Sorry for the Delay…God Bless Our Veterans!

It’s cold, and I’m tired. I’ll be heading to bed shortly. But before I do that, I wanted to share one of the topics I’ve been mulling since last week. Veterans’ Day seemed to be more celebrated this year than I’ve noticed in prior years. A whole slew of restaurants offered free meals throughout the weekend, and I heard there were other perks being offered at establishments around town. I think our military veterans deserve more than one day a year in recognition for their service and sacrifice.

As the true holiday (November 11) fell on a Sunday, our church choir sang “America the Beautiful” as our closing hymn at the conclusion of the Mass. How many people know more than the first verse of this song? We highlighted the third verse to call attention to its lyrics:

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

It’s becoming less common in today’s society for people to love anything or anyone more than self – tragic, but true. And yet, we still have a strong contingent of patriots serving in our armed forces. Praise God!

As I close to go crawl into bed, I’ll share one last quote,  “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.” ~G.K. Chesterton

Knit on.

Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off…

Last night, as I lay in bed drifting off to sleep I realized…dang it! I forgot to write a blog post! This morning when I woke up, I then started to wonder what approach to take. Should I treat it like a dose of medication, and write the next post as soon as I can, then get back in sync with an evening post? (This work thing can get in the way from time to time…) OR, should I treat it like a diet – blown one day, so you just start fresh the next day. I opted for the latter. Writing a new post is much easier than dieting, by the way.

Monday was a rugged day. I spent most of the day recovering from the busy weekend. Seriously, it was very difficult for me to get out of bed on Monday morning. And I ended up crawling back in after I took my shower. Finally, I knew I had to bite the bullet and get dressed so as to get in to the office at a reasonable time. I was comforted with the knowledge that it was a governmental holiday (and rightly so, as Veterans’ Day should be revered as much as Independence Day!!), which meant traffic would be lighter than usual. In an instant, my day became markedly brighter though, when I remembered that we get to wear jeans this week! In recognition of contributions to the Red Cross, supporting their efforts on the East Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, our office’s social committee obtained permission to bestow this privilege on those who contributed through the corporate office’s designated link. Woo-hoo! Everything’s brighter when I can wear jeans instead of having to dress up!

Still, by the time I got in to work, that surge of energy was waning. I dumped my things at my desk, then shuffled to the kitchen to make some coffee. It didn’t really help. Seriously, I don’t think I felt fully awake until at least 3 p.m. But, I muddled through. Through it all, in the back of my mind was the seed of worry, knowing I had an audition that evening. Granted, the initial audition isn’t something that I need to worry about a whole lot, as it’s the first hurdle toward casting, and it’s kind of a low hurdle. There’s always the chance I could screw it up though, somehow. I said a few prayers on my way to the location. A surprise blessing was being greeted by Johnny, as cast member I got to know in this past year’s production. The last time I saw him was at the going-away party for him and his wife, as they moved to Georgia to be close to their kids. He happened to be in town, so it was nice of him to pitch in and assist.

Those auditions went fine, but tonight was the call-back. This is the big challenge, face to face with all the competition. I won’t write much about it, as I’m way too nervous about the outcome. In my mind, I’m perfect for the role I want. But who’s to say the director sees it that way, or the other folks involved in the casting decisions? And the competition was pretty fierce…in a perky and talented way. Tomorrow all will be revealed, and I’ll learn what my winter will hold in the way of non-knitting entertainment.

Speaking of knitting…yes, I was! I’ve still got a bunch of projects on the needles, but I’m making decent progress on a bunch of them. Between my segments on stage, I managed to complete 75% of a hat, and several rows on the baby cardigan. The former I had to set down when I realized there was an error in the pattern. The latter only lasted as long as the skein of yarn did, which ran out after six rows. Now that I’m at home, I have wound the next skein to continue on the sweater, and once I post this, I’ll check the hat pattern!

