Heater Addict

So, you know how in the last post I mentioned that the Albert Einstein of cats lives in my apartment? Well, recently the greatest feline running back to ever play the game has started sniffing the space heater. While it is on. I figured when the fetch started that this had to be some sign of superior intelligence. I think it might have been a fluke.

Why My Cats Are, Well, Better Than Yours

So, I've got these two cats. (Well, I guess to be technically correct, Andy and I have these two cats.) Their names are Harper and Dylan. Harper was named after the masterful Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird. Then there is Dylan, who is named after a writer who is as prolific as Harper Lee wasn't: Bob Dylan. Harper and Dylan are litter mates who were born in May or June of 2005. (The date is somewhat unknown because they were born on the streets. No doubt, we saved them from a life of crime.) We adopted them from an organization called Companion Animal Rescue Alliance (CARA), a small, local rescue group located in Laurel, MD. After spending their first few hours with us terrified and hiding behind a bookshelf, Andy and I felt certain they were going to hide forever and never love us. Well, we were some wrong. Once these two decided to make their presence known, they did it with a bang.

When Dylan gets hungry he runs his paw up and down the mini-blinds to alert us of his discomfort. At 3 am. Once, when he was feeling particularly adventurous, Dylan used his teeth to open the bottom drawer of our chest of drawers. He climbed in and opened the next drawer. He continued this until he had made his way up a series of six drawers and was able to survey his kingdom from atop the chest of drawers. Recently, epitomizing cute, Dylan has started to curl up with my while I am sleeping. He backs his behind in and puts his head on the pillow next to mine. It looks, I'm sure, as if I am hugging a stuffed animal cat.

Harper's main activities had previously been sleeping and eating, but recently she has decided to show off her new talent: playing fetch! I sware it is true! Andy or I will throw her toy, she will run get it, drop by us and wait for us to throw again. (That's how fetch works in case you didn't know.) Perhaps this is a normal activity for a cat, but I have known a lot of cats and not one of 'em played catch. I think we might have a genius on our hands.

So, you can see that our cats our not only beautiful, but so smart. And, they love to cuddle. They'll climb into my lap to watch TV. Dylan has been so desparate for a hug at times that he has jumped from the ground to my shoulder. They sleep at our feet through the night. Truly, they are amazing. And no, I'm not biased.

What Were/Are We Thinking?

I had a professor in seminary who fairly regularly asserted his belief that the United States will be the next global superpower to implode. He was quite sure that God was against one nation having so much dominance over others and that biblical and historical evidence supported his theory. At the time I didn't give the idea much thought. It sounded right to me, but it also seemed somewhat bizarre to think about the US not being the global power that it is. However, one aspect of what was being said that I was in total agreement with was the idea that God did not want one group of people to have so much more power or privilege than others.

My class with this professor took place in the fall of 2002. Now, almost five years later, I am starting to feel that the idea of the US losing it's footing in the global arena is all but inevitable. All I have to do to feel this way is watch the first 30 seconds of the news. But what has recently put me over the edge is my reading of Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, which details the workings of those in charge of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. The book talks of the myriad ways the US screwed up: ideological, logistical, financial, and so forth. Lest I ruin the fun for you I won't offer more than one example, but this one might be my favorite: The CPA leaders expected to continue to be able to live in a manner to which they were accustomed. Thus, the meals prepared for and served to them were modeled after US cuisine, which, especially in the morning, includes two prominent pork products: bacon and sausage. Now, one would think that out of respect for the religious beliefs of those preparing and serving this food-namely Pakistani Muslims-that Halliburton (the company "hired" to set up house for the CPA) would have taken pork products off the menu or found non-Muslims to handle the product believed to be an abomination by Muslims. Well, one would be wrong in thinking that. How disgustingly arrogant of us to force ourselves on another culture like that? And trust me, if you read the book you will see that this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Yet, this book reports on American infractions that happened from 2003 to 2004. Perhaps this means that things have improved since then, right? Well, one would and could hope. But again, one would be wrong and one would need to, again, watch only the first thirty seconds of the news for evidence. However, as if what is reported in network news were not enough, my reading of the most recent (8/13/07) Newsweek's Beliefwatch column amplified just how wrong that hope would be. Apparently, the MENSA members who currently run our country have decided to remove all potentially incindiary religious content from prison libraries lest they encourage inmates to transform themselves from the garden variety prisoner to the, steel yourselves...TERRORIST prisoner. As the column says, "To reduce the risk that prisoners will find hateful or radicalizing (read: terrorist) materials in chapel libraries, the Bureau Of Prisons has developed lists of 150 approved books per religion for 20 religions, including Bahai, Mormonism, and Jehovah's Witnesses." What I particularly like, namely because it is so typical of this adminiatration, is that there is no mention of Christianity or the removal of any Christian works. I guess, however, that if Jesus was truly who W believes him to be, no one in the Bureau of Prisions would find him radical at all.

