The One with the Book List: Swamplandia!

There exists a list of recommended books to read based on books you liked as a kid. I picked up an armful of these books a few weeks ago (thanks Half Price Books- Olathe) and the first one to be marked off the list is Swamplandia! This books was paired as similar to A Wrinkle in Time which I read in Mrs. Beatty's elementary school class and totally enjoyed.

The characters, family dynamics, and plot were all very captivating. Although the story would have been so much less rivoting without the series of detailed events, I sometimes found myself wishing to get to the end. Part of that was simple curiosity and anxiety to see how the story ended. What I loved most about the book was the visual language in which it was written. For example, someone was eating a "roast beef sandwich that was hemorrhaging horseradish." At one point in the story I thought a quote was describing me, "I could sleep into the deep yolk of any afternoon, wear my dirty pajamas to the pit, stow away on the library boat and read murder mysteries until four in the morning." The language added so much to the story and now I feel like I have actually visited Swamplandia! and witnessed the alligator-wrestling shows. 

Swamplandia! was a pleasurable read, but I am excited to get started on the next recommended book.

"The beginning of the end can feel a lot like the middle when you are living in it."

The One with Lent: Passover and a Blood Moon

     The last couple weeks of Lent have been unchurched. It has not necessarily been a conscious decision NOT to go, but it also has not been a conscious decision TO go. Although I like to be disciplined in my practices, I have found that the unexpected and organic happenings in my life tend to be the most spiritual.

     I had just swallowed some melatonin to aid my sleep last night when I remembered the total lunar eclipse that was scheduled to occur in the wee hours of the morning.  I said a small and silent prayer that I would hear my parents as they roused and layered in preparation to stand out front and look at the darkened sky. A tiny miracle happened in that I did in fact hear them. I immediately jumped out of bed, that’s quite a feat at any hour of the day, knowing that if I did not get up at that exact moment I would allow myself to fall back to sleep and miss the eclipse.

     Throwing a sweater on over my jammies, I burst outside where my parents and I searched the clouded sky for any signs of the moon. Slowly, the clouds uncovered the eclipsed moon and we just stood there, heads craned upward with binoculars stuck to our faces, starring at the awesome wonder that is God’s handiwork.

                  

     I am still chuckling that the Blood Moon happened the night that Passover began.

                  

     Shalom.

The One with Lent (and My Birthday): Week Four

     As suspected, I did not make it to church for week four of Lent. I desperately wanted to count my church time as the few minutes when Louis C.K. commented on churchy things during his opening monologue on SNL, but for Christ's sake, I did not.

     Week four consisted largely of birthday meals and desserts. Edamame, creme brulee, pad Thai, mango sticky rice, turkey burgers, homemade peanut butter hummus, Twinkie cake, and homemade Nutella gelato...Massages, mimosas, Mules basketball, and Maverick's hockey filled the actual day.

     The feasts for the week were scrumptious and the company was delightful. 


     It is difficult to be disciplined in a practice of which you cannot feel or taste the benefits. I can feel the benefits of being disciplined in practicing yoga. I can taste the benefits of a successful baking endeavor. But going to church- I cannot feel or taste those benefits. Yoga can continue, baking can continue, but church disciplines may be discontinued- even through Lent. 

The One with Lent: Week Three

     Week three of Lent was yummy and I was happy to share it with my dad. The Fish Fry seemed a success for everyone involved. There were so many (older) folk there and it was comical to see beer (and other spirits) served and consumed in God’s House. Maybe becoming Catholic is the way to go!

     It’s looking as though during week four (birthday week) I will be resting my bottom on chairs around tables with my community rather than on a pew among an unfamiliar community. Because I’ll still be sharing a communal table with the people I trust and love the most I’m not considering it a total loss if I miss out on church this week.

     May the birthday feasting be blessed…

The One With Lent: Week Two

     The second week of Lent was a success in that I actually made it to church. As I got out of my car and walked across the parking lot I literally said aloud to myself, "you're a crazy person." I continued my speed walk pace instead of turning around and made my way to a seat in the familiar sanctuary.

     
     My anxiety lessened and my breath returned once I sat down and scanned the space for recognizable faces, although there were none to be found other than the pastor. I was a young kiddo when I first met the pastor. His daughter and my cool older cousin were once good friends so I grew up thinking I was pretty cool by association. It was that old connection that kept me planted in my seat throughout the service despite how uncomfortable I was feeling.
    
     Knowing how I felt about facing another week of church the following week, I was pleasantly surprised to get an invite in the mail for a Fish Fry at a nearby church for this weekend. Eating fish instead of sitting through a service? Yes, please. Sign me up. It might feel like cheating, but for Lent I only said that I would go to church...

     Peace et Bon Appetit!

The One With Ashes at the Airport

     For Lent I have decided to go to church once a week, so it seemed fitting when I heard the announcement overhead at Midway Airport that there would be an Ash Wednesday service in the chapel. After mom and I made our way through separate security checkpoints we hopped in the elevator and claimed our seats in the interfaith chapel.

     Although the chapel was interfaith the service was Catholic which was evidenced by the missing last bit of the Lord’s Prayer and the Signs of the Cross. We sat and stood a number of times, sang and read through liturgies, and prayed and had our foreheads marked with ashes.

     For some reason I have been uncharacteristically fired up about Lent and this service was one of my favorite parts of my Chicago trip. Church attendance is not easy for me, so it will be interesting to see how the rest of this Lenten season progresses.

     Peace be with you…

The One With Being Trapped In The Now

A little while back I picked up a book that a stranger in my favorite bookstore recommended from across the discount cart. The book was a whole dollar and written by an author I had read and enjoyed before, so I bought it and gave it a read. Per usual, I did not finish it, but one excerpt is still lingering with me. The book is Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie and the excerpt is from the chapter A Drug Called Tradition.

“ Your past is a skeleton walking one step behind you, and your future is a skeleton walking one step in front of you. Maybe you don't wear a watch, but your skeletons do, and they always know what time it is. Now, these skeletons are made of memories, dreams, and voices. And they can trap you in the in-between, between touching and becoming. But they're not necessarily evil, unless you let them be.

What you have to do is keep moving, keep walking, in step with your skeletons. They ain't ever going to leave you, so you don't have to worry about that. Your past ain't going to fall behind, and your future won't get too far ahead. Sometimes, though, your skeletons will talk to you, tell you to sit down and take a rest, breathe a little. Maybe they'll make you promises, tell you all the things you want to hear…

But, no matter what they do, keep walking, keep moving. And don't wear a watch. Hell, Indians never need to wear a watch because your skeletons will always remind you about the time. See, it is always now. That's what Indian time is. The past, the future, all of it is wrapped up in the now. That's how it is. We are trapped in the now. ”

 Being trapped in the now is both promising and terrifying. Terrifying because you never know when your skeletons, be them past or future, will stop in for a chat. You never know when they will scare you with reminders from your past or scare you with the uncertainty of what is to come. Being trapped in the now is also promising because it is chance to chase your fears and make them what you want. “If you don’t learn how to be scared, you’ll never really learn how to be brave.” (Simon Holt)

I’ve learned a lot about being scared, but being trapped in the now is challenging me to be brave. And for today, I’m not wearing a watch.