Nothing major to report right now, I just thought I would let you all know I hadn't forgotten the blogsphere or my attempts at being more regular about it. Things are going alright-applications still getting done, I guess, and doing work. Right now R and I are watching Ghost Adventures Live. It's kind of boring so far, I think. Maybe that's just me. Ummm...tomorrow night I'm taking the youth group trick or treating and having a lock in at the rector's house. Not sure how it's going to go, though, as I keep being told of more and more kids who aren't coming. Lame. It's not like I would have had nothing better to do on Halloween. Lame lame lame. I hope some of them at least show up (who aren't the rectors kids-they're great but we're just having the lock in at their house so that wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary for them). We'll see I guess.
In other news...yeah. There really isn't too much other news. We're brewing tomorrow morning now that R's car is finished up, and then we'll go for a hike or something else. Don't know yet, though.
And I'm tired of New England at the moment. Well, I'm usually tired of New England, but situations put us here for now. I look forward to moving back to the South though. That's home, not this foreign country that's part of the US of A.
Sorry. I'm in a bleh mood. Not bad. Not great. Just bleh. Perhaps it's the thought that very few will show up tomorrow night and it will feel like a waste of time.
Lame.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Carl Sagan Jams Out
OK so I'm not really into the whole "space thing." I find it kind of interesting, but I'm not some huge advocate for space exploration. Yes, I realize there are reasons for exploring space. I also realize that we know very little about our own earth (look at the oceans! Watch Sea Quest DSV people!) and I realize that most people on this earth can barely eat. I'm not taking an ethical position here.
However, R really loves space stuff (I especially do if it involves Futurama...). His friends told him about this video, and he posted it on his Facebook wall. And now I'm sharing it with you all, just because I find it pretty friggin' great-the video is hilarious, not in a laugh out loud way but in a "Carl Sagan is one smooth MF". So enjoy!
However, R really loves space stuff (I especially do if it involves Futurama...). His friends told him about this video, and he posted it on his Facebook wall. And now I'm sharing it with you all, just because I find it pretty friggin' great-the video is hilarious, not in a laugh out loud way but in a "Carl Sagan is one smooth MF". So enjoy!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
So...R and I went on our honeymoon to Disney World. I hadn't been since I was 7.
It was AMAZING. I can't even begin to convey to you how much fun we had-we still talk about how fun that trip was. Everything about it was awesome. The people that work there are genuinely friendly. There's TONS to do. It's a world unto itself, and it's so friggin' fantastic.
I warned R that he was going to create an addict, and he did. I'm so ready to go back! I think he would prefer less frequent visits but I'm ready to go again, as in soon. I think everything 6 months should suffice.
I don't know why this is on my mind at the moment. I think the recent bit of cold weather and the fact that R has had to work on the car so much lately (which is hopefully fingers crossed please please please going to be done in the next day or two) has made me crave sun and being in a fun place where there's zero responsibility on my part. And if I get into a PhD program (which I really really really hope I do this time around) I realized that I don't have the luxury of going on a vacation in, say, February again for a while-not that we're going on vacation in February, it's just kinda cool to think that we could if we had the time and money for it. Such a novelty.
OK I'm off to think about Mickey and the awesome popcorn at Magic Kingdom some more. If any of you want to go with me on vacation to WDW anytime soon, gimme a heads up so I can start saving...
8(|: ) -that's supposed to be a mickey hat...
It was AMAZING. I can't even begin to convey to you how much fun we had-we still talk about how fun that trip was. Everything about it was awesome. The people that work there are genuinely friendly. There's TONS to do. It's a world unto itself, and it's so friggin' fantastic.
I warned R that he was going to create an addict, and he did. I'm so ready to go back! I think he would prefer less frequent visits but I'm ready to go again, as in soon. I think everything 6 months should suffice.
I don't know why this is on my mind at the moment. I think the recent bit of cold weather and the fact that R has had to work on the car so much lately (which is hopefully fingers crossed please please please going to be done in the next day or two) has made me crave sun and being in a fun place where there's zero responsibility on my part. And if I get into a PhD program (which I really really really hope I do this time around) I realized that I don't have the luxury of going on a vacation in, say, February again for a while-not that we're going on vacation in February, it's just kinda cool to think that we could if we had the time and money for it. Such a novelty.
OK I'm off to think about Mickey and the awesome popcorn at Magic Kingdom some more. If any of you want to go with me on vacation to WDW anytime soon, gimme a heads up so I can start saving...
8(|: ) -that's supposed to be a mickey hat...
Monday, October 19, 2009
THIS is what I've been talking about
Many of you know this, but some don't. For those who don't, I should preface the following by saying that I'm an ordained minister in Christ's church, particularly the Anglican variety, more particularly the Episcopal Church variety. I'm a deacon right now, but will be ordained to the priesthood in January.
Anyway, many out there will know the Episcopal Church has been struggling with its place in the worldwide Anglican Communion. There's a lot of history as to why this is so, and there's no way I could spell it out in a blog. Suffice it to say, the issues are complex and not easily resolved. This is made even more difficult by the fact that what the Anglican Communion actually is has been really hard to pin down. There are those who say the Episcopal Church (TEC) should just do its own thing and leave. Some have left TEC because they feel it has strayed from biblical teaching. Others argue that we should have a covenant that describes the Anglican Communion, and that perhaps TEC, because it has continued to do its "own thing" despite the will of the "Communion" should be a 2nd tier member (the quotation marks are not meant in a mocking manner, but rather to denote how slippery these words are when I use them).
My own stance is that communion IS important. I'm not willing to say goodbye to the Anglican Communion. As many more conservative bishops have pointed out (see below, also Edward Little II's recent writing in Christianity Today), Christ calls us to unity and not to division. Somehow this has been forgotten in the recent church debates. But this post wasn't supposed to be mostly my writing, but rather what someone else has written about what communion is.
The bishop of the Diocese of Louisiana wrote the following in Churchworks, the magazine for that diocese. It's food for thought and prayer.
