On my birthday...in 1797!

I am a mere 183 years younger than the USS Constitution, often known as “Old Ironsides”!
On the 21st of October, 1797, the third attempt to float the massive warship finally succeeded, and a bottle of Madeira was broken over her bow, and she began the first day of multiple centuries of service in a time when the average lifespan of a warship was 10-15 years.

The design of the frigate was slightly different than those typical of the time, being intentionally thicker and heavier—built to last. And last she has, through multiple wars, training hundreds of navy officers, traveling around the world repeatedly, and now serving as a museum to educate visitors—still with an active duty crew!

I visited the USS Constitution during my family’s trip to New England in 2006, just before I took my first call as a Presbyterian pastor. During that trip, in fact, I was going to the UPS store every day to fax documents about buying a house. But despite how crazy that was, I still remember many of the cool places we saw on that trip—from lighthouses to Paul Revere’s house to witch’s houses. We sailed in Boston Harbour and I dumped some tea overboard. LOL. And, of course, because dad was with us, we naturally visited the ship. Because no vacation with dad is complete without at least one ship.

Anyway...I love that this ship was launched on my birthday (well, okay, 183 years before my birthday) and that she has so surpassed every expectation. Not least because when I was ordained, the average pastor lasted less than five years in ministry....and I am currently joking-not-joking about serving until my 50th ordination anniversary. There’s something to be said for outliving the average—as long as you can adapt to the changing needs of your context, which Old Ironsides has done very well. Keep up the good work!



(The latest in my new section of the birthday buddies series, leading up to my birthday, just two days away now!)

hot and cold, new and old...

This year I have spent an inordinate amount of money on my house. In the past 12 months I have needed (due to breaking or danger): a new washer & dryer, a new water heater, a new furnace/air conditioner, and new floors. It's a little out of control.

Of course, now basically my entire house is new and beautiful. My floor is amazing and I still, 9 months after it was installed, walk in every day and sigh with happiness (and relief). My water heater is not leaking and is in no danger of flooding my downstairs neighbor. My washer actually runs a whole cycle without me having to advance it myself, and it has different temperatures of water, and it doesn't leak from some mysterious place underneath! The dryer dries clothes without burning them. And I can control the temperature in my house via an app on my phone (the fancy thermostat comes "free" with a new furnace/ac unit)...and turning the heat on will not lead to CO poisoning.

All a win, if not for the checkbook.

In addition to those new things, I also got something so lovely yesterday. I opened a package from my grandma, which I anticipated held a bunch of recipes. It did...and also a super soft and warm and adorable fleece blanket with a kitten pattern. It has made me so happy for the last 24 hours.

And now, apparently, I'm done with that. Time to turn up the heat and look for a scarf, because the decidedly not-new cats have claimed the blanket, and the old blanket, and basically the whole couch.

This is my life.

happy birthday, grandpa!

Today was my grandpa's 80th birthday. Or it would have been, except that he died three years ago.

I don't even understand how it's been three years already, but that's what grandma said, so it must be true.

My grandpa was pretty awesome. Not a saint, but still awesome. He worked with his hands all his life--building things, growing things. He was kind, though quiet. Not an intellectual by any means, but hard working and honest and friendly. I loved him, and still do.

Bonus: he helped make my mom and my aunt amazing too. Played ball with them, taught them to be self-sufficient, gave them skills that are still useful today. He taught us all that we girls could just as well drive a tractor, use tools, and throw a baseball as anyone else could. And even with only one eye, he could see more truth in people and the world than many can.

