Groupies: Friday 5

Here's the Revgal meme...
1. Tell us about any group(s) you currently belong to. (e.g. book club, knitting circle, walking buddies, etc.)
I have a little bible study group that meets once a week. I love this little group. We meet in our homes with tea and cake and study a book of the bible one chapter at a time usually. This year we're studying Jesus'parables.

2. Do you feel energized or drained by being in a group situation? If the answer is "it depends," on what does it depend?
I'm energized by group interaction, but my job is very social so sometimes too much activity burns me out. That being said, I'm an extrovert.

3. Is there a role you naturally find yourself playing in group situations? That is, do you naturally fall into the leader role, or the one who always makes sure the new person feels welcome, or the quiet one who sits back and lets others shine, or the host?
I tend to talk and clarify and lead if no one else does...this is not necessarily because I want to lead though.

4. Handshakes vs. hugs: discuss.
Handshakes are a little formal for me, but acceptable. Hugs can be a little too much, so I like one of those one armed hug things. It should have a name, shouldn't it?

5. Ice breakers: a playful way to build community in a lighthearted manner, or a complete and utter hell of forced fun and awkwardness? I think they're fun but contrived...I "get" their usefullness. We had to do one once in this group of County Supervisors,: librarians, Water and Sewers folks, police, County execs, mechanics; a real cross-section with the commonality that we supervised more than 5 people. We had to write down one surprising thing about us. But we didn't know each other! It was kind of funny I guess, but it ended up with us guessing based on stereotypes. We were ALL surprised by "I enjoy skydiving". It was a colleague in the library, but we all guessed the it was the policeman . I was president of my college juggling team, they thought that was the lanky fun guy from IT.

Great Bibliography for Religion and Sexuality

The American Library Association's LGBT Roundtable has put out an extensive bibliography of books, organizations and websites pertaining to homosexuality and religion. Take a look at it. http://www.niulib.niu.edu/lgbt/bibreligion.htm
Wow.

Pastor Appreciation Month

Its Pastor Appreciation Month!
Thank your pastor, or clergy member for all the things they do, seen and unseen.
And say a little prayer for them.

ps...Don't tell our pastor (Pastornita, says Flash), but we're having a luncheon after church. And I'm making Orly's Apple Cake. You have to share it with friends.

the Saturday workaday world

I work Saturdays. Not as many as I used to but, a few. Usually they are busy and packed with interesting questions and fun people and it makes working on a Saturday more than bearable (especially because Fridays are dead).

Not today.
And I had high hopes for today. Its raining and school just started. Harbingers of a frenzied mass of library users! So, there should be some people at this library! OK, there are a few - breezing in for a novel or movie (flagrantly ignoring my secret two-item minimum), playing computer games and somehow hacking around the volume mute (grrr) , and spinning our out-of-date globe! The meatiest question all day has been "Can you find me a book on Matisse?" Which was great, but here I am blogging, see?

I'm prepared for church school...Been reading for book club...
Where are you all? We're not open much longer, you 'd better hurry...

Friday 5: Owies and Boo-boos

1) Are you a baby about small injuries?
Nope.

2) What's the silliest way you have ever hurt yourself?
I cut myself with a knife while unloading the dishwasher once ...still have the scar.

3) Who took care of your boo-boos when you were a child?
My mom and then, me. I don't remember having a lot of boo-boos but I remember being stung by a bee and she made a paste of baking soda and water. Very cool.

4) Are you a good nurse when others have boo-boos?
True boo-boos? Sure! Ice, TLC, snuggles - I can do that! Actual serious injuries? No... got a touch of see-blood-pass-out-itis. But I'm great at calling the EMT's.

5) What's the worst accidental injury you've suffered? Did it require a trip to the Emergency Room?
None. Everything, so far, has been superficial. Been to the hospital for birthing babies and once because I passed out in a work-required First Aid training seminar, because the video was too graphic. And they sent me to the hospital...in an ambulance. Best part, is they sent me to that same training seminar each year. And I got to take a walk during the video for the next 4 years.

Now I am at the point of tending our son's boo-boos and so far, so good. Sometimes the boo-boos need the cold to be taken internally, you know...with a popsicle. Sometimes its the only way!

Oh, Hymns!

Oh did we sing this morning! There is something about a hymn, isn't there? Choir is nice, but everyone singing a hymn they know together is glorious! Chapel at a seminary is an extraordinary thing. I attended today, the first day of class of our final year. It was packed! Amen! And the singing just gave me chills...and I sang all day in my heart.

