Friends …

1) Do you remember your first best friend? What did you do together? Are they still in your life?

My first best friend was probably Lilly Dean Sutton – the pastor’s daughter.  We stayed in touch for a year after they moved to Nebraska and even made a visit, but I have no idea where she is now.  One of my best memories was that visit – made while taking my sister to stewardess school – no, they weren’t flight attendants then so I’m showing my age a bit.  While we were visiting there was a MAJOR snowstorm and we were snowed in longer than anticipated. My step-mother and I came home on a bus. It was pretty exciting.

2) Did you ever have to move away or have your best friend move away from you?

I had both happen. The case mentioned above, and then twice I moved between towns growing up. Both times it was painful and I left good friends.

I’ve had several good friends as adults who have moved and I’ve also moved. We try to stay in touch but it’s hard. The funny thing is when we do get together it’s as though we just pick up on the last conversation.

3) Are there people in your life now that you can call 'friend'?

I have more friends now than I had ever had which has been a REAL blessing in the life of ministry. We hang tough for each other – cry and laugh – encourage each other many times. Still, there are always those special few.

4) What are some of your favorite things to do with your friends?

Laugh. Listen. Love. Learn. Pray. Cry. Read. Talk. Serve. Worship. Walk. Eat. Find my center.

I loved Deb’s answer, and I’m keeping it.

5) What is a gift friendship has given you?

The gift of encouragement and the ability to be myself – no pretense.

Friday Five: Happy Project

With the end of RevGalBlogPals' third annual Big Event, I am wondering who went and what it was like. There must be a lot of smiling from the Big Event! Hopefully, the rest of us are not frowning either.

So let us know how your past week was for you.

Write five different aspects of the week
OR answer the following questions:

1. When were you smiling lately?

Although I didn’t get to attend the BE, I did get to spend two days at our houseboat. It was put in the water on Friday. It’s an older boat but is sporting a brand new roof – no leaks to clean up and an open deck on the rear of the boat to sit in the sun and read or fish. Great place to escape the insanity which is life at times.

2. What happened unexpectedly to you this past week?

Much of my week was unexpected but it was one of the better weeks in a long while!

3. How was a catastrophe averted (or not)?

Found that my cell phone screen was cracked on Sunday but fortunately I received my new phone on Tuesday and it’s a better phone than the old one.

4. What was the most delicious thing you ate?

Ham Loaf dinner at Dick’s Place in my hometown. It was a great meal and I saw people I haven’t seen in years.

Also shared a meal with my son at Chile’s on Tuesday.

Enjoyed a great fruit and chicken salad at Bob Evans last night – a sign that summer is truly coming!

5. Did you see any good movies or read any books or articles?

Had a great week of entertainment. Watched “Date Night” with my husband last Friday and had date night with my clerk of session last night at the Pittsburgh Pops concert featuring Cirque De La Symphonie … it was VERY good.

Friday Five … Pack Your Bags

1) Some fold, some roll and some simply fling into the bag. What's your technique for packing clothes?

A combination of both with every nook and cranny filled… including the inside of my shoes.

2) The tight regulations about carrying liquids on planes makes packing complicated. What might we find in your quart-size bag? Toothbrush and paste, hand cream, shampoo, deoderant

Ever lose a liquid that was too big? 

3) What's something you can't imagine leaving at home? My glasses and/or contacts

4) Do you have a bag with wheels?  Is there any other kind?

5) What's your favorite reading material for a non-driving trip (plane, train, bus, ship)? Something that grabs my interest and makes the time go quicker – these days it will be on my Kindle or Zune

Great Easter Reflections

The women approaching the empty tomb….

Breaking of the bread …

 

Easter at Emmaus ….  Ketchikan Presbyterian Church

The artist: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.heqigallery.com%2F&h=23d18a6b3f31500f2aeb1fae2f582b10

Pierogies Available

My Desk …

Someone once said that a clean desk is a sign of a sick mind … but up until the last three years, it was my nightly ritual to completely clear my desk before leaving work or my home office. Somewhere that sense of control and decluttering – for better or worse – has escaped me. My desk is officially out of control and looks eerily like this cartoon picture.

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Friday Five: Staving Off the Gloom

 

Sally at Rev Gal Blog Pals writes:

Candlemass is past, and Christmas is well and truly over, here in the UK February looks set to be its usual grey and cold self. Signs of spring are yet to emerge; if like me you long for them perhaps you need ways to get through these long dark days. So lets share a few tips for a cold and rainy/ snowy day....

1. Exercise, what do you do if you can't face getting out into the cold and damp?

I joined a fitness center but to be honest I haven’t taken advantage of the membership often.

2. Food; time to comfort eat, or time to prepare your body for the coming spring/summer?

Typically at this point I’m thinking of swim suits at the lake and cutting back on portions, watching the carbs and getting some exercise. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to make a dent in my trouble spots.

3. Brainpower; do you like me need to stave off depression, if so how do you do it?

Winter is always way too long, and this year has been particularly daunting with lots of snow, bitter cold temperatures and a host of chaotic events in the church and in my family.

Typically, I don’t struggle with depression often but have found that this year I really have to get out with friends and find activities which lift my spirits.

4. How about a story that lifts your spirits, is there a book or film that you return to to stave off the gloom?

Nothing in particular really stands out. The thing that keeps me going in the winter are the dogs – they are bored and constantly begging me to interact with them. Nothing better than a dancing dog, a wagging tail and a dog kiss to pick up your spirits.

5. Looking forward, do you have a favourite spring flower/ is there something that says spring is here more than anything else?

When I start to see the crocus, daffodils and johnny jump ups, it’s time to take out the rake and start the outdoor gardening chores.

Bonus; post a poem/ piece of music that points to the coming spring......

I  typed in “The Coming of Spring” and found this CD of dulcimer music and it made a connection to my Appalachian heritage and my Irish ancestry.

As we spring forward into summer time, here's a bright and cheerful album of traditional Irish dance music and Carolan pieces played on hammered dulcimer by Cliff Moses, on his first solo album. Not only is 'The coming of Spring' the title of one of the tracks, but it also reflects the bright and light sound of the dulcimer.

The hammered dulcimer is an unusual instrument in Irish music; it's nearest cousin would be the harp, though the strings are hit rather than plucked. Wire strings are used, and there is no damping, giving it a more bell-like tone, like the older style of Irish harp.