Trying to Count My Blessings

Today I am thankful for all the  usual things.  For our health, for a cozy home with a nice comfy bed, for enough food to eat, and enough clothes to wear.  For meaningful work, and the income it brings. 
I am thankful for these things, and thankful to live in a country where MOST people  have these things, while praying to see the day when everyone does.

I am thankful for the community I live in, for the friends and neighbors around me, for family, and for my online family as well.  So many of you are close friends now, people I would never have been  blessed to know otherwise.  Your kind words and shared jokes mean a lot.  I hope my words are also helpful to you.

I am thankful for our freedoms.  Freedom to choose which church to attend, or not to attend any at all.  Freedom to speak my mind, freedom to live where I choose to live, finances permitting. Freedom to be myself, even if I am sometimes unconventional.  (Though I will admit, they don't come a whole lot more conventional than I am...)

I am thankful for all those kids in the military, putting their lives on the line for us all, and for their families who wait anxiously at home, and dread late night phone calls, and really dread seeing somebody in dress uniform on their porch.  I have been there.  I've spent birthdays, Thanksgivings, Valentine's Days, Easters, and many other special days without my husband when he was active duty.  He was an aircraft Loadmaster, and he was gone a lot when we were first married.  During the first Gulf War, I spent our Anniversary and Thanksgiving without my husband.  I was alone in Germany, living off base on a farm.  (Our landlords were wonderful people.  They checked on me just about every day.) 
Matt got to come home for Christmas, only because his crew drew the lot for the plane scheduled to come home for maintenance that week.  He was gone for New Year's and my birthday, and Valentine's Day. 
So, I can relate at least a little to those families who are gathering around tables with an empty spot reserved for a loved one deployed.  We are so very grateful for their sacrifices, and for the service they so willingly give.  Proud to be part of the military family.  And we ARE a family, no matter which service, active duty or retired, we are family.  We look out for each other.  I still shop on base because my surcharge money supports the commissary system worldwide, keeping it open and healthy for the kids who need it today.  The BX supports Morale, Welfare, and Recreation services, so when I need something, I look there first. These  privileges are not just benefits my husband earned, they are a way to keep the facilities going for the kids who depend on them now.  Very thankful that we can do that.

So, as we prepare to overindulge in our plentiful food, with family and friends, we remember those who don't have enough food, or who are far from family and friends, and we pray that they may soon have enough and/or soon be home with their loved ones.  As we enjoy our good china and the cozy house, we remember those with no home, and pray they will soon have one.  We promise ourselves to continue to contribute time and money to groups that help bring those desired outcomes about.

My dear readers, I am thankful for you, and I pray the year ahead sees us all continue in good health, with everything we need, and at least some of what we want.
Blessing to all!

Just Playing With Words

Rain
CKArmistead
May 2015

It fell first in drops,
Then in streaks,
Then sheets,
Then torrents,
And then a continuous
Deluge,
As if someone were
Spraying the world
With a giant fire hose.
I wish it would stop,
For the ground is squishy,
The plants are looking sickly,
There are mosquitoes everywhere,
Though for years we prayed for rain,
It occurs to me that
There CAN be too much
Of a good thing.

Rambling Thoughts
June 2015

I may wish I still looked young
But I know I don't.
So I leave my photos alone.
I put that saggy neck and those crepe-y arms out there
For the world to see.
Soon, I'll let my hair go gray
And find out how that will be.
On the inside
I am still the geeky fangirl
I was in my teens.
Maybe a bit more mature,
But still silly sometimes.
The older I get
The more I learn
That what's on the outside
Isn't who I am,
Except for the sparkle in my eye,
The dimples in my smile,
Put there by the brightness
In my heart.
Part of me has always felt older than my years
I feel like the rest of me is finally catching up.
There are times I feel I've heard an ancient song
Playing down the years
That nobody around me hears.
Places in my heart that bagpipes speak to,
When I've never been to Scotland,
Visions of mountains and lochs
That my eyes have never seen.
Fiddle tunes and banjo pickings
That stir my heart and set my feet to tapping.
When I have spent little time
In those places that my family lived
In this country.
Transplanted to California,
When the family was all from the South,
And the Appalachians.
Still, mariachis and flamenco guitar
Make me happy
Because they are the sounds I heard often
In my environment in my youth.
As well as Gospel songs,
Motown music,
And playground clapping chants.
Life has been so rich, so full of laughter, music, and friends
I've had the love of a good man
For many years now
We've seen good times and bad,
Been separated by thousands of miles
But still close
In our hearts. 
He's taught me to trust myself
Taken me to live in a foreign land
Vexed me something awful,
Made me laugh,
And loved me even when I was being completely unlovable.
Wherever my mind rambles,
It always wanders back to him.
My knight in smelly flightsuit,
My loadmaster,
My Matthew.

