Terrapin Station

The Clenching of the Teeth...told via Facebook

 

We have been having plumbing troubles in my house...where use of the washer causes toilet and tub to back up. 

 

Last night I made beansandcornbread, a lovely dinner.  Put in a load of jeans to wash.

 

And then, wailing and lamenting was heard in the land.  While Ken was outside with the rented snake thing, at one point punching a hole in the toilet bowl with it, I was notifying the FB world:

 

 

 

 

Mary Beth Butler My house's plumbing is very, very sick. Boo.

Yesterday at 9:02pm · Comment · Like / Unlike · View Feedback (8)Hide Feedback (8)

Amy: 

I think mine is too - I'm trying very hard to ignore it to see if it will go away

Yesterday at 9:08pm · Delete

 

Carole: 

I have a horrible story about plumbing, and I feel your pain. Be well, Mary Beth's household plumbing!

Yesterday at 9:14pm · Delete

 

Mary Beth Butler

OMG...now the toilet is broken. There's no ignoring this. Better luck to you Amy!!

Yesterday at 9:14pm · Delete

 

Mary Beth Butler

by broken I mean, the porcelain is broken. OMG.

Yesterday at 9:14pm · Delete

 

 

Laura:

  :( I'm still relieved it's your house's plumbing, not yours ...

Yesterday at 9:17pm · Delete

 

Mary Beth Butler

See, you are always looking on the bright side!!!

Yesterday at 9:23pm · Delete

 

 

 

Laura:

 :)

Yesterday at 9:27pm · Delete

 

Mary Ann: 

Must have been those Pinto Beans

Yesterday at 9:41pm · Delete

 

***

 

Mary Beth Butler

Guess what my part was? Cleaning up after. UGH.

Yesterday at 10:27pm · Delete

 

Mary Jane:

Dont'cha hate it when they leave it for you to clean up? The worse thing is to have to stand around and hand them tools, etc. Hope the plumbing is fixed now.

Yesterday at 11:05pm · Delete

 

***

 

This morning when I woke up, after the adventure of the toilet with the hole where no hole is supposed to go, and the...Mess...

 

my face hurt in places it has never hurt before.  I thought it was sinus, but funny, I don't have sinuses there. 

 

Um, that would be the clenching of the teeth in the sleep.  Even with the bite splint. 

 

Saw the dentist today for regular checkup.  He used the words "severe trauma" to describe the looks of my teeth roots.  (And he's seen my clenching action before...!)

 

I'm here to say, I hope that we're through with THAT for a while. 

 

OMG!

Sunday in a Strange Space

I feel underwater...

Yesterday Ken came home from an exceptionally rigorous work day and said, "Now I have to mow the lawn."  I begged him to wait, but he insisted (he wants to keep ahead of the leaves falling by mulching them).  So I went out to mow while he used the leaf blower.

I love to mow.  I was sad when we married and mowing became Brandon's job (because he got paid for it).  But guess what...mowing grass is NOT like mowing oak leaves.  Especially if you are allergic to dust, mold, etc.  I do NOT love to mow leaves!!  Glad for the neti pot, that's for sure. 

Went to church this am...Stewardship Ingathering Sunday.  We had a vigorous sermon that pointed out our apathy.  A good word but pretty nontraditional for our denomination.  Wonder how that went over. 

I feel like I am swimming under deep water.  Fort Hood, the economy, the vote in Maine, health care, sinus, other factors, all have me feeling smashed.  But you move ahead, and you go to church, and you pledge, because you know that's what you really want to do.  Even if you don't feel like it today. 

This afternoon: cooking beans, working on household budget, library. 

Lucky

You know that Joan Armatrading song, Lucky?

I'm lucky
I'm lucky
I can walk under ladders
Yes I'm so lucky
That I'm as lucky
As me

Been singing that all afternoon. 

I see the most amazing things every day, do you?  Like today I saw my spider friend outside the front door.  She's a great big one, been there at least a week.  Every day I say hello to her. 

Also today I saw a student waaaaay across campus walking a bicycle on which all the metal was shiny green - the frame, the handlebars, the wheel rims.  As she walked and the sun glinted off of it, it looked like something out of the Cirque du Soleil.

Also ladybugs...sometimes red ones with black spots, sometimes black ones with red spots!

And then there are the Bradford pears, the leaves of which turn a particularly amazing sangria color this time of year. 

Public service announcement:  Walking on a college campus can be dangerous and here's why:  distracted walkers.  Yep, they're all walking along texting.  It's complicated by the folks on bikes, some of whom are similarly distracted.  Oh, we'll all end in flames some day! 

Friday Five: Something New

 
At RG, Songbird carols:

There's a new baby on my street, a double PK whose Mom and Dad are Methodist pastors and church planters. I'm hoping to go over and meet her today. I love new babies, the way they smell and their sweet little fingers and toes. Little K has me thinking about all the new things that please us with their shiny freshness.

