm encouraging temptation, since so many people give up chocolate for Lent (and since I think chocolate's pretty hard to resist).

And, should someone wait for 40 days and 40 nights to eat it, will it taste dry and more like cardboard?

RIP, Little White Car

We learned today that my white Civic is beyond repair after my accident on the interstate (see two posts ago). Though I expected to hear this, I think about that car having transported me to and from my jobs at both our sponsoring parish and the local wine shop, between two hospital campuses during CPE, and then all the trips between Iowa and Evanston for three years of seminary. We drove it to our seminary graduation, Noah's college graduation, and both our ordinations.

I can just see it parked outside the apartments at Seabury, available to students when they needed to borrow a car. I see it covered like a big marshmallow during the January snows. I see it with a white dog wagging her tail inside as we'd get ready to pull out of the parking lot and head west. It's just a car, but it was a companion for some significant life events. And now, I'll need a new Episcopal shield!