Naming the blessing

Yesterday I got to go calling on people with our priest. It was so great. He actually asked me how my "comfort level" was with this sort of thing, and as it turned out, I'd been sitting there during visit #1 thinking how amazed I was that not only was I completely comfortable, but I was honestly and truly enjoying myself. I was thinking what fun that this was actually Antony's job! What a cool job it is to be a priest. He gets to hang out with such cool people.

Yesterday I met David Lee Donald Ray Williams. Apparently his father wanted to call him David Lee and mother Donald Ray, so they both called him different names all his life, and now he goes by both! He was such a character. We talked about his family farm, and about his work at PCC, and his very big family (9 siblings), and about the deep south where he's from. He has alzheimer's but was quite sharp yet. And he was in great spirits. I found him to be such an inspiration.

And then we talked with Sarah Elizabeth, whose 92nd birthday we had just celebrated at church. She's my best sermon critic - everyone's, really. She was giving us great suggestions for our preaching. She keeps up on world events, loves baseball (she said her team is the Giants, because she and the Dodgers had a falling out years ago), and told me all about her children and grandchildren. And would you know, she invited me to her 95th and 100th birthday parties! I really will be surprised if she doesn't make it to them.

It's funny - I was exhausted at the end of the day, but tremendously happy. I spent a few hours last night and this morning writing. The book is flowing out of me and the visits were another one of those experiences where you realize you are doing exactly what you're meant to do in the universe at that moment. Had a great lunch with Antony, also, and we chatted all about my ordination and next steps. He thinks my food topic is "sexy" and I should keep pursuing it. He's right - it's definitely hot. But it's also just so freaking interesting.

I finished Plenty, which is a book about a couple living for a year on a 100-mile diet. I recommend it. Also Leon Kass's The Hungry Soul, although that is a serious read, definitely not for the beach. Reminded me of my heavy philosophy reading over the summer. Good stuff, but the kind you need to savor slowly; whereas Plenty can be gobbled up.

School will start a week from Monday. I'll be truly busy again. Which is kind of a bummer, because at the moment I'm so content. I'm just writing my ideas down and doing my church stuff, and I really have all I need to be happy. Well, except that my wrist/thumb are killing from too much knife wielding (have been cooking since I'm the one with time) - my tendonitis is flaring again. So I really should lay off the typing for the next week. Yeah, right. Since handwriting is out of the question, this is my only outlet for self-expression!

Oh, I did want to say that I signed up for the AAR annual meeting today, so if any readers will be attending I would very much love to meet you. Maybe we can all have a meal together or something. Since I'm just going for fun now (not to network, at least not overtly), I'm thinking it will be a really good time.

Well I should go, give me'hands a rest. There's never much to report in summer. But that's why it's good. I'm going to hear Louis Weil speak on Sunday, and preaching Sunday after next, so I imagine there will be more posts surrounding those events. 'Til then...