Please share with us five things you like *especially* when they are new.

1) Spring leaves and the first spring flowers...forsythia and Japanese quince

2) New school supplies - new journals - new pencils

3) New mornings.  When I am in my exercise groove, I do Jazzercise several mornings a week at 5:30.  Then I get to drive home while the sun is in various stages of rising, depending upon the time of year/Daylight Saving Time schedule.  I always feel most blessed seeing the beautiful place where I live in the light of a new day. 

4) New music in choir (sometimes it is well used, but when it is new to me I enjoy the challenge)

5) New blogposts from friends!  Makes my day. 

 

The Big News

 
 (flowers from my sweetie for congratulations) 

Well…I have a new job! 

As of December 1, 2009, I’ll be Director of Communications for UNT-International.  I was given this opportunity as the division expands, meeting a need for grant writing, newsletters and publicity material, curriculum internationalization work, advising on and promotion of the Fulbright Scholar Program, and several other things.  Many of these are things I’ve learned about at conferences and professional development workshops and come home on fire to do…and sadly set aside because of no time. 

I’m excited about this new opportunity, and for the chance to spend more time writing, which is one of my primary gifts.  I’ll receive training in grant writing (in fact, I’m enrolled for a seminar on my campus on December 3), which is good as I have no experience in that area. 

This comes after 13 years as Director of Study Abroad/Global Learning and Experience here, and after 23 total years in the study abroad field.  It’s a little bittersweet…I advised a student today who was worried about going on exchange to the UK, because “how would she get around?”  After going into raptures for several minutes about the British public transport systems (my British readers will kindly not snigger; if you have been to Texas you know yours is a pure miracle compared to ours, which is really nonexistent!) I think I had her convinced.  And I thought, “oh I’ll miss this!” 

But something new will be good and exciting as well, and my great hope is that I’ll be able to raise funds to help MORE students have such experiences. 

And of course I am very sad to leave the best staff ever.  The great news is that I’ll be just two doors down! 

Color me BUSY for the next few weeks as I prepare transition plans, work with staff on handing over current projects, finish other projects, and start working on grant proposals (already have one due December 1, yikes!) 

God's Glory

 This is the gorgeous tree at the entrance to my building.  Every day I've seen it turn less green and more yellow, then more red. 

You can just see the little black railing at the bottom right...that's where I go up the stairs.  When I got there today, the University's official photographer was standing at the foot of it, taking photos of the tree from the other side.  Of course he had a big professional camera and I took this with my Blackberry. 

Still, you get the idea. 
 

Sweet & Sour Slow Cooker Chicken Curry a la WW

 

This was our super yummy, uber-easy dinner last night:

• 1 lb uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used thighs)
• 1 lg. green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 lg. Vidalia onion, sliced (Texas 1015's work fine)
• 14 1/2 oz. stewed tomatoes
• 1/2 c. mango chutney (found in ethnic food aisle at local grocery)
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder, or more to taste (I like lots)

Instructions

Place chicken, pepper and onion in a slow cooker; top with tomatoes.

Mix together remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over chicken mixture, cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours. Yields about 1 1/2 to 2 cups per serving.

4 servings, 6 points per. 

thanks to Nikki, Kat, and Jan for asking for the recipe.

Friday Five: LifeSaving

Kathrynzj says at RevGals:  In honor of BE Three I thought I'd offer up a Friday Five of lifesavers. I'm going on our cruise (are you?) because I am excited about meeting up with my blogging buddies again, I am interested in the speaker and because when I went on the first one my life was saved (okay, that may be a little over-dramatized but if you saw me getting on the boat and then the difference when getting off the boat you would know of what I speak).

I don't expect - or need - another life saving moment but I want to support the conference.

Of course lifesavers can come in all sizes and with far less drama. I would readily admit that I have considered a person (children's sermon substitute), the location of a bathroom, and a beverage (the last diet coke in the back of the fridge - score!) all to be lifesavers at one point or another.

And so today I ask you - dramatic or fairly common - what have been/are your lifesavers:

First off...I can't attend the BE Three, and I am very sad.  But it is at a bad time for my work and I would be MORE stressed if I were away then.  Or at least when I got back!!

1) Your lifesaving food/beverage.  Hmm, right now it's Diet A&W Root Beer.  Frosty Mug Taste!
 

2) Your lifesaving article of clothing.  Clark's flats.  Comfortable and look ok for work. 

3) Your lifesaving movie/book/tv show/music.  I'm still stuck on old episodes of "Friends"  and "That 70's Show" on the TV, and on Hulu'd episodes of "Glee". 

4) Your lifesaving friend.  My mama!  The other day I had something unexpected come up and I had to leave where I was and drive back to work.  I realized I was driving ANGRILY.  Not good on I-35.  Not good.  I called and talked to Mom and felt lots better. 

5) Your lifesaving moment.  Right now it's seeing trees in glorious color change...we don't have many around here that do it, so seeing one is a great treat.  There's a rain tree next to my building, big one, with all yellow leaves and a great big splotch of auburn on one side.  Like God kissed it.

