Terrapin Station

Friday Five from Deb (on Tuesday)

It's your road, and yours alone.

Others may walk it with you,

but no one can walk it for you.

A road in Bavaria.

Thanks to Deb at RevGals for this great set of questions!!  She says:

I reflected on this poem for a while and thought about some new "roads" that my progeny are beginning. Both are graduating (one from high school, one from college). I am also looking at a possible new "road" in a much hoped-for job. It's been a winding path to get this point!

So in thinking about our life's journey, and the rhythm of our lives, here's five questions on this theme...

1. What "road" is in your immediate future? Immediately in my past were lots of wind-y and wonderful roads in Tennessee and North Carolina, where Ken and Iwent for a motorcycle holiday.

In the future...I will be exploring some new things this summer.  I am excited that I have been accepted for the Dallas Benedictine Experience in mid-June. It's a four-day program in which "participants  form a temporary monastic community in which the day is divided into times of group prayer (called Offices ), study, light work, and rest.  The framework of each day is the corporate worship of God in the chanting of four daily Offices.

After Lauds each morning in the oratory (chapel), a short homily (sermon) will be given.

The two Experience leaders will teach the morning and evening classes in Benedictine spirituality, with discussions following the morning class.  There will be time in the afternoon for resting, reading, private prayer, and private meeting with a leader.  Participants are encouraged, but not required, to volunteer for very  light service projects, such as keeping the oratory (chapel) tidy, sweeping walkways, providing water-pitchers in the classroom, etc.  These services fulfill the Benedictine practice of balancing the day with prayer and work and of contributing to the functioning of the temporary monastic community.  The Benedictine motto is Ora et Labora  (Pray and Work).

 In keeping with Benedictine tradition, all meals are taken in silence while passages from Benedictine writings are read aloud to the community (participants) by a reader. 

Silence is observed at all times throughout the daytime and nighttime, except for class times and spiritual direction.  Silence is important to allow undisturbed prayer, spiritual reading, meditation, and contemplation."

In the farther, but near-term future...we shall see.

2. Where have you been "traveling" a lot lately -- and are you going back there? Interesting. I have been mentally traveling back over the years, especially because this year is my 30th high school graduation anniversary. Therefore, it's also time for the 30th reunion. I will not be physically going back there...I don't need to. But, watching (via FB) the lovely daughter of one of my HS best friends graduate, go to prom, etc., with him not here to see it, is very poignant. 

3.  Who are your fellow travelers? My husband Ken. Valerie, Amy, Martha. Laura and Helen. Many of the RevGals and other friends.  Deb and Debra and Diana and Mom and Sarah.  And you, if you are reading this.

4.  Who are the unintentional companions (or hitchhikers) that you find on the road with you? I met a great girl at the motorcycle retreat this weekend who gave me much food for thought.  Cindy is her name. 

5.  As a family, we always recite "the traveler's prayer" -- a tongue-in-cheek petition as we pull out of the driveway ("Lord, whatever we have forgotten, may it not be important!") What have you forgotten lately, and did it matter?  Hum. On this last trip, forgot my ActiveLink, the WeightWatchers version of a FitBit, which I normally wear everywhere (even to bed). So I have no idea how the activity of the trip stacked up. Sitting on the back of a motorcycle is not that active, except you have to be paying attention on the many curves in the road. Ah well, I didn't go to get exercise!  :) So, I guess it didn't mattter. 

BONUS: Share a photo of a road you've traveled. Or of traveling companions who have made the journey special. Or perhaps there's a song or another poem that suits your journey. If so, please share! 

Here is a picture of me with the view from the Blue Ridge Parkway: 

And here is a pic of the Tail of The Dragon, an 11-mile stretch of road containing 318 curves that we rode up and back:

Friday Five.

Thanks to Karla at RevGals for this Friday Five, played on Saturday;

Hey there gals and pals!
Happy Friday Five....and although I don't have a theme for this Friday, I do have five questions for you to ponder upon:

1.  If you could hear what someone is thinking for a day, who would you choose, and why?  Barack Obama. Because I (living in the Big Red State) know a lot of people who think he is thinking evil things, and I don't believe it.

2.  If you were trapped in a tv show for a month, which show would you choose, and why?  That 70's Show. I'm a hippie born too late.

3.  If you could do any job in the world for a day, what would it be? Captain of a small sailboat.

4.  What are you loving right now?  GREEN GREEN GREEN in this world. And my tomato plants.

5.  Use these words in a sentence:    bless, cheeseburger, chihauha, skipping, Georgia.

My chihuahua, Georgia, was skipping toward a cheeseburger. She stopped to bless it.

 

New Bishops Under the Sun

Some things I saw at church today, in my new church home in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, that were new ones on me, and in a wonderful way:

1) The Bishop gave a Children's Sermon.

It's fairly uncommon, in my experience, for there to be a Children's Sermon in Episcopal churches. But there sure enough was one today, and it was by Bishop Rayford High, visiting for confirmation and reception of new members. 

The kids came streaming into the building mid-service, lined up in front, and sang "I've Got the Joy." Then they all sat down in the chancel, and Bishop High did a Children's Sermon explaining to the kids about the special things he wears and has as the bishop...a ring, a crozier, a pectoral cross, a mitre (he did a hilarious bit about putting his mitre on backward, and pretended to demonstrate "hooking" a child around the neck with the crozier). Then he let kids try on the mitre:

(Note RG Lauren in the background)

In the talk to the kids, he said that men were bishops, and there were lady bishops, too!  I rolled my eyes a little at that, but bingo! When the kids came to sit down and color during the rest of the sermon, the 2 young ladies next to me colored their bishop as...a woman!!!!  With strawberry colored hair.  :) 

2) Then, when he called up the candidates to be confirmed or received, he invited family and friends to come up and stand behind them and lay hands on them as he prayed. Maybe this has been going on everywhere, but it's the first time I've seen it, and the symbolism of  it was marvelous to me: a bishop who invites others to join in what is (in this denomination) a strictly Bishop-ly act. 