"Reflections On Communion" - Bishop Charles Jenkins
I remember my amazement when at "Community Congress 1" the realization came upon me that many of the volunteers working there were from London and came as part of the efforts to help of the Church of England.
How strengthened I was when Bishop Josiah Fearon of the Diocese of Kaduna in the Church of Nigeria phoned to say that the entire Diocese was praying for us and he and a group were trying to find a way to come to us. Eventually, Bishop Fearon came and he came to see about me.
The amount of the check may have been small, but how grateful we were for the ordinand in the Church of England who asked that the loose offering at his ordination be sent to us. That check with tens of thousands of others has made a difference.
"Like a deer caught in the headlights" was how someone described me after the levees failed. Then a call came (I wonder how he got through) from Rob Radtke at Episcopal Relief and Development asking what we needed. How the heck did I know? I told Rob we needed him. Though brand spanking new to the job, he managed to get on a plane and come. He brought with him Courtney Cowart and Peter Gudaitis.
It was humbling to be asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury during the Lambeth Conference of 2008 to search out the Bishops from Burma so affected by tsunami and pray with them. Of course, they had been praying for us.
When evil stands before me, I stand not alone, but this fractious, schismatic, heretical, wonderful, faithful, sacrificing, Christ-like Communion stands beside me, before me, behind me, and above me. As lonely as the past four years have been, even in dark nights of depression and doubt, I have not been alone. The last phone message I had before the system went down was from the Rev'd Susan Russell.
The tabernacle would not open in St. Luke's Church, New Orleans, when Frank and Phoebe Griswold and I moved aside trees to get into the church. We had Holy Communion there in the muck, mold, and mud thanks to Senior Warden Elvia James who managed to get the door open to the tabernacle. That Holy Communion pointed me towards our Communion.
Communion is not only about right believing and right acting. When our lives were in the ditch by the Jericho Road, when we had been robbed of life's dignity and much of the material of life, our Samaritan was the Anglican Communion. Rich and poor, orthodox or whatever, conservative and liberal, they came to us. They gave us of what they had and all prayed for us.
This Communion that I have experienced is the Church forced by circumstance to be what I think God has created His Church to be. I warn those who would break down and destroy this tender vessel that they are on the side of the enemy. Whether the iconoclasts be from the left, the right, or from the don't care side of things, let the warning be heard, Communion matters. Communion is not simply a matter of affiliation, or of like-minds; for some of us Communion is life or death. Communion is more than a man-made Covenant between us. We are called by God the Father into a greater Covenant that we dare not break. We are called to be here, together, one, broken, messy and yet strong, faithful, and rejoicing in the Lord.
The issues are many, the disagreements and disappointments many, and the opportunity to each do our own thing (which we suppose to be of God who blesses all our doings) is enticing. Such is not real religion.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Charles E. Jenkins
From Churchwork, Fall 2009, the official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana.
Anyway, many out there will know the Episcopal Church has been struggling with its place in the worldwide Anglican Communion. There's a lot of history as to why this is so, and there's no way I could spell it out in a blog. Suffice it to say, the issues are complex and not easily resolved. This is made even more difficult by the fact that what the Anglican Communion actually is has been really hard to pin down. There are those who say the Episcopal Church (TEC) should just do its own thing and leave. Some have left TEC because they feel it has strayed from biblical teaching. Others argue that we should have a covenant that describes the Anglican Communion, and that perhaps TEC, because it has continued to do its "own thing" despite the will of the "Communion" should be a 2nd tier member (the quotation marks are not meant in a mocking manner, but rather to denote how slippery these words are when I use them).
My own stance is that communion IS important. I'm not willing to say goodbye to the Anglican Communion. As many more conservative bishops have pointed out (see below, also Edward Little II's recent writing in Christianity Today), Christ calls us to unity and not to division. Somehow this has been forgotten in the recent church debates. But this post wasn't supposed to be mostly my writing, but rather what someone else has written about what communion is.
The bishop of the Diocese of Louisiana wrote the following in Churchworks, the magazine for that diocese. It's food for thought and prayer.
"Reflections On Communion" - Bishop Charles Jenkins
I shall never forget the day the tea arrived. Cases and cases of tea, shipped to us by the Bishop of Ceylon. More tea than I have ever seen at one time donated to us in the wake of Hurricane Datrina.
I remember my amazement when at "Community Congress 1" the realization came upon me that many of the volunteers working there were from London and came as part of the efforts to help of the Church of England.
How strengthened I was when Bishop Josiah Fearon of the Diocese of Kaduna in the Church of Nigeria phoned to say that the entire Diocese was praying for us and he and a group were trying to find a way to come to us. Eventually, Bishop Fearon came and he came to see about me.
The amount of the check may have been small, but how grateful we were for the ordinand in the Church of England who asked that the loose offering at his ordination be sent to us. That check with tens of thousands of others has made a difference.
"Like a deer caught in the headlights" was how someone described me after the levees failed. Then a call came (I wonder how he got through) from Rob Radtke at Episcopal Relief and Development asking what we needed. How the heck did I know? I told Rob we needed him. Though brand spanking new to the job, he managed to get on a plane and come. He brought with him Courtney Cowart and Peter Gudaitis.
It was humbling to be asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury during the Lambeth Conference of 2008 to search out the Bishops from Burma so affected by tsunami and pray with them. Of course, they had been praying for us.
When evil stands before me, I stand not alone, but this fractious, schismatic, heretical, wonderful, faithful, sacrificing, Christ-like Communion stands beside me, before me, behind me, and above me. As lonely as the past four years have been, even in dark nights of depression and doubt, I have not been alone. The last phone message I had before the system went down was from the Rev'd Susan Russell.
The tabernacle would not open in St. Luke's Church, New Orleans, when Frank and Phoebe Griswold and I moved aside trees to get into the church. We had Holy Communion there in the muck, mold, and mud thanks to Senior Warden Elvia James who managed to get the door open to the tabernacle. That Holy Communion pointed me towards our Communion.