I’ve got a few ideas of things to write about still rattling around in my brain. And there’s nearly half a month remaining in this challenge. So stay tuned. I should have something at least mildly entertaining to share real soon…

Knit on.

Tomato, Tomato…Potato, Potato…

I remember a Saturday Night Live fake commercial, circa 1983/84, for a Ronco-esque music collection that included a song with the lyrics: “You say ‘grah-NAY-dah’, I say ‘grah-NAH-dah. You say invaders, I say advisers…” The song was poking fun (as only SNL can) at the controversial situation surrounding the U.S. invading Grenada, a Caribbean island nation. The bit about invaders vs. advisers is similar to a reference made by The Wizard in the stage musical Wicked:

A man’s called a traitor – or liberator
A rich man’s a thief – or philanthropist
Is one a crusader – or ruthless invader?
It’s all in which label
Is able to persist

Labels can hold a great deal of meaning, and I was raised in a family where precise language was highly valued. So when the language used in the Catholic Mass was changed with the release of the new Roman Missal nearly a year ago, I found some of the changes to be of little consequence from the interpretation/ translation aspect. But one of the word changes has really got my attention, and kinda bugged me. Hopefully I’m not ruffling too many feathers out there, as that is certainly not my intent. But I have had a couple conversations about this with others, so I know I’m not the only one that finds this odd.

In the Eucharistic Prayer, the word “cup,” used in reference to the vessel (not the one with the pestle, mind you) that Christ uses at the Last Supper to transform wine to His blood, has been changed to the word “chalice.” Yes, I am making a bit of a mountain out of a molehill. But this is just one of those little things that bugs me. The priest at Mass uses a chalice within the Liturgy of the Eucharist, however, since he is reiterating the events that transpired at the Last Supper, the use of the word “chalice” doesn’t seem appropriate to me. Jesus was celebrating the Jewish feast of Passover with his apostles. The traditional Passover seder meal includes a Rabbinic requirement involving “four cups of wine.” That’s not four chalices of wine.

I think part of my hang-up involves my interpretation of the word “chalice,” to mean an ornate footed drinking vessel. In my world, it’s a very fancy treasure, along the lines of the chalice that is used during Mass. Granted, not all priests have an ornate chalice, but this is just the concept that the word draws to mind. And at that point I immediately think of the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in which the last Crusader advises Indy to “choose wisely” in selecting the cup from among the collection that truly is the Holy Grail. Indy does choose wisely in selecting a simple “cup of a carpenter.”

One of my tangents in my internal debate over this word change speaks to the idea of something (or someone) that appears ordinary turning out to be extraordinary. Jesus was, to the general public, an ordinary carpenter, though Christians recognize him as being so much more. The Son of God, though divine, took the role of a servant in order to model for us the behavior He cherishes. While we can never consider ourselves to be as extraordinary as Christ, this doesn’t mean we can’t be extraordinary in our own right. As Christians, we are called to serve God and our neighbor, and as long as we surrender ourselves to God’s will, we can live the extraordinary life to which we are called.

Wow…how is it that I always run out of time and energy before I’ve completed my post. Sigh. Well, I should be able to pick up this topic at a later date. But now, I must head to bed to get some sleep. Monday will be here all too soon, and time just keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into the future!

Knit on.

Benefits of a Bye Week

Today was a really busy day for me, and very musical in nature. It’s very late, though, so I’ll just share a little bit about it. This morning I attended a workshop for choir members and cantors, and it was helpful to get a review on some of the fundamentals of singing. I got to exercise some of those refreshed skills in the afternoon, as I prepared for Monday night’s audition (fingers crossed…). I made it home from that adventure with just a little time to get ready for church. This evening I was part of a lovely intimate choral group, leading the music at our 5:00 p.m. Mass. We rocked, if I do say so myself! My parents were in attendance for Mass, and we went out to dinner afterward. Then I rounded out the evening with another faith community musical celebration. Now I must get to bed, for I’ll be back at church in the morning for a repeat “performance” but on a larger scale – many more voices, five-part harmonies, and all that jazz.

