plants installed

Without a doubt I wanted to show off the picture I made after our meeting...among other activities, I'm on the Landscape Committee of our condo home owners association. It's an amazing experience, especially because it's jarring to not open and close a meeting with prayer, and I sometimes get a little concerned that I'll offer to do so (haven't yet, though). Ten days ago we did a detailed walk-through the courtyard and front of the complex with the professional landscaping contractor (that may be redundant, given that pro and contractor both should have both experience and a license), and a week later at our membership meeting they kept talking about plants being installed. Plants installed? "Install" sounds like something you do with a computer, with software, with a sprinkler system, to a pastor(?!) into his or her formal role, but how about living, breathing, growing greenery? True this geography should be xeriscaped more than landscaped, but whatever—hope you like the image!

lock in, lock out 5

Today's Friday 5 from the RevGals is lock me out; lock me in and this one's from Songbird, whose intro includes:

For some reason, Blogger declared this blog possible SPAM and locked us down yesterday. This morning, we're free to post again, but there was a fair amount of excitement last night among our contributors, who found a dire notice on their Blogger dashboards threatening that this blog might be deleted in 20 days!

We requested a blog review, and I posted a request at the Blogger Help group, where I found we were not alone. Many other perfectly nourishing and cromulent blogs got the same notice last night...

For my intro I need to mention how excited I was when I realized this group of Jesus People had been flagged--I hoped just maybe it meant we're being appropriately subversive and counter-cultural?! Now, my responses to Songbird's 5...

1) In cases of road construction blocks, if they've let traffic go that far it's generally a simple Go Slow or otherwise not a long wait, so with resignation I trust I've not lost too much time and the dust and debris won't cause too much dirt or destruction.

2) Have I locked myself out of my house? Yes. Back in City of History when I was living in the parsonage (supposedly for 2 or 3 months while they got it ready for sale, but it turned out to be 18 months...) it was late at night and a neighbor helped me get in a window, though surprisingly, I don't recall how I happened to get locked out. Currently I'm in a condo complex, and my next-door neighbors have a key; I also carry an extra in my wallet.

3) Clearing a material or metaphorical hurdle...currently I'm amidst a huge one, as a long series of hopeful possibilities have started to open up and then shut down. Despite someone saying to me, "not a single door has been permanently closed," none have opened wider than a crack of space or longer than a fleeting slice of time and these days I wonder, truly I do.

4) When I get a mental block, if at all possible I'll switch to another task or take a short break, but when time and schedules loom, I just tough it out and hope the results won't be too terrible. Then again, I can't count the times I've told myself I'm tired and tomorrow will be different after I've had some sleep, but "tomorrow" has duplicated all of the near-fruitless yesterdays.

5) My caption for this picture: "Just walk away, Renée; we can't let you pass by here again."

travelin' gear 5

RevGals can't leave home without 5

Singing Owl asks,"what are the five things you simply must have when you are away from home? And why? Any history or goofy things, or stories?"

Here's my quick list in clumps that explain themselves:

1. wide-ruled spiral notebook; ballpoint pen supply; 9"x12" sketchbook; drawing pencils and markers; some kind of book for random notes and journaling

2. bandanna, hairties, scrunchies, hairclips and barrettes—in the desert or by the sea, a wind might be blowin'

3. iPod loaded with fave music; a few sheets of music manuscript paper in case I hear a song I need to remember

4. sufficient clothes for sufficient warmth and at least one fairly dressy outfit just in case...

5. binoculars, camera, extra sunglasses, extra contact lenses and prescription sunglasses

blog names 5

RevGalBlogPals what's in a name 5

Today I'm answering for both of my blogs that are in the revgals ring: desert spirit's fire! and this far by faith and I'm cross-posting.

1. My by-line is "leah," but my blogger tag is "desert spirit." I love words and combinations of words (I'm a theologian!), so I compiled and considered a list of 50 or 60 possible combinations, and desert spirit's fire stuck. I love love love the implications and especially the reality of the desert; spirit is about the Spirit of Life and our closely related and relentless human spirit; I've been told and concur that I preach and I play the piano with a touch of fire.

this far by faith, after the African-American hymn, was the only possible name for my testimony blog; it's also the title of the ELCA's African-American hymnal:

Refrain:
We've come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord;
trusting in God's holy Word, God's never failed us yet.
Oh, we can't turn back, we've come this far by faith.
We've come this far by faith.