Communion is not only about right believing and right acting. When our lives were in the ditch by the Jericho Road, when we had been robbed of life's dignity and much of the material of life, our Samaritan was the Anglican Communion. Rich and poor, orthodox or whatever, conservative and liberal, they came to us. They gave us of what they had and all prayed for us.
This Communion that I have experienced is the Church forced by circumstance to be what I think God has created His Church to be. I warn those who would break down and destroy this tender vessel that they are on the side of the enemy. Whether the iconoclasts be from the left, the right, or from the don't care side of things, let the warning be heard, Communion matters. Communion is not simply a matter of affiliation, or of like-minds; for some of us Communion is life or death. Communion is more than a man-made Covenant between us. We are called by God the Father into a greater Covenant that we dare not break. We are called to be here, together, one, broken, messy and yet strong, faithful, and rejoicing in the Lord.
The issues are many, the disagreements and disappointments many, and the opportunity to each do our own thing (which we suppose to be of God who blesses all our doings) is enticing. Such is not real religion.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Charles E. Jenkins
From Churchwork, Fall 2009, the official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Body ponderings
Just to warn you, this is a long post.
I've been putting off the composition of this post, although it's been on my mind for a while now. The delay isn't really due to any kind of deep self disclosure, or even painful memories or anything like that. It's just...difficult to talk about in any coherent fashion. However, I was inspired to write down my thoughts finally a friend's recent journey in "honoring the body."
I'm going to quote Scripture here for a moment, which I don't normally do on my blog (I save that for my theology/bible blog), but bear with me. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God with your body" (NRSV). Now, I don't want to get into the theological implications of "you are not your own," but I find this message from Paul very striking, not only because we are asked to think of our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, but also because we are asked to honor God with our bodies.
Just what exactly does that mean? I think it probably, like so many things in the Bible, ends up meaning many different things to many different people. To me, however, it means that I am called to care for this amazing creation in a responsible way for it is an incredible gift from God. Anyone who has held a newborn will know that remarkable sense of awe at the wonders of creation What a gift of life (regardless of from where you feel that gift, or chance, comes)!
In my case, this has meant being more aware of what I put into my body, which in turn leads me to be more health conscious. I was to make it VERY CLEAR that this is NOT about being thin. AT ALL. I'm not sure my caps makes that quite as obvious as I would like but I can't make type shout at people. I don't want anyone reading the rest of this post thinking I'm talking about being skinny versus being fat. Why? Because the word "fat" is, in my opinion, one of the most hate-filled, meanest words people use against one another. Maybe this is because I come from a family with a genetic disposition towards being large, and have heard too many people spit that word at myself, my siblings, or my parents. And it leaves very, very deep wounds. The idea that fat=uncontrolled, slob, lazy, stupid, less of a person (in other words, an embodiment of all that is bad) and that thin=beautiful, smart, controlled, morally better (in other words, an embodiment of all that is good) is one of the most ridiculous outright pieces of bullshit that I've ever encountered. Sorry. I don't usually vent my anger that way, but I'm so digusted by the way that body-type discrimination is rampant in our society that I could spit (to use a phrase of my mom's). That doesn't mean that obesity isn't a national problem, but the moral associations with being large are frankly ridiculous.
Phew. Now that is out of the way, I can share some of my own journey as of late. As I said, this was partially inspired by a friend's blog, but also by a book I read. I happen to work with a really great priest who wrote a book about her struggle with compulsive overeating (if you email me I can give you the exact info, but I'd rather not here for whatever reason); in her narrative, she talks about her binges--how she would just eat and eat without any attention paid to what she was eating or how it tasted. I'm not a compulsive overeater, but it did bring to mind the practice of aware-ness that comes when you make a major change in the way you eat.
So. The story begins, I guess...in college? I don't know for sure. That's the first time I tried Weight Watchers. I went to the meetings for a few weeks, lost a lot of weight the first week, but the room was full of middle aged women whose concerns were not my own. And I got tired of being told to buy fresh vegetables when I couldn't afford them. So I stopped going. I think that was sophomore or junior year. Senior year I lost a lot of weight from getting ready for a hiking trip on the AT. I managed to keep the weight off basically until I got to Yale, when I started to put it back on, for whatever reason.
Flashforward to last fall, or even more especially last winter. I remember stepping on the scale in January and seeing the number 220 flash at me. That's when I decided that something had to change. I knew I was predisposed to be heavier, so it was going to take some work. But I also knew that R and I wanted to start our life together healthy, and instill healthy habits in our kids. I did not start to lose weight for the wedding-I would say if anything I started for myself and for the marriage. Luckily R is an adoring husband who constantly tells me that I'm beautiful no matter what. It wasn't ever a matter of trying to look pretty-it was a matter of trying to take better care of the gift I'd been given. So I started working out more. I joined Weight Watchers online (no meetings involved! For some this is a pitfall, but for me it's a major draw. And it's cheaper). I haven't been perfect at it-some weeks I gain. But all in all I've gotten down to about 183ish, which is almost 40 pounds. I feel better, my clothes feel better on me, and I have more energy.
Even more importantly, though, is that I'm actually paying better attention to what I eat. For some this comes through being vegetarian (or vegan, in the case of some friends of ours). For me it's come through thinking about what I eat and how it affects my body. Sure, I'd love to be more conscientious-I've thought about going veggie, or at least pescatarian. R and I had this conversation again last night (he'll never go veggie I bet). His side is that animals were meant to be eaten. Interestingly, I agree with that. However, I don't think they're meant to be eaten in the way we eat them-mass produced by an environmentally dangerous industry (chicken, beef, and pork especially-fish I'm more comfortable with). Who knows, maybe I'll do it again. For now, though, it's not really in the cards and I don't have time to cook something for R and something for myself, or vice versa. I didn't eat red meat in high school (which I'm sure my mom and dad remember not so fondly...dad labled veggie burgers "bird seed burgers" but there you go). Maybe for lent I'll do the pescatarian thing...we'll see. But I do love me some meat...so maybe I'll try to find more local sources for the meat I eat that don't have the same problems as the stuff we get at the local market.
