Julie and Julia (and Me)

I'm motivated to cook something elaborate.

I watched the movie Julie and Julia last night. I had seen it on opening day last summer (also my birthday) and am now the proud owner of my own copy. After watching the movie last night I got out my own Julia Child cookbook, a gift from a friend a few years back, and was looking for the bouef bourginone recipe. I got distracted and found others for red wine and beef stew, the perfect way to boil and egg and an artichoke paste.

I have no desire to be a Julie Powell and try to cook all of Julia Child's recipes in one year, but a bit of puttering here and there would be good. I think I may need to practice up on my chopping and dicing until I can be as proficient as the two stars of the movie.

Bon Appetite!

Great Anticipation

As I've been working in the chapel this week I've taken the opportunity to read the verses surrounding the daily readings. This truly is a time of anticipation. And, what a better story to read in installments to help build up to the Big moment.
Happy Christmas to all.

Time to reflect

I finished my first semester of class finals on Friday; then went to Waupaca and St. Mark's for the weekend. The few days' reprieve has provided me an opportunity to reflrect on the semester.

Wow, it was wonderful. Difficult, challenging and educational on multiple levels, but wonderful.

What did I learn. Well I learned all kind of church history and theology "stuff" that I didn't previously know. I'm anxious to have have that as a base on which to pile more knowledge. And, I learned the very, very, very basics of Biblical Greek. That was the class to which I was most looking forward and the one that presented any multitude of challenges too me. I learned how to learn more and where to find the knowledge I will need to basic Greek translations of the New Testament. What I also learned was how to study. It's been 30 years since I graduated from college. A lot has gone on in my brain and life since then. All of those things affect learning style. I've discovered the most effective study habits for me now are to do it in two hour chunks, not much longer. I start off with two hours in the morning before chapel, two hours in the afternoon and two hours in the evening. And then, there are the squeezed in moments. I struggled with learning Greek vocabulary until very late in the semester when I hit upon taping just a few words to the bathroom mirror each day. I would study them as I brushed my teeth and dried my hair. It worked! Wish I would have discovered that practice early in the semester.

Another tidbit about how I learn, researching and writing papers. I could take a topic we had covered in two classes, but it wasn't until I focused on it in research and sharing knowledge mode that it stuck in my head. It will be helpful in the future.

Of course, the spiritual side of me was developed as well, I was reaffirmed in attending chapel three times a day. It's where my strength is boosted,

And, I learned the power of friendship, love and prayer. The support I received from so many people in sublte ways helped me put aside all fears and apprehensions and tackle school work.Hopefully my successes will improve with more practice.

Hidden message?

I think there's some sort of hidden message in the ironies of my Historical Theology papers, but I've yet to figure it out.
First there was the paper/presentation on St. Augustine of Hippo. I gave my class presentation on the topic on St. Augustine's birthday, the scheduling was purely coincidental.

Now there's the big paper due for that class--mine relates to The Council of Trent. Now this was a council that extended for several years and took several years to get organized. It was finally convened on Dec. 13, 1545, also the third Sunday in Advent. It was the day I was finishing my paper.

There are coincidences and then there are events with underlying meanings. I wonder which this is. I'm thinking coincidence.

Formation, formation, formation

Formation is a favorite word of faculty and administration at Nashotah. It is used to refer to challenges, obstacles, hurdles, new experiences and anything that teaches you something or reels you in.
Students consider it a new "F" word.
What students and their families consider formation can range from snow for the southerns, to no income, to lots of homework, to car troubles, to difficult classmates, cancelled flights, missed standing committee meetings; the list goes on and on.
I've had any number of experiences that I have chalked up to formation, but a really big one happened Friday. In fact, I was humbled. I agree that can be a good thing, but at the moment---YIKES.
A major paper was returned to me; the grade was not the kind of evaluation that I usually receive on things I write.
Once I got over the mortification of being less than perfect I accepted what I had known to be true. I don't know how to do exegetical papers. That's one of the reasons I'm here; to learn how to analyze bible passages and eventually use that information in sermons or other educational settings. It took a few hours for me to realize that I don't have to produce a perfect first paper, and that I should learn from the comments and suggestions. But wow, humble pie is one dessert that I don't care to order.