He said that he knew there were a lot of candidates (almost 2 dozen) and that he knew that would mean a lot of coming and going, but that would be okay, we could wait, and the Lord would not mind.

:)

Love. It.

What we are doing today

Ken is ... lighting things on fire:

I went to a photo shoot with 2 gorgeous girls (I didn't plan to have my own picture taken):

photo by Nat Chittamai

Josie is sitting in the sun:

and Boudreaux is yawning:

Tonight: maybe we'll go see Iron Man 3!

Two Good Dogs Moves House

Back in 2007, I started a blog for my dogs, called Two Good Dogs.

I had all of 7 posts on it, from 2007 to 2009.

I'm repurposing that blog, but have moved the posts over to Terrapin Station so I can keep them.

Enjoy, if you like fulsome commentary on spoiled canines.  :)

Here we are on our new blog! Nov. 6, 2007

Today we are starting our new blog!   

We finally got our mom to set it up!  Yay, us!  We made her feel guilty about LEAVING us while she and dad R-U-N-N-O-F-T to Austin for the weekend (even though they left us at the coolest place ever, of which Josie is the spokesdog...go to their website and watch the pictures change and you'll see what we mean.) 

So now we have a blog!  Woot!

We are Josie and Boudreaux, in case you didn't know.  We are Maltese, if you please.  That means we are the best kind of dogs.  We are VERY FUNNY and we like to eat dog treats.

This is a picture of us at Home Depot.  We love to ride in the cart!!

We will write more later.  Right now we have to go bark at all the people walking by our house, which is a lot.  It keeps us busy. 

See ya!

Personality Plus: Nov. 9, 2007

We amaze our mom all the time at how we are both Maltese dogs but we have SUCH different personalities.  Like for instance....

**Our mom likes to take us for walks, and we both like it too.  We have different approaches to getting ready for walks, though.

Josie:  "Yay!  Yay!  Did you say walkies!?  Yay!  Let's go!  Woohoo!  Here I am, here I am, I'm holding still, put the leash on me, let's GO!" (you may wish to read in Tigger voice to get approximate idea)

Boudreaux: "Oh, I dunno.  Maybe not right now, ok?  I'm just not sure if I'm up to it.  I'm just going to lie down over here 2 feet from you and that leash, ok?  Oh, really?  I have to come over there?  Well, you can drag me by my leg.  Ok, you're going to pick me up and put it on?  Well, I have to get all LIMP then like a big noodle."  (Eeyore voice is most appropriate for this character!)

We both like the walkies once we get going. 

**Greeting our people:  We both come running, but:

Josie:  "I like to BARK.  Hello!  Hello!  Hello!  Hello!"

Boudreaux: "I'll just stand up on my back legs and put my paws on your leg.  (You should pet me then.)"

**Being picked up:

Josie:  "I like it!  I'll help you!  Then I'll lick your whole face!"

Boudreaux:  "Uh, maybe....I need to go limp now.  Darn, did you still pick me up?  Well then, let me smell your breath." 

**Sleeping  (we both sleep on the bed with our folks.  We have little dog stairs to get up and down on):

Josie:  "I'm going to curl up right here all snuggly in a ball.  Right in mom's armpit.

Boudreaux:  "I need my SPACE!  I like to lie on my back with all my paws stuck straight out, like Superman dog!"

We hope you have a good weekend!  Mom has lots to do but we hope she will play with us in the front yard.

Bye!

Silly Thumb Havers, Nov. 21, 2007

Our thumb havers are VERY SILLY.  We are just saying!

Here are some of the things they like to do (some of which we like, too):

• Kiss us immoderately
• Say "Two Good Dogs!" as if no one ever said it before!
• Play "Roll the Puppy" with Josie
• Drive us in the car
• Go to the dog park
• Put sunglasses on Josie (I don't like that!!)
• Brush us (not liking that so much either)
• Trim us (etc.)
• Play CHASE in the house
• Take us swimming in the hot tub (Josie likes, Boudreaux does NOT!)
• Worship our every move

Actually it's not so bad here. 

We'll stay a while.

Ruses?! March 20, 2008

Hey, sorry we haven't blogged in a long time. 

Our mom is getting ready to go on a "ruse" as our pal Whistle puts it.  We are not happy.  We don't like her to go ANYWHERE.

Any ideas for keeping her home after all?

Baths, June 19, 2008

Ugh.  This morning we had baths.  We do not like baths. 

Our dad usually does the bathing but he didn't today, Mom did it. 

It started because Mom was in the hot tub with her hurting neck this morning.  Then the BIG thunder and lightning came!  I wanted to get in the tub to be near her because I am afraid of those boom booms.  So she let me.  Then I had to have the bath to get the chlorine out of my hair. 

Mom bathes us with flea soap (for fleas), blue soap (for whiteness - this makes no sense) and conditioner.  We have to get wet THREE WHOLE TIMES YUCK.  :P

Then Mom dries us with a towel and Dad dries us with the hair dryer. 

Billy, our bookkeeper person, comes in and says that we are the most spoiled dogs ever.  What's his point?

Dry now.  Taking a nap.