Anyway, the point is that part of honoring the body is paying attention to what we eat and how we treat our bodies. I'm not saying that what I did was for everyone-losing weight may not be what honoring your body entails. It could be seeking medical attention for something or actually keeping up a regimen set up by a doctor.
So there you go. I didn't write this to brag or celebrate, because that 40 pounds could be put back on and I don't want to set myself up to feeling like I failed or won at something, because that's not what it's about. I just wanted to let someone know about what's been going through my mind lately.
I've been putting off the composition of this post, although it's been on my mind for a while now. The delay isn't really due to any kind of deep self disclosure, or even painful memories or anything like that. It's just...difficult to talk about in any coherent fashion. However, I was inspired to write down my thoughts finally a friend's recent journey in "honoring the body."
I'm going to quote Scripture here for a moment, which I don't normally do on my blog (I save that for my theology/bible blog), but bear with me. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God with your body" (NRSV). Now, I don't want to get into the theological implications of "you are not your own," but I find this message from Paul very striking, not only because we are asked to think of our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, but also because we are asked to honor God with our bodies.
Just what exactly does that mean? I think it probably, like so many things in the Bible, ends up meaning many different things to many different people. To me, however, it means that I am called to care for this amazing creation in a responsible way for it is an incredible gift from God. Anyone who has held a newborn will know that remarkable sense of awe at the wonders of creation What a gift of life (regardless of from where you feel that gift, or chance, comes)!
In my case, this has meant being more aware of what I put into my body, which in turn leads me to be more health conscious. I was to make it VERY CLEAR that this is NOT about being thin. AT ALL. I'm not sure my caps makes that quite as obvious as I would like but I can't make type shout at people. I don't want anyone reading the rest of this post thinking I'm talking about being skinny versus being fat. Why? Because the word "fat" is, in my opinion, one of the most hate-filled, meanest words people use against one another. Maybe this is because I come from a family with a genetic disposition towards being large, and have heard too many people spit that word at myself, my siblings, or my parents. And it leaves very, very deep wounds. The idea that fat=uncontrolled, slob, lazy, stupid, less of a person (in other words, an embodiment of all that is bad) and that thin=beautiful, smart, controlled, morally better (in other words, an embodiment of all that is good) is one of the most ridiculous outright pieces of bullshit that I've ever encountered. Sorry. I don't usually vent my anger that way, but I'm so digusted by the way that body-type discrimination is rampant in our society that I could spit (to use a phrase of my mom's). That doesn't mean that obesity isn't a national problem, but the moral associations with being large are frankly ridiculous.
Phew. Now that is out of the way, I can share some of my own journey as of late. As I said, this was partially inspired by a friend's blog, but also by a book I read. I happen to work with a really great priest who wrote a book about her struggle with compulsive overeating (if you email me I can give you the exact info, but I'd rather not here for whatever reason); in her narrative, she talks about her binges--how she would just eat and eat without any attention paid to what she was eating or how it tasted. I'm not a compulsive overeater, but it did bring to mind the practice of aware-ness that comes when you make a major change in the way you eat.
So. The story begins, I guess...in college? I don't know for sure. That's the first time I tried Weight Watchers. I went to the meetings for a few weeks, lost a lot of weight the first week, but the room was full of middle aged women whose concerns were not my own. And I got tired of being told to buy fresh vegetables when I couldn't afford them. So I stopped going. I think that was sophomore or junior year. Senior year I lost a lot of weight from getting ready for a hiking trip on the AT. I managed to keep the weight off basically until I got to Yale, when I started to put it back on, for whatever reason.
Flashforward to last fall, or even more especially last winter. I remember stepping on the scale in January and seeing the number 220 flash at me. That's when I decided that something had to change. I knew I was predisposed to be heavier, so it was going to take some work. But I also knew that R and I wanted to start our life together healthy, and instill healthy habits in our kids. I did not start to lose weight for the wedding-I would say if anything I started for myself and for the marriage. Luckily R is an adoring husband who constantly tells me that I'm beautiful no matter what. It wasn't ever a matter of trying to look pretty-it was a matter of trying to take better care of the gift I'd been given. So I started working out more. I joined Weight Watchers online (no meetings involved! For some this is a pitfall, but for me it's a major draw. And it's cheaper). I haven't been perfect at it-some weeks I gain. But all in all I've gotten down to about 183ish, which is almost 40 pounds. I feel better, my clothes feel better on me, and I have more energy.
Even more importantly, though, is that I'm actually paying better attention to what I eat. For some this comes through being vegetarian (or vegan, in the case of some friends of ours). For me it's come through thinking about what I eat and how it affects my body. Sure, I'd love to be more conscientious-I've thought about going veggie, or at least pescatarian. R and I had this conversation again last night (he'll never go veggie I bet). His side is that animals were meant to be eaten. Interestingly, I agree with that. However, I don't think they're meant to be eaten in the way we eat them-mass produced by an environmentally dangerous industry (chicken, beef, and pork especially-fish I'm more comfortable with). Who knows, maybe I'll do it again. For now, though, it's not really in the cards and I don't have time to cook something for R and something for myself, or vice versa. I didn't eat red meat in high school (which I'm sure my mom and dad remember not so fondly...dad labled veggie burgers "bird seed burgers" but there you go). Maybe for lent I'll do the pescatarian thing...we'll see. But I do love me some meat...so maybe I'll try to find more local sources for the meat I eat that don't have the same problems as the stuff we get at the local market.
Anyway, the point is that part of honoring the body is paying attention to what we eat and how we treat our bodies. I'm not saying that what I did was for everyone-losing weight may not be what honoring your body entails. It could be seeking medical attention for something or actually keeping up a regimen set up by a doctor.
So there you go. I didn't write this to brag or celebrate, because that 40 pounds could be put back on and I don't want to set myself up to feeling like I failed or won at something, because that's not what it's about. I just wanted to let someone know about what's been going through my mind lately.