Snow, snow, snow

This week's snowfall has been a real eye opener. Snow is one thing I just know will happen, along with dropping temperatures and wind.
Aside from my little incident with a snowdrift this week, it has been a week of wonder. There of course, was the beauty of the wet snow lying heavily on tree branches - the white and black an Ansel Adams contrast in color-or lack of. But the most exciting part has been observing people who have never seen snow.
Take that to a 15 month-old child who stared at a handful of it in her mother's hand. She stuck her nose in it to smell it, grabbed it and put some in her mouth. I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind when it had no smell, no taste and disappeared in her hand. It magically appears and just as magically disappears, although sometimes not soon enough.
Then there was the couple form Florida, the wife never having seen or been in snow. She was posing for many a picture and making plenty of snowballs. The student from Burma kept saying "snow is very cold, very cold, very cold."
A classmate from Florida and I have had conversatins about the snow and cold, he doesn't understand how people can live under these conditions and I don't understand how people can life in heat and humidity. I suppose it's all about what you know and grow to love.

Good 'ole Lutefisk

Yesterday (Saturday) I paid tribute to my Norwegian heritage (dad's side) and went to a Lutefisk dinner at a Lutheran Church in nearby Ashippun.
Carrie had heard about this event a few weeks back so it's been on the calendar since. Carrie, Casey, a visiting friend and I headed over hill and dale to the farm country of rural Ashippun to find St. Olaf's Lutheran Church, cleverly located on Highway O.
AS advertised, it was a traditional lutefisk dinner--lutefisk (of course), rutabagga, potatoes, Swedish meatballs, melted butter, lefse, sugar and Scandianvian pastries. Oh, and how could I forget--Jello (I don't think that's traditional Norwegian, but it shows up often at these meals. My guess is to add a bit of color to a sea of white.
I took a requisite serving of Lutefisk (1/2-3/4 cup or so) and enjoyed the rest of the meal. Either Lutefisk is getting milder, perhaps through global warming, or I'm getting more used to it.
For those of you who have not had the cultural experience, Luteffisk is cod, preserved in Lye, by tradition. Of course the lye is soaked off by the time we eat it, but the fish is very pale, gelatinous and jiggly.
Today I think I'll have something more American--tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich. But, I could go for some lefse!

Is it really crunch time?

I'm supposed to be overwhelemed right now because there are two weeks until the end of semester.
I have a paper due on Monday, one the next Monday and two that Friday. Instead of panicking I am fully entrenched in the writing, actually research. My niece and sister today proclaimed that I "wasn't quite right," in reference to my enjoying the paper research and writing process. I don't get what they think is so unusual. Doesn't everyone like to write?!!!!!
The paper due Monday is for Biblical Interpretation and is an exegesis on part of 1 Kings 17. The more I read the more I want to read more. I had the choice of doing a new testement or old testement. I chose the Old Testament because it is the most challenging for me and what I consider "hard" work. I decided seminary is a good place to practice on what is difficult, because there's guidance if you need it.
Initially I was fearful of writing 10 pages, now I think I could write 10 chapters.

so, while I'm thinking I'm tired and should go to bed, I'm also tempted to tweak a bit more on that paper!

It's starting to make sense

Actually my education here at Nashotah has made sense since I got here. But, what is really fun is that now the classes are overlapping (in an orderly manner.) In church history we learn the history of the church, in historical theology how that history plays into the church beliefs, add in the insight in biblical interpretation and the developing musical culutre in the church and it feels like a banquet table with full dishes yet to be spooned into.
Life is getting busy this week. I have an exegetical paper on 1st Kings due on Monday. That's getting my focus right now. I have three more papers to finish after that. And the list goes on. But, the paper writing is so much fun. I love the research and I feel so informed when I can put the pieces together. Some of my classmates struggle with their papers and I look forward to them. I guess my past life is of use to me now!

An evening with my sister

Carrie, my sister, sings with the Milwaukee Public School Alumni Choir. No, she's not an MPS alum, but she got started singing with the group during the last presidential campaign. The group was affectionately known as the "Obama" choir. The choir members sang at Obama events.
The election is over, but the group continues to sing. Now it's in the midst of fundraising to go to France on tour next summer. One of the reasons for the fund raising is to be able to take along 10 formerly homeless people who have joined the choir and are getting their lives back where they once were.
I had not yet had the opportunity to hear the choir, so when she invited me to a fundraiser on Saturday night I went. The concert was entitled "Broken for Purpose."
It was a different experience for me, but there's nothing like traditional Gospel and praise music to get one moving and motivated.