So, now I see quite clearly that the US' status as superpower is indeed slipping away. And frankly if becoming a superpower enables us to take assinine actions such as the invasion of Iraq, I think it is probably good that we get knocked down a rung or two.

I Wish My Name Was Lorna Doone

So, this morning my rockin' cats, Harper and Dylan, woke me up at 3:45am, 'cause that's what they do. I guess it doesn't matter what size your belly is, it doesn't like to be empty. So, I got up to give them a treat before their scheduled 8am feeding. While up I realized that I too was a little hungry, understandably so, since I had last eaten 9 hours ago. So after feeding the cats I opened the pantry door and weighed my options, pretty sure I was heading for the Honey Nut Cheerios. But next to the Honey Nut Cheerios was a box of Lorna Doone 100 Calorie Snack Packs. And I thought to myself, "I wish my name was Lorna Doone." While this thought did not sway me from my Honey Nut Cheerios, it did alarm me a bit. As poured and ate my cereal I had an internal debate with myself. My first thought was, "What?! Why would you want your name to be Lorna Doone?" "Well," I replied to myself (and you know each of you all have these internal dialogues going on in your head...and if you don't, don't tell me), "if my name was Lorna Doone, every time someone said 'Oh, I love Lorna Doones!' they would think fondly of me." But then I thought, "Yeah, but how often do you hear someone say, 'Oh, I love Lorna Doones!'? Not all that often. So, you should totally go for something like Oreo. Because people say 'Oh, I love Oreos!' all the time, right?" (Just tonight Andy reported that Double Stuff Oreos were served at the Massanetta enabler party. His exact words: "Mmm. Double Stuff Oreos.")

All this got me to thinking about names and what it would be like to have a food for a name. Like Reese Witherspoon. Do you think she was picked on as a kid for sharing the same name as a candy? (Or maybe she was always too beautiful and rich to be made fun of...probably not.) And I suppose most of us have heard the urban legend/joke about the twins name Orangejello and Lemonjello. I imagine if that was real, they would have been picked on. And what about Apple Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's daughter. Do you think having those parents will prevent kids from teasing her for sharing her first name with a fruit? Maybe, but I don't think so.

I suppose, in the end, I should be thankful that my name isn't Lorna Doone, because then I would be Lorna Doone Soileau (pronounced "swallow") and that is just misery waiting to happen. (Soileau was/is a tough name to go through life with without my first name being a food!)

But I guess, ultimately, the real point of this story is that, should you find yourself awake at 3:45 in the morning, do everything you can to avoid the kitchen and go back to sleep.

Back at Montreat

So, here I am again, almost fifteen years to the day of when I first passed through the gates of Montreat. I am certain that others have places in their lives that have affected them as much as Montreat has me. Yet, every time I reflect on how my life has been changed by the times I have spent here I am still in awe. That sense of being awestruck only increases when I realize that I am not the only one whose life has been changed by this place. My husband's certainly has, as well as two of my closest friends. What is it then that changes us? Surely the picturesque setting plays a role. The mountains speak to God's inventiveness and creative powers as few things can. The cool, crisp air definitely inspires one to be in God's creation more than muggy, hot days.
But it is more than that. I know that having worship and keynote times catered to the interests of younger folks definitely plays a role. So infrequently are we allowed to laugh when we think or talk about God. I think that is a sin. I know that my God has a sense of humor and that that God wants us to laugh with one another. So, when we can worship with a sense of humor, I feel renewed.
But still, it isn't just the tailor made services that create the life-changing force that Montreat can be. Ultimately, I think, it is the people who are gathered in this place. We may not be the most diverse group; for sure, we are pretty white, pretty Southern, and pretty middle-class (by US standards...crazy rich by worldly standards). And by no means are any of us as individuals perfect, much less perfect as a group. Yet, something happens when we are here. We are inspired to be better people. We applaud with sincerity and grace when people bring their gifts to their table, regardless of the success or skill of those gifts. We applaud when people with physical or mental disabilities succeed, people whom most of us would ignore or treat cruelly in other venues of our life. This is a community of God's children who, for a moment, remember that their Father in Heaven is God, the Creator of all that is! What good fortune I have had to be a part of the story of this place, and to have it be part of the story of me.

Just a Regular Ole Christian

Today for the first time in a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time I went to church with absolutely no identity. I was not on the staff. I was not the preacher's wife. I was not someone's grandchild or daughter. I was completely anonymous. For all they knew, I could have gone in shook hands, told them my name was Miriam Finkelstein and was thinking about converting from Judiasm. I didn't, however. Instead, I simply enjoyed being able to worship God, pray, and be part of a community of believers. And I did all this with absolutely no responsibilities.

Sometimes those of us who work in the church can get so caught up in our jobs/calls that we cease to worship God. And though many of us left seminary with the good intentions of finding other times and places to worship very few of us followed through on that. In fact, none of the seminarians that I graduated with and am close to and are persons who serve in parish ministry have a place or opportunity for worship outside of the places we work. (Perhaps this says more about my friends and me than anything else.)