I didn’t get much knitting done, but I have made a bit of progress on a friend’s socks. G’night all, and knit on.

If All GOOD Things Must Come to an End…

…shouldn’t the same also be true that all bad things must come to and end? And yet, the hits just keep on coming. Still, I’m doing my best to remain an upbeat optimist. And so I shall list some happy things:

1. It’s Friday, and work is done. The weekend did finally arrive!
2. My older brother has celebrated another birthday – so now he’s even older than me. 😉
3. I don’t have to work this weekend!
4. Got to see a bunch of veterans as they assembled for our Veterans’ Day parade today! We live in the land of the free thanks to the brave.
5. Got the latest Signals catalog in the mail today. I now have a new tag line…“Incorrigible. Please do not incorrige.”
6. Thanks to vacation planning, I have no more five-day work weeks until 2013!
7. I am blessed to have dinner plans tomorrow night with my parents.
8. I’ve just finished my second scarf project this fall.
9. I have watermelon socks!

Let the fun begin, and knit on!

I Whistle A Happy Tune

Music is most definitely a part of my soul, one of those integral elements in my person that makes me tick. And happy music can certainly be a spirit booster when I’m feeling down. Sacred happy music generally has a doubly-good impact. As much as I had been dreading tonight’s choir rehearsal, it was exactly what I needed to boost my heart & soul. I learned today that a good friend’s father passed away this week. And this coming Monday marks the anniversary of another friend’s death. Though the deceased are in a much better place, being at peace and without pain, my heart aches for all who have been left behind in the wake, having to deal with that hole in their lives.

Every Sunday, I miss my friend, as he stood near me to play bass, and always greeted me with a cheerful smile and warm hug, and he called me “Beautiful.” Our current bass player is more than welcome, and I’m thrilled to share a music stand with him; but it’s just not the same. This weekend will be challenging, as I relive the loss. But every day it gets a little easier, a little less painful. It also helps that our choir is singing some very beautiful songs, and our closing song will certainly rock the house – bass and all.

During rehearsal tonight, I was rather distracted, my heart aching for my friend in her grief. Plus, it’s been a very long week at work, and I’d had to put more time in this evening than I’d anticipated, which meant I was late for rehearsal. But I persevered, stumbling through the chords of the first couple songs on my guitar. Then it was time to sing the psalm, which I am cantoring at the Masses this weekend. I did fine until I got to the last verse to sing of “the fatherless and the widow,” and it was about all I could do to finish. But I did finish, and we moved on, and each song got a little bit easier. Our communion song is a rendition about The Beatitudes (Blest Are They), which often makes me cry anyway. But tonight, it gave me a little bit of peace. When we finally got to our closing song, Blest Be the Lord, I was smiling again, and not faking it either.

The rehearsal continued with some songs we’ll be including in upcoming liturgies, particularly as we’re preparing for the Advent and Christmas seasons that will be here all too soon. Every song we sang is beautiful in and of itself, as anthems of our faith. But when you put it all together, with our voices (often in four-part harmony) and the guitars (as many as seven when everyone plated) and the flute and oboe, it’s truly a joyful chorus, which was exactly the balm I needed to settle my spirit.

Yes, the Masses will be challenging, but “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And I’ve been really touched by a few songs I’ve heard on The River lately, ones that are speaking to my heart in a way I don’t recall ever experiencing before. Today I heard a couple: “Jesus, Friend of Sinners” by Casting Crowns opens with words of harsh truth…

Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth’s become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they’re tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I’m so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours

And if that didn’t get me crying quickly enough, there’s “Live Like That” by Sidewalk Prophets…

Sometimes I think
What will people say of me
When I’m only just a memory
When I’m home where my soul belongs

Was I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of those
Was my worship more than just a song

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that

And so I will do what I can to live like that, to be the light I was made to be. Knit On.