The search is on

The panic to find the Advent wreath form for the St. Mary's Chapel continued in the search at home for my Advent wreath. I knew I had one. I've used it every year for the last seven or eight. It was made by a member of member of St. Augustine's Church in Rhinelander. Because of its size and shape I always pack it along the side of a large, dark green, plastic storage bin. I looked everywhere. I couldn't find the bin. I even pulled out all of the empty boxes I have stored under the steps in the basement thinking perhaps it got buried back there.
Finally today, as I closed the door to the small store room/water heater room in one last search attempt, I looked down and to the left. I saw the bin under a table in my study. It was the only thing under the bin. I'm thinking the bin was in the corner and when I added the tabled, needed to spread out books for all of my papers and projects, it got covered. Well, sure enough, the wooden frame was in the bin. So, I grabbed it, the new package of Advent candles and headed up stairs to pare down the bottom of the candles, so they would fit, and put it together.
Next step is to have my first official lighting, complete with the C.S. Lewis Advent devotional booklet from St. Mark's Church in Waupaca this year. Today's reflection is about miracles and specifically John 1:14.
There has to be a preachable parallel between searching for the Advent wreath and the search for the Christ child!

Thanks for giving

Sitting in the living room at my Aunt Tommy and Uncle Bill's today in Wausau I thought I was bored, because I was sitting quietly. Then I realized what a normal, comfortable life I lead. There are 14 relatives here including two cousins that had not seen each other in more than 40 years. So, some were sitting around the dining room with dessert plates pushed aside, talking about old times and future times; some were in the living room watching football; others were playing mancala, cards or napping. I was pretending to read a Newsweek magazine, which I did, sort of. What I was really doing was listening (aka eavesdropping). Everything was just normal, folks were talking about Christmas shopping, kids, getting hair cut for Locks of Love, state championship football games, bad TV commercials, good TV commercials, the best Brandy, the worst Brandy, Granny Smith apples vs. Bayfield County apples. You get the idea. I was smiling to myself when I went back to the magazine. I flipped the page and read an araticle by two retired military men whose sons had died in Iraq.

I was immediately immensely more thankful for my comfortable life and gave a silent prayer of thanks to the men and women who have fought to make that comfortable life in a country of free choice possible.

We're All the Same, Really

After three months of seminary I felt that I needed a bit of diversion and an occassional different focus to discussion. Now, don't think that my brain doesn't get an adequate workout, because it does. I just needed something different, so I contacted a few women on campus, wives of students, and organized a book group.

We met and organized on Sunday. The book we've selected to read first is "Same Kind of Different as Me." I highly recommend it. The book is the real life story of two men, unlikely to form a friendship, but do. One is a modern-day slave, the other an art dealer. Their differences span the horizon from race, education, income and at times faith. What brings them together is one truly amazing woman and a faith unknown to either of them.

Bottom line, differences are only on the surface. The title says it all!

For most of the semester I've been doing my homework at home, resisting the natural distractions of the library. However, since the semester is moving toward its conclusion and paperwriting time is heavy upon me, I've decided to move into my study space in the library. I'm just using too many books to be hauling them back and forth. They're nice spaces, but mine looks too organized, complete with a box of tissues. So, taking the lead from one of my "neighbors" in the library I decided to mess it up a bit, leave the books all scattered around, rather than piled neatly, throw an extra pair of shoes under the desk and a sweather on the desk shelf.
It doesn't work for me. I feel claustraphobic and can't find anything. My "neighbor" on the other hand, as cluttered as his space may be, is way ahead of schedule and onto other things. Maybe I could learn something from him.

A Day Off

Today I decided to use my time to catch of on "real people" stuff, but haven't accomplished that goal. I had a couple of medical appointments, days off are good for those, drove into Milwaukee to pick up a pair of shoes I had ordered and did very little putzing at home. I have to admit I felt guilty about not doing school work. Oh well, there's tonight and tomorrow and Wednesday...
When I was reviewing my previous post I was quite entertained by my unconsious pun. When I used the word "riting" I was refering to salng of writing. Then I realized that in Episcopalian cricles Rite I and Rite II are common vernacular and refer to different service and language styles. Oh, I'm so clever!

Reading, Riting and Re-charging

Today officially began Reading Week. For me it's more like writing week. And of course, since there's a holiday in there, there will be a bit of relaxing, known as recharging. My plan is to get my home spotless, Christmas card envelopes addressed, all laundry done, cook ahead and getting organized. Oh, no!

Organizing means clarifying the topics of the four papers I have to write/finish in the next three weeks, write and outline, identify any additional resources and get ready to dig in after Reading Week. I do plan on really reading during this week. Usually I read the assigned chapters a day or two before the class. However, because I want to focus on my papers, I hope to read all that I will need for the rest of the semester in the next few days. That should be possible because it's only about 300 pages.

Well, Time to move onto the next page turner.