Happy birthday, grandpa.

in honor of Albert Martin Scott, a selection of photos from 3rd grade to age 70...

the beloved dog, and the beloved car

seminary graduation...obviously my grandparents are on the right, parents on the left. ;-)

Roots

It's so intriguing that the word for the last day of lent is also the wot that has been my church's focus for the season. We have spent the season thinking about what it means to be rooted in love so we can grow in faith. The cross has, slowly each week, transformed into the tree of life. We have deepened our roots through spiritual practices. We have gotten more grounded, in the hopes that we might live lives worthy o our calling, bearing fruit. And now on day 40, photo a day asks for roots. We have those.

day 40!

rejoice

It's a little weird to see the word "rejoice" come up before Easter, but there you go. Here at the beginning of Holy Week, what causes you to rejoice?
My church and I have been making lists of things we're grateful for--every day last week, and some of us have continued the practice this week. That's a reason to rejoice, but one that's hard to capture in a photo!
I was tidying up my house a little because tomorrow morning my Domestic Goddess (who is a SERIOUS reason to rejoice!) will arrive very early to clean up after my craziness. I turned around and spied these alabaster beauties on the shelf, and remembered a beautiful day spent with wonderful people. We rejoiced greatly that day, and I rejoice remembering them. (if this was facebook, I would tag them...instead, you'll just have to know who you are, Karla/David/kids/Jennifer/Sarah!)
These also remind me to hold my Egyptian friends in prayer--they could use some rejoicing, some of the new life Easter promises, some of the beauty held in this bowl.

day 35 of Lent photo a day

home

just inside the door...i'm home.

home is where you can get comfy--kick your shoes off, wear fuzzy socks, curl up on the couch, and relax. And, like most midwestern homes, shoes come off at the front door. Not only because it's comfier but also because my carpets don't need any help getting dirty. :-)

you can see that my house cleaner has been here, because most of the out-of-season shoes are hiding in the closet, and there's some semblance of order here...

day 32 of Lent photo a day

Beloved

I thought about reposting yesterday's pic because it included my beloved Fred, who has been sleeping with me for decades, on several continents. But I decided on a living breathing beloved, who also sleeps with me but is much furrier.

Ollie's favorite position is on my shoulder--she loves to be held, purring in my ear. She also sleeps on my shoulder fairly frequently. She's adorable and lovable and cuddly and wonderful, and she loves me right back.

day 31 of lent photo-a-day

rise

When they're ready, they rise to the top.

YUM.

I really love food. Good food is a joy and wonder in life. Of course, I'm also aware that I've gained weight during my stressful last few years, and I'd like to reverse that situation, so I'm paying attention to what I eat a little more than I have recently. I still eat what I like, and I still cook what I want, so I'm both watching how much I eat and being more intentional about skipping that stuff that's not that good anyway, it just fills you up in the right moment (aka, fast food--which I'm not eating for Lent anyway!).  May the good stuff rise to the top and the not-worth-it-stuff fall away.

portobello ravioli...yum.

day 29 of Lent photo a day (the count doesn't include Sundays!)

new

last week I got a box from dad, and it has all kinds of new-to-me cookbooks from mom. I'm not really a baker, but who knows, I might just try something new. (and if not, I might be willing to turn them into new-to-YOU cookbooks!)

New recipes, new life for books off the shelf, new pictures to look at (and these are some gorgeous cookbooks, let me tell you!), new opportunities to try things out...

Fifth Sunday in Lent photo-a-day (when the lectionary text was "behold, I am doing a new thing--now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" perhaps a sign related to dough rising and becoming springy.)

silence

an evening of centering prayer in the sanctuary...looking toward the cross as it becomes the tree of life.

day 24 of lent photo a day

ate, happy

I took a picture yesterday, but it wasn't what I really wanted...because I was too tired to spend the time making dinner last night. DST kicked my behind. So today you get a photo that illustrates both yesterday's and today's words. I ate this, and it is a happy thing.

this vegan tater tot casserole is nearly 500 calories per serving, but every one of them is worth it. So much delicious.

it does have actual vegetables in it--I used some I froze last year: broccoli, peppers, onions, etc--and a homemade potato corn chowder as the base. Just add meatless ground and tater tots, bake and...voila. yum.

(confession: I ate more after taking this picture.)

4th Sunday and Day 23 of the Lent photo-a-day challenge, all in one photo...

find

I was making soup tonight, and I couldn't find any rosemary. Now, the recipe didn't exactly call for rosemary, but when has a recipe ever constrained me?