1. Just remember the good things God has done,
things that seemed impossible;
oh, praise God for the victories won.
Refrain

2. Don't be discouraged with trouble in your life;
God'll bear your burdens,
and move all the discord and strife.
Refrain

text and music: Albert A. Goodson, alt.

2. In my blogs and in real life I refer to my current geographical location as Paradise, and sometimes I talk about City of History, where I used to serve. Why? weather people routinely call this Paradise and City of History was one of the primary sites where this nation settled and grew.

3. Just a single favorite blog title for today: "You don't have to listen. I just like to talk." It sounds so much like something I'd say, but these days I need to talk and I need someone to listen.

4. I'll pass of listing My 3 Blogs, mainly because other than Friday 5's and some graphic design, mainly on sun country living, I've been neither blogging nor reading lately.

5. I've no idea when I first heard about blogs, but I started blogging during summer 2002, after I'd finished a year-long mini-MBA in Community Economic Development. I was relatively recently back in Paradise and anticipating spending some discernment time; getting some of my existing and older writing online as well as making a place to store notes and handouts from classes I'd been leading and even sermons seemed like an excellent idea, though later most of the class notes migrated to ...urban wilderness... and typing up sermons is too much trouble since by Monday they're already relatively dead.

The only blogger I know in real life is Erin, of "Waves of Mercy," who pastors in this town. But I've talked on the phone with Laura, who blogs at "Junia's Daughter" and several other places.

Christian Bloggers Network

Andrew Jackson has requested all members of the Facebook group Christian Bloggers Network to post on their group-listed blogs (I've got two—this one and desert spirit's fire!) and to invite and encourage everyone who blogs on Christianity-related topics to join Facebook if they're not already there (and who wouldn't want to be on Facebook?), get their blog into the listings, write on the wall and participate in the forums.

summercamp 5

RevGals summer camp 5 outlined by Mother Laura

1. Did you go to sleep away camp, or day camp, as a child? Wish you could? Or sometimes wish you hadn't?
I didn't, and no one could have bribed me to do so. That's one thing I'm still grateful for!

2. How about camping out? Dream vacation, nightmare, or somewhere in between?
I've done some camping out in a sheltered tent-trailer with now-former (due to life happening rather violently) former friends. Once I got past about a dozen hours of high anxiety from not being in the city, I absolutely loved it.

3. Have you ever worked as a camp counselor, or been to a camp for your denomination for either work or pleasure?
Never a camp counselor, and I haven't been to any denominational camps per se, and I know this is a summercamp 5, but my first intro to heavy-duty theology was as an undergrad at a winter weekend at the ABC-USA's Grotonwood, where we got to converse in small groups with Leander Keck. During the summer I've been to Holden Village, a milder form of roughin' it and in the winter to La Forêt—the UCC still uses the facility a lot but no longer owns it.

4. Most dramatic memory of camp, or camping out?
I'll do a topic semi-switcheroo and reference the wonderful though not usually very dramatic 6 weeks of urban (inner-city, actually) day camp I was site director for at the church in City of History; it was in session Monday through Friday mornings. We used VBS curriculum (oh, I know, it's written for a week's worth but we stretched it). The second year I did it senior pastor gave me one of the best lessons in evangelism ever by saying, "Leah, I know this is your program, but bible study is not optional! This is a church program, and what does it say about us if our actions imply Jesus is so unimportant we don't care whether or not people hear about him?!" The first year I'd let a couple of kids from non-Western religious traditions (Muslim, I think it was) sit out bible study, but SP was soooo right, and the perspective-changing lesson I got was dramatic, after all.

5. What is your favorite camp song or songs? Bonus points if you link to a recording or video.
"We Sail a Ship with a Man named Jonah!" I especially love, "Lord, send a fish and a resurrection — Done! and the sea has ceased its raging..."

fireworks 5 for the 4th

RevGals fireworks 5

From across the pond, Sally says:

From my short stay in Texas my memories of the celebrations are of fireworks and picnics, one year we went in to central Houston to watch the fireworks and hear the Symphony Orchestra play, we were welcomed and included, and that meant a lot! So lets have a bit of fun:

1. In some ways they're basically the same with festive food and fun, but I usually think of BBQ's as including grilling something outdoors and picnics featuring mainly cold food with anything warm or hot carried in at that temperature rather than heated on-site. I'll take either, as long as the food tastes great and there's lots of conversation.