My Kingdom for a Solid Night’s Sleep

Okay, perhaps I’m exaggerating just a bit. But all day today I’ve been struggling to get my work done while dealing with a wicked headache. The pain waxed and waned throughout the day, though it didn’t appear to respond to any particular treatment (e.g., caffeine, food, ibuprofen). Even the brief nap I took instead of lunch didn’t really help. Hopefully, once I get home from the Eternal Workday, I can sprawl on the couch for a bit and wind down, then crawl into bed and sleep for at least five solid hours.

Based on how I felt when I woke up this morning, I have a sneaking suspicion that my headache was induced by a rough night of teeth-grinding. I don’t often where my bite guard when I sleep, as I’ve only noticed symptoms of this sleeping habit a couple times before. The last time it happened, I slept with my mouth guard the next night and had no further problems. And that was about two months ago. Let’s hope for the best tomorrow, eh?

Meanwhile, I have made some progress on my knitting projects for the month. Last night I got to the point of binding off on my rainbow-colored infinity scarf. That one will definitely be done by the weekend – in time for the weather to warm up. I had finished the back of the baby sweater, so this morning I cast on for the two fronts (cardigan). I had already knit up the pocket linings, so those are ready to be attached when I reach that point on the fronts (in 17 rows). I was a tad annoyed when I last looked at the directions for this. The pattern is for a double-breasted cardigan, and the instructions for the left front are provided, working from the bottom to the top (shoulder); then the designer tells you to mark the left front for the buttons, based on measurements from the shoulder.

Well, I am knitting both fronts together so that they’re the same size. I won’t be able to place the buttonholes on the right front based on the button placements on the left front based on measurements from the shoulder. That’s just not possible (for the non-knitters, just trust me!). Since the lengths of the pieces have a set length measurement, I’ll do that math to figure out where they should be placed based on measurements from the bottom edge. Even with all that hoop-jumping, I think it’s an adorable sweater.

In other baby news, one co-worker gave birth to a baby girl last night. Another co-worker’s wife went into labor today, and as of this afternoon they were heading to the hospital. Dad hasn’t yet posted any info to Facebook, so we may not get details on that birth until tomorrow. Note that this little one was due to arrive on Halloween. Of course, babies (like wizards) are never late, nor are they early. They arrive precisely on time!

Knit on.

My Pet Peeve as a Perceiver

Boy, the ideas of topics to blog about today were as varied as the colors on the leaves around here. I started off my day, as usual, with a bit of knitting time. But then I had to put pants on and go be a grown-up, as today is Election Day. And in a presidential election year, that is definitely a Big Deal. I exercised my civic duty and right and privilege, and cast my ballot for the various political races and issues in my district, county, state and nation. Getting to that voting machine, though, involved a bit of effort, and a challenge, which has led to some personal reflection and self-discovery.

I posted on Facebook this morning about how a particular man in line at the polling site was annoying me with his incessant chatter. As I contemplated my reaction to him, I hearkened back to a “long ago” memory about how my ex-husband annoyed me with his incessant morning chatter. I’m one who needs to ease into my day, moving from the slumber state and transitioning in stages to the point when I am suitable for public consumption (socially speaking). I now realize that this is likely tied to the energy element in my Myers-Briggs personality type. And as I considered the other components in my personality type, I realized what really started to get under my skin about that chatterbox at the elementary school.

I’ve gone through several personality type analysis tools, and our office even had a day-long workshop focused on recognizing our own type and understanding how to work with our colleagues who have the same or a different type. While the “inner” components in the MB test are fairly moderate in my results, the first and last are most definitely distinctively known quantities. I am “an I” and I’m most definitely “a P.” The “I” stands for Introversion, defining my energy source – meaning that I look inward to recharge, and sometimes that means shutting out everyone else. This doesn’t mean I’m an introvert, though in certain circumstances, I am inclined to hold back from a group. In other settings, I can be very outgoing. But because I recharge internally, rather than drawing my energy from others, being in a social setting for an extended period of time can be physically and emotionally draining for me, though this doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it. This whole concept finally sunk in with me after my son’s graduation party – where I was the common link among all the communities of people that came to congratulate my son. I could’ve slept for a week afterward, but I had an absolute blast.