Summer
June 2015

Sticky, mosquito laden air
Makes me glad I cut off my hair
Busy, child filled library days
Make me glad I keep in shape
But the sun is so very welcome
After all the rain
Calm weather
After all the storms of May
In Oklahoma,
We are always glad to see the end of May
Too many sad anniversary days
Come around in May.
June is usually hot and dry
And that  is a blessing this year
That we are thankful for.

Some Reflections and Observations on the Fifth Anniversary of My Eleventh Birthday

(Or the 11th Anniversary of my 5th birthday, whichever way you'd rather multiply it.  The age remains the same.)

I have so many dear, kind, and wonderful friends.  I am TRULY blessed.  I have teared up several times today because of the kind words and deeds of my friends.  I feel so very fortunate, and so very spoiled. And so very loved beyond all reason.

Even when I try not to obsess about my birthday, I end up wallowing in it.  Oh, I'm not worried so much about how old I'm getting, (but OMG!!) rather how much I end up thinking and talking about it.  Perhaps this is because I was the baby by so many years.  My birthday was always a big deal.  (And then the oldest one starting doing the math, somewhere around 1985, and started saying "If you're x, that means I'm...Oh, dear God, let's not EVEN talk about THAT!"  He's 16 years older.  You do the math. ;-) )

Sometimes, making your own birthday cake, and taking it somewhere to share, is more fun than letting someone else make it.

The Cake.  Complete, and ready to go be shared with starving choristers.

I like to bake anyway, and this recipe sounded like fun.  It was, and I learned that you can't wait too long to use a ganache type frosting, or it will get crumbly. 

It tastes marvelous, though.








So, this morning, I finished preparing the cake and made the frosting.  I took a lovely walk while the frosting cooled.

The neighborhood kiddos are off to school.  The kids around a few years ago really loved Mr. Bear when we were out walking in the mornings.  I miss that dog.

It was a beautiful morning, and I am so grateful for the lovely weather.  What a nice birthday gift, based on the weather Monday, and what has been predicted for from Friday on.  So nice to have had this glorious, beautiful day.

I came home, and decided to have a special breakfast before I tackled cake assembly.

I reheated some sourdough pancakes, scrambled myself an egg, and tried out the espresso cheese I bought last night.  I also had my orange juice in my Perlman mug.  (That is, a mug with a lot of pictures of Perlman's mug on it.  A gift for my birthday from my pal Kelly.) I love it.

While I was eating, I checked my Twitter feed.  I found a link to this Instagram post:

This, along with MANY posts from my friends and family, really made my day!  So much love.  (Kelly, the one who sent the mug, is on the left in this picture, which was made when we all met in Dallas in 2013.)

After breakfast, I frosted and assembled the cake.  After resting up from that, I did a few dishes, and got myself cleaned up.

This is the outfit I wore, my dark wash Levis, (size 6!) and my new sweater from Target. (With a turquoise tank top underneath.)

Thus arrayed, I gathered up the recycling, and set out to do that one chore, and then shop!

My especially sweet and loving husband had told me to buy something I wanted/needed and consider that my gift from him.  So, I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and got some new walking shoes.  (Okay, I also got two pair of really nice leggings for working out and walking.  One flare leg, and one fitted.)

After that stop, I walked next door to Target, and found a few odds and ends, like a yoga mat, some hand cream, and a new suitcase to replace the roll-along carry-on that Matt had.  (It died finally, after a long and thoroughly useful life.)

This is the hand cream I bought.  I thought it was very appropriate, me being a "coconut", and all ;-)  It smells wonderful.  Delicious, even.




After I made my Target purchases, I headed over to Kohl's, one of the best places to score bargains on clothes and household linens.  I didn't really NEED any new clothes, but I thought it couldn't hurt to look.  I found several things, including two new shirts for Matt.  Everything I bought was on clearance, and I had an "extra 15%off" coupon they had sent me in the mail.  I spent $112, but I got more than $200 worth of items.  Kohl's always has good deals.