2. Since I live in a beach-laden area and also lived near the beach on the east coast, I'll take home for the 4th. For other sunny summer days spending some time at the beach can be cool, or warm or hot (as circumstances may have it), though our beaches are sandy and I don't care for sand in my food...better yet, a picnic at a table in a park. Lots of them have BBQ pits, and it's fun to grill right there at the park.

3. I adore fireworks! And thanks so much for the wonderful photo! This evening I'll get to attend Summer Pops concert at the Embarcadero (I know the family who does the Symphony's videography, and as a leftover(!) from their original agreement they still get a package of front-row center champagne table seats for each concert), so we'll have live music followed by fireworks over the water. After selected major league baseball games we also have fireworks.

4. Because so much of the music that accompanies local parades tends to be tawdry and the floats can be not great, I'm usually indifferent, but a few years ago on The Other Coast I was one of the artists for the local Assemblies of God congregation for their entry in the Cranberry Days parade. Although I didn't do much in the way of original art, but mainly outlined some stuff for people to paint (most likely I painted a bit, also), I enjoyed watching my creativity parade through town!

5. For my essential Independence Day music, I love playing Stars and Stripes Forever on the piano (I have a plain arrangement I've enhanced and added pianistic bells and whistles to) or with a good symphony orchestra or excellent band.

swap stuff!

Check out this gorgeous, hand-made card with my initial—way over a month ago Princess Mindy sponsored a blog swap and I got to swap with her! I'm finally posting this, though I still need to edit a pic of all the great stuff Mindy at Princess & the Beads - Bits & Pieces sent me (except the long-gone chocolate, of course). On her blog Mindy posted a pic of the stuff I sent her. All my stuff was fabulous, but the most exciting thing was my magic wand, since I'm a princess too!

summer reading 5

summer reading on the revgals site

Songbird brings us 5 about summer reading, introducing it with:

Back in the day, before I went to seminary, I worked in the Children's Room at the Public Library, and every year we geared up for Summer Reading. Children would come in and record the books read over the summer, and the season included numerous special and celebratory events. As a lifelong book lover and enthusiastic summer reader, I find I still accumulate a pile of books for the summer.

Although as a kid I was far more artist than reader, during my late elementary and junior high years I usually joined the library summer reading club and like Songbird, I worked at the library during HS and spent a fair amount of time shelving books in the children's room as well as doing a few story hours (prequel to a teaching/preaching ministry, maybe?) Here's my 5:

1) In general I don't read as much during the summer as during other seasons, though historically I've always loved summer school and almost always find a class to take even when I'm not in a formal program of study (meaning lots of reading and writing). Summer's not the best reading season for me mainly because of the strong pull of other activities.

2) I don't usually take reading other than magazines to the beach, though I always have a journal-notebook and sketchbook with me. However, I fell asleep more than once reading Jurgen Moltmann's The Church in the Power of the Spirit because I'd borrowed senior pastor's copy and he wanted it back in a hurry. BTW, Moltmann is one of my favorite theologians; it's just that the sun, sand and ocean air tend to make me lazily sleepy.

3) My favorite childhood and adolescent books, summer or any season, always were the ones with appealing illustrations. Though as an adult I've become very much a word/Word person, I'd still claim the artist-designer in me usually stays front and center.

4) Usually Better Homes & Gardens and graphic design type mags are my best summer reading rather than books.

5) My next book probably will be one from the short stack I got from Amazon a couple months ago. Not sure which one...

summer in the city 5

summer in the city 5 from the RevGals

From Singing Owl, who begins with:

This post...comes from the Lovin' Spoonful song, "Summer in the City."


Think summer......are you there? Below you will find five words or phrases. Tell us the first thing you think of on reading each one. Your response might be simply another word, or it might be a sentence, a poem, a memory, a recipe, or a story. You get the idea:

This just may be the very best Friday 5 ever! I'll open by linking to Streetlife, a poem I wrote during summer 2000 collaging some of my urban experiences over quite a few years and I'm posting the portfolio piece I did a few weeks ago. My design blog doesn't qualify for the ring, so most likely few of you have seen this CD cover and back:



on to the questions...

1. rooftop

How much space do I have and how much reading time does everyone have? Here are two, though: 1) I found a video of James Taylor live singing Carol King and Gerry Goffin's Up On The Roof. 2) As an undergrad I live in the high-density, ultra-urban North End of Boston where during the summer we'd often spend time on the roof tanning, talking, studying, writing and listening to music.

2. gritty

Exactly as the song says, my skin and feet after a few hours of searing heat and high humidity. Then, of course, wherever, whenever, we gotta get to the nitty-gritty of life and everything.