As you can see, things are pretty easy to find in my spice cabinet. they're in alphabetical order, for goodness' sake. But I couldn't find rosemary anywhere.

Which could mean only one thing: I must have run out. How this is possible, I don't know. I stay pretty on top of the herb situation.

So of course I posted on facebook "how is it possible that I have run out of rosemary?"

a few minutes later I went back and this is what I found (the top window the part of the conversation that didn't fit on the screen) :

My friends are awesome. I may not find rosemary, but I did find a laugh.

Day 21 of Lent photo a day (apparently today was 2-photos-a-day!)

shadow

okay, for the first (hopefully only) time this Lent, I'm going to use a photo I took at another time, rather than one I took today. My day was full of shadows, but none photographable. The shadows cast by candles in a sanctuary, by people walking a labyrinth, by bad behavior (whose shadows are always longer than good behavior--what is that about?), by doubt and by hope.

But today's photo is a reminder that though I may live in a frozen tundra, under feet and feet of snow, it's not so everywhere and won't always be so here...

Day 19 of Lent photo a day

bless

I've been burning the candle at both ends for a couple of weeks, and am beginning to feel it. I've been all sneezy the last couple of days, and have heard a lot of "bless you"s...and when I stopped to buy kleenex today I discovered that Trader Joe's has little inspirations on their tissue boxes. Since I live alone (well, with that cat you see in the background!), it's nice to have someonething say it. ;-)

That journal you see is where I've been writing prayers using the prompts that come each day from Rachel Hackenberg--that's certainly been a blessing during this Lent. And, really, if we're honest, the kitties (even the fluff monster who photo-bombed this pic!) are my daily blessing. They snuggle and purr and talk in their little meowy voices, and make my house a home.

Day 17 (not including Sundays!) in Lent photo a day

Thirst

Some of the tools for quenching my thirst...

Though interesting that this is the prompt for a communion Sunday, when we remember Jesus' promise "Come to me and never be thirsty." So often we rely on these other tools, forgetting that we thirst not only for water but also for living water.

Third Sunday in Lent photo a day

Leave

What does the church need to do more often?
Leave.
We need to take our faith outside the doors, because too often we make a joyful noise in the sanctuary and stay silent the rest of the week.
Leave the building, and know that you don't go out alone. Nor do you leave Jesus in the sanctuary or the pastor's office--he's already out there waiting for you to come on out.

Day 16 of Lent photo a day

Earthly

They come from deep in the dark earth, but they taste like heaven.

Day 14 of lent photo a day.

hear

I confess that I really wanted today's word to be "listen" instead of "hear"--because it's so much easier to take a picture of listening. or of things i listen to.
But here we have it...a picture of the little gadget that allows me to hear all kinds of things. I plug my phone in and voila--whatever's in my iTunes, over the radio. Tonight it was Stuff You Missed In History Class. (who are we kidding--that's what it is a LOT of the time.) I heard all about the mystery of Edgar Allan Poe's death, and about the early life of John James Audubon (I had 2 episodes worth of driving). So interesting. And you never know when you might hear the tidbit that opens up the scripture or sermon in a new way!

Day 13 of Lent photo-a-day.

Cover

We all know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover.

And yet...

We do. All the time. Sometimes it's literally judging a book by the cover art. Other times it's the more insidious judging a person by their weight or hairstyle or eyeglass frames.

The covers matter, obviously--offering us glimpses of what's inside, teasers. Or covering up what's inside, hiding reality from view.
But they're also the part of a book most easily lost. Can we say the same about our own covers?

I'm a total sucker for the girl-in-a-dress-red-and-gold cover

day 11 (not counting sundays!) of the Lent photo-a-day challenge.

vision

sometimes seeing what could be is the hardest part of being a pastor. Not only in the sense of figuring out what could be--the sense of having vision in the first place--but also in the sense of trying to convey the vision, or having the vision and knowing that others don't see it.

But sometimes seeing what isn't yet there, imagining possibilities, wondering and creating...sometimes the vision begins to take shape.

the cross becomes the tree of life, one branch at a time....

2nd Sunday in the Lent photo-a-day challenge