This was my full cargo area when I got home with it.  After I got it all in the house, I set out the items from Kohl's on the bed to go through them.   Then I tried on the dress that I only paid $10.00 for.  I had tried it on in the store, but without the shapewear I found to go with it.  Below is how the dress looks on me.  It's a bit snug on the top.  Will probably wear one of my fancy shawls with it when I wear it out in public.  I love the color, though, and you can't beat the price!

After I got all the stuff I bought put away or sorted out to wash, I put workout clothes on and headed out for another walk.  No pictures this time, because the phone battery was in dire need of charging.

Right after I got changed, the doorbell rang.  There was a nice lady from the florist there with a lovely arrangement of flowers.  My dear friend Fi and her husband Geoff and her son Hayden sent me a beautiful bouquet of aromatic flowers for my birthday.  I am so touched by the kindness of all my friends, but this almost made me cry.  So very sweet, and so very beautiful.  Almost as beautiful as Fi's heart.  I love that girl.  We've never met in person, but we have a real connection as people, in spite of distance.  I owe her about a dozen hugs when we DO meet in person.

When I got home from my walk, my wonderful, loving, and long-suffering husband was home waiting for me.  His hugs and kisses are always the best thing.  Especially nice on my birthday, since we've missed a few of those over the years due to deployments, training, and regular airlift missions. All these years since he retired have been making up for the time we missed.  He's aged, of course, and so have I, but this is how I still see him, my Knight In Smelly Flightsuit.

He highly approves of the new dress, and the exercise leggings I bought.  (Anything form-fitting, and he's happy.  Some things NEVER change! ;-) )


We had a nice, light supper of Caesar Salad and grilled chicken breast, because we knew the cake after choir rehearsal was going to be RICH.  It was.  Oh, so very delicious.  Proud of my efforts in that regard. 
The choir sang Happy Birthday to me, which is a tradition in our bunch.  (This is the 19th birthday I've celebrated since joining this choir.  Hard to believe it has been so long.  That's a lot of Sunday services sung, a lot of Christmases and Lents and Holy Weeks and Easters.  I spend more time with these gifted musicians than I do with my family on holidays. )  I really love St. Paul's and I am especially fond of my fellow choristers.  The blend we can achieve, it is transporting, moving, absolutely magical sometimes.  I am SO very fortunate to be able to sing with this group.

The choir (and our fearless leader, Canon Musician H. Scott Raab) dug in to the cake, and managed to eat most of it, by taking slices home to spouses and other family members.  I'm all for that, I have to still be able to wear that $10 dress I bought!!

Here's what we have left of the cake:

I am grateful to my fellow choristers (and Scott!)  for their willingness to save me from my own birthday cake! 

So, now I'm home, and typing up this blog post so I can remember all the wonderful parts of one of the best birthdays I've ever had!  Sitting here listening to Pink Martini, and drinking a dry Martini.  Life is SO good.

This has been a busy day.  I have a few ideas about how to use tomorrow in my quest to share and spread the joy I have been gifted with.  I won't be detailing those little activities.  I think random kindnesses are best done in secret.  (Do not blow trumpets when you give your offering, as some do, for truly, they have received their reward.  Do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing, and your Father who sees in secret, will see your gift, and your reward will be stored up for you in Heaven.  -A very rough paraphrase, but that's the idea, anyway.)  

The reason I write blog posts like this is so that I can look back in the future and remember all the wonderful things that happened on this special day.  It has indeed been a special day, made so by the love of my friends.  Many thoughtful friends who took the time to send their love and best wishes my way.  From a busy actor (and I mean he's SERIOUSLY busy right now) who took time to send me a birthday greeting, to all the friends and family near and far who sent messages, cards, gifts, and most importantly their love.  That love is what keeps me from having any serious self pity and depression any more.  When I was younger, I was very fond of self-pity.  For no good reason, I've had a very blessed life, but it was easy to fool myself on this score.  No longer.  Friends on social media, around the world make it impossible for me to feel so alone anymore.  People ask after me when I am not online.  All of us #Perlgirls check on each other, and we try to keep track of our favorite actor, too.  We care about the guy.  He makes us laugh.  He's good people.  Really.  He stands by his values, and he remembers his friends.  He appreciates his long time fans. 