3. hot town (yeah, I know, it's two words)

Walking out the door around 7:00 am and the sidewalk rises up and hits you. In my opinion "hot town" particularly evokes the combination of excessive heat and humidity typical of towns like Chicago, New York and Boston rather than the Southwest, Intermountain West or Southern California or any of the southern states, though they sure do get steamily hot.

4. night

Out on the town for dinner or a concert; summer picnics on the beach or patio; tough sleeping because of the heat? Any of those plus countless others.

5. dance

What I always want to do year-round, but maybe especially street dancing to local bands at neighborhood food and craft events.

beach trip 5

Today Mother Laura asks...

...in honor of summer, please share your own memories, plans, and dream with a Beach Trip Friday 5

My image is a scrapbook page featuring a photo of my grandparent's house and a pic of the flower garden, a Susan Branch drawing that looks sort of like me and assorted blandishments.

1. Ocean rocks, lake limps or...

Ocean! oCEAN! OcEaN! ocean! OCEAN!!!!! etc.....

2. Year round beach living...Heaven or the Other Place?


Depends. Urban beach living, maybe, depending on where and how. I've lived within a short walk of urban, suburban and rural beaches though not on the beach, so that's probably the best compromise. Currently I'm 15-20 minutes away and that's cool, also. I love knowing it's there, but during the warm months *our* beaches actually are far too crowded, so walking on the sand alongside Ocean Pacific in the off-season is a great activity. Seems as if I mentioned both Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in last week's 5!

3. Any beach plans for this summer?
Not yet, but I'll blog when they happen.

4. Best beach memory ever?

Endless memories of so many beaches and experiences thereof and thereon! One of them in particular haunts (in the sense of wanting to duplicate the time or at least the experience today in 2008) me every single day; that's the week I spent right on the beach in the town of Truro on lower Cape Cod, where we'd walking out the door right onto the sand. A classmate's family rented the same house every year and we made almost nightly excursions into nearby Provincetown. I'll also mention the summer I worked for a family with three kids as an au pair in Nahant, Massachusetts. The house was right across from the beach and that summer was quite good in almost every way.

5. Fantasy beach trip?

Maybe simply a few more late weekday afternoon/early evening summer picnic potlucks on La Jolla Shores. I can't think of anything fancier or more elaborate right now, especially considering that I was astonished to discover F5 posted so early—I'd gone over to read ATM, which can wait until tomorrow.

bonus: a piece of music/poetry/film/book expressing something about what the beach means to you.

Henry Beston's book about The Outermost House—I never visited it, but loved the book and wept when I heard the outermost house had washed out to sea. For a few others, Crosby, Stills and Nash, "Southern Cross" (you don't really need or want an exegesis of any of this, do you?); Bob Dylan's "When the Ship Comes In"; "Rock me on the Water" by Jackson Browne (I think); Handel's Water Music, though I'm familiar only with the suite; Karla Bonoff singing her own "Faces in the Wind"; more to come...

thanks so much, Laura!

5 views from paradise

Friday 5 about taking in the view from the revgals

Sally brings us today's Friday 5 ideas:

1. about the big picture, as much as everyone needs a broader view amidst everyday grunginess, in many ways my ability to see panoramically (at least when I force myself to do so) has kept me from admitting how many of the small and crucial details have disintegrated or at least are not okay.

2. my primary challenge is to sufficiently admit 'this is very definitely not okay, so not what I'd planned or intended in the least' without constantly acknowledging stuff that's gone well in spite of everything else and without my usual explanation of how God has waited very patiently for every one of us. Hey, folks, we're living within finite time, and need to be faithful! That was another obscure statement, but my guess is most women and a lot of guys understand exactly what I'm saying.

3. As Sally exclaimed, one....what am I thinking.... for a book, poem, psalm, piece of music that transports to another dimension, playing or listening to almost anything by Beethoven—how about his Symphony No. 7?

4. A physical view that inspires and helps me 'breathe more easily' and regain perspective has to be at least two, the Pacific Ocean down the street from here (I love the Atlantic, too, but the Pacific seems vaster, broader, more extensive and placidly, peacefully pacific—the Atlantic can become so wild and out of control in a storm!) and, of course, the hot desert anywhere. When I lived in the Intermountain West I'd often feel a little hemmed in and even mildly claustrophobic in the valley, but driving up the canyons and viewing vast vistas helped lots with perspective, too.

5. For lack of time to search for anything else, I've included one of my Ocean Pacific impressions I called "Sea Cools."