Monday, October 12, 2009
"Going Green"
I read an interesting article recently (can't remember the title, though, so sorry) in which I encountered a really great thought about the whole "green" movement: it doesn't do anything unless the underlying assumptions about how we engage with our world have been changed. I like it. Too often I feel that people do the green thing because it's just that, a "thing" or a "fad" that is cool.
I'll be the first to admit that while I would love to be this great environmentally friendly person, I'm not. In the first place, my husband and I each drive to work-R has about 45 miles and I have about 56 miles to get to my work place which amounts to almost 200 miles A DAY between the two of us. I hate that, but there's not anything I can do about it. R could conceivably take the train and the T once he gets into Boston, but it's more expensive to do that than it is to drive...I could work in Worcester, but there aren't any jobs. And we can't afford for R to take public transportation for now, especially if the MBTA cuts the commuter rail service significantly like they've been talking about (for example, no service after 6 PM...if you work until 5:30 then you can't catch a 6 PM train. BOO). If I get into a Boston PhD program we would be able to commute together a few days a week, but it's still a lot of fossil fuels being used up. And we can't afford a new hybrid, or even a used hybrid. So there you go.
Which just goes to show that being really environmentally friendly is expensive, up front in a lot of situations (hybrid cars, Photovoltaic systems) and in the long run in other ways (organic food). There's not a good organic or local food store near us-there's a Trader Joe's which isn't bad but they don't have a good produce section, and the nearest Whole Foods is in Shrewsbury, which is a good 30-40 minute drive. That and organic food is expensive-just shop around Whole Foods a little and you'll see. "But you should sacrifice" some might say. Well, when you've got almost 700 a month in student loan payments, a mortgage, car insurance, house insurance, health insurance, utilities, gas for the commute to and from work, and only one of you working a full time job (not me because there were no full time jobs) then there's not really a luxury to get the fancy food. To be honest I would prefer to buy local over organic, but I've found it ridiculously difficult to find anything local that's not an apple or a pumpkin (although Big Y does have a decent local food selection every now and then).
So what is a girl to do? Well, for starters we recycle alot. I would say we have more recycling every week than trash. I know that sounds like I'm still in 2nd grade and am learning to "reduce, reuse, and recycle" but there you go. We also maintain our cars-regular oil changes, tune ups, checking the tire pressure. R is so fab with cars that this is pretty easy, and regular car maintenance is better for the environment because it makes your car run more efficiently. We don't keep the house incredibly warm or cold. We've switched our light bulbs...I buy fair trade coffee.
But I never feel like it's enough. I don't know if I'll ever feel like I've done enough for our earth. But I DO plan on using cloth diapers whenever we have kids. And I've now entered the world of...resuable sandwich bags! I hate the disposable ones because they're so flimsy and plastic. Ugh. I try to reuse them but there comes a time when too much peanut butter is enough on the inside of one bag. So I got these:
They're reusable sandwich bags! These are made in western MA so not only are they resuable but they're also local. Win win! The bottom one (with the guitars) is a snack sized bag, and the top is a sandwich bag (although it's huge-my sandwiches would fit in the small one but a wrap or something wouldn't so I got a big one too). The inside is nylon and they close with velcro. You can wash and dry them by hand or stick them in the dishwasher. There are a bunch of different designs as well-these were just two that I liked. They're not really cheap-one was 6 something and the other 8 something, but since you can use them over and over again I think you'll save money in the long run. The website is: www.snacktaxi.com if you're interested. This week will be their trial run, but I think they'll be great.
Reusable bags aren't a huge step in the journey towards eco-friendliness, but it's something. And if it's what I can do right now, it's what I can do. If you know of any cheap methods of being more environmentally conscious, I'd love to hear them. Every little bit helps, you know?
I'll be the first to admit that while I would love to be this great environmentally friendly person, I'm not. In the first place, my husband and I each drive to work-R has about 45 miles and I have about 56 miles to get to my work place which amounts to almost 200 miles A DAY between the two of us. I hate that, but there's not anything I can do about it. R could conceivably take the train and the T once he gets into Boston, but it's more expensive to do that than it is to drive...I could work in Worcester, but there aren't any jobs. And we can't afford for R to take public transportation for now, especially if the MBTA cuts the commuter rail service significantly like they've been talking about (for example, no service after 6 PM...if you work until 5:30 then you can't catch a 6 PM train. BOO). If I get into a Boston PhD program we would be able to commute together a few days a week, but it's still a lot of fossil fuels being used up. And we can't afford a new hybrid, or even a used hybrid. So there you go.
Which just goes to show that being really environmentally friendly is expensive, up front in a lot of situations (hybrid cars, Photovoltaic systems) and in the long run in other ways (organic food). There's not a good organic or local food store near us-there's a Trader Joe's which isn't bad but they don't have a good produce section, and the nearest Whole Foods is in Shrewsbury, which is a good 30-40 minute drive. That and organic food is expensive-just shop around Whole Foods a little and you'll see. "But you should sacrifice" some might say. Well, when you've got almost 700 a month in student loan payments, a mortgage, car insurance, house insurance, health insurance, utilities, gas for the commute to and from work, and only one of you working a full time job (not me because there were no full time jobs) then there's not really a luxury to get the fancy food. To be honest I would prefer to buy local over organic, but I've found it ridiculously difficult to find anything local that's not an apple or a pumpkin (although Big Y does have a decent local food selection every now and then).
So what is a girl to do? Well, for starters we recycle alot. I would say we have more recycling every week than trash. I know that sounds like I'm still in 2nd grade and am learning to "reduce, reuse, and recycle" but there you go. We also maintain our cars-regular oil changes, tune ups, checking the tire pressure. R is so fab with cars that this is pretty easy, and regular car maintenance is better for the environment because it makes your car run more efficiently. We don't keep the house incredibly warm or cold. We've switched our light bulbs...I buy fair trade coffee.