 I also happen to work for one of the best public institutions going.  Our library system is always looking for new ways to bring our customers what they need and want to improve the quality of their lives.  Things to read, watch, listen to, programs to teach them things, or give them the opportunity to explore issues, a place to meet, a place where it's safe to just sit and hang out, a place where you can ask just about any question, and not only will your privacy be respected, but no one will look down their nose at you for asking.  The people I work with are all smart, funny, quirky, friendly, and caring.  They are also absolutely dedicated to your freedom to read.  Library work is a lot like teaching in that you don't go into it expecting to make a bunch of money.  This isn't a job, it's a holy calling.  Education, intellectual freedom, and the maintenance of an important community resource are what we value.  Very proud to be a part of such a great institution. 

So, time to wrap this up.  Birthday Vacation Week still has a couple of days left in it.  Perhaps a voice lesson will happen, perhaps a trip to the car dealer to get the oil changed, all depending on what the weather does Friday.  (Guess I better get cracking tomorrow on that list.) 

Thank you my friends,including Ron Perlman, whom I DO consider a friend,  my family, my coworkers, and especially Matthew, for making this such a lovely day for me.  I am SO happy.  I don't know if I'll ever stop smiling. 



“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Marvelous Miscelleaneous Monday

This morning I enjoyed some of the bread I baked (and blogged about) yesterday with my breakfast on the patio.  No sunshine outside, but lots in my heart!  So blessed to have this life. 

I noticed the other day that I have some very old pictures of the gardens, like when I first planted them. Compared with how they look today, it is hard to believe it is the same set of garden beds.  I shall illustrate:

Then

Then

 

 

Both beds now.

Then

Then

 

Both beds now.

Main herb bed then:

Main herb bed now, from the other end.

Patio pots in May

Patio pots today.

Easternmost South Garden bed in May

Today

In May

Today

May

Today

May

Today

Fleeing Time
By C.K.Armistead
July 14, 2014

Seems only yesterday
The gardens were barren, brown.
And I went out to work
And set the plantings down.

Today they explode with color,
They bloom excessively
Almost unrecognizable
As what they used to be.

Seems only yesterday
This baby I held in my arms
Cooing and staring at me
Winning her aunt's heart
with her charms.

Today that same child
Is herself a mother
And there is a new smile
Winning her great-aunt's heart
With very similar charms.

Seems only yesterday
My love and I started this journey
With songs and promises
And smiles many.

Soon we celebrate
Thirty years of this love
That seems to us infinitely sweeter
Yet still as fresh as it was.

Sunshine and shadows roll
One day into the next
Slowly it seems at the time
Around this earth's ball.

Yet when you pause
And see this life sublime,
You understand the swiftness
Of ever fleeting time.


Sorry, didn't mean to wax all sentimental and kinda gloomy, but that poem's been thrashing itself out in my head for awhile now, and it suddenly wanted out.  That's often how the process goes.  I may or may not have physical notes, but there are usually a few images playing around in my brain that suddenly may decide "Now is the time!"  

That's one reason I carry notebooks around.  The other is that I'd forget my behind if it wasn't attached.  Heck, I'm surprised I remember my own name some days lately.  Getting older isn't for sissies.  Your brain gets filled up with so many details over the years, and you find random things popping into your consciousness at odd times, and the things you really NEED to remember fleeing away across the synapses, hiding the the recesses of the ancient memory storage of your antiquated electro-chemical storage device. 

Setting oneself new challenges can keep that retrieval easy, but not always.  There will always be the day that your thoughts are so busy that you feel like a network with too much traffic and not enough bandwidth.  Response to queries is slow because there's a bottleneck in the system somewhere.  I often find that these are not necessarily age related, but multiple-responsibility related.  Many people my age have jobs, families, civic duties, church affiliations and hobbies that run them in many directions at once.  So do many younger people, but younger people, especially younger women, often sleep better than those of us dealing with 50+ year old bodies that have bum thermostats and the odd suspension/frame wear and tear problem. I wake at least once during the night burning up and breaking a sweat, and at least once because a shoulder or a hip is complaining of being in one position for too long. Never used to happen.  Only after I passed 50.  My pal Julie and I agree, once you hit 50, the warranty expires, and all bets are off.  Things start acting up.
Add to this joy the need to take antihistamine because of all the things in Oklahoma that I'm allergic to, and it's a wonder my brain functions at all.