Friday Five: If Music be the food of Love...

Over at RevGals, Songbird says, "When I was a very little girl growing up in Virginia, I never missed a Sunday going to Court Street Baptist Church. But there was something else that made Sundays special, and that was "Davey and Goliath." Every week the opening strains of the theme song would find me lying on the floor, chin on hands, looking up expectantly to watch the adventures of a clay boy and his big dog.

What I didn't realize was who wrote that music, the hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."

It was the same Martin Luther who said:

"I have no use for cranks who despise music, because it is a gift of God. Music drives away the Devil and makes people gay; they forget thereby all wrath, unchastity, arrogance, and the like. Next after theology, I give to music the highest place and the greatest honor." 


On this Friday before Reformation Sunday, let's talk about music. Share with us five pieces of music that draw you closer to the Divine, that elevate your mood or take you to your happy place. They might be sung or instrumental, ancient or modern, sacred or popular...whatever touches you.

Some of us even love hymns. (Well, I do.)"

1) Well, I love the hymn that I indicated in the previous post...check it out. 

2) Hildegarde of Bingen - "O Virga"

3) I always love The Cars...they make me feel happy and free, unencumbered.  Probably because I learned to love them when I was about 14.  "You're All I've Got Tonight," "Touch and Go," there are several. 

4) There's a folk mass setting by Herbert Draesel - the first Folk Mass I ever knew - and the Nicene Creed from that one is often my shower singing.  Why?  who knows...

5) The Betty Pulkingham Exultet.  O, Glory! 

Now the silence, now the peace

 
Sitting here looking out at the gorgeous fall sunshine after the Mexican Hurricane rain yesterday. 

I'm in the middle of a day off, taken because we had a large party last night for our motorcycle meetup group and some people stayed over.  They are en route to a weekend rally in Sparks, Oklahoma (I am not going to that).  It was nice to get up leisurely this morning, prepare coffee and breakfast tacos, and hang out with friends.  Josie and Boudreaux adored having all the company and attention, and two of our friends brought their two Yorkies, and all the dogs got along together...a first!!!

Now they've headed up the road and day's before me to arrange as I wish.  Now the silence, now the peace...I have some cleanup to do, and a lot of work I brought home with me...but also a great sense of well-being and comfort.  I don't host easily.  I find it stressful to prepare for.  But once I do it, it's very enjoyable and satisfying. 

I'm especially grateful for this little respite in what has been, and will continue to be, an incredibly busy fall. 

This hymn comes to my mind, surprising me, as I have felt very spiritually sterile for several weeks:

Now the silence, now the peace,
Now the empty hands uplifted;
Now the kneeling, now the plea,
Now the Father’s arms in welcome;
Now the hearing, now the power,
Now the vessel brimmed for pouring;
Now the body, now the blood,
Now the joyful celebration;
Now the wedding, now the songs,
Now the heart forgiven, leaping;
Now the Spirit’s visitation,
Now the Son’s epiphany;
Now the Father’s blessing,
Now, now, now.

You can hear a midi of it here.  The text is by Jar­o­slav J. Vaj­da, and he says this about it: 

The hymn text orig­in­at­ed while I was shav­ing one morn­ing (a time when I get a lot of orig­in­al ideas). I was ed­it­or of This Day mag­a­zine at the time. Since my teen­age years I have been writ­ing and trans­lat­ing po­e­try, so ma­ny po­e­tic phras­es run through my mind, some of them end­ing up on pa­per. Some­where in the back of my mind, dur­ing my pre­vi­ous eight­een years in the full-time par­ish min­is­try, I was ac­cum­u­lat­ing rea­sons and ben­e­fits in wor­ship. I have felt that we oft­en get so lit­tle out of wor­ship be­cause we an­ti­ci­pate so lit­tle, and we sel­dom come with a buck­et large enough to catch all the show­er of grace that comes to us in that set­ting. Sud­den­ly the hymn be­gan to form in my mind as a list of awe­some and ex­ci­ting things that one should ex­pect in wor­ship, cul­min­at­ing in the Eu­cha­rist and ben­e­dic­tion. The in­troit or en­trance hymn re­sult­ed.

Subconsciously I was pro­duc­ing a hymn with­out rhyme or with­out worn cli­chés, de­pend­ing en­tir­ely on rhy­thm and re­pe­ti­tion to make it sing­a­ble. The re­vers­al of the Trin­i­tar­i­an or­der in the ben­e­dict­ion was made not on­ly to make the con­clu­sion mem­or­a­ble, but to in­di­cate the or­der in which the Trin­i­ty ap­proach­es us in wor­ship: The Spir­it brings us the Gos­pel, by which God’s bless­ing is re­leased in our lives.

I pray today for an alive, worshipful, aware experience...no matter what I end up doing.  AndI pray that for you who read, as well.