May I recommend a book, twice? My church book club is reading Simple Gifts: Great Hymns: One Man's Search for Grace by Bill Henderson. The man understands hymns! Brought up in the church, he left and came back...because of the hymns. He discusses the history of the hymn, the meanings in it, and why he loves it so, why it spoke to him and when. You may not agree with his gruff opposition to certain songs, but you may understand how God speaks to many through the ones Bill Henderson chooses. Here is a partial list:
Simple Gifts
He Lives
Amazing Grace
In the Garden
Be Thou My Vision
How Great Thou Art
Just As I Am
Make Me a Channel of your Peace
There is a Balm in Gilead
Old Rugged Cross
Abide With Me
Be Still My Soul
His Eye is on the Sparrow

How many of you are humming? Which one?

Laundry Day

Mt. Washmore. I just don't know how I got so far behind. So I spent Monday at the Laundromat and TWO rolls of quarters. My building has a washer and dryer but I'd have to monopolize them for a week to ever finish. But at the Laundromat, I can finish everything in one afternoon. I do this about once a season and I've gotten to be friends with the owner, Rick, although he's sold the place and only works there now. The new owner changed the name and makes him wear a t-shirt with the logo on it but...no more ownership headaches!

I can get all of my laundry done at once. I can take over 6 washers if I want. And its somewhat relaxing (don't tell hubby). They have a sitting area, theres a nice little pizza shop next door. I always have a book or paperwork or something with me to do. Theres a vast cross-section of people to watch or talk to, and in desperation there is horrible daytime TV on in the back...I almost never have to succumb to it.

And it smells so nice in there...maybe its almost like aromatherapy, and productive too!

Plenty of excuses

None of them good.

Tried to meet fellow blogger at the retreat and failed. Huge group of folks and my attempt to "luck into" finding her didn't work. And I didn't want to comandeer the loudspeaker. If you are reading this...I was the one chasing the toddler. Oh and for some reason I can't leave comments at your blog.

I'm going to chapel on Wednesday and I'm wearing a straw hat.
That should cure my invisibility problem!

Our Trip to the Zoo

My folks were divorced so on Saturdays, as a kid, we went to the zoo with my Dad. Sometimes we did other things, but we knew the animals by name, so we went quite a bit.

This past weekend, my family went to that same zoo. It was a completely beautiful day and Flash had never been to a zoo before, but he knows a lot of animals anyhow. We saw everything, just about. We splurged on a membership so we can go whenever we want (and also to other zoos and such, including ZooAtlanta and maybe the new Aquarium).

Things to see at the zoo this weekend. Elephant bottoms since they wouldn't turn around, giant turtles, flamingos, pigeons, giraffes sticking out their tongues, my boy Flash fall off of my shoulders onto the concrete path due to some miscommunication about which way he was going. I'm only 5' 2", almost. Boy, did he land hard. He grew a huge goose egg on his cute little head. And everyone around us stood and stared to make sure he was OK. You gotta love parents.

He's fine. Cuddles, ice, snack and the petting zoo did their magic. Thank you God.

Making some sense of the Croc Hunter

Seems odd to do this, bear with me...
but I really liked to watch the Croc Hunter for a while. You'd flip on the TV and here is this incredibly chipper but clearly crazy man tackling a crocodile and telling you that it was beautiful (debateable) and dangerous (of course!).

So I have several thoughts going on here;
I guess I'm surprised that he made it as far as he did.
And I just don't think he was in it for the fame.
And he was completely devoted to the cause of wild animals and their conservation.
And lets face it...not a lot of people love crocodiles and their ilk.
And I feel terribly for his family.

I've thought about how watching him made me think of NASCAR, where you just know they're "gonna wreck". But that's so commercial and casual.

And I thought about the Roman gladiators and how maybe watching his show is sort of our culture's version of that vicarious blood-lust. But, that was coerced, vicious and somehow more brutal.

And its not remotely like missionaries either, putting themselves in danger because of their belief that they are doing the right thing for the world by caring for those that no one else does.

I guess when I come down to it,
I think I can understand the devotion, although perhaps not the object of it.
Rest in peace.

Things to say but....

no time. I hope to come back to this today. I have posts in my head about Presbyterian Women, Steve Irwin, Our trip to the Zoo, The new Book Club Book and about feeling totally overwhelmed...
I'll catch up when I get a chance. Thanks for checking on me.