I set myself many new challenges, especially at work.  I am doing all this blogging, and smart-phone using, and social media stuff because of a training program at work that introduced me to it, and got me hooked on it.  So, my husband can't blame my obsession with Twitter just on my intrinsic fangirl tendencies, it's also due to the need to keep up with my job and the many social factors relating to it.  (And if that ain't a grand excuse, I've never seen one! ) ;-)

A fellow Twitter-user shared this YouTube link of a song done by Jane Krakowski that talks about Twitter and the way some of us are obsessive about it.  I will share it here because it is terribly funny.  Hope I am not quite THAT bad!
Jane Krakowski "Tweet"

Here is the recipe for the sourdough starter that I keep in my refrigerator to use for making that fabulous bread:

Sourdough Starter

Basic Sourdough Starter

From The Sourdough Cookbook by Rita Davenport Published by HP Books, 1981

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 envelope active dry yeast (1 Tablespoon)

½ teaspoon salt, if desired

2 Cups warm water (105 degrees F or 40 degrees C)

In a 4 or 6 cup plastic pitcher with a trainer in the lid,, or in a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Beat with a wooden or plastic spoon.  Fermentation wil dissolve small lumps.  Cover pitcher with lid, turning so strainer is at pouring lip.  Cover bowl with a cloth.  Set in a warm place free from drafts (85F, 30C).  Let ferment 2 to 3 days.  Stir mixture several times each day.  To use, remove starter needed for recipe.  Refrigerate remaining starter in the pitcher, or in a glass or plastic container with a very loose fitting lid. (I use a square, 1.5 liter glass canister without the plastic seal on the lid.  Works great.)  Replenish every 7 to 10 days by stirring in equal amounts of water and all-purpose flour.  After replenishing, let stand at room temperature overnight.  Return to refrigerator.  If a clear liquid forms on top, stir back into starter.  Makes 3 to 4 cups.

 

If the starter starts looking dark, or gets even a little bit pinkish, dump it out and start over.  This usually will only happen if you neglect the starter for too long.  Use and replenish regularly, and it may keep going for years.

I think that's about enough from me on this miscellaneous and over-caffeinated Monday.  Hope you enjoy!

On A Cold And Dreary Day - A Warm and Thankful Heart

This is what I see when I look down at the flowerbed in front of the office window. I can feel how cold it is, even with the heater going and wearing my nice warm clothes.  This weather is the kind of creeping cold and dreary stuff that can really sap your energy and get you down if you let it. 
I have been trying not to let it. 

Perhaps the specter of a sinus cold has been haunting me.  I haven't developed such a thing; but since new territory has been charted in my voice work, the perverse logic of my life says that it's about time for a serious bout of laryngitis. 

So, I decided today called for some serious coziness.  I made some cinnamon spice tea, and put the #1 Soprano Album on to play.  Very surprised by how many of these arias I know and/or have studied at least a little.   I have finished reading one book on my Nook, and almost finished reading another, so my "to be read" list will soon be shorter. 
Wondering now how bad the streets will be tomorrow.  Would like to go to voice lesson, but that may not be a good idea.  Matt says our driveway currently is a sheet of ice.  Much will depend on the temperature and amount of sunlight tomorrow morning.

This kind of weather can depress me, but it also makes me grateful.  Grateful to have a house and the means to keep it warm.  Grateful for clothes and food, and books, and for friends whose electronic greetings remind me that we are not isolated here, not really.  We still have contact with the outside world. 
Also grateful that Matt is here, and not thousands of miles away like he was the first time I dealt with weather like this.  I no longer have the worry of being on my own in a foreign country with weather that I have NO experience dealing with.  I have at least a little experience with this weather now, and we have been back in the States for 20 years now, but I am still far from where I grew up.
Grateful too, for the simple kind of kitschy wisdom of Mary Engelbreit.  I love her teacups and mugs and greeting cards, etc.  This cup I was using today says "Be warm inside and out."  A nice reminder that a warm heart can go a long way toward making you feel warm all over.  And you make others' hearts warm, and the goodness just keeps going.