But I never feel like it's enough. I don't know if I'll ever feel like I've done enough for our earth. But I DO plan on using cloth diapers whenever we have kids. And I've now entered the world of...resuable sandwich bags! I hate the disposable ones because they're so flimsy and plastic. Ugh. I try to reuse them but there comes a time when too much peanut butter is enough on the inside of one bag. So I got these:
They're reusable sandwich bags! These are made in western MA so not only are they resuable but they're also local. Win win! The bottom one (with the guitars) is a snack sized bag, and the top is a sandwich bag (although it's huge-my sandwiches would fit in the small one but a wrap or something wouldn't so I got a big one too). The inside is nylon and they close with velcro. You can wash and dry them by hand or stick them in the dishwasher. There are a bunch of different designs as well-these were just two that I liked. They're not really cheap-one was 6 something and the other 8 something, but since you can use them over and over again I think you'll save money in the long run. The website is: www.snacktaxi.com if you're interested. This week will be their trial run, but I think they'll be great.Reusable bags aren't a huge step in the journey towards eco-friendliness, but it's something. And if it's what I can do right now, it's what I can do. If you know of any cheap methods of being more environmentally conscious, I'd love to hear them. Every little bit helps, you know?
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Grrr and Yay!
I'm a non-confrontational person. I realize there are times when confrontations can bring about change in good ways, but the violence inherent in such meetings goes against my nature. My heart rate goes up and I immediately feel as though I'm about the burst into tears--and not from sadness (I wish I could be that compassionate) but from the sheer anger and frustration of it all. This doesn't happen very often to me...seriously, only once every few months, if that.
Well, tonight was one of those moments, and of course it had to do with driving. I'm not an aggressive driver and never have been. Sure, I go about 5 mph above the speed limit but that's about the extent of it. Tonight, while waiting to make a left, an Impatient Truck (henceforth referred to as IT) pulled up behind me. There was a car coming and it looked like I would have time to turn after them, but the car was going to make a right so slowed down. The car behind that car caught up...now, I could have made the left at the same time as the right-turning car (people do it up here for whatever ridiculous reason) but I didn't want to get in a wreck. So I waited. The IT behind me thought this was a bad idea, so they honked. Then, when the person had turned right and the other car came through the intersection and I didn't turn right before it, the IT honked again (driven by a man, by the way). So I have to run a yellow light to make the left and the IT follows. Of course.
I will admit that I didn't speed up as fast as I often do, but in my defense I'm getting used to a new car with an engine that's a little smaller than my previous car. It wasn't like I was going only 15...I got up to the speed limit of 25 and the next left turn was only a quarter mile away. So I make that left, with IT still behind me.
We start driving down Lake Ave. I'm going 35 mph which is above the speed limit of 30. People usually go 45 down Lake, but alot of people run and bike along it (including myself) so I keep the speed low. IT tails me. And tails me. And tails me. Then-and here's the kicker-righgt before the start of a grass barrier in the middle of the road, IT passes me ON THE LEFT IN THE INCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. As he passes, I flip him off. I was so mad...not only was this guy putting me in danger but he was endangering everybody else. I would like to point out, too, that I don't flip people off. It's pointless, but I didn't know what else to do (and to be fair it didn't make me feel any better). So THEN this jerk passes me and the minute he gets in front of me he slams on his brakes and goes 20 mph. I'm pretty sure he was trying to cause me to rear-end him, ruining my car and putting me at fault. And I had no illusions that this guy wouldn't haul off and hit me-he was that aggressive. Luckily I pay attention and so I slowed down and no problems. He sped off (at 50 mph I estimate...it was fast) and I actually catch up to him at the light (vindication!). Luckily he wasn't going to same direction as I was, but I was seriously worried that he was going to get out of his car and come try and attack me. It was really scary...and I know my flipping him off didn't provoke him (he was already an a**) but still.
So. Moral of the story? There isn't one really. I just needed to vent (although R did give me a big hug when I told him about it). Well, maybe I could say that flipping someone off is not as cathartic as we think it's going to be. I think it just made me feel worse.
But seriously. The nerve of some people.
But on the YAY side of things, my brother had his 6 month CT scan today-and he's still cancer free! I can't even begin to convey what a blessing this is, although I'm sure you can imagine (especially those who've been affected by cancer in some way, shape, or form). Maybe some day I'll blog about all of that, because I didn't do it too much during the past year, but not today. Today was a day of thanksgiving. Praise God, from whom all blessings most definitely do flow.
And Skype rocks my world. Not only did it help R and I get through the past year and this summer of being apart (although the phone had worked just fine before that), but I got to Skype with my sister and nephew today! It was AWESOME and totally made my day (along with my brother's news). I got to see Mom and Dad, who are both sick so couldn't really talk, but E and B and I had a great half-hour conversation. I got to show B the kittens (he was really excited about them) and by the end he wanted me to read him a book. And it was so great to see my sister. It's tough living so far away...a friend likened homesickness to soulsickness. I think he was on to something! Hopefully the whole family will be able to come to the ordination in January, though, and then we can have some time together! Skype rocks, but you can't give a person a hug through Skype.
And the weight watchers beef pepper steak I made for dinner was pretty darn good. Tomorrow night's choice? We're indulging with Trader Joe's Indian food and watching our Thursday night TV lineup-Jim and Pam are getting married, after all!
So that was my evening. How was yours?
Well, tonight was one of those moments, and of course it had to do with driving. I'm not an aggressive driver and never have been. Sure, I go about 5 mph above the speed limit but that's about the extent of it. Tonight, while waiting to make a left, an Impatient Truck (henceforth referred to as IT) pulled up behind me. There was a car coming and it looked like I would have time to turn after them, but the car was going to make a right so slowed down. The car behind that car caught up...now, I could have made the left at the same time as the right-turning car (people do it up here for whatever ridiculous reason) but I didn't want to get in a wreck. So I waited. The IT behind me thought this was a bad idea, so they honked. Then, when the person had turned right and the other car came through the intersection and I didn't turn right before it, the IT honked again (driven by a man, by the way). So I have to run a yellow light to make the left and the IT follows. Of course.
I will admit that I didn't speed up as fast as I often do, but in my defense I'm getting used to a new car with an engine that's a little smaller than my previous car. It wasn't like I was going only 15...I got up to the speed limit of 25 and the next left turn was only a quarter mile away. So I make that left, with IT still behind me.