So yes, I’m an I – and particularly early in the morning, other people may zap my energy more than I’d like just by being around me. And talking. Nonstop.

The other component, though, (for me, P) speaks to what I do with information once I’ve taken it in and processed it. I’m a Perceiver, which is the complement to a Judger (J). A friend summed it up oh-so-eloquently last year when she stated: I am the photographer, while she (a to-the-core J) is a storyteller. I observe and appreciate what is. A Judger draws conclusions based on the information that is presented. And sometimes that really hits a nerve with me. Not always, but sometimes.

I’ve had several friends recently who were hurt by comments made by others, not necessarily directed at my friends, but making bold assertions (judgments) about “people who do (or don’t do) such-and-such.” And this Election Day yapper was making similar assertions about papers that were posted on the wall, showcasing the work of these elementary school students. When I heard him begin making comments, and drawing conclusions about their authors (often negative and critical), I cringed…and silently prayed a thank-you that the students weren’t there to overhear these comments.

I’m an optimist, and pessimists can sometimes annoy me – going back to the whole judging idea again. I do my darnedest not to criticize others harshly, but rather try to build them up and encourage them. So for someone to devalue another person is, to my mind, just plain wrong. I understand this is a pet peeve of mine, and it certainly gives me food for thought to consider that this pretty much boils down to this personality trait, being a P and not a J.

I’ll continue to process this information…and try to move beyond simple tolerance of those who are different from me in this respect. For acceptance is what we’re called to do. Unconditional love. Well, I’m getting there… but it’s going to take time!

And hey, yay for a full six-day stretch to meet this NaBloPoMo challenge!

Book Study Leads to Character Study

I had my small group meeting tonight, which was very helpful in getting me centered and grounded. I didn’t realize how much I needed that until it happened. We’ve been working on a book study as part of our spiritual growth, reading a book called Love Does by Bob Goff. This book inspires me tremendously, and the author somehow manages to get me laughing and crying at the same time.

Tonight we reviewed two chapters in which the author recounts two life-changing experiences (the key topic of his book). In the first, “Just Say Yes,” he explains how a misunderstanding and a God-incidence resulted in him becoming a U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Uganda. How random can that be? I love the author’s summary:

“I think God sometimes uses the completely inexplicable events in our lives to point us toward Him. We get to decide each time whether we will lean in toward what is unfolding and say yes or back away.”*

Yep, that pretty much hits you square between the eyes, doesn’t it? But the author doesn’t let up. Not a bit. In the next chapter, “The Interviews” he shares the tale of how his three children began something of a global peace mission following the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Three kids managed to get face time with twenty-nine leaders in nations around the world, just by writing letters. They’re parents made it happen from the standpoint of financial backing as well as supervising the visits, but the kids were the true ambassadors.  And the star thought of this chapter was actually a quote from a Russian leader the children charmed: “You know what it is about someone that makes them a friend? A friend doesn’t just say things; a friend does.”*

It’s statements like these, made throughout the book, that strike a chord with me as I read them. Shortly after we began our study, I began making notes in the book. After all, it’s my copy – it should become my resource. I underline key statements and put asterisks around the things I want to revisit. It will take time to absorb all this author has to share, but I am taking stock of my own character and aspects of my life and dealings with other people, in light of the points this author makes. In the spirit of Love, I am doing. (While I might’ve said I’m trying my best to do…as Yoda puts it so eloquently, “Do or do not. There is no try.”)

Knit on.

*Love Does, Bob Goff. Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2012.