Grateful, too, to have work I love that gives back to the community.  It is a rare privilege to be able to do work that you love. 
This season of Thanksgiving finds me with SO much to be thankful for.  Friends of long standing who feel more like family, family that is thankfully fairly healthy, newer friends (some of whom we've never met face to face) who brighten our lives,  a church that we love that loves us back,  a community to live in that has real spirit and heart, a husband who really loves me, a chance to sing and learn more about singing.  That list is nowhere near in order of importance.  God has blessed Matthew and I with almost 30 years together, and we still can laugh together.  That is a great gift.  Grateful that God has been so generous with His grace in our lives.  Grateful for the chance to try to share the love with others where we can.
  The objective of our faith, in my mind anyway, is not to try to cram ideologies down someone's throat, to"save" them, but to LOVE them.  That's what Jesus said when asked.  The greatest commandment was to love God with your whole being, and the second to love your neighbor as yourself.  Seems to me sometimes the hardest part of that equation is loving ourselves.  Who better to know all our foibles and flaws and to be completely unforgiving of them?  I don't know about you, but I know all too well how short I fall in almost every thing I attempt to do right.  I don't like to forgive myself, either.  We're supposed to, though.  Supposed to learn from the mistakes, forgive ourselves, move on, and remember that everybody else is in this same leaky boat with us, and therefore they deserve some slack, too.
A lot to be thankful for, and a lot more work to do in order to be a better person.  Isn't that how it's supposed to be? 
I hope so.  I like having work to do and things to learn.

Another Friday Night

This Friday night, I was sitting here tired, and too warm, and I thought, well, I'll have a drink.  So, I made myself a Tequila Sunrise.  I like them occasionally.  This is the second one I've had this week.  Tuesday afternoon at the library was INSANE.  There were too many things to check in, the phone was going crazy, and we had the world's loudest collection of kids and parents waiting for a program. All things we've dealt with before, but this was the first time this summer.  Wow.  I was exhausted Tuesday evening.  So, I had a Sunrise then.  Helped.  I don't make them strong enough to really feel them, and I only ever have ONE in an evening.
There are a few things to comment on in the week past.  My life is pretty dull overall, but sometimes the very mundane nature of it is reassuring, and when something unusual happens, it either makes me happy, knocks me for a loop, or makes me mad.  (As in angry.  I'm a Celt, already a wee bit daft.)  So, after Monday that I blogged about, we had library insanity on Tuesday, and my friends took their cats back this week.  Huzzah!  I love my friends, and I love their cats, but I really, really am glad not to clean that litter box every morning! (And afternoon.  And evening.  And right before bed...) 
Wednesday was a very productive and good day for me.  I got a blog post done that I have been wanting to write for a long time, and lacked the nerve to write.  I got a lot of clerical chores done, and got the air conditioner its annual check up.  I had my usual four hours at the library, and it was pretty good, not too busy and not too slow.    I also got followed on Twitter by one of my favorite celebrities.  (Kinda silly, I know, but it made me feel good.  I smiled all day Thursday with no effort at all...)  Thursday at the library was kinda slow, but I got a lot done, including all the outstanding Inter Library Loan books.  My shift on the desk was the last one, and it was kinda slow.  Quiet in there, for once.  After Tuesday afternoon, it was rather nice.  When someone did need my help, it was easier to give them my entire attention and make sure they had exactly what they needed.
Today I spent my morning booking various appointments and getting some bread dough ready.  Then another 1 to 5 at the library.  There were lots of things to check in, so working in the back went quickly, but my shift on desk was slower than usual for the 3 to 5.  Still, I was able to spend more time with the customers I did have, and that makes it easier to make sure they get what they came for, and leave happy. 
And almost a month ago, on a Friday night like this, I was once again hunkered in the closet, this time with Matt AND with Julie and Ralph's two cats.  None of us were happy about being in there.  Once again, we were lucky.  We did lose our electricity for about 24 hours, but we have a generator, so the fridge and the wi-fi were still available.  (As well as a way to charge the small electronics.)   It is unreal to me how often we have been fortunate during storms around here.  This subdivision has been spared major damage in all of the large tornado episodes that have occurred since we've been here.  We moved here in June of 1993, so we've been here 20 years now.  We have decided that we will stop tempting fate, though.  We are going to get a shelter as soon as the current backlog on them clears a bit. 
I think back on all the things that have happened this last two months, and I am so grateful.  Grateful for the good fortune and the protection that kept us and our house safe from the storms, and grateful for the friends near and far who expressed their concern for us.  How good it is to know that as we love, so we are loved.  Also very grateful that we can help our friends when they need our help.   Truly, the atmosphere around these events in Oklahoma has been an amazing gathering of strength and love pouring from and into our community.  People are a little kinder, perhaps a little less short with each other.  Neighbors are precious again.  All little children are looked upon with affection by the rest of the community, because we could have lost them, too.  Our lives are really so very, very fragile.  Storms like this bring that  home all too clearly.  They also bring the response straight from the hearts of so many who came to help, and are still coming. 
Yes, nothing like a little perspective.  I am once again very grateful that on this "Friday Night In The Big Town" as Gary England would say, I am safe in my own house, with my husband, and I know my friends are safe, and I can sit here with my nice drink and my computer and have the luxury of contemplating my life. 
Truly, some of the smallest things, the littlest gestures mean a lot.  So thanks, my friends, just for being there & giving me a hard time once in a  while.  Love you all.
As Ever,
Katie