We start driving down Lake Ave. I'm going 35 mph which is above the speed limit of 30. People usually go 45 down Lake, but alot of people run and bike along it (including myself) so I keep the speed low. IT tails me. And tails me. And tails me. Then-and here's the kicker-righgt before the start of a grass barrier in the middle of the road, IT passes me ON THE LEFT IN THE INCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. As he passes, I flip him off. I was so mad...not only was this guy putting me in danger but he was endangering everybody else. I would like to point out, too, that I don't flip people off. It's pointless, but I didn't know what else to do (and to be fair it didn't make me feel any better). So THEN this jerk passes me and the minute he gets in front of me he slams on his brakes and goes 20 mph. I'm pretty sure he was trying to cause me to rear-end him, ruining my car and putting me at fault. And I had no illusions that this guy wouldn't haul off and hit me-he was that aggressive. Luckily I pay attention and so I slowed down and no problems. He sped off (at 50 mph I estimate...it was fast) and I actually catch up to him at the light (vindication!). Luckily he wasn't going to same direction as I was, but I was seriously worried that he was going to get out of his car and come try and attack me. It was really scary...and I know my flipping him off didn't provoke him (he was already an a**) but still.
So. Moral of the story? There isn't one really. I just needed to vent (although R did give me a big hug when I told him about it). Well, maybe I could say that flipping someone off is not as cathartic as we think it's going to be. I think it just made me feel worse.
But seriously. The nerve of some people.
But on the YAY side of things, my brother had his 6 month CT scan today-and he's still cancer free! I can't even begin to convey what a blessing this is, although I'm sure you can imagine (especially those who've been affected by cancer in some way, shape, or form). Maybe some day I'll blog about all of that, because I didn't do it too much during the past year, but not today. Today was a day of thanksgiving. Praise God, from whom all blessings most definitely do flow.
And Skype rocks my world. Not only did it help R and I get through the past year and this summer of being apart (although the phone had worked just fine before that), but I got to Skype with my sister and nephew today! It was AWESOME and totally made my day (along with my brother's news). I got to see Mom and Dad, who are both sick so couldn't really talk, but E and B and I had a great half-hour conversation. I got to show B the kittens (he was really excited about them) and by the end he wanted me to read him a book. And it was so great to see my sister. It's tough living so far away...a friend likened homesickness to soulsickness. I think he was on to something! Hopefully the whole family will be able to come to the ordination in January, though, and then we can have some time together! Skype rocks, but you can't give a person a hug through Skype.
And the weight watchers beef pepper steak I made for dinner was pretty darn good. Tomorrow night's choice? We're indulging with Trader Joe's Indian food and watching our Thursday night TV lineup-Jim and Pam are getting married, after all!
So that was my evening. How was yours?
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Personality
I feel like maybe I should put a link to "Cult of Personality" here. I didn't really know the song too well a month ago, but it's on one of our Guitar Hero games and R likes it so there you go. Anywho...
Those of you who know me well may know that I'm a dog person, through and through. I've never had a dog of my own: my brother got a dog-who was incidentally put to sleep about a month ago God rest her mischievous soul- and my sister got a dog and my mom got a dog. Never worked out for me, mostly because I was old enough by the time my sister got one that I was going to go to college and couldn't take it with me. So one of my life goals has been to get a dog. I would love to have a lab of some sort-while I love all of my family's dogs, I think our lab fits my personality best. On top of that my boss has a black lab puppy and this has reinforced my belief that a lab is my dog: playful, smart, loving, and admittedly somewhat of a hellian. Sounds perfect to me! It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get a dog when I got married and moved into a house for the first time (I've been living in apartments of varying quality since college), however our house isn't very big and R and I don't really live a dog life at the moment. Since we both have long commutes this means the puppy would have had to be inside for too long at a time. It seems that a dog is going to have to wait until we move to a bigger place with more space, a bigger yard, and within 15 minutes commuting distance (by car...I would LOVE to be able to commute to work by bike) from our house. Not to mention that R is not a dog person, so he has to get accustomed to the idea.
R is, however, a cat person. They've had cats in his family for most of his life, and he adores the two that live with his parents-Jimi (or Jimmy...don't know which) and Mia. We wanted to get a pet, and since a dog is out for now cats seemed the most likely choice. I've never really been a cat person, but I was willing to get some because I figured if they had a good personality it wouldn't matter.
And so, may I introduce to my blogging community:
Leela
And Gizmo!!!
They're about 3 months old now. We got them a month ago from a local animal shelter. These pictures were just taken a few minutes ago, so they're the most recent that some of you will have seen (I've got smaller kitten pictures on Facebook that many of you have most likely seen). And these cats have got some personality.
We were told they're from the same litter, and while Leela is black and Gizmo obviously is not, they do seem to have the same bone structure, and they're about the same size. Gizmo is fluffier than Leela, however. I took them to the vet yesterday for a round of vaccines and expected Giz to outweigh Leela but surprise! They were the same. Go figure. It's funny these are the kittens we got, because we almost passed them up. At the shelter, you could go from cage to cage and take the kittens out and interact with them. There was one domestic medium hair who had a great personality and we were close to picking her as one of our kittens (we wanted to get two so they would have some company during the day!), and when we got to the cage with Gizmo, Leela, and their brother, odds were not good. Gizmo, when I took him out to hold him, was TERRIFIED. He wasn't struggling to get away, but he was clinging onto my shirt for dear life, and just had this look of utmost fear on his face. And he was shaking-not that I blame him too much. I imagine life in a shelter is stressful, but his personality wasn't exactly shining through. Leela wasn't quite as scared (which is her nature-she's gutsier than Gizmo) but still was shaking and such. So we put them back and moved on. When we circled around again, though, I watched them in their cage and they were so playful! I went out on a limb suggesting we get these two, and Rick agreed that they had some personality, they were just too stressed to show it.