I imagine this is part of the reason I (and we, I think) so enjoy going to conferences and continuing education events. At these places my vocation is normalized, and I become just one of the crowd. My hope is that the sense of peace and calm that I felt in worship this morning will rejuvinate my attempt to find somewhere I can be with God and God's people and not also find myself making a list of what supplies I need for next week's youth group. I'll let you know.

There Is Something to Communism

I recently have been strgguling mightily with the fact that my husband and I pay more in rent than just about everyone we know pay for their mortgages. It seems just plain wrong that so little attractive, affordable housing exists. For instance, the least expensive property in the neighborhood where our apartment complex is lists at the low, low price of $380,000...and it is a condo. No single famiy home lists below $1 million dollars. It was laughable when we first moved here, but now I see the almost $2000 a month we pay in rent floating away as we receive no benefits from it. I guess I am also frustrated that several of my friends are now on their second homes and others are currently preparing to move into thier firsts. I know it is considered tacky by some to talk about money, but some days the outrageousness of things needs to be aired. At least, I think so.

There is no doubt, of course, that I am extremely fortunate. I have an extra bedroom for our guests to stay in. I have more than enough to eat, as the size of my jeans indicate. I have relatively affordable healthcare. My husband and I both have dependable jobs that bring in reliable and consistent income. We are able to enjoy fun trips away, go to the movies every once in a while, and are even fortunate enough to be able to choose to give some of our money away. However, it still makes me a little sad to know that at least my first child will not have a swingset in his or her yard to play on like I did, that we don't have a place to grow flowers or bar-b-que chicken on the grill, and that there is no backyard for a dog to run around in.

I guess in the end, though, I should remember that, while it is okay to be frustrated, I shouldn't whine too much. Less than a mile away 30 women, most of whom spend their days working minimum wage jobs, sleep on cots on the third floor of a church education building...and they only have that luxury from October to March.

The Sun Will Come Out TODAY!

So, I don't know about y'all, but I am thrilled that the sun is out. Life has been a little stressful lately: dad with cancer, grandparents selling lifelong home, craziness at work, and I currently have a cold. It would be hard to process all this if the massive snow and ice, not to mention the grey skies, that this winter brought were still here. SO, three cheers for March 21.

And, really, how rough can things be when March Madness is on TV. I sure was pulling for Kansas to get upset last night...the So Illinois Salukis (sp?) were scrappers, man! They were quick, passed the ball well, excellent three point shooters, weren't afraid to throw their bodies on the floor to chase after the ball...they deserved to win. Bummer. It is amazing how caught up you can get in a team you had never heard of prior to their appearance on CBS! I mean, I had to look up what the hell a Saluki was. (BTW, it is a fierce hunting dog.) The adrenaline gets flowing and you get pulled in. It is surprising how much you can care all of a sudden. Tonight I will pull for Vanderbilt. We'll see what happens.

Snow, Snow,Go Away Come Again Another Day-Or Not

So, today is March 7, and besides being my aunt's 50th birthday, it is also way past the day the snow should no longer be appearing! Clearly all those people who say MD is a southern state don't really know what they are talking about...they probably put sugar in their grits, too. So, it is cold and I don't like it...not one bit.

I tried to wear my flip flops out the other day (there wasn't any snow that day), but I just wound up with my feet hovering near the space heater in my office. Nevertheless, tomorrow I am going to go shopping and try and buy some Spring clothes. Perhaps if mother nature sees me buying a cute skirt she will have pity and make it warmer...she probably wants to wear her own cute skirt at this stage of the game.

Speaking of games, hooray for march madness. I must confess that I haven't followed much basketball this season, though I did catch the second half of the Duke-Carolina game last weekend. I wonder what Tyler Hansborough's face looks like now? That was some serious blood coming out of his nose. Shoulda gotten his big head out of Henderson's way in my opinion! Just kidding...I don't want to see anyone get hurt like that, not even a Tar Heel! Last year my dad and I went to the DC regional quarterfinal games. It was so fun! It was especially cool to see underdog George Mason win, particularly since all their crazy fans were there since it was essentially a home game for them. How crazy is it that half of last year's Final Four aren't even going to be in the tournament? Bizarre! That is definitely what makes it so fun, though!

Well, enough rambling for now! Hope all is well with the world wherever you are.

E-

If A Man that Old Can Blog, So Can I

So, my dad has decided to start a blog. I figure that if someone who "came up" prior to electricity (just kidding) can blog so can I. So, this is a weak start, I know, but I figure baby steps, right?

I am now leaving Rockville Presbyterian Church, where I have been since 8am this morning, and heading to the grocery store. There is another congregation that uses our building on Sunday afternoons. I swear their adult to child-under-5 ratio is like 1:10...not the most peaceful or quiet work environment. It has to be crazy to make the grocery store look inviting.

The bananas are calling...