Liturgies

Liturgy is a noun that refers to the prescribed form of public worship as set down in the Book of Common Prayer, for instance, or any book or order of worship designed by any denomination. 
Liturgy is a way of doing things.  An order, made with conscious design, to get us together and keep us together as we worship. 
I find that many aspects of my life besides church can be bound by liturgies of their own.  Certainly, having a set order to things that need to be done regularly is comforting, and often helpful.  My daily lesson plans were in effect a liturgy for the conduct of the school day.  Things go in a certain order for a specific reason, are done a certain way, with certain words, to keep the lesson consistent, and in part, to comfort the children. 
Liturgies are comforting.  You know what to expect and when it's coming up.  They have the disadvantage of letting your brain coast on occasion, and you really shouldn't be doing that in church, the idea is to focus on worship.  Same with the lessons at school.  If we got too routine, the kids could respond while half asleep, and that isn't doing their minds any favors.  So, for different days and seasons, liturgies change.  Just often enough to keep you on your toes and paying attention.  A response may be different, the order changed just a little, just enough to keep you from getting TOO comfortable.
Daily life is a whole series of little routines that could become liturgy, if we use them as a way to be grateful for the little things we need that are provided for us daily.  If you have children, and/or pets, you know the importance of routine and order, and the strict adherence thereto, in getting anything accomplished, especially in the morning. 
At our house, we have the liturgy of the Cat in the Morning.  She must get up and get under Matthew's feet as he is getting dressed, just to keep his coordination sharp.  She must then see that he gets out the door and off to work on time.   Then she must make sure I am up, and the bed is made, so that she can have her breakfast.  After that, she makes sure I leave for my walk, and then goes to take her morning nap.  Having to work around the cat's liturgy of gratitude for her people and her food gives me a set order of things to accomplish while still half asleep, and serves to get me out of bed, and thinking about the day ahead, and about the nature of life, the universe, and everything.  
When I taught school, daily routines were the glue that held our collective sanity together.  Taking roll, saying the pledge, going over the day's seat work assignments, making sure homework was collected, taking the lunch count, these things got us together and started on our day.  They got us focused on the learning to come. 
Those common experiences, those routines, or liturgies, cemented us together as a community in school, in our homes, and in our places of worship.  There is an old joke I always think of when I muse about liturgy:  How do you find the Episcopalians in a Star Wars movie?  Anytime somebody says "May the Force be with you." they respond "And also with you!" 
Our responses are comforting and familiar.  (Though those of us who do Rite I will say "And with thy spirit.")  The Pledge of Allegiance is comforting to some people because it is something they learned in childhood, something they, and everyone they went to school with knows by heart.  It is common to them, even if they have nothing else in common.  Psalm 23 is something that is very familiar to many Christians and Jews as well.  It has been memorized by many, and is a source of comfort.  It is something those who know it have and cherish in common. These things bind us together and comfort us.
If we look at our daily routines with an eye toward gratitude for all we are fortunate enough to have, they can become liturgies, our lives can become worship even in the smallest details.  If we look at our interactions as a community, whether at work, worship, or school, we can make all those occasions a prayer of gratitude for our shared lives, for the knowledge that we are all in this together, all coming at life from different angles, but all of us here, and not knowing how long, and trying to make the best of it.