So what are these personalities? Well, Gizmo is an attention hound. He was the most shy at first, so I worked hard that first day to pet him and make him comfortable. Now he's always begging for attention-from bringing a toy to us while we're watching TV, to coming into the shower with me (he fell in yesterday-pretty hilarious). He has the loudest purr I've ever heard. If we'd known it was this low when we got him, I'm pretty sure we'd have named him Diesel. Oh well. I like the name Gizmo better anyway. He's a troublemaker too-he loves the kitchen table, loves stealing the bag of treats (closed thank the Lord) from the coffee table before we clip their nails, and generally getting into other bouts of mischief. He's really curious too, which can be funny to watch. The first time I showed him himself in the mirror was a sight to see! He loves to be held, especially on his back so he can have his tummy scratched.
Leela is very different, which I didn't really expect since they're siblings. She's fearless-you turn on the vacuum and she just looks at you, whereas Gizmo is already hiding somewhere. She's really friendly and loves to be held and petted, but only on her terms. If you pick her up unawares, chances are she'll tolerate you for about 20 seconds and then be ready to move on. She's often following her brother around, but sits and watches him do whatever goofy thing he's up to. It's really funny to watch them with the toys too. Gizmo will attack the mouse on the string outright, without really waiting. Leela-she really hunts this thing. I think I know now why females are the hunters of the cat world...
Oh and both of our kittens growl like dogs. It's really strange, but so funny. Who knew?
So yeah. Our cats have personality. They get into everything. They LOVE to eat. They like sleeping on top of me when I'm reading on the couch. And they're fantastic.
Those of you who know me well may know that I'm a dog person, through and through. I've never had a dog of my own: my brother got a dog-who was incidentally put to sleep about a month ago God rest her mischievous soul- and my sister got a dog and my mom got a dog. Never worked out for me, mostly because I was old enough by the time my sister got one that I was going to go to college and couldn't take it with me. So one of my life goals has been to get a dog. I would love to have a lab of some sort-while I love all of my family's dogs, I think our lab fits my personality best. On top of that my boss has a black lab puppy and this has reinforced my belief that a lab is my dog: playful, smart, loving, and admittedly somewhat of a hellian. Sounds perfect to me! It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get a dog when I got married and moved into a house for the first time (I've been living in apartments of varying quality since college), however our house isn't very big and R and I don't really live a dog life at the moment. Since we both have long commutes this means the puppy would have had to be inside for too long at a time. It seems that a dog is going to have to wait until we move to a bigger place with more space, a bigger yard, and within 15 minutes commuting distance (by car...I would LOVE to be able to commute to work by bike) from our house. Not to mention that R is not a dog person, so he has to get accustomed to the idea.
R is, however, a cat person. They've had cats in his family for most of his life, and he adores the two that live with his parents-Jimi (or Jimmy...don't know which) and Mia. We wanted to get a pet, and since a dog is out for now cats seemed the most likely choice. I've never really been a cat person, but I was willing to get some because I figured if they had a good personality it wouldn't matter.
And so, may I introduce to my blogging community:
Leela
And Gizmo!!!
They're about 3 months old now. We got them a month ago from a local animal shelter. These pictures were just taken a few minutes ago, so they're the most recent that some of you will have seen (I've got smaller kitten pictures on Facebook that many of you have most likely seen). And these cats have got some personality.
We were told they're from the same litter, and while Leela is black and Gizmo obviously is not, they do seem to have the same bone structure, and they're about the same size. Gizmo is fluffier than Leela, however. I took them to the vet yesterday for a round of vaccines and expected Giz to outweigh Leela but surprise! They were the same. Go figure. It's funny these are the kittens we got, because we almost passed them up. At the shelter, you could go from cage to cage and take the kittens out and interact with them. There was one domestic medium hair who had a great personality and we were close to picking her as one of our kittens (we wanted to get two so they would have some company during the day!), and when we got to the cage with Gizmo, Leela, and their brother, odds were not good. Gizmo, when I took him out to hold him, was TERRIFIED. He wasn't struggling to get away, but he was clinging onto my shirt for dear life, and just had this look of utmost fear on his face. And he was shaking-not that I blame him too much. I imagine life in a shelter is stressful, but his personality wasn't exactly shining through. Leela wasn't quite as scared (which is her nature-she's gutsier than Gizmo) but still was shaking and such. So we put them back and moved on. When we circled around again, though, I watched them in their cage and they were so playful! I went out on a limb suggesting we get these two, and Rick agreed that they had some personality, they were just too stressed to show it.
So what are these personalities? Well, Gizmo is an attention hound. He was the most shy at first, so I worked hard that first day to pet him and make him comfortable. Now he's always begging for attention-from bringing a toy to us while we're watching TV, to coming into the shower with me (he fell in yesterday-pretty hilarious). He has the loudest purr I've ever heard. If we'd known it was this low when we got him, I'm pretty sure we'd have named him Diesel. Oh well. I like the name Gizmo better anyway. He's a troublemaker too-he loves the kitchen table, loves stealing the bag of treats (closed thank the Lord) from the coffee table before we clip their nails, and generally getting into other bouts of mischief. He's really curious too, which can be funny to watch. The first time I showed him himself in the mirror was a sight to see! He loves to be held, especially on his back so he can have his tummy scratched.
Leela is very different, which I didn't really expect since they're siblings. She's fearless-you turn on the vacuum and she just looks at you, whereas Gizmo is already hiding somewhere. She's really friendly and loves to be held and petted, but only on her terms. If you pick her up unawares, chances are she'll tolerate you for about 20 seconds and then be ready to move on. She's often following her brother around, but sits and watches him do whatever goofy thing he's up to. It's really funny to watch them with the toys too. Gizmo will attack the mouse on the string outright, without really waiting. Leela-she really hunts this thing. I think I know now why females are the hunters of the cat world...
Oh and both of our kittens growl like dogs. It's really strange, but so funny. Who knew?
So yeah. Our cats have personality. They get into everything. They LOVE to eat. They like sleeping on top of me when I'm reading on the couch. And they're fantastic.
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